Most agents have a love-hate relationship with Zillow and other real estate websites.

These sites are often filled with vague and incorrect data that gives homeowners a false idea about the value of their homes. But if you know how to use them, they can also help you gain an advantage over your competition. 

If you think of real estate websites as valuable marketing tools and not as an enemy, you can win leads online without paying advertising fees.

There are a number of things you can do for free on your real estate profiles to maximize your reach and get your digital book in front of more people. 

1. Build a Strong Profile.

So many agents don’t have profiles on the top real estate sites or have ones that are missing information or even a picture. Fill out your profile on every popular site as fully as possible. 

This is your first impression to homeowners browsing online, so make sure you’re making a good one. Here are some tips: 

• Use a high-quality headshot. 
• Keep your text short and to the point, but make sure each part is important.
• Show people how to easily contact you.
• Link to your website and social media profiles. 
• Add a video to show off your personality and help people get to know you. 

2. Add Information About Your Books to Your Profile. 

The best way to get positive attention from your real estate profiles is to include information about your book. Here are some ways to do that: 

• Include a link for people to read your digital book.
• Link to your author website, which also includes a link to your digital book.
• Include a photo of your book cover in your profile or hold your book in the headshot you use on these sites.
• Offer a brief summary of your book and tell people how they can get a copy.

3. Use Zillow Advice to Answer Questions.

Zillow Advice is a free service on Zillow that allows people to ask questions, get advice, start discussions, and connect with real estate professionals.

It’s the perfect platform to show off your expert status. When people ask questions, give them helpful answers and when appropriate, post a link to your digital book and point people to the page number of information that will help them with their question. 

The more helpful advice you give, the more you’ll solidify your reputation, and the more traffic you’ll drive to your profile. Set aside time each week to respond to a certain number of topics on Zillow Advice. You may also learn a few things about what buyers and sellers are looking for in an agent and what other successful agents are doing.