The do-it-yourself real estate Web site
Realtor Notebook
By Teresa Boardman, Thursday, April 2, 2009.
Flickr photo by geishaboy500.This week I got rid of my Realtor Web site. I have had the site for seven years. It gets some traffic but the origin of the traffic and business is my blog. I have been using the Web site as a kind of business card and it had some forms in it that potential clients could fill out, and they did.
It also had a page for my listings, and an Internet Data Exchange (IDX, an online data-sharing agreement among brokers) solution that I pay for separately.
Even though it didn't do much for my business, I kept the site for years longer than I needed it because Realtors are supposed to have a Web site and I didn't take the time to change it. I paid $600 dollars a year for hosting -- $420 a year seems to be the going rate for template site-hosting. Self-hosting one Web site costs about $60 a year. Once the initial setup is done it doesn't generate any more work than maintaining and updating a template site.
Realtor Web sites are almost universally unappealing and they all have a similar look. I have tried three different popular template sites. What I found is that no matter how much the template is modified, the "ugly" cannot be removed. I also found that it took longer to try to make something out of a template site than it does to build a new site.
It seems that some real estate Web site designers have no imagination. The graphics on the sites include a set of house keys, a sold or for-sale sign, a happy couple with a small child, or just a couple.
The top and bottom of the Web site are filled with large logos. NAR has rules about marketing and the Web sites need to have logos to be compliant, but they don't need to be so huge that they overwhelm the viewer -- one logo will do.
Vendors tell us that we need a Web site and that it is too much work to build our own and that their sites are designed for search-engine optimization and lead-capture. One day after I launched my new site, a potential client filled out the form for a free comparative market analysis. That constitutes my first "captured" lead, from my homemade, self-hosted site.
When I mentioned to some of my friends that I planned on canceling my Web site, they started telling me some of the same things that I have heard from vendors for years. The ideas have become part of the real estate cyber-culture. Technology has changed but our ideas about Web sites have not. ...CONTINUED
All rights reserved. This article may not be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever, in part or in whole, without written permission of Inman News. Use of this article without permission is a violation of federal copyright law.
You must login or register to post a comment.
Submitted by Ruthmarie Hicks on April 2, 2009 - 8:10am.
I've been thinking about getting rid of my site. Waaaay too expensive and the Tomato people can add a link to Listing Book and IDX to my site and it would cost a whole lot less! Thank you for getting me started on it!
Submitted by Susan Pruden on April 2, 2009 - 8:47am.
I've just been going through the same analysis and come to the same conclusions that you have. Thanks for putting my thoughts into better words than I could have.
Submitted by Bud Kleppe on April 2, 2009 - 11:59am.
I agree that just about all of the template sites look horrible, and as you know - it takes a ton of time to make them look unique. I can answer your question on why you had to build your own: You are picky. You don't want fall in line with the thousands of other agents online with template sites.
I think the thought of building a site from scratch sounds way to scary for most agents, and the security blanket of the templates sites are too alluring.
I will disagree a little bit about the site's purpose though. I think a site can and should be source of real localized information for the city the agent works in. When agents start biting off more than they can chew, thats when the sites start to become useless, in my opinion.
My motto for my site is "Come for the blog, stay for the condos" and it has worked good for me.
Submitted by greg fox on April 2, 2009 - 12:02pm.
I must disagree on some points. Sorry. I too like blogs, and think they go a LONG way to marketing who we are, but I think consumers STILL want to search for homes online. That's the main reason they use the net for real estate, to find homes.
I CERTAINLY agree that lots of Real Estate template sites are ugly. I designed them for a while and made pretty ones, but I couldn't lead capture. I use my current provider BECAUSE I get leads. Ugly or not, it is optimized to be found on the web, and results in 13-15% lead capture by every visitor. And I get about 120 visitors a day.
Pretty sites are nice, producing sites are better.
Submitted by Catherine Read on April 2, 2009 - 12:05pm.
