In today’s digital age, it is essential for real estate professionals to have a strong online presence. Back in 2019, it was recommended to have a website as a best practice in NAR, because over 50% of people were finding their home (and their Real Estate Professional) online. They stated then that having only a profile on a brokerage website was no longer sufficient. Now it is 2023. The importance of having your own online presence has only gone up. Real estate professionals who take the initiative to create and maintain their own business website can attract more leads and build better brand recognition.
Relying solely on a brokerage website limits real estate professionals as they are seen under the umbrella brand of the brokerage. The key is for the agent to be able to build their unique brand and appeal to their clients in a personal way, while also being able to leverage the online strength and scale of the brokerage. By having a personal website alongside their brokerage’s website, real estate professionals can get the best of both worlds effectively market their own brand instead of relying solely on their firm’s identity. A personal website can be targeted to focus directly on the clientele of the agent’s specific practice or market, which increases brand awareness and attracts higher-quality leads and builds trust with individuals who specifically want to do business with that particular agent.
Agents can feel overwhelmed with the task of creating and maintaining a web presence, while marketing via social media, as well as strengthening the personal relationships with their sphere, marketing listings and other tasks. This is one of the reasons that innovative brokers with the resources to accomplish this have stepped in to make it happen.
The Real Estate Group in Hampton Roads Virginia and Coastal North Carolina provides full websites and the staff support to customize them to the branding that their agents would like. These are far more than a profile. They are full websites that are capable of generating leads for their agents, as well as complete lead management capabilities.
Some examples of their agent websites include:
https://sydneysellsva.com/ – Sydney Sanderlin wanted to market herself in a very authentic way as a professional REALTOR who loves living on the beach and helps people find their dream home. Her website incorporates video and ties in with her business cards and other marketing to create a seamless message of exactly who she is.
https://debbiemarable.com/ – Debbie Marable’s website uses listings from 3 different MLS’s to get leads from Coastal North Carolina, the Outer Banks, as well as the Hampton Roads Virginia area and incorporates her social media efforts into the website.
https://barbaramccormack.com/ – Barbara McCormack’s website works hand in hand with her focus on “her” neighborhood of Indian River Plantation, a subdivision in Virginia Beach, Virginia. This helps her create marketing dominance as well as giving her an easy way to explain to neighbors that their subdivision and her focus on marketing it, gives her an edge in selling their home.
“This is part of what we provide every agent in our brokerage at no additional cost. We think it is that important…” says Gary Lundholm, principal broker at The Real Estate Group. “TREG is committed to providing everything that career minded real estate professionals need to succeed. An online presence that speaks to their personal target market and client base is an integral part of that. ”
As part of their marketing, every real estate professional should establish their own online presence that is brandable, memorable and promotes THEM. A personal website working in tandem with active social media accounts allow for more successful self-marketing. This enables agents to track leads and analytics, better serve their target market, and have greater control over creating their online brand in a comprehensive way. Building trust with clients through an online presence ultimately leads to business growth. Brokerages with the resources to help and support their agents accomplish this efficiently can free agents up from frustration, while facilitating their marketing at the same time.
