User-Friendly Navigation

User experience is paramount in web design and real estate websites are no exception. A well-organized and intuitive navigation system helps users find the information they need quickly and easily. One aspect of this includes having a clear menu structure. The main menu should be easy to find and include categories such as "Home," "About Us," "Listings," "Services," "Blog," and "Contact." 

Those looking to prioritize user-friendly navigation should also incorporate some kind of search functionality. For potential clients, a powerful search bar that allows users to filter listings by location, price range, property type, and other criteria is essential. Advanced search options can further enhance the user experience by offering specific filters like "waterfront properties" or "homes with a pool."

Real Estate Brokerage Websites Need High-End Visuals

In real estate, visuals can make or break a real estate deal. High-quality photos and videos can showcase properties in the best light and help potential buyers visualize themselves in the space. Invest in professional photographers who can capture the best aspects of each property. High-resolution images that highlight key features like spacious rooms, modern kitchens, and stunning views can make a significant difference in attracting potential buyers. You may also consider developing virtual tours or video slides for feature properties.

Comprehensive Property Listings & Innovative Tools

The heart of any real estate website is its property listings. Providing current and accurate information about each property is crucial for attracting serious inquiries. Be sure to write engaging and informative descriptions that go beyond basic details. Highlight unique selling points, such as architectural features, recent renovations, and proximity to amenities. Use compelling language to paint a picture of the lifestyle the property offers.

Another tool that you may want to incorporate is interactive maps. Maps are an excellent way to show the property's location and nearby points of interest, such as schools, parks, shopping centers, and public transportation. This helps users understand the area and its amenities. If your brokerage will be representing a specific city or suburb, an interactive map is a must-have feature!

Client Testimonials

In real estate, building trust with potential clients is key to converting website visitors into leads. Featuring client testimonials and success stories can demonstrate your expertise and the positive experiences others have had with your brokerage. Include genuine reviews from past clients, highlighting their positive experiences with your services. Use real names and, if possible, photos to add another layer of authenticity.

For those just starting out who may not have reviews yet, consider creating a page on your website to encourage clients to leave a testimonial. If you feel as though you left a positive impact on your clients, kindly ask them to leave their feedback. Also, be sure to set up your Google My Business page so that your testimonials have more reach!

Real Estate Brokerage Websites Need a Blog

An informative blog and resource section can position your website as a go-to source for real estate knowledge. This not only helps with SEO but also builds trust and authority in your market. Write blog posts on topics relevant to your target audience, such as market trends, buying and selling tips, home improvement ideas, and financing advice. Ensure the content is well-researched, informative, and easy to understand.

Providing insights into the local real estate market can set you apart from national competitors. Share data on recent sales, market forecasts, and neighbourhood spotlights to keep your audience informed. You can also offer free resources like buyer and seller guides, checklists, and market reports. These can be used to capture leads by requiring users to provide their email addresses in exchange for the download.

Real Estate Brokerage Websites Should Have Multichannel Contact Options

The ultimate goal of your website is to generate leads. Providing multiple ways for visitors to contact you or express interest is essential. Integrate simple and accessible contact forms throughout the site, particularly on property listings and service pages. Ensure the forms are easy to fill out and that the fields required are relevant and not overly intrusive.

Moreover strategically placing call-to-action (CTA) buttons such as "Schedule a Viewing," "Request More Information," or "Get a Free Consultation" can help entice users to reach out. 

Another contact option is to include some form of live chat or chatbot functionality that can provide immediate assistance to visitors with questions. A great example of software like this is Syncro. This can be particularly useful for capturing leads who may be browsing outside of regular business hours.

Contact us About Real Estate Brokerage Websites!

For more information on designing effective real estate brokerage websites, contact us today. We’d be happy to help you as you work toward establishing your business in the real estate industry. Be sure to check back next month for more information like this! We look forward to working with you in the near future.

The post 6 Things Real Estate Brokerage Websites Need appeared first on Real Estate Websites in Canada for REALTORS®, Brokers and Banners.

As a REALTOR®, you know that being visible online is crucial to your success. This is largely due to the fact that most buyers and sellers begin their real estate journey virtually. Whether it’s to find their dream home, search for comparable properties, or get in touch with an agent, people are looking to the Internet to find what they need. For agents, this means having a digital presence is more important than ever! One of the best ways to ensure your visibility is through REALTOR® websites. Having a personal real estate agent website will help establish a connection with potential clients while providing them with the information they need to achieve their goals. In this article, we will be going over the reasons why you absolutely need a REALTOR® website in 2023 as an agent! Follow along below to learn more. 

