How to Carve Out a Real Estate Niche

Whether you’re a brokerage targeting one real estate niche, multiple neighborhoods or an agent trying to stay on top of one or two neighborhoods, we’ve got strategic advice on how to separate yourself or firm online.  Not all neighborhoods are in the MLS.

So, if you want to dominate, find those pockets not officially recognized. Second, you absolutely must have dedicated pages on your website if you want to reach people interested in those real estate niche neighborhoods. After these two items are checked off your to-do list, the strategy becomes more complicated.

Real Estate Niche On Page Components:

1. A neighborhood video tour or montage. Name it properly and embed it correctly and you have a great SEO Start.
2. The name, title and URL of your page should also be named in a fashion that resonates with consumers and uses natural language that mirrors how consumers are searching.
3. Introductory paragraph rich with landmarks, developments, trails, lifestyle type info. Tell a story of what it is like to live in this community.
4. Properties: Naturally you need properties that match the boundary of these neighborhoods.
5. Map: This is a must for showing your consumers where this neighborhood is and ideally the available properties in it.
6. Average Commute times to major areas, job centers, metros, hospitals, military bases, etc.
7. Housing market activity video or shown via graphs and charts. Ideally, interpret the activity in easy-to-understand terms—consumers want insights, not data.
8. Area Photos: Selling the lifestyle again within your real estate niche.
9. Consider teaming up with nearby businesses to generate opportunities and offers for existing homeowners in that neighborhood or future. It’s an easy conversion opportunity and email touch point.
10. Listing alerts are a must for conversion. Plus, have a clear, aggressive call to action to collect contact information.
11. Sharing options to use others networks for free advertising. Think outside the box and don’t just put icons hidden on the page.
12. Area events, calendar, and other pertinent stuff that can create dynamic content for your pages.

Real Estate Niche Digital and Social Marketing:

1. If you are familiar with Google Adwords, consider running a small search engine marketing (SEM)  campaign for each community page, or at least the communities you want to promote yourself as the expert.
2. Start a remarketing campaign to touch those who have already visited the page. Be strategic with the ad copy, and make it relevant to that actual neighborhood.
3. Use email marketing.  Send an email to contacts that you have in a certain area or are interested in moving to a certain area.  Stay top-of-mind!
4. Once a year hit the homes in that neighborhood with your compelling value proposition and drive them to your page. This will get them in the remarketing net.
5. Target your audience online. If you have a list of emails, try sphere targeting or if a zip code is broad enough, use zip code marketing solutions.  If you aren’t sure where to start with online targeting, we suggest Adwerx and Facebook. Both allow you to get hyper-specific on interests and location targeting.
6. Consider promoting all open houses on your social media accounts.  The options here are plentiful. Create instastories or IGTV episodes showing while at the open house.  Create campaigns on Facebook and Instagram advertising your opens. The more your followers see you in a certain area, the more they will associate you with being the local expert in that neighborhood.
7. If this neighborhood means a lot to you, get involved! Go to the local events and even create your own! Consider throwing timely parties/gatherings and volunteer in community events.
8. Join your neighborhood Nextdoor page. As you have probably heard, Nextdoor is moving into the real estate space. Claim your business page and promote your listings and expertise on the platform. Even if you don’t want to advertise on Nextdoor use and participate in the app yourself.
9. Create a Facebook group and invite all the neighbors. An idea similar to Nextdoor, however, but not every neighborhood is on Nextdoor. If that is the case with your neighborhood, create a similar feel on Facebook with a private, invite-only group.

To be the local ‘go-to’ agent in your community we strongly suggest blending together your professional expertise with your personal relationships.  Don’t expect business to pour in if your only strategy is to pepper your neighborhood or desired community with door knocking, ads and online targeting. Get involved, know all there is to know about your area and you just may be surprised how fast you become the housing expert in your real estate niche market!

Want to learn more about how to dominate your real estate niche with digital marketing? Download your FREE copy of the 2018 REAL Trends Online Performance Study (OPS) at: www.realtrendsops.com