ActiveRain Blog Posts: The Top 10 of 2011 - Just for Fun Edition        

It's been a great series of Top 10s, full of amazing acceptance speeches and a little ruckus from some wild ex Guns n' Roses members but all in all a grand time.  Be sure to check out the earlier Pro to Pro and Pro to Consumer editions if you haven't already, you don't want to be left out in the 'Rain....literally!  Ha!  Who writes this stuff?!?!

Ladies, I see we took a more casual look tonight, looking very lovely.  Gentlemen, looking fly as always.  Somebody please tell Snoop Dogg to chill, it's time to start the show.

Please allow me to introduce the Top 10 Just for Fun Pageviews of 2011!

#10) Sharing a Smile Marte Cliff of Priest River, ID

Sharing is caring isn't it?  Marte was moved by this video and decided to share it with her ActiveRain family.  I dare you to watch it and not smile.  If I was ever to move to Priest River I know who I'd want to work with.

#9) The Biggest Private House in the World? Barbara Duncan of Searcy, AR

A captivating title like this bring in the clicks.  Who isn't just a bit curious to see the biggest private house in the world?!?  Almost 4 years old, Barbara is still getting major attention from this post.  Over 400K square feet, each AR member could have about 2 square feet....family reunion anyone?

#8) St Patricks Day Clip Art for Blogs Nestor and Katerina Gasset of Wellington, FL

The Gassets have shown us their pot o' gold!  We're always looking for sites to grab images free of any copyrights and they show us where to do it, how to do it and even include some cute leprechauns along the way.  A great timely, helpful post me laddies!

#7) Need to convert your paint selections? Julia Maher of Fairfield, CT

Everyone knows there is a difference between Canyon Cloud and Eggshell and Julia shows us how to find the closest match between distributors.  As a home stage and designer, she does a great job of sharing her insider secrets for all to benefit.

#6) Homemade Halloween Costume Ideas - Part 2 Sharon Tara of Portsmouth, NH

It's hard to keep it fresh but Sharon does a great job of keeping readers informed of costume ideas. Who wants to spend $70 on a Halloween costume to only wear once?  Most don't and with this post we find a few homemade ideas that just might work. 

#5) Top 25 Popular Sherwin Williams Paint Colors Kathy Riggle of Houston, TX

If you're like me and pick your paint by the coolest name, Manhattan Mist currently covers my bathroom walls, then you might not need this post.  But most people do want to see the top colors for many reasons such as resale value, feng shui and positive aura producing vibes. 

#4) Homemade Halloween Costume Ideas - Part 3 Sharon Tara of Portsmouth, NH

Whaaattt?  Sharon in the top 10 again??  Somebody is in touch with her hyper local posts.  Hope you have room on your mantle for another award Sharon.  Keep these posts coming, obviously people are reading them!

#3) Homemade Halloween Costume Ideas Sharon Tara of Portsmouth, NH

Sharon...another one?!?!  Talk about a sweep ladies and gents!  Sharon, you are the master of everything Halloween costumes.  The academy congratulates you on your 3rd nomination and win!  I hope everyone is learning from Sharon!

#2) Attention Benjamin Moore Lovers Kathy Somers of Toronto, ON

Almost 5 years old and still getting the hits.  Kathy shares with us her favorite paint colors and as a home stager she should know!  She provides the link to Benjamin Moore's site and asks the community which colors are their personal favorites.  Helpful and interactive is a great way to go!

And now....the reason we've all come tonight.  I won't make you wait any longer.  The #1 most pageviews in 2011 in our Just for Fun Edition is...

Mike Carlos of Tallahassee, FL with Text Messaging 101- Over 60 different smiley faces!!!!

Nice work Mike!  Your post has been viewed by thousands in 2011 alone.  You've delivered exactly what your title promises and done it on a platform that is sure to rank.  I hope you're face is smiling in over 60 different ways now!

Thank you all for coming.  It's been a grand time and we hope you enjoyed yourselves as much as we did.  Get out there, review the winning posts, learn something and you just might be here next year!  Goodnight 'Rainers!

There are no shortage of great products out there for a real estate professional to use in their business. (There are no shortage of crappy products either, but that's another point entirely) Almost every day it seems a new technology is introduced that promises to add revenue to your bottom line.

But what are you actually spending money on in your business? And how much?

