Two key companies have a number of VA’s trained and skilled not only with Point2 Agent, but a plethora of other softwares, tools, and skills.  Contact them for full details and special pricing for members of the Point2 community:

REVStaffing
(404) 819-2933
Point2Support@revstaffing.com
www.REVStaffing.com

RealSupport, Inc.
(847) 705-1655. ext. 201
Info@RealSupportInc.com
www.RealSupportInc.com

Your success revolves around listings.

We help you market them through audio, advertising, and a great website.

The vendors in the Alliance Member Program have the knowledge and experience to help you see the success and revenue you want to see in 2011.

Check out what we have to offer!

Consistently one of the highest traffic consumer search sites for listings, Point2 Homes views continue to grow each month.  If you use Point2 Agent or have your listings syndicated through Point2, your listings are already appearing on Point2Homes.com.

That’s a perfect start.

Want more?  If you want to have your listing at the forefront of millions of eyeballs, then it makes sense to feature your listing right front and center.  Point2 Homes’ Spotlight Ads provide you with this ability.

Premium featured placement for your listings on Point2 Homes can be yours for just $25.  Your listing will be displayed prominently, in front of many thousands of potential buyers, for 30 days.  That’s less than $1 a day.  Can you afford to?  Can you afford not to?

Here’s what one of our long-time members Norm Fisher has to say about his experiences with Spotlight Ads:

“…You’ll likely double the number of detailed views your listings receive on Point2Homes. I spend most of my advertising budget online and Point2 spotlight ads deliver the best return on a cost per click basis.”

In addition to Norm, many of our members have had great success using Spotlight Ads to advertise their listings.  You can too.

You can purchase Spotlight Ads for any of your listings very easily.

View our quick tutorial to learn how.

**Contest is now closed.  Stay tuned for more giveaways from Point2 Agent.**

Right now, our Canadian members have even more reason to purchase Spotlight Ads during the month of July.  We’re giving away a brand new Apple iPad.  In order to receive an entry into the draw, you must purchase a Spotlight Ad for Point2 Homes during the month of July.  The more you buy, the more entries you receive.

For full promotion details please click here.

Building a website is easy.  Getting traffic to it is not.

Do not lose hope however, as there are small adjustments and changes that you can make to not only drive traffic to your website, but also keep those people there.

1. Content is King

People go to websites for one thing: information.

When using search engines, we all enter in search terms for the information we want to find, whether it be movie titles, band names, or listings in a particular city.  These terms and nuggets of information will go a long way to attracting people to your site and keeping them there.

What information do your clients often ask for when speaking with you?  That content should be on your website.  What information do you ensure you give to new clients?  That content should be on your website.  What knowledge about your local area do you possess through experience?  That content should be on your website.

One of the best things you can do with your Point2 Agent website is adjust the default content you received when you first created it.  While it is great content to start out with, our content pales in comparison to the knowledge, experience, and expertise you have about your local market, its neighborhoods, its listings, and its people.

Want some assistance with ideas?  Check out the Education Sessions on editing and design strategies.

2. Search Engine Optimization

Each search engine possesses what they term “crawlers” or “spiders” whose job it is to navigate through websites and make note of the information they find.  Again, content is king – and those crawlers love the king.  They worship the king.  The more custom content you have on your site, the better.  While we don’t know the formulas those crawlers live by, we do know that they prefer fresh content that they cannot find elsewhere.  Providing your own information that is different from everyone else will help you stand out to those crawlers.

Crawlers look at things like page titles, meta information, and the domain name you purchased for your website.  Sound confusing?  Join the SEO Education Session for ways that you can get started on your SEO to drive traffic without having to pay a single dollar.

3. Linking

Ever taken a look at the list of ‘friends’ someone has on Facebook?  That feature makes visible groups of people and how they network amongst themselves.  You even receive suggestions as to people you may know through someone else, or a friend can suggest that you ‘friend’ someone.  It’s all about forming bonds with others.

Linking of websites works in the same way.  Website A provides a link to website B’s domain name, which tells the online visitors looking at A that they may also enjoy reading the information on B.  Now, if B is nice, it will also have a link telling its online visitors to check out A.  That linking and backlinking not only helps to drive traffic (sending people to another site and receiving traffic in return), but it also aids your SEO efforts .  Crawlers recognize the linking and networking that is occurring and pay particular attention to the number of people who are following those links.

As an interesting note, referral traffic from website linking accounts for over 40% of the traffic we receive on our own Education Team website.  I just created another link to our website…it’s that easy!

