Guides

How to Write a Neighborhood Guide, Profile, or Brochure

By Team Radius on July, 30 2021

How to Write Neighborhood Guides that will Instantly Impress Your Clients

Potential clients seek an expert real estate agent that will guide them in the right direction during the home buying process, and that includes counseling them on what neighborhoods will be a good fit for their lifestyle. Creating neighborhood guides is a great way to show your clients that you are an expert in the areas they could someday call home.

By specializing in particular neighborhoods, you can hone in on your best strengths as a real estate agent. Clients come from all different backgrounds. Some people want to move to a new house across the street in a neighborhood they already love, some are looking to move to a new neighborhood on the other side of town, and some are moving across the country to a town they’ve never visited before. This is the perfect opportunity to make a great first impression with your new or potential client by providing them with detailed community pages. 

A three-bedroom ranch-style home can provide a different experience depending on its neighborhood and location. There is only so much you can tell from Street View on Google Maps. It’s helpful to clients if you can paint a picture of what their life will look like in different neighborhoods based on the characteristics of the community such as schools, shopping, art galleries, sports venues, and more. 

Taking the time to write about the neighborhoods in your area will help narrow the home search for your clients from the start of your relationship. You are setting yourself, and your client, up for success and a faster transaction process. Below are tips on how to write an effective neighborhood guide! 

neighborhood guide

What to Highlight in a Neighborhood Guide with Examples

Help your clients understand where the listings you are sending them are located, so they can get a sense of the surrounding community. Pull out what is special about a neighborhood and its most desirable features. 

Below are neighborhood features that will stand out to clients: 

  • Tree-lined streets – “Enjoy peaceful tree-lined streets with charming Victorian homes.”
  • Low traffic – “This neighborhood has almost no thru traffic and many quiet cul-de-sacs, so you can safely walk or bike around the community.”
  • Proximity to highways and public transportation – “Enjoy convenient access to Highway 14 for a fast commute.” 
  • Local attractions – “Spend an afternoon at local museums followed by lunch at Lucile’s.” 
  • Amenities – “This community offers amazing amenities, including a pool, playground, and electric car charging stations.”  
  • Parking – “This area has an abundance of street parking options for you and your guests.” 
  • Great schools – “This neighborhood is part of a highly rated school district, and is within walking distance to the elementary school.” 
  • Parks and nature – “Bike, hike, or go horseback riding at Horsetooth Mountain with 29 miles of trails just across the street from this neighborhood.” 
  • Nearby restaurants and grocery stores – “There is a Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s just 5 minutes away, and the city’s best restaurants are within 10 minutes of this neighborhood.” 
  • Similar neighborhoods – “If you like this neighborhood, make sure to check out…”  
  • Lot size – “This neighborhood boasts large 1-acre lots with mature trees that enhance each home’s privacy.”

neighborhood brochure

Neighborhood Guide Outline 

You can format your guide however you like, but start with the top selling points of the neighborhood. Your guide can be a simple bulleted list of details about the community, or a few paragraphs about the essence of what the neighborhood has to offer. The length of the guide can vary depending on how in-depth you want to go. Incorporate photos of the neighborhood and its amenities so the buyer has a visual representation of the community as well. 

Remote Areas 

If your town or city offers rural living that isn’t necessarily part of a formal neighborhood, create a country living guide. Go into detail about the acreage of the available properties in the area. Mention the closest grocery store and gas station to the property, as well as proximity to the local hospital, clinic, and fire station so buyers know that life’s conveniences and necessities are still nearby. 

The History of the Neighborhood 

If a neighborhood has a rich history, dive into those details in your neighborhood guide. Walk through some of the historic homes or buildings to tell the story of what made the neighborhood what it has become today. 

Neighborhood Lifestyle 

Every neighborhood offers a different lifestyle to its residents. In your neighborhood guide, go into detail about what living in the area would look like. Below are a few examples of information to consider when it comes to what lifestyle a neighborhood has to offer its residents: 

  • Active
  • Country club 
  • Walkability
  • Nightlife
  • Commuter

Median Home Price

Including the median sale price of homes in each neighborhood can help clients easily see which communities are within their price range. A description of one neighborhood may seem to check all of your client’s boxes and more, but the area may be priced significantly over their budget. Don’t waste their time or your own—make it clear what each neighborhood will realistically cost. 

 

Incorporate Metrics Using Zillow 

Zillow offers great data that you can incorporate into your neighborhood guide. Utilize the GreatSchools feature and the Walk Score® data to give your client more insight on the homes that you are planning to show them. 

 

Neighborhood Cons

Be honest with your clients, and let them know the negatives of each neighborhood as well. If a neighborhood is close to the highway and has a lot of thru traffic, make a note of that. While some details may not be deal breakers for your clients, everyone has a particular set of needs for where they are going to live, and being transparent with this information will help narrow down the home search even faster. 

area and community pages

Where to Utilize Neighborhood Guides 

You can utilize and adapt these guides to your online footprint, as well as provide physical copies for your clients when you meet in person. These guides will instantly impress your clients, and show that you are a trustworthy and expert resource for their home buying process. 

Website
Create a page on your website for neighborhood guides. You can write a blog post for each neighborhood, or create a clickable map that takes the user to an informational page with a community profile. The map also allows your clients to get a sense of where each neighborhood is located, and if the community will suit their lifestyle and interests.

Social Media Captions and Guides 
Social media is a great place to condense the guides on your website into the top bulleted facts. Instagram offers a new Guide feature that would be a great way to display this information. You could also get creative and make a fun Reel for your Instagram page to attract potential clients, as Reels are currently an important part of Instagram’s algorithm. 

Physical Copies – Booklet or Brochure 
If you arrive to a meeting with a client with beautifully designed neighborhood brochures of areas that may be a good fit for them, you are doing them a huge service that won’t go unnoticed. This simple and thoughtful gesture will be immensely helpful to your client, and gives them something to take home at the end of a long day of touring houses. This will keep you top of mind if they are just beginning their home and real estate agent search.

Neighborhood Quiz 
Create a questionnaire for your clients to fill out when they are deciding what neighborhood they want to call home, and ask them questions without revealing the neighborhoods the questions are targeting. They may think they want to move to one neighborhood, but upon further review, there may be a better fit for their lifestyle. For example, if they have small children, they may benefit from living close to the highly rated elementary school in your town. If they are outdoorsy, and enjoy hikes and picnics on the weekend, they may enjoy living in a neighborhood that is adjacent to a nature preserve. These are all details to take into account when curating a list of properties for your clients. 

Recap 
While neighborhood guides can take time to put together, they are worth the investment for your company. The great thing about these neighborhood profiles is that once completed, you can just make simple additions as new attractions are built or details change. You can utilize these materials for all of your clients to make a great first impression, and to solidify your expertise in the areas you are showing them.


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