testimonials

How to Ask a Real Estate Client for a Great Testimonial

testimonialsThe Power of Testimonials

Testimonials have substantial influence on potential clients not just in business, but in real estate as well. Client testimonials help separate you from your competitors—they help position you as a “safe” choice.

When people hire you, they want to know they can trust you. They want to know you will get the job done. Testimonials—and great testimonials at that—show them that others have trusted you and had a phenomenal experience. It gives them permission, in a sense, to contact you, but it also compels them to. Buying or selling a home is one of the biggest decisions people make and one way you can reassure them is by providing social proof.

Testimonials are also a useful marketing tool. If you want to target first-time home buyers or millennials, having a testimonial from a millennial or first-time home buyer who has worked with you is beneficial. In order to get testimonials, however, you have to ask for them.

No or Limited Testimonials

You may be losing clients if you have limited testimonials or don’t have any at all. Not having solid testimonials can be an indication that you either haven’t satisfied customers or that you’re inexperienced. You don’t want that!

Testimonials also establish authority, which is very important in the online world where you don’t have as much face-to-face interaction to begin with. When you establish authority, you position yourself as an expert and leader, and people trust those who are at the top of their field.

If one of your competitors provides solid testimonials and you don’t, they will benefit from more online leads even if they don’t provide a better service than you.

So, how do you professionally ask for a testimonial from a real estate client?

How to Properly Ask a Real Estate Client for a Testimonial

It’s not difficult to get great testimonials, you just have to be proactive with former clients. If, for example, a satisfied buyer or seller does not provide you with a testimonial, contact them and ask for one. Satisfied clients are always more than willing to endorse you—you just have to ask.

You’ll likely have a number of satisfied customers, so here are a few things to keep in mind when you’re trying to determine who to ask:

  1. Choose a Unique Story

    Select clients who have a unique story, so it pulls readers in. Think about all of the clients you’ve had and each of their situations and pick the ones that you feel stand out.

  2. Choose People Within Your Target Market

    Make sure that you showcase clients who fit your target market. This will help others identify with the testimonial and see that if you can help someone similar surely you can help them, too.

  3. Utilise Face-to-Face Engagement (if possible)

    If possible, meet your client in person over a cup of coffee or lunch and bring a recorder. Typically, getting your testimonial in a face-to-face setting makes it more engaging than merely receiving it via email.

  4. Plan

    Make sure you ask your testimonial provider to be specific about how you’ve helped him or her. The best testimonials are specific to who you are and they tell readers the problem that you helped solve. Provide some insight for your testimonial provider, so it’s not all fluff. What’s the pain point for your potential clients? Ask your testimonial provider if you helped alleviate their stress or worry and ask him or her to share about that.

Testimonial Mistakes That Are Easy to Make

You may still be trying to wrap your head around how to ask for a testimonial from a real estate client, but rest assured that if you take the bold step to ask, your satisfied clients will almost always be willing to provide you with one. In the meantime, keep these common testimonial mistakes in mind, so that you don’t make one (or more) yourself.

  • Don’t provide false testimonials. Providing false testimonials is unethical and can be really damaging to your business and brand.
  • Don’t refine the testimonial so much that it doesn’t look anything like the original. People value honesty and will connect with a testimonial that reads like it really came from someone.
  • Don’t ask for something too positive. Genuine testimonials often address worries clients might have had and that’s ok. It helps readers connect and identify.
  • Don’t post vague testimonials. Specific details that address how you or your services benefited your client are more engaging and successful with potential clients.

Now that you know how to ask past satisfied clients for testimonials and what to avoid when asking for testimonials, start asking!

Did You Know? - Blog

Did you know about our Online Vendor Report?

The team at iProperty knows how important it is to keep your vendors notified as to what is going on with their property with such things as open Home & Private Inspection Feedback & Opinions. This can be a full time job in itself especially when a vendor may be hard to get ahold of.

iDashboard brings you real time, live vendor reporting with our online vendor reporting tool.