In 2011, we polled our members to give us a look at what 'Rich Real Estate Agents and Poor Real Estate Agents' were using in their business as a way to compare top producers and their behavior with those agents who make less than $30,000/year. Now we'd like to dive inside the products you use to market your business and try to understand how your spending is impacting the results you see in your business.

We hope that you'd be willing to share with us what you spend your hard earned money on and how those tools help drive your bottom line. Every day agents are faced with the decision of what products to incorporate and how much should I spend on my marketing and the technology driving your business.

Does the $179 you are spending on your IDX website make sense? Should you be using a Craigslist posting tool in your business? Should you pay for a good one? Are other agents getting value from spending money every month doing direct mail marketing? How much do they spend? Do you spend money on pay-per-click marketing? How much are others spending?

You could literally whip yourself into a frenzy coming up with questions as they relate to where to spend your marketing budget. Often, the answers are hard to find.

The collective experiences of the members of ActiveRain are highly valuable. One of our goals has been to gain a better understanding of how to harness those experiences for the benefit of the entire community. This is the third broad survey we have conducted of the members of ActiveRain. We are getting better with each effort at collecting this data and presenting it back to you in a fashion that allows you to utilize the data to make more informed decisions for your business. We want to take the opportunity to thank you for sharing your experiences with us.

Each members of ActiveRain that completes the survey will be awarded 500 points for participating. Make sure you fill in your user name at the end of the survey so we can get your points awarded. In addition, one participant will be selected at random to receive a $500 Amazon gift card.

(Disclaimer: The answers you provide in the survey will not be used to market products to you and your answers will remain confidential)

*Please note bonus points will not be automatic but manually added in the near future.

ActiveRain Blog Posts: The Top 10 of 2011 - Pro to Consumer Edition          

We had such a good time at our earlier Pro to Pro awards ceremony, and now it's time for the Pro to Consumer edition.  I hope we don't see any outfit repeats as that would just be the disaster of the year!  Keep it fresh ladies and gents and you're sure to dazzle your fans!

The following 10 posts were not necessarily written in 2011 but they do have the most pageviews from January 1st to December 31st of 2011.  It's important to realize the power that one post can possess for years to come.  Like a Chanel suit...it never goes out of style!

We couldn't get Billy Crystal to host this year as he is busy filming City Slickers 4 so AR will just have to do.  Everyone please be seated, the awards show is about to begin.  Quiet in the back (you know who you are)!

Ladies and Gentlemen, the Top 10 Pro to Consumer pageviews of 2011!

#10) Rounding out the list - Tips to Building the Perfect In-Law Suite Penny Hull of Raleigh, NC

With more and more families living with multiple generations under one roof this information is heavily searched upon.  Tip-toeing through the living room to get to the kitchen so as to not wake grandma must get old and people want to add more space.  Penny talks about everything from budget to resale value. 

#9) Keeping it real with 5 Reasons You May Not Want to Counter that Offer Tni LeBlanc of Santa Maria, CA

Why wouldn't we counter?  The title grabs those curious minds and clearly outlines the 5 reasons.  Bolding, photos and clear paragraphs are a great outline for any post and tend to keep the reader engaged.  Tni knows what she's doing here; catchy title, nice flow of the blog and great information.

#8) Tell us how it is mate VA Condo Approved - No Sweat - Tell You in an Instant Bruce Bourgault of Honolulu, HI

In one instant, Bruce teaches us how to tell if a condo is VA approved or not.  Few tasks are short and sweet in the world of real estate so it's refreshing to find one that is.  Written in 2007, this post continues to receive view after view. 

#7) Sharing the wisdom How to Respond to a Low Offer on Your Home Herb Johnson of Florence, KY

Herb does a wonderful job of playing teacher here.  In order to keep your interested buyers engaged, he reminds us to put aside our emotions and focus on the facts when responding to low offers.  Reminding the owners of the home to focus on the facts is crucial; a tough market makes for emotional sellers.

#6) Give us our kicks The Ultimate Pre-Listing Kit for Home Sellers Jeff Dowler of Carlsbad, CA

This post is for agents and consumers alike.  Not only is Jeff sharing with us his vast knowledge of important pre-listing kit tools but he does it in a way that educates agents as well as sellers.  Now when an agent comes to a listing appointment, the sellers know what to look for in order to find a valuable rep. 

