Clever Real Estate surveyed 1,000 American adults who expect to buy or sell a home in 2025 about their plans and predictions for their transactions and the housing market overall. When I read through it, the first thing that came to mind was, “what a veritable cornucopia of content ideas!”
As marketers, we’re always telling our clients to write content that speaks directly to your audience, and this survey reveals exactly what potential home buyers and sellers are thinking about–their hopes, expectations, and worries.
So, I combed through the survey and thought of 33 content ideas you can create to provide real value to your buyer and seller clients in 2025.
#1 – Share Issues With Offers & Transactions
Clever: Although 85% of real estate agents are optimistic about the coming year, 41% of buyers and 20% of sellers are at least considering handling their 2025 transactions without an agent.
Create content that shows them WHY they need you. Many clients simply don’t know what they don’t know. As humans, we always think, “bad things happen to other people, but not me,” when we all could be faced with a difficult transaction.
- Tell them about an offer your sellers got from an unrepresented buyer and why it lost or the issues it would have faced if it HAD won
- Talk about the losses your buyers experienced even with you as their agent and how much worse it would have been had they not had you
- Talk about your buyer who beat out other offers because of key parts of the offer you advised them on
Don’t just tell them why they need you—show them what they stand to lose if they don’t use you.
#2 – Show the Benefits/Unique Ways to Buy vs. High Rates
Clever: Almost half of buyers (45%) and sellers (47%) believe home prices in their local market will increase in 2025.
Clever: 87% of home buyers and sellers believe buyer demand will be the same or higher in 2025 compared to 2024.
Two things are true about the market, regardless of whether or not rates come down: prices are going to go up, making homes more expensive, and the demand for homes is going to be the same or higher, making homes more expensive. Both of these things mean that buying a home now–even if rates come down–will still be less expensive than waiting to buy a home in the future.
We helped our client Ashley Lindsey craft this Instagram post that focuses on the equity you stand to gain in the next two years instead of focusing on high interest rates. The moral of the story is that even with higher rates, the amount of equity you’ll have after two years from appreciation and principal payments is twice what you’ll pay in a higher interest rate.
Hint: you can easily figure out the numbers that represent your local market with these ChatGPT prompts (enter them one-by-one in the same thread so it knows the context):
- Calculate the difference in interest paid on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage loan during the first two years for a [price] home with a [down payment amount]% down payment at 5.5% versus 7%
- Calculate how much of the mortgage’s principal will be paid down during the first two years for the 7% loan
- Assuming home prices appreciate 4% per year, calculate how much a [price] home will appreciate in two years
- Add together the appreciation amount plus the loan principal paid down minus the difference in interest paid
Another content idea that shifts the focus from interest rates to achieving homeownership is to talk about creative ways to purchase a home–also called house hacking. We wrote a blog post for our client Melanie Goff that talks about this very thing.
#3 – How to Buy and/or Sell in 2025
Clever: More home buyers and sellers believe 2025 will be a seller’s market (42%) than a buyer’s market (33%). However, real estate agents are more closely split, with 40% expecting a seller’s market and 37% a buyer’s market.
Inventory may be rising, but some research from Redfin indicates that the reason inventory is rising is because less-desirable homes are sitting on the market for longer. Well-priced, move-in ready homes are still flying off the market. In fact, Bright MLS surveyed 672 individuals who were planning to buy a home in the future, and the most important feature chosen was buying a move-in ready home.
For sellers, create content that talks about how to prepare their home for sale, getting a pre-listing inspection, or pricing their home correctly.
For buyers, create content that talks about getting fully pre-approved for a mortgage, how to write a competitive offer, or what is an escalation clause.
#4 thru 17 – Buyer Challenges
Clever: An overwhelming 98% expect to face challenges, with finding the right home (57%) most significant among them. Half (49%) are concerned about staying within their budget, and 42% see mortgage rates as a challenge.
When I look at this, I see each challenge as an opportunity for a piece of content to address that challenge head-on. Here are the 14 challenges buyers expressed concern over in the survey as well as a potential headline for a blog post or video.
Challenge | Potential Headline |
---|---|
Finding the right home | The Ultimate Guide to Finding Your Dream Home in 2025 |
Staying in my budget | 10 Budget-Friendly Tips for Buying a Home Without Breaking the Bank |
Mortgage interest rates | How to Navigate Rising Mortgage Rates and Still Land Your Perfect Home |
Finding a home in a good neighborhood | What Makes a Neighborhood ‘Good’? 7 Key Factors to Consider |
Moving (without the stress) | Moving Doesn’t Have to Be Stressful: 5 Pro Tips for a Smooth Transition |
Competing with other buyers | How to Win a Bidding War: Strategies to Stand Out in a Competitive Market |
Saving for a down payment | Creative Ways to Save for a Down Payment (Faster Than You Think!) |
Low housing inventory | What to Do When Inventory is Low: How to Spot Hidden Gems in the Market |
Managing closing costs | Breaking Down Closing Costs: What Buyers Need to Know Before Signing |
Negotiating with the seller | Mastering the Art of Negotiation: Tips to Get the Best Deal on Your New Home |
Qualifying for a mortgage | How to Boost Your Chances of Mortgage Approval in 2025 |
Coordinating a home sale and purchase | Buying and Selling Simultaneously? Here’s How to Make It Work |
Appraisal/inspection challenges | What to Do If Your Appraisal Falls Short (or Inspection Finds Surprises) |
Securing home insurance | Home Insurance 101: How to Protect Your Investment Without Overpaying |
#18 thru 30 – Seller Challenges
Clever: A similar 95% of 2025 home sellers expect to face challenges when selling their homes.
