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At this point, most people have either seen a TikTok video, made one themselves, or have at least heard of this new social platform that's become crazy popular. But in real estate, is it something that we need to be doing for our marketing? You might already be struggling to post consistently on social and throwing a new platform into the mix might sound like a headache. You might also be thinking that TikTok is just for teenagers trying to create viral dance videos. In this episode, we're exploring what TikTok could mean for your real estate business. 

Before we get started, if you're wondering what exactly TikTok is, I've got you covered. 

How Does TikTok Work?

TikTok is essentially a social media app where you view and create videos. It's the number one downloaded app of 2020, if that tells you anything. The videos are short, vertical, and many are created in-synch to music. 

The videos people create are often part of challenges or their version of a popular video type. This is especially true for the dance videos that are so popular. However, there are many types of content on the platform. From ridiculous to funny to educational, and even to real estate, you can find it on TikTok. 

What's interesting about TikTok is that unlike other platforms like Instagram, where celebrities dominate, there's room for anybody to create videos and be found by their audience. 

It uses hashtags like you're used to and gives the user the ability to find videos they're interested in through search. You can follow other users and have a home page that reflects your interests in the "For You" section. 

If you're worried that your videos would never be found among all the other videos, that's not necessarily the case. If people are looking for content like yours, you could be discovered as a REALTOR®.  

Editing & Engaging

And TikTok is all about the different ways you can edit videos. 

Editing is a big part of the fun and a key element to the content itself. This is especially true for many of the trending videos. An easy edit is the big pops of text that appear during a video. In addition to text, there are all kinds of effects from interactive elements to filters. 

It's way beyond what you're used to in Instagram stories, and a considerable part of the app is the music and sound. You can use trending songs and songs from big-name artists in your videos. In fact, this is a platform where people actually listen to sound, unlike Facebook and Instagram, where most people view videos with the sound off. 

You can get creative with your TikTok videos or follow the template of another popular video. That's the beauty of the platform. You can take it in many different ways, and you don't have to dance to make videos either. 

How REALTORS® Are Using TikTok

A quick search of hashtags like #realtor and #orlandohomes pulled up a variety of videos, including listing walkthroughs with tens of thousands of views. But are these videos making a difference in people's businesses? Were those views people who actually wanted to buy or sell real estate? Or were they random people who love a pretty home tour? 

I was curious about this myself. So, I reached out to some REALTORS® on TikTok who were posting and getting great engagement. 

I came across a Palm Beach County REALTOR® who has embraced using TikTok in her business. Amy Michelle Melendez, also known as the @sillyrealtor on TikTok, has all kinds of videos about real estate. And according to one of her videos, she is 33 - not a teenager. 

One video that stood out to me was less than 15 seconds long and went to a lyric from a Demi Lovato song. During this super short duration, she has text pop-ups that demonstrate how she can help her clients during quarantine and covers services like virtual showings and electronic signatures. This is content that we've all been talking about, but she's doing it in a new way - a very engaging way. 

But is it working? I asked her. 

She has gotten a few leads off TikTok and is currently working with those potential customers. So, yes, she is seeing results from the platform!

I was also curious as to how she got started with TikTok. 

Here's what she had to say. "Honestly, I was completely against it at first. My best friend and husband convinced me to download it. First, I just enjoyed watching other people's videos. And eventually, I created my own, and then my wedding video went viral with 3.3 Million views around 250,000 likes and 567 comments. From then on, I was hooked. I have fun with it. Not to mention it has helped me with not being scared of a camera, and believe it or not. helped me with my public speaking as well." 

Her feedback was exciting to me because it confirmed an idea of mine. By putting yourself out on TikTok, you can learn to become a better marketer and more comfortable with video. 

The Benefits

While she hasn't had a closing yet from TikTok, she has become more confident in front of a camera. Being uncomfortable on camera is the number one reason people don't do video, and we know that video marketing for real estate works. Not only that, but it's also helped her with public speaking! I've heard that public speaking is the number one fear that people have. Can you imagine the difference in your business if you were completely comfortable in front of the camera and with pubic speaking? This skill would help you with everything from listing appointments to speaking at community events to attracting new customers online. 

And all of these benefits happened by simply giving TikTok a try for real estate marketing. 

So, give her a follow @sillyrealtor to see what she's doing on TikTok. And search for hashtags like #realtor or even #homesforsale in your area to see what other agents are doing. 

