Visionary Views LLC

How to create a successful real estate blog: A Comprehensive Guide

Visionary Views is a Media Company that offers Real Estate Services in Hawaii and Las Vegas. Check out our services here.

Before we dig into the details of the “how,” let’s first understand the “why.”

As a realtor, you might say, I have implemented many marketing strategies and already published my content. Why do I need to create a blog?

The answer is simple and depends on what type of content you put out there. You often use social media to post your videos, listings, etc. While this is good marketing and fast, it only deals with the front surface. What about the backend? People without social media accounts can’t find you if they don’t have one. Where do people search if they are looking for information?

You guessed it, Google!

But who doesn’t have social media nowadays? You might be correct, but when someone is looking for a home or tips to find a home on a budget or anything like that? Do you think they will go to social media? No, they aren’t. The first source is Search It Online. And how will you make it appear in their search? Tadah!!! Creating a blog is the best way to create content built for search engines like Google.

If you haven’t started blogging yet, it’s not too late.

But what topic or ideas should you write about? Well, read on!

Here is the step-by-step guide when starting a real estate blog

1. Establish Authority and Expertise

Showcase your knowledge and insights into the real estate market through well-researched and informative content. This positions you as an authority in your niche, making your blog a go-to resource for potential clients and industry peers alike. Share your Expertise on market trends, local real estate news, and tips for homebuyers and sellers. Doing so builds trust and credibility with your future client, setting yourself apart from competitors.

2. Define Your Goals

Before starting your blog, define your objectives. Determine if you aim to inform, inspire, or entertain and align your content with your mission. Are you looking to attract new clients, increase brand awareness, or provide valuable insights to your audience? Knowing your goals helps you create content that resonates with your target audience and drives meaningful engagement.

3. Develop a Content Calendar

Consistency is crucial. Create a content calendar outlining your blogging schedule, deciding how often you’ll post, and sticking to your plan. This ensures your audience knows when to expect new content and helps you stay organized. Plan your content in advance, considering topics, formats, and visuals to keep your blog fresh and engaging.

There are many Content Calendars available on the internet for free. We use Metricool for our content calendar because, by far, they have the easiest platform to use with analytics built in it, and you can try it for free for one brand.

4. Research Your Audience

Understand your audience’s preferences and pain points to tailor your content strategy accordingly. Adapt your content based on audience data to engage effectively. Identify the types of content your audience responds to, such as videos, infographics, or blog posts. By understanding your audience, you can create content that resonates with them and drives meaningful engagement.

5. Create High-Quality Content

Ensure your blog posts are well-researched, well-written, and visually appealing. Incorporate eye-catching images, videos, or virtual tours to enhance your content and engage readers. Use headings, subheadings, and bullet points to make your content easy to read and understand. By creating high-quality content, you establish your authority and showcase your expertise, making your blog a valuable resource for your audience.

6. Engage with Your Readers

Encourage comments, questions, and feedback to foster community and show that you value reader input. Respond to comments and engage in discussions to build relationships with your audience. Doing so creates a loyal following and establishes your blog as a trusted resource in the real estate industry.

7. SEO Optimization

Beyond basic Search Engine Optimization (SEO) practices, focus on advanced techniques like optimizing for voice search, using long-tail keywords, and creating cornerstone content to enhance your blog’s visibility and reach. Use tools like Google Analytics to track your blog’s performance and adjust your strategy accordingly. By optimizing your blog for search engines, you increase your online visibility and attract more targeted traffic.

8. Order Unique Business Cards

Business cards will always stay in style. You’ll always have in-person meetings and meet-ups with buyers, sellers, and other industry professionals, meaning having your information on hand to share with them is vital. But a boring card that lists your business name and contact details in the smallest font won’t be memorable. Take a risk and order some original business cards few have likely seen before. For instance, look at these fine examples featured on ViralNova that take the concept to the next level.

9. Create In-Depth Graphs, Guides, Charts, or Maps

The best real estate marketing plan includes plenty of graphics — but not just any will do. Taking time to hone your Photoshop skills (or building enough capital to hire a professional graphic designer) will allow you to add striking images, charts, graphs, and other visual elements to your blog and social media posts. When that time comes, ensure your graphics explain something of value to your audience, like the best parts of your local market.

In the meantime, you can utilize Canva to create your graphics without having to spend money to hire someone to create a graphic for you when it still needs to be added to the budget. Canva has a lot of pre-made templates that you can use.

Now that you understand the fundamentals let's explore the topics or types of content you can post on your blog

1. Capitalize on the Popularity of the Latest Internet Memes

You may think memes are another internet distraction that keeps you from completing important tasks, like segmenting real estate leads in your customer relationship management (CRM) database or scheduling meetings with prospective clients. On the contrary, Memes offer a fun real estate marketing tactic that is now taking off with agents and can get some laughs from your audience.

2. Highlight Reviews and Testimonials

If you have great reviews from previous customers, show them off. Potential clients often seek out testimonials when looking for a real estate agent, so make yours easy to find.

3. Proven Track Record of Success

If you beat the typical listing time or bring sellers more than they ask, brag about it. The point of your blog is to make people aware of your services; explaining the benefits you bring to the table makes potential clients more inclined to work with you.

4. About You

One of the most challenging things to do is sell yourself. But, if you’re honest and present your authentic self, people will flock to you and want to know more.

