North of 97% of homebuyers on the market in 2023 first discovered their home online. The difference between real estate marketing strategies from the past and those of today is more evident than ever. If you want to reach the maximum number of potential buyers, there’s no better way to list a home for sale than to spread the word online.
But is Facebook the ideal marketplace to publicize your listings? Below, we’ll dive deep into that question and come away with some actionable insights you can use right now.
Engagement with Facebook ads are getting more frequent
Any contact with potential buyers online is good. And to a point, that’s true. The more public your listings are, the more likely you’ll be to land a buyer. But not every social media site has the same kind of audience.
Facebook currently has the audience with the second-longest time of engagement per visit compared to other sites like Youtube, Instagram, and Twitter. Plus, Facebook has over three billion users, much more than any other platform. On average, Facebook users stay on the site 35 minutes per visit, which means they’re more frequently coming into contact with your listings.
Facebook allows you to foreground visuals
Most real estate professionals would agree: the real estate industry is primarily a visual one. Listing photos, virtual tours, and 360-degree tours are the main tools that marketers have to attract buyers. It only makes sense that you find an online site that allows you to present your listings in a visually pleasing way. Facebook is that site.
Video marketing is a specialty of Facebook’s. Data tells us that more video content means more engagement with buyers. Australian Realtors conducted a review of the effect of video marketing on engagement, and they found that listings with videos received over 400% more inquiries than those without videos.
Facebook has more customizable ad categories
Half of the battle behind creating a good online listing is targeting the appropriate audience. You want all your photos, videos, and copy to reach buyers interested in your property. Facebook offers you more customization options when it comes to choosing special ad categories.
There are several ways to narrow down your target demographic on Facebook. Here are the most useful categories:
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Target by zip code: here, you can choose where in the country your ads will be displayed. Don’t get too precise, or you’ll only target people who already live in the area and aren’t interested in new property.
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Custom audiences: you can input the names of people you previously sold to, and the Facebook algorithm will find people with similar interests and send your ad to them
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Target by behavior: this category is one of the most valuable we’ve found. You can input “people likely to move” or “likely to buy a home,” and the ad will go to them
As you can see, your marketing strategy can go a long way toward success by using Facebook’s targeted ad tools. They will dramatically narrow down your potential buyers, making your respondents more motivated than if you used other online resources.
The Facebook audience is ideal for homeownership
It’s in the news often: the age demographic for Facebook users tends to be on the older side. While that’s not data that’s especially relevant for industries in the media or other younger age groups, the Facebook audience is perfect for marketing campaigns to list homes for sale.
Currently, about a quarter of Facebook users are above age 50, with another quarter falling between age 25 and 35. In other words, listing a home on Facebook is already targeting a demographic that is in the market to buy property. This trend is even more beneficial for those buying and selling luxury real estate.
Facebook allows you to list properties at peak moments
The real estate calendar is more complex than the cycle of seasons, weather, and so many other yearly ups and downs. That’s why successful marketers understand that you need to be sparing with your ad budget and allocate more funds to listings in peak moments of the season.
Facebook has the tools to help you dial in your ad spend in the most economical way possible. Research the periods of time in which homes sell for their maximum in your area. The majority of areas in the U.S. see a boost in interest in May-July and a slight downturn during the winter holiday season. However, that’s not always the case.
You can add success stories and testimonials to boost trust
The final way that marketing listings on Facebook is a good idea is that you can easily make your ads more trustworthy on the platform. Facebook allows you to link your ads to your professional account, where interested buyers can look through all your highest-rated reviews.
Linking to your real estate page is a great way to build trust with potential buyers. They get the opportunity to engage with your previous buyers on their own time and gather an honest opinion about you as an agent. Plus, buyers can interact with other buyers and hear more about the successes they’ve had with you in the past.
Reach out to a local real estate agent today!
With that, we’ve put a cap on our list of reasons why Facebook is still a great platform online to market your upcoming listings. Its wealth of customization tools means your ads are filtered down to the best possible buyers. It allows you to build trust with buyers by connecting your professional account to ads. Finally, it’s already home to an ideal target audience for luxury real estate marketing.
If you have any questions or comments about listing a home for sale on Facebook or elsewhere, get in touch today! Contact The Justin Myers Team for more information.
