16 important real estate social media statistics
If you’ve ever seen a real estate agent’s smiling face on a bench, billboard, or bus (loving the blazers, ya’ll!), you know that advertising is a key part of the business. But in 2023, the most powerful real estate marketing is happening on social media.
In high markets and recessions alike, savvy real estate agents are turning to social platforms to share home listings, generate leads, connect with clients, and showcase their expertise.
But you’re probably here because you are a savvy real estate agent looking for intel on the best ways to serve your home hunters, so… welcome! Put your best open-house shoes on and take a tour through some seriously inspiring real estate social media statistics.
(And when you’re done studying and ready to dive into creating content, we’ve got 26 real-estate social media content ideas right here to get you started.)
Bonus: Get a free social media strategy template designed specifically for real estate agents, brokers, and marketers. Use it to easily plan your own strategy, track results, and keep your team in the loop.
Okay, this stat isn’t necessarily specifically about real estate, but it’s one Realtors should know. It’s a mind-boggling number highlighting how big a potential audience awaits you online. At least a few of those billions of people would love to see a virtual duplex tour… don’t leave ‘em hanging!
According to the National Association of Realtors, 89% of real estate agents use Facebook for their business. Instagram is a distant second, with 59% of Realtors. LinkedIn is the third-most-popular social app in the industry — 53% of Realtors use it.
Social media posts are ideal for sharing home listings with a large group of people. Whether you’re making a TikTok video or creating an Instagram photo carousel, the visual nature of social media allows Realtors to easily showcase a property. These listings will of course reach your followers, but Realtors who use a great hashtag or social SEO strategy can achieve an even further reach.
4. Only 26% of real estate agents use YouTube
In our humble opinion, this seems like a missed opportunity, considering that the platform has more than 2 billion monthly active users. (It’s the second-most popular website in the world!)
Besides the incredible potential audience here, the long-form nature of YouTube allows for robust video tours of homes. You can even go Live on YouTube with a virtual open house. If you’re ‘Tube curious, check out our guide to marketing on YouTube. You’ll be joining that adventurous 26% of agents in no time.
5. Social media is more powerful than MLS for generating quality leads
In the National Association of Realtors’ most recent technology survey, 46% of Realtors agreed social media was the best tool for generating quality leads. Another 30% voted for MLS.
6. TikTok is growing in popularity for Realtors
In 2022, 12% of Realtors reported using TikTok for business purposes. This number is up 4% from the previous year. Considering that TikTok has 50 million active daily users (the app was the second most downloaded in the world in 2022), we suspect usage among real estate pros is only going to grow from here.
Learn more about using TikTok for business here.
@stevenkimhomes This is what $600K gets you in Toronto! This is what Downtown Toronto living looks like! CN Tower Views, Lake Ontario Views, Downtown Toronto Views 💯#torontorealestate #torontocondos #firsttimehomebuyer #investmentproperty
Another 59% admit that they feel “expected” to have a presence on social. If you’re feeling the pressure but don’t know what to post, don’t stress: we’ve got you covered with tons of real-estate-centric social media post ideas here.
8. Social media helps maintain client relationships, according to 57% of Realtors
Posting regularly on social media platforms can keep you top-of-mind for clients (past, present, and future!) and create an easy way for anyone to get in touch. With more and more people expecting businesses to offer customer service via social, it’s a good idea to have a presence here.
(Of course, that doesn’t mean you need to stop sending out calendars or “Happy Labor Day!” emails. You do you!)
9. Real estate agents are torn about the Metaverse
For all the buzz about Metaverse real estate, Realtors are torn. In the National Association of Realtors’ technology survey, 40% said they didn’t know what impact the Metaverse would have on real estate, while 30% believed that the Metaverse would change the industry in some way.
Not sure which side you agree with? Check out the Hootsuite guide to the Metaverse here.
10. 96% of home buyers search for their dream home online
Almost half of home buyers (47%) begin the house hunt with an online search, but nearly all buyers will use the web at some point in their buying journey.
Sure, some of that searching will be on Google — but the reality is that social platforms are increasingly used as search tools now, too. If you want your latest listing to pop up, it’s probably wise to post it on TikTok as well as your website. Learn more about mastering the art of social SEO here.
We’re not surprised at this number at all. As helpful as social media can be as a business tool, it also takes a lot of elbow grease to do right. This is why social media management platforms like Hootsuite can help real estate pros prep and schedule posts across multiple platforms.
Hootsuite is also super helpful for social listening (what topics are trending in real estate right now?) and responding to comments and messages.
Here’s a quick peek at all the features that can help a Realtor crush on social:
In other words, your competition is about to come out swinging on social. According to an industry survey by The Close, social media is the #1 channel Realtors are planning on using to grow their business in the coming year. Shouldn’t you be there, too?
While blog posts have traditionally been great lead generators and inbound marketing tools, the tide is shifting. More and more Realtors agree that social media is a more powerful tool for marketing than blogs, and 53% agree that video marketing on social is more important than a website.
(Honestly? Probably a great time saver, too, if you’re using tools like social media management dashboards or caption generators.)
Check out our guide to social media marketing here.
Forty-eight percent of real estate agents agree that social media ads are their most impactful form of advertising.
One of the best things about social media ads, of course, is the incredible data you get from every campaign. Unlike analog ads like print advertisements, billboards, or bus benches, you can see exactly how many people each campaign reached, see who that audience is, and understand what enticed someone to click through.
Learn more about key social media metrics and what they mean here.
Tragic! Despite understanding the value and importance of social media for their business, about half of real estate agents don’t feel like they’re doing it quite right.
The good news is, social media experts are made, not born — and Hootsuite Academy is the perfect place to start your education. Build your skills with online classes taught by industry pros.
And another 18% of new clients came in from Facebook ads.
The bottom line? Social is a low-effort, high-reward way for Realtors to generate new business. (And you can do it all in your pajama pants from home — no door-knocking required.)
What percentage of real estate agents use social media?
In 2023, the majority of real estate agents use social media to promote their business: in fact, 57% of Realtors use social media daily.
Some more compelling stats: 63% of Realtors use social media to promote listings, and 59% of Realtors agree that social media is “very” or “somewhat” important.
How often should real estate agents post on social media?
The frequency of posts depends on the platform. Ultimately, the industry you’re in — whether it’s real estate or dog-walking — doesn’t really matter.
TikTok users, for instance, have very different expectations than Facebook users. If you overdo it, you risk spamming someone’s feed. If you post too infrequently, your followers might just forget about you.
Study up on our ultimate guide to posting frequency here: How Often to Post on Every Social Media Network.
How effective is social media in real estate?
Social media is a very effective tool for real estate. In fact, 46% of Realtors agreed that social media was the best tool for generating quality leads, and a 2022 report from The Close found that 38% of new real estate clients came from social media.
And that’s just for organic social media content. If you’ve got a few bucks to invest in social media ads, this can be a great tool for Realtors, too. Nearly half of Realtors say social media ads are their most effective advertising.
There you have it: the fascinating numbers behind social media for real estate — an open-house tour of all of our most relevant data, if you will. Ready to start wowing your clients and prospects with engaging real-estate content on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook? Here are 26 post ideas to get you started.
Save time managing your social media presence with Hootsuite. From a single dashboard, you can publish and schedule posts, find relevant conversions, engage the audience, measure results, and more. Try it free today.
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