Cortnie Schultz is the proprietary Marketing Director for the ESPINAL ADLER Team. She started with the team in January of 2018 after moving to NYC from Florida. She has been in the real estate industry for 10 years, with a background in multi-family, low-income and student housing, as well as corporate marketing and training. This month for our Ask the Expert’s article, we sit down with Cortnie and discuss the ins-and-outs of the marketing world within real estate and the ESPINAL ADLER Team’s new initiatives.
Apple Peeled Question: How does the Espinal Adler Team market itself differently compared to other real estate teams?
“In a digital-centric world of buyers and sellers, it is incredibly important that we have a strong online presence. Whether you’re looking at our newly redesigned website (www.EspinalAdler.com), our social media (@espinaladlerteam on Instagram, @espinaladler on Twitter and /EspinalAdlerTeam on Facebook), or even our homepage on Elliman.com, it’s apparent that we put in a lot of time and effort into our marketing to make sure we are connected to our audience.
“The real estate industry is constantly evolving, so we are closely following trends, discussing new ideas, and using various metrics and analytics from our digital channels to understand our audiences and their needs so that we are evolving with them. Whether that be tracking the number of impressions on a specific post, understanding traffic driven to a specific listing, diving into our analytical dashboard and figuring out where our referral traffic is coming from and adding targeted content, we’re completely on-top of everything digital so that we can better understand and work with our sellers and buyers.
“As the Espinal Adler Team’s Marketing Director, it is imperative that I stay on top of the latest trends and technology. For me, this means spending extensive time conducting research across the industry and beyond for new, innovative opportunities that can support our customers, as well as our goals and brand. “
Apple Peeled Question: What are the top three most important social media sites for real estate in your opinion?
“Social media channels all offer users a unique way to connect with others, whether that be through photos and hashtags on Instagram, or 280-character messages on Twitter. Each platform allows for that personalized communication, but the importance of one over another is hard to pinpoint because they’re each such vastly different channels and have different capabilities and purposes.
“For us, Instagram has become a large focus of our social media strategy because we’re able to actively engage with audiences through easily consumable content, whether that be photos, videos, or even just hashtags. With 1 Billion monthly active users, the possibilities are endless, and with feed + stories, we’re able to get really creative with our content. Go follow @espinaladlerteam (shameless plug) and you’ll see what I mean!
“LinkedIn is also a great platform for professional and personal connections, but it’s often overlooked in real estate. Over the last year or so, we’ve really focused on revamping our business and personal pages to be more active and to engage with our connections and audiences. This channel helps us stay connected with our current clients and reconnect with clients from the past. We’re also connecting with industry professionals, as well as friends and family, which widens our presence and opportunity to network and grow our business.
“Lastly, Twitter is an incredibly important channel for us, as it offers a simple way to connect and engage with users. We’re able to share team updates, industry news, offers a space where we can have direct conversations with our followers in real-time without the noise of over-cluttered feeds. The 280-character count makes it easy for us to streamline what we’re looking to share, and it helps make content easily digestible for users.”
Apple Peeled Question: Is social media all about promoting the team’s brand, or is it more than that? Does it also help your clients buy and sell properties?
“Social media platforms have unlimited potential and opportunity not only for us, but for the users of those channels. They go far beyond being able to share messages with followers, and really allow us to connect with users on a much larger scale than a standard print piece. While it does give us the chance to bring our brand values to the forefront through the content we post and share, it really comes down to our customers and the conversations we are able to have with them, whether they are buying, selling, just looking, or simply interested in the industry. Having the opportunity to make that connection is something irreplaceable anywhere else.”
Apple Peeled Question: Can you provide for us some specifics on at least one of the team’s social media campaigns or efforts?
“On January 1st, we launched our new 2020 campaign, ‘Always Elevating.’ The concept of this campaign is focused around the unique differentiators that shape our personal experiences. The Espinal Adler Team of specialists across departments have incredibly different backgrounds and expertise, all of which individually help to bring our customers the most supportive, exceptional experience possible. The theme and interpretation of this campaign, however, is really contingent upon one’s perspective, so we’re having fun with it!”
“For me, Always Elevating means providing our clients with the best possible support when they are listing their home or property, which can be an incredibly stressful time. This means making sure their listings are supported by professional, tasteful marketing materials and high-quality, eye-catching collateral that can be utilized across multiple channels, targeted to appropriate key audiences of potential buyers.
“For Matt, our Mortgage Finance Director, though, Always Elevating means delivering a personalized experience to our clients by supporting them in every aspect of their financing process. From walking them through the many different mortgage options available, to document and fee review, Matt approaches each of our clients with an individualized approach that carries through from initial finance discussions and well-beyond closing.
“For Marie and Jeff, Always Elevating really emphasizes their constant approach in going above and beyond for their clients, to help raise the bar in real estate transactions, and ensuring each and every one of our buyers and sellers are getting the most seamless and enjoyable experience possible. Their style is truly geared to the customer, managing and setting expectations, and personalizing their experience in a way that really cultivates meaningful, long-lasting relationships.
“Keep in mind though, all of these examples are just scratching the surface! The advantages of working on such an experienced, multi-level team are infinite, but they all help to facilitate an exceptional experience for our customers.”
The Apple Peeled Question: What changes or new initiatives related to marketing might we expect from the Espinal Adler Team in 2020?
“I can’t give all our secrets away! However, there are some big changes and new initiatives coming with Espinal Adler Team’s marketing over the next year. Since early 2018 I’ve worked closely with Marie and Jeff on many different aspects of the team’s branding and marketing strategy. Our close-natured relationship helps us to work together creatively, from brainstorming workshops to working through new ideas, to implementing a new approach and differentiating our presence in the New York City real estate industry.
“As we move into 2020, you can expect that as new tech and digital opportunities continue to arise, we will be utilizing key market trends, social media, digital performance metrics and engagement to drive our marketing plan, and expand further into our markets.”