With Vendor Reporting each of your vendors receive their own unique report link to visit on their mobile, tablet or desktop. The secure and unique link means that there is no username, login, pin or password for your vendors to remember .

You can do away with printing off weekly vendor reports and go green with this great online solution. And in addition to your vendor always having the most up-to-date information on their property you can even customise the experience to suit your office.

Customise your Vendor Reporting experience:
  • Open home visitors, their opinions, and general feedback
  • Private inspection visitors, their opinions, and general feedback
  • Prospective buyers and their opinions
  • Offers, including offer amount and date made
  • Listing history, including all of the updates you have made in iDashboard

 

Blogging

How to Provide Value On Your Real Estate Blog

BloggingContent marketing is changing the way we market. It’s revolutionising the way real estate agents connect with clients, generate leads, and drive traffic to their websites.

Content marketing and blogging may seem like a simple formula:

Making content + Getting people to click on content = You get clients

BUT, it’s not that simple.

Readers must go through a process, and you have to take them through that process. They first:

Discover, and then begin to trust you, and then reach out to you.

Content marketing is more of a journey of helping the reader discover than it is a magic formula.

You need to provide value and help readers trust you. Making GOOD content is one way that you do that. So, how do you provide value on your real estate blog and produce good content?  Here are some key points to consider.

Your Reader Has Problem

You need to know who your ideal customer is and what problem or problems they face. Are they struggling to obtain a home loan? Are they having trouble finding something to do on the weekends? Do they understand what to look for when buying a home? Do they know what to do when selling a home? Your customers seek answers to questions and they’re looking for a solution. You can position yourself to be that solution.

Use Your Content to Solve the Problem

Your potential clients are online, searching for answers. You want them to find your content. You want to help them solve their problem, so you can position yourself as valuable and trustworthy. Once you’ve answered their question, they make a mental note of your site as a helpful resource. They’ll likely make their way back to you when they have more questions.

Every Interaction Builds Trust and Perceived Value

Every positive interaction your reader has with your content builds trust. It also increases your perceived value. Any time your reader – who is now a fan – has a problem in your particular area of expertise, he or she will come to you.

Consistent Delivery

It takes time to build trust and authority. You have to consistently deliver valuable content to your readers. When readers can count on you, they become fans and recommend you to others. You’re now building a reputation.

Google

This process of valuable and strategic content creation will help you obtain ranking in Google search: the world’s number one search engine. This is one of the key ways your potential clients discover your content, thus discovering you.

When your reader, who is now your fan, is ready to buy or sell a home, they’re going to turn to you. They’ve become your dream client—they’ve consumed your tips and advice, they’re prepared, and they already know they want to use you. By consistently providing valuable content, you’ve positioned yourself as a trustworthy expert. Your content is more trustworthy than any billboard or branded advertisement.

New Feature Sticker for iDashboard Products

Introducing the Health Dashboard for Principals and Office Managers

New Feature Sticker for iDashboard ProductsWhat if a system like iDashboard could tell you everything you need (or want) to know about your business in one neat and compact screen? That’s what we have done with Health.

The main purpose of iDashboard is to help you manage your prospects, listings and database in a way that helps your business succeed. That’s why we have developed a simple yet powerful way to measure your business at a glance.

No longer will administrators need to print of a swath of different reports each week for their Principal or Office Manager as this key data is now presented to the Principal or Office Manager as soon as they log into iDashboard.

The new Health screen is an information management tool that is used to track live KPIs, metrics, and other key data points relevant to your Real Estate business. The new Health screen simplifies data sets to provide users with at a glance awareness of their office and their employees current performance.

As a Principal or Office Manager you won’t need to search far for the new Health Dashboard, it is the first thing you see when you login to iDashboard.

In order to see the new Health screen users must:

  • Have their profile set to Principal & Office Manager
  • Belong to a role that is a super group

This is the first of 4 new Health Dashboards planned for iDashboard. Once Principals and Office Managers are familiar with Health we will be rolling out similar versions for users in Sales, Property Management and Administration (each of which will display slightly different data when released).

