Success Story: Ermir Kape
New REALTOR® and CREA member Ermir Kape’s training in digital enterprise management allows him to truly understand his client demographic: millennial buyers scouting the Mississauga, Ontario market. When researching innovative ways to position himself within the industry and connect with clients, he found that claiming a .realtor™ top-level domain was one of the most effective tools he could take advantage of.
When Kape researched progressive marketing strategies, he discovered more and more companies were leveraging industry-specific top-level domains as a way to give users instant access to and knowledge of “what’s inside.”
“I thought, ‘this is something that has potential to really spark interest and become mainstream in the years to come,” Kape says. “People don’t have to wonder what they’re visiting when they’re coming to my site. It’s .realtor™—the domain name itself is an instant information provider.”
Ermir claimed www.ermirkape.realtor a year ago, securing his position in the market. Today, he’s leveraging his online presence to build his brand and connect with target buyers in increasingly powerful ways.
Integrating the Product into the Process
“A lot of REALTORS® [find themselves] scattered in many different directions, thinking that they need every sort of technology integrated into their business when they’re first starting out,” Kape says. “You need to hone in on a few digital tools and use them very well to build a strong brand.”
His top-level domain is more than just a visibility tool—it’s home to his central marketing presence.
Kape is interested in data, statistics and usage patterns, so he gathers information from realtor.ca to use on his primary website. The insights he gains from CREA’s MLS listings inform his next marketing steps—which always include sharing facts about his current market landscape with prospective buyers. For example, he found that more than half of his clients access his website on their mobile devices, so having a mobile-responsive website became important for him to connect with his customers.
He knows the future of marketing and content distribution is digital—he has already seen the analog organizational skills he developed while managing his family’s business becoming easier, thanks to tools like G Suite. Embracing a digital platform today that uses .realtor™ as a home-base is a smart investment in the times ahead.
Branding with Ease
When clients and industry peers see a unique, industry-specific domain on Kape’s business card, they tend to be surprised—but in the best way. Kape's website URL is not only eye-catching, but also sparks conversation. It's a simple, memorable way to begin to build a deeper connection.
“If I'm looking for a REALTOR®, I'm going to go to .realtor™, ” Kape says, citing this becomes about an “ah-ha” moment for his peers and clients. “I upsell the fact that my domain is .realtor™. A lot of people are amazed that this capability even exists—so it’s so easy to use it as a branding tool.”
The utility and reach of his .realtor™ top-level domain goes deeper and tangibly impacts his SEO. While Ermir hasn’t completely refined his search engine optimization strategy, when users search his first name, last name and “REALTOR,” his top-level domain is one of the first results.
Supporting Success
Kape says that, thanks to the industry information provided on www.realtor.ca as well as the implicit branding his .realtor™ domain supplies, he’s been able to secure a competitive position in his market. While he’s always adapting his processes and strengthening his presence online, his top-level domain remains the core communicator of his brand.
“Not only are .realtor™ top-level [domains] very catchy—I believe they are the way of the future.