It’s no secret that today’s consumers rely heavily on the internet and online reviews to shop for everything from housewares to homes. So, how can you ensure that potential customers not only find you, but see how great your team is? You can capture customers with spot-on marketing and keep them with stellar service.
Did you know that more consumers found their agent online at realtor.com® than on any other national real estate site, according to NAR’s 2017 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers? Clearly, having a strong presence on realtor.com® is key to being discovered.
Here’s how realtor.com® impacts business for these successful brokers:
Marketing That Hits the Mark
Toby Lim of Treasury Homes in Vienna, Va., credits realtor.com® marketing for bringing in clients and playing a big part in putting him on track to double his team’s production.
“Marketing with realtor.com® gives you extra credibility that separates you from others. Sometimes customers find me through the app where we’re visible through Local ExpertSM, or they search for a local REALTOR® and find our reviews. I just got a $2 million cash buyer from realtor.com® and recently got a call from a home seller who read our reviews and reached out. We helped them sell and then purchase a new home, providing the full five-star experience. And just increasing my ad spend exponentially increases incoming leads. Some are ready to buy; others will take months or years. It’s a snowball effect, so once you understand how lead generation works with branding and advertising, you can take full advantage.”
Paying Attention to Profiles
For Nick Libert of Exit Strategy Realty in Chicago, the importance of complete and active profiles on realtor.com® is stressed from day one. Agents learn what their profile should look like during orientation.
“You might be the most amazing agent ever, but if a consumer sees your profile and it appears you do no business, you’ve lost them. We want our agents to look as good on the internet as they do in real life.”
Keeping Agents Front and Center
Dani Blain of the Dani Blain Real Estate Team in Tulare, Calif., is excited to use Local ExpertSM and the opportunity for target marketing.
“You’re featured on realtor.com®, and when a client goes to Facebook or another social site, it follows them, keeping you ‘in their face.’ I highly recommend it and know it will benefit our team.”
A Winning Profile Wins Sellers
Jenny Wemert of Wemert Group Realty in Orlando, Fla., was pleasantly surprised when seller leads started coming in.
“We always relied on realtor.com® for buyer leads and thought seller leads were elusive, but suddenly, sellers were calling and asking to be listed. We realized it was coming from our profiles and reviews, so we went full steam ahead on testimonials and now have hundreds from clients telling our story for us. Where buyers come to us for inventory, sellers are researching who the market expert is, and thanks to realtor.com®, our data and sales are transparent now—a huge game changer for us.”
Keeping Customers Onboard
In its 2018 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, NAR asked consumers “What made you stay with the agent?” The top answers were that the agent:
- appeared to be looking after my interests
- followed up with properties that came available
- seemed to be a market expert
The lesson? Online marketing and robust profiles will get you the lead, but it’s your team’s expertise and personalized service that builds customer loyalty.
Learn how to get the most value from your online marketing and stay up-to-date on news, tools and events at industry.realtor.com/latest-news.