This new Health screen displays the following live data for Sale properties (Leases are not yet included):

Appraisals
  • The total number of Appraisals
  • The total list value of Appraisals currently in iDashboard (based on the Lower Appraisal Price)
  • The approximate GCI of Appraisals (based on your Base Commission setting in Admin)
  • The number of new Appraisals conducted this month
  • The number of Appraisals lost to a competitor this month
  • The number of Appraisals rejected this month
Listings
  • The total number of Listings
  • The total list value of Listings currently in iDashboard (based on the Lower Listing Price)
  • The approximate GCI (based on your Base Commission setting in Admin)
  • The number of new properties Listed this month
  • The number of Listings that are older than 60 days
  • The number of Listings Withdrawn this month
Contracts
  • The total number of properties that are Under Contract (based on status)
  • The total contract value
  • The approximate GCI (based on the Selling Fee of each property and your Base Commission setting in Admin if a contract property does not have a Selling Fee set)
  • The number of new Under Contract properties this month
Solds
  • The total number of properties that are Sold (based on status)
  • The total contract value of your Sold properties
  • The approximate GCI (based on the Selling Fee of each property and your Base Commission setting in Admin if a sold property does not have a Selling Fee set)
  • The number of new Sold properties this month
VPA Outstanding
  • The total number of Listings and Contracts that have a negative Vendor Expenses balance
  • The total value of all negative Vendor Expenses

Vendor Expenses can be both debited and credited on individual properties – if there a more debits than credits on a property then it will contribute to this card. Expenses can be amended on the Expenses tab inside each individual property. Refer to Office Reports >> Outstanding VPA for a list of all properties with a negative Vendor Expense balance.

Days on Market
  • The average days on market for the last 90 days
  • The average days on market for this financial year
Contacts
  • The total number of active contacts in your database
  • The number of new contacts added this week (week begins on Monday)
  • The number of new contacts added this month
Visitors
  • The total number of Visitors this month (via both Open Homes and Private Inspections)
  • The number of scheduled open homes you have coming up in the future
  • The average open home traffic (average visitors per open home)
  • The number of private inspections held this month
  • The number of open home visitors that have not attended one of your open homes before (new visitor)
  • The number of open home visitors that have attended more than one of your open homes (repeat visitor)

Open Home and Private Inspection visitors can be added and tracked via the Inspections tab inside individual properties.

Agent Rankings (Last 30 days)
  • Appraisal Count (#)
  • Appraisal $
  • List Count (#)
  • List $
  • Settled Count (#)
  • Settled $
Sales Funnel
  • Appraisals
  • Listings
  • Contracts
  • Solds
  • Settlements
Property Web Views

Property Web Views shows you the Hits on your website for the Last 7 Days, with the ability to show the week prior.

The Sales Funnel and Property Web Views charts can be printed as well as downloaded in PNG, JPEG, PDF & SVG formats, ideal if you want to include them in team briefings or presentations.

health-principals

Some offices may experience higher than expected counts or values on Appraisals and Solds – this is caused by not advancing properties to their next status. With Appraisals, they can be advanced to Lost, Rejected or Listed – if you have a lot you may want to clean some out by moving them to Lost or Rejected. Similarly with Solds, these need to be advanced to Settled. You can click on the headings of the Appraisals, Listings, Contracts and Solds cards to see those properties on the Real Estate tab.

Remember, this new screen in iDashboard is only visible to users who belong to a super role and who have ‘Principal & Office Manager’ set as their profile. If you are a Principal or Office Manager and are unable to see this screen, feel free to contact our friendly support team who will be able to assist you.

Finally, this is version 1 of the new Health Dashboard for Principals and Office Managers. We have already gathered extensive feedback from Principals who have had a chance to take a sneak peek at this great new feature. If you have any feedback or can think of another metric that would be invaluable to your business on the Health Dashboard, feel free to contact our support team.

find your voice

6 Quick Lessons to Help You Find Your Brand Voice

If you don’t know what your brand voice is, here are six quick lessons to help you discover it:

1. Make a list of adjectives you want people to use to describe you.

Do you want them to say you are: knowledgeable, determined, honest, ethical, relentless, creative, helpful, visionary? After you’ve made a list, narrow it down to three adjectives.

