Facebook Live Ideas for Real Estate
How to use live videos on Facebook to generate leads
Real estate marketing depends on images and videos. Thanks to broadband network technologies, sharing and watching videos on the internet has become easier than ever. That’s why Facebook Live ideas for real estate have become popular.
According to Hubspot, 72% of customers would instead learn about a product or service by video. This is why realtors should include more videos in their marketing efforts. Many social media platforms offer videos, but to make the best of your efforts, it is better to focus on the current king of them: Facebook.
Facebook Live was released in April 2016 and has received much attention. Social media, in general, is still a pretty untapped market for real estate agents. Some do not believe in social media marketing, and some do not use it to its full potential.
This article will cover Facebook Live for real estate and how realtors can market their services and generate leads.
What is Facebook Live?
Facebook Live is a video streaming service that allows its users to broadcast live videos and lets the audience engage in real time. When users start a live video, their friends can view it on their news feed. After the live video is finished, it is still accessible on friends’ news feeds. However, the chances of the live video showing up in others’ feeds are much higher while the live video is still in progress. Facebook live videos generate three times more engagement than non-live videos and five times more than photos.
You can have Facebook Live videos for real estate from three various sources:
- Streaming Software
- Cameras
- Paired Encoders
Why Real Estate Agents Should Use Facebook Live?
Social media use for business is mainly to share valuable and compelling content to increase engagement. The more people you reach, the better. The content you produce will introduce you as someone who knows what they are doing in real estate.
Facebook now gives Facebook Live videos preferential treatment. They are promoted well within the platform and reach a bigger audience than other types of content you may share. Therefore, you must include live videos in your Facebook Marketing plans to make it on Facebook.
Also, Live videos are exceptionally important as they allow live user interaction/engagement. User engagement has a direct impact on how many people you reach. The more people you reach, the more leads you get.
Another benefit of Facebook Live videos and live videos, in general, is that they allow a direct connection with the audience. Your audience won’t get a better chance to talk to you in person before they decide to do business with you. When using Facebook Live for real estate, your audience can ask questions and make comments. This allows people to get a sense of whether or not they can do business with you.
Facebook Live Ideas for Real Estate
Regarding Facebook Live for real estate, most real estate agents’ first thing that comes to mind is a virtual open house. Although that is one of the best ideas for Facebook Live, there are many other options where Live videos can benefit real estate agents. We have gathered a list of ideas that real estate agents can use to host Facebook Live videos:
Market Updates
Market updates are pretty popular among people interested in real estate. Even those not planning to buy or sell a house shortly may want to know what the market is doing. There are a lot of ways to report a market update. They can be presented in text format, though we do not recommend this. They can also be described in the form of infographics. Ideally, they would be presented as videos. This is one of the best and most informative ways to do so:
However, a Facebook Live broadcast is particularly useful to make the market update more interactive and allow the audience to comment and ask their questions. As you report the market update, your audience can ask questions, and if needed, you can answer them immediately. This will help improve your relationship with your audience and build trust.
In the market update, you can talk about the general news and updates in the real estate market. You can then go on to the details regarding sales and prices. The real estate market is very local, and unless you are a well-known realtor nationwide, it is better to focus on your farming area. The information you offer for the market update should be about a single neighborhood or town, in your case, your farming area.
Neighborhood Tours
For those unfamiliar with the neighborhood and considering moving to your farming area, you can host Facebook Live videos for real estate with a neighborhood focus. You can walk around town (showing the audience around). Then, you can review places like shopping centers, recreational businesses, schools and universities, restaurants, etc.
Many people are unaware of it, but they choose the neighborhood before choosing the property. In fact, for many, the neighborhood is more important than the property. Most will agree to live in a less-than-perfect home in a great neighborhood. Few would prefer it the other way around.
By highlighting the positive aspects of your farming area, you can get your audience to think about moving to it. Furthermore, few agents host such live videos on Facebook. The ones who do are known to be neighborhood experts.
