The pandemic has transformed the real estate market and moved the process of buying homes even further into the digital space. With many buyers canceling in-person visits and postponing purchases, agents are struggling to adapt and are falling behind on sales. Now is the time for real estate teams to put resources behind their top agents, who need support from their brokerages more than ever.
Here are 4 ways brokers can retain top performing agents, and help them get more high-quality leads -- all during COVID-19.
Offer superior real estate galleries
With fewer people willing to visit properties in person, online photography becomes the most important factor that determines the success of a listing. Having high quality real estate photos has always helped listings perform better, but this is more true now than ever. If agents are still relying on photos provided by the owner, or are taking photos themselves, it is highly likely that the photography is subpar. Brokers need to ensure that all of their properties have consistent, professional quality photos to get the most leads for their teams.
A study by Redfin verifies that professionally photographed homes sell faster and for a higher amount than homes with photos taken by amateurs.
High-quality professional real estate photos generate more leads per listing, which helps homes sell faster and for more. This not only makes the seller happier but will also help agents move more inventory in a time where buyers are slower to act.
Brokers should use professional photographers to get the best real estate photos. Even with the same equipment, the experience of a professional photographer will guarantee better outcomes. Take a look at these examples comparing amateur vs professional photography.
Enable agents to succeed on social media with better content
Many home buyers are now postponing their purchase decision, which means there will be less traffic and leads from marketplaces like Zillow.com or Redfin.com. Instead of waiting for customers to come to you, brokers need to help their agents focus on outreach and attract buyers. Social media is perfect for this, it allows agents to connect with potential buyers and actively market their properties, instead of waiting for buyers to start researching themselves.
According to a survey conducted by REALTORS®, agents found that social media was the best source for high-quality leads. The degree of success that agents will have on social media is highly dependent on the content that they upload. Right now, the majority of content is determined by agents themselves, with no standard for quality or consistency. Brokers need to provide training and resources to help agents create content that meets company standards. This not only helps agents succeed individually but will also help improve a broker’s brand and reputation of the team, which in turn helps everyone.
Real estate photos are the most important content on real estate marketplaces and also the most important content for social media. Brokers need to provide professional high-quality photos for their team to use and should invest in a photography solution that is easy to use, fast, and flexible, such as Snappr. Having the best home photos in town will be the key to success for agents on social media and has the added benefit of being able to be used in email marketing as well!
Help your team create polished personal brands
With so many agents looking for work, there is more competition for buyers, and agents need a way to stand out online. Brokers need to help their agents brand themselves better, and one of the most effective ways to do this is to focus on their online profile pictures. A recent study by the Journal of Applied Social Psychology shows that people who dressed and appeared more professional were perceived to be better at their jobs. Having professional profile pictures will help agents get more leads from marketplaces like Zillow.com, where buyers select whom to contact from a list of all local agents.
Look at these great examples of professional real estate agent photos taken by Snappr photographers.
Snappr’s photo analyzer tool can help professionals evaluate the quality of their profile pictures and self portraits. Try out this free tool to see how well your agent’s photos are scoring and get tips on how to take better pictures!
Brokers also need to ensure that their own websites are dedicating enough space for their agents to succeed. Each agent should have a profile page on the website where buyers can find more information about the agent. This not only helps agents appear important individually, but also increases the credibility of the team overall. Currently, many brokers are failing to do this and in a 2018 study by the National Association of Realtors, only 51% of agents had their own dedicated page on their brokerage website.
Evoke emotion & connect with buyers through photography
For many people, buying a home will be the biggest purchase of their lives. Home buyers want to see much more than just a few home photos, they want to see what type of lifestyle they are buying into. Brokers can better connect with buyers by focusing on not just providing the best property photos, but also showing pictures that highlight the culture and perks of living in a particular neighborhood.
Highlighting nearby attractions such as parks, swimming pools, tennis courts, HOA clubhouses, or walking paths are all great ways to increase the value of a home’s location. Brokers should also showcase local stores, restaurants, malls, libraries and public spaces where home owners are likely to frequently visit. High-quality neighborhood photos will not only catch the attention of home buyers’ but will also offer something unique and help differentiate a broker’s agents from other competitors.
Use Snappr to get the best photos
To get the best photos, companies should always use professional photographers. Snappr has the world’s largest network of trusted Real Estate photographers. Photoshoots can be done anywhere and anytime, on-demand, and with as little as 2 hours advance notice.
And with the best-in-category tools and API, Snappr is the fastest and most effective way for companies to manage shoots at scale. Best of all, each Snappr shoot is professionally edited by a single in-house team, resulting in high-quality images that are always consistent with your brand.
Ready to take your photography to the next level and make a real impact on your bottom line? Contact Snappr’s Enterprise Team today to learn how we can provide your brand with professional photography that is second to none.
