Pinterest is always an endless adventure. It’s a way to explore all kinds of hobbies, recipes, fashion, homemaking tips, and every type of information imaginable. That’s half the fun of it. One unexpected use for Pinterest is to boost a real estate business.
A few years ago, I did some Pinterest work for a realtor. I was blown away with how he was able to leverage Pinterest to boost his real estate business. I know everyone thinks that Pinterest is just fluff. And in some ways it is. But when I have a question, whether it’s about my business, or my kids, or just about anything else, Pinterest is the first place I go. If you don’t, you’re missing out! I find it way more helpful than Google or YouTube.
I actually know lots of Realtors and the ones I know don’t spend enough time leveraging the power of social media, I think because they don’t know how to use it properly. So, I thought maybe I’d share some of the lessons I learned from this real estate guy.
What NOT to Post
I think the most important thing to know is what NOT to post. I know that listings are the heart of your business, but that’s one thing you do not want to post. The reason is that pins live pretty much FOREVER. If you post a listing, people are still going to be seeing it years after the property has been sold. That’s not helpful because people get annoyed if they click on something and it isn’t what they expected.
The exception to this is if you are selling condos, apartment buildings, or other situations where they are non-unique properties. In a situation like that, you could show the property as a whole and talk about the features of it. Then, when they visit your site, you can add links to that post for any current listings at that location.
This particular guy sold both single homes and condo listings, and also charged fees to find apartments for people. So he had boards that showed the features and amenities of each complex. He also had boards for each neighborhood that he sold properties in. They showed various recreational features, restaurants or unique qualities of each neighborhood. That was a smart move.
What You SHOULD Post
Pretty much everything except your listings! You want to include a boatload of helpful information that is going to make people WANT to visit your site. Then once you get them there, you can have all your current listings scrolling down the side of the page.
Here are some ideas to help you get started:
Local Area Features
- Theme parks or cultural attractions
- Community events
- Fun activities for kids
- Local restaurants and special foods from your region
- Interesting facts about your city
- Hiking trails or outdoor activities
Real Estate Specific Info
- How to choose a realtor
- What to expect from your realtor
- Why YOU are a good choice as their realtor
- How to read a home inspection report
- How to read or write a lease agreement
- How to estimate your housing budget
- Where to find movers or relocation help in your city
- Home ownership/maintenance tips
- Tips on staging and showing a home
Home Decor Ideas
- Decluttering tips
- Paint colors that sell
- Patio design ideas
- How to liven up a tiny space
- Examples of beautiful kitchens, nurseries, living rooms, etc.
- Outdoor landscaping on a budget
- She sheds and workshops that add value to a home
- Top remodeling ideas to add value
- Storage ideas
- Tablescapes
- Man caves
- Easy DIY projects
Fun Stuff (has a unique factor and may spark some curiosity)
- Decorating FAILS
- Nerd/geek decor ideas
- Fun and unique play areas for kids
- Celebrity real estate (lifestyles of the rich and famous!)
- Cool pet spaces
- Tiny house living
As you can see, there are literally hundreds of ideas you can put on your real estate boards. The good thing is that you don’t actually have to WRITE any of these. It’s so easy to hire a freelancer off of Fiverr or Upwork or any other site, or just grab a broke college kid and tell them what you want. You add the post to your website and include a few images from Canva or other free photography sites. Then you just pin them to your board and your Facebook page, and your Instagram account. I actually use SmarterQueue to automatically schedule things like this. It’s quick and easy and works like a charm! If you click my LINK – you get a free 30 day trial. That’s double what you get from their site.
Bonus tip: There are literally HUNDREDS of bloggers who have written posts about all these things. Just Google them. Typically, the rule is that you should ask permission first, then you can usually use ONE image as long as you include a link back to their site. Most bloggers are delighted to do this because it’s extra traffic. So you can easily create a round up post with 10 nerd/geek decor ideas or fall decor, or whatever. Easy peesey!
Double Bonus Tip: I am a VA (Virtual Assistant) who specializes in Pinterest. Small businesses and blogs pay me to manage their accounts every month. So if you need help with setting up your Pinterest account, leave me a comment and I’ll see if I have space in my schedule to help.
Other helpful posts you might enjoy:
Powerful Ways to Make your Pinterest Account Skyrocket
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