Best Real Estate Apps

Don’t just download every app on this list. Start with three or four, and see what works best for your business.

1. Curb Hero

• Best for: Open Houses
• Cost: Free
• Available on:

When it comes to open houses, having the right open house app can make all the difference. One of this category’s top-rated real estate apps is Curb Hero, an innovative app that streamlines the entire open house process. Create professional-looking open house digital sign-in sheets customized with your personal branding, perfect for capturing visitors’ information for effortless follow-up.

One of Curb Hero’s standout features is its ability to provide real-time data and analytics on your open house performance. Track visitor traffic, see the most popular times, and gain valuable insights into your open house strategy. Plus, the app integrates with most CRMs, allowing you to easily manage your leads after your open house.

2. Zillow Premier Agent

• Best for: Lead Generation
• Cost: Free with Zillow Premier Agent membership
• Available on:

As much as we like to talk smack about Zillow and the accuracy of its Zestimates, they are still a powerful contender as one of the best realtor apps in the lead generation arena. It’s the most popular real estate website for consumers in the United States, attracting millions of eyeballs of potential homebuyers to its site daily. By becoming a Zillow Premier Agent, you tap into these vast pools of leads that will help you grow your business.

The app also offers a surprisingly robust customer relationship manager (CRM) that lets you import leads from outside lead sources. You can set up tasks, reminders, texts, and emails. If you sign up for the My Agent program, which makes you the only buyer’s agent your leads see when they search on Zillow, you’ll get a granular look at what your leads are searching for.

3. BombBomb

• Best for: Video Marketing
• Cost: Starting at $39 per month
• Available on:

Video marketing is the fastest way to connect with leads and turn them into clients. When it comes to apps for real estate agents, BombBomb is special. BombBomb compresses your videos, making it easy to create, send, and track your personalized video messages. Shoot a quick video, drop it into an email or text, and start making those connections right from your phone. Though it’s not specifically designed for real estate, it’s one of the best apps for realtors to build relationships on the go.

One of the best advantages of BombBomb is its seamless integration with your email marketing platform. You can create videos, save them in your BombBomb account, and then integrate them into your communications to streamline your marketing workflow. If you’re looking for the most powerful platform to harness the power of video marketing, BombBomb is a stellar choice.

4. Pivo

• Best for: 3D Tour Videos
• Cost: Free with $399 Pivo device
• Available on:

Pivo is a game-changing tool for agents. It’s an advanced, high-quality motion-tracking camera and a world-class photo editing app in one. Its standout feature is the AI-powered tracking that revolutionizes how you showcase homes. Create captivating videos for open houses, new listings, and your 3D home tours from within the app. This is definitely a real estate tech company primed to change the rules of the game.

The caveat is that you’ll need to purchase the Pivo system for $399, which includes the Pivo phone holder, which attaches to a camera tripod, and a remote. It’s a one-time purchase that gives you unlimited access to create as many videos as you like and store them in the app. Compared with traditional 3D home tour methods like Matterport (which can range from $350 to $600 per listing), Pivo can pay for itself with just one listing.

5. Canva

• Best for: DIY Design
• Cost: Free to $9.99 per month
• Available on:

Canva is my personal favorite go-to tool for all of my real estate design needs. It has revolutionized the way everyone, not just real estate agents, creates marketing materials. Its user-friendly interface and massive template library allow anyone to create stunning, professional-looking graphics for practically anything, including social media posts, flyers, postcards, and business cards. 

Canva has even added tons of real estate-specific elements—including icons, illustrations, stock photos, and prefilled templates—to help agents create the graphic designs they need. With Canva Pro, you can prefill your designs with your real estate brand colors, logos, headshots, and more. Canva gives agents the power to create on the go.

6. StreetText

• Best for: Paid Social Media Ads
• Cost: $160–$250 per month
• Available on:

If you want to generate leads from Facebook and Instagram ads without the steep learning curve, you might want to check out StreetText. This platform simplifies the complicated process of creating and launching complex ad campaigns that generate leads. The platform’s intuitive ad builder makes it easy to create eye-catching, professional-looking ads that stop the scroll. 

You get verified phone numbers, emails, and social media profiles that you can integrate directly with existing CRMs and email marketing platforms. And StreetText offers backend analytics, so you can keep track of what’s working and what’s not. StreetText is not cheap, but for the time and stress you save, it’s a bargain if you count on social media ads as a major part of your marketing strategies.

Organize your apps in a real estate-specific folder for quick and easy access.

7. Slack

• Best for: Group Communication
• Cost: Free to $15 per user per month
• Available on:

Slack is probably one of the most popular group communication apps on the market for team communication and collaboration. The user interface is so easy to use; with customizable features, integration capabilities, and an affordable price tag, what’s not to love? Slack offers a range of benefits that can help real estate teams work more efficiently and effectively. Slack also integrates with some of your favorite apps like Google Drive, Dropbox, and DocuSign to make your life much easier.

One of the most obvious benefits of using Slack is the centralized communication hub it provides, reducing email clutter and increasing responsiveness. Creating dedicated channels for specific topics, projects, or listings keeps team members in the loop easily without getting bogged down in lengthy email chains. (Aren’t they the worst?) Plus, Slack comes with a powerful search function that makes finding past conversations and files quick and easy.

8. Supra eKEY

• Best for: Lockboxes
• Cost: $15.85 per month
• Available on:

If you intend to be a successful real estate professional, you need to have this handy app on your phone. The Supra eKEY app is a must-have tool to gain access to properties securely and efficiently. As a mobile app that works with the Supra lockbox system, eKey streamlines the process of showing properties, managing access, and saving agents time and stress.

One of the key benefits of the Supra eKEY is its ability to manage access to properties. With a standard lockbox, you don’t have the ability to monitor everyone who enters your property. But with Supra, anyone who accesses the property is logged within the app, showing you detailed information about the visit. If you’re working with sellers, this is a great tool to show that you’re respecting their privacy and protecting their property.

9. Notion

• Best for: Organization
• Cost: Free to $15 per month per user
• Available on:

Notion is probably my favorite organization and productivity app. As an all-in-one workspace, it has gained a massive following in the past few years. One of the best features Notion offers is its flexibility and customization. Unlike many other productivity apps, Notion allows you to create a workspace tailored to your specific needs and preferences. Whether you need to manage a project, take notes, or create a database, Notion provides you with the building blocks and lets you create a system that works for you.

Notion also integrates with a myriad of other tools and platforms, including Google, Slack, Trello, and Dropbox, making it seamless to connect your workspace with other apps and services you’re already using. Notion makes it simple for real estate agents to manage the many moving parts of each transaction with databases, project boards, task management tools, and even collaboration tools, keeping tasks organized and preventing anything from falling through the cracks.

10. Forewarn

• Best for: Realtor Safety
• Cost: $20 per month
• Available on:

Realtor safety is a real concern for agents. Forewarn is a powerful tool to have at your fingertips. It allows you to quickly and easily grab background information on potential clients or property owners before meeting them face-to-face. Agents often work with strangers and visit unfamiliar properties in their day-to-day operations. However, Forewarn provides a critical layer of additional safety and security to help agents protect themselves in vulnerable situations.

Unlike traditional background check services, which could take days, Forewarn delivers instant insights agents can access from their smartphone or tablet. That means agents can quickly vet potential clients or property owners even if they’re on their way to meeting them. The app is designed to be intuitive and work easily with agents who aren’t tech-savvy. If you are looking for a reliable, efficient, and easy-to-use tool to protect yourself, Forewarn is worth checking out.

11. RPR

• Best for: Home Valuations
• Cost: Free for NAR members
• Available on:

RPR, or Realtors Property Resource, is a comprehensive real estate platform offering a wide range of tools and resources to National Association of Realtors (NAR) members. One of the biggest perks is that it’s now free for NAR members, making it an incredibly valuable tool for real estate pros. One of the standout features of this powerful platform is the Automated Valuation Model (AVM) tool, which provides the most accurate home valuations available outside of your own comparative market analysis (CMA). 

RPR also offers a wide range of customizable property reports, like home ownership history, mortgage information, neighborhood demographics, and market trends. The app has features like property search, GPS-enabled driving directions, and instant access to property and market data on the go. Dig deeper into market activity, key metrics, and insights on sales activity and pricing trends in your geographic area, giving you access to the data you need to feel confident as an expert in your community.

12. LoopNet

• Best for: Commercial Real Estate
• Cost: Free
• Available on:

Looking to get into commercial real estate or work with investors? Check out LoopNet. It’s the premier online commercial real estate marketplace with tons of tools and resources to help you access a huge network of potential buyers, sellers, and investors. LoopNet is home to the most extensive database of commercial properties, with more than half a million listings, including office space, industrial, and multifamily properties. 

You’ll find plenty of research and analysis tools giving you insights on property values, rental rates, and market conditions in specific areas or asset types. Also, LoopNet has networking and education resources to help you build your knowledge and expand your network. If you’ve been looking for a way to break into the commercial real estate market or just want to work with more real estate investors, LoopNet is a great place to explore and make some valuable connections.

13. Find My Device/Find My

• Best for: Sharing Your Location
• Cost: Free
• Available on:

Sure, the Find My apps, available on both Android (Find My Device) and Apple (Find My), are mostly known for their device-finding features. But for real estate agents’ safety on the job, the Find My apps are lifesavers. Turn on your location in this app on your phone when you’re working with clients, hosting an open house, or just when you’re out running errands, letting others know your location at all times. And the best part? These apps are free on your smartphone! (Try using it with your teenagers as an added bonus.)

These apps use advanced GPS technology to pinpoint your location with maximum accuracy, even in remote locations. That means if an agent ever finds themselves in a dangerous or uncertain situation, they can quickly alert their spouse, family, or coworkers and provide them with their exact location, making it easier for them to respond quickly and potentially save your life.

Honorable Mentions

As I was researching these real estate apps, I came across a couple of cool tools that are perfect for on-the-go that aren’t exactly apps. They work great on your mobile device—they just don’t have a dedicated app. But here’s an insider trick to get an in-app experience without an app: you can save your favorite webpage as a bookmark on your home screen. Visit the website you want to save and tap the share or menu icon. Tap “Add to Home Screen,” and voila! You’re ready to access the site’s content with one click. Here are a couple of great tools you can use on your smart devices in exactly that way.

14. Agent Crate

• Best for: Social Media On-the-go
• Cost: Starting at $29 per month

Agent Crate takes your social media posting to the next level. This real estate-specific software is uniquely designed to take a lot of the heavy lifting out of your online marketing efforts. With a focus on engaging, industry-specific content, Agent Crate makes it easy to post on the go, grab the attention of potential buyers, and build your personal brand online. 

Agent Crate features a vast library of content you can customize to fit your brand colors, logo, and design and post from anywhere. And, as with so many real estate tech trends right now, it has also incorporated AI into its platform, helping you get your posts out even faster.  

15. Agently

• Best for: Agent Coaching + Productivity
• Cost: $59 per month for agents, $279 per month for teams

Having Agently is like having your own personal real estate coach in your back pocket. With innovative tools to assist in onboarding, training, and productivity tracking, Agently gives brokers a leg up in keeping their agents moving forward and hitting their productivity and GCI goals while also supporting their professional development. 

One of the fun things you can do with Agently is set up agent challenges and contests. Give your agents some incentive to tackle tasks and reward them for their accomplishments all within the app. 

Methodology: How We Chose the Best Real Estate Apps 

As an experienced real estate agent, I have personally used at least a few of these tools in my real estate business. But even if I combined the experience of our entire team, I knew choosing the best real estate apps would be difficult. To make certain I was using objective measures instead of just my opinion, I posed these questions to choose the best real estate apps for 2024:

• Utility: Does the app address practical challenges agents already face in their businesses? Does it improve or streamline workflows, making your life easier, or does it create more tasks in your workday?  
• Pricing: Is the price worth the value the app provides? What is the return on investment (ROI)? Does the app or optional upgrade boost your efficiency or provide added access to leads?  
• Ease of use: Is the app easy to use and adopt into your busy work life? How much technical savvy is required to use the app? What is the learning curve? Is the app complex or straightforward and easy to understand? How user-friendly is the interface? Is the app intuitive? 
• Network Effect: Do other agents widely adopt the app? Does it receive positive customer reviews? Is the app’s adoption growing? 
• Stability: Does the app function smoothly with limited interruptions or crashes? Does the app have bugs or technical issues that need to be worked out?  

Our team regularly reviews and edits the articles on our site to ensure we provide you with the most up-to-date information. We pride ourselves on an independent editorial review process. Check out our complete methodology here.

FAQs

What apps do realtors use?

What is the best real estate sales app?

Which app is better, Zillow or Realtor?

How do real estate apps determine home value?

What is the best app for finding property?

Which site is best for selling property?

Bringing It All Together

What real estate apps do you use daily to boost your work efficiency, connect with leads faster, and close more deals? Do you agree with my list of the best apps for real estate? Which ones did I miss? Let me know in the comments! 

The post The 15 Best Apps for Real Estate Agents (2024) appeared first on The Close.

Pros

• Amazing design quality for the price
• Wide variety of marketing templates
• Automated social media posting
• In-app design studio

Cons

• Designs might not work for every agent's brand
• Designs may be slightly lower quality than competition
• Content may not be as compelling as competition

The Close Score

3.6

Pricing:

3.0

Features:

3.3

User Interface:

5.0

Support:

2.0

out
of

5

My Verdict on Agent Crate & Why You Should Trust It 

As a licensed real estate agent, I’ve seen my fair share of real estate marketing companies designed for agents. While Agent Crate’s design and copy might not be everyone’s cup of tea, I believe it offers the best value for the money in the market today. 

For around half of what competitors like Coffee & Contracts or Lab Coat Agents charge, you’ll gain access to professionally designed marketing templates, a built-in design studio, and in-app social media posting. If you’re looking for a feature-packed marketing platform that won’t break the bank, Agent Crate is the clear winner. Here’s the best part—starting at just $29 per month (or just $24 per month if you opt for annual billing), Agent Crate delivers the most bang for your buck in the real estate marketing space

For less than the price of your daily latte, you’ll receive a month’s worth of fresh, ready-to-post content for your social media channels. As any savvy agent knows, consistency is the key to building a devoted following on social media. That’s why I believe many real estate pros will find Agent Crate provides an impressive return on investment (ROI). So, if you’re ready to take your marketing game to the next level without draining your bank account, Agent Crate might just be the secret weapon you’ve been looking for.

Agent Crate Alternatives

As cool as Agent Crate is, it may not be the best solution for every agent’s needs. That’s why I’ve included a list of alternatives to check out to help you find the best fit for you and your business.

Platform	Why It’s a Great Alternative	Learn More	Ready to Purchase?
	Social media templates with an emphasis on increasing engagement. Great for agents ready to take their online marketing to the next level.	Coffee & Contracts Review	Visit Coffee & Contracts
	More robust marketing platform with third-party integrations—great for teams and small brokerages. Great alternative for teams.	Lab Coat Agents Review	Visit LCA Marketing Center
	DIY design platform with additional print features, social media templates, and website design. Great for syncing print marketing with digital.	No review yet	Visit VistaCreate
	A DIY design platform with print features and social media templates is a great option for controlling your overall marketing aesthetic.	Canva Review	Visit Canva

Platform	Why It’s a Great Alternative	Learn More	Ready to Purchase?
	Social media templates with an emphasis on increasing engagement. Great for agents ready to take their online marketing to the next level.	Coffee & Contracts Review	Visit Coffee & Contracts
	More robust marketing platform with third-party integrations—great for teams and small brokerages. Great alternative for teams.	Lab Coat Agents Review	Visit LCA Marketing Center
	DIY design platform with additional print features, social media templates, and website design. Great for syncing print marketing with digital.	No review yet	Visit VistaCreate
	A DIY design platform with print features and social media templates is a great option for controlling your overall marketing aesthetic.	Canva Review	Visit Canva

What Current Users Think of Agent Crate

Believe it or not, I couldn’t find many Agent Crate reviews from reliable third-party sources. The few reviews I did find were about the auto-renew and refund policy, all filed as complaints with the Better Business Bureau. I don’t find these types of reviews helpful in this situation. After all, Agent Crate is a software company providing digital services to real estate agents, and it’s important to understand their refund policies when you sign up. 

