If you’ve been in the real estate business for some time, you know it can take years to build a strong track record and a solid reputation.
New findings from Herbert Research indicate that it’s vital to carry your offline track record into a strong online presence. The survey revealed that 50 percent of consumers research and select an agent in one day and interview only one agent during their selection process.
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This shows just how important it is for consumers to find accurate, positive information about you when they’re doing online research.
5 SIMPLE TIPS
1. DON’T LET FEAR KEEP YOU OFFLINE
Be visible. If you’re a reputable, qualified agent, the hazards of not being found are far greater than someone finding negative information about you. Make sure you have complete, robust profiles everywhere consumers might be searching for you. On Trulia, agents with 100-percent complete profiles get 20 times more views than those with incomplete profiles.
2. DON’T POST ANYTHING YOU’LL REGRET
Just because you delete a post or an errant tweet doesn’t mean it’s gone forever. Be sure your posts represent what you want prospective customers to read about you. You can – and should – set your privacy settings on social networks, but don’t assume that’s enough. You never know what will be shared.
3. GET YOUR CLIENTS TALKING ABOUT YOU
Nothing beats a neutral, third-party recommendation. According to the 2012 Bazaarvoice Social Trends Report, more than half of consumers age 18 to 34 say they trust online opinions over those of friends and family. Ask for a recommendation at the beginning of your business relationship. Trulia, LinkedIn and Yelp are all great places to get third-party recommendations and build your referral base.
4. DEMONSTRATE YOUR EXPERTISE
Anyone can say they’re an expert; today’s consumer is researching you to make sure you can prove it. Your online profiles are a great place to highlight your knowledge, skills, sold listings and awards. Blogs, tweets and some Facebook posts (depending on privacy settings) show up in online searches, as does your participation in forums on sites like Quora, Trulia Voices and LinkedIn. Take the time to answer questions and share content relevant to your target customer – and let your expertise speak for itself.
5. DELIVER EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE
One of the best ways to build an online reputation is to build a great offline reputation first. If you’ve delivered exceptional service to your clients, it’s easy to carry that story to online channels and spread the word.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ginger Wilcox is Director of Industry Marketing at Trulia.
Written by Ginger Wilcox
