Creativity hacks for real estate agents

Kerryn Lyes, Published: Thu 29th Nov, 2018

Ever find yourself alone in the office with property ads to write, watching the hours tick by as you stare at a largely empty Word doc? Unleashing your creativity could be the way out.

What has creativity got to do with real estate?

Creativity is an important part of any business. Thinking boldly lets us build on existing practices to find new ways of solving an old problem. Practising creativity will help you write better property ads, pack more into your schedule, and establish a unique voice in the attention economy. While classic phrases have their place, to achieve cut-through in a saturated marketplace, you need to stand out from the crowd.

Good content elicits an immediate response in the reader, whether it’s a mental image, a shiver down your spine, or that subtle, uncontrollable smile caused by a shamelessly cheesy pun. This reaction solidifies the information and sparks a memory that can prompt buyers to come back to the listing or, even better, take action.

You can apply creative thinking to marketing yourself

As a real estate agent, you need a broad set of skills – marketing, people skills, and an in-depth understanding of the real estate market and purchase process. Throughout your career selling property, you’ll be a shoulder to cry on, a cunning strategist, and an organiser-extraordinaire. But enough with the flattery, can you be creative?

Are you a master at closing deals, do you give great tips for house dressing, or does your winning personality put vendors at ease? Use your point of difference as a starting point, and brainstorm how that stands to benefit your clients.

Creativity can be cultivated

Just like any other discipline, creativity is a skill that we can train over time. While you may have heard that ‘creative genius is born, not made’ there are some things we can all do to bring out our inner muse.

Set limitations

Setting parameters can be a great way to spark relevant ideas. When it comes to writing ads, ask yourself, who is my target? What do they want? Write only for them. Creativity is important, but we want it linked to meaning and intent. Test your ideas. You should be able to articulate what your listing tells the prospective buyer about the offering.

Drive a different way to work

Beat the early morning traffic and enhance your powers of creativity. Taking a different route to work snaps you out of autopilot and encourages a creative mindset. Banish the concept of ‘a bad idea’

Write down anything that comes to mind. It might take 10-20 tries to get to a winning idea. If you dismiss the ‘silly’ or ‘bad’ ideas too soon it can quickly lead to content paralysis (the dreaded state in which you can’t think of anything at all).

Take notes

You never know when inspiration may strike. The perfect phrase could pop into your head when you’re walking the dog or brushing your teeth. Note it down and stow it away for the next time you need a great headline.

Creativity loves company

Bounce ideas off your colleagues and discuss where an ad may go too far, or not far enough. Take a look at some existing content and ask yourself "how would I rewrite that?" You may go through 10 or 15 variations before you’re happy. Or, you might have better things to do, and enlist the help of a handy tool like Blerb.

Practice creative thinking outside of work. You could write, doodle, invent a sport, or learn a new skill. You’ll reap the rewards when your next ad is due and the ideas are flowing freely.


Enhance your digital presence, save time, and sell more

Get monthly property marketing secrets direct to your inbox