TechKnow
Using Instagram to get leads, engage potential clients, and more.
By Tracey C. Velt
Featuring Nicole Mickle, Sales Associate, Mainframe Real Estate, Orlando
When Nicole Mickle first got into real estate, she did her research to decide on a niche. "A lot of agents don't sell new construction, so I decided I would do it. I wasn't getting traditional referrals, so I turned to Instagram because I had experience in interior design and décor," said Mickle.
She named her account @iorlandorealestate and started posting photos of interesting design details, rooms in model homes, and houses for sale. It took some time, but eventually, it paid off. "I received a direct message on Instagram from a woman in Virginia. I immediately pulled off the side of the road and called her," says Mickle. "She said she was tired of the snow and wanted to move, and she sent me a screenshot of a home that I had posted on my Instagram. I closed my first Instagram client on a $500,000 home," she said. She also grew her following from 1,000 to 8,300 over the years. Here's how she did it.
- Know yourself and your business. Mickle had a background in interior design, so she had an eye for beautiful design. It helped that her new construction market had plenty of design elements from which to draw Instagram inspiration. “I was careful to post beautiful photos that showed my aesthetic,” she says. Mickle is also a self-proclaimed introvert, so her Instagram was a way to engage with others in a way that felt comfortable to her. “Who do you want to engage? That will dictate what you’re posting. Are you a dog lover? Then, reach out to other dog lovers, veterinarians, and groomers. It’s not about what properties you just listed; it’s about authentic engagement.”
- Quality pictures are crucial. "You need good images. So, if you don't have a good eye, be sure to enlist the help of a novice photographer or friend who has a decent eye. That way, you know the storyline you want to tell visually," she says. You might want to take a photography class at a local college or camera shop to learn a few tricks of the trade.
- Develop a hashtag strategy. “Your hashtags should be related to what you’re posting about and who you are. Start with your real estate company and build around that,” says Mickle. For example, if you have a photo of a beautiful kitchen in a model home, you might hashtag #orlandorealestateteam, #heathrowcommunity, #smartkitchen, and more that are related to the appliances in the kitchen, the style, and the home.
- Write captions that tell your story. "My captions are from a décor angle. One of my posts features an agent from Italy who I met on Instagram touring a Florida home when she came to visit me. My caption was: Love when I get to meet my Instagram friends in person. Everyone meet Francesca Martinelli @unacasaallavolta. She is an interior designer and stager. Although she is based in Modena, Italy, she travels the world. She describes her design style as Modern Rustic mixed with traditional Italian. She has amazing style and a big heart. I'm honored she added Orlando to her tour of Florida, and hopefully, she will be doing more business here as well. Check out both of our stories to see how we connected over great design! 📸 @iorlandorealestate #interiordesign #orlandonewhomes"
- Be authentic. This was mentioned once, and it's worth mentioning twice, says Mickle. "Don't photograph and comment on photos of luxury properties if you have no desire to market those properties. I believe in the law of attraction. So, by being authentic is what you portray, like-minded people will connect with you. I work with quite a few interior designers who appreciate the photos that I feature on Instagram. I've met with interior designers who will refer business as well. I'll get tagged on their pages. Last year, I posted a tag from an $820,000 house. Through a friend of a friend who tagged her friend to show her the house, I ended up making a connection and selling the house. It closed in less than 30 days.”
Finally, says Mickle, make social media work for who you are. “As an introvert, I don’t like to be in front of the camera. I also know that Instagram stories boost engagement. So, I do an abstract version of stories where I post photos with captions rather than videos of myself talking.”
"If you only take away one thing, remember that, with Instagram, the photo, caption, and hashtags must be professional, authentic, and engaging. Do that, and your account will catch on, and leads will start coming in," she says.
About the Contributor
Tracey C. Velt is an Orlando-based freelance writer.
