What’s the easiest way to connect with homeowners looking to buy or sell their homes? Adding a blog to your real estate website. It’s a proven way to attract new clients and establish yourself as a trusted authority in your community.
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Brokers and agents need to be everywhere online
You’ve probably already noticed how active your clients are online. They’ve viewed homes before they even call you, they’re mentioning stats they’ve read online and they’re hungry for information. Where are they finding it? Likely by searching for and reading blog posts on topics that interest them.
They’re viewing homes and researching neighborhoods — all online.
If you compare online use by age demographic, 99% of Millennials search on online websites compared to 90% of older boomers. Only 56% of Generation X home buyers (40-54 years old) visit an open house before buying.
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7 reasons to start blogging
Real estate brokers and agents have to work hard to keep their names on the tip of everyone’s tongues. Blogging can help.
- Introduce yourself to new clients.
- Increase traffic to your real estate website.
- Establish yourself as a credible resource.
- Generate and nurture leads.
- Stay relevant.
- Create goodwill in your community.
- Generate long-term return on investment.
Here are just a few benefits to adding a blog to your real estate website.
1. Introduce yourself to new clients
Photo: Adam Solomon on Unsplash
Your primary focus is growing your business by attracting more clients. So the first step is to be sure you’re making it easy for people to find you.
Blogging is an excellent lead-generation tool.
Blog posts that are adapted for search engines put your business squarely in the path of people who otherwise wouldn’t know about you.
You likely already list your services on your website, but blog posts give you room to outline your process, quote satisfied customers and detail all the extra value you add.
2. Increase traffic to your real estate website
Search engines change their algorithms all the time, and even the experts don’t always agree on the best strategies to attract maximum traffic to your websites.
Google rewards websites with fresh and relevant content by moving them up in search rankings.
This need for constantly refreshed content is neatly satisfied with a blog you update regularly.
Consider how much more value is offered by a website with all pertinent information about you, plus an engaging blog where readers can learn about:
- Neighborhoods in their communities
- How to prepare for a home sale
- Tips on staging their homes
- What to consider when choosing between a new and previously owned home
Although blogging takes time, the investment can pay off in more visitors to your website.
3. Establish yourself as a credible resource
We like to know who we’re doing business with and the higher the stakes, the more we want to be sure of our decisions.
For many, buying or selling a home or condo is a major life event.
Your next potential client doesn’t just want to know that you have the designation needed to help them buy or sell a home.
They want to know that you have been buying and selling in their market for a long time. They want to read your insights on the current market, where you think the best opportunities may lie for home buyers and sellers. They want to know if you sound like someone they can trust.
4. Generate and nurture leads
Your website is like a salesperson who works nonstop when you’re busy. It’s where people will be looking for information before they call you. In fact, they may browse online a long time before reaching out.
They may be doing research before moving to a new city, a new neighborhood or buying their first investment property.
A clear call-to-action in every blog post — sign up for my newsletter, call now — can encourage engagement from your readers.
5. Stay relevant
Have you considered why your clients would follow your social channels and stay connected between real estate transactions?
They aren’t likely looking at every listing you share if they’ve just bought a new home.
But they might appreciate:
- Seasonal tips to best care for their homes
- Advice on how to keep clutter at bay
- Updates whenever property values rise
You can cover all kinds of interesting topics on your blog, then share these valuable bits of advice via email and on social media. These posts can keep clients connected, and encourage referrals as your name is shared in their online communities.
Need ideas on what to blog about? Attract potential clients with these real estate blog ideas.
6. Create goodwill in your community
Real estate decisions are not simply transactional — your clients have a lot of emotion tied up in these changes. It’s common for potential clients to want to feel like they know who you are, and how you engage with your community.
Do you understand their needs, and will you be someone they can count on? Are you investing your time and efforts to improve your city or community? A blog can help you share your thoughts on community, along with some of the fun ways you and your team are getting involved.
7. Long-term return on investment
Traditional marketing efforts are often expensive and offer short-term results for the cost. Real estate agents and brokers who have advertised in newspapers, local magazines and on the radio know just how costly these efforts are.
The money you spent is gone as soon as the newspaper hits the recycling bin.
Blog posts with valuable content are assets that you own. And they will reap benefits long after the first day you publish them. Periodically updating your most popular posts will extend their usefulness indefinitely.
Your next client is already looking online
The world has gone digital, and this means changes for anyone hoping to connect with potential clients. Competition is fierce, and homeowners have access to far more information than they once did.
Real estate brokers and agents who stay relevant and offer value will be top of mind when their clients are making decisions about their next home.
Imagine your next client is looking online for information, right now. Consider all the advice and knowledge you have to share, and get writing!
UPDATE: This post was originally published on 9 July 2019 and was updated on 26 February 2020.
