Typically, the winter months are slow for real estate agents. Families turn their focus away from buying and selling and instead focus on family, giving, and holiday cheer. The year 2020 has been unlike any other. This year, the holidays – and your holiday marketing ideas – might look a little different. But there are still plenty of (safe and socially distant) ways to generate leads this holiday season.
Home Buying is Booming
While there has been plenty of bad news this year, one bright spot is the booming housing market. An exodus to the suburbs, combined with the lowest interest rates we’ve seen in years, has meant houses are selling as fast as they go up for sale in most areas.
While that’s good news for real estate agents (and the economy), we can still expect a slowdown as the holidays approach. In addition, there are no guarantees that sales will remain strong in the New Year. Marketing is always a good idea – even when business is prosperous.
8 Marketing Ideas for the 2020 Holiday Season
Revamp Your Website and Social Media Pages
Before you engage in any other marketing ideas, it’s time to give your website and social media sites a boost. A user-friendly website and an active social media page are the best and most cost-effective ways to engage current and past clients – and reach new ones.
Via these platforms, you’ll be able to advertise other events, share relevant content, and conduct socially distant and safe holiday contests and events.
Virtual Holiday Decorating Contest
Invoke a bit of friendly holiday competition by hosting a virtual holiday decorating contest. Have clients, friends, family, and colleagues send in their photo submissions. Then, use your social media connections to vote for the best. Hand out prizes to the winner. Contests are one of the best marketing ideas any time of the year!
Host a Drive-Through Hot Chocolate or Coffee
We may have suggested a gathering complete with hot chocolate and cookies for the kids in years past. But this year, everything is different. Therefore, consider hosting a drive-through event at your office or another location. Have plenty of hot chocolate for the kids, coffee for the parents, and treats for everyone involved.
Organize a Skype with Santa
This year, millions of kids won’t have the opportunity to visit Santa in person. And with good reason – the Jolly Old Elf has plenty of risk factors, and we want him to be healthy when he delivers goodies on Christmas Eve.
Instead, why not get creative? Find a Santa lookalike, or don a beard and costume yourself and host a virtual visit with the Big Man. Perhaps Santa can read a story, introduce viewers to Mrs. Claus, or show what he’s working on at the North Pole. Of course, he can also take virtual requests from kids.
Use your social media pages and website to spread the word and send out invitations to past and current clients.
Reward Referrals and Repeat Customers
Word of mouth is always the best advertising. This holiday season, advertise special promotions for referrals or returning clients. We find gift cards to be the most effective way to entice clients to spread the word, but the options are limitless.
Send a Holiday Card
Are holiday cards still important? We say, yes! It’s a tradition that never seems to get old: opening the mailbox to find a hand-written holiday card. Spend some time writing notes to past and present clients, colleagues, and business associates.
Include your business card and information about any upcoming events or your referral program. Go easy on the hard sell, but it’s okay to both send holiday greetings and remind them that you’re open for business.
Send Creative Holidays Gifts
It’s important to thank those who made this year a little less awful. Send thoughtful and creative gifts to your clients, friends, and co-workers and let them know you appreciate their support.
Because it’s 2020, you might consider something clever and unique, like a facemask with your logo, some hand sanitizer, or an ornament commemorating the craziness that is 2020. These gifts don’t have to be expensive and relevant, but they should be thoughtful, relevant, and useful.
Get Involved with a Nonprofit Organization
Finally, one of the best ways to share holiday cheer is to get involved with a cause you care about. Get your clients and co-workers involved in your efforts to make an even greater impact. 
Spreading the word won’t only get more people involved with your fundraising efforts; it will also get your name out in the community. When someone is ready to buy or sell a home, they’re more likely to remember the real estate agent who made a point of serving those less fortunate.
There are many ways to get involved. Perhaps it’s conducting a canned food drive to benefit your local homeless shelter or raising funds for a local nonprofit that shares your values. Use your social media platforms and your website to gather ideas from your community and generate buzz about giving back.
Truly, there is no greater gift than giving back to those in need.
What are your favorite marketing tips during the holidays? Let us know in the comments!
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