2020 marks Real Estate Webmasters (REW) 16th year in business. We have seen an incredible amount of growth and change in this time within the technology landscape, especially as it pertains to websites, CRM and lead generation.  I have spent the last weeks of 2019 reviewing our business and reflecting on our performance but also on some really great feedback we have received from our customers, many of whom are the top performers in their markets or even in their entire countries.  We have also been speaking with our sales teams and our leads (even those that don’t close) to determine how we can be an even better REW in 2020. The feedback has been great, and I truly appreciate everyone who has taken the time to provide us with insights as to how we can…

We’ve all heard the old adage, “Content is King.” But how your content is structured on each page is just as important as the content itself. Internet users are a fickle breed, so you want to make sure you present the most important, interesting and valuable content prominently, at the top of the page. In terms of a page that is highly optimized for search engines, there are specific places you should make sure you feature your main targeted keywords. This is, of course, an important step in ensuring that search engine crawlers understand the intent of your page, but it also helps orient human users as well. Meta Information The meta information is the content that will be displayed at the top of your web page browser window and in the search results…

The holidays are a special time here at Real Estate Webmasters. It is a time where we celebrate our community—the very community that REW has grown up in, and who has given so much support to us over the years. But we know that Christmas is hard for many families, in our community and beyond. In Nanaimo, we have a volunteer organisation called Volunteer Nanaimo. Like many of their sister organisations in cities all through North America, Volunteer Nanaimo serves our community in many, many amazing ways. During the holidays, they also run a program simply called "Christmas Angels". Christmas Angels connects the community with families, seniors, and vulnerable youth, where Christmas can be an especially financially troublesome time. This program…

If you don't have an SSL certificate on your website, you need to change that. Once a nice-to-have, SSL certificates are now as necessary as having a URL. You can not, should not, and will not have a successful website without one. Althought Google led the way, other browsers are following suit: your site will be penalized severely without the proper security settings in place. Let's go through some of the most commonly asked questions about SSL certificates: Do I Need an SSL Certificate for my website? Yes. Absolutely. Oui. Sì. Shì. Ja. Ae. Yebo. Hai. An SSL certificate is way to tell both your website visitors and search engines that your site is safe, and secure. Without one, Google (and other search engines) will mark your site as unsafe, and will…

I’ve been in the prop tech space for 16 years. In this time, I’ve had the great pleasure of meeting some of the most creative, intelligent, inspiring entrepreneurs in the world. We have hustled shows together, we have learned together and we have grown together. In these 16 years I have been truly blessed to also have made some great friends. As we head into 2020 I find myself thinking: Wow it’s a new decade! Can you believe it? For me it’s a special time. Personally, I have turned 40, my youngest is now a teenager, my oldest is 24. I have decided to focus on my health & personal wellness, my relationships & family (especially my marriage to my amazing wife) and I’ve found myself focused far more on what I can do to feel like I’ve done right by this…

Real Estate Webmasters (REW) and their customer Northrop Realty are proud to announce the launch of the brand-new northroprealty.com—"leveling up" the benchmark for real estate websites everywhere. We are excited for this first class website reveal", shares Creig Northrop, President and CEO of Northrop Realty. "We are leveling up on what we have done in the past. You do not want to miss it! Inspiration for the site design comes from both inside and outside the real estate industry. The result—a fresh, exciting, and totally new perspective on what a real estate site should deliver. "It is obvious from the moment you land on the homepage that this is a higher-level experience," says Tim Collins, REW Enterprise Sales Manager. "Every element has been…

It's our favourite time of year here at Real Estate Webmasters. Not only is it the holiday season, it's also a time to reflect on successes of the past year and a time to look forward to the year ahead. At REW, we've immensely grown our business over the years, but that doesn't mean it's time to take the foot off the gas. Looking ahead to 2020, REW is investing in our technology, people, and marketing more than ever before. Because that's what it takes to be an industry leader. And the same applies to you. Whether you're an agent, team, or broker—it's a great time to ask: "What am I doing to make 2020 MY YEAR? What am I doing to get ahead or to stay ahead in my extremely competitive market?" What is the 12 Days of Christmas Promotion? Every year,…

IDX apps are a powerful tool for your business. They can help engage potential and existing clients, improve brand loyalty, and get people addicted to your services. But to get the most benefit, you need to know when to promote your app and how to use it within your existing workflow. Timing is everything. Typical journey of buyers & sellers First, let's talk real quick about the basic digital journey that almost every buyer and seller takes: 1. Search online When someone decides to buy or sell a house, they tend to start in one of two places: referrals or web searches. In either scenario, the person is trying to find more information about the real estate process. People who don't want to start with an agent will search terms like "Vancouver real…

Real Estate Webmasters signs RE/MAX Europe Mallorca, Spain | October 21, 2019This month, Real Estate Webmasters (REW) reaches another milestone by signing their first major international enterprise client, RE/MAX Europe. "We are very excited to announce that we have officially signed RE/MAX Europe," Morgan Carey, REW CEO, announced to employees and strategic partners today. This international collaboration will start with a complete redesign of RE/MAX Europe's remax.eu, their franchise website. "Our first goal is to help drive franchise sales, and broker agent recruiting for the Regions. Our job is to accelerate their already tremendous momentum," Carey asserts. "We will continue to advance the best real estate brand in Europe, assisting with the…

 Ever since my post iOi article I have received a lot of interest from companies and founders asking me to give feedback on, evaluate or acquire their businesses. Some really awesome people with great vision and a love for prop tech just the kind of people I love spending time with. There are also some really exciting companies that are growing, have a great customer base, have not over leveraged debt, are at or near profitability and have a unique product set that could really benefit REW and our customers. I’m extra excited about the potential to have some of these companies and their people join REW. We’re being super picky about where we put our resources (time and investment funds) but I think in 2020 you’ll see some great new additions to the REW…