Why Have REALTOR® Websites?

• For First-Time Buyers and Sellers

First-time buyers and sellers generally begin their real estate journey online. This means searching for agents, reading blog articles about what to expect, and checking out listings. Those who have their own personal agent websites can capitalize on these viewers by directing their content toward clients new to real estate. Most often, this is done through a blog. Blogs are a great way to reach your audience and share helpful information. Not to mention, a blog can help establish your credibility as an agent. All in all, having your own website will ensure that you stay top of mind when first-timers take the plunge. 

• To Attract Local Business

Having a website is a good way for you to establish yourself in your local market. When people search for real estate online, they often specify what location they are looking in. For example, a person looking for a home in Vancouver might search: “real estate in Vancouver”, or “homes for sale in Vancouver”, as opposed to, “homes for sale” or “real estate”. Ensuring that you have a website that includes the location(s) you serve and where you are located will help you to generate more leads in your area. 

• So You Can Establish Your Brand

A robust digital presence is integral in cementing your brand. A website can help you do so by connecting you with your audience and setting yourself apart from other agents. Moreover, REALTOR® websites allow you to showcase your personality and areas of expertise. For instance, older folks will gravitate towards agents who are invested in working with retirees and empty-nesters. Whereas, buyers from out-of-town may look to agents who specialize in vacation properties. Use your website to tell your viewers who you are and what makes you unique! 

More Reasons to Invest in a Website as a REALTOR® 

• To Generate More Leads & Grow Your Audience

Lead generation is an important part of being an agent. Without new leads, it is difficult to grow your business. Having a website is one of the best ways to capture new leads and expand your audience. This is possible thanks to the many digital tools at your disposal. For instance, live chat services, contact forms and pop-ups. All of these tools work together to ensure that your website traffic turns into high-quality leads.

• It’s Yours to Keep

As an agent, you may not always stick with the same brokerage. And, more often than not, when an agent switches to a new brokerage, they lose their marketing. This is a big disadvantage that can be costly to mend. With your own personal website, you can switch brokerages all you want without the fear of losing your platform. All that might need to be changed are some logos and brand statements which are very simple fixes. Having your own website will give you comfort in knowing that if you ever switch brokerages, the transition will be seamless. 

• For the Marketing Opportunities 

In today’s market, your website should serve as the foundation for your marketing. This is because there are so many marketing opportunities once you have a platform like a website. For instance, SEO, social media marketing and content marketing! All of these tactics can be routed through your website to draw the most traffic to you, your listings, and your expertise. 

Contact us About REALTOR® Websites Today!

Having your own personal website as an agent is essential to your success. With more and more people beginning their real estate journey online, your digital presence is a must! 

Are you ready to start planning a custom REALTOR® website? Give us a call or chat with us now to get started! Be sure to visit our blog again next month for more content like this.

We look forward to working with you in the near future!

The post REALTOR® Websites: Why Have One? appeared first on Real Estate Websites in Canada for REALTORS®, Brokers and Banners.

As a REALTOR®, your website is one of the most important aspects of your business. Having a strong online presence equates to a better customer experience, more leads, and a greater platform to establish your brand. However, to achieve this, you must first ensure that your website has what it takes to attract new clients. From optimized content to professional imagery, there’s lots to include on a real estate website. In this article, we will be highlighting six items that websites for REALTORS® need to have. Follow along below to learn more!

What Features Do Websites for REALTORS® Need?

• Easy Navigation

New clients that visit your website need to be able to find the information they are looking for with ease. If it is too difficult, you may risk losing a lead. To avoid this, you want to make sure that it is as simple as possible for users to find information. Having a great menu is a good place to start. Some of the features that your menu should include are an About page, listings, guides (one for buyers and one for sellers), financing, a blog, and a contact page. These are all key items that buyers and sellers will be keen on finding when they visit your website. 

• Responsive Design

Responsive design is essential in creating a positive user experience. The design and development of your website should be responsive to the users’ behaviour and environment. One of the most important elements of a responsive website is making sure that it works on all devices—regardless of size or platform. Additionally, a responsive website will entice users to stay for longer. It can also positively improve how potential customers interact with your site. Achieving responsive design is better left to the web nerds; consider getting help from a company like EstateVue. 

• A Contact Form

What’s a website if users can’t get in touch with you? Having a contact form is of the utmost importance on your website. A good contact form can help you organize client inquiries, gather information about the client’s interests, and gain new business. With the right fields on your contact form, you can impress potential clients by tailoring the experience to their needs. 

