So you’ve got this empty real estate content calendar. Now you need to fill it.

Don’t have a content calendar yet?

These should help:

8 Easy Steps To Build Your Own Real Estate Content Calendar
Step-by-Step Guide To A Successful Real Estate Content Calendar

Where on earth do you find content? How do you keep coming up with ideas?

The number one piece of advice I can give you when it comes to creating and curating content is to listen.

Listen Listen Listen. Stop talking, start listening. Get your head out of your phone and start listening to the world around you. 

The world around you holds all of the content you could ever want.  

You’ve just got to listen.

Of course, you are going to create some of your content. You are going to write blog posts or maybe do some podcasts or maybe even do some video’s. Once you’ve got some good content created, you are going to publish a short e-book or two. It’s not as hard as you think.

To get ideas for your own content, there are a couple places to go.

First of all, go to your email inbox.

What questions are people asking you?

Review your conversations with your friends and people you meet who realize you are a real estate agent. What questions do they commonly ask you?

Write those down.

Start answering them on paper, in a voice recording or on video.

There’s your content.

Teach yourself to always have the mindset to be “on the look” for content.

The minute someone asks you a question, trigger your mind to say “hey, that’s content!!”

The minute you are in a conversation and you want to jump in to “inform”, trigger your mind to say “hey, that’s content!!”

Keep notes at all times!

You are out somewhere and something triggers your own thoughts “why on earth would they think that” or “I wish consumers knew this” or whatever.

Write those thoughts down! Hold them captive!

Create content around all of that.

Don’t Get Overwhelmed

Once you start to notice that ideas are everywhere, you might become a little overwhelmed!

Also, do not be afraid to address the same questions, aka write similar content.

People ask questions all sorts of different ways, even though they are essentially the same question.

Address those same questions from those different aspects. Multiple content.

Don’t assume that just because you’ve discussed one thing that it’s all done, you can’t address it again.  You can!

For example, I’ve written about where to get good real estate content before.

However, I was still getting questions.

What I shared wasn’t deep enough or didn’t answer the question for everyone.

Hence, I’m here writing again about finding content. Just a bit deeper, just a bit differently.

So.

You are now creating your own content. But what about all the other holes in your content calendar?

  

What about 3rd party content?

Well, this one is really easy. There are hundreds of resources out there.

First of all, you need to take some time initially and consider what it is your niche is interested in.

What would interest your niche? Make sure you stay focused on your niche when you provide 3rd party content.

This is the biggest mistake I see agents making when they are posting 3rd party content to their pages.

They are posting articles that are written to other real estate agents, or are flagrantly self promoting (aka “why you should use a real estate agent”, written by a real estate agent), things like that.

The consumer doesn’t like self-promotion.  It’s much better if someone else says it.  It’s also much better if it’s not something blatant, such as the proverbial “Why you should use a REALTOR®”.

Instead of telling them why they should use you, show them.  Show them your expertise through your content. 

Effective 3rd party content speaks directly to your niche, in a voice other than your own. Ideally, a voice that does not benefit you.

For example . . . if your niche is home owners (you are a listing agent) in their 50’s (the typical empty nester), what are things most empty nester homeowners want to do? Prepare for a different lifestyle?  Downsize?  Upsize into a family estate?

So, get yourself out there and find sources that are about these topics.

That’s actually the easy part.

There are literally thousands of blogs out there of DIYers doing all of these things.

Of course there are always the big guys like HGTV, Home Depot and Lowes, but as I said, there are thousands of individuals who are doing these kinds of projects, individuals that your fans will connect with and relate to. 

Making Those Connections

And if you are the one making those connections, you are in a sweet spot with your niche.

To find individuals, do a multitude of google searches and start reading blogs.

Seriously.

You are going to have to know some of these resources. If your niche has these questions, you need to know where to find the answers.

Even better than just posting 3rd party content?  Do your research.

Learn about your niche and what their needs are.  Learn about it deep enough that you are a solid expert on it.  Not on every detail, but on all of their questions, concerns, hopes, fears . . . know enough to be able to show them resources that will help them.

Here are some of my personal favorites:

Young House Love

Thrifty Decor Chick

I’ve followed this lady for several years now.  They bought a monster of a house and she reminds me of me, constantly changing what she likes, which means rooms keep changing.  I’ve followed her through their journey to get out of debt while simultaneously making their home a wonderful place of respite.

I Heart Organizing

This woman is pretty phenomenal.  Over the past 12 years she and her hubby have been upgrading their “cheap” track home.  What she’s done is pretty amazing.   Some of her ideas are too “cutsy” for me, but not for everyone.  I still glean ideas even if I don’t love all of the “cute”.

The Nesting Place

I think she is the first “home” blog I started following, many years ago.  Her family has lived in several rentals over the years, and the things she’s done to make those rentals their “home” are phenomenal.

The Lettered Cottage

Lots of great ideas and, they just sold their home they had been blogging about, in 2012.  They’ve purchased another home so there will be a whole lot more remodeling and such.

I’ve set these up in MeetEdgar and when I’m ready to look for 3rd party content, I spend time in there, reading and enjoying. When I find something that I know my niche will love and relate to, I make sure to put it on my content calendar to share it.

Another great option is to use Google Alerts. The thing with Google Alerts is that if you don’t really work on customizing your keywords, you are going to wade through a whole lot of crap. And I do mean a whole lot of crap.

I do keep a constant supply of Google Alerts going, especially for the clients I work with, however, I have found that finding a fantastic direct resource is often much better than just using Google Alerts.

What about quotes? Do I have to share quotes?

No, you don’t. Personally, I like to. I enjoy inspirational quotes and I’ve found that my fans enjoy them to. I’ve also learned what kinds of quotes they like.

When I’m sharing on my business page (my LeadsAndLeverage Facebook page), I share business focused and life focused quotes. Quotes that are relevant to my fan base. When I’m sharing on my real estate pages, I share home ownership focused and organizational quotes. Quotes that appeal to that fan base.

Most of the quotes I share are from “famous” people. However, I share all sorts of other quotes . . . quotes from my kids, that pertain to the topic, quotes from people I run into on the street, things like that. When I hear something that I react to, I share it.

The key with most of this content is that you have got to listen.

Listen to the world around you.
Listen more, stop planning your next answer.
Just listen.
Listen to people, listen to their body language, listen to their words.
Listen!
Listening will create more content then you will know what to do with.
I guarantee it.