Just like above, each one of these challenges is a great opportunity to create content for sellers. Here are the 13 seller challenges addressed in the survey and a potential headline for a blog post or video.
Challenge | Potential Headline |
---|---|
Preparing the home for sale | How to Get Your Home Market-Ready in 30 Days or Less |
Dealing with necessary repairs/renovations | Renovate or Sell As-Is? How to Decide What’s Worth Fixing |
Pricing the home correctly | The Secret to Pricing Your Home Right the First Time |
Finding the right buyer | How to Attract Serious Buyers (and Avoid Tire Kickers) |
Coordinating a home sale and purchase | How to Juggle Selling Your Current Home While Buying Your Next One |
Negotiating offers | The Do’s and Don’ts of Negotiating Offers as a Seller |
Timing the market | Is Now the Right Time to Sell? How to Read the Market Like a Pro |
Finding the right real estate agent | What to Look for in a Real Estate Agent (And Red Flags to Avoid) |
Rising mortgage interest rates affecting buyers | What Rising Interest Rates Mean for Sellers—and How to Adapt |
Competing with other homes on the market | How to Make Your Home Stand Out in a Crowded Market |
Dealing with buyer contingencies | How to Handle Contingencies Like a Pro: Tips for Sellers |
Appraisal/inspection challenges | What to Do When the Appraisal or Inspection Doesn’t Go as Planned |
Managing closing costs | Breaking Down Closing Costs for Sellers: What You’ll Pay and How to Plan |
#31 – Examples of Buying a Home with Different Down Payments
Clever: Almost two-thirds of buyers (61%) expect to put down less than 20%, with roughly a third (32%) planning a down payment of less than 10%.
There is still a misconception out there that you need a 20% down payment to buy a home or that buying a home with less will result in less favorable loan terms. While you may be stuck with mortgage insurance, it is at least tax deductible and can be removed once you hit 80% equity. Work with a lender to create content that showcases different loan scenarios at different down payment amounts for the same house.
#32 – How to Get the Seller to Pay Your Agent’s Commission
Clever: 69% of buyers expect the seller to pay for their agent’s commission as they have in the past, even if they’re no longer required to do so. Meanwhile, just 29% of sellers say they plan to do this.
Clever: More than two-thirds of buyers (68%) say they’ll budget for the cost of a buyer’s agent just in case the seller refuses, but this might be overly optimistic. When confronted with the average buyer’s agent commission cost of $12,000, 63% of would-be home buyers say it would make them less likely to buy a home.
It is so important to have honest conversations with your sellers and buyers about how you get paid and the value you provide. For buyers, creating content like we talked about in #1 above is an excellent way to prove your value.
Create content that talks about offer negotiation strategies. Help buyers understand that if they’re going to ask the seller to cover your commission as their buyer’s agent, they need to consider the overall attractiveness of their offer. Highlight different elements they can adjust to make their offer more appealing such as price, contingencies, timeframes, etc.
#33 – What You Have to Disclose as a Seller
Clever: A whopping 81% of buyers believe sellers exaggerate or lie about their home’s features to make a sale. This might sound a bit paranoid until you hear from sellers themselves.
Clever: About 40% admit they’d use wide-angle photos and editing to make their home appear larger in the listing. Buyers visiting a property can quickly figure out if a home isn’t as roomy as it seemed, but with other problems, it’s not always so easy.
Clever: Over a quarter of 2025 home sellers (27%) would knowingly fail to mention minor repairs to make their homes seem more appealing. About 1 in 6 (16%) would exaggerate the quality of their home’s features, and 1 in 7 (14%) would try to cover up issues with their home by concealing mold, covering up a hole, or painting over cracks.
It’s clear from these survey responses that we need to create content that educates sellers on their legal and ethical responsibilities when it comes to disclosures. Highlight the importance of being truthful about the condition of their property and the potential consequences of failing to do so. This can include why full transparency can actually benefit them in the long run by building trust with buyers and avoiding legal issues later.
At the same time, create content that educates buyers on what they can expect during the disclosure process. Explain the purpose of seller disclosures, outline the most common items disclosed, and provide tips on how to carefully review the information. You can also address the reality that some sellers might exaggerate or omit details, and help buyers know what questions to ask or red flags to watch for during the process.
Wrapping Up
Hopefully, this post has sparked some ideas for content you can create to speak directly to buyers and sellers in 2025. Whether you’re addressing their fears, sharing actionable tips, or simply demystifying the real estate process, these ideas are here to help you educate your audience and build trust.
Now it’s time to get creative—choose a challenge or insight from the list, and start crafting content that shows your value as the expert your clients need in today’s market. Which topic will you tackle first?
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