Improve your digital footprint and position yourself as the industry expert in your local area with the following checklist of recommendations. Propel your website and overall digital strategy, giving you the tools to attract a new segment of buyers, sellers, investors, and renters through the power of online marketing.

This checklist will continue to grow throughout the year to help you achieve the best results across your digital landscape.

Uploading at least one blog article a month to your website is essential for maintaining an active and engaging online presence. Regular blog posts can boost your site's search engine optimisation (SEO), making it easier for potential customers to find you through search engines.

Consistent content updates also demonstrate that your business is active and invested in providing value to its audience. This can build trust and loyalty among your readers, who are more likely to return for fresh insights and updates.

Additionally, monthly blog posts can position you as an industry expert, offering a platform to share your knowledge, insights, and solutions to common problems your audience may face. This enhances your credibility and encourages social sharing and engagement, further expanding your reach and influence.

Blog topics ideas:

Below are some ideas as to how you can establish blog topics and start pushing these out to your audience:

• Look at what is happening in your local area, such as large development projects or community events.

• Write about law changes related to property management or sales to demonstrate your awareness of legislation.

• Provide tips and tricks for readying your house for sale or quick ways to improve its value.

• Look at common questions you get asked by clients. You can even look through your inbox and see what consistently pops up.

• Look at what your competitors are writing about for inspiration.

• Include things happening in the office, such as awards, staff achievements, or work with local community charities.

• View our First National website blogs for ideas

I don't have time to write a blog:

We simplify this by emailing monthly professional blog content from the First National Support Office. You can repost on your blogs. 

Examples of First National Real Estate offices who have blogs on their website:

https://www.neilsonpartners.com.au/pages/real-estate/blog

https://www.fngenesis.com.au/pages/real-estate/blog

https://www.palmbeachfn.com.au/blog

Utopia is an email marketing platform exclusive to First National members. It allows you to create and manage a contact database to communicate effectively. Segment your database to send the right message at the right time. Have your new listings and open homes distributed to your database automatically via email and SMS.

All these features come with a monthly license fee of AUD $88.00, which is charged on the 1st of each month in advance. Associated offices are charged an additional $22.00 per month. If your office has not registered, you can register here.

Do you know that one of the unique elements of Utopia is that it is incredibly easy to ask your clients for reviews on your Google Business Profile? Google reviews play a crucial role in real estate, boosting trust, local SEO, and client attraction. Positive reviews enhance visibility and credibility, making agents more appealing. They also foster client relationships, promote service improvement, and increase referrals. 

Remember, the best way to acquire 5-star reviews is to have property managers and sales agents ask happy customers if they’d be prepared to leave a review at the moment the customers express how happy they are. Utopia makes it easy to send the request, but don’t be tempted to email your whole database as this breaches Google’s terms, risks bad reviews, and looks a bit silly to customers who last used your services more than 3 months ago.

In addition to Google review mailouts, you can also send these up for the following mailouts:

• Customer Survey

• Newsletter

• Property Listings

If you need more information or assistance with Utopia, contact our team at support@firstnational.com.au. 

Hyperlocal is a highly efficient way to run digital display advertising across your local area on digital platforms. It will be shown to a relevant audience within a specific radius of the property address.

The basic plan is just AUS$199+GST, and it guarantees 40,000 ads (impressions) targeted across one specific postcode/area, but did you know it also allows you to create a campaign and choose two to five extra postcodes to promote your listing or office. 

If you know your audience/buyers/investors are from more than two specific areas, such as if you are based in a regional area but your target is also in a metro/city area or another state. You can choose two postcodes/areas and reach the right audience at the right place and time, driving higher engagement and conversion rates. 

If you want to learn more, Click here, OR if you have any questions, please email support@hopa.net.au

Social Express, First National Real Estate's all-in-one, social media management tool, is now powered by Properti, a platform that offers social media marketing automation that enables you to dominate your digital patch. 

Whilst you can 'set and forget' Social Express, the system has a range of post types on offer, giving you the opportunity to supplement your weekly, automatically generated content with additional posts to suit what information you want to send to your local area. 