So, I contacted the company to see if they had any reviews they could share. Here is what they sent:

I would have liked a more balanced mix of reviews, but at least I was able to share some customer reviews from agents who are actively enjoying the platform. For what it’s worth, I have tested this software against its competition and find it to be extremely easy to use. I think the designs are stellar, especially at such an affordable price. 

Key Features of Agent Crate

Agent Crate hits the sweet spot between quality and price, offering a vast array of features at an affordable price point. It’s the perfect solution for real estate professionals who need a robust marketing tool to build their brand without breaking the bank. 

From customizable templates and automated social media posting to a user-friendly design studio, Agent Crate has everything you need to create a booming online presence. Here are many of the features that make Agent Crate an optimal option for real estate pros who need a solid marketing tool to build their real estate brand.

Quality Design

I have mentioned that other platforms may have a slight edge over Agent Crate in the design department. But, especially considering the glaring price difference, Agent Crate’s designs are professional, stylish, and on-trend. The designs may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but over the past couple of years, the design quality has improved, keeping it on the heels of its competitors.

Here are a few examples of the templates inside Agent Crate.

Clean and informative open house post templates (Source: Agent Crate)

Find high-quality listing post templates. (Source: Agent Crate)

Got a new listing? Grab one of the many “just listed” templates. (Source: Agent Crate)

All templates are customizable to your personal branding. (Source: Agent Crate)

Design quality is competitive with more expensive platforms. (Source: Agent Crate)

Template Library

In addition to its in-app editor, Agent Crate offers an extensive library of customizable templates for Canva, giving you tons of real estate marketing ideas to choose from. Whether you’re looking to create engaging social media posts, eye-catching marketing materials, persuasive email campaigns, or captivating videos, Agent Crate is your go-to marketing assistant. Each template is fully customizable in Canva, allowing you to easily align your marketing efforts with your personal branding kit. 

With the ability to modify colors, fonts, images, logos, and text, you can ensure that every piece of content you create is a perfect reflection of your real estate brand. This level of customization empowers you to maintain a consistent and professional image across all your marketing channels, helping you stand out in a crowded market and attract more clients.

Content Calendar

Consistency is the secret to social media marketing success. That’s why a content marketing plan that guides you on what to post daily is an essential feature for any good marketing company. Agent Crate’s content calendar is not only user-friendly but also strategically mixes up post types, making sure your followers aren’t bombarded with the same content day in and day out. With Agent Crate’s content calendar as your trusty sidekick, you can maintain a consistent posting schedule that showcases your expertise and keeps your brand top-of-mind for potential clients.

Automated Posting

As a busy agent, the last thing you want to worry about is remembering to post on social media every day. That’s where Agent Crate’s Premium plan shines with its automated posting feature. Sure, creating posts for Instagram and Facebook isn’t rocket science, but having it taken care of for you can be a game-changer. 

Competitors like Coffee & Contracts and Lab Coat Agents Marketing Center might have a slim advantage when it comes to graphic design. But here’s the thing: neither offers the convenience of automated posting. With Agent Crate, you can watch your social media presence flourish without lifting a finger, freeing up your time to focus on what matters most—your clients. So, if you’re ready to streamline your social media game, Agent Crate’s Premium plan might just be the secret weapon you’ve been looking for.

Landing Pages & Lead Magnets

Agent Crate’s library of real estate landing pages and lead magnets is designed to capture the attention of potential clients and convert them into leads. These tools help showcase your expertise and provide value to your prospects. Landing pages stay live for 60 days, and agents can order one each month.

When a potential buyer or seller lands on your website, they’ll be greeted by a professionally designed landing page that addresses their needs. In exchange for their contact information, they’ll receive an irresistible lead magnet, such as a neighborhood guide, home renovation checklist, or market trends report. Agent Crate’s user-friendly platform allows you to easily customize these lead magnets and landing pages to align with your brand and target audience, helping you generate more leads and grow your business.

In-app Design Studio

Let’s dive into Agent Crate’s Design Studio—the place where you can customize templates to perfectly align with your brand, even if you’re not a graphic design pro. The intuitive interface makes it a breeze to tweak designs and create stunning marketing materials, no matter your skill level.

Here’s where Agent Crate really shines compared to competitors like Coffee & Contracts. While C&C sends you off to Canva to customize your templates, Agent Crate keeps everything in-house with their snazzy in-app editor. Some realtors might prefer the familiarity and flexibility of Canva, but if you’re already comfortable with Canva’s interface, you’ll feel right at home inside Agent Crate’s Design Studio. For those who crave a seamless, all-in-one experience, Agent Crate’s Design Studio slays, allowing you to design to your heart’s content without juggling multiple platforms or leaving the app. 

Website Templates

Is your current website about as exciting as watching an episode of “And Just Like That…?” Agent Crate’s website templates provide the perfect solution. These gorg website designs are your secret weapon to boost your brand, capture leads, and make real estate buyers and sellers sit up and take notice.

Print Marketing Templates

Agent Crate isn’t just about digital domination—they’ve got your print game covered too. Get ready to be wowed by their extensive collection of templates for flyers, business cards, and even door hangers. The best part? All of these print marketing templates can be easily customized in Agent Crate’s Design Studio. And if you’re already comfortable with Canva’s interface, you’ll feel right at home inside Agent Crate’s Design Studio. With just a few clicks, you can customize every piece of print marketing, ensuring that your brand stays consistent across all channels. 

Real Estate AI Assistant

Agent Crate has been busy expanding their offerings and recently introduced a real estate AI assistant. The AI assistant can save you time by quickly cranking out listing descriptions, blog posts, captions for your social media posts, and more. The possibilities are endless. Having an AI assistant work for you will free up a lot of mental space and time, so you can spend more time doing what you do best.

Prewritten Blog Posts

Looking for an easy way to keep your blog fresh and engaging? Agent Crate’s got prewritten real estate blog posts. Now, I’ll be honest—these posts might not be winning any Pulitzer Prizes, and they’re not tailored to your specific market. But they tackle a wide range of topics your audience will find valuable, from navigating the tricky waters of selling a tenant-occupied property to providing comprehensive guides for first-time buyers. These posts are designed to inform and educate, helping you establish yourself as a knowledgeable and trustworthy resource in your market.

Agent Training Resources

Agent Crate’s library of training resources is a treasure trove for real estate professionals looking to level up their skills. With scripts, newsletters, checklists, and more, you’ll have access to the tools and strategies used by top-performing agents to take your real estate marketing to the next level.

Agent Crate Pricing

Compared to other real estate marketing companies, Agent Crate is one of the most affordable platforms on the market. By a long shot. Lab Coat Agents Marketing Center charges around twice as much for a very similar product. The pricing is designed to grow with you as you grow in your real estate business.

Methodology 

At The Close, we take tech reviews seriously, and we’re dedicated to providing agents with the most accurate and comprehensive reviews of software and technologies as humanly possible. As a team of licensed real estate agents, data analysts, and content creators, we understand the unique challenges and needs of the real estate industry. We spend hours studying, testing, and researching each platform before providing our professional recommendations.

In this Agent Crate review, we employed a rigorous methodology to ensure a fair and thorough assessment. Our team spent countless hours evaluating the platform’s features, usability, and overall effectiveness. We developed a comprehensive scoring rubric that takes into account the specific requirements of real estate agents, allowing us to compare Agent Crate objectively against its competitors.

Based on our rubric, here is an explanation of the individual scores in this Agent Crate review:

• Pricing: 3 out of 5
  • We looked at Agent Crate’s cost per month against the value offered compared to its competitors. Agent Crate offers many features that compare closely with those of its competitors at a much more affordable price.
• Features: 3 out of 5
  • Agent Crate offers many features that others don’t, like automations and an in-app design studio. With Agent Crate, you can post directly to social media from inside the platform. 
• User Interface: 5 out of 5
  • Agent Crate is decidedly easy to use and requires little to no technical knowledge. The in-app editor makes all the templates 100% customizable.
• Support: 2 out of 5
  • Agent Crate only offers an email ticketing system for customer support. 

If you would like to read more about The Close methodology, you can check it out on our Methodology page here.

FAQs

What is Agent Crate?

How does Agent Crate work?

How often should I post on social media?

The Bottom Line: Is Agent Crate Worth Your Money? 

Agent Crate has many features that make it a perfect fit for many real estate pros who want to create a consistent online presence to build their businesses. I love the in-app design studio, which allows agents to create stunning social media posts on the go. Agent Crate is the only marketing platform that offers that feature, putting it in pole position against its competitors.

Though Agent Crate may not have the same level of design quality as its competitors, namely Coffee & Contracts and LCA Marketing Center, they’ve stepped up their design game over the past couple of years and narrowed that gap. 

For the money, Agent Crate leads the competition. If you’re a new agent starting out, you can sign up for the bottom tier and build up to the upper tiers as you grow your business. It’s designed to expand with you.

Bringing It All Together

Have you used Agent Crate? What did you think? Let us know in the comments.

The post Agent Crate Review: Pricing, Features, Pros & Cons (2024) appeared first on The Close.

To help you decide if Coffee and Contracts is right for you, In this article, I took a deep dive into the pricing, professional design, quality of its prewritten content, and additional features for 2024 to see how it stacks up against the competition. So grab your coffee and saddle up for this Coffee and Contracts review.

Pros

• Trendy design & well-written copy
• Templates & scripts for engagement
• Monthly content calendar
• Useful & stylish print templates

Cons

• No automated posting
• No in-app template editor
• No print-on-demand options
• No analytics reporting

The Close Score

3.5

Pricing:

3.0

Features:

3.0

Ease of Use:

5.0

Support:

2.0

out
of

5

My Verdict on Coffee & Contracts & Why You Should Trust It 

As a licensed agent, I’ve used a lot of tools to market my real estate business. Some have been amazing, while others have fallen flat. But Coffee and Contracts delivers on many of its promises to agents. I spent several hours testing the templates, perusing the content vault, and creating content with their marketing content planner. It’s not quite the one-stop-shop it claims to be, but the effectiveness of the products it offers makes it an invaluable tool for agents ready to take their marketing efforts to the next level.

Several agents raved about the Coffee and Contracts reviews, but for many agents, it might lack some important features. Automation is a big deal for busy agents who prefer to batch content. And the ability to post directly from inside the platform makes keeping your posts fresh while on the go rather difficult. While these two features are glaring shortcomings, the content Coffee & Contracts offers is stellar and probably its best selling point. Where C&C lacks, it’s doubled down on the things that matter–creating content that delivers engagement, followers, and ultimately fresh leads for your business.

Coffee & Contracts Alternatives

Though many agents love the platform, per the stellar Coffee and Contracts reviews, it may not be the perfect tool for every agent. I rounded up a few alternatives you might explore to find the right tool to fit your business.

Platform	Why It’s a Great Alternative	Learn More	Ready to Purchase?
	Social media templates and auto-posting at a more affordable price point. Great option for on-the-go posting from the app.	Review article link	Visit Agent Crate
	More robust marketing platform with third-party integrations–great for teams and small brokerages. Great alternative for teams.	Review article link	Visit LCA Marketing Center
	DIY design platform with print features as well as social media templates. Great option to keep control of your overall marketing aesthetic.	Review article link	Visit Canva
	DIY design platform with additional print features, social media templates, and website design. Great for syncing print marketing with digital.	No review yet	Visit VistaCreate by VistaPrint

Platform	Why It’s a Great Alternative	Learn More	Ready to Purchase?
	Social media templates and auto-posting at a more affordable price point. Great option for on-the-go posting from the app.	Review article link	Visit Agent Crate
	More robust marketing platform with third-party integrations–great for teams and small brokerages. Great alternative for teams.	Review article link	Visit LCA Marketing Center
	DIY design platform with print features as well as social media templates. Great option to keep control of your overall marketing aesthetic.	Review article link	Visit Canva
	DIY design platform with additional print features, social media templates, and website design. Great for syncing print marketing with digital.	No review yet	Visit VistaCreate by VistaPrint

What Current Users Think of Coffee & Contracts

One thing about Coffee and Contracts reviews is clients love the service. As I scoured the internet looking for customer Coffee and Contracts reviews, the only ones I found were positive. In all fairness, there aren’t many reviews period for Coffee and Contracts. But the ones I found on Google reviews raved about the effectiveness of its offerings with one reviewer going so far as to claim C&C is the “best thing to hit the social media service world since sliced bread.” That’s some endorsement!

Here are some highlights. 

Key Features of Coffee & Contracts

Coffee and Contracts may not have all the bells and whistles or be a one-stop shop for all your marketing needs, as it claims, but the features it does provide are transcending. Here are the many features I believe make Coffee and Contracts an outstanding real estate marketing tool for agents ready to invest in their online presence and dominate their local real estate market.

Design & Copy Quality

The number one thing that separates Coffee and Contracts from other social media marketing platforms is the quality of its professional graphic design and copy. The designers working to create the aesthetics of the templates, whether it’s for social media, email marketing newsletters, or print media, are beyond gorg and on point. But somehow also seems timeless and classic. 

These templates are elegant in their simplicity, giving agents a beautiful canvas to customize to their own specifications. The copy for each template is crafted with professional cleverness, with a touch of wry humor—incredibly smart content that catches the eye of even the most ardent scroller.

Social Media Post, Stories & Reels Templates + Scripts

Coffee and Contracts templates for Instagram are head and shoulders above the competition. While Lab Coat Agents Marketing Center might have the same high-quality design, it doesn’t have the copy and scripts. Coffee and Contracts may lack some cool features LCA Marketing Center offers, but the investment in talented copywriters makes up for it in spades. Not to mention, the Broke Agent post templates allow you to customize some of the best social media posts if you’re looking for engagement.

What I really love about Coffee and Contracts’ social media templates is that they’re not only beautiful to look at but actually encourage your followers to engage with them. For example, Coffee and Contracts’ multipart story sets are fully written and designed to get your followers to swipe right to read the whole series. If you’re looking for some of the freshest real estate marketing ideas, C&C delivers with a bang.

These professionally designed templates also include helpful cues for where to put poll stickers or emojis and caption suggestions written to increase engagement. Unlike its competitors, Coffee and Contracts also offer animated templates, which, again, are designed to help you stand out and increase engagement with your followers. 

While this alone would be enough to recommend Coffee and Contacts to anyone struggling with social media, it also offers something even more useful: scripts for Reels videos. Even better, Coffee and Contracts gives you explicit instructions on how to actually record your Reels and how and when to post them to get maximum engagement.

Monthly Content Calendar

Just getting a bunch of templates isn’t very helpful if you don’t know what to post every week. Coffee and Contracts’ content calendar tells you exactly what to post, what social network, and when. The only element it could improve here is adding auto-posting capabilities.

