🏡 The Real Estate Marketing Update - Edition 36

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Read time: 11 minutes

Welcome back.

In this edition, you’ll learn how to use a Google framework to convert more website visitors, our favorite tool for turning text and ideas into beautiful visuals, and how the introduction and advancements in multimodal AI assistants are already changing the real estate industry.

If you're new here, don't worry. We've got you covered. Our previous editions are a treasure trove of tips, tools, and news. Check them out to stay ahead of the game.

Or, if you’re caught up, let’s jump right in.

Ready for some actionable insights in store for you in this edition… 

• One actionable tip that can immediately boost your lead generation

• One handy tool that can simplify your tech stack management

• One essential news story

…and become at least 1% better at generating the right type of leads.

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Turn More Website Visitors Into Leads with Google’s 7-11-4 Rule

Converting website visitors into viable leads can feel challenging, but understanding consumer behavior can make it easier. Google’s 7-11-4 Rule provides a robust framework for nurturing relationships with potential clients and driving conversions. The rule states that consumers typically need 7 hours of engagement, 11 touchpoints, and interactions in 4 different digital locations before purchasing. Real estate agents can use this framework effectively to build trust, increase familiarity, and ultimately convert website visitors into leads.

Here’s how to leverage Google’s 7-11-4 Rule with actionable strategies and examples specific to growing your business.

Step 1: Achieve 7 Hours of Engagement

Potential clients need time to feel comfortable with you and your expertise. By providing long-form, value-driven content, you can build trust over the necessary 7 hours of engagement.

Strategy 1: Create a Podcast or Video Series

Podcasts and videos are excellent formats for long-form content because they allow potential clients to engage with you passively, such as during their commute or while exercising.

Example: Create a podcast series titled “Your Neighborhood Insider” where you discuss local market trends, tips for first-time buyers, or interviews with local business owners.

How It Helps: Each episode provides 20–30 minutes of engagement, helping you reach the 7-hour mark faster while showcasing your expertise and personality.

Strategy 2: Host Webinars or Virtual Tours

Interactive long-form content, like webinars, not only extends engagement time but also allows you to answer questions and connect with potential clients in real-time.

Example: Offer a webinar titled “How to Buy Your First Home in [City]” or a virtual open house tour of a popular listing.

How It Helps: These sessions can run 45–60 minutes, creating significant engagement while positioning you as a helpful resource.

Strategy 3: Write Comprehensive Guides

Publish downloadable eBooks or guides on topics relevant to your audience.

Example: An eBook titled “The Ultimate Guide to Selling Your Home for Top Dollar in [City]” offers value and keeps readers engaged for an extended period.

How It Helps: Long-form written content encourages deep engagement, especially if clients save and refer back to the guide.

Step 2: Build 11 Touchpoints

Touchpoints are any interactions that a potential client has with your brand. To meet the 11-touchpoint benchmark, you’ll need to maintain consistent communication across various channels.

Strategy 1: Email Newsletters

Send regular newsletters featuring market updates, helpful tips, and featured listings.

Example: Include a weekly email highlighting “Top 5 New Listings in [City] This Week” or “3 Quick Tips for Homebuyers in Today’s Market.”

How It Helps: Each email counts as a touchpoint, keeping you top of mind for your subscribers.

Strategy 2: Social Media Engagement

Use platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn to create posts, stories, and short videos.

Example: Post short neighborhood highlights on Instagram Reels or share testimonials from happy clients on Facebook.

How It Helps: Social media posts are quick, digestible touchpoints that reinforce your presence and expertise.

Strategy 3: Remarketing Ads

Target website visitors who didn’t initially convert with remarketing ads.

Example: Use Google Ads to show dynamic remarketing ads featuring properties they viewed or similar listings.

How It Helps: Ads provide an additional, highly relevant touchpoint and help re-engage users who may have left your site.

Strategy 4: Engage with User Comments

Reply to comments on your social media posts, YouTube videos, or blog content.

Example: If a user asks a question about the buying process on your Instagram post, respond promptly with helpful advice.

How It Helps: Personal interaction creates meaningful touchpoints that deepen trust.

Step 3: Diversify Across 4 Digital Locations

To meet the 4-location requirement, ensure your presence spans multiple platforms where potential clients are active.

Strategy 1: Optimize Your Website

Your website serves as the hub of your digital presence. Make sure it’s optimized for lead generation with clear CTAs like “Schedule a Consultation” or “Get Your Free Home Valuation.”

Example: Include an interactive mortgage calculator or a downloadable checklist for homebuyers.

