I've been talking with a LOT of Top Sponsors within the EXIT Realty community lately and one thing is for certain... times are tough. While certain statistics about pending sales and home prices would have you thing that the market is on it's way back up, it just not the case for certain areas of the country. After some long talks and rousing conversation, here are my 10 Ways to Stay Positive in a Difficult Market.

1. Blame no one.

I've heard a lot of blame being passed around over the past year or so about whose fault it is that the bottom dropped out of the real estate market. It's everyone's fault. Period. Now move on and see what you can help do about it. Blaming congress, Fannie Mae, Realtors, Bankers, Title companies, Appraisers, Presidents, and so on really doesn't get us much of anywhere. While what happened<!--more--> certainly needs to be understood, it is not something we need to dwell on during tough times. Blame is a negative action with negative consequences promoting negative thinking. That's no way to stay positive.

2. Be Proactive.

If you're sitting around moping and considering going part-time or getting out of real estate, do something to step up your business. Being proactive creates impetus and positive thinking.

3. Focus on what works.

Trying out half-cocked ideas and unproven methods in a down market is, in general, a recipe for disappointment. Use proven and time tested strategies to forge ahead. Prospect for FSBOs and Expireds. Increase your Internet presence. Network socially, locally, and genuinely. These methods are used by successful Realtors day in and day out in good markets and bad.

4. Carve your niche.

If you're floating from buyers to sellers, foreclosures to luxury properties, and commercial to residential, you need to step back and ask yourself what you're doing. What are you good at? What do you know the most about? What brings you the most cash in the least amount of time? Now focus in on that niche and become the go-to expert.

5. Develop a game plan.

One of my favorite quotes from Admiral Painter in The Hunt for Red October, "Russians don't take a dump, son, without a plan." So true. Neither should you. If you are running around at the beginning of this year without a solid, specific, written plan for your business this year, what the heck are you doing? How are you going to know what you should be doing? Nothing makes you feel better than knowing what you should do next.

6. Work smarter.

There's nothing more frustrating and soul crushing than working hard on a deal only to see it die on or before closing. Similarly frustrating are things like working on technology that is hard to use, marketing materials that don't get results, or wasting your time in any fashion whatsoever. Work smarter. Nothing makes you feel better about yourself and your job to see a commiserate result for work done. That probably means working less iffy deals. Pre-qualify your buyers. Go on listing appointments where the seller isn't tens of thousands of dollars underwater. Do things that get results instead of run you around town, waste gas, and try your patience.

7. When you're not working, don't work.

I have a difficult time with this one. As an entrepreneur (which all Realtors are) who owns your own business, it's very easy to bring work home with you. I'll be honest. I usually fall asleep with it, dream about it, and wake up with it. It drags me down and burns me out. I know most Realtors do the same thing. Find a way to separate yourself from work. Do something with your family. Get a hobby. Do something that gives your mind a break from the stresses of your work.

8. When your not playing, don't play.

I'm not sure if this is an actual statistic or if it's some kind of urban legend but I've heard that the average Realtor does one hour of work per day. One HOUR. The rest of that time is filled with 'busy work', water cooler chat, 'social networking browsing' and other similarly activities that make you no money. While you had a good chat at work today, are you going to feel good about yourself when you go home this evening? Certainly not. Set yourself daily goals the night before so that when you go to work you go to work.

9. Create a support system.

Family support is great. The support I'm talking about though is professional support. Now, I'm not just plugging The Exit Pro but we certainly are a form of support. Find a mentor you can lean on when things are tough. Use the Realtors in your office as sounding boards for ideas as well as frustrations. Hire a coach to help you learn to stay positive and be productive. Create some form of support system whether it's one person or activity, or something more formal.

10. Take pride in your work.

Have you ever seen "What Not to Wear" on TLC? The way your dress has a profound effect on your attitude and possibly even your level of success. Dress like a professional. Do everything you do to the best of your ability. There's nothing more positive and productive for the mind than doing a good job and being proud of what you've done. I hope you use these ten ideas for positivity in your business when times are tough. All of these Things embody what we try to do at The Exit Pro and what we are trying to help our members do. What other things can all of us do to stay positive? You can find the original article and many more at TheExitPro.com.

The Apple iPad was introduced by Steve Jobs this week. During and immediately after his speech, Bloggers the world over were dropping their 2¢ into the blogosphere about the iPad's features, it's pro's and con's, the likelihood of it ousting Kindle from it's book reader throne, and so on. I'd like to talk about what the iPad could, can, and will do to reinvent the way Realtors practice Real Estate.

iPad is part of a new category of mobile device

It's something between a smartphone and a laptop. Here are the important stats...

• .5" thick
• 1.5 pounds
• 9.79" display
• 10 hours of battery life
• Wi-Fi & 3G connections

To make a long feature list short we'll just say that it is much like a large iPhone with Safari browser capability, iTunes, Video, Mail, the App Store, etc. It's like a Netbook was supposed to be. It has the functionality of a laptop with the usability and portability of a smartphone, but probably better at doing both. It includes an accelerometer and a full touchscreen experience just like the iPhone. Here's how I think it can change things...<!--more-->

Reinventing the way Agents practice real estate

1. Agents now have a useful, more intimate version of the laptop

Most agents use laptops in their office. Some even use them for presentations. Almost no one uses a laptop when they are out showing clients properties. At any level. An agent can use the iPad to quickly and impressively deliver and present information to their clients. You're buyer wants to see the tax records on the house you're looking at right now? Pull them up immediately on your iPad. It's either in your hand or in your briefcase.

