Here are three ways to deal with what appears to be the inevitable merger of Zillow and Trulia.
Outspend Your Competition
Steve Murray, President of Real Trends mentioned in an article on CNN that some agent teams are spending up to $20,000 a month to appear on the Zillow/Trulia listing pages. With the merger both entities can charge more for their combined Internet exposure of a 130 million visitors a month. By spending more you can outdistance your competition.
For example, Douglas Elliman recently paid Zillow an undisclosed amount to make sure that all leads generated by their listings go directly to the agent who has listed the property and no other competing agent’s profile is allowed on their pages. They created an exclusive relationship which boosts the traffic to their website. Their main offices are in the city of New York and New York does not have an MLS, which in turn benefits Zillow as it lacked a New York presence. If your pockets are deep enough, this is a viable option.
Outthink Your Competition
Find a brand strategy that will help you secure top-of-mind status in your marketplace. Real estate is local and the more you stand out in your local community as a caring business person, the more likely you will be sought after for listing or buying a property.
One of our local companies here in Santa Barbara County supports the teachers in the communities they have offices in. They have a fund to help teachers’ special projects. This strategy can influence the teaching community and the parents to think of them first when it comes to real estate.
Don’t Worry, Be Happy!
Some of the best agents build a strong referral base and are not dependent on any third party lead generation.
What will you do, OUTSPEND, OUTTHINK, OR BE HAPPY AND NOT WORRY?
Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-
ABOUT: Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry. They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace.
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