As of January 2023, TikTok is the number one most downloaded app in the whole world. Globally, it has 672 million downloads, with the United States accounting for 99 million of its downloads. According to the New York Times, the platform is boasting an estimated 1.6 billion monthly active users. Nearly one-third of a billion is using the app daily, with the average user spending 95 minutes of their day just watching videos.
And TikTok for Real Estate is top of mind for the best realtors.
Source: https://unsplash.com/photos/1S1w1c4_VyA
With its global and nationwide impact, more and more businesses from varying industries are using the app for their marketing initiatives. The real estate industry is one of the industries that are starting to use TikTok for marketing, specifically lead generation.
Lead Generation in Real Estate
Before we talk about generating leads on TikTok, it’s highly important to know what lead generation is. Lead generation is an integral part of a real estate marketing and sale process. It’s a critical component for the long-term success of a real estate agent. This is especially true for agents who are just starting their careers and are yet to establish themselves in their respective markets. Without generating leads, potential home buyers and sellers will never find the agent and the services they offer.
There are two categories in the real estate lead generation system: outbound and inbound marketing.
Outbound Marketing
When we say outbound marketing, we’re referring to the traditional form of real estate marketing. This includes activities like telemarketing, email marketing, marketing at events, direct emailing, cold calling, using search ads, press releases, TV and radio ads, and print ads. In today’s marketing landscape, outbound marketing isn’t as effective as it was during the old days. It’s becoming less and less popular amongst real estate agents and marketers alike because, whether we like it or not, they need to keep up with technology and what’s “in” for their target consumers.
Inbound Marketing
On the other hand, inbound marketing is a way of attracting consumers through the creation and promotion of content. So in a sense, it’s a modern way to do real estate marketing. Inbound marketing activities include content marketing, social media marketing, SEO, and digital advertising. Nowadays, inbound marketing is becoming more and more popular for marketers and real estate agents alike because of its effectiveness and how it appeals to their target market. According to Anton Geier, inbound marketing provides a lot of benefits, especially to businesses with niche markets, because technology influences consumer behavior.
As I mentioned, social media marketing and content creation are inbound marketing activities; therefore, the use of TikTok for generating leads falls into the same category. For plenty of real estate agents, the platform is one of the most effective ways to do both content creation and social media marketing at the same time. Now, the question is: How do real estate agents generate leads in the app?
6 Ways to Generate Leads on TikTok
In the real estate industry, the use of TikTok for generating leads is starting to become more of a practice, rather than a trend. The user experience of the platform is centered around the “For You” page. Basically, the app compiles videos users are likely to enjoy on their For You pages based on their past activities. It’s less focused on people the users already know, so everyone is given an opportunity to be seen. Due to this app’s structure, real estate agents are more likely to reach new audiences, as well as build their brand–all without spending tons of money on paid advertising. With all this being said, here’s how you, a real estate agent, can use TikTok to generate leads:
Target a Real Estate Niche
Before you start creating content, figure out the type of real estate niche you want to focus on. Doing so will help you figure out the ideal audience you need to reach, as well as determine the type of content you need to create. Once you have a target niche, you can easily create content that addresses common concerns and questions around that particular niche. Over time, you can reach and engage with more people and get leads from one type of client–your ideal one. The more you create targeted content for your niche audience, the more you can improve your results and increase engagement.
For example, you can narrow down your niche by targeting a specific property type. Let’s say you want to focus on single-family homes. Your ideal audience would be first-time homebuyers. Now that you have your focus and ideal client, your content should talk about topics first-time homebuyers would be interested in; you can talk about the process of buying your first home or even show your listing.
Be Creative and Authentic With Your TikTok Content
When it comes to content creation, it’s highly important that you acknowledge the fact that TikTok is a platform mostly used by both Gen Z and Millennials. You have a big, diverse pool of audience to appeal to, making TikTok content creation a significant opportunity for you to reach two generations of homebuyers and sellers. Gen Z and Millennials are always looking for authenticity when it comes to content. That being said, if you want to make an impact or resonate with TikTok users, you need to show your authentic personality as a real estate agent to create fun and creative content.
Let’s say, for example, your niche is single-family homes. One great content idea is home security for first-time homebuyers. According to Brandon King, founder of Home Security Heroes, plenty of first-time homebuyers are concerned about home security since burglary is one of the most feared property crimes. You can use this topic idea as content and be creative about it. I would suggest adding personal touches to it by mentioning some home security-related experiences you had with first-time homebuyers.
Pro Tip: Use hashtags on your content. Doing so will categorize the content you post, making it easier for people to find them. For a niche market, you can increase your leads by using specific hashtags. For example, use a location-focused hashtag: #uppereastsideny. Or use the location and home style: #minnesotacabinhomes. There are also property feature-specific hashtags you can use, such as #oceanview, #curbappeal, or #downtownhome. If you want to highlight your activities as a real estate agent, use hashtags like the following: #openhouse, #featuredlisting, or #justlisted.
