real estate web copy: Broken links look sloppy, but misdirected links are worse! - 05/11/16 05:46 AM
Ronald Reagan said "Trust, but verify," and that's just what you must do if you've hired someone to take care of your website. 
While thinking about my "high end prospecting letter set" today, I was reminded of a situation I ran into back when I was writing it. 
I was looking for more ideas, so went to visit a former client's site. I had written several pages for his luxury real estate site and thought it might give me some added inspiration. Since some of the best thoughts about what matters to clients come from client testimonials, I clicked on his testimonials page. 
What a … (30 comments)

real estate web copy: Writing for an overseas client... yikes! - 03/09/16 01:04 PM
When I was contacted by a new agent in Germany to write the English copy for his website, it didn't occur to me to think how people in different countries use words differently. So this was a learning experience. 
Instead of calling a house or a parcel of land "property," they call it a "real estate object." How strange!
And that was just the beginning. 
I was in a quandary because he wanted me to write the words that would appeal to his many English-speaking clients. The problem was, not all of those clients were coming from the U.S. 
American English is a bit different … (28 comments)

real estate web copy: Does Your Real Estate Website Answer These Questions? - 03/16/14 09:33 AM


Does your real estate website answer the questions that buyers and sellers are asking in their minds?
They wonder things like...
Who are you?
Some websites don't offer the agent's name - or their photo. Where are you?
When prospects land on your page, do they know they're in the right place? Or do they have to try to do a home search to find out if you serve the neighborhoods that interest them?
Are you a listing agent or are you a buyers' agent – or both?
If your services are limited to buyers or sellers, does your website … (74 comments)

real estate web copy: Have You Looked at Your Fonts Lately? - 09/20/13 02:28 AM
You spend a lot of time and/or money buying or creating the content in your real estate website. You want it to reflect your expertise and your dedicaton to your clients, so it needs to be "just right."
But the content is only the first step. After you know the right words, you have to arrange them so they can be easily read and absorbed. That's why we talk so much about using white space, sub-heads, and bullet points. 
And even that is not enough if the font is wrong. 
I've seen several examples lately of websites with good, well-arranged content … (60 comments)

real estate web copy: Hey There Real Estate Agent, Why Are You Hiding? - 02/04/13 02:15 PM
Well, not exactly hiding, but not revealing your location.
Over the past few days I've had occasion to visit quite a few agent websites, and a strange commonality has me scratching my head in wonder.
From what I saw, it's obvious that agents no longer expect clients to walk into their offices. (Maybe they don't have offices?)
The vast majority of the sites I visited not only failed to list a street address; they didn't even reveal the City and State.  (Some also failed to reveal the agent's name, but that's another story.)
The only way to find out where … (26 comments)

real estate web copy: A Correction and an Idea... - 08/07/12 08:54 AM
A couple of weeks ago I wrote a post about community pages - and the fact that on so many real estate sites, they're simply a dry, boring "cut and paste" from Wikipedia.
 
I said that there's plenty of information on line that can lead to interesting community pages. Since then, I've learned that I was wrong. I had based my assumptions on incomplete evidence.
 
While what I said is true for most communities I've researched in the southern states, when you get up here in "cold country," the information seems to dwindle. (Why is this? Are we … (6 comments)

real estate web copy: Real Estate Copywriting FAQ's - Why writers ask irrelevant questions - 06/04/12 04:33 AM
Why do real estate copywriters ask so many irrelevant questions?
If you've checked out my "Questions for agents" or talked with me on the phone, you might wonder about all of the questions. Some of the answers are definitely not going to be used in your bio or any other copy I might write for you, so why do I ask them?
To get acquainted. To get a good feel for the person I'm writing about. To learn why I like you, so I can convey an honest belief that your prospects will be better off for choosing you. Also, … (8 comments)

real estate web copy: Is This Missing From Your Real Estate Home Page? - 04/02/11 08:43 PM
I harp a lot about how real estate agent websites should give visitors a "reason why" they are the right choice to list their home or help them find a home.
I talk a lot about showcasing the benefits you bring to your clients rather than your designations and achievements. What they care about is what you will do for them.
But because I've visited a few agent websites today, tonight I have to harp about something else. The important information that is very often missing from the home page - and many of the other pages.
What is it? Their … (51 comments)

real estate web copy: Have You Given Your Website a Checkup Lately? - 12/26/10 07:11 PM
Getting your agent website up and running is a huge undertaking - and once you've finished you probably don't want to think about it again for a while.
Unfortunately, websites can get out-dated quickly. So if you haven't given yours a checkup in the past few months, it's probably time to take these 4 steps:
Click on all your links Enter your own address in all the "capture" forms and really read what you get in response Read all your content pages, looking for information that's out of date Check to see if your photo still looks like you Clicking all … (12 comments)

real estate web copy: The Problem With Real Estate Websites - 03/27/10 04:59 PM
First, let me say that I know a whole lot of people disagree with me about this. But I still need to say it, and I hope those who disagree will at least consider my point of view.
So… onward.
What do you see first when you visit a real estate website? Most of the time the first thing you see is an advertisement for the community.
Why?
It’s true that in my 19 years selling real estate I did come in contact with a few people who were cruising the entire Northwest looking for a place to settle. Perhaps … (14 comments)

 
Marte Cliff, Your real estate writer (Marte Cliff Copywriting)

Marte Cliff

Your real estate writer

Priest River, ID

More about me…

Marte Cliff Copywriting

Address: 1794 Blue Lake Road, Priest River, ID, 83856

Office: (208) 448-1479



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