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  • Real Estate Copywriting: Generate More Leads By Starting With Your Audience

    Real Estate Copywriting: Generate More Leads By Starting With Your Audience

    Tips from the world’s top copywriters that’ll make your real estate copywriting stand out from the masses.

    Hordes of people left and right are now bumping shoulders among you and trying to get to the same sellers — all screaming at the top of their lungs: “I can buy your house fast for cash!!!”

    With more options for sellers and more investors on the scene, our efforts are becoming harder. So, what do we do in this populated market where our prospects are well aware of our message?

    The answer is right in your market.

    There’s a plethora of advice on how to stand out from the masses. But in this article, I look to the copywriting giants for help.

    So, the following advice is taken straight from the methods and teachings of great and famous copywriters like Gary Halbert, Dan Kennedy, Gary Bencivenga, John Caples, David Ogilvy, and Robert Collier… names that have had a huge impact on today’s marketing methods and even Carrot’s own content.

    But first…

    The problem with REI marketing

    If you Google “direct mail real estate investors,” you’ll get a host of articles and forum advice on how to get started with direct mail (DM). But who in their right mind would read through every one of those Bigger Pocket’s articles and forum topics? I did!

    When I first wandered into direct mail (before I was aware of copywriting and direct response), I implemented all the advice I gathered from the forums. I even used a famous coach’s DM method exactly as he recommended.

    The results?

    After tens of thousands of dollars spent and hundreds of calls, I got ZERO deals out of it, maybe two motivated sellers. And yes, I did follow up relentlessly and yes, I did send mail for seven months.

    But I wasn’t alone in this. I asked many investors in my area, and I quickly learned that the volume of deals required to obtain consistent results in my area is massive, and very few are successful.

    What was the problem?

    Fast forward to today, now being a young-schooled copywriter, following the masters of the past, and putting my knowledge to the test with Carrot as a professional copywriter, I realized an important thing… the advice given by coaches/gurus and forums in Biggerpockets is completely contrary to the advice of copywriting and direct mail masters; guys like Dan Kennedy, Eugene Schwartz, Bob Bly, and Robert Collier who all devoted their lives to “sales on paper” and squeezing as much money out of every marketing dollar.

    Here’s the difference I found:

    The World’s Top Copywriters say:

    1. Create a laser-focused list and keep narrowing down that list.
    2. Research and study that market relentlessly. Get in their minds. Find out what makes them tick, their fears, desires, etc… Find out what their main problem is.
    3. Create a copy that focuses on them and their problem, agitates their problem, and then provides your solution.

    Real Estate investors say:

    1. Get a list of absentee owners with equity.
    2. Send a simple letter saying, “Hi, my name is… and I want to buy your house at….”

    Here’s the good thing about direct mail in real estate investing: you can generate $20,000 with one deal. So, a .02% response doesn’t really matter if you have the budget for massive volume while still generating a decent ROI.

    Here’s the bad thing about DM in real estate investing: A .02% response can get you broke fast in a crowded market where the customer is well aware of your service.

    If you’re advertising in a crowded market and you’re doing what everyone else is doing… then your prospects are getting the same message from multiple people.

    At this point… your success is determined SOLELY by luck.

    Let’s do better.

    Let’s rise above the masses by learning from the pros who devote their entire lives to what we’re talking about.

    Here are 5 things you can do to improve your marketing message by just looking at your audience.

    Table of Content

    Compelling Real Estate Copywriting:

    Real Estate Copywriting Tip #1: Audience Comes First

    “Tell me about my crabgrass, not your weed killer.”

    Features VS. Benefits

    Your prospects need the utmost attention from you. So, stop talking about what you have and start talking about THEM and their problems.

    Every time your message says something along the lines of “I want to buy your house,” all it says to your prospect is “me, me, me, me!”

    This message only has what’s called a “feature” in your product. And listing a feature right off the bat doesn’t grab attention.

    Now don’t get me wrong, this can work and has worked in a market where your service is brand new and not really heard of. But things are heating up and there are tons of new investors and more options to sellers.

    Instead of talking about your features, re-write them in a different way that places the sellers in the middle: This is called a “benefit.”

    Here are some examples of Features vs. Benefits taken from Bob Bly’s “The Online Copywriter’s Handbook,” selling an alarm clock:

    Features

    1. a) Large illuminated digital display
    2. b) Snooze alarm switch
    3. c) Digital alarm

    Benefits

    1. a) Time is easy to see at a glance­—even at night.
    2. b) Tired? Just hit a button for 10 more minutes of sleep.
    3. c) Alarm wakes you at precisely the right time

    See how Bob changed a simple, boring alarm clock feature into a customer focused benefit? This can be done with any product or service. Take for example the features we use as house buyers, rewritten as a benefit:

    Features

    1. a) All-cash offer
    2. b) Fast close
    3. c) No hassle

    Benefits

    1. a) No more hoping and wondering if you have a sale — A guaranteed sale with one offer.
    2. b) In 5 days you can wave goodbye to your troublesome house and stressful situation.
    3. c) You’ll literally never have to leave your couch until you sell your house.

    Here’s an excerpt from one of my blog articles listing benefits of selling to a buyer…

    “You can have your home sold in 1 week to a buyer today.

    • Get the assurance your house is sold and never risk the mobile sitting for months just losing money.
    • Never deal with headache buyers who are just flakey and disappoint you
    • Never deal with the agent calling you saying, “only one person showed up to the open house today and they weren’t interested”.
    • Never deal with the realization, months after, that you listed the house for $10,000 more than it should’ve (it’s happened to me and it’s not a good feeling).
    • Pay nothing out of pocket
    • Never deal with picky buyers (they don’t like the paint color, or the floor, or they wanted a new a/c, etc.)
    • Sell your property as-is (bugs in all, investors usually take it)”

    Focus on the problems

    Other than listing benefits in the message, you should also be agitating the central problem of your prospects.

    For example:

    1. If you sell a plumbing service, talk about what mold can do when it builds up due to a leaky water pipe.
    2. Or, if you sell a roofing service talk about what a complete roof replacement costs if you wait until the planks get rotted out.
    3. And, if you sell a house-buying-service, talk about how a foreclosed home due to tax delinquency can mean 7 years of ruined credit, losing all your equity in the property, and the embarrassment of losing a house.

    The key to all this is to add emotion.

    Features like “Cash-offer” and “Fast close” don’t trigger any emotion. But benefits that solve a problem and storytelling of emotional real-estate problems can pack an emotional punch.

    The famous negotiator, Jim Camp, once said, “you’re always safe when you’re in the customer’s world.” Meaning? Always go back to the market. Find out what they want, who they are, what they like, what they need, and what they desire and you’ll be better off than most.

    As the marketing giant Dan Kennedy has said in the “Ultimate Sales Letter,” “The goal is understanding. To persuade someone, to motivate someone, to sell someone, you really need to understand that person.”

    If you get this part right, it doesn’t matter how bad the rest is, you’ll do fine.

    But how do we find out what our market wants?

    Here’s an excerpt from one of my blog articles listing problems that communicate emotions…

    “But if…

    you have another mortgage to pay 

    have no money to pay that rent space

    having medical issue and need to move ASAP

    risking eviction

    risking foreclosure

    need to move out of area for another job you just got

    need to pay debt that keeps piling up

    need to move in a week for whatever reason…

    Than, that offer that’s less that what you expected is much better than paying all that money out of pocket AND suffering through all the pain of staying in the house.”

    Real Estate Copywriting Tip #2: Research, Research, Research

    “If I have 4 hours to chop a tree, I’ll spend 3 hours sharpening my ax!”

    Top copywriters spend hours researching, profiling, and diagnosing their audience. To them, this part is THE most important part of marketing. Exploring and getting in the minds of your sellers is a must.

    But how do you do this?

    The best way is to talk to motivated sellers. If possible, talk to your previous sellers. Or go door-to-door knocking and spend time face-to-face with them. In other words, spend time with the market.

    A good tip given by Ben Settle (you can listen to the Carrot Cast with him here): Spend some time on forums and articles and read comments directly from some people right in your market.

    Copywriters like Ben Settle also take time to find out who their audience is in terms of political affiliation, age, gender, race, TV show interests, hobbies, etc.

    The bottom line is that you must find out what they truly desire, what they fear, and what they really want. A “cash offer” is not what they really want. What they may truly want is security, or they may truly fear a complete loss of equity or ruined credit from foreclosure, or they may want convenience and not to deal with anything else or to move forward with life away from their stress—in other words, get into the mind of the seller.

    The Hidden Benefit

    Ted Nicholas (sold over $200 million worth of “how-to” books using direct-response ads in magazines, letters, and newspapers) discusses the importance of emphasizing what he calls the “hidden benefit.” It’s not the obvious benefit, nor is it the first benefit you think of, but the most profound benefit to your prospects.

    Let me illustrate this by telling a story from Dan Kennedy’s book, “The Ultimate Sales Letter.”

    He describes how he had to come up with a marketing campaign for a presentation called “How to recruit more insurance agents under you.” He spent a lot of time amid these insurance agents.

    One day, he was listening in on a conversation between two agents and noted that they had A LOT of interest in golf. Most of the time, they were talking about golf, not recruiting… thus a marketing message was born.

    His new message to the insurance agents? “Puts Recruiting on Auto-Pilot, So That You Can Go Play Golf!”

    That’s genius! What these insurance agents really wanted was NOT just to recruit. It’s to have more time to golf. Recruiting wasn’t their true desire. He asked, “Why do they want to recruit? What do they really want?” It’s to be able to make money while doing what they love: golf.

    Getting to what your prospect really wants is key.

    But that’s easier said than done if you don’t know who your prospects are, where they’re at, and what they TRULY want.

    I know what some of you might be thinking: “Well, that’s hard to do because I only advertise to a large list of homeowners with different interests.”

    Well then, my answer to that is…

    Real Estate Copywriting Tip #3: Narrow Down Your List

    “The only advantage I want is a starving crowd.”

    This is my final piece of advice from marketing expert Gary Halbert.

    We know that we must center the ad on the customer and do some research beforehand. But before you do your research, you must have an audience… a very targeted audience.

    Gary Halbert had once said in his book “The Boron Letters,” “I only want a starving crowd.”

    A list of absentee owners is not a starving crowd. What does a BIG list of homeowners with equity have in common? Nothing… except that they have equity.

    Are they “starving to sell their house at a discount for cash and a fast, as-is sale”? Who knows if there are any motivated sellers on that list? It’s a dice game.

    Combining multiple lists creates a better list that narrows in on problems rather than equity.

    An example would be absentee owners who have inherited a house and have had eviction or credit problems. A probate list containing an out-of-state heir/executor and the property going through probate was owned for at least 20 years.

    Now, I understand these are probably difficult lists to obtain, but the main idea I’m illustrating is that almost every single person on that list has a serious problem with money, a tiresome house, or doesn’t want to deal with unwanted property. If you need a simpler approach, just take an eviction, divorce, or tax delinquency list.

    Does it seem like it’s a little too much?

    Well, Gary Halbert, in the same book, gave away his method for determining a list. In doing so, he cut it down 10 times! That’s right, he used 10 different layers (criteria) to narrow it down to a hotlist.

    A list like that is much easier to research. Now, you can speak directly about their pain points.

    Plus, this produces a MUCH cheaper marketing budget.

    We’ve only touched on the audience in this article. And there’s much more to creating compelling copy.

