How much time did you spend writing your bio for your real estate website? Five minutes? Maybe even less? Uh oh. Dig it out right now!

Writing a persuasive bio for your real estate agent website is very important, because you're selling yourself long before you're selling a house. You won't convert a single lead to a client unless you sell them on who you are and what you do, first and foremost. Only then do you have the opportunity to list their home, or help them buy a new home.

It's an issue of trust. In this day and age, the average consumer looking to buy or sell a property has many choices. According to the NAR, over 80% of home buyers start their search online. And they're not just looking for a product—e.g., a home—they're looking for expertise.

We all like to do business with specialists, particularly when it comes to a major financial decision like buying or selling a home. The better your bio is in conveying whatever your specialty is (and if you don't have one, start now to develop one!), the higher your success rate will be in converting leads looking for that specialty.

Take a few minutes and jot down a list of things you specialize in, or would like to specialize in. I specialize in real estate websites. That doesn't mean I'll turn down a project that is not dealing with real estate, but it means I'll have a higher percentage of my clientele who are real estate agents than who are dentists. I do far more business as a specialist for agents and brokers than I would ever do if I were so generic in my qualifications that I sounded like everyone else.

There are things about real estate marketing that a generic web guy wouldn't think about, but I do. Likewise, there must be things you can help your clients with that other agents are missing. Figure out those things and hone in on them in your bio.

If you don't consider yourself a specialist, don't despair. You can become one with a little effort, but you have to strategize for it, and that starts with your bio. It should be tailored to reach the target audience you want to specialize in. And the longer you take in getting around to this, the longer it will take to accomplish your goal, so start today!

There are all sorts of different metrics by which you can be considered a specialist. The key is to think both honestly and creatively about it. You may even specialize in something without realizing it.

You can specialize in:

• A product type (residential, commercial, golf homes, custom homes, golf homes, condos, vacation homes, etc.)
• A particular clientele (doctors, nurses, executives, urban professionals, investors, singles or students, young marrieds, empty nesters, seniors, etc.)
• A particular transaction type (zero down, first time home buyers, foreclosures, short sales, etc.)
• A geographic area (your city or county, a neighborhood or subdivision, a condo complex, a resort area, etc.)

The possibilities are almost endless, and chances are good that you already have the beginnings of a strong track record in something. It's just a matter of identifying it and developing a plan to reach more people interested in it.

When I started doing web design, I was not a specialist in real estate sites. But I was experienced in SEO, and could tell clients about my experience bringing in millions of dollars in design fees for an architectural firm using a simple website.

Once I started accruing more real estate agents as clients, I developed a track record that I could tell clients about. That track record of experience helped to give more clients and readers a level of trust that I know something about real estate web marketing.

So take some time to rethink your bio, and convey to your readers what your strengths are. Start by brainstorming a list of strengths—make bullet points on a napkin of why you think someone should list your house with you, or request your help in buying their next home.

Then spend some serious time crafting your bio to concisely and persuasively present your strongest points to the prospects who visit your website. Remember, your bio shouldn't be about what you sell. It should be about you and your expertise.

One more thing. Don't just post your bio on your website and forget about it. Once you've invested the time into making it more persuasive, get it into a portfolio that you hand to prospective clients and draw their attention to it.

Need some help?

If you'd like to talk to me about a real estate website, real estate SEO, or web marketing in general, please fill out this form. I'll send you some free marketing tips, and I'll contact you to discuss your specific needs in more detail. First Last Company Street Address City State Zip Phone Email Type of Business Comments or Questions Referred By Time Frame for Project \nASAP 1 Month 2 Months 3 Months or more N/A Please enter the text...

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