I don’t need a website for my friends. They get my mailings or my phone calls. I don’t need a website for my local newspaper advertising. They call me off the ad.

So why do I need a website? I need a website for those Connecticut, Massachusetts or New York people who are browsing the internet, who think they want Vermont real estate, but I need them to find ME (along with the Woodstock VT real estate they are after). Sure, I’ll give them what everyone else does…good search capabilities in a web site… but I also want them to get to know us through video. Maybe they will like us well enough to give us a call.

You know what? It’s working.

For instance…and this will sound pretty funny….we did a video blog on snow plowing in Vermont while my business partner got hit by a 500lb snow ball. The down country buyer we were after wants to have a flavor for the Woodstock Vermont area we live in so why not show him how the roads are cleared in a VT snow storm?

Frankly you can do this on most any subject you want to talk about. I recalled an old story on Vermont water testing from 25 years ago and just sat on a snow bank and started talking. I’m not terribly gifted, I’m not a great actor, but I’m competent and genuine and when people get to know me they are usually OK with the results. I just want my website to give me the opportunity to get that phone call, saying it in video is far better than words. Something about “a picture is worth a thous…….” you get the idea.

One common way buyer and sellers meet online is through online classified ads. There is an endless amount of websites where people can search for homes.

Another option to buy and sell homes would be through an online auction. If you decide you need professional assistance, there is a real estate directory online where you could search for agents.

The property website service offers better exposure to your property that you want to sell, but for a fee. They guarantee search engine optimization of all property in their system.

A popular trend used to buy and sell real estate is social media sites. Social media sites and blogs create faster interactions between both the seller and buyer to facilitate the transaction.

Social media sites are more personal. People often feel safer and more secure when dealing with transactions through these sites.

Now a days, people who use real estate services to sell their home, will link the listing to social media sites in order to make it available to a broader range of potential buyers. Beware, though, some people might see this as spam and may stop following your blog or other sites as result.

The ways in which people buy and sell homes are increasing. The online option is becoming very popular now days. The internet makes the real estate market even easier to find what you are looking for as you can do it on your own, in your spare time and the area’s you can search are even greater.

Just as the Internet changed the way a real estate agent markets a property and looks to gain prospective buyers, mobile marketing, and specifically, text message marketing is going to change the landscape again. It is an important tool to add to your realtor internet marketing arsenal.

There are five key reasons why text message marketing for real estate is beneficial.

1. It is a 24/7 marketing tool. Once you set up the system it markets for you automatically, even while you sleep.

2. It is easy. You simply complete a few fill in the blank sections on the website and the system runs by itself

3. It provides great information. You can only include 160 characters in an SMS text message, but if you can insert a short URL into the message the user can click the link in a smart phone and open up the full MLS listing. You will never have to touch a flyer box again!

4. It is inexpensive. Compared to the cost of printing, reprinting and stocking flyers, text message flyers are very inexpensive.

5. It builds your database. When someone takes a paper flyer (or two, or three) from the box, you have no clue who they were. You could go through hundreds of flyers and never have any idea of who was looking at your property. With digital text message flyers for real estate you capture the cell phone number of the person requesting the information, and if the system has a mini-CRM built into it, you can send automated, triggered responses directly back to the prospective buyer.

Just as the Internet changed the way real estate transactions occur, text message and mobile marketing is going to change the landscape again. Even if you aren’t a big proponent of texting, your prospective buyers are, so you need to change with the ever changing technological environment.

As you can choose from which products or areas your leads are coming from, you can be assured that your leads are targeted and that all the information you are providing is right for your market and service. These leads usually come with details such as contact information and buying preferences with all the information vet through for accuracy. Your job is made much easier with the email addresses, phone numbers and their budget for their purchase provided by the service provider. As you are buying when you need the leads, most of the information is current and timely.

There are plenty of such service providers to choose from. Compare their service and price first over the internet before making a decision. It will be helpful if some of them can provide you with a free trial to their service before you decided to sign with them. There are a variety of price options, depending on the number of leads you are getting and the frequent of purchase.

The key factor is that time and energy gathering leads is saved and you will only be getting quality leads. All that you need to do is to register online and receive their service right away, hassle free. If time is important for you, then getting a lead generation service is perfect for you. You save time and energy gathering leads and you will be assured that you do not only get multiple leads but quality ones.

Tip #1: Write a Catchy Heading

“Apartment for rent” websites present filtered results to the user by summarizing the key data on properties that fit their criteria. To sort through all of this information, users typically scan the property’s heading and photo to see if something interests them. Property owners have the ability to label their property with a catchy heading, so this is their first chance at making an impression. Use descriptive words and focus on one key unique feature or benefit that the property offers. That unique feature could be its open layout, bright rooms, spacious entranceway, underground parking, in-suite laundry, cul-de-sac location, etc. Which of these headings is the catchiest?