Print Marketing Materials Templates

Coffee and Contracts’ print marketing templates look great and cover more actual uses than its competitors. While most platforms only offer the basics like “just listed” and ”just sold” postcards and flyer templates, Coffee and Contracts offers full comparative market analyses, seller updates, final walk-through checklists, and more.

Prewritten Email Newsletters & Lead Magnets

Coffee and Contracts also provides prewritten templates for email newsletters, including checklists, local event calendars, open-house guides, and even a preferred vendor packet. These templates are just as stunning as the social media templates, with their elegant design and well-written copy.

Memes From The Broke Agent

If you want to post memes to grow your account, Coffee and Contracts offers customizable memes from The Broke Agent. No other platform offers meme templates, especially not funny meme templates like those from The Broke Agent. If anyone can stir engagement, increase your followers, and keep your tribe tuned in, it’s The Broke Agent, who currently boasts more than 500,000 followers on Instagram and nearly 60,000 followers on his real estate media account, BAM. This alone is worth the extra charge in the monthly fee if you’re trying to build engagement on your accounts.

Branding Templates

Coffee and Contracts also offers templates to help build your personal brand. It has templates for logos, seasonal Facebook covers, email signatures, and even covers for Instagram highlights. It even includes some suggestions on how to create your branding photos for marketing purposes. This is where Coffee and Contracts shines–by providing more than just posts but teaching you how to build a brand that stands out.

Realtor Training & Private Facebook Group

Since it lacks the in-app design tools its rivals offer, Coffee and Contracts seems to have doubled down on training agents to crush it on social media. It employs three full-time coaches on its team available for members-only training each month. It also offers on-demand training for making videos, creating Instagram Stories, increasing likes and comments, and more. It also has a members-only Facebook group with almost 5,000 agents where you can swap tips and strategies. 

Coffee & Contracts Pricing

Real estate pros who’ve done their homework will notice that Coffee & Contracts’ price is a bit higher than Agent Crate and pretty close to LCA Marketing Center. And you may ask yourself, “Why is C&C so much more expensive?” I mean, Canva is only $10 per month, by comparison. Why would anyone pay that much for C&C? 

In my opinion, the price is justified with the high-quality content and stunning professional graphics. Plus, C&C offers something no one else does—The Broke Agent memes. Those hilarious posts get so much attention on social media that they’re worth their weight in gold to any agents who have used them. And they’re customizable! That’s an amazing feature you won’t get anywhere else. 

Here’s how the rest of the pricing breakdown works for Coffee & Contracts.

Methodology 

At The Close, we take tech reviews seriously, and we’re dedicated to providing agents with the most accurate and comprehensive reviews of marketing platforms and technologies. As a team of licensed real estate agents, data analysts, and content creators, we understand the unique challenges and needs of the real estate industry.

In this Coffee and Contracts review, we employed a rigorous methodology to ensure a fair and thorough assessment. Our team spent countless hours researching, testing, and evaluating the platform’s features, usability, and overall effectiveness. We developed a comprehensive scoring system that takes into account the specific requirements of real estate agents, allowing us to compare Coffee and Contracts objectively against its competitors.

Based on our rubric, here is an explanation of the individual scores in this Coffee and Contracts review:

• Pricing: 3 out of 5
  • We looked at the cost per month for Coffee and Contracts against the value offered versus its competitors. Coffee & Contracts charges more than Agent Crate, but the quality of the content is higher with Coffee and Contracts. 
• Features: 3 out of 5
  • Coffee and Contracts doesn’t offer as many features, like reporting and analytics, automations, or an app experience like some of the other competitors do. You also can’t post directly to social media from inside the platform. But the features it does offer blast the competition.
• User Interface: 5 out of 5
  • Coffee and Contracts is exceedingly easy to use and requires little to no technical knowledge. All the templates are 100% customizable inside Canva.
• Support: 2 out of 5
  • Coffee and Contracts is a small business and, as such, only offers an email ticketing system for customer support. 

If you would like to read more about The Close methodology, you can check it out on our Methodology page here. 

FAQs

What is Coffee and Contracts?

How to market real estate on social media?

Should real estate agents use social media?

How often should you post on social media for real estate?

The Bottom Line: Is Coffee & Contracts Worth Your Money? 

It doesn’t have some of the fancy-pants features of the more robust platforms, but what it does offer is on point. I love the aesthetic of the designs–they’re sleek, elegant, and stunning. But, the copy is where the real bang for your buck is. Some of its competitors have sleek designs and even offer more features than Coffee and Contracts. But C&C spends time each month crafting copy and relevant content that grabs your audience’s attention. In other words, it’s not just pretty–it’s also a smart, highly engaging tool that gets your brand in front of more eyeballs to boost your business.

One thing I think would elevate Coffee and Contracts is some social media automation. The ability to automate your posts gets Coffee and Contracts closer to that one-stop-shop idea it boasts. I would love to see C&C add the ability to post on the go from an app. It’s hard to post while you’re out and about, showing homes and working with clients without that feature. So, for now, you’ll have to focus on customizing your content from your desktop. But, I believe these features are not enough reason not to use this platform. It offers a wealth of effective and time-saving content for agents to build their real estate empires.

Bringing It All Together

Do you use Coffee and Contracts? What do you think of the platform? What else would make it better? Let us know in the comments!

The post Coffee & Contracts Review: Pricing, Design, Features + More appeared first on The Close.

Pros

• Offers a 7-day free trial
• Mobile app
• In-app design studio
• In-app direct mail feature
• Customizable graphics and designs
• Email integration
• Price-to-quality ratio is a bargain for teams

Cons

• Cost-prohibitive for solo agents
• No reporting and analytics features
• No templates for Reels or videos

The Close Score

3.9

Pricing

3.0

General Features:

2.8

Advanced Features:

3.3

Ease of Use:

5.0

Help and Support:

3.5

Reputation:

4.3

Expert Score:

4.6

out
of

5

My Verdict on LabCoat Agents Marketing Center & Why You Should Trust It

As one of The Close’s real estate staff writers, my in-depth research on various real estate solutions providers and my experience evaluating real estate platforms allows me to review Lab Coat Agents Marketing Center comprehensively. My commitment to transparency ensures you get an honest review while equipping you with valuable insights to help you decide whether LCA is right for you.

With its high-quality, customizable templates, LCA Marketing Center offers a robust solution for real estate marketing. Through its platform, you can design almost all your marketing materials (including print!) except for videos or reels. It is also important to note that for a monthly price of $59, agents won’t get resources for video ideas. That said, agents might want to check other platforms with more features and resources.

While LCA’s cost might be a consideration for solo agents, its value in enhancing marketing materials and brand image is undeniable for a team of agents. Therefore, it is a solid choice for small teams or brokerages but not for solo agents. 

LabCoat Agents Marketing Center Alternatives

While the Lab Coat Marketing Center is a popular choice for many, its cost for solo agents can be too expensive. Some agents might also find Lab Coat’s templates too generic and lacking the customization options they need to stand out. Check out these alternatives, which offer various real estate marketing tools.

Platform	Why It’s a Great Alternative	Learn More	Ready to Purchase?
	Wide selection of customizable templates at a more affordable price Automated social media posting In-app design studio Real estate AI assistant	Agent Crate review	Visit Agent Crate
	More sophisticated templates Lead magnet templates Brand-building story ideas Instagram reel ideas	Coffee & Contracts review	Visit Coffee & Contracts
	Best for luxury agents Stunning real estate website design templates Offers a full-service marketing agency Social media management	No review yet	Visit Luxury Presence
	Offers more templates and can be used by a larger audience, not just agents More types of print marketing materials You can create your logo and design your website on the platform Has a photo and video editor	Canva review	Visit Canva

Platform	Why It’s a Great Alternative	Learn More	Ready to Purchase?
	Wide selection of customizable templates at a more affordable price Automated social media posting In-app design studio Real estate AI assistant	Agent Crate review	Visit Agent Crate
	More sophisticated templates Lead magnet templates Brand-building story ideas Instagram reel ideas	Coffee & Contracts review	Visit Coffee & Contracts
	Best for luxury agents Stunning real estate website design templates Offers a full-service marketing agency Social media management	No review yet	Visit Luxury Presence
	Offers more templates and can be used by a larger audience, not just agents More types of print marketing materials You can create your logo and design your website on the platform Has a photo and video editor	Canva review	Visit Canva

What Current Users Think of LabCoat Agents Marketing Center

From the reviews I’ve read online, agents are not the only ones benefiting from LabCoat Agents Marketing Center. The platform’s versatility extends beyond real estate, catering to non-agents like lawyers. While there aren’t many third-party LCA Marketing reviews from users, feedback has consistently been positive. Here are some reviews from Apple’s App Store and G2:

“As a realtor, I can’t stress how important it is to constantly post to social media. This app lets me quickly design flyers and share new listings! The designs are modern and elegant.”

“Lab Coat Marketing has helped me generate leads for my law firm. I have seen my leads grow consistently since hiring them.”

“It’s way better than Canva! Their designs are super modern, professional, and very easy to customize. I’m not a great designer so these templates really help me! The social media categories are my favorite, too. They have so many options and help me think about branding myself and promoting my properties.”

Key Features of LabCoat Agents Marketing Center

Let’s look at Lab Coat Agents Marketing Center’s essential features and see why it’s one of the top choices for real estate agents and brokerages.

Design Quality

I love all of LCA Marketing Center’s designs! They’re simple, stunning, professional-looking, and easy to tweak. The platform has templates for various marketing materials you’ll need: business cards, property brochures, postcards, flyers, sign riders, thank-you cards, email newsletter campaigns, LinkedIn and YouTube banners, Zoom backgrounds, holiday posts, Facebook and Instagram stories, and many more.

Social Media Templates

LCA really shines in lead generation social media templates. Its ads and social media post templates are sleek and professional—a cut above other marketing platforms. These aren’t just generic templates—they’re crafted with lead gen strategies in mind. They’re designed to grab attention and convert viewers into potential clients.

Flyers, Property Brochures, Door Hangers

Whether designing open house flyers, door hangers, or property brochures, LCA Marketing’s template library allows you to create high-impact print marketing materials in minutes. Surely, you’ll find a template that suits your taste, with a wide range of styles to choose from—modern, minimalist, classic, bold, and elegant.

LCA Marketing’s property and event flyer templates (Source: LCA Marketing Center)

Property brochure templates for all your listings (Source: LCA Marketing Center)

Reach out to your community with these cute door hanger templates! (Source: LCA Marketing Center)

Email Newsletter Campaigns

Design eye-catching email campaigns with Lab Coat Marketing’s email newsletter templates. Agents can send their clients regular market updates, property listings, holiday greetings, and community event updates. Additionally, these customizable templates make it easy to personalize content to match the client’s needs, ensuring each email feels unique.

Listing Presentation Templates

Impress potential buyers with LCA’s beautiful listing presentation templates. LCA’s templates allow agents and teams to showcase property details, high-quality photos, and comparative market analyses in a polished format.

Design Studio

If you know how to use Canva, you’ll feel at home customizing templates in LCA Marketing Center’s design studio. It’s intuitive, easy to use, and has all the necessary features. You can add your branding and create your professional-looking marketing materials with ease.

Video Tutorials

If you don’t have any experience with other design platforms, Lab Coat Agents Marketing Center has your back! It offers bite-sized instructional videos that walk you through every step of the platform, ensuring you get the most out of its features. On its website, you may access all video tutorials, from layering multiple design elements to printing your designs.

Mobile App

LCA’s mobile app is one of the features that sets it apart from competitors. The app includes most of the features available on the web version, allowing seamless access to templates and design tools. LCA’s flexibility benefits agents who need to work from various locations. Need a last-minute open house announcement? Done. A holiday greeting you forgot to publish? Done.

Design your marketing materials on the go! (Source: LCA Marketing Center mobile app)

LabCoat Agents Marketing Center Pricing

Starting at $59 per month for individual agents, LabCoat Agents Marketing Center is slightly higher priced than most competitors. However, choosing the Team plan becomes much more affordable, at an average cost of $25 per user. If you have a bigger brokerage and would purchase the Mega Team plan, the price comes down significantly to less than $10 per user per month.

Methodology

At The Close, we aim to guide real estate professionals in making informed decisions. In this review, our team of researchers, writers, editors, analysts, and agents evaluated various real estate marketing companies and scored each based on platform, user-friendliness, pricing, design quality, and more. LCA Marketing Center’s score was based on the following criteria:

• Pricing
  • I evaluated LCA Marketing Center’s pricing and subscription plans, including the number of users in each plan and whether it offered discounts or bulk pricing.
• Features
  • I considered features such as social media ads, social media management, copy and design quality, third-party integrations, analytics reporting, and whether it has a mobile app.
• Ease of Use
  • I tested LCA Marketing Center’s web-based platform and mobile application to evaluate its user interface and user experience.
• Help and Support
  • Email, phone, and live chat support were assessed for real estate professionals needing support.
• Reputation
  • I looked into LCA Marketing Center’s overall reputation and scoured the internet for verified user reviews.
• Expert Score
  • The Close reviewed LCA Marketing Center for standout features, value for money, and other special considerations from an agent’s perspective.

Read more about our methodology here.

FAQs: Lab Coat Agents Marketing Center

Who is the founder of LabCoat Agents?

Is the platform easy to use for someone with no design experience?

How are my projects stored on the platform?

The Bottom Line: Is LabCoat Agents Marketing Center Worth Your Money? 

While LabCoat Agents Marketing Center might cost more than other marketing platforms, the quality of its design makes up for it. LCA’s templates look like they were designed for a luxury brokerage. They are sleek, professional-looking, and can lend any agent instant credibility on social media. You can bring your real estate marketing ideas to life with LCA’s attractive templates.

One of the standout aspects of LCA is its ability to elevate an agent’s marketing materials to a level that attracts various types of clients. However, I find LCA lacking in the number of templates it offers. Sure, there are many templates and colors to choose from, but not every agent can select and match colors that work. I also find LCA too expensive for solo agents. $59 is a significant monthly amount to pay when there are no video templates.

Overall, it’s only worth your money if you’re a team of 10 agents or more. But if you’re a solo agent navigating the complexities of marketing yourself in the industry, you’re better off with another platform.

Your Take

Do you have a go-to platform for creating your marketing materials? Have you used LabCoat Agents Marketing Center or a competing marketing platform? What did you think? Let us know in the comments.

The post LabCoat Agents Marketing Center Review (2024) appeared first on The Close.

I’m talking logos, social media graphics, free stock photos, templates—the whole nine yards. I’m even diving into when to call in the pros and hire a designer. Oh, and did I mention the free Real Estate Branding Guide I’m throwing in? Yep, I’m giving you everything you need to create a brand that’s so good clients won’t be able to resist. So, let’s do this!

Why Graphic Design Matters for Real Estate

Your brand is way more than just a logo or website. It’s the whole package—everything that shapes how people perceive you and your business. The great news is that you have the power to guide their perception by creating a unique combination of messaging and visuals that’s all your own.

Whether we like it or not, potential clients form opinions about a property and the agent representing it based on the visual appeal of their real estate marketing materials. As a real estate agent in a transitioning market, standing out from the competition is critical. But, with the right branding strategy, you can showcase your personality, expertise, and what sets you apart. You can connect with your target audience and build trust before they meet you.

Branding is a powerful tool for your success, so take the time to develop a brand that truly represents you and your business. Watch as it helps you attract your ideal clients and close more deals. Trust me, it’s worth it!

