Mitch Ribak would totatally debate ya on the homegain blog on that..lol

But I believe in test, track, test, track,..

remember it depends..on your traffic..

I know forced registration..call every lead approach..

Allows Mitch small firm to average 20 deals per agent..
for over 350 transactions..this year
and put a small independent over coldwell bankers, remaxes, and giant companys..in his MLS.

when guys like that talk..I listen..its been my success secret..and has always worked for me..

[quote=d00d]I'm newly licensed, and have been trying to think of ideas that will make my website stand out amongst all the established Realtor sites in my area.
So many of them have all the same information on them, ie mortgage calculators, hints for buyers and/or sellers, mistakes to avoid when buying or selling a home.....and on and on it goes.
That might be great for those who already have a large client base, but how does a new agent build a site to get noticed?
[/quote]

$500..gets you a killer fully customized site
from daknomarketing.com

or realestategeek.com
for 450

What works for one may not necessarily work for another. As such, not looking to debate, just share insights based on testing.

Maui, Linden always has the last word on everything! Check your rule book LOL.

Linden, I think the point you are missing is that the methods you profess undoubtedly work for anyone who chooses to work that way. BUUUT at the end of the day you are still only averaging 20-30 closings a year per agent. Now I know that the rainmaker can take a bite of everyone on the team's sandwich, and can thereby make more money, but not everyone wants to run a team with all of the details and LIABILITY that comes with it. Some are happy with 30-50 closings per year working alone or with limited secretarial help, as a "buck stops here" type Realtor.

Not everyone wants to spend 20 hours a week calling people and begging for business. Some discover that they can spend a lot less time returning calls from interested prospects, and can still sell something in the neighborhood of 3-4 houses per month.

When you say that "the listing agent controls the buyers, PERIOD", you are sadly mistaken. Sorry! But keep saying it! I hope my competition is listening to you.

deepsea,

yeah right..

less than 5% of ALL realtors will ever do 30 deals in a year..dont kid yourself
thats less than 5 in 100
look in your mls..buddy..
I looked in mines..90% of my mls didnt do 7 transactions all year..
looked in my other mls..
out of 17,000
agents..9,000 didnt do a single deal..thats right ZERO! OUCH!
and only 1600 did tean deals or more.

all 17,000 have a website,facebook account,

so how is Mitch team averaging 20 transactions PER AGENT
its easy.. The highest paid internet consultant in the world is...FRANK KERN

"Seo? what you mean please the google gods? No..we pay for traffic, or joint venture or content market"-Frank Kern


100 bucks says the top 20 in your MLS are listing agents..

2. Begging for business? bwahahahahahaha

I dont beg anyone for business..

watch this..

Are you looking for a home?

person- No

me- Have a good one.

Are you looking to sell your home?

person no

me- have a good one.

you guys want to be honest on here..

I will tell you what doesnt work for everyone,,..

Your seo wait and pray method..

heres why both you guys got 10, of thousands of backlinks..you sitting pretty..except..

1. If google slaps you guys silly..YOU are out of business
2. If you had to move to another market-another state- Referrals will be your only business while..you try to rank in your new place..


since I dont follow a one trick pony

drop me anywhere..by the way ..

I dont live in my county I dominate
Never lived there
Only been there 4 years as a new agent and new Market

How am I destroying the agents who lived there 20 years, been in the business 20 years?

its easy ..because I follow a system I can use anywhere...

Drop me in your market..I will ignore seo..cause you guys got that..right? yep

within a week
I will have different ppc campaigns
using free classified sites
target market super stealth direct mail direct response campaign to your high end renters..

then within 2 weeks
im going to make it rain on every fsbo and expireds
with super stealth direct mail campaigns-direct response..

and I will be..GASP..calling them

within week 3
im going to identify in the market the most active kinds of sellers..then im going to target market super stealth direct mail campaign them as well

week 4 im going to start building a center of influence..
well who has influence in your market..I know..
Im going to find joint venture partners..
with every cpa, financial planner, dentist, doctor, chiropractor
bankruptcy attorney, estate attorney, divorce attorney in your town

Then I will rinse wash, repeat, rinse wash repeat..

until I break into the top 20% of the mls..
then top 10% of the mls..

rinse wash repeat this sytem..

I've done this 2 seperate markets I never lived in..

and Im doing it now in the county I live in..

proven systems rock..
and this will only be the foundation..

using only 4 of the ten SYSTEMS I was taught.

my way isnt perfect..it just works..

FYI ..it isnt my way..its a system..thats PROVEN..

hey in fact..if you happy with your income..

then feel free to ignore everything I just said..

it makes me nervous basing my entire income on pleasing the google gods..

most real businesses agree..

heck even the top strictly internet marketers agree...

as for me..

i will stick to the multi-media-multi-prong approach..

if you happy with your income ..carry on..
if you not CHANGE SOMETHING!

