Make Your First Impression Stellar!

I recently worked with a Realtor that sold million dollar homes. They were wonderful people and had a beautiful website that was created by a website developer. Sounds like perfection doesn’t it? I am a bit of a spelling and grammar freak and though I don’t claim to be perfect on either (although I try) I am usually pretty good at spotting an error. When I visited the agents’ gorgeous site to learn more about my new client, a glaring error smacked me right in the face. One of the navigation tabs at the top of the page said neigborhood- did you catch that?  Neighborhood was spelled incorrectly. Gasp!  I was floored. They had shelled out big bucks for the website and neither the website developer nor the agents’ noticed the error. As it was a navigation tab it was in plain sight and potentially a critical error. No one is infallible and sometimes you can look right at something that you have created and not see the error because in your mind you are seeing it how it is supposed to be. Sometimes you need a 3^rd set of eyes.

Social media and the internet play huge rolls in first impressions these days. Before the internet era it seemed that all we had to do was dress nice, have a pleasant voice, and smile. In the twenty- first century however, a potential client is more likely to “meet” you on the internet first and it all starts with Google. A Real Estate Virtual Assistant can make your first impression stellar!

I love Google and I use it numerous times per day. When a Realtor contacts me about my services I like to do a quick Google search to find out where they are located, what designations they hold, and what they specialize in. This enables me to be prepared to ask questions so that I can provide the best possible plan of action for the agent. Does the agent have a website or websites? Are they on social media such as Facebook, Twitter, or Google +? Do they even come up in search results? I use Google to see how I can assist the agent however; a potential home buyer or seller uses it to find the best agent to hire.

Many of you know that your browser tracks what you search for and what types of sites you typically visit. As a result, if you type your name in your browser, you are almost certain to come up somewhere on the first few pages. For a more accurate picture of your internet presence, open up an incognito tab in your browser. If you are unsure how to do this simply Google “incognito tab” and your browser type (i.e. Firefox) to find instructions on how to do this.

Bottom line, in the twenty- first century a potential client’s first impression of you will likely be an internet search. Can they Google you and what will they find when they do?