Are you still resisting the Internet as a viable source of customers for your mortgage business? That stubbornness is certainly losing you new opportunities and most likely giving your past clients to the competition. The National Association of Realtors did the survey and wrote the report–FACT: 75% of home buyers and homeowners start their buying process online. What’s more the current uncertainty in the mortgage and real estate market is only solidifying that trend.
The Internet is not just a big National lender strategy. Results show that local Internet strategies are faster and more effective. People are researching mortgages online. People are submitting their name and telephone number for more information.
Why would you let the competition have that opportunity?
Why are you jeopardizing your mortgage business in this challenging time?
Stop the madness! Fix it.
Here are five simple steps to make sure you get to talk to every local borrower using the Internet to look for a mortgage loan:
1. Get a Website
There are lots of simple ways to do this. You can use Google Page Creator for free or hire a local web savvy high schooler for cheap.
If you have a minimal amount of technical inclination and want immediate impact I suggest launching a WordPress.com blog. It’s free and Google Search loves blogs.
Another advantage of a blog is online customers’ expectations. Online customers often want the opportunity to engage and interact with businesses before they call or buy. A blog allows you to demonstrate trust, personality, and give value first (educational mortgage content).
2. Submit Your Mortgage Business to Google Local and Yahoo! Local
Most online customer use the Internet, and search engines in particular, much like a big phone book. This means that you often seek and search by their local state or community name. This is why local search placement is crucial, and typically easy to acquire since large mortgage businesses often neglect this marketing space.
The fastest way to grab local position in by adding your mortgage business to Google Local and Yahoo! Local. Both take a matter of minutes and are guaranteed to put you into a prominent position on every search for a local mortgage broker or lender.
3. Submit Your Mortgage Business to Local City Directories
Local city directories are also often neglected, but very powerful local search results.
Submitting to these directories include two levels: (1) National big directories like InfoUSA, YellowPages.com, and CitySearch.com that contain and syndicate local business listings; and (2) Local city, township, or county government listings, rotary directory, and various other small (typically civic) Internet listings of local businesses and services.
4. Incorporate Your Online Presence Into Your Offline Mortgage Advertising
A website or blog is the new phone number. They are often easier to remember and refer to others and give them an opportunity to window shop you–without wasting your time.
Your website address should go everywhere your telephone number goes. Visiting your website should engage them with information and break down anxiety they may have over calling or emailing you for counsel on their financial situation.
5. Buy Local Purchase Mortgage Leads
Big mortgage lenders like simple, cookie-cutter, refinance deals. They are not generally concerned about building long-term relationships, but rather short-term cash flows. This creates a big opportunity for small local brokers in the purchase mortgage lead market.
These mortgage leads are typically very reasonable and the borrowers more likely to want a local lender. You should attempt to buy every lead in your local area. This will stock your database with current and future opportunities. You will also be surprised by how many Realtors start showing up at your door for referrals.
These are solid steps to securing your local Internet market share. It will probably cost you less than $100, yet give you thousands in immediate return. As your online marketing savvy increases there are even more opportunities to build your initial success and foundation. Successes that will surely have you hiring an assistant, then a processor, then a couple of additional brokers.
Who knows what your mortgage business might become, but the certainty is that no one in your local area will be stealing your clients off the Internet any more!
