Real Estate

The Top 10 Things Your Real Estate Website Needs

 

websiteReal estate websites have become increasingly sophisticated as agents work to drive leads online. From listing data, online chat, videos and social media integration – the options can be endless. And with 90% of home buyers searching online, having a great website is a necessity for any agent. So, if you’re doing a website revamp or want to check in with how your site stacks up, here’s our list of the 10 website essentials for any real estate agent.

 

1.Have One

While this advice might seem obvious, 45% of small businesses in the US still don’t have a website. While your brokerage likely has a site, you shouldn’t rely on your broker’s website to increase leads. Every agent should also have their own site that they have full control of. Don’t lose out on the 90% of home buyers that are searching online.

 

2. Be Mobile

This year, mobile search will outpace desktop. Your site should be mobile optimized – ideally responsive – and have mobile features like click-to-call. Google and NAR have published that 89% of new home buyers use a mobile search engine for their research. Don’t give them a bad experience with a site that isn’t mobile friendly.

 

3. Optimize for Local Search

Local search is the when a search engine delivers results that are specific to a geographic region. This means that when you’re working to rank higher in search engines, you should focus on “Real Estate Agent Toronto” instead of “Real Estate Agent”.  Just how important is local search for real estate? 69% of home buyers that take action on a real estate website started with a local search term, like “Houston homes for sale”.

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4. Display your Value

Your website is your opportunity to show potential clients how great of an agent you are. Have a clear value proposition displayed right on your homepage – ie Buying and Selling Luxury Properties in Houston since 2002 – and make sure to have a bio page that highlights your qualifications and experience. Testimonials from past clients are great for social proof!

 

5. Use Great Visuals

Does your website have “curb appeal”? Great images, design and videos are so important for keeping visitors from dropping off. Here’s one of our favorite examples.

the force realty

6. Make it Easy to Search Properties

The most important features of a real estate website? According to a recent survey of home buyers, photos and detailed information about properties for sale are the most important. Have easy-to-use property search functionality on your website with great listing descriptions.

 

7. Have a Blog

Blogging regularly is an effective and inexpensive digital marketing strategy. Blogs are great for showing yourself as an expert in the local real estate market, improving your local search ranking, providing info & tips for potential clients and converting visitors into clients. Whether you choose to have your blog on a  subdomain (blog.clientlinkt.com) or as a subfolder (quicklinkt.com/blog), blogging regularly is a definite must for any real estate website.

 

8. Integrate with Social Medialike box

Are you working to find leads and connect with clients on social media? Integrate your website with your social profiles by adding Activity Feeds that show recent Tweets & Facebook posts, a Like Box that let’s website visitors Like your Facebook page without leaving your site and Share buttons.

 

 

9. Be Referral Friendly

Add a Refer Us form to your website. Using separate forms for referrals from past clients and referrals from agents in other centers is a simple way deliver high quality leads from your website. With QuickLinkt, you can add Refer Us forms to your website and be automatically notified everytime you’re sent a referral.

 

10. Make Contact Info Easy to Find

At the end of the day, the goal of your website is to grow your client base and increase closings. To turn website visitors into revenue, have your contact info prominently displayed on each page of your site and have one-touch calling and email functionality on your mobile site.

The 2015 Marketing To-Do List for Real Estate Agents

check listThe new year is always a time for reflecting on the past, planning for what’s to come and gearing up for success in the year ahead. For real estate agents, it’s a time to get organized before the craziness of the summer selling season. Planning your marketing efforts in January will help you to stay on track, measure your progress and exceed your marketing (and selling) goals in 2015. So if you want to increase leads AND sales, here’s a list of 7 initiatives to get you on track.

 

1. Organize your Contact Lists

If you want to reach potential buyers & sellers, engage with past clients and network with your sphere of influence you’ll need your contact lists organized. No matter what CRM you’re using, you should be keeping track of names, contact info and a brief history of communications.

 

2. Get Online

90% of home buyers search online for their home. Optimizing your online presence should be the foundation of your marketing efforts. Remember, your website is usually a potential client’s first impression of you – so make it memorable.

 

3. Focus on Google

While 3rd party websites like Zillow & Trulia are well-known in the real estate industry, the number 1 search engine is by far Google. See how you rank in local search results for Realtor, real estate agent, homes for sale, etc. Then work to improve your rankings with doing keyword research, adding keyword-rich content to your site, setting up a Google Places and Local Google+ page, and creating or claiming your profiles on directory sites.

