Small SEO Habits, Big Real Estate Wins with Eric Engelbert (Part 1)

If you’re like most real estate agents, the idea of “SEO” can feel overwhelming. Do you really need to know all that tech stuff to win leads online?

The short answer: no.

In the latest episode of /RealEstate, host Chris Whitling sat down with Eric Engelbert, a full-time agent who built his Orange County real estate website from scratch. Eric didn’t have a tech background, didn’t hire a pricey agency, and didn’t spend thousands on ads. Instead, he focused on small, consistent SEO habits, and today, his site ranks alongside billion-dollar companies like Zillow and Redfin.

This is part 1 of a two-part conversation (part 2 drops October 1^st), and is packed with practical steps you can use right now.

Why SEO Matters for Agents

Search engines are still where buyers and sellers start. In fact, 53% of all website traffic comes from organic search (BrightEdge, 2023). For real estate, that means showing up when someone Googles “homes for sale in [your neighborhood].”

Eric’s story proves that you don’t need to be a tech wizard. You just need a plan and the patience to keep at it.

Eric’s Breakthrough: The Weekly Market Report

Eric’s biggest win came from a simple habit: writing a weekly Orange County Housing Report.

·  He’s published one every Monday for the past five years.

·  Each report takes him about two hours.

·  Google rewards him for posting consistent, structured, and fresh data.

That one page alone has delivered:

·  208,000 impressions in just three months

·  130 organic leads in 30 days without paid ads

And here’s the kicker: when you Google Orange County Housing Report, Eric’s site often outranks Zillow and Redfin.

You can see Eric’s current reports here: Orange County Housing Report.

The Power of Long-Tail Keywords

Most agents try to compete for broad searches like “Orange County real estate.” But big portals spend millions on those terms.

Instead, Eric focused on long-tail keywords, the specific searches real buyers type in, like:

·  “Single-level homes in Costa Mesa”

·  “3-bed, 2-bath homes in Santa Ana under $900k”

·  “Ocean view homes under $1M”

By building pages around these niches, he’s able to capture targeted traffic and more motivated leads.

Lessons for Agents Who Want Predictable Growth

Eric’s approach comes down to consistency, not complexity. Here are a few takeaways you can put into action:

·  Start small. Build one neighborhood page in your market. Add sold homes, under-contract properties, and your own local insights.

·  Think long-term. SEO takes months (sometimes years) to pay off but when it does, you own the traffic.

·  Prioritize clarity. Your site doesn’t need to look like a $1,000/month luxury template. Consumers want listings first, opinions second.

·  Keep improving. Old pages aren’t wasted work. Keep updating them with new content, fresh data, and cleaner layouts.

As Eric puts it: “There’s no secret sauce. You just have to keep pecking away at it.”

Why This Matters Right Now

National headlines often don’t reflect your local reality. For example, the national average days on market is 107, while Orange County’s is closer to 60.

That gap is exactly why local content wins. Buyers and sellers want answers about their market, not the national story. If you can provide that, you’re already ahead of the competition.

What’s Next

This episode is just part 1 of our conversation with Eric. In Part 2, we’ll go deeper into Eric’s AI journey, how he leverages it to update his website, and the lessons he’s learned through testing.

Listen to the Full Episode:

Catch the full conversation on /RealEstate: Small SEO Habits, Big Real Estate Wins with Eric Engelbert Part 1 on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get podcasts. 

Stay tuned for Part 2 of our Conversation on October 1st.