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There has been a lot of talk about the pros and cons of single property websites. Single property sites are a growing trend among Realtors where the address of a property serves as its primary URL (so a listing at 5977 Morgan Place would have the domain name5977MorganPlace.com) and become the focal point for online marketing for that listing. Some cynics argue that such sites are expensive and not valuable from an SEO standpoint – but I would like to counter these myths associated with single property sites! |
#1 – Single Property Websites are more about customer satisfaction than SEO
Not everything in life is about SEO! Sellers love single property website because they makes them feel good – and for a Realtor, a happy customer is good thing! Joel Burslem at the Future of Real Estate Marketing in his post on the same subject exclaims:
I suppose as a point of differentiation over other agents, especially if you’re competing for a high-end, luxury property, then appealing to a seller’s ego and telling them you’ll build them a unique website could secure you that listing.
I agree with Joel that single property sites probably make the most sense for high-end or unique properties. In the last couple of months, I have been tracking single property sites in my area (see my Flickr album) and almost all of them where expensive, high-end properties carried by brokers that cater to those markets in my neck of the woods (Alain Pinel, Coldwell Banker, i.e.). I think the Real Estate Tomato says it best, when it writes:
In terms of word-of-mouth referrals, its a very tangible and visible sign of the efforts provided on behalf of sellers (”my listing agent created a website just for my property”).
Most Realtors agree. Paul Eastwood, for example, comments on Trulia Voices:
These new tools can be a great aid to the listing agent when trying to win the listing…If you are only paying a few dollars per month - then this might well bring great value to agents looking to both win listings and attract buyers.
Most prospective buyers search for a home using real estate sites and search engines like their local MLS, Realtor.com, Trulia, Propsmart and the like – they generally don’t use Google to find a home – yet another reason why its not about SEO! I would argue that a Realtor that keeps his or her customers happy is going to get a lot more business then a Realtor who only cares about SEO - after all, 44% of buyers come from referred and not SEO. The good folks at Blood Hound Realty make a similar case in their post - [a custom web sites] might not Google well — but it doesn’t have to…
#2 – Single Property Websites don’t have to be expensive
True, there are companies out there that charge an arm and a leg for single property sites – but don’t be fooled, single property sites don’t have to cost a small fortune – after all, its only the domain you should be paying for. vFlyer’s Domain Plus, for example, is only $9.95 (per year) a domain for subscribers (free when you purchase an annual subscription). Joel Burslem at the Future of Real Estate Marketing makes a similar point about the cost of single Property sites and remarks “Tech-savvy Realtors will take one look at the price and scoff. $3000 for 50 sites?â€. I talked about the cost effectiveness of Domain Plus in my original post on the service.
#3 – Single Property Websites make properties easy to find
I would argue that is is a lot easier to remember an address than it is to remember the first and last name of a Realtor or the name of a local real estate firm you have never heard of before! The Real Estate Tomato concurs saying:
Considering the URL of a property website is commonly the street address (i.e. www.123AnySt.com ), it provides for a unique and easy-to-remember web address.
According to NAR, many buyers still find their home by driving-by and seeing the sign! By adding the URL to your single property site to your real estate rider you can “connect the property to the website†– allowing your property to get maximum exposure to drive-by traffic in the neighborhood! Kevin Boer of 3 Oceans Real Estate comments, after Tackling the Single-Property Website Conundrum:
If done well, a website provides a convenient place to get out your marketing message. The property I reviewed yesterday, for instance, has its own web site — www.655-14thAvenue.com — which is very easy to remember.
#4 – Single Property Websites are about great property marketing
At the end of the day, single property sites are about great property marketing! Services like vFlyer are designed to help Realtors do a better job of marketing their listings, and using a single property website only helps to demonstrate your marketing–savvy and technology-savvy. The end result is generally a quicker sale and happy seller and hopefully more business around the corner!
Why Domain Plus?
MyTechOpinionnotes that “vFlyer is offering competitive pricing for their single property sites.†and goes on to says:
vFlyer can save you more time than ever now by giving you an additional marketing option with minimal set up time. Even the best multi-taskers will appreciate the ability to create listing ads, distribute them to leading online marketplaces, and purchase custom domains all in one visit to vFlyer.
Other press and analysts made similar observations. Our goal for the service was to provide “easy to use†single property site functionality as part of our “One-Stop Shop†approach to marketing real estate listings. After receiving numerous requests from both Realtors and FSBO’s we added Domain Plus to our growing list of convenient services.
Single property sites aren’t for everyone but they are a great marketing tool you can use to better sell properties and snag potential customers. And if you are vFlyer subscriber, its a great and inexpensive add-on to your flyer or gallery!
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Single Property Websites, vFlyer
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