What’s the first thing homebuyers are looking for?

Another face on a poster plucked on someone’s front lawn? Not likely! Home buyers aren’t looking for a real estate agent. They’re looking for their “dream home.” Over 90% of active homebuyers in the UK use the Internet as their first step in their real estate search (“UK Real Estate Hunters Hit the Net,” eMarketer.com, April 24, 2007). When homebuyers search the Internet, they’re looking for the type of house they want, the price range they can afford, and more importantly, the community they would like to live in.  

What does this have to do with your website?

Here is a golden opportunity to become a giant needle in a miniature haystack. Looking for a Estate Agents is the last step people take when looking for a home online. Sorry to say this, but it’s true. As mentioned, homebuyers aren’t looking for you, the Estate Agents. They’re looking for their dream home. You’re just the “middle person” to help them GET to that dream home.

Your presence at the beginning of the buying process is important. And having a web presence is a good start. But that’s not enough. 

You need a website that’s different from the others, a website that gives homebuyers a glimpse into their ideal place to live and a virtual touch of their dream home. That differentiating factor will give you a phenomenal advantage over your competitors.

Pat Stecy and Catherine Schellenberg, real estate agents in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada worked with WSI to create a site about a new suburb that is currently being built. Their website is about the community and the new houses being built there.

Trevor Liddle, their WSI Consultant, says that in the first three weeks of their website being launched they are generating 6-8 leads a week! You may wonder how this could be possible. Just check out their website, and you’ll see how WSI has helped these Estate Agentss stand out from their competitors www.livinginwaverleywest.com.

Think Outside the Box

If all your website consists of is a picture of you, your agency’s logo and some information about both, you have become a tiny needle in the giant haystack. When people see those sites, they usually hit the back button and view other search results. Why? Because they’ve already seen several sites that look almost identical to every other real estate agent’s site out there.

What could set you apart is an “Information Resource Website,” a website where people can get information about houses/apartments and their surrounding area. A site with just information about you, the Estate Agents, is static and most people will not even bother to spend any time on it. A more effective method is to describe the schools, parks, shopping centers and all the other features that make specific areas attractive to potential homebuyers.

Want to Find Out More?

An Internet Consultant from WSI can work with you to determine the unique needs of your real estate business and provide you with an Internet solution that is robust, effective, and most importantly, differentiates you from your competitors. WSI Consultants have the skills, knowledge and access to the best products and services to help your business prosper online. If you work with a WSI Consultant, you can rest assured that you’re partnering with someone who has your best interest at heart. So contact your local WSI Internet Consultant today!

WSI, the world’s leading provider of Internet solutions to small and medium sized business all over the world, has over 1,500 local Consultants in 87 countries. WSI Consultants are determined to help your business exceed its profit potential. To find out how a unique website can help your real estate business, contact Gordon Diffey at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 01572 495007.

No part of this article may be republished or reprinted without express written consent of Research & Management Corporation/WSI.

© 2007 RAM. All rights reserved.