Benefits of Graphic Design for Real Estate Agents

Whether you’re using DIY tools or paying a pro, your real estate business will benefit from high-quality graphic design. Don’t underestimate the power of branding. Spend time defining your style, colors, and the statement you want to make in the world. Great graphic design will create the following:

• Increased brand recognition and memorability
• Enhanced credibility and professionalism
• Improved communication of key information
• Higher engagement rates on marketing materials
• Competitive advantage in the market

As your brand becomes more visible, both online and offline, your business will attract more clients, and you’ll close more deals. So, don’t skimp on the design details of your brand right up front. Invest in high-quality real estate graphic design to gain the most benefit from your marketing strategy. 

First, Establish Your Brand Identity

Without delving into branding, you can’t get too far into real estate graphic design. Now that you clearly understand why graphic design matters and its benefits, it’s time to start building your personal real estate brand identity. 

Establishing the look and feel of your brand is a critical step in creating effective real estate marketing materials. Spend some time on each of these elements to develop a brand identity that aligns with your personality and professional goals.

• MVV: Your mission, vision, and values (MVV) are the core identity behind your brand and all marketing materials you produce. They will help guide you through most graphic design choices you make. 

• Branding: Consistent branding is crucial for real estate agents. This includes using a specific color palette, font family, and logo across all marketing materials to create a recognizable and professional brand identity.
• Color psychology: Colors can evoke up to 90% of an initial impression. You should understand the basics of color psychology and use colors that create the desired mood and attract your target audience.

• Logo: Your real estate logo is the face of your brand and should be memorable, unique, and reflective of your brand’s values.
• Typography: Choosing the right fonts can significantly impact the readability and overall appeal of your designs. Choose legible and professional fonts that align with your brand’s personality.

Once you have established your brand’s color palette, typography, and logo usage, maintain consistency across all marketing materials, including business cards, property flyers, social media posts, and other marketing collateral. This will create a cohesive and recognizable brand identity.

Need a little more in-depth guidance on setting up your unique brand identity? Worry not! We’ve got you covered. You can download our Real Estate Branding Guide and go deeper into all the details of developing a brand that represents you and resonates with your audience. Check it out!

DOWNLOAD YOUR REAL ESTATE BRANDING GUIDE

DIY Design Tips for Real Estate Agents

You may not be a pro real estate graphic designer. Still, you can certainly learn a few design tips to help create stunning images for consistent social media posts, email marketing, real estate infographics, postcards and flyers, and more to keep your brand identity consistent no matter what you need to create.

Tip 1: Use White Space Effectively

White space, or negative space, is the empty space between all your design elements. It’s like the secret sauce to making your designs look clean, organized, and easy on the eyes. Don’t be afraid to give your elements some breathing room.

Tip 2: Create Visual Hierarchies

This is just a fancy way of saying you should arrange your design elements in order of importance. Use size, color, and placement to first guide your viewer’s eye to the most critical information. Make those headlines and key details pop by using larger or bolder fonts to draw attention to them. Use subheadings, bullet points, or numbered lists to break up text and make it more scannable.

Tip 3: Use Contrasting Colors

Using contrasting colors can make important elements stand out, like a neon sign. Use a color wheel to find complementary colors for maximum impact, choosing colors from the opposite side of the wheel. Just make sure your text is still legible—you don’t want people squinting while trying to read your graphics. But caution: use contrast sparingly. The last thing you want is to overwhelm the design and your reader. Focus on highlighting the most important elements.

Tip 4: Align Elements Consistently

Alignment is key to creating a polished, professional look. Use a grid system to keep everything in line. Make sure related elements, like text and images, are aligned to create a cohesive look. Consistent alignment makes your designs look polished and easier to read.

Tip 5: Embrace Simplicity

When in doubt, keep it simple. Stick to a limited color palette and font family for a put-together vibe. Avoid going overboard with decorative elements or busy backgrounds that can distract from your main message. Focus on delivering key information with clarity. Never sacrifice your message for a pretty design.

Tip 6: Use High-quality Images

There’s no excuse for not using high-quality images in your real estate graphic designs. Use professional, well-lit photos that show off a property’s best features. Make sure your images are sized and optimized for their intended use, whether digital or print. If you’re using stock photos, choose ones that look authentic and relate to your message.

Tip 7: Be Unique

It’s great to get inspo from other successful agents and see what design elements really catch your eye. But here’s the thing—don’t just copy and paste. Get inspired, but then create something that’s uniquely you. Put your own spin on it and let your personality shine through. That’s what will really make you stand out from the competition.

DIY Design Tools for Real Estate Agents

Ready to get started designing your stunning real estate graphics? I’ve pulled together a list of some of the coolest DIY marketing design tools to get you started.

Real Estate Graphic Design Templates 

Since you’re most likely not a professional designer, one of the easiest and fastest ways to create your gorg graphic designs is to use templates. Most of the platforms created for DIY design come with a plethora of templates, including some easy-to-customize social media templates you can peruse and customize to fit your brand. Check out some amazing templates I’ve seen in the wild below.

Templates from Coffee & Contracts

Modern market update template (Source: Coffee & Contracts)

Testimonial template (Source: Coffee & Contracts)

Templates library for social media, postcard, and marketing (Source: Coffee & Contracts)

Templates from Canva

Reel template (Source: Canva)

Just listed template (Source: Canva)

Educational post template (Source: Canva)

Stylish, customizable real estate templates for all your needs (Source: Canva)

Templates from Agent Crate

Template dashboard with several posts (Source: Agent Crate)

Engagement post template (Source: Agent Crate)

Educational post template (Source: Agent Crate)

Just sold template (Source: Agent Crate)

Agent Crate produces new monthly content and templates to customize your brand. (Source: Agent Crate)

Inspo: Examples of Real Estate Graphic Design That Slays

Here are some gorg examples of well-designed real estate marketing materials to inspire and guide you in creating your own designs.

Example 1: SERHANT.

If you’re looking for inspo for your branding, look no further than the man who has created one of the most recognizable brands in real estate—Ryan Serhant. This logo is one of my personal favorites for a myriad of reasons. It’s clean. Simple. And confidently stated. It’s simply his name in all caps and blocky letters, but the period at the end makes all the difference. Serhant. Period. See what I mean?

Example 2: The Agency

I know a lot of people on the internet talk about The Agency, including some of us here at The Close. But I can’t help but love how clever this real estate logo is—a bent paperclip in the shape of an “A” and the simple title underneath. It’s so simple, it’s brilliant. The white sans serif font on a bright red field stands out and screams sophistication. It’s a great example of less is more.

Example 3: Compass

Compass has done an amazing job with its branding, standing out as a leader in sophistication and class. Its branding conveys luxury without being bougie and techy without being boring. The simple black-and-white colors are fresh, modern, and stylish, with sans-serif all-caps lettering spaced out just enough to be open and inviting. With Compass, you’re going places. 

Example 4: Aaron Kirman Partners

I love the overt masculinity of this logo—it says power, sophistication, and boldness—definitely traits shared by its namesake. The simple, black-and-white design fits hand-in-hand with the use of negative space on the website. It also fits nicely with the tagline “The Evolution of Luxury.” This logo means business, just like its namesake and the brokerage itself. If you’re looking for powerful real estate graphic design inspiration, this one ranks up there.

How & Where to Hire a Real Estate Graphic Designer

Traditionally, when a business needs graphic design work done, they hire an advertising or creative agency. Sure, that’s one way to get premium real estate graphic design for your business, but you can also hire a freelance designer, which can be more economical. A freelance designer generally works on a per-project or hourly basis. 

Start small with freelancers once you’ve had a chance to check out their portfolio. Hire them to complete a few small projects to make sure they’re a good fit. Have them complete a few different types of projects—for example, a social media graphic, a listing brochure, a real estate flyer, and a postcard. Doing so will help you get a feel for how well the designer takes direction, how often they meet deadlines, and how easy they are to work with. One project isn’t enough to assess someone’s talents. Plus, you will also want to determine if they understand you and your unique brand.

Here are a few places to look for freelance graphic design for realtors, broken down by average cost and design quality. Keep in mind that prices vary based on the freelancer and task. Instead of hunting for one freelance designer, you can also run a contest on sites like 99designs, where you can pitch your project, and multiple designers will create designs. You can then choose the best option for your needs.

Freelancer Website	Pricing	Design Quality
Upwork	$–$$$$	Entry-level to mid-tier
Toptal	$$–$$$$	Mid-tier to expert
Dribble	$$–$$$$	Mid-tier to expert
Behance	$$–$$$$	Mid-tier to expert
Working Not Working	$$$–$$$$	Expert
99Designs	$–$$$$	Beginner to expert
Fiverr	$–$$$$	Beginner to expert

Bringing It All Together

We’ve covered a lot of ground in this ultimate guide to real estate graphic design. From understanding the importance of visual branding to mastering design basics, you’re now equipped with the knowledge and tools to create marketing materials that will make you stand out from the competition. But remember, this is just the beginning of your design journey. Keep exploring, experimenting, and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.

Now, I want to hear from you! What’s your favorite design tip from this guide? Have you created any killer marketing materials using these techniques? Share your thoughts, experiences, and even your designs in the comments below. Let’s keep this conversation going!

The post Real Estate Graphic Design: The Ultimate Guide for 2024 appeared first on The Close.

Pros

• Allows for customization to suit specific business needs
• Offers customized IDX websites
• Automates repetitive tasks
• Provides analytics and reporting tools

Cons

• Can be expensive for small businesses
• Mastering all features may be complex
• Customer service is not offered 24/7
• No free trial offered

The Close Score

4.1

Pricing:

1.0

General features:

5.0

Additional features:

5.0

Ease of use:

4.4

Help & Support:

4.3

Customer Reviews:

4.2

Expert score:

4.6

out
of

5

My Verdict on Lofty & Why You Should Trust It 

I’ve spent considerable time exploring and understanding various tools critical for success in the real estate industry. Lofty CRM impresses with its integration of CRM with advanced marketing tools and lead generation capabilities, making it a powerhouse for managing client relationships and driving sales. Its automation features are particularly beneficial, helping users save time and focus more on closing deals rather than managing data.

However, Lofty is not without its drawbacks. The Lofty CRM cost can be quite an investment, especially for smaller agencies or independent realtors. The learning curve can also be steep for the price of the platform. These factors might deter those who are not tech-savvy or need more resources to integrate such a comprehensive system into their workflow fully. Overall, Lofty stands out as a valuable tool for real estate professionals looking to elevate their business efficiency and client engagement. 

Lofty CRM Alternatives

When considering alternatives to a product like Lofty CRM, real estate professionals might seek different options for several reasons. Cost-effectiveness is a key factor, especially for smaller businesses or solo practitioners with tighter budgets who may prefer a more affordable solution. Others might look for a real estate CRM with features more specifically aligned to their unique business needs, avoiding the complexity of such a robust platform like Lofty. Here are some of your options:

Products	Why It’s a Great Alternative	Learn More	Ready to Purchase?
	The affordability allows agents to manage client relationships economically	Wise Agent Review	Visit Wise Agent
	A free trial lets prospective users explore features without initial investment	Realvolve Review	Visit Realvolve
	A simple interface reduces the learning curve for new users	No Review Yet	Visit Pipedrive

Products	Why It’s a Great Alternative	Learn More	Ready to Purchase?
	The affordability allows agents to manage client relationships economically	Wise Agent Review	Visit Wise Agent
	A free trial lets prospective users explore features without initial investment	Realvolve Review	Visit Realvolve
	A simple interface reduces the learning curve for new users	No Review Yet	Visit Pipedrive

What Current Users Think of Lofty

With a significant presence in the real estate CRM tool market, evidenced by an impressive 4.4 out of 5 rating on G2, Lofty is highly regarded by users. This underscores the platform’s effectiveness and satisfaction level among real estate professionals. We’ve gathered several reviews from real estate professionals with firsthand experience with the platform to provide a clearer picture of what Lofty can offer. 

Key Features of Lofty

Lofty’s suite of powerful tools is tailored to meet the demands of today’s real estate professionals. Designed to simplify workflows and enhance efficiency, Lofty delivers innovative solutions that help users easily manage their business operations. Whether you are looking to improve client interactions or streamline daily tasks, Lofty CRM equips you with the necessary resources to thrive in a competitive market.

Check out a quick overview of Lofty’s platform:

Google PPC Integration

Lofty integrates Google Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising tools, allowing real estate professionals to target potential clients effectively by placing ads on Google’s search results pages. With this feature, users can bid on keywords pertinent to their market, ensuring ads reach potential clients precisely when searching for real estate services. These ads will then attract leads using intent targeting and artificial intelligence (AI)  to drive web traffic to your website.

Enhanced Brand Advertising

Through Lofty, real estate businesses can leverage brand advertising capabilities to build and reinforce their identity and market presence. This feature utilizes various media channels like Facebook, Google, and Instagram to help enhance brand awareness and establish a strong, recognizable presence. This strategic approach is vital for differentiating your business in a competitive market, attracting Lofty real estate leads, and retaining customers by effectively communicating your core values and brand promise.

Streamlined Website Building

Lofty includes a website builder tailored for the real estate sector. It offers customizable templates and simple drag-and-drop interfaces, ensuring that even users without technical skills can create professional-looking websites. With features like mobile-responsive designs and built-in SEO tools, real estate professionals can effectively showcase their properties and enhance online visibility to attract potential clients.

Automated Phone Dialer

The phone dialer feature within Lofty automates the process of making calls, significantly benefiting real estate agents who need to manage numerous client interactions efficiently. This technology saves time by removing the need for manual dialing and integrates seamlessly with Lofty’s CRM. The integration provides smart call lists, actionable insights, and phone scripts to boost productivity and ensure thorough lead follow-up.

AI Assistant Capabilities

Lofty’s AI assistant uses artificial intelligence to automate and enhance various tasks, such as responding to text messages, setting appointments, and sending important notifications. This assistant is capable of handling inquiries, generating leads, and assisting with data management, allowing agents to focus more on strategic activities like closing deals and nurturing client relationships. Lofty’s AI assistant enhances overall customer satisfaction and business effectiveness by improving operational efficiency and offering quicker, more personalized client interactions.

Lofty Pricing

In my Lofty CRM review, I found Lofty provides three main packages designed to cater to businesses of varying sizes, from individual agents to large brokerages. Each package is strategically priced to deliver value while accommodating the diverse needs of different real estate professionals. Lofty CRM pricing also includes a one-time implementation fee and offers options for further customization of services. 

Below is a detailed breakdown of the pricing for each package. It’s important to note that specific pricing details are not listed on the Lofty website, and no free trial is offered. Agents interested in exploring Lofty’s capabilities are encouraged to contact the company directly for a demonstration.

Methodology 

Our team, consisting of experienced data analysts, writers, and editors, meticulously evaluates each platform to create a detailed scoring system for assessing different real estate CRMs. At The Close, our dedicated experts are committed to providing thorough reviews, an essential resource for real estate professionals. These evaluations help navigate the varied landscape of solutions and technologies available in the real estate sector.

Driven by a profound dedication to progressing the industry, our goal is to deliver insights that enable agents and brokers to make well-informed choices, streamline their operations, and ultimately increase their effectiveness and success in the highly competitive real estate market.