 

4. Share Your Knowledge

Real estate agents are experts on real estate market trends, home decorating and maintenance, local events and neighborhood profiles. Use a blog to share your knowledge with potential clients and engage with past clients. By blogging on a regular basis, you’ll be seen as an expert and help increase your search engine ranking.

 

5. Create an Email Marketing Schedule

Email marketing is crucial for staying top of mind with your sphere of influence. Use January to create a schedule, pick an email template and start prepping your content. For example, you can decide to send your newsletter every 2nd Thursday. Then start building out your content with when local events are going on and home maintenance tips for the seasons.

 

6. Make Social Media a Habit

Start a new habit in January with regularly posting on social media and engaging with your followers. Ghost social media profiles can make potential clients think you’re no longer in business.  Plus, it’s an easy way to connect with young, first-time buyers and keep top of mind with past clients.

 

7. Cultivate Referrals

Did you know that referred clients are 4X more likely to close? If you aren’t engaging your sphere of influence for referrals, you’re missing out. Create a simple way for managing referrals (like getting a QuickLinkt account), and engaging with your professional network.


What are your marketing plans for 2015?

Referrals Found to Be the Most Valued Lead Source for Real Estate Agents

business deal shaking handsJohn Wanamaker famously said “I know half my advertising dollars are wasted… I just don’t know which half.”  Now, even though Wanamaker lived over 100 years ago, the same saying still runs true for real estate agents today.

A recent study published on Inman News showed that many real estate executives see little to no value in the marketing channels agents use. Executives were asked to rate the quality or ROI of lead sources. The executives interviewed were all leaders of real estate firms that accounted for ⅓ of home sales participating.

The results of the study were pretty blaring, showing that by far the best lead source is an agent’s Sphere of Influence. 86% of those interviewed said that referrals from agents’ Sphere of Influence had exceptional value, whereas less than 10% agreed that MLS/Associations, Zillow, Realtor.com and Trulia had exceptional value. Worse yet, more than 50% said  that MLS/Associations, Realtor.com, Trulia and Homes.com had little to no value.

 

 

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What’s even more surprising is that these executives were only asked to rate lead sources that their agents use! So, the over 50% of executives that said MLS/Associations, Realtor.com Trulia and Homes.com had little to no value are spending time and money using these sources to generate leads.

Looking at the results, it seems obvious that real estate agents should be spending more effort growing their Sphere of Influence and engaging with these referral sources instead of spending money on third-party websites. An agent’s contacts can send qualified leads that know how great the agent is and are ready to buy or sell, whereas third-party sites may be sending you the data on people that were curious about how much their co-worker spent or already have a real estate agent.

So, if you’re ready to start spending more time on referral leads and less on third-party sites, it might be time to shift your marketing efforts. To grow and engage your network, you can:

  • Participate in community associations
  • Network with other business professionals – like mortgage brokers and lenders
  • Send email newsletters to past clients with home advice and info on community events
  • Develop an editorial schedule for your blog and social media – remember that it isn’t just about selling!
  • Send personalized holiday cards or notes to past clients

If you’re sick of spending money and time on marketing efforts that don’t seem very valuable, maybe it’s time to start leverage your Sphere of Influence. How do you engage with your past clients?

 

5 Tips for New Real Estate Agents to Survive & Thrive

Real estate is a tough market. With 9 out of 10 agents leaving the industry in their first year, it can be especially intimidating for those getting started. Since we’re always looking for ways to help agents grow their business, we asked some of the experienced real estate agents using QuickLinkt what advice they’d give to those starting out in the industry.

 

1. Let People  Know You’ve Made a Career Change

You’ve likely heard your broker or other agents stress the importance of your Sphere of Influence – the personal and business connections that respect your expertise and know how great you are. These contacts can send you referrals and connect you with potential clients ready to buy or sell. Write a personalized note to let  connections know you’ve made a career change and why you’re passionate about real estate.

2. Learn from The Best

Agencies and professional associations are full of experienced & knowledgeable real estate agents. Take advantage of training initiatives and spend time helping out other agents as you build your client list. Your education doesn’t stop the day you pass your licensing exam, so be prepared to always keep learning. Remember, your broker WANTS you to succeed!

3. Get Involved in Your Community

As awesome as real estate agents are – you won’t meet many potential clients hanging out with other agents. Getting involved in your community is a great way to help your career. First, it helps you to become an expert in the neighborhoods that you work in which can be key for wowing your clients and closing transactions. Better yet, being involved in your community is also a great way to connect with potential buyer & sellers.

