Standing out in a crowded market is hard. In the US alone, it’s estimated that there are over 2 million licensed real estate agents working across 106,000 brokerage firms. Put simply, the competition is fierce. When the public has so many options, how do you ensure your company lands more instructions than the others?

To some, this means really ramping up the efforts in terms of customer service or by having more properties available to view. They’re important, that’s for sure, but they don’t actually help you gain instructions — these elements are key only after someone has already decided to buy or sell with you. Drawing the customers in is the first step, and your website is the perfect tool for doing this.

The Importance of a Stand-Out Website

When was the last time you bought something online? Think about the website you purchased from. Did it look slick and professional, or was it the digital equivalent of a guy selling “genuine” luxury watches on the street?

On that note, don’t ask to take a closer look at my Ralix Wotch anytime soon.

More people than ever use the internet for research. In fact, it’s estimated that Google handles 5.6 billion searches every single day. If someone is searching for “homes in Austin” or “penthouses in Florida”, and your site is the first to appear on Google, that’s a big deal. But don’t be surprised if potential clients soon click off if your website isn’t up to scratch. Presentation, user experience (UX) and high quality content are the keys needed to stand out and gain more instructions.

Presentation

We both know the old saying, “you can’t judge a book by its cover”, and yet everyone does it. People judge almost everything based on looks. You could be the best real estate agent across all 50 states, but if your company website looks like it was designed by a toddler with a set of crayons, no one will want to conduct business with you.

Want proof? Instead of wearing a blazer to your next open house, wear jeans and a t-shirt. Leave your hair uncombed and put on an old pair of sneakers. Your professional image is key to gaining trust, and it’s no different with your website. 

At Strawberry Forge, design takes the centre stage of our projects. SF Designers take the time to understand the company they’re working on before starting. This allows them to come up with brand guidelines that can be used across all marketing efforts, and not just the website. We can put together:

• Logos
• Typographies
• Color palettes
• And anything else you require

Your website has to reflect the quality of your services, or else all you’re going to do is drive potential custom to competitors.

User Experience

When people are looking for a house or choosing a company to sell with, it’s an exciting step in their lives, a new chapter full of potential. What they don’t want is to be bamboozled by a confusing website. It kills the mood.

All relevant information should be just a few clicks away. Take a look at the Strawberry Forge website as an example. As you make your way through, you’ll notice how easy it is to navigate with all the steps you need to take clearly sign-posted.

Once you land on our home page, you can be reading about Digital Marketing for Property within two clicks.

We don’t want potential clients to be searching all over the site for the information they need. Your potential customers should be treated just the same; give them what they’re after as soon as you can and they’ll stick around to learn more.

You should also keep in mind what modules you add to your website. Too many ads and pop-ups can put people off, and video content can seriously slow down a website’s speed (leading to user frustration). These are points that can be resolved with a little know-how, but it's always best to consult an expert first to see what’s possible.

A final note to think on; UK-based psychologist and researcher Dr. Elizabeth Sillence carried out an experiment on the correlation between web design and hypertension.

A staggering 94% of respondents said poor web design made them feel uneasy, which made them trust the website significantly less. So, if your realty website isn’t up to scratch , it will have a huge, negative impact when it comes to lead generation.

High Quality Content

Buying and selling a home is confusing. It might seem straightforward to you as a real estate agent, but you have to remember that your potential customers will only ever move a few times in their entire lives. If it isn’t an everyday occurrence, then all steps should be broken down into small, jargon-free chunks.

We’re willing to bet you’re very good at writing property descriptions. After all, it’s your job to sell houses. But writing can be split into a bunch of different categories. When you’re writing a property description, you’re writing to sell and you can use sales techniques and emotive language to your advantage.

When it comes to web pages, their main goal is to inform.

As a starting point, all anyone wants to know is if you’re capable of helping them without alienating them. Detailed web pages written in plain English will show you know your stuff and should explain the crux of your service simply.

Blogs are a great way to go deeper into a subject. Let’s say you have a web page for those looking to buy a property. On that page, you can link to detailed blogs where users can get more information. If you list the steps for buying a house on the web page, each step can have its own corresponding blog.

And of course, if you plan each blog with SEO in mind, they stand a much greater chance of being picked up by search engines, opening up your site to a wider audience.

Does Your Real Estate Website Stand Out?

You can’t do everything. You’re great at selling homes and helping people make that dream step, but while you’re busy handling your actual job, the other important elements can fall down the pecking order.

But it doesn’t have to be like that.

If you know your real estate website needs an overhaul, trust in the experts to get it done right. Strawberry Forge specializes in property market. We have previously worked with UK-based estate agents and with international clients.

To learn more about how we can help, make sure to get in touch with a member of our team today.