How to Write a Real Estate Blog
Posted by pete quinlan on Jul 8, 2008
The real estate market is changing, there is no question about that. The Mortgage crisis, traditional marketing vs. the internet, FSBO, and the list goes on. Where will the real estate market be in five years? I think there will be a mix of new and old. The one thing that will probably never fade is the need for relationships and that is why I think blogging will continue to grow. Blogging at the neighborhood level is the focus of this post. While I don’t claim to be a great writer/blogger, I do think I have a formula that will work. It’s not about predicting the eventual real estate changes. It’s about building relationships that last over time!
This is one of the many formulas that can work with hard work, clever writing and regional focus. First pick a region and an audience….hopefully you are familiar with the region. If you are not then start doing your homework and write about it….be honest!
Posting
Write often, I would suggest five articles a week at least. More if you are doing this with a group. Even if you write and end up not posting, it is still important to write. Who knows that article may be helpful in a week, month or even a year.
Topics
Everything! I suggest having a couple theme days. For example post every Friday about hot spots in the area…”Friday Hot Spots”. You can send out a poll of 20 questions to all of your friends, or perhaps your target audience. Ask questions like best burger, best cocktail, best sports bar, best park etc… 20 questions = 20 Fridays and now you only need four articles per week. Posts like this tend to get comments and will give you ideas for other questions when you send your next questionnaire. These type of posts are region specific and will bring people back every week.
Perhaps Monday is the day that you write a short synopsis about the local market. This may prove to be a bit more difficult because you have to think, but also the market may not change a great deal from week to week. Keep in mind that you are a real estate agent, you should always have something to say about the market.
If you have a number of listings, you could showcase the properties that you are selling. This is another area where some times you may have more than enough, but more often than not you will not have a property to showcase.
Non real estate topics! Remember this is a regional blog and you are trying to build credibility as a a regional expert. your topics do not have to always be about real estate, in fact I would suggest writing about non real estate topics as often as possible.
Highlight local businesses, local personalities and local landmarks. Become the Anytown expert, trusted resource and authority!
Real estate blogging is not about being the best agent in an area, it’s about building a relationship online, just like in person. Have good content and be dedicated to writing, you will be surpirised that people are out there looking for you!
Good luck!