Editor’s Note: Social Skills is a bi-monthly feature in RISMedia’s Daily News focused on social media and digital marketing tips, trends and solutions for agents and brokers.
When potential clients hear your name, the first thing they often do is look you up online. More often than not, the first result they click is not your brokerage website—it’s your social media profile.
Whether it’s your Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn or even TikTok, your social platforms have become your digital first impression. Buyers and sellers are using these landing pages to decide if you look professional, appear knowledgeable and, most important, seem like someone they can trust.
While some agents treat their profiles like a place to post listings, it can act as an important marketing tool that works for you every day. Taking the time to review and refine your social media presence can make a significant difference in how many inquiries you receive, and the quality of the clients reaching out to you.
Start with your bio: Make it clear who you help and where
One of the most common mistakes agents make is writing a bio that is too vague. A profile that simply says “Realtor” or “Helping people buy and sell homes” doesn’t give potential clients a reason to choose you over someone else.
Your bio should quickly answer:
- Who you help: Do you specialize in homebuyers, homesellers, etc.?
- Where you work: Your market(s) are one of the most important pieces of information when it comes to clients working with you.
- What makes you different: If you have a niche, promote it here. Luxury, relocation, families, first-time buyers, etc.
Instead of a generic description, try something more specific:
- Helping first-time buyers in New York City find the right home
- Luxury home specialist serving the Scottsdale area
- Local market expert | Buyers, sellers and relocation clients
Clarity builds confidence, and when someone lands on your social media profile, they should immediately know they’re in the right place.
Utilize visuals: Check your profile photo and branding
Your profile photo is often the first thing people notice, and it should reflect the same level of professionalism you would bring to a listing presentation. Your photo should be a high quality, well-lit headshot, recent and consistent across all of your platforms.
Beyond your profile photo, look at your overall branding. Your colors, logo, banner images and highlights should feel cohesive. If your Facebook looks one way, your Instagram another and your LinkedIn something else entirely, it can make your brand feel less established.
Consistency helps build recognition, and recognition builds trust.
Make updates: Remove old posts that don’t represent your business
Scroll back through your feed the way a potential client visiting your profile would. What do they see in the first few rows of posts, the first few links or the first set images? If the answer is outdated listings, blurry photos, long gaps between posts or content that doesn’t reflect your current business, it may be time for an update.
While you don’t have to (and shouldn’t) delete everything, you should consider removing or archiving posts that:
- Contain outdated contact information
- Look unprofessional or no longer represent your business
- No longer reflect your market or niche
- Confuse what it is you do
Your social media profile should feel active and current, even if you’re not posting every day.
Read: Balancing Your Social Content For Better Lead Gen: The 70/20/10 Rule
Promote the important items: Pin or highlight the content you want clients to see firstMost platforms allow you to pin posts or create highlights, and agents should be using these features strategically. Pinned posts should act as your introduction to new visitors, including: Short introduction video; recent success story or testimonial; or market updates.
On Instagram, story highlights can serve the same purpose. Create highlights for things such as buying tips, selling tips, local spots, market highlights, recent closings, client reviews, etc. This helps potential clients quickly understand what you do without having to scroll through months of content.
Include contact info: Make it easy for potential clients to reach you
One of the biggest missed opportunities on social media is not making it obvious how to get in touch. Make sure that your profile includes your phone number, email address, website link, brokerage name (and branding), location and market area. Be sure to test the links yourself to make sure they work. A broken link or missing contact information can mean losing a lead before you even knew they were interested.
If possible, link to a page where people can easily take the next step, such as a home search page with your current listings, a contact or lead generation form, a buyer or seller guide, or your booking calendar. The easier you make it to reach you, the more likely people are to do it.
Small updates can lead to better leads
You don’t need a full rebrand or a complicated strategy to improve your social media presence. Often, a simple audit of your profile can make a noticeable difference in how potential clients see you online.
Your social media page isn’t just a place to post listings. It’s your introduction, your reputation and your marketing—all in one. Making sure it accurately reflects your business, professionalism and personality can help turn more profile visits into real conversations, and conversations into clients.