You can create a content page on your website called “about page” dedicated to helping your audience know you better. This one doesn’t have to be a blog post type of content, but since we are talking about helping people find you online, this can contribute to that.

5. Why You Love Real Estate

Tell the story of why you got into real estate and how you’ve been able to make peoples’ dreams come true. Make sure to add anecdotes from the customers you’ve helped and the impact that had on you.

Home Tips

6. Home Renovations

You can have fun with this content. How-to renovate guides and step-by-step blog articles are always excellent for search rankings and helpful for users.

7. Finding Your Dream Home Tips

Whether this article is written in the first person or via input from the experts, everyone wants to know how to find their dream home. As is the case for all these subjects, ensure your content is unique and fresh.

8. Common Mistakes Sellers Make

This evergreen real estate blog topic is mainly for first-time sellers. Bulleted lists are always helpful to attract Google and other search engines, so use this format to your advantage.

9. Common Mistakes Buyers Make

While the focus of your content is obviously on attracting possible clients, writing about the common mistakes of buyers is also helpful for other real estate professionals. When you create pieces like this, you broaden the scope of your authority.

10. Staging Tips

Have fun with this topic: Create interactive rooms on your website showing the various real estate industry trends. What worked in previous homes, and what staging tips should we follow moving forward. Check out Visionary Views Virtual Staging Samples for inspiration.

20. Real Estate Terms

If you’ve been in real estate long enough, you know there are enough terms to make your head spin. If you have a blog post that provides all those terms and their definitions in one place, you will be thanked far and wide.

21. Landscaping

One of the most challenging aspects of owning a home is knowing what to do with your yard. Provide tips on how to keep a lawn green and fix burn patches. You can even recommend some companies you found reliable to provide this service to your future home buyers and partner with them.

22. What to Expect When Buying a Home

Emotions will run high, so help guide people on what to expect when buying their home. To make this content unique, use local data and make it specific to your area.

23. First-Time Home Buying

Buying a home is one of the largest financial decisions of someone’s life. Tips for first-time homebuyers is one of those real estate blog topics that will be incredibly useful in establishing your authority and attracting new clients.

24. Pet Friendly

If people want to rent, a real estate blog topic that covers places that allow pets would be beneficial.

Here is a fun fact that might help you not to overlook pet owners:

43% of people would be willing to move to accommodate their pets better
68% of REALTORS®’ clients say that the animal policy influenced their decision to rent or buy in a particular community
36% of buyers with at least one pet purchased a home with 4+ bedrooms, compared to only 24% without pets.
73% of homebuyers with pets report that private outdoor space is more important than those without pets. Features like large, fenced-in yards and non-toxic landscaping are highly sought-after
29% of young millennial buyers (likely first-time) picked their neighborhood with their pets in mind, looking for things like nearby dog parks and pet-friendly culture

25. Moving Tips

Since this is one of those real estate blogging ideas that gets covered a lot, could you find a way to make it different? Include a video and/or podcast on your blog to make your moving tips more engaging.

Local Information

26. Transportation

Which neighborhoods or streets have the most accessible access to subway stations, bus stops, or rail stations? Does your area have many commuters? What are the estimated commute times from certain areas or neighborhoods? This is one of the top searches for prospective home buyers/renters when looking for a new house.

27. Job Opportunities

Are there new companies or factories in your area? Are there good job opportunities?

28. Notable People Interviews

Find people in the area whose readers will be interested in knowing their opinions. For instance, interview the local school district superintendent or a local politician.

29. Promoting a Neighborhood

Promoting an up-and-coming neighborhood in your area is an excellent way to attract attention. Here is an example from a real estate company blog in Oahu, Hawaii.

30. Properties (Luxury, Affordable, Best Value)

Create a list of top-end properties for sale in your local market. Let your readers know you will be happy to show them. The same goes for affordable properties. Another list to add is a list of properties you think are the best values.

31. Schools

How are area schools performing? Have you heard any recent good news concerning specific area schools? Link to an article or report that ranks the best schools in your area.

32. Local Events

Read local newspapers and community events calendars to keep up with local events in your niche. Advertise upcoming events and write about attending recent events.

33. Local Business

Write about a local business (market, store, restaurant, etc.). Ask the company to link your post on their website and Facebook page when it’s published.

Market Trends and Educational Resources

34. Property Taxes

What can buyers expect when paying property taxes in specific neighborhoods?

35. Local Housing Trends

Are home sales up or down? Is this a buyer’s or seller’s market? How do mortgage rates affect local buying?

36. Predictions

What real estate trends do you foresee in the next ten years? Are there any planned infrastructure or housing development projects for the area?

37. Glossary

The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) has an excellent web page explaining important real estate terms and phrases. Please link to this glossary in your blog or use it for numerous posts by having a regular real estate vocabulary blog post.

38. Mortgages

The U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) provides resources on understanding real estate mortgages. Here are some excellent blog post resources from their site.

39. Educational Guidelines

Once you have accumulated several articles for buyers, sellers, and other niche clients, you can create a blog page with links to every past post.

40. Educational Resources

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) offers real estate and home-buying information. Use this resource to create informative blog posts and guides for your audience.

And there you have it! You can create a successful real estate blog that establishes your Expertise, engages your audience, drives website traffic, and showcases properties creatively, ultimately positioning yourself as a trusted resource in the real estate industry.

To learn more about Visionary Views Real Estate Services, please visit www.visionaryviewsllc.com. Thank you, and have a good day.