7 Tips on Picking Digital Marketing Services for Real Estate Agents 

About 96% of the people who visit your website aren’t ready to make a purchase. Meanwhile, about 80% of the new leads you do generate never translate into sales.

About 65% of businesses struggle to gain traffic and leads in the first place.

If you’re struggling to attract new leads to your real estate agency, consider picking digital marketing services that can help. With the right digital marketing team backing you up, you can reach more buyers. Then, you can boost sales and set your real estate business up for success.

Not sure who to hire? Here are seven tips that can help you find the best digital marketing services around.

Don’t wait for your competitors to take the lead! Start your search using these seven easy tips today.

1. Establish Your Goals

Before picking digital marketing services, it’s important to establish your goals. Understanding your real estate agency’s goals can help you choose the right services. Otherwise, your digital marketing strategy might not accomplish those distinct goals.

Sit down with your team to create SMART goals. These goals are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Results-Driven, and Timely. Set key performance indicators (KPIs) for each goal you create.

For example, your goals might involve:

• Generating brand awareness and recognition
• Establishing yourself as a thought leader in the industry
• Generating more traffic to your website
• Generating more leads
• Scheduling more real estate tours
• Closing more sales
• Improving your ROI
• Building your credibility
• Building brand trust and loyalty for repeat sales

KPIs can include website visitors, form submissions, and phone calls, to name a few.

Break your larger goals into smaller benchmarks. Then, use your KPIs to track your progress.

As you meet with different digital marketing agencies, ask how they plan on accomplishing your goals. They’ll help with picking digital marketing services based on your distinct goals.

For example, search engine optimization (SEO) can boost your brand awareness and recognition. It can also help you generate more leads. Your optimized website content could boost your credibility, too.

If a digital marketing agency can’t develop a strategy with your needs and goals in mind, look elsewhere.

2. Explore Different Services

Once you establish your goals, make a list of the digital marketing services you’re interested in. You’ll have an easier time narrowing down your options if you look for an agency based on the services you need. If the agency doesn’t offer those services, you’ll know to look elsewhere.

Here are a few services you might want to consider looking for during your search.

Brand Development

Without a distinct brand, your real estate business won’t stand out from the crowd. Before developing your digital marketing strategy, you need a distinct brand.

Your brand includes different components, including your:

• Unique value proposition
• Voice
• Tone
• Personality
• Logo
• Color palette
• Font styles
• Imagery styles

An experienced digital marketing agency will have experience marketing brands online. They’ll help you develop a brand that will help consumers distinguish your business.

You’ll need your brand before developing print materials, your website, and before advertising property online.

Web Design and Development

Nearly 40% of users will stop engaging with a website that’s unappealing.

Meanwhile, people interact twice as often with brands using their phones. Mobile conversions are 64% higher than desktop conversions, too.

If your website is slow, however, you could lose leads. In fact, conversions drop up to 20% for every second of load time.

Before picking digital marketing services, make sure the agency offers web design and development. A fast, appealing website can set your entire digital marketing strategy up for success. For example, your website will house your content.

It can also help you schedule more showings. You can create forms on your site to generate leads with ease.

Make sure the digital marketing agency can optimize your website for mobile devices. On-the-go consumers can explore your website and content. If your site isn’t optimized, it could hurt your SEO and PPC strategies.

Content Marketing

When developing your content marketing strategy, it’s important to take the time to research your target audience. The more intimately you understand your buyers, the more likely you can appeal to their needs.

Before picking digital marketing services, make sure the agency will research your target audience. Then, ask how they’ll incorporate that research when developing your content marketing strategy.

For example, will the agency personalize your content with your target audience in mind?

A cookie-cutter approach to your digital marketing strategy won’t help you appeal to customers. In fact, 45% of consumers won’t spend time with content that isn’t relevant to their interests. Another 52% will switch brands if a company doesn’t personalize communications.

Over 70% of consumers expect you to understand their needs and expectations.

Gathering consumer data can help you create more personalized content. You can appeal to the consumer’s needs and show them you’re there to help.

Personalization could benefit your real estate agency in the long run. In fact, personalization can drive eight times the ROI on marketing spend.

Make sure the digital marketing agency will diversify your content marketing strategy, too. For example, video content is becoming more popular.

They’re a great way to inform people about your real estate listings and brand. For example, you can create aerial drone videos to show off your listings.

Other forms of content include:

• Blog posts/articles
• eBooks
• Polls
• Quizzes
• Lists
• Case studies
• Videos (company culture, Q&A, client testimonials, etc.)

Ask each digital marketing agency about the types of content they can help you create. If they only offer blog post writing, look elsewhere.

Choose an agency that can help you create a well-rounded content strategy. Your content will help you showcase your experience and expertise. You can build your credibility and draw in more leads.

Search Engine Optimization

Nearly 70% of all online interactions begin with a search engine like Google.

Only 0.78% of people look at results on the second page of a search, though. If your website doesn’t rank at the top of a Google search, you’ll lose leads. Instead, you can use search engine optimization (SEO) to boost your ranking.