2. True mobility and paperless systems for all agents are within reach

There's no need to go back to the office to look up additional properties for buyers. You can access CMA's and listing statistics while previewing a seller's home. Stay fully up-to-date on your social networks and get full, simple access to email, documents, and your CRM on the go. Paperless has been touted for several years in real estate. The iPad could actually make it happen. Apps with your state's forms attached should begin popping up. Now just have your client sign with a flick of their finger and their contract is fully executed... email them a copy of the original document. *sniff* I just teared up thinking about it.

3. Video will be for everything, everywhere

Video is already a major player in the real estate industry. Still, very few agents are using it and even less are using it to truly differentiate themselves from their competitors. The iPad will skyrocket video use by agents, vendors, and consumers. Agents that do not utilize video will simply be left in the dust. Consumers better have access to your listing presentation, buyer presentation, video home tours, and neighborhood tours on your website, video sharing sites, iTunes, or all of the above. They'll be browsing homes and Realtors relaxing in their easy chair after dinner.

4. iPad will bring the use of technology and social media to the masses

Meaning, the masses of real estate agents that still aren't using today's systems to stay efficient and relevant. Imagine Realtors easily reachable by any electronic means through any media. Response time on followup, deals, and inquiries will drop to near zero as agents become masters of multitasking. List a property and send out a new list of condos to your buyers at the same time. Create a new craigslist ad while hosting an open house. Yes, people do this with laptops and smartphones. This device and future devices like it will alleviate the barriers that keep everyone from doing it.

5. Instant access means instant gratification

What if you could chat live with your Realtor any time of day? Realtors that use a product like iPad (as well as their counterpart homeowners) will be there to convert the IEC (Internet Empowered Consumer) to a client because NOW is better than tomorrow, in an hour, or after lunch. These are just a few ways that I see the iPad changing the inner workings of real estate for professionals. If the iPad holds true to its predecessors, it's price will drop significantly over the next couple of years from between $499-$829 down to nearly everyone's affordability levels of $199-$299. It will make instant, portable, usable access a thing of the present and subsequently change the way that Realtors provide services because of the way consumers find their information. What other ways could you see the iPad or a similar next generation device transforming the way we do business?

View the original article and many more at TheExitPro.com

Link to this article using this URL: http://theexitpro.com/2010/01/29/5-ways-ipad-will-reinvent-real-estate-for-agents-in-the-next-5-years/

I'm so tired of looking at bad websites.  So many Realtors pay thousands and thousands of dollars for poorly designed template websites that get them little or no traffic and no converted sales.  What's worse is that some of these sites actually DO get them traffic but scare prospects off when they get to the site.  Well, times, they are a' changin'.  Wordpress has become the open source content management system of choice for web developers, designers, and professionals from every industry.  It's perfectly suited to Real Estate for about twelve thousand reasons.  I'll try to keep it to 8 Reasons Why Smart Realtors Use Wordpress for Their Real Estate Website.<!--more-->

1.  Wordpress is the the most versatile, powerful web publishing platform on earth.  Period.

If you can think it, Wordpress can probably do it.  You can modify everything about the front end and back end to suit your individual needs, tastes, and desires.  You can do a lot with almost no knowledge of HTML, CSS, PHP, or Javascript.  Put those programming languages together, and your imagination becomes the limit.  But forget all those silly programming languages.  You can have an amazing functional wordpress site for a hundred bucks up front and ten bucks a month... seriously.

2.  Wordpress is made for Search Engines to Find.

Paying advertising dollars to drive people to your website is just plain mad.  I understand there are reasons to do it but free traffic is the best traffic.  And since you've carved out your niche and the content of your site is specific to the marketplace you work, it's even easier to get targeted traffic.  Wordpress does this very well by default but you can use plugins like All-In-One SEO, Google XML Sitemaps, and themes like Headway Themes (which we use) to provide you SEO additional punch without having to be an expert.

3.  Wordpress is tailor made for real estate.

Why?  Because it allows Realtors to easily crank out good content in a timely fashion and be rewarded with visitors, leads, and conversions into sales.  If a premium theme like Headway or StudioPress is too much for you check out some of these other themes on wpzoom.

4.  There's a plugin for that.

Plugins extend the functionality of wordpress through additional coding.  You can add SEO benefits, calendars, IDX searches, all kinds of widgets, embeddable videos, embeddable documents, you name it.  There are even plugins for content protection (read members only) like DAP, Digital Access Pass (the one we use and love).  Then you've got plugins to give you links to related posts, popular posts, user reviews, the list goes on.

5.  WordPress can be a lead generating MACHINE.

No website has, "If you build it, they will come." Status.  Wordpress is close though.  Now that some of the rules about scraping have changed The likes of the Real Estate Tomato and Diverse Solutions have churned out amazing products like Listing Press and dsIDXpress.  These plugins allow Google (and other search engines, but who really cares about anyone else?) to index listings on your website as original listings and push your search rankings through the roof with a flood of original, area and industry specific content.  Take advantage of these two plugins before Google and NAR decide to change their rules.

