In 2012, we launched the beta version of our new Account Control Panel (ACP), which was rebuilt from the ground up to help you get a lot more done, faster. We gave all of our members the option to either keep using the classic control panel or switch to the new one. We thank all of our members who have been using the new control panel for your great feedback and suggestions.

After a successful beta phase, we are happy to announce the release of our new ACP. The new ACP contains new features and plenty of improvements since the beta version.

With over 100 new features and updates added in the past three years, it's time to get to know the new Agent BizzUp. 

Here are the top new features:

• Adaptive design
• Built-in multitasking
• Rebuilt Listing Manager
• Rebuilt Contact Manager
• Real-time Design Chooser and preview
• Global search and Help Center
• Social Network and Reviews

Adaptive design

Why use both hands to manage your web presence when you can use just one? The new ACP has been rebuilt to offer a rich user experience that feels natural in all popular browsers on desktops, smartphones, tablets and other devices. This means that you no longer have to be sitting at your computer desk to manage your Web presence. You can sign in to the ACP from your mobile device while on the road or just about anywhere and still have access to all the features available on your desktop.
 

Built-in multitasking

Why do one thing at a time when you can do many? The new ACP is all about helping you get a lot more things done faster.

When you navigate a traditional website, each page that you access requires reloading all the page content, including content that doesn't change on every page, such as the navigation menu, header and logo. But the new ACP is built on a Single Page Interface (SPI). With an SPI, only the information that is required is requested from the server, so navigating the new ACP is faster than ever. Unlike some Web applications that utilize the new features of modern Web browsers but limit which browser you can use, we took the time to ensure that the new ACP is compatible with all modern desktop browsers and mobile browsers. And because each page also opens in separate tabs within the ACP, you can multitask and never have to worry about page load time getting in your way.
 

Rebuilt Listing Manager

Manage Listings:

• With the rebuilt Manage Listing list/grid page, you can get a global view of listing activities and perform many quick tasks from a single grid interface. No more wasting half your day gathering and merging reports to get analytical data.
• From this single grid interface, you will know how many leads, visitors, views and other performance measures each listing has received in any given time period. You can even sort based on any of these listing performance measures.
• From this single grid interface, you can tell if a listing has been syndicated and when it was added, last modified and more.
• You can lookup listings by location, visibility, list agent, list type or list status.
• You can also quickly hide or make a listing visible on your website, reorder all listings, delete listings, and directly access all other actions and listing publishing tools.

Listing Editor:

• When adding or editing listings, you can fine-tune the exact geographic coordinates with the new integrated Google Map selector. If desired, you can also choose not to publish the listing's address.
• New fields were added, including List Subtype, Use Type, and List Date.
• You can now attach a Full Description for your listings. This description has no limit on the number of characters and supports hyperlinks, rich text formatting and HTML.
• There is an option to show a listing’s original price, and if this value is higher than the list price, a "reduced" icon will display next to the listing on your website.
• Listing photos are now much larger and horizontally proportioned.
• You can upload up to 10 photo files simultaneously with a whopping size increase of up to 8 MB per photo.
• You can now upload listing photos directly from your mobile device.
• Now you can reorder photos and assign a name and description to each photo.
• You can attach videos from YouTube and Vimeo directly to your listings.

Vacation Rental Management:

• Vacation rental management is now supported in our system. This works great for all types of short-term rentals.
• The system includes an integrated availability calendar and seasonal rates.
• Each property includes fields such as Tax Rate, Cleaning Fee, Required Gratuity, Rental Basis and Changeover Day(s).
• Each season can have a date range, minimum stay, notes, and rates for weekday nights, weekend nights, weekend and extra nights as well as weekly, monthly and entire season rates.
   

Rebuilt Contact Manager

Manage Contacts:

• The rebuilt Manage Contacts list/grid page allows you to easily manage your contacts and perform many quick tasks from a single grid interface.
• You can look up contacts by name, company name, group, assigned agent, mode, rating, source and other contact details.
• You can easily see which contacts have unsubscribed from your email marketing campaigns and which contacts have reported your message as spam to their email service providers. You can even see which contacts have bad (undeliverable) email addresses.
• You can select multiple contacts to perform group functions such as delete and hide.

Contact Editor:

• All contacts now have a mode, which indicates your current relationship with them. The options for this are Active Lead, Lost Lead, Current Client, Past Client and Unknown.
• New system groups were added to automatically assign contacts to default groups based on the lead capture form that they completed on your website.
• You can see all requests from a contact on the new Requests page, which shows a list of requests ordered by date of request. Possible request types include list showing, market analysis and dream home finder.
• You can now save private notes for each contact.

