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MLS: The Best Under-Used Marketing Vehicle We Have - 09/22/06 11:30 AM
Most people's largest investment is the home they own and live in. Why, then, do so many real estate agents put as little information as possible on their listings in the MLS? The MLS is the first place we, as real estate professionals, turn to when we're searching for homes for a buyer. With all the technology and how-to guides available to us, why do so many agents only enter the minimum amount of information required to get a listing on the MLS? Rarely does more information get added after the listing has been entered into the MLS. Are these agents lazy … (34 comments)
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Free Online Courses - HP Learning Center - 09/21/06 07:52 AM
This one is for any of you who have struggled with technology and software issues. The HP Learning Center offers FREE online courses, some of which are ideal for real estate agents and/or their assistants. I've taken several of these courses over the years and have found them to be helpful. Most classes are about 6 weeks long, but they also offer a few that are "quick lessons". They even allow you to sign up to be notified whenever one of the courses you'd like to take will be offered. Upon completion of each course they provide you with a certificate in PDF … (18 comments)
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Marketing with Promotional Items - 09/20/06 08:46 AM
As real estate agents, we have to market ourselves regularly so that we're "top of mind" whenever someone is considering buying or selling a property. Aside from the typical just listed/just sold (or other) types of postcards, some agents use give-aways such as calendars, magnets and pens to promote their services to their family, friends, neighbors, farm areas, etc. To the right is a photo of a sampling of promotional items I've picked up over the years at the state and national real estate conventions I've attended. This includes an assortment of pens, rulers, calculators, note pads, sticky (post-it) notes, magnets, … (31 comments)
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Katrina Cottages - An Interesting Housing Option - 09/18/06 04:43 PM
The Katrina Cottage is certainly an interesting option for those wanting to stay in a hurricane-devastated area while their house is being rebuilt. It's also a viable option for anyone who wants to enjoy land they've purchased and intend to eventually build their custom home on, but are not ready to build the full-size version yet. The cottage may even be a good option for affordable housing - a hot topic these days!If you click on the "Using the Cottage" link, it's interesting to see how it can provide people with three options of where to place it on the lot … (12 comments)
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Photo Editing: Before and After - 09/18/06 09:31 AM
I did not take the photo below and I don't know who did (it was 'going around' the Internet awhile back). I wanted to provide an example of how photo editing can be useful and perhaps even give you a reason to laugh. Aside from making the "after" shot lighter, can you spot why it's useful to learn to edit your photos?
… (31 comments)
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Wikipedia and Real Estate - 09/12/06 05:09 PM
An interesting article in today's MarketWatch suggests that companies (in general, not necessarily real estate companies) are having to spend millions of dollars on improving their particular brand's search engine rankings because Wikipedia has become so successful. Due to the fact that Wikipedia's content is written by individuals (not companies), the content does not always favor the company's image and people are sometimes influenced by what they read in the entries. From what I could see, there was very little written about the larger real estate companies, though I suspect that will change over time. Here is a selection of Wikipedia entries relating … (15 comments)
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Funny Typos in Listings - 09/12/06 01:57 PM
I wish I could say it isn't true, but I find funny and/or embarrassing typos in listings on the MLS on a pretty regular basis. Here are a few of the ones I've seen: a sinking living room (vs. sunken)walking closet (where is it walking to?)wreck room (rec. room)stainless steal appliancescontract fell threwhardware floors (hardwood floors)remolded bathrooms (yikes!)two full bedrooms (as opposed to what?...half bedrooms?)No Job Road (vs. No. Jog Road... had to be a joke!)Unfortunately, even spell-checkers don't catch many typos! This is just part of the reason why it's so important to proofread your listings. Sellers have the right to … (27 comments)
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Google Real Estate Search - Then and Now - 09/12/06 11:13 AM
While reading one of the 9/11 blog posts yesterday, I came across an interesting link that made me want to find out more. The link was to what the Google homepage looked like on 9/11/01, which showed that you could "search 1,610,476,000 web pages". These were ALL the pages Google had indexed as of that date.
Fast-forward 5 years later to 9-11-06 and Google no longer shows the number of pages you can search. However, just so we have a point of reference as to how much the Internet has changed over the past 5 years, I Googled the words "real estate" … (6 comments)
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Do You Proofread Your Listings? - 09/06/06 10:02 AM
Whether you input your listings yourself into your MLS or your assistant or the office secretary does, it's always a good idea to proofread your listings, preferably soon after they are entered into the MLS and especially if you won't be uploading any photos at the same time the listing is entered (or ever).
Over the years, I've come across many typos and incorrect information on new (and old) listings. This never ceases to be amaze me. When you consider that most seller's largest financial investment is their home and the MLS is the main vehicle used to market the majority … (9 comments)
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For Sale Signs and Homeowner Associations - 09/06/06 07:01 AM
Neighborhoods with a homeowners association (HOA) have become increasingly popular in recent decades. There are pros and cons to living in a neighborhood that has an HOA. One of the aspects of HOAs that affects real estate agents and sellers is whether "for sale" signs are allowed to be placed in yards. In some cases, the HOA does allow signs but restricts their size and colors. Do you agree or disagree with such rules or restrictions? Why or why not?
Many parts of the country are experiencing a buyer's market where inventory is high and it's common to see multiple signs in neighborhoods … (7 comments)
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South Florida Real Estate • Leanne Paynter
Davie,
FL
More about me…
United Realty Group, Inc.
Address: 12323 SW 55th St., Suite 1002, Cooper City, FL, 33330
Office Phone: (954) 846-1600
Email Me
Broward County, Florida...
a great place to live!
Real Estate Ramblings
Written by Leanne Paynter,
a Broward County Realtor.
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