Other Must-Have Items

• Great Imagery

Another key item that a real estate website needs is great imagery. When it comes to selling homes, photos and videos make a big difference. If clients can see the homes that you’ve helped to sell/buy they are more likely to work with you. Furthermore, you could include a featured listings page that shows off some of the listings you're working with right now. Here, you can use some of that awesome photography/videography to entice buyers to visit your property. Moreover, since most people begin their search for real estate online, your listings must have good imagery. 

• SEO Content

Optimized content is a no-brainer when it comes to real estate web design. If you want your website to rank higher in search results, then SEO is a great place to start. Successful SEO begins with the creation of interesting/useful content. Then an expert can go through and optimize the post so that your website is more easily found. Over time, SEO is a great lead-generation strategy that your business will benefit from for years. 

• Listing Search Tool

Not all users who visit your website will go there to search for listings. However, it’s good to have the option. A listing search tool with advanced filter options is a great way for potential clients to narrow their search. This can help them come up with shortlists of properties they’d like to view or comparable listings. Having filters such as property type, number of bedrooms/bathrooms, price, amenities, neighbourhood, lot size, and outdoor space can be extremely helpful!

Contact us About Websites for REALTORS® 

For real estate agents, a great website is a must-have item. With more and more people beginning their real estate journey online, your digital presence is key. To make the best impression possible, your website must include some of the above features. 

Are you ready to start building websites for REALTORS®? Give us a call or chat with us now to get started! Be sure to visit our blog again next month for more content like this. We look forward to working with you soon!

The post 6 Things Websites for REALTORS® Should Include appeared first on Real Estate Websites in Canada for REALTORS®, Brokers and Banners.

The post Year End Real Estate Content Rewind! appeared first on Real Estate Websites in Canada for REALTORS®, Brokers and Banners.

This month, we're talking about inflation and the rising monthly costs of software for REALTORS ® in Canada. With many tech providers feeling the squeeze of inflation they're turning to last resort practices. As a result, many have begun raising their rates for monthly subscription services.

If you rely on software for marketing, real estate listing data, content, and customer data management then you might be looking at where to cut to help your own bottom line. You aren't alone. Canadians are feeling spending pressure at the pumps, the grocery store, and on all consumer-related spending. It was only a matter of time before we saw the aftermath trickle into our business expenditures. The question remains, how can you keep up with the rise in costs? Should you try to keep up? And, what if anything can you afford to cut?  Let's dig in below.

Nice to Hear from You!

Recently, we received an email newsletter from one of our subscription providers. It's one of many emails that has been commonly making the rounds. The company, which rarely if ever has sent an email newsletter in the past is touching base to let us know that for "the first time ever" they will be raising its rates. They've chosen to apply a 20% bump to all monthly plans across the board.

This was an excerpt of their statement:

Now, for the first time, we are increasing the price of your subscription plan to better reflect the value we have added to your business and ensure that we keep investing in research and development.

Now, there's no doubt that thissoftware as a service is invaluable to our business. We use it daily and it helps us to do our job more efficiently.  It's not one we can do without. But a 20%  increase without warning affects a company, so what are our choices moving forward? This is what we boiled it down to,

• One: Suck up the increase
• Two: Pass the added cost onto our customers
• Three: Find another provider who offers better value/service

How Do Tech Companies Evaluate Other Tech Companies?

We have determined that the software is of value to us. This was the first step in evaluating whether or not to hit that 'Cancel Now' button.

The software allows us to take care of a multitude of tasks that would otherwise require at least one full-time person to manage. The efficiency of the product was never in question.

However, what we didn't know was whether or not something else has come around since we got comfortable using it.

The tasks are repetitive, and common for our industry and overall there's plenty of fish in the sea when it came to companies offering this type of SaaS. A quick Google search looking for like-minded providers presented a bevy of options for us to research.  However, that in itself presented another challenge.

In today's climate when the work calendar is packed and stacked, how do you find the time to research, set up, and then learn a totally new software system?

These are all common factors in the decision to switch tech providers. None of which can be taken lightly because they all come down to how much time and bandwidth you have available.  Oftentimes, this is what companies making a price increase will bank on. That you are happy enough with the product that a small monthly increase won't cause you to throw the baby out with the bathwater. However, when we find ourselves in the economic situation many are facing today, it's inevitable that there will be some wandering eyes.

Sucking Up the Increase is One Thing, Charging It Forward is Another!

Ultimately, in this case, we decided to go with option one. Suck up the increase. Mainly because the software has been good to us and the thought of switching providers is extremely daunting. Even though we aren't 100% on board with the reasoning and are somewhat skeptical that it isn't solely for profit reasons. We all understand that this is par for the course in today's economy. Even if our own rates haven't increased in well over a decade.

