How One Realtor Boosts His Social Media With Photofy
Free for Florida Realtors members and available for both Android and iOS, Photofy offers a variety of design templates as well as 500,000-plus royalty-free stock photos and videos.
Photofy: Create & Share Branded Infographics - Totally FREE
Last April, Jean-Paul Rousseau decided to inform his sphere that he was making the transition to full-time real estate. Using the free Photofy social media content creation tool offered by Florida Realtors®, he crafted a personalized announcement—and, as a direct result, he closed three sales within a month and a half.
“I shared [my career news] with all my friends, family and contacts via text and direct messages and also posted it on Facebook and Instagram,” says the sales associate with The Nice Agent Co. in Miramar. “One contact said his friend was looking for a property. He introduced us, and I sold a house in May. Next, a friend’s brother was in the market for a condo, so I assisted with that sale.” Another friend sent him a referral, which led to the sale of a townhouse.
Available for both Android and iOS, Photofy offers a variety of design templates as well as 500,000-plus royalty-free stock photos and videos. Users can access photos from their phone’s camera roll, along with items from Dropbox and Google Drive. It’s free for Florida Realtors members.
Here’s Rousseau’s strategy:
1. Make it a habit
“I am constantly posting about new listings, recent closings, sharing market updates and promotions,” he says. “Photofy is a very user-friendly app; I can post something in less than five minutes because I have all my logos and pictures saved in Dropbox.” His commitment is yielding results. Rousseau’s jpr_theniceagent Instagram account has amassed over 1,000 followers. “When I post consistently, people recognize my face and look for my updates,” he says.
2. Grab your audience
Creating posts and visuals that truly stand out is key to engaging with your audience, Rousseau says. Thanks to Photofy, he can enhance his photos with frames and/or layers, build image collages and incorporate artwork, GIFs, stickers or logos, add custom text, and create his own memes. He recently posted a meme stating, “I am an agent and a Realtor” encircled by the words: advocacy, expertise, ethics, community involvement and local knowledge. On the post, he wrote: “When you’re looking for a home, you need an agent who is a Realtor. Realtors have the expertise to get it right, and a commitment to a strict Code of Ethics to do what’s right. They have local knowledge that goes beyond the list. But most of all, Realtors are here for it all. Here for you. Realtors are members of the National Association of Realtors®.”
Another post that Rousseau created with Photofy features a video montage of stylish rooms in a house set to lively music and overlaid with the text: “They say you can’t buy happiness. But you can buy a home!” He also included the hashtags #realestateagent and #homebuyers. “I appreciate how easy it is to create posts with this app, especially on my Android,” he says.
3. Save templates
If there is a theme or template Rousseau likes, he can save it for future use. “You save it under ‘project’ so the next time you open the app you don’t have to go looking for it,” he says. “You can add a picture or change the message.” About half of the content he posts comes directly from Photofy.
“After a recent closing, I used a Photofy template to showcase a picture and description of the house, and then I posted it on social media to announce the closing.” There is also localized content in multiple languages, such as German, French, Spanish and Japanese.
4. Highlight your humanity
The app also helps Rousseau share glimpses into his personal life and his passions, including family trips to the beach, candid moments with his real estate team and cherished snapshots of his children. When he attended the Miami International Auto Show, he posted a colorful video montage from the event accompanied by upbeat background music.
So far, Rousseau hasn’t encountered any issues with the app, made any mistakes with it or discovered anything that he dislikes. “The only downside is that I wish they updated it more often,” he concludes.
Leslie C. Stone is a Vero Beach-based freelance writer.