Most people searching online are looking for something local. They're searching for real estate or restaurants or parks in a very specific geographical region. A smart broker will be aware of this and will respond with appropriate online marketing strategies. But how do you create the local search experience? One of our local brokers is doing it right.

Century 21 Hometown Realty ("C21 Hometown") is a leading broker in San Luis Obispo County, with a presence in Ventura County and Southern California as well. They use technology wisely – for consumers, their brokerage, and agents. They've created community pages to satisfy their customers' desire for the local search experience.

Here's a peek at one of their community pages. Since this image is pretty small, you may just want to check it out here.

So, what's on this community page?

• Copy. At least 300 words describing the area and detailing any factors that might influence the local real estate market.
• Graphics. People love visuals. Using a graph or chart to depict real estate trends is a great way to capture your visitors' attention. Photos of the area are also nice – just be sure they look professional.
• A custom search. A button that leads them to a custom search for that specific city, zip code, or neighborhood is a MUST.