Dear Realtors:
I used to be one of you. In fact I was a Broker in South Orange County, Ca. I LOVE real estate, I love Realtors and Brokers and Mortgage Folks. I have some news I want to share with you. Remember, this comes from someone who loves you, so take it in that spirit.
Shocking fact number one: You are one of thousands in your area. You do not have a unique occupation, product or service which would allow your name to magically float to the top of search engines when someone does a Google Search for Realtor in your city.
Shocking fact number two: If the person looking for a Realtor doesn’t already know you by name, they won’t be searching for YOUR NAME. They will be searching for Listing Agent Jupiter Florida, or Buyer’s Agent Laguna Beach. So, when you name your website, don’t use your name. Nobody cares. Well, maybe your Mom and your kids care, but nobody else.
Shocking fact number three: Those little webpages that ReMax or Coldwell Banker or Keller Williams gives you. They don’t help YOU. They help the franchise. Period. I guess if you subscribe to the trickle down theory you may be hopeful that someday your “FREE” site will be helpful, but it’s not likely it will help you.
Shocking fact number four: Stop being cheap. Cheap is as Cheap does. I talk to realtors all the time who tell me they can’t afford my services, things are tight, then they post a photo of the interior of their new Mercedes. Keep the old car, pay me the equivalent of that new car payment, feed me good information, and together we have the chance to make you enough money so you can purchase that new car outright.
Shocking fact number five: If you don’t actually use your website, promote your website, and follow-up on any leads generated by IDX broker on your website, it’s not going to work very well.
Shocking fact number six: Save those witty posts you put out on your Facebook Page for your blog. If you post information on your blog, AND you have your blog push that information out to Facebook, LinkedIn, Google +, that will be much more effective in the long run. It gives you four times the Google Juice that one Facebook post all by itself will.
Shocking fact number seven: You are competing with companies who spend millions of dollars a month on SEO, Social Media and Advertising. You can’t win. So start local. Make certain your blog posts address local properties, local things to do, all things local. Become the big fish in the small pond. Then, keep track of where most of your good customers have relocated from, and buy website URL’s which correspond to those areas. And Write Blog posts about those areas..When they key in Providence Rhode Island Real Estate you want your name to come up.
Okay, I believe I have submitted you all to enough shock and awe for today. Just remember its a whole new world out there, and I want you to be successful. If you are successful, and I helped then I will be very proud of both of us.
Cindy Fletcher