I agree with you Teresa, and helping agents with their online marketing is what I do for a living! I'm starting to emphasize the connections between agent websites and every other social media tool that's out there. I think if you consider your online presence as a Swiss Army Knife (not original) you can more clearly see how the agent website isn't the end-all and be-all, but just another platform containing information and functions not found elsewhere in your online presence.
Platforms like Facebook, Twitter and blogs are training consumers to expect online information to change constantly and be "real time." They want interesting visuals, videos, links and the chance to have a conversation. Rather than thinking an agent website needs to do all of those things, it should do only what it does well (local information, property search, real estate related services information.) It can serve as a two way connection to your presence elsewhere that has other types of information in a format consumers already know and find appealing.
This is my take on the next iteration of agent marketing.
Catherine S. Read
Creative Read, Inc.
Submitted by Al Clark on April 2, 2009 - 12:08pm.
Hi Teresa, Bingo on the realtor.com issue. Just last month we had a broker who bought realPING for 100 of his agents, They all have enhanced listings the broker pays for. Both of us tried to convince Realtor.com to allow a free form snippet of code to let agents put in their skype#, blog address, text message address or even RealPING button.(or even regular html) Nope!
The "Not Invented Here so it cant be a good idea" attitude seems to be catching up on RDC. I know of many brokers we work with that gave up or are not renewing enhanced listings because of the attitude.
We hope everyday for a new way of thinking at RDC and their realization that they are not the only website provider in town.
Albert Clark
realPING Click To Talk NOW
realPING.com
Submitted by Matthew Hardy on April 2, 2009 - 12:16pm.
More and more people are discovering that EVERYTHING doesn't have to be a monthly-payment-service and building, running and owning your own website has gotten much easier.
So here's a plug for Macs:
Check out RapidWeaver from realmacsoftware.com then peruse the templates ("Themes"). Most of them are a cut above what most Realtors are using.
RapidWeaver is a desktop application which means all your work originates, is stored and can be backed up from your own hard drive. When you make additions or modifications to your site, just click publish. When you want to update the overall look, just apply a new Theme and all your content is displayed per the new Theme. Pretty cool.
Submitted by Mike Parker on April 2, 2009 - 12:20pm.
Mike Parker
mparker@theblackwatercg.com
Theresa, you embody all the common issues agents raise when thinking about selling homes online. Sellling homes online is NOT about pretty, it is about effective. A site can look good and be functional. However, consumers are too savvy today: they aren't going online as a novel experience and to be entertained when they go looking for homes, they go online to find out information they truly want--the format it is delivered in really doesn't matter.
Which is also why you never got a good lead until now: you used the same tired architecture that most agents and brokers are literally duped into thinking works best: "NAR's Official website, realtor.com."
Pages on realtor.com are not optimizable, cannot be indexed by search engines, and therefore are rarely found by people looking for homes. Most of the visits to realtor.com are from other realtors, not consumers.
I'd be happy to point you to simple websites selling 60, 90 or even more homes annually. They all have two things in common: they can be found by internet buyers searching for what they are looking to evaluate, and they give information the buyer really wants. All the rest of it--video, pretty flash programming, sound, avatars--it's all usleless goop that detracts from what the savvy consumer goes online to Google to find: the best value in a home from a professional realtor.
And don't even get me started on Facebook and Twitter!
Submitted by Peter Toner on April 2, 2009 - 12:24pm.
You are spot on Teresa, the days of the static brochure site are way over and should be killed off ...
Todays consumer wants to interact, to know the real you and blogsites are the way to do it as long as their is a commitment from the agent to update it reguarly with Google friendly content. Some IDX or VOW property search solutions can be embedded right into a blog - we found a really good one available for free.
The whole thing can be put together for around $200 to $300 and some free time (which many agents have too much of right now).
My site has a ton of free information and tutorials about how to set up, optimize and leverage web 2.0 tools including WordPress blogging, Facebook, Twitter etc. to attract todays consumer savvy buyers and sellers.
Peter Toner
WebRealEstateTools.com
Submitted by Morgan Carey on April 2, 2009 - 12:27pm.
