The online real estate business is highly competitive. It’s dominated by large platforms that usually end up on the first page of search engines. Real estate agents and agencies face this fact, but there’s a way out of the SE domination rut — hyperlocal real estate marketing.
Hyperlocal real estate marketing lets you zero into specific areas, neighborhoods, or communities and types of homes, i.e., condos, starter, mid-level, luxury, etc…
What is Hyperlocal Marketing in Real Estate?
Hyperlocal marketing targets potential clients in a very specific and geographically limited area — a neighborhood, a few blocks, or streets. This caters to searches with the “near me” key phrase.
The good thing about hyperlocal marketing in real estate is more personalized content that supports the target audience in what they want — information from the source. It also provides extra mileage in leveraging your business’ brand to get the attention of possible clients and spread its core message.
Technology helps in reaching the target clients locally. For example, major SEs make it possible for industries like real estate that are very area-specific to truly flourish online and level the playing field for small agencies and local agents.
How Hyperlocal Real Estate Marketing Works?
Hyperlocal real estate marketing uses ads that enable consumers to find the service on their mobile devices, make contact to call or visit through CTA aligned advertising with contact detail and current location. The location is sent to ad platforms that sell the advertising space with the location data to other equivalent channels. This supports advertisers in spreading the reach to audiences also looking for similar info efficiently.
Depending on the budget constraints, you can place ads on search engines and social media platforms to start the ball rolling until you get traction, then take over from there to use more organic local content to boost your ranking on local searches. Or you can do vise versa, organic local content first, then follow up with ads.
Any way you decide, here are some clever ways to get started with hyperlocal real estate marketing:
1. Take advantage of features
Use Google and Bing service features for small to medium-sized businesses. Their service features, such as Google My Business and Bing Places allow you to register your business. In addition, GMB gives you the advantage of managing and optimizing your business listing on the SE. Your profile will appear on google maps as well as general and local search results. The same with Bing Places; you register with the SEs free business listing, then fill in the profile section. Hyperlocal real estate marketing does not have to cost much. It will take some work and due diligence but is doable on a tight budget.
2. Long-tail keywords
A prevailing occurrence in searches is long-tail keywords. Over 70% of users use long-tail keywords in their search. For example, local queries would include the area such as “in San Diego,” “in Carmel Valley,” or the now famous “near me” key phrase. Peoples’ search habit is to ask like they ask their friends, family, or neighbor. They are using natural language, with no formalities or frills. Adding long-tail keywords in your content, including titles and headers, with a few sprinkled in the body of the text, give the advantage of drawing more users into your real estate website and starting their journeys as buyers or sellers. Localized long-tail keywords are more area-specific. As a result, your real estate online business will receive more significant traffic aligned with your objectives and content. This also improves the efficiency of bringing your leads to the fold; with their objective. Therefore, long-tail keywords align you and your clients — a “win-win” situation.
3. Local content
After keywords, significant or relevant content follows to support these keyphrases. This type of content reaches your specific target, i.e., buyers out of state looking for a starter home near the San Diego University district. What information do you think will spark their interest? What kind of starter homes are in the district for a family of two with a baby on the way? What activities can they expect from certain neighborhoods in the area? Then, of course, there is reliable information about the market prices and available listings. Hyperlocal real estate marketing content is a two-pronged fork; first, brand awareness, and second, services offered. Making your content local connects to your leads and starts their journey with you. Aside from present clients or leads, they’ll want to spread your branding message to family and friends because of personalized content.
4. Be your own influencer
Most brands tap into local influencers to help their hyperlocal drive. However, if working with one is not in your marketing budget or to your liking, the alternative is to be your own influencer. One, as a real estate agent for a particular area, you are most likely living there too. So you have ground zero information, and you are more likely active within the community. This is already a foundation for creating a personal brand tied to your real estate online business and hyperlocal marketing.
5. Social media networking
Join local groups representing your personal and professional advocacies. Most groups harness the power of social media to spread their objectives and advocacies. Being tied to these groups online and offline will strengthen your foundation as an influencer and show involvement in your community. Your target audience will also be interested in your posts of activities from your group involvements.
