12 blog ideas for Estate Agents
It may be the roaring ’20s again, but it feels like we’re a long way from the refreshing high energy of jazz dancing and flapper dresses. The internet is in a bit of a slump. We’re constantly bombarded with content following us everywhere we go online, and the vast majority of it is the equivalent of the crap that gets shoved through your letterbox which at best you let sit on the side for a bit before binning. With this in mind, here are 12 blog ideas for estate agents which will not only help you stand out from the crowd, but will leave an impression on your reader keeping your name in the forefront of their mind.
But first: there are three secrets to creating online content that people will sit up and pay attention to.
- Make imagery eye catching to stop people scrolling long enough to want to click on it
- Give the reader a huge amount of value. (Actual value, mind, not just spin you’ve convinced yourself is interesting)
- MAKE IT FUN. Being a business doesn’t mean your content output needs to be dryer than a cream cracker in the Sahara
#1 Area guides
Ideally you should have pages on your website packed to the brim with clear and useful information for each area you cover, and these should be optimised to the hilt so you’re at the top (or very near it) of Google. We’re wearing our blog hats today though.
Anyone can Google particular pieces of information they need like the OFSTED reports for local schools, or how long it takes to walk from a property to the nearest station. What it’s not so easy to get from a search engine is the feel of a place. When you’re writing area blog posts – get local staff involved! Has your best sales negotiator been going to their favourite cafe for 15 years for the best milkshake in the world? Is there a funny local legend that someone looking to move to the area would enjoy? Has anyone famous visited, or even lived there? We can all write those two words ‘village feel’ until we’re blue in the face, but people appreciate a deeper dive under the surface, and posts like these really strengthen your ‘local expert’ claims.
#2 Step-by-step guides
Whether they’re first time buyers, or have been living in the same property for thirty years, for some people the thought of moving house is daunting. From beginning their search online to how to get post redirected to a new address, you might feel like completely breaking down the house-buying process is teaching your customers to suck eggs, but there will be lots who continue to refer to it as a helpful reference. You could even put together a series for anyone thinking of becoming a property investor, like Maxine Lester has.
#3 Checklists
These work well as free downloadable content, as well as blog posts. Moving house is stressful, and we all love a list. Things like ‘A list of places to change your address with’ or ‘A moving home checklist’ which includes things like when to contact removals and utility companies. Write a blog and include a free downloadable sheet with your logo and details on it. It’s the kind of content that adds huge value to people’s lives, and you’ll be remembered for it.
Downloadable content is also a great way of building up your own list for marketing purposes, but if you do start doing this make sure you’re adhering to GDPR rules.
#4 Property Industry news
This is a contentious one, because how many people apart from us property enthusiasts are going to care about this realistically? The thing is, although a change in government legislation might not sound that interesting when written like a news story, creating content which clearly explains how it might improve the lives of tenants, landlords, sellers or buyers is much more compelling. As well as writing about it, why not whip out your phone and film a member of senior staff giving their opinion? Trust and reassurance is key here.
There are lots of good websites and property blogs out there, we like to keep a close eye on Property Industry Eye and Estate Agent Today to see if there’s anything going on in the property world which could have an impact on the customers of our clients.
#5 Character comedy
I know what you’re probably thinking. ‘What are you on about?’ Well one of our clients is Maxine Lester Lettings in St. Ives, Cambridgeshire. For a few years now, we’ve been working closely with canine comedy duo Smudge and Ted to help them upload their top quality content and it is incredibly popular, how could it not be when they’re so cute? It doesn’t have to be animals, if you have a quirky member of the team who doesn’t mind taking daft photos for the blog – make it into a thing! It’ll help you stand out from the legions of posts about how Japanese knotweed is the worst.
#6 Interior design posts
People love a good nose into other people’s houses. It’s why Through the Keyhole is so popular, and also why windows were invented – it’s also great for interior design inspiration! With kitchens and bathrooms being the biggest sellers, why not choose some properties you currently have on your books and write about the styles of the kitchens whilst linking to each one on your website? You never know, someone fed up with their own kitchen might see there’s a property available with their dream spotlit kitchen island in the local area and the rest could be history…
Feeling inspired? Here are 42 more blog post ideas for Estate Agents >>
#7 Cleaning tips
If you haven’t noticed the explosion of cleaning product aisles in the supermarket or even heard of Mrs Hinch and her Hinch Army then where have you BEEN for the past couple of years? The nation’s enthusiasm for cleaning and homemaking has had somewhat of a revival, and finding a decent way to remove mould from white tile grout is of interest to homeowners and tenants alike.
#8 Winter maintenance
This one is very much season-specific, but it’s always a great one for both homeowners and tenants. We like to do winter maintenance posts with a list of a few jobs like cleaning guttering, and checking the heating works which always achieve excellent results. We’ve also written in detail about specific tasks such as ‘How to bleed a radiator step-by-step’. People are grateful for that kind of knowledge whem it’s presented in a simple and easy to follow format.
#9 Saving energy
Everyone loves being able to save a few pennies and saving the environment. Get you a post of energy saving tips that does both!
#10 Indoor plants
There’s been a total resurgence in indoor plant ownership, and this is a fantastic topic to write about – especially if you operate in an urban area with properties which don’t have their own outdoor spaces. A list of the top 5 indoor plants which give off the most oxygen, or the top 10 indoor plants which are impossible to kill would go down brilliantly with novice enthusiasts.
#11 Top tips
‘How to be the perfect tenant’, ‘How to keep your tenants happy’, ‘How to make sure the end of your tenancy goes smoothly’ ‘How to spot a great investment property’ (make sure to include links, if you have some available!) are all great posts. Remember to write them with a little bit of humour and keep it lighthearted for maximum impact.
#12 The biggest mistakes people make when selling their home
We know that people are often blind to their clutter and the marketing photos would look so much better if they just wrapped up their collection of antique porcelain teapots and put them at the bottom of the wardrobe for an hour or two, but often this is something that passes them by. Go all out, and gently tell people some of the mistakes you’ve seen and how to avoid them. It might feel like you’re giving out free advice, but it will help people trust your expertise and hopefully improve their selling experience.
Need help with regular blog content?
We can totally help with that. Either drop your details in the form below and we’ll arrange a chat about what you need, or visit our content page to learn more about us and what we do.
Katie Gillingham
Katie is a Freelance Copywriter living in rural Dorset with her daft old Labrador. She first started writing content for the property industry back in 2015, and loves nothing more than bringing brand voices to life!
