The biggest social media mistake real estate agents make

By Juliet Helmke

20 September 2021

There’s one big mistake that property sellers make on social media, and it’s easy to avoid, according to a real estate industry social media marketing expert.

Nic Fren, founder of Bespoke Media Group, has been in the property marketing game for close to 10 years. He’s seen scores of new social media platforms hit the field, as well as the many ways agents leverage these tools with varying degrees of success. But there’s really one main misstep he sees occurring again and again.

“One of the biggest mistakes I see is where agents simply post the same content across all the platforms,” Mr Fren said.

It comes from a fundamental misunderstanding of how social media functions, according to the marketing expert.

“We need to remember that social media platforms aren’t designed to be advertising vehicles,” Mr Fren said. He cautions agents to remember they’re ultimately modes of entertainment, and the purpose of each platform differs depending on the app-specific tools available to users, as well as the audience they attract.

“We need to recognise that TikTok is different to LinkedIn, which is different to Instagram. Simply posting the same content to different audiences isn’t going to do much if you are looking to grow your brand on new sites,” he said.

Speaking the language of the platform on which you’re posting grows trust among users, who won’t simply see you as an ad to scroll by, according to Mr Fren. Simultaneously, creating genuine content across multiple platforms gives you a recognisable quality that establishes familiarity and a sense of confidence in your work.

“It’s important to be across as many platforms as you can. You may not have much success on the newer platforms now, and that’s OK. The goal is to be building your brand in front of another audience and gain their trust now,” Mr Fren said. Being up-to-date with the current and emerging platforms will help you track social media trends in real-time, creating meaningful connections and understanding what users want to see from you – and what they don’t.

“Social media is to entertain, engage and educate your marketplace,” Mr Fren reminded. That’s what users expect. The platforms that have forgotten that, devoting too much space to pay-for-play posts, are currently feeling the heat from learning that lesson.

“I’m seeing a major shift in people moving away from the larger platforms in Australia and embracing platforms like TikTok and Clubhouse. Even Snapchat is getting a second wind,” Mr Fren noted.

“It’s so important to understand that the very people you are trying to target are getting fed up with sponsored posts and moving to other platforms where it’s less salesy.” And if they’re on the move, you should be too.

Mr Fren warns: “Unless you are going on that journey with them, you will lose them”.