6. Go beyond digital
There’s nothing wrong with combining digital and conventional hyperlocal marketing. Utilize local media, good old flyers, pamphlets, and business cards to spread local brand awareness. Use these to broaden your online reach by making sure you have all your online details on pamphlets and business cards. Ask the support of local groups and businesses to post and share your pamphlets and cards on their premises. Make sure your brand slogan and keywords are included.
If you are still interested in including them in your strategy; these low-cost, hyperlocal real estate marketing endeavors can be used in conjunction with paid ads.
More On Hyperlocal Real Estate Marketing Content
Begin your hyperlocal real estate marketing content with keywords that emphasize your area. Then look for content topics that will give your targets information they need or want. Here are ways to start:
- Write blogs that match the area you are targeting. Modify the style and references to the local flavor: for example, “Five Best All-Day Breakfasts Near Coronado Beach”. No one can say no to pancakes, waffles, or bacon (real or vegan) any time of the day. And best of all, at a location — Coronado, near your community or listings.
- Participate in local events or activities and blog about them. For example, you can write about pop-up pet grooming services in the area. Review the service by actually getting your furry baby groomed by the pop-up service, ask about their schedules and areas they cater to. Then, post this on your personal brands’ social media account.
- Remember that content is not limited to writing blogs or reviews, so get creative and use your social media platforms to work for you as well. For example, post a picture of your furry baby being groomed by the pop-up service on Instagram or write a snippet on Twitter — “Getting my baby looking good with Pop-up grooming service near Uni District.”
Benefits Of Hyperlocal Real Estate Marketing
- There is no need to compete with large real estate websites such as Zillow, Trulia, or Apartments.com. Instead, hyperlocal levels the playing field in search results to give leverage to small and medium online real estate agencies.
- It’s easier to focus on target leads, and the traffic going to your site is quality traffic. This is an important factor in increasing online business and good for brand reputation online. Search engines also keep track of the quality of traffic going to your website. By targeting specific leads via locality, users are already hooked or interested in your services and location. Visiting your site will reel them into the buying and selling journey.
- It enables you to retarget previous leads and clients. For example, people who’ve visited the site, have connected, or even previous clients can be retargeted through hyperlocal real estate marketing. So you can reach new leads and previous ones that were missed, or if you lost contact or connection.
- Hyperlocal real estate marketing saves you money so you can specify your target audience and leads that create relevant traffic. Therefore, it’s more efficient. Efficiency saves time and money. Whether you engage in paid ads or not, hyperlocal is still viable with the help of search engines.
- Hyperlocal real estate marketing strengthens good standing on SEs. Your content, social media efforts, and business listing help build your good reputation, thus adding points to SE result pages ranking.
- Utilizing SEs business listings provides no-cost hyperlocal real estate marketing, establishes good standing with search engines and users.
- Geo-fencing enables you to target a specific area. So you can select the area and focus on people interested in these communities. This also gives your leads a way to easily contact or connect with you.
- A smaller niche means easier to measure. Your measuring system will be a lot easier to utilize than a broader area. Analytic tools and other measurements are easier to work with when the area’s more specific than wider scopes.
- It helps create a scalable marketing plan. A particular niche means a small area to work, ideal for a person starting a real estate business or seasoned agent who wants to establish their own brokerage. Scalable means you can expand or contract when needed. You can test your hyperlocal real estate marketing strategy straightforwardly without too much fuss or complications.
- Real estate companies also rely on referrals. Hyperlocal marketing allows your current clients to refer their friends and family to you, check you out online, and be able to find you effortlessly with your online business listing and your relevant content.
Hyperlocal real estate marketing strengthens your brand as a service provider and online business. You don’t have to compete with bigger companies. You can still stay on your marketing budget yet see results. Significant and long-lasting results prevail in a highly competitive industry. Best of all, you make deep-rooted relationships with clients.
Hyperlocal real estate marketing provides leverage to smaller agencies and freelance agents to pierce through one of the most competitive industries, grow roots, be good at what you do, and assist people in making their dreams come true.
