Real Estate Copywriting Vs Content Writing

Do you know your copywriter from your content writer? It’s pretty confusing actually, so if you don’t you’re in good company (Sorry Mum, real estate copywriting has nothing to do with copyright law!) They are both crucial components of digital marketing for your brand and there’s a lot of overlap between the two, but let’s explore what distinguishes them from each other.

What is Real Estate Copywriting?

I like best how Emily Steck at Quietly Blog defines them. First, copywriting:

“Copywriting is the art of selling people on an idea, brand or ideology.”

It’s a direct sales pitch to lure the reader into a one-off transaction with your business. Copywriting cleverly gets straight to the point, trying to appeal to emotions and intellect in the process. It’s short and compelling and uses less words to grab more attention. Those catchy slogans you see on a billboard or the side of a can? That’s copywriting. Ditto your real estate listing write-ups, or the copy on those flyers you distribute.

What is Real Estate Content Writing?

Now content writing, and to borrow from Emily again,

“Content writing is the art of creating content.”

It may seem like an obvious statement, but it sums it up perfectly. The written content created has the task of informing, engaging and entertaining people. Content writers are educators and story tellers all in one. Content writing is a slow-burn process, building trust and familiarity with potential customers. It’s about winning the reader’s heart, answering their questions about your business and getting them to recognise you as a premier authority in your industry. Your blog posts, articles in magazines, e-books and newspaper pieces would all fall under content writing.

Another important distinction lies in the type of people that class themselves as either profession:

Content writers can be anyone who creates written content. They could be an expert on a particular subject, a CEO, PhD students or journalists – so long as they can create valuable, engaging content on a given topic, they’re content writers.

A copywriter meanwhile would have dedicated their career to writing compelling marketing material. They are professional wordsmiths who rely on the one opportunity to convert a customer, rather than being able to give a brand a backstory. Their writing needs to be powerful and persuasive rather than informative.

Ultimately the goal of all marketing material is to convert potential customers into actual customers, and that’s where content writing and copywriting crossover. They want to stamp your authority on the industry, kick your sales into the stratosphere and give your bottom line a big juicy nudge.

Special Mention – SEO Real Estate Content

If you’re a real estate agent who cares about your websites position in the search rankings, you’ll no doubt have heard about SEO content. SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation, and its the art of making your website look good to Google (and other search engines).

Any written content that you put on your website should be optimised to look good for Google. This goes for your home page in particular, but all your secondary pages too and of course your blog posts. Optimised, relevant and engaging web content will help your website soar in the search rankings.

The Importance of Professional Real Estate Copywriting

Perception is paramount in real estate, and the quality of your written material could be the difference in whether a vendor decides to list their home with you or not. As part of your real estate marketing, professionally written copy will help build trust and engagement with sellers and buyers. It’ll stand you apart from your competition. Sloppy, wayward copy simply won’t leave a lasting impression on anyone who comes across your service.

Whether it’s real estate copywriting for your listings or creating a content marketing calendar to steadily build trust in your brand, get in touch and I’ll help you create the professional look you deserve.