Many agents and I have to admit designers as well have lost sight of the basics of a real estate agent personal business website. Having been swept up by catch phrases like Web 2.0 and 3.0, social networking, blogs, and Twitter, real estate professionals have ignored the primary function and goal of the website. The ultimate objective for agents is to close transactions for the maximum long term pay out to them. Captured leads, cultivating new prospects, and showcasing listings and expertise are the main ways a real estate website does this.

Buyers want to search listings and sellers want to know the value of their home. I'm shocked at how many agent sites don't stress this premise. Framing in a basic MLS search that any user can access by going directly to their local MLS is not going to help you capture leads very well. You have to offer something more that will entice them to come back to your site. Have custom search, email updates, and showcase your own listings with extra photos, neighborhood info, and various lead capture forms.

If you want your website to help you secure more listings, make sure you address the needs of sellers. Have a "how much is my home worth form" prominent on your site. Provide them with a useful CMA and nurture the relationship with an emails updates on recent comps and other useful info. The market snapshot tool by Top Producer does this for you, but you can easily develop your own system that is more specific to the sellers needs.

In order to secure a new client, they will want to know that you are an expert and they can trust you. Add content to your About Me or About Us section that details your experience and expertise. Add a Past Sales section and as soon as a deal closes put on your site. Your online deal portfolio = credibility. Testimonials are a big help as well to gaining new prospects trust.

Once you have the basics on your site you can worry about the extras such as Video, Animation, Blogs, Widgets, and Non-Real Estate Distractions. Also, don't just jump into social networking if you don't have a home base (main website) to redirect your followers to. Social networking is essentially a marketing device for real estate agents like search engine and email advertising, so implement your marketing program once your site is rich in content and lead capture devices. Getting back to basics doesn't mean making your site boring. It means adding the essential content and design before you add the glitz and the fluff.