Awareness, Trust and Action

Written by: Gary Horsman

Awareness, Trust and Action

Real Estate Marketing

Real Estate Marketing outreach (ads, PR, sponsorships, etc.) is not about one thing. It’s about three things – awareness, trust and stimulating action.

In what area do you spend the most time?

Awareness in Real Estate

Awareness is a simple ping: Oh, there’s a new real estate office in town. Oh, they moved into a new office. Oh, they just hired a new agent.

I see many real estate agents focusing significantly in this area. They buy hard copy ads, spend on online text ads, online display ads or even video ads.

The problem with spending a significant amount of your marketing budget just on awareness is that you wont have much left to work on building trust. In addition, another problem is that many people view ads as annoying. If someone is focusing on something and then is distracted or interrupted by your ad then this may not be a positive.

As a real estate agent a good question to ask is whether your site is easily found in search when people are searching or do you need to rely on ads to gain exposure? By far the best exposure is to be presented when someone is actually searching.

Trust in Real Estate

Trust is far more complicated. Trust comes from experience, from word of mouth, from your authority.

Trust is based also on awareness. If no one is aware of you then it is more difficult for them to have trust in you. However, if you are an established real estate agent or company then you need to have a keen focus on establishing trust, and authority.

Lets say you have respectable exposure. The next question to ask is does your business exude trust? Does your website project your authority? Do you have depth of local content so that people can make proper decisions about you knowing that you are an expert on the area and that you are willing to display the area on your website? For example, do you have a blog that projects your authority as a real estate agent and as an authority on the community? A blog can be a substantial trust builder.

Note also that to have depth of local content will help your position in search (exposure). Create text articles on the community, have local photo galleries, produce video content that shows off the area and the community. Have special ways to display a home which is listed with you. All of this helps to build trust.

Action in Real Estate

Action is what happens when someone actually goes and votes, or buys something, or shows up, or talks about it. Action is as complex as trust.

Action requires overcoming the status quo, action means that someone has dealt with the many fears that come with taking a specific action.

For example, when someone decides that they will sell their home they have to overcome the status quo of living in that home and community. They may have many questions and uncertainties. To list their home with you they have to overcome that fear and do something.

Action is difficult for most people. Action is quite rare. For most people, the story of ‘later’ that is in their head is seductive enough that it appears better to wait instead of leaping.

To get someone to take action with you on a real estate transaction you need to understand their concerns and then help them to minimize or even eliminate their concerns.

In the big picture, as a real estate marketer, part of the challenge is figuring out which of the three elements you need the most help with, and then focus on that. Whatever, you focus on look at the competitions and decide on how you can out-perform them relative to exposure, trust and helping people to take action.

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