How we provided the Lofty CRM review: 

• Advanced CRM Features 25%
  • This category includes sophisticated functionalities such as team management tools, document handling, mobile apps, enhanced marketing tools, social media integrations, and comprehensive reporting and analytics.
• Value for Money 20%
  • We meticulously examined each CRM’s pricing structures, subscription plans, and availability of free trials and bulk discounts.
• General CRM Features 20%
  • The team considered basic features such as contact management, text and email capabilities, task management, task reminders and notifications, lead management, pipeline or dashboard customizability, audience segmentation, transaction management, and integrations.
  • Ease of Use 10%
  • I assessed the user interface, level of customization, and ease of operation and setup for each CRM.
• Customer Rating 10%
  • The reputation of each real estate CRM software was evaluated by considering feedback from verified users.
• Expert Score 10%
  • At The Close, we meticulously review each top real estate CRM, assessing standout features, additional considerations, and the value proposition from the perspective of real estate experts.
• Help & Support 5%
  • If real estate agents require additional assistance, access to customer services such as live chat, phone support, and email assistance is essential. 

Read more about our methodology here.

FAQs

What are the key benefits of using a CRM in real estate?

How difficult is it to implement a CRM in my existing workflow?

What are the advantages of using a power dialer in conjunction with a CRM?

The Bottom Line: Is Lofty Worth Your Money? 

I’m a fan of all the tools that Lofty offers. It’s like having a Swiss Army knife in your business toolbox! It streamlines our chaotic days and keeps agents ahead of the competition. With its comprehensive features, from automated dialing to detailed analytics, Lofty simplifies workflow and enhances the effectiveness of our marketing and client management strategies.

That said, Lofty does come with its own set of challenges. The support could be snappier, and the rich feature set comes with a learning curve that might intimidate newcomers. So, should you invest? If you’re geared up to elevate your real estate game and need a real estate CRM that can keep pace, Lofty is a sound investment. It’s ideal for those looking to optimize their business and drive results.

The post Lofty CRM Review: Pricing, Features, Pros & Cons (2024) appeared first on The Close.

Whether you need some focused attention on your social media, video content, or print marketing—or maybe even a comprehensive, enterprise-wide strategy—we’ll help you pinpoint the right real estate marketing companies to meet your specific needs.

The Close’s Top Picks for Real Estate Marketing Companies

Coffee & Contracts: Best for Social Media Marketing

Pros

• Trendy design and well-written copy
• Templates and scripts for engagement
• Monthly content calendar
• Useful and stylish print templates

Cons

• No automated posting
• No in-app template editor
• No print-on-demand options

The Close Score

3.5

Pricing:

3.0

Ease of use/Customer Service:

3.0

Expert Score:

4.6

out
of

5

Why I Chose Coffee & Contracts

• Pricing: $45/month/billed annually

Coffee & Contracts might not have all the extras of some competitors, but it makes up for it with pure awesomeness, offering stunning and on-trend graphic design, prewritten captions, and viral-invoking engagement post ideas. Its Stories templates, Broke Agent memes (comedy gold!), and Reels scripts with trending audio will have the algorithms eating out of your hand. Coffee & Contracts dishes out the rocket fuel to social media success: highly engaging content that’ll make your Instagram account the envy of your colleagues.

• Stunning design: Templates are beautiful and easily customizable inside Canva.
• The Broke Agent memes: Partnership with The Broke Agent guarantees highly engaging posts every month.

Want to see more? Check out our full review of Coffee & Contracts.

What I Think Would Improve Coffee & Contracts

As much as I love the gorg templates and post ideas inside Coffee & Contracts, a couple of things could make it over-the-top. It would speed up your social media posting if you could edit your posts on the go and schedule them in batches. For these features, consider Agent Crate as a standout among real estate social media marketing companies.

BombBomb: Best for Video Marketing

Pros

• Compressed videos can be embedded into emails and text messages
• Save videos for reuse
• Easily integrates with most CRM platforms
• Use videos for drip campaigns inside CRMs
• Textable videos with shortened links

Cons

• Some editing features can be complex to use
• User interface can be challenging to navigate
• No analytics for mobile sends

The Close Score

3.8

Pricing:

3.5

Ease of use/Customer Service:

4.0

Expert Score:

3.8

out
of

5

Why I Chose BombBomb

• Pricing: $33/month/billed annually

I love using BombBomb in my real estate business. I create tons of videos that I can send at different times during the buying or selling process. Real estate apps like BombBomb make my life on the go so much easier. I pre-made videos for my email drip campaigns, for immediate responses to leads, and for things like birthdays and house-iversaries. Video is a powerful real estate marketing tool, and BombBomb became a huge asset in my real estate career.

• Premade videos: You can create videos for multiple uses, save them in your BombBomb account, embed them into your emails, or send them as text messages.
• CRM integration: BombBomb enhances your existing customer relationship manager (CRM). It integrates with most CRMs and platforms like Gmail, YouTube, and Realtor Property Resource (RPR).

What I Think Would Improve BombBomb

As much as I love using BombBomb to create videos, I know many people have trouble navigating the site. Not to mention, it’s a bit pricey just to create videos for email and text messages. If you want to try making some videos without the investment, believe it or not, you can create video content in Canva. Shoot videos from your smartphone, upload them to Canva, and add overlays and stickers to your heart’s content.

Luxury Presence: Best for Custom Website Design & Brand Development

Pros

• Stunning selection of website templates
• Fully customized branding
• Custom marketing tools, including lead capture
• Full-service marketing agency available
• DIY service available at a cost savings

Cons

• Cost can be prohibitive
• Setup can take a longer time
• Designs are similarly minimalist

The Close Score

3.5

Pricing:

1.0

Ease of use/Customer Service:

5.0

Expert Score:

4.5

out
of

5

Why I Chose Luxury Presence

• Pricing: $250/month licensing fees + $2,500 setup

Some of the most beautiful real estate websites out in the wild right now were created by Luxury Presence. If you’re in the luxury market, this site builder is for you. Its award-winning, customizable website template designs are sleek, chic, and highly sophisticated, and its pricing reflects that.

• Stunning templates: When it comes to luxury design, you can’t do much better than Luxury Presence. To save some costs, sign up for its DIY service and take advantage of the stunning templates to set up your website within a few hours.
• Full-service branding: Need help establishing your social media presence? Luxury Presence can take the reins and build your brand while you focus on growing your real estate business.

What I Think Would Improve Luxury Presence

It’s no secret that Luxury Presence is a high-end luxury product designed by some of the best graphic designers to cater to an elite clientele. However, it’s cost-prohibitive for many agents, especially in the non-luxury resale market. But every agent needs a beautiful website to send their clients to. For agents who can’t afford the high ticket price of Luxury Presence, check out Real Geeks for a dazzling website at a more affordable price.

Happy Grasshopper: Best for Written Content Creation

Pros

• Live copywriters creating content
• Success coach to help you maximize the service
• Nurturing campaigns to increase conversion
• Email, text, and voicemail drop content templates
• Integrates with numerous CRMs

Cons

• Generates only referral leads from your sphere
• No mobile app
• Startup is not immediate
• No lead capture provided

The Close Score

3.7

Pricing:

3.0

Ease of use/Customer Service:

4.0

Expert Score:

4.0

out
of

5

Why I Chose Happy Grasshopper

• Pricing: $47/month + $47 setup

Happy Grasshopper is not a CRM—it’s a CRM enhancer. Happy Grasshopper is a lifeline for agents who need some coaching through lead generation and nurturing. With its success coaches holding your hand throughout the processes, you’ll have an opportunity to learn as you grow your business. It’s like having a personal real estate marketing consultant by your side.

• Live copywriters: Working one-on-one with a live person to capture your voice for your marketing and lead-nurturing content is priceless—a thousand times better than using artificial intelligence (AI). You’ll easily be able to build relationships based on your authentic self. 
• Easy to use: With your success coach holding your hand throughout, messing up this system is hard.

What I Think Would Improve Happy Grasshopper

Happy Grasshopper claims to be able to stand in for a regular CRM, but it’s not a replacement for a good CRM that manages more than just your sphere of influence. Consider Sierra Interactive instead for an all-in-one system that can manage leads, segmentation, email marketing, and lead nurturing.

ProspectsPLUS!: Best for Direct Marketing

Pros

• In-house design and send service
• Thousands of fully customizable real estate-specific templates
• Affordable and scalable
• Easy-to-use design and scheduling system
• Uses data point and demographic tracking to target audience segments
• Fast and easy delivery

Cons

• Does not integrate with other systems
• Many designs look dated and out of trend
• Design editor can feel clunky
• Tons of templates to sift through

The Close Score

4.1

Pricing:

3.0

Ease of use/Customer Service:

4.4

Expert Score:

5.0

out
of

5

Why I Chose ProspectsPLUS!

• Pricing: No subscription—pricing variable based on the type and quantity of marketing materials ordered

A good marketing campaign should include multiple channels, including some print. ProspectsPLUS! is one of the easiest printing companies to use. You’ll simply choose your template, customize it for your unique needs, pick your designated area or choose from a list, and hit send. ProspectsPLUS! will print and deliver your postcards and mailers within a few days. It’s great for generating seller leads and listings.

• In-house print and delivery: ProspectsPLUS! makes it easy to choose and customize your mailers quickly, then sends them out without you having to worry about stamps.
• Design your own: Don’t care for the designs inside ProspectsPLUS? No problem. Upload your design or use templates from Etsy or Canva to create a stunning design and upload it directly to your ProspectsPLUS! account.

A Just Listed postcard template from ProspectsPLUS! (Source: ProspectsPLUS!)

Shifting market postcard template from ProspectsPLUS! (Source: ProspectsPLUS!)

An “I have a buyer!” postcard template from ProspectsPLUS! (Source: ProspectsPLUS!)

What I Think Would Improve ProspectsPLUS!

It would be nice to see ProspectsPLUS! invest in updating its designs. One thing I never really liked was its dated graphics. And the design editor can be clunky to work with. If you’re looking for a smoother design experience, try Canva instead. You can always upload your Canva design directly into ProspectsPLUS! for mailing.

Market Leader: Best for All-in-One Marketing Solution

Pros

• Monthly exclusive leads delivered
• Network Boost generates inexpensive social media leads
• All-in-one website and CRM solution
• Lead behavior tracking
• Direct mail tools integrated with digital marketing strategy
• Automated lead nurturing and conversion tracking

Cons

• Minimum six-month contract
• Leads limited in competitive ZIP codes
• Lack of price transparency
• No free trial period
• Limited analytics
• No texting included in lead nurturing automation

The Close Score

4

Pricing:

2.0

Ease of use/Customer Service:

5.0

Expert Score:

4.9

out
of

5

Why I Chose Market Leader

• Pricing: $189/month + approx. $25/lead based on location

Market Leader is a stellar platform that continues to stand out as one of our top picks for real estate lead generation companies. It provides agents with a predictable monthly volume of leads, a decent customer relationship manager (CRM), beautifully designed websites, and a marketing platform—all at an affordable price. You’ll also gain access to its marketing center with bulk and direct mail print options. For an additional charge, you can take advantage of Network Boost, its integrated Facebook ad service for low-cost internet leads. 

• Guaranteed exclusive leads: Market Leader only allows a set number of agents per ZIP code, so you know you won’t have to fight off other agents in your area. The leads you get are exclusive.
• Integrated CRM: Leads populate directly into the Market Leader ecosystem, where it tracks activity and nurturing begins.

What I Think Would Improve Market Leader

You get a lot for a reasonable monthly price from Market Leader. Still, if you’re the type of person who wants a lot of customization in your website design, you won’t find it here. It’s mostly a drag-and-drop system. If you desire creative control over your design, check out Easy Agent Pro.

Easy Agent Pro: Best for Lead Generation All-in-One Solution

Pros

• Good value for cost
• Highly customizable
• Month-to-month and annual plans
• Social media integration
• SEO-optimized content provided
• Integrates easily with several of the most popular CRMs, including LionDesk, Follow Up Boss, and Wise Agent

Cons

• Built-in CRM is basic, lacking functionality
• Template designs of lower quality
• Manual lead routing
• Limited lead tracking

The Close Score

3.7

Pricing:

3.0

Ease of use/Customer Service:

4.3

Expert Score:

3.8

out
of

5

Why I Chose Easy Agent Pro

• Pricing: $149/month/billed annually + $199 activation fee

Easy Agent Pro (EAP) is a force among real estate marketing services, particularly when it comes to lead generation. The basic plan is a marketing powerhouse that provides a website with IDX integration, a built-in CRM, and direct communication tools. 

• SEO-optimized content: EAP boosts your site with weekly content to keep it at the top of the search results. 
• Squeeze: EAP’s highly customizable landing pages, dubbed “Squeeze,” are designed to maximize your lead capture rate, perfect for agents focused on lead conversion.

What I Think Would Improve Easy Agent Pro

As great as EAP’s lead capture is, the CRM can leave some leads to fall through the cracks. Integrating a comprehensive CRM with more robust lead management systems, like Follow Up Boss or Wise Agent, is a great way to alleviate lead waste.

Agent Crate: Best for Templates for Print & Digital Marketing

Pros

• Stunning design quality at an affordable price
• Large selection of marketing templates
• Automated social media posting
• In-app design studio
• Canva-enabled templates for customization

Cons

• Automated posting isn’t customized
• No print-on-demand options

The Close Score

3.5

Pricing:

3.0

Ease of use/Customer Service:

3.5

Expert Score:

4.0

out
of

5

Why I Chose Agent Crate

• Pricing: $24/month/billed annually

Agent Crate offers the best value for real estate digital marketing companies. For around half of what Coffee & Contracts or LabCoat Agents charge, you get professionally designed marketing templates, an in-app design studio, and customization options. For an upcharge, you can also add automated social media posting.

• Stunning design templates: Agent Crate has upped its design game and offers tons of variety in its templates. Choose a design and customize it in Canva for a unique look.
• Social media posting: You can add auto-posting to social media for an additional charge. 

What I Think Would Improve Agent Crate

Agent Crate has come a long way in recent years. It added some fantastic features, like non-IDX websites, Canva templates that allow you to customize your posts and Reels, and an AI assistant. I would only change the ability to customize your social media auto-posting content. If you would like to control your designs, you might use Canva.

Highnote: Best for Buyer & Listing Presentations

Pros

• Well-designed plug-and-play digital presentations
• Dozens of templates to choose from
• Real-time notifications when someone clicks
• Tons of assets to use in your presentations
• Publish as a website feature

Cons

• No integrations with other software
• Website is a little clunky and difficult to use

The Close Score

3.3

Pricing:

2.5

Ease of use/Customer Service:

3.5

Expert Score:

4.0

out
of

5

Why I Chose Highnote

• Pricing: $29/month/billed annually

In today’s crazy shifting market, standing out has never been more critical. With Highnote’s elevated presentations, you’ll stand head and shoulders above the competition. Use Highnote’s flashy email templates to create buyer presentations with all the information your future clients need to choose you as their agent, monthly newsletters, open house announcements, and more for a reasonable monthly subscription.  

• Plug-and-play presentations: The possibilities for agents with these presentations are endless. Create buyers or listing presentations, trainings, recruiting presentations, and more.
• Real-time notifications: Get notified as soon as your recipients click to open your presentations, see which elements they clicked on, how many times, and for how long, so you can follow up with them meaningfully.

What I Think Would Improve Highnote

The website itself is not as intuitive as I think it could be. Discovering how to duplicate a created template took a lot of digging. On top of that, it took several steps to get done. It would be much easier if the platform had a duplicate button. For a more straightforward experience, you can take Canva presentations for a test drive.

