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I googled you and I can not find your phone number?

By
Real Estate Agent with JH Realty Partners 6501309180

I rarely use the hand held telephone book anymore, in fact I believe the last one I got delivered to my house I threw away!

I google everything!  

If you do not have a website I am probably not going to call you.  Even if you were referred to me.  The advantage to me as a consumer, to be able to google you first is; I get a chance to know you and your company a bit to see if you offer the services I am looking for. 

If you have a current blog up and running I get to know YOU a bit better before calling. 

On a personal note, I know how hard I work to keep up my on line appearance, so I respect and give credit to others that do the same. 

So when I go to call a Real Estate service provider (or any other service provider) and google them to find contact info and can not find it, it discourages me, and most times move on to the next person.

So you say you have a website with all your info, so you are good.......... well, what about your blogs?  Unless you have GREAT SEO on your website, what I am finding is Active Rain, Facebook, Linked In ......etc, have way more google juice (SEO) then most websites.  

I know if you google my name, active rain comes up 1st!  So, I really keep my profile up to date here, with all of my contact information.  Facebook seems to be 2nd when searching my name........

It surprises me how many do not have a phone number on the FB profile.  I have Realtors tell me this is for security reasons, but do you not hand out your card to everyone you meet with your phone number?  Do you not advertise in the paper with CALL ME"? I am pretty sure at least your companies phone number is going to be on their website, so at least use that one.  

So google your name, what sites come up first?  Is all your contact info on there and easily found?  

Come on, I really do want to call you, I just can not find your phone number!

Posted by

Michelle Gordon is a Realtor with JH Realty Partners - Ada, Michigan -  With a team of Realtors who's Focus is 1st time home buyers, Relocation, Luxury listings and Commercial Properties in West Michigan.  You may find Michelle on facebook, twitter or linked in and she invites you to join her.

Comments(238)

Liane Thomas, Top Listing Agent
Professional Realty Services® - Corona, CA
Bringing you Home!

What a great reminder. In trying to locate a home inspector recently, I ran across an old site with a bad number, and it resulted in lost business for him.

Jan 14, 2011 12:54 AM
Sonja Adams
Keller Williams Realty - Purcellville, VA

I've googled my name before and I was a blonde porn star!  My goal is to replace the negative site with my own blogs and articles so that I'm not associated with that person!

Jan 14, 2011 01:02 AM
SentriLock Blogger
SentriLock, LLC - Cincinnati, OH

Great advice! I wouldn't recommend that ALL people have their number on their FB page (particularly young teens) - but when your business is all about making contact with folks, it surely makes sense.

-Laura Kreuter

Jan 14, 2011 01:27 AM
Pam Sitterly
RE/MAX VINTAGE - Magnolia, TX
CRS Magnolia-Tomball Texas

Thanks so much for sharing! I too use google as my phone directory!

Jan 14, 2011 02:30 AM
Helena (Leni) Dragar
HomeSmart Real Estate Momentum LLC - Mentor, OH
Realtor

Great post!  Unfortunately there are many agents out there who are not internet savvy much less computer savvy and are out of the loop.  They are still relying on phone book and newspaper ads for their business and will soon be left in the dust.  As you said, it's a good idea to google your name from time to time.

Jan 14, 2011 02:34 AM
Melanie Scarpati
Special Properties RES - Franklin Lakes, NJ

Excellent post, thanks very much! You are right - Clients appreciate being able to fund us as quickly and easily as possible.

Jan 14, 2011 03:34 AM
TERRY DRISCOLL
MAINE HOME REALTY - Bath, ME
REALTOR - Buy or Sell in Any Season!

Someone came into the office the other day and asked if we had a phone book . . . Let's just say I really had to dig.  But I did find one . . . from 2007.

Jan 14, 2011 03:43 AM
Jeani Codrey
RE/MAX Corridor - New Braunfels, TX
Director of Opportunity & Agent Development

I completely agree!!!  I threw all my phone books away...I could never find anything in them when they were in style!!! LOL!

