There is no question about it. Times have changed and drastically this past year. The outside world occurrences have sped up a process that was already on rails. If 2020 was the year of the unseen, unpredicted, unexpected, it has pretty much happened and now we look at 2021 as a year of adaptation to the new normal that has arisen. Especially for the real estate industry, BUT the show must always go on. People are relocating now more than ever before and in need to buy a new home and sell their old house. It’s an essential business that needs to adjust now more than ever.
In 2021, your real estate website is your best friend. It allows you to continue to connect with people, you are just now doing it online instead of at a coffee shop or at an event. But in order for it to do its work properly, you have to set up your website for success.
We bring a few facts and also some creative ideas that can be a game changer in your online efforts. Let’s start by answering some common questions.
Do Real Estate Agents Need a Website in 2021?
Now, more than ever, real estate agents need a website to service and connect with their clients. Real estate websites can give, you, the real estate agent the advantage to provide the right tools to your clients. It represents you in the digital world and sometimes can be the first impression a potential buyer/seller views.
Real estate agents use their website to promote themselves and properties in the farming areas to potential buyers and sellers. Not having a real estate website could make them look inexperienced and sometimes not as professional as the competitor agent with a shiny website.
Real estate websites for agents should be a resource for clients. Users can go on the website and search for properties just like you do in the MLS. This allows the clients to do some of the heavy-lifting by narrowing down to the homes they like most.
What should a real estate website have in 2021?
The best real estate websites for realtors bring a complex suite of bells and whistles. But if you need to cut through all of the fluff we’ve broken it down to a few key-points.
- Property Search
- Branding
- Videos
- ADA Compliance
- User Experience
- Lead Generation
We prioritize the most important features your real estate website needs to function properly and generate you new business in 2021.
Real Estate Websites Need an Easy and Intuitive Property Search.
This is the core of your website. This tool is what engages with your client the most and maintains them coming back. Without an MLS search in your website, your clients are left with other options that are not you. This puts you at risk that your clients could be reached by numerous other agents trying to get the business because they have your client’s information from another website. Below you can find an example of an optimal search experience;
Your Real Estate Website Should Represent YOU!
Your website should be about you as much as the farming areas you focus on. With so many options out there, it is important that your user understands the uniqueness of your website. Get creative with your photos, bios and resources to make your real estate website stand out from the rest.
Video on Your Real Estate Website is the New Normal.
Get comfortable with video, users tend to watch video more than photos and articles. Having a good video or many on your website can improve your engagement dramatically. Video can transmit your professionalism and dedication to your current clients and also build trust with your online visitors who haven’t met you yet.
In 2021, Your Real Estate Website Needs to Be ADA Compliant.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires certain businesses to make accommodations for people with disabilities. Your real estate website content should be accessible to the blind, deaf and people who need to navigate by voice. Make sure to make your real estate website ADA Complaint in 2021 to avoid any unexpected problems.
Your Real Estate Website Should be Responsive and User-Friendly.
Although this should be a given by now. You should know that more than ever people visit websites and browse for properties from their phone or tablet as much, if not more than a traditional desktop or even laptop. That is why your real estate website should be a friendly experience regardless of what device the user uses. Not being able to browse the listing in the small devices is setting the site for failure, Make sure your website is responsive to current used devices.
Your Real Estate Website Should Generate You New Business, Consistently.
A real estate website without a back end that lets you know what your visitors are doing is pretty much just a pretty picture, but with the right tools it can become a powerful business generator.
Include the tools necessary to track your visitor interaction such as the listings they viewed and what they may have shared with their friends and relatives, Your user will expect something in return of their precious personal information. For that reason a good browsing experience can become your best online resource to give in exchange. The tools in the backend will help your sort the best leads and will allow you to react based on their behavior.
Putting all these things together can make a great difference on the way a real estate agent does business. They can rely on technology to do some of the heavy lifting and concentrate on selling homes and focus on what they do best.