If you’re a Realtor, you have to make sure you have a solid web presence. And that means getting a powerful real estate website that allows your clients to easily search for homes and view listings. A Realzi real estate website will do this — and it’ll make your website easily found by people searching for homes online.

There are so many buyers using the internet to search for homes. Think about it: When you buy a car, a new television or want to go see a movie, do you go online first to check reviews and find out more information? Chances are that you do every time because it’s just so fast and easy, and there’s a ton of information. Home buyers are using the internet to search for homes, and if they can’t find your website, that’s a missed opportunity for you.

So get competitive and get a real estate website that does it all. Realzi real estate websites are branded with your logo, name, contact information, company colors and more. They enable users to search MLS listings for free, even allowing them to search by keyword like “oak trees” and “boat dock.” Map Search, keyword search and other features are all very user-friendly. Since Realzi real estate websites are search engine optimized, that means they’re made to rank highly in search engines. So when someone searches an MLS number or address of a home for sale, they’ll be able to find your site.

In today’s competitive market, a powerful online presence is key to success and is absolutely necessary for getting a consistent stream of new leads. With a Realzi search engine optimized real estate website, you get more clients and sell more homes. Find out more information about how you can take your web presence to the next level with a Realzi site: contact us. Also, feel free to view live implementations to get an idea of what Realzi can do for you.

Realzi is proud to announce the rollout of its new 1.5 release. Bigger and better than before, this release allows Realzi real estate websites to rank highly for MLS numbers, giving them even more of an edge over competing real estate websites.

What’s so important about ranking highly for MLS numbers? Simple: With more and more people using Smart phones like Blackberrys and iPhones — phones that can connect to the Internet — this means that should a prospective home buyer with a Smart phone drive by a home for sale, they could use their phone to quickly search Google for the MLS number.

While high search engine rankings are essential when it comes to staying competitive in the real estate market, it’s even more important for people search the Internet on their phones, as they are likely not going to continue looking at more than the first page of search results.

This is yet another powerful aspect of Realzi, your secret weapon in building a consistent stream of new business. Other things that make Realzi so impressive are the user-friendly Map Search, Quick Search and the ability to search by keyword. Home buyers can actually type in a keyword like “elevator,” “oak trees” or “dock” and will see relevant listings.

If you’re a broker or agent who is interested in getting a well-constructed, search engine optimized MLS website, contact Realzi.

There’s a fascinating blog post up at The Notorious R.O.B. that you’ve just gotta read. It talks about a movement he’s dubbed the “Kristians,” named after Kris Berg, that basically goes a little something like this: “The Swarm,” made up of boutique firms, small independents and high-quality agents, is empowered by technology and social media that’s supplied by third-party providers.

“The Swarm” is thought to be where the future of real estate lies. Not with huge corporate brokerage firms and franchises, since they don’t provide any kind of meaningful support to the high-quality agents. This group of people does not think social media and technology is a big deal when it comes to real estate — they’re holding onto the idea that the real estate industry and how it works will always stay the same.

So the “Kristians” believe that these big brokerage firms will eventually see the light and wake up to the idea that the industry is changing and they must change with it will be the future of real estate. Once these big firms invest in the future, they’ll have a huge advantage over competitors, including “The Swarm,” both in profit and brand — and that will lead to them changing the real estate industry.

Now comes a question posed by Kris Berg herself: Up until recently, real estate professionals needed credibility and resources, and they got that by having a company brand. Working at a large firm came with desks, assistants, fax machines, phone lines, etc. But now, thanks to technology, real estate professionals can work from pretty much anywhere and can brand themselves. As people realize all of these overhead costs that come along with working in a big office aren’t needs, there will be a resistance to paying for things that aren’t necessary to stay in business. If lead generation, as Berg sees it, turns into a situation where competitors are trying to get the most leads for the largest number of agents, and more agents equals more money, where did the customer go in this equation?

