Your website is your first introduction to a potential client, and you are not there to sell why you’re the right person for the job. This is why it is important to have “trust builders” on each relevant page.
Whether it is a seller or a buyer from out of town, or a referral from a past client, having “trust builders” can give them the confidence you are the right agent so they fill out your contact form or pick up the phone. And adding trust builders for real estate can help with your SEO (search engine optimization) as it is a part of E-E-A-T. Here are seven ways you can incorporate trust builders with examples to help turn more website visitors into clients.
- As Seen In (PR Bar)
- Testimonials
- Case Studies
- Sharing Certifications
- Feature Your Photo Front and Center
- Multiple Ways to Reach You
- A Complete List of Services
As Seen In (PR Bar)
Look through your website and see if you have a PR bar. This is where you share the places you’ve been featured in the media and local blogs. It can also include organizations you support if you don’t have any PR yet. Being featured in the local or national news, as well as local magazines and top agent lists builds your credibility with website visitors. And where you place these logos matters too.
If the logos are in the footer of your website, chances are they won’t be seen. Choose somewhere visible like:
- Under the logo and main menu
- Above or below the contact form
- Above or below a testimonials scroll bar
- After the first block or section of copy and before the listings section
Each of these places will be within eyesight as the potential client is looking to see why they should trust you with their deal. And if you haven’t been featured in the media, now is the time to start.
Think about where your area of expertise is within the space and look at your local news companies. Each one will likely have a real estate section with journalists that need content and topics. Think of a couple unique stories they may not have covered, but are relevant to the current market and pitch them. Just make sure your pitch is about their audience and them vs. being about yourself so the journalist knows you want to share knowledge, not pitch your services.
If you’re wondering why we said organizations and charities you belong to or support builds trust, it is because the potential clients may also support the same. It builds a bond without you having to be present. It could be a military organization, animal rescue, or feeding the hungry.
Testimonials
A testimonial that has a client’s photo, name, and a nice brief overview of your services adds proof-to-the-pudding you are an incredible agent. And if the testimonial features specifics like you got a certain percentage over asking, took care of special needs (physical or mental) and worked off-hours or found a solution to a difficult situation, it shows you take the time to learn and meet all client needs. In addition to being flexible, it answers the questions a potential lead may have. If you’re the only agent website with testimonials sharing how you helped people on the spectrum or in wheelchairs for example, prospects with these same concerns will take note giving you an advantage.
The location of the testimonial matters just like the PR Bar. If your testimonials are in the footer, they’re not going to help anyone as they won’t be seen. Place them by the contact form and above the fold of the page. This way they’re readable as the person explores your website. And equally as important, make sure the testimonial matches the theme of the page.
If the listing page is for a single family home, don’t feature a testimonial for a condo. Did you sell a building in an urban setting or warehouse? That won’t resonate with someone selling a farm with barns and silos in rural America. By matching the testimonial to the properties on your listing page, or on the sales messaging on your landing page, you show you have experience with the specific type of deal. And that can help you get the lead.
Case Studies
A case study is different than a testimonial because a case study shares the full story from the problem to how you provided the solution. And it is easy to use testimonials with case studies together to really seal the deal.
Take the testimonial and place a link that says “read (insert client’s name)’s story here” to learn more. By doing this you can take the potential lead to the entire story of how you helped your client solve a tricky real estate problem and provided a solution. The solution could be anything from avoiding foreclosure to selling a house with a stigma. The person could have been going through a divorce and needed privacy, or is a celebrity and needed privacy so you did a pocket listing with advanced pre-screenings for potential buyers.
If the person clicks through to read more, they may be in a similar situation as your past client. By sharing the problem and steps you took to solve it, you show your experience and that you are the right agent for the job.
Sharing Certifications
Do you belong to industry associations or have you been certified with relevant skill sets? These can help you stand out to potential clients. Certifications include anything from land surveying to helping people with special needs. Curious about special needs? It’s a big trust builder for real estate agents.
When the client or their family has special needs and you have “certified” experience with them, you have the knowledge to locate and sell properties that cater to their needs more easily than someone with no knowledge or experience. And the same goes for associations that hold agents accountable.
Home buyers and sellers look up why some agents have different titles and names, and when they see that specific designations require a commitment to meeting strict standards, it means they’re in good hands when they choose you. Feature these logos and the length of time you’ve had them. It shows you are committed to helping your clients succeed.
Feature Your Photo Front and Center
Sharing your photo on your homepage, about page, and contact page puts a face with the name. The potential client will know there is a real person on the other end, and who they will be working with. They are likely going to meet you in person if they choose to contact you, and adding a face can help build trust you are actually there. And make sure the photo is a good one.
- Have a welcoming smile or expression, don’t keep a plan face.
- Use a professional headshot and not a selfie or vacation pic.
- These can be fine for blog posts where you’re displaying what it is like to be a client and how you work. But your professional pages must be professional.
- Update it when you update your look or style. You want the client to be able to find you when you meet, and if you show a photo from 10 years ago and no longer look like that, you’re starting your first meeting with a lie. Experience and knowledge can overpower age concerns, so don’t be afraid to feature an up-to-date image.
Multiple Ways to Reach You
Something agents forget to include how to reach them and the hours you work. It’s equally important to remember that not everyone likes to communicate the same way. Some people would rather skip the perfect agent than have to talk to them on the phone. Email or text messaging are better for them, and they’ll skip you over if you require a phone call. Other people enjoy a phone call, and some prefer a video call to phone. All of these are easy to implement and show you’ll work with your client the way they feel most comfortable.
Make sure your website has an email address, phone number, contact form, and a way to schedule a call using a calendar and video service (many are free). This way you can learn how your potential clients want to communicate from the start and follow through with their preferences.
Pro-tip: Display your office hours including weekends. If your competitors don’t show weekends or evenings, but you do and the client isn’t available during the day, you have an advantage. But you have to actually be available and working during those times.
A Complete List of Services
The last trust builder is a full list of services. You don’t want to go overboard, but make sure you share what you specialize in and the types of properties. You can section them out by type of deal too.
For example you may specialize in urban condos and suburban single family homes. But also have some experience with rental properties and connecting them with investors and landlords. Other services could be locating renters, real estate wholesaling, and selling office buildings. The lead could be another agent whose client sent them to your site to checkout a property, and the other agent may need help with a different project. Sharing where you’re qualified and the types of services you offer gives a full overview of your skills and can build your network.
Adding trust builders to your real estate website is easy and can help turn more visitors into leads. If you found this post helpful and would like more tips like it, subscribe to our newsletter below.
