The Next Frontier: How Snapchat Is Revolutionizing the Real Estate Industry

How many of you resisted joining Facebook?

Don’t be ashamed. New social networks are hard to understand and can feel quite intimidating. But, for those of you who said no to Facebook until recently, how did that work out for you?

Here’s the thing: social media has changed the world. Traditional marketing methods are becoming both ineffective and expensive. You need to keep up with the new rules to survive in today’s digitally interconnected world.

Sure, you are active on Facebook today, and it has become a crucial part of your social media strategy. But, imagine if you were one of the first people to understand the social network’s power. How far ahead would you be right now?

Why am I telling you all this?

It’s because there’s a new social media channel on the web that has the potential to revolutionize the real estate industry.

Meet Snapchat!

Please don’t run screaming from the room.

At first glance, Snapchat might not seem like an app suited for the real estate industry. It’s filled with nudes, cat pics, and selfies. But, if you look beyond these trivialities, you will see a channel that enables realtors to engage with prospects, capture leads, monitor competition, and grow their brand. Learn how to use it, and it can become the ultimate tool, revolutionizing the real estate game and changing what it means to throw an open house and communicate with potential buyers.

This post will help you understand how and why you should make Snapchat part of your real estate marketing.

What Is Snapchat & Why Should You Care

Snapchat is a messaging app that allows you to take photos, record videos and add text or drawing on top of them. Since its launch just five years ago, Snapchat has become one of the most popular smartphone apps in the US. According to recent stats, it has over 100 million daily active users and more than four billion daily video views.

The novelty of Snapchat is that people can only see content for 10 seconds before it disappears. This odd function is what makes sharing content on Snapchat so exciting.

The reason why Snapchat works, it’s because if offers on-demand entertainment. People don’t want to be bothered with phone calls when they can receive a text (or a Snap!) instead. Consumers want to be in control and to be able to respond on their time when it’s the most convenient for them. And that’s what Snapchat offers them.

How Can Real Estate Agents Benefit from Snapchat?

In today’s interconnected society, staying on top of new trends, creating relevant content, and establishing authentic connections is the key to success. Because it’s an interactive form of communication, based primarily on visual content, Snapchat is great for the real estate industry. Here’s why:

You Can Use Snapchat to Promote a Listing
Real estate is a visual industry. Agents use photos and videos of homes to attract prospects and to start a conversation with them. That’s what Snapchat offers. You can take photos or record a video when you are previewing a home, for instance, and share it with your audience. You can also add a short description about the property. Your audience will get a better idea of how the home looks and they are more likely to engage with you.

Take Your Audience Behind the Scenes
Snapchat is the perfect channel for building a strong, authentic relationship with potential home buyers. Instead of showing them gorgeous Photoshopped pictures of available homes, you can give them a sneak peek at what the property really looks like. Or, you can take them behind the scenes and show them what it means to be an agent.

Snapchat from Open Houses
Most real estate agents work like crazy to promote an open house. They create flyers, write Facebook posts, send emails, and make numerous phone calls hoping to find a buyer. Snapchat can help eliminate all that stress and hard work.

You can use Snapchat Geofilters to connect with people who are interested in a specific location. What better way to promote an open house than with visual content and customized filters?

Humanize Your Brand
Just because you are trying to sell homes, it doesn’t mean everything you share should be related to your profession. Sharing snaps from your daily life, like your family, friends, hobbies, and so on can make your personal brand feel natural. Snapchat is the ideal medium for providing casual content that helps humanize your brand.

Real-Time Interaction with Prospects
One of the best parts about Snapchat is that it doesn’t require you too much effort to use it. Unlike other social media networks, you don’t have to plan your posts. All you have to do is take your phone out, take a snap, add an interesting description and share it in real-time with your audience.

Snapchat is a great real estate marketing tool that can help you grow your business. Just keep an open mind and experiment with the network to see what works for you and your audience