2. Ask other people what they think is special about you? 

Ask them what your “secret sauce” is. Make note of what they say.

3. Make a list of five successful people or professionals that you either know, follow, or respect.

Examine each person. How are they similar or dissimilar? What about each person do you admire? Many times what we admire about a person is what we hope to one day be.

4. Ask yourself the question, “What makes me different?”

What sets you apart? What do you do or what will you do that makes you different? Hone in on what your strengths are and what makes you unique. The whole point of being different is that you are different, so don’t be afraid to stand out.

5. Answer this question: “Who is the most important audience that I need to speak to?”

Everything you say online and all of the content you create will be discoverable on the Internet. When you identify and communicate with your most important audience, you make sure your personal brand represents what you value and what they value.

6. After you write something or after you’ve communicated something, ask yourself: “How does this make me feel?”

As you work to find your authentic voice, check in with yourself. Does what you’re saying sound like you? How does it make you feel? Is it the same way you want your audience to feel? It’s easier to communicate consistently, and to stay motivated to communicate, when you’re your true self. Don’t fake your voice or try to make it sound like someone else.

Now that you’ve discovered your brand voice, dig into our post An A to Z Guide to Personal Branding. It’ll help you continue to develop your personal brand.

Personal brand

An A to Z Guide to Personal Branding

Personal brandA powerful personal brand helps you influence and impact people, whether you impact them by helping them find the home of their dreams or influence the way they think about property buying and investment. As a real estate agent, you want to establish a credible personal brand that is true to the message and person you want to portray.

An effective personal brand strategy has many benefits, including:

  1. Increase in clients
  2. Opportunities for leadership
  3. Beneficial partnerships
  4. High brand loyalty
  5. Higher perception of industry leader
  6. Increased credibility
  7. Brand recognition
  8. Higher value

Use this A to Z guide as a strategy to help you improve your personal brand:

A—Authenticity

Be true to who you are. If you try to copy someone else, you’ll just be a second-rate version of the original. Discover what makes you unique and build your brand based on those capabilities and strengths. Be the authentic you.

B—Blog

An easy-to-navigate website is the engine that runs your brand. Your blog is the fuel for that engine. If you haven’t already started a blog, start one. Once you do, blog consistently, produce great content, and you’ll achieve greater reach and impact.

C—Content

Valuable content attracts people. It’s magnetic. It compels them to read more from you and to learn more about you. Create a mix of valuable content to earn the trust that your brand needs. It will help you create mindshare or consumer awareness about your services. When people think of real estate, you want them to think of you!

D—Define Audience

Define the pain points of your audience and how you can help them. Surveys are useful. Listen to your audience and figure out what problems they have and what it is they’re looking for. Define your audience and focus on their needs, not what you perceive their needs to be.

E—Email List

Email is your number one way to reach your audience. It’s private and permission-based. Make it a priority to develop an email list and use it.

F—Focus

Wishy-washy brands that don’t stand for anything or that are too mixed vanish. Define a focused niche, so you can connect with the minds and hearts of those you want to influence.

G—Graphic Design

Everything that you put out should be congruent with your brand. Develop an attractive logo, accurate color palette, and design standards that reflect your brand.

H—Help Others

Find ways to be helpful and intentional. Don’t wait for opportunities to come to you, create opportunities. Be quick to advocate for a meaningful cause, volunteer, or connect with people.

I—Influencers

Surround yourself with people who are smarter and further ahead than you are. Influential people surround themselves with leaders, and find ways to be of value to them.

J—Join

Find groups online or in person that you’d love to get involved with or would be proud to be a part of. Affiliations help you grow, improve, and strengthen your brand.

K—Keywords

When people search, you want them to find you. Create a list of targeted keywords and use them often on your web pages and in your content.

