Written by Social media marketing for real estate is about more than just promoting your listings, blog posts, and website — it’s also about engaging with your customers and industry peers. Beginner real estate agents may not realize this at the start of their career, but networking with industry pros (other agents, mortgage lenders, appraisers, and inspectors) is one of the best ways to grow your business.
The ideal place to network with these individuals is through online communities — especially those on Facebook, Google+, and LinkedIn. Take a look at the 20 educational and engaging real estate social media groups below (listed in no particular order) to join the conversation and grow your network. When visiting these boards, though, consider the following:
- Unfortunately, there will be the inevitable spam posts in many of these groups (why agents post local listings to communities dedicated to conversations about the industry and their careers we’ll never know, but it happens often).
- Open real estate social media groups are open to everyone, while private and closed groups on social networks can only be joined by requesting an invite from an administrator or group member.
- And remember: While these online communities are a great place to gain new real estate agent knowledge and connect with like-minded pros nationwide, they’re also an ideal place to identify locals working in your market and with your niche audience.
Real Estate Marketing and Sales Advice
Real Estate Plus (Google+ — Open/Ask to Join)
Membership: 17,000+
Description: Whether you’re a real estate agent, an investor, a home builder, or other industry professional, this Google+ Community offers an array of resources to help you become more informed about the state of the market and how to improve upon your craft. There are multiple sections, each of which features real estate marketing ideas, including those for improving search engine optimization (SEO) and customer relationship management (CRM).
Real Estate (Google+ — Open/Ask to Join)
Membership: 19,500+
Description: Social media tips, advice on short sales and foreclosures, legal issues facing real estate agents, and lead follow-up techniques are a small sample of the many topics covered in this Community headed by Massachusetts-based Realtor Bill Gassett. Head to the Discussion section to enter into various ongoing conversations regarding the latest real estate news stories, reports, trends, and best practices for agents new and experienced.
Real Estate Marketing (Google+ — Open)
Membership: 6,300+
Description: Notable agents, firms, bloggers, and brands post to this intriguing community, which covers real estate marketing topics and tactics from blogging and social media to websites and lead generation. Arguably the most interesting conversations focus on bettering one’s approach to promoting your business and listings, like how to avoid using software and gadgets that don’t really help with prospecting, and ways to craft compelling website forms.
Real Estate Marketing and Branding (Google+ — Open)
Membership: 9,800+
Description: How you brand your business is a major factor in how well you do with your real estate marketing and sales. Thankfully, plenty of agents are willing to share their secrets to success in this educational community. Get the inside scoop on how to improve your direct marketing tactics, search strategy, video marketing, and real estate blogging by combing through the numerous subcategories in the group.
Best of Real Estate Video (Google+ — Open)
Membership: 3,800+
Description: It’s fantastic when industry pros who specialize in a particular marketing or sales tactic share their knowledge with others who can benefit, but it’s also great to see their tactics in action. This Google+ community reveals the latest tips and tricks in video marketing as well as actual examples of real estate videos that prove it’s a worthwhile marketing method. Head here to view professionally shot listing recordings and other intriguing clips while picking up some advice for your own video efforts.
Photography for Real Estate (Google+ — Open)
Membership: 2,800+
Description: In a similar fashion as the video-oriented community, this photography resource can come in handy for new real estate agents looking to get basic advice and experienced pros searching for new tools and tactics. At the very least, you can garner some inspiration from the interior and exterior pictures of homes for sale posted routinely to the group — even drone shots (though it takes a lot to get approval to use those until the Federal Aviation Administration uniformly approves their use in real estate marketing).
Housing Market News and Trends
National Association of Realtors (NAR) (Facebook — Closed)
Membership: 13,400+
Description: This official account from NAR is one that features many intriguing conversations — and networking opportunities — for those who participate in threads. The trade association has proven to have this social media thing mastered, especially on Facebook and Twitter, so rest assured you can find the info and answers you’re looking for by posting to this group.
Realtors® (Google+ — Open)
Membership: 18,700+
Description: Though not an official NAR account, Realtors will find plenty of quality posts here, including ones featuring national and international real estate news, marketing and sales tips and tricks, and mortgage and financing updates and trends. The “Business Tools” section, in particular, offers posts from agents relaying the best apps and software to use for tasks like creating flyers and infographics.
Business Best Practices for Agents
Raise the Bar (Facebook — Public)
Membership: 10,900+
Description: Every real estate agent wants to become better at their job: from securing new leads to closing more deals to earning more money. The truth is that it’s very difficult for agents to do this on their own. Hiring a real estate coach can certainly help, but another place agents would be wise to turn to is a Facebook Group like Raise the Bar. Common topics of discussion are questions about agent ethics, recommendations for CRMs and other software, and how to react to client conundrums.