Send secure private messages and documents:

• This new feature allows you to send secure private messages and documents directly to a contact. This is a perfect way to effortlessly send contracts, invoices, owner statements and other private documents.
• Data is encrypted for secure transit and secure storage.
• Messages and documents can only be viewed by contacts when they are logged in to your website.
• Data is stored redundantly in multiple facilities and on multiple devices within each facility for mission-critical and primary data storage.
• The message system is designed to sustain the concurrent loss of data in two facilities with 99.99 percent availability.
   

Real-time Design Chooser and preview

The new Design Chooser allows you to preview your website as a visitor to your website would see it and make changes to the design on the fly. This makes it simple to see how a design will work with your existing content and brand before deciding which design to choose.
 

Global search and Help Center

A new global search box is embedded at the top of the new ACP. This box allow you to quickly search all support documents, product descriptions, our blog and other articles on our website. This may soon be one of the first places you go to when you have questions.

The new ACP provides a pleasant and intuitive design. But we also took the time to update all of our support documents to help you navigate your way through it quickly.
 

Social Network and Reviews

Our new Social Networks and Reviews features make it possible to connect your website with all of the social networks and review sites that you use. Social networks that you connect will display on your Contact Cards and in other areas on your website. This enables you to grow your network while making it easy for your website visitors to follow you and share their experiences.

Over the past few years, people have been using mobile devices for more and more purchasing decisions including searching for real estate. In fact, studies have found that "real estate ad clicks on smartphones grew 10.7 percent between Q4 of 2012 and Q1 of 2013, and tablet ad clicks increased by 20.2 percent." Here's what this trend of mobile real estate search means for realtors. 

Having a Mobile Friendly Site is Pretty Much a Necessity

While realtors may have been able to get by with sites lacking mobile web browsing in the past, this simply won't cut it anymore. With an increasing number of potential homeowners using smartphones and tablets for property searches, any realtor without a mobile friendly site is probably losing business. That's why there has been a spike in the use of responsive web design which builds sites that can be viewed on practically any screen size. Although this does require an investment, it's usually well worth it in the long run when realtors can increase their traffic numbers and the amount of time spent on their site.    

Placing Listings on Top Real Estate Sites is Beneficial 

Sites like Zillow and Trulia have excellent mobile apps and a plethora of features that really spotlight properties. As a result, realtors can often capitalize on the nation's growing mobile obsession by listing properties on these types of sites. Not only can they ensure that prospective buyers have a positive mobile viewing experience, but it can mean more exposure in general.

PPC Can Be a Smart Marketing Move

Pay per click or PPC advertising has been a popular form of marketing for many years. But now, more and more realtors are getting on board with PPC because the ads typically appear in Google and other search engines, which are compatible with nearly all mobile devices. This means that launching a PPC campaign should be an effective way for realtors to get their listings in front of mobile users. And because individuals who click on these ads often have a strong interest in a property, realtors can usually expect to see a favorable return on investment.

Staying on the cutting edge of real estate marketing is crucial for realtors to stay afloat in an often competitive market. By acknowledging the rise in mobile usage and adapting accordingly, this can go a long way in terms of selling properties quickly and seeing long-term success.   

As microapartments are becoming a popular real estate option, real estate agents should keep a close eye on this growing trend for 2016. To get acquainted with this housing type, here are four fascinating facts behind the innovative invention.

FACT #1: Microapartments first originated in Japan in the 1970s.

Cutting-edge as the microapartment may seem, the pint-sized dwelling concept actually started over 40 years ago in Tokyo, Japan. In 1972, the Nakagin Capsule Tower opened for business and accommodated 140 compartmental units for office professional singles at just over 100 square feet per unit. Since then, the building has fallen into disrepair, and only 20 units are rented year-round, but the tiny living trend has taken off. Microapartments are currently thriving in Sydney and Melbourne, and construction for them has begun in Beijing and other large Chinese cities where space is rare and valuable.

FACT #2: The microapartment trend picked up in the United States during the 2008 recession.

As more homeowners and renters felt the recession’s financial impact, modesty and housing affordability became the primary emphases. Microapartments naturally fulfilled those requirements without sacrificing quality of lifestyle. While these spaces are marketed to young singles and retired seniors, family units are now cropping up and could become an emerging trend to watch.