Interviews With Local Businesses
Apart from general neighborhood tours, another option for introducing the town to your audience is interviewing local businesses live on Facebook. Ask around and see if you can get some of the local businesses to have a live interview with you. Do not be pushy, though. Once you have some business approval, you can also think of scenarios to show what’s going on behind the scenes (more on this later).
The ultimate goal is to let the audience know the neighborhood as much as possible. The more they know the place, the more likely they are to think of buying a house there. Another goal is to show yourself as someone who knows the area like the back of their hand. This builds trust; you need trust to get leads and close deals.
Life Moments
If you look at how the big names in real estate (like Ryan Serhant) promote their brand, you realize a large part of the content they share is about their lifestyle and personal life. There is a good reason for this. Real estate depends heavily on trust. Clients need to know the real estate agents as a person and connect with them. Sharing your life moments helps the audience get to know you.
Therefore, real estate agents can use Facebook Live videos for real estate to give the audience a sneak peek of their life. The usual daily life of a realtor who, like them, has meetings with friends and family and participates in activities.
Interview the Experts
Social media is the television of the new era. Right now, YouTube is a TV for many people. But social media channels play programs about topics you like. It’s personalized. There are many types of interviews you can benefit from. There are many people involved in buying and selling homes. Photographers, agents, home stagers, home inspectors, lenders, etc.
If you know knowledgeable people who can share valuable information with your audience, why not invite them to sit down for a Facebook Live interview? You can help your audience by sharing information regarding buying and selling homes, and they can contribute to the discussion by providing information about their line of work.
Such an idea is relatively new; few people have done it before. The real estate market can benefit from such interviews. The more you teach your audience, the more they learn, the more they will believe in you, and the more they will trust you. Once their trust is gained, so is their business.
Real Estate Tips
To show off your knowledge, experience, and skills in real estate, you need to show them to your audience. What better way to do so than by hosting a Facebook Live video for real estate? During the video, you can share educational tips that help your audience buy and sell their properties. You can use topics like:
- How to prepare a home for an open house
- The hidden costs of buying and selling a home
- The overall process of buying or selling a home
Sneak Peeks
Among all the properties you get to offer, some are special and get a lot of attention. You can use this and promote them before they are even available. There are many ways to do so, such as “Coming Soon” posts. But the way that gets attention is a Facebook Live sneak peek video. Remember to ask your seller if they are okay with this first. Then, you can allow your audience the first glimpse of that great listing. This will create much more engagement than the typical coming soon Facebook post.
Virtual Open House
This one is one of the most popular ones. The few real estate agents who use Facebook Live use it to host virtual open houses. Virtual open houses offer many benefits. They do not need to be held at certain times, like Saturday and Sunday afternoons, to get the most visits. Virtual open houses can be broadcast any day of the week. Furthermore, as the live broadcast will be saved on your timeline, your audience can watch it even after the initial broadcast. The only difference is that it will not be live, and there will not be live commenting. Check out this Virtual 360 Live open house!
Due to the importance and popularity of the topic, we have published a separate and thorough article on Virtual Open Houses on Facebook Live. Click on the link to learn more.
Read More: How to Host an Effective Facebook Live Open House: Step-by-Step Guide for REALTORS®
Behind the Scenes
People do not tend to buy products or services without knowing about them. It is a consistent part of the buying procedure for people to try and learn about a product or service. Sometimes, the product or service depends on the person offering it. In this case, the focus of finding information is on the real estate agent. The client needs to get to know you to know whether you can be trusted.
Many factors affect this process, including your general reputation, branding, background, education and certification, the number of properties you have bought or sold so far, what your previous clients think about you, how you present yourself on social media and your website, etc. Each of your prospects will search for the answers to the above questions.
The outcome of this investigation will be a conclusion as to whether you can be trusted or not. Therefore, a part of your marketing will involve helping your audience know you better. A Facebook Live behind-the-scenes will include whatever you do when your client is absent. It can show what a home inspection is like or how you handle the necessary arrangements with different people during the process.
Success Stories
One of the best ways to gain audience trust is client testimonials. Almost all agents know this and include text testimonials on their websites. Some sit down with their clients, record video testimonials, and use them on social media. To make it even better, real estate agents can ask their recent happy clients to take part in a Facebook Live video for real estate to tell the audience how the agent helped them and what they liked about working with the agent.
