[VIDEO] Stop Trying To Compete With Zillow!

What Does that Even Mean, “Don’t Compete with Zillow”?

Discover why  you might be trying and how you can beat the heck out of Zillow when it comes to lead generation using your website (and we don’t just mean a dedicated landing page!!).

Do You Think “How Does This Apply To Me”?

Being a part of the real estate industry for over 20 years has helped shaped the way we run our marketing business, OMH Agency. My husband and I built our own real estate company by taking risks and staying ahead of the curve – even when it wasn’t popular among our peers.

If you’re a successful agent trying to break away from the crowd, you can probably relate to the fact that your ideas might not be popular among others in your industry (your competitors).

For example, we were one of the first in their area to have a website (built first by another developer and then by me). Then we were deemed “scandalous” by doing things like including addresses on our ads and showing prices on advertising. These type of out of the box thinking is kind of how we even got started in marketing. Together, my husband and I have been involved in many different industries, and here I’ll share some truths about business success – no matter the industry.

#1 Your Website Is One Of Your Most Important Sales People

Let’s dig into what this post is all about. Do not try to compete with Zillow. Confused? Do you have a home search feature on your website? Do you use IDX to get leads?

These features are directly in competition with Zillow. Though we agree that it is ok to have a search feature on your website to provide value to users, we want you to think about your customers. The last thing your client wants is one more choice, one more app, or one more place to go. If your website is offering the exact same thing as every other home search website, you aren’t really doing yourself any favors.

Instead, we encourage agents to break away from the heavy and expensive search features and instead treat your website like a sales team. Every page should be an employee. By that we mean, every single page on your site should have a goal and a way to accomplish that goal. If you’re the team leader or the broker or top agent, be watching your employee. Is it doing its job? Is it earning its keep? If not, it might be time to make adjustments.

#2 Use Your Super Power To Get Leads Your Own Way

If you want to stand out from the crowd and push yourself to get better leads, consider your superpower. Every agent has one. What is it that sets you apart from other agents?

On top of that, you are the most informed when it comes to answering client questions. You know what answers they are looking for and you probably are answering the SAME questions every day. We suggest using your website, a valuable employee, as a way to answer some of those questions.

For example, what if you turned answers to those questions you get asked over and over again into a downloadable guide that you can give to your clients? What if that guide was the tipping point for turning prospects and leads into a valuable client that gives you great referrals?

#3 Great Giveaways Hurt A Little

Ok, let’s say you’re on board with what we are saying. You want to add value to your clients, and you’re anxious for more leads. Start by maybe thinking of buyers. What can you provide to them that they might not be getting anywhere else? The best giveaway is one that hurts a little. Because you know if you put it out there, there is a chance your competitor can read it and use it too. Or maybe the giveaway is so good that they stop calling you to ask those questions because you already answered them all?

We here at OMH Agency want to encourage you with something that we have found over the years, in every industry. We’ve learned that being the one who provides timely and necessary information to your audience makes YOU the hero. Clients are still going to call you. They are going to feel like you’re the one who gives them what they need when they need it. Providing consistent value to your audience sets you apart as a resource they will come back to over and over again.

#4 Consider Landing Pages As A Way To Hone In On Leads

Maybe you’ve thought of a few great giveaways that will provide great value to clients. They might even help you bring in new people to your business. Something you can do to help facilitate those leads is by creating multiple landing pages. Maybe create a buyer landing page AND a seller landing page just for giveaways specific to each of those audiences.

There are lots of ways to integrate those giveaways into your website. If you have a blog (if you don’t, you really SHOULD, ask us why), each of those articles become a way to feature your giveaway and gain leads. Whether your giveaway is a download, or a guide, or a tool, you get to exchange that valuable giveaway for their email address.

Let’s dive into the magic of blog posts really quick. On every blog post article you write, there is a keyword search term that you can optimize the post for. That search term can help your blog post (read, a page on your website) rank higher on search engines. Maybe you write a post on interest rates in the housing market and where they are going and how that can affect your buyers. Maybe the focus of your article is whether or not buyers should buy this year or wait a few extra months.

Next, think about the number of potential search terms that can be found within the body of the article you just wrote. A potential buyer goes to Google and searches “should I buy now,” and suddenly your article pops up. This is the first thing that they see from you. They read your article and already are establishing you as a trusted and valuable source of information. Then they see you offer a giveaway just for buyers and they are scrambling to give you their email. “Oh my gosh,” they think, “this is so helpful!”

Now You Have Some Ideas

See where we are going with this? Each blog post, in turn, becomes a lead generation tool to help you grow your business. They become a tool that is NOT trying to compete with Zillow.

Hopefully, this gives you a little more insight into how you can break apart from the pack with a few actionable steps. Stand out from your competition, and get those leads that you want. These types of methods provide content that dominates and appeals to the audience you actually want to be appealing to. Stop trying to compete with Zillow, and instead focus on what makes you great. Your clients will appreciate it, and you’ll be less frustrated with those who are using Zillow and other house hunting websites.

Have more questions about how landing pages or blog posts can be a valuable asset to your team? Maybe you love the idea but don’t have the time to execute. Start with a free strategy session