Content! Content! Content!

The age old real estate absolute to property value and ability to sell has always been location, location, location. This will never change; but for the real estate agent, "location location location" is beginning to describe your website and whether or not it can be found. Search engine optimization, meta tags, keywords...all can have an overwhelming sensation when the success of your business as an agent is determined by these terms. All in all, real estate agents need traffic to be driven to their websites just as much as a good location on the major cross-streets for an open house sign. However, we all know that the open house does not begin and end with a sign.

The most important part of an open house is foot-traffic. The more people that show up and walk through the home on a guided tour will result in a larger number of potential buyers. Ultimately, the goal being to find that one buyer. These same ideas and processes apply to the web.

Now, back to our website. If an agent gets a potential buyer to their site from a search engine, billboard, or flyer. How will they get the buyer to view or "walk through" their website?

The answer is content, content, content! Buyers want to know as much as possible upfront. The real estate industry is finally reacting to this demand. First, all listings need DETAILED descriptions. The old 3 line newspaper will not satisfy any of today's buyers nearly as much as it used to. Most competitive websites can provide 2 large paragraphs per listing. All listings should attempt to compete with this. Second, community information needs to be included in a listing and its description. Write about the schools, parks, businesses, shopping, and anything else the area may offer. Finally, add the interactive tools that need to be added to all internet listings. This is necessary because it keeps a potential buyer on a listing. They will wait through the load time and they will flip through the photos and tours. If the listing does not provide these tools, the agent risks having buyers skip their listings to get to the ones with these tools. Also, buyers will remember the homes they spent time to see rather than the home that had two photos and a short description only outlining the number of bedrooms and bathrooms.

Overall, an agent's or business's website will be traveled to for its content. Once the buyers arrive they will stay and hopefully buy.