We all know that the property and real estate market is hot, and it’s no secret that mobile apps are a big part of how we do business. But what about when your app isn’t getting the downloads you expected? It might be time to take a second look at your marketing strategy and see how you can promote your app in order to reach more potential customers.
It may seem difficult to promote your real estate app, but the truth is that if you have the right strategies in place, then promoting your real estate app can be done with ease. So, here are the easy steps to help get your app’s marketing campaign started today.
Real Estate App’s Business Model
Most of you might know that there is no Real Estate section on the popular app stores. On Apple App Store, real estate types of apps are listed in the Lifestyle category, while on the Google Play Store, you will find real estate apps inside House and Home category. Things are crystal clear when it comes to the best monetization method for real estate mobile applications.
The app should be free to download and use as the real business is inside the app. Of course, there are some apps in the in-app purchases section, but it is not that simple to convince users to pay for a real estate app when they want to sell or sale their property.
We also noticed that some sections and models are reserved for mobile apps that teach users how to keep things organized during the process. But again, the most famous and downloaded real estate apps are free to use on both app stores.
How to Promote Real Estate Apps
Here we go, let’s face it! Smartphones and apps are great tools for finding your perfect place. We want to show you some efficient methods in convincing someone that our app is the best one out there – especially if they need help buying or renting a house.
Gives Instant Results
As you can imagine, a real estate app isn’t used by anyone at any time. Only people who are interested in buying or selling houses will want to download your app, and how do they know if it’s the right choice before installing it?
Google has introduced Instant Apps, a new way to access native features of your Android app without going through the Google Play Store.
App owners need only make their apps smaller than 4MB in size, and they are allowed to share the URL with others who want faster ways onto these modules and on social media platforms such as Twitter or Facebook.
Realtor.com has been successfully applying this strategy, and the number of leads per property listing details page view is 2X higher. If you want to learn more about how they did it, be sure to check out their story on their official site in-depth.
We’re not kidding when we say reading will revolutionize your understanding as an app marketer or developer.
Listings
It is a pain when you want to find something and can’t. One way of attracting your customers’ attention would be by having many choices available for them in one place. So that if they are looking at houses, then there shouldn’t just 1-2 options which might not work well with their needs or liking. If your real estate app had limited options, people might overlook your app because other apps offer better ones.
When customers have a lot of choices, they’ll appreciate your app and use it to make sure that they get the best deal. Buying a house isn’t like buying clothes; you can see them all around before making up your mind on which one suits you best- but this process doesn’t happen in an instant. These things take time as there are many different elements involved.
For example, look at Zillow, the most popular real estate apps. It provides plenty of options for its users. After all, “you’re not just looking for a house. You want the perfect place to live”. As they say at Zillow.
Story Telling is Essential
Presentation of your new real estate app is equally important. If you want to reach a wider audience, it’s essential that your app is everywhere. You need places where people can find out about what you have and how they could benefit from investing in partnership with you- this includes social media networks as well.
And if budget allows, paid ads are an excellent solution. The key here isn’t just having one account but rather providing regular activity across multiple channels like Facebook pages (individual page not group), Twitter feeds, Instagram stories.
Furthermore, you can easily reach out to potential users through social media networks. However, there are some specific rules to follow when promoting your real estate mobile app on these social media sites. The first thing to look out for is the picture quality.
Ensure that you use high-quality images that encourage users to try and download your mobile app. All the visuals that your app contains must be appealing to users. At the same time, you can create attractive walkthrough videos to keep users engaged.
Keep in mind that storytelling can be beneficial during the process. And when doing so, don’t speak only about that property. Talk about its advantages and outline its beautiful elements. The best example is Trulia that shows the entire experience in an elegant way.
App’s Uniqueness
In the world of real estate, a property’s price is often what makes or breaks your house-hunt. Negotiation is not everyone’s cup of tea, and most people acquire the services of brokers and realtors during the process.
But, you should give your users the best solutions through your app for all the parties involved. Make the communication process easier for all participants and help your users to get the desired results.