    Real Estate Copywriting Tip #4: Unleash the Power of AI, But Don’t Get Lazy

    Listen, I get it. You’re a busy investor, juggling a million things. Writing compelling copy can feel like another mountain to climb. But fear not! AI-powered copywriting tools are here to be your secret weapon. Imagine having a 24/7 virtual assistant who can:

    • Craft Initial Drafts in a Flash: Are you stuck staring at a blank page? AI tools can churn out initial drafts based on your targeted seller’s unique selling proposition or property details (square footage, bedrooms, amenities). This gives you a solid foundation to build upon, saving you precious time.
    • Keyword Magic Trick: The right keywords are like gold in the online real estate world. AI can analyze market trends and suggest keywords potential sellers and buyers use in their searches. This ensures your copy gets discovered by the right audience, not lost in a sea of generic descriptions.
    • SEO Optimization Made Easy: Crafting SEO-friendly copy can feel like deciphering an ancient language. AI tools can analyze your content and recommend tweaks to boost your search engine ranking.
    • Grammar Police on Patrol: Typos and grammatical errors can scream “amateur.” AI acts as your virtual editor, providing real-time feedback on grammar, clarity, and sentence structure.

    AI: Your Partner, Not a Replacement

    Now, let’s be clear: AI is a powerful tool, but it’s not here to replace your savvy as an investor. While AI excels at data analysis and technical stuff, it lacks the human touch.

    Storytelling Sells!

    AI can’t spin a captivating yarn that tugs at the heartstrings of motivated sellers or paints a picture of a dream home (or a high-ROI rental property!). That’s where you, the savvy investor, come in. Use AI-generated drafts as a springboard, but infuse them with your unique voice and storytelling skills. Highlight the emotional connection your audience will have with you.

    The Winning Formula: Human + Machine

    The key to success is leveraging the strengths of both AI and human expertise. Use AI tools to streamline tasks, research keywords, and get a jumpstart on your drafts. Then, unleash your inner wordsmith to craft copy that showcases your skills, offers, and solutions.

    Remember, you’re an investor, and every detail counts. Make your copy work as hard as you do!

    Real Estate Copywriting Tip #5: Expanding Your Copywriting Arsenal

    Crafting compelling copy is just the first step in effective marketing. Here’s how you can leverage your copywriting skills to attract the right sellers and buyers and maximize your return on investment (ROI):

    Targeted Website Content:

    Your website is your digital storefront for attracting qualified leads. Compelling copywriting is key to converting visitors into offers:

    • Headline Hero: Craft clear, concise headlines that grab attention and instantly communicate the property’s potential.
    • Data-Driven Decisions: Include data and market analysis to showcase your market knowledge and support your offers.
    • Compelling Case Studies: Feature past success stories with before-and-after testimonials and showcase renovation examples to demonstrate how you’re uplifting the community.
    • Clear Calls to Action (CTAs): Make it easy for interested leads to connect with you. Include CTAs like “Get an Offer Today” or “Download our Free Guide: The Pros and Cons Of Selling A House To A Professional House Buyer.”

    Social Media: Engaging with Potential Leads

    Social media platforms are powerful tools to connect with motivated leads:

    • Captions that Convert: Write compelling captions highlighting your unique selling points (USPs) and using relevant hashtags to reach your target audience.
    • Targeted Ads: Craft engaging ad copy with clear CTAs to drive traffic to your website or landing page with detailed information.
    • Behind-the-scenes Content: Share behind-the-scenes glimpses of renovation projects or neighborhood highlights to build excitement and showcase your expertise.

    Building Trust with Consistent Branding:

    Maintaining a consistent brand voice and style across all your marketing materials establishes you as a professional and trustworthy investor:

    • Define Your Investor Persona: Are you a quick-flip specialist, a buy-and-hold investor, or something in between? Tailor your brand voice to resonate with your ideal buyer.
    • Develop a Style Guide: Create a style guide that outlines your preferred voice, tone, and formatting to ensure consistency across all your written content.

    Tailoring Your Copy for Different Property Types:

    Adjust your copywriting approach to highlight the specific benefits of each property type:

    • High-Demand Rentals: Focus on strong rental income potential, low vacancy rates, and desirable amenities for tenants.
    • Fixer-Uppers: Emphasize the property’s potential for value-added renovations and highlight the cost-saving benefits.
    • Commercial Properties: Showcase the property’s location, traffic patterns, and potential for increased business activity.

    By mastering these copywriting strategies, you can effectively market your investment properties, attract qualified buyers, and achieve your real estate investment goals.

    Every good advertiser starts with their audience

    I know that I’ve mentioned direct mail quite a bit. However, all this info applies directly to any marketing channel, such as Facebook, TV, Bandit signs, and PPC.

    Simply put…

    1. Narrow down your list to hit specific pain points.
    2. Research that list to learn more about your audience, hidden benefits, and pain points (including interests, hobbies, TV shows, age, gender, political affiliation, desires, etc.).
    3. Focus on the prospect and their pain points in the message.
    4. Use AI-powered copywriting tools as your secret weapon.
    5. Expand your copywriting arsenal

    Applying these tips doesn’t matter if you’re in a crowded market or not.

    Imagine your prospect who is tired of her rental and having money issues, and she’s holding two letters in her hand:

    One says, “I will buy your house…” a message she gets every week. The other (yours) speaks of the problems of evictions, the cost, and how difficult it is to sell a house with tenants and then introduces a solution.

    It’s obvious which one grabs more attention.

    However, this is nothing new. This has been tried and made true by hundreds of copywriters who help 8-figure businesses increase their revenue.

    If you implement these, you can put yourself ahead of the game by increasing your ROI (and your success). While others spend $10,000 a month for seven months on a huge equity list, saying, “I want to buy your house…”

  • Real Estate Branding [5 Smart Ideas + Examples]

    Real Estate Branding [5 Smart Ideas + Examples]

    What makes your business different from any other real estate agent in your city? 

    How you answer this question and communicate what makes you unique is incredibly important. Real estate branding is vital for attracting and retaining clients.

    Your real estate branding aims to clearly and consistently communicate the experience and services you provide- visually, textually, and in person. 

    Without good real estate branding, you risk being just another agent, lost among hundreds of other agents trying to market their real estate business.

    Today, we’re highlighting a collection of the best real estate branding ideas. Check out these examples, see what these brands are doing right, and consider how your branding holds up to the competition. Ask yourself, is my business a brand?

    And remember, buyers and sellers are much more likely to choose a brand they connect with over a generic alternative.

    How Are You Branding Your Real Estate Business?

    At first, maybe that seems like a simple question. You choose some colors and some fonts, pay someone to design a logo or use a logo generator, and then build your website.

    Voila!

    But it’s not that simple…

    Every color, font, and logo communicates something about your brand. If you don’t choose those elements carefully, you might send messages you don’t want to send.

    And this guide will show you how to brand your real estate business effectively, whether you’re an investor or an agent.

    Before we dive into the five steps, though, let’s talk about why branding is vital for your real estate business.

    Why is Real Estate Branding Vital For Your Business?

    To understand why branding is important for your real estate business, you first have to understand what a brand is.

    So what is a brand?

    We like the way that Wikipedia defines it…

    “A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that identifies one seller’s good or service as distinct from those of other sellers.”

    In other words, it’s an identity.

    Business owners create brands because it helps consumers quickly and easily identify their goods and services. It also helps its target market build a relationship with its business and identify with its mission and vision.

    Think about it — if Nike had a different logo and color palette with each of their marketing campaigns, it’d be challenging to know what advertisements and products were actually from Nike.

    This ad by Nike shows the advertising element of Headline. The ...

    Brands encourage consumers to personify businesses and attribute their human qualities and beliefs.

    For example: what feelings and thoughts come to mind when you think of these businesses?

    • Nike
    • John Deere
    • Home Depot
    • Amazon
    • Google

    Those are just names of big businesses.

    But each one creates a feeling (positive or negative, depending on the person).

    Maybe you like Amazon, Google, and Nike. That’s probably because you’re their target market, and they’ve created a brand that mimics your internal beliefs. If you don’t like those companies, then you’re probably not their target market.

    Or maybe you respect John Deere and Home Depot.

    The point is you like what you like because of the branding you’ve seen.

    It’s not an accident — it’s intentionally engineered into the company’s marketing resources and advertising campaigns to make consumers feel a certain way.

    That is the power of a brand.

    Consider some of these statistics…

    • 86% of consumers say authenticity is important when deciding what brands they like and support.
    • 81% of surveyed consumers said that they need to be able to trust the brand to buy from them.
    • Using a signature color can increase brand recognition by 80%.
    • It takes about 50 milliseconds (0.05 seconds) for people to form an opinion about your website.
    • A consistent brand presentation has been seen to increase revenue by 33%.
    • 66% of consumers think transparency is one of the most attractive qualities in a brand.
    • Two-thirds (64%) of consumers worldwide said they would buy from a brand or boycott it solely because of its position on a social or political issue.
    • 73% of consumers cite customer experience as an essential factor in purchasing decisions.
    • 77% buy from brands that share the same values as they do.
    • 79% of people say that user-generated content highly impacts their purchasing decisions.

    Now let’s answer the all-important question.

    Why is it important to brand your real estate business?

    Because it builds trust, it builds authority, and it helps lead generation.

    Real Estate Branding Questions You Need To Answer Before Starting

    Evaluating your personal life and business while considering your real estate branding is essential.

    Ask yourself some questions while creating the real estate business that fits you.

    Here are some examples.

    What Are Your Goals?

    • How do you want your workday to be structured?
    • Where do you want to be in 5 years?
    • Do you want to be part of a real estate team or own your real estate business?
    • Do your personal goals fit your business goals?

    Who Are You Helping To Reach Those Goals?

    • What is the mission of your real estate business?
    • What are people saying after they do business with you?
    • How have you impacted your community?

    How Are You Helping Your Clients?

    • How can you make the buying or selling process easier?
    • What do your clients care about? How can you help to give them achieve that?
    • Are there ways to help save them time? Money?

    Now that you’ve answered some questions, it’s time to walk through the five steps to branding your real estate business.

    Step 1. Create Your Core Values, Mission, and Unique Selling Proposition

    Before you design a logo or choose colors and fonts, you must clearly understand your core values, mission, and USP.

    Remember: a brand isn’t just a random jumble of visual elements. It’s meant to express the identity of your business in a way that attracts your target market.

    So list out the following information.

    • Mission — This is the primary reason that your business exists. Ideally, this reason should be something that resonates with your target market. Maybe it’s to make the world a little bit better by passing 5% of your profits to charity. Or maybe it’s to bring honesty and transparency back to the real estate world.
    • Core Values — These are things your business cares about more than anything. For example, maybe you want to provide exceptional service with positivity and optimism. Or maybe you want to use some of your revenue to help support a specific charity. Here’s an example from Townsend Realty Group…
    Real Estate Branding - Core Values
    • Unique Selling Proposition — This is why people will choose to work with you instead of another company. This is what makes you unique. Maybe you can close faster than competitors. Maybe you’re more personable. Maybe you sell houses at a specific price point. Check out the selling proposition from the The Beckham Group below…
    Beckham Group real estate use

    Once you know these three things for your business, you can start creating a brand to reflect those ideas and beliefs.

    First is choosing your brand colors and fonts.

    Step 2. Choose Your Brand Colors & Fonts

    Choosing your brand colors and fonts might seem like a tall order.

    Technically, there are 10 million different colors and about 300,000 different fonts.

    So… how do you make a choice?

