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Do people REALLY search on a property address?

I see numerous single property website companies, virtual tour providers and others boasting of their great search engine rankings, based on searching for a specific address (i.e. 126 Main Street, Hingham MA).

Although they certainly do (and will) come up at the top of the rankings for an address search, do people actually use search engines to SEARCH based on an address?

I monitor dozens and dozens of websites in New Hampshire and Massachusetts, and I see absolutely NO evidence that anyone EVER searches on a property address. Literally.. NEVER.

They search on "city, town, state, real estate" or "city, town, state, homes" or something to that effect. They don't search on ZIP codes. They don't search on addresses.

Do people have specific stats to back up the fact that buyers actually search based on this criteria? Many companies are using this information to sell their SEO friendly products, but I just can't see that it ever happens! And again, I maintain dozens of very successful and highly ranked sites that have been online for years and years that I monitor, and I've not seen it once.

Maybe up here nobody does that? Or is this just another marketing scam being perpetuated by these single property website companies.

In reality, you can rank #1 for almost anything that nobody searches on - it's quite easy. i can rank a site #1 for "beige Colonial at the end of a cul-de-sac", but if nobody is searching on THAT term... who cares?

I'm not discounting having an address domain name (126MainStreet.com) as I think for the money it's a great marketing tool, especially in newspaper ads, sign riders, etc. They're easy to remember, and for under $10 it can be a great listing tool (sellers are easily impressed, aren't they?)

But for search engine results - I just don't see it!

Posted by Fred Light - Real Estate Video Tours on 05/07/2008 08:02 AM

Comments (9)

seo, single property sites

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9 Comments on Do people REALLY search on a property address?

Nope! How can a potential buyer search a property address that they don't even know is for sale? Maybe a subdivision that is really popular, but a specific address? I think it is a way to impress a seller and sounds cool, but is a waste of money. Just my 2 cents!

05/07/2008 08:31 AM

by Kelly Sibilsky ~ Lake Zurich RE/MAX Real Estate Agent (RE/MAX Unlimited Northwest)

Once. Just once.

Buyers had seen a for sale sign in front of a home and wrote down the address. They went online, Googled the address and found my website. Their purchase and sale was about $1,200,000 in closed sales for me.

That was years ago. Hasn't happened since, and I'm not really expecting it to happen again. I must say, it sent them to my personal website that had my listings on it - not to an address-specific website.

05/07/2008 08:49 AM

by Don Fabrizio-Garcia - Connecticut Real Estate & Appraisals (Keller Williams CT Realty)

Whether they search that way or not right now, they will 'cause it works. People Google their dates, they will also Google an address.

05/07/2008 08:57 AM

by Joe Virnig, "No Ordinary Joe" (RE/MAX Gold Coast REALTORS, Ventura County, California)

Fred - I'm thinking that address searches will rise, but only after someone has identified the property and want to know more. As a primary marketing tool, I don't see it as very useful. As a secondary tool - could be great!

05/07/2008 09:58 AM

by Kent Simpson REALTOR®, CNS®, AHS®, RECS® (with The Pepper Group™ Diversified Real Estate)

I haven't either, that I can remember anyway. I have however had plenty of searches by very specific subdivision names.

05/10/2008 10:45 AM

by Steve Scheer - Denver Real Estate - Highlands Ranch Real Estate (RE/MAX Masters, Inc.)

Fred, I agree, who would think to put in an address to search for listing information.

05/12/2008 01:38 PM

by Frank Rubi Louisiana Real Estate-Homes for Sale (Specialized Real Estate Services, Inc.)

I agree, but it is nice to have all the backlinks. LOL and the sellers love it. I don't do single property web sites either.

05/12/2008 01:59 PM

by Missy Caulk Ann Arbor Real Estate (Keller Williams Ann Arbor, Michigan)

In the era of palm pilots, blackberries, Iphones and the like I am guessing that the scenario will go something like this:

Mr. and Mrs. Buyer drive past a listing on a street that they love. They pull over and get out their handy dandy web ready phone and pull up google. They ask google to tell them about the delightful home they sit in front of and VOILA! the information is immediately available.

I don't know how often it will happen now, but with the free listing options, I am willing to let it ride.

05/12/2008 09:22 PM

by Lesley Lambert Real Estate, Realtor, Westfield, MA (Park Square Realty)

For two or three dollars I register the url ###address.info for a year, run the url in print ads and track the hits. One thing I have noticed is that a high percentage of the public types the url into the search box not the url address box.

06/23/2008 08:13 PM

by Larry Estabrooks, Independent Agent, REALTOR® (LarryEstabrooks.com)

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