Snapchat - Gold Mine or Waste of Time?


What is your social networking go-to when it comes to your real estate business? Many people go with the tried and true social media channels like Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. But some are turning to the newer kid on the social media block: Snapchat. If you don’t know what Snapchat is, go ask one of your children. Chances are they not only know what it is but probably use it.

Snap-what? 
While Snapchat is great for socializing with friends and family, is it a good marketing tool to use in your real estate business? At Real Estate Elevated, we wondered the same thing. First of all, what is Snapchat? Its a camera that allows users to share snaps—which consist of pictures, texts, and videos—with their network. The snaps are deleted after a certain amount of time but users can take a screenshot to save a snap.

Now that you know what Snapchat is, is it a good tool for your real estate business? Snapchat is growing every day and more people are using it. But like every social media platform, it has its drawbacks as well. We’ve come up with a few pros and cons about this unique social media tool that can help you decide if it's a giant time waster or the marketing motherload you’ve been searching for.

Con: Disappearing Content 
Snapchat doesn’t keep your snaps and stories the way other social media platforms do. If you want to keep a record of your Snapchat activity, you will have to keep screenshots of all your content. For some applications, this isn’t a big deal. If you’re holding an open house and want to advertise it, this kind of marketing tool is a great option because it doesn’t matter if it disappears after the open house is over. That being said, you don’t control when it disappears. Each story only sticks around for 24 hours. This isn’t the place to keep a permanent listing.

 Con: No Discovery
Snapchat doesn’t work the same way Instagram and Twitter do when it comes to discoverability. Adding a unique hashtag to your Instagram posts and tweets is an easy way for people to find your post. Snapchat doesn’t utilize hashtags. Your Snapchat network is built through your contact list or through your contacts on your other social media accounts. If someone isn’t in your network, they don’t see your snaps. Period.



Pro: Visual Medium 
In order for real estate marketing to be successful, it has to be visual. After all, people visit a house based on the photos or videos online and stop when they’re driving around because of curb appeal. Reading about a listing and watching a video tour are not the same thing. You’re going to see better results with a more visual presentation. That’s one way that Snapchat excels.

Pro: Get Creative! 
Why do so many people use Snapchat? Well, because it’s a lot of fun. Get creative with your snaps. Add funny graphics, edit your photos or create a unique video. As an agent, you want to stand out and Snapchat could help you do that. Of course, creativity takes time, so this one has a potential con attached as well. Is it worth the extra effort?

Pro: Everyone’s Here
We’ll end here because this is probably the most important consideration on the list. We wouldn’t even be talking about Snapchat if it wasn’t everywhere. Younger generations use it as much or more than social media like Facebook. Not to buckle to peer pressure, but isn’t the point of advertising to go where your audience is? If you can build your network and are willing to put the time into it, Snapchat certainly has the potential to give you a huge audience.

Is Snapchat the solution to your real estate marketing conundrum? Maybe, maybe not. It may not be as effective—or at least not in the same way—as Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. But, when used as part of your social media marketing toolbox, it could help bolster your social media presence and attract new buyers. Our best advice is to try it out and see what it can do for you.

At Real Estate Elevated, we look for out-of-the-box solutions to common real estate problems. Snapchat might not be the key to real estate success, but it could be beneficial to your business. Try it out and let us know what you think!

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