How Content Marketing Can Boost Your Reputation in Real Estate

The real estate market is hot — and not just for people buying and selling properties. Jobs in real estate have boomed since the COVID-19 pandemic, with 60% more people becoming agents between 2020 and 2021 compared to the two previous years. This is exciting for those entering the field, but at the same time, it’s an indicator of fierce competition. If you’re an agency owner or an independent realtor, you must do everything possible to stay in front of prospective clients. Investing in content marketing is one way to make sure you get noticed.

You might not think pushing out content would make your phone ring or your email inbox light up, but it absolutely can. Whenever you publish content in any form, you increase the chances of being seen by people searching for realtors, real estate agencies, and related experts online.

You can’t just publish any type of content, of course. The content needs to be high-quality and valuable to your target audience and arranged in a way that makes it easy for search engines like Google to evaluate it. As long as it meets those requirements, you’re on your way to giving yourself and your business an authority boost.

Make no mistake: Authority is a huge selling point in real estate. Sellers and buyers want to feel like they’re working with a knowledgeable, trustworthy expert. When your name keeps popping up, thanks to all the content you’re creating and deploying, you’re positioning yourself as a go-to resource in your field.

How exactly does content marketing work, though? If you’ve never explored a content marketing plan, you might be unsure how this type of initiative works to improve your local, regional, or national reputation. Below are some of the top ways real estate content marketing can be one of the most beneficial tools in your advertising kit.

1. Content marketing lets you share your voice.

Every real estate professional has a distinct personality, style, and approach. With content marketing, you can share yours with prospective clients. This allows searchers to get to know you more personally and see how you’re different from others in your industry. Remember that real estate is all about relationships. When people see you as unique, they’re more apt to give you a try.

For example, let’s say you have a Facebook business page. You could add videos, testimonials, and mini online “open house” slideshows to your content. Additionally, you might want to include real estate updates and other important tidbits to educate (and maybe even entertain) your followers. Won some crystal awards during an annual realtor conference? Do a little humble bragging online. The more personalized content you upload to your social pages, the more your voice will shine through. Who knows? Your next connection could come from a quirky, fun photo you share on Facebook or Instagram.

2. Content marketing can improve your website’s rankings.

A solid SEO practice is to write keyword-rich pieces for your website, blog, and other owned platforms. You’ll want to be sure you're not keyword-stuffing your writings (and please don’t let AI write them for you!). Instead, use a keyword evaluation tool or invest in a marketing agency to help you identify keywords and create corresponding content.

Over time, all your SEO-based content will serve two purposes. First, it will give readers insights into real estate topics they care about. When consumers search using keywords, they might be introduced to your pages and expertise. Secondly, it will show Google that your site is seen as credible and authoritative. The result should be improved search engine results for your target keywords. (As a pro hint, add localities to some of your keywords to home in on a geographic location.)

3. Content marketing can encourage reviews.

It’s great when satisfied clients leave positive reviews on Google, Facebook, Zillow, and other sites. You don’t need to wait for this to happen organically, though. Part of your content marketing efforts can be to ask people to give you reviews. The more four-star and five-star reviews you earn, the more your reputation will grow.

This can work here: You team up with someone who wants to buy a starter home. After a few weeks, you help her find something in her price range and location. All goes well, and she places an offer that is accepted. At the closing, she remarks that she’s had a wonderful experience. This is the perfect moment to ask her to leave a review. Later, you can email or text her a link to a review site to prompt her to take the next step. With consistency, you should see your reviews — and your authority — grow.

In a sea of competitors, it can be hard for realtors to stand out. But you can aim to showcase why you’re different by highlighting everything from your brand to your tremendous expertise. And it’s much simpler to do that when you’re serious about prioritizing content marketing.