Honorable Mentions

Software	Key Features	The Close Review	Learn More
	• Sophisticated website designs • WordPress hosted • SEO optimized	Check out our website builders guide	Check out Agent Image
	• Easy-to-use interface • All-in-one lead generation platform • Tons of integrations	Read our in-depth review	Check out Real Geeks
	• High-end website templates • SEO optimization • Built-in nurturing tools	Read our in-depth review	Check out Sierra Interactive
	• Easy-to-use DIY platform • Affordable at less than $15 per month for Pro version • Tons of real estate-specific templates, stock photos, and brand kits	Read our Canva guide for real estate agents	Check out Canva

FAQs

What is a marketing company for real estate?

What is real estate marketing?

Which is the best digital marketing for real estate?

Methodology: How I Chose the Best Real Estate Marketing Companies

As a seasoned real estate pro, I’ve test-driven my fair share of software. I test platforms just like I would if I were considering them for my own business. I dig into the features, user experience, and how these companies stack up against the competition. So, when I share my opinions on a tool or platform, you can trust that it’s coming from firsthand experience and a deep understanding of what gets results in the real world of real estate.

And just to make sure I’m being fair and objective, I also use an unbiased rubric designed by our team of licensed real estate pros, research and data geeks, writers, and editors to evaluate each platform. Read more about the specific methodology The Close uses for reviewing companies.

The criteria for this list of real estate marketing companies I used are broken down and explained below.

Pricing

There are so many different types of real estate marketing services on this list, and they all do various things in the real estate marketing space. But, looking at the cost of a platform’s services compared to its overall value is essential. So, I’m compelled to include the price in my analysis. 

One note about pricing in context to this rubric and scoring. Luxury Presence has an extremely low score in the pricing category based solely on the actual price for its offerings. However, Luxury Presence serves an elite clientele a very specific brand of website design that stands out from the competition. And if Agent Image had made the top of the list, it would have had a similar score. These companies offer a high-end product with a sophisticated price to match. That does not equate to the value these companies provide their clients. It’s simply a reflection of overall cost against other marketing companies on this list.

Ease of Use/Customer Support

For this list, I combined the platform’s ease of use with customer support to develop an individual score that reflects a company’s overall user experience. I believe that even the most feature-packed software falls short if it’s a struggle to use or you can’t get help when needed. By weighing both factors together, we get a complete picture of what it’s like to work with each company and how well the tools can support your real estate marketing efforts in the long run.

Expert Evaluation

To determine an expert evaluation for these diverse real estate marketing tools, I considered several crucial factors: standout features, value for money, and ease of implementation. While some tools may have a higher price tag, many often provide a more comprehensive feature set or automation level that can save time and effort in the long run. The expertise evaluation provides a quick and easy way to gauge each tool’s strengths and possible benefits. Still, the right tool for your business will ultimately depend on your specific needs and budget.

Features

While I didn’t include the features scores in this article, I did consider the individual features of each real estate marketing software to determine how much value you get for the money spent. I looked at the software’s usefulness, number of advanced features versus price, and how much it helped agents with efficiency in their workflow. I didn’t include these scores because the rubric is static, while all the different marketing companies offer so many different features and benefits it’s hard to pit them against each other fairly. So, in the end, I only included the scores for pricing, ease of use and customer support, and expert score. 

Your Take

Real estate marketing is my jam, and I love utilizing many tools from this list. Real estate marketing companies continue to innovate, creating more robust platforms with bigger and better tools to help agents attract more leads, close more deals, and do their jobs more efficiently. Who’s not on board with that? 

How about you? What’s in your marketing tech stack? Every agent probably uses different tools in unique ways, so share what you’ve got going on in the comments!

The post The 9 Best Real Estate Marketing Companies in 2024 appeared first on The Close.

The Close’s Top Picks for Real Estate Marketing Tools 

1. Websites

My Favorite Features of Agent Fire 

• Pricing: $149/month + $500 setup fee

Every agent in 2024 should have a real estate website that not only showcases listings but also generates leads. Agent Fire is one of the best all-in-one platforms out there, especially for the price. It has real estate marketing tools to help you generate and capture leads, including neighborhood guides, visitor search pages, and listing searches, and feed them directly into your chosen customer relationship manager (CRM). 

Website Alternatives

• Placester: Affordable alternative to Agent Fire with easy-to-use website templates.
• Real Geeks: Many similar features as Agent Fire at a budget-friendly price.

2. CRMs

My Favorite Features of Wise Agent

• Pricing: $49/month for up to 5 users

When all the fabulous leads start pouring in, you’ll need a way to keep track of them all. A great CRM will allow you to run your business without pulling your hair out. There are a lot of real estate CRMs designed explicitly for your business, but one of my top picks is Wise Agent. It gives you a lot of functionality without breaking the bank. Its functions include concierge onboarding, tons of training, and excellent customer support to get you up and running fast. It also has tons of integrations to build the system you want.

CRM Alternatives

• Follow Up Boss: More robust CRM with tons of functionality, but at a higher price.
• Placester: IDX website with built-in CRM to capture and manage leads.

3. Social Media Marketing Tools

My Favorite Features of Coffee & Contracts 

• Pricing: $54/month

Agents know that their clients (and future clients) will start looking for their next home online. It will be challenging to snag those home shoppers as clients if they’re not in front of them on social. So, social media is key. But work smarter, not harder, by tapping into the brilliance of Coffee & Contracts to plan, create, and schedule all your social media faster.

I love Coffee & Contract’s trendy, stylish templates and its arsenal of great content. The templates open in Canva, making them super easy to edit, customize with your branding, and use on social media platforms.

Social Media Marketing Tool Alternatives

• Porchlyte: Beautiful designs for your social media, but at a slightly higher cost. Designed for real estate professionals by a seasoned veteran of the industry.

4. Graphic Design

My Favorite Features of Canva

• Pricing: $10/month for Pro

I don’t know about you, but I didn’t get into real estate to become a graphic designer. But that’s the game today. Am I right? Make stunning social media posts, flyers, postcards, door hangers, and more with the most amazing drag-and-drop design platform—Canva. 

Canva has been my preferred platform for designing practically everything for several years. During that time, it has expanded its library and now includes tons of real estate-specific templates to start your next design. And it recently added artificial intelligence (AI) features that make your projects come together quickly!

Graphic Design Alternatives

• Kapwing: Amazing video content creating and editing tool.
• Adobe Photoshop: The industry standard for design, but more expensive than Canva.

5. Video Production

My Favorite Features of Animoto

• Pricing: $8/month

I’m sure I’ve said this before, but if you’re not using video in your marketing stack, you need to start. After all, studies show 44% of people prefer to learn about products and services through video. Luckily, there are plenty of real estate agent tools for video production out there to help you get started. Animoto is one of the OGs of video creation. It is a drag-and-drop video editor designed to create slick, professional-looking results without the hassle. Perfect for making quick listing videos, promotional videos, or social media content that you can easily post directly from right inside the dashboard.

Video Production Alternatives

• Canva: Yes, you can create vertical video content in Canva too!
• Capcut: Platform designed to create vertical video content for social media like TikTok and Instagram Reels.

6. SEO Tools

My Favorite Features of Ahrefs

• Pricing: $83/month

If you want your future clients to find you online, you’re going to have to learn to use search engine optimization (SEO) whether you know what it is or not. It’s not as difficult as you might believe. SEO drives traffic by allowing your content to be searchable. For your content or website to be found by Google or any search engine, keywords must be in your content. Ahrefs is a tool to help you find those keywords, which are terms people are actively searching for, so you can use them in your content. That’s how you can show up in search results. And we here at The Close love Ahrefs for this.

I love how simple the Ahrefs user interface is and how easy it is to understand. You can use and benefit from this tool even if you’re not 100% sure what everything means. The easiest way to use Ahrefs is to go to Keyword Explorer and type in a topic, like real estate (your city). Ahrefs will show you how many people are searching for that keyword, plus a list of additional keywords related to the original one. 

Overview of keyword research (Source: Ahrefs)

Free keyword generator from Ahrefs gives you plenty of data to build your blog or social content (Source: Ahrefs)

SEO Tool Alternatives

• Semrush: Gives much similar information as Ahrefs, but not as easy to use.

7. AI Tools

My Favorite Features of ChatGPT

• Pricing: $20/month

Ah, AI! I love discussing artificial intelligence, the best real estate agent tools with AI, and how AI disrupts the real estate industry. I’ve talked about it a lot here at The Close. If you haven’t embraced AI yet, start simply and expand from there. Start with OpenAI’s ChatGPT. Name yours after you sign up (I named mine Charlie), and begin asking basic questions to get the ball rolling. Use some ChatGPT prompts specifically for real estate, like writing a listing description or creating a social media post using emojis and hashtags. You can find tons of prompts in this article about clever ways to use AI tools and ChatGPT prompts. 

I’ve since upgraded to the paid version to get more mileage out of my AI. ChatGPT is a magnificent real estate agent tool that helps you do more in less time. I love that you can ask it to try again if you don’t like the results the first time.

AI Tool Alternatives

• Copy.ai: Free tools like Instagram caption generator, marketing email generator, and cold email generator give this tool some extra punch.

8. Landing Pages

My Favorite Features of Real Geeks

• Pricing: $299/month + $250 setup fee

If you’re going to generate online leads, you’ll need a way to capture data. Enter landing pages. Landing pages are single-page websites where visitors land before reaching their intended destination—most likely your lead magnet. Our overall favorite is Real Geeks. I know what you’re thinking—isn’t that a website builder or all-in-one solution? Yes, it is. And it has spent incredible time developing landing pages to make your life easier.

• I love that Real Geeks includes many additional real estate agent tools to help you generate and capture leads, including neighborhood guides, visitor search pages, listing search, and more, all designed to engage and capture more leads and feed them directly to your chosen CRM.

Landing Page Alternatives

• Placester: Built-in lead capture forms ensure leads don’t slip away.
• Agent Fire: Tons of built-in customizable calls to action (CTAs) plus LeadPages integration.

9. SMS Marketing Tools

My Favorite Features of EZ Texting

• Pricing: $20/month for up 500 messages/month (6,000 messages annually)

Raise your hand if your inbox is full of emails you haven’t opened. Sure, no one wants to listen to voicemail or open email anymore. But you know what gets read? Text messages! If you want to really up your marketing game, you should integrate SMS marketing into your overall strategy. We love EZ Texting for this. EZ Texting is a robust SMS messaging platform with many great features. I love that its AI can help you generate optimized messages that get responses.

Let the integrated AI help you draft the perfect text message (Source: EZ Texting)

EZ Texting makes sending marketing messages quick and easy (Source: EZ Texting)

SMS Marketing Tool Alternative

• Slytext: SMS and MMS texting with a pay-as-you-go plan.
• FollowUp Boss: Powerful CRM with built-in mass texting feature.

Methodology: How We Chose the Best Real Estate Marketing Tools

Though we here at The Close have years of combined real estate experience, choosing the top real estate marketing tools for agents is not easy. Every agent is different and has varying degrees of expertise, technical proficiency, and needs. But I strongly feel these tools can help almost every real estate pro enhance their existing business or start their real estate journey on the right foot. 

To add a degree of objectivity to my ratings, I looked at seven main criteria: 

• Application
  • The tools should solve common marketing challenges (lead generation, client management, automation) while providing tangible, practical benefits in everyday real estate operations.
• Pricing
  • Real estate marketing companies should have transparent and affordable pricing models. They should offer good return on investment (ROI) for agents with free versions or trials as a bonus.
• Ease of use
  • Tools for real estate agents should have intuitive navigation, a user-friendly interface, and a short learning curve, which is suitable for agents at all tech levels.
• Variety of features and customization options
  • We look at tools that cover listing management, lead generation, email marketing, and more. Tools should be customizable to reflect brand identity and appeal to the target audience.
• Integration capabilities
  • Many tools are compatible with CRM systems, social media platforms, and email marketing tools. Integrating with existing systems promotes a streamlined marketing strategy through seamless data transfer.
• Analytics and reporting
  • Some tools offer monitoring of website traffic and campaign performance to provide actionable insights for strategy optimization.
• Support and training
  • Agents should have access to responsive customer support and comprehensive training resources (webinars, tutorials, documentation).

FAQs

What is the best marketing tool for realtors?

What are the 4 Ps of marketing in real estate?

What marketing works for real estate?

What is a real estate marketing system?

Do you need marketing for real estate?

Your Take

There are so many real estate marketing platforms for agents to choose from. And with so many ways to mix and match, the sky’s the limit on marketing stack options. This list is just a basic primer on the tools that enhance your marketing efforts, help scale your business faster, and boost personal productivity so you can spend less time in your business and more time growing your business. 

I hope you learned some cool things about different tools you may not be using and will consider adding some to your marketing tech stack. Let me know if you’re using something great that I didn’t mention. I’d love to hear from you. Leave me a comment and tell me how you use some of these cool real estate marketing tools in your business.

The post 9 Real Estate Marketing Tools Every Agent Needs in 2024 appeared first on The Close.

So grab a coffee, turn off your notifications, and dig into our 23 best real estate marketing ideas for 2024.

Branding & Engagement Marketing Ideas

One of the most important steps in establishing authority In your market area is creating your brand story. Your brand should reflect who you are authentically to give your target audience away and make an emotional connection to you.

1. Create Your Brand Story

Start your real estate journey by creating a compelling personal brand story that resonates with your target audience. A solid personal brand does something that a website or glossy headshot never will—it helps you build a unique selling proposition that separates you from your competitors. That is more important than ever in 2024 because every agent in your farm area can access the same marketing tools—including gorg templates, artificial intelligence (AI), and intuitive nurturing systems.

The way to create a brand that elevates you is to first focus on your clients’ needs. Spend time uncovering what you bring to the table for them that no one else does. Start by creating a mission, vision, and values statement to guide your marketing strategy. 

2. Focus on Values

Your marketing needs to reflect your values, aligning with your lead’s values. So think about why you got into real estate (besides making gobs of money). Maybe you want to help people create wealth or feel a connection with a specific group of people. As a military spouse turned real estate agent, I felt compelled to work with military families to help them through their permanent change of station (PCS) transitions because I know what that feels like. It’s essential to identify your tribe and figure out how to best connect with them.

Now that you’ve figured out your unique value proposition, merge it with your unique personality. One key thing to remember is don’t try to be something you’re not. Be honest and authentic. You are not a perfect fit for everyone, so don’t try to be. Your vibe attracts your tribe. The people who resonate with you will be drawn to you, like bees to spring flowers.

3. Create a Compelling Slogan

You should clearly know what you have to offer once you’ve created your mission, vision, and values and established your unique brand. The next key element of your marketing identity is a slogan—a short, memorable phrase that summarizes your value proposition. Think of it as a one-sentence elevator pitch.

Summing up your value prop in one short sentence isn’t easy, but the benefits for your brand and marketing materials can be enormous. A compelling slogan in your marketing quickly makes a personal connection with your audience.

The best slogans are short, meaningful, and inspiring. I like to use the word “sticky.” If you don’t already have one or think yours needs work, check out our list of the 107 best real estate slogans for inspo. If you’re still not inspired, try using the free real estate slogan generator embedded in the strategy guide.

4. Generate Referrals From Local Businesses 

Experienced agents know that local business owners can be a sweet referral source. Who else is as plugged into your community as the local salon owner, restaurateur, or florist? They know when people are getting married, divorced, or making other life changes that might lead to a transaction. And people trust them. So, if you want to generate motivated referrals, you can’t go wrong building these relationships. 

