Simon Baker: Future of online property marketing and how to make the most of it
1. Future of Online Property Marketing and How to Make the Most of It Future of Real Estate Conference Simon Baker Classified Ad Ventures sbaker@classifiedadventures.com
2. Online Real Estate Marketing Today 70%+ of leads come from online advertising Online leads tend to be buyer leads rather than seller leads Portals are getting stronger – especially for buyer leads Google appears to be playing an increasing role Agents passively approaching online marketing
3. Key Trends in Online Real Estate Marketing Portals will continue to attract the most visitors Agents and franchises are investing more in their own sites Strong long-tail SEO is becoming more important Smart social media strategy will differentiate agents Agents are creating and executing an online branding strategy Agents are improving lead management systems and processes
4. Key Trends in Online Real Estate Marketing Portals will continue to attract the most visitors Agents and franchises are investing more in their own sites Strong long-tail SEO is becoming more important Smart social media strategy will differentiate agents Agents are creating and executing an online branding strategy Agents are improving lead management systems and processes
5. TIP # 1 Ensure all listings have full information Street address, price and lots of photos are a must!
6. TIP # 2 Ensure all listings are real listings Sold or leased listings really annoy consumers
7. TIP # 3 Ensure the “hero” photo is the first photo displayed Buyers & renters often decide on the search results page
8. TIP # 4 Use feature listings to promote selected properties Get more clicks by standing out from the crowd
9. TIP # 5 Don’t invest in videos or virtual tours You don’t need them to generate interest in a listing
10. Key Trends in Online Real Estate Marketing Portals will continue to attract the most visitors Agents and franchises are investing more in their own sites Strong long-tail SEO is becoming more important Smart social media strategy will differentiate agents Agents are creating and executing an online branding strategy Agents are improving lead management systems and processes
11. Primarily drives Seller & Landlord Leads Secondarily drives some Buyer & Renter Leads Web Site Optimised for Lead Generation “Ask the right question & capture lead information”
12. SEO SEM Social Media Display Advertising Franchise, Office and Agents Sites Your Database
13. TIP # 6 Make sure your website is structured properly Four elements - blog, listings, office/local information & data
14. TIP # 7 Use forms to ensure your site captures/creates leads Convert visitors to your site to leads
15. TIP # 8 Build a mobile version of your site (but not iPhone app) Mobile internet is becoming widely used – iPhone/iPad
16. TIP # 9 Build single property websites They help win listings, market the property and with SEO
17. Key Trends in Online Real Estate Marketing Portals will continue to attract the most visitors Agents and franchises are investing more in their own sites Strong long-tail SEO is becoming more important Smart social media strategy will differentiate agents Agents are creating and executing an online branding strategy Agents are improving lead management systems and processes
18. ~30% of property searches still start on Google Page 1 attracts 90%+ of clicks Page 1 of common Google searches dominated by portals and franchise groups Hard for agents to be on Page 1
19. Raine & Horne in Australia redesigned site for long tail keywords For 1,500 long tail keywords, Raine & Horne now dominating competitors on page 1 Result: generating 30% more traffic to the Raine & Horne site Source: www.smartagentsites.com
20. Example long-tail keywords 3 bedroom house Bankstown 2200 New South Wales commercial property for lease George Street Sydney 2000 open for inspection Queanbeyan 2620 New South Wales property for sale Beacon Hill Road Brookvale real estate agent Queenscliff NSW 2096
21. TIP # 10 Make sure your site is optimised for SEO SEO traffic is almost free
22. TIP # 11 Have comprehensive local information on your site Its great for SEO and presents office as local leader
23. TIP # 12 Have other relevant sites link to your site for better SEO Relevant = local sites and real estate sites
24. Key Trends in Online Real Estate Marketing Portals will continue to attract the most visitors Agents and franchises are investing more in their own sites Strong long-tail SEO is becoming more important Smart social media strategy will differentiate agents Agents are creating and executing an online branding strategy Agents are improving lead management systems and processes
27. 12,358 friends on Facebook 3,524 followers on Twitter Population of Vancouver, WA – 165,000
28. TIP # 13 Integrate a blog to your site and link to social media sites Great for SEO and keeping the social media sites fresh
29. TIP # 14 Use facebook, twitter, linkedin and youtube Facebook has overtaken TradeMe – engage facebook users
30. A blog should be integrated with your website Built by SoBox – Social Media in a Box
31. All blogs and social media should be brand consistent
32. TIP # 15 Regularly update your blog with relevant content Hyper-local and evergreen content to stand out & SEO
33. TIP # 16 Actively manage your social networks Reach out and make friends – they wont come to you
34. Key Trends in Online Real Estate Marketing Portals will continue to attract the most visitors Agents and franchises are investing more in their own sites Strong long-tail SEO is becoming more important Smart social media strategy will differentiate agents Agents are creating and executing an online branding strategy Agents are improving lead management systems and processes
35. TIP # 17 Buy AdWords on Google (and Yahoo, Bing and Facebook) Drives traffic at low cost but you need a budget
36. TIP # 18 Swap banner advertising with local sites to drive traffic People do click on banner ads & it is good for branding
37. TIP # 19 Ensure ALL advertising has your web address on it Makes it easy for people to find you
38. Key Trends in Online Real Estate Marketing Portals will continue to attract the most visitors Agents and franchises are investing more in their own sites Strong long-tail SEO is becoming more important Smart social media strategy will differentiate agents Agents are creating and executing an online branding strategy Agents improving lead management systems and processes
39. TIP # 20 Collect email addresses at open homes Most agents just collect phone numbers
40. TIP # 21 Almost all buyers are potential sellers Generate leads by asking buyers if they are selling
41. TIP # 22 Ensure ALL leads are stored in one central database This is your cheapest source of future traffic
42. TIP # 23 Put processes in place to ensure database is current No use sending emails to people that don’t want them
43. TIP # 24 Create processes to manage leads effectively Quick qualification, response and turn around is essential
44. TIP # 25 Don’t put it all off until tomorrow There are no silver bullets – it takes times – start today
45. TIP # 26 Reach out for help – make sure they know what they are doing sbaker@classifiedadventures.com
