Podcasting for the Real Estate Agent - Where to Begin?
by Dave Lawson
We have partnered with many real estate agents to build and establish robust content platforms.
Why do real estate agents feel the need to build a content platform?
If you're an agent, you already know the answer to that question.
Guiding customers through buying or selling their homes is rewarding in many ways, but it's also very competitive and those that build trust win.
And building a trustworthy reputation takes time.
Time enough for former customers to sing your praises and promote your services to their families and friends.
Luckily there's a speedier way for people to know, like, and trust you, and that's through content.
Content that proves your authenticity and builds affinity.
Many do it through short-form videos posted to various social media channels and do very well.
And many start building their content library by hosting a podcast.
I am partial to podcasting. I spent 28 years in traditional radio broadcasting, and I love the intimacy of an audio-only episode. You can't create a closer connection between the host and consumer when done right.
And podcasting is exploding. Bigger than ever.
We are a nation on the run. And no matter what we're doing, we need stimuli. At the gym, at the grocery store, and on our walks. Earbuds go in, and there's a world of entertainment and information available.
Yes, that's great. But Why Would I Consider Doing a Podcast?
Simple. By demonstrating authority, competency, and personality.
Think about meeting someone face-to-face for the first time, especially if you're interviewing that person to handle the most significant transaction in your life.
What qualities are they seeking?
They want confidence, intelligence, and some personal connection. It's a winning combination.
That's what a good podcast demonstrates: those qualities separate the good from the great in real estate.
Got it. But what kind of podcast works for real estate?
It depends on the following:
The audience you're trying to reach
What you and your audience have in common
The overall goal of the podcast
Let me use some examples:
Example 1: I have a client who is the CEO of a major real estate franchise (bet you can guess!)
The audience she's trying to reach is the over 1200 real estate agents within her company.
What she has in familiar with her audience: A shared experience within the same company
The overall goal of the podcast: To interview agents within the company and show off their expertise and personality
Secondary goal: Create an atmosphere that helps to recruit new agents to the company
Example 2: I have a client who is a real estate agent and real estate investor
The audience he's trying to reach: Real estate agents interested in getting into real estate investing
What he has in common with his audience: They both have a deep desire to live on their terms by earning passive income.
The podcast's overall goal is to demonstrate his experience and success in real estate investing and eventually create a paid membership platform.
Example 3: I have a client who runs a small agency in a mid-sized Minnesota town
The audience he's trying to reach: Hard-working, blue-collar, middle-class families.
What he has in familiar with his audience: He loves fishing and hunting.
The overall goal of his podcast: Create affinity by creating a podcast around being an outdoorsman in Minnesota and Wisconsin and converting that audience into customers when they need real estate services.
The third example is a partially implemented podcast, but I'm excited to see him move forward with this idea.
So there are three examples of three different approaches, all within real estate.
Think about it for yourself. Can you define your audience? What do you have in common with that audience, and what is your overall goal?
When you work with Digital Legend, I help you discover and define your audience and the overall goal of the podcast.
The Levels Of Involvement
Okay, so now your podcast is determined. We have our audience, goals, and theme of the podcast.
What next? How involved are we going to be in the creation of your content?
Well, let me say that #1, we are very involved in helping you establish your goals and then very engaged in helping you feel confident behind the microphone.
We aim to make you sound like a pro from Episode #1.
Level #1:
After we help you establish your goals and coach you through a podcast's systems, you are responsible for recording the episodes. Whether solo or interview, you set up the equipment and record each episode.
You then send the raw files to us, where they will be enhanced, edited, and posted for release.
We also create social media content by highlighting exciting moments from the episode. This content allows you to promote the episode on your social channels, driving your social fans to your podcast.
Level #2:
Everything you see above, but we do all the work, including the engineering. We show up onsite in the Minneapolis metro, set up our high-quality equipment, and record the episode. We are also there to help you focus on the show as you record them.
With this level, all you do is show up.
*** We also have a virtual option where a Digital Legend producer is there, virtually, throughout the recording session. We link up your guests and record the episodes, too. This is perfect for those outside of the Minneapolis metro.
Level #3:
Video has become a must as you establish a content platform, and a video podcast takes care of two birds.
One is content to watch, and the other is content to hear.
We have clients record their own interview episodes via zoom and send us the raw files.
We then edit and enhance the video and audio before posting it to YouTube and your podcast hosting platform and capping everything off by creating essential social media content to promote the episode.
Level #4:
This level is our atom bomb. Our clients get everything and the kitchen sink coming at them as we set up a quick video and audio recording studio inside their office. Once the production is finished, we tear is down until next time.
It's the ultimate done-for-you video and audio solution that takes away all of the stress of engineering and makes hosting your content fun and stress-free.
How Much Content Should I Record?
It depends on your time and commitment to the process. I have clients who record an episode every week, never missing a beat.
I also have clients who record consistently but every other week.
The key here is consistency. As you build your audience, you create habits and expectations.
Becoming inconsistent is what hurts the progress of your podcast and goals.
Real estate agents are on a roller coaster. There's a long way up that hill, but once you go over the top, make sure you're buckled because it'll be a while before you can come up for air.
That's why recording your episodes in batches is the smart move.
When we record on-location, we record in batches of 6 episodes.
Six episodes released every other week allows the agent three months between recording sessions.
And once the recording session is finished, the next time they see their content is when the episode is fully edited and posted.
This is what I recommend to you. Set aside a day of the week that is dedicated to content creation. Arrange your topics, sketch your show notes, and record six to 10 episodes at a time. Take breaks between episodes to feel fresh, and if you're incorporating video, change clothes between each episode.
We aim to be as efficient and respectful of your time as possible. We like to have fun, but getting things done so you can go out and do what you do best is job one.
What Now?
So if this has got your heart pumping and your creative juices flowing, reach out to us, and we can throw some ideas back and forth to make this a reality for you.
You need to stick out; the world needs your message, and this is the way to make that happen.
