Steve Palise is the owner of a small buyer’s agency. In this piece, Steve reveals how educational content has been a crucial growth driver for his business, and why high-ticket service providers should consider following his example.
For my small buyer’s agency, educational content helps build trust and credibility with consumers.
What is educational content? Its content helps build trust and credibility with consumers by sharing clear, data-backed information in a way that they can understand. As a small-business owner, I publish books, videos, blogs, articles, and other free resources online.
How educational content works for us
Educational content plays a central role in the way we run Palise Property. It’s not just a marketing tool; it reflects our values. Unlike others in the space who rely on clickbait or hype, our approach is more formal and data-driven. We focus on delivering real value with no sales agenda. That builds trust, positions us as credible experts, and attracts the kind of clients who align with how we work.
It also works as part of our funnel. Our content helps potential clients get to know us before they ever pick up the phone. And for existing clients, it continues to educate and support them as their investment needs evolve. The end goal isn’t volume: it’s impact. We want to work with people who are serious about property, and our content helps filter for that.
The hardest part of creating educational content is making sure it actually pays off. For us, payoff doesn’t mean money but impact and relevance.
Exposure might light the fire, but if there’s no meaningful follow-through, it fizzles out. That’s why I’ve focused on building a full ecosystem of content that meets people wherever they’re at in their learning journey. Everyone learns differently – some prefer reading, others visual or auditory formats – so I’ve made sure we cover all bases. We’ve published three books, produced both short- and long-form video content, released a podcast series, built interactive online courses, and created free downloadable tools like spreadsheets. All of it is 100 per cent free, with no paywalls or sales hooks.
In comparison, traditional ads have fizzled
We’ve found that any type of content or advertising that isn’t rooted in education simply doesn’t perform for us. Traditional ads that just promote our services – with no value or insight attached – tend to fall flat and deliver a poor return on investment.
We’ve found that when we lead with value, we attract a higher quality of lead. Genuine education has consistently produced better results than any traditional promotional strategy. It filters for the right audience and allows us to build long-term relationships, not just short-term clicks.
In our industry, trust is essential
As a high-ticket service, trust isn’t optional – it’s essential.
Our clients are not only paying tens of thousands in fees, they’re also relying on us to make smart decisions with hundreds of thousands of their own money. We’re often guiding them through the biggest financial transaction of their lives.
That’s why our focus on education is so crucial. It allows people to get to know us, understand how we think, and feel confident before ever signing up. Staying top-of-mind through valuable content helps build long-term trust – and that’s what drives real results in this industry.
