Why Don’t You Want To Sell Your Listings?
August 8th, 2008 by AnnaFor some reason you don’t seem to want your listings to sell, and I just can’t figure out why. Sometimes you add them to your site, sometimes you don’t…and other times you do add them, but with no information. So I thought it might be because you’re not really interested in selling the properties you have listed.
Wait, you do want to sell your listings? I’m so glad to hear it, I have some important information to help you!
We can see how many manually entered listings our clients have collectively added to ListNOW. The number is staggering, but we know some of you are forgetting to add your listings on your site in the first place. We want you to reap the full benefits of marketing your properties and make sure your website has listings when your visitors are looking. How beneficial do you think a real estate website is without listings? [Buyers agents: borrow listings, add IDX, give visitors something to look at].
Once you add your listings it seems many of you enter the bare-minimum. I can tell you that is not a very effective marketing strategy. You want your visitors to connect with a property and want more. You don’t them to need more because there’s practically nothing there.
I have heard many agents say they don’t add extensive listing information because they want the website visitor to call them. It’s a way of getting leads. In my opinion, this is not the best way to get leads: someone calling you because they felt your information was inadequate.
Your website content is the place to engage your visitors. Relevant placement of contact forms within your content is paramount. This is the way you want leads coming to you: confident in your knowledge and abilities.
Every field in ListNOW serves a purpose, and should be completed to the greatest extent possible. You may think you don’t have the time. If time is money, invest it wisely. Take the few minutes to enter complete listing data.
Why bother? There’s a photo, they’ll either like the property or not. I’ve put it in front of them, the rest is up to them. Wrong answer. If you leave out the most important information, you may find yourself without “them“.
Consider your seller for a moment. They want to know you are doing all you can to get the most exposure for their property as possible. Without adequate listing data, you run the risk of having your listings excluded from our syndication partners.
We export each and every manually entered listing from ListNOW to various sources (unless you have unchecked the “Export” box). Once the listings reach our syndication partners, those without enough data are dropped and not displayed on their site(s). This is the “new” way to market your properties, you need to be sure you take advantage of the options available to you.
It works against you to not include all listing data.
Digg this
Folks:
I was amazed to see the following in your recent post:
“I have heard many agents say they don’t add extensive listing information because they want the website visitor to call them. It’s a way of getting leads. In my opinion, this is not the best way to get leads: someone calling you because they felt your information was inadequate.”
It is truly amazing that some agents (hopefully a minority) still think that the purpose of marketing is to “make the phone ring”! Today’s consumer does not NEED to call an agent, nor do they want to. They want to do their research on the Web (whether buying or selling a home) and then contact an agent when they think they have the information needed to make an intelligent decision.
I evaluate agent Web sites, I’m a Senior Instructor for the Council of Residential Specialists and am the founder/president of the Allen F. Hainge CyberStars(tm). All of which goes to say that I know what works with today’s consumer.
Going light on the listings is one sure way to LOSE business, not get it.
I’ve always applauded your efforts in site design, and I applaud your efforts to educate those who just don’t understand the needs of today’s consumer.
It’s a great day here on the lake in Reston…hope it’s a great day wherever you are, too!
Allen F. Hainge, CRS
August 9th, 2008
Hello Allen! I’m honored you stopped by our blog. Thank you for your insightful comment.
We are in a time where no one depends on “the expert” to take care of everything. Instead we are online becoming our own version of an “expert” through independent research.
Anna
August 11th, 2008
[...] our syndication partners. The best way to get your listings exported to Trulia is entering as much information as possible for each listing you add to your Advanced Access website. Rating 3.00 out of 5 [...]
Get More Traffic for your Open House » Advanced Access Blog
September 30th, 2008