I invite you to join me this Thursday, March 18th, for a very special 1 hour Webinar.

I have asked CyberStars(r) Pat Wattam (www.PatWattam.com) and Debbie Yost (www.YostHomes.com) to join me during the session.  These wonderful agents earned $93,044 and $333,299 from their Web sites and blogs alone in 2009.  Pat's ROI on her sites/blog was 1,118%; Debbies ROI was 1,710%!

These two top agents (and wonderful, sharing people!) will tell you how they did it during this rewarding session.

87% of today's consumers go first to the Web to search for a home or for an agent to sell their home.  If you are not getting the type of numbers from your site and/or blog that Pat and Debbie are, perhaps it's time to invest one small hour in learning how you can!

Complete details and registration at http://tinyurl.com/yf8huuw.

Isn't it time you learned how to break into big earnings?  I hope you'll join us!

Regards,

Allen F. Hainge

15 year Senior Instructor, CRS 206 Technology Course

Founder, The CyberStars(r)

I recently posted here re. some stunning Web site & blog statistics from three of my CyberStars(r) who presented a panel on site/blog success at our recent CyberStar(r) Summit.  You can see it here.

In the meantime, I tallied the results of the annual survey we do at our Summit.  Once question asked the following: "What is your estimated closed gross commission (c.g.i.) income from your Web sites/blogs alone in 2009?"

Here are the results:

• Total Respondents: 53
• Total c.g.i. reported from respondents: $8,168,299
• Average c.g.i. reported: $154,119
• Highest c.g.i. reported: $750,000
• Lowest c.g.i. reported: $6,000 (market was in an extreme downturn)
• Median c.g.i. reported: $75,000 (1/2 above this figure, 1/2 below) 

Some of the CyberStars(r) reported site/blog income as a percentage of their total income rather than as closed gross commission income.  Of those: 

• Highest percentage reported: 96%
• Lowest percentage reported: 10%
• Average percentage reported: 46%

I will be posting a complete analysis and my take on the numbers shortly on my blog.  In the meantime, take a moment to reflect on them and see if your numbers reflect the power of a good Web site and blog as shown by the CyberStar's(r) income figures.

It's a beautiful day on the lake in Reston...hope it's a beautiful day wherever you are, too!

Allen F. Hainge, CRS

Senior Instructor, CRS 206 2-day Technology Course

I just posted a new article on my blog.  In it, I present some astounding statistics on the money my CyberStars(r) are making from their sites and blogs...and how they are not making much money from Social Networking, even though they are leaders in studying, analyzing and using today's technology to make money.

Try these stats:

• CyberStar(r) Debbie Yost: 51 closed transactions from her site alone in 2009 w/another 38 pending that were generated in 2009
  
• CyberStar(r) Marilyn Kohn: 173 transactions from her site alone in 2009

 If your site is not generating great income for you, I hope you'll read this article, the first in a number of posts on how to make your site generate good commission income for you.  You can see it at http://tinyurl.com/yhmrbu2.

It's a great day here on the lake in Reston...hope it's a great day wherever you are, too!

Allen F. Hainge, CRS

Founder, The CyberStars(r)

A quick question: are you making money from your Web site and/or blog?  Most agents don't, and if you fit that category, start by measuring the results you're getting at present.  A good site/blog analysis can show you what you need to improve to make a good living from your site alone!

During our CyberStar(r) Summit last week, several of our CyberStars(r) recommended StatCounter.com.  Using it, they measure activity on their site and make adjustments to it based on what StatCounter shows them.

StatCounter is free.  All you do is insert a code in your site or blog (a VA or techie can do it for you if you're not familiar with inserting codes).  Once inserted, it monitors all visitors in real time.  Stats you can retrieve include:

• Where visitors came from and how long they stayed
• Returning visits
• Page uploads
• Which pages are most popular
• Entry/exit pages
• Keyword analysis (which keywords are attracting them)
• Download log
• Much, much more!

During our CyberStar(r) Summit this week in Scottsdale, I "passed the torch" to CyberStar(r) Brad Korn.  Brad is the new Owner/President of this wonderful CyberStar(r) family.

