Home : Blogs : Christopher Walker California Bank Owned Property : Christopher's Hemet CA REO Real Estate Blog - Mission Grove Realty

Internet......InterNUT !! Why the web wont work in real estate.

Top 10 reasons why a real estate agent should NEVER advertise on the web:

Advertising on the Internet is too expensive.
It doesn't work....The Internet is just a fad.
Everyone in the community already knows me.
Everyone in the world already knows me.
I already know everyone in my community.
I already know everyone in the world.
My clients don't want to be on the Internet...See #2.
The homes I list have interest only to the people I know. See #3-6.
The phonebook IS the ONLY place to be.
Internet, what's the internet?

advertising for realtors I heard a statement the other day that made perfect sense. "No one buys a home from the internet".

I thought for a minute.....the statement IS true. No one does buy a home FROM the internet.

Plain and simple...the internet is a useless tool for real estate agents.

Join the Active Rain Network Now,
it's FREE

Christopher Walker - REO Broker and Realtor with Mission Grove Realty is a proud member of the Active Rain real estate network.

Posted by Christopher Walker California Bank Owned Property on 08/30/2007 04:25 PM

Comments (33)

activerain

Originally posted at: Christopher's Hemet CA Real Estate Blog - Mission Grove Realty: Internet......InterNUT !! Why the web wont work in real estate.

33 Comments on Internet......InterNUT !! Why the web wont work in real estate.

AUG

2007

Funny! I actually hear this from agents who are dead serious from time to time and just have to laugh.

Then I guess my lead today from the internet is useless too?!? While I'm getting leads, others in my office just laugh at my blogging as a useless waste of time. We know who will have the last laugh!

the's an agent in our office that all of his leads are fro the Internet. he sells 9 homes a month, should he stop advertising in the net

Christopher M: It is funny and the ones that do believe this....TRULY do believe it.

Chrissy: Blog? what the heck is that? We closed a home today where the buyers (60 somethings that were just married....met on match.com ! ) decided to make a whole new life for themselves in California. Moved from New York.......Found thier new home on that....that....computer thingy. I still wont use it though. Pain in the rear! Am I using it wrong? NAAAA it is just a fad I tell you.

Aracely: I hear that in our office too. Fact is, the folks that say that really dont use that web thingy dobber. They TELL everyone else that so they wont have competition. Get off the web and get out the phone book. Cold calling....THAT is where the money is.

Yep... too expensive. Don't need it. Internet cannot sell houses..... I only sell houses of people I know to people I know..... It's all about who you already know...

Yep... You keep thinking that way...

I and my coaching clients will keep selling houses of people we never met, to people we didn't know... Until Google and Yahoo REFERRED them to our web sites....

I have 500 referrals so far this month from friends Google and Yahoo : )

BTW: My web site costs about $100 a month, whether I have one listing or 30. Placing a listing on my site automatically places it on about 24 other web sites...

Try to advertise 30 listings in print, for a month, for about $100/mo. Be sure to include up to 30 photos, and a virtual tour when you price the competing media.

Oh come on guys...don't you find yourself in a unique little situation where that little guy in the back of your head says...pull back, pull back...don't explain it and still remain the web king (or queen).

Lonn: You are not kidding anyone out here. That is for sure. Save your pitch for the suckers out in no mans land. Us Cali folks is smarter than that. Want me to send you a phone book? You can buy them from Broker Bryant too. He sells em cheap!

Shanon: You are certainly right. You WEB folks keep telling youselves it works.......While the rest of us take the MONEY to the bank.

Sounds like quite a few people have lost their minds.

Christopher ?

I think your toungue is firmly in cheek, but I am missing a few non-verbals here.... ; )

On your last to me you almost have me convinced you don't use the 'um 'er 'www' thing ?

Chris - You have totally dashed my faith in technology! Shame on you!

And here I thought I was progressive. A forward thinker. A true go-getter. Now I feel ashamed that I have bought in to the 'www' thing. Kind of like realizing that WWF is fake.

I think I'm going to my room now. My lip is starting to drag the floor and I just might stumble over it.

Thanks for wreaking havoc on my night. Party pooper.

;)

PS - NO. nobody buys a home from the internet. But they do buy homes from Realtors who advertise and promote on the internet. So there! :P

I can't imagine anyone ever thinking they could get anything worthwhile over the computer. Heck, next thing you know people will want to start dating with people they meet on line . . . and then get married. Go figure

Now Have a Blessed Day,

John Occhi, Hemet CA REALTOR®
Mission Grove Realty
Hemet CA Real Estate

Dating and marrying based on something that is a fad and cannot work?

NEVER HAPPEN!

But if you wanna buy a house... Call me now!

SEP

2007

This is so funny! Some how it seems like you should have included Al Gore. After all,, he invented the Internet! lol

Al Gore probably invented Real Estate too...

Which is why you can't sell houses on the Internet...

It's the Gore Factor.

Idiots with money... but you wouldn't want to be their agent...

It's an ugly job... you won't have to worry about them...

I will take care of anything that comes up.

