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I am Looking into Becoming a Number1 Expert

By
Real Estate Agent with RE/MAX Services DRE# BK 3037665
I am looking for some advice on being a  number1 expert.  Are there any Number1 Experts out there that can shed some light on this?  I just want to know how it may work and if it has worked for you. At first glance it seemed like a way for the person who invented this to make quite a bit of money, but I have been hearing the name Number1 Expert more and more.  Any thoughts would be appreciated.  Thank you.
Posted by

David Serle

Vice President/Managing Broker

RE/MAX Services

561-912-3500 Office

561-912-3502 Direct

561-756-3104 Mobile

www.HighlandBeachViews.com

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Missy Caulk
Missy Caulk TEAM - Ann Arbor, MI
Savvy Realtor - Ann Arbor Real Estate

David, I have been with them since 1999. They have gone through many changes. Being bought out by 2 different companies, first Trader then Dominion.

Honestly, I think every year for the last 2 I am going to drop them. Why?

1) It takes to long to get changes on the site

2) It is hard to add links, only a few places

3)It is a template site and SEO don't really like template sites, UNLESS you can keep the content fresh, new and different than all other sites.

4) You can't blog from the site, you have to link to your AR blog

5) I've been asking for things to be removed from my pages, and pictures for a LONG time, but they never change it. Just stuff that I have learned on activerain.

6) After number 1 was sold, they change there business model, when I first signed up you REALLY had to  me a top producer and there was only 4 of us in Ann Arbor that had the site. Now there are many and very few are top agents, it's all about the money.

OK, here is why I stay:

1) It pays for itself in sales. Though less every year.

2) I love the back end. Homecaster is great, for emailing new listings, newsletters

I do not rank high enough in SEO to justify having my domain and site sine 1999. My Point2agent site that I have had for 2 years and cost 3000.00 LESS does better.

Feel free to call me if you want to discuss in greater detail. 734-216-2822. Oh you can check out my site from my profile.

May 26, 2007 01:36 AM
Kay Van Kampen
RE/MAX Broker, RE/MAX - Springfield, MO
Realtor®, Springfield Mo Real Estate
Glad you posted this.  I almost became a Number 1 Expert a few years ago.  Disappointed with my original website, I started searching for a new one.  But I finally found one thiat is great thru the RE/MAX organization.  Glad I didn't spend the money on Number 1 expert.
May 26, 2007 01:42 AM
Missy Caulk
Missy Caulk TEAM - Ann Arbor, MI
Savvy Realtor - Ann Arbor Real Estate

Kay, your area is with Reliance and ours in Michigan is from eneighborhoods, which also just got bought my Dominion. I use my RE/MAX site and have started to promote it more, but we still have issues. It ranks no where in SEO.

I forgot to add..........the site you cross promote will get the most action. With me having 4 sites, I am weening myself and my customers off number 1.

My opinion at this time is that consumers just want to see houses. So the site that can give them what they want is king. I have asked number 1 for years to make people put their phone number in. There response has been, they would have to change it nation wide. Not very custom for the price we pay.

May 26, 2007 01:52 AM
Michelle Spalding
Transaction Management Consultants - Waco, TX
Time and Money Saving Solutions for Savvy Realtors
No mater what website you choose, you have to drive traffic to it.  Many successful business have been built with very small and not too fancy websites.  Don't rely on the Internet to bring you traffic, drive it there every opportunity you have offline.
May 26, 2007 02:18 AM
Mary Pope-Handy
Christie's International Real Estate Sereno - Los Gatos, CA
CRS, CIPS, ABR, SRES, Silicon Valley
I have a Best Image/#1 Expert Site and will agree with Missy, above. But one other "plus" is that you can upload files to that site (which I cannot do on any other site I have - and I have a lot of them!) and I think that's a big plus.  I stay because of the sales. But they are VERY SLOW. I requested some SEO changes 3 months ago and they're still not done.
May 26, 2007 02:54 AM
Highland Beach Condos David Serle
RE/MAX Services - Highland Beach, FL
Boca Raton Agent David Serle
I guess I did not realize that number1 expert was also a website service.  I have 5 websites, and pretty happy with them.  I was mainly looking to see if by becoming a number1 expert was there any benefits.  From all of your thoughts I definitely will not be signing up.  Thank you all for your opinions.
May 26, 2007 09:18 AM