How Digital Media Is Transforming Real Estate

Digital media is a part of everyday life for the great majority of consumers. We use digital media on our phones, computers, tablets, and other devices. In some cases, it makes our life easier while in others, it can seem to make things more complicated. Digital media can be entertaining and informative, but it can also be distracting and unproductive. Screen time can increase some types of social interaction while interfering with face-to-face contact and personal relationships. Whether you love or loathe digital media, screen time is here to stay.

The ascent of digital media, especially in the last decade, has inevitably had an impact on the real estate industry. Websites, social media, and other forms have altered much of the real estate process, from how homes are listed to how homes are toured, marketed, and sold. In many ways, digital media has also changed the way real estate professionals do business. Before listings were on the internet, prospective home buyers mostly depended on agents to find suitable properties to tour. Today, clients can find listings that they are interested in on their own as well as see the properties from their own living rooms via online photos and virtual tours. This ability to rule out or focus on certain listings can save agents time and effort, often making home showings more efficient and productive and streamlining the home search process.

The use of digital media has also meant changes in the way real estate professionals market their services and their listings. Many agents now put a significant amount of information online, using fewer printed pieces. However, printed pieces often retain a place in marketing plans and toolkits, simply because they can be handed, mailed, or distributed directly to clients. Digital marketing, on the other hand, often requires keystrokes, clicks, or other actions by targets to access the information. Savvy agents frequently use a combination of both printed and digital marketing tools in their arsenal.

Social media has provided a wealth of new opportunities for agents to advertise listings, promote their services and experience, attract new clients, and maintain long-term relationships with former clients. It’s not surprising that many realtors now have several active social media accounts, where they interact with current and prospective clients regularly. This type of social media interaction can expand networking opportunities for agents, too, enabling them to meet more peers and increase their industry profiles.  Another important benefit of social media is that sellers can participate in marketing their own homes by advertising the listing on their own social media channels and asking friends and family to share the information.

American Home Shield^® has dynamic materials for real estate professionals, including a marketing automation tool and digital resources. Knowledgeable American Home Shield Account Executives are also available to help agents with marketing efforts and client relationships. Find your AHS Account Executive and get started today.