I talk to lots of agents both with existing websites and without. I talked to a Real Estate Agent recently that was convinced they didn't need their own website because buyers and sellers in their area only searched for Real Estate listings on one main website. They had generated a few decent leads off the site here and there, and they were hooked into thinking they had it figured out...

Sites like point2, realtor.ca, remax, redfin, royal lepage, trulia, zillow, zolo, zoocasa, you know the type, are built to showcase and search lots of listings, and depending on their structure and features can be a source to capture leads. BUT, and this is a big one, only a segment of the marketplace is specifically searching for listings on these sites.

If it were true that buyers and sellers were only searching for real estate listings on sites like the ones above, then we would never see buyer traffic and leads on any other websites! Not on Real Estate Agent Sites, not on Real Estate Team sites, not on Brokerage sites - none, crickets... But we do.... You know why?

Many buyers and sellers have no idea where to start searching for Real Estate Listings (or Realtors!), so they start with Google, Bing, Siri, Alexa or any other search engine that pops up on their device by default. Because of this reason alone, there is an absolute gold mine of potential listing traffic (and buyer and seller leads) out there for the taking..

If you structure your website and your advertising correctly, you can attract people directly to you who want to live in the neighbourhoods you target and want to rank in. Just make sure that the listing data and relevant and useful neighbourhood content is available to them on your website. Then, use your posts, videos, and blog to link back and support it.

There's one thing I can guarantee - if you don't have a website, then you won't get any of the traffic and leads, and you definitely won't be found by those people searching. Don't fall into the trap of relying only on one common site to generate your leads because if someone else, or some other site starts ranking higher in your target areas, your leads will fall off and you'll struggle to catch up.

Take control and diversify where you are advertising and where your leads come from. Building up value in your own website domain will pay you long term dividends and build you a reliable lead pipeline that you can build on as you build your reputation and reviews. 

Need some help getting perspective on your strategy and what to really focus on? Click below to book a free strategy call today and make sure you're focusing on the things that will get you the most impactful results (hint: it's not social media!)