Real estate marketing strategies have changed dramatically over the past several decades. The digital age has opened new doors for marketing to potential clients. If you have the right tools and resources, you’ll reach a larger audience in a more effective way.

According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), “Millennials make up the largest group of first-time home buyers at 66%, followed by Generation X at 26%”. That means when you are creating your real estate marketing plan you need to keep these younger generations in mind.

These 5 marketing essentials will help you do just that.

1. A Website That Stands Out From the Competition

Having an online presence isn’t an option in today’s digital landscape; it’s not if you’re online, it’s where and what your website offers consumers that matters. Aside from digital marketing, analytics, and social media, having a website with IDX technology isn’t just crucial to being relevant, it’s crucial to engaging the online consumer.  According to the NAR Report, 93% of firms are finally on board with a website. They also reported that 99% of millennials are starting their search online.

Undoubtedly, your website should look good, but it’s not enough. It should be easy to use. People to find immediately the information they are looking for.

You want lots of stunning photos to grab their attention. Make sure to include plenty of information about the local market so they can find the answers to their questions. Add tools that allow them to calculate the costs like their mortgage or closing costs.

The more they can do on your site the higher your chance of leading them to the purchase decision. Your website can’t simply be a place to share your contact information, it needs to become a one-stop shop or their real estate needs.

2. Text Message Marketing Campaigns

Real estate marketers can benefit significantly from text messaging. And, since many generations now prefer text messaging over other forms of communication,  that you need to take advantage of.

According to the California Association of Realtors Home Buyer Survey, about 40 percent of people receiving messages than talking on the phone. However, this channel is often neglected, meaning you can get an edge on the competition by communicating with your clients in the way they most prefer.

Most of the country has been experiencing hot seller’s markets and buyers need to act fast. With new text messaging services, you can send market and listing updates with ease. You can also use send text reminders to avoid no-shows and follow up about the appointment details (like what documents to bring).

3. A CRM That Fits Your Business Needs

When the National Association of Realtors asked real estate agents what type of extended technology they would like to see offered by their broker, one of the main answers was a better CRM. There’s a lot to track in today’s digital world. In addition to tracking relationships, the right CRM will provide lead intelligence and help you read your contacts digital body language by providing insight into their engagement with your communications.

It’s important to know where each person is in their buying or selling process. A strong real estate CRM makes this easy, so it’s important to know how to choose the right one. This helps you stay on top of  any step that needs to be taken to help get a client to closing.

You need a CRM that allows you to know when your clients have been on the site, can automate marketing communications, manage all contacts in one place, and offers a mobile app so you can stay in touch when you’re on the move.

4. 3D Virtual Tours

You may have heard that “content is king” when it comes to online marketing, and recently video has taken over. While still-frame photos are important to include with listings, many buyers are enjoying 3D video virtual tours that allow them to get a good feel for the house without ever having to step foot onto the property.

Videos are intriguing to buyers and can often grab their attention. This means if they see two listings that are very similar they may choose to view the listing with a 3D video over the other listing.

There are many tools that you can use to create 3D virtual tours. Matterport claims that people are 95 percent more likely to call if there is a virtual tour with the listing.

5. Custom Mapping Apps

When people are moving to a new area they have a lot of questions. They want to know how close things are to the houses they are looking at, what restaurants are nearby, as well as parks and schools in the area. Custom mapping can ensure you look like the neighborhood expert, as you can enter property addresses and pull up any information you need on that neighborhood to solidify your market expertise.

You are easily able to create a map for the different houses that your clients are considering helping them learn more about the area.

As you know the real estate market is competitive. Agents usually have access to the same information through the MLS so if you want to stand out in your efforts, start thinking outside of the box. With the marketing must-haves listed above, you’ll be well on your way to standing out in the crowded real estate space.