Be so local, they think you’re the mayor
Use local expertise and consistent content to become the familiar face and voice buyers already trust when they’re ready to move.
Eric Larkin, a broker-associate with Real Broker in Melbourne Beach, launched his blog and YouTube video channel, Cocoa Beach Insider, about a decade ago to answer questions people ask before moving. Licensed since 2003, Larkin serves Brevard County, and much of his business is focused on Cocoa Beach and the surrounding Space Coast communities. Through blog posts, videos and social media, he shows prospective residents what living in the area is really like.
He says that by the time they call, they already know his “voice, cadence and mannerisms.”
“I’m not a commodity,” Larkin says. “I’m someone they’ve come to know, like and trust through the content I put out.”
Here’s his strategy:
1. Answer early.
Larkin focuses on the questions that help people decide whether the Space Coast fits their lives, including where to live and what to expect when relocating for work, military service or retirement. “They don’t necessarily need to know about escrow deposits or timelines,” he says. “It’s about whether this is the right area for them to move to.”
A retired couple from New Mexico found Larkin through YouTube about 18 months before buying. He first helped them find a rental while they figured out where they wanted to live. They later built a new home and recently closed.
2. Give each platform a job.
Larkin doesn’t post the same material everywhere. Instagram is where he shares 60-second hyperlocal updates about things like Port Canaveral, school changes or local policy developments. Those posts keep him top of mind with people who already live in the area. His blog and YouTube channel are aimed at people researching a move and wanting deeper, evergreen information about what it’s like to live on the Space Coast. “Every platform is a different kind of user,” he says. He avoids duplicating content. His weekly blog post becomes a blueprint for an 8- to 10-minute YouTube video, while his social posts are created separately for those platforms.
3. Organize what you know.
Larkin plans his long-form content around four recurring categories he calls “buckets,” such as beachside communities, mainland communities, relocation and the market. Relocation content might speak directly to people moving for jobs at L3Harris, receiving PCS orders to Patrick Space Force Base or retiring to the area. Local issues, such as insurance concerns, can then be folded into those broader themes.
“Pick a niche,” he says. Whether it’s a specific neighborhood, new construction or local restaurants, “focus on the niche first and build the base, then add other things from there.”
4. Keep it real.
Larkin says his job is to give viewers enough information to decide whether the area fits their lives. That means talking about the downsides, too.
“Talking about things they may not like will help them understand the area and determine if it makes sense for them,” Larkin says. Even when the answer is no, he considers the content worthwhile. “Every piece of content isn’t going to lead to a real estate transaction,” he says, but each one can become a “building block of trust” that brings people back or prompts a referral.
5. Play the long game.
Larkin compares content creation to learning how to cook. “You’re cooking mac and cheese before you learn to cook the five-course meal,” he says. He started slowly, posting once a month, then twice, then three times before eventually working up to weekly long-form content. “Start small and get into the habit of doing it,” he says.
Consistency has made him recognizable beyond the screen. He says people stop him at the bank, Publix and other places around town. At a recent medical appointment, the anesthesiologist told him, “Oh, I see your videos every day.” “That was kind of cool,” Larkin says.