It’s a good idea to register a domain name that includes your name. Mike Andrews recommends not only picking up the .com.au version but also the others, such as .com, .mobi, .net, and .biz. There are others. When you finally start blogging having your own domain name is a real advantage.
I take Mike’s recommendation one step further. Go and register your name on emerging social networking platforms. There’s no rush to do this on Facebook where multiple versions of the same name are permitted. But on Twitter and LinkedIn once your name is gone, it’s gone. I have two accounts on Twitter. One is my personal account, the other my professional account. My personal account is www.twitter.com/peterfletcher. While ever I use it, even if it’s only occasionally, no one can take it away. Someone only needs to remember my name and add it to the end of the Twitter domain name and they’ve found me. I know if I was selling real estate I’d be using it a lot. If you decide to start tweeting you’ll be glad you took the effort. It could be valuable real estate in the months and years to come.
This advice isn’t just for real estate agents. It’s also for sales representatives and property managers, in fact anyone who thinks they’re going to have a career. The supply of domain names and domain spaces that match real names are drying up fast. So don’t wait around. Even if you’re not sure how you’re going to use them grab them and work out the details later. This site is hosted at godaddy and it’s a great place to go to find available domain names. If you want to go for someone local try MelbourneIT.
