Subscribe and receive email notifications of new blog posts.
RSS Feed
- 2026 | 41 Posts
- 2025 | 96 Posts
- 2024 | 114 Posts
- 2023 | 143 Posts
- 2022 | 188 Posts
- 2021 | 204 Posts
- 2020 | 190 Posts
- 2019 | 118 Posts
- 2018 | 122 Posts
- 2017 | 164 Posts
- 2016 | 95 Posts
- 2015 | 68 Posts
26
Forced vs. Unforced Registration: Which is Best for Your Business
The forced vs. unforced registration debate has been burning hot for years, and it's an especially relevant discussion for online real estate lead generation. With a real estate website, the major value comes when the prospect makes repeat visits to check listings, scout out neighborhoods, ask questions and ultimately does business with one of your agents. So the real debate is about which registration option is most likely to lead to the prospect taking those all-important next steps.
Before we dive into the debate, let's have a little refresher on the two contenders. With forced registration, the website visitor is required to fill out a registration form to gain access to property listings and special content. Unforced registration allows people to browse your site freely, and typically offers some extra perks (like daily emailed listings) to people who choose to sign up.
Our team at Delta Media Group is here to help you make the right choice, with a look at the pros and cons of forced vs. unforced registration.
The Pros & Cons of Forced vs. Unforced Registration
Pros of Forced Registration
- Forced registration generally increases the volume of leads, by requiring visitors to provide contact information in order to access basic site features.
- If your team is clamoring for more leads, then forced registration provides a more steady flow. These leads may require more effort from your agents, but they still provide a starting point.
- If you use a CRM, forced registration will provide you with plenty of prospect data to work with, and allow you to learn more about your audience.
Cons of Forced Registration
- While forced registration boosts the quantity of leads, leads from forced registration aren't usually as well qualified as unforced leads. Not everyone who signs up will actually be interested in purchasing a home.
- Exhibit A: Some people will just fill in fake contact information, in order to bypass registration and reach the content they want.
- Some site visitors will simply choose to go elsewhere when confronted with forced registration, and an increase in bounce rate is never a good thing.
Pros of Unforced Registration
- Unforced registration puts the decision to register in the prospect's hands in an unobtrusive way, and doesn't "wall off" content that might attract new visitors to your website.
- Since unforced registration doesn't require visitors to sign up, the people who do choose to register are much more likely to be real prospects, so you get better quality leads.
- Better quality leads ultimately generate more conversions. We find that unforced registration has a better close rate than forced registration.
Cons of Unforced Registration
- While the quality of leads is better with unforced registration, the quantity is lower, so there are fewer leads to go around.
- Fear of the unknown: If you don't force people to register, will you be missing out on leads that needed just a little extra push?
Deciding Which Option Is Right for Your Real Estate Business
Ultimately, the right choice for your real estate business comes down to context, and your lead generation priorities. If your agents have proven to work magic with less-qualified leads, then the increased quantity from forced registration might be ideal. Unforced registration is often the more popular choice, however, because of increased lead quality and the lower bounce rate that comes from not forcing prospects to sign up.
Need a hand making the right choice for your business? Simply contact Delta Media Group for all of your real estate online marketing needs.Â
