ReMax agent makes sure he has his area covered from river to bay

I’m sure you heard it from those older-school real estate sales guys about how they used to get out there, pound the pavement and wear out the shoe leather.

Walk all over town to find prospects. Attend every function. Show up at every ballgame.

Sure, go on thinking that.

Of course, we’re not going to knock the art of networking in real estate. It’s still very effective.

But, folks, things are a little different now than say 10 years ago.

For example, consumers carry a little 4 x 3 inch device in their pockets that pretty much gives them access to all the real estate information in the world.

Or, they have a 15-inch screen at home that lets them virtually walk-through nearly every home for sale in the entire US.

Robert Bentley, a ReMax agent in Newburyport, Mass., recognizes this and has put quite a bit of effort into making sure his web site is the one people will find when looking for a home on the web.

Because, most of them aren’t driving around town anymore, they’re surfing (on the Internet).

“I’m not out there at 7 a.m.  every day networking like others,” Bentley admitted.

But he is net savvy. That’s why he chose Home Junction Inc. to create a WordPress web site for him, integrating the SpatialMatch IDX and lifestyle search tool.

WordPress is the top platform for optimizing your site on Google and other search engines. SpatialMatch provides a real-time interactive map display of detailed property listings and their location.

On top of that, SpatialMatch has integrated an enormous neighborhood database into its search platform, so consumers can not only review properties, but also they can check out the surrounding area for lifestyle amenities they want such as golf courses, Italian restaurants, spas, you name it.

“The reason I bought into it (HJ’s  WordPress site) is because it is all about being different and differentiating yourself,” Bentley said, who by the way was named the Top Listing Agent for the ReMax On The River office.

Too many real estate site just list homes, he said.

“They have no relationship with the location. Real estate is all about location. I believe in starting with the location first,” Bentley noted.

And, Newburyport is quite the location indeed. For example, in the North Shore area, on the Atlantic Ocean, you have some beautiful communities and outstanding properties in the million dollar range.

The area is accented with pockets of water – Ipswich Bay, Sandy Bay, Essex Bay, Hodgkins Cove, Pigeon Cove, Loblolly Cove.

Yes, in a place as beautiful as this, you want to be sure you find just the right spot.

“Robert makes the smart choice and displays a full map on the front page of his site,” said Grant Gould, VP with Home Junction Inc. “This way you can see the great locations. He also displays maps of all the towns, schools, school districts, etc. Integrating all these maps into his site shows he does indeed have local content.”

There’s a lot of ground to cover in Robert’s territory. He prides himself on local knowledge.

“You need someone who knows this area inside and out,” he indicates on the site. “I can work with you to find the right home at the right price for you, including all the neighborhood amenities that matter – not to mention the essential criteria you have for your ideal home.”

Bentley believes it’s important to not only find a great property, but to be sure you are aware of the surrounding as well.

He knows a buyer doesn’t want to find out he or she bought a home next to railroad tracks or a sawmill “after the fact.”

As for the search engine benefits to all this hyper-local information on a WordPress-based platform, Bentley is very pleased with the results and says he has “tons of people coming to the site.”

Plus, they tend to stay on longer conducting property searches AND neighborhood searches as well. This increases the value of the site in the eyes (or should we say, “bots”) of search engines.

Sure, you can impress a buyer or a seller with your worn out shoes.

But there’s also that other adage – “Build it and they will come.”

Using Home Junction’s WordPress for Realtors, Bentley has built a better web site, with lots of depth, and consumers are finding him.

With the use of “new school” tools, this innovative agent has managed to cover far more territory with far less shoe leather. Good for him and his clients, bad for shoe stores.

To view Bentley’s site click here.

For more information on Home  Junction’s WordPress services for real estate brokers and agents, click here.