I take offense to this - just because you didn't look hard enough (A simple search in Google for "real estate websites" would have been all you would need to have done) doesn't mean there aren't good cost effective solutions out there.
Out of the box broker site example: http://dev103.rewtemplates.com
Out of the box agent site example (costs $40 a month including technology / support / hosting / email / lead manager / content management system etc) http://dev150.rewtemplates.com
I am sorry - although everyone is entitled to their opinion, the statement below is both uninformed and ignorant.
You wrote:
"With all of the emphasis on technology in the real estate industry, why hasn't anyone come up with a decent-looking, functional Web site for Realtors? Why did I have to build my own?"
Submitted by Vito Boscaino www.ServingColumbus.com on April 2, 2009 - 12:27pm.
While I am a big fan of your blog, I think you are seriously missing the point about real estate websites. The issue here is that you get out of site what you put into it. I can tell you that I spend a lot more than $600 a year on my site and I wouldn't give up my site in a minute. Capturing online buyer and seller interest is critical to not only surviving, but is necessary in order to thrive. The funny thing is it's really not about the consumer facing front end, the key is really the breadth and depth of back-end lead management tools that should be integrated into a properly designed site solution. Without adequate lead management tools, you are simply wasting time, money and opportunities.
Working your real estate business with a focus on web driven lead activity is a numbers game. You have to generate a consistent lead flow, as a reasonable cost, with a comprehensive ability to incubate the lead. If everything works properly, you should be able to monetize somewhere between 2% to 4% of your leads on a regular basis. You will never be able to do this with a blog based web solution.
While I respect your personal choices on this matter, I think that you are doing the industry practitioner a disservice by suggesting that agents discontinue using real estate web sites. If anything agents and brokers should be investing much more on such infrastructure and should be pushing for more innovation on the back end, which is where most sites fall woefully short.
Vito Boscaino
North High Realty,LLC
http://www.ServingColumbus.com
Submitted by James Bridges on April 2, 2009 - 12:29pm.
Teresa,
It's great to hear that you have had quick results building your own website. I think there are some classic mistakes though as agents have approached their websites.
1. They don't have to be pretty - Websites don't have to be pretty, they really just have to generate leads. Sometimes the focus on pretty leads agents to make choices like putting in extensive flash movies or too many graphics and they forget about lead capture.
2. You have to use it - It doesn't matter if you have a blog or a website if you don't use it. It's like having a Ferrari in the garage and saying it goes fast...really..do you drive it? Most agents aren't driving their websites or their blogs at all.
Bottom line, pretty or not, blog or website, it comes down to having a consistent approach to marketing online that generates leads for your real estate business.
Submitted by RN on April 2, 2009 - 12:33pm.
Unless you plan on hosting something unique I would say you are better off not having a site at all. Having a ugly site diminishes your brand.
On the other hand I've been hosting http://azforclosuregold.com and over the last 2 months have generate about 100 leads a month. Clients come to a site for information on real estate, not to look at pictures of you or me.
Submitted by Jason Massengale on April 2, 2009 - 12:36pm.
I'm with you Theresa, had to do the same thing myself then went a little overboard with it. I love your personal St Paul blog content, but the typical "blog" layout really bothers me for some reason.
Check this one out. It's powered by WordPress, with lots of hours of my customizing.
http://jasonmassengale.com/homes-for-sale/
It's just demo content but I also put one together for Dave Barr at http://davebarrhomes.com. (Actually just got it presentable today)
Both of these websites run on a $7/month godaddy hosting account. I've actually got about 12 websites running on my account.
Submitted by Louis Cammarosano on April 2, 2009 - 12:48pm.
MMMM not so fast
HomeGain Member, Mitch Ribak will sell THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY homes this year using HomeGain's buyerlink and a templated website.
http://newsletter.frogpond.com/DispNewsletter.cfm?NEWSLETTER_ID=3021&Pri...
Submitted by Abel Solano on April 2, 2009 - 1:04pm.
