The hunger to succeed is alive and well and many of the Real Estate Brokers and Agents I train have embraced the Internet fiercely and are making significant headway – so let’s raise the bar.

In this Blog I will not offer any answers – I will only pose questions; those of you who choose to become uncomfortable and sit down and tackle these questions will truly benefit – trust your creativity and seek the right questions before you get seduced by easy answers…

Here is the Thought Experiment…

“What if you were limited to only using the Internet for all your Real Estate Sales; Would you keep your current Website? and what tools would you need to add in order to succeed?”

Don’t dismiss the question so quickly; this was not a thought experiment for companies like Amazon.com and Zappos.com – they understood that their planning and Business Models needed to be founded on the fundamental crux that “Your Website is Your Business – Your Business is the Internet.” Lots of Real Estate Brokerages think their Stores are their business; some will even argue that the Split they compensate their agents with is the reason the consumer is using them… Nothing wrong with that; but consumers have embraced the internet more avidly than agents; and there is a huge disconnect. Let us tease this Thought Experiment a little bit more.

1. Most Brokers and Agents think that their website is an Add-on Marketing Tool – therefore they purchase it with some Bells and Whistles; Turn it on and Wait. Remember my question: “If your Sales were dependent Only on your website will you keep the Marketing Website you Have?”

2. If your website is a Marketing Tool – What are you Marketing? Have you asked yourself that question? I can tell you right now that 98% of Real Estate Websites tell you about how fabulous “Suzie Q” is as a REALTOR – is that the Marketing your would be Buyers and Sellers want to find on the Internet? Basically a Web version of your Glossy Marketing with a Big Logo? Most Real Estate Websites are Glorified Business Cards – is that what your customers want?

3. When was the last time you, as the Broker or Agent, visited your website and rummaged around to see what you have to offer? Have you read the text within your website? Have you tried the tools you offer your Buyers? Have you sought feedback from existing customers? Have you researched your competition?

4. We all know that in order for you to capture Buyer Leads you offer IDX Search, Setup Delayed Registration  that forces them to register, and then work the leads. How would you then do the same to capture Sellers? This is the hardest problem you will encounter.

Let’s ask the question this way: Do you know what your Sellers want on the Internet; what tools they find compelling; and how to capture them?

I keep hearing this argument left and right that Real Estate is immune from the Internet; that Sales will never be virtual; and that we need boots on the ground, and yes Good Real Estate Agents make for the best Agencies – My argument goes something like this: If we allow ourselves, from time to time, to think slightly ahead of most; tackle the hard problems; or the so-called settled questions; we become a little better than the rest – and in Real Estate a little better goes a long way!

I look forward to your comments once you have undergone this Thought Experiment!

Happy Blogging – Key Yessaad, Real Estate SEO Trainer