Whether triggered by market changes, competition, mergers, or an outdated image, every branding strategy needs periodic updates to keep pace with the latest and greatest in the industry.
As a REALTOR®, you are your brand. You promote and market your real estate services on everything from business cards to open house signs, but your brand, your business, is about more than advertising—it’s about the entire customer experience, what you stand for and the expertise you provide to customers.
In this way, your affiliation with the REALTOR® brand can be a powerful component of your branding strategy, instantly affiliating you with the $5 billion, globally recognized and trusted REALTOR® brand while communicating what industry you are in and the professionalism and quality you provide to customers. It keeps you top-of-mind with clients and prospects so that when they need real estate services, they think of you and what you do—.com or .net Web addresses can’t do these things. This is why you need a .REALTOR Web address.
What other advantages do .REALTOR Web addresses provide?
Beyond helping consumers identify you as a trustworthy professional, according to Google Keyword Planner, the term “REALTOR” is searched at least 2.24 million times across the globe on a monthly basis.
.REALTOR domains continue to be seen as the trusted, valued source for real estate information online, which gives you a competitive edge, as search engines are more likely to find and identify .REALTOR Web addresses as relating to real estate than addresses like SamSellsScranton.com.
Why should my Web address include my name?
Your name is part of your brand and your Web address should showcase that. Web addresses also allow you to highlight what you specialize in, such as relocation services. For example, www.relocatedolly.REALTOR, tells users exactly what you do. Or, you can focus on the location you serve, like www.uppervalleylori.REALTOR, or the fact that you serve buyers, like www.buyitwithbrian.REALTOR. You can connect your Web address to any new or existing website as long as it is related to your real estate business. Plus, as a relatively new domain, there are many more available naming options compared to older top-level domains like .com or .net.
Your .REALTOR Web address can also enhance your email address, highlighting you as a REALTOR®, looking more professional than a personal email account with Google, Yahoo, etc., like info@JimFrank.REALTOR.
Do .REALTOR domains cost more? Shouldn’t I stick with a cheaper option?
The .REALTOR domain offers more than Web addresses. It also provides several related services, including .REALTOR promotion, customer support to help set up your website, a privacy feature to secure your information in the public “WHOIS” directory of domains, free and discounted websites, and tools to help you leverage your website in your business. No other domain company offers this level of service.
The .com and .net Web addresses don’t have “REALTOR” after the dot, and ultimately, don’t tell a consumer about the business, industry and the trusted source that you are. Further, you may have a hard time getting a desirable Web address without having to pay premium prices.
REALTORS® can still get their first .REALTOR domain free for the first year. Brokerage firms can claim domains as well. Multi-year and multi-domain discounts are available. Brokerages can also join the .REALTOR Firm Program that provides marketing opportunities and one-on-one technical support for their firm and REALTORS®.
Stay on the leading edge with .REALTOR
Change rarely comes easily, but when it does, it presents opportunities, especially for those who embrace it early. As 2016 approaches, reconsider your brand strategy, and make the .REALTOR Web address a part of your business.
Visit www.about.REALTOR to learn more and claim your domains.
