Sarah Malarkey, CRS, uses social media to connect with clientele and increase business
Sarah Malarkey, CRS, got her start in the real estate business in 2017, and immediately got involved with RRC locally in her home state of Oregon. She was the Oregon & National RRC communications leader for three years, as holding the CRS Designation is not a requirement for the position. This experience was the first step for setting a solid foundation to a fruitful career. Now, just a few years later, she’s achieved her CRS Designation and is the new state director with Oregon REALTORS®. She also recently accepted a seat as a representative on the Portland Metropolitan Association of REALTORS®’s REALTOR® Advocacy Committee.
Throughout the years, Malarkey has used social media platforms to market herself and her business. She’s found that connecting with people virtually can have just as much impact as in-person encounters, and she’s used this to her advantage.
Access to the great outdoors
The market Malarkey serves is perfect for those looking to be close to a city while being also surrounded by nature. The Greater Portland metropolitan area is just an hour from the Pacific Ocean, mountains and the High Desert. Oceanside trips are perfect for fresh seafood, plentiful shopping and to simply relax.
“We Portlanders pride ourselves on outstanding microbreweries and our local wineries,” Malarkey says. “We love good food, from carts to great restaurants.”
The Pacific Northwest also has a wide range of outdoor activities, including skiing, fishing, golfing, hiking and camping at Mt. Hood. At the Hood River you can also go windsurfing, as well as enjoy live music and entertainment. The aforementioned High Desert is another popular attraction, as it’s an area where the sun that shines all year. The outdoor options are nearly limitless.
“Portland is where to be,” Malarkey says, proudly. “Portland is home to Nike, Intel, Columbia Sportswear and many other fantastic businesses. We are well-rounded and a popular destination to vacation and to call home.”
Social media is the best marketing tool
Throughout her career, Malarkey says that she has tried several popular marketing tactics, like paying for leads through Zillow, starting local campaigns, hanging banners at local schools, mailing postcards, writing personal notes and more. She realized that while investing in these methods had some benefit, word of mouth proved to have the greatest impact on her business partnerships and referrals. As it became increasingly apparent how important building and maintaining relationships is for business, social media offered her the perfect way to connect with new people while also being able to keep in touch with her existing network.
“At the end of the day, the best marketing is at your fingertips, on all social media platforms, for free,” she says. “I love using social media and sharing my real estate story. I’ll post anything from a cute, clever quote to informational stats about the local market and what’s happening in my business. My strategy is to show my followers that I am their family, friend, local mom, community advocate and REALTOR®.”
She creates a mix of both personal and professional content for her Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn accounts. She tries to post as much as possible, as her goal is to appear on her follower’s feeds often so that she remains on their mind. She says that “the more that you remind your following what exactly it is that you do, the more likely it is that they’ll continue to follow you and recommend you to someone else one day.”
For sellers, her professional posts consist of listings, open houses and sales pending. For buyers, she regularly posts her clients’ pending and closing days. Her followers love when she makes fun posts about her daughters, 9-year-old Molly and 8-year-old Morgan, being her assistants. “They keep real estate fun for me and everyone else,” she says. The posts that tend to be the most successful overall are her up-to-the-minute reports on extremely low inventory and the competition that continues.
“My style is to tell a story about the buyers or sellers, and to show how special my job is to me in representing my clients,” she says.
The value of connection and networking
At the recommendation of her aunt, Marianne McNally, who already had her CRS designation, Malarkey got involved with the Council very early in her career. Malarkey says that the true value in being involved with RRC and attaining CRS status is rooted in the people you meet along the way. The networking and educational opportunities are priceless.
“I feel like it was the wisest recommendation that anyone could have given me as a new agent,” she reflects. “I was able to learn very quickly how important working toward your CRS Designation is. And I was able to learn through other agents the value and how important it is to educate myself and to network.”
Earning her CRS Designation was one of Malarkey’s biggest sources of motivation during the start of her career, and she finally achieved her goal in late 2021. She says that her early involvement with the Council set the foundation for her to continue becoming an even better real estate agent as she progresses further into her career.
“I feel that the REALTORS® in the association and those with their CRS Designation give me a sense of pride,” she says. “They make you want to be a part of an association that has such high integrity.”
