As we know, Facebook owns Instagram thanks to a billion dollar sale. This presents a lot of growth opportunity for marketers, and especially real estate agents. Instagram is just going to keep growing. After becoming available to Android users the app was downloaded by one million people within the first twelve hours. Instagram is now able to utilize all of the resources that Facebook has to offer. They will soon have revenue, as well as access to some of the best designers in the industry.
The growth of Instagram will help agents by increasing exposure of their properties. They will be able to show off listings to a much more diverse user base. Instagram will also soon be improving their software, making it possible to use the app for more than just posting cool photos. Instagram is the perfect example of how the web is changing. Visual media is becoming more and more important (just look at the popularity of Pinterest) and it’s becoming imperative that sites can be browsed on mobile devices.
A recent survey by The Real Estate Book showed that 52% of respondents said they used a mobile device during their home buying search. 68% of that group said they found an agent to view the home based on their mobile search. The study also showed that people are definitely using their mobile device mostly for browsing visual media – 78% used their mobile device to look at photos and videos of homes.
If utilized correctly, Instagram could be the hip new tool for agents to connect with their clients. It combines the two things that people use their mobile devices for most, and has the perfect target audience. Most people using Instagram are between 21 and 34. Agents should perk up at that statistic, as 27% of home buyers in 2011 fell in that age range.
