All Forum Posts by: Khaled Farhad

Totally normal for interest to dip after that initial surge. Beyond just adjusting numbers or visuals like others mentioned, I’d also take a step back and ask if your listing and overall brand are really telling the full story of what makes the property different.

Buyers scroll fast. If your property looks just like every other one out there, it won’t stand out, even if the numbers work. Sometimes it’s not just the price, it’s the presentation.

Rental owners often come to us to refresh their online presence with stronger messaging, photos, and web visibility. That alone has brought leads back up.

Just something to think about if you feel like you’ve tried everything else.

That’s a solid concern, Jason.

And yes, you’re right, chasing shared leads or trying to outspend Zillow isn't a game most agents can (or should) play. That’s exactly why we don’t focus on traffic volume or buying leads. Instead, we focus on building what I’d call trust based visibility through personal branding and positioning.

For Elora, it wasn’t about ranking for every keyword or paying for clicks. It was about owning her name online, telling her story clearly, and showing up credibly when someone searched her directly or anything local and niche relevant.

Think of it more like digital positioning than mass marketing.

It’s not about 100 leads a week. It’s about the 1-2 serious ones who were already looking, found her site, and trusted what they saw.

That’s what gets missed when agents rely only on social or referrals without anchoring their personal brand online.

Always happy to break it down further if you’re curious.

Appreciate the thoughtful response, Eric. And you’re absolutely right, real SEO is a long-term game and not something I ever frame as an overnight success. But just to clarify, my original point wasn’t really about SEO.

What made the biggest difference in that $250K JV wasn't ranking on Google. It was personal branding. The site didn’t need high traffic. It just needed to exist, look credible, and tell his story in a way that built trust.

When someone searched his name, what they found finally matched the value he was already bringing to the table. That’s what moved the needle.

I remember working with an agent named Elora. She had been in real estate for over 8 years. Lots of happy clients, tons of referrals, but her online presence was nearly nonexistent. No website, no client stories, just an outdated Instagram page.

She told me, “People know me around here. I’ve never really needed all that.” But when referrals started slowing down, she realized people who didn’t already know her had nothing solid to go on when they looked her up.

We helped her build a strategic website that told her story, showed her past work and reflected who she really was.

A few weeks later, someone searched “real estate agent near me” and found her. No ads, no cold calls. Just visibility paired with trust.

Again, no one should expect overnight results from building an online presence. But being findable with a brand that feels real, that’s what actually opens doors. Especially in industries where trust is everything. When someone’s about to trust you with their money, how you show up online, especially your personal brand, can be the deciding factor!

Tbh, it's tough to get real traction with cold calls now.

Helped a guy earlier this year who was doing deals but had zero online presence. No site, just a Gmail, and people kept saying, “You seem solid, but we couldn’t find anything about you.”

He was also trying to raise private money, but when folks asked to check him out, all he had was a half-baked LinkedIn.

My team helped him build a personal brand that actually matched the value he was bringing, and that changed everything. Clean site, past deals, his story, a few reviews. Nothing over the top.

A couple weeks later, someone found the site and wired $250K for a JV. No cold call, no pitch. Just solid personal branding.

You don’t need to be the most famous agent in town.
You just need to be the one people find first.

There’s a difference between being known and being found.

Being known takes years!
Being found takes strategy.

And in real estate, that makes all the difference.

- A strategic website that attract leads
- A brand presence people can trust
- Messaging that actually connects
- Case studies that show results

Because when someone’s ready to buy or sell,
they don’t scroll for hours.

They pick the FIRST one who feels REAL!

And that FIRST could be you!

But here’s the thing,
if someone googled your name today,
what would they find about you?

Would it show your experience?
Your values?
I mean, would anything even show up?

6 months ago, my team worked with Elora.

Well, she wasn’t new to real estate.

She’d been in this space for 8+ years,
had solid referrals
and she genuinely cared about her clients!

But her online presence? Pretty much invisible.

- No website
- No previous case studies
- No brand presence (just a business card and an instagram page with five posts from 2022)

She told me, “People know me around here. I’ve never needed all that.”

And she wasn’t wrong. (until the referrals slowed down)

So we stepped in and got the basics right,
- Built a strategic website
- Gave her brand the attention it deserved
- And rewrote her messaging to actually sound like her (nothing generic)
- Shared case studies from her past clients

Three weeks later, she got a lead from someone who googled,
“real estate agent near me”

Guess who showed up first?
Elora!

Not because she paid for ads.
Not because she posted nonstop.
Because in that specific moment,
she was visible and right there!

Trust me, you don’t need to be internet famous.

You just need to be seen by the right people,
at the right time when it matters!

That’s how real business happens
(quietly & consistently)

You don’t need to be the most popular agent in town.
You just need to be the one people find first.

There’s a difference between being known and being found.

Being known takes years.
Being found takes strategy.

And in real estate, that matters more than ever.

- A strategic website
- A Google Business profile that actually shows up
- Messaging that’s clear, local and confident
- A brand that looks like you know what you're doing

Because when someone’s ready to buy or sell,
they don’t scroll for hours.

They pick the first one who feels REAL!

6 months ago, my team worked with Elora.

Well, she wasn’t new to real estate.

She’d been in this space for 8+ years,
had solid referrals,
and genuinely cared about her clients.

But her online presence? Pretty much invisible.

- No website
- No google reviews
- No branding (just a business card and an Instagram page with five posts from 2022)

She told me, “People know me around here. I’ve never needed all that.”

And she wasn’t wrong. (until the referrals slowed down)

So, we had to take a step back and set the foundation.

- We gave her brand the attention it deserved.
- Put together a strategic website.
- Added a few of her strongest reviews.
- And rewrote her messaging to actually sound like her (noting generic)

Three weeks later, she got a lead from someone who googled,
“best real estate agent near me.”

Guess who showed up first?

Not because she paid for ads
Not because she posted every day
Because in that specific moment, she was visible and right there!

Trust me, you don’t need to be internet famous.

You just need to be seen by the right people,
at the right time when it matters!

That’s how real business happens 
(quietly & consistently)

You’re def not alone in this, Ashley! Branding & websites always feel like a lot in the beginning, but once you break it down into core pieces (like visual identity, messaging, site structure) it’s way more DOABLE than it seems.

And if you approach it STRATEGICALLY from the start (with things like consistent brand assets, responsive design and a clear conversion path) it actually sets you up for way fewer headaches down the line. After 12+ years building brands & websites for early-stage businesses, I’ve seen how much smoother things go when the foundation is SOLID.

You’re already AHEAD just by asking the right questions now and that mindset is what sets strong brands apart.

Totally depends on what you’re trying to do.

If you just wanna check ownership history or liens real quick, sites like PropStream, PropertyShark, or even NETRonline can give you solid info. Some counties also have free public record portals.

But if you’re dealing with anything SERIOUS (like buying), working with a real estate agent or title company is usually safer. They’ll catch stuff those sites might miss.