your own website is MOST important....a wordpress site where you can blog and have it hosted.... if you don't own it, it's useless.....what your broker is providing does you NO good if you leave the agency in the future....

Absolutely!  You MUST have a website (and blog) branded to YOU, not your company.  I wrote a blog about this.  I'm sure there are others on Active Rain if you do a search:  http://activerain.com/blogsview/4697724/don-t-bother-building-a-website-

you need your own website with IDX and the ability for clients to save their search.

It's a good idea to have your own website. Is it the very first thing you have to do?  Maybe not. If you have web presence through your broker and facebook...that can be a starting point. You will need one down the line though. 

Don't ever get a company branded website.  One of the biggest benefits of being a Realtor is that we are all free agents.  Without your own website and cell number you've virtually thrown away that freedom.  Use your own cell number too as you own it even if you leave the current brokerage.  You do need a website that works for you.

the votes below say it all. get a website. there are some good ones for like 70 to 80 a month. much better than facebook and the dog groomer asking you to "like" them along with 30 other realtors

We have several pages, yet none really bring as much business as bob's blog and fb page.

I have several websites, and an app.  But my AR blog is much more valuable for bringing in the clients.

No it is not and the effectiveness of IDX has diminished. With the advent of apps it is more important to be mobile so video on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube is big, Pinterest is growing, and professional networks like linkedin.com are important for targeting specific groups. If you do have a website then a blog can be effective for driving trafic to your website. but your content and context you put it in better be great.

Website Box, $100 forever...with IDX.

Placester, $5/mo with IDX. Your MLS may have a fee.

Weebly $50/year for 10 websites. No IDX

At bare minimum you need a landing page that tells people who you are and why you are the best darn agent. They will google you and you want to control where they go and what they see. And DO NOT use your broker's website. You want a site that follows you the rest of your career

YES!  Assuming you want to succeed.

It should be your own site that you own (and can take w/ you if you change brokers. 

I was going to write a post about that this week, but I got a little busy.

Yes, you need a website. Consider wordpress. A facebook page only provides a small % of what you'll need. if you don't have the time or $ to devote to having a good wordpress site built, check out gohome.net. sometimes they have a special for $49.00 per month for the first 2 years. Includes idx and is fairly simple to set up and edit. another that is inexpensive and mobile responsive is webs.com.

Barbara Todaro nailed this one...

Rose Jones I think even when you are on mobile, people want to see and feel your web presence! Plus you can do lots of things with your website not limited to IDX for home searches.

Having your own website where you can blog, post and feature your listing is very important.  Good Luck!

ROSE,

You do not NEED a website to be successful in real estate.

What you NEED to understand is the process the home buyer or seller executes before they decide to contact an agent.

Understanding this process allows you to intercept their attention at the right time.

There is no limit to the options available to you to be successful in intercepting buyers and sellers. Websites, SEO, blogging, placement ads, Adwords, and giving money to the dark side are a few of the online options. This list is just the tip of the iceberg regarding online resources and certianly the beginning of the list of enterprises who will take all your money and give you nothing in return.

Now,even if you choose to never use the Internet for marketing and lead generation purposes, you MUST buy the URLs RoseJones.com, .net, .org, .us, .me to protect yourself should you change your mind later.

Do not spend your money on stuff you do not have clear vision regarding how it will help your business.

The truth is the ENTIRE industry that provides services to real estate agents such and websites and CRM DEPEND on robbing newbies of their dollars because they know you willl listing to the bad advise offered by those who ask you no questions regarding your business plan.

So, when you plunked down your dollars to attend real estate school, what did your business plan detail regarding how you will identify and contact new customers?

It's critical in my opinion. When I try to locate a Realtor and they have no website it boggles my mind so I wonder what the consumer thinks.

Good morning Rose. All of my blogging and social media efforts drive folks to my website. That system has served me very well.

Make it a great week!

I would focus on facebook at the expense of a regular website. I think facebook is dynamic, and have heard great success from advertising there.