REALTOR® websites should appeal to niche market

If a REALTOR® can’t be found on the Internet, he doesn’t exist to most consumers, according to Tricia Andreassen, CEO and founder of Pro Step Marketing, in Denver, NC, a real estate-focused marketing strategy, design and implementation firm.

“Today’s consumers live online. They use the Internet to search for information, to research what they want to buy and who to buy it from,” said Andreassen, a former real estate agent who’s spoken at national conventions for Century 21, Keller Williams and RE/MAX.

NAR’s latest Member Profile shows that just two-thirds of REALTORS® have websites. Andreassen said that’s surprising and a little scary. “Eighty-five percent of buyers found their agents online. A website is a core component of business today. Consumers expect to get information quickly and to make their own assessment about the next steps,” she said.

Targeting consumers is a way to make a website more successful, according to Andreassen. “A website should appeal to the consumer who the REALTOR® wants to work with,” she explained. “It’s about having a targeted niche in real estate and then having your market message support that niche. Buyers and sellers don’t want to work with a ‘Jack of all trades,’ they want to work with someone who is highly experienced for what they need.

“You need to understand how to connect with today’s buyer and seller, tailor your expertise to engage them to work with you, generate more leads and raise the conversion rate,” Andreassen said. “It’s not about having a website; it’s about having a strategy that connects with the type of consumer you want to work with.”

It’s also important to keep content fresh and appealing to consumers. Andreassen suggested re-evaluating a website every six months, determining what the focus will be. The main content pages are the foundation and by adding additional content and weaving in unique offerings, like the homebuyer tax credit, the site will stay cutting edge.

“There is an incredible opportunity for REALTORS® to differentiate themselves in the marketplace,” she added. “Many REALTORS® will get out of the business or pull back from their market and those who step out with a target message and plan will be able to differentiate themselves more effectively than ever before. Now is the time to re-focus, re-invent and re-tool your business. Those who do will no doubt succeed.”