#5) Do the jive BB&T's 100% Financing Cheryl Powell of Concord, NC

The CHIP program was new in 2009 as Cheryl points out.  Loan limitations and requirements are clearly layed out for potential parties.  She even includes links to see if the property is located in a HUD area or not.  Consumers can do the simple math to see if they qualify before getting excited.  I wonder who they're going to use as an agent in Concord after reading this post?

#4) This isn't a bore Living in Wilmington NC: "Coast Home to North Carolina" Ginger Sala of Wilmington, NC

New and soon-to-be residents of Wilmington check this post out often.  Positively layed out are the dining, schools, climate and cultural ways of this city.  Can you say local expert?

#3) We can't wait to see Austin Texas Relocation Package Jason Crouch of Austin, TX

Job opportunities constantly keep people moving and Austin is one of them.  This manuscript if you will, is jam-packed full of information for everything Austin.  Clearly an expert on the subject, Jason freely lets us inside his head and provides new Austiners with imperative information.  Family fun stuff, place to eat, schools...you name it, it's included.  Written in 2008, Jason alerts us that this post is a work in progress and he intends to update it often. 

#2) Keeping it true Short Sale - Sample Hardship Letter Rosemary Brooks of Stockton, CA

With the unfortunate market of some, it's not surprising that a post like this comes in at #2.  Consumers most likely have never written a letter of this kind and scour Google for a good example and in comes Rosemary.  Excellent title, and she's providing exactly what her title promises.  Hopefully her phone rings with interested parties in her area to get the job done!

May I have the envelope please?  *deep breath*  And now, the winner of the most pageviews for Pro to Consumer 2011 is......

Michele Cadogan of Brooklyn, NY with NYC Hurricane Evacuation Zone Finder: Brooklynites Find Out if You Live in an Evacuation Zone!

What a wonderful, time appropriate, hyper local post.  Not only is Michele proving she is the mayor of her city, the go-to-gal for everything Brooklyn but she does it in a way that captures clicks.  Her title promises readers important information.  If you blog about your area, current and timely happenings are sure to get maximum exposure.

Thank you everyone for coming tonight, the talent in this room is just overwhelming!  Big shout out to the tables hooting and hollering for their colleagues!!  Yeah, whoop whoop!!  We have one more awards show coming next week, the Just for Fun edition is sure to bring a smile.  Have a great night, love each other and we'll see you next time! 

ActiveRain Partners Program

ActiveRain Partners Program

In conjunction with the release of the new design of the 'my home' page, ActiveRain would like to introduce you to the ActiveRain Partners Program.

We believe ActiveRain is a great way for non real estate agents to make connections with real estate agents. For many of you, as real estate agents, you have made some fabulous connections with service providers over the years using ActiveRain.

The new version of the 'my home' page holds two advertising positions on the right hand side. One position will be dedicated to a brokerage and one position will be dedicated to a service provider (title rep, loan officer, etc.). When someone becomes an ActiveRain partner, they will get a chance to advertise to other members of ActiveRain on their 'my home' page.

For instance, if I was an ActiveRain partner in the Seattle area, I would show up on the 'my home' page of any members who access ActiveRain with an IP address related to Seattle or the surrounding areas.

ActiveRain Partners will also have a chance to participate in monthly trainings where we share, with the ActiveRain Partner, presentations that real estate agents may find useful. They can then use that presentation and the collateral associated with that presentation to present to agents in their area in an attempt to bring value to that agent's business.

We believe that a service provider's (or broker's) value, is in part, their ability to educate the real estate agents they work with. For too long, showing up with a box of doughnuts was how service providers attempted to win your business.

We believe there is a better way. We believe that showing up with education and training is a better way for service providers to connect with and demonstrate value for their real estate agent partners.

In addition to premium advertising position on ActiveRain, what does an ActiveRain Partner get as a part of the ActiveRain Partner Program?

Monthly Webinar Training: Our partners will get special access to monthly training where they will learn about something they can take back and share with real estate agents in their market. ActiveRain Partners will get access to the presentation and be provided with collateral they can use connect with local agents.

Quarterly RainCamp Webinars: Our ActiveRain Partners will get first access to our RainCamp Online series. ActiveRain Partners will have free unfettered access to RainCamp recordings and live webinars. They can choose to share the recordings with their sphere in an effort to further educate them.

First Access to ActiveRain Research: We have begun to refine our ability to survey and collect data from our members. ActiveRain Partners will get first access to that research and be able to use it to share with their sphere.