SEO drives 1,000% more traffic than organic social media. In fact, over 50% of all web traffic comes from organic searches.

Ask each digital marketing agency if they offer SEO services. Make sure they’re up-to-date with the latest SEO trends, too. If they’re using outdated SEO practices, they could get your website blacklisted on Google.

Potential homebuyers will never see your website if that happens.

First, ask the digital marketing agency if they understand Google’s Core Web Vitals. They should update your website with these Vitals in mind.

They should also update your Google My Business (GMB) listing. Your GMB listing can help people learn more about your business. For example, consumers can find your website, phone number, and hours from your listing.

The marketing agency should help you develop a local SEO strategy, too. Local SEO can help you reach more nearby clients.

If the agency doesn’t offer SEO among their real estate marketing services, look elsewhere. SEO is a cost-effective marketing strategy. Without SEO, you could waste valuable time and money trying to reach clients.

Social Media Marketing

Social media marketing can also help you generate brand awareness and attract potential leads. It could help you remain top-of-mind with clients, too. In fact, social media marketing can also benefit your SEO strategy.

Ask each agency about their experience with social media marketing. Make sure they remain up-to-date with the latest social media trends.

For example, Reels and video content are becoming more popular on social media. If you’re not creating video content, the algorithm might ignore your posts. You could struggle to get in front of customers as a result.

Pay-Per-Click Advertising

Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising can help boost brand awareness, attract people to your website, and generate leads. If you plan on advertising property online, look for an agency with PPC advertising experience.

It’s important to find an experienced team before adding PPC to your digital marketing strategy. With PPC, you’ll pay each time someone clicks on one of your ads. PPC can become expensive if you don’t know what you’re doing.

An experienced PPC advertising specialist will know how to reduce your cost-per-click.

For example, they’ll need to improve your website landing pages. Your landing pages can affect your ad quality score (QS). A low QS can increase your cost-per-click.

Your cost-per-acquisition could become more expensive as a result.

Instead, look for a team with experience you can count on.

3. Look for Experience and Expertise

Before picking digital marketing services, learn more about each agency.

First, look for a long-established business. An established business won’t disappear overnight. It’s likely the agency has won the respect of their clients over the years, too.

Determine how long the owner has run and operated the agency. Consider how much digital marketing experience they have, too. Make sure their experience is well-rounded.

For example, you might find someone with years of website experience. However, they might lack SEO, PPC, and social media marketing experience.

Ask about the members of their team, too. Does each member of their team have specialized expertise you can count on?

If they struggle to answer your questions about the digital marketing services you need, look elsewhere. Find a knowledgeable, experienced team. They’ll save you time and effort in the long run.

You can learn more about each digital marketing agency on your list by asking:

• Have you worked with a business like mine in the past
• Have you won any awards for your marketing services
• What training and education do you have
• How long have you worked in the marketing industry
• How long have you offered digital marketing services
• Are the members of your team trained and experienced
• Do you have any certifications

Look for a marketing agency that has worked with a business like yours in the past. You can leverage their previous experience to develop a stronger digital marketing strategy.

Consider exploring this agency to get started: https://www.hmbdrealestatemarketing.com/.

4. Check Their Reputation

Before choosing a digital marketing agency, consider their reputation. Are they successful when marketing brands online? You can find out by asking for references and reviews.

Speak with at least three of their recent or current clients. Ask if you can speak with a client who works in real estate.

Then, ask the client about their experience working with the agency. Do they have any complaints? Was the agency able to help the client develop an effective real estate marketing strategy?

Check online for reviews, too.

An agency with a strong reputation will strive to maintain it.

5. Review Their Case Studies

Determine if the company is successful at marketing brands online by asking for case studies. Case studies can help you determine if their services will benefit your business.

Ask to see case studies that are relevant to the services you’re interested in. Which KPIs did the agency track?

If they don’t have case studies, look elsewhere. The agency should prove they’re able to accomplish your goals.

6. Consider Their Process

Ask each agency about their process when developing your digital marketing strategy, too.

For example, they should research your real estate agency, customers, and competitors before developing your strategy. Otherwise, they’ll develop a cookie-cutter strategy based on assumptions.

Ask how they plan on measuring their progress, too. If they don’t measure their progress along the way, they could waste your time and money. Make sure they’ll spend monthly reports about your campaigns.

7. Ask About Pricing

Before picking digital marketing services, get quotes from at least three digital marketing agencies on your list. Ask what’s included in the price. Make sure to get an itemized list of their services.

Don’t choose the cheapest option. Instead, choose a real estate marketing agency based on your goals. Choose someone with the services, experience, and abilities to accomplish those goals.

Start Searching: 7 Tips for Picking Digital Marketing Services You Can Count On

Picking digital marketing services for your real estate business doesn’t have to feel stressful. Instead, use these seven tips to make an informed choice. With these tips, you’ll have peace of mind that the agency you choose is equipped to help.

They’ll develop a digital marketing strategy with your real estate company’s goals and needs in mind.

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