Agent Introduction
Complementary to the point above, a Facebook Live video in which an agent introduces him/herself can be a valuable way to let your audience get to know you. This one is especially beneficial for new agents not well known by their audience and the niche in their farming area. Introduce yourself on social media. Facebook Live videos can be saved and accessed later on your timeline. Therefore, anyone who follows you on Facebook can watch it and get to know you.
If you want to gain your audience’s trust, an agent introduction Facebook Live video can greatly help. During the live broadcast, your audience can ask questions about your background and experience, education, etc., but even if they do not, try to highlight a few points yourself, including:
What your unique value proposition is.
All the real estate agents are the same if they do not offer something unique. The real estate market is quite competitive, and its audience is bombarded with massive marketing messages from all those agents claiming to be the best option for clients. However, audiences are savvy now. To win their business, you need to offer something different.
Now, this unique offer does not have to be something exorbitant. What we mean by unique value is something you do in your own way for a specific type of client that caters to them. These points can be summarized in your mission statement as well. For example, you could be the expert real estate agent for senior citizens with mobility issues. That would be your unique value proposition.
Of course, these are not to be determined right on the spot. You need to have a plan for your marketing efforts in real estate that requires a thorough analysis of the market and your audience, matching them with your expertise, experiences, and qualifications.
Q&A Session
Before buying a product or service, people gather information. This process can be short enough to happen just before buying something on the street, or it can be a long process in which the customer goes on a long journey, slowly gathering information. The latter happens for more significant purchases. Buying a home is usually one of the essential landmarks of anybody’s life; therefore, there are many questions.
A Question and Answer session can be a rewarding topic for a Facebook Live broadcast. In the session, your audience can ask their questions, and you can answer them. This will have a substantial positive impact on your audience. You will be helping them with their problems and demonstrating your knowledge and experience in the field.
Community Events
Real estate is a local business. You would not try to sell a property to someone on the other side of the world (although you could and sometimes would). Real estate agents need to know their farming area. Between two agents covering the same neighborhood, the one with a better understanding of the area, facilities, amenities, top schools, etc., is the winner. Real estate agents should demonstrate their familiarity and knowledge of the neighborhood to their audience differently. When prospects see an agent knows the neighborhood, they trust them.
When there is a new development in the town, such as a new park or shopping center, you can host a Facebook Live video and show your audience. This creates an emotional response in your audience, making them more likely to consider buying a house in that neighborhood.
We buy things we see. Furthermore, sharing such videos live is interesting for your audience as they are on a free live tour around the city. This makes your audience more likely to share the live video, increasing your reach. Who knows, this could be the value you offer. King or Queen of the neighborhood events!
Facebook Live for Real Estate Tips
Facebook Live is one of the best ways to get engagement now. However, you can not just go Live and expect to get impressive results. Facebook Live happens live, and that makes it a bit sensitive. There should be some preparations.
Tips to Keep in mind:
Get the Word Out
Whenever there is a public event, people get notified about it in diverse ways. Movies, sports matches, concerts, etc., are all promoted before they happen. Can you imagine how many people would attend a soccer game if nobody knew when it would happen? In the best-case scenario, everybody will be late.
The same thing applies to your Facebook Live videos for real estate. If you do not get the word out before the live broadcast, your only audience will be those online by chance, which means you will lose a great deal of your potential audience. Let them know that you will have a live video so they can plan for it. You can get the word out by announcing the live broadcast in advance using Facebook posts or other social media accounts. You can even pay for it and promote it with Facebook Ads. Lastly, you could send out emails to your contact lists.
Make it Interesting
When you have the Live video, people will see it in their newsfeed. Now, the thing about the newsfeeds is that they include a lot of different posts, most of which are scrolled down until an interesting post comes up. That interesting post should be your live video. How do you make it enjoyable? First, you need to think of an attention-grabbing headline that stops the audience as they scroll. This one depends on your creativity. Never resort to lying by using catchy headlines that do not relate to the topic.