Tip #2: Less is Not More

Why would the landlord skimp out on words if they can write a ton of information about their property and it won’t cost them anymore than writing just one line. The cost of advertising in a traditional newspaper might limit landlords to just a few lines and using numerous abbreviations, like D/T, N/S, N/P, N/C, and D/D. While we do not suggest that property owners need to write a book about their property, they do need to provide sufficient, useful and concise information about their property and focus on its unique selling features and the benefits it would offer to its occupants. Be specific rather than general. For example, instead of writing “Located close to public transportation,” try, “Located one block away from bus route #10 which will take you to the university in 15 minutes.”

Tip #3: Landlords Must Include Photos!

A picture speaks a thousand words and it can powerfully convey to the audience what the landlord is selling. There is no excuse for not having photos of the property when advertising online. The owner increases their chances of having their property clicked on if they show photos. The chances that the renter can recall the property in their mind is greatly improved with photographic images. Most websites allow unlimited photos to be posted. The landlord should ensure that they are selective with the photos that they post. Their photos should feature the most attractive aspects of their property (whether it be the beautiful hardwood floors, the cool lighting fixtures, or that new washer and dryer). Remember to edit the photos by using the cropping tool, correcting the exposure and re-take blurry photos to ensure that they are in focus.

Tip #4: Know The Customer

It is important for landlords to have a good understanding of their renter profile. Certain locations and property types tend to attract certain renter profiles and landlords should have an understanding of what is important to them. What’s important may be proximity to public transit and schools, very good security, luxury finishes, full-time concierge service, in-suite laundry, utilities that are included in the rent, a lively neighborhood or perhaps a quiet neighborhood. Depending on the renter profile, the landlord may want to emphasize certain property features and benefits in the online property ad.

Tip #5: Check out The Competition

Business would be easy if we had no competition! Property owners should have an understanding of the quantity and quality of other properties, either by location or by target market. For instance, the landlord may notice that there is an abundance of properties just like theirs, that their price is relatively high or low, that the subject property has the best curb appeal, or that they are the only one offering a negotiable move-in date. If the house for rent is competitive, make sure that is emphasized in the ad.

Time is valuable and landlords should not waste it by listing their property and not getting a ton of response on it. Marketing is a numbers game in that landlords want to generate a lot of interest, and then filter prospective renters even further. The odds of a landlord finding the right renter are improved when an effective ad is written.

To those who would put down Twitter and chastise me for writing about how to use it to generate leads and sales online, I would say: why not use Twitter?

Let me remind you of a key point about internet marketing. Actually it’s a key point about both online and offline marketing, at least in my opinion.

The point is this: why not “Do It All?” This is what the real stars of internet marketing do. There is a snowball effect when different marketing methods work together to achieve the same result.

Is there such a thing as bad marketing? I don’t think so.

Twitter can be set up as a “set it and forget” marketing tool. It’s not easy, and has to be done right, but it’s something to check out.

But the best thing about these Web 2.0 websites is that if you use them right they can be a way to stay in touch with all of your customers and prospects in a way they will enjoy.

I have 15,000 followers in a few niche markets on Twitter. They each get several Tweets from me each day. I don’t sell them anything but just give away a lot of web marketing information which is my niche.

So when I want to recommend something to 15,000 people, I can do that quickly and easily. I usually recommend articles and blogs.

If I had a bar or restaurant, I’d use Twitter to announce special events. If I had a retail store I’d use it to announce a new sale. If I was a practicing accountant I’d use it to remind people of a tax filing deadline.

So don’t forget about Twitter. It can help get you where you want to go — into the hearts and minds of your target market.

On a real estate website people generally opt in to hear from you via one of four methods:

• They say yes to a special report
• They do a search for a home
• They use the automated “what’s my home worth” form
• They send an e-mail through your contact me form

When they do this, they give you important information about themselves, and unless you use this information to be choosy about what you send them, your drip campaign can serve to annoy rather than impress.

As a real estate copywriter I have occasion to visit a large number of real estate websites. As a form of market research, I occasionally I leave my name, just to see what people are sending.

And what I’ve found lately isn’t pretty.

On one site I used the contact form to write the agent with a question. I never got an answer to the question, but I’ve been getting an avalanche of emails that are targeted to – no one. Some are about selling, some are about buying, and none tell me why I might want to choose this agent. In fact, they’re so poorly written that they’d have a negative impact even if they were targeted to me.

Another site sends me short e-mails telling me that if I’m still looking for a house, I should call. On this site I had asked to be included in his newsletter. Some news.

Another one sends a message each week telling me there are no matches for my search. What search? This was another site where I had signed up to get a real estate ezine.

While the purpose of the autoresponder is to make me think I’m getting special attention from the agent, and to reinforce the idea that this agent is THE one to call, these messages convey the opposite feeling.

So what should you do instead?

First, take the time to set up a separate autoresponder campaign for each type of buyer or seller. Let them opt in to get a special report, and when you mail to them, keep to that topic.