6.  For Now... Wordpress sets you apart.

Even though Wordpress is one of the most popular platforms for web development in the world... our technologically backward industry still has yet to embrace it as a group, separating those few who do use it from the pack.  I would HIGHLY recommend using the wordpress.org (the self-hosted version) of wordpress instead of just getting a free blog at Wordpress.com.  Set up is very easy.  Check out our videos for a series of screen casts with step-by-step instructions on how to create your own self-hosted website with Wordpress.

7.  Got a Marketing Idea?  Wordpress can Help.

Create landing pages till the cows come home for Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Neighborhoods, and more.  Make a custom 404 page (that's the page people see when they type in the wrong thing or hit a bad link) to reinforce your marketing plan.  Create your own private FSBO listing page.  Your time and imagination are your only limit.

8.  There's support out the wazoo..

There's nothing worse that a program, platform, or system with bad support.  That's another reason Wordpress rocks.  There are literally hundreds of websites the offer suggestions and support for anything you could want to do with Wordpress.  You can also view the original Codex (boring documentation) if you can't find what you're looking for anywhere else.  There are oodles of designers and people like myself online that can always help as well. There's 8 Reasons smart realtors use wordpress.  Still not sure?  Think you can't handle it?  Hire someone to do it for you.  Your site will be 100 times better than some z57 or point2 website.  I'm not even going to grace those two companies with a link. View the original article here

We've gotten through 5 of the 10 Ways to Blow Up Your Real Estate Business when you're just getting started. On this second half (part Deux) I'm going to focus on some specific things that will make you a successful, professional Realtor that will make it through every twist and turn the market can throw at you. Let's get started...<!--more-->

6. Brand Everything

Lots of people argue about 'the brand' in real estate. Let me put it to you straight. If you are a career agent (and you should be) you ARE THE BRAND. Keep that in mind when you...

• Pick a niche
• Purchase your domain name
• Buy business cards
• Buy image reinforcing products
• Wrap your car
• Get a tattoo

You, not your company, are the brand. You are the person that lists and sells property. You're company can be co-branded with you but real estate companies come and go. Companies sometimes even re-brand themselves. Create a plan of action when you start out and you'll be ahead of at least 95% of Realtors.

7. Find a Niche, create a niche, niche, niche, niche

Real estate agents cannot be all things to all people. The most famous Realtors, Attorneys, Doctors, Politicians, Actors, name a trade... all specialize in what they do within their industry. You must do the same. You'll never be anything more than Joe Schmoe Realtor unless people know you for something specific. I'll name a few niches to get you started thinking:

• First-Time Home Buyers
• Specific Geographic Areas
• Duplexes
• Luxury Homes
• Bank-Owned Properties
• Beach Properties
• Condos
• Downtown Lofts
• Turkey Farms
• Strip Malls
• and the list goes on.

Seriously. Pick a niche, fall into one, whatever. But if you are just letting the wind blow whatever business is out their your direction, you're in for a mediocre, and short-lived career in real estate.

8. List to Exist

Fact: The average buyer takes up 32 hours of time between the first meeting and closing. Fact: The average seller takes up only 8 hours of your time between first meeting and closing. Before you say something smarty pants, I understand that there are exceptions to every rule but for the most part, these two facts are pretty rock solid. This means that you're wasting your time with buyers unless you are selling homes worth 4 times the price of homes you are listing. Most people aren't doing that so consider being a listing agent first and foremost... your pocket book and your family will thank you.

9. Take Good Photos or have someone else do it

The very first think people look at when they see a listing online fir the first time is the photo(s). In fact, and I don't have a study to confirm this, but I know that good photos are the number one component in properly marketing a property. Bad photos, bad marketing. Good photos will give you the foundation you need to make a great first impression. Consider this... Point and click cameras just don't cut it... you need a DSLR with 14mm-18mm wide angle lense and a commercial grade speedlight. If you don't want to buy, borrow, or rent one of these then let someone else do it. Listing photos go for as little as $50 from professional photographers. It's the best $50 bucks you'll spend on a listing. Honestly.

10. Get into Video

Number 5 was about using and leveraging technology. It had a bit about web presence but there's so much about it on this site that I'm not going to include that as a point, even though it should be. Creative use and leveraging of video in your business is going to be crucial going into the next decade as more and more people use online video to find out more information about everything. Youtube is now the number 2 search engine in the world... are you on it? Are your listings? Obviously, they should be. We'll talk a lot about video in our technology category of the site. Don't wait, get started. Start looking at other Realtor's use of video and come up with a game plan. Check out Vincent Arcuri's domination with his use of quality video production. I hope you enjoyed my list of 10 Ways to Blow up Your Real Estate Business. If you're wondering how to implement any of these systems, strategies, or ideas but you just don't know where to start. Contact us. We'll be glad to help you get the ball rolling. It would also be a smart investment to become a member of The Exit Pro or at the least, Subscribe to our Updates.

