New Social Advertising Tool Lets Realtor Expand Her Reach from Coast to Coast

Realtor Ariana Loucas has long used social media as a tool for connecting with her sphere, but she was unhappy with her options for advertising on social networks. You see, Ariana operates in Washington, D.C., a market with a lot of relocating real estate consumers, but her social advertising options didn't let her cast as wide of a net as she needed. "They'd offer a 15 to 25 mile radius, and certainly not an option that could go coast-to-coast or globally," she says.

That all changed recently when Ariana signed up for realtor.com's new marketing program, Market Reach. "They've been able to put my listings in front of someone coming from Minnesota or currently in California who want to move to the DC area."

In the interview below, Ariana shares the success she's had in reaching out of area real estate prospects. From video ads to impressing sellers during listing presentations, read on to find how you, too, can increase the reach of your business.

Some use social media successfully to generate leads – others have tried it but did not keep it going. What's been your experience?

I use social media and I actively communicate through it. I find it very effective so I haven't abandoned it as a business tool. But I did stop the ads as a lead source until recently.

What is your social media lead source now?

I started using realtor.com®'s new program Market Reach. It's very easy to initiate. Also, I like that realtor.com has already targeted the audience. Realtor.com is very good at just reaching the people who have been to their site so we know it's for a true audience of people looking at real estate.

It's a much wider audience than what I could have done on my own. I'm casting a net for people interested in moving to the area where I'm working, even if they are coming from another city or state. I could only get so many people within my local area when I did the ads myself. They've been able to put my listings in front of someone coming from Minnesota or currently in California who want to move to the DC area.

How does this compare to the ads you stopped doing?

In the past I've tried making my own ads on social media and picking a range—it would give me so many miles out of where I'm located that I can advertise in. The same thing with follow-me ads that exist out there with various companies. They'd offer a 15 to 25 mile radius, and certainly not an option that could go coast-to-coast or globally in front of an audience that I can now do with the realtor.com product.

They are now combing the country and beyond to have those people that are searching for real estate matching exactly where I'm marketing. They're showing them the house or my video or the community; whatever it is that I have put into that slot or my audience.

Why do you feel compelled to reach buyers coming from out of the area?

I'm in a transient area with people moving in and out all the time all year long with military and federal government and contractors. This allows me to tell the seller that no matter where the person is moving from—whether they're being relocated here from Germany, whether they're being relocated here from Texas—I'm going to be one of the few agents that's going to be able to have their home front and center.

Do you use this on listing presentations?

Yes, I can tell my sellers that because I invest in the marketing specific to their home's location it really will give them more clicks, more views, and that all drives more foot traffic and tours to the home to generate offers.

You mentioned that realtor.com can assist in preparing and placing a video. Why use that particular form of content?

In today's world, everyone is scrolling quickly through social media, whether it's Instagram or Facebook or Twitter. Images capture their attention. Moving images such as video will capture it even more. The eyes are drawn to those videos first, and they're going to produce more clicks and more interest. Plus the seller now gets to see how you market your listings.

I use the realtor.com video content. It helps me be able to talk about how many homes are on a market in a particular neighborhood or what the community offers for amenities and commute time and restaurants, and all of those things are part of this video they provide. It takes the guesswork out of it for me and simplifies it, and then I can get back to doing what it is I need to do—and that is to sell more homes.

Learn more about Market Reach here.