The Next Step in Real Estate Web Marketing

Susan Zanzonico asked:


Web savvy Realtors are paying less attention to the latest trends in online real estate, and more attention to tools and marketing methods that are already well-established. That’s because developers and users are starting to agree that the most useful web 2.0 tools have already been developed – the challenge now is using tools to their fullest potential. Professionals with this approach have a better chance of increasing their web presence, and putting a solid strategy in place for the next true wave of Internet development.

The first step in this process is figuring out which of the new online real estate tools will prove the most useful over time. Many agents might choose to test all the products they know, but the most efficient method for this could also be to simply check what everybody else is using. The sheer volume of real estate sites out there, and the variety of different tools being used, makes it easy to surf and compare.

At this point, the best and most popular tools seem to be listings maps, blogs, search engine friendly design, and social networking sites. Many real estate marketing campaigns have these elements, but not many use them to their full potential. For example, it remains to be seen exactly how tools like blogs and listings will be combined, although the potential is definitely there. As real estate pros begin to identify and develop this list, they’ll emerge with a set of reliable and dynamic web tools.

Real estate professionals developing their own websites also need to know which real estate media and national listings websites are going to stand the test of time. Cooperation with these websites will be important for agents looking to gain national exposure, but these agents must be selective to avoid having listings and networking profiles in too many places, before the top sites emerge.

Knowing the elements of an effective real estate marketing campaign is important, but learning how to use these tools will prove more useful for Realtors in search of a long-term solution.