10 Ways to Blow Up Your Real Estate Business Right Out of the Gate (Part Deux)

 

Being a new agent in real estate is a bit daunting for most people. There's all these little fees, acronyms, office chatter, and advice from peers and colleagues that begins to turn into noise after the first few days. Where to start? Let's assume you've got your license --maybe you're about to get it. Either way, it's your first month in the business (full-time). What are you gonna do? Here are my suggestions...<!--more-->

1. Start your LIST.

You're asking, "What's my list?" I'm going to answer you with, "Everything" then slap you in the face for emphasis. Begin compiling a list of contacts for potential business immediately. Make sure to include:

• Your Sphere (people you already know, friends and family)
• Your acquaintances, your family's acquaintances, everyone you or anyone around you knows. One thing is for sure... everyone buys or knows someone that buys or sells real estate.
• Professional service providers - dentists, doctor, lawyer, accountant, painter, etc, etc.

Add everyone to your list. Now put them all in a database of some sort... a professional CRM (that Customer Relationship Management) application would be the smartest solution. Top Producer, Zoho, ACT, and some other come to mind. If you don't have some way to keep track of your list now and forever, you're already doomed to a long, hard road down real estate lane.

2. Create Systems

Every good agent has a system... a way of doing things. If you don't have a system in place to follow up with a lead professional when they contact you through your website, email you, or call you, then you're already at a disadvantage. Plan out what systems you need and what you need to implement them. At the least, come up with a plan (system) for the following:

• Prospecting - the lifeblood of your business. How are you obtaining future closings? If you say desk duty you can stop reading now, I can't help you. My suggestion is to specialize in web presence, direct calls, door knocking, FSBO's, Expireds, and social networking or a combination of a couple of things. Forget traditional magazine and newspaper advertising... get with the times. Less than 3% of people purchased a house they saw because of a print ad in 2009. It will be less than that in 2010.
• Follow-up - If you don't do anything else, plan your follow up to the letter. This is the most mismanaged part of 99% of agents' business and the reason that we are two rungs below every other kind of professional in the eyes of the public. Use a good CRM, contact early and often, and never drop a lead until they are listed, have purchased, or are deceased.
• Tracking - Don't fly by the seat of your pants. Track who you talk to and where you get business. How well do you convert cold calls, appointments, and networking events into $$. What's your average commission? Tracking these things from the beginning will help you take a good first year and quadruple your business in year 2.
• Appointments - I never met a Realtor who got new business without going on an appointment. Plan out and train for what you are going to say at a listing appointment. Know what you are going to tell buyers so that they don't run you all over town and never buy anything. Have professional presentations either on paper, powerpoint, memorized, or a combination of all three and then plan how to deliver those presentations effectively during an appointment. You'll increase your conversion rate through the roof and make all those tedious hours of prospecting worthwhile.
• Marketing Strategy - This is a biggie don't you think? You need to plan out a modular, Comprehensive Marketing Strategy for your selling clients. Plan it step-by-step and have your CRM software remind you when it's time for the next step. Include your follow-up within your marketing strategy. Remember: you are not only marketing the property to the public, you are continually marketing your excellence in service to your client who can pull the listing or give you a referral. It all depends on how they perceive you.
• Escrow Strategy - This is the most delicate time of a transaction. You've done all this work now you're going to get paid for it. Have a plan to ensure the transaction goes as planned. Head off problems early just like you would do preventative maintenance on a car. You need to have a plan to do this. Remember: People remember the beginning and the end of all things. Make a good first impression, then create a stress-free closing and give away a thoughtful closing gift. It will go miles towards referrals and future business.

3. Invest in Training

I'm going to lay it out for you. If you've been in real estate for less than a few months, you don't know jack. If you've been in for a few days you already know you don't know jack. But there's hope! There's truly remarkable training available to EXIT agents and to Realtors in general. There is of course...

• The Exit Pro itself. A great source of quality training material helpful to any agent. Head over to getting started if you're not signed up yet.
• Then there's EXIT's international trainers. I highly recommend taking their classes anytime the come within 200 miles of you.
• The National Association of Realtors has some great training... most of it, not all. Ask us if you're unsure of what to take.
• There are a number of independent sites, MLS boards, brokerages, and lead companies that offer training that's really great.

4. Get Schooled

But Ben, you just said invest in training!? What gives? When I say get schooled I mean become aware. Good agents know their market inside and out. They know how national trends and events affect their local economy and marketplace. They have sources for demographics, tax records, mortgage rates, vendor lists... you name it. With all of the information available to buyers and sellers today a real estate agent can easily find themselves 'outmatched' by a know-it-all client. This can be inevitable when someone focuses on one specific neighborhood or area but remember that you are the expert. You should know a great deal about your area of expertise and a fair about about local developments, schools, demographics, and more. You should also keep up with national real estate news. You can do much of this by using a feed reader and subscribing to our list of "Get Schooled" websites and blogs... a compilation of some of the best content the real estate industry puts out. You can find the Get Schooled document in the resources section of our site if you are a member.

