|
| |
What Consumers Want in 2007 - 01/27/07 10:21 AM
I read a good article on Realtor Magazine earlier today. The title was Marketing Trends Taking Shape for 2007.
What new marketing trends are in store for the year ahead? Faith Popcorn, Cynthia Cohen, and others, have predictions for everything from personalized branding to housing styles. Here's what's forecasted for 2007 — By Camilla McLaughlin for REALTOR® Magazine Online. Note that I outlined some good certifications that can go with each trend.
TOP TRENDS FOR 2007
Liquid brands. The article suggests that we not stick to a static message. Instead, we need to have a more "fluid" image that can attract the client … (8 comments)
|
Why I don't need to start my own brokerage - 01/25/07 12:59 PM
I had a great question today regarding my thoughts on starting my own brokerage. I have a broker's license, but do not plan on opening my own brokerage. I like the team concept at Keller Williams because the company is set up so that you can successfully run your own "mini-brokerage" under their umbrella.
Now I'm not sure how other KW offices work, but here is how my office in Austin helps me: 1. KW has 4 weeks of new agent training as well as ongoing training that our buyer agents can attend . My buyer agents learned how to do buyer … (19 comments)
|
And now...the iPod Sets Currency Values in Australia - 01/22/07 10:37 PM
I'm not making this up. As an staunch Apple fan, I hate to use the "M" word when it comes to my Macintosh. BUT...you know you have a monopoly in the portable MP3 player arena when....the iPod is used as an index for currency values in Australia.
Yep. A bank in Australia created an index using the iPod as the benchmark for currency.
According to the article, Commonwealth Securities launched the iPod index, which is based on the 2 gigabyte iPod Nano. The economic theory can be debated, but it's actually based on another model, the Big Mac index from Economist Magazine.
And I … (2 comments)
|
Thanks for Comments on MLK Blog. Navy Picture Uploaded! - 01/18/07 09:24 AM
I just wanted to take time to thank those of you who commented on my blog post, Thanks to MLK, My Grandmother Can Buy a Sailor Suit. My father found the old sailor suit picture referenced in the blog, so I uploaded it. Apparently, I was not ready to smile :-)
There's also picture of my Grandmother at my college graduation. She flew in from Georgia and it was great having her there. My brother was here with my Grandmother on my 30th birthday, so that picture is included. He's a nuclear engineer in the Navy(!) and was on leave. Our … (2 comments)
|
San Antonio Housing Forecast Available Online - 01/17/07 11:23 AM
My market is Greater Austin, but I was born and raised in San Antonio. The area is really changing. There was an annual housing forecast sponsored by the San Antonio Board of REALTORS®, but I missed it. I'm sure many of you did as well, but do not fret, it is available online. The good thing about this housing forecast for 2007 is that it includes national data and statistics as well, so will give you good insight into what's happening in the U.S as well as Texas.
I've been jealously watching the San Antonio market for the past three years. Austin, … (7 comments)
|
Thanks to MLK, My Grandmother Can Buy a Sailor Suit - 01/15/07 07:50 PM
A new agent on my team talked with me about how strange it was having to explain to her young child why we have Martin Luther King Day today. Her daughter didn't understand why the world used to be the way it was. She is Caucasian and we had some unique stories to share.
For background, my parents were young when I was born. My mother was 18 and father was 20. They are still married and have been through tough times, but always taught me that I can do anything in life as long as I made the effort. I … (38 comments)
|
Apple iPhone Simplifies Your Life - 01/14/07 11:19 PM
I wasn't excited about the Apple iPhone until I was bugged by friends to check it out. The word-of-mount buzz on this device has been crazy. What's the big deal about the iPhone? The big deal for me is that I can now replace tons of devices. I'm tired of carrying a Treo, Blackberry, iPod, and camera with me. If you've ever used an iPod or other Apple products, you understand that the #1 reason to buy them is because they are easy to use. Apple products are well-integrated with software and hardware products made for mac.
COOL FEATURES:
Listen to your … (19 comments)
|
Free Relocation assistance helps clients - 01/12/07 08:03 PM
I was checking the Keller Williams intranet and noticed some new approved vendors. One was called MoveAdvocate.com. They provide free relocation counseling and assistance. I listed other new vendors on a post featured on my TexasRealtyBlog.com.
Since relocations, especially between states, can be so time-consuming and hectic for clients, it helps to have free assistance provided to our clients as a value proposition.
I read about service sfrom the MoveAdvocate. Here is how they explain their services on their site:
Our service is a moving assistance program available to Keller Williams (and other brokerages) clients moving state to state. Immediately after connecting us … (2 comments)
|
Which IVR/Hotline company do you use? - 01/11/07 08:33 AM
I searched the boards and can't find the various Interatice Voice Response companies out there. Here's the list that I have. What are your opinions or experiences? Does it really matter which one we choose or are they all the same?
Archtelecom. This was the first hotline I'd heard of. I think I tried them years ago, but they were expensive on the per minute fees. They have your faxback, etc. I like their abiliity to have a virtual assistant make outbound calls, you can send automated postcards to callers, and you can order sign riders. CallCapture.com. I heard of them, but … (29 comments)
|
Business Intranet Alternative: Use a Blog! - 01/09/07 12:57 PM
I just signed up today for a free business blog through RealtyBlogging.com. I bought their book on Amazon last week and like the advice. They talked about creating a company blog with RSS feeds for quickly disseminating information to teams. I used to have a Webex Office intranet when it used to be Intranets.com. I liked the idea of having an intranet because they a platform for sharing documents, news, calendars, and udpates. The Webexone (Intranets.com) account was was about $60 per month if I remember correctly.
