Facebook has grown to become an enormous platform for not only social interaction but also a place where users go to research and learn more before buying products they’re interested in. It is one of the most powerful marketing tools for real estate. Here are 5 powerful ways of how to generate real estate referrals through Facebook.

1.       Provide value

Buying or selling a house isn’t a snap decision and takes time. Get to know your audience well so that you can provide them with the information they need to make a decision. It might take a few weeks or months to convert, but the relationship you’ve established with your audience will ensure they come to you when they’re ready to move forward. Share things that are relevant to your business and your audience, and that are informative and interesting.  The following are some things that you should share as a real estate agent

i.                    Great photos of your listings

People looking to buy a new home start with an internet search to research their options. They aren’t going to call you until they have a good idea of what type of house they want. The first thing that attracts buyers is good photos. Therefore the photos should be stunning enough to motivate clicks and calls .  Learn how to take real estate photos

ii.                   Real estate news

Keep your audience updated. Let them know what’s  happening on real estate industry.

iii.                Good content

One of the primary ways to grow your audience on Facebook is by posting content that engages them, This is likely to cover a wide range of potential content topics and types of posts including blogs covering all aspects of life, inforgraphics , text such as a few sentences as well as images and videos

iv.                 Provide knowledge

Share tips that give your audience context and help them more fully grasp your expertise. People may believe you when you say you’re a real estate expert, but if you share examples of how your expertise can help them get a better house or make more money, they’ll reach out to you at the first opportunity.

v.                   Engaging questions

As questions that can inspire or intrigues your clients, on both personal and professional topics about goals, leadership, personal growth, relationships, and even mental and emotional health.

vi.                 Fun

If you can make your intended audience laugh with your Facebook posts, they’ll naturally be more comfortable with you. Use these real estate memes to gather ideas and inspiration.

2.       Reviews

Customer reviews are one of the most effective ways to generate leads for your business.  When potential customers see that others have had a positive experience with your business, it can help them feel more confident in doing business with you. By showing that other people have enjoyed doing business with you, you’re able to establish trust sooner than if potential buyers and sellers didn’t have a frame of reference. Customer reviews let you prove your worth as a company over the competition. Positive customer reviews can drive more people to visit your site, which is particularly helpful during peak buying season. Let people review your business page. See how Customer reviews help lead generation and why they’re important.

3.       Join Facebook groups

Groups are the most powerful free tool for the Facebook algorithm, and they are often full of highly targeted groups of people, such as people who live in specific neighborhoods or work in a certain city or region. Facebook Groups are a viable and potentially important way to cultivate digital marketing leads over time for your business. Facebook groups are about community.

Join as many real estate Facebook groups for they are a great place to share listings with a targeted audience .Even when you aren’t sharing listings, you can benefit from being a part of groups. For example, many people post asking for recommendations for local real estate agents, creating the perfect opening to introduce yourself.  You can also ask friends and former clients to tag you in Facebook group posts and comment threads.

4.       Referral incentive

If you ask your customers to refer you to other potential customers without giving them anything in return you’ll find that they will hardly take action. If you want them to take action, you need to give them a reward. Find an industry-related gift, such as a home decor gift card, to make the contest feel more personal or a discount from your sales. To increase your real estate leads, incentivize referrals by setting up a rewards program through Facebook and boosting posts on your Business page about the program.  You could host a monthly giveaway where every referral counts as an entry. Referral marketing doesn’t have to be exclusive to referrers. , if you only reserve rewards to referrers, your leads may not sign up or purchase from you.  Reward your leads as well. Providing past clients with a valuable reward will remind them of their positive experience with you and will prompt them to refer others.  See top 10 ways to use referral marketing to generate new leads

5.       Build trust

Trust is, above all else, what really leads to referrals. Prospecting on Facebook is all about building trust among your target customers.  It is a key to creating a positive brand image.

 If you’re comfortable using your personal profile to connect with clients, agents, and vendors, you can let them see your past real estate life and into your personal life. Let them see the real you, share your photos. Make sure that before you showcase anything you know what you are saying and doing. You must be an expert in your niche to be able to establish authority. By this you will build trust to your potential customers. Answer people’s questions and help them solve their problems. Learn how to build trust on Facebook

Summary

As a real estate agent you have to provide excellent customer service during and after the transaction. You must earn your client’s trust and work hard to keep it. And after closing, you need to continue a steady flow of touches to stay top of mind.