10 Social Tools That Modern Real Estate Agents Need

Being a real estate agent in today’s digital marketing environment is all about connecting with potential clients and generating leads. Social media is king on this front, but simply stating the obvious on social media isn’t going to help you get very far on such crowded networks. To really capture the attention of your audience, you need something more than just a fundamental understanding of the need for a social presence.

Winning on social media often boils down to two things: having the right tools on your side and knowing how to properly leverage them. With this in mind, here’s a breakdown of the top 10 social tools that the modern real estate agent can’t live without, as well as how to put these tools to good use.

1. Hootsuite

As far as social media tools go, no list should start with anything other than Hootsuite. Used by countless organizations, this social management tool provides an all-in-one platform that helps simplify and enhance the sharing and outreach process. For realtors who can’t afford to sit around at the computer all day waiting for optimal posting times, Hootsuite allows you to schedule social content in advance of these prime engagement windows.

Perhaps even more important than the convenience of handling all of your accounts in one place is the fact that Hootsuite also provides users with a robust set of social listening tools. By keeping track of relevant hashtags and discussions, you can ensure that you always know what’s trending with buyers and sellers in your area.

2. Do Share

By now, chances are you already know about the powerful SEO benefits of posting on Google+. To help make capturing these perks is a little easier, the Do Share browser extension turns every page you visit into a potential post to Google’s favorite social network.

As you browse the web, this extension offers the ability to post relevant links and commentary via its embedded rich-text editor, or to save the information as a draft for later use. If you’re looking to go above and beyond, you can even use Do Share’s poll creation feature to turn a real-time post into an interactive experience for your Google+ following.

3. Feedly

Content curation is just as important to social audiences as original offerings these days, yet so many realtors fail to provide their followers with anything more than “me, me, me!” posts. To ensure you don’t fall into this trap, it’s important to have a steady stream of great content from around the real estate world at your fingertips.

The best way to go about this practice is with Feedly. This RSS aggregation tool gives you a “one-stop shop” for all of the latest posts and articles that matter to you and your audience. To get things rolling with Feedly, simply pinpoint the sites and blogs that offer up “must-read” content (the National Association of Realtors, HGTV, etc.) and add these feeds to your Feedly RSS account. From there, you’ll be able to say goodbye to long, drawn out searches for great content to curate.

4. ManageFlitter

For the Twitter aficionados of the real estate community, ManageFlitter is a full-service alternative that makes managing large followings a breeze. Twitter’s built-in list functionality is a great place to start, but handling the strain of following and being followed by thousands of individuals requires a little more social media muscle.

ManageFlitter solves this problem by giving you the ability to mass unfollow spam accounts, segment followers and followed accounts based on importance or activity, and even “white list” the contacts you simply can’t afford to ignore or accidentally unfollow. Even if you’re just now starting to grow an audience of buyers and sellers on Twitter, the sooner you adopt ManageFlitter, the sooner you can maximize the value found within your prime connections.

5. LikeAlyzer

LikeAlyzer is all about generating value on Facebook by helping you compare your social reach and growth with other similar agents and realtors. Additionally, you can compare your current standing with the largest players in the industry. To get the most out of this tool, don’t forget to review the handy tips and tactics that come with each daily report. These comprehensive notes can help you put the data to even better use as you continue to navigate the various real estate communities on Facebook.

6. Curalate

If your local community has a heavy presence on Instagram and Pinterest, then Curalate can give you everything you need to capitalize on these primarily visual platforms. By monitoring conversations about trending topics and posts, as well as taking note of your following, this tool identifies potential brand advocates that deserve a spot in your social outreach program. Curalate even gives you the ability to pull user-generated content from around the web and integrate these valuable offerings into your own personal site.

7. Bitly

While Bitly might not be the flashiest member of the list, this link shortening tool packs quite the punch in the social world. Bitly comes in handy when you’re trying to clean up a post or comment that contains a long or complex link. Instead of facing down awkward formatting and a clunky presentation, simply put your link into the Bitly shortener and use the condensed, compact option instead.

The best part about Bitly is that it provides more than just enhanced aesthetic appeal and performance analytics. A tidy and compressed link increases the potential for clicks and boosts engagement with your following.

8. PageModo

Looking to create a sleek new look on Facebook? If the answer is yes, then PageModo is the tool for the job. From professionally designed cover photos to custom tabs and contests, PageModo helps turn a bland or boring standard account into a page that rivals even the biggest members of the network.

A key feature that many users of PageModo overlook is the ability to go above and beyond by helping with content curation and scheduling. After you’ve retooled the design and layout of your page, take a moment to look over the suggested posts and content scheduler to set up curated content that your followers will love, as well as regular offerings for the day, in just a few minutes.

9. PinAlerts

As the name implies, PinAlerts is all about keeping you up-to-date with what’s happening on Pinterest. This tool sends you an email notification every time someone pins a photo of a home listing or open house event from your site. Aside from the innately good feeling that comes with seeing your site content go viral on Pinterest, having a PinAlerts account also gives you the perfect prompt for reaching out to new individuals that are clearly interested in learning more about your services and inventory of homes.

10. Commun.it

The final addition to the list, Commun.it, offers a unique take on social management. While tools like Hootsuite might cover more of the day-to-day posting and technical aspects of managing multiple networks, Commun.it aims to help improve your relationship management capabilities.

By highlighting those who support you and your content (via retweets, favorites and other social mentions), you can foster even deeper and more meaningful relationships with these valued social allies. Commun.it can even show who influences your postings and activity—something that becomes even more important as you reach out to other thought leaders and major players in the real estate community.

As you can see, there’s no limit to the amount of time and effort you can save with these vital social media tools. The only question left to answer now is whether you’re ready to put these tools to good use and leave the rest of your real estate competition in the dust on Facebook, Twitter and all of the other prime social platforms.