21 Holiday Marketing Ideas for Brokerages

Do you have a signature holiday marketing campaign or event that you put together for your brokerage every year? If not, what are you waiting for? While this is not a time of year where most markets are experiencing robust real estate sales, it's the perfect time of year to get more involved with your community, remind prior clients that you exist, and get into the holiday spirit.

With that in mind, here are some tried-and-true holiday marketing ideas for brokerages, from direct mail to email to online to in-person. Pick one or two (or more) and see how they can help lift everyone's spirits, throughout your brokerage and your entire community.

Direct Mail Holiday Marketing Ideas for Brokers

1. Holiday Cards

They're basic and classic because they work. And people expect them! Plus, you can get really festive and creative with the designs and information you put on them. Have everyone in your brokerage sit down for a signing party, or take a group photo and send it out postcard-style.

2. Holiday Swag

From ornaments to wreaths to warm hats, there are all kinds of branded gifts you can put together for clients, fans, and more. Tote bags are perennially popular, and crafting a different ornament every year to mail out to your network can create a new family tradition.

3. Mistletoe

If you're already sending out a card, why not add a sprig of mistletoe to your mailing or drop-off routine? It's one of those things people love to display on a holiday, yet don't know where to find on their own initiative. (If you mail mistletoe, make sure to follow USPS guidelines around mailing plants).

Email Holiday Marketing Ideas for Brokers

Most of these ideas will work in tandem with your website. In other words, you can post a blog or create a landing page on your website (this is very easy to do if you use a platform like Real Estate Webmasters), and then send an email blast that links back to the web page.

4. Neighborhood Light Tours

Ask your agents which homes typically go all-out for holiday light displays, then use Google Maps to put together a map of a tour that people can follow either on foot or in their cars. If you have lots of listings, this can be a great way to get people to drive by them; hire some light-hanging professionals and put those homes on the light tour.

5. Favorite Holiday Recipes

Cookie exchanges are standard, but you don't have to stick to the standards if you want to branch out! Ask your network for the best family holiday recipes they make year after year, from latkes to roast goose, and put together a locally inspired meal plan if you're feeling really aspirational.

6. Decorating Guides

First-time buyers living in a new home might not have much by way of decorations, and even longtime homeowners love a good before-and-after photo. Put together some decorating guides for curb appeal and interior homes of different sizes, and provide step-by-step instructions for recreating the look.

7. Charity Highlights

It's the time of the year for giving, and your sphere of influence is going to want to know about local charities that could be in need of donations. From domestic violence shelters to animal advocacy groups to food banks, there are all sorts of ways for a real estate brokerage to get involved in their community. Providing a roundup of local charities (with information about how to donate or volunteer) can be a popular way to share your involvement.

8. Home Winterization Tips

Like holiday cards, this is a classic for a reason! Depending on where you are working, the climate might require different levels of winterization, and providing information to first-time buyers and long-term homeowners about how to winterize their homes (including vacation rentals or homes that are not occupied year-round) can be welcome reminders.

Website and Social Media Holiday Marketing Ideas for Brokers

9. Home Decorating Contests

Some people already love the idea of decking the halls for the holidays, and if you can drive engagement on your website, why not take advantage of their enthusiasm? Host a home decorating contest through your most active social media accounts (perhaps centered on a landing page on your website) where visitors can submit a home or room into a contest; you can make the prize a gift card to a home improvement store or something similar.

10. Donation Drives

Already involved with a charity such as a domestic violence shelter or a food bank? Hosting a donation drive, either online or in person (or a mix), can be a great way to share your passion without alienating anybody. Online donation drives might involve ordering items from Amazon or another etailer to be sent to the charity, or links to donate directly.

11. '12 Days of (Neighborhood)' Social Media Posts

If you have an active social media presence, why not plan the 12 days before December 25 to share things you and your agents love about the area where you work? This can be a wonderful way to celebrate your market as well as showcase your expertise by uncovering hidden gems for your audience.

12. Gift Guides for New Homeowners

Figuring out what to buy loved ones for the holidays can be stressful. If those loved ones recently bought a house, then your brokerage could do an act of service by providing a list of gift ideas that new homeowners will love, especially if you source those gifts from local shops or artisans.

13. Holiday Giveaways

Hosting some kind of giveaway on social media, for followers old and new, can be a great way to increase your audience and grow your footprint during the holidays. Consider providing a gift certificate that covers a fancy dinner for two, an evening away at a local vacation rental, a whole-house cleaning service, or something else that will generate a lot of excitement and interest.

In-Person Holiday Marketing Ideas for Brokers

14. Baked Goods Drop-Off

If you or someone at your brokerage already likes to bake, or you have a good relationship with a local bakery, then dropping off pies or cookies or other goodies door-to-door can be a wonderful way to remind your clients that you're always around for their real estate needs. (If you're going to bake yourself, go with something simple – nobody wants to bake 50 pumpkin pies in a residential kitchen.)

15. Give Flowers or Wreaths

New homeowners might not have a holiday wreath for their door, and poinsettias are an ever-popular gift for a reason. If baking isn't your thing, consider sourcing such items from a local nursery or farm, and give something green instead.

16. Cheer Up Your Open Houses

Selling a house during the holidays isn't always easy, but if the sellers are amenable, maybe you can offer some extra cheer at your holiday open houses. Photos with Santa are relatively easy to set up if you can find a Santa and a photographer, for example, and it might generate more foot traffic than the local mall if you can market it right!

17. Host a Holiday Party

Many brokerages decide to host a client appreciation event during the holidays, and there are all kinds of options you can explore to help you stand out from whatever competition exists in your area. From cookie swaps to gift-wrapping to tree-lighting to hosting a buffet spread of lunch or dinner on Thanksgiving Day or Christmas Day, consider what your community would most appreciate, and then ask yourself if you can help create it for them.

18. Put Together a Crafting Event

Making wreaths or decorating gingerbread can be two kid-friendly examples of holiday crafting options that are easy enough for many brokerages to host. Crafting ornaments or gifts like picture frames can also be good options. Ask your agents and staff (especially those with kids) for ideas and run with it!

19. Screen a Holiday Movie

Brokers operating in climates where outdoor movies might still be an option could consider hosting a movie night with the film projected on the side of a building; otherwise, you could ask your local movie theater what the cost is of renting out a room, or talk to a rec center or gym about indoor movie seating opportunities.

20. Go Caroling

Are you and your agents notorious for your karaoke skills? If so, why not organize a caroling event where you walk door-to-door and serenade the neighborhood with holiday tunes? It's quirky and fun enough that you might find some joiners; if you're going to bring branded swag, like hats and scarves (we recommend you do!), make sure to bring extras for new friends.

21. Shovel Snow (Or Hire It Out)

When there's a big storm brewing in the area, whether it's the holidays or not, a lot of people don't have the ability or the energy to clear the snow out of their driveways. If you're the lucky possessor of a snowblower or you have the ability to do this yourself, clearing out driveways and walkways can be a wonderful way to endear yourself to the community. Or you can always hire out the services of a professional for a morning or afternoon and ask them to mention you sent them!

The holidays can be the best time of year to remind your clients that you're in their corner and ready to help them with all their real estate needs. Hopefully one or more of these holiday marketing ideas for brokers will resonate with you and your clients!