SEP

2007

Thanks Lonn....such a giver you are.

LOL

Christopher, (Chris?), if you keep making me laugh like this, I'm going to develop a crush on you.

There, I warned you.

Uh Oh... Crushing sounds painful.

Now how will Christopher sell houses, online or off, if crushed?

wait... what.... Somebody is trying to say something...

Christopher says you can crush if you smile like your photo...

Wha?

Yep... He's Right... Nobody looking for houses online....

SURVEY FROM MY WEB SITE:

How Did You Find This Web Site

(A) Search Engine
(B) Newspaper Ad
(C) Harmon Homes
(D) Yard Sign
(E) Postcard or Mailing
(F) Friend
(G) Other
Poll Results

Lonn -- Wha??

Sometimes when an agent makes negative statements about the Internet, it's a generational thing.

I had one of these in a technology class at our area Board last year. She was a "grand dame" whose name used to be a household word in this market. Now she's in her late seventies and she refuses to embrace technology or learn how to use email.

She raised her hand in class and scowled and said, "why do I have to learn this stuff"? I smiled at her and said, "Who ever told you that you could stop learning in this business"?

Eric:

I would have asked her if her phone rings the way it used to?

And then explained... This is how the phone rings today.... :)

Lonn, I think that was the reason she took the class. But her heart really wasn't in it :) She wanted to go back to the "good old days"..

Eric and Lonn: Ahhh the good ol' days! My father (A real estate broker too) will be 89 next week. He has been in the business for over 30 some odd years. He always asks why we cant write a deal on a cocktail napkin in the local bar....like it used to be done. I guess it could still be done that way but......the liability would be HUGE. He does not understand technology but does understand why it must be used in today's market and.....how technology has changed real estate...FOREVER. At 89, he just wont use technology. I don't blame him...he doesnt have to. It doesnt work anyway...just a fad as you know. We will go back to the good ol' days (History always repeats itself) when it does. I will be the fist on the block to stage Brontosaurus fights in my back yard! I can see the headlines now "Realtor in Deep Sh*7 as a Result of Dinasaur Fighting Scandal" The story would go on to discribe how neighbors, complaining of the stench from thousands of pounds of Brontosaurus crap, tipped off local law enforcement. Subsequently, their property values declined and started a downward spiral in the real estate market.

Sarah: Crush? You mean like when yo put your head in a vice and crank it up...as hard as you can? I hate when that happens!;)

Everyone - Quiet now - your going to spoil it for those of us who get feedback like this.

Q "What influenced you to select me as your Realtor?" --- "Overwhelming online presence. Kathy owns Uxbridge online, " --- Steve B and when asked if he was referred by any one who should I thank immediately replied "BILL GATES"

Or who have purchasers who negotiate their purchase using the Internet and a fax machine then fly in to inspect a few properties to confirm their decision and remove the condition of viewing the property.

On second thought keep it up the fewer people who use the net effectively the better it will be for the rest of us.

Kathy: STOP IT ALREADY. I have seen the "feedback" Every templated site in the U.S. says the exact same thing. All you have to do is enter the name of the client.....I know this because some don't enter the "client name" and it looks like this: REAL client testimonials? Then...right next to it, I see words like CREDIBLE...Credible????? Gives all of us a bad name. I think most people can see right through it. We know the web does not work! Just gives us an excuse NOT to advertise in the local rag. You don have to convince me......save it for the client. ;)

SEP

2007

Christopher - Now the real reason your unhappy with the web comes out you do not like template sites, well either do we. We may not have the fanciest site in the world but its us and it works for us, and as for client feedback/testimonials on our site you see what they write in the comment section not what we write in the rate us section.

While we dislike template sites we do use a service provider (template site) to manage the listing content side for our site. We actually open it in a frame in our site (something they told us we would be unable to do)

PS I just googled "hemet real estate" and I see your web site at #7 and your blog at #10 for someone who does not believe (tongue in cheek) in advertising on the net you must certainly work at it as I know you do not get their by accident unless you are the only Realtor in Hemet.

Kathy: WHAT those scoundrels !~..... I knew they would do something like that! Darn them internet geeks. It dosent work I tell you. It dosent. Did you see: missiongrove.com, missiongroverealty.com, hemetliving.com, hemetepro.com, ezhouseads.com, missiongrovemortgage.com, aroundourcity.com, hemetmls.com, sanjacintomls.com, sanjacintoliving.com, hemetmap.com and the others? Dont forget those too. I would not think that most here would ever take a templated site and forget to add their own....real content. You dont have to have a fancy one to make it work! Yours looks great! Truly, I do believe in the power of the web. We spend 8-10 hours a week on web development and always looking for ways to improve. Almost all of our sites have been done ourselves with VERY little knowledge of the web. Now you know the truth...I have been exposed for all to see. OZ has spoken! ;)

SEP

2007

Christopher - Just googled ("Christophe Walker" realtor hemet )you do get around.

Kathy: SHHHHHHHH! ;)

Leave a response…

Name:

Email:
(optional)

Comment:

What does the graphic say?