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Do you remember a brilliant business card scene from the American Psycho movie? The main characters discuss the subtleties of color and card texture: shading, thickness, lettering, and spacing. Their business cards seem identical, but somehow they all flinch uncomfortably and withdraw their cards so as not to be compared with Paul Allen’s card. His card is even presented differently, as if it’s in a league of its own. Swap the business card for a real estate website, and you will understand that having a solid, outstanding online presence is essential for success. Your website is often the first point of contact for potential clients. That’s why it is more than just an online business card: it’s the most powerful tool in your marketing arsenal, indispensable in today’s digital world.
If you’re still wondering, “Does my business need a website?” the answer is a resounding yes. Let’s review eleven reasons why every real estate business should have one.
The importance of a real estate website
If you sat down with a notepad and thought of all the good reasons you want to have a website, they would probably be as listed below:
- Online presence
In today’s digital age, online presence is crucial for any business. A website serves as a virtual storefront where potential clients can learn about your services, view property listings, and contact you.
- 24/7 accessibility
A website allows your business to be accessible to clients 24/7. Prospective buyers and sellers can browse listings, gather information, and submit inquiries anytime, even outside your business hours.
- Establishing your brand
Building a well-designed website instantly makes you and your business look more professional. A down-to-a-point bio tells people what you do and who you are. You can showcase your experience and build trust and relationships by showing testimonials of happy clients, ratings, certificates, and all your achievements as a successful estate agent.
- Communication hub
You can build relationships with clients and potential customers thanks to a website. You want to convey the message about your quality services and enable potential customers to contact you ASAP. That’s where website features such as online chat, contact forms, and appointment scheduling come in handy.
- Showcase properties and listings
A website that is informative, visually appealing, and easy to navigate can attract and retain visitors. A sleek and chic presentation of properties in your portfolio, clear descriptions, great video and image modules, and clever animation features are all components of a modern realtor website.
When selling properties online, the property description is your opportunity to shine and create quality content. A well-written and engaging property description can make all the difference in attracting potential buyers and closing the deal.
6 Tips for a well-written property description:
- Lead generation (and conversion point)
It’s great when people visit your website, but you need to know more about your audience. Where they come from, how long they stay, what interests them, and how to get back to them. Speaking in sales terms, you must turn your online visitors into leads and let them go through your sales cycle or funnel.
- Search engine visibility
A well-optimized website increases your chances of appearing in search engine results when potential clients search for real estate-related keywords. This helps drive organic traffic to your site.
- Mobile accessibility
With the rise of mobile devices, having a mobile-responsive website is crucial. A mobile-friendly design ensures your website is accessible and user-friendly on smartphones and tablets.
- Data collection and analytics
A website allows you to collect valuable data on visitor behavior, such as which properties they view, how long they stay on certain pages, and where they come from. This data can inform your marketing strategies.
- Educational resources
You can provide resources to educate clients about the real estate process, market trends, financing options, and more. This positions you as a knowledgeable resource and can lead to better-informed clients.
- Cost-effective marketing
Compared to traditional advertising methods, a website offers a cost-effective way to promote your services, showcase properties, and reach a wider audience.
Source: NAR
You can come up with other benefits and key motivators; having multiple goals for your website is fine if there is a strategy for achieving each. Still, the bottom line is: everybody is online these days, and whatever product or service you need, you turn to Google (or Bing, Yahoo, Safari). We all do it, and there is no need for extra justification.
Your first real estate website
Forget the excuses for not having a website – times have changed, and now creating one is more affordable and easier. Getting a simple website up and running is a matter of days rather than weeks (or months). The bottom line is:
- It’s easy to create a real estate website
In the past, building a website was intimidating. Many small business owners worried they lacked the technical skills to pull off such a stunt. Others thought creating a website would consume too much time and launching or maintaining a website would be too expensive.
With intuitive online website builders, such as Placester, you can either create your own real estate website with the Do It Yourself plan or let experts build one for you with the Do It For Me package. In both cases, the whole process is pretty straightforward and affordable, so your excuse of “no free time, no money” ain’t gonna work 😉
- Anybody can reach you and learn about your services
It is that simple. You can be in a meeting, attending something important, or playing with your kids, but you are open for business, thanks to your website. The online presence means your real estate website includes a “Contact” page with your email and multiple contact options: the possibility to book a call, inquire about the property, or request a call-back.
A website gives your business a launching pad to provide exceptional customer service. You can post your business hours and create a list of frequently asked questions to save your customers time and effort. If you serve local customers, you can add a map to your website so people can find your physical location easily. It is all about making you more accessible, a starting factor in any business. You can be the best at what you do, but what’s the point if people don’t know you?
