As interest rates continue to rise and buyer demand falls in the coming months, positioning your brand as a trusted real estate partner amongst the competition has never been more important. Being top of mind and making a great impression with your clients (both past and future) is key to getting more business during a downturn.

1. Be Consistent

Nothing says ‘something is wrong’ like going dark with your social media, web and client outreach efforts. If your life revolves around a calendar, the best way to ensure consistency is to schedule marketing tasks like an important client meeting. For me, morning is the best time to work ‘on’ the business, when creativity is at it’s highest. So setting regular appointments (perhaps Monday, Wednesday and Friday morning) to create social media posts and compose outreach emails can help keep your business presence creative and consistent.

2. Put Yourself Out There 

If you’re still using a headshot from ten years ago, well, we know. With so many talented media professionals in today’s market, there is no excuse for neglecting your personal brand content. Many real estate professionals are choosing to use fun lifestyle portraits to represent themselves instead of more traditional studio lit headshots. Sharing beautiful homes and scenery is a great start, but don’t forget that your time and expertise is the real service being offered to clients.

3. Spend a Few Bucks

Organic social is not completely dead, but it’s getting there. If you want to build meaningful name brand awareness outside of your close network, you’ve got to pay to play. Online advertising, although now more limited in targeting options, is still the best value when it comes to building brand awareness. With some high quality creative media you can direct thousands of intrigued local visitors to your inbox for less than the costs of a full page print ad. The data doesn’t lie!

4. Invest in Video

Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Youtube, Zillow, Tik-Tok and Twitter: these platforms are all prioritizing video and helping you reach new audiences at zero cost. This kind of broad reach is in fact extremely valuable, and most consumers have come to expect personalized video content when they are shopping an agent. First impressions are still everything, so invest yearly in high quality custom video content and fill in the gaps with daily updates, fun lifestyle moments, and featured listings.

5. Be Clear in Your Messaging

This is where a lot of real estate advertising falls short. What exactly is YOUR call to action and pitch? Are you friendly and always available to chat? Are you the beach rental expert or luxury design consultant? Wether you want calls, texts, or clicks, be consistent with a single call to action in every marketing effort. With a little bit of creativity and a lot consistency, clients will know where to find you when it’s time to make a move.

Andy Lassiter is a second-generation agency owner and the creative director at Keen Eye Marketing, a real estate media agency with offices in Charleston and Hilton Head.  He can be reached at 843-224-9213 or andy@keeneyemarketing.com for any project quotes or custom proposal requests.