If they’ve asked for information about doing a short sale, talk to them about short sales. Don’t send them tips on finding a mortgage broker to handle their new home purchase or talk to them about making a list of “must have” features before they search for that home.

If they’ve asked for information about the First Time Buyer Credit, talk to them about the credit and then talk about how to find that first home. Don’t send them information related to listing and selling.

And for Pete’s sake… send something of value when you write. Those messages that say nothing but “I’m here, use me” are a waste of time for both you and your prospects.

If someone actually has done a search and asked to be sent new listings when they come into MLS, then letting them know when there are no new matches is a good idea. But if they haven’t done a search, or haven’t asked to be sent the new listings, why would you send that? For them, your message is nothing more than spam.

Yes, it does take a little extra effort to set up targeted campaigns. And yes, you do have to write or buy good messages to load into your autoresponders. But the results will be worth the effort.

Finally, if someone sends an inquiry via your contact form, that’s not an invitation for you to send them information they haven’t asked for. That’s a request for you to send a personal response to a specific question. You should answer that mail yourself, and not with an autoresponder.

Honig-Bell does a remarkable job infusing the imagery with highlights bolstering their reputation. Their statement of 55 years of service, use of seals of approval, data on transaction sales volumes, and lists of partner logos all work beautifully to cement a professional image as impressive as the photos on the website.

Featured information is easily accessible through the buttons in the main menu. Most importantly, Honig-Bell has their Illinois IDX property search planted perfectly in a prominent position on the home page giving the real estate home seekers exactly what they want instantly.

First of all, you will have to change the way you think about the process of lead generation. Where before it is common for people to think that the best way to generate leads is to purchase them, modern experts have realized that this is not the most effective way to generate leads at all. Buying leads involves cold-calling people who know nothing about you or your business, and who may not even be interested in buying into real estate.

The best approach to lead generation is to make people take notice of your business and actually want to call you. The fact that they are the ones who contacted you means that they are interested in the product or service that you provide and they would be a lot more willing to hear you out. This will give you an easier time of building a business relationship based on mutual trust. So, how do you get people to call you? Here are the three basic steps.

First, you will have to be visible. After all, people can hardly contact you if they do not know that you exist. This is where you can use search engine optimization to your advantage. Most people now turn to the internet for information on any purchases they are planning to make. Thus, the more visible you are online, the more chance you have of people finding and contacting you.

Second, you will have to be valuable to potential clients. The most successful businessmen are those who fully understand the concept of perceived value. This concept indicates that people naturally want something which they perceive as being valuable. You can increase your perceived value by any number of ways. You may offer access to the best real estate listings in your area, or streamline the real estate process by networking with the best mortgage companies, or both.

The third and most important step is for you to be trustworthy. People aren’t likely to do business with you unless they feel that they can trust you. A credible track record, professional certifications and sales awards are the best ways to build immediate trust. Testimonials help as well, especially if you include the client’s full name, photo and location since these pieces of information assures the potential client that the testimonials are real.

Be visible, valuable and trustworthy. As long as you build your strategy around these three components, you can hardly go wrong. Now that you know how to generate real estate buyer leads, you can begin to look forward to a solid and profitable business. By simply changing your mindset, you can actually change the future of your business.

The most common way of lead generation for real estate is through the “For Sale” magazines found in every community. While that’s proven to work, the downside is the cost. Depending on your location, you might be spending $500 to $1000 or more per month.

One free method to generate real estate leads is through article marketing. You can write simple little articles that appeal to your target market. Besides being free, articles can be lead generators that never stop — they can bring in targeted prospects for months or even years to come.

In article marketing you’re going to write small articles, typically 400-700 words, that give great information. And at the end of the article is your “call-to-action” — what is it you want the reader to do? In the case of real estate, you might want the reader to call for a free CMA or to get tips on how to find the right home.

Those articles contain information that every real estate agent can spout int their sleep, but that most non-agents have to search to find. By offering this information in easy-to-read formats, you’re creating a link between yourself and the prospect. You’re also being proven an expert in the field — articles are a huge credibility booster.

Let’s take a look at a couple ways you can use those articles to generate leads.

1. Use articles as giveaways rather than business cards. Instead of leaving a stack of business cards at the local title company, leave a stack of articles that give great information. Most people are more likely to pick up and take an article that helps them than to take a business card.

2. Compile articles into special reports. Once you have 8-10 articles on buying a house, and 8-10 articles on selling a house, compile them into “special reports.” You can still use the articles by themselves, but now you have a great reason for people to contact you — to get the reports.

Those reports can be offered to the “looky-loos” at open houses, given to people who wander into the office just to see what’s available, etc.

Plus, for those real estate agents who aren’t afraid of FSBOs, the reports can be given to those people just to help them out. You and I both know a large percentage of those will turn to a real estate agent and if you’ve given them something helpful in the past, you’re the one most likely to get their business in the future.

Using articles as a way to generate real estate leads is simple, fast, and “different enough” that you’ll really stand out from the crowd. And that can mean the difference between the poorhouse and The Big House.