How It Helps: Your website acts as a primary location for engagement.

Strategy 2: Leverage Social Media Platforms

Be active on at least two social media platforms where your target audience spends time.

Example: Use Instagram to share visually appealing content like listing photos and behind-the-scenes posts, while LinkedIn can highlight your market expertise.

How It Helps: Social media expands your reach to different audience segments.

Strategy 3: Utilize YouTube or Video Hosting

Upload property tours, market updates, or client testimonials to YouTube.

Example: Post a series called “Exploring [Neighborhood Name]” to highlight local attractions and listings.

How It Helps: YouTube serves as a secondary digital location for long-form engagement.

Strategy 4: Harness Email Marketing

Email remains one of the most effective digital locations for lead nurturing.

Example: Use segmented email campaigns to target specific audiences, such as first-time buyers or luxury home sellers.

How It Helps: Email provides direct communication with high engagement potential.

Real-Life Application of the 7-11-4 Rule

Imagine you’re a real estate agent in [City]. A visitor lands on your website and spends time reading a neighborhood guide. They sign up for your newsletter, follow your Instagram page, and click on a remarketing ad to revisit your site. Over time, they watch a few of your YouTube videos and attend a webinar. These touchpoints add up, deepening their trust in you and increasing the likelihood of them contacting you for help with buying or selling.

By consistently engaging them through 7 hours of value-driven content, 11 touchpoints, and across 4 digital locations, you’ve effectively nurtured them into a viable lead.

Final Thoughts: Making the 7-11-4 Rule Work for You

The 7-11-4 Rule is a strategic framework that helps real estate agents move potential clients through the decision-making process. By focusing on creating long-form content for sustained engagement, increasing touchpoints through newsletters and social media, and diversifying your digital presence, you can build trust, nurture leads, and drive conversions.

Start by identifying gaps in your current strategy—whether it’s creating more engaging content or expanding your reach across platforms. With consistent effort, you can turn your website visitors into high-quality leads ready to work with you.

How This Tool Can Benefit Real Estate Agents

Real estate agents often deal with complex information—market trends, neighborhood stats, home-buying processes—that can overwhelm clients when presented in text. Napkin makes it easy to distill this information into visually appealing, digestible formats, helping you communicate more effectively and stand out as a professional.

Use Cases:

1. Market Trends Made Simple

Create infographics summarizing local market data, such as average home prices, days on market, and inventory levels.

Example: Turn a long market report into a clean, visual chart that highlights key takeaways at a glance.

2. Property Highlights for Social Media

Showcase the best features of a listing with a quick graphic.

Example: Use Napkin to design a visual that lists “Top 5 Features of [Property Address],” complete with icons and images.

3. Client Education

Illustrate the steps in the home-buying or selling process with a flowchart.

Example: Create a step-by-step graphic titled “Your Journey to Buying a Home in [City],” showing key milestones like pre-approval, inspections, and closing.

How to Get Started

1. Sign Up on Napkin: Create your account and access the platform’s design tools.

2. Input Your Text: Paste or type in the information you want to visualize.

3. Select a Template: Choose a design that fits your message, whether it’s a chart, infographic, or diagram.

4. Customize and Share: Adjust colors, fonts, and layouts to match your branding, then export your visual for sharing on social media, in emails, or during client presentations.

Why Napkin is a Game-Changer

In an industry where presentation matters, Napkin gives real estate agents a fast, easy way to turn ideas into visuals that resonate. Instead of overwhelming your audience with paragraphs of text, you can communicate effectively with sleek, professional graphics that are ready to share in seconds.

Ready to make your ideas stand out?

Try Napkin and see how this powerful tool can help you create visuals that elevate your real estate marketing and communication. We think you’ll love how quick and easy it is to transform your text into content that drives engagement and leads!

Multimodal AI Assistants Are Here, They’re Already Really Good, and They’re Going to Change the Real Estate Industry

The real estate industry is no stranger to technology-driven transformation, and the rise of multimodal AI assistants is the next major evolution. Recent advancements by Apple, Google, and OpenAI demonstrate how these tools are becoming more sophisticated, combining visual, text, and voice capabilities to provide richer, more interactive experiences.

These advancements in multimodal AI assistants are poised to reshape how real estate agents interact with clients, market properties, and generate leads.

What Are Multimodal AI Assistants?

Multimodal AI assistants combine various forms of input—text, voice, images, and even video—to understand and respond to user queries in more dynamic ways. This allows for more nuanced interactions, enabling users to engage with AI tools through natural conversation, imagery, or live demonstrations.

