Specialized Real Estate Freelance Writer vs. Generalist Writer: Why Niche Expertise Matters

In sectors like real estate investing where trust and expertise are key to revenue, it shouldn't need saying that generic content falls flat, and could even hurt your reputation. Quality, top-notch real estate blog content, on the other hand, has been proven time and time again to help real estate investing businesses boost their online visibility, credibility, and lead generation.

As a real estate investment firm that prioritizes investor education, you have the option to choose between a generalist writer and a specialized real estate freelance writer. While the former is perfect for basic, surface-level writing, the latter is ideal for content that connects with sophisticated audiences (investors, partners, lenders) and qualified prospects.

In this article, I will discuss why you should partner with a specialized real estate freelance writer if you’re serious about creating impactful, accurate, and ROI-driven content; and why they are better than low-cost generalists.

Key Takeaways

• When it comes to high-stakes content like real estate content, where large sums of money change hands, generic content is ineffective and will make you lose credibility. You need a specialized writer who gets real estate, understands the complex stuff, and can create content that connects with sophisticated real estate investors.

• When you hire a specialized real estate writer, you're not just paying for content, you're investing in the efficiency, quality, and business impact they bring. Although, they may be more expensive upfront versus hiring a generalist, they save you time and resources in the long run by producing content that actually drives business results and builds your market authority.

• There's a time and place for generalist writers, like if you're on a tight budget or just need quick, surface-level content. However, for in-depth, educational, or legally sensitive topics, hiring a specialist is the way to go.

The Generalist vs. The Specialist Writer

Choosing between a generalist and a specialized writer boils down to your content goals and niche expertise. While the former excels at handling topics across different fields, the latter is perfect for writing technical, in-depth articles. Here is a breakdown of their profiles.

The Generalist Writer

Generalist writers are adaptable, able to take on almost any task or assignment. They can shift gears easily, writing about everything from fashion to finance to real estate blog content. Their strong research skills allow them to learn fast and turn around content quickly, even in areas outside their expertise.

Pros

• Versatility: Generalist writers can work across different industries, subjects, and topics.

• Lower cost: Generalists are good enough for businesses working on a limited budget, as they are more affordable than specialist writers.

• Broad availability: Because of their huge numbers, you can quickly find one that meets your content needs. A lot of generalist writers would apply if you post your real estate freelance writer jobs online.

Cons

• Lack of deep industry knowledge: When you hire a writer who doesn't deeply understand real estate investing, the content they produce might not sound authoritative and lack the detailed insights that your target audience needs.

• Requires significant briefing: You will spend more effort and resources briefing and guiding them when creating content.

• Potential for surface-level content: Generalist writers often aren’t able to provide examples or explain crucial real estate investment technicalities. They offer only basic or surface-level content that your audience might not find very useful.

The Specialized Real Estate Freelance Writer

Specialized real estate freelance writers understand the nitty-gritty and principles of real estate investing and create content that connects with real estate audiences. Their content goes beyond property descriptions and surface-level pieces. They can create in-depth content on market cycles; concepts like internal rate of return and 1031 exchange; and predictions tailored to real estate investors.

Because of their experience writing or working in real estate, they can break down complex real estate topics (like closing costs, amortization, and risk mitigation) into simple information and offer valuable insight to buyers, sellers, and investors alike. They can also calculate things like cap rate, NOI, ROI, and more for different real estate investors, like multifamily, commercial, or industrial. This expertise makes them highly sought after for real estate blog writer positions.

Pros

• Speaks industry language: Specialized writers speak the industry language and understand many real estate investing concepts.

• Understands the target audience: Specialized freelance real estate writers know the specific needs and problems of different real estate investors (e.g., multifamily, house flippers, or commercial property investors).

• Requires less hand-holding: Because they have industry-specific knowledge, you won't take much time guiding, explaining concepts, or overseeing their work.

• Functions closer to a subject matter expert: Specialized real estate writers bring expertise comparable to what veterans in the field possess.

Cons

• Potentially higher rates: While a generalist charges as low as $100 for an 800-1,000 word blog post, specialized writers cost more, often charging $350 for a 1,000-word blog post.

• Smaller pool to choose from: You will have a harder time finding a specialized real estate writer because the pool is smaller.

• Availability: Some specialized real estate writers with decades of experience are usually overbooked and may not be readily available to take on projects.

When (If Ever) Should You Hire a Generalist?

If you are starting a new project or working with a minimal budget, you can hire a generalist. A generalist can cover the basics or fundamental content at very little cost before you decide on the specialization and specialist you need.

In addition, you can hire a generalist if you want to produce loads of basic or surface-level content quickly. They are quick researchers and can write for almost any niche. However, for more in-depth educational real estate content, a specialized real estate freelance writer is ideal.

The Pitfalls of Using a Generalist for High-Stakes Real Estate Content

Sure, you’ll save some cash. But what’s the real cost of hiring a generalist for your real estate investment content?

