A Real Estate Investor Printed Up Unique Signs For Marketing, But Forgot To Buy the Domain Name

Sugarrae Hoffman (aka Rae Dolan) is one of the most renowned SEOs in the world, or at least she was until she walked away from the world of ranking websites in Google and decided to become a real estate agent & investor in Katy, TX – a suburb just north of Houston.

Today she posted a photo to LinkedIn of a sign printed up by a rival local real estate investor in the area. The sign is similar to those “we buy ugly houses” signs you see at numerous street corners in cities all over the country, but this one had a different twist to it. This sign had what appears to be a child’s drawing exclaiming “My Dad buys houses!… you can trust my dad.”

The sign has a domain at the bottom in a typed font face (not written by a child) which points users to the website TrustMyDad.com.

Curious, Rae took a peek at the website only to realize that the rival real estate investor had actually forgotten to purchase the domain used on the signs. So, like any true SEO, Rae purchased the domain and tossed up a small one page website explaining the mishap and linking to her websites.

“SO. FUNNY STORY.
Some guy threw out signs all over the area trying to pull off some emotional manipulation as if his kid were advertising.

I don’t know about you, but I found it kind of tacky.

So, I went to his website to see who this guy was.

And it was then I saw that he had forgotten to register the domain name he had printed on those signs.

So, I have no idea who this dude is, but, I also buy and sell houses, so I spent $10 to buy the domain.”

While many might find this hilarious, it’s also a cruel reminder about the nuances involved in Local SEO and online marketing, and the many twists and turns that can trip up a small business owner. One of the top rules is to always make sure you own the domain first and that you keep it renewed – especially if one of your new business competitors is well versed in SEO and digital marketing.

If you found this trying to find Rae’s real estate business you can contact her here: buyingkaty.com

Screenshot of Rae’s post on Linkedin by GainLocal.net