One of the unique elements of Properti is that you are able to set up automatic triggers. Automatic triggers refer to the different types of posts that you can set up to post to your Facebook, Instagram, and Google Business Profile pages automatically, as they are 'triggered' when you update the price of a listing in your CRM. 

A primary reason why you might look to set up an automatic trigger is to advertising a price change on a property. Click on the link to learn exactly how you can set this up within your own schedule, in order to automate posts to alert your audience about a price change on a listing.

In addition to automatic triggers for price updates, you can also set these up for the following post types:

• Land Templates
• Under Offer
• New Listing Stories
• Customer Reviews
• RSS Feed Content

If you would like more information, need assistance with setting up automatic triggers, or are interested in signing up to Social Express, contact our team at socialexpress@firstnational.com.au. 

Launched in October 2023, Pro is the latest advancement to Connect, a suite of five realestate.com.au powered products designed to help you win more listings with less effort. Whilst the original Connect product aims to help individual agents on their prospecting journey, this gives agencies at large the tools they need to generate seller leads, have better conversations, and win more listings.

What Are The Products Included In Pro?

1. Agency Elevate - Giving a Principal agency branding to help get their team on the shortlist and be seen where sellers and searching

2. Discounted Agent Elevate - Get your team seen by more sellers for less and stand out where it matters on realestate.com.au

3. Enhanced Seller Leads Reporting - Giving Principal's an understanding of their market and teams' performance and better manage their leads to ultimately assist with winning more listings

4. Enriched Seller Leads - Get a better understanding of every seller and uncover potential sellers within your Buyer Enquiries 

5. CMA - Get more than just property data powered by realestate.com.au with everything you'd expect from a CMA and more

First National Real Estate is the only real estate group in Australia whereby 100% of offices currently have access to the Pro subscription, and if that wasn’t reason enough, as a First National member, you have access to an incredibly exclusive offer, where you receive a highly discounted Connect subscription, with the added inclusion of Pro at NO EXTRA CHARGE for a two-year period.

To access this exclusive offer, you need to sign up by December 15^th 2023, so make sure to contact your BGM to be put in touch with your state's dedicated growth specialist today, or contact them directly via the details below:

For more information about Pro, view the REA Connect resources on FN Central.

Last month, First National Real Estate announced a partnership with ListSMRT, a platform that harnesses the power of artificial intelligence to generate the very best in real estate copywriting, giving you the ability to create property listing descriptions in three easy steps:

1. Enter the property address - select this from the dropdown, after which general property information and features will pre-fill. 

2. Give ListSMRT a bit of context - choose the property type, and give ListSMRT some more information around highlights and additional features. 

3. Review, polish, and publish -  take a look a look at the results, and make any edits that you see fit.

The team at ListSMRT have put together the below video, so that you can see just how easy it is to compile eloquently written property listing descriptions in minutes. 

How can I Sign up for ListSMRT Today:

1. Head to FN Central, and select the ListSMRT tile on the home page.

2. Opt to 'Try for Free' and sign up with your First National email address. 

3. After your free trial period has ended, the ListSMRT team will be in touch about how you can access our exclusive pricing. 

For more information on ListSMRT, contact First National Support Office for Support at support@firstnational.com.au, or ListSMRT at info@listsmrt.com. 

Some of the best pieces of content you can add to your website are detailed suburb profiles for the primary areas in which your agency operates. Not only does this position you as a local area expert, but it helps Google catch your website for the suburb names, and begins to strongly associate your website with searches for real estate in those exact suburbs. Luckily, compiling suburb profiles is easier than ever before. Through the power of ChatGPT, you can have suburb profiles quickly, and with incredible detail and accuracy. Below you can find steps on how you can have a comprehensive profile compiled in minutes:

Step 1: Head to https://openai.com/ and sign up. If you already have an account, you can skip this step.

Step 2: Once logged in, click on ChatGPT.

Step 3: Send ChatGPT a prompt to write a suburb profile on one of your trading suburbs. You can easily copy paste below prompt.