5. Use Technology

I completely agree that technology has not replaced many of the 'old school' systems of prospecting, selling, time management, networking, and the rest of the real estate agent's repertoire. Whether you're tech savvy or not, you can use technology to become more professional and efficient. A piece of technology should either save time or money, or give you a competitive edge. If it doesn't, don't use it. Here are some of the basic systems you should be using:

• Email - I'll talk much more about email in another article but you need to make sure you've got a highly usable email system whether it's outlook, gmail, some self-hosted email service, or something else like a comprehensive CRM. I'd tell you not to use hotmail or yahoo because they don't have all the capabilities a good agent needs but if you're using it now, you're probably not going to stop. Also, make sure you have a professional email address. Mine is Ben@TheExitPro.com (among others)... yours should have your name, your company name, or your website address... not some random string of family birthdays, numbers and hobbies.
• Efax - This saves so much time and effort it's truly silly for you NOT to be using it. Efax is affordable and pays for itself time and time again.
• CRM - Have I mentioned this yet :-). A good Customer Relationship Manager is worth your client's weight in rare titanium alloys. If you're not sure which one to use try checking out Gary David Hall's site The Real Estate CRM Broker where he lines up every CRM in the industry and gives you the pros and cons of each. Remember, it's worthless if you aren't going to use it to generate business.
• Website - There are too many web vendors to count. We think we do a pretty swell job if you'd like to talk to us about a custom online marketing strategy but there are others out there that do a great job too. Here's the beef... if you don't have a pretty decent website then you're probably not a very decent Realtor. Good Realtors know the power of a good web presence and leverage it to their advantage.
• Social Networks - Again, a whole other subject. You should at least reserve yourself a facebook and twitter username. If you aren't using it now... you will be. At the time of this writing, Facebook had 300 Million + users. That's a decent client base. Get in the game.
• Smart Phone - If you don't have a smart phone... please see my comment two sentences ago. You need one to be on top of your game and information in this business. Have your email pushed to your phone. Be able to browse your MLS. Pictures are even helpful, especially when you are in the process of building and maintaining a stellar CRM with client photos and information. Try an Iphone if you're with AT&T, a Droid if your with someone else, maybe even one of the new Palms if that's your style... just get one.

Okay, I'm at 1600 words with 5 points to go so head to the second half of this post or visit the 10 Ways page on our site to see the rest.

Original: 10 Ways to Blow Up Your Real Estate Business Right Out of the Gate(1-5)

 

Do you know your Gen Y home buyers? You better. There's about 70 million of them. They're educated, motivated, and programmed differently than any generation that has come before. They're high performance as well as high maintenance. Whatever generation you come from, you should know who you're working with, how they want to communicate, as well as what to expect and what they will expect out of you...<!--more-->

Generation Y, interesting bunch

Gen Y is a funky bunch (disclaimer: I'm in the Gen Y pool too). Let's see why:

• They're fiscally smart - 37% of Gen Y expects/expected to begin saving for retirement before they reach 25. 70% of Gen Yers contribute to their 401(k) plan.
• They question authority as they questioned their parents. You better know what you're talking about when you talk to a Gen Y, otherwise, they're going to trip you up.
• They believe in work-life balance... seriously. They already know life is short so work, play, and family are more balanced.
• They're big on change. They've seen 9/11, the collapse of major corporations, and the ebb and flow of the economy. Gen Y doesn't expect to be in the same career in ten years, much less the same job.
• Tech Savvy, information happy, and multi-tasking fanatics. Don't be surprised to find Gen Y talking on their iphone, texting a friend, and trying to view homes on the internet at the same time. These are the tech adopters that use facebook to talk to friends, texts to close a deal, and skype to keep in touch with family.

A lot of this means that they have a pretty short attention span. They want relevant information quickly and without fuss. Can you give it to them? Here are a couple of tips for dealing with this group of home buyers 70 million strong...

Be on their level

If you're already behind, playing catch up to Gen Y (and the following generations) is a lose-lose game. But, there are a couple of things you can do to appeal to their sensibilities:

• Communicate 21st century style. The best way to find out how a Gen Y (or anyone for that matter) communicates is to ask them. Do you want to be contacted by phone, text, or email? Are you on Facebook? Do you use Twitter, Plaxo, or Linkedin? How often do you use these sites to communicate? Now, plan your communication with them accordingly.
• Be knowledgeable. You are the Pro after all. When a Gen Yer asks you a question about recent comparables, demographics, or nearby entertainment options... you need to know that answer, or at least be able to get it pronto. Have a system in place so that you stay updated on as much as possible and can find what you need to find at a moment's notice. Use a feed reader and bookmark good school, neighborhood, and demographic websites that you can reach easily. Subscribe to industry blogs like those from RISmedia, Inman News, AgentGenius, and of course, The Exit Pro.
• Treat them right. People that are of the Y Generation grew up pretty well for the most part. As a group, they grew up in suburbs, their parents were in the PTA, their educated and have an appreciation for art, music, and the finer things. Treat them the way they like to be treated, as an important client, and they'll reciprocate you're efforts by being a good client... and buying a home.

Above all, and this goes when dealing with all generations... Be a Professional. Be a Pro. How else can we deal with this generation to deliver the service they desire in the way that they want? What are some of the challenges? View the original post at TheExitPro.com

 

A good real estate professional has a plan for just about everything. They should have a business plan with goals and mile markers. They should have a prospecting plan, a presentation plan for listings, and above all, they should have a plan to market your property. Welcome to the first in a 7 part series of posts about proper Home Marketing Strategies where I'll be giving a fairly comprehensive overview (Primer, if you will) of the different facets of marketing as it pertains to agents and the marketing of their listings. Let's start by talking about the newest plan that Realtors should have firmly planted in their "plan arsenal," a Social Networking Plan.<!--more-->

This plan should be split into two sections: the personal plan for the agent and the plan for their listings. Today, let's talk about how a good real estate professional uses social networking to help them sell homes...while we're at it, let's tell real estate professional how to create their plans for success.

