A New Site Isn’t The Answer

It’s a story we hear from time to time having worked in real estate technology for over a decade: an agent who has had a website for some time calls to complain about a lack of leads or to cancel their service just because they “aren’t getting anything out of the website”. There are even others still who are happy with their website overall but are easily lured astray by fast talking salesman with an arsenal of buzzwords and pockets full of urgency. While we’re glad to real estate professionals in whatever direction they are seeking success but it’s hard not to ask them out right: “Well, what have you been putting INTO your website?”.

See, it’s easy to complain about a lack of results from the work you didn’t do, and unfortunately more times than not the thing not working…is the website owner. You see simply having a site and just being online isn’t enough – it never really was – and just having a site that no one knows about ( that you’re also not actively telling people about ) is the surest way to get lost in the online noise.

We understand agents want to be selling real estate, not pushing buttons all day, but as a website owner and businessperson having at least some nominal involvement with your digital presence is a must. There are any number of systems that promise “set it and forget it” solutions to automate your advertising – but their quality is sub-par to say the least. And while there are any number of things you can and should be doing to promote yourself online the topic we want to touch on here is some of the reasons you may have not thought about in regards to switching your website to a new provider.

Change of Branding
Let’s change their coffee to brand x and see if they notice….oh believe me, they’ll notice! A sudden change in look or layout can be a real shock to website visitors who have visited your site lately, and for long term users of your site a change in the functions that they’ve come to depend on can also be a big disappointment. If you’re changing web systems make sure to keep your brand looking as consistent as possible – this is no problem if you’re migrating to TourRE as we offer excellent custom real estate web design to accommodate any need.

Loss of SEO
The age of your domain, and it’s contents play a large role in your search engine visibility. Sudden changes to your content, loss of data or meta-info, changes in link structures and other technical items in the code that makes up your website itself can really knock your SEO for a loop. If you’re changing web providers be prepared to not only disappear from the radar for a short time but possibly even having to start from square one in gaining good position in search results. This is even more true if you change the actual URL of your site.

Learning Curve
Even if you are fairly tech savvy there will always be a learning curve when you switch to a new system. No matter how intuitive a website is there is always a little down time involved in learning how to use the new tools you’ve acquired. Things that were once fairly easy to do like adding custom pages or links may now be unfamiliar.

Over-promising and Under Delivering
So you’re excited about your new site, you’re learning how to use it….three or four months go by…and the honeymoon is over…and you’ve got this great new site that you’re still sort of excited about, that may or may not do what your old site did, and may or may not cost as much or more than your old site — and! it’s performing just as poorly as your old site. What gives?! Well, in some cases you bought the sizzle instead of the steak and the new website simply does not do what the nice salesman promised – in other cases it’s the unfortunate fact that: you get out what you put in.

You’ve got to work the market for your marketing to work for you – let us help!
It may seem like strange to hear us not yell from the mountain tops “OUR WEBSITE’S ARE THE BEST!!!” ( and we believe they are ) but at the end of the day the website that does the best is the website you use and promote the most.  We’ve seen basic html websites outrank sites that people have thrown thousands of dollars at and it all comes down to how much promotion the website receives. Ready to get started? We’d love to talk with you about your ideas!

 

Uncan Your Real Estate Website!

When home buyers go looking for a new place online they have their choice of websites these days. You’ve got to stand out to make a difference and capture your share of this lions market; there is no easier, more affordable way to do that than with a dynamic website branded to you.

We realize not everyone can afford an elaborate custom website; that’s why we provide some of the most customizable real estate web sites online today. Unlike other set it and forget it systems that don’t offer much beyond a picture and a paragraph nearly every piece of content on our websites can be edited to make the website your very own.

Whether you already have a site that just isn’t performing or you are a new agent ready to make a name for themselves we invite you to put the experience we’ve gathered over the last decade to work for you!

REALTORS: Why Should Clients Choose You?

Ten years ago it was easy to get outstanding leads and search engine placement just by being online. The competition was low and in many cases the websites that were online weren’t much of a threat to your client base. Times have changed. There are literally millions of real estate websites online today, including big box companies like Zillow and Trulia. Today you must not only be online, but your website must be the very best in order to claim your share of this rapid paced market.

