======
I’ve found that this is a hot button topic among many real estate agents and brokers. Maybe someone can enlighten me, but I just can’t seem to understand why more agents don’t blog about their listings. You have a free opportunity to let the world know about one of your properties… what are you waiting for?
My only conclusion is that most real estate agents just don’t know how to do it. Maybe you are an agent but just don’t want to include a property listing post right in the middle of your other blog posts… whatever the reason, I want to show you 4 reasons you would be crazy not to start blogging your listings
Crazy Myth #1: Blogging about my real estate listing takes too long
Nonsense. You don’t have to be a photoshop pro in this day and age. There are plenty of tools out there that will allow you to create an online flyer that you can easily post on your blog. My favorite, and probably the easiest is VFlyer.com - It is super fast, and it even submits your flyer to GoogleBase, Trulia, Craiglist, and more… sort of a double whammy. And there are plenty of other sites out there there let you create an online flyer… just make sure that you can export it in an html format so you can copy and paste it as a blog post.
If you don’t want to use a property flyer on your blog, or you can’t get it to work, you can still just write a quick description of the property and include a picture slide show using flickr, slide, or Real Estate Shows. You can even post a video tour right on the blog using youtube or Wellcomemat.
Crazy Myth #2: My blog gets no traffic, what’s the point?
There are plenty of other places you can post that listing. Just because you may be new to blogging doesn’t mean that there isn’t value in blogging about your listings. Think outside the box… try using Localism.com. Just go to ActiveRain, paste in your flyer, or listing as a new post. Then choose “for consumers”, and “advertising a listing”. This will also increase your AR points with little to no work!
But don’t just stop there, almost every single social networking site out there has a mini-blog feature that will let you paste in an html flyer, or even add a slideshow. Try: Facebook, wannanetwork, xanga, plaxo, cre8buzz, Myspace. Go crazy… there are hundreds of sites like these to choose from.
Crazy Myth #3: The chances are slim that an individual listing will be seen online.
Even if posting your listing online doesn’t bring a direct buyer, there are still plenty of other benefits to be had.
- Blow your potential clients away during listings presentations by showing them a huge list of places where their property will appear online. Most people are floored when you tell that you will be blogging specifically about their property. It’s impressive!
- If you spend the the time posting your listings in places besides your primary blog, you have the opportunity to create a call to action within the post itself. Direct people to click a link to view all the available MLS listings in their area. Ask them to sign up for your IDX email delivery system notifying them of new properties on the market in their area. The possibilities are endless here.
- Each time you post a listing, you’re creating a link back to your website or blog. This will improve your search engine ranking… but make sure you use good anchor text.
- Branding. Your face, logo, name, comapny… etc. are all branding tools. The more places you leave them online, the more branding will come into play.
Crazy Myth #4: Posting listings on my blog will water down the rest of my content
This myth actually isn’t so crazy. It’s a real concern that many real estate bloggers have, and I don’t recommend that anyone write a post about an individual listing and include it with their regular blog content.
So, here is how you get around that… The solution I’m sharing can be done on any platform, but I’m going to show you how with wordpress.
The best solution for this problem is to create a specialized category just for your listings. Then, you want to tell wordpress (or your platform of choice) not to include that category on the home page. You are essentially just excluding that particular category.
You will want to place this code in your index.php file to tell your home page not to include the category you choose.
Here is the code: <?php query_posts(’cat=-13?); ?>
If that doesn’t work, you can also try this:
<?php if (is_home()) {query_posts(”cat=-13″); }?>
You will need to change the category number to make it work (where it says: “13″). To find the category number, go to >Manage>Categories, then view the category number you want to exclude. For more detailed instructions on this try this wordpress tutorial.
I hope that was helpful. It doesn’t take much work to blog about your listings. Just go out and do it!
======
If you are looking for a customized blog, or in depth coaching to kick start your blogging or internet marketing campaign, please email or call me.
Related posts:
- THE Ultimate Guide to TOP ranking in Local Real Estate Searches
- Real Estate Videos… The Good, The Bad, The…
- Multiple Categories and Onsite Duplicate Content
- The Art of Puking Your Business Identity Onto the Internet
- Your Blog is a balancing Act
November 28th, 2007 at 12:38 am
Great info Justin! I sometimes add the html code to the side of the blog instead of making a “normal” blog posting. (except when adding to Localism in AR) Always looking for new ideas though.
Your site is helpful.. Have a great night!
November 28th, 2007 at 1:04 am
I’ve written a lot about the fact that most agents don’t make effective use of technology. I don’t think a lot of them have the skils. As an ex agent and IT geek I see so many areas where they can improve. What I will say is that things are much better now than they were just 2 years ago.
November 28th, 2007 at 2:33 am
#1 is what I hear the most from the agents I work with. Agents like paying other people to do the work for them, and they aren’t willing to invest the time to build a respectable blog for their business. I’ve witnessed first hand the power of RE blogging, and it really doesn’t much time to blog or become active in the blogging community.
November 28th, 2007 at 3:29 am
I can’t stand it when agents blog their listings! I’ll never subscribe to their feed and probably not come back. If I want to see whats listed I would use the MLS not AR. Sorry, just my opinion…
November 28th, 2007 at 4:10 am
Hey Gundy…
I totally agree. That is why I suggested posting them to a category that doesn’t appear on the home page.
