Property viewers have one thing in common, whether they’re looking for residential, commercial or industrial property. They need guidance from a local area expert to ensure that they buy or rent in an area that meets their needs. Your website’s area profiles can provide this information and give prospective clients peace of mind — if they are written and structured correctly. Prop Data has compiled this guide to help you write great area profiles for residential, commercial and industrial properties.
What are area profiles?
Area profiles are a form of real estate content for buyers, renters and investors that outlines the landscape of a city, suburb, neighbourhood or development. A well-written residential area profile on your real estate website will look different to a commercial or industrial one. A residential area profile introduces a potential new area to a homeowner or resident. It provides information about nearby shopping centres, hospitals, schools and other amenities. It also gives readers an idea of what activities can be found in the area to help them decide if this particular area will be a good home for them.
A strategic commercial/industrial area profile contains information about the types of business activity taking place in the area, the types of property available and the positioning of the region. It could also provide information about what makes the area a great investment, as well as interesting facts about the area.
A deep dive into residential area profiles
When writing an area profile for real estate websites, you should start with an introductory paragraph that provides a general overview of the area. Try to start with an attention-grabbing fact about the area that inspires people to read further and discover your residential area insights.
A second section to include is a brief history of the area. You should take care to avoid any controversial anecdotes, but a discussion of the area’s name and key developments gives your readers all the background information they need. For example, if you’re writing an area profile about Sandton, you could mention that it gets its name from a combination of two of its suburbs’ names: Sandown and Bryanston.
A breakdown of the area’s climate helps prospective buyers or renters choose an area that will suit them. For example, someone considering buying a home in Durban’s suburbs needs to know that suburbs like Westville and Kloof have vastly different minimum and maximum temperatures compared to Durban itself. Try to put a positive spin on the weather conditions when possible. Rain may be bothersome to some, but a perk for avid gardeners.
If you’re writing about a city or large area — let’s say Centurion, for example — you could include a section where you introduce the suburbs that make up the larger area. You could explain that Centurion comprises various suburbs including Monavoni, Eldoraigne, Erasmia, Wierda Park and others. You can also mention real estate community highlights.
A good area profile includes details about schools in the area. You can break this down into sections for primary and high schools, and also add a section about independent schools in the area, which may cater for learners in all grades.
Informing prospective residents about local healthcare facilities is another important role of area profiles. Private and government hospitals should be included here, as well as a mention of well-established doctors’ surgeries, dental practices, optometrists, physiotherapists, and pharmacies if applicable. Covering reputable veterinary clinics or veterinary hospitals in the area will also be appreciated by animal lovers on the property search.
Another aspect of a new area that prospective residents need to know about is shopping centres. In this section, you should include everything from small neighbourhood superettes to the closest big shopping centres.
Local recreational attractions are another important element to include in area profiles. This is the perfect opportunity to shine the spotlight on local parks, restaurants, museums and other fun activities.
Residential area profile structure
Here is a basic list of subheadings that you can follow when creating an area profile. You can add your own unique touches to make your area profiles stand out.
A look into commercial/industrial area profiles
A commercial/industrial area profile on a real estate website should contain everything that a business owner who’s thinking about investing or setting up operations in a particular area needs to know. The exact structure is up to you, but there are various sections that you should include in your area profile template for real estate.
If you’re writing about a city rather than a specific precinct, a list of commercial/industrial hotspots is a good place to start. For example, if you’re writing about Durban, you could include a mention of Umhlanga, Cornubia, Westville and Springfield. You could also include details of some of the city’s popular office parks, including Ridgeside Office Park, La Lucia Ridge Office Park, Westway Office Park and others.
Another useful section to include is a brief history of the city or precinct. An understanding of the area’s past can help a business owner understand the structure of the area and decide whether or not it’s the right fit for their business.
A brief outline of why the area is a great investment is another important section to include. By sharing the insider knowledge that you’ve gained over the years while selling and renting out business properties, you can establish yourself as a leading authority on the area.
Local infrastructure is another important section to include in a commercial/industrial area profile. This is where you discuss roads and arterial routes, power lines, water systems and internet facilities in the area.
Transport is another important element to discuss. Business owners need to know that their workers will be able to get to and from work without a problem. You could include local train stations, bus routes and taxi information.
Information about amenities can be important, particularly if your client is looking to create an office environment that can attract top-tier employees. Similarly, if your client owns a shop, they will be interested to know about the foot traffic from other nearby businesses.
Commercial/industrial area profile structure
If you’re looking for specific guidance on what sections to include when you’re creating a commercial/industrial area profile, here’s a structure that you can follow. Adding your own unique touches to this structure will help to make your area profiles unique. A brief introduction
Residential area profiles in action: great examples to get you started
We love Jawitz Properties' Upington area profile for two main reasons. Firstly, it provides someone who’s not from the area with a detailed breakdown of the amenities available. From schools and hospitals to restaurants and things to do, it gives a prospective Upington resident all the information they need.
Secondly, it has a section called “Getting to know Upington better”. This section provides detailed information about Upington’s history, climate and location — as well as the Kalahari magic that makes Upington special.
Another great example is Seeff's Chatsworth area profile. This provides a comprehensive list of the area’s amenities, with separate sections for schools, healthcare, shopping centres, restaurants and special attractions.
Outstanding commercial/industrial area profiles to emulate
Turning our attention to commercial and industrial area profiles, Stealth Prop's Milnerton area profile is a great example of what commercial property location guides should look like. It starts with an introduction and a brief history of Milnerton, before providing a breakdown of the area’s prime commercial/industrial developments. The area profile also offers transportation information pertaining to Milnerton, as well as local amenities and a well-considered rationale for investing in Milnerton.
Officeplace’s Waterfall City area profile provides a detailed introduction to the live-work-play concept and outlines the type of commercial activity taking place in the area. It also provides a useful outline of what typical commercial properties in Waterfall City offer. It also adds a bulleted list of interesting facts about Waterfall City, which serves to break up the body of text and make the area profile easy to read.
General tips for writing area profiles
Here are some tips to help you create easily readable area profiles that will keep your target market reading and get them engaging with your website.
Lightstone’s data is invaluable when you’re writing a high quality area profile, whether it’s residential or commercial/industrial. Lightstone’s Residential Property Toolkit offers town, suburb and estate reports, while Commercial Property Reports offer office, industrial and retail reports.
When researching an area you’re planning to write an area profile about, you’re likely to come across area profiles written by other real estate companies. While it can be tempting to duplicate their work (or simply ask ChatGPT to reword it slightly), it’s important to create your own content. Plagiarism isn’t just unethical — it’s a red flag to Google and your search engine optimisation efforts may be compromised.
Capitalise on your area profiles — and on other marketing opportunities
Writing a great area profile takes time and expertise. It’s important to remember that you’re selling more than just a home, office or warehouse: you’re selling a lifestyle, a community and a place to belong. Prop Data’s team is here to help, whether you need us to write area profiles, craft news pieces, get your website optimised for search engines or devise an email marketing campaign. Contact your account manager or find out more about websites that get noticed by both people and search engines.