This article will focus on Realtors® and more specifically why they should have their own personal, individual website and how to go about creating one. A key statistic from www.Realtor.org is that when individuals conduct a home search, the number one source of information is the Internet at 90%. Hence it is extremely important for every Realtor® to have a website and be online for people to find.
How to Make Your Own Website
It is really easy nowadays to have your own personal website especially with sites like Ubertor and RealWebSolutions that are specifically designed for Realtors® to have their own websites. These companies specialize in creating and designing websites for Realtors® and providing other useful Realtor® services. All you need to do is pick what type you would like and it could be running within minutes with lots of built-in capabilities.
There are also free third party applications like WordPress, which require a little more technical knowledge but are still not rocket science, that have pre-designed templates to structure your website. You just basically need a domain name and a hosting company. Then you will need to install WordPress. You can then easily edit the content and design of the website with the use of their user-friendly admin section.
You do not need to know any php, html, or css to make a nice, professional website. Plus the best thing about WordPress is that there is great community support so you can easily find answers to your problems through a quick search in their forums.
Lastly, you could design your own website from scratch – which may be for more advanced website designers and will require some programming skills but again not rocket science (just computer science). If you go on this route though, I would definitely recommend getting a website design software like Adobe’s Dreamweaver or its free open source alternative, Kompozer.
There are step-by-step guides out there available in the Internet and countless forums where you could ask specific questions regarding your website problems. At this day and age, everything you need to know to making your own website is just a few clicks away.
Benefits of Having Your Own Website
However you do it, what’s important is that you have your own website. One great analogy to owning a website is like owning real estate. Essentially, it is the same since a domain name is unique and cannot be duplicated so having your own website with your own domain name, i.e. www.yourname.com, is like owning your own land. Within it you can do whatever you like.
You can use it to promote your business, connect with your networks, or use it as a way of sharing your thoughts (or new listings) to others. At this rate, eventually, having a website will become a must, just as owning a cell phone and computer are now.
What’s best about owning a website is the cost – or lack there of. Buying a domain name and getting it hosted is as little as a few bucks a month, sometimes even as low as the price of a coffee depending on the company and the promos that they offer. Prepackaged solutions with lots of built-in features, built specifically for Realtors® will cost you a lot more than that though – but if they bring you clients, the return on investment is still high.
As a Realtor®, your name is essentially your brand, and you want to promote that brand in order to grow your business. Owning a personal website is another way of improving that brand and showing off your unique attributes and services as a Realtor®.
Now some Realtors® may argue that they do not need a personal website as their brokerage already has one for them. It’s great that the brokerages offer this, but a personal website that you customize to you and who you are as a Realtor® is what will set you apart from the competition. You can design it in such a way that reflects who you are, showcases any differentiating services or skills you have, any personal business logo and branding you’ve developed, and appeals to your target audience, which may not likely be the same as your brokerage.
Also, it is not uncommon in the industry to change brokerages so when you leave, you will not have a website anymore. Previous clients or referrals may look at your old website and not find you anymore. With a personal website, you can just change some of the content but still keep the address and everything else (including any traffic your website generates).
Looking at the costs and benefits, having your own website as a Realtor® is really a solid investment.
To read more about options of building a real estate website, click on our article https://primoagents.com/create-real-estate-website/
If you are an educated, experienced REALTOR® that uses social media in their business, you should apply to join the PrimoAgents REALTOR® Referral Network. You will be given an exclusive area to represent and the opportunity to increase leads and referrals for a very low cost ($330 CAD / year with a Guarantee). Click here to apply now.
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