How to Create an Effective Real Estate Agent Website

As a professional real estate agent, your website could be one of the first points of contact that people have with you, your listings, and the services you offer. A well-designed real estate agent website can help generate leads, increase sales, and boost client retention rates by making it easy for people looking for homes in their area to connect with you. To create an effective agent website that complies with local regulations in Michigan, follow our tips below — and remember to make adjustments along the way as you learn more about your target audience.

Basics of a Real Estate Agent Website

A good real estate agent website allows you to showcase yourself as an expert in your field and provides potential clients with information about what you can do for them. Here are some of the basics you will need to have in place for an effective website:

• Mobile-friendly design: Your site should be mobile-friendly so visitors can easily access it from their phones or tablets. This is especially important if they’re looking at homes or searching for information while on the go. Make sure all of your images load quickly without causing any lag time. It is important to remember that consumers use different types and brands of electronic devices.
• Short and relevant content: Keep things simple by using concise sentences when writing copy for your pages. This makes it easy for readers who are not familiar with real estate jargon to grasp important concepts. 
• Plentiful images and videos throughout the site. According to the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), 41% of home buyers search online as a first step toward buying a home. It’s more important than ever that you properly showcase your properties online so people can browse them before personally visiting them with you in person. 
• Clear calls to action. Make it easy for buyers to contact you and schedule showings by including calls to action throughout your site. A call to action is an advertising term that refers to the next step a marketer wants its audience or reader to take. For example, “Click here for more information” or “Click here to connect with Jane Doe, Agent.”
• Lead capture. Don’t let site visitors bounce off your site without capturing their contact information. Incorporate popups with enticing offers that encourage people to submit their names and emails so you can follow up with leads later.
• Buyer testimonials. Incorporate testimonials from previous buyers that highlight your expertise, the ease of transactions, and your helpfulness throughout the listing or selling process. This provides the social proof you need to attract new clients.
• Featured listings. Your featured properties should be front and center on your website. After all, that’s why people are there! 
• Include other resources. A mortgage calculator, a home valuation tool, blog articles, and other resources can be invaluable for nurturing your audience. Even if people are not ready to buy immediately, they will remember you if you give them helpful resources that make their home selling or buying experience easier.

About Real Estate Agent Advertising Michigan

With real estate agent advertising, Michigan has some specific rules to follow when creating an agent website. New regulations require that any advertising displayed or published after January 1, 2018, adhere to specific laws regarding the type size used. For instance:

• The height of the letters in the name of the employing broker must be equal to or larger than the names of any associate brokers, salespersons, or agent team.
• All ads must include the phone number or address of the employing broker. 
• See section MCL 339.2512e of the law to learn more about the specifics of this law and other advertising requirements.

In addition, the NAR Code of Ethics contains provisions in Articles 10 and 12 that govern advertising by REALTORS®. If you are an NAR member, be sure to read these important articles. Lastly, each broker has policies and procedures that govern advertising by their affiliated agents. Failure to comply with any of these regulations and guidelines could get you in hot water — and that’s the last thing you need when you’re trying to grow your business.

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Tips for Great Content 

Even as you work to stay in compliance with Michigan rules and regulations regarding real estate agent advertising Michigan, there’s plenty you can do to increase engagement and get more people interested in your listings. Here are some tips for creating effective content:

• Be honest. Your website is a place where buyers and sellers are looking to learn more about you and your approach to the industry. Do not misrepresent yourself or your services — this will only lead to a negative reputation and possibly legal issues down the road.
• Use photos and videos that reflect what you do best. Include video tours that showcase your knowledge and expertise about various properties as well as the local community. Be careful, however, to make sure that you respect the copyright another person may have in the photos that you want to use. The fact that a photo is available on the Internet does not give everyone the right to use them for their own commercial purpose.
• Keep it simple. The more complicated your website is, the harder it is for people to understand what they are seeing. Keep things simple, clear, and easy to navigate so interested buyers stay on your site long enough to take the next step, like booking an appointment with you.
• Highlight your experience. The more experience you have under your belt, the better prepared you will be for any situation that arises when working with clients — whether it's helping them find their dream home or getting them through a tough negotiation process during a closing. Give clients the confidence they need to know you can handle any situation.
• Get social. Use your social media platforms to promote your properties and services in your community. The goal is to make sure people think of you when it is time for them to sell or buy real estate. You want to market yourself as approachable and accessible.

Conclusion

Creating a real estate agent website is a critical part of your marketing process. It helps you brand yourself as the best choice for real estate services in the mind of your consumers. It may also be the first place people go when they want to learn more about what you do. It is essential that your site reflects well on your brand and provides all the information visitors need to make an informed decision.

As you create your agent website, it’s important to understand that any and all forms of real estate advertising, including on social media sites, are governed by specific real estate license laws and rules, the NAR Code of Ethics, and your broker’s policies and procedures. If an agent posts a new listing on a social media site, for example, the post should contain a hyperlink to the broker’s company website to identify not only the real estate licensee as the posting agent but also the broker under whom he or she is licensed. Keeping information current, accurate, and up-to-date will reduce buyer confusion and allow you to stay in compliance with regulations.

As a matter of policy, each website should also be periodically reviewed by the employing broker or manager for compliance. This applies to all Internet-based tools that advertise or promote real estate, including all social media outlets. In other words, when a consumer views the website of a real estate salesperson or team, it must be clear that the individual or team is licensed under an employing real estate broker.

As you work to build a real estate agent website, be sure to check out some of the continuing education classes offered by NCI associates. It’s a great way to stay on top of the current Michigan guidelines on real estate advertising and marketing — while spreading the word about your business.

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