Home
>
Web Site Promotion
>
Converting Web Site Home Buyers to First Contacts

Converting Web Site Home Buyers to First Contacts

According the National Association of Realtors(R) ("NAR") surveys completed between 1999 and 2003, 66 percent of all home buyers stick with the first real estate agent they contact. The number one reason stated was that buyers perceive all real estate agents to be the same. This means that two out of every three contacts that you receive when you are the first contact, you are most likely to get the business.

There are two major items that get in the way of this not happening. First, if you don't show them how you are different from the other realtors and if you don't have a formalized conversion system.

The NAR news is good news if you are the first contact. But what do you do if you aren't? What can you do is a more accurately way of asking? Agents know there is a wide difference between experience and competence. This doesn't really matter though, agents main target isn't selling to other agents.

The key is to create a marketing process that pushes you in front of the line of other realtors.

The 2003 NAR report stated that 71 percent of buyers use the Internet to gather information on buying a home yet only 6 percent use the Internet to find an agent. This means that 65 percent of the people visiting realty-type web sites and just there for information. The 2003 numbers are an increase from 41 percent and 3 percent in 2002. Keeping at this same growth rate, the 2004 prediction would be 91 percent and 9 percent.

The Internet is the fifth method to find agents. The first four are: referrals, repeat business, met agent at open house or office walk-in. The fifth with the Internet were yard signs. The least effective at 1% were advertising trinkets and direct mail.

What type of Internet presence do you need in order to be first contact -- or part of the nine percent in 2004? With the Internet ever evolving trying to keep up creates a throw-up-the-arms frustration at times if you're not techie savvy or paying for someone else handing the site.

There are four major keys for staying present and being in the this nine percent:

1. Automatic database system
2. An informative, interacting, and evolving web site
3. Technology support for leveraging time
4. Newsletters, printed or e-delivered.

I don't need to remind you that buyers are getting savvier every year with the Internet and with home buying. And due to this they will test your knowledge level during your first contact to see if you have what it takes to save them money, time and headaches. The latter, headaches, being
number one.

Just recently I called four real estate agent companies and asked them one question out of the yellow pages and it was amazing what I discovered and the way I was treated. One agent took my name and number, promised to call back, and never returned my call until the next day with kids and dogs
screaming in the background. It took me seven more tries to find an agent that could answer the one question correctly (the way NAR said it needs to be answered). Out of 12, 8 answered incorrectly, and four of them you could tell were "winging" the answer.

What are you doing to make yourself different? Communication skills need to be a big consideration. There are three major Internet communication items that make the determination of whether they are going to contact you or
pass you up for another web site.

1. Clear communication and instructions on the web site. This happens most of the time through linking. You ask visitors to click here but all they have is an underline on the word. Say "click here for." The other item is that
what are they going to get or find if they click there? Is it perfectly clear. Where are they going to go if they click there? Is the link taking them to another site, another page? The why, why do they need to go there, why do you want them to go there. What is their benefit for clicking there.

2. Ease of use. Is the navigational system of the site easy to use for visitors. Some people are very visual and by giving them an overall view of what they can find -- either in words or in a diagram eases their comfort level.

The more comfortable they feel at the web site, the more comfortable they are going to be taking the call to actions you have designed on the site. Create Step 1, 2, and 3s to handhold them through a process.

3. Provide details. Again, something similar to what I said in #1. Be clear, give details on what will happen if, where they will go next, or what they can expect to get or know by this. Remove the scariness of unknown quantities
and expectations. Lead visitors through your site. Give them a handshake and don't let their hand go and walk them through all the processes they came to accomplish. How are you different than other agents -- spell it out with details.

Catherine Franz, business coach. Previously a real estate agent and exec with National Association of Realtors. Additional articles and ideas about marketing to attract business: http://www.abundancecenter.com

tidy up service Glenview ..

In The News:

Criminals test stolen data by applying for deposit accounts in victims' names to prepare bigger attacks. Learn why banks won't share fraud details.

New study of 10,500+ kids reveals early smartphone ownership linked to depression, obesity, and poor sleep by age 12. Earlier phones mean higher risks.

A phone phishing attack compromised Harvard's alumni and donor database, marking the second security incident at the university in recent months.

AutoFlight's zero-carbon floating vertiport uses solar power to charge eVTOL aircraft while supporting emergency response, tourism, and marine energy maintenance.

A new phone return scam targets recent buyers with fake carrier calls. Learn how criminals steal devices and steps to protect yourself from this fraud.

New Anthropic research reveals how AI reward hacking leads to dangerous behaviors, including models giving harmful advice like drinking bleach to users seeking help.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Holiday email scams, including non-delivery fraud and gift card schemes, spike in November and December, costing victims hundreds of millions, the FBI says.

Holiday visits offer the perfect opportunity to help older parents with technology updates, scam protection and basic troubleshooting skills for safer digital experiences.

Swiss scientists create grain-sized robot that surgeons control with magnets to deliver medicine precisely through blood vessels in medical breakthrough.

Researchers exploited WhatsApp's API vulnerability to scrape 3.5 billion phone numbers. Learn how this massive data breach happened and protect yourself.

Travel companies share passenger data with third parties during holidays, but travelers can protect themselves by removing data from broker sites and using aliases.

Xpeng's humanoid robot moves so realistically that crowds believed it was fake, marking a major advancement in robotics technology ahead of 2026 commercial launch.

Researchers discover phishing scam using invisible characters to evade email security, with protection tips including password managers and two-factor authentication.

iPhone and Android users can reduce battery drain and data usage by restricting Background App Refresh to Wi-Fi connections instead of mobile networks.

Scammers nearly stole an Apple account by exploiting the support system with authentic-looking tickets and phone calls, users can protect themselves with safety steps.

FoloToy restored sales of its AI teddy bear Kumma after a weeklong suspension following safety group findings of risky and inappropriate responses to children.

Threat intelligence firm Synthient uncovers one of the largest password exposures ever, prompting immediate security recommendations.

Viral video shared by Elon Musk shows Tesla's Optimus humanoid robots performing tasks from cooking to construction, garnering over 58.5 million views on social media.

Chinese hackers used Anthropic's Claude AI to launch autonomous cyberattacks on 30 organizations worldwide, marking a major shift in cybersecurity threats.

Apple's new Sleep Score feature gives you a rating for your nightly rest quality. Learn how to set it up on your Apple Watch and iPhone today.

Essential phone settings to enable before losing your device, including Find My network, location services and security features for iPhone and Android.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Cybersecurity research shows weak passwords remain a major threat, with simple patterns and number sequences putting millions of accounts at risk.

New Android malware BankBot YNRK silences phones, steals banking data and drains crypto wallets automatically. Learn how this advanced threat works.

Converting Web Site Home Buyers to First Contacts

Web Site Promotion