House shopping is a huge undertaking for many consumers. There is so much a buyer needs to know. Things like, which neighborhoods are the best, house style and how much house can they really afford.
Real estate agents have a huge task before them. Most concentrate on closing the deal, but before reaching that point they need to brand themselves.
In today’s digital-driven world, having a digital presence is a must.
People are no longer searching the Yellow Pages to find a real estate agent or any other service. They head straight to the internet and do a search for someone in their area. Having a couture website is now your calling card.
Having an awesome real estate brand will set you apart from other agents. It will also help you connect with the right clientele.
If you are a real estate agent, continue reading to learn why your brand needs a savvy website.
It Is Your Online Office
Building a professional brand has many levels. Your website is one of the most important levels. Sometimes it will be the first representation people see.
For some professions, a website, if done right can eliminate the need to have a physical office. You can direct potential clients to your website and when they are ready to meet, schedule an in-person meeting that can take place anywhere.
You have the power to create the real estate brand that works best for you.
You Need a Landing Page
If you are building your real estate brand you probably have a digital marketing strategy to reach potential home buyers.
Many of these strategies direct the consumer to a place where they can get more information about your real estate agency. Otherwise, you will be ineffective in gaining leads.
There are many marketing tools that will need a good website as a landing page. Here are a few.
Social Media
Many business owners make the mistake of thinking that having a social media presence means they do not need a website. This is simply not true.
Social media pages such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and LinkedIn, are a great way to promote your real estate business. Although they can promote your product, they do not give the full scope of what you offer.
When promoting a business on social media you are competing with a multitude of postings. Most of these posts are not related to a real estate brand. You are competing with posts from the user’s family and friends, pet videos and other distractions.
You have a small window to catch someone’s attention who may be seeking a real estate agent. Make the best of it by redirecting them from the distractions and onto your website. Make the focus all about your brand.
Email Marketing
Email marketing is another good way to market your real estate brand. However, it is only as effective as the people you have on your mailing list.
You can utilize the power of your social media presence to get people to sign-up for your email list. This can be done with the use of marketing apps that can be installed on either your social media business page or website.
Once you have a good list going, plan a schedule to follow for sending out marketing material. It can be weekly, semi-monthly or monthly. You can also send out an email every time you have a new listing to showcase.
Another tool is to allow subscribers to determine how often they want to be contacted.
Your email marketing campaigns, as well as content from your social media pages should always come from your website. Give them a little snippet with a link that directs the user to the bigger picture.
Example, post a picture of a home you have listed and include a call to action. The user can take a virtual tour by interacting with a “click here” button that redirects them to your website.
Business Cards
Business cards are a great way to direct people to your website and expose the visitor to everything you have to offer. Once there the visitor will see your bio, home inventory, a blog about the real estate market, and much more.
A business card should include your website, email address and social media keywords. Some eliminate their phone number as a way to entice potential clients to visit their website.
Graphics Can Make or Break Your Real Estate Brand
The key to building your real estate brand is creating an awe-inspiring digital portfolio that can be used for Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
You’re in the business of selling homes and since people are visual, give them what they want.
With today’s technology, you can take amazing pictures with your smartphone camera. You can also invest in a professional photographer who can photograph your listings and feature them in multiple dimensions.
When it comes to (SEO) it is important that you implement tools to optimize your content. This will increase your chances of landing higher on Search Engine Results Pages (SERPS).
As you determine what content will go on your site, you will need to keep four components in mind:
Keywords – are words or phrases that people are searching for on the internet. There are apps and websites that can help you determine what’s trending in your industry.
Links – When you write blogs or other content for your website the page will create a unique web URL. You will use these links on your website by incorporating them into other content throughout your site. In addition, to raise your SEO rankings you will want to incorporate links from other sites into your content.
Tags – is a way to classify content so it is easier to bring up in search engines. Tags can be incorporated into Meta-data, blogs and content headers. Tags include keywords, and your keywords are used to make your tags.
Titles – are the headings you use to identify the content on your website. Be strategic in in the titles you create, because they will make up the URLs for the pages on your website. The goal is having the URL register in SEO when people search for content similar to yours.
