It is a common misconception that the true function of a real estate website is to sell properties or fill rental units.  The problem with this misconception is not so much its inherit fallacy, but what it forces upon real estate websites.  Real estate websites that operate under this misconception are forced to try and be several different things at once and often become so fractured, so obtuse that they cease to serve any purpose at all. 

The biggest example of operating under this real estate website misconception is the need to replace human contact with computers via the internet.  The level of complexity that exists in human interaction is, in a very real sense, impossible to duplicate in any website, let alone a real estate website.  Yet if operating under this misconception, that is exactly what a real estate website must try and do. 

So what does a real estate site do? A real estate website does not sell properties. A real estate website does not fill rental units. And by almost every count, a real estate website cannot replace the human interaction of a real estate professional with a website. The real nature of real estate websites is to generate leads for human professionals to follow up on.  The true function of a real estate website is to deliver quality, targeted leads that allow trained real estate professionals to close more deals in less time. 

The next question is how does one get the most out a real estate website? This article started by outlining a very common and prevalent misconception about real estate websites and how it makes have a successful real estate website almost impossible because of the impossible scope of the issue. On the flip side, it is very possible to a have a successful real estate website that does nothing but generate quality leads and lots of them.  When looking to get the most out of a real estate website, avoid getting caught in the notion of selling or renting properties online and direct your efforts towards quality lead generation instead. 

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