Real Estate Marketing for the You GenerationDominick Evans Are you working in the real estate industry Are you a real estate agent, mortgage consultant, builder, real estate broker, appraiser, construction worker, etc The Internet is the wave of the future. You can no longer sell homes without at least some sort of internet presence. According to Harris Polls....over 70% of people in the world use the Internet. The Internet is the most trusted source for purchases and this includes houses. Chances are...you already have some sort of Internet presence on the web. You may have gone with a real estate web site design company for your design. You may think your design is ok. Is it really That is the first thing prospective clients see when they click on a link to your web site. If they dont like the design then they leave. The web site design company may even make templates that you can use. However, did you know that you arent the only one using the same exact template I have gone to enough real estate sites to realize that these companies are making a lot of money by cloning your site. People that are buying homes arent going to want to see a clone site. In fact, many may not even realize it is a clone site. They click on your link and leave as soon as they see the design, not even realizing that your site is different. These sites contain the same articles, same look, same design, etc. They are based on image marketing. Image marketing isnt going to fly on the Internet. It just doesnt work anymore. You are probably wondering what image marketing is. In the early 1980s real estate agents realized how successful image marketing was. Back then they used catchy slogans such as #1 in sales, told you everything they had that other agents didnt, and used images including their faces, to win you over so youd choose them as your agent. Since the 1980s people have gotten wiser. They no longer care what you have, what your credentials are, or that you are #1 in sales. Did you know nearly every agent in your area claims to be #1 in sales How do you know You cant track other agents sales since they all work on commission. So what can you do Stop using the words ME ME ME and start using the word "YOU!" Let them know exactly what you have to offer them. List what you can do for them. There are numerous ways you can do this without compromising your job and your commission. Offer them FREE informative articles. Did you know that I went to a real estate agents site and they wanted me to put in my phone number and email just so I could read their free article Doesnt this seem a little odd to you I dont even have to mention the kind of spam I received once I did put in my email. I was contacted daily with statistics that seemed to be made up, information, and a bunch of updates on the agents web site progression. I dont care how many sales he had in August. I just wanted to read his article on Moving when you Have Pets. This is the number one way to LOSE clients not gain them. No one wants to be nagged incessantly to buy or sell their home. Buying and selling a home is one of the BIGGEST processes a person will go through. They can lose or gain money in the end, and choosing the wrong agent isnt something they want to do. So, dont let them choose the wrong agent. Offer them buyer, seller, investment, and even FSBO articles. Why FSBOs If you are so willing to offer information on how a client can sell a home on their own then you really must care about your clients. You wont be getting anything in return for FSBO articlesor will you Did you know that over 90% of home sellers that start out as FSBOs end up going with an agent They do not get results, dont understand the process well enough, or it simply is too much work for them to handle. They may not have the time to put in to selling the home on their own. When choosing an agent they are going to remember the person who was so willing to help them out, by offering advice and information. They are going to remember you! Give them in-depth information on the area you serve. Did you know that one of the biggest complaints home buyers have is not enough information on the cities, towns, and communities in your area You need to do more than just list a link to the URL for each community page. Have a history, demographics such as income level, number of residents, school information, and businesses listed about each city and town you serve. You may even want to include pictures, small maps, and anything else you can think of to make the page really stand out. You are offering something very few real estate agents even consider offering. The prospective clients will have a much better understanding of the area, and can decide where they want to move, and what they can afford. Community pages usually list hospitals, businesses, restaurants, sporting facilities, and recreational opportunities for your area. You may even want to list important community events such as festivals, fairs, and holiday celebrations. This will definitely be helpful to current residents and prospective residents. Your time and effort will pay off in the end. The buyer is going to want to go with the person that offers the most information on the area they are moving. Why not let this person be you Offer free calculators. If you are a mortgage consultant why not offer free calculators on your site so your clients can see what kind of loan they may be eligible for The calculators may have different requirements and can give them a basis to go off of before they contact you to assist them through the mortgage process. Blogs and Forums You may want to have your own web blog and forums on your site. The search engines place these two things very high if there is content on them that is relevant to your site topic. You can write articles or post other real estate articles on your blog. Forums not only give you a place to post articles, they also give you a visible way to interact with clients prospective and current in a public setting. You can answer questions and it is a very humanizing thing. People will see you less and less as the elusive agent they know only enough about through your web site. They will see you as a well informed, caring individual. Once they realize that you are in fact a human much like they are! and not just a concept in their mind they are going to be more willing to trust you with the sale of their home, their mortgage, and/or choose you to build their home. Team up with a Local Group People looking to buy a home are more likely to work with a team or network then a solitary individual. If you are an agent you probably work with the same inspector, appraiser, or loan specialist. Why not become a team You can refer clients to one another and create a network of clients. You also get your name out there because you arent the only one working for youyour team is promoting your business, as well. There are many other things you can do to increase your visibility on the Internet and increase your profits. You just need to remember that the client always comes first. When you do this, you are sure to win over clients every time! For more information on how to promote your real estate web site, the importance of real estate web site design, SEO, linking, and more email me at dominick@domashdesigns.com or go through the contact form at my web site http://www.domashdesigns.com. This article can be replicated so long as a link back to my site is added, and proper credit is given. Thanks in advance.
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