The bottom line is, keywords, links, tags, and titles are needed to boost your SEO efforts. They also help you to classify content.
Now that you know a little about SEO, here are ways to use graphics for SEO juice.
Still Photography
If you have spent any time on social media platforms such as Instagram and Pinterest then you know the value of photos. Capturing the essence of what you are selling is key.
Not only does your real estate brand need eye-catching images of the homes you are selling, it also needs images of you and your team.
There are many places on your website that you can showcase your talents and introduce yourself to the world. Image placing is important. Include your image on the home page, above the fold. Place it on your “about page” and again on your “contact us” page.
To highlight your staff, consider doing a “meet the team” page where you introduce each member of your team and list their position and credentials.
Don’t just post pictures and forget about them. Keep images current. Move sold properties from current listings to a portfolio highlighting your success.
Remember to update staff photos
Videos Are Ideal for Building a Real Estate Brand
Video can be used in many ways to help with your real estate brand.
Instead of a traditional testimonial page on your website, create videos of your satisfied customers entering the new home on the closing day. Word of mouth will always be a great way to market your business and grow your brand.
Another interesting video trend is innovative technology using 3D virtual home tours. Real estate websites are the perfect place for these type videos. You can use them for a flashy intro to your website, or as an aerial view of the cities you serve.
They can also be used as the cover graphic of your Facebook page.
Be a Subject Matter Expert
A newer way to incorporate video into your brand strategy is via popular “Live” tools available on platforms like Periscope and Facebook. You can do five-minute Vlogs giving tips on the real estate market.
Go a little further by showcasing a home a day. Take your audience on a mini-tour of listings or let them be a part of your next open house.
Be personable and open up for a Q & A session at the end. Present yourself as an expert in your field.
All videos, whether staged or Live feeds can be uploaded to your website. Afterwards, post the links from your website on all of your social media platforms.
Always be mindful that people are looking for authenticity. Don’t focus so much on being perfect. Just give them real, relatable experiences in your videos and photos.
A Website Is Needed For a Google My Business Page
If you watch reality TV, you will probably hear the term “Google Me.” Google My Business Page (GMB) is a feature that business owners can activate on Google to assist with SERP results.
If you go to Google and enter the name of a business, celebrity or television show their GMB listing will appear in the right column of the search page.
The GMB can contain the following information:
- Website Button
- Directions to your office, including a Google Map
- Contact information that includes address, phone number and more
- Social media links
- Brief bio of your business
- Images
- Links to people who may be associated with your business
- Business Reviews
If your real estate brand is taking off this is a great tool to use. As people begin to recognize your name and the name of your agency, they will enter them into the local search engine. Your GMB will pop-up automatically giving them all the information they need to find you.
GMB is a good way to raise your website in search rankings.
You Need a Real Estate Blog
In this fast-paced world of branding, you need to establish your place at the top of your industry. One way you can do this is by maintaining a blog.
A blog is a way to show that you are an expert in your field. It is also a way to build a relationship with potential clients and others in your industry.
Blogs provide useful content that helps with SEO. If you are not good at writing or do not have the time, you can hire a copywriter.
Your blog can cover a wide array of topics. You can talk about the housing industry, trends in home buying, tips on getting the best mortgage and even home improvements.
The more relevant you are the more popular your real estate brand will become.
The ultimate goal is to become a household name, someone who is well known in your community and surrounding area. You want to be the first name people say when someone asks for the name of a good real estate agent.
You Want to Build Name Recognition
Having a website for your real estate brand that consists of all the tips we have recommended will go a long way in cementing your spot in the industry. People will see you as a professional who is serious about what you do.
When people see a stunning professional website, it makes them feel confident in your abilities. They will see you as a trusted person in the industry.
A website is not just about potential customers, it is also about making past clients a walking talking testament to your service. Whenever someone asks for a recommendation, they can give your name and web address.
Are You Ready to Build Your Savvy Real Estate Website?
Now that you know the importance of building a real estate brand using a website, are you ready to get started?