Thought Leadership! Why does It Matter in Real Estate?
In today’s online world the consumer has easy access to hundreds of real estate websites, agent websites and companies that are in the business of making money from the real estate exchange of data. Why would I pick your website or company over the next person’s? Do you have relevant content that separates you from the competition. With so many options available to consumers, it’s imperative that agents redefine their content and dominate by becoming Real Estate Thought Leaders.
What exactly is a Thought Leader? A Thought Leader is a person that is deemed to be an expert and go to person in their field. A trusted authority in the industry. “It’s a truism that Thought Leaders tend to be the most successful individuals or firms in their respective fields. Furthermore, in the research literature, there’s a general consensus that being a thought leader… can make a very significant and positive difference.” (Forbes)
Many real estate agents have proven themselves to be experts in the industry. However, with the shift in online marketing the traditional platforms are being overlooked by those that are creating relevant content that an average consumer can read or watch. Being a Thought Leader is more than being an expert, it’s being on the cutting edge of your industry as a thinker. Don’t discount Baby Boomers. Boomers consume over 20 hours of content online per week during the early morning hours. Millennials and Gen Xers access online content after 8pm at 5 – 10 hours per week. (BuzzStream)
Real Estate Thought Leaders have the ability to dominate their market places. Can we find you online? If we can find you online, what are you saying to the online community? Are you only sharing listings and telling us you’re awesome. As far as I am concerned, I am the best agent in the industry. But does everyone else believe it? It doesn’t matter what I believe. What matters is what the consumer believes. Make yourself relevant by building an online platform that provides industry information.
Have you ever wanted to be interviewed? Start writing, build a YouTube channel and or a podcast. Editors will reach out to you as an industry expert. If asked to be a guest blogger, don’t hesitate. As a guest blogger for the National Association of REALTORS it’s forced me to write and build relevant content for their Mid-Year convention and the National Conference. I’ve been called upon to answer industry questions on Big Data, Lead Generation and Real Estate Technology. Let your expertise be known online. Tell us on Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and any social tool you are able to effectively manage.
My 2017 goal is to blog weekly. I created a 52-week blog schedule in December and so far, so good. This is blog number 6. Where do you begin? Begin today, make a plan and get started. If you are great at video start recording short videos on your expertise. If you’re a great writer, start writing. If you’re a great talker, consider recording your blog or using tools like Dragon or Google Docs and transcribe your blog post.
Get started today!
- How often will you create content? Daily, weekly, monthly or quarterly. Start someone where.
- What information can you share? Top 10 restaurants in your city, a review of the market, Steps to home ownership, Tips on how to become an investor, should I buy an REO, Short Sale or Traditional Home?
- What’s your expertise? Are you an expert on Horse Property, Commercial Real Estate….. Tell the online community.
- Tell us about your your city or the cities you work in. I love the city I live in, Why? Because our swimming pool is a Water Park.
- Know when to share your content online. Know your audience!
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Building a presence and original content isn’t easy and It won’t happen over night. Remember to build original content. Persistence is the key to your future real estate success. Those that shift their businesses to content creating can break through the online noise and earn the title, “Thought Leader”.
