As a real estate agent, you understand that one of the first places your potential clients go when looking for a new home is online. Searching for a home online has basically become the standard, with nearly 95 percent of home buyers using it to search for homes. So if you’re under the impression that online advertising can’t do anything to grow your real estate business, think again. Here are three ways running ads online can grow your real estate business:
1. Increase your visibility
If you work in a big city or you’re just beginning to establish your online presence, it’s going to take some time to get your website on the first page of Google’s search results. It can be extremely challenging for your website to show up organically on the front page of Google when competitors like Realtor.com and Zillow are using the popular search terms you are likely using too, for example. Huge companies dominate the SEO landscape, outranking independent realtor websites every time.
Fortunately, paid advertising will help you rise to the top of the search results in a competitive market and gives your website the opportunity to be seen by potential clients who you’ve never interacted with before. In fact, Google promotes ads above organic searches. Data also shows that web visitors think the first few websites at the top of the search results page are among the more reputable businesses in their industry.
2. Attract qualified leads
Both buyers and sellers like to research prospective homes at their leisure and will devote as many hours to their search as required before going to see a property in person. By running paid ads, you can give them exactly what they’re searching for, when they’re searching for it.
Your business can’t rely on your existing clients to fuel growth. With just repeat clients and referrals, there’s a cap on how many homes you can sell each year, and you have little control over when these referrals are going to come in. With online advertising, you’re targeting people in the exact moment they’re searching for homes. When someone searches “Vancouver homes for sale” you know that their goal is to find real estate listings and buy a home in Vancouver. Your ad will appear and direct them to your website which will give them exactly what they’re searching for. That makes them a pretty good candidate to become a real client!
What most agents don’t realize is that attracting qualified leads is just the first step in the journey to get potential clients. You still need to gain their trust so they feel comfortable buying or selling a home with you. A great agent is a great agent; online advertising just shows your business to new people!
3. Stay top of mind
Did you know you can retarget your website visitors with paid ads? People may not be ready to buy or sell right now. They get distracted, they like to browse, they want to wait, and it’s not unusual for them to click onto a site, only to click away from it without taking action. These leads however, can be some of your most valuable, because your paid ads can retarget them so that when they are ready to buy or sell, you will be at the top of their mind.
Retargeting allows you to follow a searcher after they have visited your site, and re-engage them later on with targeted ads designed to help them come back, and ultimately: convert. This is a key marketing strategy because it keeps your business top of mind when it matters most, and it will help convert potential clients who have already shown interest and a desire for your services.
In order to really grow your business, you need to have a brand that’s top of mind, one that potential clients will think of when it comes time to buy a home or inquire about a home valuation. You need to interact with buyers and sellers at all stages of their home buying journey and, most of all, you need to show them that you’re the expert in this field.
Don’t know where to start with online advertising, what keywords to use in your paid ads, or what headlines will capture people’s attention? Our client marketing team takes the guesswork out of it, so you can focus and dedicate your time on what you do best: selling real estate.