We won't be passing on the increase to our customers. This one is a little trickier but we had to look at our own customer base to determine if this would be a smart move or would just ruffle feathers. I'm sure the aforementioned company weighed the very same options. Will the wave of cancellations because people are upset outweigh the future revenue, how long will it take to build back, and basically will we ever financially recover from this? As mentioned, this isn't the only cost that has gone up over the past few months.

Don't Have to Look Too Far 

In fact, the biggest increases have come from the very boards that serve REALTORS®. That's right, listing data. Data storage, access, and integrity continue to go up across the country.  Even the CREA DDF® which was originally established as a free and open source option for Canadian REALTORS® and brokerages to access their own data has recently issued a pay scale model.  And it was not cheap for technology providers who had been largely offering this service as a workaround for agents and brokers who were unhappy with their local boards' data provision.

CREA issued the following statement when it announced the increase in fees.

On April 1, 2021, we introduced Phase 1 of our new fee structure for technology providers operating 51 or more data feeds. We’re now moving into Phase 2 which will commence on October 1, 2021, focusing on technology providers operating 6 to 50 data feeds.

Data feeds are still and will always be free to members. Charges will only be applied to technology providers, as per the new pricing model.

 

Technology providers like us, use the DDF^® at the direction of the customer. The customer, generally a REALTOR®, does not know how to build a website and connect their data to a front-facing solution. That's where technology companies come in on their behalf. The services we provide are to show that data on a front-facing details page, along with providing website visibility and marketing.

Good Data Doesn't Take Care of Itself

Data has become big business. Bigger than anyone could have ever projected. With more and more people and businesses turning to Cloud-based solutions there's no surprise that companies are monetizing. For one, they have to pay for the storage, maintenance, and security on their end, and two, finding engineers that are equipped to do this line of work is not easy. Good data isn't free.

This was a case where we could not burden the cost of the data feed.  As a result, the costs have been re-distributed to participating brokers and agents. We don't mark up our costs and our billing is transparent, but nonetheless, it was something that ruffled feathers. Especially considering that the fee increase came after a major data disruption on CREA's side that lasted weeks. And not to mention they added a little sting to the message at the end.

We understand members may be impacted by introducing new charges to technology providers, through increased service prices or technology providers choosing to discontinue this service. In the rare case of disruptions or rate increases, we have a complete list of alternate technology providers who can ensure your website continues receiving listings from REALTOR.ca DDF^®.

So whether it's a 20% increase in software or a yearly fee increase from inside your own professional membership there is no question that it's getting more and more expensive to do business - online and offline. What can you do to stay alive online and ensure that it's worth it?

Here are a few points to consider when you're looking to reduce monthly software costs:

Choose to work with a company that matches your scale.

This is something that is rarely discussed but in a world of faceless corporations and titans, it is becoming increasingly obvious. The tech company from the US doesn't care about you. You are a number. The company that specializes in real estate tech in the big city across the country doesn't care about you. They care about adding dollars to their bottom line.  They'll never worry about the quality of work that they do for you because they'll never run into you at a conference or the grocery store.

That is what a corporation does - they focus on growth at all costs.  Work with a company your own size and preferably within your own region and you will begin to see a difference. The same tools, and marketing channels are available to everyone, thanks to the Internet. And if that isn't enough you can always consider that more often than not a big corp cannot move as fast as the little guy.

You don't have to go big anymore. It's perfectly acceptable to also go home.

Audit your digital footprint. Do it often and be ruthless. 

Your digital hierarchy should look like this:

• Real Estate Website (SEO Domain + Marketing URL)
• Well curated and maintained social media accounts
• Secondary websites
• Online profiles/listings/directories

Your website should be your biggest investment. From there you can do anything, connect anything, share anything and attract whomever you need. Next up, is social media - BUT. That's right it comes with a really big BUT. Do not have social media accounts laying around that are outdated. Ignore what you've heard and please delete that Tik Tok, unless you're a content creator first/REALTOR® second.

Next up, are secondary domains and websites that are targeted to your specific sales goals eg: homeswithsuites.ca. After that come the local directories and website profiles. These are all great to have for your visibility,  provided that you can keep them updated and current. If you can't, then get rid of them. Why is visibility important you ask? Visibility builds an implied trust and there is nothing more important in marketing than trust.

Look for software that makes you more efficient and includes multiple services for one all-in cost. 

