A city estate agent is aiming to become one of the first agencies in Norfolk to "fully embrace" TikTok after its online property tours have gained thousands of views.
It's no real surprise that property marketing, like most things, has become more internet-based than ever.
Scrolling through property portals like Zoopla and Rightmove has become a daily ritual for some people – even if they don’t want to move.
Home and interiors accounts on social media platforms like Instagram, Pinterest and Tiktok have also rocketed, and some users share snaps of their homes to thousands – sometimes even tens of thousands – of people, most of them strangers.
Now estate agents are getting in on the action too.
Social media executive at Hammond & Stratford, Saffron Dixon, says the Eaton-based agency is aiming to become one of the first estate agents in Norfolk to “fully embrace” TikTok.
TikTok is a social media platform allowing users to upload, watch and share videos of up to 10 minutes in length, and since its worldwide launch in 2017, it has grown to become one of the most used social media apps in the world.
The app has around 17 million active users in the UK alone – although Insider Intelligence predicts that this will grow by a further 500,000 this year. By 2025, the platform is expected to have 20 million users in the UK.
The marketing team at Hammond & Stratford started uploading property tours to the platform around a month ago and have gained “a lot of interest” since, with some of the videos – and the properties – even going viral.
The team had already been creating reels over on competing platform, Instagram, but wanted to broaden their reach over platforms, says Saffron. “Video content is taking the internet by storm, so it became our goal to be one of the first Norfolk agents to fully embrace the platform as a modern method of property marketing.”
Since then, she says that both new and existing vendors have shown a keen interest in having their home promoted on TikTok. “There have been a lot of questions around its benefits, and most clients are fully supportive of the idea and are excited to have their property shared in this way,” she says.
And its large number of users means it could attract a much bigger audience than those typically searching for a home.
So far, the firm’s most popular videos have been house tours, with one, for sale in Toftwood, attracting over 655,000 views. It has since sold.
“The properties that have performed really well so far are attainable homes priced up to £450,000,” says Saffron, “though we have seen good engagement for premium properties too. When it comes to social media, potential buyers appear to respond best to ‘relatable’ content.”
Having only been up and running for just over a month, it’s too early to tell how much the TikTok coverage is helping to sell properties – or which properties are best suited to the platform, but Saffron says it's something she and the team are monitoring.
“People are inquisitive by nature,” she says, “so naturally like to have a peek in any property they come across. Our team has also been fantastic in embracing this new method of marketing, and they’re more than happy to feature in the videos as tour guides. This collaborative approach has been vital to our early TikTok success.”
Saffron says the team post new content every day and have made it as easy as possible to view lots of properties in a short space of time – ideal for busy schedules or buyers who live further afield and want to relocate.
One of the properties attracting a lot of attention is a three-bed detached home on Cherry Close in Attleborough. It’s listed for sale for £375,000 and offers a 17ft kitchen/diner, lounge with a woodburner and a family bathroom and separate en suite. It also has a lovely enclosed garden with a pond, something over 47,000 TikTok users have seen through one of the platform’s house tours.
A four-bed property for sale on Wisteria Close in Dereham is listed for sale for £425,000 and has attracted over 59,000 views, while a four-bed new-build at St Giles Park in Cringleford has been watched over 67,000 times.
“We want to encourage a new mindset that TikTok should be taken seriously as a form of property marketing,” Saffron explains.
“Video tours allow a more immersive experience that you just can’t get from photographs alone. We particularly love the ‘walkthrough’ style video which guides you around the property from a buyer’s point of view.”
To date, Hammond & Stratford has over 4,000 follows on TikTok and over 17,200 likes, which Saffron hopes will continue to grow. In time, she thinks other agents will also move to the platform – and indeed, several already have accounts, including Minors & Brady, Sowerbys Homes and Arnolds Keys.
But so far Hammond & Stratford seem to be ahead of the curve, and Saffron says she “believes in consistency to really see the benefits.”
You can find Hammond & Stratford's latest tours here.
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