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Ask An Ambassador: My Favorite Technology

By
Real Estate Agent with Transaction Alliance 513.520.5305 www.LizTour.com SAL.2002007747

I'm going to take a slight detour from my usual topics (while still coming back to the same drum to beat on it some more!).  This month's ActiveRain challenge asks to list our favorite three tech tools.  And while I am attached to my phone, laptop and email as anyone, they're not what gives me the biggest business bang for my buck.

Instead, it's the triple threat of Wordpress, IDX Broker Platinum and my hosting/IDX/Web Design support company YourSiteNeedsMe SEO Team.

Wordpress gives me two key things:  ownership, and flexibility. 

While we also have a template site, it's become a bit of a dinosaur in our tech toolbox.  Our real powerhouse is our Wordpress site.  While it's time to trade it in for a newer model (discussing details Wednesday with Charra), it gives us freedom that a brokerage website doesn't (we've had those too, and IMO just another templated website that you lose in its entirety when you decide another brokerage offers greener pastures).  Wordpress comes with a wide range of themes, and if you decide to change brokerages?  In less than an hour you can remodel with new colors, brokerage logos, contact info changes, etc.  IT IS YOUR SITE TO DO AS YOU WISH.

The second part is IDX Broker Platinum.  I've taken many of our old blog posts (subdivisions, new construction, etc.) and turned them into custom IDX search pages.  Mix in pages with long tail search terms for our market, lots of pages to fit our low maintenance living niche, and we've got evergreen posts with the dynamic updates of the latest homes for sale that fit that page.  Google sees fresh content without us having to lift another finger to update our pages.  And the SEO is such that we get calls about homes for sale that have NO custom searches that would give that home a match. 

Add in the last part of the trio, YourSiteNeedsMe and I can wear one less hat.  I don't want to be a FSBO type when it comes to my main website.  While I can tinker some (and do on occasion), I'm looking for the people with the expertise to handle the nitty gritty, keep me informed of what is needed, and answer my questions.  And bonus, they're my designated IDX Broker support team, so I can go straight to them when I need with anything IDX related.

The net cost is about $150/month, and while I can't always tell if a call is due to an evergreen ActiveRain post or our IDX post, the more time passes, the more likely it's our Wordpress/IDX combo doing the job for us.  And with retirement from my engineering job coming up fast, I'll have time to create new pages to bulk up our site even further.  And there's no small satisfaction in being able to cut all those "sell you leads" phone calls short because we have the tools to generate our own leads.

Until next Tuesday, just Ask An Ambassador if you need help,

Bill & Liz aka BLiz

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Serving Warren County Ohio & Adjacent Areas

The Liz Spear Team of Transaction Alliance
Elizabeth Spear, ABR, Ohio License SAL.2002007747

William (Bill) Spear, Ohio License SAL.2004011109  Kentucky 77938
Ask for us by name if you visit the office!

EHO
Bill Direct:  513-520-5305
Liz Direct: 513-265-3004     
Fax: 866-302-8418

MailTo:  Liz@LizSpear.com

Search Homes:  Https://WarrenCountyOhioRealEstate.com

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Comments(19)

Nina Hollander, Broker
Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC
Your Greater Charlotte Real Estate Broker

I also work with YourSiteNeedsMe and have used IDX Broker Platinum for many years. 

Oct 29, 2024 06:10 AM
Liz and Bill Spear

I'm a fan of YSNM.  Always responsive, and they're great with their notifications about legal requirements that might impact us.

Oct 29, 2024 07:06 AM
Jeffrey DiMuria 321.223.6253 Waves Realty
Waves Realty - Melbourne, FL
Florida Space Coast Homes

My favorite technology is a blue or black pen with a yellow pad. Been using it for years.

Oct 29, 2024 06:27 AM
Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
Pasadena And Southern California 818.516.4393

Hello Bill (and Liz too) - the saying, use it or lose it comes to mind while reading your post today.  You're obviously on a path where regular exercise in this area continues to provide fiscally fit favorability for your real estate business.  

