{"id":7676,"date":"2008-03-25T05:39:54","date_gmt":"2008-03-25T10:39:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.ewm.com\/2008\/03\/25\/getting-maximum-exposure-for-your-listings\/"},"modified":"2008-03-25T05:39:54","modified_gmt":"2008-03-25T10:39:54","slug":"getting-maximum-exposure-for-your-listings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.myewm.com\/?p=7676","title":{"rendered":"Getting Maximum Exposure for your Listings"},"content":{"rendered":"

As I am sure you are all aware, the Internet has become ubiquitous in the real estate industry as a vehicle for presenting properties to potential buyers. Most of us have our own website (if you don\u2019t, you should!), and rely on that plus MLXChange to get our listings out to the world. <\/font><\/p>\n

If you saw my posting in the company blog some weeks ago, you know that there are dozens, if not hundreds, of websites where your listings can appear. In many cases, they\u2019re going to show up on the web without you doing anything. In other cases, you can exert some control over where they appear, and what their content is \u2013 something that\u2019s important in reducing the number of times your listing appears under someone else\u2019s banner.<\/font><\/p>\n

The Basic Sites<\/font><\/h2>\n

When your listing is entered into MLXChange, five things happen within 48 hours: <\/font><\/p>\n

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  1. Your listing is available to all Realtors in the region through MLX<\/font><\/li>\n
  2. Your listing is available to the public via EWM.com<\/font><\/li>\n
  3. Your listing is available for other Realtors to use through IDX (Internet Data Exchange).<\/font><\/li>\n
  4. Your listing is available to the world through Realtor.com<\/font><\/li>\n
  5. Your listing is syndicated to several partner sites.<\/font><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    I am not going to try to unravel the tangled process by which this all happens \u2013 that\u2019s its own rather lengthy post. Instead, I want to share with you some things you can do to take advantage of the syndication process.<\/font><\/p>\n

    Preparation, Perception, Process<\/font><\/h2>\n

    In an earlier blog posting, I made some recommendations for a process to follow when you get a new listing. <\/font><\/p>\n

    Preparation<\/font><\/h3>\n

    Here is a summary of what I wrote:<\/font><\/p>\n

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    1. Completely fill out the MLS input sheet \u2013 get as much information as you can<\/font><\/li>\n
    2. Write out multiple versions of your remarks, from a short phrase (about 140 characters for IDX) to a full-blown description of the property (1,000 \u2013 2,000 characters). My strong recommendation here is to NOT be too flowery \u2013 be clear, concise, descriptive, but not mushy.<\/font><\/li>\n
    3. Scan any supporting documentation you might have \u2013 disclosures, special addendum, etc. Make sure they are clear.<\/font><\/li>\n
    4. Take good, clear photos of the property, inside and out, that allow a viewer to get a good idea of what they are seeing<\/font>.<\/li>\n
    5. Write a brief description (20-100 characters) of each photo. I find it name the photos; you can use the name as an index in Word or in a spreadsheet to track the descriptions<\/font><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Bottom line: Spending a little extra time at the start of the listing process will benefit you later on!<\/font><\/p>\n

      Perception<\/font><\/h3>\n

      One of the \u201cdifficulties\u201d most of us have to overcome is that posting the same information on multiple websites is a bad thing. After you\u2019ve posted the same photos and descriptions to five or six sites, you start to worry people will be bored \u2013 and you start getting creative by writing a custom description each time you post. Don\u2019t give in!<\/font><\/p>\n

      Put yourself in the place of a buyer searching the web for a home. They\u2019re probably going to start on Google, and they might start with something like \u201cMiami Homes\u201d (try it). They\u2019ll get pages and pages of sites, from Realtor\u2019s personal sites, to Realtor.com, to aggregator sites, and a bunch of paid ads. There\u2019s no rhyme or reason, and most people use multiple sites as they search.<\/font><\/p>\n

      If they do find your property, it\u2019s will to be a two- or three-contact experience: they hit the first posting, click in for more info, and then click through to your site. If you\u2019re consistent, using the same photos & info, most visitors will see them only once or twice in a session; if they encounter them again, it will be through a different search path, and it\u2019s doubtful that they will think less of you for repeating! <\/font><\/p>\n

      And finally, remember that even though somewhere around 95% of buyers use the internet to help them find a home, chances are they are using the facility as a supplement to a Realtor \u2013 I know that our customers use the web extensively to research neighborhoods and listings. My gut feeling is that the majority of buyers are doing the same thing.<\/font><\/p>\n

      Bottom line: Don\u2019t your perception OF the search obscure the buyers participation IN the search!<\/font><\/p>\n

      Process<\/font><\/h3>\n

      And finally: You have to have a process that you follow each time, otherwise, you will be overwhelmed by it. The more preparation you do, with repetitive posting in mind, and the more you \u201cchecklist\u201d the posting and management process, the less time it will take, and the better you will do \u2013 and the better results you will get.<\/font><\/p>\n

      Syndication<\/font><\/h2>\n

      Syndication on the web is the active sharing of information through partnerships established between different websites and web vendors. The most common form of syndication for real estate is that of MLXChange sharing listings with Realtor.com. Over the past two or three years, though, real estate syndication sites have multiplied, making (to my mind) Reator.com an expensive indulgence, rather than a viable site \u2013 most of our referrals to our primary website come from Google, and Yahoo, and some of the other syndication sites. Realtor.com usually runs a distance fifth or sixth in the pack. <\/font><\/p>\n

      What you need to understand about syndication is this: you can have no control of the process, or you can have some control of the process; you cannot have total control. Your listings are going to show up in a lot of different places, and sometimes under other agents\u2019 names, and there\u2019s little you can do to control it. This article is to give you some control over the process.<\/font><\/p>\n

      My goal is to give you some techniques to get your listings out to the broadest possible audience with a minimal amount of effort.
      \n<\/font><\/p>\n

      Free Websites<\/font><\/h1>\n

      There are several sites where you can create a nice website for free (each has a premium membership option, but the basic signup is enough to post). The advantage of these sites is that most will syndicate your listing out to a number of other sites, once you\u2019ve posted your listings. <\/font><\/p>\n

      Here are the websites that I\u2019ve found that I think are the best:<\/font><\/p>\n