Owning real estate is a luxury.  Of course, some real estate markets are more luxurious than others, but home ownership is an important goal for most Americans who feel good about owning even a humble starter home.  Any agent who wants to succeed to the fullest extent that a career in real estate promises had better remember that he/she is selling the sizzle or dream…not just the steak or the facts.  Actually one of the reasons why template Websites fall short is because they tend to stick to the facts.  With a Custom Website, you are free to deal with facts, yes, but you will also go beyond the facts and that’s where sales are made.   You can see some examples of Websites that go beyond the facts when you visit us at http://www.sellrealestate.net/customweb.htm.

WHAT ARE THE FACTS?

In any market the facts consist of the homes currently on the market, recent sales data, market trends data such as the number of days it takes to sell a home on average, pricing trends, etc.  The facts are there for all agents to use.  That is what the IDX link that displays your MLS data is all about.  If there were nothing more to selling real estate than The Facts then all real estate agents and brokers would have an equal advantage in attracting customers.  But, the facts make up only part of the story and some agents get far more leads than others.

BEYOND THE FACTS

There are many reasons why people buy homes that go beyond the facts.  Some buyers hope to establish financial freedom by investing in real estate.  Many buy homes as a way to express themselves.  Statements such as:  I live in Beverly Hills or my lakefront home are ways of announcing one’s financial success to the world.  Some homes are sold because of the lifestyle that surrounds the home.  Living on a golf course, near water, in the mountains, in a luxury condominium have high appeal. 

The definition of luxury has changed over time and in this country, luxury is much more democratic than it used to be.  Luxury has come to mean self-actualization; it is found more in experiences than in things these days, claims Pamela N. Danziger in her book, Let Them Eat Cake.  What does this mean for your marketing?  It means that you must spend at least as much time selling the dream as you do on selling the facts.

THE DREAM IS POSSIBILITIES

In terms of selling real estate, it is important to look at the area and the homes you are selling and focus on the possibilities.  In other words, point out the possibilities to your customers.  Imagine the parties you can have with this back yard!  Think of the silence and serenity of living in the woods or the desert or on a large piece of land.  Now, most agents already know to do this when they have a customer and they are showing property and most do this when writing copy for newspaper ads but it is also important to focus on the possibilities on your Website.  Why?  Because if your Website only deals in facts, the chances are NOT good that you will ever get the chance to show them property in person.    Visit me online at http://www.sellrealestate.net/FreeWebPlan.asp and I’ll show you how you can focus on the possibilities and increase your Internet marketing results.

THE DREAM FOR SELLERS

When prospecting for sellers, agents focus on the facts when they offer a CMA.  They focus on the Dream or on Possibilities when they ask: Thinking of Downsizing?  Or Looking for Financial Freedom?  I have moved many times and I am convinced that no one in their right mind would ever move unless there were powerful incentives to do so.  Powerful incentives include such reasons as moving to a better house, better neighborhood or moving to something smaller when the time comes for that.  For some, a built in community and social life is a powerful motivating force.

In order for your Internet marketing to work the way you want it to you must consider your Website as the central hub of a two-way communication with your customers. Template Websites that focus on the facts and on linking off to someplace else for much of the Website’s content, simply miss the point. Instead, all marketing and branding must START with your Website and branch out from there.  Let me illustrate this somewhat with a true story.

A TRUE STORY

A prospective client sent me a business card and wanted me to create a Website with the same look.  Unfortunately, the colors the client used in the card were not Web Safe colors so could not actually be duplicated online.  Secondly, a design element used on the card, when transferred to a Web design would download very slowly.  The better way to go about this would have been to create the Website and then make the business cards match the Web design.

YOUR WEBSITE IS NOT AN APPENDAGE

Many agents and even many brokerages are set up with template Websites that have little or nothing to do with the agent’s or broker’s actual marketing in the real world.  A prime example of this is the agent who is trying to make a template site that targets buyers work to generate seller leads.   It never does work but many agents then decide to switch to another template site that does nothing to solve their problem.  In these cases, a Website is something pulled off a shelf and added to the mix.  Instead, any agent who is serious about wanting more business in both the long and short-term needs to start with a Website created specifically to get the job done.  When this happens, all the marketing you do will become easier and more effective.  If you would like to know how this approach will work for you, call me toll free at 888-814-5347 and I’ll help you with a Free Custom Web Plan developed specifically for your business.