Nextdoor can’t stop neighbors from handing out candy corn or peanut butter taffy kisses for Halloween, or stop precocious trick-or-treaters from trying another egg or toilet paper prank.
However, the neighborhood-focused social media platform can help real estate agents create a memorable marketing campaign that delivers sweet results long after the skeletons are back in the closet.
Nextdoor launched its 14th annual Treat Map on Thursday, which lets users map local Halloween events and businesses and homes participating in trick-or-treating, with filters that let parents find neighbors handing out non-food treats for allergy-sensitive kids or treats for four-legged friends. Users can also see whether their neighborhood made the Reese’s Trick-or-Treatiest Street in America list, which ranks the top 150 Halloween streets.
To get started, agents just need to create a free business account to start adding events.
Maya Kosoff | Credit: X
“Halloween is such a neighborly, community-based holiday, and I think it’s a really great opportunity for a real estate agent to really be their neighborhood Halloween concierge,” Maya Kosoff, Nextdoor communications manager, told Inman. “A real estate agent can post something on Nextdoor and say, ‘Are you new to the neighborhood, or just trying to figure out where the best Halloween action is around you? Here’s a map I made of some of the best decorated or trick-or-treat-friendly streets around us.'”
“I think that goes a little bit further than just saying, ‘I’m a Realtor. Call me if you need help this fall,'” she added. “A post like that really shows that they have the wherewithal, expertise and knowledge of that area in a really engaging way that’s a little bit different than they might use otherwise.”
Kosoff said Nextdoor users’ creativity is at an all-time high on Halloween, especially among business owners. She said some of her favorite use cases for the Treat Map include:
- Creating lists of the top neighborhoods and streets for trick-or-treating or other Halloween events
- Hosting a Halloween neighborhood event and adding it to the map
- Partnering with a local business to host a family fall night
- Crafting a neighborhood guide of your favorite restaurants, bakeries, family-friendly spots, etc. for the fall
Nextdoor Treat Map
“It’s just really demonstrating the value they can bring, and it’s a way to do it without just saying I’m a licensed real estate agent,” she said. “They can host a neighborhood event in October with hot apple cider, hot cocoa, maybe different tools for decorating and carving jack-o’-lanterns, kids’ crafts, maybe a costume photo booth or candy, and encourage attendees who come to the event to add their homes to the Treat Map.”
“I think partnering with a local business is a really good idea, and thematically, depending on where you are in the United States, maybe it’s partnering with an apple orchard or pumpkin patch and creating a Halloween in our neighborhood guide,” she added. “That highlights the way the agent really becomes a connector between the businesses and the people in that neighborhood.”
Although the Treat Map will be the center of the brouhaha on Nextdoor this month, Kosoff encouraged agents to stay engaged after the festivities are over. Thanksgiving and Christmas offer additional opportunities to build name recognition and genuine relationships with community members, some of whom might become your next client or refer you to one.
“Holiday Lights comes to mind as the next major kind of holiday that seems really community-oriented. Maybe they’re posting on Nextdoor about their favorite homes or neighborhoods in the area that have the best holiday decorations in December,” she said. “Or maybe it’s organizing a toy drive on Nextdoor for their neighbors to participate in.”
“And then throughout the rest of the year, there’s plenty of other seasonal moments. Maybe in the spring, they use Nextdoor to think about hosting some sort of community cleanup or gardening event,” she added. “It’s just finding really natural ways to integrate with their local community, talk to their neighbors and make it known that they also really know their neighborhood. There are plenty of great ways to leverage Nextdoor year-round, not just on Halloween.”
