Special offer

Spam prevention
Rainmaker
5,583,278
Barbara Todaro
RE/MAX Executive Realty - Happily Retired - Franklin, MA
Previously Affiliated with The Todaro Team

your own website is MOST important....a wordpress site where you can blog and have it hosted.... if you don't own it, it's useless.....what your broker is providing does you NO good if you leave the agency in the future....

Aug 23, 2015 09:50 AM
Ambassador
2,178,603
Carol Williams
Although I'm retired, I love sharing my knowledge and learning from other real estate industry professionals. - Wenatchee, WA
Retired Agent / Broker / Prop. Mgr, Wenatchee, WA

Absolutely!  You MUST have a website (and blog) branded to YOU, not your company.  I wrote a blog about this.  I'm sure there are others on Active Rain if you do a search:  http://activerain.com/blogsview/4697724/don-t-bother-building-a-website-

Aug 23, 2015 09:33 AM
Ambassador
3,164,294
Tammy Lankford,
Lane Realty Eatonton, GA Lake Sinclair, Milledgeville, 706-485-9668 - Eatonton, GA
Broker GA Lake Sinclair/Eatonton/Milledgeville

you need your own website with IDX and the ability for clients to save their search.

Aug 23, 2015 10:34 AM
Rainmaker
443,220
Cindy Davis
SD Home Source Realty - San Diego, CA

It's a good idea to have your own website. Is it the very first thing you have to do?  Maybe not. If you have web presence through your broker and facebook...that can be a starting point. You will need one down the line though. 

Aug 23, 2015 09:40 AM
Rainmaker
763,883
Tony Lewis
Summit Real Estate Group - Valencia, CA
Summit Real Estate Group Valencia & Aliso Viejo

Don't ever get a company branded website.  One of the biggest benefits of being a Realtor is that we are all free agents.  Without your own website and cell number you've virtually thrown away that freedom.  Use your own cell number too as you own it even if you leave the current brokerage.  You do need a website that works for you.

Aug 24, 2015 02:57 AM
Rainer
231,224
Mike Rock
Complete Design - Granite Bay, CA
Granite Bay Luxury New Construction...For Less

the votes below say it all. get a website. there are some good ones for like 70 to 80 a month. much better than facebook and the dog groomer asking you to "like" them along with 30 other realtors

Aug 23, 2015 01:14 PM
Rainmaker
784,786
The Woodland Team of Texas
The Woodland Companies - Austin, TX
Land Specialists

We have several pages, yet none really bring as much business as bob's blog and fb page.

Nov 25, 2018 05:46 AM
Ambassador
6,393,404
Bob Crane
Woodland Management Service / Woodland Real Estate, KW Diversified - Stevens Point, WI
Forestland Experts! 715-204-9671

I have several websites, and an app.  But my AR blog is much more valuable for bringing in the clients.

May 29, 2018 10:43 PM
Rainmaker
1,712,676
Joe Pryor
The Virtual Real Estate Team - Oklahoma City, OK
REALTOR® - Oklahoma Investment Properties

No it is not and the effectiveness of IDX has diminished. With the advent of apps it is more important to be mobile so video on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube is big, Pinterest is growing, and professional networks like linkedin.com are important for targeting specific groups. If you do have a website then a blog can be effective for driving trafic to your website. but your content and context you put it in better be great.

Aug 23, 2015 11:13 PM
Rainmaker
85,373
Ernest Villafranca
Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate - Oakland, CA
3923 Grand Ave. Oakland CA, 510-418-9443

Website Box, $100 forever...with IDX.

Placester, $5/mo with IDX. Your MLS may have a fee.

Weebly $50/year for 10 websites. No IDX

Aug 23, 2015 02:24 PM
Rainer
305,560
Tammy Adams ~ Realtor / Podcaster
Maricopa Real Estate Co - Maricopa, AZ
A Maricopa Agent who Works, Lives & Loves Maricopa

At bare minimum you need a landing page that tells people who you are and why you are the best darn agent. They will google you and you want to control where they go and what they see. And DO NOT use your broker's website. You want a site that follows you the rest of your career

Aug 23, 2015 01:41 PM
Rainmaker
2,817,671
Debbie Gartner
The Flooring Girl - White Plains, NY
The Flooring Girl & Blog Stylist -Dynamo Marketers

YES!  Assuming you want to succeed.

