The Internet is undergoing vast changes with the creation of over 1,900 new top-level domains. And now with nine out of ten recent buyers beginning their home search online, it has become even more critical for REALTORS® to create a branded space online. The .REALTOR domain will help REALTORS® stand apart from other real estate professionals, creating a more positive online experience for consumers who are searching for information on buying or selling property.
One of the primary benefits of the new .REALTOR domain is the ability to clearly show your status as a REALTOR® prominently in your website and email addresses. Being recognized as a REALTOR® brings instant value with customers and prospects in that they know you adhere to the NAR’s code of ethics and professional conduct.
Another benefit to using the .REALTOR domain for your professional websites is search engines like Google are focused on delivering relevant results. The .REALTOR domain tells search engines what kind of content to expect on a website, making it more likely for the term “Realtor® to appear in search results when a consumer is searching for it.
Clean Slate of Website Names That Mean Real Estate
Being a brand new first-level domain, .REALTOR offers a clean slate of names to choose from. This is in stark contrast with the more mature .com domain extension where most of the highly-desired domain names are already taken. You can also help bring order and consistency to the currently disorganized real estate space on the Internet. Anyone can create a .com site, but only REALTORS® can use a .REALTOR domain.
Further, the .REALTOR® domain directly connects members to the $5 billion internationally recognized REALTOR® brand, delivering additional branding and market value – just like placing the REALTOR® logo on your business cards or wearing the REALTOR® pin.
.REALTOR Availability
According to a recent article published in REALTOR®Mag.com, URLs using the new .REALTOR extension are available for registration only to REALTOR® members (agents and brokers); local and state REALTOR® associations; association multiple listing services; affiliated institutes, societies, and councils; and other NAR-approved licensees.
Members can secure a .REALTOR domain using their name on a first-come, first-served basis at www.claim.REALTOR. NAR will provide the first 500,000 members who register a .REALTOR domain with a free license for the first year on the first domain they register. Multi-year and multiple domain discounts are available.
Get a Free Profile Website
NAR members in the U.S. who register a .REALTOR domain can utilize the optional FREE profile website. This customizable page allows you to showcase areas of specialty, contains a mobile-responsive design, automatically integrates content from your social networks and blogs and demonstrates your expertise and credentials. You can also promote all your realtor.com® listings, showings and closed transactions. View a sample profile website here.
Learn More Through About.Realtor
The NAR has created www.about.realtor, to provide a host of resources for REALTOR® seeking to use the new domain. Visit this site to learn more about the new domain, obtain tips on how to leverage the .REALTOR domain and pricing information. To register your own .REALTOR domains, go to www.claim.REALTOR.