4. Blog

A great place to start linking between your website and others is a blog .  While a website provides consistent information, a blog can be more “this moment now” in providing information on market statistics, open houses, local attractions, etc.  It can also be a great way to quickly disseminate brief pieces of information that just don’t seem to fit in with your website (ie. roadwork construction, being out of the office for a few days, etc.).

This online web journal provides you the opportunity to not only talk more about real estate, listings, and market trends, but also about other topics that matter to you.  Have a particular hobby that you are passionate about?  Put it on your blog.  Have an opinion on that trendy new restaurant that opened last week?  Put it on your blog.

It may seem trivial and inconsequential, but remember that people go online for information.  Often the information is related to entertainment, which may account for the incredible popularity of YouTube.  Whether it is music videos, ’stupid pet tricks’, or some dude doing an AC/DC cover in his basement, it’s on YouTube.  Your blog can be business related, but it can also have an element of fun to it that showcases who you are outside of real estate.

Think of your blog as as your website’s mullet.  Business in the front, party in the back.  It’s all good.

5. Marketing

Of course, no matter how much great information you have on your website or blog, no matter how much you link to other sites, and no matter how good your SEO work is, you will not see the increase of traffic to your site if you don’t market it.

What does “market it” mean?

It means that wherever you advertise yourself, your listings, your business, your website address should be there too.  Business cards, email signatures, sign riders, bus benches, magnets, keychains, pens, listing brochures, listing presentations, mugs, shirts, hats…you get the idea.  From this point forward, wherever you would put your name, put your website address with it.  Your website is your twin.  It is the online version of yourself.

This may sound extreme, but it will make your website stand out from your competitor’s websites.  Chances are, those online visitors will form a relationship with that online version of you well before they actually meet or talk to you.  With over 80% of the real estate market going online first to look for potential houses, this trend won’t be changing anytime soon.  Learning more about online marketing strategies will be key in driving traffic to your website.

Online visitors are a lot like drivers on the road.  They know what their final destination should be, so take the streets and avenues that they feel will get them there.  The destination for online visitors is information.  They know what they want to learn or find, so look for websites that are going to provide them that information.  You can’t control where they go, but you can put up the road signs and help the search engines provide the maps to the information you provide on your site.  With any luck, those visitors will love what they see so much, they’ll stay.

So build it.  Customize it.  Blog about it.  Market it.  They will come.

Kathleen Allardyce

Build Real Estate Results

Kathleen’s extensive knowledge of and experience with P0int2 Agent, combined with her content, SEO, and website design skills, makes her a valuable asset to any real estate business.  Plus, she is an absolute joy to work with on all of the above!

For samples of her work, pricing, or for more information, visit www.BuildRealEstateResults.com.

Follow along as I show you 13 ways to get your listing noticed.

1. Add tons of professional-quality listing photos.

Think there can’t possibly be 36 different ways to shoot a single house?  Think again.  Lots of listing photos is one of the top reasons why people spend more time looking at listings.  Buyers want to know what a house looks like from all angles, with as many photos as possible.  So, add as many photos as you possibly can.  Also make sure to name your photos with appropriate descriptions rather than just what your camera named them.  Which sounds better to you: IMG_0234.jpg or Master Bedroom – Frances Street?

Fig 1. No shortage of listing photos here!

2. Provide an audio description.

Jack up the snazz-factor of your listings with a voice-over for your listings using the Audio Description Attachment feature.  If you don’t have a ‘radio-friendly’ voice or hate the sound of your own voice in a recording, consider getting a professional audio description done.  Get A Grip Audio Solutions, one of our Alliance Member Program participants, offers this service.

3. Create a detailed description of your listing.

One of my biggest pet peeves is when there is no description included with a listing.  If your listing is created without a description, your website automatically generates a bland description based on the price and location you’ve entered for the listing.  It ends up reading “House for sale in ‘neighborhood’ for ‘$ price’.”  How lame is that??   Anyone that sees this listing will have no idea about it because you’ve failed to describe it.  Don’t just give a boring description of your listing, but craft your words carefully and be as descriptive as possible.  There’s really no excuse to leave this area blank, especially when you can add up to 2000 characters of your own awesome description.

Fig 2. Now that's a detailed Description - and tons of Features too!

4. Select all the listing’s features.

You can use the checkboxes to describe your listing features such as exterior finish, interior features, appliances, heating, cooling, water/sewer system, views, and much more.  Check all that apply, there is no limit.  The more information about the features you can share with your potential buyers, the better chance they have at seeing what it is you are offering.