:Sigh: All I said was that I would report on my assessment of forced vs. non-forced registration. Not that I want to prove Mitch is wrong or right, not to say that SEO works/doesn't work. I was just stating that I will share my results, so perhaps that can help someone in their own online efforts. That's all.

Linden, you have methods that you use, kudos. Yes, we get it, you're not a 'one trick pony' (and the way you state that it implies that WE are, thanks). Your methods work for you. You tell us how you make so much more money than us. We get it.

Back to topic, please.

well, you dont say anything to those that directly challenge me or my methods..

deepsea mentioned me by name in a post..

said i begged for business..

you didnt play world defender then..did you?:-)

not that I ever need defending..

people attack me all the time..

everybody cheers,..

but when the empire strikes back...quiet..

play fair..or dont play..

most of the advice i see on here..

is dangerous..and hazard..

I mean since when is it good customer service to not call people?

No one is challenging you, yet you feel challenged in every post. No one cares how much you make, how many deals so and so does. He said you are begging because many people regard cold calling as such. Not you in general, but the practice of it. Also I have no idea where you would see someone saying do not call leads. I don't cold call, I call people who give me their info. Do what works best for you.

Linden,
I think you missed the fact that I started out in the business cold calling. I have probably been to more Mike Ferry events than you have and I took Floyd Wickmans training THREE TIMES. I understand how it works from the inside out and I have told you on multiple posts that I respect what you do. When I talk about begging for business, it's subjective. That's how it makes me feel.

What I don't like is when someone asks a question about how to make a better website you basically try to hijack the thread and hammer incessantly about how it is better to hire someone to do it for you. If someone wants to talk about Facebook marketing you insist that its a complete waste of time. You don't just post your opinion you post a diatribe full of the same points over and over.

What you are doing is spamming your points. It's tiresome. You are making it difficult for a normal conversation to evolve. You keep putting words in other people's mouths that aren't there. I don't require registration, yet when someone does register and when I see them searching in an area that I am interested in working, I call them. DUH!

I don't depend entirely on my website, I have multiple sources of business, like most people who have been around for awhile. I could not care less about what percentage of agents do what. The sad fact is there is a low bar to get into the business and most agents are destined for failure no matter what they do.

You also keep stating that people are bashing you. I don't think it's true. I have learned some valuable things from you and I think you bring tremendous value to people in cold calling, mailing, the Craigslist marketing, mojo dialing and many other areas. You just need to relax and reel it in a little. Try to separate the pearls from the bullcrap. Treat the other agents with respect, take a breath and remember we all have valid points of view. This is a conversation not a soapbox.

duly noted..

and people do throw barbs..my way..

"begging for business"

but hey..its all good.

respect.

So what? That's his opinion. Do you really care what he or anyone else says about you?



LOL, are you being serious? 'Attack'? You and I differ in opinion (everyone on this forum has a different set of principles and beliefs, believe that). Yet I have never felt 'attacked' when you so eloquently voice your opinion. Don't take things so personally. And we need to define 'attack'. Soldiers in Fallujah, they are 'attacked'. You, on this forum, well, you are merely disagreeing.



Whether you agree with it or not, this forum provides a platform for agents to exchange ideas openly. You certainly use it frequently and voice your opinion loudly/proudly. If you feel that it harms the real estate industry and it is 'dangerous', perhaps we as an industry would benefit from having a 'Linden Forum' in which you can continue to give your great advice and edit all those that you feel are 'dangerous..and hazard..'


You do a lot of reading between the lines. Some people (myself included) feel more comfortable ONLY calling leads, but NOT cold-calling. I haven't read any post on this or any other forum that spouse the notion of NOT calling leads.

Bottom line, you are a decent person, have a certain level of success and openly share your methods. This forum has provided you with an opportunity to share the methods of your success with other real estate professionals. You choose to participate in it, that's your decision. What becomes increasingly frustrating when trying to communicate with you is that you continue to pound your point over and over: Mike Ferry et al are masterminds whose theories are the only ones that work. SEO and SM are for losers.

At this point, it'd be great if we could get back to the topic though. Thanks.

Guys and Gals - Let's get back to the website topic, eh?

sm and seo are for losers? never once said that..
if thats the case..im a loser..cause i do seo and social media..
and dangerous advice meaning..
some agents reading and following certain advice on here..
gonna be broke within months..
My hearts in the right place..
the very best part of my advice..
is you can ignore it.. :-)

and maybe you maui..
can start a

"seo is the only way to do business forum"
or a "I know social media works ..just cant prove it yet forum"

way before I got here..the good ole boys was vicously attacking any one non passive..
go read the first 100 replys to Luckys thread...,
or the first 50 replys to Jay kinder or Hoss Pratt threads..

so I dont take it personal..its the nature of this forum..apparently...


and to answer the OP original question..
hire an expert..to build you an awesome site..with idx..
or take the fsbo approach..
just think about that a lil..

Thanks Linden. I appreciate it!