Write a suburb profile with 1,000 words max that is written in third person without pronouns, in Australian english for (insert suburb, State, Australia) that will improve my website’s SEO. Include information about its population, schools, housing options, local attractions, local amenities, any future development plans, and public transportation availability. Include demographic on current people living there and end with why people should live there.

Step 4: Wait as the magic happens.

Step 5: Read it, make sure you’re happy with it, copy & paste on your website.

Example:

ChatGPT’s response:

Richmond, Victoria: A Vibrant Neighbourhood of Opportunities

Nestled in the heart of Melbourne, Richmond stands as a pulsating suburb that seamlessly blends tradition and modernity. With a dynamic population and an array of amenities, schools, and attractions, Richmond has emerged as a prime residential destination that appeals to a diverse range of individuals and families.

Population and Demographics: A Diverse Tapestry

Richmond's population is as diverse as its offerings, comprising individuals from various walks of life. Young professionals seeking the urban buzz find solace in its trendy cafes and vibrant nightlife, while families are drawn to its reputable schools, parks, and family-friendly environment. The suburb's demographic mosaic is a reflection of Melbourne's cosmopolitan culture, fostering an inclusive and welcoming community.

Schools and Education: Nurturing Minds, Shaping Futures

Richmond's commitment to education is evident in its exceptional range of schools. From well-regarded public institutions to renowned private academies, parents have a plethora of options to provide their children with quality education. These institutions focus not only on academic excellence but also on fostering well-rounded individuals equipped with critical thinking and life skills.

Housing Options: Where Dreams Find Abode

Housing options in Richmond cater to various preferences, offering a mix of architectural styles. Victorian-era houses line the streets, narrating tales of the past with their timeless charm. For those inclined towards contemporary living, modern apartments with sleek designs and convenient amenities grace the skyline. The competitive property market reflects Richmond's desirability and its potential for a long-term investment.

Local Attractions: A Tapestry of Experiences

Richmond offers a vibrant array of local attractions that cater to every taste. Sports enthusiasts can revel in the electric atmosphere of the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), where thrilling matches and events unfold. Art connoisseurs can explore the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA), an avant-garde hub that exhibits innovative artworks. The historic Bridge Road presents a shopping haven, with boutiques and vintage stores offering unique finds.

Local Amenities: A Tapestry of Experiences

Richmond is adorned with amenities that provide convenience and fulfilment. The culinary scene is an eclectic fusion of international cuisines, with restaurants, cafes, and markets offering gastronomic delights. Victoria Gardens Shopping Centre offers a one-stop retail haven, housing major brands and entertainment options. Residents can bask in the tranquillity of green spaces such as Citizens Park and Gleadell Street Market, where fresh produce and community spirit flourish.

Future Development Plans: Paving the Way for Progress

Richmond's future holds exciting prospects with planned developments that aim to enhance its liveability. Urban renewal projects seek to create contemporary spaces that harmonize with the suburb's heritage. These initiatives focus on sustainable design, green spaces, and community engagement, ensuring Richmond remains a forward-looking neighbourhood while preserving its distinct character.

Public Transportation: Seamlessly Connected

Richmond's connectivity is a highlight for its residents. The suburb's accessibility is enhanced by a well-integrated public transport network. Trains, trams, and buses provide efficient links to Melbourne's CBD and other key destinations, making commuting a breeze. For those who prefer cycling, dedicated paths and bike-sharing initiatives encourage eco-friendly transportation.

Why Choose Richmond: A Place to Flourish

Choosing Richmond as a place to live means embracing a lifestyle that offers the best of both worlds. Its bustling urban environment coexists harmoniously with green pockets of serenity. The suburb's dynamic community fosters connections and friendships, creating a sense of belonging. From its diverse population to its exceptional schools, cultural attractions, and future-oriented developments, Richmond presents a tapestry of opportunities waiting to be explored.