5. Include a price highlight.

This may seem unnecessary or pointless but adding a price highlight can grab the attention of those browsing your site or one of the many syndication sites.  If your listing is priced below assessed value, has had a price reduction, or is of great value in the area, you can use the Price Highlight field to state something to that effect. (See Fig 4. d)

6. Say something with a general highlight.

Use the General Highlight field of your listing to say something catchy and attention-grabbing about this listing.  It takes three seconds or less to type something in, and maybe just a bit longer to come up with what you’ll say.  It’s worth the minimum investment of your time if it means attracting more buyers to view the listing. (See Fig 4. c)

7. Create and customize a Virtual Tour.

Virtual tours give your listing visitors something additional to look at about your listing, presented in a different medium that is enjoyable to watch.  In order to create a Virtual Tour through your Point2 Agent account, you’ll need to have at least 5 listing photos added.  Hopefully you will have already taken our advice from above and added the maximum amount of listing photos possible.  Professional and Premium members can edit the Point2 Virtual Tours with more advanced effects.  Standard members’ virtual tours still look great and professional, even with limited customization.  You also have the option to link to a third-party virtual tour if you have such a service set up. (see Fig 4. a)

8. Share as much information as you can – in bullet form.

The Highlights area of your listing allows you to add bulleted highlight points to the listing, which will appear just below the description you’ve already crafted per the guidelines above.  These highlights can be up to 200 characters each and you can add quite a few.  Some suggestions for what to include as highlights:

• Is the home newly built?  Describe the builder and the community plan.
• Elaborate on any special architectural features.
• Mention the landscape or outdoor areas.
• Are any of the appliances noteworthy?  Brand new?  Gourmet?
• Describe any details about the garage/workshop.
• Is there a dog run?  Outbuildings?  Unique features?  Recent upgrades?

9. Give a room-by-room information ‘tour’.

If you haven’t already noticed a recurring theme here, I’ll spell it out for you.  People looking at your listings want information.  Lots of it.  If you give them what they are looking for, they’ll be happy, and you’ll be the hero.  When they are satisfied with the information they find with your listings they’ll be more likely to contact you when they are ready to take a look in person.   Using the Rooms tab while creating your listing will allow you to provide details about what each room offers such as the location in the house, flooring, dimensions, and an additional description.  You can even choose which photos you want to be displayed for that room when it is viewed.

Fig 4. Provide photos, descriptions and details about every room.

10. Attach files that may be of use to your buyers.

In some cases you may want to include additional marketing material or information that is pertinent to a listing.  Use the Attach Files option available to Professional and Premium members to do this.  I’ve seen people use this area to include information about HOA or strata guidelines, marketing information about the planned community development the listing is part of, floor plans, and more.

11. Your listing in a pretty little package.

Please create a professional quality listing brochure and attach it to your listing (see Fig 4. b).  Point2 listing brochures are a million times nicer than a print out from most MLS’s.  I’m not just saying this to promote Point2′s listing brochures, but as a potential home buyer myself, I find it incredibly annoying to find tiny black and white images on a single sheet printout from the MLS.  I know it’s not just me who thinks this way either.  A listing brochure can be edited to include specific pages or the entire wealth of listing information you’ve already added by following the tips above.  Professional and Premium members can edit the listing brochure details even further.

12. Send buyers to your listing.

Provide targeted traffic directly to your listings with an easy-to-advertise single property website.  You can register a specific domain name and point it to your listing, or create a third-level domain alias.  You can use this website address on your sign riders, within any print ads, or in any place where you will advertise your listing.

13. Send your listing on a trip – everywhere.

Advertise your listings in as many places as possible on the web.  Sure, you could do it manually, entering your listings at over 30 different online marketplace websites.  Or, you could just use the listing syndication service provided through Point2′s Exposure Engine.  Using syndication from Point2 gets your listing on over 35 highly-trafficked consumer search sites, ending up on over 300 destinations.

Fig 5. Your Listing - Everywhere!

14. Here’s a bonus tip for you all, just for listening so well.

When you’ve sold your listing, thanks to putting the wonderful tips listed above to good use, please remember to update your listing.  This way your listing is marked as sold, it will be then updated to all the syndication sites, and visitors who are on your site won’t be frustrated when they find out that the listing they fell in love with was sold three weeks ago.

So, there you have it.  A list of the ways to put the many listing features available through Point2 Agent to good use.  If you don’t already have a Point2 Agent account, you can set one up here with a free 3-month trial, and start getting your listings noticed too!