I'm very basic in this, so I'm looking up to you and other members who are so thoughtful to share your knowledge. Thank you, Corrinne!

Happy Thanksgiving Holidays to you and yours!

p.s. I'm also looking for a new website service, and it is so difficult as an individual agent to start over from scratch and compete with those sites that spend $$$ for marketing. So, I did not decide how I want to do it. Looking forward for your posts about it.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I've never been a fan of the niche, unless you pick a big one.  I do work niche, but that's because my niche is selling the homes my investors flip.  Not a traditional niche though like "military relo" or "Horse Property".

I've always been a fan of the general and working both sides of the coin.  I've seen it do very well over the last 30 something years and just don't like the idea of something thinking I only do horse property and not calling me because it doesn't have horses.

My site doesn't have much (or hardly any) buyer/seller directed content because I'm not out there prospecting for them.  I prospect my past clients and specific agents.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I think that Sellers are always better use of my time and would not turn any away, though I do refer out many of my buyers.

Corinne Guest, Managing Broker  Excellent question!

I recently employed a company called Home Junction to build me a new site. My goal is your goal, cast a wide net, get customers hooked on my site and convert them to customers. 

As for strategy I believe that you have to go after both buyer and sellers. You also need to use the site to keep in front of that goldmine of past customers that you have. For sellers, I suggest an instant valuation and back-end CRM to follow up. As for buyers, I am doing a force registration after browsing five properties and the back-end CRM to follow up. 

I don't know why you would only focus on one particularly since you mention niche isn't working in your area... you say the successful ones have larger coverage areas I would assume that would apply to playing both sides of the sale.

if you don't want to give up listings, market for both.... buyers often have homes to sell...you do both...

Focus on your niche. Everyone fears loss, but the abundance comes from the niche focus.

Corinne, I represent both. I feel that my experience/knowledge of the other side is incredibly beneficial to whichever side I am working with. My seller representation helps my buyers win bidding wars - I KNOW what sellers want. Conversely, with sellers, I can coach them on which Offer is the best - it's not all about price, etc. 

That all said, I would have both on your site. I have a seller-only site and a buyer-only site, as well as one that combines the two. I often have sellers who are also buying locally so, they get their information from one source before I even know they're thinking of selling.

OR, If you are going with a pro - let them build a mac-daddy site and have it focus on one or the other (buyers or sellers). Then add pages for the other (buyers or sellers) and have old domains pointing to those specific pages. They're not front and center but, they're in one place for you to access.

GOOD LUCK & do share what you decide to do!

Interesting question and one I look forward t hearing/reading the responses.    It's fun to be a voyeur of sorts.  

I have been looking into IDX Broker’s service. We have a bunch of agents/reams around here using Sierra Interactive, but it is out of my budget.

I'm also going to hire out for a new site. There are many places for the public to search, so IDX is not a major concern. I think I would stick with a general site if you're going to keep working with listings, even if you're main focus is buyers. I focus on both, Homes, Land,  and Farms. I guess some would consider land a niche, but I don't focus just on that.

I have been niche focused for the past 7 years but I offer a lot of content for both buyers and sellers too (both at the local and national level).

We will be tweaking our approach in 2018 to target 2 specific demographics in our county and to appeal to a wider base of military/contractors who relocate in/out of here. More niche marketing with an emphasis on attracting both buyers/sellers. We are not ready to let go of any potential segment of local real estate consumers.

We have been toying with moving to another platform too (or at least my hubby has). EAP is where I may end up before 2018 is out. Who will your new site be with?

I have done well with the foreclosures niche. Promotion of foreclosures will generate prospect calls.

I would have both sides on your site. At the end of the day, our websites still attract more buyers than sellers, but I know sellers also look at agent sites to guage their marketing of their listings. My business is 50/50 and I like it that way. I have deep expertise in certain niches, but don't really market them. And Happy Thanksgiving!

The best thing you can do is not to leave it static, but keep adding valuable information and content at least weekly, daily is even better.

We decided some years ago to have our website look good when people arrived - and to use other means to send them there rather than having the website itself do the "attracting".

I still believe niche marketing is the most powerful. Have you thought of changing or expanding your niche into zip codes or certain types of properties that will transcend over your entire market area? If you are seeing a decline in business, I don't think you would want to shutout half of the market, either the sellers or buyers unless you just don't enjoy doing that type business. If that is the case you might still keep it open and refer that segment to a listing agent or the buyers to a buyers agent for a fee. 