    Well, here are a few tips…

    • Choose Colors Carefully — The most prominent colors in real estate logos are blue, red, black, green, and orange. The brain associates these colors in different ways. Blue brings a feeling of stability and reliability. Red sends the strongest emotions. Love, passions, and power. Green is calming and settles minds with ease. Orange communicates a feeling of excitement, enthusiasm, and warmth.
    • Stick To The Same Color Tones — If one or more of your colors are light, keep all of them on the lighter side. If you design dark shades, create the rest of your pattern or image in the same style. This makes for an aesthetically pleasing image. It will remind your clients of your real estate business when they see it.
    • Use These Tools — You can use Coolors to generate free color palettes for your brand. And check out this guide to choose a font that fits your business, or use Quicktools to copy and paste fonts for easy font selection.

    Step 3. Design Your Real Estate Branding Elements

    Now that you’ve chosen brand colors and fonts that reflect your vision for your business, it’s time to design your actual branding elements.

    These are the graphics that you’ll use to identify your brand.

    That includes logos, images, and other graphics you think you’ll need.

    Many businesses choose to create different versions of their logos for different platforms.

    At Carrot, for example, we have a logo that includes the word “Carrot” and a version that just includes the graphic.

    (You can see all of our branding guidelines over here… check it out for inspiration)

    Your logo is probably the most crucial part of your real estate branding elements.

    It should go at the top of your website, in your emails, mailers, and everywhere else you market your services.

    And to be honest, a logo is probably all you need to get started in terms of graphical elements.

    You can always create other graphics down the road.

    Oh — and make sure your logo uses brand colors and fonts.

    But how do you create your logo and other branding elements?

    Well, you have two options.

    You can do it yourself using a tool like Canva.

    Or you can hire someone else to design your logo on UpWork or run a contest on 99designs where multiple graphic artists create logo mockups, and you choose your favorite.

    When you download your logo, ensure you can get several different file types, including PNG, SVG, and PDF.

    If you need logo ideas, here are some questions to get you thinking…

    • What’s a visual metaphor for how your business is making a positive impact?
    • How can you express your mission and vision in a logo?
    • How can you express your unique selling proposition in a logo?
    • What simple but attractive logo will work for now.

    The key here is at least partly not to overthink it.

    A logo is used to identify your brand, and while creating the right logo is important… just having a logo is more important.

    And you can always change your logo down the road if needed.

    For inspiration, here are a few of our favorite logos from our members…

    Shemeika Fox…

    The G Team…

    Kelly Kingston Homes…

    Step 4. Brand All Of Your Content & Profiles

    Now, it’s time to brand all of your online assets.

    The first thing to focus on, of course, is your website.

    Branding your website is super easy if you’re a Carrot member. You can quickly and easily upload your logo and update the colors and fonts on your site.

    If you’re already a Carrot member, then click here to view our full branding guide.

    (Not a Carrot member? Click here to check out our plans!)

    The next step is to add this logo to your social media profiles. You’ll want to use your logo as your primary profile picture on your business pages.

    Here’s another example…

    Beckham Group Facebook Branding
    real estate branding on Instagram

    And here’s what it should look like on YouTube…

    real estate branding on YouTube

    Notice how the Fox Realty Group creates a consistent feel across all of their online platforms?

    That’s the ultimate goal.

    You want people to be able to quickly recognize your business, no matter where they see it.

    Ideally, this should also apply to your physical marketing campaigns—mailers, business cards, T-shirts, bandit signs, etc.

    Fox Realty Group also puts its logo straight into some of its content.

    For example, on their Instagram page, their logo is sitting in their “Just Sold” bubbles.

    real estate branding on social media

    You might even consider putting your logo at the top or bottom of your email marketing campaigns so that recipients can quickly identify your business.

    As a rule, there’s rarely a bad time to use your logo.

    The more people see it, the more they’ll relate it to your brand, which is exactly what you want.

    Think of some of your favorite companies… when is their logo not on their marketing materials?

    Yeah… pretty much never.

    Step 5. Create an On-Brand Sales Funnel

    What good is real estate branding or marketing materials if they don’t generate leads?

    Remember: the ultimate goal of all of this is to grow your business.

    And one of the most important parts of growing a successful real estate business is lead generation.

    You need to generate high-quality leads consistently every single month.

    Specifically, leads that turn into revenue for your business.

    So how do you do that?

    Well, running advertisements and sending mailers consistently is the first step. This will generate attention and drive your target market to your website.

    But the next question is whether your website does a good job of converting that traffic into leads or not…

    Because if it doesn’t, then your advertising budget will be wasted.

    Be sure to choose a high-converting real estate website template, customize it as you like, drive traffic, and collect leads.

    With Carrot, it’s really that simple!

    Conclusion

    You’re now ready to create a brand for your real estate business.

    But remember that the brand you choose now doesn’t need to be the one you have later.

    This is just your starting point. As your business evolves, your brand will likely evolve as well.

    And that’s okay.

    My friend once said that if you get to the point where you have to rebrand your business, you’re probably in a stronger position anyway!

    Use this guide as your starting place, get some deals or closings, and stay flexible.

    We’re excited to see where your business takes you. :)

  • [Updated Data – August 2020] How Has Lead Generation Changed During COVID-19 for Real Estate? – Exclusive Data and Action Plan

    [Updated Data – August 2020] How Has Lead Generation Changed During COVID-19 for Real Estate? – Exclusive Data and Action Plan

    How Has Lead Generation Changed During COVID-19 for Real Estate?

    The COVID-19 crisis is impacting all of us in some way, shape, or form. So what I wanted to dive into is what data we have in our system with over 10,000 real estate investor and agent websites.

    What data are we seeing right now and how the lead flow has been impacted by COVID-19 for real estate buyers and sellers?

    [Updated August 6] New Data Pointing to Conversion Rate Increases

    New Research

    There has been a clear shift towards new lead generation, and how our members are acquiring those in the past two months during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    According to our Google Analytics data, when comparing April and May to June and July, there has been a conversion rate increase of 10.92%.

    Paid Search has seen the largest shift, jumping 39.48% over the past two months. Compared to what we reported in April, it seems paid traffic has begun to normalize.

    Sessions are coming down as more people are feeling confident in the house selling process.

    Here are the numbers for the eight common channels:

    • Organic search: 3.21% increase
    • Direct: 7.84% increase
    • Social: 10% increase
    • Paid Search: 39.48% increase
    • Referral: 21.23% increase
    • Email: 36.72% decrease
    • Other: 0.26% increase
    • Display: 21.43% decrease

    In May, our data was showing sessions steadily increasing:

    We also saw conversion rates have begin to increase since a dip in mid-April:

    Here’s what one Carrot member said recently…


    Some of the main changes we’re seeing are:
    • Overall traffic from all sources has continued to increase week over week… meaning there is more demand right now for buyers and sellers needing solutions to their problems than before.
    • Conversion rates stayed low for a few weeks but are now on the uptick as the overall sentiment in the US is improving and people are starting to get out more.
    • Predictions: I predict once the stay at home orders lift we’ll see conversions go up above where they were for a short period then settle into normal zones.
    • Double down on why it’s important to NOT stop your marketing even if lead costs are higher from lower conversion rates… because the people are still searching… so you need to be getting content in front of them NOW while they’re researching and followup w/ them through retargeting so you’re in front of them when they’re ready. This should create a surge in demand once stay at home orders lift… but only those who stayed in front of the market will capture that demand.

    Additional COVID-19 Articles:

    I pulled up our own Google Analytics account, which is a master account for all of our member websites that are generating the top rankings in Google for motivated house sellers.

    So we have crazy, crazy cool data from every major market in the country.

    The first thing to notice is a report from March 1st through the time that I’m diving into this data, which is April 7th.

    Number one, we’ve reported this data in the past, Monday’s tend to be the hottest time when your sellers and buyers are hitting the internet to search.

    Now this includes Google searches. It does include some direct search, where people are typing your URL directly, but mostly Google search and Google pay per click. When people have that pain point the most, is your Monday or Tuesday.

    Monday and Tuesday have the highest demand for searches.

    Now here’s one thing that we saw as soon as the stay-at-home order took place in most of the cities around the country in early to mid-March.

    Image Explained:

    From March 1st – April 7th. On the right, sessions are “visits to our member’s sites” from sellers and buyers. Notice only about a 10% dip for a couple of weeks then it’s climbed back to normal numbers by April 1st.

    On the left, is the conversion rate on that traffic. While the traffic remained essentially the same… buyers and sellers are STILL searching for solutions. Some of them aren’t submitting their contact info because they’re unsure how to buy or sell during the Coronavirus stay at home orders.

    This EQUALS a huge opportunity.

    While you may be seeing your conversion rate dip on your marketing, the SEARCH volume is still there. You need to create content (VideoPost, our automated content, retargeting ads, around how you can help them during COVID still, etc.) and get it in front of them on your site, update your hero section to link to one of our COVID-19 automated articles (Content Pro and Advanced Marketer) and place retargeting content on FB specific to how you can still help them during COVID.

    You can see traffic to our client’s websites, agents and investors, has not really gone down much. There was a slight blip by about 5 to 10% in traffic volume with house sellers and house buyers.

    Now you can see it started to climb back up. So right here at the start of March before the shutdown started to happen, on a normal Monday it’d be just sub-50,000, between 45,000 and 50,000 people hitting our client’s website each day. And then you can see right there, somewhere between that week, week and a half, we started to see that drop-off.

    organic search volume rising after stay at home orders it

    Image Explained:

    This is organic traffic (traffic from google searches) from March 1st – April 7th. You’ll notice that initial “shock” of COVID dipped organic by 10% or so the 2 weeks after it hit.

    But, the past 2 weeks of organic traffic is increasing week over week again for motivated sellers and buyers (including land). We see this getting stronger as more sellers have more motivation the longer it goes on.

    Now towards the end of the month and even into the first part of April, we started to see traffic go back up a little bit. We think that that’s probably because that initial fear, that initial, “Hey, let’s wait and see what’s going on,” started to fade off and we came into that new normal.

    Here’s the thing that’s really, really important. That data shows that the traffic really has not gone down in a measurable way from your sellers and buyers.

    Now, if I map back to the start of March, the conversion rate of one of our homepages which are geared for lead generation, those range usually between 5 and 25%.

    So when we’re looking at gross conversion rate, that’s all traffic, all sources, any page that they landed on, even non-conversion pages, what percentage of them became a lead?

    Covid 19 conversion rate in March

    And this is a really respectable percentage, between 2 and 4% of all traffic comes to a lead on the Carrot system.

    If you’re driving to a landing page, there might be a 20 to 30% conversion. If you’re driving to a rent-to-own page, it might be between a 30 and 40% conversion rate.

    But here’s what’s interesting.

    Right when the stay-at-home order started to hit around the middle of March, in California and Oregon and Washington and a bunch of other states, conversion dropped off by about 20 to 30%.

    lead volume dip march during stay at home orders

    So what does that mean? If the conversion rate of a website for buyers, sellers, for agents and investors, dropped off by about 20 to 30%, while the traffic of the demand from buyers and sellers didn’t really change much, what does that mean?

    Well, one thing that we’re hearing a lot of, or a good number of even experienced agents and investors say, is you might see your lead cost go up a little bit, possibly.

    Some people are seeing their lead costs down right now because competitors have pulled out of the marketing spaces. You might see your conversion rate of PPC, of SEO, of direct mail, of cold calling, of any of those, you might see that actually go down right now even though the demand is still there.

    What Should You Do Right Now?

    Here’s what I want to give you guidance on. The demand is still here, but many sellers and buyers aren’t sure what to do right now in the midst of the Coronavirus. Do they reach out to you and try to elicit your services?

