First agent in Australia to list & sell real estate on Facebook

How thinking differently led this agent to succeed 17 September 2020 Cameron Micallef

Real estate agents are being urged to think differently and take advantage of new opportunities as a way to get ahead.

Five years ago today, Sydney real estate agent turned marketing guru Nic Fren was the first agent in Australia to use Facebook to sell a property.

“I didn’t do anything amazing, I was just extremely active on Facebook. I didn’t really use LinkedIn much at that point and I didn’t get Instagram until a year later. Facebook was free, you didn’t have to beat the algorithms, so why wouldn’t I offer that service to a client?” Mr Fren said. 

By thinking differently about the property industry, Mr Fren was able to find a niche in an industry that had put a value on social media.

This led the property agent from being relatively unknown to an industry leader all in the space of 12 months.

Mr Fren believes the COVID-19 pandemic is creating new opportunities for agents who are willing to take advantage of social media.

“COVID-19 has forced people onto social media who may not have gone on there had the pandemic not occurred, and it’s a crucial tool for our Melbourne agents to connect with their clients to get properties moving, whether that’s for sale or lease, in this stage of lockdown,” he said.

“We hold online training classes for our guys in Melbourne to teach them how to do virtual open homes, what is a Facebook Live and how to use social media to promote, inform and produce results at the end of the day.”

When asked about what he sees from the industry on social media today, Mr Fren explained that it can be very hit and miss.

“I love seeing agents getting out there and giving it a red-hot go. I still mess it up most days and they are usually the posts that get more engagement. I owned my flaws on socials and started doing my blooper videos, with my former colleagues highlighting the behind-the-scenes gaffes. They were very well received,” Mr Fren said.

Written by Cameron Micallef from REB