or maybe it is better to say a VOW does not bring you good leads!
Every once in a while a client or potential client will ask me why we do not promote VOW technology. (VOW = Virtual Office Website). Many of our competitors push VOW technology as a way to garner leads from their website but I think that it is not an effective lead generator.
Lots of people have hotmail or yahoo email accounts that they use just to get into protected sites. Or there are free services like this one that provide a disposable email – http://email.bugmenot.com/
A Realtors value is NOT the data, but the interpretation and analysis of the data.
Here is an example of what I’m talking about. Shaun Kimmins, a Vancouver Realtor, had his website with another website provider that promotes the VOW as a way to gain leads. Read Shaun’s email below about his experience with the VOW and the reasons why he moved his web presence over to Ubertor:
To Steve Jagger and Ubertor,
I just wanted to drop you a quick note to say thank you for your service during the recent creation and customization of my new website and to comment on the outstanding product you have created.
For the past 2 years my website resided at a host that features the VOW technology but two factors influenced my decision to move my site to Ubertor. Firstly, the day-to-day workload of maintaining the VOW site simply outweighed the benefits that I had hoped the service would produce and in real estate, time is a scarce and valuable resource. I was initially sold on the idea of VOW’s given their lead generation potential but the reality is that in 2 years I didn’t gain any clients as a direct result of the VOW capability. The other major factor in my decision to switch to Ubertor was that the VOW site was visually complicated, difficult to navigate and would not allow for the level of brand-customization that I wanted in my site.
The astounding level of allowable customization in your system provides for the type of complete brand individuality and implementation that we as realtors value so much. The simple, intuitive functionality of my site’s administrative interface is a pleasure to work with almost immediately after going live with the new site, I received an email from a client commenting on how easy my site was to navigate and how much they liked the visuals. It’s clear that you have done a lot of listening to what realtors want from a website and simply put, I now have the website I have wanted ever since starting in real estate. Thanks and keep up the good work!
Shaun Kimmins
Remax Real Estate Services
We at Ubertor are passionate about our clients success. This is why we do not lock our clients into a Term Agreement but rather choose to earn our clients business, month by month.
We are also seriously passionate about Search Engine Marketing.
My business partner and I travel about 42 days a year all around the world to meet with the industry’s top minds and refine our software. This costs our company hundreds of thousands of dollars. Our clients get exactly what they need from us; as we purpose the hordes of valuable information for them.
I think this is proven by the fact that no other sites rank as effectively out of the gate as an Ubertor Site.
Plus we are also passionate about educating the market:
– blog.ubertor.com is a top Real Estate SEO and SEM blog on the internet
– http://realestateagent.meetup.com/109/ is the largest Real Estate Meetup on the Planet
We do what we preach. We educate to earn clients. All I’m suggesting is that you can do the same. People will always find a way around a VOW. But if you educate them, show your expertise, they will want to contact you.
Some examples of what I referring to:
1. Write a blog about your experience as a landlord. Become the go to site for landlord issues, how to increase rent, how to deal with a bad renter, etc. Keep adding to your blog so that your visitors learn from you and come to trust your opinion.
2. Start a meetup for first time home buyers. Work to educate them on the process of buying a home. What to look for, etc. Bring in mortgage brokers, financial planners, etc to the meetup to speak on their area of expertise. Make yourself known as the helpful agent for newbies.
3. Focus on a specific nieche. Become known as the Realtor for penthouses, or the Realtor that knows everything about float homes.
Feel free to contact us about our system, customization abilities or any other questions that you have.
We are here to help you take full advantage of the internet in your real estate business.
2/14/2008 at 9:48 am
I found your site on technorati and read a few of your other posts. Keep up the good work. I just added your RSS feed to my Google News Reader. Looking forward to reading more from you.
Eric Hundin
2/14/2008 at 7:34 pm
I agree that a VOW (property listings behind a login) isn’t a great way to generate leads — but I also think a real estate web site without property listings via IDX isn’t providing what consumers want. It appears that the Ubertor product line does not include an IDX property search solution — am I overlooking it, or is this perhaps planned for the future?
2/14/2008 at 8:23 pm
@ Scott – our system is integrated with some MLS systems. For others, our system has the ability to incorporate any IDX solution. Here are a few examples of sites on our system that provide IDX listings:
San Diego – http://www.sandiegocastles.com
Charlottesville – http://www.realcentralvarealestate.com
Vancouver – http://www.donnaleyland.com
2/15/2008 at 5:35 am
I like the search interface on the site in Vancouver — which seems to be your own search interface. The other two appear to just be an iframe with the mls-provided search interface. Thanks for pointing out the difference.