L—LinkedIn

LinkedIn is the prominent social media network in the professional world. Take it seriously and learn how to successfully use it.

M—Media

Media is vital, but it’s also complex and overwhelming for some. Determine what “channels” are the most effective in your field and use them to promote your brand.

N—Network

Connect with others globally, regionally, and locally. Have something of value to distribute and follow through with any promises you make.

O—Opine

Don’t be afraid to upset someone or disturb something. You don’t need universal appeal. Voice your opinion, take a stand, and be bold. No one stands out when they don’t stand for something—they’re just perceived as bland.

P—Photo

In order for people to make a personal connection with you, you need to have a photo on your website and across all social media channels.

Q—Questions

Ask questions and listen closely. Ask people to tell you their stories and their ideas, but make sure you listen.

R—Recognise

Recognise, both publicly and personally, every person who has played a part in your success or growth. You are not going to achieve your goals on your own, so thank the people who help you.

S—Slogan

Develop a clear and memorable slogan that fits your brand. Your brand should tie into the promise you make and your slogan should adequately confirm that promise.

T—Teach

Often the people you admire are the ones who taught you. They may have taught you valuable lessons or strategies, they may have become a trusted advisor. Commit to teaching and passing on the lessons you have learned. You’ll build your brand by becoming a trusted advisor yourself.

U—Understand Triggers

Strong brands understand what triggers people, and emotions trigger people. Don’t focus on intellectual arguments. Learn about psychology and the way your target audience thinks and behaves.

V—Voice

It’s true that people remember how you make them feel more than what you say. How you say something is more important than what you say. Develop an authentic voice that’s true to your brand.

W—Win Friends and Influence People

“How to Win Friends and Influence People” by Dale Carnegie is coined a manual for how to understand influence. Read it, reread it, and win new friends.

X—eXamine

Use Google Analytics and other online analytical tools to understand how many visitors you’re getting to your site. It’ll help you break down page views, where your traffic is coming from, and help you improve your performance.

Y—You

Writing emotively is done by writing in a first person, conversational tone. The reader is “you”; you are “I.”

Z—Zeal

Zeal is an “enthusiasm that makes a person determined to do something.” You have to have zeal to build a brand that connects with your customers.

Your personal brand already exists. People already think of you in a certain way and you are already behaving in a certain way. You don’t have to be boastful or distasteful in order to promote your personal brand.

Personal branding is merely a way to communicate with people before you meet them. Your personal brand describes who you are and what you want to be known for. Use this A to Z guide to start building your personal brand and telling the story you want to tell.

New Feed Sticker for iDashboard Products

squiiz.com.au & irene.com.au

New Feed Sticker for iDashboard ProductsiProperty welcomes squiiz.com.au & irene.com.au to our family of portal sites that we upload properties too.

squiiz.com.au

“The free Squiiz Portal is an exciting new real estate website which provides a fast and simple way to search for all types of property.

With all of the major real estate groups and independent agencies listing properties on Squiiz, you can browse a huge number of properties which are relevant for you. Simple search functionality will display properties beautifully on your phone, tablet or pc. Whilst your ‘MySquiiz’ account allows you to save Favourites and agent contacts etc.

The free Squiiz App, with patent applied ‘Mobility in the Moment’ technology, offers an even more unique way to search and find property. You can be notified by voice via your smartphone as you approach sale or rental properties matching your search criteria. Simply set your criteria and ‘Let Property Find You’ whilst you’re on the go.

100% owned by the Australian real estate industry, Squiiz is providing everyone with a better online real estate search experience.”

irene.com.au

“Independent Real Estate Offices make up Australia’s largest real estate Network representing some 56% of the Industry.

IRENE is a Facilitator for Independent Real Estate Principals to utilise their unique opportunities whilst retaining their full Individual status.

Simply to take advantage of dominant real estate specific buying power.

Without third party fees the Office receives all benefits and ultimately passed to their Clients.

