All industries have been hit hard by the COVID-19 lockdown, but real estate in Calgary has been hit especially hard given that it’s been in a downwards trend for a few years already. Only to make things worse, COVID-19 hits at a time (spring of 2020) when Calgary realtors hoped that the market would start moving again. In a market that is notoriously seasonal (sales usually surge between April – September, and subside between October – March) COVID-19 seems to be hitting the Calgary market at the worst possible time. We’re still in the middle of the COVID-19 lockdown so we don’t know yet how hard it’s going to hit the market this year, all indications though show that it’s going to hit very hard and it will shake the real estate industry in its core.

But there is hope (and opportunity)!

Traditionally, in the digital age, the Calgary real estate market has been dominated by a handful of realtors (or realtor teams) who have managed to harness early on the power of the internet and dominate this space with extensive and strategic digital marketing spending across several platforms.

If someone is looking to buy or sell a home in Calgary chances are they’ve seen the websites, online ads, or other digital assets from a few realtors and their teams: Justin Havre and Associates, Kirby Cox, and Associates, Jim Sparrow, and a handful more. It’s really a very small list of realtors who are highly visible on the web, the rest are either nowhere to be found, or they’re buried somewhere within a corporate website. If you’re one of these realtors, how can you possibly “compete” with the likes of Justin Havre or Kirby Cox and their teams and their massive digital marketing budgets?

Well, the truth is that you can. There is a way.

MAKING A GOOD AND SMART USE OF YOUR DIGITAL MARKETING BUDGET

In warfare when small groups of combatants want to take on larger armies using hit-and-run tactics and mobility this is called “guerilla” fighting. Similarly, in marketing, a movement was developed in the late 80s where the basic idea of guerilla warfare was “applied” to marketing tactics (and aptly named “guerilla marketing”). Guerrilla marketing then is an advertisement strategy in which a company uses surprise and/or unconventional interactions in order to promote a product or service at a very low cost as compared to its competitors.

In the era of digital marketing we have even more tools at our disposal to get the best value out of our digital marketing investment. What is important then for a realtor is to work closely with a digital marketing agency like Esquared Consulting and understand what’s important and what’s not so important when it comes to the realtor’s digital strategy, and also understand where they should divert most of their digital marketing budget, and most importantly how much they should spend to get things started and start seeing a return on their investment very quickly.

PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE, POST COVID-19

The reality of the present situation is that we don’t really know what’s going to happen next. We don’t know how quickly the restrictions will be lifted and we don’t know whether life will go back to normal again. Many people seem to believe that as soon as the restrictions are lifted people will go back to their previous behaviour and start buying/selling homes (amongst other things) as they did before COVID-19.

My feeling says that this is not what’s really going to happen.

I think what we’ll be seeing after the restrictions are lifted is going to be people still living in fear and trying to understand whether the COVID-19 scare is gone for good or if it’s still coming back within the next few months. If there’s no vaccination found that will eradicate COVID-19 once and for all then people will continue living in fear for many months to come and until this vaccination is in place. This means that the market is most likely going to remain very volatile even after the restrictions are lifted a few months from now. What’s most likely going to happen is that many people will be scared and will try to unload their properties as they may not be able to afford them anymore in the future (especially if they’ve reached their credit limits during the COVID-19 lockdown period, lost their jobs, etc.).

Coming out of the COVID-19 lockdown period we may be entering into a new world, much different than the world we knew before COVID-19. I think it’s a given that many businesses – in all sectors – will be closing down, and the real estate sector will be affected in the same way as most other businesses. Given than the barriers of entry to the real estate business is very low I wouldn’t expect to see fewer realtors operating in this market after the COVID-19 lockdown period, which makes it even more important for those realtors who want to “survive” in the post-COVID-19 world to ensure that they stand out from the crowd.

Having a personal website where you can slowly build your personal brand is a given and it’s CRITICAL for your business. This website doesn’t have to be overly large or expensive to start with. Modern CMS (Content Management System) technologies allow us to start small and add on to the website as your business and budget grows. What is CRITICAL though is that the initial website (however small it may be), it’s properly done and reflects professionalism, credibility, great functionality and SEO compliance.

The same goes for your initial digital strategy and digital marketing campaigns. You can start small, very small really, but it’s critically important that whatever you do is based on a longer-term plan and it reflects professionalism and credibility.

HOW DO YOU START THEN?

Do a quick review of your digital assets:

1. Do you have a personal website? If yes, does it:
   1. Look professional and up-to-date
   2. Not so professional and up-to-date
2. Do you have access to web analytics/visitors data? Do you understand this data?
3. Do you have a robust social media presence (at a minimum Facebook, hopefully also Twitter and Instagram).
   1. If you do, do you post there regularly – minimum twice per week?
   2. Do you do these postings yourself or do you work with an agency to do them for you?
4. Do you do any paying advertising?
   1. Do you advertise on Google?
   2. Do you advertise in social media (Facebook etc.)
   3. Is any agency managing these paying ads for you?
   4. How much are you paying monthly for paying ads (media spent only)?
   5. Do you receive easy to understand statistics?
5. Do you have an SEO strategy in place?
6. Do you have a local SEO strategy in place?

WHAT’S NEXT, HOW CAN ESQUARED HELP YOU?

If you want to work with us we’ll need to review the answers in the questions above ad then provide you with some feedback and advice on where you should go next.

