How do you define “trust?” In the real estate industry, it implies several qualities, including competence, reliability, professionalism and honesty. Trust must be earned, but it’s also subject to first impressions. In the online world, those first impressions can be encouraged (or discouraged) by something as simple as your domain name.
Therefore, establishing trust is one of the many reasons members of the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) have been claiming their .realtor™ domains. Exclusively available to members, firms and NAR boards (and the Canadian Real Estate Association), a domain name ending in .realtor™ is an excellent way to make a lasting impression on prospects and clients by reminding them who you are and what you do.
Much More Than a Domain
Since the .realtor™ top-level domains were first offered, several enhancements have been integrated into the platform, including easy-to-build IDX-powered websites (from Placester®, a REALTOR Benefits® Program Partner) and a free realtor.com® profile website (these two benefits are currently for U.S. members only).
In addition to these excellent marketing tools, .realtor™ now offers best-in-class communication and productivity tools, making it easy for members to incorporate professional email from G Suite, as well as other G Suite applications. By taking advantage of .realtor™’s entire digital toolkit, members can propel their real estate business forward, leveraging web solutions designed to improve their marketing efforts and maximize their business efficiencies.
G Suite is a product from Google Cloud, consisting of cloud computing, productivity and collaboration tools, originally launched in 2006 (as Google Apps for Work). Since then, the breadth and depth of its applications have grown, now including a robust integration of email, cloud storage, word processing, spreadsheets, presentation tools, shared calendars, and more.
All the work you do with your .realtor™ domain on G Suite is instantly backed up by Google’s data centers and synchronized for access on any of your devices. Further, Google’s search capabilities are built into all G Suite products—a huge time-saver if you’re on the go and trying to locate old emails, files, etc.
Your .realtor™ domain includes several additional benefits:
- Professional email (for example, info@john.realtor instead of JohnMorgan@gmail.com)
- Double the amount of cloud storage that you get with a free Gmail account
- Direct U.S.-based customer support through .realtor™
- An advertisement-free email experience
Anyone can set up G Suite and run their business email through Gmail, although the process requires several steps in order for your domain’s MX records to point to Google servers. With a .realtor™ domain, the process is managed for you. All you need to do is follow a few simple screen-by-screen steps, and the .realtor™ team takes it from there.
Available G Suite Applications for Real Estate
Google Cloud’s collection of G Suite applications can truly streamline an agent’s busy digital life. A few examples:
Open houses – Use Google Forms (on a tablet) to effortlessly compile visitor data and manage follow-up.
On-the-go meetings – Use Hangouts for easy-to-join video conversations with clients and office members.
Store anything/retrieve anywhere – Google Drive’s cloud-based storage simplifies organizing and retrieving client photos, transaction files, listing presentations, etc., on any device.
Customer relationship management – The G Suite Marketplace includes several CRM integrations to power up your agents’ lead development efforts.
Get Your .realtor™
Individual members of NAR can claim their first .realtor™ domain at no cost for the first year and $39.95 per year after that. (For firms, the cost is $79 per year; bulk discounts are available for individuals and firms.) Add G Suite for $60 per year and take advantage of everything that .realtor™ has to offer. Learn more at www.get.realtor.
For the latest real estate news and trends, bookmark RISMedia.com.