FACT #3: America’s first indoor shopping mall has been transformed into a microapartment complex.

Built in 1828, the Providence Arcade in Rhode Island boasts a beautiful Greco-Roman facade and has been a dynamic financial, merchant and cultural center in America for nearly 200 years. This historical shopping mall was registered as a national historic landmark in 1976. In 2008, the building closed down, as its three floors of retail shops couldn’t keep afloat during the recession. Then, in 2013, Providence Arcade transformed, reopening as a single floor of shops with a two-floor complex of 225- to 800-square-foot microapartments. How successful are these tiny abodes? Let’s just say there’s a year-round waiting list working 24/7.

FACT #4: Microapartments feature three- and six-month leases along with annual ones.

An interesting, little-known fact is that tenants can rent out microapartments for terms as short as six or even three months, depending on the complex, making them ideal launching pads for new residents trying out the area. It’s convenient for business professionals on extended stays and college students, who often work around these types of time frames in their semesters. 

The National Association of Realtors reported that about 90 percent of individuals shopping around for a home are likely to use their mobile devices in doing so. In addition, nearly 70 percent of those individuals have used mobile search to find and contact a real estate professional. Based on those statistics, you can see that real estate consumers are using their mobile devices more than ever before to shop around for real estate. This also means that real estate companies and professionals can no longer afford to overlook mobile users. By creating websites that attract mobile consumers, you will be able to significantly increase the number of inbound leads.  

One way to begin bringing in more mobile consumer leads is to create a mobile-friendly website. A recent Google study showed that nearly 80 percent of all mobile users who have difficulty using a website will move on to another website and never return. That means if your website is not mobile-friendly, you may be losing business to your competitors.

So how do you make sure that your website is mobile-friendly?

If your website is currently being powered by Agent BizzUp, you're in luck! There's a good chance your website is already mobile-friendly! For members who are still using the first generation of Agent BizzUp's Design Engine, you'll have to upgrade. But don't worry! The upgrade is entirely free. If your website is not powered by Agent BizzUp, you can switch services or use one of the following options.

Change Your Template

If your website is hosted on WordPress and uses a template, you may be able to simply change your template for a responsive one. A responsive website can automatically resize itself to better fit the device that is viewing it.

Create an Alternative Website Just for Mobile Visitors

You can use mobile site builder applications such as, MobDis or YoMobi to create a mini version of your website that will show up only for mobile visitors. These mobile site builder apps are often inexpensive and offer customizable templates. Once you have built your mini website, you can add code into your main website to redirect mobile visitors to the mobile-friendly version. The issue with this is that not only will you have to redirect mobile users, which will affect your search rankings negatively, you will also be stuck with two websites you’ll have to maintain, neither of which is responsive.

Hire a Professional to Build a Responsive Website

While the other options may cost you less in the beginning, hiring a professional to build a responsive website will not only get you a much better looking website, it will also produce a significantly larger number of inbound leads, which will give you a much better return on investment. Responsive websites get the best results because they can reorganize and restructure themselves based on the size of the screen of the mobile device your visitor is using. They also never require you to redirect your mobile users to a different website. And, thanks to Google’s Mobilegeddon, a responsive site will help you get a boost in search rankings.

Now that you know why having a responsive, mobile-friendly website is important, you can modify your website to fit your needs. Once your website is updated, you’ll quickly notice an increase in inbound leads. 

Real estate professionals will hear these six words over and over again. Many may even quote them at odd times throughout their journeys to success: “The fortune is in the follow-up.”

These words are recited so frequently because they’re the most powerful words of wisdom anyone can give in this industry. Of course, knowing this and even believing it to be true are not the same thing as living it in the daily operation of real estate businesses.

Face it, the follow-up part of that equation can be downright tedious. This is where automation is not only handy but absolutely essential for any successful real estate agent in today’s highly competitive real estate market.

Automated Listing Syndication

Internet users search for homes via many different venues. Most of today’s professionals in the field understand the importance of syndication for exposure of their property listings.

There’s just one problem. It takes a lot of time to list properties by hand. One single listing can take hours of time sitting in front of a computer screen to syndicate across multiple websites. This is valuable time that most agents don’t have.

Automating the process allows real estate professionals the opportunity to take back that time and still enjoy the exposure benefits that syndication provides.

Marketing Automation Benefits

The world of marketing has changed in the last few years. The world of real estate has not been left untouched by these changes. Real estate agents and agencies have been forced to adapt to a new way of getting the word out about properties or risk falling woefully behind the competition.

