How to Be a Hyper Local Blogger and Expert
Hyper local posts and longtail search phrases are really what's dominating the industry when it comes to the individual agent competing against the big guys. It's hard to compete for general "[city] real estate" when you're fighting against Zillow, Homes, Trulia, and Realtor. So what is the individual agent or even a small brokerage supposed to do?
First, focus on one area at a time. This can be difficult because agents want to focus on so many different places all at the same time. And I get it, you don't want to be pigeonholed for just one community or neighborhood even though you might live in that neighborhood and really like selling there, you don't want the general public to think that you only service that area. But, by spreading yourself too thin, you won't ring for anything. Focus on one area and when you get really good at that one area and you have several posts and pages all linking together and dominating on that neighborhood, then you can move on. But, being the expert doesn't just mean writing about the area.
The buying and selling process often goes be on experience. Buyers and sellers want to know that you're utilizing the latest tools, platforms, and all data necessary. They want to know that you have been in the industry for years and understand the needs of the market, how to make an offer, how to negotiate and really provide something that no one else is providing. If you can offer something that the other 100 agents or not, chances are you'll get the deal first.
Related: Can the Listing Agent and the Buyer's Agent Be the Same?
Rather than just talking about a specific neighborhood, a few homes, and price ranges, really go deep to what consumers want. They want information that they may not be able to find on the Internet. Homeowner association or condo dues, what's required for a resident in a particular neighborhood, how good of the schools and are they ranked well for their area? Consumers want to know about utilities, nearby shops, favorite restaurants, and maps so they can map out a commute route getting a good sense of how long it will take to get to work during high traffic times.
More: What is an Up and Coming Neighborhood?
If you're going to work the area you better know the area and that means walking the neighborhood, talking to other neighbors walking their pets, sending out mass mailers to a hyper-local area, or taking videos and pictures of the homes, the area, or the amenities such as the playground, basketball courts, or community swimming pools.
More: 5 Tips for Moving to a New City or State
Buyers want to know that they're not overpaying for a house and the sellers one another getting enough for their house. By understanding the markets in particular neighborhoods, listing agents can appropriately price the home correctly from the beginning to get the right amount of buyers to the door and good offers on the table and that might mean underpricing it slightly to get more attention. A great real estate agent will know how hot a particular neighborhood is and may offer a little extra negotiation from the buyer's perspective.
Again, you have to give clients, consumers, and readers something that no one else is giving them. Be the expert in the neighborhood, subdivision, community, or even a small town and expand from there. Once you have built up great report and page authority with the main neighborhood page you can branch out and then link back to it to increase the page authority on new posts and pages for surrounding areas. And remember, once you do that, always put a little snippet at the bottom of your main page discussing the similar communities or nearby neighborhoods. If a consumer doesn't find exactly what they want in one neighborhood you have a backup ready to go.
Become the hyper-local expert in that area or community. So how do you do that?
First, focus on one area at a time. This can be difficult because agents want to focus on so many different places all at the same time. And I get it, you don't want to be pigeonholed for just one community or neighborhood even though you might live in that neighborhood and really like selling there, you don't want the general public to think that you only service that area. But, by spreading yourself too thin, you won't ring for anything. Focus on one area and when you get really good at that one area and you have several posts and pages all linking together and dominating on that neighborhood, then you can move on. But, being the expert doesn't just mean writing about the area.
Here are four simple tips to being the expert in hyperlocal webpages.
#1. Offer real guidance.
The buying and selling process often goes be on experience. Buyers and sellers want to know that you're utilizing the latest tools, platforms, and all data necessary. They want to know that you have been in the industry for years and understand the needs of the market, how to make an offer, how to negotiate and really provide something that no one else is providing. If you can offer something that the other 100 agents or not, chances are you'll get the deal first.
Related: Can the Listing Agent and the Buyer's Agent Be the Same?
#2. Go deep.
Rather than just talking about a specific neighborhood, a few homes, and price ranges, really go deep to what consumers want. They want information that they may not be able to find on the Internet. Homeowner association or condo dues, what's required for a resident in a particular neighborhood, how good of the schools and are they ranked well for their area? Consumers want to know about utilities, nearby shops, favorite restaurants, and maps so they can map out a commute route getting a good sense of how long it will take to get to work during high traffic times.
More: What is an Up and Coming Neighborhood?
#3. Visit the area.
If you're going to work the area you better know the area and that means walking the neighborhood, talking to other neighbors walking their pets, sending out mass mailers to a hyper-local area, or taking videos and pictures of the homes, the area, or the amenities such as the playground, basketball courts, or community swimming pools.
More: 5 Tips for Moving to a New City or State
#4. Make sure you know the market.
Buyers want to know that they're not overpaying for a house and the sellers one another getting enough for their house. By understanding the markets in particular neighborhoods, listing agents can appropriately price the home correctly from the beginning to get the right amount of buyers to the door and good offers on the table and that might mean underpricing it slightly to get more attention. A great real estate agent will know how hot a particular neighborhood is and may offer a little extra negotiation from the buyer's perspective.
Again, you have to give clients, consumers, and readers something that no one else is giving them. Be the expert in the neighborhood, subdivision, community, or even a small town and expand from there. Once you have built up great report and page authority with the main neighborhood page you can branch out and then link back to it to increase the page authority on new posts and pages for surrounding areas. And remember, once you do that, always put a little snippet at the bottom of your main page discussing the similar communities or nearby neighborhoods. If a consumer doesn't find exactly what they want in one neighborhood you have a backup ready to go.
Comments
Post a Comment