Jan 14, 2011 04:14 AM
Constance Hartke
Act Web Real Estate School Inc. - Reston, VA

Right on!  My husband and I also have rental cabins that I manage (in the Smokies) and I always google folks who inquire -- just as I show them who I am, I want to know a little about them before entrusting them to our vacation homes!

Jan 14, 2011 04:57 AM
Mary Bowen
Coldwell Banker United, Realtor - The Woodlands, TX
Real Estate At Its Finest!!!

I agree, agents must have their phone numbers everywhere.  Your phone number  and email address are your store front.

Jan 14, 2011 05:38 AM
Ronald S. Accornero
OC Signature Properties - Villa Park, CA

Michelle:

What great comments about having your information on the website and your right, I don't use a phone book anymore either. 

Thanks for your article.  It makes me think a little harder about my website.  I like you statement of having to know a little about you before I call you.

Ron Accornero

Jan 14, 2011 08:44 AM
Eugene Adan
Adan Properties, Carlsbad, CA (760) 720-9710 - Carlsbad, CA
Carlsbad Real Estate

Michelle,

That's telling like it is.  I like your "bravado" in insisting that if I can find you and the info that I need I would at least know something about you.  That's a great point that I haven't thought of.  At least out loud like you did here.  Thanks.

Jan 14, 2011 09:06 AM
Katrina Cole
The Jonathan Arnold Team of Inlanta Mortgage - East Grand Rapids, MI
Inlanta Mortgage, Business Development Manager

I LOVE this post Michelle!  Well done.  I hear everyday:  I am too busy.  I don't have enough time.  I can't do that......and on and on.  I little extra effort goes a long way towards your business so you take the time and step it up!

Thank you for a great post.

Katrina

Jan 14, 2011 09:17 AM
RhondaHeaslip NanaimoRealEstate
RE/MAX of Nanaimo - Nanaimo, BC

Michelle, I just googled myself and my website came up right above ActiveRain. Thanks for the post. We should google ourselves periodically just to see where we are and how easy we are to reach.

Jan 14, 2011 12:38 PM
DeeDee Riley
Lyon Real Estate - El Dorado Hills CA - El Dorado Hills, CA
Realtor - El Dorado Hills & the Surrounding Areas

Great post Michelle!  I know my phone number is on most of my seo sites but you made me look for it on my Facebook.  It's there so give me a call anytime!:)

Jan 14, 2011 03:35 PM
David Mayes
Realty ONE Group - Mission Viejo, CA
MBA

Hi Michelle,

Thank you for your article. I found that my phone number was there but it drew the reader to my old website. I will now google my name regularly.

David

Jan 15, 2011 03:08 AM
Tim Peterson
Wisconsin Realtor Safety and Concealed Carry Classes - Madison, WI
Realtor Safety Training Classes

How very true. I don't think I would even know where to find a yellow pages anymore..ok bigyellow.com. But you are right GOOGLE has become a be all and end all to everything

Jan 15, 2011 08:18 PM
Anonymous
Anonymous

If only my name was Joe Schlablotnik instead of Mike Miller. :)

Jan 17, 2011 05:06 AM
#237
Rhonda Zarate
Premier Realty Group (www.HUDhomesInSA.com) - San Antonio, TX
Premier Realty Group

Michelle, Great info.

I haven't used the yellow pages in years and was surprised to find not one, but TWO books on my doorstep. One was the huge one but now they started delivering a smaller version! I can't imagine why they would do this since I'm sure most people just throw them in the recycle nowadays.

I 'Googled' myself and Activerain comes up first, much to my surprise since I hadn't accessed my account in over a month and am still not very familiar with the site!

Rhonda Zarate

 

Jan 19, 2011 02:55 AM
Beth Larsen
RE/MAX Sedona - Sedona, AZ
Sedona Arizona

Well said Michelle. If I'm on someone's BUSINESS web page/fb/blog/twitter and can't figure out pretty quickly who they are, what they do and how to reach them, I feel they are not on the level. That may be fine for someone who's on the web for recreation but for business, it's a killer.

Your post reminded me to check (which I do on a regular basis) but also encouraged me to go one step further: my surname can be spelled two ways and the 'other' way is more common. Guess I better add that spelling to my metatags.

Mar 05, 2011 11:54 PM