Social Networking as part of the Digitial Home Exposure Strategy

Remember that the Social Networking Exposure Plan and all that encompases is only part of the overall Digital Home Exposure Strategy which itself is part of an agent's Home Marketing Strategy. Let's look at that real quick. So, we have to keep our "master plans" in mind when concocting our specific plans whether it be a Social Networking Plan or a plan for exposing the property in Print Media. Let's focus on how agents should construct the Social Networking aspect of a Home Marketing Strategy.

Planning a Social Networking Exposure Plan

Your Blog is Home Base

Blogging works. No, it doesn't work for 99% of real estate agents but that's because they don't have a clue what they are doing or why they are doing it. If you don't blog don't sweat it. This entire strategy can be implemented without blogging... it's just a lot more effective if you have a good blog. But a decent template website will work for many of the things you need to be doing with your Digital Home Exposure Strategy. How's it home base?

• You can funnel all of your social networking, organic, paid, and referral traffic to your blog, landing and your contact pages
• You can send people your blog address and they should be able to contact you through multiple fronts if you have links to all of your networking profiles
• Your blog is where you talk about what really matters... you may add snippets in facebook, twitter, linkedin, or somewhere else, but your blog should have all of your "big deal" content
• Your blog is your brand... if you don't have your blog branded it can inhibit the real and percieved value of your services by the online community

Branch Out and Seek Ye Business

I'll put out a disclaimer here. Yes, you are networking for business. Yes, you can even solicit people for business from time to time. But what is Social Networking really about? If you don't "get it" then maybe you should do some additional homework and then come back...

• You'd take a great leap in understanding if you read the Cluetrain Manifesto.
• Check out some additional reading
• I would suggest this great, easy to read book from Sitepoint "Online Marketing Inside Out." It's kind of a cliff's notes for online marketing.

You'll have to contact me if you want any more suggestions.

1. Get a Facebook account. Completely fill out your profile, upload a picture then learn how to interact and use facebook for business.
2. Get a Twitter account. Then learn how to use and interact on Twitter. A great resource for this is the Twitter for Real Estate Twits E-Book by @Nik_Nik
3. Definitely get a tweetlister account and use it to promote listings (sparingly please)
4. Get a Linkedin Account and add your profiles and links to it. Make sure to import your contacts and get started building your contact list.

I could name a dozen others but the law of diminishing returns definitely applies to beloning to too many networks. Go with a few. Go with what your prospects and clients USE. Facebook has over 200,000,000 accounts with half of them logging on to do something everyday. Start there. That's all that's needed to start with. I've got lots of tips and tricks and applications to help you use these tools more efficiently and effectively but you'll have to see the related posts or browse through my site to find them.

Plan your work and Work your plan

Everyone knows social media can be an endless time sink, a black hole of tireless updates, uploads, replies and direct messages. Here's what I suggest to keep your social networking time meaningful and efficient

:

• Set aside a SPECIFIC time and SPECIFIC amount of time every day to network socially.
  • Depending on your goals, 15-30 minutes should cut it
  • Aim for a certain number of updates, links, pictures, and videos to share and send to friends
  • Try to make one new meaningful contact each session
• Pick up the phone - talk to people using other means
• Schedule a face-to-face - coffee, lunch, make it short, fun, and public

When you've accomplished your goals for the day... stop. If you have to share something crazy important right now, do it... in moderation.

TIP: Vary the times of day you network socially. Many people are beginning to use this "time managed" technique of networking and spend too much time talking to just a few core people. That's not networking, that's hanging out with your friends.

What kinds of things are you sharing and talking about?

• On Facebook - use a 4:1 ratio of personal updates to professional updates on your profile page. Business pages can obviously be more centered around, well, business.
• Talk about what makes you you. Your interests any hobbies, your family, your life.
• Share useful information - that could be market data, a new listing that is grossly underpriced, news about a town or neighborhood that you deal with.
• Share things that keep people interested in you - share crazy news, ask questions that get people involved
• Be genuine - there's not much more obvious that someone going through the motions for business purposes. If you are sharing, helping, and offering insight to those who need it, blessings will be returned upon you in many ways.

So HOW does all this help Sell Listings?

Dividends from Social Networking are inherently difficult to quantify. One thing is for sure. When you are doing it with success, you know it

.

• Listings get more showings and views online
• The agent gets more calls, more inquiries, more referrals, and more deals
• Sales can result directly from the use of social networks

Social Networking helps sell homes by creating more buzz and exposure for the listing online. I don't think it's been measured yet but I would say somewhere it generates around 2-4 times as much exposure for the property than if you did not use social networking as part of your marketing plan. I'd like to point out that the social networking craze is really just the beginning of a shift in the way people meet and interact. If you (or your agent) aren't getting the ball rolling by learning and becoming part of it all, you (they) may never catch up if they try to jump on in a few years time. Thanks for reading and keep an eye out for the next six installments of Home Marketing Strategies. PS - This is an evolving work and may be changed at any time. Comments and suggestions are quite welcome...

