The 4 biggest benefits of having a website as a real estate agent
by Larry Alton | Source BiggerPockets.com
Real estate agents aren’t always given the credit they deserve as marketers. People tend to view them as salespeople and negotiators. But when you think about it, they’re essentially expert marketers who are tasked with selling expensive products to consumers. As such, it makes sense that real estate agents would want to build their online presence—particularly as it pertains to websites.
The 4 Biggest Benefits of Having a Website
Every business has a website in 2017. It’s simply impossible to build a reputable brand and connect with today’s customers without some sort of online real estate. So, if you’re essentially your own brand, doesn’t it stand to reason that you need a website, too?
Here are some of the biggest benefits associated with developing and maintaining a high-quality website as a real estate agent.
1. SEO and Search Visibility
Building a website allows you to attach content to your name and drive traffic to your listings. It essentially increases your visibility. Much like a for-sale sign on a busy road, a website with good content makes a passerby look twice.
The Morgan Lane real estate website is a perfect example. It features a lot of robust content in the form of location and neighborhood guides. In addition to giving readers valuable insights, the combination of organic keywords appeals to the search engines and directly enhances visibility.
2. Location Authority
As a real estate agent, you want to be seen as an authority in your area. That could mean an entire state, city, or neighborhood. Whatever your area is, a website allows you to enhance your authority. People constantly see your name connected with a specific location and begin to associate you with it. Thus, when they go to sell or buy, they’re going to naturally gravitate towards you.
3. Lead Acquisition
Exposure doesn’t close a deal. In order for your exposure to amount to anything, you eventually have to convert leads into clients and make a deal happen. The wonderful thing about a real estate website is that it allows you to collect leads in a somewhat passive fashion.
With a website, you don’t have to constantly make phone calls or manually send out mailers. All you need is to maintain a good website and incorporate a conversion form into your homepage. If a visitor wants more information, they fill out the form and provide you with their contact details. From there, you know you have a warm lead and can pursue it in the appropriate manner.
4. Social Proof
Sellers want to know that you can get them top dollar for their house and that you can sell it quickly. Buyers want to be assured that you know the market and will help them get the house of their dreams at the lowest possible price. And while you can use all the right words, they ultimately want some proof to back up your statements. A website is an excellent source of social proof.
With a real estate website, you can tell the world what you’ve been up to. Recently sold a price at a record price per square foot in a neighborhood? Do a little write-up and explain what it means for the area. Sold 10 properties last month? Explain why you’re doing well and what it means for your current and future clients. Little things like this make a big difference.
Website Building: Never Easier
The good news is that building a website has never been easier. Thanks to an array of intuitive website builders, creating a site that’s aesthetically pleasing and user-friendly is as simple as dragging and dropping various elements and writing a little content. There’s really no excuse not to develop your own site.
Do you have your own site yet? If not, why?