Real Estate Marketing & Beyond
Many real estate agent websites I’ve seen over the years have the Realtor’s name in the header and maybe a clever, or not-so-clever, tagline right underneath. An example would be “Joe Heath” at the very top of the site, coupled with “Chicago’s #1 Real Estate Agent” directly below.
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While there’s nothing wrong with this design style and having your name atop your website in no way affects the performance or usability of the site, it’s not the most effective way to grab a home buyer’s attention. When I first log onto a real estate website, I look for just a few things:
1) Does the site have a nice, clean design with a good flow?
2) Is it easy for me to search for the real estate I’m looking to buy or rent?
3) Is it filled with generic, bland content, or does it have the customization and personalization a real estate website needs in order for me to really appreciate what I’m seeing?
Looking for a new home or condo to purchase should be a fun and exciting experience. Yet, scanning through various websites can very easily go from being fun to an overwhelming, and daunting task. On average, homebuyers will go and click on 17 different real estate websites before initiating the first contact with a real estate agent. That’s why it’s extremely important to maintain a solid web presence that makes users want to stay on YOUR website!
What’s the first thing you ALWAYS notice when logging onto a nice, professionally designed website? I would argue that 99% of the time, it’s the company’s logo. It’s no coincidence that national real estate websites such as Zillow, Trulia, or hotpads are all successful. They all generally have the same information; however each web company has branded themselves in a creative and unique way. The logos associated with each company make them recognizable to almost anyone, which is exactly what you should be doing with your real estate business.
Hotpads have found a unique way to brand themselves
Having a logo designed is extremely inexpensive, especially if you use internet services like Elance.com, or even low-cost real estate logos on sites such as FreeLogoServices.com. Generating more traffic for your real estate website is about making sure people enjoy spending time on your site. So dress it up with a new and improved real estate logo that you can use to start branding your own real estate business and let local homebuyers start searching for property on your site; not Trulia or Zillow.
Joe Heath is a graduate of Indiana University and possesses a Graduate Certificate in Real Estate Development from Drexel University. After working in the market research sector and authoring published Market Snapshots for Hanley Wood Market Intelligence, Joe now works as a Web Marketing Specialist and co-owns Real Estate Web Creation with his partner, Ted Guarnero, a 25+ year real estate veteran.
Joe - Thanks for the shout out!
You're welcome, Paul. Thanks for reading!