Real estate marketing is rapidly changing. Traditional advertising methods - like print media and billboards - are becoming less effective, while
paid digital advertising is exploding in both popularity, reach, and ease of use.
However, paid advertising can be both costly and impersonal. Clients don't get to hear your voice, see your face, or feel the warmth of a personal connection. And as we all know, relationship building is at the crux of what makes real estate agents successful.
That's where podcasts come in. As one of the most underutilized marketing tools in real estate, podcasts offer agents a unique opportunity to build relationships with potential and current clients alike - both consolidating their expertise as industry leaders and showcasing their personal brand.
In this article, we'll discuss why podcasts are a great marketing tool for real estate agents, including their underappreciated benefits, how to get started, and some tools you can use to make the process as easy as possible.
Let's get started.
Why podcasts?
Podcasts are a great marketing tool because they're intimate, engaging, and offer value to listeners. By creating and hosting your own show, you become a source of valuable information for your target market, establishing yourself as an expert in your field.
They're also highly scalable; with the right tools, a great podcast can reach a large audience without much effort on your part.
We like to think of podcasts as warm, personal conversations with potential clients. They allow agents to connect with leads and clients in a way that paid advertising can't, building trust and credibility along the way. Though in-person interaction will always be the gold standard, podcasts provide a great opportunity to reach out to clients who might not be able to meet with you face-to-face.
More concretely, here are some benefits to podcasts you might not be aware of:
1. Podcasts are searchable
Unlike other forms of content, like digital advertising, podcasts are searchable (and optimizable via SEO). This means that when someone is looking for information on house-hunting, mortgages, or any other real estate-related topic, your podcast can show up in organic search results.
Organic search results don't cost you anything, and they're one of the best ways to attract new leads. By optimizing your podcast for keywords related to real estate, and by utilizing multiple platforms (like Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube) you can drive more traffic to your show - and more potential leads to your business.
2. Podcasts help you build authority
As we mentioned earlier, one of the main benefits of podcasts is that they help agents build authority in their field. When you become a source of valuable information, potential clients are more likely to trust your advice and recommendations.
But this is a two-fold benefit. Not only do potential clients trust you more, but current clients are also more likely to refer you to their friends and family, and both of these have big implications for your bottom line.
In fact, a study by Edison Research found that
72% of listeners who have listened to a podcast for four or more years have purchased something discussed on the podcast, and this probably owes to the unique blend of personal relationship building and authority building that podcasts offer.
3. Podcasts allow you to invite guests
Unlike digital advertising, one of the unique things about podcasts is that they allow you to invite guests on your show. This provides a number of benefits, including:
- Since the guest is likely to share the content to their audience, this gives you tremendous, unfiltered access to a new group of potential leads who might not have heard of you before.
- Inviting guests can help you build strong relationships with other experts in your field that may pay dividends later on.
Through leveraging the power of podcasting, you can easily tap into new markets and grow your business.
Getting started with a short-form podcast
By far the most effective way to get started on your podcasting journey is with a short-form podcast.
Short form podcasts are simple to record, easy to break up into bite-sized chunks, and perfect for the busy lifestyle that most real estate agents have. In contrast with longer-form, hour-long podcasts, short-form podcasts are generally delivered in smaller segments that make them simpler to both listen to and record.
Want to start podcasting today?
Shortcast Club offers a simple and easy way to get started.
With
Shortcast Club, you can create a 3-minute segmented conversation with no limit on the number of segments. You don't even need any special equipment or software - just hit record on your phone and you’re good to go.
If you’re in-transit or between showings, you can also record with a friend or colleague without having to schedule explicit time to chat. Instead, each of you records when you want and then
Shortcast Club combines the segments into one episode automatically. This keeps your workflow asynchronous and lets you build a brand while not compromising on your daily real-estate responsibilities.
Additionally,
Shortcast Club makes it easy to distribute your podcast to all the major listening platforms, including Apple, Google, Spotify, and Stitcher. It's hands-down the easiest way to make a podcast, and it takes just a few moments to get started.