How Instagram And Pinterest Can Help Commercial Brokers Expand Their Business
Most commercial real estate brokers have mastered LinkedIn for networking, and are familiar with Facebook and Twitter, which round out the big three of corporate social media, but there are other social media platforms that should not be neglected when establishing an online presence. Instagram and Pinterest create an easy, fast and personal way to stand out to potential clients.
Here’s how to leverage them.
With more than 600 million active users, Instagram has nearly twice as many accounts as Twitter’s 317 million. But what can you do on a media platform primarily meant for pictures of food, pets and celebrities?
Turns out, quite a bit. Instagram is focused entirely on visuals and photos, allowing brokers to post pictures and 15-second videos of buildings, project updates and company events. Crafting unique, catchy hashtags and asking followers questions they can leave answers to in the comments ultimately lends a more personal touch to the firm and allows busy clients to view properties right from their phone or computer — and direct message you if a listing happens to catch their eye. Brokers can even take it one step further and add a photo of a property to a precise geolocation on a photo map.
Instagram is known for its built-in toned filters and angle rotators. Having trouble grabbing that fireplace ambiance for that new restaurant space? There is a filter to help re-create that warm glow. Having trouble capturing that perfect angle for the entire building? Rotate one side of the photo away or toward the viewer to add extra oomph.
Consistency is key; post at least once a day. Share photos of properties you think your customers will be most intrigued by — and do not be cheap on photo quality on a photo-driven media site.
Need inspiration to get started? Check out a few of the best commercial real estate Instagram accounts here. Highlights include DTLA Real Estate’s stunning shots of downtown Los Angeles properties and the fun family vibe (featuring beer and a puppy!) of Colliers broker Coy Davidson’s feed.
Pinterest is a virtual online bulletin board where users can save photos and other visual tidbits for particular projects. The broker’s project: matching a property and a buyer or tenant. It is a great way to connect with architects and designers and exhibit your business’ upcoming creative projects; the National Association of Realtors has composed a guide to effectively utilizing Pinterest to reach users who exist in specific niches of the internet — thereby reducing time and effort spent on traditional marketing pushes.
The key to advertising a commercial real estate brokerage on Pinterest is to work against the instinct of being professional.
That is not to say that you should be unprofessional. Many of the same rules of real estate Instagramming apply here. Pinned images and videos should be high-quality and interesting, featuring short, keyword- and hashtag-rich descriptions of the property. Ask questions of your audience to promote direct engagement.
One of the neatest hacks of Pinterest is that you can organize your photos into boards separated by theme or style. Commercial brokers with feet planted across multiple asset classes can create boards dedicated to restaurant design, up-and-coming neighborhoods, co-working office space ideas — there are numerous possibilities.
Unsure where to start? Check out some of the coolest real estate Pinterest boards here. Highlights include Lisa Archer’s LiveLoveCharlotte boards.
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