Hello there, I'm currently in the middle of my classes to get my license. I've been reading on this site a lot and have learned quite a bit. I'm looking into a getting a website for when I start, and thinking of names for my domain name. I actually came up with hookrealty.com or something, am I allowed to do that and put that with advertising as well as who my broker will be? And would it be a good idea as there is a website as hookrealestate.com?

why would you use hook? Is that the name of the company you want to work for? Why don't you make a domain name of the type of real estate you plan to sell. Or the area where you plan to work. For example. www.mytownhomesforsale.com or some variation. Or if you plan to work a specific area of your town then make the domain out of that. Or once you get more established a domain name of some sort of real estate niche that you will work.

I wouldn't recommend putting the company name in the domain. Unless you own the company. You might not be there forever.

take a look at the website and internet sections of this forum to learn what's best in a website.

I would not use "hook" at all - it's not a positive image. And if it's your broker's name, then why would you build his/her brand for him/her? As ColoBroker said, best thing is to use location names.

Agreed, I would also get your own name to. Example my name is Lisa Udy. I have www.lisaudy.com for a "business card" type website. I also have other sites with geographical terms in them that rank better in the search engines. But if someone Googles my name, they can find my contact information really easy with my named website.

I think the best thing if you are independent from a national chain is to use your name. The reason is that you will unlikely create a brand out of your realty venture, and most people you meet will remember your name so voila there is your website. Plus people who find you on yahoo and bing etc wont care what the domain name is they will just read the description and title of the listing.

people might not care about the name of the domain name, but search engines do. A good domain name with the keywords you are focusing on will help you with the search engines. Just like Logan up above said. And even if you are part of a national franchise it's good to have your own website with your own name or some other keyword.

Yes, it is a good idea to get a domain now and published even if it is a work in progress so the search engines can index it. Depending on your knowledge level this can take sometime. Certainly do not think "hook" would be the best option. I would think if you lived near the ocean for example "bayarearealty" would be better. Take your time to pick out a good name, you will have it for a looonnnng time in theory.

Yes, it is a great idea to gain a domain now to get your name out into the public eye. However I would choose a domain name that include your name in some way or another. It gives you better client recognition and helps prospective clients on the internet associate your name with real estate in general. I hope these tips help and wish you luck in the world of real estate.

Karen Whitman

karenwhitman@remaxallstars.net

Try doing yourname.com in case you move brokers in a few years. If you do location, you may move too eventually so that wouldn't be good. You could of course always go through all you marketing materials that you've accumulated at that time to change it all but its a pain.

Also, make sure and do a matching email like homes@yourname.com

It is a great tool to have a website and diversify yourself in one more area to reach clients. About your domain name however you can stay with the choice you have or you could try and do something that is more specific to you yourself. Perhaps your name or the name of your business. Your business could be "hookrealestate" and if so then that could be an excellent choice for your site domain. It is a total personal choice that is up to you but just realize this is how your clients will see you on the internet and basically the digital portrayal of yourself.

JR McGee

www.jrmcgee.com

Try to use keywords in the domain.

Obviously, the last thing to do will be using your name.
I'm not sure how many people will Google "Johnny W. Payson" to search homes for sale in Las Vegas, Nevada...Well, not me. I will use "Las Vegas homes for sale" instead...But that's me though...

you should have a domain name for your name as well. once someone meets you they may very well remember your name but forget everything else.

of course you need to have your name out there in as many places as possible, including a google profile, linked in, facebook (even if you don't do ANYTHING on facebook, you should have a basic profile page w/ links to your website!!!), active rain (again even if you don't do anything with Active Rain, you can still have a searchable profile!)

I think you should find a name that has some real estate related keywords. You don't need to have your name in the url to rank for your name (google my name and you will see).

Make sure you don't use the word Realtor, as that is trademarked and when your site gets popular NAR will catch you. (I got my site in 1998 with Realtor in the domain and they came after me in 2005. I lost a lot of ground having to change it).

It will be hard to find one with your city and real estate keywords, but if you do it is well worth it. The other reason for not building a site or brand based on your name is you might want to sell it someday.

Do This:



NOT This:



Having your "personal branding" is very old school real estate thinking. This was a good method for agents in the 1980's and 90's, but for the "Information Age" real estate agent, you need to think like a machine as well. Having your keywords in your domain is most important for SEO purposes. You can also buy a domain with yourname.com and have it "point" to your other site so that people who know you can easily type your name and find you online. But figure out what type of niche market your going to try and go after, and put those search terms in your domain name.

For example, I'm trying to attract clients who are first time home buyers in Minnesota. So my domain is MinnesotaFirstHome.com

See how that helps? I will get bonus point from the search engine because my domain happens to be the topic of my blog, and it's a search term that people will be typing in and trying to find info on.

The fact of the matter is when people are using the internet to find information, they don't care who it's coming from as long as it good info and you can be a trusted resource for them. So by having "John Smith Excellent Real Estate Agent" posted on your website, you're not really giving them any reasons to work with you. Give them advice, and meaningful content that helps them, and that will make them want to work with you.

FYI you CAN have Realtor in your domain name as long as it's in conjunction with your real name.

JoeSmithRealtor.com or RealtorJoeSmith.com is OK - but MyTownRealtor.com or MyStateRealtor.com is not.

However, there are many out there who still have "illegal" domains w/ Realtor and they (NAR) has not done anything about them.

NAR rarely does anything about them, until someone (usually a competitor) turns you in. When you site starts moving up in the organic rankings your competition will usually turn you in!

NAR doesn't look for this kind of violation, but will act if notified.
Usually a letter from NAR's legal dept. will force an agent to change it. Sometimes it takes more, like involvement by the local board.
Unfortunately, NAR has no power to enforce against non-members, except through court action. So non-members (usually lead sellers) use it as they want.