You’re probably already working with several businesses right now (photographers, movers, staging companies, home inspectors, insurance companies, etc.) that know you well. You might consider hosting an event together. Try some of these ideas:

• Host a workshop with a qualified home inspector to educate potential military homebuyers about the VA inspection process.
• Invite a lender to a first-time homebuyers event to help boost the prospecting potential. They can help answer questions about how to get started. I worked with my favorite lender on multiple workshops, including real estate investing strategies, first-time homebuyers, and military VA loans. 

By the way, these work equally well as in-person events or online webinars. Hosting an informational event around a specific real estate topic is easy. You just have to market it well to get a good turnout. Use Facebook Events as well as print marketing to get the word out.

Looking for a free referral network to boost your lead gen efforts? Sold.com delivers high-quality buyer and seller leads that convert easily. And you don’t pay for any leads until they close!

Real Estate Marketing Ideas for Social Media

There’s no denying that you must have an online presence for people to build trust. Use some of these creative real estate marketing strategies to help save time, stress, and frustration.

5. Use Templates to Scale Facebook & Instagram

If you want to scale your social media accounts to generate leads, you need to increase the number of times you post per week or even daily. Coffee & Contracts suggests posting daily, but only if you share high-quality content. While that might sound like a lot, it’s what the Instagram (IG) algorithm rewards. So, to build your social media accounts to market your brand, you must start posting more.

One of the best ways to tackle this real estate marketing idea is to use templates from marketing companies like Coffee & Contracts, LabCoat Agents Marketing Center, and Agent Crate. Unlike Canva templates, these templates are real estate-specific and created by real estate professionals. 

These companies create beautifully designed and prewritten posts providing first-time buyer education, market updates, home maintenance tips, and staging advice. They even include templates for Stories and Reels.

Here is a quick rundown of my take on the best social media template providers. You can go deeper with our deep-dive reviews to get more info.

Edit

Template Platform	Best For	The Close Score	Deep-dive Review
Coffee & Contracts	Agents focused on increasing engagement on Instagram	4.7	Read full review
LabCoat Agents Marketing Center	Teams and brokerages	4.6	Read full review
Agent Crate	Agents on a budget who want automated social media posting	4.6	Read full review

6. Adopt Social Media Strategies From Top Influencers

If you want your social media accounts to help you generate leads and market your brand, learn from the best and copy what they’re doing, like Taya DiCarlo does on her Instagram. Tony Robbins stated it best: “If you want to be successful, find someone who has achieved the results you want and copy what they do, and you’ll achieve the same results.” Just make sure to put your personality and spin on their strategies. Copying their content verbatim is unethical and might turn off your followers if they follow the same influencers as you.

Start following a few real estate influencers you resonate with and see which topics get the most views and engagement for their Reels, Stories, and posts. Create your versions of the same type of content and add them to your marketing calendar. The key, though, is consistency. Once you start your social media marketing, you must stay with it for the algorithm to reward your efforts.

Here are five excellent real estate influencers to follow:

For more social media tips from top influencers, check out our guide to the best social media strategy tips.

7. Create Engaging Vertical Videos

Vertical videos are videos viewed in vertical mode on a phone or PC. The skyrocketing success of vertical video platforms like TikTok over the last few years is a crucial trend you must pay attention to. Instagram, Facebook, and even YouTube have all taken note and are now pushing quick-hit vertical videos in a major way. So, if you want a chance of getting your content in front of your followers on any platform in 2024, you need to learn how to make compelling vertical videos.

While there are opportunities for Realtors on TikTok, focusing your vertical video efforts on Instagram Stories and Reels will be much easier and more effective than starting a whole new account on a different social media platform. The cool thing is you don’t have to look polished in your vertical videos. Your audience wants to get to know you in real life, so you’re free just to be you.

Don’t worry—they’re easier to make than you think. Here are some tips to help you get started:

• Use your smartphone to shoot a close-up video of your face, taking up most of the screen. 
• Introduce your listing, share tips, or discuss the market—any topic you choose. You can also add your listing footage from your professional photographer. Easy-peasy! 

Once you start making vertical videos, you will quickly learn that engagement, not views, prompts Instagram to show your content to more people. While there are many ways to get engagement on Instagram, contests, polls, and Q&A stickers layered on your videos are what most influencers use to make their posts go viral. They’re especially effective in Stories.

For more inspo, check out our list of 31 real estate social media ideas. It’s chock-full of vertical video ideas you can try.

8. Outsource Your Social Media Marketing

If you’re a busy agent, spending hours each day creating content for social media is probably not the best use of your time. Hiring a virtual assistant or social media marketing company can save time and money. Or outsource to a service like Coffee & Contracts.

In 2024, savvy agents use services like Coffee & Contracts to simplify social media. Unlike some social media marketing platforms, Coffee & Contracts doesn’t just offer templates for Instagram and Facebook posts. They also provide monthly content strategies and done-for-you real estate marketing tools so you can get the benefits of social media marketing without the hassle.

Pro tip: When it comes to tools like social media automation or marketing-focused customer relationship managers, you must do your homework before diving in. Check out our article, The Best Real Estate CRM: In-depth Reviews & Pricing, to find one that fits your needs and budget.

9. Use Facebook Messenger Ads to Boost Open Rates

If you’re not getting the results you want from Facebook advertising or email marketing, Facebook Messenger ads can be an excellent addition to your marketing tool kit. Your potential customers probably get dozens of emails and see hundreds of Facebook posts per day. But they only get a handful of private Facebook messages.

According to the latest research from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the median age of homesellers in 2022 was 60 years old, and more than 35% of Facebook Messenger users are over 45. If you’re trying to connect with your potential clients, your chances are pretty decent that you can reach them through Facebook Messenger.

Set up an Ads Manager account in Meta to get started. Once you’ve created your account, click Create to build your ad.

Here are six steps to get you started:

1. Choose the engagement objective.
2. Name your campaign and set your budget.
3. Set the engagement option to Messaging apps and select Messenger or Instagram.
4. Set your ad duration, designate your audience, and choose your ad format. 
5. Customize the greeting people see after clicking on your ad.
6. Edit your ad and hit Publish.

Marketing Ideas for More Referrals

Well-established real estate agents know that the secret to success is in getting referral business. Use some of these real estate agent marketing ideas to help generate more referrals to grow your business exponentially.

10. Build Social Proof With Video Testimonials

A few years ago, the only social proof Realtors needed was a few 5-star reviews on Zillow. And while Zillow reviews are still a crucial part of your online presence, they are not enough. With so many fake reviews on sites like Amazon, people are starting to feel skeptical of written client testimonials. They are just too easy to fake.

Video testimonials, on the other hand, naturally feel more authentic and are nearly impossible to fake. As a bonus, they can be used in your realtor marketing across Instagram, Facebook, landing pages, websites, and even YouTube. Here are a few quick best practices to help your video testimonials shine this year: 

• Keep them short: Shorter videos are more likely to be watched to the end, an important engagement signal for most social media platforms. 
• Consider shooting vertical videos: This will make them easier to share on Instagram Stories, Reels, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts.
• Send questions in advance: This will make it easier for your clients to think of responses, and they will be less nervous the day of the shoot.
• Done is better than perfect: You don’t need to make a big production out of your testimonial videos. Sometimes, candid videos shot on your phone work better.

Check out our testimonial video strategy guide for more tips and inspo for shooting testimonials.

11. Automate Your Review Collecting Process 

You leave money on the table if you don’t ask for client reviews and testimonials. However, agents get busy and may forget or feel awkward asking for a review. And once some time has passed, it’s more challenging to reconnect with past clients for the ask.

Instead of manually chasing down past clients to leave reviews on multiple websites, savvy agents automate their review-gathering process with reputation management platforms like Birdeye. These platforms have tools that reach out to your clients to ask for testimonials. This strategy reduces the friction (and awkwardness) of asking for reviews on multiple platforms, so you get more reviews on more websites with less work.

12. Engage Past Clients With Experiential Marketing

As any seasoned agent will tell you, five minutes of in-person engagement is worth hours of engagement online. That’s why many top-producing agents offer their former clients exclusive offline experiences like dinners, wine tastings, educational seminars, and charity drives. This strategy is called experiential marketing, one of the hottest trends in marketing right now.

At my brokerage, we host an annual holiday party where we invite our past and current clients, family, friends, and our favorite vendors. We give away tons of prizes, including a vacation package, throughout the event. Everyone loves attending and talks about it for months afterward, and we generally shake out around one to two new transactions per agent after each event. That’s a pretty impressive number for simply hosting a party.

Even more, one study showed that a whopping 74% of consumers said they were more likely to purchase after attending a brand’s event or experience. Learn how to pull it off in our experiential marketing deep-dive guide.

13. Give Memorable Closing Gifts

While closing gifts are an excellent way to boost referrals, most Realtors focus too much on promoting themselves instead of learning what clients actually want. Savvy agents get to know their clients during the process and choose gifts that match what their clients really want or need. If you give them a gift they will actually use instead of that cutting board with your brokerage logo,  you’ll have a much greater chance of staying top of mind.

I love to give my clients things they can use. I’ve been known to gift baskets of goodies, including any combination of the following:

• Pasta and sauce with a pasta spoon 
• A bottle of champagne with flutes 
• Kitchen towels
• An Amazon Echo Dot 
• Assorted cooking tools 
• Cutting boards 
• Popcorn or candy
• DVDs
• A small set of tools
• Pancake mix
• Laundry basket with towels
• Decor and towels for a half-bathroom

I think about how difficult it is to move into a house while everything is still in boxes. I want my clients’ first night or two in their new home to be fun and easy. If I can think of things that help facilitate that, I’ll throw it in a gift basket and give it to them after they close. 

If you need more inspo for fun closing gifts, check out our buyer’s guide with 32 examples of gifts that stand out and keep you top of mind.

Real Estate Marketing Ideas for Listings

If you can’t list, you can’t last. At least, that’s what I was taught. Use some of these realty marketing ideas to score more listings in your real estate business.

14. Improve Curb Appeal on a Shoestring Budget

Many listing agents I know ignore curb appeal. But you owe it to your sellers to learn how to improve it—even if you only have a tiny budget to work with. Curb appeal is essential for attracting prospective buyers. It’s the first and last thing they see when driving to the home. Great curb appeal also attracts those who drive by. You never know when Aunt Jane lives a block away and is looking for neighborhood homes for her nephew and his fam.

Here are some simple low- or no-cost curb appeal fixes to try with your next listing.

• Create an inviting seating area on the porch
• Perk up drab brown grass with lawn paint
• Replace the mailbox and house numbers
• Decorate the entrance with potted plants and flowers
• Upgrade porch lighting
• Tidy up hedges and replace dead or scraggly ones
• Add fresh mulch to the flowerbeds
• Powerwash the exterior of the home, including the drive and sidewalks

For more ideas, check out our curb appeal strategy guide.

15. Leverage AI to Write Better Listing Descriptions

The real estate industry may be shifting, but 2024 could be the easiest year to market your listings ever. Artificial intelligence (AI) apps like ChatGPT are finally starting to deliver on their promises and could become a goldmine for savvy Realtors. You just need to find the right picks and shovels.

My only caveat is that these tools are much better at improving existing copy or helping you brainstorm and write outlines rather than writing from scratch. I like to get ideas from ChatGPT first and then brainstorm how to improve my copy after I write. I also use Grammarly while I write to avoid simple syntax errors or misspelled words. Think of AI apps as the editors you never had. Here are four AI tools you can use to write better real estate marketing copy this year:

Of course, you need to know the basics of compelling listing descriptions to get the most from these tools. Check out our guide full of examples of creative listing descriptions to learn more.

16. Create a Detailed Listing Marketing Plan

“Those who list, last” is a well-worn real estate cliche, but for good reason, because most long-term agents regularly list properties rather than exclusively represent buyers. Whether you’re a seasoned listing agent or still working on getting your first seller client, a detailed marketing plan is your key to success.

Your marketing plan is one of the most powerful tools you have to land listings. Marketing skills are probably the main reason most homeowners hire an agent. So before you pitch your next homeowner, ensure you have a comprehensive marketing plan to show them during your listing presentation. 

Here are some essential features of an effective marketing plan:

• Create a listing presentation and prepare, prepare, prepare
• As part of your presentation, have a strategy for overcoming common objections
• Identify unique selling features of your new listing
• Research the area to create a thorough and accurate comparative market analysis (CMA)
• Make sure the home is prepared for showings and photography
• Hire a professional for visual assets, including high-resolution pictures, video walk-throughs, aerial footage, and a 3D tour
• Use highly descriptive words in your listing description
• Reach out to your sphere of influence to announce your listing
• Post on social media and place ads on Facebook and Google to get the word out  

17. Virtually Stage Listings With Different Themes 

If you have an empty listing to sell, spending a few bucks to have it virtually staged with a few different options is a great way to increase interest and show buyers what it might look like in different contexts.

For example, a spare bedroom might look great virtually staged as a kid’s room with bunk beds or as a home office. Whether you’re showing a listing to a young family or someone who works from home, you’ll have a picture ready to help either buyer imagine how the home could meet their needs. Check out our virtual staging software buyer’s guide to find the best fit for you.

18. Leverage Virtual Reality Home Tours

The latest virtual reality technology allows potential buyers to immerse themselves in a property. So many tools are available today to create interactive virtual tours where potential buyers feel they’re walking through your listings. This is essential since 74% of buyer’s agents see having video tours and 42% see virtual home tours as some of the most important features for selling a home to their buyer-clients.

A unique way to capture prospective buyers is to start with a 3D video and virtual reality headset. Some agents gift headsets to buyer clients who don’t live locally after signing the buyer’s agreement. The buyers can use the headsets to have an immersive virtual experience, whether it’s of a listing on Zillow or listings you send directly from your MLS. The headsets also work with 3D walk-through video, like Matterport.

Imagine you have homebuyer clients overseas looking in your area, and you’re the agent who gives away virtual reality headsets. If you share this strategy in your marketing, you can potentially corner the buyer’s market outside your local area. It makes you stand out as unique and willing to give your prospective clients an excellent experience. Oh, and did I mention you can buy virtual reality headsets on Amazon for around $25 a pair? As an agent who specializes in military moves, I use this with my clients and find this tool essential.

19. Get Real Results From Freelance Designers

Unless you want your graphics to look like every other Realtor’s, taking the time to learn how to hire freelance designers—and, more importantly, get the best results—is becoming an essential marketing skill for agents.

Here are four of my best tips for getting the most out of your consultation with design professionals:

1. Prepare and share your mission, vision, and values statement first so they know what you’re about
2. Decide on fonts, brand colors, and style before you hire a designer
3. Shop around for a designer who will meet your needs and budget
4. Don’t share feedback on revisions right away—take some time to absorb the work so you can identify the parts that need to be reworked and, more importantly, why 

If you have the patience and a dash of artistic talent, you can download do-it-yourself (DIY) design apps like Canva or Adobe Express and use templates from Envato Marketplace or Etsy to create fresh designs. But you will want to work with a design professional at some point in your career. Even if you’re just using companies like Tailor Brands that create your logo for you, you need to know what you want and how to get it.

Check out our strategy guide to learn more about the best DIY graphic design apps and working with freelance designers.

Creative Realtor Marketing Ideas

The more accessible you are online, the easier it is for your audience to connect with you and develop trust. Try implementing some of these additional realtor marketing techniques to increase your exposure.

20. Create a Buyer Presentation

While many agents work hard on listing presentations, most just wing it with buyers. But in the wake of multiple lawsuits, it’s essential for you to make the extra effort with your buyer clients to go through a proper buyer presentation. Today’s buyers are better informed and savvier and take more time to research agents than ever before. That’s why creating and practicing an informative buyer presentation is the key to getting more buyers this year and beyond.

