What to Write About on Your Real Estate Blog
I read a lot of real estate blogs. It’s a fun way to see what’s going on in different markets worldwide. But it seems to me like many agents might not really know what to write about on your real estate blog, since some of them might go months without an update (this looks really bad - if you’re too busy, fine, but don’t have market update reports or a “new listing” from 3 months ago as your last blog post!) So I’ve brainstormed for some ideas and came up with a nice list that should keep you fueled for posts for a long time.
What to Write About on Your Real Estate Blog
1. Local Community Events: Read your local newspaper and see what’s going on around your town. Maybe there’s an art festival or free movies in the park or a food drive. ..It doesn’t matter what the event is, it will make you appear like you are involved in your community. You may even pick up a few regular readers who are not currently looking for a house - but something to do in your town. This is something you can update weekly or monthly.
2. General Real Estate How-To’s: Anything a consumer could find necessary will work - how to choose a home inspector, how to become pre-qualified for a mortgage, how much house they can afford, how to stage a home, how to winterize a property, 7 Mistakes Buyers Make, how to choose a builder…the list goes on and on.
3. Find out What People are Searching For: Go to the Free Keyword Tracker and type in the names of cities, townships, or counties near you. For this example, I typed in “Cape May”, which is a great part of New Jersey. Out pops hundreds of keyword ideas and things people are actively searching for - the Cape May Lighthouse, Cape May NJ Foreclosures, Cape May Hotels, Cape May Bed & Breakfasts, etc. etc. Not only will this make your blog the source for information in your town, but again gets you in front of people who are not currently looking for a house - but could be in a few months to a year.
4. Target Different Niches: Writing for different niches can also help you hone into your readers. Write about the “hip” local scene, the best places to retire, raising horses, townhome life, downtown living, etc. etc. in your area.
5. Cover the Local School Districts: Anyone with children will need to know school district information when moving, and many people without children will still want to be in a good school district for their property values. Cover local board meetings, a calendar of events, sports teams, and other school related activities.
6. Highlight Businesses and organizations: Your town is probably filled with various businesses and organizations - write about the library, the fire department, the grocery stores, the dry cleaner, the chamber of commerce, etc. etc. Make sure anytime you do a featured business spotlight you email a link to the company.
7. Restaurant Reviews: Everybody likes to eat (or at least needs to!) so next time you go out somewhere, write about it. Talk about their menu items, the atmosphere, the affordability. Be sure you keep your review positive - bashing the place that didn’t refill your coffee won’t get you too far.
8. Get Involved With the Sports Teams: Where I live, you live and breathe football from September to January. It’s really the only thing anybody cares about during this time of the year. Write once a week about how the team did in their games, player news, their houses, etc. etc.
9. Talk About Decor: While you’re a real estate agent, and not an interior designer, there’s no harm in writing things like “10 Fresh Ways to Update Your Kitchen” or “How to Remove Wall Paper Without Banging Your Head Against the Wall”. You could also write about furniture placement, improvements that increase the value of a home, choosing laminate versus hardwood, etc. etc.
10. If All Else Fails, Enlist a Guest Poster: Is there anybody locally around you with a blog or website? If so, (and if they can write in a professional, entertaining manner), why not invite them to guest post? Let them write about their topic of expertise - whether it be pets by the local vet or an accountant with tax advice - having guest posts can be a great way to make your blog more interesting.
Hopefully these 10 ideas for what to write about on your real estate blog will give you a little inspiration on ways to interact with your readers, appeal to a broader base of people in your area, and even increase your traffic and RSS subscribers.
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I also see a lot blogs are short on new postings, it takes discipline to post a couple posts a week. Once you get into the habit though you will find that a lot of your clients keep tabs on you through the blog and also its a great way to obtain additional clientele who want an agent that they feel comfortable with. Which they will by reading your posts. In Tucson I think we are ahead of most other cities in terms of real estate agents internet marketing expertise, and a blog here is a basic. Although in other cities having a blog could really set you apart and make you the expert in the community.
All great ideas. I cover about 10 different towns, so I do lots of market reports and commentary on how the market feels to me. I will talk about how many buyers I am activly working with, and what in general they tend to be looking for, and in general what has turned them off, such as that otherwise wonderful house that smelled like cat pee.
I take a lot of photos of the New Orleans area every week. I guess its become a hobby. I can almost write a story on every series of photos that I take. it can always tie into real estate and the aeas that I work. I do market reports but tie them into some photos as not to be dry.
A photo says a lot about the area and a good photo just speaks with more authority.
[...] I mentioned in my post yesterday about What to Write About on Your Real Estate Blog, I genuinely do enjoy going around and reading other real estate blogs, even if they are not for an [...]
Some great ideas here - including your commenters. Thanks.
@Michael I have noticed a lot of Arizona blogs, so you guys are ahead of the curve! It does take some discipline to get in the habit of posting regularly, but can be well worth it.
@James - Having the information on different neighborhoods is always great to do.
@Eric - I think pictures make a real estate blog more interesting to read - it would be a great idea to incorporate “photo of the week” or a similar concept.
Thanks for the great comments everyone!