I founded the CyberStars(r) in 1995 as a result of a panel I held at the NAR Convention in San Francisco.  After our panel, we lamented the fact that there were no networking groups for agents who used technology to share their experiences in using technology to build their businesses.  Then and there, we founded the CyberStars(r).

Today, the CyberStars(r) number 225 top agents from the US, Canada, Australia and the Bahamas.  We have helped each other grow in many ways....not just in our businesses but also personally.  The CyberStars(r) have, and will continue to, form a major part of my life.

In choosing Brad to lead the CyberStars(r) into the future, I have chosen someone who is a top agent, a superb businessperson and someone who understands and believes in the sharing, caring culture of our CyberStar(r) family and the mission we have to help educate real estate agents to technology that works to build their business.

I can am excited by the good things that lie ahead for the CyberStars(r) and at the contribution they will continue to make to the real estate industry.

I will continue to be involved with the CyberStars(r) in several ways and will be pursuing coaching projects of my own.  Thanks to each CyberStar(r) for contributing to our mutual success and growth, and here's to a successful future for us all!

It's a great day here on the lake in Reston...hope it's a great day wherever you are, too!

Regards,

Allen F. Hainge

Founder, The CyberStars(r)

Subscribe to Allen's Blog Here

Just finished our 9^th annual CyberStar® Summit in Scottsdale....2 days of non-stop learning, sharing and networking among 138 of the top agents in the US and Canada.  We focused on using today's technology to build our businesses, and the information we received was eye-opening! 

My first blog post on what we learned from the Summit is now online at www.Blog.CyberStar.net.  In it, I focus on just 6 of the top tech tools covered by our first panel (CyberStars® Rob Levy, Peanut Janson and Nate Martinez).  The first part of their panel presented their top 25 tools for the iPhone, and you'll find some there that will make you money! 

Hope you'll check it out.  While there, subscribe (free!), and you'll automatically get future posts from our dynamite Summit! 

It's a great day here on the lake in Reston...hope it's a great day wherever you are, too!

CyberStar® Ira Serkes of Berkeley, CA asked the following question on private CyberStar® Google Group: "You or someone you know dominates a real estate neighborhood or community. How did you/they do it?"

"We had lots of great replies from our members.  I'll share this one from CyberStar® Dave Robison ("Utah Dave") of Robison & Company Real Estate, Salt Lake City, UT.  Dave is a unique talent who approaches his business like a busines.  Take the time to examine his Web site with its unique features here. 

Here is Dave's reply to Ira's post:

"We dominate a neighborhood called Daybreak here.  How did we do it? 

• We got involved in the community by volunteering there.  We donated time, my moving trucks and money to the community. 
  
• We sent post cards to the community monthly for the first couple of years.
  
• We have a presence in all community newsletters. 
  
• We created a Web site specifically for homes for sale in the community. 
  
• Lived there! (Yes, we know a ton of people from living there.) 
  
• We focus on Neighborhood Tours.  An awesome tool, it is our version of open houses that creates excitement and shows we dominate the neighborhood. 

Of course we don't get everything in there, but people believe we dominate the market there because they always see us.  Although we dominate it, we don't act like we do.  We have a sense of gratitude, and we try to work well with everybody else.  We don't go in for bragging about our being the best agent there.  No bashing other REALTORS® in there.   We are simply grateful, and we try to be kind and generous to all.  One example: we take other agents on our Daybreak tours, take other agents clients and let them have prizes etc.).  It's about creating goodwill." 

Success in real estate isn't that difficult if you do what successful agents do.  Dave is definitely successful, so I hope you'll follow his lead! 

BTW: Dave wrote on the business advantage he gets from the "Crystal Ball" feature of his site....you'll see it on his home page...in my eBook, "Digital Essentials for Today's Agent."  It's one of 228 great tips from my CyberStars® on using today's technology the right way.  You can see more about the book here.

It's a great day here on the lake in Reston...hope it's a great day wherever you are, too! 

As you know if you have followed my posts, I really promote agents using a Virtual Assistant...both in the classes I teach, on my blog and here on Active Rain.