    Many of them might be nervous about…

    “Well shoot, I don’t want to have someone come to my house right now. Maybe I’ll wait until this is all over.”

    Or, “How can I still sell my house if this person can’t come in?”

    Or, “Where am I going to move if we’re in a stay-at-home order in my state of California?” as examples.

    Direct Action Items

    Here are some direct action items for you right now.

    #1. The demand is still there y’all for buyers and sellers, that’s not going away.

    Actually, even more so you’re starting to see it pick up here and get back to pre-Coronavirus numbers because people are in that new normal. They’re at home on these cell phones and they still have the problem or they have the desire that they’re searching out.

    Image Explained:

    Paid search-demand through Google Ads hasn’t changed much at all. It dipped less than 3% after the stay at home order… but now is growing to more google ads clicks than before Coronavirus.

    The opportunity here… in many markets we’re seeing paid ad costs dip as less savvy investors or agents pull back their marketing budgets (the worst thing you can do).

    Now, many motivated house sellers actually have even more of a desire and even more of an acute problem because their financial situation might be worse now.

    As an investor or as an agent, you can really step up and help them right now and show them that they can still be helped during this pandemic.

    #2. What can you do if you are seeing a softening conversion rate right now?

    Having a lower conversion is natural right now because of the “wait and see” attitude from some buyers and sellers.

    So what can you do?

    Right now you should be creating more content!

    We talk about that a lot, but you need to be creating content and local authority right now as people are still doing their searches. As soon as the Coronavirus is over and we’re back to life as semi-normal, demand is going to pop back and they’re going to be reaching out to the person or the people that they want to have help them.

    So right now, they’re doing the research. They’re digging in and saying, “Who do I want to work with?” As soon as it’s all over they’re going to be moving fast as a buyer or a seller to solve that problem.

    The way that you become the one that they’re working with is by putting out content, put out VideoPosts on your Carrot website to where it’s a short YouTube video.

    You can do it with your cell phone, talking about how they can still sell their home during the Coronavirus. Do a walkthrough in the house through Facebook, or through FaceTime or Zoom or whatever it is.

    You can still protect their safety and their health. Or if they’re a buyer, how can you start to work with them now to ensure that when they’re ready to buy or maybe they are ready to buy right now, that you can pull the trigger on it?

    If they’re a seller, they might be thinking…

    “Well, you know what, I kind of want to wait to sell.”

    What happens if they wait until everything is back to normal and then reach out to you?

    Then they’re going to be behind the eight-ball by two, four, six weeks, and there’s going to be buyers that are hungry and ready to go at that point and they might miss some of that high demand window to get the most out of their property.

    Talk with them with your content and videos. Put the content on your Carrot site using our VideoPosts feature. Put them on Facebook as retargeting sequences so they can shift they’re thinking into…

    “I’m going to start preparing right now and I can still get this taken care of during the Coronavirus pandemic, and I can work with these investors or these agents even right now and we don’t have to meet in person.”

    🔥 Diving Into More Data 🔥

    Let’s dive into a couple of other cool pieces of information.

    Social Media Traffic Data

    Let’s hop over to social media. Social media is actually even picked up a little bit. There are a lot more people on your Facebook as well as other social platforms.

    Social Media Growth During COVID

    That’s where you need to be putting those videos about how you can help them during this crisis, or how you can still help them buy or sell. That content needs to be going on social media right now. We’re seeing traffic picking up on social media over the past month.

    Direct Traffic Data

    Let’s take a look at direct traffic. Now a hunk of this is actually organic search that Google lumps in, and a hunk of it is somebody actually typing in your URL. You can see the same thing. The demand for that has not really gone down at all.

    Direct Search Traffic durning COVID

    Paid Traffic Data

    Looking at paid search, that demand hasn’t really changed, either. It’s actually gone up. On Monday, April 6th, there were 7,730 sessions to our websites through Google paid traffic. A month later we’re actually seeing more traffic.

    Paid Search Traffic During COVID-19

    So while there’s a lot of agents and investors pulling back their marketing right now, what’s happening is we’re in this interesting window where oftentimes your paid traffic through Google and through Facebook is a little bit cheaper because there’s less competition.

    Some are even stopping their marketing. You should not. You should be leaning into your marketing because we’re starting to see that data come back.

    Time Lag Data

    There is a situation called “time lag”.

    Image Explained:

    How many visits it takes someone to turn into a lead. Why is this important, those people who are not sure about how to sell/buy during Coronavirus who are searching but not acting, they need content and YOU to be the trusted Authority.

    Create a COVID-19 update on your home page that links to our new COVID-19 articles (content pro and adv marketer upsell. Link direct to those packs in the article) and also create video posts right now, one per week on how people can sell or buy right now.

    41,628 opt-in conversion leads, not including the 40,000-plus phone call leads that came in through the same time period.

    Look how long it took some of those people to become a lead. The vast majority, become a lead on the first day.

    But then, some of them, it takes weeks if not months to become a lead for you. So this is where putting in really good retargeting campaigns is very, very important, especially right now while some people are waiting it out.

    Length of the path for visitors to actually interact and engage with you

    How many times does it take them visiting your website, especially right now during this time period, to become a lead?

    Right now that time period is lengthening versus our normal because some of those sellers and buyers are unsure how they can best be served during this Coronavirus time.

    You need to be creating content and local authority to help them come back through this time. Think about content topics such as…

    • Where they’re going to move
    • How they can get people into their house right now
    • How they can still stay safe and healthy during this process

    From the last image above, 86% of people on the very first interaction become a lead on your website, agents and investors.

    But then it takes some people over 12.

    So one half of 1%, it takes over 12 interactions. But the sweet spot is six or under.

    The vast majority of people take between one to six interactions on your website to become a lead, and that’s actually lengthening right now.

    Organic Conversion Data

    The one single most consistent, predictable, and highest converting lead source, is organic. It’s putting content online and getting high rankings in Google, which we specialize in. It converts the highest.

    organic conversion rate during covid

    On average, no matter what page they land on, there’s a 5.54% conversion rate percentage and very, very low bounce rate on Google organic search.

    Whereas, social has the lowest conversion rate. It’s lower by almost two thirds. But it still converts well. That’s because people are seeking a solution to their problem in Google organic. Social, you’re kind of interrupting them with content but it still works. Keep that in front of them.

    Paid Conversion Data

    Let’s look at paid traffic. Paid traffic on average is about a 2% conversion rate. That’s still great. You can still make an amazing, amazing ROI with that.

    Paid traffic during COVID 19

    Create evergreen content

    I want to come back to evergreen marketing because that’s what is going to be around in a year, two, three, four years from now.

    How do you do less marketing that performs better?

    How do you do marketing that is consistent, predictable, and momentum-building?

    That’s with evergreen marketing.

    Publishing content online that builds authority, that attracts people when they’re seeking out solutions to their problems, and then once they land on your website, it’s not just the normal broker-provided website or a custom website that looks pretty but doesn’t convert well, or a Wix site that performs terribly.

    It might look pretty but it doesn’t convert well. You need to be delivering amazing authority-building content, which we do with our content marketing tools where we have COVID-19 automated articles now.

    If you’re on the Content Pro plan or Advanced Marketer, we have COVID-19 articles written for you to publish on your website. You can go right now into your system and schedule to tell people how you can help them. Share those on social media.

    Use VideoPosts right now. Create a video every single week. I’m creating a podcast every week about COVID-19 and how you can wade your way through that. Do the same thing with your buyers and sellers.

    We’re here with you. We want to see you start to thrive and crush it in this market. We’re starting to see the traffic grow. We’re starting to see conversions start to go back up.

    The way you wade through this market is creating more and more content, becoming the authority. So when things get back to normal, you’re going to see a pop in demand when all your other competition’s waiting it out.

    Lastly, check out our Authority Building Webinar to learn more ways to stand out in this market, build authority, and build momentum.

  • How to Calculate Your Google Ads for Real Estate Budget while Avoiding Common Mistakes

    How to Calculate Your Google Ads for Real Estate Budget while Avoiding Common Mistakes

    When we speak with potential members and host our Coaching Calls about Google Ads, one of the most common questions we hear is:

    How much should my Google Ads for Real Estate budget be?

    That’s a great question and there can be a couple of answers.

    Adopting the Right Mindset for Your Google Ads for Real Estate Account

    Before we dive into calculations, we need to cover the mindset approach you’ll need to have before starting a Google Ads account.

    Understand You’ll Need Time for Testing

    It is important to realize going into an ad campaign that you’ll need to do so with a realistic time frame in mind. The time frame will depend on your budget and it also depends on your market.

    There might not be enough search volume for your target keywords to get leads data in one or two months. For example, “sell my house fast” might be searched for 30 times per month in your market and you would get 4 clicks from that particular keyword.

    Is it realistic that you would get a lead from only 4 clicks? Probably not. Of course, though, you’ll be targeting more than just one keyword.

    The goal is to make sure there is enough search volume for your target keywords to achieve your goals within your time frame.

    Mistake #1: Don’t Stop Too Soon

    Stopping too soon is one of the biggest mistakes we see, not just for real estate investors or agents, but in business in general.

    Too many of us stop way before we actually should stop. We invest a little bit of money in this marketing type and it doesn’t pan out right away and we go…

    “Oh my gosh, that must not work.”

    We throw up our arms and then we start something else and then we do that for a little bit. Then that doesn’t work like we thought it would, and we throw up our arms again…

    If you create a pattern of going and investing a little bit, dabbling, and then pulling back because you didn’t get the results you wanted, you’re probably going to be in that pattern forever until you change your thought process.

    If you fall into that pattern you’re going to be looking back in a year or two and going…

    “Oh my gosh, I ended up investing a lot of money, I lost a lot of money, I didn’t grow the business that I wanted to, and I don’t have the freedom that I wanted and thought that I would have in my business.”

    You’re going to blame it on everything but your marketing mindset. Having the right marketing mindset can save you from that.

    Give yourself enough time. For Google Ads, that’s typically gathering three months of solid data before taking a hard look at if it’s working for your budget and market.

    Google Ads Budget – How Much Should You Spend?

    If you’re just starting out, it’s smart to start with a test budget. You’ll want to hold your costs while you’re figuring out what is going to work. 

    While you’re in data-gathering mode. It’s possible that your initial campaign will be profitable, but you may break-even, or you may lose a little money. 

    We’ve created many campaigns that were profitable right out of the gate, but you shouldn’t put all of your chips in and expect this to happen. Instead, it’s helpful to shift your mindset to looking at the first month or so as investing in market research.

    With your initial campaign, you’ll:

    • Gain insights into what ad messages are resonating with your target market.
    • Learn what keywords are converting into qualified leads and customers. 
    • And, you’ll be able to test your landing pages to figure out what is working best for converting clicks into leads and customers.

    Before you get started, learn how you can get “cost per click” estimates before going live with an account using the Google Keyword Planner tool...

    How to Find Keyword Bid Estimate Using the Keyword Planner Tool

    Related Content: Google Ads Traffic Has Increased 4% During COVID-19. The Necessary Adjustments to Also Increase Your Leads

    What should your budget be? Here are a couple of ways to formulate your budget

    First, you can calculate an estimated budget by multiplying the number of keywords you want to test by the cost per click and by a minimum of 100-200 clicks. As a general rule, you’ll want to get at least 100-200 clicks to determine what is converting for you.

    For example, if you’re going to test 10 keywords with a cost per click of $10, we’ll need to plan on a test budget of $1,000 to $2,000. You’ll find that there will be a mix of winning and losing keywords, ads, and possibly landing pages from the start.

