Ugh, another "expert" with another "thing" I need to be doing on social media.

Real estate agents, are you getting all the same emails I am? Ads and prompts in your social media feeds? Invitations to webinars? There are so many real estate gurus offering thoughts and ideas about what agents should be doing on social media right now. When I see them, I immediately think “ugh, another ‘expert’ with one more ‘thing’ I need to be doing on social media.” If you’ve had this feeling lately, I get it. There is such an information overload out there for real estate agents about what you need to be doing on social media that it can make you want to scrap it all.

Apparently, now in addition to being an expert on all things related to real estate…serious things with major implications for your clients if you get it wrong by the way…you also need to be a TikTok entertainer, learn the art of Reels, color code your Instagram feed, edu-tain on Facebook (and balance it between both your personal and business page), have a professional LinkedIn account where you consistently add “high quality” real estate information, make YouTube videos regularly (note: be sure you know how to make attention-grabbing thumbnails for them as well as learning how to optimize your page), have a robust Twitter account, and if you have a spare minute, a pretty Pinterest feed is a valuable tool too. And for the love of everything holy, don’t forget about Stories.

Are you exhausted yet? I’m exhausted just talking about it.

As someone who has been in real estate marketing for a minute, I wanted to tell you to take a deep breath and break down in the simplest form what I think about where we are in this moment and where you should focus your efforts.

Potential clients, like all humans, come in many different forms with many different needs and personalities.

Some require efficient, high-tech systems. Some don’t.
Some really are sourcing their real estate professional on TikTok. Many are not.
Some will love you because they see you doing a funny dance on Instagram. Some don’t care.

Need more? Probably not, you get the idea.

The one constant is that they all want their real estate agent to be knowledgeable, extremely competent, and to care about their needs and the outcome of the transaction. And what we’re seeing more and more is that they want some sort of connection with that person. Maybe it’s been amplified by the isolation period of Covid or maybe it’s just the natural balancing of the high tech world we find ourselves in, but people are craving connection in some form.

Many experts see social media as a way to “connect.” And it is a great tool for that. Perfect for getting name and brand recognition, for helping your sphere remember that you are a real estate professional, for reaching potential clients, and more. Do you need to be on social media in some way? In this day and age, yes, you do.

But is it also a way to “connect” without actually having to put in the work to build real “connections?”

Personally, I love seeing pictures, stories, and videos of home renovations. I can zombie scroll “before and after” pictures for hours and waste half a day being edu-tained by Chip and Joanna, The Property Brothers, Hillary and David (the snark gets me every time), and many others. But when I need to renovate my own home, I’m going to look for the local expert with the best reviews and a good track record; and if I’ve met them at a local event, while volunteering, at church, at a social meeting, at a restaurant (or bar), at my kid’s school or sporting event, if they’re active in my community or neighborhood, or if my friends or neighbors have used them, I’m going to be even more inclined to hire them. I can’t be the only one.

So, if you’re “exhausted” from all the talk and tips regarding what you should be doing on social media and are looking for a simple, clear plan to follow, here’s my advice:

Choose one or two social platforms that you’re comfortable with and learn how to use them efficiently. Be mindful of who your clients are and which platforms they are most likely to be using.
Spend less time trying to figure out how to “connect” on social media and more time actually “connecting and showing up” in person. Then simply post those moments and interactions on your social media.
Make other people and places the “star” of your show. We’re going to learn a lot about you by seeing how you value people other than yourself.
Post your “wins” but more importantly, post your motivation and your purpose.

Regardless of profession, those are the people I want to work with.

– Lisa