Erin Attardi isn’t your typical REALTOR. In fact, this tech-savvy real estate professional has been closing deals on home sales thanks in large part to a smart Web strategy, research and, of course, some HP gear (she relies on an HP Notebook and mobile printer) that she simply couldn’t do without. Attardi, who works for Dunnigan Realtors in Land Park/Sacramento, Calif., may be a rookie compared to some of her colleagues, but her successes have quickly earned her MVP status.
What is Attardi’s secret? She’s tireless -- spending hours a day on her laptop—blogging, maintaining websites and communicating with customers. As a former salesperson of technology products, Attardi knows how to choose her tools and confesses that, “Before I got into real estate, I sold technical products. I love and understand technology. HP consistently delivers outstanding quality, service and bang for the buck.”
Attardi doesn’t leave home without her HP notebook. She works in cafes, at listing sites and elsewhere. Her two HP printers provide mobile functionality and all-in-one office versatility.
Closing escrow with social media and more
When Attardi obtained her real estate license in 2005, she saw that as a newbie in a market already teeming with agents, she would have to stand out.
Believing that consumers would increasingly turn to the Internet, Attardi purchased more than 100 domain names. She uses them to create neighborhood-oriented lead-capture websites, such as SacHomeList.com. Attardi also maintains a blog, SacREBlog.com, from which she lands several thousand organic page views per month. All that traffic comes from unpaid listings, thanks to her reciprocal linking and keyword strategy.
“I look every day at the search tools people are using to find my sites,” she says. “I generate interest by writing about hot topics of the day, such as short sales and tax credits.”
Attardi also is active in social networking sites and has closed several transactions as a result. “I spend hours per day online virtually interacting with consumers,” she says. “Last year, I sold the home of a woman with whom I never once spoke! All of our communication was via email using my notebook and text messages.”
So successful are these strategies that Attardi teaches technology classes to colleagues at the Sacramento Association of REALTORs®. She keeps a close eye on consumer trends. Attardi believes the next wave of home buyers, today’s high school and college students, will rely more and more on smartphone and mobile technologies.
“My strategy is constantly evolving,” Attardi says. But, as she puts it, “If you took my notebook away, I wouldn’t be able to function.”
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