Tech Support Group for Real Estate Agents (Facebook — Public)
Membership: 12,900+
Description: Agents looking for distinct technology-related advice and suggestions from fellow agents can turn to this group. Want to learn about short messaging service (SMS) marketing? In need of a new laptop or tablet? Don’t know where to even start with your real estate website? Head to Tech Support Group for Real Estate Agents and you’ll get replies from pros in the know.
Real Estate Agents in Social Networks — REASN (LinkedIn — Private)
Membership: 6,900+
Description: Finding new revenue opportunities is an ongoing process for agents and brokers. What many don’t realize, though, is they have easy access to a premier lead and client generation tool: social media. The REASN group is devoted to aiding agents in their quest to master social media for real estate, engaging in relevant conversations, discovering new prospects, and moving leads down the pipeline. Specifically, group participants learn about tools that help identify and convert leads through social outlets.
Real Estate Technology (Google+ — Open)
Membership: 3,400+
Description: Another tech-based group, but one with a spin: Agents and mortgage professionals converse in this distinct community. Info on closing costs, hot housing and office markets, home construction data, and think pieces on the direction of the industry are just a sample of what users will find in the group.
Luxury Real Estate Network (LinkedIn — Open)
Membership: 81,200+
Description: The luxury real estate sector is a different animal than the rest of the industry. To get the latest insights on what marketing strategies are working for luxury sales and which markets are booming, high-end agents and brokers can read the posts published to this LinkedIn group. In addition to luxury pros sharing their latest listings, you’ll find shared content related to best inbound marketing practices and how to “wow” those who check out your luxury listings with experiential marketing tactics.
Real Estate Success Principles (Facebook — Closed)
Membership: 13,600+
Description: “A place to share ideas, strategies, scripts, and systems” is how the admins for this popular Facebook Group describe the community. In other words, you’ll find both high-level advice regarding how to construct your business and make the most of leads to more intricate tips related to the daily grind of real estate marketing and sales.
Realtors on the Internet (Real Estate Networking Group) (LinkedIn — Private)
Membership: 7,100+
Description: The entire purpose of online marketing is to secure business in a more streamlined, manageable, and measurable way than offline marketing allows. Agents who understand — and embrace — this concept are the perfect fit for the ongoing conversations in this educational group.
Real Estate Training and Coaching for Agents (LinkedIn — Private)
Membership: 1,000+
Description: No one can do real estate alone, so why not get assistance from those who have been there before and know what it takes to survive (and thrive)? Get your training and coaching fix in this helpful group, which features tips on how to create listing presentation scripts, finding the best vendors, and getting general support for your business undertakings.
General Networking and Q&A Groups
What Should I Spend My Money On? (Facebook — Public)
Membership: 9,700+
Description: The age-old question for real estate pros: What do I absolutely need to spend money on to make my business a success? Heading to this group on Facebook for real estate agents is one optimal avenue for agents and brokers who are unsure of how to allocate ad spending and what technology to invest in. Many savvy agents use this board regularly to pose and answer questions pertaining to advertising methods, smartphone recommendations, open house check-in apps, and practically any other real estate tech-related topics you can think of.
National Association of REALTORS YPN (Facebook — Closed)
Membership: 11,100+
Description: One popular subgroup that’s part of the National Association of Realtors is the Young Professionals Network: a group of NAR members who are 40 years old or younger. If you’re a Realtor who’s interested in joining, you’ll find it’s an invaluable resource. For starters, you can interact with fellow members daily through its Facebook Group, where seemingly any and every subject is on the table — real estate–related or otherwise.
Real Estate Agents Helping Agents (Google+ — Open)
Membership: 9,700+
Description: Sensing a theme in some of these groups and their primary intent to help agents? It’s not a novel concept for real estate social network boards, but this is yet another community where you can find the solutions and remedies you’re in need of, and alleviate the concerns of other like-minded agents facing similar issues.
Real Estate Community (Google+ — Open)
Membership: 21,600+
Description: Regional housing market briefings, home improvement and staging counsel, and problems facing renters and homeowners are hot topics routinely chewed over in the aptly titled Real Estate Community. The occasional real estate humor is indulged here, but so too are weighty topics in the residential and commercial spaces.
What other real estate social media groups are great places for agents to engage with fellow pros and consumers? Share your suggestions with us below!
Published on April 8, 2015
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