5 tips to promote your property through social networking

Millions of people around the world use social media. You can use these sites to sell your property by following a few basic guidelines. Find out how your Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts can attract hundreds of Internet users to your listing.

Not only will you increase the chances of your home being seen, but you’ll also give your property sale a more personal touch. After you create your real estate listing on DuProprio.com, we therefore encourage you to share it as widely as possible, including through social media, to find the right buyer. Social media is like word-of-mouth marketing, but on steroids!

Use social platforms to get attention

While the purpose of search engines like Google and real estate platforms is to help people find information, social media sites are also used for entertainment. So, a Facebook user will have a totally different mindset from someone looking for an answer to a specific question.

To stand out on a social media network, you have to grab people’s attention, in a virtual environment where content is fleeting. If you approach it the right way, it’s the perfect place to share a project, increase visibility, inform, promote or discuss with a community.

But your posts will never replace your listing on a recognized and appreciated real estate platform like DuProprio’s. The best approach is to use social media to talk about your selling plans once your official listing is written following best practices. Ultimately, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube or TikTok are additional tools for attracting potential buyers. It would be foolish not to make the most of the opportunity they offer.

Contents:

• Create a photo album
• Let people know you’re selling
• Ask friends for help
• Be creative
• Use the right hashtags

1. Create a photo album

What social media users like most are photos!

Upload the professional shots the DuProprio representative took of your property and create a photo album your friends and other users can look at. Be sure to put your property’s main asset in the first photo. But don’t forget to include the kitchen and bathrooms too. These rooms are important to potential buyers. You’ll get better results with good quality photos than by just posting a hyperlink.

When posting your album, be sure to specify that your home is for sale. That’s where you insert the link to your listing so people can read all the details. It’s also good to add a pin to your location so your post is seen by inhabitants of the city and buyers interested in moving there.

2. Let people know you’re selling

Tell your friends that you're selling your home. The people in your network will be happy to get your latest news. For instance, after posting the photo album of your property, you could post when you’re about to have an open house, if you are doing some home staging to improve the place or when you are about to receive an offer to purchase.

“Are you offering a limited time for home tours or organizing an open house?” says Pamela, social media manager at DuProprio. “Then, why not create a Facebook event, use a countdown on Instagram or post reminders at regular intervals for at least a week before you open your door to potential buyers?” 

When you provide regular updates, your community stays in the loop and can offer advice or encouragement. And don't forget to post often, because a social media post has a very short lifespan. Explore videos, live streams and temporary posts like stories and reels, which often get ranked higher by algorithms and are seen by more people.

3. Ask friends for help

If you would like your friends and followers to share your listing, just ask! And make sure you use the “public” setting on your post. You’ll get much better results from just asking outright, instead of secretly hoping someone will take the initiative on their own. Think about it: selling your home yourself is a little like heading a small business. And you’re the communications director!

4. Be creative

Remember that people on social media want to be entertained. By doing something original or funny, you will make people want to share your listing with their own network. Give your imagination free rein!

Have you made a video of your home to put on YouTube? Excellent idea, but if you just go around the house narrating, “this is the living room” and “this is the bathroom,” no one will want to watch it (let alone share it).

Do you have any graphic skills? Why not create a photo montage to pique people’s curiosity? You could let people discover your neighbourhood with a Top 10 Local Gems, show a “before and after” of your latest renos or showcase one of your favourite rooms in the house.

Are you a good writer? Use those skills when writing your posts. Add a light touch of humour and a few emojis. These approaches make it more fun to read what you post. Was an article ever written about a unique aspect of your home? It can happen! Obviously, this is content that must be shared!

5. Use the right hashtags

Hashtags are especially popular on Twitter and Instagram. They’re those words that have a number or pound sign (#) in front of them. They make it easy to find all the posts on a specific topic that use the same tag. So, by using the right hashtags, you can help your post to move outside your circle of friends and attract the attention of people interested in a particular topic.

For instance, you might want to use the hashtag #homeforsale #montreal. Or opt for a more specific theme and talk about the #homestaging in one of the rooms of your home.

The search for exposure

Every social network has its own approach and functionalities, so it’s best to use those you’re already familiar with. Facebook reaches a larger audience, of all ages (but mainly older adults), while Instagram is more popular with youth (and increasingly with parents). There are millions of users producing content on social platforms every day, and we navigate posts by influencers, big companies, humanitarian causes, virtual shops and more.

So, how do you make your mark? To stand out and capture attention, bank on your professional photos and communicate often. Create conversations, dare to be creative and use hashtags wisely. Don’t forget to share your listing with groups that are likely to be interested in it, like housing communities in your area or neighbourhood parent groups. In short, social media is there for you. Use it to give your real estate listing greater exposure!

You’ll find DuProprio on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube!

For an agent-free, commission-free transaction, opt for help from a professional service like DuProprio. Learn about the customized support our team can offer, by calling 1-866-387-7677 or watching our webinar.