Local Networking Material to meet real estate agents: Getting out in your community and connecting with real estate agents can be the backbone of a successful service providers business. But when you are out meeting with agents how do you demonstrate to them that you can be a valuable addition to their business? ActiveRain Partners will get material that can solidify the relationships they create by getting out and meeting real estate agents in their market.

The Ability to offer real estate agents in your market a discount on ActiveRain products: The agents you introduce to ActiveRain can get a discount when they upgrade their ActiveRain account to a Rainmaker account. ActiveRain Partners can save their sphere money.

Widget to include on Agent Partners blogs: ActiveRain Partners will have the ability to get their contact information displayed on the side of their agent partners blogs. Did an ActiveRain Partner encourage someone to get set up on ActiveRain and get involved in the community? If so, that agent can choose to market the ActiveRain Partner on their blog.

If you have a brokerage, or you are a service provider to real estate agents and this sounds like something you may be interested in, you can contact our VP of Sales, Kate Yackley for more information at kate@activerain.com or you can speak with her directly by calling her at (206) 453-9667.

This will not be the last time you see changes here at ActiveRain. In fact, because we are fresh off a major overhaul to the underlying technology upon which ActiveRain is built, you should expect to see changes and updates more frequently.

That's very exciting for us. But we don't want it to come as a shock each time something new is introduced, so Nikesh (click that link and subscribe to his blog) will often give you a chance to test it out and give us feedback before it goes live.

In fact, last Monday Nikesh introduced a new look and feel for ActiveRain. For the last week our members have had a chance to play with the upgraded ActiveRain on our testing server, beta.activerain.com. We are really excited today to be releasing the first upgrade to the layout of the site in quite some time.

What all comes along with this new design? As Nikesh previously mentioned, here are some of the highlights:

1) New Logo & Design:

We have updated the design and header of ActiveRain to bring us into 2012. We also made some tweaks to the logo to modernize it and make it ring with the promise of ActiveRain as an aspirational community that is looking to connect, share and learn from each other.  We have moved the clouds & the sky to be part of the logo to represent the idealism that ActiveRain represents. 

3) MyHome: This is where you will see the majority of the changes.  MyHome on ActiveRain has consistently been the single most visited page on ActiveRain, but was the least optimized for the core activities that we want members to engage it.  From an ActiveRain perspective, we want members to CONNECT with other members, WRITE/COMMENT, and READ.  

Listening to Feedback:

For the last week, since the release of the update to our Beta server, we have been listening to the feedback of members who have been using the new version of the site. Have we made some adjustments? You bet we have. We've found that the collective brain power of a community like ActiveRain is always capable of making improvements. If you have ideas on making ActiveRain better based on this new upgrade, or just based on anything you've thought up, please email:  beta@activerain.com.

ActiveRain Partners Program:

To go along with the new design on the 'my home' page, we are also introducing a new ActiveRain Partners Program on ActiveRain. Interested in what it means to be an ActiveRain Partner? Feel free to stop by our post announcing the new program. If you are interested in a more powerful way to further your connections with real estate agents on ActiveRain, ActiveRain Partners may be for you.

ActiveRain Blog Posts: The Top 10  of 2011 - Pro to Pro Edition

Welcome to the Pro to Pro Edition of the Top 10 Pageviews of 2011.  Thank you all for joining us tonight at this black tie affair.  You all looked wonderful rolling down the red carpet tonight.  Is that Prada?  Vintage?  Oh we'll just have to wait for the next rag mag to fill us in.

We thought it would be interesting to dig into our Google Analytics and find out which blogs had the most pageviews of 2011.  We're breaking it down into 3 different posts: Pro to Pro, Pro to Consumer, and Just For Fun.

Keep in mind these posts were not necessarily written in 2011, they do however possess the most pageviews of any other posts on ActiveRain from Jan 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011. 

Ladies and Gentlemen, the Top 10 Pro to Pro Pageviews of 2011

#10) Can I get an Amen - Job Description for a Real Estate Assistant Julie Beall of Springsboro, OH

 It's easy for successful agents to lose their mind when business is booming.  Thus, agents begin to look at what life would be like with an assistant to handle some of the load.  This post from 2007 really breaks it down and easily helps to identify what an assistant can do for you as an agent.

#9) You're so fine  You've Got to Be Kidding Vanessa Saunders of Nyack, NY

Controversy can be good for exposure.  AR is just the place to vent about your frustrations because odds are someone else has been there done that.  In this post, Vanessa takes us through her correspondence with a client asking her to reduce her commission due to a lower offer on their home. 

