Michaela, I hate this company. To me, it is the National Association of Realtors. And, they have found more ways to take my money than anyone except, maybe, my insurance companies. With all their tricks of 'education' designations and self promotions the organization has found their cash cow (that would be you and I). Of course, I will end up paying them to renew like you just did. They dominate the web and even if you can't track a single sale back to them, you are stuck giving them more money. You owe it to your sellers.

Michaela,

Do you advertise your site on Yahoo or Google with pay-per-click advertising?

I once had all the bells and whistles on realtor.com, used magazine ads, etc. I took the money I was spending on all that other stuff and redirected it towards pay-per-click ads.  It gave me specific targeted traffic for people that were looking for "homes for sale in my city my state."  

Like you, I never could track a lead back to realtor.com or anywhere else for that matter!

Traffic/visitors from realtor.com is among the top 10 for us but 'for the money' they just don't measure up.  They continue to be a necessary evil, I'm afraid but this may be the last year I view them as 'necessary'... LOL

They are fine for what they are but just priced TOO HIGH for what they bring to the table.

I took a CRS class in 1979 (yes 1979). We spent a lot of time talking about advertising, the concept was you should never spend your advertising money where your return did not excede your investment.  The instructor was using the yellow pages as an example.  People do not shop for real estate in the yellow pages, why invest your advertising dollars there.  I think the same thing is true with many of our advertising methods.  The internet is changing from the world wide web to the neighborhood web.  If you start researching what is happening with real estate advertising, you will see the print media is beginning to disappear.  I have take taken the idea from craigslist, and started to develop my website as a neighborhood service provider, on which I can promote my real estate business.  If you have any ideas, please feel free to contact me.  Everyone have a great real estate day.

Dennis

And, Michaela, it is also difficult to pinpoint the number of buyers who find our listings on realtor.com and then contact another agent to show it and write the contract.  That is the main reason we continue to pay the big bucks for R.com

My listings go onto realtor.com, and I don't pay any additional fee for this service.  It is my belief that if someone is relocating to Boise, that the buyer will look at all the listings.  Since the real estate market is still a local market, why spend all your additional funds on trying to attract the relocation buyer that will find your website anyway.  Put your advertising dollars into your local marketing area, and I think you will find a much better return.  Realtor.com in my opinion, is telling you that will will not be getting the results that you want by lowering their price in order to keep you as a client.  Remember realtor.com doesn't sell real estate, they sell advertising.

Have a great real estate day.

Dennis

I had responded to a post about Realtor.com a while back and found that I had about 100 referrals to my website over 1 years time (whose to say how many of those were me checking the links to make sure they worked). I had concluded that the trackable website traffic proved that paying for xtra enhancements on Realtor.com was a rip-off. I had been paying for not only enhanced listings but Featured Homes as well. I know that in this crappy market every little bit helps, but I cannot justify spending the xtra money on Realtor.com....

So here is what I suggest: For the next 90 days if we can get all the Point2 Realtors to track where their buyers found the property they purchased or where the buyer for their listings found the property initially and then post that data, we should be able to see if Realtor.com really works.

What do you say...anyone up to this task???

I recently called Realtor.com to ask what they would charge for me to enhance my listings only. I let them know I am not a new Realtor, but did not like what they had to offer for the price years ago. For about $300 a year, I can now enhance all of my listings (showcase), which is all I really need. I'm curious; are any of you paying more than this to just enhance all of your listings without anything else?

I will echo what Michaela said.  If I could get the enhanced listings for $300 per year it would be a no-brainer.  

Michael Valdes, I am not sure any of the stats matter. My Ask4Greg.com web site has a lot of visitors with return customers staying awhile. None seem to come from Realtor.com, or, Move.com

My standard P2A web site doesn't give those stats. And, besides; it really doesn't matter. My clients that listed their homes with me, kniow only about Realtor.com and print ads in 'Free' Home Magazines.

Tell me how to tell the home owner that those venues are a waste of money in advertising and what methods will get them quanifiable results to sell their homes and I'll do the seminar circuit with you. Or, as they say in the old days, "Build a better mouse trap, and they will beat a path to your door."

I am a blond and I don't know what Mipeco means...does it have a special meaning that I am missing?  Also I think Realtor.com is a waste of time...even though I pay $300 + to enhance my listings...so do my agents because we feel the pressure.  Did you know that Realtor.com is owned by move.com? a Coldwell Banker company and part of NRT?

Some how the pieces don't fit to me...do they to you???

$800 for nothing?  SOunds stupid to me!  Imagine how much other advertising you could get for $800 (maybe even some radio space)!

Forgot....Gregory....I am with you let's build a better mousetrap...

I am working on it...does anyone want to help me? Gregory you need to upgrade your website...it is worth it for all the bells and whistles!

Ginny, I can't afford to upgrade. Realtor dot com and the other bandits stole all the money I made from over charging home owners for my services. And, Michael won't tell me how to explain it to the sellers that print ads and Realtor dot com is a waste of advertising dollars.

Michaela, did you also envision just a shield when you were thinking about your company as a kid?  Just wondering.....

Hi Michaela, I think your logo is HOT but did you really cut off one of the Lion's tails ?

That sounds kinda cruel !

I can't really see the tails from here.... you got a larger version of that logo somewhere?

How short did you go?

I have crew cut, it's great !  Saves shampoo !

Well, at least upload a new pic of you, we all want to see you now!!

Cool!! Can't wait : )

If your trying to make the sellers happy offer to have their home as a featured home and let them pay per month..they will get it!

Our company know enhances all our  listings and charges us $18.00 a month.  they put their name on it too!  than they charge us a 38% referral fee if we didin't pay the 18.00.  That's if we get the lead at all.

Check your altra stats and the pages where your leads come from.

I believe I have seen it on there.  I know when hits come from our company website as well.

Personally I'm not going to do Realtor.com anymore.  I think the mls's are all getting out of hand and taking everything from the agent.

I actually pay for syndication from my mls, my brokers site, and p2.

I pay 3 times for oodle and the rest of it.  What was the mls created for to give our listings away?

Radley & Shelly, I can vouch...Michaela's new haircut looks very professional & "sassy".   I agree you need a new pic, Michaela!  Actually, Michaela is really much older...she just has this great face cream....just kidding, that would be me.;)