Time and knowledge gap

Hiring a generalist means you will spend more time guiding them and explaining your brief. Because they lack in-depth knowledge of real estate investing, you must dedicate time to teaching them about concepts, analysis, and industry specifics if you want good content. This drains your internal resources, slows your project, and increases the need for supervision.

Risk of inaccuracy and superficiality

Generalist writers lack the knowledge of investment strategies, and financial calculations (like discounted cash flow, equity multiplier, and more) to write good real estate investment blog content. They also write overly simplistic articles that lack depth, resulting in superficial content that doesn't connect with your target audience and fails to impress real estate experts and investors.

A generalist writer's sample on flipping houses

A specialist writer's sample on flipping houses

Compliance concerns

When it comes to heavily regulated fields like real estate, finance, and health, having a specialist writer is crucial. Inaccurate information or content that doesn't comply with marketing regulations could lead to legal trouble, fines, and damage to your company's reputation.

Specialist writers understand that real estate content must be factually sound or properly sourced. Unverifiable or opinion-based statements can lead to legal issues. But a generalist might not know this.

Inefficient workflow and revision cycle

Because they lack real estate expertise, generalists need more time to understand terminologies, trends, and technical details when writing on complex real estate investment topics. This slows you down. You might also spend more time on back-and-forth corrections.

Generic Content = Poor ROI

Generalists often write content that cannot connect with experts or attract qualified leads. Their content results in low engagement and missed opportunities, as pro real estate investors may not consider it tailored to their situation and needs.

Using a generalist writer to produce real estate investment content limits your ability to build authority and rank high on search engines like Google which now prioritize E-E-A-T. It becomes more of a cost center than an investment because the content they produce may not give you the ROI you need.

The Strategic Advantages of a Specialist Real Estate Freelance Writer

Below are some of the advantages of working with a specialist real estate freelance writer:

1. Deep Subject Matter Expertise

A specialist real estate writer understands the industry and can create content for residential, multifamily, commercial, or industrial real estate investing. They can analyze the market, breaking down financing structures and complex real estate investment models to show how factors such as cap rates affect your investment.

They also know what their audience cares about and tailor their content to address the pain points of sophisticated investors.

2. Authenticity and Credibility

A specialist real estate writer can break down complex ideas and investment analyses - waterfall distribution, value-add, and more - into clear, understandable content. They go beyond the surface to cover the nitty-gritty of real estate investments, showing understanding of the industry and establishing you as an expert.

Specialists write in-depthly and clearly about complex real estate concepts - including zoning laws, mortgage regulations, and market dynamics - for different audiences (commercial, industrial, residential).

3. Efficiency and Speed

Specialist writers understand briefs, industry terminologies, and trends quickly. Their in-depth knowledge allows them to create better, well-researched content at a faster pace.

Since they already know what clients expect, they can produce high-quality real estate investment content (like market reports) with little back-and-forth revisions. They give you better content and reduce the time you spend editing.

4. Content that Performs

Specialist writers produce content that aims to achieve your specific goals. Whether it is to attract investors, explain a new fund, or analyze hyperlocal and macro markets, specialist writers understand the purpose of your content and write to achieve it.

5. More Than Just a Writer – A Content Partner

These specialists can leverage their industry experience to offer insights and ideas to improve your content strategy. They know your target audience and can brainstorm content topics, offering perspectives and angles that generalists often miss.

Hiring a specialist writer for ongoing work also means you get to work with a content partner who becomes familiar with your brand. They get your brand goals and voice and create expert, authentic content that moves the needle.

What to Look For when Hiring Content Writers (Specialists and Generalists)

• Portfolio Analysis: Check their portfolio to see if they understand your specific industry or niche. Their samples should include different real estate investment topics, not just property descriptions. Also, observe how they handled these real estate topics, including their ability to go in-depth, add facts, and sound authoritative.

• Testimonials/References: Check for reviews from past clients to see their standard and past results.

• Trial Projects: Assign a paid trial on a real estate investment topic to know their writing style and how they operate. Pay attention to their process, ability to understand instructions and write in-depth content.

The Verdict: Niche Expertise Wins

While generalists are good for broad content, specialized real estate freelance writers are the best choice for high-stakes real estate investment content. Specialists offer unparalleled industry knowledge and a better understanding of your target audience.

If you're truly serious about boosting your real estate investment firm's online presence and reputation with content, then you shouldn't just settle for any writer. Actively seek out a specialist freelance real estate writer who truly understands the world of real estate investing.

And if you need to create in-depth, specialized real estate content, we know that finding top-notch writers can take time. That's why I wrote this article reviewing seven of the best real estate content writers right now.

Agnes Gaddis is an experienced real estate content writer, focusing majorly on real estate SAAS and real estate investing brands. You can read her articles on GetResponse, Inman, Bankrate, RealWealth, Credit.com, and more.