If you’re running a real estate business, you’re well aware that pretty much most of the paperwork has become automated and it’s time for you really get an education on what you need to use in terms of technology. This is important to make your online presence and services stand out from the competition.
Like any business, these days and arguably more than most, real estate companies majorly benefit from a strong online presence. In 2022 most decisions begin with a search. Anything not spontaneous or alternatively a routine purchase is likely to trigger a little “googling.” So what are some key points that should be considered when building a new website or looking to update an existing experience? We will take some time now to touch on the ones I see as being rather important.
General Esthetic and Ease of Access
The most important aspect to consider is the general polish of the website and the features offered. It’s well and good to have a version of every tool and widget possible, but do they function as desired? Is the general appearance accessible or does it come across as cluttered and clunky to the average user?
Certainly, you’ve had the experience of a stand-out company in some way whose image was somehow soured when their online presence was experienced as lackluster. Perhaps a company that’s been used for a time before heading online (that still happens right.) Or else maybe despite a fairly disappointing website the gut said to go with it and they clearly put their eggs in the delivery exceptionally and consistently on the product or service basket. It’s important for any business trying to bring in new leads and customers from their website to ensure said site is a positive representation of the work that they do.
Customer Relationship Management
Speaking of leads and new customers, that’s one of the first tools we will explore known as Customer Relationship Management or CRM. CRM systems help start relations with visitors to the site and can even be used to sort them into a variety of categories such as existing or new customers or grouping related to what they inquire about.
This tool aims to automate the supporting data, freeing up the representative to focus solely on showing up in the one-on-one interaction and truly hearing the customer. Armed with things such as where did the customer come to the website from, have they used the services, or purchased a product in the past, the Rep is empowered to make the most of the contact when they have the most information.
Getting the Contact, Sliding Into The Emails
A similar tool that is almost a precursor or the initial sorter of how each contact will be viewed by the CRM is how the client registers for the website. Not always the answer depends on the experience desired for prospective customers, you want to balance the information offered outside of registration and that offered afterward. Sometimes it’s best to just force it immediately and then know that you have the proper information if the visit looks like a potential lead. Other times it’s worth a pop-up prompt, easily dismissed, maybe showing up intermittently to encourage registration. Often needs will land somewhere in between and therefore customization of this feature is to be desired. Get that email so you can get them that newsletter and keep you on their mind!
Property Search Functionality
Specific to the real estate industry is a need for accurate and comprehensive property search. The more the better as far as details and much of this may expand beyond the property itself. What amenities are nearby, what are the road structures to contend within the area, and where are the closest transit and parks and playgrounds.
All of these are important questions when considering buying a home and therefore would be helpful to provide. Increasingly, there is a client base that is happy to make most of the sales themselves. Diligently doing their research until they find what it is they want, then sure-footed making the steps to make it happen. That being said, all the information needs to be presented in an easily accessible way. Perhaps using functions to open more and more advanced search filters or collapsible menus so as to not overwhelm the more basic viewer with the options available for the more intricate searching.
Using Prebuilt And Compatible Systems to Support
Both of these are tools typically outside the realm of possibility for the average real estate agent to create on their own. But then chances are the website itself could have been created with help, either from an established web developer or using one of the many website builders available. Many options exist at a variety of prices, they also have a variety of levels of support offered.
Whether from scratch or utilizing a service such as Wix, WordPress, GoDaddy, or the like there are lots of options and looking into things like company support and 3rd party extensions that are available in the direction desired for the website. All of this is dependent on the format of the website as all code doesn’t necessarily play well together. They may offer other support but their plug-in is designed to be added to a WordPress website.
Chatbots or Let Me Talk to a Person
Chat functionality can be quite welcoming on a website regularly visited by inquiring minds. Though it seems more and more the norm to utilize simple AI Chatbots I caution against pushing this too hard. It often doesn’t take a very complicated question to hit a wall and need to repeatedly request to talk to a human. Beyond that sometimes there is no function for the bot to actually connect the visitor with a representative.
Then after thinking they could quickly get a couple of answers they are feeling frustrated and told they now have to use a more traditional method such as calling or email. On the other hand, websites that have actual employees manning the chat have a truly personable experience and tend to get the potential or existing customers to their desired answers in a much smoother fashion. Of course, there are options to marry the two, perhaps an automated chat that can quickly turn over to a live assistant as it becomes clear the scripted answer won’t suffice.
The Big SEO, How Are You Optimized
SEO or Search engine optimization is a big aspect of online marketing endeavors. There’s a whole set of algorithms involved if the site shows up in searches that intend to find information and service that the site offers. This is a big topic I won’t try to unpack any further than the surface level. It is worth going to someone more familiar with the working of it if you wish to truly understand the process. If you are going to consult someone then you should get the help of the #1 rated IDX in the US, because they’ll have a team of marketing experts involved with the creation of this tool and industry recognition by some pretty big names if you take a look. They should offer an aspect of SEO that apparently isn’t found elsewhere for a similar product.
This is called prerendering of the site. This is when the site is preloaded in a way, then depending on whether the client/agent accessing the site is a person or a bot the site loaded is optimized for each. In this way, the information is presented in an easily digestible way to bots such as search engine web crawlers and subsequently, the results are optimized.
Technical Support Availability
One of the benefits of outsourcing the functionality of the site is not needing to worry about things staying up to date. Whether it’s being sure that the property search is accurately representing the local MLS, or changes to coding that can become a headache as you add a variety of features to the site. It is nice to know there is a team behind you ready to address any issues that may come up.
Whether it is ShowcaseIDX or another such package created for real estate, check what kind of business hours and support are being provided. This takes the pressure off the agency to perform in stressful times, even as far as tracking down the individual that created the site and tools. A good supporting service company is going to take this out of your hands as soon as it is addressed and quickly transformed into positive results.
So regardless of whether the agency is just now creating their own website separate from the Broker page, or perhaps there is a website it hasn’t seen any tender love and care for some time and needs a good update, there are lots of aspects to factor into website creations. It is definitely worth it to consider the tools currently available that will make the task simple and allow the brunt of real estate efforts towards client care and retention. Realizing that more and more the average person will take the time to connect first with a business’s online presence first it’s worth taking the time to ensure the core of the business is well represented.
