Real estate is a competitive market with many agents vying for their share of clients and subsequent sales. Because of the current age of technology, many people utilize smartphones, computers, and tablets to access information when they need it. Due to this, if you are a real estate agent, you definitely need a website and below are 5 pieces of information it needs in order for you to be successful.
1. Listings
You obviously want to spread the word about any properties that you have for sale. The best way to do this is have them listed on your website so visitors can view them.
Make sure that all of your properties are listed on your website, adding new ones as they come up for sale. Your listings should have as much information as possible, allowing potential buyers to access it and make an informed decision regarding whether to consider it or not. Each listing should have a picture as well. It is a proven fact that a property could be exactly what a buyer is looking for but if there is no picture to view, he/she will keep searching.
2. Contact information
Having contact information on your website should be a given. However, there are many real estate agent pages that do not include such details. Therefore, when a buyer wants to hire the agent or view a property they have listed, they cannot even reach them.
If you are a real estate agent, you want to have a few methods for clients to contact you. These should include telephone, cell, email, and social media. One of the main reasons of having a real estate website is so potential buyers can view your listings and sellers can hire you to look after the sale process. However, if they cannot contact you, neither of these things can happen.
3. Updates
You have a website made to include all of your listings and contact information. It looks great and as a result you think you can adopt a set-and-forget approach as everything a potential client needs is there. However, the reality is your website needs to be updated and responsive to the needs of any visitors that access the site.
Having periodic updates completed on your website will make sure that all firewalls and virus software are able to protect your site against cyberattacks. These updates can also include redesigns that will keep your website looking modern and elegant. This is important as a website that stays the same for an extended period time will look old and neglected. Having these updates synced with real estate CRM tools can be a real time-saver, so make sure you think about investing in the software.
4. Neighbourhood information
Most visitors to your website looking to purchase a home will be more concerned with the house itself as well as the asking price. However, the neighbourhood of houses they are interested in are just as important. Therefore, you need to have this information to accompany each listing on your website.
For each property you have listed, be sure to include income and crime rates, school districts, employers in the area, and current tax rates. This will help potential buyers make an informed decision regarding whether the neighbourhood where the house they are considering is will be a right fit for them.
5. Search option
Some visitors searching for home enjoy wading through pages of real estate listings to see what is available. Others know what they want and only want to see listings based on specific requirements.
To cater to the people who know what they want and either do not have time to search through listings or just do not want to, your website needs a search function. This search should afford the opportunity to complete parameters such as price range, neighbourhood, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, and amenities such as a garage, air conditioning, or pool.