Would love your comments on the original article as well at EXITrealestate540.com:

Advanced Home Marketing Stategies - A Primer | Day 1: How a Good Real Estate Pro Uses Social Networking to Help Sell Homes

 

 

 

There are A LOT of real estate professionals using Twitter.  There are some great people I've met on Twitter that always give more than they receive and some not-so-great people that broadcast and whine like it's going out of style.  Trust me... it's out of style.  Below are 10 Ways Not to Promote Your Real Estate Career or Your Listings on Twitter... paired with some alternative approaches.

1.  Tweet Your Lisitings More Than Once a Week

Your followers want something useful out of you.  Your a real estate professional, tweeting your listings using Tweetlister or doing it manually is fine... in moderation.  Tweeting each of your 5-50 listings more than once a week is just plain broadcasting and plain wrong.

You CAN mention your listing and link to it's property tour, video, or website if you are showing it, working on it, etc.  When you link to something that is related to what you are talking about it adds value.

2.  Send the tweet, "I'm in Real Estate!  Do any of you have a home I can sell?"

Really?  That's the best you got?  You know, I occasionally ask my close followers or people that I am having a conversation with..."Hey, who do you know right now that's looking to buy or sell a home?"  That's as forward as I ever get... and I never send that message where the general tweeting population can see it.  If you do, you are likely to alienate 1/2 your followers in one foul tweet.

3.  Ask followers for their address.

I've got a better idea... why don't you just triangulate their twitter signal and stalk them?  I know people talk about 'stalking' others on twitter, but I'm talking "actual" stalking.  Don't do it.  If they want to give you their address to list their home... they will.

4.  Tell followers what you are 'getting ready for...'

Example Tweet..."Just preparing some great market data to go list 123 Main Street in Pleasantville..."

My response to that tweet would be... "So?  Isn't that what you're supposed to be doing?  You're a Realtor right?"

Give me some VALUE.  Like this, "Cross Creek in Pleasantville is ripe for a buyer looking for a deal, check out the market data http://tinyurl.com/example." That tells me something useful and what you're doing at the same time.

5.  Auto-DM new followers with Shameless Self Promotion.

"Thanks for the follow...I'm the best real estate agent around.  Are you ready to list?"  Bzzzzzzz.  Thanks for playing.  You officially suck at twittering.

6.  Don't display a picture on your profile.

I love to work with people that I have no idea how they look.  I think it's the excitement and mystery... the thrill and the danger of the unknown.  What?  I'm the only one like that?  Put up a picture that shows your a professional, trustworthy individual.  If you can find one that makes you look intelligent too, that's a bonus.

7.  Make sure your profile links to http://yourdomain.com

This is one that lots of people get wrong.  It's a shame too because I love a good landing page that is tailor made for me.  If you blog it's as simple as writing a post about your use of twitter and linking to it.  Not that I have the best twitter landing page in the world, but at least you'll get the idea.  This same concept goes for everything from facebook and linkedin, to buyers, sellers, and investors.

8.  Only talk about real estate.

You ever notice how boring real estate really is?  Market data, Days on Market, Absorption Rates, contracts, inspections, appraisals, I could go on.  Now, many of us in real estate find most of  this stuff at least a little bit interesting or else we don't last long but the general population you are tweeting to could probably care less.  Don't be a robotic twit and only talk about the mundane details of real estate.  Talk about your kids, the news, things you like and do... people will be much less likely to tune out your "boring real estate tweets" if you have something interesting to talk about at other times.

9.  Only follow other real estate agents

While it's certainly possible to follow no one but real estate agents and follow thousands (if not 10's of 1000's) of people.  While you might get something out of your interactions on twitter there's one thing you aren't going to get...business.

10.  Only follow locals who might be prospects

Following people on twitter is kind of like having a balanced portfolio.  For big dividends and a safety net, you need to have the right mix of locals and non-locals, Realtors, Mortgage Brokers, other industry professionals, and prospects and clients.  When you need a little lift you can lean on your fellow agents for support.  When the market is good, your followers that have a real estate need will be contacting you in droves.

I hope you liked these 10 things/ways not to do for real estate agents on twitter.  If you need more twitter tips for real estate there are lots of resources but check out:

• @Nik_nik from MyTechOpinion.com
• Darren Rowse's Twitip.com
• and a good article called Twittering Adds Up to Home Sales

I'm Ben Roberts and you can find me on Twitter @berober or Friend me on Facebook.  Shoot me a tweet and let me know if you liked this article or make a comment below.  Thanks for reading.

Click below to see the original post at exitrealestate540.com...

Original post at exitrealestate540.com

There are a lot of homes on the market in Northwest Arkansas and around the country. Depending on the area and price of your home, you may be competing with ten, fifty, even hundreds of other properties. Here are easy staging tips to help you differentiate your property and make it stand out in a buyer's mind.

You never get a second chance...at a first impression

The view of your home from the road should be as stunning as possible. Make sure...

