Home > Blogs > Joshua Harley > Real Estate By The Book

Real Estate and WordPress

By Joshua Harley

Real Estate Broker/Owner with Fathom Realty

May 26, 2011 05:45 AM

Once you know a little bit about Real Estate Websites, and blogging – you are going to start looking at WordPress. It’s a great platform and program to build your content on! Will you get to the top of Google just by Blogging on WordPress? Not likely – but if you are smart about how you create web content, and you are thoughtful about how you promote that content, and what kind of campaigns you create for your Real Estate Business… then SURE! You can be at the top of Google with WordPress!

WordPress.com versus WordPress.org

WordPress is a free software program. If you have a WordPress.com site, then WordPress is Hosting that site, it’s Free and because it’s the largest blogging platform in the world you have great Real Estate SEO. It comes with many different themes, and you can use plugins to make it do all kinds of fun tricks like connect to Twitter and Facebook, show your properties in a little rotating box, or pull in all of your photos on Flickr. The downside is that you don’t own the content – and when there’s a problem with a server, there’s really nothing you can do about it.

If you opt for a WordPress.org site that means that you purchase your domain name, you host your site, and you are using WordPress to make it look the way you want it to. Hosting your site can cost anywhere from $6 to $25 a month depending on who you decide to use and what type of options you might want.

Because you are hosting the site, you own all of the content. There are thousands of Free themes and plug ins to choose from, and many that are real estate specific.

This might be a little daunting for the average Realtor to try and set up. It will take several hours, and that doesn’t include the IDX feed. If you are going to self-host a WordPress site you should probably look at the Premium Themes that will cost you a one time fee of around a hundred bucks and come with tons of support.

If you have questions about building your real estate blog as you build your real estate business, give me a call! Josh Harley, Fathom Realty, 214-228-0301. I’d love to help you, and learn more about what’s working in your market! Are you on Facebook and Twitter? Let’s Connect!

Re-Blog

Comments(7)

Comment

Show All Comments

Sort:

Matthew Johnson

Keller Williams Premier Realty - Woodbury, MN

Any concern about hosting your own content to control if it's removed/altered/lost?

May 26, 2011 06:07 AM

Morris Massre

Pembroke Pines, FL

Real Estate Instructor Broward County Florida

I use it as well and it is my favorite.

May 26, 2011 06:10 AM

Nicole Needham

Needham Realty - Winters, CA

SFR (530) 302-5478

Joshua,

I am new to Wordpress and still trying to get a handle on what direction to go. Because you retain ownership in content would you only use .org or is there a reason to use the .com site?

May 26, 2011 06:57 AM

Paul Walker

Equity Fifty Five Realty, LLC - Scott AFB, IL

Scott AFB IL Area Realtor

I need another website like a another hole in my head. (I have 4 sites now), but I may check out wordpress, it sounds interesting, and I could build it anyway I like. House-Hunting.com can also be used to create a good easy website and then just get a domain name and use it as a pointer to the your site or just use their domain name such as www.house-hunting.com/yourname and you can put in your own IDX link and it's free overall too! You just need to do the right SEO things to help it along.

You can also build your own google website and customise it anyway you like - it's free too!

To Nicole above....the domain name that you buy on say GoDaddy.com that you make point to your wordpress site can be a .com, .net or what ever you like!

Matthew above...should be no problem you control your own content, delete what you want, keep what you want, and edit at anytime. Be sure to stick in an IDX link from your MLS

May 27, 2011 11:23 AM

Trang Beuschlein

Homes for Sale in Campbell CA- Broker-BKR Realty - Campbell, CA

Campbell CA Real Estate - Campbell CA Homes for Sa

Joshua, I always wondered what the difference is between the .com and .org for wordpress. I have the .com site but I cannot install plugins and when I did a google search, it stated that the free websites don't allow plugins. Do you know of a work around?

Paul from above, have you tried setting up a google site and is it hard and does it give you google juice? Never knew that you can setup your own google website.

Jun 08, 2011 09:29 AM

Dr. Stacey-Ann Baugh

Century 21 New Millennium - Upper Marlboro, MD

A doctor who makes house calls.

I have a .com site but want to buy my own domain name. Should I switch to the .org site?

Jun 10, 2011 01:44 AM

Gail Robinson

William Raveis Real Estate - Southport, CT

CRS, GRI, e-PRO Fairfield County, CT

I can never remember the difference between Wordpress .com and .org. I must have the .org as I pay for my hosting and own my own domain name. I also paid for a premium theme, but I have to say the support has not been great. I also have two Drupal blogs and my AR blog. Four blogs is enough for me. Still trying to get a handle on my Wordpress blog, so look forward to more posts on this from you.

Jul 26, 2011 06:48 AM

Real Estate and WordPress

Comments(7)

Joshua Harley

Real Estate Resources

Recent Posts

Additional Information