Top 10 Ways to Use Blogging in Real Estate #7: Market Your Listings
Preface Start: Shut it. I don’t want to hear the nay-sayers that say that real estate bloggers should not blog about their listings. lalalalalalalala. I can’t hear you!
Here’s the deal: I am a real estate agent before I am a blogger. In fact, I am a lot of things before I am a blogger. This means that there are things that are more important than blogging and one of those things is the promise that I make to my seller clients:
“I promise to promote your property to as many potential buyers and their agents as possible.”
Another promise I make is a little more subtle, and is aimed at everyone who finds my blog:
“I promise that my Colorado Springs Real Estate blog will be about real estate.”
Given those 2 promises, it is natural to assume that you will find listings on my blog. Preface End.
A great way to use blogging in real estate is to blog about your listings. This does 3 great things:
1. Your Listings Can Be “Googled”
When you blog about your listings, you are making those properties show up on Google more often. Sellers love that … and so does anyone who drives by a property, jotts down the address and then goes back home and “Googles It” for more information. (Sniff. Sniff. Do I smell a potential new client opportunity?)
When we are talking to potential seller clients, we ask them to Google any of our listings’ addresses. When they do, they see that our advertising is ALL OVER the first page of Google (to include our blog posts) and *poof* become impressed.
Tip: Make sure at least part of the address is in the title.
2. Your Listings Are Naturally Keyword-Rich
When you are creating a post about one of the fine homes that you chose to list, market and sell, you can now add your desired keywords in more places (naturally) than trying to get them all in a non-listing post. What a great opportunity to talk to Google in a language they love = keyword rich content.
Tip: Make sure you add your keywords to the descriptions when blogging about your listings and earn a little more Google Love.
3. Your Listings Are Perfect Real Estate Content
People visit real estate blogs for many reasons, but the main reason is because they want to read about real estate. Go figure! IN addition to all your other great real estate posts*, blogging about your listings give give home buyers the opportunity to see what kind of homes are available in specific areas and specific price ranges.
Tip: When you are having trouble coming up with a great blog post for your real estate blog, consider finding a similarity between 3-5 of your listings and create a “Featured Homes in XXX” Post. (Example: Featured Homes for Sale in Springs Ranch Colorado Springs)
A blogged listing should include:
- Pictures – Or at least one picture and a link to where they can find more pictures (like a Flickr account or VFyer).
- Virtual Tour – Or a link to the Virtual Tour. I like embedding my Real Estate Shows in my blogged listings.
- Description – A comprehensive description of the home and the area that the home is in. (This would be a great place for keywords.)
- Your Contact Information – Der.
- Neighborhood Link – Preferably one to a post that YOU have written about that neighborhood.
- Community Links – Area schools, utility department, local amenities …
- IDX Links:
- General – Search Homes for Sale in [area]
- Neighborhood – Search Homes for Sale in [neighborhood]
- Price Range – Search Homes for Sale in [price range of listing]
- Map – You can embed a Google Map which will give readers a GREAT idea where the property is in relation to everything else. (Thanks Elaine!)
*Now, don’t go overboard… Blogging about your listings should NOT be an obnoxious sales pitch and should be just a facet of your real estate blog, coupled with all the other wonderful real estate-y things you have to share with your readers (and search engines).
However, when done correctly, an effectively blogged listing can impress your sellers, get the attention of buyers and help you rank in the search engines.
