Ann Brown with VirtualAdminsPlus was an Account Executive with Realtor.com® and learned all the ins and outs of their website and listing services. Since starting her Virtual Assistance practice, she has found a way to enhance her clients’ websites resulting in increased traffic.

Part of Ann’s job at Realtor.com® was to show users how to enhance their websites by using all the features Realtor.com® offered. By having inside knowledge of how to use all these features, a VA can manage the client’s website and listings on a regular basis. The only thing a Realtor® has to do is send the VA the new listing’s MLS number and the VA can take it from there. They can then enhance the listing with the photos, text, headline and scrolling marquee. The VA should also add a personalized description of the property.

Armed with listings and a website that stand out above the crowded competition, the Realtor® can go to their next listing appointment, show the seller how their listings are enhanced and tell the prospective client, “I can do the same thing for you too.” Some of Ann’s clients have printed out a “before” page of how the listing looked prior to her enhancing it. The Realtor® can then say, “Here's what other Realtors® do but this is what I will do when you list with me.” Bottom line is more business!

The Realtor® benefits by 1) knowing their listings will be enhanced quickly after it goes on the market 2) their website being updated on a quarterly basis (no more templates with snow in the middle of June!) 3) not having to spend a lot of time trying to figure out how to do the enhancements and then doing them and 4) giving them an edge over other Realtors®. The key in this business is to stand out above the rest by doing something different. With so many millions of consumers going on Realtor.com® and all the Realtors® competing for the same market, you've got to do something that differentiates you from the rest.

Everywhere you can in the listing, direct people to your website. The first thing the visitor should read is “Visit my website for more info and pictures.” This entices the reader, telling them that there's more to see. They must click on that listing first which drives them to your website. Ann says, “It's a numbers game and I always tell my clients, ‘Would you like to have 30 people see your website in a month or 300?’ Obviously, the more people that visit, the more people will inquire about a property and the more sales you’ll make.”

After doing this a few times, then looking at the traffic results, Realtors® will be surprised to see their monthly traffic increase substantially. By using all the tools in the Control Panel to enhance their listings and website, Realtors® should see a significant increase in their business.

By hiring a professional like Ann, you will be freed up to do what you do best: listing and selling homes. With the VA’s help in optimizing your website on the search engines, you’ll get more traffic and therefore, more business.

One of Ann’s clients remarked, “Buyers today shop online and we need to embrace that concept with maximum exposure of our listings. By enhancing our listings on Realtor.com®, it gives us a better online image with our listings. By adding this feature to our Internet marketing campaign, we sell more of our own listings and it helps the listing sell quicker. It’s a great listing tool.”

Using a VA to enhance your listings on Realtor.com® is a win-win situation. You get better results and you don’t have to do it yourself!

Evy Williams is our VA QUICK TIPS columnist. She specializes in designing marketing materials to sell homes through her company, BrochuresByDesign.com. She holds a Master’s degree in Administration and is a certified Master Virtual Assistant, Military Spouse Virtual Assistant, Professional Real Estate Virtual Assistant, Real Estate Support Specialist and is EthicsChecked. Contact her at Evy@BrochuresByDesign.com.

(NOTE: Mr. Internet, his company and staff receive no compensation whatsoever from any third party vendors or service providers. Also any virtual assistant or consultant mentioned in this publication is not to be construed as an endorsement of their services by Mr. Internet or his company. Always remember to do a thorough due-diligence before hiring any kind of assistant.)