Oct 29, 2024 06:40 AM
Liz and Bill Spear

The longer in the business, the more critical I am about where my $$ are spent.  If there's not a clear path to a good return, it needs to go.

Oct 29, 2024 07:08 AM
Bill Salvatore - East Valley
Arizona Elite Properties - Chandler, AZ
Realtor - 602-999-0952 / em: golfArizona@cox.net

I am a fan of most TechKNOWLOGY. Thanks for sharing and enjoy your week!  Bill 

Bill Salvatore, Realtor- Arizona Elite Properties

Oct 29, 2024 07:12 AM
Dorie Dillard Austin TX
Coldwell Banker Realty ~ 512.750.6899 - Austin, TX
NW Austin ~ Canyon Creek and Spicewood/Balcones

Well as usual Bill you give us so much food for thought and really appreciate your sharing your expertise! You are right to be concern how to get the most bank for the buck in this business!

Oct 29, 2024 07:49 AM
Liz and Bill Spear

Over the years what I'm willing to spend dollars for has evolved.  Now most of what is left I can directly connect to revenue incoming.

Oct 29, 2024 09:28 AM
Roy Kelley
Retired - Gaithersburg, MD

Thank you very much for sharing your experience and advice.

Have a great day and a productive week.

Oct 29, 2024 08:04 AM
Liz and Bill Spear

You're welcome!  Hope you have a great week too!

Oct 29, 2024 09:28 AM
Anna "Banana" Kruchten
HomeSmart Real Estate - Phoenix, AZ
602-380-4886

Hi Bill reading your post brought me right back to when we were still running our business as we had it modeled much like yours for both to work with each other.  I didn't have the web gal you have - but would have had we continued on as she has gotten rave reviews. It will be interesting to see what you chose as times goes on.

Oct 29, 2024 09:44 AM
Liz and Bill Spear

Charra has some nice designs, and I'll need to take a look soon to decide which one is my best option going forward.

Oct 29, 2024 07:00 PM
Patricia Feager, ABR,CRS,GRI,MRP
DFW FINE PROPERTIES - Flower Mound, TX
Selling Homes Changing Lives

Hi Bill - I'm impressed! Technology is here to stay and it's forever changing. You managed to implement, and you know what works for you. 

Oct 29, 2024 10:06 AM
Liz and Bill Spear

Our Wordpress site has gone through a couple of prior facelifts, and with retirement coming up next month, I need to spend some time creating more subdivision posts to help attract even more attention.

Oct 29, 2024 07:01 PM
Patricia Feager, ABR,CRS,GRI,MRP

Liz and Bill Spear - I wish you the best with all the things you need to do before the end of the year and beyond. 

Good  luck!

Oct 30, 2024 07:00 AM
Jeff Dowler, CRS
eXp Realty of California, Inc. - Carlsbad, CA
The Southern California Relocation Dude

Hi Bill:

Sounds like you have a well-run and efficient system that works well and produces the desired results. I have heard lots of positive feedback about Your Site Needs Me!

Jeff

Oct 29, 2024 12:55 PM
Liz and Bill Spear

Charra and her team have been great for me to work with.

Oct 29, 2024 07:01 PM
Carol Williams
Although I'm retired, I love sharing my knowledge and learning from other real estate industry professionals. - Wenatchee, WA
Retired Agent / Broker / Prop. Mgr, Wenatchee, WA

Hi Bill,
I use to be an early adopter but honestly, now I'm glad to be retired and don't HAVE to keep up with the most efficient business tools. Most of what I use is for fun, personal knowledge, or ease of travel.

Oct 29, 2024 03:51 PM
Liz and Bill Spear

For the most part, I just want things to work without too much trouble.  Early adopting usually doesn't give me that, and I spend more time trying to make something work and often at a much higher price than the tried and true.

Oct 29, 2024 07:52 PM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

Hi Bill- I love what you said about WordPress. When I began here and learned more about blogging etc, I suggested to agents I met that they needed their own web presence. So many said they didn't need to because their broker had one for them. Sure, and when you leave....! 

I've heard so many good things about YourSiteNeedsMe!!!

