Real Estate agents - Is your website doing its job?

Is having a real estate website really that important for agents? The simple answer - a big, resounding YES!

Before you say you don’t need a website since you already have a listing profile, a Facebook page or the agency you work for features your properties on their website so why would you need your own...you’re missing out on a whole lot of business.

Your website is your virtual shopfront. It’s a quick and effective way to establish a professional online presence while giving clients the confidence to work with you. Ask any consumer about their buying habits and most will mention they ‘googled it’ before making a final purchase choice. The same goes for vendors and buyers. Having your own website makes it easy for potential clients to find you online along with relevant information that supports their decision to give you their business.

Now that we’ve established why you need your own website, how do you actually launch one?

The first option: the DIY route. Find a budget-friendly website provider, pick a generic template, chuck a few words on the page, add some images and you’re good to go! Not quite. Though the temptation is high to throw a few words together and announce your new site is live, there’s a lot more that goes on in the backend of a real estate website than meets the eye.

Building a real estate site is like building a house. Find the right lot, lay the foundations, build the frame, install the plumbing and electricity then finish off with the outer walls and styling touches. Real estate websites are complex with several moving parts that require constant updating. The right systems and processes need to be established in the back end to ensure a seamless experience for both your site visitor and you as the agent.

While choosing the DIY route is great for a blogger or a photographer to easily launch their work online, the requirements for a real estate agent are vastly different. The DIY option could leave you with ongoing wasted hours that could have been spent elsewhere.

The second option is to work with an experienced team that specialises in websites for real estate. Working with a team to build your website ensures your website is built correctly, functions smoothly, and allows you to manage your site with ease.

We’ve pulled together the top 5 benefits of having a ReNet powered website:

1) Work with an experienced and dedicated real estate website design team

Launching a new website can be a bit confusing, especially if you don’t know where to start. Luckily, you can bypass the confusion and stress by enlisting the help of a web design team. All you need to do is to choose a template from our collection then our team puts together the moving parts to get your site up and running.

We work closely with you to ensure the site meets your needs while providing one on one training so you have the confidence to maintain the on-going management of your site. Keeping your site updated is simple thanks to ReNet’s website content manager. Here you can easily make any changes or updates to your site such as updating staff profiles and adding new listings. If you ever get stuck, you have a support team ready to give you a helping hand.

2) Choose a template from our collection or customise your own

A real estate website needs to do more than just look good. Your website is a valuable lead generation tool when it’s optimised for capturing site visitors into leads. Forget designing your own website and choose from a collection of high converting templates that are proven to work.

These templates are specifically designed for real estate and include sections such as: 

• For Sale, For Rent
• Open for inspection
• Testimonials
• Meet the Team plus more.

They also include Call to Action forms like:

• Make an Offer
• Request an Appraisal
• Tenancy Application
• Vacate Property 
• Newsletter signup
• Maintenence

If you’re thinking, ‘what if my website looks like someone else’s who has the same template?’ Don’t stress. We’ve had multiple clients choose the same template but have completely different looking websites due to their individual needs. We’ll work with you to ensure you have the features you require, even if it means completely customising your own site.

Feel free to browse our collection of templates here: http://renet.com.au/renet-websites/agency-websites.

3) Grow your database and update your CRM at the same time

Websites are powerful tools and they work even harder when connected to a CRM. A ReNet website and CRM combination instantly feeds any information captured on your website (such as submitted forms) directly into your CRM as a new inquiry. The last thing you want is to lose track of potential business inquiries due to missed notifications.

You can also use your website to grow your database using the Property Alert form. When a visitor completes this form, a new contact is automatically added into the CRM including the property criteria they’re looking for. Now you can automatically notify this contact about any other properties that may suit their needs.

4) Increase your online visibility

Can your potential vendors and buyers find you easily online? Are you ranking on the first page of Google like your competitors?

Stop wondering and start being seen. SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) helps you appear in search results and rank on Google. All ReNet powered websites are built to include SEO features like Google Analytics, eta descriptions and keywords, Facebook pixel codes.

You can also utilise your website to boost your online visibility across social networking sites. For example, by adding in a Facebook pixel tracking code you can then create Facebook ads that retarget people who have recently viewed your site. Examples of retargeting ads could include your next Open for Inspection, boosting a Featured Property or promoting your Recently Sold.

5) Simple, ongoing website management via a single touch system

We mentioned earlier that real estate websites need constant updating and the great news is, it’s not as daunting as it seems. Our websites include access to ReNet’s website Content Manager giving you access to update or make changes to your site with ease. Here you can access form submissions, update or add new listings to feed through to your site, update staff profiles or add new testimonials.

Ongoing site management is made easy without the need of contacting a web developer or coder to make changes. Everything you need to manage your site is in one easy to access place. You’ll eliminate the tech overwhelm and save time.

Key takeaway: Global website traffic has recently seen a huge spike in activity with entire industries forced into the online space. Now is the time to level up your online presence with a website that’s specifically made for real estate professionals.

Long time client, Peter Stone Director of Real Estate of Distinction says, "Working with the Renet Web and Support team has been a pleasure. The attention to detail throughout our consultative custom web development project made life easy for my team to get a better result than we hoped for. We have a wonderful new set of web sites powered by ReNet's multi-office CRM package - Touchpoints manager and this allows for our image-heavy listings to be showcased in a distinctive and easy to navigate website."

Don’t wait to be out searched by your competitors. Click here to schedule a free website consultation today.