Extraordinary buying power; Technology support and systems; Specialist training; Comprehensive Office support; and the many benefits from networking with thousands of Offices Nationally.

The Network size brings a unique and critical benefit for the Agency property management business.

IRENE is Industry recognised as an ethical organisation that brings benefits to the Industry overall”

New Feed Sticker for iDashboard Products

rentbuy.com

New Feed Sticker for iDashboard ProductsiProperty welcomes rentbuy.com to our family of portal sites that we upload properties too.

“rentbuy.com is the new property site for buying, selling or renting a home, commercial property, holiday rental or buying a business in Australia. rentbuy.com is owned by Rent Buy Pty Ltd.

You can use our site to buy, rent or share a home, view new home or apartment, rent holiday accommodation, search for a business to buy, commercial properties to rent or buy, or find an agent. You can even search real estate on your mobile phone.”

Rentbuy Features Include
  • Mapped search results
  • Remembers your recent searches & recently viewed properties
  • Suggests streets and suburbs as you type
  • Saves properties without needing to be logged in
  • Shows properties in neighbouring suburbs
  • Quick and efficient search process – view all properties in a suburb on one map without clicking through pages
  • FREE Standard Listings
    Standard listings on rentbuy.com are free. Sign up your agency and contribute to the growth of a challenger brand in the Real Estate listing space, while increasing your marketing reach.
  • Upgrade your Properties Exposure with Premium Listings
New Feature Sticker for iDashboard Products

New Contact Reports

New Feature Sticker for iDashboard ProductsThe team at iProperty are proud to announce the addition of New Contact Reports in iDashboard.

We now have the following reports available from the Office Reports – Contact Reports section in iDashboard:

Contact Exporter

This report allows you to export your contacts based on different filter options, you can also select what data fields you wish to display/export. The exporter offers 5 different export options being Copy (to clipboard), CSV, Excel, PDF and the option to print.

Past Buyers

This report shows you buyers that have purchased properties during a search period.

Past Vendors

This report shows you vendors that have sold properties during a search period.

Unsubscribed Contacts

This report shows you contacts that have unsubscribed from your campaigns during a search period.

sms

Mobile Text Marketing Strategies for Real Estate Agents

smsText Message Marketing

We’re all aware that the cell phone has taken this modern era by storm. Everything – and we mean everything – is shifting to mobile. We need mobile-friendly websites, mobile-friendly advertisements, and mobile-friendly marketing strategies.

One thing that is revolutionising real estate businesses is mobile text marketing. This gives real estate agents and agencies a powerful tool in their mobile marketing pocket. In real estate, it’s been crucial for people to stay connected with their clients, so they have instant access for queries or additional information. Most customers appreciate mobile for its flexibility and power of reach. Like instant messaging, text messaging is fast. It’s immediate, personal, and interactive. Utilising text message marketing can facilitate interactive engagement between real estate agents and customers and is a great way to market and network. It’s a useful tool for maximising sales leads.

The Benefits of Mobile Marketing with Text Messaging

Some additional benefits of text marketing strategies are:

  • Ease of Use for Small and Medium Businesses

    Small or medium businesses can easily launch a text marketing campaign.

  • It’s Inexpensive

    Text marketing campaigns are reasonably priced and have a small barrier to entry. Both sending and receiving sms messages come at a low price as opposed to other marketing strategies which can be more costly.

  • High Reach

    Data reveals that more and more Australians are turning to mobile-only. 2 million Australians had a mobile-only phone and no fixed-telephone line at home as of December 2014, according to research data released this year. Approximately 30.2 million Australians own mobile phones, according to a 2011-2012 acma Communications Report. Text messaging is becoming one of the primary ways we communicate and, with those numbers, text message marketing has a high penetration rate.

  • Gateway for Other Mobile Marketing

    We can’t even begin to imagine what mobile marketing will look like in its entirety in the future, yet there are already revolutionary methods on the horizon. Text messaging is a way to build the mobile relationship with your customers. If you start texting them now and maintain that relationship, you’ll start off on a better foot as other forms of mobile marketing grow in popularity.