Real estate website providers like EstateVue, are focused on providing software tools that improve REALTORS® quality of work life. As such, there is often a multitude of tools included behind the curtain that aren't even listed because they are deemed need to have not nice to have. We've developed everything from internal communication boards for brokerage-level clients to tracking who the busiest agent is from your broker's website.

There are so many tools that are designed to increase your efficiency so that you can have as close to an all-in-one system as possible when it comes to marketing and engaging with leads.

CRM - use a Google Sheet. Not only will it keep you on track it will keep you humble and connected to your customers. Update it every morning based on the previous day's contacts and incorporate your list into your daily or weekly activities. Send a personal email, and if you don't know what to say then you shouldn't be emailing. That's SPAM. Nobody likes SPAM.

Website chat for REALTORS®- it should be free with your website and is the biggest lead capture and generator you can implement.  If you don't have it then you should. If you don't like it then you should give it another try because your customers love it!

Save time and look at where you can make improvements to your marketing rather than starting immediately from scratch.

If you feel like your subscription services have gotten out of control the last thing you want to do is make hasty decisions. Carefully evaluate what you have. If you make a mistake and cancel too early you might not get back in at the rate you once had. Make a list and come up with a rating system to flag each item and its importance to your business. From there you can make decisions about which service to keep and what is no longer serving you.

During the process, you'll get back in touch with your business, cut down on expenditures, and come away with a fresh outlook on your real estate marketing.

There are companies like us who offer this service if you feel it is overwhelming.  While nothing is free in this world any longer and in fact, prices continue to reach higher and higher there is still one thing that runs true when it comes to marketing. You get what you pay for. Even if your budget hasn't changed you can still make waves with the right planning and guidance.

Check out what some of our MWP and SEO customers are up to this month!

Brooks Lancaster shared an update on market stats in Penticton.

RE/MAX Vanderhoof is providing tips this month on how to add curb appeal to Vanderhoof properties for sale.

Neufeld Jones real estate team has an update on middle schools in the Kelowna-Mission area.

Steve Leddy muses about what makes a good Sherwood Park real estate agent.

The Big White Property Group has all the details on Copper Kettle Resort at Big White this month.

The Current Condos in Whitehorse are discussing homes near Whitehorse transit.

RE/MAX Elite is sharing how to navigate homes in Edmonton as a buyer.

RE/MAX Alpine Realty is continuing to share tips for new real estate agents in Canmore this month they discuss networking!

Kevin Moist is shedding light on the community neighbourhood of Brooklands in Winnipeg this month.

Janice Leffler is shedding light on apartments in Comox for retirees.

Royal LePage Comox has a helpful article outlining the changes to buying property in Comox in 2022.

The Kings Selling Castles in Winnipeg, MB are providing details on what you need to know before moving to real estate in Winnipeg.

The MYLIE Group loves to help Ontario buyers with new homes read more about choosing the right property for sale in Ontario.

Hilbert&Crick's Real Estate Team in Kelowna is sharing news on how climate change concerns are affecting properties in Kelowna.

Miranda Moser shares advice this month about selling properties for sale in Calgary during a buyers market.

John Mattiello is talking about the neighbourhood of Ritchie, Edmonton this month - learn more about real estate in Ritchie!

Graham Frey is giving you great reasons why you should buy Whitehorse real estate here this month!

The post Inflation and the Rising Costs of Software For REALTORS ® appeared first on Real Estate Websites in Canada for REALTORS®, Brokers and Banners.

There have always been a lot of website solutions available in the marketplace when it comes to websites and digital products. Whether they are geared toward real estate or they are for general business, you can find both inclusive and niche solutions for almost every function.  The crowded space can make it difficult for REALTORS® and their trusted advisors and assistants to make the right decision.

Oftentimes, we see mistakes made where marketing becomes overcomplicated. REALTORS® unwittingly find themselves in a situation where they have too much. Too much marketing is real, so let's get into what you really need to have a great real estate website in Canada. Hopefully, these tips can help you streamline your process and your AP.

There are a few things that you need to keep in mind for your real estate website in order for it to be effective.

One: Choose to develop your website on an open framework

We have discussed the topic of closed-loop websites at length in previous articles.  These are quick-start solutions that are designed for entry-level REALTORS®. They are often offered for free by corporate banners in order to get new agents on their feet. The pros and cons are hefty if you are still using a closed-loop system and have been in the business longer than a year. We see these sites as an option to get started but not a good answer for a long-term strategy.

