Think about this - if I am a buyer and I do a Google search on "4 bedroom 3 bath house in Oceanside", and I see your ad either on the organic side (if you are lucky), or via Pay Per Click, when I click on your ad where do you send me? To the home page of your website where I see a big nice picture of you and all the houses in the area listed and then some, and now I have to tell you again, via your MLS database listing, what it is I already told you I was looking for to begin with?

It makes no sense to know what I want, because your ad came up when I typed it in, then you give me something I did not ask for (a listing of all the houses in the area), then turn around and make me tell you again what I want.

I understand it is easier to throw a blanket covering all possible searches and then send everyone to your home page, but it really causes a disconnect with potential clients. Remember the whole point of doing this is to make it easier for potential customers to find you and do business with you, but it really does not have to be that difficult to do. 

Consider doing this instead. You probably already make videos doing virtual tours of these houses any way, right? Why not take those videos and post them on video sites using keywords describing the house for the title and descriptions, and let Google index it so when someone types in the house they are looking for, BLAMO! There it is right on the front page of Google with your phone number to call.

Give someone what they want the first time they tell you they want it. What a concept.

Here is something else to think about kind of along this same line. If someone is looking for a 4 bedroom 3 bath house in Oceanside, what are they most likely going to type in when doing a Google search for their dream house?

(A) Century 21 in Oceanside
(B) Real Estate Agent Sally Smith in Oceanside
(C) 4 bedroom 3 bath house in Oceanside
(D) Houses for Sale in Oceanside

I do not know about you but my money is on "C" or possibly "D". Although obviously person "C" sounds to me like they know what they want and are ready to pull the trigger.

My point is this, people are not looking for you, they are looking for a house. Sure, name recognition with a big name real estate firm gives you creditability (along with a few thousand other agents), but when push comes to shove buyers just want to buy a house.

STOP advertising yourself first, and making the house secondary. Am I saying don't advertise yourself at all? Of course not.  Just get your priorities straight.  Make your focus of advertising what it is people want, a house.  I am sure the clients you have that are sellers would really appreciate this shift in focus.  

One last point I want to make is you need to give buyers a compelling reason to hire you as their agent. Being in the business for 18 years and/or you work for a firm they have heard of before from TV commercials is nice, but not compelling.

Ask yourself this question; what are people that are going to be buying a house going to need once they buy? Ahhh… contractors, landscapers, knowing where the good restaurants are in the neighborhood, maybe a new bank if coming in from out of town.

How about hitting up some of these other local businesses and ask them for coupons or special deals you can give your client as a special "Welcome to the Neighborhood House Warming Gift" when escrow closes. I bet most of these other businesses would love the targeted reference you give them, and you are giving the buyer a lot of incentive to stay with you. Even a gift card from Home Depot would be pretty enticing for me as a buyer to stick with you. Much more so than you work for a real estate company that has name recognition.

If this idea appeals to you and you would like to know how I could adapt this idea or many others I have to your business, then please feel free to call me.