Now my head is spinning ... that is not intended to be negative or snarky. I am at the point where I need help with my site again ... more specifically with google analytics ... if your pro resource can help ... I'd appreciate the referral resource.  

Thank you. 

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Nina Hollander said what I would have said.

I used to believe that since I am licensed to do Real Estate in ALL of California I could and should. As I matured, it made sense to niche or pick a segment and grow it and go with it. Other things may pop up but the one thing done right should be the focus. I chose listings, added property management, some referring and come what may... but listings feed me well

I can tell you, from marketing perspective, that its good to diversify. That means that you can keep your niche but also do sales and listings both. Its still in your market, you are just adding a service to an existing business. But you should market for both and seperate them on your site into market sements-buyers, selling, relocation, etc.

I love niche marketing but websites in my opinion are mostly average at best and mostly buyer oriented.

Corinne,

As much as I would love to give you specific advice on this subject, I would be flying blind without knowing your marketplace.  Here is some advice that hopefully will help you.  Some of our clients do both, and the website strategy includes both.  Some focus on listings only, then we do not need buyer information, however, we do have sellers who refer their best friends to this lady, and she does work with them as a buyer.  Glad you are keeping your original site.  I would also advise to make sure all your online footprint is directed to both the new and the old...All the best to you.  

Enjoy your thanksgiving.  A  

Why limit yourself? I've never been a fan of Niche anything

Listings produce more money and require less effort. You should seriously read Gary Keller's book, "The Millionaire Real Estate Agent" to learn more about the difference.

Maybe you should expand your focus to Barrington Hills and the acreage estates without horses. You might have a whole new market, listing and sales, within your quick grasp! Good luck!

Good luck.

A few years back I contracted with Real Geeks, a template web site.   I did leave it open for anyone to get information, and went months without any sign-ups.  I again changed it back to forced registration, and again have prospects.

My niche is relocation, but also have a good sized sphere who refer me to friends/relatives and work colleagues.

I haven't used REW, but I have heard good things and I think Anthony Gilbert works with them.   He is pretty knowledgeable about SEO.

As an outsider, I would find it to be logical to have both...unless you really want 1st time home buyers.  Most of the "middle" needs to both buy and sell (and that's a key challenge for them...and way to provide value and differentiate).

FWIW, my site (for my industry) is not niche as I cover hardwood, carpet, tile, vinyl, laminate, etc.  But, I clearly focus much more on hardwood.  I've found that many who need hardwood also need carpet (but for different areas e.g. carpet runner for steps, carpet for basements) and I've had many that call me because I do both and not just one.

Also, I've been expanding to painting and other home decor, and it seem to be working (but clearly I rank best for hardwood).

I hope that helps.

Interesting regarding the "niche" trend... I've always been more of a listing agent. Even though it entails more work at the outset, I found that side of the business more creative and gratifying e.g. love taking good photo's, helping with staging and so on. Also, listings are great for bringning  buyers. Personally, I would not neglect the seller side of the business.

What has the marketing research you have done revealed to you regarding the behavior and compelling concern of those in your region?

That is Open House purpose #4.

Based on the concept and structure of your funnel, the strategy will differ depending on whether you are fishing 90 days or 60 months upstream.

I would expect that at this stage in your real estate business, much of your business originates from past clients calling you for help. This is the low hanging fruit and should be the prime focus of your efforts. Those past horse ranch clients know lots of suburban folks who live vicariously through them. "If you love what I did for you then let me help you introduce my solutions to your friends. You owe that to them."

Take an analytical look at those newer companies or service providers who appear to have strapped on a rocket in their market dominance.

What is the promise they offer? How do they fulfill the promise?

Create the same that addresses what you marketing data revealed then Go and do likewise.

The easiest to analyze is 'Rocket Mortgage."  

The real why is not stated, but can be easily found.

In my business as a mortgage broker, I love that my competitors have niches.  My viewpoint is that nice I am a Mortgage broker, I should be able to do anything that comes my way. I feel the same way about real estate agents. Don't have a niche, because you will be passing up business and you will be limiting yourself. Since I lived in Illinois, near Barrington,  I know that if you limit yourself to just horse properties, I fully expect your business is not what it could be. Expanding your business by doing everything and anything that could come your way and you will see results. Don't be a niche agent, but be a jack of all trades agent and advertise yourself that way