Here are tips for delivering the perfect buyer presentation:

• Break the ice with small talk
• Tell them exactly how long the presentation will take
• Ask specific and open-ended questions to build a buyer profile
• Don’t mislead your clients—make sure they understand the commission structure and their responsibilities along with yours
• Let your buyer do most of the talking
• Role-play your presentation with another agent before doing it live

You can download our 15-minute buyer presentation template for free and learn how to create your own here.

21. Write Scripts & Pre-record Videos for Text Messaging

Some research over the past few years shows that over 80% of consumers open text messages within five minutes of receiving them. That’s 10x the number who respond to emails in that same time frame. And that stat is trending up. So, if you use this rapid-fire communications tool in your real estate agent marketing campaign, you must be ready to answer prospects’ questions faster.

Most customer relationship managers (CRMs) will let you save frequently used texts as templates, and others—such as Wise Agent or BombBomb—will let you save and send video messages. Your text messaging scripts don’t have to be Shakespeare, either. Just ensure they are clear and friendly and get straight to the point. 

For example:

copy to clipboard

“Hi {lead first name}, this is {your name} with {brokerage name}, and I am looking forward to talking with you about your home search. I will try calling as soon as possible, but in the meantime, are there any homes you want to look at? {auto-login link}.”

I saved several videos in my BombBomb account that I could easily shoot off to my leads and clients whenever situations arose. But I also had videos that go through each step of the homebuying process that I sent out in a drip for all my buyers. Some videos dealt with living in Florida (hello, strange bugs and high humidity!), and others covered the next steps. The best part is that I also built rapport through the videos while informing my clients about their new hometown.

Learn more in our related strategy guide: 11 Best Real Estate Text Message Scripts for Agents Who Don’t Like Calling Leads.

22. Launch a Real Estate Podcast

Starting a podcast is a simple way to showcase your communication skills, personality, and local area knowledge. Use your podcast to spotlight local businesses, interview other adjacent business owners (think vendors, like local lenders or photographers), or spew some of your market wizardry and real estate expertise. You won’t take long to build up your authority and establish credibility in your area.

Invite expert guests on your podcast to boost your credibility and build your audience quickly. If you’re lucky enough to have a local influencer with a decent following in your area, seek them out and offer to work with them. They can help promote you and your listings to their followers to boost visibility in your local market. Consider being a guest on their podcast, where you answer questions about your area’s current real estate market.

You can also be a guest on other relevant podcasts to cultivate listeners. If you want a little podcast inspo, check out this article on the best real estate podcasts.

23. Create Neighborhood Spotlight Videos

Make videos highlighting specific neighborhoods or communities in your market area. Showcase any unique features, amenities, schools, and local businesses that stand out to give your potential buyers a wide-lens view of what it’s like to live in the neighborhood.

Example of a neighborhood spotlight video (Source: YouTube)

These videos are easy to make, and you can do them in either long or short form. I created tons of these videos in long form and posted them to my YouTube channel. Then, I took small sections of each video and repurposed them for my social media outlets. I used hashtags and geotags so my audience could find my videos. It worked exceedingly well and kept a constant flow of leads funneling my way. 

Your Take

With the endless variety of marketing tools out there claiming to do everything except wash your dishes, staying up to date takes a lot of work. Worse, many agents chase the latest fads and waste time learning the ins and outs of the latest shiny object. If you want to make real gains in marketing this year, you need to think strategically about the marketing tools you spend time learning.

Have any killer realtor marketing ideas that you think our readers need to know about? Let us know in the comments.

The post 23 Clever Real Estate Marketing Ideas appeared first on The Close.

In this Zurple review, I’ll provide an unbiased look at how it works, examine how much the platform costs, share an exclusive video walk-through, and tell you whether I think Zurple is worth the price tag.

Unlike other Zurple reviews, to determine if the company lives up to the hype, I did a deep dive into Zurple to better understand what it does differently than all the other players in the crowded real estate lead generation space.

The Close Scorecard

Check out The Close scorecard, where I lay out the software’s pros, like lead exclusivity, analytics, and the powerhouse nurturing system, alongside some of the cons, like the limited integrations. Think of the scorecard as a bird’s eye view of Zurple, complete with my overall score based on the criteria I evaluated.

Pros

• Exclusive leads
• Powerful lead nurturing system
• Easy-to-use platform with a minimal learning curve
• Extra features like social media schedulers and video messaging
• Excellent analytics
• Easy team management

Cons

• Customer service needs improvement
• Lack of training
• Limited integrations
• Websites are basic landing pages, not fully branded
• No ownership of the websites
• Six-month contract required

The Close Score

4.2

Pricing:

3.3

Features:

4.3

Integrations:

3.7

Lead Quality:

4.3

out
of

5

I will say that Zurple offers a powerful lead generation option with exceptional nurturing tools for agents who can spend a little more. It may be a difficult platform for a solo agent, especially newer agents, to jump into software this complex. Not because it’s challenging to learn but because it may be a lot to invest right out of the gate. But, for established agents, Zurple provides a steady source of exclusive leads that can continue to build your business on autopilot.

What Is Zurple?

Zurple is a lead generation software that specializes in lead capture and nurturing. The company uses online lead generation strategies to capture leads and employs intelligent lead nurturing on autopilot to increase lead conversion rates. Agents then spend their time making meaningful connections once the lead becomes active.

Once a lead is captured, their information is fed directly to the Zurple customer relationship manager (CRM), where “Zurple Auto Conversations” take over. This complex set of reactive nurturing campaigns does the bulk of the lead nurturing for you, including email, SMS texting, MLS property alerts, and more. 

These Auto Conversations adjust their flow automatically depending on your lead’s response and website behavior, making their conversion rates and effectiveness very high. When a prospect’s Lead Intelligence Score rises to a certain level, Zurple notifies you to jump in, and you can continue the conversation with a now-active buyer or seller.

One of the best features of Zurple’s lead generation system is the leads are exclusive to the agent. So, no need to worry about competing with other agents for the same lead as you might with a Zillow or realtor.com lead.

Zurple Pricing 3.3 out of 5

Zurple offers a base price with add-ons to give you more flexibility regardless of team size. You start with the basic package, then add additional lead streams as your ability to handle them grows. 

Initially, I got a bit of shell shock from the sticker price for this CRM. $149 per month just for the CRM itself seemed like a pretty steep amount to pay for software that doesn’t really integrate with other platforms. But, seeing the power of lead nurturing and the resulting conversion capabilities, the software justifies the heavy price tag.

Here’s the breakdown of Zurple’s pricing:

• Zurple system: $149 (includes $10 data services fee)
• Add-ons:
  • Additional website: $100 per month
  • Lead products
    • Pipeline Boost (social media leads): $10 per lead
    • Search engine lead products (auto leads and auto listings): Depends on city, but generally $35 to $40 per lead

Zurple has invested a lot into its lead nurturing system to maximize leads. Because of that, Zurple doesn’t let agents purchase the lead generation system without investing in the Zurple CRM. It wants to ensure any generated leads have the greatest potential to convert.

I get that. Many companies are moving to walled gardens where they keep everything within their ecosystem. But it’s limiting for agents if they want to use software they already know how to use and love. It requires learning a whole new platform that may be missing some features.  

Based on my experience with ad spending, the pricing for Zurple’s lead generation system is expensive. But it is in line with other platforms that provide exclusive leads, especially considering Zurple’s team of advertising pros is doing the work for you. They create the ads and then place them in the optimal times and locations to get the highest rate of return. 

I love how much effort Zurple puts into assisting agents to generate leads, but the nurturing system is where the real value is. Zurple’s system runs more like a sales assistant than a CRM. 

Zurple Review Video Walk-through

Are you curious about what life is like as a Zurple agent? Check out Chris’s video walk-through, where he gets full, unfettered access to the entire Zurple platform and shows you precisely what you’ll see when you become a Zurple user.

Zurple Key Features 4.25 out of 5

Zurple is a complex platform. In this section, I’ll detail how Zurple works, what I like about it, and where I think it could improve. 

Automated Lead Nurturing + Auto Conversations

This feature is probably the most important differentiator. When leads come in, they’re fed directly into the Zurple CRM, which immediately delivers highly engaging interactions to nurture them.

I’m not talking about a basic welcome email drip sequence. These are complex automated outreach campaigns using email, text messages, MLS market updates, new listings, and more.

The game-changer here is that Zurple’s nurture campaigns automatically adjust as the behavior of your leads changes. So, for example, if you send your lead a property alert and they wind up opening that alert and visiting it 10 times a day, the next step in the campaign progress will be different than if they only opened it once.

Zurple calls these nurturing sequences “Zurple Auto Conversations,” and they’re pretty impressive. I love that this technology also works based on your lead’s SMS text response behavior.

This technology is becoming more essential to running your business, especially if you’re a solo agent. It acts almost like a sales assistant, keeping up with your fresh leads, qualifying them, answering questions, and keeping them engaged, all on autopilot. That frees you from spending time trying to keep up with your marketing efforts while still trying to show homes, go on listing appointments, and all the other fun aspects of being a real estate agent. 

Lead-capturing Websites

Zurple agents start by setting up a market-specific landing page for the areas they’re interested in targeting. This site isn’t designed to replace your primary website—it merely provides specific buyer and seller value to capture contact information.

While the Basic plan only comes with one landing page, many Zurple agents run multiple pages, targeting different market segments and communities in their region. This makes sense, as the more focused your real estate marketing approach is, the more effective it will be. 

Many real estate lead generation companies try to get agents to use their landing pages as company websites because it makes capturing and transferring leads easier. But, these same companies rarely offer the branding, content marketing options, and overall connectivity your real estate website needs to be effective. 

Zurple’s agent websites are intended to be used simply as a lead capture device. I love the simplicity and functionality of Zurple’s landing pages, but I wouldn’t advise an agent to use it as their business website.

Lead Intelligence Scoring

Once your lead has demonstrated certain behaviors, Zurple reviews signs of their readiness to activate as a client. The company will notify you that it’s prepared for you to take over communication.

You then remove the lead from the automated communication flow in the CRM, meaning the lead will no longer receive nurturing messages based on their website behavior.

Zurple’s Lead Intelligence scoring is thoughtful and based on the lead’s behaviors. I love how the system prompts you when it’s time to take over the lead communication. There’s no question about when you should jump in because the system, based on the direct lead collection data, tells you. It’s clever how the system prioritizes the leads based on thousands of data points. That way, you can spend more time specifically on those leads who are ready to activate.

Social Media Marketing Tools

Once you set up your market-specific landing page, you must drive traffic to that page. You can do this through social media tools inside the Zurple CRM. One of my favorite parts is the timeline view, which shows your post history for anything you post from inside the platform.

You can also drive traffic with your marketing, independent website, or paid ads, including those you run on Zillow, realtor.com, and any other Zapier-connected platform. Zurple also offers the option to contract with them to run Google, Bing, and Yahoo ads to drive traffic through search engine results, a logical strategy since their websites are so market-specific.

The social media ad templates are sharp and reduce your time, especially if you are new to ads. However, the functionality is limited. This is not the place to do all of your social posts. It’s just a place to promote your listings and Zurple websites. 

Analytics

Zurple does an outstanding job giving you tons of feedback on your progress. You can track everything from how many leads have converted and how many leads have come from each source. You can also tell how well individual agents on your team convert their assigned leads. I love how much information it provides to help you improve your conversion rate after Zurple reviews your data.

Integrations 3.75 out of 5

One thing about Zurple that I’m not as crazy about is that you can’t integrate with outside platforms. The company prides itself on capturing leads for you and putting them through the lead-nurturing process. Doing that with any external tools you may be using is challenging. It’s basically a walled garden that you can’t use with any other platform. So, if you want to use this platform, it’s an all-or-nothing solution. 

However, the platform allows outside lead sources to be fed into the system. You can add your Zillow, realtor.com, and Market Leader leads directly into the software so it can get the same lead nurturing treatment as the leads generated from the Zurple landing pages. That ability can help you develop a higher return on investment (ROI) on the money you spend generating leads from those platforms, which adds significant value to the Zurple system.

Lead Quality 4.3 out of 5

Zurple’s automated lead-scoring system is one of my favorite features. When a new lead comes in through any source, it’s fed directly into the CRM. The automation starts, and that’s where the magic begins. Based on the lead’s response to the lead nurturing efforts, the lead’s score will change. In other words, if a lead opens an email vs one that doesn’t, that lead’s campaign will change. You’ll be alerted to those who have shown behaviors that turn it from a cold to an active lead so you can take over the communication efforts when the lead is ready. 

I love this feature! The automated artificial intelligence (AI)-driven nurturing campaigns keep your leads engaged, monitoring their behaviors so you lose fewer of them along the long way. I don’t know about you, but I always found playing the long game in lead nurturing hard. I lost so many leads I generated because they were a year away from making a home purchase. This system prevents that lead loss and helps you convert more leads into sales. 

Zurple also helps keep your pipeline filled with leads in different parts of the sales funnel. And you don’t have to become some kind of marketing expert—Zurple has created a system to do it all for you with their Auto Conversations.  

Zurple Alternatives

As awesome as Zurple is, there may be better choices for you and your business. Let’s take a look at some alternatives worth considering.

Hey, there’s more than one way to generate leads. If you’re looking for more options to make your lead generation plan fit how you work, check out some of our buyer’s guides below.

Bottom Line: Is Zurple Worth It?

For many agents, the answer is yes. The platform isn’t perfect—Zurple requires a substantial commitment of time and money to maintain the various landing pages and the statuses of the leads that Zurple is nurturing on your behalf. 

But these drawbacks are well worth the benefit in potential commission income for experienced agents, large teams, or brokerages. For newer solo agents, this may be more than necessary. There are plenty of more affordable options that might be a better fit. 

Many companies are moving to walled gardens like Zurple where they keep everything within their ecosystem. But it’s limiting for agents if they want software they already know how to use and love or opt for something more affordable. It requires learning a whole new platform that may be missing some features. 

I do recommend Zurple as a real estate lead generation and nurturing platform for those ready for it. Zurple’s features are well worth the price, the CRM and lead system are intuitive and easy to navigate, and the integrations with other lead sources like Market Leader, Zillow Premier Agent, and others are seamless.

Methodology: Why You Can Trust This Review

Not all reviews of real estate tech products are created equal. I typically approach any reviews from the perspective of a practicing real estate agent who might use the platform. As a licensed real estate agent, I have direct experience using software to run my business. I have personally closed several real estate transactions, generated leads, and developed and deployed a digital strategy in my business. I have firsthand knowledge of what it takes to be successful in this industry.

Leaning on that experience, I evaluated this lead generation software based on the following criteria:

• Price vs value provided
• Lead quality and exclusivity
• User interface and learning curve
• Analytics 
• Lead nurturing and automation

For this Zurple review, I also used a rubric to weigh the software against its competitors to balance my professional opinion with objective assertions. You can trust that the observations, analyses, and conclusions are mine and represent the position of the editorial team here at The Close.

Bottom Line

After an intensive look at Zurple and the benefits it offers real estate professionals, The Close is happy to offer this product our endorsement and recommend it to our readers. 

The platform isn’t perfect—it is certainly a financial commitment as well as a time commitment to maintain the different moving parts of the various websites and monitor the status of the leads that Zurple is nurturing on your behalf. But, these drawbacks are well worth the benefit in potential commission income.

The post Zurple Review: Pricing, Features, Pros & Cons appeared first on The Close.