Everyone is on TikTok, and real estate agents are no exception. Created for sharing short music and dance videos, it has remained the world’s most downloaded app for two years in a row, with 80 million active monthly users in the U.S. alone.
If you’re not yet a TikTok user, it’s never too late to add it to your marketing toolkit. Here’s how agents all over the world are currently leveraging the app to boost their real estate business:
- To reach a wider audience
- To increase traffic and drive leads
- To build brand recognition
Another appeal of the app is the potential to go viral. Thanks to TikTok’s unique algorithm, you don’t have to have a huge following or spend any money to reach a broad audience, making it a lot easier than you might think.
Here’s what you DO have to do to go viral.
Tip #1: Leverage Trending Sounds
The next time you open TikTok, pay attention to what you hear as you scroll through your For You Page (aka your “home page”), which is populated with a mix of recommended content that includes trending videos. Notice a song or sound that’s being used often?
Audio is a key factor in having a TikTok video go viral. Luckily, there are TikTok accounts that specialize in identifying popular sounds, such as @chooseyoursocial and @managedbyskye. You can also search “trending sounds” on TikTok to see a list of the most popular sounds at that moment, or bookmark resources like this one from HeyOrca!.
Here’s what’s trending the week of July 11th, courtesy of HeyOrca!:
Tip #2: Use Hashtags
As long as they are relevant to the content you’re posting, using the right hashtags can dramatically increase the visibility of your post—including to those who are ready to buy.
Here are a few of the most popular hashtags for real estate content, with their corresponding number of views:
- #realestate 220M views
- #realestateagent 27M views
- #realtorlife 17M views
- #home 2B views
- #househunting 2M views
- #forsale 51M views
- #property 52M views
- #newhome 48M views
- #realty 72M views
- #investment 17M views
- #dreamhome 12M views
- #homesweethome 161M views
- #sold 15M views
But don’t just use the hashtags that are the most popular or your videos might get lost in the competition. Instead, mix in a few niche hashtags, such as ones that tap into your local market, to ensure your content is not only reaching a broad audience, but also one that will resonate with it.
Like with any other social media platform, be sure to keep an eye on what your competitors and colleagues are posting. The hashtags that perform well for them will likely perform similarly for you.
Tip #3: Keep It Short and Include a Takeaway
A three minute video that explains how to get an offer accepted in today’s market is perfect for a platform like YouTube, but short form content is king when it comes to going viral on TikTok. Aim for 30 seconds or less and focus on one key thing, e.g. “the number one tip to get your offer accepted in today’s market.” Videos with a clear takeaway grab attention, and the length ensures they don’t get bored and move on to the next one in their feed.
An added bonus to creating shorter, “micro” content is that it doesn’t have to be perfect or professionally shot—all you need is yourself, your phone, and a short story to tell, whether it be highlighting an “unbelievable” feature of your latest listing, offering a glimpse into your life as a successful luxury real estate agent, or even participating in a TikTok challenge.
Above All, Consistency is Key
At the end of the day, TikTok’s algorithm favors accounts that post consistently—the more you post, the more likely your videos will end up on the notorious For You Page. Commit to posting engaging short form content at least a few times every week and watch as your content goes viral!
