The Definitive Real Estate TikTok Guide

Over the past few years, TikTok has transformed from a lip-syncing app to one of the most diverse resources of online content. The users that were once kids competing in online food challenges are becoming adults with serious real estate buying power. 

During the pandemic, real estate TikToks became an easy way to show open houses safely. After TikTok caught on as a way to score hundreds of inquiries and followers, the real estate niche blew up on the platform. There’s now a huge market for TikTok real estate content and an unlimited amount of relevant content ideas. 

TikTok is a video-centric platform where you can post clips ranging from just a few seconds to a few minutes. The platform is flexible, playful, and allows real estate agents to put out content quickly and easily. 

Real estate agents successfully utilizing TikTok have seen notable increases in the amount of leads and industry recognition they receive – sometimes overnight. Agents such as Maddison Sutton laid the foundation for the TikTok real estate niche with her virtual open houses. Madison has such a powerful brand identity, she says that tenants have rented from her after watching a single TikTok video and without seeing the property in person. 

TikTok is so much more than its quirky and light reputation. It has the power to transform careers and create loads of new opportunities (if you know how to use it correctly). 

The Real Reason You Want to Market Real Estate on TikTok + Some Statistics 

As of 2021, TikTok was the most downloaded app with 656 million downloads. The platform is knocking other long-standing networks out of their number one spot and becoming the favorite social media platform of many. TikTok has the best viewer retention rate of any leading app, with an average user session of over 10 minutes. That’s more than double the time of the second most engaging app, Pinterest. On the other hand, Facebook is losing effectiveness along with instagram with a decline of 25% and 40%, respectively. 

When it comes to services and sales, TikTok is leading the way. According to AppAnnie, TikTok is the number-one app for driving consumer spending and is consistently gaining users with spending power. TikTok users between the ages of 35 and 54 years old are getting more comfortable with the app and now represent 36% of overall users. 

Getting Started On Real Estate TikTok

Real Estate agents only need a few minutes to get set up on TikTok. 

First, we recommend setting up a business account. A business account will give you more creative freedom and advertising opportunities than a normal user account. Plus, you’ll gain access to analytics and have the option to drive traffic to your real estate website (when you gain at least 1000 followers).

If you’ve read our Hyperlocal SEO Guide, you know how much we stress an accurate NAP (name, address and phone number). Your TikTok bio should emphasize your niche, your style of business, and exactly how to contact you. Not only will a consistent NAP guide your followers to the right place, it will increase your online credibility and visibility for search engine crawlers. 

Once your account is set up, the fastest way to understand the app is to use it. Just get started!

Download the app and start playing around. Don’t push yourself to become a viral hit the day you download TikTok. Browse trending videos, music, influencers, and brainstorm how you would like to represent yourself. Take a few videos and watch them back without posting to see if they are inline with your vision. 

Creating videos is fairly simple: just press the + button to start recording. You can then apply visual effects, music, stickers, text, and more.

How Does the TikTok Algorithm Work?

The TikTok algorithm is unlike any other leading social media network. One specific feature defines this totally new way of measuring and managing successful content: the “For You” main page. 

The TikTok algorithm recommends content to their users based on a plethora of factors such as interests expressed as new users, watch time, likes and engagements, location, language, and even the type of content you make. Unlike Instagram, for example, who you follow and who follows you has minimal impact on your ability to go viral or be discovered. The “For You” page is populated not only by people you’ve seen before, but by people the algorithm thinks you’d like. This page is a massive ally in reaching new audiences who have yet to view your content or account. 

If your goal is to produce content that your prospects will love, focus on highlighting what you know, not worrying about who you know. 

TikTok Audio Trends

Audio is a huge part of TikTok content. TikTok audio has made such as impact on and off the platform that over 100 songs have reached #1 on Apple Music after gaining popularity on TikTok. In a recent survey it was discovered that 88% of users believe music is critical to the TikTok experience and 93% of top performing videos use audio.

TikTok was originally a music app and they encourage users to hop on music trends.  It’s easy to find which songs are trending on the platform by visiting their sounds library either online or through the app. Keep in mind though, that you can only upload and create content throughout the app. Music found off the app can be subject to copyright infringement (unless it’s your own original tune). 

If you’re still unsure how to integrate music into your TikTok content, check out other real estate videos and see what they’re using.

Leverage Text and Captions

Captions are a vital part of inclusivity, and are especially important for real estate agents. Inaccessible content limits access to housing options for users with disabilities and can even be considered a fair housing crime. While your TikTok videos won’t be brought to trial for inaccessibility, if you decide to use the inaccessible content on your website, you could run into some issues. Read up on how to ADA-proof your digital presence. 

