Thanksgiving is a day when people give thanks for what they have received and achieved in their lives. This day usually comes with a lot of celebration, feasting, sports, charity, and much more. As families and friends celebrate at this time of the year, most real estate agents will take time off. However, this holiday season is a good time for real estate agents to try unique real estate marketing ideas. Regardless of your views on Thanksgiving, it is an important time of the year to boost your marketing efforts. If you are a little creative, you can use Thanksgiving real estate marketing to improve your real estate lead generation as you have fun. You don’t have to follow the same boring marketing strategies used by everyone!
Here are 6 Thanksgiving real estate marketing ideas from the pros for you to improve your image and stand out from the competition.
1. Send Real Estate Thanksgiving Cards
One cost-effective Thanksgiving real estate marketing tip is to give your real estate clients Thanksgiving greeting cards. The main objective of these greeting cards is to send greetings to your clients and prospects. However, they could also act as your indirect business cards or brochures. You can do this by placing your contact information and open house dates in brief on the greeting cards. Consider signing real estate Thanksgiving postcards personally and including a personalized note.
Joe Horan, real estate consultant and owner of Wrightwood Homes, advises that you take it a step further and deliver the card in person:
Deliver a gift in person. Even with something small like a card, prospects will appreciate that you thought of them during the holiday season.
2. Organize a Pumpkin Pie Giveaway
Turkey and pumpkin pie are usually the foods that come to mind when we think of Thanksgiving. Everyone loves pumpkin pie. Therefore, a great Thanksgiving real estate marketing tip is to send your referral partners and clients some pie. You don’t have to make it yourself if you can’t. You can still send it to them from a local bakery. Another option would be to organize a pumpkin pie pickup at your open house. This way, you will be able to bring more exposure to your real estate listing too.
3. Host an Open House Thanksgiving Dinner
Open houses can also be used as a Thanksgiving real estate marketing strategy. If you have a good listing that you need to market, a catered open house can be an opportunity to show your listing. Consider hosting a Thanksgiving dinner for past clients, prospects, and referral partners at your listing. As your guests interact and create great holiday memories, they will be interested in exploring the listing. Your listing is likely to get even more exposure through social media posts by your guests. Apart from gaining more visibility, an open house could be an excellent place to meet more locals and build your network.
Benjamin Ross, Corpus Christi Realtor and Investor, thinks holding an open house this time of year is a great idea:
Hold a Thanksgiving open house. Cook a Thanksgiving meal at the open house and market that on ads and signs. People will love the smell of the food and it will encourage conversation and rapport building, the most essential elements that a successful open house requires.
Joe Horan adds that you should consider traditional food and decorations for your Thanksgiving open house:
Hire a caterer, and serve up all of the traditional foods associated with the holiday. Decorate the house in festive colors.
Related: 15 Open House Ideas for Real Estate Agents
4. Send Personalized Messages
Most people are used to receiving generic emails during holidays. However, one Thanksgiving real estate marketing idea that can help you to stand out is sending personalized messages. For instance, creating personal video messages for your clients thanking them for something will make them feel the love. You could also send out a hand-written letter to your clients to show your gratitude. Make sure the messages are personal so that they know you are concerned about them and appreciate them. Another option would be to call them and tell them how thankful you are for doing business with them. This will likely make their day.
Than Merril, an expert real estate investor and CEO of the real estate education company, Fortunebuilders, tells us that a personalized message goes a long way, even if you’re not offering anything other than a little appreciation:
Thanksgiving is the perfect opportunity to send a thank you card or letter to past clients and tenants. The letter doesn’t even need to include a special offer, but instead a personalized message letting the person know they are appreciated. This can go a long way in creating loyalty and drawing in more business through word-of-mouth referrals.
5. Write a Thanksgiving Blog
You should also consider writing a holiday-themed blog as one of your Thanksgiving real estate marketing strategies. Generally, blog writing is one of the best marketing tips for real estate agents. Blogs can be used to educate prospects and improve your engagement and SEO. Create a blog that will help your readers learn something new and improve their Thanksgiving season as they prepare to sell or purchase a home. You can also share your articles through your email list and across social media platforms.
6. Get Creative with Social Media
Our final Thanksgiving real estate marketing tip is quite simple. Social media has been on the rise and is one of the best ways for real estate agents to connect with new people. If you haven’t already, consider creating accounts on social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, SnapChat, and Facebook. Adding your Thanksgiving photos shows your current and potential real estate clients that you are not all about business and actually have a normal, fun side.
As you post your holiday photos, be sure to use hashtags, filters, and captions that convey not only the Thanksgiving trends but also what you do and your location. This way, you will be able to engage your brand throughout the holiday period.
Brandon L. Griffin (a Client Success Manager of Strategic Accounts, Multi-Location at USA TODAY NETWORK) offers up a few realtor marketing ideas for your holiday social media campaign:
Create campaigns and share stories of your company giving back to families in the community during this time. For example, give Thanksgiving baskets or Christmas toys to deserving families. Ask the recipients if they will take pictures and videos with you to help spread the good cheer. Ask your new clients and homeowners to share a testimonial of their experience, and a photo of their home decorated with your business for use on social media.
Related: 22 Real Estate Social Media Marketing Ideas for Agents
The Bottom Line
Thanksgiving usually comes only once a year. However, in the midst of holiday celebrations, real estate agents can also use this opportunity to improve their real estate lead generation. Try these Thanksgiving real estate marketing strategies this year to get in touch with past clients and prospects. They will help you stand out as people enjoy time with friends and family.
There are many times throughout the year that agents can take advantage of holiday marketing. With a creative mind, you can find productive ways to boost brand awareness and grow your real estate business. As an agent, you should never miss an opportunity to boost your real estate marketing campaign. To ensure this, it would be best to have a real estate marketing plan for the entire year. Try coming up with some real estate marketing ideas to take advantage of different holidays and events.
Once you’ve generated real estate leads from your real estate marketing campaigns, you can use Mashboard to qualify them instantly.
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