Developing your website on a closed framework comes with significant barriers. These barriers eventually become apparent when you try to do any external marketing on a closed-loop site. In order to increase your website visibility we suggest that you invest in the following:

1. Hire a professional to register two domain names for your business. One should be your business/trade name and one should be keyword centric.
2. Have a professional company build your website on a universal open-source framework like WordPress. This is important because you can build on the website over time and take that content with you anywhere.
3. Work with a data provider to stream listings in an SEO-friendly manner to your website. Say no to iFrame, and embedded listing tools. Embedded listings don't help your website's visibility.  In some cases, this can hurt your ranking, especially if they have not been optimized to fit with Google's Core Vital metrics.

Building your real estate website on an open framework allows you greater flexibility in the future.

More than any other time in history marketing should be thought of as a long-term investment. Think about where you want to be in years not months. If it's at the top then make sure you are taking the steps to ensure that the money you are spending now is a good investment for the future. Too many agents throw good money after bad and start from the beginning over and over. Invest wisely and plan to build your footprint over time, before you know it your digital footprint will hold a lot of value.

Two: Set aside a small monthly budget (time or money) to work on the site each month

This is an important detail that is the most commonly overlooked and underappreciated. Real estate websites in Canada should not be set and forgotten. We often see assistants and associates focus on social media for the real estate business.

Social media plays an important part in the process, but the order of when to use social media is equally if not more important.

The real estate marketing industry is notorious for jumping on trendy bandwagons and social was no different. In the early days of social everyone was clamoring to post on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube. Every agent wanted to know the answer. What was the magic bullet strategy to being successful on these mediums? What should they post? How often should they post?

Almost every customer we saw in the early '10s wanted to know how to improve their social strategy.

Thankfully that messaging has been tempered. Hopefully, that's because we as marketers have opened our eyes to the social beast and done a better job at explaining how it all works. The biggest takeaway about using social media is this question, do you want to use it because you like the attention and love creating content? Or are you using it as a means to an end - to get better SEO results?

85% are in the latter category. They are REALTORS® first and foremost and they want to be found online to generate new business and sell real estate. Achieving TikTok influencer status is low on their list of priorities. With that in mind, finding a company that can help you to manage an SEO program and get the results you want from social media is key.  If you can't afford that, then religiously schedule time to update your website each month.

Time and money are equal to success 

We suggest that REALTORS® who want to expedite their ranking results post as often as they can on their blog.  A properly written article, posted each month on your blog is imperative to getting ranking results. So, take those quick burst social media posts that you're pumping out and compile them into one concise article. When you add new, unique content anywhere to your website it helps to promote your visibility. Once you have that article written, only then you should share the link across your social media channels.

We recommend that you post at least 300 original words on your website once per month. This is equivalent to spending at least 1.5 hrs on your website each month.  Do not plagiarize, borrow or repurpose content.

If you want to learn more then get in touch with us. We write content for a variety of topics at EstateVue. We cover current real estate trends at both a national and local level. Articles are written by University-educated writers in Canada and optimized specifically for attaining SEO results. Content is developed to target a specific audience and appeals to local topics of interest.

Three: Ensure you have an attentive listing data manager

Real estate data in Canada is not without unique issues. Data at any level requires immense oversight. The more data you oversee the more time is required. This is very true when it comes to real estate data in Canada. Local real estate data feeds and national real estate data feeds in Canada are never perfect for long.  Adding to that disappointing fact is the rising cost of data. Storage, engineers, and administration costs are driving the cost of access to Canadian real estate data sky high. Many agents find the cost to access their own data a frustrating fee. Nonetheless, a good website requires data to remain competitive.

This combination can be an unsettling discovery for Canadian real estate agents. Especially when you have finicky customers who want to see their homes for sale displayed accurately on your website. Explaining to the customer why photos, price changes, and description updates aren't filtering correctly to your website is nothing short of embarrassing for most agents.  However, we find that when we can explain what to expect from real estate data in Canada it becomes much easier for REALTORS® to have those conversations with their customers.

We understand this first hand.  So these are the questions you should ask before you plug in Canadian real estate data to your website!

1. How will the data be facilitated?
2. Is the data from my local real estate board or CREA's DDF?
3. What are the setup costs to connect to either/or?
4. Are there monthly fees associated with either feed?
5. What are the annual costs associated with either feed?
6. Is their reciprocity in my area?
7. How often will my data be updated on my website? When I add a new listing? When I update an existing listing?
8. What happens with my sold listings?
9. What should I do if I discover a listing is missing or incorrect?

Look for the following attributes when you are choosing a Canadian data provider for real estate data. 

1. Experience and focus in the real estate data space
2. Works with multiple data feed national, local, small, mid, and large
3. Focused on real estate marketing and its unique challenges
4. Responsive and respectful communication

Real estate data is a necessary component of a great online presence for agents. Choose a company that can help you get the most of your data. More important is choosing a company that can support you when things don't go right. Be leery of those who overpromise in the data department, it's best to prepare for technological glitches along the way.