If there are millions of sites online where potential buyers can search for real estate why should pick your site? Why should they even give you a second click if you’re offering the same exact functionality as every single other agent out there? What makes the difference?

It’s simple. Quality.
Your website visitors may very well meet you for the first time through your website. Shouldn’t it present them with the best impression possible? Shouldn’t it be something more than a website in a can with the same searches, same layout, same everything as everyone elses?  YES. It SHOULD!

Here at Tour Real Estate Inc we are proud to offer some of the finest template real estate websites available that go way behind being just cookie cutter sites. Even our template sites offer you the ability to control your content, customize your website, and showcase your services.

A properly maintained website is frequently updated and relevant to your client base. It is more than a digital business card. To be most effective it must offer great information along with all of the usual expected tools your clients will want.

Want to REALLY stand out?
We offer some of the best custom designed REALTOR®, Idaho Builder, and Developer websites around. From simple stand alone lead capture sites to full custom and mobile responsive designs. All backed by an comprehensive set of marketing tools and outstanding customer service. We’d love the chance to talk about what makes you different than your competition; help you develop a vibrant online presence to support your goals for success this year!

REALTORS: Getting Online Doesn’t Have to be Difficult!

For most real estate agents, the understanding that you need to be online in today’s technologically focused market is a no-brainer. It’s a fact of being in business, much like having business cards, or yellow page ads once were. There are plenty of options out there, and while it may be a little biased of an opinion, we think our system is among the very best –  especially for those looking to get online quickly and without a lot of hassle.

In most cases we can have one of our templated real estate websites up and running within 24 hours!

What’s more with a real estate website from Tour Real Estate you get more than a set it and forget it web presence! Our website system actually consists of two site – one that the outside world see’s and a second Client Toolbox site that puts you in control of your content! Just some of our standard features include:

Automatic MLS updates of your listings and every property on the MLS.

Multiple ways to search the MLS.

Create an number of custom pages.

Create unlimited links to showcase partners and area vendors.

Multiple points of lead capture.

Social media link display…and much more!

Whether you are an agent new to the market, or an old pro who needs to get with the times, we can help you get online! More than just websites in a can, we provide you with a ready made toolbox of resources to create a dynamic website for your clients. Contact us today – or visit us on any of our social portals to get connected!!

Our Portfolio | Our Blog | Follow Us on TwitterJoin Us on Facebook | Find us on Google+

NEW Real Estate Website Template: Helot

Tour Real Estate Inc is proud to announce our latest templated real estate website look – Helot! This new look comes in 4 different color themes to choose from: Tan, Blue, Red, and Black & Tan. It also includes four different flash slideshows to choose from.

This new template features all of our standard homepage modules (which you can fully control) as well as a prominent built-in quick search right on the main page to help get visitors looking at real estate FAST!

Like all of our templated websites we are glad to offer customization for any of our website clients at a low cost to help make this look unique to them. Whether it be a set of custom buttons, or a special header graphic to help make this look unique we are glad to be of service.

Are you suffering with an unattractive or difficult to navigate website? You don’t have to be a victim of bad web design! TourRE can help you make the most of your online presence in order to showcase your REALTOR® services and listings! Contact us today to find out more!

REALTORS: Move More Real Estate

How do you do that? By giving your website visitors what they want: real estate on demand!

of your website visitors are there to find homes!

 

 

 

REALTOR® websites from Tour Real Estate provide your visitors with a number of ways to find the properties they are looking for quickly and easily. Our data comes direct from MLS and is then fully optimized to be highly search engine visible. These searches and more come standard in all of our designs:

NEW Listings Daily Short Sale Listings REO/Bank Owned Listings

Your Offices Listings Your Active Listings Search by City,Features, and more!

It’s No Secret…

Having a elegant and functional website is the foundation of creating a successful digital presence. Beyond providing some of the most powerful and search engine friendly real estate web designs available today we are also constantly creating new tools to help you showcase your listings and services.

