Your real estate website should be a living, growing entity. The idea behind just having a website so that you can say “I have a website” is no longer going to cut it.
I preach constantly about the importance of having a blog but more importantly writing in your blog. The Ubertor website software helps you by automatically adding blog posts for you when you add a new listing, change it to sold or add an open house. Your Ubertor website will grab unique content from your listings and automatically post to your blog. In addition to that, you must be writing in your blog with good quality unique content that describes you, the neighbourhood that you operate in, your thoughts on the market, interesting tidbits, etc.
Most people refer to a blog as a “web newsletter” and assume that it is the same thing. The BIG difference between your blog and a newsletter is that A BLOG GROWS. You don’t replace your June post with the July post. You add to it. That means that your posts from 2 years ago are still on your website thus filling it will good content that remains a part of your website.
Want to see an example of a Realtor that is seeing the results of his blogging efforts?
John Jennings in West Vancouver has an Ubertor website. The automatic blogs happen every time he adds a listings, changes it to sold or adds an open house. John takes a few every moments every few days to update his visitors on Ambleside Real Estate and Dundarave Real Estate. Now, Google those terms…. see what happens.
Ambleside Real Estate – in Google currently has John Jennings as number 1 and 2.
Dundarave Real Estate – in Google currently has John Jennings as number 1 and 2.
Keep in mind, the cheapest home available for sale in Ambleside, West Vancouver is listed for $799,000.00 (not a bad area to come up number 1 in Google)
What areas are your working in? Why aren’t you targeting those areas with your website?
On a side note – John Jennings website is a great example of a beautiful website NOT designed by us. He had his site designed by a 3rd party and then our team coded it so that it works with our software. This question comes up a bit with agents, and the answer is yes, we can do almost anything with our software. Custom designs are great and we can work with them. If you have an interest in getting a custom site I would suggest we chat first as there are some ground rules that are easily followed especially if we chat before you get a new design done. (604-264-1999)
10/26/2006 at 5:21 pm
Great letting us know this feature exists. How do you “Google those terms” as you mention in your copy above. Secondly, how do I hook up with Google and the cost involved. Congratulation on your new HEADER IMAGE FEATURE. Wilf Ray of the Ray Team
10/26/2006 at 5:47 pm
Thanks Wilf.
To Google those terms just type into Google – Ambleside real estate
http://www.google.com
10/27/2006 at 10:03 am
Good post, and I think it’s important that you guys stress this point as much as possible. I’ve gone to many agents’ sites who have a ‘blog’, only to realize that they’re not actually writing anything and that all the posts are generated automatically. Right away I think, “Ah yes, this is an Ubertor site.” IMO, it kinda makes the agent look lazy or disingenuous – and as more and more consumers begin to read blogs, I think they’ll start to think the same thing.
10/27/2006 at 11:33 am
Its all part of educating agents on the importance. Its like them having websites a few years ago but not updating it. Now they update their sites but we need to keep working on them to update their blogs.
10/27/2006 at 12:45 pm
Are you finding it difficult to get the message across?
I notice you do training sessions etc – are agents enthusiastic or skeptical when you discuss blogging?
10/27/2006 at 12:50 pm
Our training sessions are more for understanding everything about the internet and real estate. Blogging is a portion of what we training on, but we cover, Zillow, HouseValues, SEO, Google, etc.
Agents are both enthusiastic and skeptical… it just takes time and education to help them understand the benefits of the net.
We put a lot of effort into training.
10/27/2006 at 9:57 pm
i agree with you aout the blog. i am discobering it right now and am able to talk about more than paint color and roof age. at http://www.shawnmcdonald.ca it is so hard to get my message accross, i will now use my blog to talk about the properties i sell.
10/28/2006 at 12:35 am
Shawn,
Where is your blog? I don’t see it?
Thanks
Steve
10/28/2006 at 9:44 am
http://nanaimorealtor.blogspot.com/ He doesn’t seem to have a link from his homepage, but in his ‘Links’ page.
Hope it works out for you Shawn!