I’m an estate agent and sell houses on Instagram and TikTok – I even help people clean up and move in
- Tanya Baker, 29, from Kent, shares tours of her properties for sale on TikTok
- One of the houses was seen by more than 1.4million times on social media
- Read more: I broke my nose trying out a TikTok trend
An estate agent who sells houses on TikTok has revealed how she goes the extra mile for clients – by helping them to move in.
Tanya Baker, 29, from Kent, has worked as an estate agent for around nine years, and went independent 18 months ago.
She grew up in Eltham, South East London, and focuses on homes in the area, making videos to show prospective clients around, which are intended to feel cosy.
Footage of a stunning five storey town house in SE14 reached 1.4 million TikTok views and 267,000 likes – but Tanya also goes the extra mile for clients and has helped with cleaning and moving house.
One of her hones listed at £1.75m was recently sold through Instagram, after Tanya started up in February 2021 under Keller Williams.
Tanya Baker, 29, from Kent, is using social media to sell London townhouses and goes the extra mile by helping her clients move in
Tanya gained experience at Hamptons, and even does the key handover at the property rather than asking clients to come to her, as well as giving them a celebratory gift.
Despite the reputation estate agents have for being unethical, Tanya said her work doesn’t keep her awake at night because she goes out of her way to help people.
She recently sold a house through Instagram and believes social media is making her career path, which is male dominated, open to younger women.
And she believes being female in a public-facing job is her biggest asset, and she encourages buyers and sellers to meet so they know who they are dealing with.
She also promotes the history of the area by comparing old photographs with the current day – including Greenwich Park or the old fire station in Blackheath Village.
Tanya said: ‘A woman recently said doing the videos was like being shown around by a friend. It looks cosy and homely.
‘People spend about two and a half hours a day on social media, but only eight minutes a day on Rightmove.
‘I get to see some incredible houses, and only take on two to four clients at a time.
A video tour of one of the houses Tanya is selling has racked up 1.4million of views on TikTok, as people said they feel this way of marketing property feels ‘cosy’
Tanya has also helped her clients settling into their new home by helping clean the place and move in
‘Often I am people’s second choice as they have tried to sell before, but it’s a big gamble going with a newbie.
‘I want to tell them the story around the house – if a dresser is original and from the 1860s, for example.
‘People often don’t have questions because I give them so much information.’
She said aspects of the job are really tough and there can be heartbreak when things don’t go to plan.
Tanya, who lives near Sevenoaks, Kent, with her boyfriend and four dogs, has received abuse online over her job.
However if she knocks on people’s doors to talk to them about selling, she feels being female is a huge advantage.
She said: ‘Our brains cannot tell the difference between online video and people in real life, so it helps people to feel more comfortable with me when they do meet me in real life.
The estate agent said she wants to help people, and gets involved in her clients’ moving process
Pictured: the garden of one of the property Tanya is advertising. She admitted that being an estate agent is a male-dominated field, but she wants to leave her mark
The living-room of the London townhouse Tanya has for sale. The estate agent goes above and beyond for her clients, prepping their home so they look their best in her pictures and videos
‘I get told that I have a really warm feeling about me and people feel like they’re being shown around by a friend – which is lovely feedback.
‘I’d love to give anyone a home, I wish I had duplicates of these properties and could give more people the opportunity.
‘A house is the most expensive thing most people buy in their lives.
‘It’s the thing you work towards.
‘People who have worked all their lives or inherited money want to put it in the right place.
‘In the ’90s there wasn’t so much of a housing shortage, but my mum remembers not being sure of being able to pay the mortgage.
‘Estate agents are perceived a bit like used car salesmen. I make sure I can do my job and also sleep at night.’
The South East London house that got more than 1.4million views on TikTok thanks to Tanya’s marketing skills
The estate agent can count on the support of her partner, who has no problem with the fact she earns more than him
Tanya goes over and above to help clients, moving clutter between rooms so a videographer can ‘stitch’ shots together, and putting cups in the dishwasher.
She has also helped move furniture on the big day and brings new homeowners something to celebrate with.
Tanya said: ‘People feel like they trust women about homes.
‘Women are often really warm and people feel they can trust them more.
‘It’s a very male-dominated industry, but my dream is to help people.
‘I get so many girls messaging to say “I love what you do” who are in sixth form or secondary school.
‘It warms my heart, one message I got nearly brought me to tears.
The idyllic garden of one of the houses Tanya is advertising. People say her videos feel like they are being shown around a house by a friend rather than a seller
Another house that is being sold by Tanya in East London. The estate agent worked for an agency for nine years before she opened her own business
A modern open plan kitchen with a dining room and living-room space in one of the house Tanya has on the market
‘A lot of girls want to be influencers but the amount of hate I have had for putting videos up has been intense.
‘I’ve had people take the mick out of the way I say things, and some really nasty comments mostly on things I have no control over like housing shortage, the economy, general pricing,’ she added.
Tanya spoke of the popularity of TikTok and why she uses social media to reach out to more potential clients.
‘When you think about TikTok it’s not just home to influencers, it’s also home to credible public figures like Dr Karan Raj who has managed to build a following of over 5m sharing his knowledge as an NHS surgeon,’ she said.
‘You can search for a recipe on there, credible news sources and generally find information, answers and tutorials on almost anything
‘TikTok is a unique platform because it’s blurring the lines of social media and a search engine so real estate definitely has its place on there.
‘Everyone has TikTok, even my mum has it,’ she added.
The estate agent added she can count on the support of her partner.
‘My boyfriend is my rock, he will joke “Tanya out-earns me”,’ she said.
‘He loves seeing me do well. When I’m doing well we win together. It is just invaluable to have someone who believes in what I am doing.’
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