The fact that you are reading this article on a website that generates revenue from content like this is not lost on me. It’s also ironic that this piece is not in video format and that I chose the written word versus video to make my point.
The history of the real estate blog
To understand where things are headed, let’s first look at the rise of the traditional blog in the real estate landscape.
Blogging in the real estate vertical began to take shape in the early 2000s, with sites like Blogger and WordPress gaining popularity. Agents would post content about the ever-changing real estate market, tips for buyers and sellers and other real estate-related content.
Real estate 2.0 became part of the landscape with ActiveRain, which played a huge role in the evolution of blogging. By 2006, agents could post content on this platform, comment on others’ posts and network with their colleagues.
By the 2010s, real estate-specific websites were popping up everywhere, and a significant part of their value proposition was the ability to blog directly from their sites. Blogging was increasingly used as part of a broader marketing strategy, including SEO, social media and email marketing.
Many agents are still blogging today and have a dedicated readership. However, others who are just entering the game are mistakenly thinking that AI will help them grow faster and farther in less time. What I will say is, don’t do that. But that’s an article for another day.
What does the current landscape look like?
Today, there’s an overabundance of written blogs, and we’ve reached a saturation point on nearly every conceivable topic. The volume of content being produced today makes it increasingly difficult to get your blog to stand out. This means those still embracing traditional blogging today will struggle to reach a meaningful audience.
By the mid-2010s, a major shift occurred toward video marketing, especially on YouTube. At the time, it was the only platform that hosted video-only content and some agents, including yours truly, took advantage of that opportunity.
As video content grew across the internet, so did viewership. Social platforms started building out for video at a much faster pace than ever before. Today, we have multiple platforms that host video, such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat, to name a few.
Social media platforms have completely refined their algorithms to prioritize video, carousels and native posts over written content that includes external links. Content creators are being forced to adapt their content to fit the native styles of these platforms, which has eroded the prominence of the standalone blog.
More and more Realtors are embracing short- and long-form video content creation, recognizing the importance of brand and messaging. Consumers will do business with people, not companies. So, to stand out, today’s agents are creating content that builds trust and likeability.
Where do we go from here?
The term “blogging” needs to be reframed. Your Instagram Reel is a blog. Your YouTube Short is a blog. Your TikTok video is a blog. Long-form video on YouTube is a blog.
Consumer attention spans continue to shrink, and platforms like Instagram Reels, TikTok, YouTube Shorts and other short-form content channels have become sources of not only entertainment but also information.
These platforms deliver bite-sized content that’s easy to digest and share with friends and acquaintances. They’re pushing traditional written blogs, which require sustained attention, to the periphery of how viewers consume content.
Ultimately, blogging in its written form is being overtaken by short-form video content because it no longer aligns with evolving consumer habits. Reading a 1,000-word blog on a smartphone is nowhere near as entertaining as consuming a snackable post on a platform optimized for mobile consumption.
Here’s what I’d do
If I were to start my career over in 2025, I would be going all-in on two platforms that focus heavily on video-based content: YouTube and Instagram.
I would create long-form content for YouTube, supplemented by shorts, and I would build out a database of Reels with a strategy around Stories and posts to continually engage my potential clients and customers.
The second phase of that strategy would be to achieve expert-level proficiency in connecting with your ideal client profile (ICP) through chat functionality on Instagram.
It seems I’ve been saying this for over a decade—video isn’t the future; it’s the here and now. Embrace it with a strategy and watch your…
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