Apart from inclusivity, the ability to watch content with captions allows users to enjoy your videos anywhere they are without worrying about volume. The more accessible your content, the more engaging and effective it is overall.

Real Estate Hashtags

Using the right hashtag can feel like hitting the lottery on TikTok. TikTok users often search for content using hashtags and hundreds of hashtags in different niches are trending everyday. Simply using hashtags on TikTok content is said to boost your social media effectiveness by up to 40%. 

There are a few guidelines to keep in mind with hashtags:

1. Don’t use anything too personal or specific. 

You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Your punny, inside joke hashtags won’t be found or searched on TikTok. 

Example: #PineJustKidding

2. Broad Hashtags

Broad hashtags are a great way to gather a widespread following, not necessarily those in your local area. If you are aiming to achieve nation-wide recognition, broad hashtags can help. 

Example: #SummerRealEstate

3. Niche-specific Hashtags

This is where the bigger bucks are. With niche specific hashtags, you connect with people who are searching for exactly what you are offering to provide. These users are more likely to turn into future sales than users attracted by broad hashtags. 

Example: #TinyHousesofTikTok

4. Trending Hashtags

Trending hashtags are an easy way to get lots of eyes on your TikTok videos. The important thing is that you use trends that are relevant to the real estate industry. Trends about beauty or farming, for example, will attract all the wrong users and won’t make a dent in your leads. 

Example:  #thewelldressedhouse

5. Hyperlocal Hashtags

We are big fans of everything hyperlocal (if you haven’t noticed) – and for good reason! Hyperlocal hashtags grab the attention of residents in the area and make them feel seen. Additionally, prospects searching these hyperlocal hashtags will see that you have a developed and full understanding of your locality. Tag local attractions, city events, monuments, local museums, and other local landmarks. Anyone who visits these places will become familiar with you and you’ll be-top-of-mind the next time they need a local agent. 

Example: #BobsMaineSteakhouse

Take Your Real Estate Content on TikTok to the Next Level

Yes, everyone has a fair opportunity to go viral on TikTok, but that doesn’t mean you should throw spaghetti at the wall. Learn how to connect with the users who need your content.

Identify Your Niche

If you’re already creating content on one social media platform, try to keep it consistent. If you’re already having success within your chosen niche, look for that niche on TikTok and produce similar themes in a video format that works with TikTok. 

Sticking to and perfecting content in your niche is key if you want to get in front of interested viewers. The more you stick to a specific type of content, the more likely TikTok is to consistently put you in front of people who are searching for that content. The goal is to become a fixture on the “For You” page of your key audience. They’ll be much more likely to follow you and engage with your content as they become more accustomed to seeing it. 

Once you feel comfortable in one niche, look into what other content your key audience is following. This may give you clues for what type of content to work on next. 

Determine Your Ideal Audience (But Don’t Push Others Out)

Your ideal audience is the one that enjoys your content and is likely to become quality real estate leads. It (literally) pays to know exactly who they are. 

Your CRM

If you know who your typical real estate clients are and what they’re looking for, it’ll be easy to find them on TikTok. The real work comes with getting to know the audience in your CRM. A few demographics that take priority in online real estate content are age, location, economic standing, and family structure. 

Once you’ve identified your general target audience, you can divide them into specific buyer personas. Ask yourself about:

• Types of content your clients typically consume
• The lifestyles of your typical clients
• Their pain points
• Common interests they share 

For example, if your typical client profile is a single family household looking for their first home, you could focus your content on typical first-home challenges, budgeting to avoid going house-broke, packing lists, or neighborhood tips. Think about how your content can answer the questions your audience is looking for before they need to ask. 

Competition

Competition is a great reminder of what you are doing well and where you’re falling short. Other agents producing regular content will also give you rich clues about your audience. Consider this:

• What videos of theirs get the most views and engagement? 
• Which topics are they not covering? 
• What type of content are people asking for in their comments? 
• Are there ways you can improve on content they are already making?

Let Your Personality Shine Through

Positive energy and an eagerness to share information is a natural key to keeping a viewer’s attention. But if you’re not being yourself or trying too hard to get attention online, your audience will definitely notice. The most important thing is that you feel comfortable and confident on camera. You don’t have to be the most high energy trendy person online. 

Get Comfortable on Camera (or don’t)

If you’re comfortable being on camera, jump in. Being on camera allows users to feel as if they know you personally and can build an easier connection. There is rich communication in body language that doesn’t come across without seeing the person. 

For those of us that are more shy, voice-overs are a fine and dandy starting point. Just make sure the visuals are captivating and your tone of voice is lively. The most important thing is to get content out there, no matter how you start. 

