Social media has become a powerful tool for real estate professionals to differentiate themselves.
That’s true in Connecticut, where brokers and agents have used sites like TikTok and Instagram to bolster their brands, CT Insider reported.
Broker Christian Perry, for example, has a social account called “I Love Greenwich,” which not only highlights the charms of the wealthy Fairfield County enclave, but also showcases some of Perry’s antics, like jumping fully clothed into a swimming pool or dancing in a local restaurant.
“A little bit of shock and awe has always been my model, and we breathe life to listings that don’t normally have it,” Perry told the outlet.
In a variation of the wildly popular Property Brothers, the Nutmeg state has CT Property Sisters — composed of Megan Foggitt and Mikell Germond, who have a large, recognizable “Sold” sign that clients hold after a closing.
“It now has become a joke for people when they start working with us, they are like, ‘We can’t wait to make it on the CT Property Sisters’ Instagram page. We look forward to holding that sign,'” Foggitt told CT Insider.
Connecticut is far from the only place where social media has taken root in the realm of real estate. Zillow Gone Wild, where wild and wooly listings on Zillow are posted, has nearly half a million followers on Twitter, as well as healthy followings on Facebook and Instagram.
Manhattan’s Madeline Sutton, meanwhile, has used her @thenycagent TikTok account to build out her brand to the point where she has doubled her commissions. In San Antonio, agents and content creators in the Alamo City are posting YouTube videos highlighting — or low-lighting — the negative aspects of the city to offer a realistic view or what it’s like to live there, the San Antonio Express-News reports.
While no one in Connecticut has necessarily reached those heights, social media represents a significant opportunity, if done properly and consistently.
“Ultimately, it’s a very inexpensive or free way to promote your business and get recognized,” Foggit told the outlet. “Not that it’s easy, because it is a lot of work to maintain a business page, but it’s just a great way to reach a lot of people.”
— Ted Glanzer