For realtors who start taking their digital journey seriously now our advice is simple:

• Start small
• Focus in a small/niche market and expand from there
  • You can’t beat the large realties and large and established real estate agents if you’re competing with them all over Calgary. However, you can beat them (remember guerilla marketing?) if you focus in a small area or a niche market.
  • As an example, you can present and market yourself as an expert for sellers/buyers in a very specific area of Calgary (example: Brentwood), or you can present yourself as an expert in relocations (a niche market). This way you can focus your SEO and digital marketing efforts (and budget) in a much smaller space instead of trying to be everything to everyone.
• Understand your budget and the costs associated with the work you’d like to do:
  • Can you afford paying ads? These can start as little as $100/month. If you can afford them then start with Facebook. Facebook typically offers the best return on your investment and it’s usually much more inexpensive than Google Ads. It’s a good place to explore paying ads without breaking the bank.
  • Do you have the time to post on your social media channels at least twice/week? If you do then you should be doing your own postings. We can provide you with some guidance to get you started so that you’ll do it right.
  • If you don’t have the time to do your own postings then we can offer options to have our team post in your social media channels for you.
  • Before you explore any of the above, ensure that your website looks professional and up-to-date. This is a critical first step before you do anything else.
• Let’s discuss. We can help you review your current digital assets and then provide a clear proposal (along with pricing options) for reasonable next steps for your business, based on your available budget. We want to be your digital partner and help you be ready to succeed when the current situation shifts and buyers and sellers are ready to engage again.

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1. Content marketing for realtors

The content you write about, whether it’s blog posts, info graphs, videos, or leveraging social media platforms, says a lot about you. The better and more informative content you put out there, the more customers appreciate it. The more customers that appreciate it, the more likely they will generate a sale. Content marketing generates three times as many leads as outbound marketing, drives six times higher conversion rates, and has the potential for an 8x boost in web traffic. Are you putting out good content? We’ve researched many realtors sites and most of them have old outdated content, or worse yet, no content at all just a number of MLS listings.

Not only does content marketing help in generating leads, but it also helps you understand who your customers are. Every customer requires a unique customer journey, so it’s incredibly important to know who your customers are and what specifically makes them want your service.

2. Videos

Your clients’ time is precious, and they want to understand as much as possible about a property prior to visiting in person. Videos and virtual tours are a great way to give a comprehensive, accurate preview of the property for potential buyers. With modern-day video technology platforms like Vimeo and Youtube, you’re able to showcase your listings to your clients, in real-time. Not only are you able to show it, but you can also choose from various cool methods such as VR, 360-videos, and point of view. How about the advancement of drones?

Property listing videos on your website and social media channels will set you apart from competitors in your market.

3. Local SEO

When searching for a realtor, consumers usually look for a professional in their area as it adds to the convenience of the job. Over 75% of searches have local intent. This means that instead of searching for a realtor in general, potential clients are searching for a realtor in Calgary or Airdrie, and in some cases, they may be searching for a realtor in the specific neighborhood they’re interested to buy or sell. There are a number of great ways to improve your local SEO, here are a few of them:

• Configuring your Google My Business
• Directory and Listing Citations
• Website Localization
• Review and Rating Management
• Quality Backlinks

Don’t worry if you don’t know what some of these mean, we would be happy to explain them to you!

4. Social Media

There are 25 million social network users in Canada. That’s a whole lot of potential customers. Don’t underestimate the power of social media marketing. Posting a few articles a week on your profile won’t drive the traffic you expect. You need to be creative and know who your market is to get the highest ROI. We can help you become a social media guru in your market.

If you’re working in real estate, you’re crazy busy. You need to prioritize your time and focus on social media marketing platforms that make sense.

Based on recent studies, Facebook (97%), LinkedIn (59%), and Instagram (39%) are most realtors’ top picks.

Having a strong social presence allows you to engage with customers and subsequently creates loyalty (and referrals). Your clients need to trust you. Social Media is a great platform to gain your trust and provide them with relevant content that they can relate to.

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As the digital marketing landscape evolves, it’s those realtors that can keep up with the latest social media strategies that will reap the benefits. Being mindful of the following concepts could help improve your social media efforts in 2021.

1. Educate your buyers

Use your social media channels to give potential clients a far richer understanding of the markets you serve, letting them know the pros and cons of each neighborhood. Show your buyers (and sellers) your expertise and you deep knowledge of the area.

If you have a blog, consider writing articles about home-buying tips, and use social media to promote them. Share with your clients (and potential clients) your experience and provide them with useful tips.

2. Respond quickly to all requests

Quick communication is key when it comes to real estate questions. Homebuyers and home sellers today expect instant responses to their questions, but where they ask those questions has changed. They may contact you through your website, your Facebook or Twitter account, your cell phone. The important thing is that you will be ready to respond to them as quickly as possible any way they contact you.

3. Google ads and social media ads

Ads are kind of an elephant in the room for a lot of realtors. The expense is sometimes not justified or the budget just isn’t there. But, they have value. If researched and then setup properly ads can be very inexpensive and very efficient, and help you leads very quickly. Other than trying to take advantage of Google Ads, there are also significant opportunities in using Facebook and Twitter for targeting potential homebuyers or home sellers. By using their hyper-specific targeting tools and boosting posts that have performed successfully previously, realtors can experiment and refine a relatively inexpensive paid social media strategy.

4. Respond to all comments, good and bad

Many realtors make the common mistake to avoid responding to negative comments. Some don’t even bother responding to any comments at all! It’s critically important to respond promptly and courteously to all comments posted on your social media sites so that you’ll engage readers and show your potential leads that you’re engaged and ready to discuss any potential criticism and also (most importantly) acknowledge those who praise your service.

A lot of people who reach out to you may simply be looking for more information about a current listing or a listing that has since been sold. Acknowledge their feedback and use their comment as an opportunity to switch their interest to other properties.

5. Connect with existing and past clients

Invite your previous home buyers and home sellers to join you on social media with the hope that they will prove themselves to be your strongest property advocates. By keeping in touch with past clients your social media sites will also become richer communities of shared experiences and objective advice from those who recently completed the home buying or home selling journey and dealt with you directly.

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