When I saw on Business Week online a new slide show called “If Google Ran Your Business,” I figured wow, maybe they will have some innovative things to say about the real estate industry! They even mentioned the real estate industry in the introduction slide…

This slide show is based on a new book out by Jeff Jarvis, a journalism professor, entitled “What Would Google Do?” Jarvis “thinks that Google and the web-connected world it represents require businesses in almost every industry to rethink their relationships with customers, suppliers, and employees.” Based on his observations and presumptions, the slide-show follows 18 industries and gives examples of what they are doing now that isn’t working, what they should be doing and examples of companies already doing so.  

As I flipped through the slides I was surprisingly disappointed by the ideas they presented for the Real Estate industry. All they had to offer was that agents can use sites like craigslist and zillow. They said “Real estate agents will have to become more savvy about the Web.” What? I know for our 12 Enterprise Network members as well as many other brokerages across the nation, using Criagslist and Zillow isn’t a new idea. Many of them syndicate to multiple online listing sites including zillow and craigslist already. In their defense, I think what they were trying to say is that Realtors and brokerages need to establish an online presence in order to compete with the FSBO’s who are posting there properties on sites like craigslist and zillow. So maybe instead of trying to “catch up” as the slide indicates, what needs to be focused on is more marketing online.

How do you market yourself as a Brokerage? How do you market yourself as a Realtor? Do you have your own blog? Your own website? How will people find you when looking for a house if you are not making your voice and your brand heard online?

If referring to this article, it basically reverted to three main points throughout the slides:

1. Keep your eyes out for opportunities that your competition does not see. In the real estate industry this might mean having the latest technology features like mobile interface technology or live chat. Are you ahead of your competition or are they ahead of you?
2. Move to the web because that’s where everybody else is. By now most real estate companies have caught on that they need to be online if they want to compete in today’s market. But how adequate are your online features? Is your site static or interactive? Not sure what that means? Contact us now to find out about our interactive mapping features, blogging solutions and live chat.
3. Open dialogue with your customers is the new black. The web has offered an easy way to communicate with prospective, current and past customers online. Sharing ideas regarding the success your company has had with them as well as failures, often determines the potential customers decisions. We all know about word of mouth and it has moved online. Do you have a social networking strategy? Are you blogging?

These are all important points to consider but in reality, there are so many things  real estate companies need to be doing now in order to build their online presence. There’s not a single solution, it’s the combination of them all that really makes the difference in your search engine rankings and how your consumer’s percieve you. The problem is, most of you know about the technologies, you jsut don’t have a strategy.

 The Enterprise Network has a strategy and that’s why we’re ahead of the competititon. Are you?

Want to see the slideshow for yourself? Click Here.