Don’t Overdo the CTAs

The thing about social media platforms is that you have to be social. There is meant to be an exchange and conversation between users. Don’t be the agent that uses his TikTok account to push new listings and beg for leads. Your content will quickly be skipped over. 

Before pushing our unique selling proposition, you’ll need to prove to new TikTok followers that you know what you’re talking about and are worth listening to. Informative and relevant content that works well with TikTok’s short video format, is how you prove your value. The loyal following you build as a result of great content will be the ones to view your content, share it, and increase the chances that it reaches the right buyers and sellers. 

Make The Most of Your Short-form Real Estate Content

There are endless ways to develop your video content. If you’re a busy real estate agent, repurposing content will be your best friend. Save yourself tons of time and effort by learning how to cleverly turn one video into days worth of content across networks. 

Here’s how: 

Repost Shamelessly

Most users spend multiple hours per day scrolling through hundreds of posts on several social media apps. Chances are that they’ve missed some of your old content, or if they have seen it, they’ve probably forgotten about it. 

Think about all of the social media platforms that focus on video content and the total number of users they have. We’re talking about Youtube, Instagram, TikTok, Vimeo…It’s easy to multiply the power of your content by editing one video in different ways (length, music, text overlay) to suit each platform. This is a huge time saver as well as a way to make sure that your content reaches as many interested viewers as possible. 

Presuming that you already make video content for your property listings and upload them to other sites such as Zillow, Redfin, or even Facebook Marketplace for rentals, you already have material that you could edit to fit TikTok.

For example, you could use simple transition editing to separate your videos and invite your audience to keep scrolling for the full picture or  speed portions of your video up to create jam-packed content. The options are endless. Details as simple as a new song and captions over an old video, can make it feel like totally new content. 

Cross Promote Across Networks

Posting the same content on different social media platforms is also a great way to recycle content. Cross promote your content by giving previews on one social media channel about what followers can find on another. For example, post a short clip of a longer video on TikTok and guide you TikTok followers to your instagram account to watch the full thing. Cross promotion helps you grow your overall channel following, establish thought leadership, and strengthen brand trust. 

Don’t Delete Anything

Have you noticed that some of the highest trending songs on TikTok were released decades ago? Like classic songs, there’s a good chance your TikTok videos will come back for a revival long after you’ve posted them. All it takes is a few people to watch an old video and TikTok will start encouraging others to watch it. TikTok videos can go viral weeks or even months after they’ve been posted.  

Share Your Experiences

As we’ve mentioned before, your target network should ideally include more than just prospective clients. Positive connections with other real estate professionals can be a huge help in moving your career forward.

Showing how you make your real estate content is a great way to connect with other professionals online. And this doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re competing. Chances are that other agents will be grateful for your behind the scenes and reposts or share your content. Even if they don’t directly repost your content, any type of interaction on TikTok (such as likes, comments, shares in private conversations) will trigger the algorithm and push your content higher in the pile.  

​​With any career, it’s easy to forget that most people don’t have the same day-to-day routine. Non-agents love getting a glimpse into your world. Prospects get a picture of who you are so that when they meet you, you already feel trustworthy and familiar. 

Embracing Digital Real Estate Marketing

When your social media accounts are backed up by a credible website and reviews, your online presence is measurably stronger w. In relation to SEO, every established account you have online reinforces your credibility and chances of being found by a search engine. 

Your website is your prime real estate online. It’s the hub where clients expect to find all of the most important information about you, your business, your achievements, and your listings. Additionally, your website should be working to gather and maintain high quality real estate leads. 

As a real estate professional, the ultimate goal of most social media networks is to drive traffic to your website. The question is, is your website impressive enough for prospects to stick around? 

AgentFire websites are built to generate success and growth for real estate professionals. Not only is the structure of our real estate websites designed to grab attention and instantly communicate your brand identity, but we offer a wide range of marketing and lead generation tools that keep your website generating profit 24/7 with minimal effort. Our new Trio web plan pairs an AgentFire website with the best digital marketing and CRM providers in the business: Dippidi and Follow Up Boss. 

With a killer website, optimized marketing plan, and the CRM to keep all your contacts organized and updated, our clients are unstoppable. 

In Conclusion…

For more TikTok info and examples of real estate agents who are killing it on TikTok right now, take a look at this article: Real Estate TikTok Ideas that Will Get You Deals (Live Examples). 

There’s much more to TikTok than lighthearted fun. There is serious potential to gain leads and expand your public profile on a global or hyperlocal scale. It’s all up to you.

Get creative with your TikTok content by taking a peek at your competition or reusing old content. Jump in front of the camera or don’t. With the right principles, you can do TikTok your way and fid consistent success.