Create Graphical Craigslist Ads Publish Listings to Facebook Publish Listings to Twitter

QR Codes for EVERY Listing Easily Link to Social Networks Multiple Lead Capture Points

Modern Real Estate Marketing

The real estate agent of today has a much different market to work in that Realtors of the past have ever been confronted with. In the past throwing out buzzwords into classified or print magazine ads, a picture or two, or holding an open house were about your only real options in affordable Realtor marketing that didn’t involve shelling out an arm and a leg for radio time or plastering your face on a giant billboard.

It’s a different world of Realtor marketing; if you aren’t riding the very cusp of the wave you are likely to get washed out to sea in this tumultuous real estate market.

Here’s an example of the OLD way of marketing your listings, taken from the 70’s:

A Northend Boise Realtor listed a home on Harrison Boulevard, her brokerage firm paid for a one and a half line classified ad in the Idaho Statesman that offered the location, a hint of the price and a limited description that read: “Great sun filled home, excel maint, desired locale”. She placed the ad, held a small open house, and while that was enough at the time to drum up a buyer we can look at the cost of that one time print ad, the time spent at the open house, and realize even though it was the only game in town at the time, it definitely may have not been the most cost effective means to move real estate; even if ALL their subscribers saw her ad that would only be about
30,000 possible contacts…maybe in reality 5% of which even saw the ad and of that 5% perhaps 2% were even in the market for a home.

If they were in the know, the same Realtor would market that listing much differently today. FREE social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook would very likely replace the one time print classified ad. She would pay a professional real estate photography or real estate virtual tour company to photograph her listing so it could be posted on her blog,Posterous, Realtor.com, and showcased on her Realtor website. By marketing her real estate online she has not only likely saved money but she has also increased the exposure of the listing by a hundred fold. The internet is world wide, open 24 hours a day 7 days a week!

This may not seem like much, just the cost of a print ad, but fact is for the cost of a one page ad in a magazine or a newspaper your Realtor Website could be up and running, showcasing your listings and your Realtor brand 365 days a year!

A good listing agent is a marketeer first, a salesperson second.
Traditional marketing methods have not disappeared, and are still effective, Just Listed cards, Farming Cards, and open houses all still get results but are likely to not be nearly as cost effective as social networking and technology have made marketing online.

The internet is not a new invention but many real estate professionals are just now beginning to grasp it’s importance in marketing their listings and getting the word out about their services. It is also a powerful tool for Selling Agents as well, as consumer expectations regarding how a home should be marketed have changed as well.

A Realtor Website, no matter how advanced it may be, is not automatic, and should by no means simply be created and forgotten about except for when the bill comes.

If you do not have a Realtor Website system that puts you in control of your content and search engine visibility, GET ONE. Pre-canned Realtor Websites, and freebie Realtor websites almost do more harm than good to your digital presence. You don’t need to be serving out the same content as a thousand other area agents – it benefits the website company, not YOU!

If you yourself are not actively working your Realtor website and putting fresh content and information into it then by all means: PAY SOMEONE to do it for you! Just blogging once a month can provide a noticeable increase in website traffic.

The days of just being online, just having a website, and that being enough are OVER. Your website needs to be fresh and alive to compete with the growing tide of online Realtors vying for a narrowing client base. Don’t risk losing your valuable share of this difficult market because your website was not able to keep up with your real estate business needs.

Contact Tour Real Estate Inc today to find out how you can boost sales and move more real estate by getting an affordable, powerful Realtor Website from us. Already have a TourRE website? We can help you make it even better – drop us a line to find out more about our Boise Search Engine Optimization services, social networking tips, and more to help make your Realtor Website even more effective.

Uncan Your Real Estate Website

Why pay hundreds of dollars for the same website your competition is using?

Tour Real Estate Inc provides quality, powerful Realtor websites that put YOU in control of your website content and search engine visibility.

Our Realtor websites make YOU the contact agent for any listing displayed or searched for from your website.  Lead capture websites and forms; tracking statistics allow you to stay in contact with potential buyers and target marketing strategies that get results and help you move more real estate!

Before you shell out wads of cash for a Realtor website or redesign to a company that offers much less, contact TourRE. We can provide cost effective, powerful, Realtor websites and Realtor eMarketing to help you move more real estate for a fraction of what others will charge for a lesser service.

