Podcasting is something all real estate agents must do in order to grow their personal brand in their community.
Here’s our updated 2021 podcasting guide for real estate professionals.
Audio Is Clearly The Future
One of the biggest trends you will hear about in the world of digital marketing is “audio”. As a real estate agent, if you want to leverage the power of audio, you need to consider starting your own podcast.
A local podcast showcasing your area expertise is one of the best ways to cultivate a strong following in your local community. People still read emails and articles of course, but what do you think they are listening to in their car, on the treadmill or while grocery shopping?
99% of real estate agents push the idea of starting a podcast aside because they believe it’s too complicated. The truth is, it’s never been easier to create your own pieces of media, including audio, photo and video.
In this guide, we are going to show you, step-by-step, how to start your very own real estate themed podcast. The key elements you need to understand are:
- WHY you should start a podcast in the first place as a realtor
- What EQUIPMENT you will need to purchase to get started
- The SOFTWARE that you can use to record, edit and upload your podcast
- How to BRAND your podcast and source the required design elements
- And finally, how to PROMOTE and advertise your new podcast to the world
Why Start A Podcast For Your Real Estate Business?
It wasn’t long ago that only a small percentage of real estate agents leveraged Instagram. The window of opportunity for capitalizing on emerging trends isn’t very large. If you don’t jump into the world of audio, you might find yourself struggling to compete in a few years.
One of our favourite examples is Twitter. Yes, it’s still an effective platform today but it is now extremely difficult to build a following on the platform. If you were one of the first real estate agents to experiment on the network, you have been reaping ongoing benefits for 10+ years. Not only would you have built a strong online community that delivers consistent leads, but you would also have an established personal brand that could be the foundation of your success for decades to come.
PODCASTS CREATE LOCAL LEADERS
If you host a podcast that is focused on your local market, you will be showcased as a trusted leader in your local farm area.
Creating a steady stream of audio content allows your brand to stay relevant and top of mind. Your podcast will also become the perfect medium to connect with other leaders and influencers. Instead of just being a real estate agent, you become one of the voices of the community.
Instead of asking the mayor, successful entrepreneurs, and other influential figures to go for coffee, you can now interview them on your podcast. This broadcasts these connections to the world, giving you more validity and opening the door to further referral opportunities.
A single conversation with another influencer gives you the opportunity to interact and engage with their entire online community. More than anything, a podcast gives you a much greater reach. Look to any of the leaders in marketing like Gary Vee, Seth Godin, or Tim Ferriss and they are all preaching the same thing; audio, audio, and more audio. It’s a no-brainer.
Is your mind racing with ideas yet? Good, let’s get to the good stuff- actually making the podcast.
Required For Starting Your Very Own Real Estate Podcast
Just like any other marketing or media activity, the price range for equipment can vary. It’s important to not get overwhelmed by professional podcasting setups and keep things simple at first.
Luckily, audio equipment on a whole is much more affordable and available then it was 10-20 years ago. You can get a basic podcast setup for about $200-250, which leaves no excuse for any real estate agent out there.
Once you have gained some traction with your podcast you can upgrade your equipment to a professional setup for about another $1,000. The difference between the two set-ups is found in the quality of the audio. Again, when you are just starting your podcast, don’t worry about these little details and stick with what’s easiest.
1. Podcasting Microphone
The microphone is the most important piece of equipment that you will purchase. We highly recommend that you shy away from using your laptop’s microphone. The quality will be extremely low and likely produce a bunch of background noise. You will find the same problem with the majority of lower-end microphones.
There are two types of microphones that you will come across when shopping:
- USB
- Analog (XLR)
Analog units will produce higher quality but are generally more expensive and require more equipment. If you are just starting out, we recommend that you purchase a quality USB microphone. If you have played around with audio before or want to invest in solid equipment that can be used for years to come, an XLR mic is well worth the money.
Not sure where to start? In the world of USB mics, we recommend the Blue Snowball, the Blue Yeti USB Condenser, or a Rode NT-US Studio Condenser Cardioid Mic. If you are ready to invest in an analog microphone, keep your eye open for the Shure Beta 87A Supercardioid Condenser.
2. Audio Interface and XLR Cable (Only if you use an analog mic)
If you’ve decided to spend a little more and invest in an analog mic, you will also need to purchase an XLR cable and an audio interface. This will connect your microphone to your computer during the recording process.
3. Pop Filter (Not mandatory)
Once you start recording a few episodes, you might notice that your “b’s” and “p’s” will sound really loud and amplified. You can solve this issue with a pop filter. They are inexpensive and easy to use. Alternatively, you can speak into the side of your mic to combat this issue.
Other Tools Required For Recording & Uploading Podcasts
Now that we outlined the physical equipment required for a real estate podcast, let’s look at the systems and software you will need to record, edit and upload your audio content.
1. Podcast Recording and Editing Software
There are various free recording and editing tools available. If you are a Mac user, your computer comes equipped with Garageband which will do the trick. You can also use Audacity which is extremely easy to use and is available to both PC and Mac users. Both of these programs will allow you to record, add and edit your audio clips.
If you are looking for more features and have some experience with audio, you may want to look into Adobe Audition. This software has many more options for post-production.
If you will be interviewing someone remotely, you will want to get familiar with Skype and use a program called ECamm Recorder. This allows you to record fairly high-quality audio and video from the call. Skype also has the ability to call someone through a mobile line but you will have to fork out a few dollars to upload credits to your account.
2. ID3 Software for Podcasts
Stay with us and don’t get stressed out about the odd name. An ID3 editor simply allows you to add additional information to your podcast file. What other info? Things like: Episode title, podcast name, author and your podcast theme picture. This data is attached to your podcast through metadata and the “attachment” is possible thanks to ID3 tags.