I'm excited about the team blog because:
1) It's FREE
2) it allows for automated … (5 comments)
|
Surefire way to impress your networking contacts - 01/07/07 06:04 PM
This is a new year and many of us are going to attend national conventions. Perhaps you also attend a lot of local networking events. I found that it can be tough keeping up with all of the contacts, so some of us try to scribble on business cards. I found a simple, easy way to impress the contacts we make at networking events or conventions so you can stand out in the crowd.
KEEPING TRACK OF CONTACTS DURING EVENTS
1. I try to leave business cards without markings on them and instead take notes in a single place. You can use … (4 comments)
|
Top Tech Tools for Agents in 2007 - 01/06/07 12:54 PM
I wrote about this on my independent blog yesterday. I used to work at Apple Computer, Inc. here in Austin. While working there, we used chat every day to communicate with co-workers and bosses. I took my love of technology to real estate when I decided to pursue my career at Keller Williams.
There are new tools, gadgets, and information sources available each day.
Here are the top tools that I use in just about every real estate transaction OR just about every day.
Chat. I use Yahoo and iChat (made for Mac) to be available to friends, team members, … (40 comments)
|
Productivity Boost: What your week should look like! - 01/05/07 09:14 PM
I went to a Keller Williams Base Camp on October and I attended three sessions. The topics were on Business Planning, Accountability, and Keeping Talent. I wanted to share what I learned about the "perfect" day for a real estate agent, which is based on the 80/20 rule, where 20% of what we do will produce 80% of the results.
Keller Williams International did research on the top agents and teams in the business and came to the realization that a productive agent's typical week was often structured around the same types of activities.
Using a 40 Hour work week, the most … (6 comments)
|
How do you find off-market deals? - 01/03/07 05:54 PM
I'm looking for some off-market deals for clients. They're approved and ready to buy, but I need to find suitable properties for them. I wanted to share how I look for off-market deals and wanted to see if anyone else had other suggestions.
Email and/or call agents who have active, pending, sold, expired listings in the area a client is interested in.CraigslistMLS Expireds and even pending ones to make sure they're still going through.Out of town ownersFBSOsContact all of our investors friends, including mortgage companies and builders, etc. Email my broker's agents and others in our database. Also call the agents … (5 comments)
|
Don't work with strangers if you're broke! - 01/03/07 08:32 AM
A struggling agent in AgentsOnline.net posted a question about how she can get other agents to partner with her to help her doorknock. She didn't know what else to do. The good folks in that forum immediately caught onto the fact that she was focusing her energy in the wrong area. I chimed in as well.
My Response# 1 to Door Knocking: I think she needs to do more lead generation. This can be part of it, but she needs to figure out how many doors she'll need to knock on to make it happen. Networking events, getting involved in local … (7 comments)
|
Are Stealth Template Sites the "In" Thing Anymore? - 01/02/07 04:48 PM
Just wanted some opinions on stealth websites. Are they "in" anymore or have consumers figured out that they're lead generators for agents? We had a lot of agents get started on real pro systems in my area. I think most people can agree that they somewhat look alike. I used RealPro systems for a while, but didn't find that it was any better than a regular site.
I wanted to outline the two main companies that I know of. Both have systems for lenders and agents.
Trial Period= None. You can "test drive" it online. Setup Cost= $1195Monthly Fee= $99/moExtras: Podcasts, … (7 comments)
|
Top Online Real Estate Forums for Consumers and Professionals - 01/01/07 11:34 AM
One of my friends has a Nintendo Wii game console. He falls into the group of people who "aren't into video games", so I was shocked when he said he wanted a Wii. I later realized that Nintendo has done a great job creating a fun, interactive games like Wii Sports, where the entire family can get involved. The reason I bring this up is because there are a lot of agents and consumers who "aren't into internet forums". When they think of forums, they may think of seedy or childish chatrooms where anonymous predators lurk.
Although we should be careful … (6 comments)
|
El Paso, San Antonio Texas Tops Real Estate Market Predictions for 2007 - 01/01/07 11:03 AM
It's end of 2006, so people around the world to do three things:
1. Summarize 2006, the year "in review".2. Drink stuff.3. Predict stuff.
I don't drink much and enjoy market predictions more than reviews. It's always fun to hear the smart people tell us which stocks to buy or which real estate markets will be hot in 2007.
I used to buy stocks based on the advice of these experts, but the rest of the world always seemed to disagree with me, as they'd normally tank within months of my purchase. Now, I choose to take most predictions … (11 comments)
|
|
|
|
Dee Copeland, Principal Broker
Austin,
TX
More about me…
Copeland Group Realty
Address: 6800 Westgate blvd, Austin, TX, 78745
Office Phone: (512) 697-9140
Cell Phone: (512) 784-4704
Email Me
 Links
Archives
|
|
Connect. Share. Learn.Welcome to ActiveRain, the #1 social community for real estate professionals.
;)
;)