In summary, Richmond is not just a suburb; it's a vibrant canvas of experiences that caters to a diverse range of individuals. Its blend of history, culture, and modernity provides an unparalleled living environment. Whether you seek excellent education, cultural enrichment, or a balanced lifestyle, Richmond invites you to be a part of its evolving narrative. Discover the heart of Melbourne in Richmond and experience a neighbourhood that embraces your aspirations and offers a vibrant tapestry of life.

Once you have created your suburb profile, you can now add this to your website. Below are the steps to create a suburb profiles page on your website, and upload the content delivered to you by ChatGPT, depending on your website provider:

Your Patch offers valuable demographic statistics, making it easier than ever to compare and understand Australian suburbs to identify the best capital growth opportunities or suitable rental homes.

Your Patch data is presented in a user-friendly, visual format, making it easy for anyone to understand and interpret.

Below are some general guidelines on how you can add it to your website based on your website provider:

Are you utilising Agent Elevate? Did you know you can access this product as part of your REA Connect subscription?

Have you heard of Agent Elevate? Falling within REA’s suite of products, Agent Elevate allows you to be seen by more sellers and landlords and enables a greater chance of you making their shortlist, should it come time for them to sell or lease their property.

You will likely have an agent profile on realestate.com.au. Through Agent Elevate, you are given an elevated Agent Profile, meaning that your listings’ photo carousel, agent details, and weekly wrap emails will become more visible to the excess of 1.8m prospective vendors and 1.7m investment homeowners who visit realestate.com.au every single month.

Perhaps you’re already using Agent Elevate, but did you know that you can have access to REA’s full range of Connect products for only $50 per month for your first seat, after an initial three months at no cost? With the Agent Elevate product alone coming in at $59 a month, there’s a great opportunity to take advantage of our partnership with REA and streamline your digital prospecting journey.

What do you need to do to sign up to Connect

1. Download and fill out your Connect contract request form via FN Central
2. Contact your BGM
3. Your BGM will facilitate a conversation between yourself and your REA Connect Growth Specialist

Is your office connected to Social Express? Social Express is First National Real Estate’s all-in-one social media management platform, that looks after the challenge of creating professional, useful, engaging, and entertaining social media content, consistently.

Social Express publishes multiple posts per week to Facebook, Instagram, and Google Business Profile, including and not limited to memes, quotes, curated content, cash rate updates, national website blogs, rental, and sales listings, and your open for inspections. Whilst Social Express does produce a lot of content, there is incredible opportunity for you to supplement your social media accounts with your own personalised and localised content.

Whether it be introducing a new staff member, a local community event, or highlighting a birthday in the office, you should definitely be looking for opportunities to include content of this nature on your social media profiles. Below are just some examples of the personalised posts that offices compile and distribute to their audience:

Not only does adding this type of content to your weekly posting enable creativity in your office, but it gives an incredible opportunity to humanise your agency and solidify you and your team members as part of your broader community to your local audience.

Once you have created your content, you can utilise Social Express as a scheduling tool and create your own custom posts, meaning that you can manage both posts created by the platform itself, and posts created within your office, all within the one place. To learn more about Social Express, click here, or contact socialexpress@firstnational.com.au.

Are you familiar with Hyperlocal? Hyperlocal of First National Real Estate’s very own programmatic advertising platform and, more broadly, a vendor-paid, digital, local-area marketing solution.

Hyperlocal allows you to create one-click property advertising on behalf of your vendors. Display ads are served to people who are in the market within a specific radius of the property address advertising. At $199+GST for a four-week campaign and delivering 40,000 impressions, Hyperlocal is competitively priced. Better yet, it is exclusive to First National Real Estate. To learn more about this offering and how it can help your vendors, click on the link below.

Beyond one-click sales and rentals campaigns, Hyperlocal can also run custom agent/office campaigns, giving you creative control over the message you want to convey to your audience, as well as video campaigns, specific postcode campaigns, and Facebook sales and property management campaigns. To learn more about how you can grow your brand in a big way with Hyperlocal, check out the webinar below.

If I want to start running Hyperlocal campaigns, what do I need to do?

