As briefly mentioned in my previous post, Postlets, vFlyer, and ListHub are some sites that will syndicate your listings to a plethora of the more popular real estate listing websites.  If you have a Point2Agent site and add your listings, Point2 syndicates the listings just like the others.  (Note: Point2 sites are great for their price… FREE!  Although you can upgrade for some other great features.  Check out a test/training site I made in less than 30 minutes)

Syndication is important for a few different reasons.  The first being that it saves you time for the reasons mentioned above.  Enter your listing in one spot, and the rest is done for you.  I want to point something out to those that are with a Realogy brand company (Century 21, Coldwell Banker, ERA, Better Homes & Gardens and Sotheby’s) though.  This is done for you via the feed from corporate.  Syndication sites are below the corporate sites in the heirarchy set forth by third party real estate sites, so if the same property is featured on a syndication feed and a corporate feed, the corporate feed will win.  From what I understand, third party sites ranking of claiming listings work like this:

Agents Direct Claim > Brokers Direct Claim/Feed > Corporate Feed > Syndication sites

If you aren’t from a Realogy brand company and you’re unaware of your company sending feeds to the third party sites, Jump ahead of the others in your company and area by using the syndication sites.  If you’re a broker/owner, make your company stand out by creating an XML feed that the third party sites can access.

Other good reasons to syndicate listings are your listings are put in front of prospective buyers!  Screw the newspaper, you’re trying to get the listing sold.  There’s some stat out there where a lot of people use the Internet to search for their new home.  And it’s easy!  Very little technical skill needed.

Another way to advertise your listings: Blog about them.  Don’t just give property specs though, they can pull that from another site.  Write about the community and why someone would want to live there.

Okay, I hope you are ready to jump up and down that you’ve been waiting for me to shut up and let you go post your listings.  I’m done.

Now go to Postlets, vFlyer, Listhub… (all do the same, just personal preference on which one you choose).

First, you must have an online presence.  Whether it be a static website or a blog, it’s your choice.  If you have time and willingness to learn (which I’m assuming you do because you’re reading this), I would suggest a blog.  For advice on starting a blog, RSS Pieces is a great place to start.  It’s smart to remember that often your website or at least web presence is a person’s first impression of you.  So make it a great one.

Next, participate in Social Networking.  I use participate for a reason because you can’t just sign up and expect business to come to you… if it were only that easy.  When you sign up for Facebook, twitter, Trulia Voices, Zillow Discussions, or the many other sites that enable you to have an online voice, make sure you maintain your presence.  I often compare online networks with offline networks.  You don’t get business the first night you attend a Chamber of Commerce meeting, and signing on a social network is the same… don’t expect same day business.  It takes time and participation. Join groups that peek your interest, or start one of your own.  Participate in the ongoing dialogue.  Answer and ask questions inside those groups.  One big no-no is to solicit business, especially before you get a feel for the group and get accepted.  Once people get to know and trust you, they will send you business.

Lastly or once you get listings, put those listing in a syndication website like ListHub, vFlyer or Postlets.  Those sites will push your listings to many listing websites like Zillow, Trulia, Google Base, HotPads, etc.  Most even provide a code that you can Copy and Paste into Craigslist to display your listing there.  You’re seller will be so happy with you when they see their property in front of millions of eyes vs. the few that still read offline print.

Hope you enjoyed the quick tutorial of getting yourself up to speed with online marketing for real estate.  Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.