• Lawn is mowed, edged, and free from debris.
• If your door and shutters are different colors, repaint the door to match or paint to the one that is more neutral in color.
• Make sure gutters are clear and free of debris.
• Power wash windows and siding or brick. This makes your home sparkle .
• Clean up and put fresh mulch in flower beds. This makes the house seem brand new.
• Put potted plants outside in strategic areas to provide color and embellishment.
• Decking should be freshly sealed or painted with any unsightly or misshapen boards replaced.
• Buy a new welcome mat.

Kitchens and Living Rooms - Deal makers and deal breakers

Your kitchen and living room are the two most important rooms in the house to prospective buyers. Make sure they look their best by...

• Making them warm and inviting with good use of space, light, and decor.
• Clear the rooms of family portraits and anything that makes the home seem like the buyers don't live there.
• Sparse is better than cluttered...too much furniture is usually a turn-off to buyers
• Don't overload mantles, shelves, or counter tops with personal things.
• Replace dim 60 or 75 watt bulbs with 100 watt bulbs (or CFL's) to brighten up the room
• Open blinds...let the house be seen!
• Clean...clean...clean! It's cheap and it makes quite an impression. No one likes dust bunnies.

Bathrooms and Bedrooms...the icing on the proverbial cake

• Think about comfort in everything you do. Nothing sells a home like comfort.
• Use neutral color and paint schemes. Earth tones are safe...pastels are not. Never have I seen a buyer LOVE a purple bedroom.
• Limit the furniture in bedrooms and bathrooms to make the space appear larger and feel roomier.
• Clean out your closets! Buyers hate to see their own cluttered closets...they certainly don't want to see yours.
• If you have nice matching bedding great...if not...get it. It will more than pay for itself in the sell of your home.
• Remember to remove personal pictures. Leave art, landscape and building photography, sculptures, etc. in the home as part of the decor.

Your home will sell because of what you do or don't do just before it shows

• Strong fragrances are a complete no-no when showing any home. If you have to cover up a smell...bake some cookies or use some febreze one hour before the home shows. Here's a good example of polishing your home before a showing...the right way.
• If you have pets...do something with them. Whether the buyers love dogs or not, no home was ever bettered by Fido following buyers around the house or barking the whole time.
• Keep the house 'show ready'...shoes in the hallway, towels in the bathroom, paperwork on the kitchen counter...all these things are like personal pictures...it reminds the buyers that this is not their house and distracts them from the showing.

While home staging can be a lot of work, it benefits far out weigh the costs in most situations. If you need justification to spend the time and effort here you go:

• Staging helps you organize and de-clutter your home, in other words, it helps you get ready to move.
• Staging helps you justify the price you are asking. The better staged the house, the less concessions buyers will ask for.
• Staging helps reduce the homes days on market...effecting a quicker sell.
• Staging differentiates you from your home's competition...creating demand for your home, increasing showings, increasing offers, and creating a home that sells for a higher price.

If you would like additional staging tips by email or a list of reputable staging companies in Northwest Arkansas please contact me for more information. Are there some off-the-wall staging tips that you would like to share? Please leave a comment below.

 

View the original:

http://exitrealestate540.com/2009/02/23/24-easy-staging-tips-that-will-help-sell-your-home-in-a-tough-market/

 

Much happened in January, a presidential inauguration, a tough economy, a slow realization by the American public that we’re not quite out of the woods yet.  As the coldest of winter slides behind us so to does the worst of housing crisis, or so we hope.  Foreclosures made up a fair percentage of property sales in January as evidenced by the numbers.  Below is the January 2009 Northwest Arkansas home prices and market report from EXITrealestate540.com, Bon Appetito.

Northwest Arkansas Home Prices

There are currently some 5500 homes listed for sale in northwest Arkansas with an average Days on Market of 176.  It looks like 208 properties sold in the month of January and 277 went pending.  The fact that the number of homes pending is higher by a third than the number of homes sold is a good sign that there is some additional buying activity going on.  The average sale price for all of Washington and Benton Counties combined was $162,050 at an average sale price per foot of $84.40.  That’s a far cry from the list price of $109.98 of the properties currently for sale.  This may mean that many of the home sales have been lower end properties and foreclosed or distressed homes.

Here are the January numbers broken down by major city:

Please notice the Avg SP (Average Sale Price) of each town in Northwest Arkansas.  For January, Fayetteville is the winner with an average sale price of $222,538 out of it’s 27 sold properties.  Springdale is on the low end this month with it’s average sale price of $140,938 on it’s 43 sold properties.

Notice the average DOM for current properties is lowest in Springdale at 153 days and highest in Rogers at 181 days.  It looks like a saleable listing will take, on average,  some where on the order of six months to sell in today’s market.

Compare these numbers with those of other months in 2008 and 2009 in our market conditions category.

If you are curious what your Northwest Arkansas property is worth, contact me for a complete neighborhood analysis and accurate home evaluation.

Other Great Reads:

1. Northwest AR Home Prices and Market Report for November ‘08 (52.553)
2. Northwest Arkansas Housing Market Report for 2008 (45.765)
3. The Skyline Report - Northwest Arkansas Residential Real Estate Market Report for Third Quarter 2008 (36.924)
4. White Elephants Tough to Sell in Northwest Arkansas (23.317)

Click here for original at EXITREALESTATE540.com:

Northwest Arkansas Home Prices and Market Report - January 2009