BEST APP/WEBSITE TO MARKET LISTINGS
Tie between Realtor.com, ThingLink and Your Blog
PROS: All of the programs offered track clicks and impressions, and traffic can be driven to wherever the agent chooses. Each program tracks clicks and impressions, and the Showcase Listing program generates traffic reports to let agents know how well a listing is doing.
CONS: Traffic varies from market to market, depending on the traffic Realtor.com receives. Ines Hegedus-Garcia of Majestic Properties uses Realtor.com, and while it has its perks, you should not exclusively use one site to find leads. “Never put all leads in one system, because all leads are different,” she said. “We don’t like to lay all of our eggs in one basket.”
THINGLINK
PROS: Nobu Hata, director of digital engagement for the National Association of Realtors, says it’s been a while since he’s been impressed with an app, but he is a big fan of ThingLink. This app will allow you to take a picture of your listing and layer a video tour, equipped with music, text, images and more. You can easily share your images through email, blogs and various forms of social media. Hata says this is perfect for interactive home previews or to show off an open house.
CONS: Reviews have said that embedding links can be a bit challenging, and it would be nice to have more icons to choose from.
PRICE: Free
WHERE TO BUY: http://www.thinglink.com/
YOUR BLOG
PROS: Miller uses a blog to market his listings. Keeping your listings in one specific place makes it easy and convenient for consumers to browse through them. And when you connect it to your website the way the GoodLife Team does, it immediately directs consumers there. Blogs are also an opportunity to get creative and reach out to your consumers, which can be accomplished by writing information about neighborhood, or giving tips for first-time homebuyers. These are things that can’t always be found on your website or an MLS.
CONS: A blog should not be the only place to market listings, because it’s not traditionally the first place consumers are going to check. Be sure to use other syndication sites and MLSs, in addition to your blog, to make sure your listing gets enough online exposure.
PRICE: Varies. You can get a free blog through Tumblr, Blogger or WordPress, but there are also more professional-looking blog platforms that cost money. It depends on how much you and your company are willing to spend.
You are so awesome for helping me solve this mystery.