Tour Real Estate Inc has been specializing in the best real estate websites for over a decade. Our focus is on creating the most effective, customizable Realtor and Real Estate office websites online today. We do one thing, help you move more real estate, and we do it extremely well.

Get Connected to the Leader in Online Realtor Solutions :

Realtor Websites | Email Marketing | Lead Capture Websites | Our Portfolio

Order Photos / Virtual Tour | Our Blog | Follow Us on Twitter | Join Us on Facebook

Realtor Website Mistakes

Tour Real Estate Inc has been specializing in the best real estate websites for over a decade. Our focus is on creating the most effective, customizable Realtor and Real Estate office websites online today. Don’t fall for fast talking web marketeers throwing out hype words that likely they and you do not understand. TourRE helped coin most of those phrases, we know how they work, and how to use them effectively – we do one thing, Real Estate Websites, and we do them extremely well. Here are some of the top mistakes to avoid when considering your website design or redesign:

Forced Logins
Take a lesson from Google: charge for a service or force registration and lose customers – give information away and make clients for life. There are literally thousands upon thousands of real estate websites online, chances are if a visitor is forced to login or give out info they don’t want to they will be off of your site and on to a site that offers the info or services for free in a matter of seconds. If you simply MUST have lead capturing make sure it is optional, brief, or at least offer some quality information or content to your visitors in exchange for the personal information you are requesting from them.

Pretty Pictures with Little Text Content
Content is STILL king. A pretty picture, or flash slideshow will do nothing for your website in search engine results. Fact is it may actually be hurting your placement. If you must have large image banners on your landing page be sure to include some kind of keyword rich text content ( or blog feed) below the scroll line of the page. The days of Realtors smiling stock photos, pictures of agents standing in a field and other trite graphics do little to offer visual interest to your website, and may actually make your website feel alot more impersonal. What will visitors think when they see the same smiling Judy Agent on your site that they saw on 10 other sites that day?

No Meta Data
Meta-tags have been somewhat depreciated in value to your search engine placement but they still can change how search engines see your site. Having proper, keyword focused, meta-data is the very first most basic thing to create when setting up your website.Realtor websites from TourRE provide FULL meta-data control, allowing for unique keywords, titles, and descriptions for every page on your website.

Expecting Your Website to Magically Run Itself
Your website will not work automatically to change the way you do business or pull in hundreds of potential clients. It’s simple logic: You get OUT what you put IN. If you have a website and put nothing into it ( or have no one managing it ) it is a stagnant hole in cyberspace, doing nothing for you or your business. TourRE provides an extremely detailed toolbox for our clients to control nearly every aspect of their website to make it a living breathing creation. We can integrate social networks and blogs into your Realtor website to further your marketing power and turn traffic into investment returns.

There is NO Replacement for Quality Design
A website should be a living breathing thing; we make controlling your content easy. Your website must not only be visually appealing but technically functional. Realtor websites from TourRE feature both of these requirements, combining elegant design and powerful code that are proven to get results. We have been working with Realtors for years and understand the markets and what drives them as well as the most current trends in web design and online marketing.

The best way to avoid these mistakes: Get a Realtor website from TourRE. We can design custom looks to suit any need and our templated websites offer an amazing amount of custom control that allows you to create your own powerfully optimized text and image content — all for about the cost of a one time print ad. Our Realtor Websites are more than the same pre-canned design other companies serve out over and over to all their clients — why pay hundreds of dollars for the same.exact.website your competition has?! Realtor Websites from TourRE give you REAL control over what visitors and search engines see.

Before you shell out wads of cash for a Realtor website or redesign to a company that offers much less, contact TourRE. We can provide cost effective, powerful, Realtor websites and online marketing to help you move more real estate for a fraction of what others will charge for a lesser service.

Is Your Realtor Website Stuck in the 90’s

The 90’s Called:
They Want Their Website Back…

Is your website outdated, or just not functional? You could be losing your valuable share of this difficult real estate market!

If your website is unattractive or hard to use it could be costing you business. Realtor websites from TourRE are created to be attractive and highly functional. More than websites in a can our templated Realtor websites put YOU in control of your site appearance, content, and search engine visibility.

Don’t suffer with a website you are embarrassed to send clients to: get a Realtor website from TourRE today to start making the most of your digital presence!

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