10 Ways Realtors® Can Use the Web to Sell More Homes

Real Estate BarCamp DC is going to be a HOT event, and we’re lucky to have some pretty impressive sponsors. Our Gold Sponsor, BOALT, provided this guest post written by celebrity-blogger Chris Garrett who is a world renown blogger and author of social media best seller ProBlogger: Secrets for Blogging Your Way to a Six-Figure Income.

Think that headline is a big promise to make? Read on and I will explain everything …

Let me start by saying right up front that I am not a Realtor®, but I have had clients who are Realtors® and have managed to increase their sales and make better relationships with clients using simple web tactics. I know this stuff works when you do it right. As well as my own client’s experiences to go by, I also write about internet marketing and social media for BOALT, an interactive agency in Washington, DC that is one of the sponsors of REBarCampDC.

Between our two companies we have seen how the web can work powerfully for creating sales, and some areas to avoid that can collapse your efforts.

Let’s first take a look at what you SHOULD do …

How the web can help your Realtor® business:

1. Increase Visibility - The web can give you a huge boost in visibility. If you are competing for attention in a crowded market then you need all the visibility you can get, but even if you have few competitors you still need to be reachable. More and more people are turning to Google before anything else. Search is replacing the telephone directory, the rolodex, and in fact most people are turning to the web before even their lawyer or doctor. If you are not in Google then for most people you do not exist. At the very least you need to have a website containing the area you cover and your contact details.

2. Referrals - If your business is like mine then the majority of your new client leads come from referrals. The internet makes it easy for someone to refer you. Simply give them easy to use tools and they will use them. Enable your visitors to send your content to friends via email or Twitter, and encourage recommendations and referrals via LinkedIn and FaceBook.

3. Word of mouth - The internet spreads word of mouth at the speed of light. You need to be involved if you want to have any influence on the conversations that are happening. Again, make sure you are in the social media tools and getting involved with forums and blogs. You want your name to be the go-to person for your area.

4. Networking – Most Realtors know the influence of networking, but do you want to be one of those folks who hands out a million business cards with nothing to show for it? Of course not. Accelerate and deepen your networking performance by using online tools, if only to keep in touch with the people you meet face to face. Using the web you really are only a couple of degrees separated from most of the planet. Make use of it.

5. Long term value – So many people have a short term focus but with a few simple measures, such as a blog or email newsletter, you can grow your long term loyalty so when people are ready to buy they turn to you first.

6. Community outreach - Instead of trying to draw people to you, go to where they already are and engage them there, then give them reasons to come back to you. If they are on FaceBook then meet them there, if they hang out on Twitter then be there. Once you have made contact, show them valuable content on your website or blog, then get them to subscribe to your email.

7. Relationships - We like to work with people who we know, like and trust. This needs to build over time, it is very difficult to make a client fall in love with you at first sight! Start the process with content, keep top of mind with content, and remind them with content.

8. Trust - Very linked to relationship is trust, how does the prospect know you are the right person for the job? Demonstrate credibility, trust, personality and expertise with your content, case studies, and testimonials.

9. Research - Find out what your market is thinking! The web is not just a source of leads but also a great tool for information and insight. Get inside the mind of your prospects, know what they are worried about, talking about, and looking for. Use Twitter search, monitor conversations, and use keyword research tools to discover the hot search patterns.

10. Video - Use video to do all of the above! Did you know YouTube is now the world’s second biggest search engine? This means you need to be in video, for the direct traffic, the viral traffic, to show off your magnetic personality, and to boost your positive branding.

Looking at this list might seem daunting, but you can take all of this stuff one step at a time. It need not be your life’s work, but the sooner you get started the sooner you start to reap the benefits.

This blog post was provided by BOALT, an interactive agency in Washington, D.C. BOALT’s guest blogger, Chris Garrett is the author of this blog post. For more information about BOALT, please visit: www.boalt.com or twitter: @boalt.