Part 4 in this compendium of real estate blog ideas is chock full of ideas that are designed to spark participation and engage readers emotionally like taxes, politics and blog wars.  Learn the etiquette of starting a feud and staying above the fray to drive in new traffic and keep it coming back. See how Realtors across the real estate blogosphere are giving content a unique spin with these 10 real estate blog ideas. 30 down, 324 ¼ real estate blog content ideas left to go!

31. Architectural tour of the town

Every town has a unique look that is usually a product of the history and architecture. As a Realtor, you probably know more about the local history and architecture than the average towns person, so share it. Talking about the downtown architecture give you the opportunity to mention local business that have been there for generations, the history, renovation projects, hotels and banks. People love this kind of stuff, especially if you can turn the post into not just an art piece but a resource with links to local historical societies, libraries, town/city halls, museums, etc. These are also great posts for search engine fodder. Be sure to write them so a 6^th grader could read and understand them because many times they can be used for school reports and projects. Become a trusted resource to the child and you will become a must read by the parent!

EXAMPLE: Bonnie Erickson of Real Estate Snippits takes readers on a tour of the St. Paul City Hall in this post.

32. Be controversial with a feud starting post

Create a blog war by posting an article about a local event that might impact homeowners like the construction of a new road that may devalue homes or targeting a politician that may be making policy that affects taxes.  Some of the best posts I have seen for creating a "war" have been about local celebrities or shop owners that have been causing a stir with neighbors.  This is your way of inciting readers to participate in the community through commenting and dialog with one another.  The key to this method is to not enter the fray yourself.  If people have questions, answer them, but don't start to moderate the "war."  You want people to remain emotionally engaged but never turn their anger towards you! Through strife, friendships are formed, alliances are made and personalities are brought to the surface.  Basically, this is your own Jerry Springer show.

EXAMPLE: Ain’t nobody better at creating feuds and wars than our crazy client, the XBroker. Jeff Corbett knows that stirring the proverbial pot can make all the difference in the world for a mortgage blog. Promoting transparency in lending isn’t really that sexy of a topic, but Jeff has: managed to win both friends and enemies with posts that call out certain brokers as nothing more scam artists. Jeff’s traffic, participation, comments and leads skyrocketed after posting a few controversial pieces.

READ ALSO: Create a blog war to boost traffic  

33. Show clients how hard you work for them: let them in on your life

Blogging is a very personal media channel.  People want to learn more about you, your expertise and your life.  The rub is, they don’t want you to just come out and tell them about yourself.  You need to create a soap opera in your blog posts where you disclose personal things about yourself in small doses.  That way it makes people feel as though they have come to know you slowly.  Think of a blog as one big date with your dream mate. You don’t go telling your dream date your life story- the good the bad and the ugly on the first date.  You slowly let them into your life one date at a time.  That is exactly the way you should blog. 

EXAMPLE: See how Gerhard Ade quickly lets readers into his day with this post that shows just how hard he is working for his clients.

READ ALSO: Humanizing your blog: how blogging is like bodybuilding

34. Attract big spenders with exclusive interest pieces

Live in an area with big spenders and people that wish they were? We all love to know how the rich and famous live, what is hot among the elite and what kinds of homes they buy. So, blog about hot new technology trends in exclusive homes or talk fashion trends and where the best shopping is in your area or how readers can get the glam look for less. If you live by the water, talk yachts and the local boat club amenities. If you have golf courses nearby, interview Golf Pros and get tips on how to improve your swing, then review each local course or Pro Shop. It’s simple, see what’s in your area and cater to a special interest in at least one post per week. You’ll be surprised how quickly you can build local traffic among people with common interests. And that, my dears, is how you build community and spark participation and commenting. 

EXAMPLE: What RSS Pieces client is doing this already? None other than high real estate roller, Kevin Orak.

35. Get a little political

I’m not saying you have to come out of the right wing closet and follow Ann Coulter down the elephant trail or start spouting environmentalist Al Gore rhetoric, but I am saying that nothing engages people more than politics and religion. While often taboo topics, they do inspire an emotional response (which is what you want), so use them from time to time to attract new visitors and spark participation, commenting and even blog wars. As the political parties rally for the upcoming elections and presidential candidates abound, use your own beliefs and recent political events to write posts that draw in new, unsuspecting visitors.

EXAMPLE: See how one of our favorite Realtors, Leigh Brown used Al Gore, An Inconvenient Truth and her own well formed convictions to pen an insightful, somewhat controversial and highly personal real estate post about environmentalism in Greensboro, NC.

36. Feature local heroes

Everybody likes to be recognized, so if a group or individual in your community is earning high praises for something, mention it. This is a sure fire way to build community. Everybody searches for their name online from time to time, so by mentioning them you have now just driven them, their family and friends all to your site. People also like to print out places where their name is mentioned and save it in a scrap book. Now, that is site “stickiness” money can’t buy.

EXAMPLE: See how Airforce PCS rewards airmen for their service by covering recent honorees.

37. Talk local taxes

If there is one thing that every home owner or prospective home owner will have in common it is taxes. Everyone wants to know new tax developments in their area, so cover property taxes. This is not just a suggestion, it is a must. Tax issues are sure to raise the ire of a few people and will help spark participation on your blog while establishing you as a local expert that is in touch with how taxes affect your clients.

EXAMPLE: See how Maureen Francis gives taxes it’s own category and covers the topic in detail here.

38. Share the beauty of your town with pictures

Too tired to blog? Take a picture of beautiful scene in your area. Kids playing in a local park that was recently built, a renovated historic building, a landmark, local hero or just a gorgeous sunset that shows off the beauty and diversity of your farm area. People like to know that their home town or soon to be home town is appreciated by the people making money off it. You can even make a weekly post out of your pictures.

EXAMPLE: See this Ohio sunset in this post on MyHouseKey

39. Don’t just blog listings, compare listings

This is a great idea that the blogtastic Kevin Boer of 3OceansRealEstate came up with. He takes a neighborhood and then reviews 2 listings in it. It is a great way for both buys and sellers to garner information. A buyer is able to see what is out there in a similar price range, while a seller is able to see how comparable homes are priced, staged and doing on the market.

EXAMPLE: See Kevin’s recent comparison of these two Fair Oaks homes.

40.Feature a Foreclosure Property

People are always searching for foreclosures. They think they’ll get some kind of deal. So, attract some of that search traffic and feature a foreclosure property. Use the opportunity to address ways people can avoid foreclosure or sell a home faster when foreclosure may be eminent.

EXAMPLE: See how Christine Forgione used a foreclosure property to build her authority as a selling expert.

Do you have some great content ideas or are you successfully using unique content on your real estate blog?  Tell me all about your ideas in the comments of this post with and I may include your site in one of the future installments of this series.

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