Industry leaders at Inman Connect New York argued that social media and online videos are essential tools for today’s real estate agents, who need to find their voice and share their stories.
Turn up the volume on your real estate success at Inman On Tour: Nashville! Connect with industry trailblazers and top-tier speakers to gain powerful insights, cutting-edge strategies, and invaluable connections. Elevate your business and achieve your boldest goals — all with Music City magic. Register now.
Kim Rittberg has a simple message for agents: “Content coverts to cash.”
Rittberg is a former journalist and broadcaster who now works as a real estate video coach. On Friday, she appeared on the Inman Connect New York stage as part of a string of sessions on how agents can build their business with social media.
The sessions — which also featured eXp Chief Marketing Officer Wendy Forsythe — focused on video production, social media, and the pros and cons of going viral, among other things. But the overall takeaway was that agents need to step up their social media strategies if they want to take their businesses to the next level.
Here are some of the tips the experts shared:
Get past the fear
Forsythe recalled a viral rap video that included her, eXp World Holdings CEO Glenn Sanford and eXp Realty CEO Leo Pareja. The video showed the trio dancing and rapping onstage and initially went viral among supporters and the video’s target audience. Soon, however, it crossed over into a mainstream audience — generating intense mockery. That didn’t feel great.
Forsythe said the response was so intense that the company temporarily pulled the video offline. But the lesson was bigger and more important: Going viral helped Forsythe “get past the fear” that often trips agents up and prevents them from sharing content online.
TAKE THE INMAN INTEL INDEX SURVEY FOR JANUARY
Don’t hide from the camera
Rittberg also spoke about fear, surveying the audience at one point to find out who was comfortable going on camera. Only about half the hands in the crowd went up. Yet Rittberg agreed that pushing beyond fear is essential for agents who want to find new clients and make more money.
“Fear is holding you back from showing up on camera,” she argued.
Rittberg said that fear takes many forms, such as procrastination. But agents who give in to fear are ultimately “hiding from the camera,” which she said amounts to “hiding from clients.”
“My agents realize this,” Rittberg added. “The ones who are not hiding are bringing clients right and left.”
EXp Chief Marketing Officer Wendy Forsythe at Inman Connect New York on Friday. Credit: AJ Canaria Creative Services
Don’t delegate your voice
Forsythe observed that many successful agents like to outsource various tasks, which makes sense. But she cautioned that when it comes to social media, agents need an authentic voice — something they won’t have if they assign someone else to do their online content.
“You cannot delegate your voice,” she advised. “Don’t have somebody else do your social media for you. You need to be authentic to your voice. That is where your superpower as a brand comes from.”
Build credibility
During her presentation, Rittberg said agents need to present themselves as experts in their field.
For experienced agents with lengthy track records, that may not be a problem. But for newer agents without as much conventional expertise, Rittberg advised looking for other things that demonstrate expertise. Those things could include an agent’s “wins,” Rittberg said, or their total book of business. But the point is for agents to find a way to show clients that they are knowledgeable.
“Even if you’ve only been in the business for a few years, there are different ways to show your credibility,” Rittberg concluded.
Share your story
Forsythe acknowledged that one thing tripping up some agents is a perceived lack of anything to post online about. But she indicated that looking closely will reveal content creation ideas. Agents can post, for example, about the questions their clients raise, the homes they get to preview, market reports and more.
Forsythe’s point was that agents should “share your story” — whatever it may be. She added, “You have an endless list of things you have to do every day.” And those things can turn into content on social media.
Either way, though, the takeaway from both Forsythe’s and Rittberg’s sessions was that agents need to lean into their online brands.
“All of us have become content creators,” Forsythe said. “We are in a world where it matters to build our brand, to build our business and utilize content to do that.”
Email Jim Dalrymple II