How to Use LinkedIn to Grow Your Real Estate Business

The real estate business is built on connections. That’s why you work hard to maintain a social media presence. Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram are great for reaching large numbers of people. They’re essential to generate interest in your business. For quality over quantity though, you really ought to take a close look at LinkedIn. It will supercharge your social media strategy.

Why LinkedIn?

LinkedIn is the social media site of choice for business professionals and is undoubtedly one of the best apps for real estate agents. It has a lot to offer, not least of which is quality lead generation. Self-promotion on other social media channels is of use, but messaging can be lost in the noise. LinkedIn allows you to engage with professionals and target your content more effectively. 

Using LinkedIn to grow your real estate business is a no-brainer. It’s easy too. Make it part of your real estate business plan. We’ll examine the steps you need to take to make the most of LinkedIn’s potential.

Build a profile for your business

Once you’ve signed up for LinkedIn it’ll be time to build your personal profile. This is an opportunity to show off your qualifications and experience. Let people get to know you a little. Include personal interests and non-real estate activities such as volunteering.

Now you need to create a company page. It can’t be overstated how crucial it is to get this right. Your profile is your chance to show potential leads why you’re worth their business. Use this step-by-step guide to create a page that grabs people’s attention.

Step 1: Create a company page

In the top left of your personal LinkedIn page, there is a grid icon that says “Work” beneath it. Click it and select “Create a Company Page” from the menu. You will be presented with a choice of types of companies from which to choose. For most realtors, you will be selecting “Small business”. Next, you will be adding your official company name, a unique LinkedIn URL, and your company’s website URL. 

Step 2: Fill in your company details

Using a series of drop-down menus, you will be selecting the appropriate choices that indicate what kind of company the page is for. 

Step 3: Add your logo and a short description of your company

You will need to use a square version of your logo. LinkedIn allows square logos sized at 300 X 300 pixels. Next you’ll need to write a short description of your business that appears next to your logo at the top of your company page. Make sure this is impactful but succinct. 

You’ll then need to check a box indicating you’re a true representative of the business before clicking a “Create Page” button.

Step 4: Add a more detailed company description

Now you have the opportunity to really sell your business through a longer description. You’ll want to include links to your other social media channels, email addresses, and phone numbers. This is a great place to show a virtual phone number for business. Having one makes your number eye-catching and memorable.

LinkedIn gives you 2000 characters to describe why you’re up there with the best of them. Take some time to write a description making the most of the space provided. Concentrate on the first 156 characters, as they will show up on previews of your page in Google searches.

There’s a section where you can list any particular focuses of your business. They act as keywords for searches, so ensure they’re relevant and capture those most likely to become good leads. If you specialize in commercial property, for example, then you’ll certainly want that listed here.

Step 5: Publish

Using quality assurance methodology, read over what you’ve written for any errors and clarity. Once you’re happy, just click the “Publish” button and your LinkedIn company page is out there. Don’t panic if you find an issue after this step. LinkedIn makes editing pages after publishing a simple process.

Now your company page is created, it’s time to make it work for you. To help with that, there’s another page you’ll need to build to help boost the growth of your business; a showcase page. We’ll go into that later.

 

Start networking

Making connections is the way to use LinkedIn to generate real estate leads. Start with people you know, preferably outside of real estate. Connections with other realtors are fine, but you’ll want to cast a wider net. Find people within your community with influence. Consider business leaders, community leaders, or even a director of a local theater group. Get to know people who know people.

LinkedIn offers some assistance by recommending people to connect with. Try to spend time building relationships. Don’t go in too aggressively as that can be off-putting. Next, we’ll go into some strategies you can use to build your network.

 

Join the conversation

Like many other social networks, LinkedIn has a like and share function. Use it to highlight posts that are relevant and interesting to your target audience. Keep in mind that LinkedIn is a professional social media channel. Only draw attention to high-quality content that reflects that. 

Don’t be afraid to lean into real estate content. It’s of interest to a variety of people beyond just those in the industry. The ups and downs of the real estate market have wide ranging implications. It regularly makes the news. 

That said, don’t focus exclusively on real estate. For example, say you come across an article about service quoting software. It may not be immediately relevant to real estate but it may be of interest to business leaders in your community. Sharing it will increase their awareness of you and your business.

LinkedIn will alert you when your contacts have anniversaries, birthdays, or other milestones. Take the time to congratulate them. It will help strengthen connections. Make recommendations for local businesses. If there’s a coffee shop you like, tell your network. The owner will appreciate it and is more likely to consider you for their real estate needs. Just make sure it’s genuine. People can tell if it’s  not.

 

Create or join local groups

You’ll generate more leads by joining local groups. It’s another way to make contacts in your local community. Join groups that align with your own interests. It’s only an effective strategy if you’re able to interact with other members.

Your interactions with members of these groups provide you with insights into their personal lives. Find groups containing your targets for potential conversion. Be subtle and not overly intrusive. This is a process of building trust. Show that you’re worthy of that trust by being respectful.

If you’re having trouble finding relevant groups then create one yourself. Try creating a group for local entrepreneurs. Discuss topics like “what’s a good partner relationship manager?” or “how to find the best talent”. From time-to-time you’ll need to steer the conversation to real estate. Then you’ll be able to generate leads.

Editor’s Tip: You can also check out our list of the best real estate lead generation companies for realtors if you’re looking to bring your business to the next level. 

 

Contribute content

The most effective way to build your network is to begin creating your own content. The more you post, the more interactions you’ll have. More interactions generate more potential leads. Do this successfully and you could be seen as a thought leader in your market. 

As a real estate agent it’s vital to keep up with trends and news about the market. You have opinions about what you see and insights worth expressing. That’s what you should write about. You may already write about real estate on your own website’s blog. Well, you can tap into LinkedIn’s professional user base by publishing on the platform. 

Focus on topics that are being discussed. LinkedIn provides a list of trending topics. They may not be obviously linked to real estate but you can often find ways to link them with your industry. If, for example, there’s a debate happening about DocuSign vs Adobe Sign: Which is the better esignature solution? As an agent, you know there’s a mountain of paperwork that needs signing with real estate. You can write about your experiences using these services in your business.

 

Create showcase pages

A showcase page acts like something of a blog. It’s used to highlight particular parts of your business and can be used to capture specific audiences. It’s an extension of your company page. Followers of your company page won’t automatically be following a newly created showcase page. Here you could include features such as presentation videos of the properties you have for sale.

Use it when you want to segment your content for different audiences. The messaging you’re putting out for homebuyers may not appeal to leads interested in commercial properties. For instance, a piece of content about contract lifecycle management software may be of interest to business leaders but not necessarily to a bakery owner. This is why showcase pages can be useful.

 

 

Monitor LinkedIn analytics

LinkedIn offers a suite of tools for monitoring data on everything that happens on your page. You can see how much attention you’re getting through clicks, likes, and shares. This data reveals what content is working and what needs to be adjusted.

Pay attention to the analytics, you can double down on content that garners the most attention. This will lead to increased lead generation and business growth.

 

Get LinkedIn to more leads

You can grow your real estate business by building a network through LinkedIn. Make connections with your community and then leverage them to create more leads. 

When your LinkedIn activities ramp up you may find it useful to automate some of them using a workflow process template. This will save you time and you can concentrate on what you do best; selling properties.

Editor’s Tip: You can also check out our list of the best places to buy real estate leads if you’re looking to bring your business to the next level.