Here’s what major tech leaders are bringing to the table:

1. Apple’s Visual Intelligence with iOS 18.2

Apple’s latest update includes features like Image Playground, which uses AI to analyze and describe photos in real time, and Genmoji, a tool for creating personalized avatars based on selfies (Apple Newsroom, 2024).

How It’s Relevant to Real Estate: Agents can use these tools to create interactive marketing content, like dynamic property walkthroughs enhanced with AI-generated visual highlights.

2. Google’s Gemini 2.0 Multimodal AI

Google’s Gemini 2.0 takes multimodal interaction further, integrating text, images, and videos into a seamless conversational experience (Google Blog, 2024).

How It’s Relevant to Real Estate: Potential buyers could upload a photo of a property they like and ask, “Are there similar homes available in [city]?” The AI could instantly analyze the image and recommend matching listings.

3. OpenAI’s ChatGPT Advanced Voice Mode

ChatGPT now supports real-time video and voice capabilities, allowing it to interpret live inputs and respond with voice-enabled guidance (TechCrunch, 2024).

How It’s Relevant to Real Estate: Imagine hosting a virtual open house where AI provides real-time answers to attendee questions, enhancing the client experience while saving you time.

How Multimodal AI Impacts Real Estate Marketing

These advancements will significantly influence how agents market their properties and interact with potential buyers or sellers:

1. Improved Client Engagement:

Multimodal AI assistants can offer more interactive experiences for clients. For example, instead of browsing static photos, buyers can have an AI-driven conversation about properties, with the assistant providing additional context, images, or virtual tours.

2. Efficient Lead Qualification:

AI assistants can analyze multiple data types, such as uploaded home photos or client preferences, to suggest relevant listings. This reduces the time agents spend manually curating options, allowing them to focus on high-quality leads.

3. Enhanced Personalization:

These tools can interpret a client’s tone, preferences, and visual inputs to deliver personalized responses. For example, an AI assistant could suggest neighborhood guides based on a client’s query about nearby schools or parks.How This Makes It Easier for Agents to Build Their Business

1. Opportunities for Differentiation

While agents under the Compass-Christie’s umbrella may have access to top-tier resources, they often work within structured systems and branding guidelines. Independent agents can differentiate themselves by focusing on hyperlocal expertise, flexibility, and highly personalized client experiences.

Example: A local agent can build a reputation as the go-to expert for a specific neighborhood, using intimate knowledge of the area to attract clients who value hands-on guidance.

2. Tech Tools Are Becoming More Accessible

While Compass and Christie’s boast proprietary tools, independent agents have more affordable access than ever to comparable technologies. Platforms like Canva (for marketing), ChatGPT (for content creation), and real estate-specific CRMs enable agents to level the playing field without needing a major brokerage’s resources.

Example: An independent agent can use AI to generate content like property descriptions or blog posts, saving time and allowing them to compete with the polished marketing of Compass agents.

Actionable Steps for Real Estate Agents

To leverage this trend and position yourself ahead of the competition, here are two ways you can incorporate multimodal AI tools into your business:

1. Enhance Property Listings with Visual and Voice AI

Integrate AI-powered tools like OpenAI’s voice mode or Apple’s visual intelligence into your property marketing.

Example: Use OpenAI’s Advanced Voice Mode to create voice-narrated virtual tours for your listings. Buyers can ask the AI questions during the tour, such as “What’s the square footage of the master bedroom?” and receive instant answers.

Result: This creates a more immersive experience that keeps potential buyers engaged longer.

2. Leverage Multimodal AI for Client Interactions

Use Google’s Gemini 2.0 or similar tools to provide dynamic responses to client inquiries.

Example: When a client sends a photo of their ideal home, use an AI assistant to analyze the image and suggest similar properties in your area.

Result: This proactive approach demonstrates your tech-savviness and can help you stand out in a competitive market.

Final Thoughts: Adapt or Fall Behind

The rise of multimodal AI assistants represents a major shift in how consumers interact with information. For you, this trend offers an opportunity to enhance client engagement, streamline operations, and stand out as a tech-savvy professional. By incorporating tools like Apple’s Image Playground, Google’s Gemini 2.0, and OpenAI’s ChatGPT Advanced Voice Mode, you can create richer, more personalized experiences that drive conversions and build lasting client relationships.

The future of real estate marketing is here—how are you embracing it?

Thanks for reading.

See you next week.

The Real Estate Marketing Update Team @ imFORZA