Make Your Next Post Brand New.
With so many real estate blogs and websites out there, it’s important to differentiate yourself from the competition if you want your content to attract new customers. That means seeking out new ways to showcase your inventory, your expertise, and your personality. Here are four fun and innovative ideas to get you thinking differently about your real estate marketing.
1. Movies
Video tours are a fine way to spice up your listings, and featuring a great one can make for a great blog post. If you really want to make a memorable video, however, you might consider putting some people in it. I’m not talking about spending thousands remaking Glengarry Glen Ross, but I am talking about writing and shooting a very simple narrative that takes advantage of the spaces in your listing. Take, for instance, the video above from Sage Real Estate in Toronto. There’s no dialogue, and just two characters (counting the dog, of course), yet it offers viewers something much more compelling than a simple video tour.
If you have a vacant property, you might even consider offering it to high school film students as a location for their latest horror-thriller. This way, you can contract the work out, contribute positively to your local community, and show off your property to a whole new audience.
2. Reviews
To put it simply, buying or renting a home is as much about new stuff as it is about a new space. That is, whether your customers are upgrading to a bigger home, or downsizing to a smaller one, a new home offers new possibilities or new requirements when it comes to décor, appliances, and other home products. Whenever you get a new gadget or piece of furniture, consider weighing in on the pros and cons, with a particular focus on how it contributes to life in your space: the new toaster that crisps up two bagels at once, but takes up hardly any room on the counter; the swiveling TV stand that gives your living room so much more flexibility; etc.
3. Sketch Comedy
Real estate agents are salespeople, and salespeople are personalities. Take advantage of it! Put that sense of humor and drama club experience to use by writing and shooting some short comedy sketches with the other agents in your office. Real estate is all about being human, forging relationships, and spending lots of time with customers one-on-one—so show them you’re someone they would enjoy working closely with. For a terrific example in another industry, check out the above video from Hollywood talent agency WME, written, shot by, and starring current employees (with just a little help from some clients).
4. Current Tenants/Owners
Some might disagree with the idea of letting buyers in on the routines and life experiences of a seller, saying it’s best to keep the business and personal ends of the transaction separate. While I agree that it’s important to tread lightly, it’s worth noting that in most cases, buyers are touring homes packed with evidence of the current residents’ personal relationship with the property: photos, paint and wallpaper, furnishings, pets, landscaping, etc. So why not give owners and tenants the chance to demonstrate the value of their home on their own terms?
Try interviewing them (adults and children both) about why they love this property. What made them choose the property initially? What’s their favorite room? Their secret spot? Without being too invasive, you might even consider filming a day in their lives—or, better yet, handing the camera over and letting them provide their own insight into the intangibles that make their property worth buying.
These are just a few possibilities for breathing new life into your real estate marketing content. Take the time consider alternatives to the tried-and-true content formulas, and pretty soon you’ll start to see less competition for more customers.
