Creating an Internet Platform for Promoting Your Real Estate Business
Getting Found On the Internet
We live in an Internet-focused world. Even if you do not plan to use Internet Marketing as a marketing strategy, your clients will expect you to have a profile listed on the common real estate pages, such as your local real estate board’s website, your broker’s website, Realtor.com, etc. This is advertising for your business.
Here's what you need to do to build your Internet Platform:
NOTE: Each of these Action steps are covered in detail in the JumpStart for New Real Estate Agents workbook.
Keep Your Target Market In Mind
To be effective at advertising, you should always keep your target market (audience) in mind. For example, if your target market is luxury home owners, then your branding and advertising should have a classy, high-end look to it. If your target market is ranch owners, then your branding and advertising should look a bit rustic. This is why you should analyze your markets and write a business plan first (see Chapters 5 & 6 of the JumpStart for New Real Estate Agents book), before creating your Internet presence.
Once you know your audience (the target market that you are going after), then you can write a good business profile, create a tag line, and get your images and photos in order to build your brand and your Internet Presence. We show you exactly how to do all of that in Chapter 7 of the JumpStart for New Real Estate Agents workbook, including creating your Google Business Page, Facebook Business page, and more.
Suggested Accounts to Set Up
First you should set up your:
- Google Business Profile
- Facebook Business Page
- YouTube Channel
You may also want to have the following social media accounts (but they are optional):
- TikTok
Set up the real estate accounts and profile pages to complete your Internet platform. Open the Profile Cheat Sheet (Chapter 7) in Microsoft Word, so you can copy and paste your profile information and URLs to each account that you set up. Use the same banner and portrait photos (although different sizes) to create a consistent brand.
The following list shows the accounts and profiles that you need to set up. There are more tips and info in JumpStart for New Real Estate Agents.
- Broker's office website
- Local real estate board website
- Your state's real estate association website
- NAR's website at www.nar.realtor
- Realtor.com
- Homes.com
- Zillow
- Trulia
- Realty Trac
- Movoto
- Hot Pads
- RESAAS
- Active Rain
- Mashvisor
- Land Watch
- Land Flip
- Homes and Land
You Don't Need Your Own Website Anymore, Unless...
One thing that may surprise you: You do not need your own business website anymore. Many local businesses these days, such as local restaurants, are giving up their complicated business websites and high maintenance fees, and are simply using a Google Business Profile and Facebook Business Page to promote their business. You can too and the JumpStart workbook will get you started.
Between a Google Business Profile, your Facebook Business Page, and your other social media accounts, you can do a lot of the advertising and marketing activities that you need for success without a business website. You only need a business website if you plan to use Internet Marketing as one of your marketing strategies.
NOTE
There is helpful information on choosing an effective domain name in the APPENDIX of the JumpStart workbook.
Use Your Internet Platform to Build Your Credibility
Speaking of promotion and marketing strategies...all real estate agents need to use Prospecting as one of their marketing strategies. Before the Internet, we Prospected using phone calls and snail mail. Now, with the Internet, we still use phone calls and snail mail, but we also use various social media platforms, such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Pinterest. Posting information on these platforms helps you to stay “top of mind” with your Sphere of Influence, but not just any type of posts will do.
You want your posts to help establish your credibility as a local area real estate expert. The assignments we give you in Chapter 4 of the JumpStart for New Real Estate Agents workbook provide you with the items that you need to create fantastic posts about your local area. That's why you do that chapter before creating your Internet presence. When people see the posts you write—about your city, neighborhoods, and real estate topics—it builds your credibility with them. If you do this consistently over several months, your Sphere of Influence won’t worry about the fact that you are new to the business, because you have demonstrated that you have the local knowledge they want, by writing real estate articles and posts. The written word is powerful for building credibility with your audience!
Learn how to build your Internet Platform today!
MORE HELPFUL RESOURCES
Helpful resources for real estate agents:
- Free Resource Library with articles and downloads
- Ultimate Book for Newbie Agents: JumpStart for Real Estate Agents (Claim Your Free Copy)
- Customizable Templates to SUPERCHARGE Your Productivity: JumpStart Toolkit for Real Estate Agents
- Online Training Course ("boot camp" for newbie agents): JumpStart for New Real Estate Agents Training Course
- YouTube Videos
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