1. Contact support@firstnational.com.au and explain that you would like to start running Hyperlocal campaigns, and also let us know who you use as your CRM/property uploader.
2. First National Support Office will liaise with your CRM provider and the Hyperlocal team to set this up.
3. If you have any additional questions on how to run campaigns after this is set up, you can contact your CRM provider for further instructions.

Why is your website important? 

Your website is YOUR digital business card, and it is more pivotal now than ever before that you have a strong brand identity and online presence to set yourself apart from your competitors in your area. Upgrading to Zenu’s new web builder gives you the tools to establish a digital presence that will put you top of mind for potential buyers, sellers, investors and renters. 

Our website partner, Zenu, offer a range of editable templates which you can browse via the link below: 

https://websites.zenu.com.au/pages/real-estate/firstnational 

With both standard and premium theme options, Zenu’s website builder gives you creative control to establish a fully responsive website for your agency.

Below are just some of the benefits that you can expect from utilising a Zenu website: 

• Grow your business online - Generate leads with call-to-actions that convert visitors into customers. 
• Showcase your brand - Gorgeous designs and the latest trends to expand your online presence. 
• Google will love you - Built to be SEO friendly and blazing fast so your business gets seen more often.  
• Flexibility when you need it - A powerful back-end editor so you can shape your website the way you want it.  
• Easy All-In-One solution - Use the fully integrated CRM to save time and stress less about juggling different systems. 

What you need to do:

If you’re an existing Zenu customer using an older Zenu template, contact Zenu Support via email at support@zenu.com.au or on their support line at 1300 136 063 and ask them about upgrading to one of the new standard or premium templates.  

If you’re looking for a new website provider, reach out via email at hello@zenu.com.au, or via the Support phone number above.

Alternatively, speak to your current website provider about updated templates that adhere to strong SEO friendly guidelines.

Why you should give First National Support Office access to your Google Analytics account:

The new iteration of Google Analytics brings a vast array of changes to the software, as Google looks to alter the way in which they measure your website analytics. Previously, Universal Analytics measured based upon sessions and page views, whereas Google Analytics places a focus on events and parameters.  

Giving National Support Office access to your account not only alleviates some of the issues around trying to navigate this updated software yourself, but it will also allow us to: 

• Check if your account is set up correctly 

• Track website traffic when running Hyperlocal campaigns 

• Report on bigger and more accurate results nationally 

• Generate more effective digital campaigns based on results gathered from office GA4 data 

• Assist in improving your website based on engagement rates 

• Loop in the experts at SearchForecast so that they can conduct audits on your Google Analytics account to ensure it is operating at its maximum capability for your business 

Why is your website important?

Your website is YOUR digital business card, and it is more pivotal now than ever before that you have a strong brand identity and online presence to set yourself apart from your competitors in your area. Upgrading to Zenu’s new web builder gives you the tools to establish a digital presence that will put you top of mind for potential buyers, sellers, investors and renters. 

Our website partner, Zenu, offer a range of editable templates which you can browse via the link below: 

https://websites.zenu.com.au/pages/real-estate/firstnational 

With both standard and premium theme options, Zenu’s website builder gives you creative control to establish a fully responsive website for your agency.

Below are just some of the benefits that you can expect from utilising a Zenu website: 

• Grow your business online - Generate leads with call-to-actions that convert visitors into customers. 
• Showcase your brand - Gorgeous designs and the latest trends to expand your online presence. 
• Google will love you - Built to be SEO friendly and blazing fast so your business gets seen more often.  
• Flexibility when you need it - A powerful back-end editor so you can shape your website the way you want it.  
• Easy All-In-One solution - Use the fully integrated CRM to save time and stress less about juggling different systems. 

What you need to do:

If you’re an existing Zenu customer using an older Zenu template, contact Zenu Support via email at support@zenu.com.au or on their support line at 1300 136 063 and ask them about upgrading to one of the new standard or premium templates.  

If you’re looking for a new website provider, reach out via email at hello@zenu.com.au, or via the Support phone number above.

Alternatively, speak to your current website provider about updated templates that adhere to strong SEO friendly guidelines.

Are your Google Business Profile details up to date?

