The pertinent question here would be whether links that redirect visitors away from your site are useful to you. The answer is an obvious "No." After all, you will be marketing your services through your site and you won't want any of your visitors going over to the neighbors to meet their needs. Once you get a visitor, your goal should be to keep them at your site, all the while enticing them to call you by providing them useful information and drawing them in to your services.

Reel in Your Visitor Remember a visitor at your site is looking for information about property they wish to invest in or rent. This will probably be the biggest investment they will be making in their lifetime, so they need all the assurance they can get. Sending them to other sites will put you at a disadvantage because you will leave them under the impression that you do not have all the answers to their questions. Outbound links from your site will carry visitor away who will, at the most, thank you for your help in finding a better site that offers solutions to their problem/question.

Getting Your Own Information Every realtor site offers services such as mortgage calculators, financial calculators and information about other mortgage loan sites. There are other links to sites with information about the facilities offered by the local community that the visitor is interested in. These local facilities might be public transportation services, educational institutions and hospitals - among others. They may never return to you for their needs.

Looking for information on localities is well served by the many search engines already up and running. Your site has to answer specific questions about the properties of interest to the visitor. The best way would be to do your own research and collect information from the visitor in order to call them. Assisting them through the house hunting and buying process will prove to be an added advantage.

Interactive Sites Gather Information Making your site interactive for the visitor by incorporating search-engine like features - without leading them out of your Website - is a good idea. The site should convince the visitor that they are welcome to call on you for any assistance required. Your services should be well defined on your site. This will be the first convincing point for any visitor.

About the Author

WC Liu is the founder of BuyHomeChecklist.com, a Home Checking information site for home purchasing. He can be reached at wcliu@dcpsvc.com.

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 15:59:56 GMT

Premium Outlets, a division of Simon Property Group, is planning to build a massive outlet center on a 170-acre parcel near Industrial and Commerce drives with more than 100 high-end stores.

Real estate agents flock to island for convention

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 11:50:22 GMT

Thousands of real estate agents and vendors will begin arriving on the island today for a convention that gives the city a chance to show how much it has recovered since Hurricane Ike struck two years ago.

Closure for re:Verse on the Plaza; owner hopes to relocate

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 07:35:36 GMT

After more than nine years of operations, re:Verse New American Bistro & Bar is closing on the Country Club Plaza.

Rough patch ahead for housing market

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 03:25:08 GMT

Canada's weakening real estate market is headed for a rough patch in the months ahead, analysts said after data released Thursday showed housing starts slowing for the fourth consecutive month in August.

Suspended Real Estate Agent Vows To Fight License Suspension

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 01:25:18 GMT

Michael Hellickson, who works out of a Sumner office, didn't want to talk to KIRO 7 Eyewitness News Consumer Investigator Amy Clancy on camera.

Transat shares soar as earnings beat Street

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 23:15:29 GMT

Jean-Marc Eustache, president and chief executive officer of Transat A.T. Inc., pauses during their annual general meeting in Montreal, March 11, 2010.

Compton council fires city manager -- again

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 19:00:57 GMT

The city of Compton has fired its city manager for the second time in three years.

Transat Q3 profits down to $20.9M without fuel gain, as revenues move...

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 14:48:19 GMT

Travel company Transat A.T. Inc. says its third-quarter profits tumbled to $20.9 million over the same time last year when it benefited form a non-cash gain related to fuel hedging.

Realtors doubt 'mass exodus' to Illinois

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 10:44:00 GMT

Navistar International Corp. is relocating, but that's not a signal a slew of 'For Sale' signs will sprout across Fort Wayne, housing officials say.

Real estate agent: Will work for food

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 09:38:52 GMT

By Teresa Boardman , Thursday, September 9, 2010. Inman News Flickr photo courtesy of twicepix .

Local home sales fall, but prices rise

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 07:34:10 GMT

Home sales fell, but median sale prices rose last month in Orange, Ulster and Sullivan counties, according to reports by county boards of Realtors.

The Pier Shops at Caesars handing keys to lenders

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 03:17:36 GMT

The owner of the upscale shopping mall that juts out over the ocean in Atlantic City is preparing to hand over the keys to lenders.

Online real estate sites compared

Thu, 09 Sep 2010 03:17:35 GMT

That's because in the United States, the data needed to fill the websites with useful data flows freer.

Former cop busted on fraud charges

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 23:03:09 GMT

Former cop busted on fraud charges

Bullman retires after 18 years as CEO of Realtor

Wed, 08 Sep 2010 20:58:07 GMT

Martha Bullman has retired after 18 years as CEO of the Realtor Association of Miami-Dade County.