Four: All-in-one real estate marketing solutions - they exist and you should choose ONE!

All-in-one real estate solutions exist. They exist for brokers, agents, and real estate teams in Canada.

This is what you should look for when you're deciding which platform you should engage for real estate data in Canada. 

1. Is the website built on an open or closed-loop framework
2. Does the company focus on real estate-centric activity?
3. Is the website customized to me or does it use stock everything?
4. Is there a marketing package available to complement the website build?
5. What listing data services are included?
6. Does it come with an SSL?
7. What is included for lead generation?
8. Can I export my leads to another CRM?
9. Do I need a CRM in addition to my website?

Your all-in-one real estate website solution should have the basics covered. The list above is a great start for determining whether or not the company you are engaging in is a good choice.

The real estate market is fickle and ripe with change. Similar to technology, nothing stays the same in the real estate market for long either. Find a company to work with that has its finger on the pulse, that's the only way you'll stay ahead of the marketing train!

Check out what a few of our customers have collaborated on this month below! These customers know great real estate data is here in Canada!

Neufeld Jones is talking about buying housing in Kelowna for a vacation property this month.

Brooks Lancaster is sharing information on summer activities near Penticton housing for sale.

Vanderhoof RE/MAX has a moving day checklist for homes for sale in Vanderhoof this month on their blog.

Steve Leddy joins us this month with an article on why you should choose Sherwood Park Real Estate.

Grham Frey over at the Current in Whitehorse is discussing condos for sale in Whitehorse.

Corinne O'Neil has a great resource on her website this month from finding an introduction to other greats agents in Canada to St.Albert condos for sale - learn more!

The Big White Property Group added a new building to their website this month - learn more about Snowy Creek Lodge at Big White!

More great content to read this way!

RE/MAX Elite is tackling the question of whether or not real estate in Edmonton is a cheaper alternative.

RE/MAX Alpine Realty in Canmore got started this month with an article shedding information about real estate in Canmore! Read it now!

Cliff and Scott King join us from Winnipeg this month with great information on houses for sale in Bridgwater Lakes! Check it out.

The Courtenay apartment scene is talked about over on Janice Leffler's blog this month!

The MYLIE Group is breaking down the advantages of building homes in Ontario this month.

Royal LePage in Comox Valley shares the economic drivers near Comox real estate on their blog.

Kevin Moist and Associates discuss real estate in downtown Winnipeg this month!

Hilbert&Crick are talking about trends in affordable housing in Kelowna.

Miranda Moser shares the pros and cons of renting vs buying a property in Calgary.

John Mattiello ponders whether sales of real estate in Edmonton are slowing down.

Josh Miko has an update for us about an exclusive gated community in West Kelowna called Thacker Ridge Estates!

The post What to look for when choosing a real estate website in Canada. appeared first on Real Estate Websites in Canada for REALTORS®, Brokers and Banners.

Our customers benefit immensely from consistency and it is, without a doubt, the secret sauce that most are missing when it comes to formulating their marketing plans. 

Keep reading for tips on how to put your business first and better your return on your time in 2022!

What are we going to do more of in 2022?

Less is More 

This is one we’ve been preaching for a while and if you’re an EstateVue MWP client you already know how we feel on this topic. Less is more when it comes to social media marketing. Consistency is more valuable than spreading yourself too thin. Throughout 2021 we spent a significant amount of time with clients getting their social media channels and digital footprints consolidated into a more manageable footprint. 

There isn’t a REALTOR® out there who is doing a fantastic job of managing, Tik Tok, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest, Tumblr, Google Business, and omg what else? Do you want to know why? The answer is simple, if they’re killing it on alllll of the mediums above then they’re more of an influencer than a REALTOR® in our opinion.  

Don’t interpret this the wrong way, you still absolutely need social media for visibility. However, you don’t need all of it at one time. It’s not only impossible to manage but it will also dilute your customer base in many cases. 

Our pro tip is to choose three and only three social mediums to use. This will allow you to stay consistent with your posts, engage with your customers and manage your digital presence. By cultivating a presence for your customers across three mediums you have a much stronger handle on your traffic and your analytics. 

So, which mediums should you use in 2022? We have some ideas! Keep reading!

Facebook is a need, but definitely not a want

Love it? Hate it. We all hate it. We never hear anything positive about Facebook but here we are with the numbers that can’t be ignored.  Facebook (META) now has 3 billion users and these numbers are still growing by the month! So the question of do I need Facebook should really be put to bed. The answer is yes, yes you need Facebook for your real estate business. Facebook will still reign supreme when it comes to raising your visibility profile.

