What Online Prospects Want from Real Estate Agents

More and more people are looking for both real estate listings and real estate agents online these days.

When prospects come to your website—whether they found you via an Internet search, a well-placed classified ad or a boosted Facebook post—you have less than 3 seconds to make a good first impression.

3 seconds?!?

Yep, that's right, and that already-short amount of time decreases every day as attention spans shorten and the digital marketplace speeds up! If you're going to have an impact, you better have what online prospects want, and they better be able to find it... fast!

What Online Prospects Want

Mobile-Friendliness

With more than half of real estate search traffic coming from mobile devices, it just makes sense that your website should work on computers, tablets and smartphones. If someone is searching for agents in your area using their phone, you risk losing their business before you even have a chance to win it if your website won't load or isn't user friendly.

Contact Information

Make sure your contact information is easy to find at a glance! Once a prospect lands on your website and sees that you have what they need, don't make them hunt for a way to get in touch with you. More than likely, they will just move on to the next agent. Put your contact info somewhere near the top on every page.

Great Photos

Do not underestimate the power of great photos! Good photos make you look like a true marketing professional and can help sell a listing. We recommend taking professional photos of your listings and selling areas to use on your website and social media channels. When that isn't possible, check out these great resources for free images.

Other Ways to Connect

Not every potential buyer or seller is going to want to call you. Many Millennials may want to connect with you on Twitter or Facebook first. If you're active on social media, include links to your profiles. And if you're ok being contacted by text, be sure to say so on your website. One recent study showed that 29% of clients prefer communicating by text, but only 5% said their agents actually texted with them.

Testimonials

Ratings and reviews have a strong influence in today's digital marketplace. Feature testimonials and reviews from your clients on your website. And be sure to manage your online reputation on other websites, too! When you find a nice review, reply and share it! And if you find a bad review, here's what to do.

Near-Instant Responses

Once a potential buyer finds your website, likes it and decides to get in touch with you, that's only half the battle! Now it's up to you to respond in a timely fashion. Everyone's preferred response time varies, with some clients expecting to hear back within 5 minutes! Respond as quickly as works for your schedule. You can help set realistic expectations by listing your preferred contact times (if you have any) on your website.

Does your real estate agent website have all of these features? How about your single property websites?

Spending just an hour or so updating your website this week can help you reduce your bounce rate and capture and convert more prospects.

What do you think is the most important feature to have on your real estate website?

To view the original article, visit the Point2 Agent blog.