If you live with children at home, the odds are pretty good that when you turn on the TV, the YouTube app is open. My daughters, 11 and 13, don’t watch cable TV. They watch YouTube. I often joke that if I invited Robert DeNiro to our home for dinner, they wouldn’t know who he was.

As a chronic entrepreneur, it got me thinking about the present and future of media, so I recently started a YouTube podcast for LGBTQ and allied real estate agents to share information about their real estate business, favorite things to do in their local community and characteristics about their local real estate market. Google is indexing the shows within local real estate searches, and so is YouTube. The shows are getting views. Next is closed sales.

I’m not suggesting you watch the show. I’m suggesting if you haven’t already, it may be time for you to start your own real estate podcast on YouTube. The top social platforms consumers anticipate using the most in the next 12 months are Facebook (71%) and YouTube (51%). According to the 2022 edition of The Sprout Social Index™, half of consumers (51%) plan on spending more time on YouTube over the next 12 months. In terms of popularity, it’s second only to Facebook.

I don’t know about you, but I have all but given up on Facebook and some of its nutso users. YouTube to me is a completely different user experience, and often users are seeking to learn about something with a purpose in mind.

So here it is in a nutshell: Streamyard.com is a service to record your shows and costs $120 per year for their professional platform; have your graphic designer create a branded background for your show. Calendly.com will assist you to seamlessly book interviews and costs $120 per year. With that and a free YouTube channel to upload your videos, you are in business with your own podcast.

Remember, success doesn’t happen overnight, nor will it occur for you immediately on YouTube. Play the long game. Be a turtle on this one — slow and steady wins the race.

From the comfort of your own desk, you can easily create shows offering local market updates or having interviews with local professionals, restaurateurs, store owners, etc., in your service area who also want to be seen on YouTube.

Keep the interviews brief, at 15 minutes. Respect your time and everyone else’s. Keep it simple, and always focus the theme to the area you serve. You can also add in interviews that include the history of your local area, as most people are fascinated by history and prefer an escape from today’s news.

I’m not telling you something that I don’t believe in myself. If you prefer to take a test drive, book a 15-minute episode on my podcast via calendly.com/lgbtqrealestatepros. I look forward to seeing you soon on YouTube.

Jeff Berger is a Realtor and founder of The National Association of Gay and Lesbian Real Estate Professionals (NAGLREP). He’s based in Jupiter, Florida.