Social media and email marketing not only take up valuable time, but they also force many real estate professionals to step substantially outside of their personal comfort zones.

Email marketing, with the right set of tools, allows professionals, with a few keystrokes, to address single prospective buyers or entire groups of people with open house announcements, customized listings or simply monthly newsletters that highlight specific homes. Emails that once took hours to compose and email can now be created and sent in a matter of minutes thanks to valuable tools that automate the process.

Then, there’s the social media announcements that must be made. Wouldn’t it be great to make them all at once without having to log in and customize different messages each and every time? Automated tools allow real estate agents to automatically announce new listings across multiple social media platforms.

Simple tools that automate the real estate buying and selling process are transforming the industry, providing real estate professionals a work-to-life balance never before experienced and pushing profit margins higher all around.

Because the average vacation home is more than 200 miles away from most owners’ primary residences, having a reliable property manager can make renting and maintaining a second property easy. While this is common knowledge for most property managers and real estate agents, homeowners sometimes hesitate to hire support due to the cost. When helping a potential customer or referral understand the value (and even necessity) of a property manager, we recommend highlighting these five benefits:

1. ACCESS TO TRUSTED MARKET INFORMATION:

Understanding the market is a key element in successfully pricing and leasing a vacation home. Property managers know when peak season falls, what demand looks like, and how to position properties in the market to get reliable renters and maximize returns. Many factors can influence the rental cycle and price, including your customers’ proximity to the ocean, access to popular community attractions such as golf courses, theaters and much more. Property managers understand these correlations and can work with renters and real estate agents alike to make these connections successfully.

2. FREE MARKETING:

Most property managers have close relationships with real estate agents and a strong presence in the community. Whether the property manager leverages real estate agents’ connections or generates referrals through word-of-mouth recommendations, owners can expect greater exposure to potential vacation-goers than relying solely on listing sites and newspaper ads. Oftentimes, property managers can help post these ads or reach out to real estate agents near the end of a lease period to ensure seamless transition between one occupant and the next.

3. PEACE OF MIND:

Although we like to think all guests will be respectful and courteous, that isn’t always the case. A property manager can help negotiate the details of the rental, facilitate leasing documentation, and handle issues that may arise during a guest’s stay.  

4.  STAY UP TO DATE ON REGULATION CHANGES:

Renting or leasing a second home often comes with a laundry list of local and regional regulations. Property managers keep an eye on zoning changes, community notices and rental policies to ensure that property owners are up to date on all legal, insurance and liability matters.

5.  SAVE TIME AND MONEY ON MAINTENANCE:

Natural wear and tear is bound to occur, and a property manager can take care of routine maintenance or secure reliable vendors and repair teams that can save money on tools and labor. This saves the owner the time, potential travel costs and logistical headaches involved in completing these repairs.  

The turnkey is currently one of the kings of the real estate market, a key factor in a quick, easy sale where everyone walks away happy. Why is the turnkey so particularly popular right now? Here are few of the key reasons.

First-Time Buyers

As the millenials grow up and more first-time buyers enter the market in the 2010s, the popularity of turnkey homes has grown. First-time buyers tend to be young and are usually less likely to buy a home that needs repairs. Typically, they want something that is simple and easy to deal with, with no complicated concessions. This means homes that don't need much work, which is why many realtors tend to find success showing these first-timers turnkey properties and related homes.

Bad Foreclosure Experiences

Out of the recession rose a vast number of foreclosures and short sales that hit the market all at once (or over time, depending on bank strategies). Unfortunately, this also propagated a lot of horror stories about buying foreclosures that were dumps or that had been trashed and needed expensive repairs just to be habitable. This created a reaction against foreclosures and put turnkey homes in an even more positive light. Buyers now may go out of their way to avoid any foreclosed home or a more lived-in home when they can just choose a turnkey instead and avoid the risks.

Time and Tide

Time continues to be an important part of home buying for all home owners, and nothing speeds up a home buying process like a turnkey property where the seller is already out and willing to be flexible. If time is an issue, then taking a look at newer developments and homes may appeal to buyers who just want to move in quickly without worrying about the needs of a seller.

Seller Projects

As income levels and real estate activity have slowly recovered in the past few years, sellers and owners have proven more willing to tackle new projects, specifically renovations. These renovations often take care of lingering home problems that an inspector would catch or otherwise make homes more suitable for sale, thus bringing properties closer to a turnkey status. As a result, it may be easier to find turnkey home options even in the more consumer-controlled sections of the real estate market.