November 28th, 2007 at 3:15 pm
Hi Justin,
I think your blog is great, thank you. Also, as I was reading the remarks it’s interesting to see what other think about blogging their listings. Nick’s idea about the html code is interesting.
Personally, I try to get my listings on the blog sites I participate in. Yes, it can take a bit of time, like when I lag behind and have several to do at on sitting. My thought is that exposure is what my clients want and need. My job is to market their property. Lookers have their favorite site, you never know where that buyer may come from. And on the other side of the coin, it is good exposure for the listing agent for hopefully future business.
Have a wonderful winter.
God Bless.
November 28th, 2007 at 6:22 pm
Justin,
As you know I’ve been on Active rain since the start. I didn’t know what I was doing then, not so sure now. But it always amazes me when I get a contact from A.R. in regards to a listing. Why Not put a listing on your blog? Watering down your blog might be an issue but I’m in business to sell real estate not blog.
November 28th, 2007 at 6:45 pm
HI Justin
Thanks for info, I wasn’t aware it was Ok to post listings on active rain, thanks for helping me understand it has a place there for them
November 28th, 2007 at 9:51 pm
Blogging about your real estate listings gives you a great opportunity to hit longtail kw’s that you may never have hit without writing about your listings.
November 28th, 2007 at 10:30 pm
Great information Justin! I do have one questions though. I tried adding the code to my Wordpress blog (index.php like you say), but can’t get it to work right. Is there a certain place it needs to go in the template, like maybe after or before some particular line?
Thanks
November 29th, 2007 at 12:19 am
@Madison - I totally agree. As far as the long tail is concerned, any extra content can go a long way.
@Charles - Do you have another file called “Main index template” or anything else like that?
If you have a line that looks like this: (((div id=”content”))) put the code on a separate line below that.
Also, make sure you create a new category, note the category number, and add it to the code. Then post a test just to that category and see what happens…
Hope that helps…
November 29th, 2007 at 5:15 am
Maybe if they price it right and us good info, people would listen
November 29th, 2007 at 5:38 am
I don’t write blog posts about our listings, but I have had widgets, links etc. in the sidebar. It’s one I fool around with a lot, so it’s ever changing.
December 3rd, 2007 at 7:51 pm
I have tried Vflyer as well another site called Postlets. Both are great for building Real Estate EFlyers. Another great way to market your listings is through email marketing. I use a site called http://www.realtyemailflyers.com. They allow you to build your own email flyer and email it to all the Realtors in your County or neighboring Counties. Hope this was helpful!
December 4th, 2007 at 11:08 am
I just found your blog and boy am I happy I did. This is one of the best posts I have seen. Using the technology that we have at our disposal should be our primary objective in marketing our listings to the masses. I read an article in another blog yesterday that talked about how the print media was loosing market share on real estate listings to the internet. No wonder, heck they blasted us with advertising prices that made it difficult for us to realize a decent ROI. As far as I am concerned we could all wave goodbye to print media and totally embrace technology. Thanks for your insight.
December 6th, 2007 at 12:15 am
Great stuff. It only takes that extra step to promote a listing online. Sellers will appreciate and reward you and buyers will be attracted.
December 8th, 2007 at 9:48 pm
I think a lack of writing skills keeps a lot of people out of the online game. Many people can’t put three sentences together without assaulting basic grammar and spelling rules. People who blog and comment on blogs possess fundamental writing skills that they don’t realize they have.
December 10th, 2007 at 2:21 am
Justin:
I have taken to posting such information in WordPress under an old date. That way, it is on the site as a post, but not so likely to be seen by the casual browser.
Any problem with that?
Love your suggestions!
–Roberta Murphy
December 17th, 2007 at 11:32 pm
Congrats on the Top 50 Real Estate Bloggers!!! Job well done!
January 15th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
Great post Justin! If only more real estate agents and investors woke up to technology; think of the amount of money they would be saving up through advertising and promoting their businesses online. Virtual tours, blogs, flyers, social networking sites, widgets, etc. are all so easy to use. Plus the best thing about them is that they are free to develop and customize (at least most of them). Online marketing of a real estate MLS listing can be a breeze if done properly.
January 31st, 2008 at 9:19 pm
It makes perfect sense to blog about your own listings since I started new listing clients are exvited when I tell them about it and show them other listings I have written about in my blog. It’s something that sets you apart as a pro vs. just doing what everyone else does.
February 15th, 2008 at 7:47 pm
I never miss an opportunity to blog about my listings. This is a great opportunity to make your clients home found more easily on the net. It is a great listing tool to show a potential seller client what there home would look like in a post. One of the best things about this type of marketing is that it is highly customizable. You can do a lot with a blog including video, multiple pictures, descriptions, ect.
March 14th, 2008 at 8:41 pm
Blogging is one of the smartest things you can do. Not only does it make you look more like an authority on specific topics but gets your name out there.
April 1st, 2008 at 9:54 am
Justin you really have superb knowledge. Thanks for your help in blogging. Keep it up
April 13th, 2008 at 4:31 pm
I have been blogging on my listings in the places you mentioned and I do blog on them on my own blog. I had not thought about it watering down the home page of my blog before. You have provided me with a great way to still blog about them without taking away from my other content. Thanks.
April 13th, 2008 at 4:58 pm
I just tried to exclude my listings blogs from the home page but the categories do not have any numbers. I just recently upgraded to version 2.5 of wordpress and now they are gone. How would I do this if there is no category ID?