1. Write about the housing style/era of a particular neighborhood or area.
2. Write about a new building project going on in your city. Describe where it is, any benefits to the city or people who may want to live there.
3. Write about the pros/cons of providing a high/low down payment for a home. In other words, if I were to ask you “What should I put as a down payment for a home?” what would you recommend and more importantly why?
When writing/recording your answers explain the why. Most people buying or selling want as much information as possible. The more you explain the more informed they feel and the better you show your expertise.
True story, there are real estate agents out there that still hold the false belief that a blog is like an online diary. Although it can be and probably is being used by some as an online diary, for businesses, (particularly real estate agents) it’s so much more.
You’re right to think that nobody cares to read about what you did today at work. However, people do care to read about how a piece of legislation or a new loan program can benefit (or hurt) their situation.
Blogging has become more than an online diary; it’s become a platform to show (directly or indirectly) that you know your stuff. It acts as window for an anonymous person to see what you are like by reading what and how you write.
If you think you can close a deal better or know more about real estate issues than the agent down the street, your blog can aid you in letting the world know. Is there something a buyer should know when buying a property in 123 District? How would a seller know that they’re home is over priced? Write about that.
When you demonstrate your knowledge with consistent blog posting you gain credibility and you become a resource. And it’s resources that people use when they want to get things done.
Why this matters to you?
As a real estate agent you make a living by helping people buy or sell homes. In order to have this you must generate and convert leads or prospective clients. If a majority of people that are looking to buy or sell are going online for information (and they will get it either from you or your competitor) shouldn’t you position yourself to be the person they find that can help them? “Why, yes of course Tizish guy.”
The amount of people using the internet for real estate information is undoubtedly growing. This means there are people in your city or neighborhood that are looking for information about various topics. As an agent looking to generate more business it’s a no brainer–if people are asking or searching for things related to real estate in your area be the one that provide answers. In other words, go where the business flows.
One of the most common questions we receive is, “my website is great I have so many hits but none of them are filling out my form.” There are numerous reasons why they may not be converting or filling out your form. Bad IDX, too many clicks before they get what they want, asking for too much information, etc.
Make It Easy
For now, I’ll focus on the Ease-of-Use factor. If I’m somebody looking for buy real estate online is it easy to find the “Search For Homes” tab? Or is it hidden somewhere? What you want to do is highlight the feature you are offering. So if you want generate homebuyer leads be sure that your “Search Homes” icon is easily found and noticeable. In other words, if I land on your site and can’t find what I’m looking for (let’s say listings) within a couple of seconds then I’m out of there and you’ve just lost a lead.
Things You Can Do For Better Conversion
Clutter Free Your Site. If you have bells and whistles that distract or take attention away from what you want the person to do get rid of them.
Separate your conversion or lead capture pages. Maybe the reason why people are clicking away from your site is that you’re sending mixed messages. For example, you may be saying “view all properties here” while at the same time asking them to sign up for a home analysis. These double messages decrease conversion. Instead, have one page for a buyer, providing what they want (homes) and an added benefit for providing their information (such as listings alerts). Basically, if you want to capture a lead be precise with the message you want to convey and what you want them to do. Stealthsites are perfect examples of single conversion pages.
Emphasize the benefit of what they receive. When you highlight what they will receive before they provide information you are more likely to gain their trust. Think about it, why would I give you any information if I don’t know what I’m doing it for? What if I don’t want what you may be offering?
Those are a few things you can do immediately that may help with your lead capture and conversion. Hec, if you’re getting loads of hits to your site and aren’t capturing leads it has to be the message your website is sending out. Try it out.
As I surfed the net today through various agent websites I noticed that many agents are still pulling the Gatekeeper card before I could view homes.
The Gate Keeper Real Estate Agent
What I mean by gate keeper is an agent who requires a name and phone number before the person searching is given what they are looking for. There are exceptions (such as a custom analysis) but today I am referring to home buyers and listings.
An example of a gate keeper in action would play out like this:
A person searching for real estate lands on your stealth site sees they can view homes, but before they can view the properties they must fill out information. This information then goes to an agent who will then provide access to homes. Way too long in internet time.
Remember, if it takes longer than a click or two they’re over you.
Don’t Be A Gatekeeper: Gatekeepers Lose
When you’re a gatekeeper more people will click away from your real estate website and look for one where they will get what they are looking for. Simply put, you miss opportunities for new business.
How To Capture Leads: Add a Benefit
Agents often ask, “how do you capture leads if you’re giving the homes for free?” The answer is to provide people with an added incentive or benefit so that they do provide their name and email.
For example, you let them know that they can have “new listings alerts to their email” or you can say something like “have the latest homes that match your criteria sent straight to your inbox the instant they hit the market”.
There are many ways you can do this, I’m sure you’ve thought of a few as well.
As the internet grows and more people head online, real estate agents must be careful to not get caught in the gatekeeper trap. Do not shoot yourself in the foot or put up barriers that will work against you. Give home searchers what they want and then give them an incentive.
Hey Everyone! This is the first video blog post I am doing recording from the second day of the Tom Ferry Success Summit. Stay tuned because your are going to see a lot more video updates coming to this blog. I’m shooting for a trillion posts (haha!).
Let me know your thoughts and observations ladies and gents!
Just wanted to remind all Tizish clients of what to look for from us in the next few weeks.
For the past month, we have conducted a live webinar every Monday on subjects from SEO, Facebook, and Twitter. If you have missed these webinars and don’t have a recorded version for your personal review then please let me know and I will be sure you receive one. Also, be sure to look for the next list of upcoming webinars. We conduct them every Monday at 10am.
Also, we are still in the process of upgrading your entire system. If you have yet to contact us with an update on your system then please do asap. Our training center will be 100% live by August 1st and all the video tutorials and guides are directly related to our newest system specifically. So we encourage you to contact us for the upgrade to ensure you are on track with our latest features and Member Training Center.
If you have any questions send us a quick note by email.
This video shows you how to import your leads from your Buyer Stealth Web System. You’ll learn how to import leads from your Buyer Stealth Site, add emails to a library and how to create an auto apply rule in order for your leads to automatically receive leads from your Top Producer system. Click below to get started.
Facebook tutorial to go over all the processes of how Facebook operates. Understand how it all works and build your business model accordingly.
July 13th, Monday – 10:00am – Twitter System
Twitter tutorial to go over all processes on how Twitter functions and how to best use it. Information covered in this webinar will provide you with a clear understanding of how to best maintain your Twitter engagement.
July 20th, Monday – 10:00am – Facebook and Twitter Tools
I will cover the best Facebook and Twitter Tools that will make assist you in streamlining your follow up and usage of these platforms. These tools will range from interconnecting your blog system to managing your accounts from your phone.
July 22nd, Wednesday – 10:00am – SEO Setup/Tools Follow Up
This is the follow up to Junes SEO Setup webinar. In this webinar you will learn how to use the different SEO tools you have installed and how to measure your SEO success.
July 27th, Monday 10:00am – Facebook and Twitter Brand Building
Learn the important steps that cause your friends and followers to engage with your more. This will effectively build your brand stronger and increase your following.
