One of the most important roles you can have as a real estate professional is as a “trusted advisor” for your prospects. People want reassurance that you are on their side, that you can guide them through all the challenges and frustrations of buying or selling a home. Both parts of the equation are equally important: both “trust” and “advice”.

Information marketing is a time-tested way to show prospects that you’ll be a trusted partner who can offer them valuable advice. By freely giving away useful information, you demonstrate that you’re knowledgeable about your industry and you want to help people.

In real estate, doing a free market analysis is a classic example of info marketing (and we offer both market analysis postcards and market analysis door hangers to get you started). Having a curated social media feed or a blog focused on local events and real estate are other great ways to freely share information with your prospects.

When it comes to your first actual meeting with a prospective buyer or seller, there is one can’t miss product that will drastically improve your chances of closing the deal: real estate presentation folders. Pack your custom presentation folders with lots of valuable information – not just the typical comps and contracts, but a comprehensive overview of info that your prospects could benefit from if they’re buying or selling.

For buyers, you might include local information for the towns or neighborhoods they are interested in: lists of local schools, local events, top local restaurants, utilities, etc. You can also include home buying checklists and information about lenders. For sellers, include marketing plans, tips on staging a property, local storage units in case they want to do some de-cluttering before their official move, etc. Both buyers and sellers could benefit from a list of recommended handymen, inspectors, and other professionals.

By far the most important part of real estate information marketing is simply being willing and available to answer questions whenever your clients need. Once they know they can rely on you, they’ll be a lot more likely to trust you with one of the largest transactions of their lives – and to refer you to their friends and family, too.