To show that I am one step
ahead of the average agent
during a listing presentation, I have clients get on their
computer and Google their street and/or community; and, then I have them
Google other streets in that community where we have listings or NOT.
I have the clients do the work so they won't think that I am
playing some computer trick. The exciting part is seeing
their eyes open wide when they see my listings pop up on the page.
When posting a listing with proper key words on Active Rain/Localism,
odds are very high that the blog will rank at or near the top of a
Google search the very next day. I am honest with clients and
tell them that it takes alot of effort to gain massive internet
exposure, and that the blog will likely float downward over the coming
weeks and we will have plan B to get them back to the top of the list.
Our podcasts spider to about 50 different sites that allows us to
dominate a search for a particular neighborhood or street for years.
Even though I don't currently have a listing on Inshore in
River Place in Austin, if I Google the street and Austin, our old
listings are still there as I have no control over the spidered podcast
sites. But the key is that our presence remains.
Then I have them Google their street. This is
especially strong when they have had their home listed before as most
of the internet exposures from the previous agent will move to several
pages back or be entirely deleted. What is ideal, is if I
have had a listing on that street in the past couple of years and my
listings are still on the first page. That will be
hard to overcome for the competing agent.
Using Active
Rain and Localism to post
listings allows me to gain very favorable ratings, depending on my key
words. This has come with practice and asking clients what
would they Google if they were interested in moving in this area.
I ask them a few things they would Google and have them
Google it in front of me. Next, I take them to the picture
and video tabs of Google. By naming pictures appropriately,
it is quite easy to gain page dominance and is very impressive with
potential clients.
This
is NOT fluff. This
is reality. People are Googling, to a degree, what your
clients may be Googling; and, when my listing pops up it is not only
impressive to a prospect that I am trying to list a home with, it is
capturing an audience and branding my name and the company name.
i.e. it works!
Blogging and podcasting or videoing a listing are extremely powerful, and
are avenues that separate me from the crowd.
Good post. I agree. The Internet is effective. But it does take work, as you noted. I think sellers really appreciate it, once they understand the effort and planning that go in to quality online promotion.
I agree about the impact of having old listings hanging around in cyberspace. I'm wondering, however, about a requirement in my state rules to not advertise expired or off-market properties.
It is correct that one can not advertise a listing one does not have without permission. The tough part in today's internet world is that there are so many internet companies that that advertise my listings and do not take them off. At a minimum, I can find 50 on each listing.
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
;)
;)
Tim, I will have to work a little hard on my tags. Excellent post and information.