Starting a Blog

January 28, 2020

- By Sabrina Lapointe

Maybe you’ve thought about starting a blog. Maybe you’ve written a few blog posts, but never fully committed to it. Maybe you’ve never once considered it. No matter where you fall, I’m here to tell you – consistently writing a blog post might be easier than you think.

What the heck do I write about?

Put yourself in the shoes of your clients. What would they be interested in reading? Here are some ideas to get you started.

Highlight a “listing of the week”

Maybe one of your listings stands out above the others. If you see a home that has exceptional value, highlight that! Talk about the features of the house that make it unique, functional, environmentally friendly, etc. This will draw some natural curiosity about the listing and get people interested. Be sure to capture good pictures of the house to share throughout the blog post as well. After all – we are visual creatures.

Advice for first-time home buyers.

You know that the home buying process is extremely overwhelming for many first-time home buyers. There’s a lot to learn. Try to break down this process for those first-time home buyers. Make it seem more approachable. The easier it is for them to digest, the more comfortable they will feel with the process, and the more likely you’ll be their REALTOR®!

Suggest things to do in your area.

You know what makes your area special. No one knows all the hole-in-the-wall restaurants and bars like you do. You’ve shopped the local stores, you’ve strolled the best areas to walk your dog, the whole nine yards. Sharing this with your audience will build an appeal to your area. Consider it like visiting a city your friend once lived in. You’ll likely ask them for recommendations – be that person for your clients.

Provide advice for buying a historic home.

As we know, Massachusetts has a high percentage of historic homes. Think about what’s important for buyers to know about. What are the challenges of maintaining these types of homes? What types of costs might be associated with older homes? What problems can you expect? On the flip side, what are the pros of owning a historic home?

Do a profile on your most interesting clients, why they moved to the area, how they like it, etc.

Many of your clients may not be super familiar with your area. They are trying to see if the community will be a good fit for them. Hearing from other people who made the leap to your area and how they’ve adapted would be a good insight for them. It would allow them to see what their future in the area might look like.

Overcoming the writer’s block

Don’t be discouraged if you face the inevitable writer’s block. Even the best writers experience this. Take a step back from your computer, your note pad, wherever you are writing. Take a quick walk to clear yourself and ask yourself: if I was in the home buying/selling process, what would I want to read?

Secondly, consider creating a content calendar. This will help you plan out your topics far in advance. Once you know what your topics are going to be, you can slowly gather notes on those topics over time. When it comes time to write, you’ll be in good shape.