Is there a secret to selling luxury real estate online? Everyone seems to use the tagline luxury marketing, but quality content and effective promotion are what really make the difference in today’s saturated media landscape. That’s why it’s essential for a real estate professional to find talented creators and writers who have no trouble going through boring statistics and presenting them in an energetic and informative fashion. The downside is that good creators are hard to find.
As a real estate company or luxury realtor should you consider outsourcing writers (hiring freelancers) or training in-house professionals within the team?
What Kind of Content Do Real Estate Companies Create?
Many realtors still use old school methods for marketing. But successful luxury agents have long seized the opportunities of using targeted luxury real estate website and social media platforms by creating unique content and marketing to reach broader audiences.
Real estate companies should create four types of content according to Forbes:
- Educational Content
- Branded Content
- Email Content
- Entrepreneurial Content
Most of this content is created for social media. Photos of beautiful architecture and design on Instagram can really lure clients to the company page. Visual and written content go hand-in-hand. Videos often have text; photos have descriptions where copywriters work their magic and attract customers.
What Good Writers Do
An excellent real estate writer is both analytical and creative. Analyzing competition, statistics, turning boring information into fun facts can be tough for an untrained mind. A study shows that most companies spend 30% of their budget on talented content creators. A good writer or content creator will boost your social media game. They will also give your company a voice and rhetoric, same as landing pages and marketing content.
So, what are the pros and cons of hiring an in-house writer vs. outsourcing one?
The Pros of Raising In-House Writers
An essential element of copywriting for a real estate company is understanding the brand and getting the story right. For example, IKEA is all about simplicity and creativity. Their main landing page says “Hej! Welcome to a world of inspiration for your home.” That’s right – hej with a j. The writer understands the warm, playful aesthetic of the brand, and uses it to greet the client creatively. In-house writers also have a better understanding of the company’s audience, goals, and general voice. They apply it to the website, to ads and slogans, and give a natural feel to all the social media accounts. And, well, having direct interaction with the writer. It gives you more control over the deadlines and quality of content.
Where In-House Writers Fall Short
Sadly, finding such writers can be time-consuming. It means always being on the lookout for great writers before competing companies take them away. After finding and employing a writer, it’s essential to manage them and proofread their content, which might require someone filling the ranks of a content manager. In-house writers also need access to paid SEO tools in particular, because it helps a writer see what people are searching in Google. Every time somebody types anything like hire an architect online or write my essay for me, the information shows up in statistics. An in-house writer without SEO tools cannot do basic search engine optimization. And lastly, there’s a thing called internal bias. In theory, writers who spend too much time with a company start dwindling on their creativity and creating overly promotional content. This content can be unattractive and dull. That’s where outsourced writers come into spice things up.
Pros of Outsourcing Professional Writers for a Real Estate Company
Outsourced professionals are a quick and easy way to freshen up old content. Freelancers with high ratings almost never submit work past the deadline. With their online reputations at stake, these writers are very consistent with their work. Another convenience of freelance writers is that they don’t have fixed costs. Writers name their price based on the length and difficulty of the task. It might be MUCH cheaper and quicker to hire a talented freelancer to write a landing page. And finally, there is no internal bias. Ideas are always fresh, coming from a different perspective. While having an in-house writer who knows the company’s voice is useful, sometimes a different view will do the trick. Important to note that most famous copywriters are freelancers and do not work for a single company.
The Cons of Outsourcing Writers
While quick and efficient, outsourced writers may not be the perfect choice for everybody. After all, an outsourced writer can only give outsider ideas that may not benefit you. The writer may be great, but if they’re not specialized in the niche, the content will be weak and uninformative. The outsourced writer’s goal is to create something that SUITS the company, not necessarily propel it to stardom. Limited control and blurred communications can also drag tasks on. Delays and “disappearing writers” are ever prevalent in the age of the internet. Of course, if the writer is highly rated and has written for reputable companies – they shouldn’t let you down.
Choose the Right Platform
This article is only a brief analysis of one aspect of luxury real estate marketing and promotion online. The case for hiring in-house writers vs. outsourcing professionals is finally only as effective as the platform on which the content is posted. As an international real estate portal with a global reach, The Pinnacle List is the ultimate presentation platform for agents and brokerages offering an unrivalled online web/mobile/social presence for marketing luxury real estate worldwide.
