Today’s Modern Realtor
Today’s realtor is a new breed of agent. He or she not only has a mastery of the local community and home values but comprehends and uses the many technologies created to enhance their industry. Most of these technologies stem from the Internet. The Internet allows a realtor to get licensed, perform research, communicate with industry people, and find new clients.
While many people still take a traditional real estate class in order to get a salesperson license, a growing number are registering for ONLINE real estate schools. Today many states have licensed schools to offer their courses over the Internet. If your state doesn’t offer an online course now, chances are they will soon. In order to register with an online real estate school visit your state’s real estate commission page and see if they offer such a program. If they do it is as simple as signing up and you can begin studying right away. This is a great way to study as you can do it on your own schedule and speed. You can even take the exam online. 10 years ago real estate agents could only imagine this convenience.
Another convenience of the Internet is studying for your exam using a real estate license exam study guide. Companies such as the License Professor have been offering their study guide to future realtors for years. If you plan to get your real estate license, I highly recommend you visit their website and sign up. Their study guide emulates the actual exam and will help you pass. Should you not pass they even offer a 100% money back guarantee.
Now that you have your license and have joined a brokerage what other technologies are available.
Today’s realtor has his or her own website and email address. According to the National Association of REALTORS®, more than 74% of consumers check the Internet before contacting a realtor. That number is surely to grow as the use of the Internet matures. Yesterday’s realtor obtained new clients through word of mouth. Today’s realtor also relies on word of mouth... but not just their past client’s mouths. They have to use their own words by selling themselves over the net. This means creating a professional looking web site. So many of yesterday’s realtors created their own websites. This does not work today. In order to have a professional appearance, one must have a professional looking site.
Let me give you a scenario.
Jones, a potential client decides to sell his house in your town. He searches for a realtor on Google and finds two local realtor’s websites. The first website is Mr. White’s and the second is Mrs. Gold’s.
Mr. White had his grandchildren help him create a website. It has pictures of his family, sings a cute song and gives some information about him. He has been a realtor for 35 years.
Mrs. Gold’s website was professionally created. It has bold graphics, dynamically shows her listings with photos, maps and structured descriptions. She has only recently become a realtor.
Jones wants to make sure his realtor will get him the best deal for his house. Who do you think he will choose? The vast majority will decide to trust their investment with those who appear to be professional. Image is everything.
MRS. GOLD IS TODAY’S REALTOR!!!
There are many companies that build websites for realtors. Most provide similar functions and tools that are necessary for today’s realtor. The real choice is how much you want to spend on your site. There are two options with the same outcome.
The first is a web design firm that will build you your own unique web site. They will talk to you and build a site that you describe. In essence though what those companies are doing is altering their templates that they have done for past clients and charging you thousands of dollars for little work.
Today’s realtor can be frugal and still get a professional website presence. I recommend visiting a website that allows you to build your own website by simply following a wizard that walks you through a few steps. One of my favorite sites that I have come by that quickly helps you build your own professional looking website is the Realtor Website Professor. They are very inexpensive costing about the same as a daily cup of coffee.
Due to advances in technology, real estate agents have quickly evolved. Those who haven’t changed with the times and expanded have or will soon be working in another industry. Through the Internet, today’s realtor has been able to register, study, and get their license without leaving their home. On top of that today’s realtor has been able to usurp clients from older agents through their use of self promotion via their own web site.
Here is to the future in our ever changing industry. Here is to today’s realtor.
Tom Chambers
Real Estate Educator |