The Ultimate Checklist for Selecting a Domain Name for Your Real Estate Website

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What To Consider When Choosing A Website Domain Name for Your Real Estate Business

Chances are your first choice for your real estate website domain name isn’t available. In this day and age of the Internet, it’s a bit hard to simply be “yourname dot com” because chances are you’re not the only person out there with that name that wanted that domain.

If you’re fortunate enough to have your first choice domain be available then go pop some bubbly because you are already a winner! But if you’re like the rest of us then you may need to get a bit more creative in order to find a domain name that works for you, your brand, and your business.

One quick suggestion is to turn your name into a phrase, by using an action verb or industry keywords. For example, if “yourname dot com” is already taken, then try using “yournamesellsatlanta dot com” or even “kpsellsatl dot com”. This may turn your business name into a neat and creative brand, while giving your clients something easy to remember.

But if that still doesn’t work (and even if it does), let’s talk about things to think through and consider during your creative process when selecting a real estate blog domain name.

7 Tips, Tricks and Thoughts For Selecting Your Real Estate Website Domain Name

1. GO FOR ‘.COM’, ‘.CO’ OR ‘.NET’ AND AVOID THE REST

In an effort to mix things up, the people responsible for domain names decided to give you a ton of trendy alternatives to the normal .com’s and .org’s of the Internet. For example, you could now be karyperry.realtor if you wanted. Pretty cool right?

These might interest you, and may even one day become the industry standard….but they’re not there yet. Most people aren’t even aware that these options exist, let alone have any familiarity with typing them into a browser. What is more likely to happen is that they will attach .com to your website address anyway because they think you made a mistake.

So in theory these are great and innovative, but in practice, they may do more harm than good. Therefore, when you are selecting your real estate blog domain name keep trying until you find an available .com or .co version that works for you.

2. USE YOUR NAME, TEAM NAME OR ANY NAME

Branding simply requires standing out from the crowd and making your business unique in the eyes of the potential client. Just like there is only ONE of you in this world, your personal brand and website should say the same.

The only drawbacks to using your own name are of course if your name is either very common, very long, very unique, or very very difficult to pronounce. (or all four, yikes!)

But don’t fret…this is where using your Team Name, Division or Brokerage can come into play. For example, you could very easily brand Atlanta Luxury Listings (ALL) or something equally as memorable for your clients. You can also pick a name that simply resonates with you. The sky is the limit!

3. K-I-S-S

Keep it Short & Simple. We tend to overcomplicate our decisions when we want to stand out, when in reality we have several examples of successful companies that used that K-I-S-S mindset in their branding. Amazon. Uber. Google. Zillow. Apple.

The company names and domain names are short and easy to remember for a reason. All customers can easily locate the brand online, and discuss it with friends.

If using a long domain name is a must, or is critical to your brand that’s not an issue. But be sure not to use hyphens or odd spellings to make it look better.

Your potential clients will have difficulty remembering it, especially if your real estate website domain name is different than your business name, and the rest of the branding (i.e. your logo, business cards, and any other marketing materials)

?Like I always say, if you are targeting the masses then you are targeting no-one. Find out How Niche Marketing Can Set Your Real Estate Business Apartin your market.

4. BUT FIRST CHECK SOCIAL

The reality is that your online presence absolutely needs to include a social media aspect. So any domain name, company/team name, or online presence that you’re thinking of using, the first step you should do is see if the social media account/name is also available.

Doing this upfront will save you some potential headaches/grief later on. There are several free sites/tools available such as my personal fave, NameCheckr, that will search your potential domain name for free.

5. THINK LOCAL, SELL LOCAL

The mindset with this tip is that using local place names (Atlanta, Directions like NW, SE, etc,) can further help differentiate your brand from the competition. This is especially useful in hot markets.

Another benefit of adding a local city/area to your name is that you’re establishing an area of expertise. If I’m a consumer and I see that you have a website/team dedicated to the area I want to live in, that could be enough to make me click on your website over another more general brand. While this won’t necessarily help you rank any differently on Google, a local real estate website domain name could be enough to make you stand apart.

?If you think email is dead then you absolutely need to read to read the 5 Reasons Why Real Estate Pros Must Have An Email List. You’ll thank me later (at least I hope so).

6. KEYWORDS AREN’T EXACTLY KEY ANYMORE

Another thing that won’t help your Google rating? Adding Keywords to your domain. If keywords in domain names mattered, then a search on “Atlanta Real Estate” should pull up atlantarealestate dot com which is a real URL on the internet. However, Zillow is the very first link that appears.

The reality here is that there are several ways to increase your ranking with Google and the other search engines, however, adding keywords to your domain name isn’t the way to do it.

Additionally, you want to avoid adding length to your name where possible, and also you don’t want to demean your brand identity. Having a name like bestrealestateagentinAtlanta.net doesn’t exactly scream professionalism, even if it may be true.

7. TRENDS ARE SO YESTERDAY

This last tip is simply a reminder that your real estate blog or website domain name is one that will (prayerfully) be with you for a very long time as you’re successful in this industry.

A lot of the marketing and SEO strategies are long term plays that can take months to see action from. Do you really want to spend all of that time building up your Google ranking for a name you won’t want in 3 years?

Think of your domain name with a long term vision in mind and avoid falling for the trendiness of a right now approach, or the smaller mindedness of “we only do foreclosures”, or “we only work in this one area”. Chances are, you will grow and whatever the popular buzz word is today will be forgotten about tomorrow.

In Summary

At the end of the day, your domain name is just that…YOURS. So if you have your heart absolutely set on a domain name that defies all of these tips, then by all means that choice is yours..

So to recap, here is your handy 7 item checklist for helping you select your real estate website domain name:

Select an available .com or .co
Use your name, team name or any name
Keep it Short & Simple
Check social media availability
Try adding your location in your name
Don’t stuff your domain name with keywords
Avoid using trendy words

Editor’s note: This article was created by Kary Perry, Agent at eXp Realty. Information deemed reliable but is subject to change.

?Are you a new real estate agent? Download the free How to Succeed in Your First 90 Days in Real Estate Checklist

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At Building Better Agents, we are dedicated to helping agents build successful real estate careers. We help agents develop a plan, build a database, and work smarter to uncover the keys to success as a real estate agent. All without cold calling, door knocking, and chasing expired listings. Building Better Agents Leaders Kerry Lucasse and Kary Perry are proud to be agents with eXp Realty.

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