#8) Don't be late  37 Ways Not to Suck at Real Estate Bob Stewart of Ann Arbor, MI

Our own Bob Stewart comes in at #8.  The title of this post was captivating along with the security of knowing you're going to find out numerous ways to not suck at real estate.  Bob's post promotes a special webinar with the infamous Ben Kinney providing surefire ways to get your business hot again.

#7) Lucky #7  I Worked So Much I Went Broke Terri Camp of Keller, TX

This title is a definite attention getter.  Written on Halloween, Terri explains her dilemma with office space and how she needed to make a change.  The end of the post leaves us with a question which forces us to look at ourselves and what changes are necessary to ensure we don't work so much we go broke!

#6) is in the mix  Short Sale Information for Wells Fargo Home Mortgage Jonathan Osman of Charlotte, NC

Originally written in 2009, the last update was in April of 2011.  Jonathan lays out exactly what's needed, provides phone and fax numbers and is getting much attention for it.  In comment #269, Jonathan let's us know he's getting calls every week from people using the information on this post. 

#5) Coming to you live   Appraisals vs. BPO's: Can We Please Put an End to this Insanity? Patty Da Silva of Davie, FL

Appraisals and BPOs are hot topics in the business.  Cost vs value is argued here along with Patty trying to wrap her around why thousands of dollars are being lost on short sales/foreclosures yet they're worried about a $400 appraisal. 

#4) and we want more  10 Things Agents Say that Destroy Client Confidence Clint Miller of Missoula, MT

Clint Miller...amazing man who passed away in late 2011 due to cancer.  Clint's writing abiiity transfixes all who come across his work.  In one of his amazing posts, he breaks down how agents are losing their client's confidence.  He does a great job of not sugar-coating it and many people are much better off for that kind of tough love.  RIP Clint, we're still learning from you each day!

#3) Do Re Mi  How Absorption Rate is Figured Kristal Kraft of Denver, CO

I can see many agents, new and old typing this exact title into Google.  This post is over 5 years old yet still gets major hits.  Kristal clearly lays out exactly what she promises to do in her title. 

#2) Has got a clue  I'm Being Reported Jay Markanich of Bristow, VA

Who's being reported?  Why?  Could I be next?  Curious minds want to know and they clicked to find out.  Jay's episode with a certain inspection report had created quite a stir inside and outside our Community.  A man just doing his job yet the sellers, who obviously weren't professional inspectors had a different take on the whole thing.

#1) And now the moment you've all been waiting for.  The #1 blog post......(create a drumroll in your head).....you know him, you love him....ladies and gents.....David Krushinsky of Phoenix, AZ!!!!! 

David Krushinsky wrote Mortgage Loan Originators, How Will you get Paid after April 1, 2011? which has wowed the Academy Community!!!  Your post has the most pageview of any Pro to Pro in 2011 and we congratulate you sir!!!

What makes this post so darn popular?  It may have something to do with paychecks.  The most important part of most transactions boils down to how we as professionals collect our wages and survive.  This post clearly calls out to mortgage loan officers about the new rules going into effect and he does it 8 months in advance.

To all the winners, amazing work!  Your talents shine through and you make this world more beautiful one post at a time.  For everyone that came out and supported our show tonight, thank you all for getting gorgeous and gracing us   with your presence this evening.  We'll see you at the after parties! 

Stay tuned for Pro to Consumer and Just For Fun editions coming soon!

In order to improve the responsiveness of ActiveRain, we are doing a software update at 11am PST.  We generally wait until the night to make any software changes, but we want to improve the responsiveness of ActiveRain as quickly as possible for our members.  The process should take 10 minutes or so.

If you are working on ActiveRain at 11am PST, you may be logged out and you may lose any unsaved blog posts. 

Thank you all for your patience! 

We'll keep you updated as we make progress.

Wow, 2012 already? Can you believe it?

For January's challenge, we are honored to have the folks from Adobe EchoSign joining us. EchoSign was recently purchased by Adobe. Adobe is a company that a ton of us have been putting a lot of trust in for the last decade (some of us even longer than that). When you think PDF and secure transmition of documents online, many of us (at least I do) think Adobe.

Adobe purchased EchoSign because they also want to be that company you trust when you are having documents signed electronically. More and more of us are getting used to having documents signed electronically. Adobe EchoSign wants you to trust that those contracts and all that vital information contained in those contracts is safe and secure, much like they've been doing with our documents for quite some time.