    As you see the data come in, you’ll “prune” your campaign by keeping the winning keywords, dropping the losers to bring your campaign to profitability, and ready for the next round of expansion and testing.

    The second calculation is how we typically estimate a monthly budget. Start by looking at how many clicks it’s going to take to get a lead. As a general rule, it takes 15-20 clicks to get a lead. Let’s say your cost per click averages $20 per click. Next, let’s say it takes 5 leads to turn into a deal.

    • 15 clicks to get a lead
    • $20 per click
    • 5 leads to get a deal

    The equation looks like this:

    Clicks x Cost Per Click x Number of Leads to Get a Deal

    15 x $20 = $300 x 5 = $1500. You’ll need to budget $1500 to get one deal.

    Need a calculator? Use the Carrot ROI Calculator! You can also read this post to determine your Max Cost Per Lead.

    Mistake #2 Eventually… Focus on ROI, Not Cost

    If you want to dominate your market, you can’t just focus on “costs”, you must focus your energy on maximizing your return on investment (ROI) from Google Ads.

    We have a client who spends more than $10,000 per month with Google Ads. He’s happy to do so because he earns healthy profits on that advertising.

    The million dollar question is…

    “How do I get to that point where I’m scaling up my Google Ads and capturing more of my market share?”

    That is how you scale up your Google Ads. Know your numbers and remove emotion from it.

    1. Find your average profit per deal first.
    2. Find out how many leads it takes you to close a deal.
    3. Figure out your conversion rate on your website.
    4. Figure out how much it’s going to cost you to get those visitors to your site from Google Ads.

    Conclusion

    You can’t fully explore Google Ads for real estate without money. And, making room in your budget isn’t always easy or fun.

    At least, there are a couple of quick ways to create a Google Ads budget from scratch.

    First, start by researching how much your keywords are going to cost using the Google Keyword Planner tool. This will give you an idea of how much your keywords will cost per click.

    Once you’ve done that, you can do some simple calculations to find what you might need to start your budget at.

    If you don’t have enough to make that budget work, take a look at what you might be able to cut right now to test Google Ads. Can you cut down one of your other marketing platforms to give it a full test? You might want to keep an eye out for being limited by budget status as well.

    If so, it’s time to put that money into action.

    Lastly, you have to give it time, monitor your campaigns, and double down if they start performing well!

  • 9 Backlink Strategies to Grow Your Real Estate SEO

    9 Backlink Strategies to Grow Your Real Estate SEO

    Having good real estate backlinks can provide a huge boost in your organic rankings. However, if you do them wrong, the effect can devastate your rankings, sending them into the Google abyss. That is why educating yourself before starting a link-building strategy is critical.

    Table of Contents


    In the world of real estate websites, backlinks are like gold. They’re essentially links from other websites that point back to yours. Search engines see these backlinks as a vote of confidence in your content and expertise.

    The more high-quality backlinks you have from relevant real estate websites, news outlets, or local directories, the higher your website will rank in search results for local homebuyers and sellers. This translates to increased online visibility, attracting more qualified leads and ultimately growing your real estate business.

    Backlinks are a major piece of the SEO (search engine optimization) puzzle.

    They go together like peanut butter and jelly. You need one to make the other better.

    High-level, here are four quick reasons why it’s important to have a good backlink strategy:

    • Backlinks are how Google (and other search engines) find your pages.
    • Backlinks are a way to show Google that you have a solid reputation. Search engines will push searchers to websites they can trust.
    • Relevant backlinks can boost your authority.
    • Backlinks drive more traffic to your website.

    Here’s an example. When someone types “sell my house in [market city]” or “real estate agent in [market city]” into Google, you want your website to come up on the first page.

    top Google search rankings

    If it doesn’t, you’re missing out on a lot of website traffic, leads, and, more importantly, deals.

    Some 93% of internet experiences start with a search engine, including the real estate industry. When people — your target market — are looking for help, they go to Google.

    And if you show up on the first page, that’s good for business.

    Two of the most powerful factors for ranking in Google are website traffic and backlink portfolio.

    most powerful search rankings

    In other words, the more traffic and backlinks a page on your website receives, the better that page will rank for your target keyword phrases.

    Unfortunately, getting traffic and backlinks is one of the most difficult things. This article will give you practical tips for promoting your content and building links to your website.

    Related Content: How Many Backlinks Does it Take to Start Ranking Your Real Estate Website in Google?

    Here are nine real estate backlinks strategies to help improve a website’s authority and credibility in the eyes of search engines.

    1. Consistent Content Creation

    This is your first step on the way to building your SEO rankings. Without consistently creating blog content for your website, you might rank for a few keyword phrases on your homepage. Still, you won’t rank for any longtail keyword phrases (like “how to deal with foreclosure” or “how to sell my how during a divorce”).

    Think of every piece of content like a door to your website. The more doors you have, the more people can visit your website, and the more opportunities you have to rank in Google. A good rule of thumb, though, is to create only one piece of content for each keyword phrase you’re targeting.

    While consistently creating content can be time-consuming, our Grow plans at Carrot include done-for-you blog content. You just need to customize about 25% of each post and publish it!

    Many of our members, like Ryan Dossey, consistently get SEO leads from those done-for-you blog posts!

    real estate website traffic every month through SEO

    But maybe you want to create your own unique content—no problem! We’ve created VideoPost, which you can use to transcribe video content into a blog post with the click of a button—learn more here.

    2. Building Backlinks with Local Citations

    Getting listed in relevant directories isn’t just about backlinks, it’s about building your online presence and local SEO. Here’s why citations are crucial and how to find the best ones for your real estate website:

    What are Citations?

    Citations are online mentions of your real estate business, including your name, address, and phone number (NAP). These mentions can appear on various online platforms like:

    • Local Business Directories: Yelp, Google My Business, Bing Places for Business, Angie’s List, HomeAdvisor, etc.
    • Industry-Specific Directories: Realtor.com, Zillow, Trulia, LoopNet (commercial real estate), etc.
    • Local Government Websites: City or county government websites often list licensed real estate agents.
    • Chamber of Commerce Listings: Joining your local chamber can provide valuable directory listings.

    Benefits of Citations:

    • Improved Local Search Ranking: Search engines like Google rely on consistent NAP citations across the web to verify your business legitimacy and location. The more accurate and consistent your citations are, the higher your website will rank in local search results for relevant real estate keywords.
    • Increased Online Visibility: Citations help potential clients discover your business when searching for real estate agents online. These listings often display basic contact information, reviews, and sometimes even links to your website, directing more traffic your way.
    • Backlink Potential: Many high-quality directories provide backlinks to your website, further boosting your SEO.

    Finding the Right Directories:

    • Focus on Relevance: Don’t just submit your website to every directory you find. Prioritize directories relevant to your location, the real estate niche you serve, and those trusted by potential clients.
    • Local Directories First: Start with local business directories and industry-specific real estate platforms.
    • Use Online Tools: Several online tools like Moz Local or Yext can help you find high-quality directories and manage your citations across different platforms.

    Maintaining Accuracy:

    Once you’ve claimed your listings on relevant directories, ensure your NAP information is consistent across all platforms. Any inconsistencies can negatively impact your local SEO. Regularly monitor and update your listings as needed.

    By building a strong citation profile through local directories, you establish your real estate business online, improve your local search rankings, and potentially earn valuable backlinks to your website. This comprehensive approach strengthens your online presence and attracts more qualified leads.

    3. HARO

    HARO (for Help A Reporter Out) is a great way to build backlinks and market authority simultaneously. Journalists sign up for HARO to get quotes and contributions from market experts. You can sign up for HARO (for free) to become a source of expertise for journalists.

    Oftentimes, if they choose to quote you, they’ll also give you a backlink.

    Heck, you could even outsource this to a VA if you want. You can learn more about using HARO to build backlinks.

    4. #Journorequest

    The hashtag #JournoRequest is another direct line to journalists writing online articles and seeking expert contributions.

    By searching the hashtag on Twitter, your page will populate with many different online writers looking for specific types of contributions. They’ll have no problem providing a backlink in return most of the time.

    #Journorequest for real estate backlinking

    Again, this is so simple that you could pay a VA to scour Twitter for you and look for backlink-building contribution opportunities. You’ll have to provide them with expert quotes when they find one.

    5. Establishing Yourself as the Local Real Estate Expert: Building Trust and Backlinks

    Becoming a local resource in the real estate market isn’t just about generating leads; it’s about building trust, establishing expertise, and attracting backlinks through valuable community engagement. Here are some strategic ways to position yourself as the go-to expert:

    1. Offer Free Consultations and Resources:

    • Free Consultations: Provide potential clients with free consultations to discuss their buying or selling needs. This allows you to showcase your knowledge, build rapport, and demonstrate your commitment to their success.
    • Host Educational Seminars: Organize workshops or seminars on topics relevant to your target audience, such as “First-Time Homebuyer Tips” or “The Benefits of Selling Your Home in Today’s Market.” This establishes you as a thought leader and positions your website as a resource for valuable information.
    • Create Free Downloadable Resources: Develop downloadable guides, checklists, or market reports that provide valuable insights for buyers and sellers. Make these resources freely available on your website with clear calls to action encouraging visitors to explore your services.

    2. Participate in Local Events:

    • Industry Events: Network with other professionals at real estate conferences, workshops, or association meetings. These events provide opportunities to build relationships, exchange knowledge, and potentially collaborate on future projects.
    • Community Events: Actively participate in local community events like charity fundraisers, neighborhood clean-up initiatives, or local festivals. This demonstrates your commitment to the community and fosters positive brand recognition. Sponsor local events to gain further visibility and establish your brand as a trusted local partner.

    3. Partner with Local Businesses:

    • Strategic Collaborations: Partner with businesses that complement your real estate services, such as mortgage lenders, title companies, or home inspectors. Cross-promote each other’s services and leverage each other’s audience reach.
    • Local Publications: Connect with local newspapers, online publications, or radio stations. Offer your expertise as a guest speaker or interviewee on topics related to the real estate market. This provides valuable exposure and potential backlinks when your website is mentioned as a resource.
    • Offer Free Content to Local Websites: Contribute informative articles or blog posts to local publications or neighborhood websites. These guest posts establish you as an expert and can include backlinks to your website for further information.

    By actively engaging with your local community, offering valuable resources, and demonstrating your expertise, you build trust and brand recognition. This can lead to local publications featuring you as a resource, potentially including backlinks to your website, further boosting your local SEO and attracting organic traffic. Remember, becoming a local resource is a long-term strategy that pays off with increased brand loyalty, trust, and ultimately, more qualified leads.

    6. QuuuPromote

    QuuuPromote is a service where you can pay to get Twitter shares for your content. Here’s how it works…

    There are two sides to Quuu’s business model. The first side comprises “influencers” who want to post quality content on their Twitter feed automatically — they pay Quuu to do just that.

    The second side of Quuu’s business model is made of people (like you!) who have good content and want to get that content shared on Twitter — Quuu then posts that content on the “influencer’s” Twitter feeds.

    So yeah… from a business model perspective, Quuu is having their cake and eating it, too. But it’s relatively inexpensive and worth trying if you want more shares and clicks (inside your Quuu dashboard, you can see how many clicks your promotions get).

    7. Leveraging Social Media Promotion for Backlinks:

    Social media platforms offer a powerful tool to promote your real estate content and attract backlinks. Here’s how to maximize your efforts:

    1. Identify Your Target Audience:

    • Platforms: Not all social media platforms are created equal. Focus on platforms where your target audience spends their time (e.g., Facebook groups for local residents, LinkedIn for industry professionals).
    • Communities: Join relevant Facebook groups, online forums, and subreddits focused on real estate in your area or niche.

