Why You Need a Web Site

A Short Retrospective
Back in the very early 1990's, no one could even fathom the thought of looking at homes on their home computers. Now, our computers are a way of life and now people can not only view homes on their computers, but take a complete tour of a prospective home, and not only that, some even buy them sight unseen other than viewing it from thousands of miles away.

The Cycle of the Web Site
In our estimation, there are three cycles of the real estate web site:

1. Cuttting edge and early adopters
2. Followers
3. Stragglers and late-comers

Those that adopted the internet in it's infancy, helped to blaze a trail for those to come. The sites were crude, but if you were one of the few that had one, the world was yours. People were connecting with slow modems, so your site had to very streamlined.

The followers were those that decided that if so and so had a web site, then, I had to have one too. This was approximately 1998. The internet was starting to explode. Modems were becoming faster, but sites still had to be streamlined, but Realtors could show more of home for sale than ever before. In 1999, came something never dreamed of before; ADSL! (advanced digital subscriber line) At speeds of up to one hundred times faster than the fastest dial-up modem, this allowed people to view web sites faster than ever before. New formats like Flash and Shockwave were entertaining viewers.

Lastly, the stragglers were, and still are those that drag their feet and refuse to accept change, that was until their clients told them to get with the times or they would take their business elsewhere.

Now, the early adopters and the followers have kept upgrading their sites, but here are the reasons a Realtor should have a web site:

1. An extension of their printed advertising
2. A listing tool
3. An on-line resource for current and prospective clients

Over the years, we have received wonderful reviews from our clients and their vendors who enjoy their web sites. The feedback we hear are things like :

• the professionalism exuded from them
• ease of navigation
• listing photos you can easily view

And most of these sites are not very expensive to build, but look professional.

Cost-effective Sites that Work

In your local real estate market, a web site will never fully replace newspaper advertising, but a site should complement your marketing. When the real estate paper arrives or is available from a paper box or newsstand, people spend time looking at homes. When a visitor arrives at your site, it should be easy for them to navigate, and be easy for them to contact you.

Your web site can be used as a listing tool. But remember this, your site may be considered as a reflection of how you do things. If your site is awkward, and not very organized, then people may not be very impressed by what they see.

The next visitor may be from down the block or from halfway around the world. If your site has content including lots home for sale regardless of the source, they will return because they know they can view homes at their leisure any time they desire.

The Next Step
If there is a way that we can be of service to you, we encourage you to call us today at 604.657.5605 or send us a message on our contact page today. We can help you take that next step if you do not have a site, or help improve what you already have.