We're not going to have you write about how much you trust electronic signatures, or how much you trust Adobe. We want you to share with us your feelings on trust in your business or life in general.

It's such an intregal part of why people choose to do business with one and other. It's engrained in us from birth. There is something about trust that makes it a fundamental of life, isn't there? From the day we are born, we have to trust. As we grow up (I know, I know, some of us never do) our trust is usually shaped by our environment. So when we come into the real estate industry, we have so many factors that have determined how trust incorporates with our business.

Share it with me, share it with Adobe EchoSign, share it with your friends and peers, how do your feelings about trust impact your business or your life? This is very open ended but I hope that people will chose to think about trust and really create a blog post that shares how they view trust and how trust affects the decisions you make in your business and your life.

What things have helped shaped how trusting you are of others? Are you one of those people that is naturally inclined not to trust someone until they prove they are trustworthy? Why is that? Have you been burned by someone in your business you trusted and how has that impacted your future dealings with people? Maybe it's just a story that exemplifies how you feel about trusting the people with which you work. Maybe it's a story that shares how you got burned by trusting the wrong person. It can be anything as long as it relates to the concept of trust in your business.

You can go any way you want with it........but I implore you to give it some serious thought. Do not just throw out 200 words about trust and call it a day and a contest submission. Think about it. Think about it for a while if you have to. Share with us your feelings on trust in your business. I'm going to go very deep in my post, I can already sense it. I hope you choose to do the same.


 

Challenge Guidelines:

Posts must be submitted between January 2nd, 2012 and January 27th, 2012 at 11:59pm Eastern Time. The challenge will end at 11:59pm Eastern Time on Friday January 27th, 2012.

Posts must be a minimum of 200 words. Remember, I'm asking you to really give it some thought. If you can sum up your entire feelings on trust in under 200 words, bravo to you! But it won't be eligible :-)

All posts submitted before January 27th at 11:59pm Eastern Time will be given 1000 points. Points for all entries will be manually awarded by the staff at ActiveRain after the conclusion of the contest.

All posts submitted before January 15th at 11:59pm Eastern Time will be given an additional 1000 bonus points. (This means if you submit early, you can earn up to 2000 points total)

In order to 'submit' your post for consideration, you need to leave a comment in the comment section of this blog post with a link to your post about trust. If you aren't sure what this means, ask someone or wait for a bit and you will see other members leaving comments on this post with a link to their post. Follow their lead.

Because the FTC doesn't like bloggers writing blog posts that could win them a prize without disclosing that fact, you need to include a line at the end of your post that goes something like this:

This post is a submission to the ActiveRain / Adobe EchoSign Trust Contest. I could possibly win a prize. You can find out about the contest by clicking here

Challenge Prizes:

Grand Prize: iPad 2

One Person will win a $150 Gift card

One person will win a $100 Gift card

Bonus: Each person that writes a submission can sign up for a free EchoSign account and send up 10 documents for
signature for free (typically EchoSign free accounts allow 5 documents for signature). Or, I suppose, even if you don't write a submission you could sign up for that free account since the link is right there for you.....

In addition any ActiveRain member can upgrade to a PRO account at a 55% discount when paying annually. Typically an EchoSign PRO account is $179.40 when paid for 12 months in advance, but ActiveRain members can purchase an EchoSign PRO account for $108 when paying annually in advance.

Real Estate Marketing Plans

Do you have your real estate marketing plans for 2012 ready?

With SO MANY alternatives for real estate marketing plans, are you confused on what to do in 2012?

So as you develop your 2012 real estate marketing plans, here is some great food for thought:

ActiveRain, the largest blogging platform and professional social network in real estate, conducted a survey of 1,910 real estate professionals asking the simple question of "what is the most effective real estate marketing or advertising that you do?" 

The results:

1. Referrals (including word of mouth and sphere of influence) were overwhelming the most preferred marketing with 26% of responses.
2. Blogging was #2 with 13% of responses.  (Keep in mind that the survey was conducted on ActiveRain, so these results may naturally be skewed to blogging).
3. Direct Mail continues to be incredibly popular.  Direct Mail includes post cards, mailers, and newsletters.  Direct Mail also received 13% of responses.
4. Internet Marketing as a general category received 12% of responses.  Our assumption is that Internet marketing is generally speaking pay per click marketing on Google, Yahoo or Bing or lead generation from a number of different sources.
5. Networking Networking includes partner referrals and face-to-face meetings. Face-to-face networking received 8% of the responses.
   
