The impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on real estate businesses has been immense. Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, social distancing and self-quarantine rules have made in-person business challenging. Property buyers and sellers have also become more cautious and apprehensive when it comes to dealing with realtors and one another. Due to these changes, it has become necessary for agents to adjust their real estate marketing strategies.
In just a few months, a lot has changed as far as real estate marketing is concerned owing to the pandemic. And as we prepare to usher in 2021, you are probably contemplating what the future of real estate agents will be like.
Even during these unprecedented times, it’s vital that you do everything you can to generate real estate leads while still protecting yourself and your clients from contracting and spreading the virus. If you want to have an edge over your competition in 2021, you should be prepared to change with the times and adapt your real estate marketing plan to the new normal.
In this regard, we’ve compiled a list of the top real estate marketing trends to expect in 2021 to help you make sense of the future of real estate agents.
Related: The Impact of the Coronavirus on the US Real Estate Market
Real Estate Marketing Trends 2021
1. Social Media Marketing
Going into 2021, digital real estate marketing will be the norm for real estate professionals. Even real estate professionals who have previously been reluctant to embrace technology will have no choice but to leverage various digital tools to boost their lead generation.
With many people now working from home, most of them will rely on the internet to find realtors that will help them buy or sell a property. As face to face interactions dwindled, online consumption had a steady increase. Therefore, more than ever, it’s crucial for every real estate agent to have a strong online presence.
One way that real estate agents are expected to leverage digital real estate marketing in 2021 is to use social media. Since many people are housebound, they tend to spend a lot of time on social media.
Agents involved in both buying and selling real estate are stepping up their real estate social media marketing game by increasing their spending on social ads and by consistently producing quality content.
Agents are now investing in Facebook marketing and leveraging other social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube to build their brand, increase their visibility, and gather more real estate leads. This trend is bound to continue in 2021.
2. Use of Aerial Drones
One real estate marketing trend to expect for 2021 is the use of drones.
Prospective property buyers will typically want to see the neighborhood and picture themselves living in it before they even look at the inside of the property for sale. They would want to see the local amenities, schools, infrastructure, businesses, etc.
With the pandemic, community tours using vehicles has become difficult. Consequently, one of the biggest real estate marketing trends that are emerging is the use of aerial drones for photography and videography.
The aerial footage highlighting the community features are then shared on social media to sell the lifestyle in the area. Apart from reducing in-person meetings, this strategy also saves a lot of time.
3. Virtual Tours
In-person home tours are also challenging in the current situation. As a result, real estate agents are shifting from open houses to virtual tours to make the purchasing process easier and safer for clients.
Buyers being able to shop for houses remotely from the comfort of their houses has boosted real estate marketing efforts. The value of real estate video marketing is clear to agents and the trend will surely continue in 2021.
Related: The Ultimate Guide to Virtual Reality for Real Estate Agents
4. Content Marketing
In today’s COVID-19 reality, real estate agents are shifting their focus to less expensive real estate marketing ideas. It has become necessary for them to reduce their spending so as to keep their business afloat during these periods of economic uncertainty. This requires that they step away from direct marketing.
One inexpensive real estate lead generation strategy that agents are investing more time in is producing useful content for potential clients through blogs, Zoom webinars, and YouTube videos. This helps real estate agents to establish themselves as authorities in the industry. Moving into 2021, this real estate marketing trend is expected to continue.
5. Email Marketing
As people try to accommodate the “new normal” in their endeavors, email marketing has proven to be an effective strategy for agents sending regular updates to potential clients.
It’s definitely the right time to engage with your digital audience through email marketing. Email campaigns are also expected to be a key part of the marketing plans of most real estate agents in 2021.
6. Charity and Community Service
Without a doubt, the effects of the coronavirus pandemic have taken a toll on our local communities. There are many people who have lost their jobs and others have had their businesses adversely affected.
During this difficult time, real estate agents and brokerages that are well off are expected to give back to the community by making donations to the less fortunate and being actively involved in the community.
While clients always want to work with competent real estate agents, they will typically prefer those who get involved in a charitable cause in the community. This strategy helps in brand building and will give you a stronger base for future business. With the global health crisis likely to continue in 2021, this real estate marketing trend will be key for agents.
7. Automation
Now more than ever, real estate professionals are embracing advanced real estate technology to stand out from the crowd and safeguard their businesses.
One of the real estate marketing tools that will be crucial for real estate agents in the US housing market 2021 is Mashvisor’s Mashboard. This tool uses AI and big data to help real estate agents to instantly qualify real estate leads and match them with the ideal property. This way, you stay competitive and won’t waste time with leads that aren’t ready to buy.
The Bottom Line
2020 has been a very chaotic year for many owing to the COVID-19 outbreak. As a real estate agent, if you are looking to boost your real estate business in 2021, you should understand what to expect moving forward. While many real estate marketing trends are already evident, we may see some emerging in full swing in 2021. If you want your real estate business to thrive in 2021, you want to adapt early.
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