While much of an estate agent’s duties involves networking locally, building rapport on the phone and maintaining a jovial demeanour for client interactions, getting things right on the internet requires an entirely different set of skills compared to when you’re dealing with people face to face. As we covered in a previous article, a well designed, SEO-friendly site is the first cornerstone to establishing your presence online, but that’s not the end of the story. Here are some tips to make sure you make the right impression online so that new clients come flocking to your doors.
Colour scheme: As an estate agent, branding is very important for your commercial identity, and the colour scheme you choose can say the world about your business. With a web resource such as www.colorlovers.com, you can see the interrelation between different colours and how they complement one another, helping you to choose a harmonious colour scheme. This website also has a community forum which allows you to trade ideas with other entrepreneurs and solicit feedback. Observe what your competitors are doing and figure out a way to make yourself stand out. However, bear in mind that for estate agents a sleek colour scheme tends to be more appropriate than a brazen/flamboyant one.
Branding and site design: While there are design agencies which specialise in branding and site design for estate agencies, a regular design agency or even a freelancer may work just as well. When using a freelancer, however, it is always best to pick someone who has proven design work and positive testimonials. If you choose to use a site such as Elance, do remember to view feedback for prior jobs for each freelancer as this will enable you to make an informed decision when hiring. Some agencies will choose to go for a traditional style of design and others will opt for a more modern; ultimately, the interrelation of elements, lack of clutter, easy navigation and visual appeal all contribute to a great site, regardless of the style. When choosing the direction you want to go, take the time to study the competition at least in your immediate locality.
Social media: Social media is a powerful tool when used correctly by estate agents, but it can also have a negative impact when misused. Twitter and Facebook are both great platforms for interacting with your audience and hosting competitions. For example, a competition involving photographic entries can be syndicated with social media to help build your presence in the local community. Social media is also a great way to share updates regarding new properties, and you can even include some crafty property shots as the thumbnail images.
Blogging: Posting regular, high-quality content on your site is an excellent way to make your way up Google’s rankings, as well as establish your business as a source of industry expertise. For estate agents, blogging is an extremely under utilised platform for gaining exposure. Blogs can take the form of pieces of advice regarding the local area, responses to local news, advocations of local tradesmen (helping to build up business relationships), tips on preparing your house for sale, and so on. If you’ve noticed that your competitors aren’t using blogging to their advantage, this could be an opportunity to jump ahead of them.
Conclusion: In the information age, the digital presence of an estate agency is crucial for success. However, while it can be very enjoyable tinkering with your branding, adjusting the elements on your website and keeping tabs with your local community on social media, it’s important to remember that the bread and butter of your business will come from face to face interactions. So, the digital side of real estate shouldn’t become your core focus, instead, it should be there to help you capitalise on the business relationships and client interactions that you’re already diligent about creating and maintaining.
Tags: branding, digital, estate agencies, PR, property, social media
