The 5 Types Of Real Estate Content I Write (And Why)
If you haven’t heard, content marketing and real estate, if done properly, are like peanut butter and jelly. There are real estate agents across the country are reaping the benefits of content marketing.
Yes, it does take time to run a successful real estate blog. There are some real estate agents who won’t take the time to properly run their blog and are not seeing the benefits and think it’s a waste of time. Wrong!
Real estate agents who think that content marketing in real estate is a waste of time are most likely only clicking “publish”, which isn’t enough to be successful in content marketing! This is a surefire way to not see results from your content efforts. One thing that I get asked a lot by real estate professionals across the country is how I determine what type of real estate content I write, and why I write it. The most effective real estate bloggers will have a strategy for determining what type of content they write about, and also have an explanation why they are doing so.
Below are five types of content that I write about frequently on my blog, the Rochester Real Estate Blog, and some insight into why I choose to write about these topics.
Local Market Reports
Each and every month, between my two websites, Hiscock Homes & Rochester Real Estate Blog, you will find 13 local market reports being published throughout the month. These local market reports that I write recap the previous month’s real estate activity in 13 of the most popular Rochester, NY markets.
Within each local market report I provide information such as the number of sold homes in the previous month, and compare to the previous year. Other information you will find in my local market reports include the year over year average sale price, total volume sold, the average days on the market, number of properties that went under contract the previous month, as well as the number of active properties in the local market.
The main reason for publishing these market reports is to help local Rochester residents stay informed and up-to-date on their local real estate market. A homeowner in any city wants to stay informed on the real estate activity in their area, regardless of whether they’re planning to sell their home or not.
There are also some great SEO benefits to creating local market reports each month. For example, if a homeowner in Rochester, NY is wondering how the local real estate market is performing, they’re likely going to search some variation of “Rochester NY real estate market.” If your local market report shows up in the first few results, it’s a great opportunity to capture a potential seller by showcasing your knowledge of the current state of their local real estate market.
Check out an example of my Rochester NY real estate market report from November 2015 to see how I structure my local market reports.
Local Community Information & Realtor® Guides
Arguably the most important types of content to have on a real estate website are detailed community information pages and Realtor® guides. A top local community guide will include detailed information about the local real estate market, local economy, housing & population statistics, local school information, information regarding the local parks, and information pertaining to the local restaurants and attractions.
Creating detailed community guides is another great way to show the area residents that you have strong knowledge of their community. Many homeowners who are thinking about selling their home will hire a real estate agent because they know their community. There aren’t too many other ways to show a potential seller that you know the ins and the outs of their community!
A local community guide also provides some excellent SEO benefits. A properly written community guide should rank fairly high within search engines. For example, if a resident of Webster, NY, a bedroom community of Rochester, NY, is looking for a Realtor® in their area, they’re likely to search some variation of “Realtors® Webster NY” or “Webster NY Real Estate Agents.” A thorough Realtor® guide and community information page that shows up in the first few results can pay huge dividends. The chances a homeowner contacts you after reading a well thought out Realtor® guide is high. Check out my Webster NY Real Estate guide and community information page to see an example.
Tips for Home Buyers
One of the primary reasons I consistently write content on my website is to provide helpful information for home buyers (and sellers). As a real estate professional, I field questions tons of questions on a daily basis. The questions that buyers ask are often great topics to consider writing a blog about. When writing articles addressing questions from buyers, I make sure to cover the question in extreme detail.
For example, one question that I field frequently from buyers who are currently renting is whether they should continue renting or buy a home. There are a lot of real estate professionals who will tell buyers they should definitely buy, which isn’t always the right decision.
It’s helpful to provide some insight into what considerations a renter should weigh before deciding to buy a home. Does the renter have enough funds to purchase a home? Does the renter have the ability to get pre-approved for a mortgage? These are just a few considerations that should be made before deciding.
Check out an example of an article I wrote to help renters decide whether they should rent or buy a home. As you will see, I provide lots of “food for thought” for those who maybe on the fence and can’t decide which is the best decision for them.
Tips For Home Sellers
Just like tips for home buyers, providing content for home sellers is equally as important. To generate ideas on topics to write about towards sellers, just like I field questions from buyers, I field questions from sellers and use these as topic generators.
Selling a home can be challenging and homeowners often have many questions about the process, how to prepare a home for the market, how to handle low ball offers, and many other questions. These are all great topics that can be covered in a detailed article. Recently, I was approached by a first time home seller who was unsure how to begin the home selling process. Just like a first time home buyer can be confused about where to begin, first time home sellers often are too. After discussing this in detail with this first time home seller, I decided to write an article covering this topic.
In the article I provide information on how to prepare a home for the market, how to hire a top producing real estate agent, discuss the importance of pricing a home correctly, and understanding what closing expenses a seller will have. I’m sure you can see how helpful this information would be to a first time home seller.
Not only is the article helpful to provide to future first time home sellers but also can be a great lead generating tool if the article is discoverable on the major search engines. Typically, a first time home seller who is looking for information will do an internet search for “tips for first time home sellers” or “first time home seller.” The article I wrote consistently shows up at the top of the search engines and again, the potential a seller reaches out to me after reading the article is strong.
Check out my article that provides some excellent first time home seller tips to get an idea what a detailed article looks like relating to this specific topic. Articles that provide tips for sellers (and buyers) are not only a great resource to share with future clients, but also a great opportunity to generate additional business if the content is discoverable online.
Relocation Tips & Information
Last but certainly not least, another great content idea for a real estate website is information regarding relocation. This topic can be covered not only on a local basis in your local community, but also can be covered on a more generic level.
Since relocating can be a nerve-racking time, providing information about what to consider when moving to a new community can be extremely helpful. In addition to providing the things to consider when moving to a new community, you can provide information to help a buyer prepare for a move.
On a local level, providing relocation tips & information for a buyer who will be moving into your local area can be extremely helpful. There aren’t too many better ways to show a person who is moving into your area that you’re the local expert than providing a detailed local relocation guide.
Similar to the other content topic ideas above, creating a detailed relocation guide to your local community can put you in front of people looking to move to your area. For example, a person living in San Diego, CA who is thinking of moving to Rochester, NY is going to search “moving to Rochester NY,” “relocating to Rochester NY,” or some variation of these terms. If you can place your relocation guide at the top of the search results, this can put you in front of hundreds of people who are thinking of moving to your city, which can potentially pay huge dividends!
This detailed relocation guide for people thinking of moving to Rochester, NY is an example of what type of information you should consider putting in your relocation guide for your local area. In this relocation guide, you’ll see I’ve provided 11 reasons why people love moving to Rochester, NY.
Final Thoughts
If correctly done, content marketing can be a game changer for your real estate business. The ability to reach thousands of people on a daily basis who are searching for information relating to real estate is priceless. Providing helpful information to potential buyers and sellers is a much better way to gain trust and show your expertise than cold calling for sale by owners or door knocking.
Kyle Hiscock is a top Rochester Real Estate agent with Nothnagle Realtors. Kyle has helped hundreds of buyers and sellers move in, out, and around the Greater Rochester area since 2011! Kyle actively writes helpful content on his popular Rochester’s Real Estate Blog.