The process is quite straightforward so don’t get too hung up on the tech side of things. Utilize a program like Tagr to add your ID3 information, ensuring all the vital descriptive information of your podcast follows the media file wherever it goes.
3. Podcast Hosting Platform
Similar to a website, your real estate podcast will require special online hosting. This allows others to listen to your audio wherever they are (as long as they have an internet connection).
You have a few options when it comes to hosting, some are free and others come with a fee. What’s the difference? The premium hosting options typically allow you to store more episodes online and don’t restrict the length of your episodes. Some providers also have customized cloud software which you will gain access to without any of the company’s branding. Just like anything else- you get what you pay for here.
Best Paid Hosting Options:
Best Free Podcasting Hosting Options:
Uploading Your Podcast
One of the questions you might have is how to go about uploading podcasts to these various sites. They are all very straight forward and walk you through the entire process. To get you started, follow these steps to upload if you are using Libsyn:
- Once logged in, click the “Content” menu option and select “Add New Episode”
- Click “Add Media File” then “Upload File From Hard Drive”
- Find your real estate podcast file on your computer and click to open
- Fill out podcast blog/information form. Don’t stress out about this too much. You can always come back later to modify this but at a minimum add the Name of the episode, your email address and the category you want your podcast to be featured in. If you had tagged your MP3 file using ID3 software, the majority of this information may already be present.
- If you already have your own website or blog, you can use Libsyn as a file hosting site and post the podcast on your other site. All you need to do for this is to copy the URL from the Direct Download URL field and use that link in your own blogging software.
Branding Your Real Estate Podcast TO Attract More Listeners
There are two elements to branding that you will want to consider when creating your podcast. The first is the objective or the theme of the podcast. Why does it exist? What will be the recurring focus?
A few examples to get your creative juices flowing…
- Weekly home improvement ideas and projects to increase the value of homes
- Interview-style podcast featuring local business owners and influencers in your community
- A biweekly review of all the “good” that has happened in your community. You can speak about market updates, a case study of a home flip . to showcase knowledge of the local real estate market.
It’s very important to know exactly WHY you are producing a podcast and exactly WHO it is for. Hopefully, this process helps you discover the name of your podcast along the way. This is the most important part of launching a new podcast. Don’t rush over this.
Once you know your “why” and your name, the second piece of branding that you need is a logo and design template.
Podcast Logo and Design Elements
If you want to hit the ground running and are stressed about the process, don’t focus too much on design at first. This is something you can adjust once you have established some traction. However, it is a very good idea to invest some time and money into design early on IF you are not overwhelmed. Many of the potential listeners that come across your podcast will decide whether or not to listen based off of the design and description.
If you know a designer, give them as much information as you can and ask for the price up front. You don’t need to spend a fortune here. A good alternative is to hop onto Fiverr, 99 Designs or Upwork and find someone who is within your budget. Remember to ask for the raw, PSD files so you or someone else can adjust in Photoshop in the future if required.
Ask to have a logo and an episode template created. Need some examples? Open up iTunes and investigate the top 10 podcasts in each category. Notice any common elements? Don’t copy anyone’s design but feel free to be inspired by what has already proven to be successful.
Note: If you want your podcast to be featured on iTunes, you will want to upload images that are PNG or JPEG formatted files with a minimum size of 1400 x 1400 pixels, with a recommended size of 3000 x 3000 pixels.
Promoting Your Real Estate Podcast
Starting your own podcast isn’t rocket science, but as you can see, there is a decent amount of work involved in things started. If you are going to invest your time and money into producing a podcast, you will want to invest just as much into ensuring people listen to it.
As a real estate agent, there are many different ways that you can promote your new form of media. Implement as many of the bullet points below as possible…
Utilize your existing website traffic
Embed your podcast audio files onto your website. This is usually achieved by simply copying and pasting the code from your hosting provider into a new blog post or webpage on your site.
Redirect Your Social Media Traffic
This is one of the best ways to promote your podcast and your brand. Don’t be afraid to utilize a little shock-and-awe or humor in your marketing techniques. The world of social media is becoming more saturated with content every day. You need to work hard to stand out, but if you do so successfully, your podcast will develop a significant following. Be sure to include the URL of the episode you are promoting in your social posts.
Local Interviews
The best way to promote something is to get influential people to support and share it. Look within your community for members that are in good standing and are very active. Interview them on the podcast and get them to share the episode on their own social platforms.
Influencers and Collaborations
Create a list of all the influencers that are in line with your particular message and invite them all to be on your podcast. You can also collaborate with other podcast producers, gaining access to their pool of listeners in a single session.
Post it on Various Podcasting Platforms – Libsyn should give you an RSS feed that you can use to post the podcast on platforms like iTunes, Stitcher, iHeart Radio, Google Play Music and more.
Invest In Yourself And Start Your Podcast Today
It’s clear that the winners of tomorrow in real estate will be those who best learn how to leverage technology. With the rise of voice commands on cell phones like Siri and in-home assistants like Amazon’s Alexa, audio is undoubtedly going to be a major factor in the next 5 to 10 years.
By starting today, you are ensuring that your real estate brand is a leader in tech, instead of being one of those agents who is struggling to keep up. Not only is it a good idea to start a podcast for the future, but it’s a smart play for today.
Tangible Results Today
An engaging, successful podcast that discusses local events, trends, or influencers will bring you immediate results. This is especially true if you are the first agent in your geographic area to take audio seriously. You can quickly become the “voice” for real estate and/or community in your target area. Even after a few months, you can expect referrals and high-value leads to start rolling your way if you are pumped out enough high-quality content.
This is just ONE of the many ways that you can dominate a local market. A real estate podcast is a great place to start in your quest of becoming a local leader.