Google Business is the Internets definition of nepotism

If Google wasn’t the most used SERP then we might not recommend using Google Business as part of your social strategy. But the Internet is ruled by giants and the biggest is Google. As such, we consistently see better-ranking results from the businesses who elect to post frequently on the Google Business platform. We highly, highly recommend getting familiar with your Google Business profile. 

Update those profiles, and check your locations because Google Business is where the most relevance for your business comes in, especially when it comes to local! Many customers are unfamiliar with Google Business and how it works. Posts will show up in your listing and allow for a great opportunity to create backlinks to your website.  See below for an example:

LinkedIn or Twitter for 2022?

Twitter is a big city medium. Maybe that’s a bit controversial but as a company that focuses on hyper-local advertising for its customers, we have found that Twitter is almost always the underperformer in our playlist. The slow adoption rate for locals is likely the biggest barrier to Twitter's taking off. Smaller centres with populations of 500k or less just don’t tend to have the enthusiasm for it.  It’s great for using hashtags and gaining followers, particularly if you’re attending conferences or events, but for gaining a local audience it seems to be only getting more dismal. 

That’s why. We’re giving up on Twitter for 2022 and instead, we will be turning our focus back to LinkedIn. LinkedIn has been steadily gaining as a preferred social media platform. They have added in a suite of new features that make it much more ad-friendly. Coupled with the closer connections it affords to local colleagues it’s really a no-brainer to turn your focus from Twitter to LinkedIn. 

We highly recommend getting LinkedIn added to your social media repertoire for 2022.

Newsletters are baaaaack

Newsletters really fell out of fashion in the real estate marketing world over the past few years. Mostly because they were never consistent and partly because they were also very spammy. We’re bringing back thoughtful, curated newsletters this year. We’ll be sending them out quarterly at first and making certain that we have something to say well in advance. 

Email remains one of the most powerful tools at your disposal.  A valid email address is data gold. There are several tips to consider if you want to use email marketing as a marketing method in 2022.

Keep reading if you want to add newsletters to your program or you want to refresh your existing plan. 

1) Develop personalized content that matters

Give your customers the feeling of exclusivity to keep them engaged with your content. Get to know your customers and make sure that you’re segmenting your customer base according to their interests. Don’t send buyers' content to sellers and vice versa. Don’t send first-time buyers' advice to your investors. Email marketing fails when it’s used as a blanket strategy. Don’t rush your email marketing and take the time to curate content based on your customers' wants. 

2) Keep newsletters minimal and concise 

Don’t send out novels in hopes that everyone will be inclined to read. Keep your newsletters short and make the format very clear. Minimal design is ideal and your layout should either be very interesting and engaging or very easy to follow along. Small snippets, catchy headlines, and lots of backlinks to your website are key to making newsletters work for your business in 2022. 

The average person receives over 150 emails per day. That’s a dizzying amount of communication. If you hope to stand out then don’t oversaturate. Give them something to look forward to. 

Focus on consolidating your real estate marketing channels in 2022

Focusing on the foundations of digital real estate marketing is key in 2022.  It’s a great time to consolidate at the start of a new year. Get rid of the social channels that no longer serve you and clean up that digital footprint. You’ll feel lighter and more in control of your business. Also, try not to get distracted by those shiny squirrels as the year wears on. The newest, latest and greatest will always be around the corner, but stick to the devil you know and you’ll be much happier with mastered results rather than useless, fleeting tech. 

Here’s a list of wrap-up posts from some of our real estate customers in 2021! We hope to see more of you included in this list in 2002! Get in touch if you want to subscribe to our Managed Website Program in 2022, we have limited spots available in each Canadian city.

The team at Neufeld Jones has launched their year-end wrap-up on their website this month - head over to their Kelowna real estate blog to read about their year of content now!

Real estate in Vanderhoof gets the review treatment this month!

Penticton real estate gets the wrap with Brooks Lancaster over on Penticton Houses For Sale this December.

Heading up to Big White this winter? Us too. Check out real estate in Snow Pines with the Big White Property Group before you go!

Edmonton's RE/MAX Elite is getting nostalgic this month with an entire year in rewind on their blog! Check it out!

HILBERT&CRICK have a great year-end recap on their blog this month! Check out how they're looking back at Kelowna Real Estate in 2021

The post Real Estate Marketing Trends for 2022 appeared first on Real Estate Websites in Canada for REALTORS®, Brokers and Banners.