People ask why I created Agent Engine, and the answer is simple: I love design, and, in my opinion, the real estate industry desperately needs it.
Real estate is one of the most dynamic industries—in terms of transactional volume and market trends—yet the technology that powers it painfully remains one of the most antiquated. As Alanis would say, isn’t that ironic?
For the last 15 years, I have made it my mission to beautify the web. In 2007, I founded a company called StudioPress, which developed the world’s most popular design framework for WordPress.
In the summer of 2018, WP Engine acquired StudioPress. It opened the door for something I have been dreaming about for years—building a company whose focus was to serve one specific industry: real estate.
The power of personal brands is huge. A digital presence offers a competitive advantage, especially for new agents or those without a referral business.
When it comes to real estate, buyers and sellers go straight to their computers and mobile devices to find an agent—and we want that agent to be you.
The Power of the Internet
As we draw near to 2021 (thank God!), one thing is sure: The Internet plays a critical role in everything we do.
As a consumer, it allows us to shop online, connect with friends, and research anything. As a producer, it enables us to create things that people can buy, connect with customers and prospects, and make ourselves known to the world.
Creating a place you call home on the Internet is a lot easier than it looks. In just a few minutes, and with just a few clicks, you can be up and running in no time.
Our friends at Century 21 Northwest Realty understand this and do everything they can to equip their team. Their brokerage has well over 100 agents, and they invest time and energy into teaching and training them.
As part of its mission to maintain its gold standard in real estate, the digital marketing team offers a library of resources and tools to help their real estate agents build a personal brand that sets them up for success.
They believe in a rising tide society, and that strong personal brands help not only their agents, but the brokerage as well.
What is a Digital Presence?
A digital presence is a representation of who you are and how you do business. It’s what your prospects and clients discover when they search for an agent to help them buy or sell their home.
Your digital presence consists of content you control, such as your website and social media profiles, and also content you have no control over, such as online reviews at places like Google, Yelp, and Zillow.
The purpose of a digital presence is simple: Make it as easy as possible for people to do business with you.
This strategy involves having a well-designed, functional website, a strong social media presence, and a digital marketing system that is full service—from capturing leads all the way to closing the deal.
Strong Real Estate Brands
Although relatively new to the real estate industry, Compass has quickly emerged as a powerhouse. With more than 17,000 agents serving vibrant communities across the U.S., it is now the country’s largest independent real estate brokerage.
Compass has a stellar digital presence. Their agent websites are beautiful and showcase the best of modern design. Here are a few examples: Carlin Wright, Melanie Giglio-Vakos, and Evan Kulman.
The Brenda Wade Team services the greater Tampa area, and their clients greatly benefit from the extensive experience her team has.
Offering real estate services in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and Teton Valley, Idaho, the Century 21 Teton Valley team is small, but their brand is powerful. They pride themselves on being local experts and shine brightly in their neck of the woods.
Dawn McKenna and her group are the #1 luxury real estate team in the midwest for Coldwell Banker. Her website is a fresh experience, filled with jaw-dropping videos and photos of homes they have listed.
Next Steps
Your need for an unforgettable digital presence exists. It’s a strategy that is critical to embrace, or you run the risk of being left behind—which nobody wants.
At Agent Engine, we want to change the mindset of buyers and sellers and make the experience of working with a real estate agent or brokerage a pleasant one.
We are currently building a tool that will help you craft a digital presence for your real estate business, and can assure you it will be well-designed and easy to use.
This is our mission. Because even a few additional closings a year can be a game-changer for you—and we’d love to play a role in making that happen.