Your word press server is slow, its over loaded, and when you try to navigate through the website it get stuck. You must be popular.
Sincerely,
Abel
Abel Solano REALTOR®
ARG Abbott Realty Group
http://www.ARGSD.com
Submitted by Loan Modification Resources on April 2, 2009 - 1:10pm.
I would like to respectfully disagree with some of you who are saying you don't need a website. i would rephrase that to "you don't need a bad website".
Take a look at some websites that are good. Not just pretty, but good. And take a moment to figure out why they are good. (mostly its because they look after the needs of the visitor really well. they innovate in terms of what they offer and how.)
Its best if you can figure it out by yourself, then think about applying the ideas in your business model, and then find yourself a decent developer who is honest and experienced.
And yes, it might cost some money, but so does repairing your car at a professional garage.
Get help in stop foreclosure
Submitted by Judy Orr on April 2, 2009 - 1:22pm.
Teresa, I love your blog - one of the best I've seen. I have multiple websites and blogs. Why? Well, my Internet/writing/blogging/website geekiness is a hobby that goes well with my business.
And the actual business I've gotten from my websites (my main sites have built-in blogs and I have some social networking blogs and a stand-alone blog) have more than paid for the annual cost of each site.
There's no way I'd want to close down any of these sites and I'd like to create even more niche sites since in my area there are 41 suburbs I work in with 3 main villages (each of these 3 main villages could support their own site).
I continue trying to make my sites look nice but be easy to use for visitors. So I've put some "ugly" buttons recently because we never know whether a consumer will use a top menu, a side menu or links/buttons in the content. I can't tell you how many compliments I've received from actual site visitors.
Over 50% of my business comes from my websites, the rest are referrals/past clients and I do contact expired listings and fsbos (and bring them to my websites). In 2007, I didn't have time to contact expireds or fsbos, around 80% of my business came from my sites. I hope to get back to that figure or better in the future.
Judy Orr
Tinley Park Homes For Sale
Classic Realty Group
708-536-8200
Submitted by Eric Blackwell on April 2, 2009 - 2:32pm.
Hi Teresa;
I am a fan of your blog, and yes it is possible to DIY sites.....ummm...however...I think there are many solutions for many people.
Let's start with a templated site. Yes you can do those VERY cost and time efficiently. It's all about driving traffic to them and how you do it. (see Morgan Carey's and Louis Cammarrosano's points above. They are well made in my opinion.)We have people in our brokerage successfully doing that.
I have people in our brokerage who started with a DIY blog and recently had a full blown custom site built using the money they made by paying themselves a referral fee. They are pleased that they did and the number of leads that they are turning into clients explain why they are happy.
I guess two things I have learned over the years are that a) approaches real estate websites are as local as real estate and b)some of the best technology and most efficient web technologists work in the real estate sector.
I have learned not to underestimate their expertise.
Eric Blackwell
Homes in Louisville .com
RE/MAX Properties East
Submitted by Jerzy (George) Szkup on April 2, 2009 - 2:56pm.
George Szkup
www.DestinationTucson.biz
Teresa,
Good subject - looks like comments are pouring in. So here is one more.
Appearance of a website may be a problem. This is unusually stressed by web designing companies who gladly will improve appearance for only $2,000 to $5,000.
Positioning is a factor. When one is looking at the internet for real estate, no matter what words they type in, they are going to get in excess of 600 websites. And no matter what you do, there are only 10 spots on the first page and what’s more, there are only five first spots on this page. Since 7 out of 10 websites have IDX or equivalent, visitor will find all information they need right there (in the first few spots). And, after all, a visitor came here for information! Web designers will offer to fix this problem too, for additional $600 per month or so (but there still will be only 5 first positions on a page).
Going via Blog and "hiding" website in there seems to be a forthcoming trend. It may work with upper class client - most people who drive taxi or work at Mc Donald’s do not read blogs.
And writing your own Blog is a lot of work - obviously you know it. And I know it because I am write my own Blog too. And you have to be somewhat computer literate - if one uses WordPress (like I do), it is "pain in the neck".
