Having a website is a great start as a professional platform to gain contacts, but you’ll soon find that it isn’t enough to bring in the volume of leads needed to realize your goals as a real estate professional. You will find, however, that you’ll be much more successful after building an online reputation as a leader in your chosen area of expertise.

To really be seen as a leader means having visibility across social spaces and digital channels. Here’s how content marketing can help to get you there:

The Growing Need for Content Marketing

Before we begin, take a look at a few impressive numbers that illustrate the true value of content marketing, according to online real estate research from the National Association of Realtors:

• Shoppers will search online 11 times on average before contacting a real estate site.
• 89 percent of people who search online also end up using a real estate agent.
• The top four types of information online shoppers are seeking are a) more details on specific communities; b) a video open house walkthrough; c) general real estate information; d) real estate company comparisons.
• Real estate searches performed from home online have grown to a high of 92%, as reported last year.

Real estate agents can serve as trusted advisors throughout the complex process of buying and selling a home as long as they provide useful and current information. According to Salesforce, content marketing can produce three times as many leads as traditional marketing at costs that are 62 percent lower.

Below is a list of seven types of content that can be produced right now to drive up prospect interactions, establish authority and shorten your in-person time working with potential clients who just aren’t ready yet.

Seven Kinds of Content

This list of the top seven types of content, with suggested topics, is by no means exhaustive. Content marketing tools will help to produce a balance of these seven types and build a good foundation without taking too much time away from selling.

• Blogs, especially how-to pieces and summaries of housing market news
• Videos, such as open house walkthroughs and neighborhood guides
• White papers, covering in-depth topics like advice on fixer-uppers vs. new homes
• Slideshares, for graphics-heavy articles full of graphs, statistics and photos
• Images, accompanied by motivational quotes, brand messages or a question to invite responses and engagement
• Webinars, ideal for interviews and establishing authority on a specific topic
• Surveys, to generate discussion over hot topics and fun quiz-type content

Tools for Curation of Content

Remember that it’s not necessary to produce all of this content alone. Curation is the art of finding content that is already produced and sharing it on social networks and your website. Periodically, you can collect and review top news stories in real estate or comment on existing how-to videos for common problems that home buyers and sellers face. There are many free or low-cost online tools to help you curate content in each of these areas.

Become a Trusted Resource

The world of content is always changing in terms of what’s popular and which tools are the most effective for communicating with prospective clients. Rest assured that there will always be a need for buyer basics, home selling strategies and introductions to neighborhoods or specific properties. You’ll discover you don’t have to be the best writer, photographer or even have the best presentation skills. People want authenticity and someone they can trust to give them useful information on topics they care about related to real estate. By being their trusted friend, you’ll be able to build the kind of online reputation that inspires people to seek out your advice.