If you're still not sure about TikTok for real estate marketing, here are 5 reasons to give it a shot. 

Why Try TikTok for Real Estate Marketing

#1) It's easy to start creating.

Some real estate videos look like full-on Hollywood productions these days and cost thousands of dollars to film. It can be very intimidating for many to get started with video because they put themselves into a comparison trap. With TikTok, there's less pressure. 

The videos are supposed to look like you created them yourself. That's where the fun is! You can quickly gain traction and get started with simply your cell phone and inspiration from another trending video. 

#2) The videos teach you to be an efficient marketer.

have an entire podcast about why it's important to grab people's attention quickly, get straight to the content, and make it easy to understand what you're trying to say. Check out "Episode 15: Get to the Point Already! 3 Rules for Real Estate Marketing."

TikTok videos will have you naturally implementing these best marketing practices, including diving right into the content and straight forward messaging. A 15-second video can tell a complete story with TikTok. 

#3) The videos are multi-use content. 

One of my most important marketing principles is to use your real estate marketing in as many ways as possible. Don't create something, share it on one platform, and then forget about it. TikTok makes it easy for you to get the most out of your video. It's easy to share to Facebook, Instagram, or text to someone. You can even make a GIF to use in email marketing. 

Just because you create something for TikTok, doesn't mean it has to live only on TikTok. You can get more marketing miles out of your videos. 

#4) They have a captivating look and feel. 

TikTok videos have an eye-catching look and feel to them. The videos are meant to be entertaining and consumed quickly. So, if you're on TikTok, it's fun to try what other people are doing but put your unique spin on it. 

If you see a TikTok video on Facebook, you're probably going to recognize that it's a TikTok video and be interested. In fact, I've seen major brands advertising on other social platforms with TikTok like videos. These big brands are cashing in on what's popular right now, and you can too.

#5) You can gain video confidence. 

Just like the @sillyrealtor said, this might be your opportunity to be comfortable with video. We put so much pressure on video and hear people talking about whether somebody is good on video or not. I haven't heard that with TikTok. Videos become popular because of the content and not necessarily because of great acting or picture-perfect images. 

In a lot of the videos, you don't even need to talk! You can point to text bubbles to get your message across. The content is meant to be light-hearted , so you don't need to take yourself so seriously.

Bonus: There's opportunity!!!

TikTok is a new platform, and now's the time to try it out. The average user spends over 46 minutes a day consuming videos, and the demographics are not all teenagers. Over 31% of users are over 25, and 15% are over 35. 

So, there's a good chance that many homebuyers and sellers are using the app right now. It's also not as saturated with other real estate marketing videos right now. Go to YouTube and look for listing videos in your area. Thre are probably quite a few. Or simply google tips for first-time homebuyers. It's highly unlikely that your content would come up anywhere near the top of the search results. TikTok just might be the space where people can find you as a REALTOR® and for your real estate services. 

So, Is TikTok a Good Use of Time?

I will say this, even if TikTok isn't a lead generating machine for you, it can teach us so many valuable real estate marketing practices. You'll be able to lean into what's trending and produce binge-able worthy videos.  

If you haven't, I'd recommend that you download the TikTok app and start exploring it for real estate marketing. 

A Word of Warning

I will caution you, though. You can easily find yourself in a TikTok rabbit hole! I did in preparation for this episode and was straight up belly laughing on the couch while my husband looked at me like I lost my mind.

So, if you want to try TikTok marketing, please don't spend 2 hours watching videos and not actually working on your business. Because I'm the first to admit, it's easy to lose track of time on the platform. Instead, figure out how TikTok might work for you in your business or use it for inspiration for videos or motivation to film your own. 

If you're thinking about whether you should invest your time into TikTok, I'd encourage you to download my marketing plan. You'll be able to tell if TikTok could work into your overall strategy. You can get your free copy here. (Don't forget to check out the freebies section of my site for more social media plans and marketing worksheets.)

The Future of Real Estate Video

I think the barrier to creating videos is something that TikTok is breaking. 

From the way you can edit your videos to hopping on popular video trends, TikTok is redefining how people create and consume videos. And that's something that everyone with an interest in real marketing should take note of. 

I hope you enjoyed this episode/blog on TikTok! I had a lot of fun putting it together. 

I'll admit, I was somebody who thought that it was mostly dance videos for younger audiences. But it's not. There is genuine opportunity for real estate marketing on TikTok. 

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