Set the Scene
One of the things that gets highlighted in live videos is your background. When you are having a Facebook live video for real estate, make sure you declutter the place and make it tidy and spick and span. An untidy room does not have any positive message. It means you are an untidy realtor who does not bother to clean the room he is sitting in. If you make Facebook live videos a regular part of your marketing plan, allocating a room with proper lighting and background for the live videos makes sense.
Go Pro
For many, there is absolutely nothing wrong with going live on your personal Facebook account. Promoting your business on your personal account is okay for them. Even if this works, it is not recommended. After all, why would you use your personal page to do business when a business version that offers many more features is already available? Doing business on your personal page has some disadvantages:
First, your friends on your personal Facebook account are not there to see listings and Facebook Live videos for real estate. They are there to see what you are up to and how you spent your weekend. Filling up their newsfeed with business-related content by your personal account will not make them happy.
Using your personal profile to host Facebook Live videos for real estate sends a message to your audience. That message is that you are not a professional. You do not even bother to make yourself a business page. This will not make you seem like a promising agent.
Plan Ahead
It is always a promising idea to plan ahead and prepare Facebook Live videos for real estate. Virtual open houses require more planning. You need to get ready and know what to say to highlight the house’s positive features.
However, it would be best if you did not overdo it. It is a clever idea to have a general plan but not bind yourself to carry it out exactly. Live videos are very dynamic, and depending on your audience’s interaction, different things might happen, diverting the flow of live video from its original intended direction.
Keep Introducing Yourself
Even if you inform your audience about the Facebook Live video for real estate in advance, some people will join the live video after it has started. They might not know who you are and what the video is about. People will join at various times. Therefore, it is advisable to introduce yourself and state the purpose of the video from time to time; otherwise, new people might leave.
Provide Value
Your job is not just about getting people to watch your live video. The more challenging part of live videos is keeping them in it. How do you do that? Your live videos will be valuable if they are educational and entertaining. Otherwise, they are just a waste of time.
Focus on the first features first. Try to make your live videos informative so that your audience learns something. This way, you will ensure they stay and watch until the end of the video and show up at your subsequent live events.
Include Call to Actions
The purpose of your Facebook Live videos for real estate is to provide value and educate your audience. But that is not the ultimate goal. Providing informative content is just a step in reaching the ultimate goal of getting the audience to do something desirable according to your marketing plans.
See how Jennifer Hicks Otto asks her audience to let her know if they need her help.
Call to action examples:
- Call or contact you
- Subscribe to your newsletter
- Visit your website
- Arrange an appointment with you
- Share your content or engage with it by commenting or liking it.
Which of these actions you choose depends on your marketing plan and strategy. But whatever it is, tell your customers to do it. We call this your call to action. All your marketing efforts should include a CTA. Do not be naïve enough to assume that your audience will care enough to go and figure out what to do next. Ignoring including a CTA in your live video will turn it into a waste of time and energy.
Give it Enough Time
While you are having the live video, Facebook will continue to promote it, and more people will join as time goes by. Therefore, it is essential to give people time to join. We recommend spending a period of at least 15 minutes before finishing the live video. As you need to have something to say, remember this while planning the Facebook Live video for real estate.
Once You Are Done, Save it
After you finish the live video, Facebook will ask you if you want to save it on your device. Please make sure you always choose to save the event as you can use it later. For example, you can use the video later on other social media platforms like YouTube and Instagram IGTV.
This also allows you to spend some time editing the live video and remove the times you go silent. If you are familiar with video editing software, you can turn the video into something that is both informative and visually attention-grabbing.
roomvu Facebook Automation Calendar
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Takeaway
Facebook Live videos for real estate are one of the effective avenues to generate leads as they create decent audience engagement. They should be a part of social media marketing for every real estate agent wanting to make the best of their space online. Many people are unaware of the importance of live videos, and those who know stick to one topic in their live videos. Please don’t fall into this habit; many other topics can attract an audience, educate them, and turn them into leads.
Read More: Facebook for Real Estate 2020: The Ultimate Guide for REALTORS®
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