Although you may know your farm area inside and out, you can’t claim to be a real estate expert if you aren’t knowledgeable about the bigger picture of what’s happening in the industry. General news is good for broad strokes, but it doesn’t dive as deep as industry publications or provide tips geared specifically to agents. So, where do you start? Believe it or not, there’s a lot of real estate-focused media out there vying for your attention. Whether it’s actually worth your attention is another story.
We’ve winnowed the list down to six of the best blogs, podcasts, and publications that will keep you up to date on the latest nationwide news, trends in the industry and real estate best practices. Bookmark or subscribe to these sites to stay in the know on everything from the housing market’s outlook to the marketing tools successful agents swear by.
Industry News Publication: HousingWire
Experienced journalists at this independent news source cover every corner of the broader industry. They tackle topics like politics and regulations as they relate to the housing market, as well as news and commentary about what’s happening in the mortgage and title and escrow industries. If you’re looking for hard-hitting, thoroughly investigated news, HousingWire is your best industry-focused resource.
There’s a paywall for long-form content, called HW+. The subscription also includes the HW Magazine and complimentary tickets to virtual events, among other perks. While some sites are impossible to navigate without being a subscriber, HousingWire offers a good balance for those who aren’t interested in expanded access via HW+.
Industry Publication: Inman
Brokers and real estate agents are Inman’s target audience, so you’ll rarely find content covering topics outside of that slice of the industry. That’s what makes Inman a favorite among agents and real estate execs alike. Article topics vary from current events to exclusives on newsworthy announcements to blog-style posts, like listicles and best-ofs.
Its paywall for Inman Select content covers a decent portion of published articles. The subscription includes access to live-streamed videos, event discounts and more.
This brand is also known for its well-attended Inman Connect event, which features a large expo, daily panelist sessions and notable speakers.
Podcast: Snapshot
Full disclosure: The Snapshot podcast is produced by Homesnap’s very own Gayle Weiswasser. Go ahead and call us bias for including it on this list, but we can’t find a comparable podcast focused exclusively on how real estate agents can improve their marketing.
For more than five years, Gayle has brought some of the industry’s most interesting people onto the show to talk about how they leverage social media, video production, their personal brand and more to stand out from the competition. The wide range of topics that Gayle covers makes every episode of this informative podcast worth tuning into.
Blog and Podcast: BiggerPockets
This is a great resource for agents who are interested in learning more about residential real estate investing or work with investor clients. Topics on the blog vary from investing basics to being a landlord to real estate advice and industry news. The BiggerPockets Real Estate Podcast has a huge archive of interesting “how to” episodes that feature real-life case studies from successful real estate investors.
In addition to its blog and podcast, BiggerPockets also offers webinars, discussion forums and other resources. Its community has more than 1.3 million members, including many people who aren’t professional real estate agents. This is a good opportunity to position yourself as an expert in the community, as well as understand the information that many of your potential clients may be consuming. The latter will help you understand their mindset and why they may take a specific approach to their real estate investments.
Industry Publication: RISMedia
The gem of this industry-focused blog isn’t its real estate news, insights or advice articles. RISMedia’s commentary content is what makes it stand apart from other publications. Submissions are sourced from heavy hitters around the industry and include contributors like John Mosey, Bill Miller, Paul Boomsma, Carl DeMusz and Donna Kreps. Their opinion pieces provide an inside look at topics that aren’t widely covered elsewhere, from the Broker Public Portal to rental listings on Facebook Marketplace.
Blog: Homesnap
Yes, we think our blog is worthy of mention! We’re laser focused on helping real estate agents improve their marketing and build a stellar online reputation. Our posts regularly dive into how agents can maximize their presence in Google search results and boost their ads on Facebook, Instagram and Waze. We write based on firsthand experience and results—we’ve run marketing campaigns for thousands of real estate agents and analyze the data to find insights and information that our readers can use to upgrade their marketing tactics.
Plus, you can get the inside scoop on all things Homesnap. Our blog covers the latest company announcements, from new features in Homesnap Pro to marketing tools made specifically for real estate agents.