Is This The Most Powerful Listing Tool?

Mr. Marc Grayson, our resident Internet Marketing Tool Specialist has returned with another insightful weekly offering.  This week Marc examines the value of promoting properties for sale with the singular listing website.

Thank you Marc.
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Today, we see a number of sources to place listings on-line: your agent website, broker website, MLS/Association website, vertical search engines like Trulia, Propsmart and online classifieds such as Oodle, LiveDeal, GoogleBase, Realtor.com, Point2NLS, Zillow, Postlets, VFlyer etc.  Given these numerous outlets to list properties to a nationwide audience, I'd like to present a listing tool that is a return to your "local" scene. 

Return to what is good and local

Besides agent/broker websites, we've seen many posts on the Real Estate Tomato about being "Local" vs "National". Teresa Boardman talked about Keeping Local Real Estate, Well...Local, and how blogging can support and express your local knowledge and expertise within the microcosm of your community; establishing relationships with site-visitors and clients.

With Local, I'm speaking in-terms of relationships (referral business, repeat business, becoming known in your community for the all-inclusive services you provide consumers).

Single Property Websites

There is one listing technology I've become familiar with over the last year that for me, speaks to the what is good and "local"; that speaks to "word-of-mouth" referrals; that compliments local print and direct marketing efforts.  The listing technology I'm referring to is called "Single-Property Websites", such as: www.123AnySt.com. (Click Image To Enlarge)

Value Proposition.  Single-property websites put the seller’s interest back in the forefront. As a resource used by the seller’s agent, single-property websites (i.e. www.123AnySt.com) establishes a full web presence for 1 property. Such single-property websites include photos, property descriptions, floor plans, links to virtual tours, custom neighborhood and area information, and much more.

URL is the Street Address.  Considering the URL of a property website is commonly the street address (i.e. www.123AnySt.com ), it provides for a unique and easy-to-remember web address. Besides mention of the URL on literature such as a CMA, consider mediums where advertising space may be small, such as a newspaper ad or signage placed outside the home. Placement of a single-property website's URL in a newspaper Ad, or on a “sign rider” placed with the property’s signage, appeals to the web-savvy buyer.

How To Make One.  Providers of single-property websites normally have a “point & click” interface for agents to establish a unique website for one property within minutes. Such a provider commonly features the ability to create custom web pages with any information you desire. Agent creates an account, providing "lasting" information: Agent photo, Bio statement, etc.  It takes about 15 minutes to establish with a provider like AgengyLogic and their Powersites.

The Most Powerful Listing Tool?

Is a single property website for 123AnySt.com, a property in Los Angeles, CA, meant to appear in search engines results of potential buyers in New York, NY?  That answer is no. 

In terms of word-of-mouth referrals, its a very tangible and visible sign of the efforts provided on behalf of sellers ("my listing agent created a website just for my property").  After the life-cycle of the transaction, it becomes a part of your portfolio, an element of the all-inclusive services you provide clients in the online arena (it can be readily emailed to prospective clients, not too mention your clients emailing the URL to those in their social circle).   

Complimenting Print & Direct Marketing

It can be used to compliment many of the local procedures you have in-place to make your listings known, i.e. the local paper, "Just Listed" cards, a-top a CMA, flyers...anywhere "space" for text can be limited and at a premium.

Newspapers - the newspaper is a return to what's good and local.  Remember, in the paper, there are possibly thousands of listings that all look the same ("3 bdr, 2.5 ba, etc, etc")  Many newspapers in metropolitan areas, provide listing features for both print and online versions of real estate listings.  Especially in print, space for text can be at a premium. 

In conclusion, the technology is easy, but its impact to current clients, and implied efforts displayed to new clients can be large. AgencyLogic is a service provider of single-property websites.  Ease of use and configuration were noted in its review.

Candidates of the REAL ESTATE WEBOGRAPHER certification at www.Webographers.com get to “play” with AgencyLogic PowerSites within a sandbox of technologies showcased; to get their 5 senses around Single-property Websites and its impact to residential and commercial real estate listings.

Other inforative articles written by Marc:

Going Paperless
What’s My Home Worth?

Marc Grayson is the president and founder of the National Institute of Webographers, the owner of the REAL ESTATE WEBOGRAPHER™ certification found at www.Webographers.com. He has provided consultation to real estate agents and brokers in web-based technologies and implementation. In addition, he has provided consultation to Fortune 500 companies during product development of real estate technologies. He is an advocate for real estate technology adoption and implementation.  To contact Marc directly, you can call him at his extension: 888.877.0159 *3 or email Marc (at) Webographers.com.

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Comments

[Sherry Spengel]

I've been creating single listing websites for over a year now. The sellers love them and potential buyers can get a lot of information about the home and community they wouldn't get from other national sites.

[Drew M from Zillow]

Great article Marc -- weird coincidence that this morning I created a page on the Zillow wiki to list the different companies that provide single-property websites. If anyone has any companies to add to the list that I've begun, please do: http://www.zillow.com/wikipages/Single-Property-Websites

[Teresa Boardman]

I have been using individual web sites with special domain names that contain the address for more than a year now. They all have virtual tours and I have a special sign rider made with the domain name on it. It has worked very weill for me. On a couple recent listings I made a blog for the property and embedded that virtual tour. That seems to work even better.

[Chris L]

Help me understand the actual value of creating a single property website for a listing. If it's only to feed the ego of a seller, and it looks good during a listing presentation, then I understand why you recommend it. However, it's the actual value I'm asking about. Will it get increased web traffic by itself compared to websites such as Trulia, Property Smart, Google Base, Craigslist, Point2Agent, Realtor.com, and others?

[Dan Green]

What about when the homeowner blogs the listing experience on his very own "home page"? Is this good or bad? And I'm not talking about the pun, I mean the actual act.

http://www.2502nsheffield.com

I can talk more about this if anyone cares...

[Marc Grayson]

Dan, your www.2502nsheffield.com is slick. Looks good to me.

[Brian]

Guys, You really should check out http://www.LookyLooz.com if you are in the Single Listing Website market. We have been using these guys for over 2.5 years now. We love them! Their customer service is matched by no other in the industry. Our sellers just love bragging to their friends that they have their own custom website. This product is an easy win for us!

[Hans Guth]

The question I have is WHAT VALUE DOES IT HAVE IF NO ONE SEES IT? This is what I call fluff marketing. If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it does it make a sound? No one seems to get this. Yes your seller might be tickled by it but that is a small throw. Use a tool that gets noticed and has the strong potential to drive business back to you. A virtual tour has that potential but few people realize this. Whenever a viewer (buyer) opens a virtual tour it is in effect a new window and a NEW opportunity to engage the potential buyer in a conversation and hence could be the start of a relationship - and isn't that what real estate is all about? Check out www.listingsmagic.com (Please note Hans Guth works for Listings Magic) and build a tour for your listings that will generate a serious ROI.

[Hans Guth]

http://www.listingsmagic.com