I see a lot of Realtors doing realtor online marketing but still using the old idea of unbranded websites. I know that they are very popular and lots of companies are willing to sell you on the idea of being a “information provider” but really having an unbranded Realtor website is a bad idea.
Why have an Unbranded Realtor Website
On the surface unbranded may look like the way to go. The idea is that all you are really offering to people is information as a bridge to contact you. Low pressure, high automation and no risk of rejection as the people need to put their hand up as a buyer or seller before you even talk to them.
But where does this get you?
The problem with unbranded sites really is that no one is going to buy or sell using a Realtor that is a stranger. You need to form a relationship and as we all know there is often a very short buying cycle where a family will think of selling their home and listing with a Realtor. Within this small window the family will be in contact with friends, websites, co-workers and will not have a direction or really a good idea of what they want until they have sat down with a Realtor and probably a mortgage broker as well.
So you really need to get not only your face, but your personality in front of a prospective family as quickly and directly as possible and the unbranded site will not do this.
Brand You as for Realtor online marketing
What you need to do instead is a real and well rounded picture of yourself as a person and as a professional. All it takes is getting yourself out there and to also add a way to keep in contact.
You can start with a website with a pretty picture of you and your reason for doing business, and it better have a lot of what your buyers and sellers want as well.
After the site as a billboard you can have a blog, Facebook, Twitter, and this is where you get to really round out who you are.
Your blog will have articles about the real estate market in your city like everyone else would but also family stories, stories about the struggles and triumphs of buyers and sellers, putting your next customers into the shoes of your past customers so that they see a reason to work with you.
Facebook and Twitter are all about communication and sharing. You will post links to your blog articles in both these places but you will most importantly be building relationships with people. These people will be the lifeblood of your future business as connectors and as clients themselves and you must direct everyone you can to your bait to sign up to your email list.
Having this email list will make sure that you can keep contact with people and move them through a marketing funnel. I often tell my mom that having more people is not a problem on your list, some will be buyers and sellers and most will just get your free information and be happy with it. But, all of the people that have made it onto that email list will be moving into a closer and closer relationship with you as a person and a Realtor.
This is the broad strokes of Realtor online marketing today. You just need the direction and can move on from there. If you have any questions sign up to my list and I will share everything I can (for free) to make you a better online realtor.
Leave a Reply