Well the thought occurred to me recently, my website really serves a dual purpose. It allows me to focus on providing the resources and links I feel prospective buyers and sellers may be interested in when they visit my website. It also allows me to concentrate on including tools and resources of interest to me as well. Tools and resources which help me to be more productive throughout the day.
I started in real estate when there was no websites to utilize to assist in our day-to-day activities. Now I'm looking at my website in the light it can very well serve as my online virtual assistant.
On my sellers page I can get a Z-Estimate on the value of the property a lot quicker than I can if I go through the detail of preparing a Comparative Market Analysis using the MLS (Multiple Listing Service). One thing I like about the Z-Estimates that they are quick and they include some transactions that are not in the MLS.
Additionally, I can monitor any time what the rolling 12-month home value trend is for the different localities. I can see which areas are on the incline (lucky folks up in some parts of Northern Virginia) and which areas are losing value overall on the average. Being a real estate professional it just feels right keeping up with statitstics of that nature. I can do it all from my sellers page.
The directions to all my listings are just a click away on my website. I sure cannot really remember the last time someone asked for directions to a listing after looking at my site. The interactive maps help. Nowadays it is important to have information one click away before those prospects click off to find a website which is less work. I've watched some of my buyers in action. With having taught computer classes for over eight years I know browsing habits are not the same. If we get too caught up in doing things day in and day out we become creatures of habit instead of creatures of what is happening now.
One of my most requested pages is my Open House page. This page helps me keep up with my schedule, especially if I've scheduled 3 or 4 Open Houses for the same week. This page works itself. Whenever, I run an ad for an Open House in the newspaper which also shows up online, the hits to this page sky rocket for a day or two.
I remember when I had a large inventory of REO and distressed owned properties I would get a lot of inquiries from this radio spot bargain company was running. Prospects would hear the ad on the radio, go to the website they promoted and get a list of out-dated distressed homes. Well, it took just a couple of people getting irate that they had just heard it on the radio and went right to the website. What did I mean the property was not still available. To make a long story a little shorter I use my computer skills to have an active server page where I update the data few times a week to display the active, pending, and sold HUD listings. When I implemented this feature a few years back it cut down on some calls. At the time I didn't realize trying to implement a solution for one purpose would help me out too.
Well I've only been back in the business for about five months now and Rome wasn't built in a day and at the rate I'm getting somethings migrated to my website it wasn't either. But I'm still diligently working towards my websites providing a user-friendly experience where someone will pick up the phone and say "hey I called you to be my real estate agent because I could navigate your website the easiest."
Now I do have some items I really do want to get implemented again or put up for the first time. A lead capture form to write to a database with a secure active server page that I can manage my prospects from. Join my newsletter form. The auto-notification form with property specifics for buyers to choose from. An interactive calendar to sync with my phone so if I'm out on an appointment and not answering the phone people will have a general idea as to when they will be able to get ahold of me.
Now since I realize from reviewing my stats this week I would like to have chat available during peak times on my website. Between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. and between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m.
It's going to happen, my website working as a better resource tool for me and other end-users, I feel it in my fingertips.