How to Start Your Text Marketing Campaign

You’re probably thinking that all of this sounds great, but you don’t know where to begin. You likely have a small list of numbers collected in your contact list from the people who reach out to you, so begin with that and then use these tips to initiate your text marketing campaign:

  1. Select Your Target Audience

    Before you design your marketing campaign, figure out which customers you want to target. You’ve likely read that millennials are entering the property market (finally!), so you may want to target them first. Think about your target audience, and then design your campaign.

  2. Collect Numbers

    Collect mobile numbers wherever possible, wether its from your existing database, Open Home attendees or through a campaign to collect mobile numbers from current or prospective clients.

  3. Select a Call to Action

    It’s a good idea to incentivise customers for giving away their phone number. This will help you attract more customers.

  4. Combine it With Other Promotional Efforts

    Your text messaging campaign may stand alone or you can couple it with a launch or an existing marketing campaign.

  5. Keep it Short and Simple

    You’ll likely have a set amount of characters to use (typically 160 characters), so keep your message short and clear.

  6. Test

    Be sure to test the sms campaign before you get started to ensure everything is set up properly and working.

  7. Allow Customers to Opt Out

    When you send your sms campaign, make sure to include an opt-out for your customers. For example, “reply STOP to opt out of these messages,” is a good message to use.

  8. Track Your Results

    Collect data, so you can determine how successful your campaign is. Look at response rates, time of day, and other key information, so you can continue to achieve the greatest return on investment.

Text messaging strategies are just another way you can reach your clients via mobile. Don’t be afraid to employ these techniques and utilise the power of text messaging to collect sales leads. Believe us; you want to start engaging with your customers via mobile now!

Did you know about SMS from iDashboard?

Image of a tablet with Internet Marketing written on it

6 Top Internet Marketing Strategies

Image of a tablet with Internet Marketing written on itYou visit an online store, because you want convenience. You expect to find what you want, pay, and finish shopping in a matter of minutes.

Online marketing strategies for business and real estate websites should follow the same philosophy. Give your users what they want, help them find it easily, and give them a way to complete their transaction.

Online retailers know what online shoppers want: a no-hassle, simple and easy shopping experience. When it comes to real estate websites, not all real estate agents have discovered this. Many agents focus on having every bell and whistle without considering the marketing strategy behind their website. Often the real estate websites distract buyers and sellers, making it impossible for them to find the information they’re looking for.

Your marketing strategy needs to be stitched into the fabric of your website.

It’s not something you should think about after your website is live. However, if you already have a website up and going all is not lost. You can still implement these strategies and give buyers and sellers a more simplified experience that helps them complete their transaction (a.k.a. contact you)!

Keep your website simple, straight-forward, and mobile-friendly. These 6 strategies will help you do that and should be your priority. Put them at the top of your online marketing strategies to-do list and start working on them as soon as possible.

  1. Website Function

Your website’s function should be the first priority on your list. If your website isn’t up and running, buying a good domain is the first step you need to take.

If your URL address is not optimised on search engines, it’ll get buried with other websites. It’s a good idea to add your local service area into the URL of your website to improve your search engine rank. For example, “MelbrouneHomesforSale.com ranks better in search results than JaneDoeRealtor.com.”

The strategy behind website function is to bring in more potential buyers and sellers and to optimise lead generation. The way your website functions and is set up will either encourage people to stay and browse OR leave quickly and never return.

Make sure your website has these basic functions:

Over 90% of mobile users—especially millennials— access website content on mobile devices. It’s not only important to understand how millennials and home buyers use mobile when purchasing a home, but to ensure your website is highly function on mobile devices.

Fast loading images ensure that people don’t get frustrated waiting for pictures to load and leave your website. Targeting keywords on every one of your website pages will help improve your search ranking, and call to action buttons will prompt users to subscribe to your updates by giving out their email address.

  1. Website Content

Users will determine whether or not your website is useful by reading your website content. They won’t, however, see your content unless your page can be found. When it comes to website content, the first thing you should do is make sure it is search engine optimised for strategic keywords.

