What is a niche?A niche is a target audience or target market or an area of specialization where you can provide your services in the best manner because you are more knowledgeable in that market.A niche can be geographical. You may choose to provide your real estate expertise in one city or if you are a real estate agent in a large city, your niche may be a certain geographical boundary in that city. Some agents specialize in farm properties. Some agents specialize in second homes and investment properties. Some agents focus on 1031 tax deferred exchanges. Real estate agents who speak other languages may find themselves providing services to buyers and sellers who speak those languages. Whatever type of niche you have, it is extremely important to focus your attention on your target audience when in comes to real estate marketing online.Niche marketing does not mean you have to limit your marketing efforts in just one local area. It is also important to combine national with regional and local exposure. For instance, if you are specializing in the second home market, it is important to combine local and regional marketing with national marketing when it comes to real estate marketing online. If your niche is in the second home market, the buyer or seller for a second home may come from any city in the country.Many buyers and sellers of second homes consider different cities in different states before they decide where next to purchase a second home or investment property. They like to search online to conduct their research to find out about the different cities they are considering. They also look for real estate agents online who can provide them with additional information on the cities of their interest.If you market your real estate business online outside of your local area of service, you are already several notches ahead of your competition because you will reach your target audiences right in their spots before they even start looking for a real estate agent else where. Their perception of your professional practice will also improve because you are giving them a glimpse of the kind of approach you have when it comes to conducting your business.The biggest drawback in utilizing real estate marketing online nationally is the issue of budget. If you are an independent contractor (and most real estate agents are), chances are that you will pay for the marketing of your own profession, and most online publications will charge a handsome fee to include your real estate business online nationally. However, if you do your research, you will find some online publications that will charge decent rates to include your real estate business online nationally.Understanding that it is not necessarily the amount of any online traffic that is important but getting the online traffic from your target audience is what really counts. You will get less general online traffic when you direct your focus to a targeted audience, but you are reaching the audience that will listen to your message. This is the audience that is more likely to respond to your message. Of course, just like any other type of marketing, real estate marketing online is still a numbers’ game, and you are more likely to experience a higher success rate when you reach your target audience online.How do you reach your target audience with real estate marketing online?Advertise your real estate business in specialized online publications. If you would like to reach the audience for the second home market, advertise online on a second home Internet directory or second home Internet magazine. If you would like to reach the market online for 1031 tax deferred exchanges, advertise in an online or Internet magazine that specializes in real estate investing and 1031 tax deferred exchanges.Know the function of the search engines in real estate marketing online. A huge majority of online searches are done through search engines. Using search engines is really a wonderful way to reach your target audience because your target market is the one coming to you instead of you going to them. For instance if they put “buying a second home directory” as their search parameter, they are very specific about finding a directory that specializes in the second home market.Advertise in an online publication that ranks in the top 10 of Google, MSN, and Yahoo when using the key words of the search parameters that your target audience is most likely going to use because these major search engines are the tools that your target audience will most likely utilize to conduct searches online in order to reach you. The real estate online or Internet publications that display in the top 10 of the search results in major search engines in a defined niche are the ones which are most likely to be visited by the people who are looking for that specific business or service and that is the online publication where you would like your business to be seen.
Tag Archives: Real Estate
QLD Real Estate Agent License Course – Are You Prepared?
One of the industries that is making most of the global economic progress is real estate. It has become a very lucrative profession and to become a real estate agent in Queensland, you must possess a license. There are many criteria that must be fulfilled in order to be able to get the license. This includes that the candidate must be 18 years or over, be a suitable person (there are specifications for this), have at least one place of business in Queensland and should have completed the required training units through a registered training organisation.**
For getting the QLD real estate license, training from a recognized organisation is essential. Not only will it help in obtaining the license but will also help in shaping a successful career in the real estate industry. There are a lot of organisations that provide training to get a real estate license and they offer courses through various modes of education (including correspondence). Training centres have specific time tables and candidates can pick and choose the classes they have to attend accordingly. They have an instructor who can help them. The classroom courses and correspondence courses have their own advantages and disadvantages as compared to each other; and one or the other might be more suitable for you depending on your constraints.
The QLD Real Estate Agent License Course includes 19 units in general. To get the full license, all the chapters/units need to be completed. If you have worked for twelve months or more in a real estate agency as a letting agent, property manager or salesperson, you would have most likely completed six to eight units. You will be eligible for Recognition of Prior Learning in this case and you can consult with your workplace on what units you can be judged to be competent on. Formal education in real estate will also provide the necessary evidence to Prior Learning and you will not have to repeat units you have already learnt.
If the candidates have possessed a similar real estate agent license two years before applying for this one, then they do not need to complete the training requirements.
**To qualify for this licence you must complete these subjects from the industry-recognised Property Development and Management Training Package:
1.PRDRE09A Implement and monitor financial systems
2.PRDRE10A Manage agency risk
3.PRDRE11A Provide property appraisal
4.PRDRE12A Establish and expand client base
5.PRDRE13A Obtain property listings
6.PRDRE14A Market property
7.PRDRE15A Undertake property sale by private treaty
8.PRDRE16A Monitor sales process
9.PRDRE18A Lease property
10.PRDRE19A Provide property management services
11.PRDRE22A Present and explain property reports
12.PRDRE26A Conduct property sale by auction
13.PRDRE28A Maintain trust account
14.PRDRE30A Implement personal marketing plan
15.PRDRE37A Perform and record property management activities and transactions
16.PRDRE39A Prepare and execute documentation
17.PRDPOD62A Clarify and confirm property information requirements.
**Alternatively, you can complete these units from the Property Services Training Package endorsed by the National Quality Council:
1.BSBSBM406A Manage finances
2.CPPDSM4003A Appraise property
3.CPPDSM4005A Establish and build client-agency relationships
4.CPPDSM4006A Establish and manage agency trust accounts
5.CPPDSM4007A Identify legal and ethical requirements of property management to complete agency work
6.CPPDSM4008A Identify legal and ethical requirements of property sales to complete agency work
7.CPPDSM4009A Interpret legislation to complete agency work
8.CPPDSM4010A Lease property
9.CPPDSM4011A List property for lease
10.CPPDSM4012A List property for sale
11.CPPDSM4013A Market property for lease
12.CPPDSM4014A Market property for sale
13.CPPDSM4015A Minimise agency and consumer risk
14.CPPDSM4016A Monitor and manage lease or tenancy agreement
15.CPPDSM4018A Prepare and present property reports
16.CPPDSM4019A Prepare for auction and complete sale
17.CPPDSM4022A Sell and finalise the sale of property by private treaty
18.CPPDSM4046A Manage tenancy disputes
19.CPPDSM4080A Work in the real estate industry.
The QLD Real Estate Agent License Course would give the candidate the opportunity to own and manage a real estate agency, either on their own or with someone else. If real estate interests you and you have the burning desire to explore new opportunities in this field then getting a license will help the dream become reality.
** The information has been provided in http://www.fairtrading.qld.gov.au