The pandemic forced many real estate agents to reconsider how they reach clients. Creating more digital and virtual content was key, but as lockdown proved to us all, nothing compares to in-person experiences.
The truth is, creating lasting relationships with clients relies on innovative strategies like experiential marketing. Keep reading to learn what experiential marketing is and how to use it in 2022.
What is experiential marketing in real estate?
Experiential or live marketing uses immersive experiences to create a connection between your brand and a client. For real estate, it can mean connecting with future homeowners who use your services to navigate the real estate market.
A great way to gauge whether your experiential marketing campaign is successful is to ask these questions:
- Do you have a clear goal and story to tell?
- Are clients actively engaged and participating?
- Can you collect data such as ROI, conversion rates, and costs per acquisition?
- Did you collect feedback before, during, and after the event?
- Did you follow up with all participants?
- Is it easily shareable on social media for future clients to discover?
Why is experiential marketing important in 2022
The pandemic affected the way we interact with one another. It also left us craving social interaction and engaging experiences.
With the return of in-person events, there is an opportunity to create more connections. Why not make people’s experiences back into the world pleasant and surprising?
By using experiential marketing in 2022, you can reconnect with your local market and community, strengthening your business.
How to use experiential marketing in a shifting market
Inflation, economic anxiety, and a new generation of homebuyers can make navigating the market difficult. Here are the three key ways to gain and keep momentum in a changing real estate market.
Educational events
Classes, workshops, courses, seminars, and other educational events can connect you with clients intimidated by the home-buying process.
Depending on your niche of real estate expertise, you can bring your clients bite-sized information that leaves them wanting more.
Topics like tips for first-time buyers or sellers, staging techniques, and applying for a mortgage are just a few ways to drive participant numbers.
Now that more events can be hosted in person, you can take the opportunity to schedule educational sessions at galleries, wineries, or even a luxury home—the more unique the venue, the better.
That said, you can still offer online events for accessibility and to reach outside your local market. But remember, you’ll have to have an interactive element for an online event to keep it truly experiential.
Local events
Whether you design your own event or participate in a larger community event, you can create opportunities for experiential marketing.
Like educational events, hosting events at unique venues can make a potential prospect’s experience memorable.
Consider partnering with a local historical society that hosts tours of historic homes. Or, rent a truck where participants can walk in and use virtual reality goggles for a home tour.
Depending on the season, you can even host a block party with food and samples to give away in exchange for lead generation information, like where they are in the home-buying process.
Also, offer enticing prizes for participation, like gift cards or a raffle for tickets to an in-demand local show.
Create partnerships
Influencers can be key in connecting with a wider audience. Make a list of who creates the most local buzz. Reach out through social media or email with your idea pitch. You can also collaborate on giveaways or experiences that are unique to both of your target audiences.
If successful, you can continue the partnership for recurring events, widening your reach and target audience.
Use Virtuance to enhance your experiential marketing
Want your experiential marketing experience to include stellar 3D home tours or virtual open houses? Virtuance can help you create marketing materials to take you from a good real estate agent to a great one with professional real estate photography.
Even better, our Marketing Suite offers attractive templates for your social media campaigns with social integrations and a metrics dashboard to track your success.
FAQ
Experiential marketing allows customers to engage actively with the brand’s message and have a lasting takeaway. They are typically live events with an element of direct participation from the audience.
Immersive and hands-on experiences make you and your services stand out. You can also gain vital data and new prospects in the real estate market.
