Forget about true crime, daily news and celebrity interviews – there’s so much more to the world of podcasting! Podcasts are becoming a place for people to share their expertise and tell their stories, and the real estate industry is following suit.
If you are thinking of beginning a podcast, but you’re unsure where to begin, we’ve got you covered. We spoke with three of our members who host podcasts to get their insights.
LARICY LIVE with Matt Laricy, Americorp, Ltd.
Sometimes, the path to finding your niche isn’t easy. Take it from Matt Laricy. Since he began podcasting five years ago, his show has taken on multiple iterations. It began as a series with him, another REALTOR® on his team and a weekly guest, which was video recorded for YouTube and created specifically with REALTORS® in mind.
After a while, he realized these episodes weren’t resonating – they didn’t hit on pressing topics his audience wanted to know about. Then COVID hit, and the opportunity to have guests on the show disappeared. He took the chance to evaluate what he was doing and decided to change lanes.
He began hosting the show by himself with a 10-episode series about the pandemic, reading off questions listeners had about the real estate market. He started to receive an influx of responses from listeners and rebranded the podcast to Laricy LIVE. Now, he hosts the podcast solo and takes listener questions, discusses hot topics or invites a guest to share their insights. He tries to make the content
relevant to both consumers and REALTORS®. One thing that hasn’t changed: he still records video to cross post on YouTube.
He releases Laricy LIVE every Wednesday at 9:00 AM, because consistency is one of the most important parts of a successful podcast. People should know when to expect a new episode, and it’s important not to falter from that schedule.
To market his podcast, Laricy uses his already-existing channels to connect with his sphere. Every Monday, he sends out a newsletter to buyers about the market, and he includes a link to the podcast and the videos on YouTube. He does the same thing every Saturday, when he sends his sellers a newsletter with updates.
Laricy also shares episodes on social media. He turns the video of each episode into an Instagram reel and a TikTok, which have received a lot of recognition from consumers and peers alike. He says that through his podcast, consumers realize how knowledgeable he is, which has helped to grow his homebuyer and seller business.
THE LATINX CHRONICLES with Hipolito Garcia, Caliber Home Loans, & Erika Villegas, RE/MAX in the Village
For years, Erika Villegas has been interested in starting a podcast and was on the lookout for a co-host who would challenge her. Enter Hipolito Garcia. Their relationship goes way back. They often found themselves as the only two Latinos in the room during real estate events. They decided to work together.
Their podcast is dedicated to sharing the success stories of Latinx people throughout Chicago, many of which are not being told anywhere else. “I wanted to do something that’s different,” Villegas said. Each episode, they interview a new guest, focusing on topics ranging from mental health to wealth building, politics and more.
They release two podcast episodes a month and each episode takes about four hours to plan and produce. This includes reaching out to and scheduling time with guests, preparing questions and recording the episode itself. “I treat this like I treat everything else that’s important to me,” Garcia said.
They note it’s important to have a framework in place for how they want the conversation to go, but it’s not vital to stick to the questions. Conversations should come naturally, and it’s their job to guide the conversation. “I think the biggest takeaway is that it’s a challenge to keep people on track,” he said.
Even though their podcast isn’t real estate-related, they both have received referrals from the show. “It’s another way to stay in touch with my clients that’s not real estate related,” Villegas said.
For those who are interested in starting their own podcast, “Just do it!” she said. “We want to talk about real estate because that’s what we do, but we have other passions. This is how we can intertwine the two.”
“Focus the topic on your passion and people will relate to it,” Garcia said.
KEEPING IT REAL with D.J. Paris, Kale Realty
D.J. Paris began looking for podcasts he could use to help train REALTORS® in his brokerage and came up empty. He realized how beneficial a show focused on interviewing top producers would be and thought, “Someone should create one!” So, he did just that.
He started the show in 2017, telling himself he would commit to producing a year’s worth of episodes, then evaluate its success. “Thankfully, the show found its audience,” he said. To date, he has created 400 episodes. Although the show started with a local focus, it has now expanded to welcome top producers around the country, and has been embraced by a nationwide audience, including a cast member of Million Dollar Listing LA, who reached out as a fan of the show.
The biggest lesson he’s learned during his time podcasting is to not to pay too much attention to the numbers – but that’s not to say don’t look at them at all. “[We use them] only to make sure that our audience is growing and not receding,” he said. Instead, he focuses on putting out quality content and using word of mouth to continue expanding the show’s audience.
He’s also been surprised by how willing and generous guests of the show have been with their time. Many top producers were willing to be guests on the show when it had virtually no listeners, and he’s been turned down maybe two times during his five years of podcasting.
For those interested in starting their own podcast, D.J. believes there is a lot of value in sharing community information for residents and businesses, so starting hyper-local in your neighborhood area would be a great place to begin. He suggests bringing guests onto the show and then asking them to share the episodes to their spheres to expand your audience. And, don’t forget to always share your episodes on your own social media platforms.
Tools & Resources To Start Your Podcast
So, you’re feeling inspired and you’re ready to start your own podcast. Garcia, Laricy, Paris and Villegas shared their favorite tools and resources that have helped them along the way.
Technology Tools
Yeti Microphone: Made to produce studio level recordings from anywhere, Yeti microphones are a popular choice among podcasters. Headphones can be plugged into a Yeti for real time listening without delays.
Headphones: Headphones are a necessary tool for podcasting. When plugged into your microphone, you can hear how you sound in real time, so you know if adjustments need to be made to your speaking level or the location of your microphone. Popular brands include Bose, Sony, Sennheiser and Shure.
Production Resources
BuzzSprout: BuzzSprout allows you to get your podcast online and distributed with ease. BuzzSprout will add your podcast to the libraries of all the popular podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music and Stitcher. It also has tools to help you track your listeners, promote your podcast and more. BuzzSprout is free for those who upload less than 2 hours of content each month.
Anchor by Spotify: Anchor is a free tool that allows you to create and distribute your podcast all in one platform. It provides you with the tools to record your podcast through their system, which can then be exported. Episodes can be edited in the platform as well, and then uploaded or synched to your favorite podcast apps.
Zencastr: Zencastr is built to run in your browser so you can record anywhere without installing additional software. Invite links can be sent to guests who are joining you, and not only can audio be recorded, but video can, too! Even better, this tool is free.
Canva: Create a professional looking podcast thumbnail or promotional graphics using Canva. Canva makes graphic design simple with a selection of templates, frames, shapes, sizes, colors and filters. You can sign up for a free version of Canva, or upgrade to the pro version!
Upwork: If you’re in need of a marketer, producer, sound engineer or editor, you can hire a freelancer from anywhere around the world through Upwork. Search for a professional by price range, type of work and more.
Check out our Young Professionals podcast, where leaders from our Young Professionals Network (YPN) talk real estate and break down business-building with local experts.