Single Property Websites

One question that I receive from realtors on a steady basis is “Do single property websites work? And if so, which company do I hire to provide this service?” In my opinion, “yes” single property websites do work and can be a very effective marketing tool. It is a chance for realtors to separate themselves from their competition. It is an easy way for people driving by the home to obtain quick information. Home sellers and realtors can easily pass along a URL to potential customers during a conversation.

After explaining the benefits of utilizing single property websites, I am asked which service to use for creating this? There are so many sites out there today that specialize in creating websites for single properties. My simple answer is “NONE”. Why should you pay $30, $50, or even hundreds of dollars to a company to create a single property site? I’ll explain simple and effective ways to do this and save some money.

1. Go to a domain name registration site (ie godaddy.com) and register the domain name with the address. A sample would be 2376 Fulmer Drive – register 2376fulmerdrive.com. My two recommendations here would be to register the .com and stay away from other extensions as they are not as popular and second, be sure to fully spell out names like street, lane, etc in the domain name.
2. If you do not already have the home listed on a broker’s site, please create the entry. If you do not utilize your broker’s site and maintain a personal site, be sure to create a new page on your site with the detailed home information.
3. When creating the new page for your listing, be sure to enter detailed meta data and keywords in the source code. Be sure to be as descriptive as possible on the home you are listing and be specific to this home only. Also be sure to update your page title to include the address of the property.
4. Once you have this saved on the web, go to your GoDaddy.com Domain Manager page. Click the domain name, then click “Forwarding” from the top menu.
5. Type in the full address to where the listing is located on the web.
6. On the masking tab (if your brokerage allows it) you can mask the URL. This means that instead of reading something like http://www.bigbrokerage.com/mylisting, after it is forwarded, it will read the domain name you purchased. Please be sure to check with you brokerage to see if domain masking is approved.
7. Also on the masking, you have the option to enter a Masked Title, Masked Description Meta Tag, and Masked Keyword Meta Tag. This should provide for added SEO. Be sure to click “OK” when completed.

Now you are all set to have your own single property website without spending additional funds. Granted, the cost for the domain name is $8.95/yr (discounts available on more registrations), but it is a lot cheaper than some of the costs companies are charging.

If you are a home seller trying to sell your home on your own, list your property on a real estate site such as zillow.com, then register your address as domain name, then forward it to the listing page on zillow.com. I’m sure Zillow would not allow the masking portion of the forward, but I’m sure they would welcome the additional web traffic.