Tips & Tricks To Ace Your Real Estate Marketing Interview
Real estate is the life-blood of many economies around the world. It is one of the largest industries in the global economy at US$ 9.6 trillion in 2019. It is also one of the most competitive and ruthless sectors to operate in.
To give you another sneak peek into how large this industry is, there are more than two million real estate agents in the United States of America alone. Over the last couple of decades, we have seen digitization of the world at a breakneck pace. Social media is now as omnipresent in our lives as a basic need, such as water or electricity.
Businesses have had to adapt to the change in the consumer-business power balance as the greater weight has gone to customer satisfaction because of the increased importance of social media. Real estate is no different. According to a report by the National Association of Realtors Group in 2018, more than 90% of real estate firms have websites with the primary feature being property listing, and about three-fourth of realtors are using social media.
If you are looking at a career in real estate marketing, then what does it all mean? Well, for one thing, if you were building such a career in the 80s, then being able to ace the traditional techniques of offline marketing would have been good enough as the consumer had only a limited number of media through which they became aware of real estate opportunities.
Now though, the real estate marketing game is much more sophisticated. Not only do you have to demonstrate the chops to do the good old outbound marketing strategies, but knowing the ins and outs of social media, the Instagram marketing tips and tricks, the Facebook community building, and being able to come up with effective inbound marketing strategies in general. This article is for aspiring real estate marketers, or even realtors already in the industry who are looking to learn the tips and tricks to ace their real estate marketing interview.
Have Clarity On The Role And The Company Persona
If you are just taking the initial steps into the real estate marketing industry, then you may not necessarily be clear on the exact role that you want, but you definitely should have a rudimentary idea of your strengths, weaknesses, skills, and passions that can give you the best possible chance to excel at a particular role. There are various real estate marketing jobs out there, and of course, as you work on the ground, you will develop even more clarity, but a bit of homework at the initial level is not a bad idea.
Even if you only have a rough idea of the role, you should be clear on the type of company you want to work in. Think about the type of culture that suits you, speak to the people who are currently working in the company, and the ones that have left. Do a lot of research online on the overall culture at a particular company.
It may be a bit tedious to do all this homework, but clarity in an interview, especially a real estate marketing one, is a precious quality that not a lot of the candidates will have. Sometimes it can be that simple. But, it takes a lot of attention to detail and deep reflection to make it work.
Get The Old-Fashioned Basics Right
The old-fashioned values still apply. Your research on the company’s brand, identity, and culture will let you know how to dress. But make sure to keep a certain level of formality in the dressing.
Little things, such as being well-groomed and being on time, can make a huge difference. The person who is interviewing you is also a human being, and they will have their own set of biases. Making sure that you create a positive subconscious first impression can be a significant part of the battle won.
Know The Ins And Outs Of Your Domain
Background research and the basics are only the initial parts of acing a real estate marketing interview. You will usually be competing with several candidates for the job. While getting #1 and #2 spot on ensures that you are not eliminated early, you also need to demonstrate a strong potential for marketing.
In the 21st century, marketing does not just mean the good old outbound stuff. You need to be aware of Instagram marketing techniques, how to use social media influencers, optimizing social media posts, running campaigns, going viral, optimizing the search engine, building a holistic offline and online marketing strategy, and much more. If it sounds a lot, then don’t worry. You are not usually asked to do a Ph.D. in these areas, all you need to do is demonstrate a solid understanding and awareness of how it works.
Ultimately the real estate company is looking for someone ‘in tune’ with 21st-century real estate marketing.
Prepare For The Standard Questions
Its been proven through the long and colorful history of marketing interviews, that if you are not prepared with the standard vanilla interview questions, you end up spending a lot of time and energy on constructing your answers on the go. Prepare for the standard questions beforehand, have some impressive points to make, and practice delivery with confidence and control.
Prepare For The Unexpected
Case-studies, roleplays, assessment centers, behavioral interviews have all become creative ways of assessing a candidate. Search online what all these things are, get a bunch of your friends together, or even your family members, and practice them as much as you can. The more you can avoid being surprised at the interview, the better your chance of being able to ace it.
If there is one common thread you can pick up from all the five tips and tricks mentioned above, its that preparation is king. Do not fall into the mistaken perception that interviews are like a game of poker, and the ones who get lucky are the ones who win. Expert poker players will tell you that even poker is less dependent on luck and more on preparation.
