As a real estate agent, no matter how your potential clients find you. Either it is through referral or digital marketing. They are most likely to research your brand before contacting you and building any kind of relationship. Therefore, it is crucial to make sure your online reputation is 99% perfect.
Online behaviour has changed dramatically in the last 5 years. You would never buy a new car without reading reviews or forums; you would not go to any country abroad without researching about places to visit and asking your friends who were there.
Real estate is no different. Always expect people researching your brand, social media and Google Maps. And the decision-making factor for buyers and sellers will be your reputation in the Online World.
But what do I mean by “Online Reputation”?
Well, this is how legitimate your business is, how trustworthy you are and how professional you look like on your digital channels. Online reputation is impacted by content real estate agents distribute, their reactions and interaction on social media and the overall online behaviour.
Referrals in the Digital Era
As mentioned before, online behaviour has changed. For example, several years ago if any real estate agent was referred to someone, that client would call or email the agent and discuss further.
However, nowadays the process has shifted. Whenever an agent is referred, the first thing that the client will do is typing in realtor’s name into Google, Facebook, Instagram and other relevant digital channels.
And those agents would never know if they got referred as all research is happening behind the scenes. If your online reputation is poor, that client would never contact you back. He might also inform friends why he/she did not choose you as their real estate professional.
Online reputation is the key
The first impression plays an important part in every business, including real estate. Whatever shows up as the first result when someone Googles your name will help to build trust and rapport.
For example, if you position yourself as a local real estate expert and influencer and after trying to Google anything related to your brand nothing appears, it means that you are not speaking the truth. This may (and will) lead to a disconnect between the client and the promise you gave.
Keep in mind there are hundreds of other real estate agents saying the same information similar to yours. If you want to stand out – start building your brand and reputation online.
Improve your online reputation
We hope we explained enough why each and every real estate agent should be focusing on their reputation online. There are several ways how you could do it.
- Use the website as your informative hub: explain your services, show your rewards, highlight your real estate experience and include testimonials.
- Start blogging: in addition to your website pages, start producing written content and provide as much value as possible. It will help you to build trust and rank higher on Google.
- Produce video content: it is easier than you think. You can simply take your written blog post and transition it into a video, where you will be talking on the same topic.
- Post on social media: be active on Facebook and Instagram. Try to post on a daily basis, take advantage of Stories and record short videos providing with value
- Ask for reviews: after a successful transaction, ask your clients for a review. Utilize Facebook and Google My Business to collect those reviews and build rapport with potential “researchers”
