How to promote an apartment on TikTok? Is Mysłowice a Polish Dubai? Where are the children? We talk to Justyna and Joanna Bodnar of Omega Estate known on social media as the Siostry od Nieruchomości.
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Kasia Szostak: Your slogan is „nothing is certain in love and real estate”. What is the story behind it?
Justyna and Joanna Bodnar: We heard the text in a movie in which the protagonist was doing business in real estate. It became embedded in our memory and stuck to us when we entered the industry ourselves. Now we don't even remember the title of the movie, but this phrase has been confirmed more than once in everyday life.
Kasia: In fact, is nothing certain in the real estate market? What is the situation on it now?
Justyna and Joanna: The real estate market, especially these days, is unstable. There are dynamic changes in it. We also often do not expect which direction prices or trends will go, for example. Just like in love — we don't expect to fall in love, we don't plan for it, sometimes it surprises us. Wise men in suits called analysts always try to be one step ahead and anticipate developments. However, like a pandemic, like a war, no one expected and no one predicted it, and such events have a very big impact on the real estate market.
Kasia: Your profile on TikTok is full of funny videos filled with self-irony that promote your business. How did you come up with such an idea?
Justyna and Joanna: In response to this question, we always say: everyone had an excess of sweet compliments describing skirting boards — until we came along. However, realistically looking at where the idea came from, we have to say that from life. It is our colorized approach to everyday life. We don't stick to a framework, we do business differently. Customers appreciate us for not trying to tell them, for example, that the area is not flooded, when we are standing up to our knees in mud. We started making videos as a joke, trying to defuse the atmosphere after being treated poorly by a customer. In the process, it turned out that it was possible to „glue” something out of it. That's how the first one was created. The comments and general reaction motivated us to continue.
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Kasia: Why did you choose this „gangster” style?
Justyna and Joanna: As we mentioned earlier — this is us, only slightly colored. The dark musical atmosphere adds character to our films and blends well with Joanna's facial expressions. This, in effect, is not our choice. We tried it, not knowing what to expect. It was the audience that decided that's what they wanted. We even tested a change in form and style, but it didn't catch on.
Kasia: This is quite a bold decision. Weren't you worried that clients and people in the real estate industry, which is however quite serious, would reject such a message?
Justyna and Joanna: We didn't face any negative criticism right to our faces from people in the industry, although concerns were high. The way of sales and marketing activities in the context of real estate had been creaming for years and we had the impression that it had stopped some time ago. The breath of fresh air brought a smile to the face of many in the industry. Clients whose properties „played” were also pleased. They spoke of us doing something different. Something that attracts attention and makes people laugh, while at the same time we present the property in an interesting way and attract buyers, which is what they want.
Kasia: Have you had previous experience with a camera or creating content for social media?
Justyna and Joanna: Working as real estate agents, we have recorded videos before, however they were those „boring” presentations, and their reach ended on Facebook, where as an additional form of presentation of the apartment, the client could see the video. Justyna, having previously run a clothing store, had conducted sales broadcasts, but could that be called experience? Joanna, on the other hand, was making her debut.
Kasia: You were aiming for viral or was this a surprise?
Justyna and Joanna: It was a surprise to us, when we noticed the first serious numbers of people watching, observing or commenting we decided that we had to act. We stuck to the climate and the videos continue to appeal, but for us, the most motivating thing is that we have a steady audience. Building a community is a beautiful thing.
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Kasia: Does this kind of promotion translate directly into results, or does it help more in creating brand awareness?
Justyna and Joanna: Both locally and in the context of the whole country and even abroad, we have gained many customers. The brand is not as important as our characters themselves. When asking someone about Omega Estate or Omega Real Estate Swidnica (a recent name change) in response, we won't hear much. On the other hand, „Siostry od Nierucomości” or „those from TikTok that talk about real estate” are associated positively and this attracts the customer. Thanks to this, there are results, there is growth, but also brand awareness, but rather personal.
Kasia: Do you plan to further develop the promotion of your business on social media and the Internet? Do you see this as the future of the real estate industry?
Justyna and Joanna: Of course, we are not going to let go of creating videos. It is also fun and relaxing for us. We don't approach it as a necessity and an unpleasant duty. We are still focused on learning more about the industry and developing our competence. Media activities certainly don't prevent us from doing this, and the level of popularity we now have harmonizes with our daily work. There is a lot of talk that TikTok is an application mainly aimed at Generation Z. Today's teenagers are our tomorrow's customers. We believe that „you have to keep up,” and the Internet is a place where every industry needs to be present.
Kasia: Thank you for the interview!
Justyna and Joanna: Also thank you!
