eEdge vs eEdge with Professional Add-on

Should you get the Market Leader Pro Add-on?

Well, it depends on your needs and your web presence.

If you are ‘old-school’ and don’t really use a lot of technology in your touch programs, and you don’t necessarily want to drive traffic to an impressive, informational website, you should probably save the money and use it for stamps and stationery.

However, if you want to leverage technology in your touch programs, and you want your leads and clients to see your website as the only source they need for the information they need to find the right house, you should definitely consider the professional edition.

(Full disclosure: I’m a geek. I do not get any type of benefit from you choosing one option over the other. I simply want to convey why I chose to go with the Professional Edition.)

Differences visible to the public

When I first activated my eEdge account, I went with the basic account. While I was assisting another agent who had gone pro, I quickly noticed the visible difference. There are many things that aren’t visible from the public’s perspective, but the things that are visible definitely stand out. As for the visible difference on the website, consider these two property listings, with the changes that I can see bordered in gold:

Items not visible to your leads/clients

Allow me to translate “marketing-speak” to “agent speak.” I’m using Market Leader’s information, and interpreting the best I can, so please forgive me if I’ve misread something. The changes they highlight are as follows:

• “Deluxe” listing packages, which have brochures, flyers, and postcards that have been coordinated to produce a consistent brand.
• Unlimited virtual tours with text, photos and music. This is available ala carte for $49 (or maybe $99 – I can’t fully recall) each.
• Extended library of eNewsletters and eCards.
• The ability to create custom campaigns, in addition to the stock 33-Touch, 12-Touch, and 8×8′s available. This allows you to change the dates when your items deploy as well as what gets deployed.
• Craigslist posting service.
• The ability to embed a search widget into your other sites, such as your blog, email signature, etc.
• Expanded list of available website themes.
• Additional search fields and “search by map” options on your website.
• A selection of vanity URL’s already secured by Market Leader. (personal note: I got “SearchAtlantaProperties.com” – HOW COOL IS THAT?)
• The option to add “Featured Partners” to your website (translation: sponsorship opportunities!)
• Customizable email templates.
• The addition of an RSS feed alert for new leads,
• The ability to access your database, schedules, tasks, etc. from your smart phone. (To me this is a HUGE advantage!)
• Detailed customer information, including the number of times they’ve seen specific properties, when they last accessed the site, which ones they’ve saved, etc. (Personally, if I can see that a lead or client has viewed the same home 5 different times, I know that I need to be picking up the phone ASAP!)
• Performance management allows you insight on your close rate, unsubscribe rate, etc.
• Site activity monitoring, allowing you to see where your leads are finding you so you can better play “red-light, green-light” with your marketing dollars.

Have you discovered any other differences that I’ve missed? Let me know.

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