With all this said, I am getting minimal results from the website and the Blog. I think that most people who get 100 leads a month through these media just have vivid imagination.
George in Tucson AZ
Http://www.DstinationTucso.biz and, hidden inside, www.LuxuryTucsonRealEstate.net
Pictures and lay out was selected/designed by me and imbeded with help of Web/Blog designer in India - cannot afford one in the USA.
Submitted by Teresa Boardman on April 2, 2009 - 3:14pm.
several of you have given me some insight as to why Realtor sites are so ugly. I never understood it. I still think a site can look decent and be functional.
Submitted by Robert A. Hulme on April 2, 2009 - 3:39pm.
As a Realtor whose business is 90% online lead generation, I love to hear how all of you are doing with your websites. I started my online website presence last October. My experience began with 2 websites and has grown to over 30. I have gone from no online leads in November to over 250 buyer leads in March. I now have many agents in my office waiting at my door for the next lead I receive and I don't have time to work with my buyers anymore. Websites don't work?
It is all about Search Engine Optimization and Websites that give buyers what they want, which includes good buyer information and a great lead capture tool from an IDX fed search tool.
This last week Seller's finally found my websites. I had 3 listings this week alone all from client's visiting my site through google searches.
My website hosting is through Top Producer, Advanced Access, Pro Agent Websites, Real Estate Promoter and Lone Wolf. I have the balance hosted at GoDaddy and I build the websites through my Dreamweaver program.
My IDX searches are with www.ProAgentwebsites.com in Utah and www.Diversesolutions.com out of Utah. If you have questions feel free to contact me, I would love to help my fellow Realtor be more successful, especially during these tough times.
Robert A. Hulme
Realtor, GRI, e-PRO
Prudential Utah Real Estate
Loan Officer
Mortgage Xpress
www.UtahCountyHomes.ws
www.UtahCountyRealEstate.us
Submitted by Brian E. Kinkade on April 2, 2009 - 5:09pm.
Hi Teresa,
You indeed have a very nice blog. However, in my opinion there are at least one or more solutions for every need. While not always fun, I believe we each find our way with our web presence and there is in fact no silver bullet.
Both attractive and effective websites are indeed quite available as some have mentioned.
I think perhaps a better question to ask is, what combination of websites, blogs, and other social media platforms serve "your" best purpose?
If this is a passion, like it is for many of us, the work is never done and I suspect tomorrow will reveal even more opportunities for success.
Brian E. Kinkade, Broker
GRI, ABR, TRC, e-PRO
Cherry Creek Professionals Realty
www.TheHomeCart.com
www.CherryCreekToday.com
Submitted by Bill Fooks on April 2, 2009 - 5:19pm.
Bill Fooks
TFT realty Marketing Service
Warwick, RI http://www.fooksteam.com
I will keep it short. It works for our team. Supplies us with about two incoming leads a day. Our buyer brokers work them well.We have many enhancements that work for us.
Submitted by Daniel Rothamel, the Real Estate Zebra on April 2, 2009 - 5:49pm.
Before folks start throwing out numbers and conversion stats, I think it would be a good idea to qualify them with some definitions. What are people talking about when they talk about a "lead?" To me, traffic and leads are two completely different things. A site might generate a lot of traffic, but very few leads. On the other hand, a site might generate a lot of leads from a relatively low traffic number. In order for someone to say, "you should be converting x% of leads," or "I get x number of leads per month," they should also define what they mean by "lead."
That aside, I fail to see why people think that "blog" and "website" are mutually exclusive. To me, "blog" is merely a style of platform upon which a website is built. It seems to be that the best of both worlds is certainly attainable when one combines the best features of a blog platform (ability to publish new content on an as-needed basis, flexibility, SEO, ability to engage the consumer), with the benefits of a "website" (IDX, backend contact/lead management, etc.), into a complete package.
Am I crazy?
http://www.RealEstateZebra.com
Submitted by Carin Arrigo-Zimmer on April 2, 2009 - 7:34pm.
