The Marketing Genius Podcast: Real Estate Marketing | Digital Strategy | Technology | Leadership

In the world of digital marketing, content providers have something of a mixed reputation. On the one hand, real estate agents are struggling to find the time and the know-how to create great content that attracts prospects online. On the other hand, content providers are often dismissed as little more than “content mills,” promising front-page placement while churning out low-quality blog posts and articles. But Chris Craft begs to differ. As founder of Atlanta-based Nao Media, Chris has built a successful and ethical company that delivers high-quality, search-optimized content to real estate agents and other small businesses owners. In this interview, Chris takes us inside Nao Media’s content creation process, and offers some valuable strategies to help real estate professionals get more mileage out of their marketing.

Between easy consumer access to tons of data, better tools for targeting prospects, and the culture of instant gratification on the internet, real estate has never been more competitive. That’s why being at the right place, at the right time for your real estate leads is so important—after all, if you don’t stay in touch, someone else will. So how do you track your prospects’ journey, craft the best message, and deliver it where they’re spending their time? It all starts with a great CRM tool. While you’re probably using CRM already, you may not be using it correctly. For Allen Bonde, Vice President of Marketing at Placester, your CRM isn’t just about pushing people toward a transaction: it’s about developing insights and creating value for your clients that will pay off far into the future. Allen has spent decades working with CRM technology, first as an engineer in corporate research and development, then as a marketer and marketing consultant for several highly successful companies. In this interview, Allen Bonde explains how your CRM can help you gather “small data” insights, stretch your real estate content, and generate a lifetime of value from your clients.

At its core, real estate is an entrepreneur’s dream. Agents enjoy incredible freedom to build their businesses as they see fit, facing bigger risks than most professions, but also greater potential rewards. Yet in an industry as diverse and individualistic as real estate, making the leap from agent to leader presents unique challenges. For Lee Adkins, the key to building a great team or brokerage is understanding that you can’t do it alone, nor should you. After several years in production as a real estate agent, Lee gave up selling to manage a real estate team full time. Under Lee’s guidance, the Atlanta Sold Sisters doubled their revenue in just two years. Today, with his consulting firm Amplified Solutions, Lee is helping real estate teams of all kinds establish the structure, culture, and strategies they need to break through. In this interview, Lee Adkins discusses the challenges and pitfalls of expanding your real estate business, and why the key to growth is embracing not just your strengths, but also your weaknesses.

By now, most real estate agents interested in marketing online know that content is king. They also know that success is about producing tons of great content. And that’s enough to make anyone hesitate. Blogging several times per week, forever—that sounds like a lot of work. That got me thinking, maybe there are some alternatives. In 2010, Dale Chumbley saw an opportunity to create digital content about his community of Vancouver, Washington. But instead of just setting up a blog, Dale issued himself a challenge: 365 days, 365 entries. The result was a year’s worth of amazing content that established Dale as a local expert. Nearly five years later, Dale continues to get leads and referrals from people who have discovered him through his online content. In this interview, Dale explains how his “365 things to do in Vancouver” project has paid off for his real estate business, and how breaking into video marketing for real estate is as simple as wishing someone a happy birthday.

When asked why they don’t use content marketing to promote their businesses, real estate agents have all kinds of explanations. They say they’re too busy, or they tried it and it didn’t work, or their market is too competitive. But Katrina Benton is here to debunk all these excuses, and then some. A lifelong resident of Anchorage, Alaska, Katrina comes from a long line of real estate professionals. But unlike her father and grandfather, Katrina has invested heavily in digital marketing. That investment has helped her build a sustainable year-round practice in a highly seasonal market. Now, Katrina is taking her show on the road, helping agents in Texas, California, and Colorado use her content and tools to grow their own businesses. In this interview, Katrina Benton describes how agents can turn their content and tools into a full-fledged marketing system, and explains why being busy isn’t the same as being successful.