What's really a shame is that the corrective action necessary to make your web site a commission generator can be quite inexpensive and bring monetary rewards in a reasonable period of time.
1. The agent doesn't expect much.
There are a great many real estate agents out there that set up a web site because they perceive it to be required by their listing clients and a necessary evil of being a listing agent. It is true that seller prospects expect a web presence from the brokerage and/or the agent.If your only goal for your site is to appease these listing prospects, then it's not a problem. However, if you decide that your time and efforts in site design and maintenance should do more for your business, it's quite possible to make that happen.
2. The site doesn't provide what the visitor wants.
Real estate agents want to apply their print and personal marketing tactics to the internet and that just doesn't work. The first-time visitor to a real estate web site is generally interested in only a couple of things. Both buyers and sellers want to search all the local listings, though for different reasons. Then buyers want area info and sellers want to know about the listing process.Note that we haven't mentioned that they want a sales pitch for your high production or how well you care for your clients. Get them to what they want fast.
3. Agents pester the visitor for contact info.
You'll get arguments on both sides, but you can bet that the internet buyer or seller wants certain information from a web site and they don't want or expect to have to give up personal information to get it. IDX search registration works for some, but it can drive away site visitors.You can provide other types of reports and information via email delivery and still get good leads. In fact, they'll appreciate the fact that they can come to your site to do research without a login and they'll feel free to sign up for more information later.
4. The longer time line isn't understood.
The internet has stretched the time line from first research to a transaction. Buyers and sellers expect to be able to research markets and information anonymously without sales pressure, and they start earlier and research longer.Rushing the web client doesn't work, nor does ignoring them until they're closer to a transaction. Stories are recounted every day by buyers who said they emailed an agent that they were thinking of buying in six months to a year and they didn't get an answer. Work with them and stay in touch or lose them to the agent who will.
5. No lead capture mechanism is in place on the web site.
If you'll buy into not forcing sign-up for searching listings, then you need to have something of value to offer the site visitor in exchange for their contact information.Develop some custom reports about special facets of real estate and transactions in your market. This could be information about stringent local codes, septic regulations, property sales statistics, etc. These need only be a page or less, and can be set up for automated email delivery. Site visitors will give your their information for information of value from you.
6. The visitor is inundated with useless drip emails.
Even if you've done everything right and gotten that important name and email from your site visitor, you can shoot yourself in the foot in the first couple of weeks if you're not very careful.Too many agents get think that an aggressive drip email campaign, with an email every week or so is what they need. Worse yet, they use a canned approach with emails developed by a third party, on subjects like "How to make your kitchen look better for showings." About the third one of these and you'll get the "REMOVE" email from the prospect.
