How Real Estate Agencies Collectively Outpower Major Portals
In the Australian real estate landscape, a revelation is stirring. A sleeping giant is awakening, and it's not a new portal or proptech solution—it's you. It's all of us. The truth is, collectively, real estate agencies are driving more unique visitors to their websites than the country's largest property portal. It's time we realised that true power.
The Unique Visitor Revelation: Our Industry's Untapped Potential
Let's take a moment to appreciate the digital landscape of Australian real estate. Realestate.com.au reports 11.58 million unique Australian visitors in July [1], a figure that underscores the significant online interest in property. But there's another story here—one that highlights the incredible reach of our industry.
Consider this: a subset of our industry—just our website clients alone—are collectively attracting over 15 million unique visitors per month to their websites[2]. These agencies, committed to driving traffic and prioritising Google reviews, are demonstrating the immense potential that exists within our industry's digital presence.
But here's the exciting part: this is just a glimpse of our industry's true reach.
Our website clients represent only a portion of the Australian real estate industry. Across the nation, thousands of agency websites are serving their local communities, each contributing to our industry's digital footprint. When we factor in all real estate agency websites across Australia—from boutique local agencies to large franchises—our industry's collective reach is truly remarkable.
Imagine the possibilities if more agencies across Australia embraced this approach to their digital presence. We're talking about enhancing how Australians engage with real estate online, providing more localised, personalised experiences that complement the broader platforms in the market.
The success of these digitally-savvy agencies isn't an anomaly—it's a blueprint. It shows us what's possible when we invest in our online presence. And remember, this success represents just a small portion of our industry. The true potential? It's significant and largely untapped.
The Google Battlefield
Now, let's look at another crucial aspect. Realestate.com.au reports 121 million total visits per month [3]. While this number includes repeat visits, it's important to note that a significant portion of these visits start with a Google search.
According to similarweb.com, 44% of realestate.com.au's traffic can come from Google searches. Based on REA's own reported traffic, that's potentially over 5 million unique visitors starting their real estate journey on Google, not on the portals.
These are searches you/we can work to intercept.
Some forward-thinking agencies are already capitalising on this. We're seeing examples of local agencies outranking major portals for crucial search terms like "best real estate agents in [city]". These high-intent searches are golden opportunities—vendors and landlords actively looking for services we provide.
The key to this success? Google reviews and local SEO. By prioritising Google reviews, traffic to their own website(s) and constantly evolving their websites for changes to search engine algorithms, agencies are boosting their local search visibility.
Imagine the impact if our entire industry focused on dominating Google searches rather than competing for portal rankings.
Leveraging Our Individual Strength
The power of our industry lies in the sum of our individual efforts. While we've traditionally seen each other as competitors, it's time to recognise that in the digital space, we're all facing similar challenges and opportunities.
What if each agency focused on maximising its own digital presence? What if we all invested in technologies that enhance our individual websites and customer experiences? The potential for collective growth for the real estate industry is enormous.
Consider the power of your own data from the unique monthly visitors to your website. While individual agencies might not match the total visitor numbers of major portals, your data about your local market and clientele is unparalleled. You can offer more accurate, more localised, and more valuable information than any national platform.
You don't need to generate more traffic than the major portals. But imagine if you had, and could say you have, the most visited real estate website in your area!?
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Breaking the Portal Dependency Cycle
Here's an uncomfortable truth: every time we direct a unique visitor to a major portal, we're inadvertently weakening our own position. We're feeding traffic to platforms that then use those visitor numbers to justify higher prices for their services.
It's time to break this cycle. By redirecting these unique visitors to our own websites, by focusing on our Google presence, by leveraging our local expertise, we can shift the power dynamic. We can create a more balanced digital ecosystem where each agency has greater control over its online presence and client relationships.
The Path to Agency Empowerment
To truly leverage your individual power, it's time to expand your definition of success in the digital space. While leads from portals remain valuable, it's crucial to build a robust online presence that attracts and engages visitors directly on your own platform.
Diversifying your digital strategy is key. SEO, content marketing, and social media are powerful channels where you can establish direct relationships with potential clients. By focusing on these efforts alongside your portal presence, you create a more balanced and sustainable approach to lead generation.
Imagine investing more resources in your own digital capabilities. You could enhance your website with tools and features tailored to your clients' needs, offering a unique experience that complements what portals provide. This isn't about replacing portals, but about creating an additional, powerful channel for attracting and engaging potential clients.
The goal is to dominate Google Search for your local area. When someone searches for real estate in your community, your agency should be front and center. This approach reduces your reliance on any single channel and puts you in control of your digital destiny.
Remember, success in today's digital landscape is about diversification. Continue to leverage the reach of major portals, but also invest in building your own digital presence. This balanced approach ensures you're capturing potential clients at every possible touchpoint.
By focusing on your website and Google Search presence, you're not just generating leads – you're building your brand, showcasing your local expertise, and creating lasting connections with your community. This is about supplementing, not supplanting, your existing strategies to create a more competitive, robust and resilient digital presence for your agency.
The Future Landscape
If we each harness our individual power to attract and engage unique monthly visitors to our own websites, the future of digital real estate in Australia looks very different. It's a future where your local expertise is valued over national marketing budgets. Where the relationship between you and your client isn't mediated by a third-party platform. Where you control your own digital destiny.
Yes, this shift will likely prompt responses from the major portals. Their sales budget is significant, and their pitch is honed. But from a position of individual strength, with a steady stream of unique visitors coming to your website, you'll be better equipped to navigate these changes. You'll be a true partner in the digital real estate ecosystem, not just a user of it.
A Call to Action
As individual agencies, it's time for each of us to wake up to our collective industry power.
Here's what you can do:
Remember, every unique visitor you attract to your website instead of a portal is strengthening your own digital presence and client relationships.
Conclusion
The sleeping giant within each real estate agency is stirring. You are more powerful than you realise, more influential than you've been led to believe. With the potential to attract thousands of unique monthly visitors to your website, you have the foundation to create real change in your business.
It's time to shift your mindset from portal dependency to self-empowerment. By focusing on your own digital presence, you can reclaim your agency's digital destiny. You can create a more balanced, more agent-centric approach to your online operations. The giant within your agency is awake—now let's see what you can do.
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