A competitive edge, a distinctive way to stand out in their local market and be discovered, recognized, and remembered are things that real estate agents are constantly searching for. But how?

The best, most effective, and simplest way to start dominating the mindshare in your local market today, in my opinion, is through podcasting. Never undervalue the influence of hosting a show in your community. 

Podcasts are definitely popular right now. Everybody and their dog seems to have a podcast these days. Heck, some of those dogs even have their own television program! Every day, new podcasts are released. According to statistics, more than half of Americans currently or previously listen to podcasts. Additionally, the vast majority of those listeners subscribe to multiple podcasts, and a sizable portion watches every episode of their favorite shows. Therefore, it is obvious that podcasting is popular. 

What if I told you that the number of podcasts overall was still below one million? 800,000 podcasts altogether on Apple Podcasts? Yes, that is accurate. Even though it seems like everyone listens to podcasts and has one, there are still an incredibly few of them. 

This is great news for real estate agents, especially those who work in their own area. There aren’t hundreds of podcasts that serve your city or market, no matter where you live. Maybe a few? Maybe a few dozen even in bigger cities?

When I started the Hire A Millennial Virtual Assistant Podcast, I had no idea where it would lead, how much it would change our life, or how many doors it would open. 

Podcasting could be “the thing” you’ve been looking for because of how easy it is to start one and how powerful your voice is. 

Here are just a few ways that real estate agents can benefit from podcasting:

1. Local celebrity:

Podcast hosts build a ton of influence and credibility in the community over time. Podcast hosts can be seen as local celebrities in the same way that local news anchors or radio show hosts are. One of the fastest ways to get people to believe in you is to host your own show.

2. Referrals from other agents:

When you become known as the local real estate expert in your market, it’s not just consumers who notice. Other agents do too, inside and outside your market. Podcasts often show up in Google search results, so agents in other markets can find you and send you deals. That credibility you built as a show host isn’t just for consumers.

3. Networking:

If you have guests on your podcast, which you should do, you are expanding your network each time. Especially when talking to more prominent and well-known leaders in the community. Once you’ve done a lot of interviews, you become one of those well-known leaders in your area. Let’s say it in the coolest way possible: “guilt by association.” Now you are the one that influential, prominent local people come to.

4. Extra Money:

You can directly make money from your podcast if you want to make more money. Like any other popular podcast you listen to, you can have sponsors of your show too. A company can sponsor the whole podcast or just one episode at a time. For my podcast, I’ve done it both ways. (Shameless plug: I’m looking for a new sponsor or two, so let me know if you know anyone who wants to get in front of real estate agents.)

Podcast advertising is actually one of the most effective forms of advertising these days. Think about it, you have an audience that mostly listens to every episode, and they listen to 75% or so of each episode. They obviously trust or respect the host. So when the host recommends and/or endorses a product or service, most within that audience are much more receptive to that product, brand or service than if they just saw a random Facebook Ad or tv commercial. If you choose your sponsors wisely, they become partners that will help to promote the show. Often, just having a sponsor gives your show more credibility in the eyes of some. 

5. Advertise on other podcasts:

Real estate agents should absolutely sponsor other local podcasts in their markets! Usually, you can sponsor an episode for as little as $50 to $250, and that gets your name out to thousands of people in the area where you want to be known. Even big shows with lots of people can still be a great way to get your message out. When you look at the cost per impression (or listen), it’s not that expensive.

For example, if you pay $250 to sponsor an episode that, on average, 2,000 people will listen to, that only costs 12 per listener. This is amazing, since most people only listen to about 65–75% of each episode on average.

One last tip about advertising on other podcasts is that it takes time. Don’t think about ROI at all right now. This is branding, not making a direct sale or conversion. Don’t think that you’ll be able to sponsor one or two episodes and make three sales because of them.

With podcast advertising, the “ROI” doesn’t work like that, but you can definitely get direct conversions if you use smart calls to action. I think you should consistently sponsor a podcast for at least three months. If you don’t, you’re not giving it enough time to work.

But when it works, it pays off big time. Just ask Zip Recruiter, Squarespace, Wix, Audible, or any of the many other companies that built their brand on podcast advertising. If it works for them, it will definitely work for you and your real estate business. Just make sure the podcast fits well and has some influence, and then commit to doing it long enough for it to pay off.  

As I said before, podcasting has changed my life and my career in more ways than I can count. It’s inexpensive and fairly simple to do once you learn a few things in the beginning.

To be successful, you just need to want to learn something new and be determined enough to keep doing it long enough. As with anything else, if you commit to doing it every week and get better each time, you will eventually become a master.