Hi Teresa,
Great topic and one I have questioned for months. Thank you for bringing this up. Now entering my second year as a full-time agent, I don't have a website of my own yet, but getting much closer to completion. Believe me, I've racked my brain about this subject way too many times. The process of learning a new business is challenging enough, let alone attempting to put a decent website together. Fortunately I closed one transaction last year, and hope to be working with a new seller soon, another referral.
I also like what Daniel shared regarding the differences between leads and traffic. Nothing wrong with generating leads. I only question how many of those leads it takes to generate a few happy and fulfilled clients? RealEstateZebra is more in line with what I like in a website; lot's of interesting narrative, encourages dialogue, and simple to navigate. Not every consumer is drawn to the blogs of Teresa, Daniel, or Carin. One consumer may spend days on an agent's website gathering information of what homes are available between $XX and $XXX, while another might be interested in gaining more knowledge about certain characteristics of a particular neighborhood. As long as we're able to communicate effectively, isn't that what matters?
...and Daniel, answer to your question? No.
Submitted by Morgan Carey on April 2, 2009 - 7:56pm.
Teresa,
There are a couple of things here that bother me about what you have written here:
First of all NOONE should automatically respect what you have posted here simply because you have built a reputation as a good blogger - cmon folks did you actually read what she just posted?
Consider for a momoent - someone who gets attention from blogging is standing on a soapbox promoting blogs as the be all / end all - imagine that) while at the same time discrediting perfectly valid and IMHO more effective methods of "business generation" for realtors.
I am sorry but I have absolutely no respect for your uninformed opinions posted here and I would be so bold as to advise inman to be a little more selective with respect to their chosen authors as posts like this make this site seem very unprofessional / uninformed.
Yeah yeah, you are picking on a blogger promoting blogs but aren't you a website vendor selling the very thing that has just been trashed? Aren't you biased? Darn rights I am! But there is a difference, I am willing to qualify my statements and back them up with hard numbers and data.
Daniel - what's a "lead" - A lead is unique personal information captured via a website (or blog) that in order to qualify (for me) must be a first name, last name and email as a minimum - (optional phone numbers are always good) - a lead is also a phone in (from the website) that provides the same information.
What is a "conversion rate"? Out of every 100 absolute unique visitors (for my purposes I measure this using Google analytics) you get "x" leads. A good website product will run 3-5% minimum for a template with IDX and we run 7-12% as an average on our LEC & custom websites.
I have nothing against blogs btw - (I build custom blogging platforms in fact, and you will find a wordpress or REW blog on virtually every one of my sites) - but I DO have something against a blogger standing up and saying you don't need a website because a blog can do everything a website can do - this is NOT true.
A website can (and should) have a blog attached to it and it's enhanced - but a blog with no website attached (no IDX features, no lead capture mechanisms etc) is diminished.
(Webmaster now gets off his soapbox)
Real Estate Webmasters is currently accepting registrations from the worlds most web savvy Realtors.
Submitted by Louis Cammarosano on April 2, 2009 - 9:06pm.
morgan is correct
Just because someone is a good blogger
Doesn't mean they are a good realtor
It only means they are good at expressing
Their opinion
As mitch riback one of Homegain's customers
who sells hundreds of homes a year using Homegain and a templates web site often states ---before listening to any one
Who claims to have it all figured out ASK
to see their commission numbers
If they refuse to show them assume they are
Just blowing hot air
Submitted by Morgan Carey on April 2, 2009 - 9:28pm.
Ummmm I didn't say anything about what kind of "Realtor" this author is, I have no idea how many homes this person sells
- just to clarify -
My contention is that I don't think she is qualified to write about internet marketing / website technologies as she clearly does not have a grasp on the subject.
Submitted by Louis Cammarosano on April 3, 2009 - 6:06am.
Morgan
I have no idea how many homes "this author" sells either.
However, usually someone who is doing well with a certain internet marketing strategy, they usualy sells a lot of homes. That makes them a good realtor.
