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Point2 Agent Changes Pricing Model - No More Free Sites

As of March 9th, 2009, Point2 Agent will no longer be supporting any free Standard Point2 Agent accounts.

This change was announced on the Point2 Agent site by CEO Saul Klein. That page also contains an FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) regarding the change.

While I think it's sure to upset plenty of users who currently have a free Point2 Agent web site, I personally think it's a good move.

Let's face it, there are MANY free Point2 sites out there that have been abandoned, sometimes since Day 1. These sites generate no revenue for Point2, in fact, they cost the company money.

If, as Klein indicates in his message, this additional revenue will be used to "help Point2 to constantly improve its services, to continue to build new features, and to devise new ways to help members succeed in their markets and generate new business", then that is a good thing.

And honestly, if an agent can't afford $9.95/month for a web site, then they might want to consider a different line of employment. One close that generates $3,000 would pay for a Standard Point2 site for over 25 years. That's a pretty darn good ROI...

Read more in a post I made on GeekEstate Blog.

Your thoughts?

Posted by Jay & Francy Thompson on 02/08/2009 11:16 AM

Comments (21)

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21 Comments on Point2 Agent Changes Pricing Model - No More Free Sites

FEB

I don't blame them for charging. They should consider a 2 week free trial, just to see if clients like it. I personally did not like point2agents websites, and its back office. So even though it was free, I canceled it. I prefer Myers Websites. For me it was much easier to use.

Doug - there is a three month free trial of the Standard Point2 product. More than enough time for someone to evaluate and decide whether or not to pay.

As I mentioned on the GeekEstate blog - I think this is a positive move for Point 2. I have an upgraded site and have had for some time. Many of the free sites are not maintained, are not updated with current listings and still have all the "canned" verbiage in them.

I'm excited to see what Saul has in store for us - bring it on!

I totally agree that there are plenty of free loaders who dont pay anything for some time but on the other hand its an excellent marketing tool to sign up new agents and give them some time to decide to keep the site and or upgrade.

Should I assume that all of the freebies out there now will be required to start paying for their site?

I don't know how any of the web 2.0 sites plan to make money with the "free" concept... there is only so much money to made out of a few clicks and banners.

Stephen asks: "Should I assume that all of the freebies out there now will be required to start paying for their site?"

Yes. I confirmed that with Point2's Real Estate Sales Manager Shane Baillargeon and the Point2 VP of Marketing Carey Tufts. ALL Standard sites will move to $9.95/month (or $99.95 for 12 months paid in advance). New Standard members will get a 3 month free trial. I assume if a Standard site is currently in it's free trial period then payment won't be due until teh trial period is over.

Jay, I've has the free version of Point2 for about ayear now. I will happily be signing up for the paid version. They are an awesome company and have earned my trust.

I know that there are tons of Point2 sites that were started and then just abandoned. Hopefully this will help clear out the clutter.

FEB

Jay, we've already seen some of the results of the promised upgrades, such as the recent addition of back office support for multiple browsers. Point2 has added quite a few programmers to its staff to be able to make these upgrades, a costly move which will benefit paying members. Perhaps Saul, as the new CEO, felt that being able to pay for these improvements was more important that honoring promises made by his predecessors. I imagine it was a difficult decision. While I empathize with the folks whose sites are no longer free, I'm really glad to see Point2 making significant improvements to the system.

FEB

I upgraded my point 2 site, www.ptownc21.com to the professional version as I love the ability to customize the entire site! As they say, search engines love fresh content! With the professional version, you can keep it fresh every minute of the day! Well worth the $49.95 a month!

I'll admit, it takes a little bit of work and takes some time getting used to. But, if you a little bit each day, you get to the finish line very quickly!

I have had their pro package for more than 2 years. I HATE the agents that tried the free version, uploaded a listing or two to try it out and they ended up on my "local listings" page... it's hard to explain to a prospect that it either is a) over a year old or b) not even a real listing... erghh - I get my monies worth :-)

FEB

I have recently switched over to the Professional Point2 site. I am still getting adjusted to it and think I have a lot to learn. I want to figure out how to use my Active Rain outside blog as my Blog on that site.

Jen, welcome to Point 2. You can't use your ActiveRain blog directly on your Point2 site, however you can probably set up an RSS feed from your ActiveRain blog to a page within your Point2 site. And be sure to include links to your Point2 site within your AR blog posts, as they'll help with SEO for your Point2 site. The only way to get the direct SEO benefit of blogging is to use your Point2 blog.

FEB

When I signed up for Point 2 standard a while back, it was during a 6-month free trial. After that, it went to $9.95 per month. Well worth every penny. Within just a couple of months of my site being up, I received an out-of-town buyer lead that turned into a cash sale.

FEB

After 3.5 years, I downgraded from the professional version to the standard. The downgrade has caused a few bumps and bruises but, not enough to go back up to the professional version....yet. Today I realized that point 2 is not recognizing my POP 3 email (password) account from outlook. I logged on to Point 2, and found that POP3 are only for the Professional version. Thanks POINT 2 for letting me know of your SURPRISE! changes. My site map was also hurt during the downgrade but, I've been working with google analytics to correct it. I've made some progress. The way I see it, sooner or later you won't need a website, just blogs and social networks. Only time will tell.

MAR

I agree with Alejandro. I havent had much success with Point2Agent. But lately I have been getting some leads from my website that looks like is going to be converted into closings-HOPEFULLY SOON.

MAR

With the internet being such an important part of real estate now adays, having a good website is very important and not something you should go cheap with. Free websites can be seen a mile away, so unless you don't care about your image, you shouldn't go too cheap when it comes to websites...

MAR

I never really "got" that Point2 stuff. I tried it out and it didn't really click with me. I have abandoned it since they wanted me to pay up. BTW congrats on posting the first post here.

APR

Jay, thanks for this post. Even though it's a couple of months old, I found it just when I needed it. I've got a site thru MarketLeader, and I want to drop the cost of that and get a site that has IDX and SEO. I used to have one of the free Point2 sites. I let it go because I didn't need it at the time, however, I'm going to look into that...sounds exactly like what I want.

APR

P2A let's you keep a free site if you are paying for one. I just bought Market Leader. It may be good for Lead Generation, but it is not good for consumer education. I had hoped to use the Widget for Market Leader in my P2A sight, but it does not work. An iFrame solution will look sloppy.

JUL

I have heard really good things about the Point2 sites. Maybe I should consider a switch!

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