Changes in digital technology have been happening across industries for years now, and real estate is no exception. Last month, we gave an overview of digital transformation as well as real-life applications as they apply to marketing. This month, we’re discussing what digital transformation means specifically for real estate companies. When it comes to digital transformation, there are plenty of digital applications real estate agents can use in the home-buying process. 

Every real estate agent company wants more leads. Leads equal opportunities to build relationships that turn into valuable transactions – bought and sold homes that keep your business thriving.

Real estate websites can be hard to get right –  they require the perfect balance of functionality and style. With 97% of homebuyers searching online for homes, real estate websites need to make it easy for buyers to sort through listings and find homes that match their desired layout and budget. But an effective real estate website also needs to reflect your company’s quality of customer service, attention to detail and a desired lifestyle for the buyer. 

Whether you’ve seen it in the news or experienced it first-hand working in the industry, you know that real estate is booming. In 2021, the average sale price of a home reached a record high at $408,800 as many millennials entered the market during the pandemic. Within just one year, home prices rose 19.8% – the largest gain on record. 

A blog is an important feature for any website, but especially for real estate websites. Why is that? Two reasons.

One: a blog helps establish you as an expert in the world of real estate. Over time, people will look to your content to understand how the real estate market is working in your area and for tips for buying and selling. A blog helps you build trust with your audience by showing them that you know your stuff when it comes to real estate – and that your knowledge can be of direct value to buyers and sellers.

A real estate website isn’t like any other business website. It has needs specific to the industry, with property listings that are changing constantly and the need to develop a personal relationship with clients quickly. With more than 25 real estate and development websites under my belt, I’ve learned a thing or two about what makes a real estate website profitable and easy to work with for clients. Whether you’re an agent, a group or a developer, these are the features I’ve found to be most beneficial on real estate websites.

Social media marketing can often be a double-edged sword. In one sense, you can reach people in a very personable and authentic way. On the other hand, if done poorly, your social media can dismantle your brand's credibility that you've worked so hard to build. Regardless, social media marketing is a necessity for most real estate agents, groups and developers today who are looking to compete in today's digital landscape. You know it's important, but you need to do it right. 

From listing a home to closing a sale, the process of selling real estate has gone digital. And while digital real estate means fewer in-person meetings with potential buyers and sellers, it still requires the same level of consistent nurturing (if not more) – just on a different platform.

If you’ve been working in the real estate industry for long, you’re probably quite familiar with your local MLS (Multiple Listing Service). An MLS is a data feed of property listings in a particular area, generally managed by a real estate association. It’s a way for real estate brokers to share information about available properties so that selling and buying agents can both benefit from selling a property.

Email marketing is not a new tool to real estate agencies and developers. Email has been used for years to follow up on leads from buyers and sellers, and it’s been honed into a lead-generating machine by those who know how to do it well. It has continued to be a staple of digital marketing efforts for the real estate industry. Benchmark Email reports that 67% of real estate agents send marketing emails to their clients at least once a month, and 63% of real estate email marketing campaigns receive positive engagement.