In most instances, your Google Business Profile is the very first thing that someone will see when they undertake a Google Search, either for your specific business or when they are looking for properties and real estate services in your area.  Your Google Business Profile is the knowledge panel seen on the right-hand side of a Google search (example below):

Formerly known as Google My Business, your Google Business Profile showcases a wide range of information about your agency to potential buyers, sellers, investors, renters, and the general public. Whether they are looking to source your office address, contact details, or opening hours, your Google Business Profile is your one-stop shop for giving people the basic information they need about your business.  

Perhaps most importantly, your Google Business Profile is where people will review your business, and how you respond and attend to both positive and negative reviews is pivotal in creating a business identity and a positive reputation in your city or town.  

To ensure that your Google Business Profile is up to scratch, here is a few things you should take a look at: 

✅ Make sure that your phone number and website are correct, and allow the audience to be taken to either with the click of a button. 

✅ Double check your office address and opening hours, so that people receive the correct information before coming to visit your agency. 

✅ Add and update any images on your profile. Whether it be your logo, or a nice photo of your shopfront, this can go a long way to creating an appealing Google Business Profile. 

✅ If you haven’t already, respond to both positive and negative reviews. If you require any assistance with responding to reviews, contact Chief Communications Officer, Stewart Bunn via email at stewart.bunn@firstnational.com.au. 

If you are unsure if you have access to your Google Business Profile, or require any assistance in updating the details, contact support@firstnational.com.au.  

What you need to do:

1. Change the first text heading on your website to read  "We sell, rent and manage real estate in [Suburb/Region]".
2. Additionally, somewhere on your home page you should have a bit of background about your office, below is an example of text you can edit and add to your site. Swap the red text with your own details.

First National Real Estate is your first choice for Australia’s most advanced real estate services. We sell, rent and manage [insert suburb’s] best homes, using industry leading digital marketing, creating the most competitive marketing packages you’ll find.

For us, it’s all about delivering the best customer experience and outstanding results.

Whether you choose First National Real Estate [insert trading name] to buy, sell, rent or manage your property, you can be sure we’ll offer you carefully tailored solutions, the highest level of professionalism and the most experienced, highly regarded real estate agents in [insert main suburb] and surrounding areas – [insert additional approved trading suburbs].

Having a blog on your website is a great way of increasing site traffic and attracting new visitors.

We make this simple by emailing you professional blog content monthly.

Upload at least one blog to your website every month.

If your website provider is Zenu, follow the training module in their system.

How to come up with blog topics

Below are some ideas as to how you can establish blog topics, and start pushing these out to your audience:

• Look at what is happening in your local area, such as large development projects or community events.
• Write about law changes to do with property management or sales to demonstrate you are always on top of legislation.
• Generate tips and tricks for readying your house for sale, or quick ways to improve the value of your home.
• Look at common questions you get asked by clients - you can even look through your inbox and see what consistently pops up.
• Look at what your competitors are writing about for inspiration.
• Include things happening in the office, such as awards, staff achievements, or work with local community charities.

View our National website blogs for inspiration or ideas

Examples of offices who have blogs on their website:

https://www.fncairnscentral.com/pages/real-estate/blog

https://www.raynerrealestate.com.au/pages/real-estate/articles

https://www.neilsonpartners.com.au/pages/real-estate/blog

https://www.fngenesis.com.au/pages/real-estate/blog

https://kingheath.com.au/latest-articles/

https://www.palmbeachfn.com.au/blog

Google Reviews are a powerful tool to get your website ranking and to position yourself locally as a leading agency.

Your Google reviews are important for two key reasons;

1. They are tied with your rankings in the Local Map Pack results, where your goal should be to land in the top three,

2. The organic ranking of your website.

Asking for a review at the right moment is key to a good and honest review.

However, NEVER send a Google Review request to your entire customer database. Not only does this breach Google’s terms and conditions, (which can see your listing taken down) it won’t be as successful as sending the request to a happy customer who is expecting your email.

Follow either one of the below options to help you receive better Google Reviews at the right time.