It should be your own site that you own (and can take w/ you if you change brokers. 

I was going to write a post about that this week, but I got a little busy.

Aug 23, 2015 10:38 AM
Rainmaker
911,338
Jeff Pearl
RE/MAX Distinctive / LIC in VA - Lovettsville, VA
Full Service Full Time Realtor

Yes, you need a website. Consider wordpress. A facebook page only provides a small % of what you'll need. if you don't have the time or $ to devote to having a good wordpress site built, check out gohome.net. sometimes they have a special for $49.00 per month for the first 2 years. Includes idx and is fairly simple to set up and edit. another that is inexpensive and mobile responsive is webs.com.

Aug 23, 2015 09:42 AM
Rainmaker
3,071,489
Tony and Suzanne Marriott, Associate Brokers
Serving the Greater Phoenix and Scottsdale Metropolitan Area - Scottsdale, AZ
Haven Express @ Keller Williams Arizona Realty

Barbara Todaro nailed this one...

Jul 27, 2016 09:49 PM
Rainmaker
4,319,419
Praful Thakkar
LAER Realty Partners - Andover, MA
Andover, MA: Andover Luxury Homes For Sale

Rose Jones I think even when you are on mobile, people want to see and feel your web presence! Plus you can do lots of things with your website not limited to IDX for home searches.

Aug 24, 2015 07:04 AM
Rainer
6,240
Rose Jones
Las Vegas, NV

Wow! Thank you for all the great responses. When I am researching a business or person, the first place I go to is Facebook. I think that is more important than a website. I have been looking at all the local agents websites and 90% are a standard template with nothing special than all the others. More than half, do not even have a website. I already got a domain name and will start working on it.

Aug 24, 2015 03:47 AM
Rainer
67,369
Evelyn M Epperson
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage - Johns Creek, GA
A Tradition Of [Excellence, Trust & Service]

Having your own website where you can blog, post and feature your listing is very important.  Good Luck!

Aug 24, 2015 12:22 AM
Rainmaker
921,504
Annette Lawrence , Palm Harbor, FL 727-420-4041
ReMax Realtec Group - Palm Harbor, FL
Making FLORIDA Real Estate EZ

ROSE,

You do not NEED a website to be successful in real estate.

What you NEED to understand is the process the home buyer or seller executes before they decide to contact an agent.

Understanding this process allows you to intercept their attention at the right time.

There is no limit to the options available to you to be successful in intercepting buyers and sellers. Websites, SEO, blogging, placement ads, Adwords, and giving money to the dark side are a few of the online options. This list is just the tip of the iceberg regarding online resources and certianly the beginning of the list of enterprises who will take all your money and give you nothing in return.

Now,even if you choose to never use the Internet for marketing and lead generation purposes, you MUST buy the URLs RoseJones.com, .net, .org, .us, .me to protect yourself should you change your mind later.

Do not spend your money on stuff you do not have clear vision regarding how it will help your business.

The truth is the ENTIRE industry that provides services to real estate agents such and websites and CRM DEPEND on robbing newbies of their dollars because they know you willl listing to the bad advise offered by those who ask you no questions regarding your business plan.

So, when you plunked down your dollars to attend real estate school, what did your business plan detail regarding how you will identify and contact new customers?

Aug 23, 2015 11:03 PM
Rainer
273,237
Richard Robibero, e-Pro, ABR, SRS
Panorama R.E. Limited - Toronto, ON
Selling Your Home as if it were My Own!

It's critical in my opinion. When I try to locate a Realtor and they have no website it boggles my mind so I wonder what the consumer thinks.

Aug 23, 2015 10:23 PM
Rainmaker
2,538,633
Joe Petrowsky
Mortgage Consultant, Right Trac Financial Group, Inc. NMLS # 2709 - Manchester, CT
Your Mortgage Consultant for Life

Good morning Rose. All of my blogging and social media efforts drive folks to my website. That system has served me very well.

Make it a great week!

Aug 23, 2015 07:11 PM
Rainmaker
474,492
Bill Dandridge
MKB, Realtors - Roanoke, VA
GREEN, ABR, GRI, EcoBroker

I would focus on facebook at the expense of a regular website. I think facebook is dynamic, and have heard great success from advertising there.

Aug 23, 2015 11:55 AM