Nearly every agent has a website, even if it is the sub-part one provided by their company as a “benefit”. Yet far fewer agents utilize that website in a way that sets them apart from their colleagues and provides real value to their clients.
If you want your website to contribute to the success of your real estate business, we have 5 website features your website needs that will prove your value to potential clients and make that all-important good first impression. Having these features on your website will greatly increase the chance of someone reaching out to work with you.
Sales Stats
The first—and most often neglected—way to prove your value on your website is with your sales stats. So few agents think to compile and share these numbers but I think it’s the most impressive thing you can do right off the bat to prove your value. Here are some things you can share:
- Number of homes sold
- Average sales price
- Total volume sold
- Total years in the business
- How many contracts you’ve written
- How much you save your buyers on average
- How much you get for your sellers
- How many satisfied clients
- Combined years of experience (for teams)
- Awards or Rankings
The Lowe Group does a great job of this by showcasing their stats right on their homepage.
Better Reviews
While most agents understand the relevance and importance of reviews, it bears repeating. But if you’re simply copying and pasting them onto your site, you’re missing out on your reviews packing a real punch.
To up the ante on your review game, consider one of these two ideas.
Verified Third-Party Reviews
Verified third-party reviews are more convincing than reviews you copied and pasted onto your site yourself—even if they’re the same. Why? They show your client was impressed enough to take the time to publicly write a review for you. Not only that, but the trust factor goes up substantially when the review is on a third-party site like Google versus your site with no clout. You can siphon that clout by importing these reviews onto your site with a link to their original location. We have a great WordPress plugin that does this for our clients automatically.
Our client, Tamra Rieper, does a fantastic job of this. She not only pulls in her reviews and links to their original, she’s grabbing the reviewer’s info and she’s tallying all her reviews in a badge at the top.
Video Reviews
Another way you can master your reviews is with video. There is no better review than a video review. And they don’t even need to be professionally recorded and edited. A Zoom or FaceTime video with your client is often just as effective and can be done “in the moment”.
Getting video reviews is easier than you think. You can record them at the closing table or when you drop off your client’s closing gift. Bring someone with you to do the filming if you’re unsure of your video recording and editing skills; though like I mentioned before, they don’t need to be professional to be effective.
I have never seen a real estate website excel at video reviews better than League Real Estate. They have over 20 high-quality reviews from clients on their website and YouTube channel. When it’s time for a buyer or seller to pick a real estate company, these video reviews all but guarantee the sale.
Homes Sold
It may seem like a no-brainer, but I’m surprised how many real estate agent sites don’t showcase the homes they’ve sold. Much like your sales stats, this is an easy yet effective way to prove yourself.
Each time you get a new listing, put it on your website. Then, as the status changes, simply update it. Do this for every listing and eventually, you’ll have quite a sales history on your site.
Niche Homes does a great job of this. Every listing their office takes goes on their website’s featured listings page. Then, as the status changes, so does the heading.
Our client, The Goff Team, showcases all her sold listings on an experience map. This easily shows her areas of expertise so clients can see where she works.
Resume
It may seem like the resume is reserved for the corporate world, but having a resume available to potential clients may be to your advantage. First, they’re not as common so the simple fact that you have one could help you stand out. Second, many real estate agents had a career in a past life, and the status, skills, and accomplishments from that career may bolster your value and expertise in your client’s eyes.
Toni Mikel of Bluebird Real Estate showcases her long career and accomplishments with this resume directly on her website.
Buyer and Seller Guide
Helping someone else is the ultimate form of providing value and there is no better way to do this than a comprehensive buyer and seller guide on your website. Real estate is a complex and often opaque process for many people.
By creating a great buyer and seller guide on your site, you’re giving potential clients a glimpse of your knowledge and expertise. They give you more screen real estate to pepper in client reviews and, if done right, can be great for SEO.
Our client, Ashley Lindsey, has a great buyer guide on her website that walks people through the entire process from start to finish.
Paris Group Realty does a great job of educating its potential clients on each step of the home-buying process.
Wrapping Up
Your website is important. It is often the source of your client’s first impression of you. It may even determine whether they decide to contact you or move on to someone else—even if they’re a referral or past client!
1000Watt recently conducted a poll and found that 50% of Americans know six or more agents personally. When you know more than one agent, how do you decide who to work with? The five features we mention in this blog may very well be what differentiates you from your colleagues.
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