Before addressing the comments responding to my the past two weeks of blog posts, some preliminary considerations are important.
These considerations themselves are based on comments received in the recent and more distant past. In virtually all cases they are consistent with my own experience and observations.
1. You Need A Web Presence
Although estimates vary, 80-85% of consumers...including prospective real estate clients...start their research online.
For practical purposes this means that without a web presence, you are limiting your business to the 15-20% of consumers who do not use the Internet to gather information before making a buying or hiring decision.
If these 15-20% of consumers comprise your niche market, you really don't need a web presence.
Otherwise, with no web presence you are seriously handicapping your business growth potential.
2. You Need Your Own Unique Web Presence
There is no disputing the relative convenience of broker-supplied websites.
For the most part, all you have to do is supply content and pay the fees. Some one else looks after the actual maintenance.
But this convenience comes at a cost.
As a small element of a broker-maintained website, you are virtually indistinguishable from other agents in the company. Do clients select real estate agents randomly because they are like all of the others in the office or company?
If this is how your clients make their hiring decision, sticking with a broker-maintained website will help continue the random selection process.
Or do clients look for agents who stand out from the crowd and distinguish themselves from the others?
If your target clients follow this approach in making their decisions, you need your own website to connect with these prospects.
3. You Can Build Your Own Website
I built my own website.
Like hundreds of thousands of others, you too can build your own website.
Here is what some ActiveRain members said about the process:
"...it is not complicated as long as one is willing to learn and spend the time."
Catherine "Cathy" Chaudemanche Team
Metuchen Keller Williams Elite Realty
Middlesex County, NJ
"...as long as you stay on top of things and keep adding fresh content and links to the site, you should do quite well. It's really not a big job when you get familiar with the process."
Malcolm Johnston
Remax Trent Valley
Trenton, Ontario
"...there is nothing like doing it yourself, and waiting for your website "people" to do what you want is not fun."
Andrea Swiedler - REALTOR
Prudential Adams & Associates, REALTORS
New Milford CT
"...I am so thankful I learned how to build my own site over a decade ago. Now It enjoys a solid ranking ..."
Kristal Kraft
Real Estate
The Berkshire Group Realtors
"...The best part about building your own site is that you can maintain total control of the content."
Bob Harris
Real Estate III
Charlottesville V
"...The maintenance of a template based web site is far easier to maintain. I have had both, but when time is involved on a daily routine stick to a template...."
Don MacLean
Simolari & MacLean
Remax Executive Realty
And speaking of template-based websites, that will be the topic of tomorrow's post.
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