Broker Debbie Ferrari will stop at nothing to promote herself and her business. Although she's known as the "Internet Realtor" in South Orange County, Calif.-- and the Internet is indeed where she concentrates the majority of her marketing efforts -- she's not stopping there. In addition to her main 45-page Web site and her ever-growing number of links (at last count, Ferrari had 11 different customized Web sites), she's considering billboards, bus signs, even skywriting to get her message across to consumers.

But she's got a few things to say to Realtors, too. After generating $2 million in sales this year from her Web site alone, she's on a mission to convince Realtors of the merits of going online. And it's an uphill battle. Many Realtors set up Web pages for themselves, she says, and forget about them. Ask them to check their e-mail, and you'll be met with a puzzled look.

Ferrari's on a never-ending quest to land herself at the top of every search-engine's list. In partnership with her fiance Bill Koezler, a marketing consultant who designed Ferrari's site, Ferrari has strategically placed herself on banners and links within all community Web sites for each one of the nearby cities she serves. Having several URLs, Koezler says, has greatly increased Ferrari's chances of being found by homebuyers searching for real estate information online. In addition, Ferrari purchased an "enhanced link" on Realtor.com, enabling her name to appear prominently on several city-by-city agent searches.

Ferrari, a 20-year veteran of the real estate industry, has been a broker for San Clemente Real Estate for more than eight years. She and Koezler, both certified 'Net addicts, come as a package deal -- from Ferrari's Web site, which was a joint effort, to this interview.

A.N.: What turned you on to the Internet?

D.F.: Bill had attended an Internet class with Guthy-Renker, and that seemed like the way to go. It was so much easier ... you could reach so many more people. We tried to build a Web site that had something for everyone -- the agent, the buyer, and the seller.

A.N.: What kinds of elements did you try to incorporate on your site?

B.K.: We really tried to get away from just credentials. Becky Swann, founder of IRED.com, named three points Realtors need to keep in mind when they're dealing with clients: empathize, educate, and empower them. When they find our site, they're thrilled to find what they need.

D.F.: Buyers and sellers are sophisticated now. Agents can't use the same old technology anymore. The customers really are smarter. They can figure out what they want and what they can afford without an agent -- even before they've been prequalified. Then, when it comes time to look at a house, they'll need an agent.

A.N.: You've said only 4 percent of agents have Web sites, and many who do have sites don't use them effectively. What's your advice to agents who either aren't online or who think just having a Web page is enough?

D.F.: I'm amazed how many agents who have Web pages don't even know how to get on their own page or use e-mail. A lot of agents became scared when they lost listings to agents who had Web pages. So they got Web pages, too, and just left them there.

B.K.: Web pages are all too often like epitaphs -- they eulogize the Realtors. People don't care about acronyms after agents' names. If you're the salesperson of the year, or you've taken special classes, so what?

D.F.: I would advise every agent to embrace the Internet fully and immediately since about 20 percent of homebuyers now look for homes on the Internet. Yet, only a tiny percentage of agents have Web sites. Who can ignore 20 percent of the market and survive in their profession for very long? And the more information agents have on their sites, the better. Forty percent of buyers are first-time buyers, and many of them are younger people. So they've got to have, for instance, a lot of school information.

B.K.: Listings are at such a premium now. But if the 'Net's the only place where your listings are, you're missing out on some opportunities. If your goal as an agent is to be effective, it's important to do everything necessary to dominate in the areas in which you do business.

A.N.: You've got 11 Web sites, all pointing to your giant 45-page site. Explain the rationale behind that.

D.F.: Most of the buyers I've gotten have gone to a particular city or county when they do an online search. They don't know which office to call or what my name is. They're usually clicking on a map.

B.K.: If you have more of something, it's easier to be found.

A.N.: Do you provide consulting services to agents who are thinking about setting up Web sites?

D.F.: No. If I did, they'd be able to compete better with me. A few agents will ask me about my site, and I'll pass along some advice. When Bill was setting up my site, he used to give agents all sorts of information. But very few of them actually sat down and did what he told them to do. When you consider the average age of Realtors, it's probably 50-plus. They grew up without computers in school. They're a little gun-shy. They're only familiar with what they absolutely have to be familiar with -- like MLS listings, which are all done by computer now. It seems like agents are just doing what they need to do to get by, and they just watch all of the technological innovation happening. A lot of people in real estate aren't creative. They think, 'If it's worked for this long -- for 20 years -- why change?' But it takes more than a Web page to market yourself on the Internet. Some sites have only limited listings. After a home has been sold, some agents leave the listing up to generate more business. They're trying to get people to call them, and then they'll tell the prospective client it's been sold, but they've got other homes to show them. For example, I heard of one agent who had a listing on a home in San Juan Capistrano. Someone saw the listing on the Web and called the agent, only to find out it closed escrow one year ago. Did that agent just forget? I don't think so. Why get someone excited about a home he can't have? Big sites, though, are linked to local MLS services. Even pending homes are removed from the list.

A.N.: You've spent a lot of time and effort marketing yourself on banners and establishing links on other sites. Is this a more cost-effective strategy? Is it expensive initially?

D.F.: You can buy or get free links in HomeScout, CyberHomes, sites like those. If you have to pay, it's usually no more than $100 a year. And if you buy enhancements, you can appear at the top of the list of agents' names. When you compare this to "farming," people take a geographical area and do direct mailing in that area -- for example, 500 homes. Printing's not cheap, and the mailing and postage take time and money. And you must do it consistently -- at least once a month if not every other week. On the Internet, you may spend $300 or $400 a month to do your advertising, but how many people are you actually reaching?

Published: December 22, 1997

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