Why Your Real Estate Business Needs a Website

Why Your Real Estate Business Needs a Website

 December 12, 2018

A real estate agent who doesn’t have a website is one of two things: so new the ink on your license isn’t dry yet, or used to word-of-mouth business bringing in referrals. But regardless of your reason for not having one, there’s no reason not to make a change and take your business online with a website of your own.

It’s almost too easy to let yourself get overwhelmed with the idea of a real estate website. You don’t know anything about design. You’re not sure what logo would look good or what colors are best. Blogging sounds like something you need a prescription to cure. In some cases, it’s almost too easy to tell yourself you can get by without a website for your real estate business, especially if you’ve still got friends and family members who haven’t bought a house in a while.

However in a world where most people start their real estate search online and more people use their smartphone to connect than anything else, your business will stagnate – or never even get off the ground – without a website.

Take a look at a few of the reasons you need a real estate website.

To Be Where the People Are

A web presence for your real estate business isn’t a luxury like it was 10 or 15 years ago. With 94 percent of millennials and 84 percent of baby boomers starting their search for a home online, you need a website if you’re going to reach those people. People spend the majority of their online time on their mobile device which means your website needs to be easy to read on a small, vertical screen. It’s not enough to have a website, it also needs to be a mobile responsive website so it can be easily accessed from a phone, tablet, laptop, or desktop.

To Educate and Become a Resource

Potential buyers and sellers are going to find you online for one of two reasons: a listing you have or information you’ve shared. Assuming they did a random search for “how to buy a home in Denver,” wouldn’t you rather they found you and not one of your competitors? The content you share on your blog gives you the opportunity to educate potential clients and customers and become a resource for information long before they look for a specific listing.

To Share Information Every Moment of the Day

Even real estate agents have to sleep eventually, although it may not feel like it when you’re entering listings at three in the morning. With a robust website that offers IDX search, information, testimonials, and video, you’re sharing information every minute without having to be present the entire time. A good website works for you and helps build your business even when you’re busy with other clients, spending time with your family, or yes, getting some sleep.

To Prove You Know the Local Area

The best way to prove that you have local, inside information about an area to people moving from out of town or state is to share it online. When a buyer searches “moving to Tucson” or “why is Las Vegas a great place to live,” your (well-written) blog posts about the local area will not only help people but they’ll show you’re a go-to resource.

To Generate Online Leads

This is the money shot. If you remember no other reason to have a real estate website, remember this one: generating leads. When you share information online – local market stats, real estate information, and convincing testimonials – you give people a reason to consider you when it’s time to buy or sell a home. Your website, when setup correctly, should also give visitors the ability to share their information with you, so you can follow up with them, and help them with their real estate needs.

Instead of waiting for the phone to ring or meet a new client at a local networking event, your real estate website lets you reach hundreds, sometimes thousands of people. If you offer good information and make your website easy to navigate, buyers and sellers will find you. At the end of the day, the number one reason to have a real estate website is to grow your real estate business.


Michaela Mitchell

By Michaela Mitchell

Former Communications Director for a local Realtor Association and a big cheerleader for all things real estate related, Michaela is now a full-time freelance writer specializing in real estate and other business industries. When she's not writing the serious business-y stuff, she's likely to be found writing about the hilarity of being a Mom to two rowdy boys.