By Viktor Chong

GENERATION Y’s coming of age suggests new markets for the avid real estate agents. With that knowledge, agents understand a need to connect to this generation by all means necessary.

According to Wordstream, Instagram demographics mostly consists of users between the age of 18 and 29 years old. Thirty-two percent of teenagers also consider Instagram to be the most important social network. The message is clear that real estate agents should leverage Instagram and start speaking the language of the millennials.

Here are some tricks to be considered if a prospective agent wishes to prop Instagram as their business platform.

Humanise your business and get personal

You can snap photos of your family life and post it on your Instagram real estate account.

The 80/20 rule makes for a decent guideline on engaging the audience. Advertisements should be reserved for around 20% of the total post. The other 80% might consist of activities that are unrelated to the business.

For example, you can feature any exciting event that is happening near your listing. Your streetwise knowledge regarding the surrounding area will lend credibility to your profession. Customers like to deal with an agent who understands the neighbourhood. Anything of human interest is fair game to the curious crowd. It will also establish a deeper connection between you and your audience.

Customer appreciation

You can also thank your customer personally on your Instagram post. If possible, snap a nice photo of the house and end the post by wishing them good health. Do take note not to reveal the identities of the customer and the details of the house unless they permit it.

The closing of a transaction does not denote the end of the real estate agent’s relationship with the customer. Every customer is a potential lead and referral.

Go wild

Novelty sells like hotcakes, so do something that no one else has done. Show off those crazy drone piloting skills by taking breathtaking images of a luxury penthouse overlooking a vast precipice. Even better, row a canoe in the crystal blue water to an exotic island on the backdrop. Many real estate agents gain followers by showcasing their extravagant lifestyle. Figure out crazy ways to get your contents to go viral.

Dive And Drink

Showcasing a company event on Instagram might sound uneventful, but it also works as a subliminal way to promote your workforce. A photo of you celebrating the birthday of your employee with a crowd of laughing people works as a form of advertising, broadcasting to the audience that your company is employee friendly. A company with good labour relations suggests better customer services too. Share the day-to-day experiences of your business informally and casually to give your Instagram platform a personal feel.

Testimonials

It isn’t hard to get customers to drop a positive testimonial on Instagram if the transaction was done smoothly and the property is in good order. After closing a deal, do remind them to drop a feedback. Good reviews improve your credibility while bad reviews will give you time to reflect upon future dealings.

Good camera phone

The last thing a potential buyer wants to see on a listing is some grainy image of property, taken with a cheap camera phone. It is already known that beautiful real estate photos sell properties faster and at a higher market rate too. Any real estate agent who considers a serious Instagram platform should invest in a good camera phone.

Sneak Peak

Less is more when it comes to the art of seduction. Instagram facilitates this nature by allowing a video length of between three to 60 seconds. Reveal just enough of your listing to pique your customer's curiosity. They will appreciate the fact that they do not need to be physically present to witness the interior and exterior of the property.

If the agent is unable to convey the entire length of the video on Instagram, a short video could be used as a teaser.