Ready, Set, Post! Facebook Setup Tips for Real Estate Pros

Real estate agents and brokers should avoid these Facebook mistakes (here's what to do instead).You’ve asked, so we’re answering! We’re talking all about the do’s and don’ts of Facebook for real estate professionals. In today’s market, it’s almost impossible to avoid all social media when promoting your business online. Facebook is particularly important, with approximately 80% of real estate professionals using the platform. 

If you don’t have a Facebook page yet, these tips will help you be sure to start on the right track. If you’re already already on Facebook they’ll help you make sure that your page is designed to attract the right people. Here are the essential dos and don’ts you should keep in mind when getting started on Facebook.

Don’t use your personal profile.

One of the biggest mistakes you can make as a real estate professional is using your personal profile to do business. For agents, this is an especially common mistake. It’s easy to blur the line between work and personal since in a lot of ways you are your brand. 

But using your personal profile isn’t just bad practice. It’s actually a violation of Facebook’s terms of use. The platform shut down 538 million accounts in the first three months of 2018 because they weren't playing by the rules. Promoting your business on your personal profile is against Facebook's terms of service and will get you shut down, plain and simple.

Do set up a dedicated a business page.

If you’ve been working through your personal page or don’t have a page at all, set up a dedicated Facebook business page for all professional networking. This ensures when you share personal moments and updates to your own page they don’t go out to your public, professional audience. 

Having a business page is also a requirement if you plan to run ads at any point in the future. Personal accounts cannot run any paid promotions, and as we mentioned already, Facebook is cracking down on doing business through personal accounts. Setting up a business page ensures you stay within the platform’s terms of service. This protects you and your organization! You can find out more about how to get started with a Facebook business page here.

Don’t forget to add all your info.

If your website didn’t have any contact information for customers it would be a pretty ineffective site. Incomplete Facebook pages are similar. How can you attract potential customers if there’s nowhere for them to go from Facebook?

Do include any relevant links, contact information, and other useful items.

Anyone visiting your page should be able to find more information without much effort. That means having links to your website and any other relevant pages (like LinkedIn, Instagram, etc.). They should also be able to contact you for more info, so be sure to include your phone number and email. 

You can add call-to-action buttons to your main profile as well to get people to call or message you. These help make it even easier for visitors to take the next step and are a great way to capture more leads. Now that you’re sure you’re using a business page, you can find out more about updating your page’s information here.

Don’t use low-quality profile and cover photos.

One of the first things visitors see on Facebook is your profile picture. So if it’s a blury, pixelated selfie, visitors will keep scrolling to the next option. Similarly, once someone clicks to your page they’re greeted by your cover image. If the cover photo is low quality or confusing, visitors won’t continue on to look at your posts.

Avoid photos that are:

• Poorly lit, washed out, or grainy/pixelated

• Selfies - even nice ones

• Cover images that get cut off when viewed on desktop or mobile

• Profile images with a distracting background

• Images you don’t own - i.e. anything that you don’t have permission from the photographer to use, isn’t from your camera, or isn’t downloaded from a reliable stock site.

Do use professional headshots and photos that are consistent across all platforms.

Your profile picture is your first impression so it needs to be polished and professional. You also want to ensure that visitors get the same brand experience no matter where they start. One easy way to do this is to use the same profile picture on all platforms - Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, your website, etc. 

You can use different cover images on each platform for variety if you want, but try to stick to the same colors, fonts (if there’s text), and overall feel. You should also make sure that your profile and cover photos are sized properly on both desktop and mobile. A little extra effort here makes your Facebook page looked polished and professional and demonstrates your attention to detail to potential clients. 

Don’t use clashing colors and branding.

Your brand on Facebook should match your website. Visitors to your Facebook page will likely end up on your site as well so they should be consistent. If your Facebook page has a different logo, uses totally different colors, or has a photo of you that is unrecognizable from what’s on your site, it’s much harder to build trust with users. 

Do use your website as inspiration.

Your Facebook page doesn’t have to be an exact copy of your site, but aim for a consistent experience across both. If you’re an agent, using the same headshot from your site for your profile picture is a safe bet. If you’re creating a brokerage page, using the logo as your profile picture is a safe bet. Basically, you want to make sure that a user quickly scanning your Facebook page and website will have no doubt both pages belong to the same business.

Obviously, keep any corporate or franchise standards in mind with any branding or digital marketing choices.

Bottom Line

Facebook is an important channel in today’s digital world. If you want to succeed and continue to grow your business, using Facebook the right way is a must. Follow these dos and don’ts and you’ll be off to a great start! Up next, we’ll be looking at the dos and don’ts of posting to grow your new business page the right way.