As a REALTOR® at LIV Sotheby's International Realty, Delroy Gill's background is in real estate marketing and lead generation tools. He's made his mark by excelling at garnering new clients through his efforts on social media—particularly Instagram.
Based in Denver, Colo., Gill helps luxury clients buy and sell homes in the area's best neighborhoods. Also, he regularly handles complex transactions and international relocations.
Here, Gill discusses how he builds communities on Instagram and delves into the grassroots collective he started with his colleague at LIV Sotheby's International Realty, Stuart Crowell:
RISMedia's Real Estate Newsmakers honors were created to recognize the people who are raising the standards of professionalism in the real estate industry. What does it mean to you to be named among this year's 300 honorees?
I'm very appreciative and humbled to be among this year's honorees. Now, in the current marketplace, which rewards creativity, being named a Newsmaker is a high honor.
You were selected as a Newsmaker within the Trendsetters category which is dedicated to the most creative thinkers within our industry. Could you touch on how you're utilizing social media to attract luxury buyers?
Social media is all about creating a community. You need to know which values you offer to that community. We've found that sharing our story through video has been a driving force for building relationships with luxury buyers. We're able to make initial contact through social media and then it's all about turning that into a face-to-face interaction.
What’s the biggest misconception newer agents have about working with luxury clients?
I hear it all the time… "I don't want to work with them because they'll be high maintenance." But that's simply not true. Everyone is an individual. There are annoying people that are on a budget too. You need to offer something tangible that's of value no matter a person's budget.
You also specialize in international relocations. What's the biggest challenge when working with those kinds of buyers?
Showing properties. We have all the tech tools in the world… VR, FaceTime, etc. But being able to touch and feel something before you buy it is invaluable. It's the same with buying a home and it's impossible to recreate that experience through tech.
What's your go-to marketing tool when trying to attract international clients?
Instagram and video. Video can touch people in ways that other marketing tools cannot. And when you combine that with paid ads, you're able to target people in certain areas where you want your story to be told.
Could you tell us a little bit about the grassroots collective Denver Gents that you co-founded?
Denver Gents began as just another way to create a community. It started on Instagram and was about showcasing the diversity that we have here in Denver. For so long, Denver has been seen as a cow town and that's just simply not the case anymore. Denver Gents transformed overnight when we held our first in-person event... 20 invites went out and 90 people showed up. Turns out a lot of guys in Denver want to get dressed up in suits and hang out together. Everyone in Denver Gents pays an annual membership fee and that money goes right back into the community.
To view Gill's full 2020 Newsmaker profile and those of all the other honorees, click here.
