Blog / Picking Up Free Money – & Why I Am Amazed So Many Agents Still Step Over It!
Picking Up Free Money – & Why I Am Amazed So Many Agents Still Step Over It!
By Jay Voorhees
March 8, 20234 min read
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Why Commercial Banks Built Ornate Palaces for Branches
For almost two centuries, American commercial banks built grandiose branches with marble columns, soaring ceilings, and ridiculously ornate décor.
They did this for a few reasons: (1) to show the world that they were a solid and well-established business, as depositors would lose their money back in the day when a bank went belly up; and (2) to use the branch as a form of advertisement for the world to see – prior to the radio/TV/internet era.
They needed to attract customers to survive, and if a Wells Fargo branch was noticeably superior to a Bank of America branch, Wells Fargo would invariably attract more customers.
Every Client Will Google You!
Today’s online branding serves the same purpose that those ornate bank branches used to serve – and, sadly, that fact is lost on far too many agents we work with.
We used to cite a study that showed 93% of all clients will google agents before working with them.
I suspect that number is closer to 100% now – and THIS is why it is so “sad” that many agents don’t understand the importance of online branding!
Agents who lack a strong online presence (which is much more than just a website) are often losing clients – and they have no idea.
This is especially the case now that younger millennials and Gen Z buyers are entering the housing market.
They are conditioned to scroll at breakneck speed and to move on to the next thing if something does not catch their interest!
“Free Money” = Enhancing Your Online Brand (It’s So Easy)
This is what a strong online presence does:
Shows off your reputation via ample strong reviews.
Proves that you’re established and professional.
Makes life convenient for your clients – as they should easily be able to find your contact info and everything that is important about you.
If your online presence is noticeably weaker than a competing agent’s, the effect will be very similar to what happened to commercial banks with inferior branches (clients will drift to the agent with better branding).
I used to blog about this quite often but stopped because I thought the world had figured this out. But – we have seen so many agents with issues over the last few months that I thought I’d touch on it again.
Google Said “Closed” for Top Agent!
One of the simplest and most obvious fixes is setting up a complete “Google My Business”(GMB) page.
The GMB page is the column on the right side of search results that SHOULD show an agent’s photo, website link, email address, phone numbers, a map, directions, address, hours of operation, reviews, blog references, and more.
Anyone with a legitimate business can set up these pages; it is easy to do and very convenient for clients, and it makes every agent look far more established and professional.
Hence, it always amazes us when we google agents and their GMB page is either highly inaccurate or nonexistent!
We recently googled a top agent in fact, and his GMB page informed us that his business was closed. He wasn’t, and I suspect that page cost him more than a few transactions.
JVM Can Help!!
In any case, there are dozens of quick fixes and well as some heavier duty fixes that we can help with because amplifying online branding is an expertise of our marketing department.
We have seen many noticeable increases in business for agents who implement these changes too. And every mega-producer we work with has excellent online branding.
If anyone would like to learn more, please let me know.