It’s a great question — one that doesn’t seem to a have a simple answer and brings about some interesting debate. But one point Berg mentioned particularly caught our eye: the idea of a low-overhead brokerage model.

Realzi fits in flawlessly with the idea of a low-overhead brokerage model. With Realzi, you get lead generation at your own website, where you’re able to create a brand for yourself. You’re cutting out the unneccesary costs typically found at a big firm — secretaries, assistants, phone lines, fax machines, the list goes on — and getting right down to what will ultimately make you a successful real estate professional: a place where you create a brand, get leads and connect with customers.

The real estate industry is evolving, and you need to evolve with it. A good website with Realzi means you can attract clients who haven’t heard of you — you won’t need to rely on word-of-mouth. You’ll beat the pants off of your competition by getting your listings at the top of Google search results when someone searches for an MLS number or address, or even the phrase “buy an Austin home.” Perhaps most importantly: 87% of home buyers search for a home using the internet. Realzi helps you get found by these people. Feel free to talk to our real estate website experts for more information.

Why Improving Your Real Estate Website Isn’t Optional

Real estate websites are not once-and-you’re-done kinds of projects. Just like your business, your real estate website should be constantly evolving and improving, reflecting your growth and the way your real estate business is adapting to market conditions.

Your real estate website is the public face of your business. As more and more home buyers and sellers turn to the internet for real estate information – leaving classified ads and other media behind – you should be aware of the potential of your website to catalyze and attract new clients.

Our friend, an Austin realtor, was satisfied with using his real estate website solely as a fancy brochure. “My clients know how to find my real estate office,” he told us. “And my website is the first listing I see when I Google my name!”

We had a few real estate website questions for him, though:

• Do you want to attract clients who haven’t heard of you?
• Do you know that your competitors are at the top of the Google listings for things like MLS numbers, house addresses and “buy an Austin home”?
• Did you know that 87% of home buyers use the internet to search for a home – more than use a real estate agent?*
• Did you know that Google positions are affected by seniority – that, once a real estate website ranks well for something, it will continue to rank better than an identical but newer real estate website?
• Are you happy with relying solely on word of mouth for the growth of your real estate business?
• Are you happy with your real estate website being a sunk cost instead of a revenue generator?
• Did you know that local metropolitan MLS websites – also called IDX websites – are used by 60% of internet home buyers, easily beating Realtor.com (48%)?

* Source: 2008 National Association of Realtors® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers.

Why Improving Your Real Estate Website Isn’t Hopeless

We thought he’d be happy to get some straight talk about his website, but our realtor friend’s first reaction was despair.

“This is horrible!” he said. “I can’t compete with those other guys. They already have a head start.

“And I can’t spend that much on my real estate website! Building an IDX or RETS website will cost a fortune!”

We calmed him down as best we could. We told him a few soothing real estate website facts:

• We already have a fully-functioning IDX solution called Realzi. There’s no need to hire a battalion of programmers and web producers. Our real estate website clients just sign up and bang, their clients suddenly can search up-to-date MLS listings right from the website.
• Since our real estate website technology is already functioning, you don’t have to risk thousands of dollars on programming a new IDX system. Realzi is affordable.
• Realzi is a real estate website designed for real estate SEO. That means that it beats most of the competition for search engine optimization right out of the box. Realzi real estate websites are built specifically to rocket to the top of the search listings in Google, Yahoo and MSN.
• We can match your existing design perfectly, using your current logo and look.
• And if you don’t already have a real estate website, it’s no problem.

Evolve Your Real Estate Website

Wondering how a Realzi MLS website might help your business?

Get in touch with us and talk to our real estate website experts. No charge, no hard sell. We’ve been building websites for years.

Based on our experience building SEO websites for major clients like HealthCheckUSA, CORT Furniture and ApartmentSearch.com, we’ve developed best practices and proprietary technology that help us beat the pants off competing websites. Other real estate websites aren’t designed to show up in search engines. Realzi real estate sites are!