   

 (Share these stats - link to this article: http://activerain.com/blogsview/2641172/real-estate-marketing-plans-most-effective-marketing-of-2011)

 As you can see based on 2011 real estate marketing plans, real estate professionals continue to favor more traditional offline, "tried & true" hand to hand real estate marketing techniques.  Though the general bucket of Internet marketing & blogging are equivalent to direct mail, the top marketing techniques tend to be more offline - referrals, direct mail, networking, working with past clients, open houses, door knocking and cold calling.   Hard to know if ActiveRain is the same as blogging and if Zillow or Google are the same as Internet marketing, but interesting to see that from a response perspective, that Open Houses are more popular than any one web site AND Door Knocking is more preferred than CraigsList and FaceBook.

When real estate professionals were asked, "What is the most effective real estate marketing or advertising that you do?" only a small number of real estate web sites were mentioned in reasonable frequency: ActiveRain, CraigsList, FaceBook, Zillow and Google.  Of course, blogging and Internet marketing are large categories with a lot of different companies.  But there were very few mentions of Wordpress or other ways to market online.  Noticeably absent were Trulia and Realtor.com   Though we believe ActiveRain is a very powerful blogging platform, fans of ActiveRain are likely over-represented in the survey.  Kudos to Zillow to have name recognition equivalent to Google in the real estate industry.

For 2012, here are the key questions to ask:

1. How important is developing your REFERRAL BASE?  How are you going to do it?
2. Are Blogging and SEO part of your 2012?  If so, what to do - ActiveRain, Wordpress, Blogger, or other?
3. Direct Mail continues to be an important part of the real estate professional's marketing mix.  It is amazing, but true.  Direct Mail allow neighborhood targeting unlike online marketing.  What kinds of direct mail campaigns will you be using?
4. Internet Marketing needs to be part of your 2012 marketing mix, but there are a lot of options from pay-per-click advertising to lead generation to Zillow, Trulia and Realtor.com 

ActiveRain is great place to start the learning process to figure out the best Internet marketing strategies to achieve your personal and financial goals in 2012! 

Share this blog post!  Either blog about it or share on your social networks.  Link to and reference this blog if you use this content: http://activerain.com/blogsview/2641172/real-estate-marketing-plans-most-effective-marketing-of-2011

Since Monday we have been introducing the Makeover for 2012 prize package that one attendee of RainCamp Online, on December 14th, is going to win for their business. We have some more great tools to add to the package. I have no question that whoever wins this is going to get started in 2012 with a bang!

RainCamp Online is going to give you some great information to have a successful 2012. Our lineup of speakers will not disappoint. Whether you win the prize package or not, you are sure to walk away with some things you can do in your business today to ensure that 2012 will be your best year ever.

But wouldn't it be cool to have all of these tools at your disposal during 2012? I want to thank all of these amazing companies who have stepped up and offered some great prizes to help one member's business next year.

Printing for Less

The winner will receive A box of 500 cards and shipping. Full color both sides, on any of our three beautiful house paper stocks.

 

PrintingForLess.com provides unmatched technical and customer support and instant online pricing and ordering for full-color printed pieces. Go to www.printingforless.com for affordable marketing materials including: business cards, brochures, postcards, newsletters, letterhead, and more. For additional information, please visit our website or call 800-930-3938.
(a $50 value)

 

 

 

Smarter Agent

Power your real estate business in the new year with your own branded Smarter Agent app. Smarter Agent is offering their powerful real estate mobile application to one of today’s Active Rain Camp attendees in the form of a FREE 1-year Subscription to our Branded Mobile App for agents or brokers! (a $299 value)

 

 

 

HomeFinder.com

The winner will receive the Agent Success Bundle. Get five free single property websites plus a free upgrade to get all of your listings enhanced on homefinder.com, a top ten real estate site. (a $200 value)

 

 

 

Kodak

The winner will receive a Kodak Playtouch video camera and video accessories package to start shooting real estate videos right away.

 

With on-screen editing, you can easily keep the moments you want and trim the ones you don’t. And when you’re ready to turn today’s escapades into tomorrow’s buzz, getting them online is easier than ever. Just press the Share button and your videos are automatically ready for the Web (a $175 value)