Regardless of whether or not real estate agents want to be on Snapchat, that’s where the consumers, a.k.a. potential homebuyers, are hanging out.
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices New England and Westchester Properties recently emphasized the importance and benefit to real estate agents by being on the fast-growing application.
"Snapchat is an innovative tool for realtors," stated Candace Adams, president and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices New England and Westchester Properties.
"It visually tells a story and allows for more personal engagement with clients. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices New England and Westchester Properties understands the importance of social media in the digital age,” she said. “It is essential to reach clients where they are already looking."
The proof is in the numbers. According to an article from emarketer, Snapchat “will grow its user base by double digits, pulling ahead of Twitter and Pinterest in the U.S. for the first time. And the gap will only widen through 2020.”
The article noted that this year, Snapchat’s U.S. user base will jump by 27.2% to 58.6 million users, which far exceeds that of mobile messaging in general—the category as a whole will grow by 16% in the US this year.
And even more important, the elusive Millennial generation who are the next major cohort of homebuyers are on Snapchat.
The article stated, “Snapchat has been especially successful at capturing younger users, particularly those 12 to 34. Snapchat’s biggest user base is between 18 and 24, with that age range representing 34% of Snapchat’s user base this year. That’s followed by Americans between 25 and 34, which represent 27.0% of Snapchat’s US user base.”
Given this growth, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices explained how Realtors can tap into the growth for potential clients and sales.
Here are some of the benefits Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices stated:
- Realtors who use Snapchat can record videos when previewing a home to create a virtual open house, showing off unique aspects of a listing while using text to convey a short description.
- The use of Geofilters adds to the diverse features Snapchat has to offer by identifying where a video or photo was taken within a geographical area using the phone's GPS. As the app's consumer base expands, so does its value as a convenient marketing tool for businesses to promote and communicate directly to its users.
- Even more valuable than Snapping listings, Snapchat lets REALTORS® be more personal.
Social media and marketing expert Gary Vaynerchuk also recently talked about the value of Snapchat for real estate agents on his website.
Here’s one tip he states:
One of the great things about Snapchat is that the platform makes it very easy to create content. It doesn’t have to be “polished.” Because of the low barrier to entry, you don’t need a high-tech camera or to be blessed with amazing photography or video skills.
Want more? Check here for four more tips about Snapchat that HousingWire pushed out earlier this year from Jason Frazier, chief information officer for Mason-McDuffie Mortgage.
(Photo credit: ArthurStock / Shutterstock.com)
