If you’re searching for a steady source of great content for your real estate website, you may be overlooking your greatest asset: your listings. Consumers never tire of looking at “real estate porn”: photos and descriptions of dream homes. It’s a huge opportunity for creating awesome content that your clients will actually find useful and entertaining.
The challenge, of course, is how to turn your raw listings into engaging posts. Most agents and brokers think too narrowly when writing about their listings, focusing on their most recently listed property. But most consumers don’t want Our Latest Listing. Instead, they want posts that are curated into bite-sized bits and tailored to their personal interests: Boston’s Most Expensive Condos, The Most Beautiful Pools in San Diego, etc.
At Placester, we call this the Best X in Y post. In this scheme, X is the property type or listing feature you want to highlight, and Y is your geographic location.
Continue reading to learn exactly how to create awesome real estate blog posts, including 17 titles you can steal – er, borrow (since I didn’t invent this). Happy marketing!
“Owning a home is a keystone of wealth… both financial affluence and emotional security.”
— SUZE ORMAN
3 Critical Features That Every Post Needs
Like any great piece of content, a successful Best X in Y needs drama and utility. The drama is about getting attention, and the utility is about providing actionable content. When you combine the two, clients will devour your posts. Here are the three features you need to achieve both.
1) Titles Must Grab Attention
Remember the “best X (home characteristic) in Y (geographic location)” concept when starting your post. This makes it easier to create intriguing titles and showcase your geographic area, which will improve your local SEO. Here are some examples to use as a starting point:
- 10 Provincetown Fixer-Uppers on the Market Right Now
- The Sweetest Cottages in Bar Harbor
- The Hottest Rentals in Chicago
- The Biggest Back Yards in Cambridge
- The Best Roofdecks in Manhattan
- 10 Tahoe Waterfront Properties under $500K
- San Diego’s Least Expensive Beachfront Listings
- 12 North Beach Flips on the Market Right Now
- Most Expensive Apartments on the Market in Phoenix
- 10 Smallest Homes in Columbus on the Market Today
- Boston’s Priciest Condos
- 15 Most Beautiful Pools in Austin
- Biggest Garages in Boise
- Largest Houses in San Francisco
- The Best Ocean Views in Maine
- Homes with the Largest Docks in Biscayne
- The Most Historic Houses in Atlanta
2) Photos Must Be Awesome
This is where you need to put on your art direction hat. When searching your MLS for listings to use, choose only the best and biggest property photos, ditching any image that seems too small, cut off, blurry, drab, or otherwise unflattering. After all, if it doesn’t inspire you, how much do you think it will inspire a potential buyer?
“Articles with images get 94% more total views.”
— JEFF BULLAS
For more guidance on the kinds of property photos consumers want to see, check out some examples of real estate porn in the wild:
3) Content Must Focus on Target Customer Niches
This might sound like common sense, but lots of agents get so focused on attracting attention to their posts that they don’t care who it comes from. If you’re not creating content that reflects both your listings and the consumers who want them, you’re wasting your time. Don’t, for instance, write about flipper properties if your inventory is low or if your commission is nonexistent on those deals. The main goal is to engage your ideal market segments and potential clients.
Now that we’ve outlined what your post needs, here are some step-by-step instructions for creating it.
Sample Article with Step By Step Instructions
Step 1: Add Post Title, Description, and Call to Action (CTA)
Step 2: Hyperlink Address and Image to Your Website
Step 3: Add Final CTA at End of Post
Finally, let’s remove the notes and see what your finished post should look like from start to finish.
“Remember: Your clients are people who hate to be sold to.”
— SETH PRICE
Best Historic Homes in Charlotte and Mecklenburg County
Founded in 1768, Charlotte is a city with a long, rich heritage. That heritage is reflected in Charlotte and Mecklenburg County’s many beautiful historic homes. With styles ranging from cozy Colonial to elaborate Victorian, these breathtaking and available homes are sure to impress even the most modern critic.
For more information on any of these listings, give us a call at (123) 456-7890 or drop us a line at homes@myrealtor.com.
1454 Kings Rd | Charlotte, NC 28207
Built: 1901
Price: $630,300
3806 Hillview Ct | Charlotte, NC 28210
Built: 1894
Price: $805,000
410 W 5th St | Charlotte, NC 28202
Built: 1907
Price: $905,000
39 Cypress St | Huntersville, NC 28070
Built: 1936
Price: $490,500
500 Main St | Matthews, NC 28104
Built: 1933
Price: $604,000
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