Now is the time to get your real estate website under your control and working for you.

The fact is, many agents are complacent when it comes to their website, even though they are quickly falling by the wayside.

The fact is nearly everyone uses the internet for both buying and selling their home. Buyers, of course are looking for easy solutions to search for property and sellers are looking to see who to list with. You need to realize that sellers are most likely internet savvy and if they don’t find you in the search engines, how are you going to convince them that you are up-to-par with the latest technology to sell their home.

Building a real estate website that is informative for buyer and offers a plethora of  search tools, email alerts and more, will also let the seller know that you are not a dinosaur when it comes to the internet. It boasts that you are knowledgeable and take advantage of all the latest web trends and social media to help them sell their property. Especially in a tough market.

Now is the time! There has never been a better time to build a powerful real estate website and start claiming the “Broadway” and “Park Place” in the search engines. Yes, it takes time and dedication, but the results can be real, profitable and sustainable.

WordPress 3 offers new and unique ways for real estate agents to reach target specific markets while using up those great domains that are gathering dust as “Parked Domains”.

The new multi-user feature that can be manually added to your main site allows you to manage multiple sites from one dashboard. You can now manage multiple “TARGETED” websites all from one dashboard. You can target specific types of property like Condos, Golf Homes, Water Front, etc. and have each site indexed individually.

The below Video is an introduction to WordPress 3.0. Pay special attention to the end where it talks about running several sites.

Give us a call at 850.502.0698. We will show you how you can have one of the easiest and most powerful real estate website combination to help you come out ON TOP!

I get asked the same question multiple times per day

“What is the best wordpress theme for real estate?”

The fact is, there are many quality themes that can be used for real estate. Some are free; most are premium themes that can be customized to your liking.

If you are thinking about using wordpress for your real estate website with IDX integration, than I can tell you with complete confidence -  StudioPress themes. And not necessarily just the Agent Press theme. I have used and customized Agency, Corporate, Lifestyle, Agent Press and Executive themes for real estate clients with great success. The themes are a more advanced than free themes and offer a robust back end for making  changes.

Our system for integrating IDX and customizing themes has been extremely successful for easy management and Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Each theme can offer a distinct look that sets you apart as a web savvy real estate agent. With nearly everyone who is looking to buy a home starting their search online, Don’t you think you should be found?

If you want to a real estate website that can put you way ahead of your competitors, you owe it to yourself and your future to give us a call. Our solutions are precise, powerful, and according to our customers: “The best solution they have found!”

Call us today: 850.502.0698 or EMAIL

WordPress Pages with IDX for better SEO

One of the SEO tactics we use is to create many wordpress pages and add either IDX thumbnails to the page or a details page link. This depends on whether we are creating a “Property Page” or a “Target Area Page”.

The “Property Page” is dedicated to writing about a single property on a page using rich keyword phrases. The writing should be your content, not copied from MLS or other listing information. Include photos to keep interest and make the content more colorful. (Be sure to use the title and ALT information for the images) Keep in mind while writing your copy that Google uses something called “Latent Semantic Indexing” or LSI which helps Google and other search indexes rank your page by similar words. For instance semantically related words for Beach Front Property can be Coastal Property, Beach Property, water front, Gulf View, etc. Use them in complete phrases within content. So, the following steps will help in creating a “Property Page:

• Find a property you want to write about. Search the MLS gather photos, review the MLS content and write about the property in your own words.
• Add photos. This can be with NEXGEN photo gallery, or whatever you decide.
• Create a link to the IDX details page and re-iterate the title and or address such as: “See all the details about ??? here” Link this to the detail page
• Create a title that will get indexed. Use prominent keywords.
• Add an H1 tag at the top using a keyword phrase

NOTE: You may not want this page to be displayed in the navbar. If not, make sure you download the EXLUDE PAGES plugin. This will give you a checkbox to exclude the page from the navbar.

The Targeted Area Page is a little different. We write a paragraph about a specific area, neighborhood, condominium, development, etc. and add IDX thumbnails to the page. This is great for your readers as it gives them information they may be seeking along with the listing of property for sale in that immediate target area. We have found that the response to these pages is extremely positive. These pages are better served in the NAVBAR under a main category such as Local Neighborhoods, Developments, etc. Simple setup:

• Write about a specific target area. Include information about parks, location amenities, nearby shopping, schools, etc. Try to write about 200 words if possible.
• Add IDX Thumbnails at about 3 columns and 5 or 6 rows as a teaser.
• Add a link at the end of the thumbnails to “Search all homes in ???” This links to the full listings list for that specific area. Also helps with SEO.
• Once again give allot of consideration to the title tag. Think about what people would search for. For example, in Destin Florida (the main city), you could have “Name of Community-Destin” , etc.

Good luck and Happy Writing!

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact us!

A new concept in marketing real etate utilizing all of the latest in WEB 2.o standards, California eBroker offers a unique plan for agents with savvy training, support and a commission plan that will turn heads.

Offering one of the best agent programs in the industry, California eBroker (earn it keep it) allows agents to keep 100% of their commissions.

We just finished an agent website for Doug Grace in Sacramento, homes for sale in Sacramento http://sacramentohomesale.com . This pilot website with all advanced search and save features is part of the California eBroker package.

Never Underestimate the Title Tag

When you are creating posts for your real estate site, remember, so is your competition. They are after the same market as you are. And with the increased knowledge  and understanding of the internet and SEO among agents, you have to be creative and savvy when posting.