Make sure you research Google’s current search and social media algorithms to ensure your keyword usage is beneficial and will function properly. If you’re hunting for real estate website content ideas, these items should be top priorities:

  • Up-to-Date SEO Content
  • Valuable Blog Posts
  • Neighbourhood Pages
  • Interactive Maps

The goal of your website content strategy is to make sure your content is easy to find on search engines, interesting to read, and valuable to your readers.

  1. Link to Social Media Platforms

You likely know by now how important social media is for your overall real estate marketing strategy. While successful real estate agents implement a number of social media strategies, an important strategy is to ensure your social media platforms are linked to your website.

Make sure you add social media icons to your website. The leading social media platforms reach about 40% of online shoppers, which is why you need social media for an effective inbound marketing strategy. Link these platforms, and if you’re not on one of them yet, we suggest you consider creating a profile.

Your social media platforms should encourage visitors to your website, and then help them stay up-to-date on your posts and information. When you link your platforms to your website, they have more ways to follow you and your content.

  1. Adding Subscribers

Your email list is still king when it comes to business. You own your list. It’s one way you can count on getting in front of your clients and potential clients. Not everyone on every social media site is always going to see your posts and new listings, but email allows you to still get in front of them. It’s how you can turn visitors into regular visitors to your website.

A CTA (Call to Action) subscribe button works best when it’s at the beginning and end of your posts and on a sidebar. If your content is good, you’ll get more people willing to opt in.

If you use a subscription sign-up box, make sure it is optimised in such a way that if someone subscribes, they aren’t asked to subscribe every time they enter your site. It’s also a good idea to add a subscription landing page to your website that is search engine optimised. On the landing page, tell subscribers what they’ll get from subscribing to your site and include a downloadable file giveaway, such as a short eBook.

  1. Performance Tracking

Before you go live (or if your site is already live), make sure you have statistics tracking tools built into your website, so you can analyze what is effective and what isn’t. Take note of the most viewed content, subscription rate peaks, peaks and lulls in traffic, and high performing times of day. 

  1. Reach out to Professionals

A lot of elements and pieces go into creating effective online marketing strategies. Now that you know what’s involved, you can save time and energy by enlisting the help of professionals. At iProperty, we create responsive real estate website design and mobile websites that look great on any device. Talk to us today, and we’ll help you knock out a few items on your online marketing strategy to-do list.

New Feature Sticker for iDashboard Products

New Agency Reports

New Feature Sticker for iDashboard ProductsThe team at iProperty are proud to announce the addition of New Agency Reports in iDashboard.

We now have the following reports available from the Office Reports – Agency Reports section in iDashboard:

Auto Stats Contributing Settlements

This report can be used to verify your settlements that will be used by your franchise for awards. Items that will have a negative impact on your awards are in red, such as missing VPA or GCI.

Auto Stats Contributing Managements

This report can be used to verify your managements that will be used by your franchise for awards. Both Acquired and Lost managements are shown.

Commissions

This report shows you commission breakdowns and amounts for settlements during a particular period. For example you can find out how much commission your office earned in a given period, such as a month or quarter.

Conversions

This report shows you property status conversions for an individual agent. For example for a single agent you can find out how many Appraisals were converted to Listings.

Internet Activity

This report displays the Internet Activity (Hits) for your website and individual properties. For a more detailed ‘day by day’ view for a particular property, please go to ‘Web Views’ within the property you are interested in viewing the analytics for.

Settlements

This report shows you Settlements and relating information. For example you can see all Settlements for a particular period.

Suburb Performance

This report shows you settlement performance on a per-suburb basis. If a suburb has more than one settlement then averages (Avg.) for that suburb will be shown.

Yearly Conversions Summary

This report shows you property status conversions for your agency. For example you can see how many appraisals were recorded and converted to listings on a month by month basis.

Yearly Sales Summary

This report shows you sales figures for a year, tallied monthly. For example you can see Total Contracted performance month to month.