Return on Investment

When it comes to selling or buying rental properties, turnkeys are often the first to go. Owners looking to maximize their rental return on investment simply prefer the ease and low expense of starting out with a turnkey. This is generally true for all types of investors, not just those looking to rent out properties.

The marketing industry has been abuzz with phrases like “personalized engagement” and “data-driven marketing” for quite awhile. Even a novice knows that sending out generic mass mailers or email blasts isn't the most effective use of marketing time. But savvy real estate agents also know that outsourcing all things Web leaves them in a precarious position — the most used portal for clients needs to be a personal experience.

Learning the technology end of things can seem daunting, but the reality is that online outreach is just an extension of the personalized customer experience — an agent’s website should be another way for the real estate team to reach clients, not a buffer between them. For real estate agents, every contact with clients should be a continuation of the conversation. Giving clients a great home-buying (or selling) experience today should translate into another great experience in the future. 

Here are our top five ways to personalize outreach to clients, so they feel like they're continuing their relationship with you rather than fielding sales materials.

1. Targeted Email. With today's analytics information, there's no reason to send email blasts to everyone on a list. Target email to certain clients who meet that profile. For instance, there's no reason to send an email with information on searching for a new home to clients who just closed on a house; it will just annoy them. 
2. Helpful Tips. Keep up with clients by sending them newsletters with helpful homeowner's tips, articles about their new neighborhoods, and spotlights on new businesses in the area.
3. Twitter for Outreach. The company Web presence should go beyond it's main website. Twitter is a great example of one popular platform where clients can be found — others include Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.
4. Blogs. Blogging can be a great way to reach out to new clients and keep in contact with past clients; it's also a good way to update content on the site regularly and raise your search ranking.
5. Don't Forget Mobile. Most people use their phones and iPads even more regularly than they log into a computer. All platforms should be mobile-friendly.

Agent BizzUp's Web Presence Suite plans include tools to accomplish all of this and more for one low monthly. With the easy to learn Account Control Panel, real estate professionals can quickly implement personalize engagement in their marketing activities.

Millennials are not only starting to buy houses, they are quickly becoming one of the biggest homebuyer demographics in the United States. Take advantage of this growing market by understanding what sets millennials apart.

From Living at Home to Buying a Home

Many realtors probably still have an idea of millennials as living at home with their parents, far longer and more frequently than other generations. This is certainly a trend, but it is being slowly supplanted by the trend of millennials buying their first homes—so much so that companies like PwC have listed millennial home purchases as one of the major new trends for the real estate market. One major reason is the soaring costs of apartment prices. It is simply becoming more feasible to look for a new home instead of paying for an apartment.

Mortgage Challenges

Millennials are still relatively young in terms of income and credit. This does make it a bit more challenging to find a home mortgage that works for them. It's no surprise that millennials tend to go for FHA loan options with low down payments. They tend to have low cash reserves and limited options. They are also more likely to use their parents as a resource, both in terms of advice and as cosigners on the loan.

Parental Support

Speaking of parental support, it's no wonder than many parents are giving their 20-somethings a nudge out the door in terms of assistance. This can go far beyond cosigning, too. Some parents may offer loans directly to their kids to help out when it comes to down payments. In fact, some realtors may find themselves dealing with more experienced parents rather than their kids when it comes to showing and selling homes.

Small Homes, Smart Homes

So, what are millennials looking for? This is a demographic that is often recently married or living with small groups of other people, looking for smaller, high-tech houses. They like smart home features and buildings set up for connectivity, but they also have an eye on the classics. Location, light, yards, and appliances are also important to them.

Constant Comparison and Independence

Millennials are incredibly connected. They are the most likely to do their own research, use home-searching websites, and compare multiple features and price points when making their decisions. In some ways, a realtor may be a bit superfluous to them until the time comes to draw up the first offer. Just remember that they will be drawing information from many different sources, including their agents and friends.

Online Strategies

Despite their connectivity, millennials are still first-time buyers. They may need guidance, and they want to partner with professionals who know what they are doing. The best way to impress the younger crowd is with a friendly website that offers plenty of information and links to valuable home browsing and mortgage calculation tools.

Agent BizzUp offers all inclusive, full feature, millennial friendly real estate websites for a low monthly fee. View our plans and prices to see which plan works best for your brokerage.

The marketing budget is only so large, and when faced with a list of potential marketing activities that could potentially consume the rest of one’s life, it can be tempting to throw in the towel. Fortunately, there are better and worse ways to spend marketing dollars. Here is a list of the top 5 activities that snag the most bang for your buck.