    2. Content Strategy for Backlinks:

    • Post Consistently: Regularly share valuable content like blog posts, local market updates, home buying tips, or visually appealing property listings.
    • Optimize for Sharing: Include clear calls to action, encouraging viewers to share your content. Use relevant hashtags and engaging visuals to increase shareability.

    3. Engage and Build Relationships:

    • Be a Valuable Contributor: Don’t just post your content and disappear. Participate in discussions, answer questions, and offer helpful advice. Establish yourself as a trusted resource within the community.
    • Collaborate with Others: Look for opportunities to collaborate with other real estate agents, lenders, or local businesses on social media campaigns. Cross-promotion can expand your reach and attract backlinks from their audience.

    8. Turn Dead Ends into Backlink Opportunities

    Broken link building is an effective strategy for acquiring backlinks by identifying and replacing outdated or non-functional links on relevant real estate websites. Here’s how to refine this tactic and maximize your chances of success:

    1. Finding Broken Links:

    • Free and Paid Tools: Utilize free tools like Check My Links or Broken Link Check. Consider premium tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush for more advanced features and website crawling capabilities.
    • Focus on Local Relevance: Prioritize websites related to real estate in your local market. Look for local news outlets, neighborhood association websites, or even competitor websites (avoid anything malicious).
    • Target Relevant Pages: Focus on pages that discuss topics relevant to your content. For example, if you have a blog post on “The Best Schools in [Your Neighborhood],” target websites with broken links on pages about local schools or family-friendly neighborhoods.

    2. Crafting Your Outreach Message:

    • Personalize Your Approach: Avoid generic templates. Research the website owner or editor and personalize your email with their name and a brief mention of their website.
    • Highlight the Issue: Concisely explain that you discovered a broken link on one of their pages (mention the specific page and URL).
    • Offer a Valuable Solution: Present your website and a relevant blog post or resource that offers valuable content as a perfect replacement for the broken link. Briefly explain why your content aligns with their website’s theme and audience needs.
    • Focus on Mutual Benefit: Frame your message as a win-win situation. You’re helping them improve their website while potentially earning a valuable backlink for your own.
    • Include Call to Action (CTA): End your email with a clear call to action, politely requesting them to consider your suggestion and replace the broken link with your content.

    3. Increase Your Success Rate:

    • Quality Over Quantity: Focus on reaching out to high-quality websites with relevant traffic and domain authority. A few backlinks from high-authority sites are more valuable than many from low-quality sources.
    • Track Your Efforts: Use a spreadsheet or CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tool to track the websites you contacted, the broken links you reported, and the responses you receive. This helps monitor your progress and identify areas for improvement.
    • Follow Up, But Don’t Be Pushy: Send a polite follow-up email a few days after your initial contact if you haven’t heard back. However, avoid being overly persistent.

    By implementing these steps, broken link building can become a valuable strategy for acquiring backlinks from relevant websites. Remember, focus on providing a genuine solution and building relationships with website owners. This approach leads to higher success rates and strengthens your online presence in the real estate market.

    9. Mastering Guest Blogging for Real Estate Backlinks: Attract New Clients and Boost SEO

    Guest blogging on relevant websites is a powerful strategy for building backlinks, establishing yourself as an expert, and attracting potential clients in a new market segment. Here’s how to maximize your guest blogging efforts for real estate:

    1. Identify High-Impact Websites:

    • Go Beyond the Obvious: While local news outlets and mortgage lenders are good starting points, delve deeper. Consider websites like:
      • Local Business Associations: Chambers of Commerce, neighborhood associations, or niche-specific business groups often have publications or blogs.
      • Community Websites: Look for websites catering to your target audience, like local parenting blogs, neighborhood guides, or relocation resources.
      • Industry Blogs: Target real estate blogs with a national reach that allow guest contributions, focusing on topics relevant to your niche (e.g., luxury properties, first-time homebuyers, investment real estate).

    2. Craft Compelling Guest Post Ideas:

    • Focus on Value, Not Sales: Your primary goal is to provide valuable information to the target audience of the host website. Research their readership and tailor your content to their needs.
    • Address Local and Regional Trends: Offer insights specific to your market. This can be anything from “The Benefits of Owning in [Your Neighborhood]” to “Local Market Update: Rising Interest Rates in [Your City].”
    • Target Buyer Personas: Craft content geared towards specific buyer personas, such as “First-Time Homebuyer Mistakes to Avoid” or “[Your City]’s Best Neighborhoods for Growing Families.”
    • Showcase Your Expertise: While offering valuable information, subtly weave in your expertise. Briefly mention relevant past experiences or successful transactions to establish your credibility.

    3. The Art of the Pitch:

    • Research the Editor: Don’t send generic emails. Identify the editor responsible for the blog section and personalize your outreach.
    • Highlight Your Value Proposition: In a concise email, explain who you are, your area of expertise, and how your guest post aligns with the website’s audience and content strategy.
    • Provide Content Samples: Include links to your best blog posts or published articles showcasing your writing style and expertise.
    • Negotiate Backlinks: While not always possible, politely negotiate the inclusion of a backlink to your website within the guest post or author bio section.

    4. Building Relationships:

    • Go Beyond the Single Post: Don’t treat guest blogging as a one-time transaction. Engage with the website after your post is published. Respond to comments, participate in discussions, and build rapport with the editor and audience.
    • Reciprocal Opportunities: If the website allows it, explore collaborative opportunities. You could offer to host a guest post from their editor on your website, further expanding your reach and promoting valuable content exchange.

    Here are a couple of cold outreach templates to get you started.

    For podcasts…

    Subject: Quick idea…

    Hey [name of person or business]!

    My name is [name] and I’m a real estate [investor/agent] in [location]. My business has [build credibility with revenue numbers, media mentions, or a testimonial from a past customer]. And I’d LOVE to be a guest on your podcast to discuss [pitch a relevant topic you’d be comfortable discussing].

    What do you think? Is that something we could set up?

    Let me know! I’d be happy to get it on the calendar. :-)

    Cheers,

    [Name]

    For blog posts…

    Subject: Quick idea…

    Hey [name of person or business]!

    My name is [name] and I’m a real estate [investor/agent] in [location]. My business has [build credibility with revenue numbers, media mentions, or a testimonial from a past customer]. And I’d LOVE to write an article for your website. Here’s my idea: [pitch a relevant topic you’d be comfortable writing about].

    What do you think?

    Let me know! I’d be happy to get started on it right away. :-)

    Cheers,

    [Name]

    By implementing these strategies, guest blogging becomes a powerful tool for building backlinks, attracting new clients, and establishing yourself as a trusted real estate expert within your local and potentially broader online communities. Remember, guest blogging is a long-term strategy focused on building relationships and providing value, ultimately leading to increased brand awareness and website traffic that converts to qualified leads.

    Regarding SEO, it’s not just important to use the right strategies. It’s also important that you don’t use the wrong strategies.

    Shady link-building tactics- often called “black-hat SEO”- can penalize your website by Google and completely destroy your rankings.

    For that reason, we recommend avoiding the following link-building tactics…

    1. PBNs

    Look, building backlinks is difficult. It’s time-consuming, expensive, and soul-crushing.

    We all know it.

    Which is exactly why PBNs are so darn tempting…

    These services promise to build backlinks to your website at a remarkably low cost and get your website ranking quickly. They won’t say much about how they will build those backlinks, but the promise of seeing your website on the first page of Google’s results is enough to persuade most of us to enter our credit card information.

    Since they won’t tell you how they build your website backlinks, I will…

    In a nutshell, they purchase hundreds or thousands of expired/unused domains with a bit of SEO juice built from the previous owners. Then, they go to all these domains and plug a backlink to your website.

    After a bit, your website starts to rank, and you’re thinking, “Wow! These guys are awesome!”

    PBNs

    Here’s the problem: PBNs cheat the system. Google explicitly says that using a PBN won’t only get the PBN company in trouble but also penalize your website.

    It’ll all be good and fine until Google finds out. And they almost always find out.

    Once they do, your website will take a massive dive in the rankings (or get banned from indexing altogether) – and recovering from that loss will be harder than trying to get a new website ranking (because you’ve lost Google’s trust).

    SEO Private Blog Networks (PBN's): The Pros and Cons

    2. Paying for Backlinks

    Paying for backlinks can be a bad idea for a few reasons:

    It can hurt your SEO: Search engines like Google frown upon unnatural link building practices. If they catch you buying backlinks, they might penalize your website, causing it to rank lower in search results instead of higher.

    Low-quality links can be worse than no links: Not all backlinks are created equal. Buying backlinks often means getting links from irrelevant or low-quality websites. These links won’t help your SEO and might even hurt your reputation.

    Wasted money: There’s no guarantee that the backlinks you buy will improve your rankings. You might be throwing money away on ineffective strategies.

    Unsustainable: Building backlinks naturally takes time and effort, but it’s a more sustainable strategy. Paid backlinks are often temporary, requiring constant reinvestment to maintain any SEO benefit.

    Risk of getting flagged: Google has sophisticated algorithms to detect unnatural link building practices. Getting caught can lead to serious penalties, harming your website’s visibility for a long time.

    Google explicitly says it doesn’t want people paying for backlinks, but this no-no has a caveat.

    If you’re going to pay for backlinks, pay for good white-hat backlinks — ones that come from real sites with real domain authority in Google’s eyes. And be very careful about buying cheap links from sites that promise quick and fast results.

    You can check the SEO spam score of a website over here for free…

    website authority score

    Ideally, your real estate backlinks should come from sites with low spam scores. Ask any SE firm you’re considering hiring how they build backlinks and where those links come from. That will tell you a lot about whether those links are high-quality.

    1. Backlink Analysis Tools:

    • Help you discover backlinks pointing to your website and competitor websites.
    • Analyze the quality and source of backlinks (authority, relevance).
    • Track the number of backlinks over time and identify any lost backlinks.

    Examples: Ahrefs, Moz Link Explorer, SEMrush Backlink Tool, Majestic

    2. Link Building Tools:

    • Help you identify link building opportunities.
    • Suggest relevant websites where you can potentially acquire backlinks.
    • May offer features like outreach management or content creation suggestions.

    Examples: Ahrefs, SEMrush Link Building Tool, BuzzSumo, BuzzStream

    3. Broken Link Building Tools:

    • Help you find broken links on relevant websites.
    • Allow you to suggest your own content as a valuable replacement for the broken link.
    • This can be a great way to acquire backlinks while helping the website owner improve their content.

    Examples: Check My Links, Broken Link Checker, Ahrefs Broken Backlinks report (part of their Backlink Analysis Tool)

    4. SEO Suite Tools:

    • Offer a comprehensive suite of SEO tools, including backlink analysis, keyword research, on-page optimization tools, and website crawling capabilities.

    Examples: SEMrush, Ahrefs, Moz Pro

    Important Note:

    • Some of these tools are free, with limited features, while others require a paid subscription.
    • The best tool for you will depend on your specific needs and budget.

    Additional Tips:

    • Focus on building high-quality, natural backlinks from relevant websites.
    • Avoid buying backlinks or participating in link schemes, as this can hurt your SEO in the long run.
    • Combine backlink building with other SEO strategies like creating high-quality content and optimizing your website for relevant keywords.

    How to Track Your Rankings (Pay Attention to These 3 KPIs!)

    You can build real estate backlinks and drive traffic to your website until you’re blue in the face, but if you don’t track your progress and the results of those actions… then, well, it’s hard to know if all that hard work has been worth it.

