Last year, the hot housing market meant a property listing would probably turn into a bidding war. That is no longer the case. With higher interest rates curbing demand for new mortgages, active listings are due to receive fewer offers than they would have a year ago. With rising interest and mortgage rates, this trend could persist for years. As a result, agents like you need to come up with ways to build a brand and promote your services.
Whatever the state of the housing market, buyers and sellers constantly look for real estate services on Google and real estate portals like Homesnap and Homes.com. You should focus your efforts on appearing at the top of these highly trafficked sites to build buyer and seller interest in a challenging market.
Homesnap Pro+ strengthens your online reputation to ensure you garner consistent, long-term attention from local home buyers and sellers. Learn how Homesnap Pro+ boosts your presence on platforms that ensure you can build your reputation and compete in any real estate market.
Build Trust on Google and Reach Buyers and Sellers
85% of online searches in the U.S. happen on Google. If you don’t demonstrate a strong reputation in search results or, worse, your brand doesn’t show up at all, then you can say goodbye to new business.
A high-ranking website is one way to show up, but by penalizing keyword stuffing, Google has made it clear that’s not easy to accomplish. The best bet is to have a robust Google Business Profile with positive, plentiful reviews.
Your Google Business Profile is the eye-catching information box that is displayed prominently in search results — on the right side on desktop and at the top on mobile. Your Google Business Profile displays your contact information, brokerage affiliation, a business description, photos and branding, and, importantly, reviews.
A well-developed Google Business Profile tells consumers that you’re a credible real estate agent who is easy to contact and to do business with. Homesnap Pro+ instantly verifies your Google Business Profile and syncs it with information from your Homesnap profile, saving you time and effort, and guaranteeing a high-quality Google presence.
As mentioned, reviews are important to your Google presence. The reviews that are displayed on your Google Business Profile serve two purposes. First, reviews are crucial for building trust with consumers. Positive reviews indicate that you’re an accomplished agent with experience and a good reputation. Negative reviews – or no reviews at all – give the impression of incompetence, inexperience, or indifference.
Second, positive reviews on your Business Profile help you build trust with Google. If Google sees that you have positive reviews, it’s more likely to consider you an agent worth displaying to consumers searching for real estate services. When people type in queries such as “real estate agents near me,” agents with lots of positive reviews appear at the top of the results – and introduce themselves to thousands of new potential clients.
Getting reviews can be time-consuming, but Homesnap Pro+ agents have an advantage: The One-Click Review Tool.
The One-Click Review Tool accelerates your ability to earn positive reviews. The One-Click Review Tool is connected to your Homesnap Pro account so that you can send a review request to all your contacts at once. After you hit send, the One-Click Review Tool will keep track of who has and hasn’t left a review, automating up to three follow-up messages to nudge anyone who hasn’t fulfilled the request.
The One-Click Review Tool saves you hours, as it eliminates the need to personalize every email, keep track of statuses and follow up with everyone individually. In the end, you have more and better Google reviews, a higher Google ranking, and a better chance of appearing in front of local home buyers and sellers.
Draw Attention to Your Business on Homesnap and Homes.com
The other sites that buyers and sellers frequent are real estate listing portals. Two of the most popular? Homesnap and Homes.com.
Pro+ improves your presence on both Homes.com and Homesnap.
On Homes.com, Pro+ agents’ profiles are boosted, which means an enhanced profile appears on highly-trafficked directories, boosting the odds you impress the highest-intent buyers and sellers in your market and win their business.
On Homesnap, Pro+ agent profiles include your Google reviews, star ratings and a prominent blue checkmark badge that identifies you as a verified agent. Agents who win an annual Pro+ Excellence in Client Service Award get an even more eye-catching gold checkmark on their profile.
You can’t control the overall real estate market, but you can work to be your local market’s go-to agent. That means bolstering your reputation on Google, Homesnap and Homes.com. Put your best foot forward on the sites consumers go to when they are ready to buy or sell. Upgrade to Homesnap Pro+ today to draw more consumer attention, win more business, and deliver your clients the best deals possible.