A blog is an engaging site that shows information to visitors. There are hundreds of millions of blogs available right now, with varying purposes. From a business standpoint, blogging helps you get the attention of potential clients and also informs and educates them, positioning you as an authority in your niche.

Your goal with blogging is always to connect to a relevant audience, and you also want to boost traffic, meaning you’re sending quality leads to your website.

So what should real estate agents and professionals know about blogging, and why is it important for your business?

1. New Client Introduction

As a real estate professional, your objective is to build a brand around what sets you apart. When you blog, it’s a good way to infuse your voice and personality into your online content.

When you optimize your blogs for search engines, you can put yourself front and center for the people who wouldn’t otherwise know about you. You can also let people know more about the value you can bring to their home-buying or selling experience.

You can target readers who will ultimately turn into clients potentially. If you’re able to deliver the right content at the right time, you might attract prospects from high-quality leads.

2. Building Your Personal Brand

As a real estate professional, all that you do is built around your personal brand. As mentioned above, when you blog on a regular basis, you can share your voice. Your unique voice sets you apart, and it’s one thing that no other agent can replicate. Your blog can become an integral part of your larger brand.

3. Take Advantage of Local SEO

SEO stands for search engine optimization. SEO is the process you use to improve your site’s visibility when people are looking for products or services related to your business. For example, when someone goes to Google to look for a realtor or a home, you want your blog content to show up first.

There are a lot of general ways to optimize your blog for search engines, like choosing the right long-tail keywords.

One thing that’s unique to the real estate industry is that you can also leverage local SEO.

Local SEO is a strategy that will help you be more visible, specifically in local search results. Not every business can utilize local SEO because they don’t serve a specific geographic area. That makes SEO that’s localized less competitive, which is why it’s such an asset for real estate professionals.

The Google local search algorithm includes a proximity factor, meaning the search engine takes into account location when someone searches for a local keyword.

When you’re using keywords to drive traffic to your site, you can get as many as 55% more visitors than people who don’t blog.

4. Establish Yourself as An Authority

When people hire an agent, they want to work with someone who’s an expert. That’s what they’re paying you for—they want to be able to access trusted guidance and expertise. If you regularly blog, you’re showcasing your knowledge about the world of real estate.

You’re positioning yourself as a credible source, and you’re sharing valuable information.

You can talk about any number of areas where you specialize. For example, you can share trends in the local market, research on buying and selling, and actionable tips.

When you establish yourself as an authority and people are ready to hire someone, you’re going to be who comes to mind.

5. Encourage Two-Way Communication

A big part of being successful as a real estate agent is creating connections and relationships. You don’t just want to work with clients once. You want to work with them repeatedly and develop strong relationships. You also want them to refer you to friends and family.

That relationship is important, and having a blog can help establish communication and build loyalty.

6. Reach People at Different Parts of the Sales Funnel

Finally, there’s versatility in blogging. Your blog can end up reaching people at any stage of the funnel as you’re writing about different content.

For example, if someone is looking for the best neighborhoods near them, your blog might help them gain awareness of who you are.

If someone is in a decisive phase and they’re looking for a certain type of home at a specific price point in a particular neighborhood, your blog can also reach them. Blogs can do a lot of the heavy lifting in your sales funnel.