Oct 29, 2024 06:36 PM
Liz and Bill Spear

We learned early too key things:  have your own email and your own website.  Things happen with brokerages (they close, they sell to an entirely different brand, change policies, etc.), it's just best to have some portability without losing contact with past clients because xxxxxbroker.com is no longer your brokerage and all your contacts were stored on THEIR site.

Oct 29, 2024 07:54 PM
Nick Vandekar, 610-203-4543
Realty ONE Group Advocates 484-237-2055 - Downingtown, PA
Selling the Main Line & Chester County

Always interesting to see what others are using. I need some changes in this coming year and maybe some of what you do might work for me.

Oct 30, 2024 08:24 AM
Liz and Bill Spear

Every market has its opportunities!  Main Line is a different kind of suburbia :)

Oct 30, 2024 10:58 AM
Doug Rogers
RE/MAX Coastal Properties - Destin, FL
Your Real Estate Resource!

I have my RE/MAX provided website (kvcore) but the learning curve is steep. Out of 16 agents in my office, I'm the only one who uses it.

Oct 30, 2024 12:33 PM
Liz and Bill Spear

Doug, that was the other aspect of brokerage provided sites.  Are they easy to use?  I never expected to leave RE/MAX, but we did.  If I didn't have our Wordpress site, what would we have after leaving?

Oct 31, 2024 08:28 PM
Frank Worrell
BPOS FOR LIFE LLC - Chesapeake, VA
Turning BPOs Into Six-Figure Incomes

Hi Bill & Liz,

Thanks for sharing such a unique take on this month’s ActiveRain challenge! I love how you've crafted a powerhouse setup that truly sets you apart. The WordPress site ownership is a game-changer, giving you control and flexibility that brokerage templates just can’t match. And IDX Broker Platinum paired with custom IDX search pages is brilliant for leveraging those long-tail search terms—automatically keeping your content fresh and SEO-friendly.

Having YourSiteNeedsMe for support and IDX guidance sounds like a smart investment, letting you focus on what you do best while they handle the tech side. The ability to generate your own leads and cut those “sell you leads” calls short? That’s invaluable!

Thanks for the inspiration and sharing your top tech trio—this setup clearly brings serious ROI!

Oct 30, 2024 06:19 PM
Laura Cerrano
Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island - Locust Valley, NY
Certified Feng Shui Expert, Speaker & Researcher

Right on. Keep up all the good writing and wishing you love and light and great success’

Oct 30, 2024 09:12 PM
Liz and Bill Spear

We will keep going :)

Oct 31, 2024 08:29 PM
Paddy Deighan MBA JD PhD
http://www.medicalandspaconsulting.com - Vail, CO
Paddy Deighan J.D. Ph.D

I enjoyed this post and happy Halloween!!!  I loved the first image too.  My favorite technology is the Smartphone!!

Oct 31, 2024 12:07 AM
Liz and Bill Spear

Found on Pixabay, someone had a lot of parts and the creativity to put them to use.

Oct 31, 2024 08:30 PM
Kat Palmiotti
eXp Commercial, Referral Divison - Kalispell, MT
Helping your Montana dreams take root

I love Your Site Needs Me! I switched to them a few years ago and they are miles better than the last company I used. Very responsive, takes care of updates and notifies me, the site is always working. They're great!

Oct 31, 2024 05:00 AM
Liz and Bill Spear

I think downtime with their providers is very, very rare.  And her team is very responsive.

Oct 31, 2024 08:31 PM
Laura Cerrano
Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island - Locust Valley, NY
Certified Feng Shui Expert, Speaker & Researcher
I guess I would like to have control over the style and substance of it all regardless of the medium.
Oct 31, 2024 09:59 PM
Liz and Bill Spear

It's our name on it, so I definitely want approval rights over anything that represents us.

Nov 01, 2024 07:51 AM
Mary Hutchison, SRES, ABR
Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate-Kansas City Homes - Kansas City, MO
Experienced Agent in Kansas City Metro area

Sound like you know your stuff!  I have a Wordpress site as well that I use for blogging

Nov 05, 2024 10:38 AM