Don’t discount what is so easy. Your Title Tag is what search engines see first. Therefore it makes sense to write a great title tag.

The “THINK ABOUTS”

• Think about the post content and make the title tag relevant to your copy
• Think about what the public might search for to get to your post. What keywords, phrases, etc.
• Think about using the title tag as a question that a reader might ask. For instance if you are writing a post about buying a short sale property ( I know, over done), you may turn it into a question: Buying a short sale in Destin? Need help?

Avoid the common real estate ad titles. Number of Bedrooms, Baths, etc.  i.e. “Beautiful 3 bedroom 2 bath home in Destin”. This is a wasted post that will not get you very far. Considering you can find this same text thousands of times in your local listing index.

Simple but powerful!

The word is out for wordpress. IDX Broker has a great plug-in that can help a real estate agent get started with adding IDX to their wordpress site. The IDX Plugin is a great way to get started with wordpress.  Below are a few things you can do beyond the plug-in to help get higher positioning in Google.

1. Rather than adding a simple link in the navbar that leads to an IDX page, think about how you can use that page to generate index-able text by Google. For instance, if you are creating a navbar link for the area Destin, FL (where I live), you would create a page “DESTIN” and add information about Destin on this page. Right around 200 words is good.
2. Then you will want to add an IDX thumbnail set of homes in Destin. Generally I use 3 columns by 4 rows. Many of the agents we design for however want to show 10 rows, and this is ok. This adds to the page what your readers are actually looking for.
3. Add a link at the top and bottom  to “View All Homes in Destin”. This link will be a targeted IDX link to all results in Destin.
4. Add “Price Range” links to offer your readers  more precise “quick links”. For example (100k-150k) (150k-200k) etc., etc.
5. Use an alertnate “Title Tag” as a header tag in the text box. Use H1 or H2 from the FORMAT dropdown. Make this header tag keyword rich!

The above 5 steps are very basic things that can be done to help you with gaining page rank.

If you are interested in a robust, advanced setup and gaining top positions in Google, feel free to contact us for more information  by email or by phone: 850.502.0698

I have enjoyed participating in the testing of this excellent plugin. If you are a real estate professional, consider using wordpress as your main website. You won’t be sorry. And this great new plugin by IDX Broker makes basic integration a snap. If you are seeking help with installation and setup of wordpress and IDX Broker, we will be glad to assist.
Special Offer Below! ‘Nick’

The plugin  accomplishes three things:

1. Easily drag and drop  IDX Broker Widgets into your WordPress theme.
2. Easily add IDX links to your menu.
3. Easily display any neighborhood or subdivision (any custom link) landing pages that you’ve created using IDX Broker.

The plugin is designed primarily for those agents who want a basic start up website.  Any custom Widgets, CSS, and other customization needs to be handled within the theme files and CSS code.  If you have questions, are interested in advanced features, and powerful SEO with your wordpress site, please  contact us. 850-502-0698

Why  choose IDX Broker?
And why should I choose WPIDX?

Advanced IDX Solutions, Widgets, Search Features - IDX Broker has an array of search, advanced search, map search features as well as a set of widgets and tools for creating many different types of targeted slide shows, thumbnail pages, IDX links, Information Gathering, Email alerts, and more.

Indexable IDX - All hosted IDX pages are fully indexable. We have removed duplicate titles and descriptions from most of your IDX results and details pages. We also provide you with a way to edit URL paths, add subheader content, custom title/description tags, and make your IDX pages unique.

Lead Registration – You can use IDX Broker to force signup on every 4th or 5th property detail view. Or, if you prefer, require registration once the visitor click the link to your custom results page.

Lead Management - Anybody who requests property info, fills out your contact form, saves a search, or creates an account with you will show up in the Lead Management tab of IDX Broker. You will also receive an email alert when this occurs.

WPIDX is a Leader in providing WordPress Customized Real Estate websites with IDX Broker Integration – Advanced customization beyond the basics including, SEO/IDX links for better serach engine indexing, Target Area Pages (custom) with custom quick links per section, SEO Consultationn and Initial Implementation.

Sign up for your IDX Broker Account.

Only $900 once for Set-up and Customization and $49 per month for Hosting/IDX Service/SEO Newsletter for Real Estate.
Get Started Today

The WPIDX Video Library consisting of a complete set of training videos for real estate agents is almost complete. My goal is to give real estate agents the knowledge to master the management of their websites.

The WordPress IDX library will include videos about operating and managing a wordpress real estate website, as well as adding and managing your IDX and wordpress integration. SEO tactics will also be discussed and presented througout the series.

Launch date has been targeted to be June 1st, 2010, and will be FREE with our PowerSite Options two and three.

WordPress, Real Estate and IDX in Wine Country, California

WordPress was a perfect fit for Joe Lucci. This multi-talented real estate broker in Sonoma County, CA has a passion for investing in real estate and has been doing so since 1986. Joe wanted to provide a simple, easy to use platform for his guests to navigate property for sale in Santa Rosa, CA and the surrounding areas. We accomplished this by integrating IDX Broker into a wordpress theme we designed. The IDX features an array of MLS search, advanced search, map search and all of the save and email functions.

Head over to Joe’s website and view his introductory video. http://sonomacountyrealestatealliance.com