A large Facebook following can help you increase your sphere of influence, sell more homes, and attract new leads. To grow your audience, however, you need to have a well-maintained Facebook page that is working for you in all the right ways.

Personal vs. Professional Page

You should NOT be using your personal profile to market your real estate business. You need to have a separate business page that clearly establishes you as a qualified professional.

Facebook Business Pages are designed to help you share the most relevant information about your brand. You can add links to your website, collect reviews from past clients, and see insights about your followers. You can also share branded content that is relevant to your business and showcases your expertise. Clients and prospects can easily like your page and see your branded posts in their Newsfeed.

With just a personal profile, you would need to be friends in order to interact. You also have less control over what they see, as Facebook’s algorithm will automatically—and indiscriminately— pull your activity to display on others’ Feeds.

How to Set Up a Facebook Business Page

Fortunately, setting up a Business Page is easy. You do need to have a Facebook personal profile in order to create a page, but once you create the page, it will be completely separate.

To create the page, go to the top menu, and click “Create”

From the drop-down menu, select “Page.” Then click on the “Get Started” button under Business or Brand.

Enter your Page Name and Category (Real Estate Agent). When you enter the category, it will give you the option to enter your address and business phone number.

Facebook will then prompt you to fill out your profile, including your profile and cover photo.

What pictures should I use?

You will need to choose a cover photo and profile photo when setting up your Facebook page. The cover photo is the large image featured at the top of your business page. This is the photo that needs to grab visitors’ attention, so choose one that is visually appealing and interesting.

Facebook now also allows you to upload videos and slideshows as your cover photo, so get creative!

For your profile photo, you can use a professional headshot or your business’ logo. A logo conveys authority, but a photo of yourself put a face to the name and can help you establish a more authentic connection with your followers.

It’s also important to pay attention to the dimensions of the cover and profile photos. The minimum dimensions of a cover photo are 851 x 315 pixels, whereas the minimum dimensions for a profile photo are 180 x 180 pixels. If the photos are not sized correctly, they may look distorted once they are uploaded onto your page.

Once your photos have been added, you’ll want to fill out the rest of your page:

What information do I need to display on my Facebook page?

Prospective clients will probably land on this page when they are trying to decide who to hire to list their property or help them find a home. For this reason, it is best to include as much information as possible on your page so you can convince every prospective client to choose you. Include the basics such as your phone number, email address, physical address, and website.

You should also write a few paragraphs about what sets you apart from other REALTORS® and add this information to the “About” section. This is your sales pitch to prospective clients who are searching for a REALTOR® on Facebook–so use this space to sell your services.

How can I share my page with friends and family members?

Start spreading the word about your new business page by sharing it with your friends and family on Facebook.

Fortunately, sharing your page is easy:

1. First, log into your personal account and click on “Pages” on the menu bar located on the left side of the screen.

2. Then, click on your business page, then look for a button that says “Invite friends” on the right side in the “Community” section. This feature allows you to invite your Facebook friends to like and follow your new business page.

What should I post on my Facebook page?

Now that you’ve created your page, you need to start sharing content that will help grow your visibility and your following.

In general, REALTORS® should post a mix of blog articles, photos, videos, and listings. Marketing experts recommend following the “80/20 rule” when it comes to posting on social media platforms.

The 80/20 rule states that you should only post items that are specific to your business 20% of the time. Following this rule ensures that the content on your page is relevant and interesting without being overly promotional.  The 20% can include links to new listings, photos of your team working together, and updates about your business.

The remaining 80% of posts should focus on content relevant to your audience: homeowners. Don’t just focus on buyers and sellers, either. By providing information that’s useful to homeowners who aren’t yet looking to move, you can build a relationship with them that ensures they come to you with their business when it’s time to sell.

Articles, videos, and images on saving money and improving the home are great examples of content that appeals to all homeowners. Creating and/or curating this kind of content can be time consuming, however; automating your social sharing is a great way to jump-start your social marketing and start attracting new followers and potential leads.

How will I know if my strategy is working?

Facebook allows REALTORS® to see how their posts are performing so they can continue to adjust their strategy and achieve better results. To see your performance, visit your business page and click on “Insights,” which is located at the top of the page.

Under “Insights”, REALTORS® can see how many people see their posts, how engaging they are, and what actions visitors are taking once they land on their page. Use this detailed information to keep track of what’s working—and more importantly, what’s not.

Should I respond to questions and comments?

As your audience grows, you should expect to see followers commenting on your posts and pictures. It’s in your best interests to reply to every question and comment that is left on your page. Responding to questions and comments—even if it’s just with a simple “thank you”—is a great way to engage with your followers.

Plus, Facebook will reward you for your responsiveness by letting anyone who lands on your page know that you typically respond to messages very quickly. This will encourage people to submit their questions and comments, which can help you attract new clients.

How can Homeselfe RE help with content creation?

As mentioned above, content creation is one of the hardest parts of social media marketing. Why? Creating a single piece of content can take hours, so creating enough content for a week of social media posts can take up an entire day. Let Homeselfe RE assist with content creation so you can spend as much time as possible with your clients.

Homeselfe RE has a massive library of content that homeowners love. REALTORS® can connect their Facebook page, then select which content they would like to share. You can share it directly with your Facebook audience, Twitter followers, or email contacts. Or you can automate social marketing and HomeSelfe RE will automatically post new content directly to your Facebook page twice a week so you never have to spend time creating unique content on your own. Plus, Homeselfe RE automatically brand each piece of content with your name, image, and contact information, so no one will ever know it’s coming from an app.

What type of content is available through Homeselfe RE?

The team of experts at Homeselfe create content on a variety of relevant topics, including saving money, home improvement, smart tech, and homeownership. When you sign up, your content library will be constantly updated with diverse, rich content, including articles, videos, and infographics, so there is always something new and exciting to share with your followers.

HomeSelfe RE also allows you to auto-share local housing news in your area, helping you better connect with your local community and even be the first to break the news.

How can I set up automatic content sharing using Homeselfe RE?

Asking Homeselfe RE to automatically share content on your Facebook page is easy. Simply open the Homeselfe RE app and log into your account. The Auto Social Marketing feature is located on the homepage of the HomeSelfe RE app. To connect your Facebook page, tap on the toggle button next to the Facebook icon. If the button is green, this means your page is connected.

You can also choose the types of content you would like to share with your followers in this section. Make sure there is a checkmark next to each type of content you are interested in sharing. Save your changes and let Homeselfe RE handle the rest!

At this point, you should have all of the information you need to create and manage a Business Page that will boost your real estate career. By following the rules mentioned above, you can use Facebook to generate new leads, grow your business, and beat the competition!