It’s easy to be intimidated by today’s technological overload. As a real estate agent there are infinite ways to market yourself online, new sites and networks constantly being developed, making it harder and harder to keep up with your online self. It’s easy to just shy away from it all and write off this new technology as being an optional extra rather than a necessity.
The fact is that these days online marketing is not avoidable, but fear not, because you don’t have to tackle all of these networks at once just to have a good digital footprint. There’s a logical starting point to get you going online and that’s what we’re here to talk about right now. A personal website with basic MLS functionality and featured listings is the backbone of your digital self. Below are 5 reasons a good website should be your first step into conquering the web.
ONE
New clients, typically those around or under 30 years of age, rely heavily on online information to make their decisions. With no online presence you are writing off a large portion of the market that expects to virtually meet you online before they trust you with their most important transaction. In this day and age, no website means limited new clients.
TWO
Your clients want to have their home showcased, that’s why they hired you! There’s no better way to showcase your listings than on your own personal website. There you can feature them in high resolution, and clients can share the listings with their friends all while advertising you at the same time.
THREE
Anyone who hires you is either looking to buy or looking to sell. So chances are they want to do some research into other properties and listings in the area. Instead of sending your clients to realtor.ca or worse yet them finding someone else’s site that has MLS integration, send them to your website. With complete MLS functionality and custom reciprocity searches that guide your clients to the neighbourhoods in which you specialize, your website starts looking more like a personal assistant than a simple landing page.
FOUR
A website is not just a digital business card, it’s an immersive portfolio that lets new and existing clients learn more about you, see your marketing plan, and most importantly look at your listings. Combine MLS search functionality, high resolution featured properties and dedicated community information pages to make your site an all-inclusive real estate resource for your clients.
FIVE
Realistically you can’t be available 24 hours a day, but your website can. While you doze off for a few hours your website is always looking its best, ready to help anyone looking for information. Call it your homebase, or your digital storefront, your website is a place for clients to go for information when you’re not around.