2/15/2008 at 6:58 am
@ Scott – actually the Vancouver search is provided by the Vancouver Real Estate Board. They have some really great tools that they provide to agents. Depending on the options that the real estate boards or IDX providers offer, depends on what we can offer, but usually our system can accommodate almost anything.
2/15/2008 at 6:59 am
The real advantage to our system is the unlocked CSS. This allows ANY designer to customize the look and feel of their website beyond the template. There is so much that can be done to customize. Here is a quick video example – http://youtube.com/watch?v=sdK7rR3yruc
2/17/2008 at 1:10 pm
I have a similar conversation over at the GeekEstateBlog.com. Here is an interesting comment by Teresa Boardman:
“I ran an experiment in 2004. Two web sites, same template, two different agents but I ran both sites. One required sign up, the other did not. The one that forced the sign up got far more leads but none of them generated a sale during the 12 months of the test. The site that did not require sign up bot far fewer leads but generated two closed deals during the 12 months and a listing that never sold. The problem with forced sign up is that most people with half a brain just move on to a site where they can search without sign up. When running a “forced†sign up site the owner ends up with the folks that don’t have half a brain or who have email addresses and names like “mickey Mouse—
http://www.stpaulrealestateblog.com/
http://www.geekestateblog.com/%e2%80%9cforced-registration%e2%80%9d-pros-and-cons/#comments
2/18/2008 at 4:42 pm
I am an assistant to an agent in the Greater Vancouver Real Estate board. I agree and disagree with what you are saying as you are only telling 1/2 the story. If you are going to try and get people to sign up just to look at regular old listings, your right, they can go to mls.ca and do that without imparting who they are.
The reason we love our VOW software is that it offers our buyers the opportunity to look at listings 2 days before they appear on other public sites, they can see way more listing info (over 3 times more than what you see usually), and they can email notify themselves of hot new listings up to 2 days before there on mls.ca This and the automatic listing loads sure make my job easier. This feature has been responsible for more than a few ends since we got it. Hope this helps.
2/18/2008 at 6:23 pm
@ Candace – my main point is that a VOW does not bring you good leads! Sure, it might generate the odd quality lead, my point is that there are way better ways to get leads than “giving access to the listings”.
I could take the course and become a Realtor. That would give me access to the listings, but does that make me as valuable as you and your colleague in your area just because I have access to the listings? I don’t think so.
I think a Realtors value is providing his/her expertise about the listings, market, etc. We push agents to be hyper local and build a website that is specific to a very specific area.
Take Ian Watt for example, he runs multiple websites. But look at this one as an example – http://www.vancouver-penthouse.com/
It has all of the downtown Vancouver penthouses automatically listed within it. People looking for Penthouses end up here and do not have to search, do not need more emails about listing, because all of the information that require is provided. Then Ian provides his value on top of the listings by talking about the different building, areas, etc. He gets leads/listings because people see him as an expert in this market.
2/18/2008 at 6:27 pm
To All – This blog is an example of what I’m talking about. Just look, by putting my opinion out there about the use of VOW’s in the real estate market, some people have felt the need to comment here about their thoughts. What great leads for Ubertor! And we did not require your email address to see the blog, did not require you to sign in before your commented. You choose to do so and chose to use your name and most times a link to your website.
Why not do the same within your website. Write what you feel, describe it and back it up. You will see, people will engage you as you have put yourself out there.
2/20/2008 at 8:24 am
I think you may have misread our comments. We are actually quite pleased with the prospect to client ratio the Vow has given us. All that other stuff I mentioned is just gravy.
2/20/2008 at 8:33 pm
@ Candace – thats excellent that you are pleased with the leads. What is your website address? It would be great to check it out.
3/5/2008 at 2:32 pm
I used to have a VOW website and I agree that most of the leads that came in were useless. The only ones that turned into anything I already had a relationship with them. The rest of the leads just took up lots of my time and had no result.
3/5/2008 at 2:34 pm
I’m not a fan of any website that requires login. Just look at the newspapers. They are all stopping with their “login required” model of doing business online.
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12/9/2008 at 5:00 pm
Actually I’m debating with my boss right now about the merrit of having a VOW type website. Me personally I know when I come across a site that requires I give them my personal info so they can keep tabs on me. I either look else where or give a fake adress to get what I want. I’ve dealt with other companies that offered lead generation before, and 99% of the leads were fake or just crappy. The 2 days before MLS.ca is over hyped anyways. If you just ask your Realtor they can set you up with the automated Realtor alert. Chances are the people that ask a Realtor for these alerts will work with that Realtor. If they just sign up on their own chances are they are just using your site for free information. They won’t be as committed.
12/9/2008 at 7:31 pm
@ Aaron – I agree. Vow is not the best way to get leads. Let me know if I can help at all.
Thanks
Steve
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