Working as a realtor is extremely rewarding, especially when you genuinely enjoy helping others find the home or property of their dreams. Unfortunately, if you are working as an independent or freelance realtor, you understand that the demand for your services can ebb and flow with the world around you. In times where business is slow and it is difficult to obtain new clients, there are a few tips and tricks to keep in mind to boost your reputation and online presence while ensuring your current clients stick around.

Leverage Your Social Media

Using social media is one of the best tools available for any independent contractor or freelancer, including realtors. Leveraging your social media properly is a way to gain new followers while also drumming up interest and prospective clients for the future, even when present times may appear bleak. Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter all provide the opportunity to reach hundreds or thousands of locals who may be interested in selling their home or investing in a new property of their own.

Create official social media accounts on networks that are most relevant to you and the clients you intend to represent. Use a professional headshot or logo across all of your social media pages along with your official website and blog to streamline your online presence. Streamlining your online presence with similar branding, logos, and imagery will help you to appear more professional and reputable to new online visitors and prospective followers who are unfamiliar with you and the services you provide.

Update your social media pages regularly and consistently. Consistency is key when it comes to building and developing a new brand or professional image online. Consistent updates let prospective clients know that you are reliable, trustworthy, and professional. Create a digital calendar to keep track of social media posts and the type of content you intend to share throughout the week, month, and even throughout the year.

Use your social media platforms to communicate with current followers and prospective clients. The more transparent, honest, and upfront you appear, the easier it is to obtain new clients.

You can also use social media to garner followers by showcasing the homes and commercial properties you have represented in the past or those you are currently representing. Using high-quality photos that are sure to catch the eye of locals can help attract new prospective clients and those interested in the real estate market. Use trendy and relevant hashtags along with hashtags designed for your city or state to hone in on a targeted local demographic.

Send Thoughtful Postcards to Clients

Consider sending thoughtful postcards to your clients and locals in your neighborhood. Use an online postcard creator, generator, or select from thousands of templates to find a template that is most fitting for the clients you intend to reach.

Sending a thoughtful postcard using direct mail is a way to create a more personal and intimate connection with prospective clients and local residents. Using a postcard is also a way to share your logo as well as any other branding elements you choose to implement, helping to spread the word of your services and the agency or name you represent. You can also use your postcards to share a scannable QR code as well as your official website and social media icons along with links to your social media pages to help garner new online visitors and followers.

Send Care Packages

Sending care packages to your existing clients is a great way to show them that you care, especially during tough economic times or times where the real estate market is not optimal for buyers or sellers. Care packages may include food and beverages or even items that are relevant to your clients individually based on their personalities as well as hobbies, clubs, and activities they are involved in. The more personal your care packages appear, the easier it is to build on the relationship you have already developed with your clients.

Get Involved in Community Service

One way to remain relevant while spreading the word of your profession and the services you offer is to get involved with community service. Giving back by participating in community service events is a way for you to connect with locals throughout your community while gaining a valuable perspective on the wants and needs of those who live in your area.

When you spend time volunteering and giving back through community service, you can also learn more about the financial standing of the locals in your area. The more familiar you are with how the general public is feeling about local real estate, the easier it will become to connect with new prospective clients and seek out homes or properties that are right for them, helping to boost your professional reputation.

Participate in Local Charity Events

Participating in local charity events is another way to network with local business owners who may help to promote your services in exchange for mutual promotion. Networking with others who are involved with local charities and businesses can help you to build a professional reputation while also garnering the trust of new prospective customers, especially once you have established a well-known relationship with other notable members and businesses of your community.

Start and Host Your Own Charitable Event

As a freelance realtor, you know just how important it is to stand out from your competition, especially if you are representing clients in a highly competitive area. Starting and hosting your very own charitable event is one of the best ways to truly stand out amongst local competition while you establish a professional name in the industry for yourself.

Consider hosting a charitable event to raise money for a local charity that is well-known to those in your neighborhood. Canned food drives and other types of donation events can also help bring awareness to a great cause while allowing you to network with others in your community who may require your realtor services at some point in the future.

Cross-Promotion Opportunities With Relevant Businesses

Cross-promoting opportunities with relevant local businesses can also help you to drive new prospective clients to your real estate company. Visit local businesses that you are willing to promote and represent and ask to exchange business cards or consider a cross-promotion campaign with one another. Cross-promotion between small local businesses can drastically improve the number of new client requests you receive while also providing you with an opportunity to spread the word about other businesses near you.

Provide Resources for Clients and Online Followers

One way to give back when business is slow is to provide resources to your online followers and past clients. Use social media, your official website, or even your own blog to help clients price shop for local landscaping, contracting, and even refinancing services when economic times are tough. When you are viewed as a resource as well as a professional within the real estate industry, it will become much easier to attract and retain new clients once the economy and housing markets pick back up.

Overcoming slow times as a realtor is simply part of the job. However, with the right strategies and marketing tactics, you can maximize your online and local reach in just about any situation. Taking the time to craft your online presence, stay connected to current clients, and relate to future prospective clients is a way to remain afloat and successful as a realtor in any city or state.