This is the age of the Internet, and information is the hottest commodity going. Any person, anywhere, with information to share can now market to that exact audience looking for the information faster than ever before.

Now, anyone has the potential to be the hotshot owner of a rapidly growing Internet business, and yes, even to be the top-dog online real estate agent in any town in the world.

The Internet can make anyone a Superstar, for more than Andy Warhol's 15 minutes. But the Internet is only a tool.

Consider the following recent statistics:

- 84% of home buyers use the Internet in their home search.

- 60% of all real estate companies have a web site for business purposes.

- 50% of all real estate agents communicate by e-mail with their clients half of the time.

- 82% of home buyers who used the Internet to search for a home purchased it through a real estate agent

- 65% of those who did not use the Internet purchased directly from a builder or an owner they already knew.

- 61% walked through a home that they viewed online.

- 29% first learned about the house they bought online.

Those statistics make it pretty obvious that you NEED an online presence.

So, what kind of website should you use?

Larger real estate companies will offer you a page on the company's website. If one is available, by all means use it to send traffic to your own personal website. Yes, you MUST have your own personal web site.

Why do you need a personal web site? Because it allows you to be in complete control of your marketing, which lets you control your future. Your individual web site is where you will post all of your listings (in addition to the Multiple Listing Service and any other cross-listing services available to you), plus all the information about you as an agent such as:

- Testimonials from past clients

- Your professional certifications

- Your photo

- Articles for your clients

- Personalized tools, such as customized mortgage calculators

Benefits of having your own personal website

There are several benefits to having your own website, such as:

- You own everything. If you leave your franchise, all you have to do is change a few things, like the colors and the logo on your site, and you are ready to go.

- You have complete control of the content. You can do whatever you want such as survey your visitors, post videos, post an online newsletter, etc.

- Your website is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to service your customers. One major advantage is with out of town buyers. They can get a much better idea of who you are and what you can offer to them without having to pay for a trip to your city.

- You can capture leads and funnel them directly to your own mailing list autoresponder. This way, you can continuously market to your leads, economically and on your own schedule.

Conclusion

If you don't have your own website, you are leaving your independence and control of your own business, not to mention large amounts of money, on the table. Do you really want to do that?