4. Go Online!

90% of home buyers use the internet in their home search process. If you don’t have a strong online presence – you’re missing out on 90% of potential leads. Learn how to edit and update your website, create social media pages for your personal real estate brand, start an editorial schedule for your blog and research how to create & manage online ads. It may seem daunting, but there’s lots of great advice on digital marketing for real estate.

5. Grow Your Referral Pipeline

Referred clients are 4X more likely to do business with you. When you’re working with clients and after sales have closed, let clients know that a referral is the best compliment. The home buying and selling process can be stressful – your happy clients will want you to help their friends and family with the process.

 

What advice would you give to new real estate agents? 

What’s My Specialty? The Benefits of Niche Marketing for Real Estate Professionals

niche marketing

A lot of times when marketing, new Real Estate agents try to reach as many people as possible. They chase every opportunity and desperately work to turn potentials into clients.

But being everything to everyone is a tall order. It’s extremely expensive to market to multiple segments – not to mention difficult to be knowledgeable about all of their needs.

Instead, wise agents focus efforts on a particular niche – a subset of the market that has specific needs and represents a profitable demographic. While large agencies can cover many specialities, individual agents focus on specific niches – whether its condos, a specific neighborhood or revenue properties. Even if you haven’t intentionally carved out your market niche, you probably see similarities in the types of properties you sell and clients you work with.

Susan Freidmann, author of Riches in Niches: How to Make it BIG in a Small Market supports becoming well-known as an expert in a niche because of 4 main reasons:

  • There’s less competition in niche markets
  • Efficiencies are created in research & marketing
  • You can demand premium prices because you’re seen as an expert
  • You benefit from increased visibility in your marketplace

And better yet, focusing on a niche market drives referrals. When you become known as the go-to-guy or -gal for selling historic homes or working with first time buyers, business connections know exactly the type of clients to refer to you. Better yet, because these clients are looking for what you specialize in, they’re easier to close.

Referrals from past clients also become simple. Remember the age-old saying Birds of a Feather Flock Together? Well, chances are that your past clients’ social networks are full of similar people that fit your niche – whether it’s newly married couples looking for their first home, or retirees wanting to downsize.

So, whether you choose to stick with a strongly defined niche for your entire career or have a more fluid approach where your niche changes with market trends, creating your niche is powerful for growing your business and increasing referrals.

And let’s face it, you’ll also have a killer answer when potentials ask what you specialize in.

How to Grow Your Referral Network: The Real Estate Edition

Any real estate agent has likely heard of their Sphere of Influence. Your Sphere of Influence is also your Referral Network – the personal and business connections that send you referrals and connect you with new clients ready to buy or sell. It’s the most powerful tool for decreasing advertising costs and minimizing your time to close –  the golden ticket for new agents to get their feet on the ground and veterans to stay competitive.

So, if you’re a Real Estate agent looking to increase your SOI and grow referrals, think about the following groups.

 

Family, Friends & Personal Connections
Your personal connections are usually the simplest place to start. Your friends and family should know you’re a Realtor (pretty obvious), but make sure they also know your brokerage/brand, specialties, clientele, closing rates, community outreach, etc. This is especially important for new agents – let personal connections know that you’ve made a career change and why you’re passionate about real estate.

Current Clients
Current real estate clients are an easy source of referrals. While you may feel awkward asking clients you’re actively working with, it’s actually relatively easy. The clients you’re representing have real estate on their mind – they’re discussing real estate with friends and family, and I guarantee your name has come up in these conversations.

Past Clients
Your past clients understand your specialties and the excellent customer service you provide. Your most recent clients provide the best opportunities because they’re still buzzing about how great you are, but make sure to foster these referral sources with follow up after the sale.

Community Connections
Are you active in your PTA? Running Club? Church group? Local charity? These groups are sources for new clients and referrals. Being active in community organizations is a simple way to connect with your clientele. For example, if you sell family homes in residential areas,  participating in your children’s school fundraisers is a great way to grow your network while giving back to the community.

Business Connections
Do you work with mortgage brokers, contractors, home decorators, property managers, lawyers, landscapers? Of course you do -as a real estate agent you have an intricate web of business connections that can connect you with qualified leads. For business connections, the best way to drive referrals is to be generous. (No I’m not saying to reduce your commission). Send referrals to your trusted service providers, and watch the favor be returned.

 

While this list might sound daunting, getting high quality referrals from your SOI is much easier than cold calls. And knowing that customers trust recommendations from family and friends more than any form of advertising, growing your referral network should be a top priority for any agent.