Storytelling is in our blood. Humans have told each other stories ever since we started scrawling on cave walls.

Our history with stories shows; even now, stories are a fundamental part of our communication, and we learn best through sharing personal experiences with one another. Our physiology reflects this as well – our brains become more active while telling or listening to stories.

Businesses can use these facts to their advantage. With stories, brands can captivate and attract people to their business with a greater likelihood that those people will convert into lifelong clients. Stories build on universal emotions that make businesses more approachable and human-like.

Real estate agents should use storytelling as much as possible in their blogs. We tackled the idea of using situations and scenarios in our last post, but now we’ll look at the big picture: how to use general storytelling in your real estate blog. Don’t know how? We’ve got a few suggestions:

Draw from personal experience.

When you tell a story from personal experience, it feels more genuine. After all, you’ve experienced it firsthand. Let’s say you’re a real estate agent who’s writing a blog post about how to paint the interior of your home.

You might include a story like this: “The first time I tried to paint my living room, I was in my early 20s. I forgot to lay down plastic sheets to protect my carpet and started painting my walls with a bright read color. As I was painting, my cat Lucy walked in, tipped the paint bucket over, and spilled bright read paint all over my white carpet. It looks like I was in the middle of a crime scene! Moral of the story: ALWAYS use drop cloths while painting your house.”

Stories draw people in and give a piece of boring advice some creative flair.

Keep it relevant.

Don’t tell a story just to tell a story. When you add random personal facts to your blog, your post might come across as a personal blog instead of a professional source of real estate information. (You don’t want to come across like this kid.)

Make sure each story ties back to the original message of your blog post. If you’re a real estate agent in New Hampshire who’s writing a post about the Lake Winnipesaukee region, you don’t want to write like this:

“Looking for a home in the Lake Winnipesaukee region? Look no further. The lake is come to a cozy group of neighbors who are very family-oriented. When I was a kid, my dad always took me out on his boat and we stayed out until dark. Ah, the good ol’ days…”

Sure, the story has personal meaning to you, but it should also provide value to your readers. If you want to bring a personal story into a description of your town or region, think about what your readers are looking for in a community: good schools, local attractions, and a friendly community. Your Lake Winnipesaukee post could look something like this:

“If you’re looking for a home in the Lake Winnipesaukee region, look no further. The lake is home to a cozy group of neighbors who are very family-oriented. Need proof? All of the families in my neighborhood set on on the water together every summer weekend, and the local high school principal still remembers my name almost 20 years after I graduated.”

In the example above, you’re still painting a picture of the community with personal memories, but you’re keeping the story grounded in real estate values.

If you want to learn more, check out our latest blogging ebook here.