The most important thing to keep in mind when launching any type of new product or service is that you have to focus on what makes it unique. It will be up against competitors with similar features, but if your app provides something special for users, then they’ll stick around and promote the heck out their friends too.
Users demand uniqueness in the app as it offers them a chance to find what they need without struggling with an app. User-friendly apps and the apps that offer everything are most preferred by the users. Try to think about user’s preferences and give them the best solutions as per their exact needs.
For example, Apartment List is a handy and personalized app that helps people in finding the property according to their budget.
Spread the Word About the App
The most successful campaigns start with a few enthusiastic users. These are your referral points, so it’s vital that they know about the app first. They can be your family members, friends, or co-workers. Here are some points to spread the word about your new real estate app:
The first step is to show your app to your family, friends and show its benefits to your colleagues. Furthermore, you can create a blog and write meaningful posts to help users. Then you can show your app where appropriate.
As mentioned above, don’t think twice about using various social media accounts. It is the best stage to promote your real estate app and, through these platforms, convey your excitement about the app to others.
You can also promote your mobile app face to face. Meet users at various events regularly. Talk about your app at coffee or at listing presentations. Pitch the app in an appropriate way and stay in touch with them.
And once you have found your first group of users, provide all the support to them through your mobile app. Once these loyal users get satisfied with your app, they will carry the torch for you and get your users and downloads.
Use Paid Advertising
Paid advertising is the most effective way to reach your desired audience. You can do that in many ways, and some of them are given below:
In-app advertising: You can use Google Ads Universal App Campaigns to promote your real estate and property app. By using this medium, you can market your app to users who are already using similar apps!
Run a search ad campaign: By leveraging the power of Google’s search engine and targeting specific markets, a PPC campaign can do wonders. For example, you can tailor your ads to searches like “real estate application” or, more broadly, to generate real estate-related queries and produce better results for those looking for such things.
Display and video advertising: When it comes to advertising your app, Facebook is the king. You can use display ads and video campaigns on Instagram or YouTube for an even more visually captivating experience that will make users want to download what you have in store.
Create Some Buzz
It can be tough to get yourself featured on the media that is relevant for your market, but there are a lot of potential rewards. Here are a few tips for you that will help you to create some buzz in the market for your real estate app:
Pitch a story about your mobile app to local media. As a startup app developer, I know firsthand that there are many different types of media outlets out in the market. Here’s how you can get your story told by reaching out to writers and editors directly. Mention what makes your business/tech service special or interesting from an industry perspective.
App reviews. It is essential to let your satisfied clients know that they can leave a review for the app on Google Play or App Store. They should also submit their thoughts about how well they have done in designing this particular product by submitting it to online websites.
Start Marketing Yourself in Zillow
Zillow is a site that many people use to research prospective properties, and in 2019, it received over 196 million monthly unique users. If you are looking for some serious real estate advice, then make sure ZILLOW stays on your radar.
Create a Zillow profile and request your satisfied clients to provide their feedback and review about your real estate app. You can easily boost the app downloads surprisingly through Zillow and in no time. Plus, you can also run advertisements on Zillow and promote your app to others. However, your profile should be a good and optimized one.
Leverage Influencer Marketing
The real estate industry is changing, and it’s time to get in on the action. Influencer marketing can help you take your mobile app into new markets with a bit of push from someone who already has thousands of followers on various social media platforms.
For example, if you want to reach out to first-time millennial buyers, try to work with an influencer that they love to follow. Then you can ask those influencers to recommend your app or share your blog posts on their pages.
You can use various influencer marketing software for this purpose, such as Tapinfluence, Upfluence, or Mavrck, to collaborate with influencers in your industry.
Final Thoughts
For those looking to buy or sell a property, real estate mobile applications can be extremely beneficial. As an app developer or owner, you can promote your real estate app in many ways and reach both investors and agents as well as individuals. Above, we have mentioned the most effective methods that you can follow and promote your real estate app and get the desired results.