I have just completed an eBook, "Digital Essentials for Today's Agent." 228 tips on using technology from 128 from my CyberStars(r).  One of the sections, of course, is on the need for and effective use of a VA.

I would like you Active Rain VA's to be my "Connectors," influential folks who can get the word out on the eBook so that it gets into more agents' hands and helps their business.

To that end, I am happy to offer you a discount off of the $29.95 eBook price.

Just send me an email to my direct email address, afh1@ix.netcom.com with a link to your site.  I'll get back to you with the discount amount and the code to use in order to get it.

Again, I applaud what you do.  Together, we can increase our impact on professionalism and production in the real estate industry.

It's a great day here on the lake in Reston...hope it's a great day wherever you are, too!

While on my balcony overlooking Lake Anne the other day, I saw a buzzard lazily floating.  It was covering a lot of territory as it surveyed the scene below.

As with all such birds, it floated in lazy circles and only occasionally flapped its wings.  It was a perfect example of maximum results with minimum effort, as the buzzard covered a wide expanse of lake and shore using air currents rather than its own energy.

I like that system: maximum results with minimum effort.

Real estate should be like that, I think...and thanks to today's technology, it can be.

Basing your business on a good real estate database with its automatic followup systems, continuing through automatic prospecting systems such as Real Pro Systems or Gooder's Rainmaker E-Central through online contract-to-closing systems, the tools are there that let you "float" as you cover the basics of real estate.

Maybe it's time for you to "float" a bit more, use less effort while covering even more ground?   If you do, you'll find more time for "life."  Think about it.

It's a beautiful day here on the lake in Reston...hope it's a beautiful day wherever you are, too!

(Reprinted from Allen's blog for agents, CyberStar(R) R.E. Tips & Techniques)

Check out Allen's new eBook, "Digital Essentials for Today's Agent," here.  228 tech tools/tips and strategies from 128 of Allen's CyberStars®!

At the moment, I have 2,086 items in my inbox!  This is crazy, absurd and unproductive to say the least.

Email is a tool, just like a hammer.  It is a tool to use when needed.  It is designed to get more done in less time and to help me be more productive.   2,086 items in my inbox is pretty good evidence, however, that I am not using this tool very well at all.  The backlog of items creates a swamp of "maybe to-dos" and items to check that cut down on my productivity as soon as I turn on my email each morning or check it during the day.

As usual, I received an answer to my problem from one my CyberStars®, top agents who use technology as the backbone of their businesses.  We have a Weekly Topic on our private list serve, and this week's topic as "Getting Organized."  CyberStar® Brad Korn of Blue Spring, MO (http://www.bradkorn.com) submitted a great tip, and his post gives me hope there is a solution to my problem.  He picked up the idea from the book, "Getting Things Done," by David Allen, and I'll pass along part of what he shared.

"There is an incredible method for processing all that email that piles up, but before you do that get your email box to zero!  That's right: zero!  Go through each email and ask yourself: can I take care of this in 2 minutes or less?  If so, take care of it and delete it.  Everything else should get filed into a folder other than your inbox.  If you create an @ sign in front of the folder your folders will go to the top (as they do in Outlook) so that you can easily view them without scrolling down through all the folders.  Use labels that allow you to segment different tasks: @actions, @errands, @projects, @waiting for, @phone, @home, @office, etc.  File accordingly by dragging the email into the appropriate folder. 

"There are some folders you will check every day, and you get to do the things you feel like doing.  If you have been on the phone with a nasty client and don't want to talk to anyone the rest of the day, avoid your @phone folder.  Do something in your @computer folder instead.  You get the idea and, believe me, it helps!"

Taking action, I began this as my first task this morning.....it works!  I feel better already without as much clutter, and I love the idea of being able to go to just the right folder for just the right task.  Thanks, Brad!

Hope you don't have 2,086 emails in your Inbox.  If so, however, try Brad's tip and let me know how it works! 

It's a beautiful day here on the lake in Reston...hope it's a great day wherever you are, too!

(For more tips on using technology to build your business, pleased check out my new eBook, "Digital Essentials for Today's Agent," here!