3 Things Today's Consumers Expect from Real Estate Agents

Consumers still find plenty of value in working with real estate agents. In fact, 89 percent of buyers in 2019 purchased their home through an agent or broker.

That's because the type of qualities good agents bring to the table—experience, deep market knowledge, and the ability to be ahead of the curve—are just as valuable to clients today as they were 10 or 20 years ago. The only difference is how they prove these things to prospects.

So, with that in mind, here's a look at what consumers expect from real estate agents today—and how to ensure you're the one they chose to work with:

Past successes and happy clients

Who wouldn't want to work with a real estate agent who has a proven track record of success? The challenge, though, is conveying that information to prospects. After all, even if someone sees your ad on Facebook or hears about you from a friend, they'll still Google you to decide for themselves.

Therefore, the number one action agents can take is to maintain a strong Google business profile. Think of it as Google's quick-load version of your resume and references. It contains your contact information, a bio, posts that highlight your listings and deals, and reviews from past clients, colleagues, friends, and family.

Market knowledge

You know you have expertise in the neighborhoods you specialize in, but how do you communicate that deep market knowledge to prospects who find you online? There are three main places to do this: your digital advertising, your Google business profile, and your website. Each of these spaces will show your audience a different side of your professional expertise.

First, your digital ads can illustrate your expertise in two ways:

• Run a listing advertisement for your recent deal or newly listed property. This is a "show, don't tell" way to communicate your expertise. Promoting your current work, whether a listing or a deal, shows that locals trust you as the local expert to represent them. It also indirectly signals that you're an active, successful agent. Because those who aren't wouldn't have a budget to spend on advertising.
• Turn the camera around and actually tell your audience what you know. Use a video ad to talk directly to buyers and sellers. Tell them what you know about the neighborhood, recent housing trends, or give them a tip that proves you know the market well.

Second, after potential buyers and sellers see one of your ads, they'll often turn to Google to learn about you. Make sure all the fields in your profile are filled out. Provide as much content in your bio as possible. Tell consumers who you are, define the areas in which you do business, and talk about the niche you specialize in.

Post new content regularly, too. You should always include your latest listings and deals, but it's also recommended to mix in posts that illustrate your market knowledge, whether you answer a frequently asked question or explain an interesting market stat.

And, finally, third: Prospects who are still curious will click into your website to dig a little deeper. Tell them who you are on the main page and on the About page. Offer a CMA tool for sellers and a market newsletter to buyers. Include a lead capture form with a compelling call to action (CTA) so they can contact you directly if they're ready to talk further.

Digital savviness

In today's digital-first world, all aspects of the home-buying journey can be conducted online, from the home search to the closing appointment. Consumers want to work with an agent who maintains that pace. This is true for both buyers and sellers.

The best way to demonstrate your digital savviness to buyers is to have a robust online presence. Catch their eye with a scroll-stopping ad on social media. Wow them with your "resume and references" on your Google business profile. And present a professional, mobile-responsive website with built-in real estate functions.

When it comes to tactics, sellers expect digital advertising to play an outsized role in your marketing efforts. Given how much time consumers spend on Facebook, Instagram, Google, and Waze, it's simply become status quo to publish listing ads on these platforms.

Beyond saying you'll advertise on these sites, you need to show proof that your past ads have generated positive results for your clients. The best way to do this is by showing performance reports from past successful ad campaigns. You can generate these for free when you run Homesnap Pro Ads and even schedule them to send to your seller on a regular basis to keep them updated on your marketing efforts. They include key metrics like views, clicks, leads, and more.

You can even automate your digital advertising with Homesnap Concierge, a fully managed advertising platform, and lead qualification service. That way, you'll never have to worry about the minutiae of promoting a listing; Homesnap will automatically publish ads across Facebook, Google, and Instagram for you. You can even run Coming Soon ads to gather leads for your new listing before it actually hits the market.

To view the original article, visit the Homesnap blog.