Elite AgentSELLING + MARKETING PROPERTY

Owning the narrative: building your presence online

In her 2020 Transform lesson, digital marketing expert Tiffany Wilson advises agents to counteract the confusion many buyers and vendors are feeling, by taking ownership of the narrative and creating value. She also shares her top tips on how to build your online presence in the current climate.

While COVID-19 has made it tempting to go silent online, Tiffany Wilson argues that now is the time for agents to take back the narrative of what’s happening in the market.

While she acknowledges that the context in which we are all operating is evolving at pace, Tiffany identifies two common responses among agents trying to navigate COVID-19 and their online presence: the panicked over-poster versus the fearful radio-silent recluse.

Neither, she confirms, is productive right now. 

There is, in fact, an enormous opportunity for agents across the industry to leverage the reality of a surge in online activity, to practically demonstrate what buying, selling or leasing houses looks like in the time of a global pandemic. 

Using the popular story functions within Facebook and Instagram for the sharing of ephemeral, behind-the-scenes style content, such as video walk-throughs, is the content your audience needs right now.

Tiffany says an agent’s purpose is to give potential clients “the confidence that if they are going to inspect properties then it is going to be safe, and that agents are taking care to make sure people’s health is the absolute priority in this situation”.

The fact that more people might be online, however, can’t mean that agents become complacent when it comes to the content they are creating and curating. 

“We must remember that social media in general, regardless of whether you’re a property manager, salesperson, whatever you do, is about giving value. So ultimately, whatever content you create needs to be a value-add for the audience and not about promoting yourself,” Tiffany says.

A starting point for all agents considering what they should be talking about online is to ask “what are the questions I get asked all the time by my clients?” and “what do my audience want to hear from me?” From here, content ideas grow.  

If you’re still out of content ideas, Tiffany says that if you aren’t already producing regular market reports for your audience, now is the time to start. 

She advises bringing the focus back to the reality of our local market to counteract the media negativity that’s being absorbed by potential clients.

“Doing market report videos, whether that’s weekly or fortnightly … to just update your audience on what’s happening in your local market is super relevant, really important and needed because it’s up to agents to really take back the narrative of what’s happening in the market at the moment.”  

Part of taking back the narrative is owning it, and to that end Tiffany says don’t stop posting.

“Now is the time to sow the seeds and get yourself out there so that when the market recovers and vendors are ready to come back and sell … you’re the one they think of.”

Tiffany’s Transform lesson also covers the importance of agents looking at online efforts as an exercise in brand awareness over direct lead generation, the tools you need in your toolbox to take the stress out of social media, how important authenticity online is, and more tips on the kind of content that’s going to help agents build trust and credibility with their audience. 

To watch Tiffany’s lesson, other top, exclusive content direct from Transform 2020 and secure access to all of Elite Agent’s best actionable tips, strategies, news and views, subscribe to Elite Agent Pro here.


Transform 2020 highlights are brought to you by homely.com.au with supporting sponsors KolmeoDirect Connect and Openn Negotiation.

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Lydia Stevens

Lydia Stevens is a strategic communication professional with a passion for creating content that doesn’t just add to the noise. She is one half of content and communications consultancy, twofold content.