R
eal estate branding expert Scott Vancea reveals the biggest mistake agents make and how to show up online. In a recent episode of the Real Estate Insiders Unfiltered podcast, Vancea emphasizes that agents should focus on basic tools rather than the latest technology. "There's too much real estate tech," he says, noting that automation can only take you so far. To truly succeed, agents need to connect with people and send them meaningful messages.

    The key to showing up online is Google. Vancea argues that not optimizing your online profile is a major business mistake. A great agent who's been around for 30 years may lose business to someone new who has a strong Google Business profile with many reviews. To think like a client, simply Google yourself and see what shows up.

    What you want to see are your headshot, reviews, and contact information on the left-hand side of the page. This is where people will find you when searching for real estate. Zillow is not where people go looking for Realtors; they go there to look at properties. Blogs and social media aren't effective ways to get noticed either.

    To improve your online presence, focus on enhancing your Google Business profile and keeping it accurate and clean. This includes updating your contact information and encouraging clients to leave reviews. Google reads the content of these reviews and uses them for ranking, so getting high-quality reviews is crucial.

    The best part? All this is free. Vancea argues that brokers should be focusing on what's organic and free rather than investing in expensive technology like AI. By answering the question "what's free and organic that your folks aren't doing now?", brokers can make a real impact without breaking the bank.