    So here are the primary KPIs you’ll want to pay attention to and exactly how you can track those KPIs…

    • Target Keyword Rankings — When discussing SEO, this is the first thing you should pay attention to. Is the page you created ranking for the phrase you want it to rank for? Is it fluctuating up or down the rankings? As a Carrot member, you get access to our easy-to-use keyword ranking tracker that will alert you to any recent fluctuations in position.
    real estate keyword tracking tools
    • Page Traffic Volume — Page traffic is an important element of SEO progress because 1) more traffic typically means better rankings, and 2) well… more traffic is an excellent thing for lead generation. The easiest way to watch website traffic as a Carrot member is right inside your dashboard’s “Stats” tab…
    real estate keyword stats

    Scroll down to see how much traffic each page of your website gets and even where all that traffic is coming from.

    real estate keyword traffic sources
    • Page Conversion Rate — This is the end goal, right? If you build backlinks and promote content, even if you drive traffic to your website, but those visitors don’t convert into leads, what’s the point? You should expect at least a 2% conversion rate from your blog posts and 10% from your homepage. If your conversion rate is lower than that, check out this article. To check your conversion rate as a Carrot member, go to your “Stats” dashboard, scroll down, and look at the “Conv. Rate” column.
    real estate website conversion rates

    Now that you understand what KPIs to monitor for your SEO efforts let’s discuss how to promote your content and get backlinks!

    Conclusion

    There you have it!

    You should now understand how to build your SEO rankings with real estate backlinks and content promotion.

    If you have any more questions, feel free to ask them in the comments, and we’ll help you out however we can! Good luck!

  • That’s a Wrap! 2019 Carrot Year In Review

    That’s a Wrap! 2019 Carrot Year In Review

    Here’s to you Carrot members! You had an amazing year. Here’s a brief snapshot of some of the stories and things that happened in 2019.

    It was another exceptional year for our Carrot members and another year of growth for our team and company. With the intention of amplifying our members, we use our Mission… “Add humanity to business and help people regain time for the things that matter.”

    Let’s recap some of the cool stuff in this quick post!

    2019 Carrot Review

    Carrot members crushed lead generation

    We launched many NEW Features for our members

    It was another year of giving… when all said and done, Carrot will have donated close to $40,000 to different charities

    The CarrotCast Podcast continues to inspire

    Our team grew by 10 again this year as we continue to innovate and be leaders in our industry as well as in our communities.

    … and more!

    Here we go!

    Hundreds of Thousands of Leads … You’re Crushing It!

    Our member’s lead numbers increased in 2019. With over 382,000 leads (as of December 22) coming in this year. We also DON’T count phone call leads… which we can’t track in Google Analytics currently. You’re pulling in more AdWords, SEO, Facebook, and social media online leads as a collective group than any other real estate investor and agent lead generation platform… by far. Keep crushing it!

    Carrot Members Leads in 2019

    56% of Leads Came From Mobile Devices

    56% of Carrot member leads from mobile

    Which States Converted the Most Leads? Well…

    2019 Carrot Member Leads By State

    Carrot Member Completions (Leads) Per State – Top 10

    Texas reigns for the third year in a row as the top lead volume state in 2019. Compared to 2018, Missouri and Michigan fell from the top 10 and were replaced by New York and Tennesee.

     Major NEW Features Launched in 2019

    A Core Value of ours is “Consistent Improvement and Innovation“… and both our members and Carrot continue to push this value. In addition to the features we released in 2019, we helped our members spend more time focusing on their business.

    Here is a look back on some of the features our AMAZING team rolled out in 2019 (but not limited to)…

    All of these while keeping our member’s needs in our focus.

    Carrot visual editor

    New Visual Editor

    Carrot Aspen Design

    Coming Soon! The All-new Aspen Design

    We Knew Carrot Was Fast, But Not This Fast!

    Fresh Chalk analyzed 150,000 small business websites with the end-goal of determining which website builders offer the highest performing tech stacks.

    They analyzed business websites across dozens of industries including real estate, and Carrot outperformed ALL other website builders, (except Google’s own Google My Biz websites) including Wix, WordPress.com, Placester, Shopify, Hibu, just to name a few!

    google page speed for small providers

    We’re Honored Again – Carrot On the Inc. 5000 List for the 2nd Straight Year + MORE!

    This year we were placed at the 1235th fastest-growing company in the nation according to the Inc. 5000 list. Again, major kudos to the Carrot team and our members. We wouldn’t be here without an amazing product, team, and amazing members.

    Carrot was also featured in Outside Magazine as one of the best places to work in 2019!

    Outside Magazine best places to work 2019

    And… Carrot was recognized by the Portland Business Journal as #32 of the top 100 fastest growing companies in Oregon and southwest Washington.

    Carrot #32 on the Portland Business Journal Fastest Growing Businesses

    Top 5 CarrotCast Episodes of 2019

    The CarrotCast podcast had 307,000+ unique downloads in 2019. Here are the top five episodes of the year.

    Simple Investor Secrets: Netting $100k/mo Using UBER and Facebook ads w/ Adam “Big Sip” Johnson and Brent Moreno

    From No Leads to $50k in Deals – What I Almost Missed Out On by Leaving Carrot w/ Troy Owen

    Cold Calling Methods That WORK w/ Real Estate Guru Beau Hollis

    What it Takes to Build a Multi-Million Dollar Company – A Conversation Between CEOs Seth Buechley and Trevor Mauch

    5 Steps to $100k/yr (or even $100k/mo) As a Real Estate Investor or Agent – Ask Carrot #5

    Hundreds of “Doses Of Awesomeness” From Our Members

    Hearing amazing stories never gets old! We’re in business to change lives. So much that we have a dedicated #Awesomeness Slack channel.

    Here are just a few examples of notes we get each and every day… not counting the hundreds that happen that we never hear about!

    World-Class Net Promoter Score

    How do you know if you’re providing value and happiness to your members? How do you know if you’re failing? By using “Net Promoter Score”. It’s basically a question that asks how likely you are to recommend Carrot to a friend or colleague.

    2019 Carrot NPS Score

    With thousands of responses in 2019, the majority scored us a 9 or 10… leaving us with an impressive NPS of 65%.

    To put that into perspective, SaaS companies account for a decent average score of 26.

    SaaS average NPS score

    Image Source: Retently

    One of our core values is to “Deliver WOW Through Great Service” we’ll continue to go all out in 2020 to make our members excited, happy, and successful, and to change the way people expect companies to serve them in the future after they experience service the “Carrot Way”.

    We Added 2900 YouTube Subscribers and Accumulated Over 39.7K in Watch time hours!

    Carrot YouTube Stats from 2019

    Our favorite videos of the year…

    Create Real Estate Video Content in Under 10 Minutes with Carrot's VideoPost
    Building a $1M+ Wholesaling Business | Max Maxwell’s Keys to Success
    Journey From Day Job to $100k/year | Every Single Step To Closing 8 Deals in One Month w/Keith Sant
    What Makes An Excellent Executive Assistant? Behind The Scenes A Day In the Life...
    How New Real Estate Investors Can Get Leads Online And Close Your First Deals with Investor Carrot
    From Rock Bottom to Wholesaling Empire | How Dave Brown Makes Over Five Figures a Month with Carrot

    Two Carrot Team Retreats + Growing Our Team…

    Carrot Team First Retreat 2016…

    Carrot Team Retreat 2019!

    The Carrot team grew by 10 this year as we continue to innovate and be the leader in our industry. Our winter retreat again took place in beautiful, Sunriver, Oregon. Next, hit the waves. Well not quite. For the summer retreat, we enjoyed the coastal breeze of Lincoln City, Oregon.

    Retreats are a great way to pull back, celebrate wins, and deep dive into high-level planning for the future.

    CarrotCamp (Spring and Fall 2019)

    Since it’s inception in 2017, CarrotCamp has been a success for our members. It’s not just a workshop or seminar, nor is it a retreat.

    CarrotCamp is designed to be more like an immersive experience. We deep dive into the campers’ world. We allocate time to unplug and get out of the office and into nature. It’s also time to work with the Carrot team to get massive things done to uplevel business. All the while building relationships with other high-level real estate entrepreneurs that will hopefully last a lifetime.

    Thank you again 2019 CarrotCampers!

    Be on the lookout for CarrotCamp 2020 Editions. Kicking off May 2020. Learn more about CarrotCamp.

     What An Amazing Year. And We’re Grateful To Have You On This Journey With Us.

    How Was Your Year? 

    How was your 2019? Let us know below in the comments section. The amazing, the fair, and the awful :-)

    Also… want to fire up your 2020 and get momentum building?

    These 2 resources are the most shared and commented we’ve ever made. They can change your life…

    Thank you for all you do and for inspiring us every day to do great things.

    Chat with you in 2020!

  • It’s easier, faster, and more powerful. Say hello to the Visual Editor

    It’s easier, faster, and more powerful. Say hello to the Visual Editor

    Carrot Visual Editor

    The power of Carrot + the simplicity of a drag-and-drop editor!

    Almost 6 years ago, we founded Carrot based on a single huge frustration in the market. The traditional website builders were built to launch and edit a site easy, simple, and cheap… but they all sacrificed the most important thing to you.

    Performance and results.

    That means getting more qualified people to your website, converting them into motivated leads at a higher rate, plus building trust and authority. Hence, they want to work with you over your competitors.

    Performance & Results or Easy Editing? The Choice…

    Like anything in life, there are trade-offs. The “big” low-cost website builders out there (think Wix, Squarespace, and WordPress themes) chose to go all-in on “ease of use” and sacrifice performance for their clients. You’d save a bit of time, but it could cost you tens of thousands of dollars (or more) in lost revenue from underperformance.

    At Carrot, from the beginning, we’ve gone all-in on performance and, until now… had to choose to limit your ability to have an easy, drag-and-drop editing experience on your websites.

    Over the years, our members have raved about the results Carrot has helped them get.

    1. You control MORE top Google rankings than any other system in the real estate industry for phrases your best prospects are typing every month.
    2. You’ve converted over 3 million inbound online leads from your websites.
    3. And you enjoy the fastest website platform in the industry.

    And today, we’re proud to introduce that now you can enjoy all of the performance the Carrot platform is known for with the visual editing experience of a slick drag-and-drop editor.

    Introducing… the all-new Carrot Visual Editor

    Carrot Visual Editor Adding Credibility to Your Real Estate Website


    This is where it gets exciting! The new Visual Editor offers a simple way to create, edit and add content to your posts and pages without sacrificing the performance you expect from your Carrot site.

    Once you get the hang of it, [the Visual Editor] makes customizing the site a breeze! Saved me so much time as compared to the original format.

    – Tyrone T. (Advanced Marketer Beta user)

    What will the new Visual Editor help you do?

    I’m glad you asked :-)

    A few benefits you’ll enjoy with this powerful FREE upgraded Visual Editor include…

    • No more switching back and forth from editor to page – now see all of your edits in real-time, including your hero section, forms, and more!
    • Use Drag and Drop tools to easily create and edit pages with movable and reusable content blocks!
    • Make your website stand out visually without having to use any fancy code.
    • Enjoy the new “Full-Screen Mode” to have the most beautiful, clean, and simple editing experience possible… without the distractions (try this mode, you’ll love it!)
    • SEO Grader updates: 1) Your SEO grade for the page will update in real-time without you having to save the page, and 2) Now get SEO grades for multiple keywords for the same page! (this is huge)
    • No loss of page speed – yay!
    • … and more

    How does the Visual Editor work?

    The Visual Editor uses intuitive drag and drops content blocks to speed up the creation of pages and content within Carrot.

