The Big Three gain ground but so can any agent with the right tools

Sure it’s an overused quote. Made by a baseball pitcher, no less.

But his observation is timeless and when it comes to real estate and the big three portals, Zillow, Trulia and Realtor.com, it’s something to definitely keep in mind.

Because this month there’s good news and there’s challenging news for agents and brokers.

The tough news is that the Big Three real estate portals increased their market share of real estate related traffic in January 2013. They attracted 32.4% of the traffic.

That’s up from a year ago when it was 23.4%.

The good news is, technology, in particular Big Data, is becoming so much easier to process and acquire that agents and brokers can embed real estate data tools such as SpatialMatch and compete with the Big Three.

But like the prescient baseball player said, you got to keep moving forward.

Sure competing with the Big Three portals, all of them public companies, might seem daunting.

But the big advantage a broker or agent has is that they are IN the marketplace. They have local knowledge. They can promote locally.

And if they have the right hyper-local tools, they can do extremely well.

Here’s an example.

With SpatialMatch, an agent or broker can embed a data widget onto their site that gives them access to an enormous database of more than 100 layers of hyper-local data – businesses, schools, parks, restaurants, highways, etc.

They can promote the heck out of that technology and continually create examples of their hyper-local expertise and post them all over the web, all over social media.

For example, say a new subdivision opens up. Pull the area up on your SpatialMatch map tool. Draw a circle indicating the location. Display a home in the subdivision when it hits the MLS.

Send it out on social media. Or email. And post on your website for SEO.

You can go further.

Point out the new subdivision is close to a new mall that is under construction. Create the map, send it out on social media, etc.

There’s a new Cheesecake Factory under construction nearby as well.  Create the map, show the location and send it out on social media, etc.

Got a buyer who is looking for a home in that particular subdvision (or close by)?

Pull up one of the properties that meet their criteria and then use SpatialMatch to show them some of the local amenities that only local people know about.

Sure, you’ll have all the school information the Big Three will have.

But perhaps there’s a great dog park nearby. Or a jogging trail. Or a short cut to the interstate that bypasses a bunch of rush-hour traffic.

People who work at the Big Three are not going to know all this. But local agents and brokers do.

Use that advantage. Stay ahead of the pack. Some brokers and agents are going to slip back in the race to attract buyers online.

Adding tools such as SpatialMatch can help you stay ahead of the game.

Paige actually dreamed up a dozen fantastic quotes that most people have never heard beside the “don’t look back” quip.

Here’s one he said to inspire any real estate professional – “Ain’t no man can avoid being born average. But there ain’t no man got to be common.”

Don’t be common with your website. There are fantastic tools out there that are now available to the average broker or agent to make their marketing way above-average and compete on any level.

For more information on the real estate map search technology that can quickly be added to any website, visit SpatialMatch here.