7 Free Ways to Market Your Real Estate Agency

For most of us, marketing means ads. But ads are only a small part of what you can do, and marketing doesn't have to be expensive. I know that these days we look at every penny twice before we spend it.

That's why in this article I'll show you the best ways to promote your agency without spending money (or spending very little).

Before we start, one thing you need to know: instead of money, these tactics will cost you time. You'll need to put real time into preparing them, and you shouldn't expect results within a few days. That doesn't make them less effective.

Quite the opposite. Used well, the tactics below will give you an extra source of clients and help you build a community and a visible brand.

Social media

"Content is king." Bill Gates

I wouldn't be myself if I didn't start with content. Content marketing works for every industry, and especially for real estate.

If you don't publish useful posts that help your clients, someone else will.

Your future clients already spend time on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn every day. Most people have moved their attention from traditional media to the internet, and they want to learn before they decide who to work with.

Meet them there with free, useful advice and you become the expert straight away, without spending anything on ads.

Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram are still free to use. Why wouldn't you? They let you reach new people, build relationships with the clients you already have and strengthen your position in your market.

Especially since few agents do it well. You might be thinking: "Why should I give my knowledge away?"

Because it isn't really yours.

Most of what you know can be found online. Someone has already written about it. Someone has already recorded a video about it. And a lot of it a lawyer or notary would explain to anyone who asks.

Owners can always try to sell on their own, whether you give them tips or not. Maybe someone will read your advice, try to do it themselves and fail.

Who will they call then? I think it will be you.

One note: Instagram is not a listings portal. People are there for people. You can post your listings, but keep them to no more than half of what you publish.

A blog on your website

A blog can be a great marketing tool too, but you need to approach it wisely.

Writing articles for the sake of it won't help. Every article needs a clear purpose, and articles meant to rank in Google look different from the rest.

For Google, focus on finding the right keywords and write around them. SEO also takes time. Expect to wait at least six months for those articles to bring results.

Articles you plan to share on social media or in topic groups can be different. Keep them as simple as possible, give one solid piece of value and, of course, end with a call to action.

You don't need to be a great writer. The text just needs to give readers something they can use themselves.

Guest articles

Once you enjoy writing, you can start writing for other websites.

Maybe you work with someone, a mortgage broker for example, who runs a blog of their own. I'm sure they'd be happy to publish an article from you, with your name and your agency's logo.

That way you borrow their reach. People looking for a mortgage are often looking for help buying a property too. Working together, you cover more of the client's journey and both of you win more clients.

You can also write for property and lifestyle websites. Most sites want to rank better in Google, so ask whether they need an expert article. Maybe you could describe an interesting case study?

Google Business Profile

This is a basic every business needs.

Search for something like "estate agent" or "real estate agency" and Google immediately shows a map with local businesses.

That is where you should collect reviews from all your clients. They matter much more than Facebook reviews, because far more people look for an agent there.

Not everyone knows this, but you can also publish short posts on your Google Business Profile. They help your agency show up in local search results, so clients find you more easily.

And again, the tool is completely free.

Just remember to reply to every review, and do it promptly.

Email marketing

This will set you apart from almost every other agency.

Nobody does it? That's exactly why you should.

A newsletter is one of the most profitable ways to promote a business. It lets you reach your audience regularly, straight in their inbox. And the email list belongs only to you, so a social media outage can't take it away.

Not sure what to write about? To start, you can send:

• Short versions of your articles
• The latest market data
• Interesting facts about your area
• Tips on getting a property ready for sale
• And of course, your newest listings

The biggest challenge is building the list. The start will be slow, but you can create a lead magnet that people get when they sign up for your newsletter. I'll cover that in another article.

A referral programme

I know your clients recommend you because you're good, and they do it for free.

But wouldn't they make more of an effort if there was a reward in it?

Think about it. Big companies, banks for example, run referral programmes for their customers. Why couldn't your agency have one?

It's still a free source of clients, because you only pay when someone actually uses your services. And your happy clients get one more reason to pass your number on.

You can do the same with people who were never your clients. A mortgage broker? A renovation team? Your mechanic? Any of them may know your future clients. You just need to make sure they recommend you.

Don't be afraid to reward people for referrals. It's one more thing that sets you apart, and that is what marketing is about. Before you start, check your local rules: in some markets agents may only pay referral fees to other licensed professionals.

Podcasts and video

How many agencies in your area have a YouTube channel? How many have a podcast? I think you can count them on one hand.

Formats like these really stand out. Lots of people can write a blog article (or have a virtual assistant write it). It's much harder to get someone else to record a video for you. Video also shows clients that you're confident and up to date with technology.

Podcasts and YouTube are still tools "for the few". YouTube is almost television, and when someone goes on TV, people assume they really are an expert.

That's how you should treat it. Be one of the handful of agents with their own property podcast, not one of the thousands with a few articles on their blog.

Summary

I've shown you some completely free tools you can use in your marketing. I hope you put at least one of them into practice. Done consistently, they will bring you results.

Marketing on a small budget means being creative. Anything that doesn't cost money has to be paid for with something else: your energy or your time.

You'll get the best results by combining free methods with paid ones. For example, you can promote an article or a newsletter sign-up with a Facebook ad campaign. That way you win new clients much faster.

And if you'd like to bring marketing into your agency and give your agents more work, book a free call with us. In a short conversation we'll show you how we can grow your agency's revenue.

Mateusz