Real Estate Forums

NealRM · 02-20-2008, 09:08 PM

I decided to put on my devils advocate cap and throw out something to get members postings. SO....

Do real estate agent really need to have a personal website

I'm not going to say that real estate agents should not have a web presence, just do they need to have the own personal website? There are plenty of third party sites for posting listings. Many of these sites get better traffic, have larger advertising budgets, and have more access to real estate information. So why spend hours every day keeping your personal site updated, fighting a losing SEO war, and getting only a few hundred visitors?

How does having your own site really make you stand out as a Realtor? Does the extra time spend on your own website benefit your clients more than other advertising methods? If you think so, what is your proof?

HHI Golf Guy · 02-20-2008, 10:28 PM

Interesting question...

We live in the information age, and people crave information. And they want it fast. The reason they want that information is so that they can make informed decisions and not look like an ass when it comes time to discuss a purchase.

Before you head down to your local Best Buy or Circuit City for that new TV or stereo, I would bet that you spend time reading magazines or searching the internet for reviews and tech information that will make you more comfortable with your purchase.

The same holds true for people purchasing real estate, especially those relocating to a new city. Sure, they want to search real estate listings for their dream home. But they also want to know what it's like to live, work, and play in those communities. If they have kids they probably also want to know about the school system.

They could go to Realtor.com, look at some listings, and get some statistics. They could also look at other sites and get more stats. But it's hard to get a feel for the community. With your web site you can convey that message.

Take a look at one of my client sites and her page for Colleton River Plantation. Not only does she describe the community (using her own words and not the stock community blurb), but she also provides her own personal insight of the community.

Now take a look at one of her Colleton River real estate listings. She doesn't just put in a property description, she provides a complete narrative on the property.

Now tell me, if you were looking for property in Colleton River which would get you to take action and call the Realtor - that listing on her site or the same property listed on Realtor.com?

When properly utilized, your site can evoke the emotions in a prospective buyer that will get that person to take action and contact the agent (just wait until you see the re-design of her site I am launching!).

Of course, the best way to get people to your site is by top spots in PPC or organic rankings. But don't forget about using your print media effectively to bring people to your site. I actually blogged about Effective Real Estate Print Media on my Active Rain blog.

When your site is set up correctly (target a specific buyer demographic and funnel users to call to action points) it helps build the bonds of trust between you and the prospective buyer. There are reasons why most real estate web sites fail - don't fall into that trap.

Let's be realistic - the average real estate agent has a ton of down time, especially in todays market. Most people that work for themselves don't have the discipline to be productive when things slow down. But if you spend 15 minutes a day blogging or developing meaningful content for your web site you will provide a richer experience for your web site visitors.

The overwhelming majority of people distrust real estate agents and don't really care who the agent is (until something goes wrong!). To them, agents are a dime a dozen. But if your web site concentrates on what is important to the buyer you will start to build a bond of trust with that potential client - and that leads to more quality inquiries that you can turn into leads and sales.

Your web site is not a billboard for your personal and professional achievements. It is a marketing tool aimed at your ideal buyer client.

SEOWolf · 02-20-2008, 11:40 PM

A lot of excellent points HHI Golf Guy and great question Neal.

There are two types of Real Estate Agents and two sides to every sale.

You have Listing Agents and Buyers Agents. So you have the listing side of the transaction and the selling side of the transaction. Most of the time the commission is a 50/50 split between the two sides.

Listing Agents benefit from having their listings distributed through the MLS to many websites. Now while you can argue that their listings are advertised on many sites, if they advertise and sell their own listing they get 100% of the commission minus office fees and split. So naturally they would want to do their best to sell “In House”.

Buyers Agents on the other hand depend almost entirely on their websites to make a living. The most they can hope for is the sales side of the commission. Again, usually 50%.

Since Buyers Agents have few or no listings they must generate buyers for other Agent's listings. The best way to accomplish this in today’s market is a solid website that captures leads.

Print, TV or other traditional advertising is not that effective for Buyers Agents IMHO.

~VegasMack

Jim B · 02-21-2008, 05:36 AM

REALTORS really do need a website. In this day, with 80+ % of the home buyers spending the majority of their time researching and shopping online, if you are not there, and or cannot be found where they are doing their research, likly these REALTORs will not get called by these buyers.

