When consumers are searching for properties, two of the most important things they are looking for are accurate listing data and immediate access to a competent real estate professional who can help them acquire their dream home. At the same time, brokers and their agents want their property listings to reach the largest number of qualified buyers who are ready to make a move. Both consumers and REALTORS® want listings to be easy to search for and locate online and that is where realtor.com® comes in.
Matching the needs of consumers and REALTORS® is a key reason why realtor.com® consistently ranks as one of the top sites in consumer engagement as well as one of the most-visited real estate sites on the Internet. The site records more than 75 million visits each month from 22 million unique visitors who are the most likely to make a home-buying or -selling decision in the near future.
High-Quality Consumer Content that Is Easy to Navigate
Realtor.com® gives buyers what they want in real-time—accurate property listing data, more and larger photos, online videos, mapping features and comprehensive neighborhood information. More than 90 percent of listings are updated every 15 minutes directly from MLS data to give consumers the most current and accurate information available. Users frequent the site because searching for data is made easy through a series of simple checklists that help them identify matching listings and REALTORS® quickly.
Focus on REALTOR® Branding
One of the core goals of realtor.com® is to ensure that a REALTOR® participates in every residential real estate transaction. As a member benefit, realtor.com® provides all NAR members with a variety of free tools they can utilize to market themselves and their services to consumers. These include a personal REALTOR® profile; agent and broker contact information on all listings; a collaborative mobile search app that can help build a loyal customer base; a mobile-listing website builder that helps brokers and their agents easily create QR codes for listings, and more.
Brokers should encourage their agents to claim and update their REALTOR® profiles to leverage another free benefit from the site. Claimed profiles include the REALTOR® logo on the listing next to the agent’s name and a hyperlink directly to their profile page, making it easier for consumers to identify them as a trusted real estate professional, and to make immediate contact.
National Advertising Campaign
Realtor.com® recently launched a new national advertising campaign, “Accuracy Matters,” to educate consumers about the site’s unique strength, delivering the most accurate property listings, and to showcase the value that REALTORS® bring to the transaction. NAR’s latest advertising campaign will also support realtor.com® messaging and further promote the power of the REALTOR® brand.
Mobile and Renter Features
Because of the rising popularity of searching for listings across mobile platforms, realtor.com® has taken the lead in mobile access with its awarding-winning real estate search apps available on all major platforms, including iOS® (iPhone®, iPad®) , Android™, and Windows 8. Now, younger and more mobile buyers and sellers have the most accurate information connecting them to REALTORS® right at their fingertips.
Today’s renters are tomorrow’s buyers, representing a high-potential market segment. Realtor.com®’ s expanded display of rental listings makes it even more likely that a consumer who has used the site for a rental search will use a REALTOR® when they are ready to buy.
By constantly adding new features and functionalities to the site, realtor.com® continues to enhance the connection between NAR members and consumers and ultimately keep REALTORS® at the center of every real estate transaction.
Re:sources
-Visit www.realtor.com/engage to take advantage of all the free tools available to REALTORS®
-View the latest national consumer advertising campaign at http://marketing.realtor.com/consumerads/
