If you’ve spent any time online recently, you’ll know there’s a lot of talk about social media being the future of estate agency marketing. “If you’re not posting daily, you’re invisible.” “Video content is essential.” “Facebook ads will transform your business.”
And while social media is undeniably powerful, the reality is that rarely is one marketing channel enough on its own. The best estate agents aren’t just active on Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. They understand that to truly dominate their local market, they need to be everywhere, combining online brand-building with offline marketing that is impossible to ignore.
There’s no doubt that social media has changed how agents connect and engage with potential sellers. A well-placed video or a consistent presence on people’s newsfeeds can make an agent more recognisable over time. But social media marketing is easy to ignore. A homeowner might see your post today, but they’ll forget about it five minutes later as they continue doom scrolling for the next hour. Digital marketing is about repetition, appearing often enough that, when the time comes for a seller to make a decision, your name and face are already familiar.
On the other hand, offline marketing is hard to miss. Whether it’s a ‘For Sale’ board outside a property, a leaflet through the door, or a personal letter offering a valuation, these are marketing tactics homeowners physically interact with. A Facebook post disappears in seconds, but a sold board stays up for months at a time. A social media advert vanishes when the budget runs out, but a well-timed letter can sit on a kitchen counter, ready to be picked up when the moment is right.
The most successful agents understand that online and offline marketing work best when they support each other. A strong digital presence helps build familiarity, while traditional marketing ensures your name is seen and not ignored in the real world. It’s not about choosing one over the other; it’s about creating a marketing strategy that keeps you front of mind, no matter where potential sellers are looking.
Homeowners don’t always remember where they first saw your name. Was it on a Facebook advert? A video on LinkedIn? A ‘For Sale’ board down the street? It doesn’t matter. What matters is that when they’re ready to sell, they think of you first.
So while other agents focus all their efforts in just one place, make sure you’re doing everything you can to stand out. Because the agents who truly dominate their markets are the ones who understand that no single marketing channel is enough on its own. You need to be everywhere.
Chris Webb is the founder of The Estate Agent Consultancy
