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Odds are you’ve heard about the latest dance craze, online “challenge” or celebrity gossip trending on TikTok. But there’s a lot more to the popular short-form video-sharing app than the posts that grab the headlines. There’s a place on the platform for every hobby, interest—and business. Here are four reasons to make time in your day for TikTok.
1. It’s Easy to Get Started
You don’t need any special expertise to begin posting on TikTok. If you’ve ever taken a short video with your phone and sent it to a friend or client, you’ve already got all the skills you’ll need. Setting up an account is free, and the dashboard is easy to navigate for anyone who already uses Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. Plus, TikTok boasts a thriving real estate community. Pros who are grabbing attention on TikTok include:
- Glennda Baker, an agent with Ansley Real Estate – Christie’s International Real Estate in Marietta, Ga., offers marketing advice to real estate professionals.
- Professional photographer and videographer Jonathan Corbett offers advice on staging top-notch property photos.
- Byron Lazine, a broker with William Raveis Real Estate in Guilford, Conn., offers tips on entrepreneurship and building wealth through real estate.
2. It’s Where the Buyers Are Going
TikTok has more than 1 billion monthly active users, and 90% of them log on every day. In addition, TikTok boasts the highest engagement of any social media app, with the length of a typical user’s visit stretching to nearly 11 minutes. “TikTok is growing, and it’s not just young kids anymore,” Brett Rosenthal, an agent with Compass Real Estate in Philadelphia, told BobVila.com. “I find that tons of home buyers now use TikTok more than any other social media network.”
Many listing agents are now posting bite-sized tours of homes for sale on TikTok. That gives potential buyers a way to discover you, but they still need the expertise that only you can provide. “A great real estate agent can look at the data and help you interpret it,” Baker advised in an Oct. 23 TikTok video. “They understand your position and your need.”
3. It’s a Great Way to Build Your Brand
Posting on TikTok can help you meet clients in a fun, casual setting. The best way to create engagement is to post about your interests and hobbies, even if they aren’t real estate-related, says Heather Haase, an agent with HER, REALTORS® in Dayton, Ohio, who offered a TikTok workshop at the 2022 REALTORS® Legislative Meetings in May. Posting about your passions can help you find a community of like-minded people who will remember you when it comes time to buy or sell a house.
In addition, you can use your platform to educate your followers about topics like the homebuying process, financial wellness or down payment assistance. But keep in mind that listings and promotional material should be shared sparingly; your followers don’t want to feel like they’re being spammed. “People want to work with you because you’re relatable and likable,” says Haase. She adds that posting on a regular basis is the best way to engage followers: “Consistency is the magic ingredient.”
4. It’s Just Plain Fun
TikTok is also a way to relax and engage with real estate purely for the joy of it. Architectural Digest posts inspiring, informative and entertaining videos about the one-of-a-kind properties that grace the magazine’s pages. House Beautiful offers the latest trends in home decorating, kitchen design and paint colors. Content creator Caleb Simpson conducts funny—and sometimes astonishing—videos about New Yorkers and their apartments. One of his most recent videos is a tour of former “Shark Tank” star Barbara Corcoran’s Manhattan penthouse. In the video—which has racked up 31 million views—Corcoran says that no matter how technology changes, the in-person touch still makes a difference in real estate. While working as a messenger in her younger days, she visited the penthouse and begged the owner to sell it to her someday. “She called me 26 years later,” says Corcoran.
@calebwsimpson @barbara.corcoran ♬ Sunroof - Nicky Youre & dazy