    You can now add blocks for headings, videos, paragraphs, images, tables, and so much more. There are also several pre-built blocks that are created specifically for your site.

    Blocks are portable, making it super easy to insert and rearrange any content. Plus, you can save your favorite blocks and use them again later.

    Choose from several block types and styles

    With the Visual Editor, you will be able to create and edit pages more quickly and see those changes in real-time right on the page! You can further customize your experience with full-screen mode – a personal favorite of mine. Give it a try when you have a chance.

    Using blocks to edit a website

    Check out the new Full-Screen Mode In Action! Clean eh?

    Bonus! Upgraded SEO Tool

    While we’ve been building you a state-of-the-art editing interface, we uncovered an opportunity to upgrade the SEO Tool – so we did that too! Our updated SEO Tool provides several nice benefits:

    • Smart auto-generated post descriptions
    • Rank better by auditing and updating your content with multiple keywords
    • New options for social sharing
    • And.. much more. If you’d like to know more about it read here!

    How do I start using the Visual Editor?

    Advanced Marketer members always get exclusive early access to new features, so the Visual Editor began rolling out to them a few weeks ago. The feedback and response have been amazing!

    “…the Visual Editor just flows so much better when making edits and new pages. I like the flexibility of the various blocks and formats which we can use to differentiate our Carrot site and cater to our personal look and feel while still keeping all the Carrot awesomeness!”

    – Shaun K. (Advanced Marketer beta user)

    Access is now in existing Carrot member accounts.

    This will be a completely new editing experience, so those comfortable with the old editor will likely experience a small learning curve. The Carrot Help Center has already been updated with tutorials and FAQs to help guide you as you make the transition.

    We are confident you are going to love this new editing experience! And we want your feedback! Members can contact our support channel for help, provide feedback, and ask questions.

    Here’s to amazing future innovations to help you stand out, build authority, and grow a business that helps you get more freedom, flexibility, and finances… so you can make a greater impact.

    – Trevor and your friends at Carrot

  • Study of 150,000 Websites Finds Carrot Outperforms Wix, Squarespace, WordPress + Many Others

    Study of 150,000 Websites Finds Carrot Outperforms Wix, Squarespace, WordPress + Many Others

    Fresh Chalk analyzed 150,000 small business websites to determine which website builders offer the highest-performing tech stacks. Spoiler alert: Carrot outperformed them all!

    Key Takeaways

    • Google looks at site speed as a great (or not-so-great) indicator to the user experience. Those experiences heavily impact where your site ranks in Google searches! (Check out the conversion rate chart below!)
    • Carrot crushed the competition in FreshChalk’s study for page loading speed, scoring 98 out of 100!
    • Some of the largest website builders create ineffective, slow websites.

    If you want to understand how page speed and other tech elements impact your website’s performance, conversion rate, and search ranking, read on!

    Table of Contents

    1. Fresh Chalk’s Study
    2. What’s a ‘tech stack’, and why should you care?
    3. Q&A with Trevor, CEO at Carrot and Adam Fresh Chalk founder
    4. The (Other) Carrot Difference

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    Fresh Chalk’s Study

    Fresh Chalk analyzed business websites across dozens of industries, including real estate, and Carrot outperformed ALL other website builders (except Google’s own Google My Biz websites) including Wix, WordPress.com, Placester, Shopify, Hibu, just to name a few.

    Carrot’s time to first byte was recorded at 0.189!!!

    (Image Source)

    What’s a ‘tech stack’, and why should you care?

    When we mention Carrot’s tech stack, we’re referring to all the technical components continuously working in the background of Carrot’s high-performance Lead Generation Hub (aka your real estate website).

    While these tech elements might seem insignificant to your daily activities, you’d be surprised to know how much weight they carry in regard to your website’s overall performance, especially in lead conversion and SEO ranking.

    Page speed, for example, has a huge impact in both of these areas (as you’ll see more of in the interview below). In fact, Google’s core web vitals for page loading speed should be anything under 2.5 seconds as of 2022. Anything over that and your website’s conversion rate will plummet drastically…

    As for SEO, Google looks at site speed as a great (or not-so-great) indicator to the user experience. Those experiences heavily impact where your site ranks in Google searches!

    conversion rate

    Carrot absolutely crushed the competition in FreshChalk’s study for page loading speed, scoring 98 out of 100!

    This comes as no surprise either when we look at Carrot’s 2022 SEO and conversion data. Carrot websites have been proven to:

    • Outclass 92.5% of competitor sites in terms of Mobile Performance Score
    • Capture >50% of the top 3 Google search results for the keyword phrase “sell my house fast.”

    Convert all website traffic at a 44% higher rate than the real estate industry standard (with additional 2X higher rates for organic traffic)

    So Yeah… we were pretty darn excited about these results. :-)

    To learn more about the research methodology behind this study, and why website page speed is so important, so we interviewed Adam Doppelt, founder of FreshChalk, who conducted the research. Here’s what he had to say.

    Q&A with Trevor, CEO at Carrot and Adam Fresh Chalk founder

    Q: What made you want to do this research project and how did you choose which 150,000 sites to use in your study?

    A: The idea emerged from a discussion with my co-founder Patrick. He crawled roughly 150,000 of the small businesses listed on Fresh Chalk to improve the contact information we display on the site.

    We were chatting about his project and came up with the idea… perhaps we should poke through the data and see if there was anything interesting lurking inside.

    Q: As you were digging into the data, you found which website builders were the most popular. Was there any correlation between popularity and performance?

    A: Market share and website performance don’t seem to be strongly correlated. Some of the largest website builders create ineffective, slow websites.

    I think this speaks to the power of marketing. I see this as a challenge and an opportunity. We need to do a better job of making our products fast and educating the world about the benefits of speed.

    Q: How important is page speed and time to the first byte when it comes to Google rankings in your study?

    A: Google has stated that page speed is a direct ranking factor in Google search results. Keep in mind that there are hundreds of factors that feed into Google rankings, so page speed is ultimately just one in a crowd.

    A terrible website won’t rank well even if it displays quickly.

    Certainly Google itself invests heavily in speed.

    There’s also a ton of evidence that improving page speed also benefits conversion rates, retention, and user happiness.

    Q: In the study, Carrot popped up on the radar, and while we host far fewer websites than WordPress or Wix, why did you include us in the report? What surprised you about the performance you saw on the Carrot sites in the study? How does Carrot stack up against the other website builders you found in the study?

    A: Carrot stood out in my results like a cheetah in a world of slugs. Carrot websites are just plain fast. I had to include them, just to show the world that it’s still possible to build great products that are still fast.

    By some measurements, Carrot sites are twice as fast as Squarespace. Consumers notice and convert better.

    By the way, I can tell you that Carrot’s median Google PageSpeed score was 98 as measured across 118 Carrot real estate websites.

    I didn’t have room for that in the report. Pretty amazing compared to the competition!

    Q: How does page speed and time to first-byte impact search results?

    A: Speed definitely has an impact. Time to the first byte isn’t itself a ranking factor, though it feeds into Google’s PageSpeed metric.

    It’s my opinion that Google uses the PageSpeed number verbatim as the ranking factor. I doubt they built two separate speed ranking systems.

    Q: Seeing how the only website builder that beat Carrot was Google’s own websites, can you place a dollar amount or value on the tech stack or speed people are getting when using Carrot?

    A: Google My Business sites are fast because they are simple and get to piggyback on all the other infrastructure that Google built for their data centers and search products.

    My guess is that it would be nearly impossible for them to speed up those sites without a huge amount of effort!

    There is also a ton of research showing that fast websites convert better than slow ones.

    For example, in 2017 Google concluded that 53% of mobile visitors leave a page that takes longer than three seconds to load.

    Can you imagine losing half your sales just because you picked Wix instead of Carrot?

    Q: For the future of small business, how important do you feel it will be to focus on performance with their website to stay competitive with others in their market?

    A: Users, in general, are intolerant of slow websites. If I remember correctly, one study a couple of years ago showed that users would exit after a few seconds spent waiting for slow websites.

    Speedy websites help users feel that the businesses behind those websites are active and in touch with consumer demands.

    It’s our responsibility to make sure that websites are fast even when running on pokey cell networks. It’s incredibly important!

    The (Other) Carrot Difference

    Pretty awesome, huh?

    At Carrot, we constantly look to improve our platform and websites to give you the best marketing tools to help you attract the right traffic to your Lead Gen Hub (aka your real estate website), convert that traffic into motivated seller and buyer leads, and close more deals than ever before.

    Additionally, since we’re smaller than Wix or WordPress, we can dedicate more time to helping our members succeed at business, which is probably why we were placed on the Inc. 5000 list and Entrepreneur 360 list in 2019 — when you care deeply about your customer’s success, awesome stuff happens. :-)

    Carrot on Entrepreneur 360 2019
    Carrot on Entrepreneur 360 List 2019

    And we believe that by helping you build a business that provides you with the entrepreneurial freedom you crave, we will build a business that gives us time for the things that matter most in life.

    Want to know what your page speed is? Check at Google PageSpeed Insights.

    If you want to see whether our results speak for themselves, you can sign up for a 30-day risk-free membership.

    You’ve got nothing to lose… and everything to gain. Join the nation’s top real estate professionals and launch your website today!

  • New! Automated Spam Control

    New! Automated Spam Control

    Did you know the very first spam email was sent back in 1978?

    And it’s been a problem ever since.

    Sometimes the culprit is an over-eager marketer, and sometimes the perpetrator is something more nefarious like a phishing scheme.

    Either way, spam is an internet-wide issue. One that every business online has to deal with. Back in August of this year, more than 250 million websites – of all kinds – were hit by a massive infestation of pesky overseas spambots.

    Some website providers experienced crippling server issues as a result! Thanks to continual innovations, the high-performance tech framework at Carrot had no problem handling the increased traffic load, but, like for those 249,999,999 other sites, our members saw an increase in spam leads.

    Sometimes, problems create opportunities, or in this case, they create great new product features!

    The first step in squashing this issue was a recommendation that members add a CAPTCHA field to the impacted web forms. This reduced spam dramatically for some folks… but it came with a challenge. Some bots were outsmarting CAPTCHA, and manually adding CAPTCHA to forms was slow and did not align with our mission.

    We knew we needed to provide excellent and automated spam filtering while giving YOU, our members, additional controls.

    A new approach to filtering and managing spam leads

    The new Automated Spam Control System is designed to automatically filter spam from your lead forms and give you the ability to view and edit your spam “inbox”.

    Here are a few quick highlights of the new feature.

    Key Features

    • All form submissions that come via a form containing a text area (for example, the “Contact Us” form) will be “scored” and the spam will be filtered out.
    • Notifications for spam leads are skipped (so they don’t clog up your inbox) and the spam is sorted into a separate view in your lead manager.
    • Your lead manager now allows you to review all spam leads and move them to your inbox if needed.

    What to do next

    If you are a Carrot member, log in and visit your leads dashboard. Do a quick check to ensure you don’t have any legitimate leads that were incorrectly filtered as spam. It’s here that you can also familiarize yourself with your new tools!

    Also, remember that CAPTCHA is best used on forms that require text fields. We do NOT recommend using CAPTCHA on your main opt-in forms (for example on your home page) because of the impact it can have on your conversion rates.

    We would also love your feedback on this new system! Have your spam leads dried up recently? Check out your new spam box and let us know if you have any feedback for us as we continue to improve this new feature.

    We are continually dedicated to making Carrot better for each and every one of our members.

    If you have questions, please contact our awesome support team!