1. Listing Syndication

Listing syndication is an important way to reach an audience beyond the one already searching for a real estate website. Although it’s important to pander to preexisting clients and prospects, if listings aren’t seen by new prospects, it hurts business in the long term. By syndicating real estate listings, agents can ensure that their listings get seen by the millions of potential buyers and renters who use real estate portal websites and apps, so that no matter where their potential clients are, their listings can be seen.

Listing syndication made it to the top of this list because many real estate website vendors, such as Agent BizzUp, will syndicate agents' properties for free. Listing syndication, while been one of the most effective ways to gain leads for an agent's listings, has one drawback - the agent must have properties to syndicate. For new agents who don't have any properties to list yet, they should consider the other options on this list.

2. Search Engine PPC Advertising

Traditional advertising relies on putting an ad out there and hoping someone sees it. PPC (Pay-per-click) advertising is a much more cost-effective way to advertise, because the account is not charged until a potential customer actually clicks on it. With PPC advertising, an agent can utilize keywords and location targeting to ensure the exact type of clients that they are looking for are visiting their website.

While PPC advertising can bring results immediately, it can also quickly consume a marketing budget if not managed properly. To gain optimal result from a PPC campaign, it's important to invest time in keyword research, A/B testing, ad copy, landing pages optimization, and so on. Since most real estate agents don't have the time and expertise to manage PPC campaigns effectively on their own, it's recommended to utilize a 3rd party vendor. Agent BizzUp offers PPC advertising as part of our Search Engine Marketing services.

3. Content Publishing

This is just a fancy way of saying agents should be getting their voices out there using content their readers want. Whether that content takes the form of blog posts – which is the most common – links on to great stuff on social media, or regularly refreshed website pages to reflect new ideas and information, potential clients want to see that agents know what they’re talking about. Agents should choose a blog schedule and update regularly, keep to their niche knowledge areas, and always share new posts on social media.

On the internet, Content is King. But not just any content, high-quality content that prospects can relate to. Agents should try to produce content that is good enough to publish in a magazine or journal. As professionals with real-time experiences in local markets, real estate agents have a vast amount of knowledge to answer questions that prospects in their community are searching for. While it might require a decent amount of an agent's time and money to develop high-quality content, this will lead them to become a social influencer and have an authoritative website from the search engine’s point of view.

4. Newsletter/Email Marketing

Sharing information with clients and prospects is one of the best ways to touch base and prove expertise. The most effective way to do this is with email marketing. Email marketing should definitely be a part of an agent's marketing activities. The high quality content that an agent develops for their website and blog should also be shared with their mailing list. Subscribers will appreciate it, and it allows an agent to receive quick feedback to their content.

When a prospect shares their email address with an agent and opts-in to receive messages from that agent, it is an opportunity for that agent to further develop that relationship. While social networks are a good way to build an audience, it does not provide direct attention from that audience the same way that email subscriptions do. That is why agents should put careful thought into the messages that they send via email marketing or newsletters. Agents should stay away from "spammy", "canned," and automated messages. If a prospect goes as far as providing access to their personal email address, an agent should be respectful and only send messages that are personalized for that prospect. All Agent BizzUp's web presence suite plans include Email Marketing, which allows agents to send personalized messages directly to their subscribers.

5. Search Engine Optimization

Many people are confused by the concept of search engine optimization, or SEO, but it's pretty straightforward. Search engines operate on relevance, meaning that search engines base rankings on what searchers (actual people) think is important. To rise through the Google rankings, the best approach is to perform keyword research to find the terms users are already searching for. Agents that use these terms in their website headings and subheadings, the content of their blogs, and in their real estate listings have a better chance of appealing to search engines and, therefore, the people that use them.

Search engines love unique, rich content that gets updated frequently and has a lot of direct links from external pages. This gives agents another reason to produce high-quality content and become authoritative. Web page owners that are confident in an agent's expertise will gladly add a link to that agent's content from their own pages. This will result in a higher search engine ranking. Agent BizzUp constantly shares tips and advice to agents for improving their SEO. Agent BizzUp also offers SEO advertising as part of our Search Engine Marketing services.

Trying to decide how to spend the marketing budget can be tough, but try implementing these guidelines in the plan. Go slowly, tackling one at a time, and soon enough marketing won’t seem like such a costly, overwhelming enterprise. Instead, it will become a no-nonsense and easy way to build business over the long haul.