One area real estate agents love to debate is whether or not they should require “forced” registration for IDX access.

This is hotly debated… and the irony of this is, those debating the “no” side are basing their argument 100% on opinion. There is zero fact, zero data and only anecdotal evidence at best.

"See, when you offer everything freely, the consumer believes it has no value."

The public thinks that because homes for sale can be seen on “the big sites” that it’s easy to find… until they actually start searching for a home and quickly learn that using those big sites puts them at a serious disadvantage.

They learn this on their own.

Even the busiest real estate blogs and websites fail at one major thing: capturing leads. Writing a ton of posts will get you search engine placement, but it won’t capture a lead.

The thing is…..

You Have To Give The Consumer Two Things

1. You need to give them value. Something interesting to read, listen to or watch. Something that answers their questions. Something that captures their attention. Something new and fresh. Something just for them.
2. You need to give them what they are looking for. The real estate visitors to your blog/site  are looking one of two things:

• • They are looking for houses to buy

• • They are looking for help in selling their house.

If you don’t have these items, your blog/site will fail (as most blog/sites do) in drawing traffic to your site.

But as you know, it’s not just about drawing traffic (aka prospects, aka readers) to your blog/site. Just because they like what you have given them freely doesn’t mean they’ll choose you to help them with their next transaction.

Your Blog/Site Is For One Thing & One Thing Only

It is for getting people to give you their contact information. Without that, it means nothing. Without their contact information, all your efforts are in vain.

You can have a stunning website with a ton of traffic but if you are not successful in capturing that traffic it’s a complete waste of your time.

When you offer everything freely, the consumer thinks that it has no value. When you offer a gift in exchange for something from the consumer, that information is suddenly perceived as valuable.

YOU have to give in order to get something from the consumer.

Give a lot. Then give some more. You don’t have to give freely — you just have to give. Give value. Give commodities. Give answers. Your goal is to be constantly giving.

Here it is in a nutshell

You need fresh blog content as often as possible ideally a minimum of four times per week.

Make sure you are focused on your niche and stay there

Don’t wander. You’ll confuse the prospect.

You need to offer consumers something and ask them for something in every single blog post you write.

Offer them information, an answer, resource, knowledge.

Ask them for their email address.

You need to offer IDX of your MLS on your blog/site with forced registration

We found tremendous success with registration required to see details after a search was done.

You need to require the consumer to sign in to access your IDX (require their name, email address and phone number). Yes, require their phone number. More than three-fourths will give you an accurate, working phone number. If you don’t require a phone number, less than 5 percent will actually give it.

You need to offer pamphlets, checklists and e-books to your consumers to help them sell their homes.

• • What are they struggling with?

• • What are their questions?

When you know your niche, you know their thought process,their desires, their needs. Fulfill those desires and need through your checklists, pamphlets and e-books.  

You need to require the consumer to sign in to access these free checklists, pamphlets and e-books.

Always. You give, they give.

So, now I ask you …

What do you think?  Do you have anything to add to this list?