There would be more weight behind someone's opinion who writes "Three months ago I took X action, or implemented Y strategy here are the improved results"
Merely stating that you are going to do something or have done something with no supporting data to show that it worked is nothing more than giving one's opinion because people will listen to you.
Someone who has a lot of blog or twitter followers makes them good at social media, not necessarily good at selling homes, which to me is the mark of a "good" realtor.
So, is the author a good blogger yes. We see the evidence.
Do her methods work? Is she a "good" realtor by the definition of do her methods work- we have no idea.
Submitted by Teresa Boardman on April 3, 2009 - 10:49am.
I have to agree with the comments about being a good blogger vs. being a good Realtor. The blog just helps me meet people it doesn't sell houses.
Submitted by Teresa Boardman on April 3, 2009 - 11:30am.
Morgan - I am not a vendor. I think web sites have some value or I would not have taken the time to build one. The one I had never got above a PR of 3, my blog has a PR of 5, I have a new site that is 2 months old and it already has a PR of 3. I may not be an expert but I am able to get the kind of results I want and that is all that I need to know how to do. My results could be better I am sure, so could the results that most agents get through template sites.
Submitted by Louis Cammarosano on April 4, 2009 - 6:06am.
Teresa
Many of the homegain blogs that you get with our agentview product that also allows you to post your listings and profiles in separate tabs got page views of 3 and 4 in the recent google rankings.
All in an advertising free environment
More importantly, just about all of the agents that use their homegain blogs achieve top 3 status on google for key words like [city name] real estate blog
Check out brooklyn real estate blog, melbourne real estate blog, genoa real estate blog and two week old tampa real estate blog
Also these blogs come with built in traffic from our home sale maximizer and home valuation tools which can be found in the adjacent tabs.
Here is an example -take a look and you'll see for in many instances just $29 a month you get a lot more than having your own blog.
http://www.homegain.com/blogs/HeatherLawson-5340164
Have you ever seen these blogs?
Submitted by Peter Toner on April 8, 2009 - 11:34am.
Just read the last comment and OK, please excuse me for asking the dumb question ...
Why would someone pay $29 a month for a Home Gain blog that has - right above their name and contact info - a link to find a Realtor? A link that takes the visitor right off your beautifully crafted blog entries and right into the hands of Homegain to redirect at their will?
Agents - take control of your online identity - don't fall for the "look how easy it is" sales pitch of Active Rain, Trulia and all the others wanting to dip their hand in your wallet or purse.
Start your own blog, create your own brand, dominate your chosen niche online - if you want to know how click over (blatant product pitch!):
http://webrealestatetools.com
Oh, and by the way the examples of Google front page rankings? Consumers don't search for melbourne real estate blog, or any other town/city blog - it's only Realtors who do that. Consumers search for terms like san diego housing prices, san diego median house price or more local specific locations like oceanside san diego foreclosure or reos lemon grove etc. etc - I know, because I have first page Google results for all of them ...
Peter Toner
http://real-estate.sandiegorealestateagent.com
http://foreclosed-sandiego.com
Submitted by Rich Johnson on April 8, 2009 - 1:36pm.
I might just be to old fashioned or unwilling to change my ways but it seems to me that a web site & a blog are 2 different tools in our box both of which compliment each ohter.
A web site whether a template site or personnally designed is the "go to place" for listings which is what the real estate consumer is looking for in the first place. If I add my blog on to the same URL, I am given the opportunity to be a real person rather the sterotypical sales person & might be able to make a personal connection that way.
The probl;em with most blogs is that they are so cluttered that it's difficult to find the property search fields. It appears to me that yours Teresa is a case in point.
I'd optimize my web site so that it's Google friendly & then use my blog to let them know that I really am the best real estate agent in the entire universe - but like I say I'm probably just to old fashioned & set in my ways :)
Rich Johnson
360-319-3267
http://www.johnsonteamrealestate.com
http://www.johnsonteamrealestate.com/blog/