How social media has changed how we buy and sell property

23 February, 2018

"Social media is the ultimate equalizer. It gives a voice and a platform to anyone willing to engage.” - Amy Jo Martin

Whether it is the property market or any other business, customer engagement and connecting with potential buyers is crucial. One of the best ways to do this is to be active at a place where your potential customers can be found. Given the competitive nature of the property market, social media can significantly improve your web presence and help you in brand building and reputation management. There are a lot of things you can do to buy/sell a property on social media. It gives you a platform to engage customers and promote your business effectively.

Earlier the property search used to heavily rely on property agents and numerous visits to several properties to find the right one. This process was not only time consuming but expensive as well. With the advent of social media in the property market, things have become much easier as one can easily search properties according to their preferred location anywhere in the world. Social media allows potential buyers or even tenants to view many properties from the comfort of their home rather than visit them physically. You get to choose what you exactly need.

Social media platforms like Instagram, Snapchat, Whatsapp, and Facebook have taken over the property market by storm. These channels not only provide details about the properties, but also connect the buyer and the seller or the tenant and the landlord very well. One can easily do online house tours thus saving time and money.

Twitter and Facebook offer creative and effective marketing tools for estate agents. One can create specific hashtags on Twitter and FB to target a set of audience and to channelize information instantly to the buyers’. For instance, buyers can get alerts when properties become available in a specific location. Buyers can also see video footage of homes for sale on YouTube and Facebook. Relevant Data can be made available and even endorsed according to the interest of the target audience.

This online network is not just about marketing, but has the ability to influence buying decisions as well. People are making decisions according to the experiences which other people share on social networking sites. The blog content and independent reviews about various properties available online are making a strong impact and influencing buyer’s decisions. Any negativity or bad consumer experience is suicidal for an estate agent or firm.

It is quite natural that before buying any property most of the customers may still want to review the property in person before they make a purchase. However, the availability of information online and various social media channels can help them to fine-tune their search and make a more informed decision.

Social media is not only about check-in’s, and status updates. It is a very powerful medium for collaboration and marketing which is benefitting the community as a whole.