Realtors Need A Marketing Plan Too
Written by Mandy Reutter
Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
A lot can be said about this analogy as it relates to real estate marketing. It's no big secret that the housing industry is still in recovery mode. I often hear Realtors say that if they can get a few buyers or close a few deals then they could afford to update their technology or invest in a new website. My response is..."If you're not on the web how do you expect to get those buyers?"
Maybe you work for a large broker office that has been around town for 20 + years. The company has name recognition and a team of agents, 400 deep. If you work phone detail at one of these companies, maybe you'll luck out and there is a ready, willing and able buyer on the other end. But beyond that, what are you proactively doing to build your brand and your name recognition on the web?
There is a huge marketplace of buyers and sellers online. If you aren't tapping into them, someone else is. Building your individual, branded website is the bridge to those consumers. How do you do that? Figure out what you want to make this year and create a budget. Find a company, preferably with real estate and web knowledge to build your web presence while maximizing your budget. Face it, if you aren't online these days, you aren't doing business!
- Leads are captured and sent directly to you, no one else.
- Market to a specific consumer based on your niche.
- Create a relationship with interactive profile information.
- Access to the most up to date property search software (since you always have the option of choosing which vendor to use).
- Use the web to freely advertise and direct traffic to your personalized website.
To put it into perspective, most of us have cable or satellite. For the same amount that you spend on your television bills a month, you could have a fully branded web presence. It really boils down to priorities. Being a Realtor is a commitment and at times a labor of love. Payday only comes after the job is done.
And at the end of the day, technology should be working for you. Your return should far out-weigh the investment.