Source: @joshyrealtor on TikTok
Focus on Creating Short-Form Content
In addition to making creative and authentic TikTok content, you also need to be smart about it. Nowadays, more people are leaning into short-form content, which is the main reason why TikTok is so addictive for a lot of its users. According to plenty of research, shorter videos attract the attention of users because they provide easily digestible content that can be consumed within a few seconds. It makes the viewers silently immersed. This is perfect for busy people and users with short attention spans.
That being said, this is something you need to take advantage of. You can focus on creating short, but highly entertaining videos. If you want to create content about a topic that will surely take minutes to explain, I highly suggest creating a series of short videos about it. For example, you can create a series entitled: “Mistakes First-Time Homebuyers Make.” For each mistake, create a hook that will easily catch the attention of your viewers and share a short story related to it. This is an opportunity for you to show that real estate agents can be entertaining too.
Pro Tip: Check out other real estate agents who are using TikTok. There are plenty of them you find. One user you can check out is @heider_realestate, who is using short-form videos to show houses. This user has a total of 57.1 million likes on their TikTok content. You can also look at @KyleClarkson’s TikTok page and be inspired by the way they do their short videos on the platform.
Source: @heider_realestate on TikTok
Share Your TikTok Content on Other Platforms
One great thing about TikTok is that it allows you to cross-post videos to other social media platforms. TikTok is still relatively new, so it’s safe to presume that some of your ideal clients are using other social platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, and even YouTube. That being said, your TikTok lead generation strategy shouldn’t just end at TikTok. Share your content on other platforms in order to reach non-TikTok users as well.
Facebook is still the largest social media platform and people coming from different generations are using it. Nowadays, there are Facebook Reels where you can directly upload your TikTok videos. Instagram is TikTok’s biggest competitor, so sharing your content on both platforms would be an excellent way of capitalizing on the competition. You can easily repurpose your TikTok videos as Instagram Reels or Stories.
Start a Conversation With Your Viewers
Posting and sharing your content are just two of the first steps you need to take when using Tiktok. Once your content is live on Tiktok, Facebook, Instagram, or other platforms, you need to prepare yourself for a conversation. If you were able to post interesting and creative TikTok content with a clear call to action in it, there’s a high possibility that your viewers will leave comments under the post or send you messages about it.
Source: @kyleclarksonrealtor on TikTok
When this happens, don’t just leave them hanging. Engage with them and make sure you have meaningful conversations with them. Being professional is, of course, expected from you as a real estate agent. However, if you get funny comments, it’s best to join in on the fun. Don’t be too serious about it. Remember, Tiktok users are mainly composed of Gen Z and Millennials. This is a great chance for you to leave a lasting impression on your audience. As much as possible, focus on being present and consistent in the form of conversations and engagements.
Take Advantage of TikTok Ads
Like other social media platforms, TikTok offers advertising opportunities to digital marketers. On this platform, most advertisers use standard video placement, such as feed ads, because it allows advertisers to have increased landing page traffic and higher levels of engagement. If you have the budget to use for TikTok advertising, I highly suggest going for it.
Go easy on the ads, though. As mentioned above, TikTok users are mainly Gen Z and Millenials; these two generations appreciate authenticity more than anybody else. You can have a strong performance on TikTok while going easy on the ads.
Other Benefits of Using TikTok for Generating Leads
Plenty of real estate agents on TikTok were able to get hundreds of inquiries for one property. You don’t even need a large following to have this level of engagement. Thanks to Tiktok’s algorithm, viewers can see your content, even if you’re new to the platform. In addition to this, the app will help you reach potential out-of-state clients who are probably looking to move to your state.
With TikTok’s performance within the past few years, it’s highly possible that the future of real estate will rely on it. The visual medium real estate agents provide allows homebuyers to see themselves living in a particular home. It also shortens the stressful house-hunting journey of the buyers. That being said, there really is no downside to starting a TikTok account. It’s highly beneficial to both parties.
Apart from TikTok, you can also check out these best apps for real estate brokers and agents which could prove super useful.
Final Thoughts on TikTok Lead Generation
When it comes to real estate lead generation, using inbound marketing strategies, most notably social media marketing and content creation, would work the most. Using TikTok combines both of these strategies, making it a powerful way to generate leads.
The platform offers real estate agents an excellent opportunity to reach out to their ideal type of client. By targeting a specific niche, appealing to TikTok users’ tastes, and taking advantage of what the platform has to offer, you can create a massive opportunity for yourself to grow your brand and your career as a real estate agent. The bottom line is: the internet is a noisy place. You need to make something that will catch the attention of consumers and that’s what TikTok exactly does for you. It offers you the opportunity to create a sound that is noisy enough to let millions, even billions of people hear it.