By Amy Chorew
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A single listing Web site can become a destination Web site for a consumer to find out more about your listing. But why should you set up yet another Web site for your properties? Here are some statistics that may convince you, from NAR’s 2008 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers.
Nine out of 10 sellers using an agent listed their homes on the Internet. A yard sign was the second most frequently used method, with eight out of 10 sellers indicating that they had used this method. And, according to NAR, 14 percent of buyers found the actual home they purchased from a yard sign.
Why not increase your marketing opportunities with a single listing Web site? A property Web site increases visibility and opens the door for potential buyers interested in your property. When a consumer finds your listing via a yard sign, many times they want more information before they are ready to call the phone number on the sign. Why not give them access to the information they really want on, a convenient and information rich Web site?
When you set up your site, make sure you add all the elements that a consumer would want to see. Remember this is a destination Web site. They need to find everything here, including:
A property Web site also makes all other advertising media interactive. Use the unique address for this Web site everywhere you market this property. Both on the Web and in print, include this address so all potential buyers can have immediate access to detailed information about the particulars of this home.
Hire Someone
There are lots of great companies who will create one for you. Most of these sites give you a sign rider and a unique Web address that leads the consumer right to the information on that listing. Epropertysites charges just $10 per site.
Other services to consider include:
Or just Google the term “single listing Web site.”
Do It Yourself
If you know how to purchase your own domain name and just need a free resource to create this single listing masterpiece, then read on.
First, go to a site like www.godaddy.com and search and purchase the desired domain name. Then set up a single listing Web site with free blogging software such as www.wordpress.com, or whatever your preferred product may be. If you are a Google devotee, you can use a Google Site to accomplish the same thing.
Consider Weebly.com. This Web site/blog site allows you to create a free site with video, photos and text, and you can point it to the domain name you purchase. A great example of one is located at http://stonewatersherborn.com, which was created by Mike LeFebvre in the Boston market.
Once that is done, the site will probably be hosted on this third party site with a Web address such as www.weebly.com/mylisting or www.wordpress.com/mylisting. Go back to the place you purchased the domain address and “point” the Web address to the site you created.
When someone puts in your Web address, such as 100bostonroad.com, it will bring them to the site you created.
And when the property sells? Why not give the domain name to the new buyer? It can be a destination site that they will share with all their friends and family, giving you and your good service another boost to a new potential group of buyers and sellers.
Amy Chorew is a national real estate trainer, who is highly experienced at helping managers and agents maximize opportunities with technology. She can be reached at amy@amychorew.com or 860-325-0101. Her technology coaching series is available at www.thetechbyte.com.