Real Estate Marketing

If blogging sounds like something for internet-savvy teenagers or bored housewives to you, then you could be losing more potential real estate business than you think!

In a survey conducted by the National Association of Home Builders and Move.com, 27% of the respondents said they visit web sites when looking to buy new homes and the industry has grown to top $259 billion this year. Yet many real estate agents overlook this section of their marketing. If one thing is true, it’s that consumers want up-to-date information at their fingertips when they’re looking to make a decision. Nowadays it’s so simple just to type what you want into a search engine and get it instantly. With ever-growing webs of communication, one site leads to the next… so why not have these interested buyers landing on yours?

While you may have a website already set up, your content may look stale. A blog gives the reader a steady stream of news-worthy leads to examine and pique their interest. For example, where are new developments going up in their community? What houses sold in their neighborhoods, and at what price? Which neighborhoods are being revitalized? Where can they find artsy condos for rent in a given price range? What markets are hot to relocate to? What open houses are happening this week? Your entries can be as formal as an article or as informal as a photo and a quick thought. Make it attention-grabbing, newsworthy and to-the-point.

Consider that 1) Blogging is essentially FREE advertising, 2) In addition to your website, it can strengthen your ever-critical “web presence,” and 3) shows that you’re growing with the times. Naturally, this all translates into dollar signs eventually.

Now that you’re aware of the importance of having your own real estate blog, here are some tips for getting started and ensuring that the investment is worth your time!

Part of the reason real estate blogs are taking off so much is because it’s an inexpensive marketing solution. Don’t be tricked into thinking you have to pay a small fortune for web hosting or web designers. In fact, there are many free sites where creating a simple, vibrant design is just a matter of checking off a few boxes! You’ll want to find a blog site that looks very professional – not something hokey. One of these sites is Blogger.com, which allows you to publish articles, post photos and choose from several pre-made design templates. You won’t need to know any coding to get started; publishing is as easy as typing and hitting the “publish” button!

Once you’ve created your blog, you’ll need to get some solid content up and you’ll also need to get into the practice of writing daily. While you’ll start with no following, the important thing is that once you have a steady readership, they will expect you to keep your site up-to-date. In addition, volume and frequently updated content registers well with search engines, which we’ll talk about a bit later.

What should you write in your blog? To answer this question you should first consider your audience. Also check out WordTracker.com to find out what people are typing into search engines – and start blogging about these topics on a regular basis. You may take advantage of the free trials on these sites or pay a $59 fee for a one month period. Check out an attractive, well-structured real estate blog like VARealEstateTalk.com to get an idea as to what may be working for the competition.

How can you promote your blog and drive traffic? You may have heard about Real Estate Search Engine Optimization before, but to many of us this term may as well be written in Greek. This is where you may want to hire a professional to help get you started. Otherwise, type in “search engine optimization” and keep reading! That’s another topic entirely in itself.

An easier way to drive traffic is to cross-promote with other realtors, services or like-minded bloggers. It’s that old theory of “You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours,” which can go a long way in the real estate marketing community. Also, make sure you’re affiliated with directories like Real-estate-blogs.com, so your site is visible and doesn’t get swept between the cracks.

You can sit there all day and question whether or not this could be plausible for you… but the best way to begin is… well, simply to begin! Once you find your launch pad website and jump right into the designing and execution, you’ll find the ideas will flow. If you find you’re not the writer type or you’re running short on time, you may want to even hire someone to run the site for you. One thing you can’t afford is to let this type of publicity pass you by!