I got a interesting responce to a blog post that I wrote about the Trulia threat to REALTORs, and why REALTORs should stop giving companies like Trulia there hard earned listings. Here it is Trulia is your competitor!!

SEOWolf · 02-21-2008, 05:22 PM

Good read James.

I assume you were referring to the nmcquire response as being strange and I agree. It is strange indeed. Since I can not respond on your post there I would refer you to a similar post of mine here.

Additionally I would try to explain to nmcquire that I for one trust no one with the success or failure of my business. While many REALTORS® many not have the time or skills to manage/micro-manage their websites they should participate proactively.

But never give the keys to (or control of) your business to a total stranger.

~VegasMack

Jim B · 02-21-2008, 06:01 PM

Thanks Mack,

I almost think it is another Trulia guy poking around.

NealRM · 02-21-2008, 07:44 PM

Summit,
I'm a competitor to Trulia, Homes.com, Realtor.com and other general real estate listing sites. However, we have a big philosophical difference and actually provided services that promote agents.

First, I do think Realtors should have a strong web presence. The reason I am asking these questions is 1) I'm trying to get some interesting and vigorous discussions going; 2) I am seeing more and more Realtors creating websites without first thinking about why they need a site or what they want from the site.

In general I would like agents to step back and think about why they need a website. I would also like agents to think about how to make their sites different then other sites. In short, answer the question "Why should visitors come to my site and not another site?"

PS. I've been "poking" around this site for a year and a half. That includes several periods when almost no one else was posting.

Buy New Tampa · 02-22-2008, 05:33 AM

Time for someone to be the devil's advocate... Realtors DO NOT need a real estate website of their own or even a detailed web presence to be successful!

Success, and how it is defined, is the real key to the question. Some agents enter the business with a very large list list of potential customers, and many that have been in the business for a long time already have a group of loyal customers. If the agent meets the needs of these customers, with or without a website, they should still continue to have success. After all, people depend on an agent to help them buy or sell a home and the ability to do that is not necessarily tied to a particular website - although a website is more important when representing sellers then buyers.

The REAL VALUE of a website is the ability to attract NEW CUSTOMERS! So if the question of the thread was "Do real estate agent really need to have a website in order to generate new customers for their business?" the answer would have to be almost certainly yes. Generating leads from referrals does not require a website, but "walk-ins" are increasingly rare and print advertising to only a phone number is no longer going to generate sufficient leads to justify the cost.

More then anything else, a website is a MARKETING TOOL... if it is properly SEO or marketed through links that drive traffic to the site, then the site can generate new leads. A very useful site, that no one ever sees, is useless. A useless site, on the other hand, that has plenty of traffic, could still generate leads. So, more then anything else, exposure of the website is the first priority, usefulness is #2. So when developing on a budget, agents should always focus on priority #1, then when money comes, use funds to further develop #2.

Jim B · 02-22-2008, 07:26 AM

I totally agree with you Buy New Tampa.

Here has been my experience. I moved to Delaware with my family in October of 2003 and started as a RE/MAX agent in Feb of 2004, Did lots of mail marketing, as well as got out and met people. I did 12 transactions my first year, second year I did 18 transactions, third year ended in September of 2006 with 13 transactions.

Moved to Northern New Jersey in December of 2006, started in Real Estate here in Feb of 2007 at Keller Williams. Started mailing heavily, getting out there and meeting people, working on my website, and web presence. The mailing generated nothing in 2007, Web brought in the 2 deals I actually closed. Now my site is finally strong enough that it is ranking for a number of my key search terms. For 2008 I have one closed transaction, and 5 more in line to close, all of them are from my website.

To me a website is a requirement!!

Now I have a few competitors who have figured out what I am doing, two of them are paying R E W for SEO work and getting some good success out of that. Since I don't have the budget just yet for Professional SEO work I am attempting to figure out what I can do to effectively counter that effort.

Any suggestions on countering that SEO effort are very welcome.

San Diego Real Estate · 02-24-2008, 07:31 AM

Great Points guys...

With all the time constraints in our market because of the on going traffic concerns and the wife and husband in many cases both having to work to be able to afford a San Diego home they flow to the web to do their due diligence.

I will tell you that in today's market at least in the San Diego California Real Estate market if you don't have a website you will be looking for a new career soon. IMHO