Ryan David is a real estate investor, businessman, and founder of We Buy Houses In Pennsylvania. He serves on the board of directors for his local Real Estate Investors Association helping to better educate the public and loves working with members of the community.
Mike: What got you interested in the real estate industry? How did you get your start?
Ryan: I wanted more for a career. My full time employer had not provided a raise in over two years and I felt like I was just a number to them. One day my brother-in-law gave me a copy of the book Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki to read. He’s a real estate investor, so I started asking him questions and learning from him. Next, I began reading every book on real estate I could find. I was never one of those kids who went to school knowing exactly what they wanted to be. For the first time in my life, I had an immense interest in something. As my passion for real estate grew, I began to notice my love for business grew as well. Fast forward years later, I’ve owned rental properties, started a couple businesses, done flips, and much more.
Mike: Your domain name, webuyhousesinpennsylvania.com, is highly descriptive of what you do and easy to remember. How important do you feel this name is to your business? Would you expect the same level of success with something like DavidRealEstate.com?
Ryan: A highly successful SEO mastermind and friend of mine recommended that I create a business name using searchable keyword terms. He said the benefits to naming a business using searchable keywords was three fold. 1) It would be a boost to my SEO rankings. 2) It would be easy to remember. 3) It would make it easier for people to contact me. It was a good thing I heeded this simple, yet sound advice.
A generic or generalized business name is not necessarily a bad thing if someone is looking to build a national brand. However it is much more difficult to build on the national level. For example, it’s much easier to start a business on a local or region specific level and expand organically over time. I would not expect the same level of success with a generalized name because nobody but yourself is going to know the areas your business serves but you. For example, ChrissyBuysHouses is a bad name. However, ChrissyBuysHousesSouthJersey is fine because at least the domain name has targeted keywords towards a specific region.
Mike: A common comparison I hear often is that domain names are like real estate. Since you’re in the real estate business and happen to have a solid domain name, what is your perspective on this?
Ryan: I love your comparison! You are absolutely correct. A good domain name is paramount. I’ve always felt the best domain names are the ones that automatically bring organic traffic to your site. If someone has the ability to do this, why on earth wouldn’t they? You need to give yourself every edge possible. By the way search engines prefer it when your business uses keywords in the domain name because it helps them understand what your business does. That will lead to better rankings.
Mike: We’ve all seen those signs on the side of the road “My dad buys houses,” or similar wording. These always seem sketchy to me. Is my instinct correct or are these legitimate businesses?
Ryan: Your instincts are totally correct. I’ve always been baffled why anyone would put up cheap, unprofessional signs offering a service. Sometimes, I even see them created with a hand written sharpie. That just makes me cringe! If a business owner can’t spend enough to have a professional looking sign, why would I trust them? This is a great indicator when spotting a fake. The unprofessional signs you see littering the side of the road are mostly by individuals who have little experience or are just experimenting with a side hustle. It’s best to stay away.
My company, We Buy Houses In Pennsylvania has a policy against foolish looking, self-made signs. The only signs we use are full service, color billboard advertising that is professionally created and looks amazing.
Mike: Domain name flipping is a side hustle for a lot of people. Flipping houses is as well. What advice do you have for someone looking to get into the real estate business and maybe starting as a side hustle?
Ryan: My advice for anyone looking to get started in a business is to self educate yourself. Set your mind on being the best and most knowledgeable. No matter if its real estate or something else. Your mind is an extremely valuable asset. People will naturally start to look to you as the leader in your field. Also, don’t be afraid. I’ve seen the creativity of brilliant people trapped inside a box because they let fear control them. Be fearless. Be determined. That’s the path that will lead to success.
Mike: Do you have any other domain names you use for your business?
Ryan: We are working on a new domain exclusively for northeastern PA conveniently named WeBuyHousesNEPA.com which will be launched by the end of the month.
