Everyone knows that it takes work, skill and dedication to do well in any profession, and this is especially true in real estate. So why do we occasionally fall for the scam? The scam is one that has caused a lot of business people to become disillusioned with the internet. Companies come in making bold claims about how you just turn on their websites and money comes flooding in. Although, if you read very carefully they only imply the money part. They use terms like leads and new prospects pounding your door down to do business with you. However, for some reason, the promises never materialize.
So what do you do? Forget the internet? According to a 2004 California Association of Realtors study 100% of the homebuyers they surveyed said they would use the internet to assist them in the purchase of their next home. So chucking the internet out isn't a viable option.
We have found that the fundamental problem isn't the internet but unrealistic expectations of what the internet will do. It's like expecting a juicer to make ice cream. It's not that the juicer doesn't work, you just can't expect it to make ice cream.
What is the role of a website in a real estate agent's business? Building trust.
A website allows you to extend your efforts by making you available more hours of the day and to more people. This is only true if your website is a reflection of you and what you bring to the market place.
Building a website and letting it go to work is like taking a picture of yourself and handing to the prospect. They'll know what you looked like but they won't know you. As you learn and increase in expertise and skill, and as the market changes your website needs to express this to your prospects and clients. As well as your website expresses these changes, you will increase your opportunities to establish trust with the prospect.