99 Problems, but a Niche Ain’t One

Jim Cronin
Published: 09/10/2012
Posted by: RET Staff

99 Problems, but a niche ain't one.
If you having SEO problems, I feel bad for you, son,
I got 99 problems, but a niche ain't one.

(With apologies to Jay-Z)

So often when I hear real estate agents complain about their lack of leads or lack of web presence, I try to explain to them that it might be a lack of focus that is keeping them from success. It's so much easier to be a big fish in a small pond than vice versa.

Are you a beginning real estate blogger trying to figure out how you will compete with the budgets of Zillow, Trulia or REALTOR.com?

Washington State real estate brings 395 MILLION results on Google, and Seattle real estate, 174 million. A bigger city like Chicago brings 450 million results for the term Chicago real estate.

These are horrible odds.

Unfortunately, I hear of agents who actually try and service an area that size. If you serve five counties, four congressional districts and three area codes, I would argue that you aren't a "local expert" in much of anything.