Great discussion so far.

The two main lead generation tools I use are lead capture websites (single property sites included) and a call capture system.

I am starting to find more and more that the lead capture sites are starting to outpull the call capture system in some marketing mediums, but not all.

For example, advertising single property sites with a unique URL as suggested several times already in this thread in Homes Magazines is now generating more leads than the call capture system for me.

However, I have found that advertising single property URL's on our signs is 400% less effective than advertising a 24 hour call capture number. I think this will change in the future as hand helds get better Internet Connections.

Testing is very important in the business and I almost go overboard when it comes to testing but I absolutely want to know where my marketing dollars are being best spent.

There are many other very effective uses of single property URL's, some of which have already been mentioned in this thread.

I developed a membership program based on my own real estate business called The Real Estate Toolbox University that was mentioned previously in this thread and we allow for an unlimited number of single property sites in addition to coaching and an array of other tools. The same member that mentioned us above uses Paul's company and I have heard good things about them as well.

I believe single property sites will become a standard in the industry and everyone should be using them in some form.

I recently made a post about this topic. I don't do it for SEO and like sending the domain to Vflyer. The actual street address is easier to remember than www.mydomain.com/selleraddress, so that's why I've been purchasing those. http://www.agentsonline.net/cgi-bin/bbs/ultimatebb.cgi/topic/1/8717.html?

The purpose of the domain is to sell the house while advertising to sellers that I'm being more unique in my market. I already have an SEO site for buyers.

Good point but I wonder which of the two does a better job at capturing leads? I would think the fone system is better because it does it automatically while a 24 hour website can't capture users unless there's mandatory registration.

I agree every home will have its own homepage and as more people begin to use sites like Myspace.com they will expect agents to provide a private site much like Myspace.com/private-site.

Millions of people are sold on the idea of Myspace.com/private-site. These people will also accept broker.com/private-site.

For now, there's no way of knowig if private-site.com is better than broker.com/private-site. But myspace.com proves that consumers want a private site of their own.

Vflyer has a great idea I wish they could submit sites without the flyers.

With properties.com selling for $750,000 dollars last year, the domain name is the Whole Game. http://www.tenlakesrealty.com

Originally posted by sammiam:
I'm trying to determine if I should purchase the street name of a listing I have as a domain name. I'd like to hear the feedback from people that have or are doing that. Also if you could recommend companies that you worked with that you were happy with.

I tried doing a search here on this forum but I didn't come up with anything. I think it had to do with the fact that I'm not sure how to phrase what it is actually called.

Thanks [/QUOTE]

Are you suggesting that the street address type domains are a good marketing idea or that we should drop everything and start bidding for properties.com?

If domain name is the whole game then where does tenlakesrealty.com stand?

the answer is yes, the street name, not necessarily the house number as some suggest unless its a cool name, the name will be valuable and other realtors will want it to market homes on the street. YES. www.Domain-Broker.biz

Originally posted by realting:

I am suggesting you may not be able to afford properties.com I can't throw that kind of money at a domain name at this time. Ten Lakes Realty is the name of my local real estate company, named after a wilderness here in Northwest Montana. I have had the name 8 years so it is established and is my main site. I don't really want to tip my hand, I am a just saying that there is value in domain names now and in the future and if you own say "MainStreet.com" this virtual real estate has Big Value. Domains are a great marketing idea, but you have to get the traffic to the name and thing of the long term value of the domain name after the property sells. And where do I stand on What specifically?

THis is a way to know. Don't build traffic for the owner of broker.com with a sub of their name. build value in your own private name. Read some industry info at www.DNjournal.com and www.eRealEstate.com I am not affiliated with either.

It's an old thread I'm digging up here, I know.

I truly enjoy using SPS but I've got one problem with them. It's the quality of their riders. For a couple more dollars I can order an aluminum or reflective aluminum sign instead of the cheap corrugated plastic which I overpaid for. I'm disappointed with that aspect of the company. The websites themselves are amazing and my clients enjoy them. If SPS Paul is still on this board, consider offering more options for your sign riders.

Thanks.

Well, since this thread is bumped up to the top, may as well comment on it. Now that I'm on my own, and since it's relatively cheap to do, I always do a street name as the domain name for my listings. That domain name goes on the sign rider. I want my prospects to have options.

I think it's unwise to have the street address in the domain name as most folks won't be remembering all those details. The idea here is to make it as easy as possible for them to refer to when they are back at the office or are at home. They may be driving by, or don't have anything to write with, and are relying on their memory. My last listing was XXXX Sweet Briar Dr, so for $9.99 I bought sweetbriardrive.com (the home is sold now) and the domain name forwards to the individual listing on my site for that home. This way they don't have to wade through all of these clicks to get to the home they are interested in.

Another great thing about leaving out the street number is that if you get another listing on that street, you can reuse the domain name for the next listing without having to repay another 9.99 (it's a yearly payment). I had that home sold, and my client out of that last house 6 weeks from the day it was listed, with the new owners living in it.

It's also easy for me since the page that the domain refers to is automatically generated by my site via a database with the entire contents of the MLS in it. No setup involved other than forwarding the domain to the assigned URL on my site. There's no web development or additional hosting - it's all carried out on my site.

I haven't run in to the problem of having multiple listings on the same street, but I'd love to deal with it.

Customers can also text message the number on the yard sign for a digital flyer to be text messaged to them.

You could just do a lead capture page or website for that street or subdivision depending on the size. You could have a signup form at the bottom,past solds of properties you listed on that street along with list price to sales price ratios.

This way with multiple listings they can view from that one page of just that street. There are many ways to set it up.

All good ideas. Keep in mind efficiency here. I'm not having to create anything. It's already done. Lead capture pages aren't doing as well as my "equivalent" in google SERP.

For example, search for tudor branch grovetown georgia in google (organic searches may be different). If you do that search from an IP in Augusta Georgia, you'll see my site listed as the VERY FIRST listing in the SERP. Right below it you'll see the agent/brokerage who set up the lead capture site specifically created for that subdivision. They even dedicated a domain name to the subdivision. How in the world did I get listed first? Because I know more than they do about SEO.

Soon, my custom KML markers will be placed on the google map as well.

All of the things you mentioned I'm already doing (ask a question form, subdivision pages, coming soon will be the previous solds from the tax records). I'm not doing lead capture sites since they are not as effective as my own techniques.

The dilemma of having multiple listings of mine on the same street was only related to the easy to remember short domains on the sign rider.

I use .info extentions for even less money then the .com. Doesn't look quite as good, but it works.