How Facebook advertising works in Real Estate - 06/30/11 10:00 AM

The 0.1% Rule
There are two ways you can pay for ads on Facebook: pay per click or pay per thousand ad impressions.  Pay per click is paying a fixed rate you agree to with Facebook when you create each ad and you pay it every time someone clicks your ad.  Often you’ll pay less than your bid for a click, depending on the competition with other ads and their click bids that also seek your target prospects when your ad is clicked. 
An ad impression is your ad appearing once on one of your target prospect’s screens.  If you … (5 comments)

Web Writing for Real Estate in Ontario - 06/29/11 03:19 PM

Writing for the Web
Reading on a computer screen differs from the way people read print publications. Reading a computer screen causes more eye strain than reading something in print.  Consequently, many people skim through online writing rather than reading every line.
 
By breaking up content into small paragraphs with headlines for each and using double spacing you can make it easier for people to read and prevent them from missing anything important to them.
Here are a few additional tips:
1. Use short sentences2. Use ‘catch’ words and phrases3. Avoid long, difficult words with many syllables.  These are … (2 comments)

Real Estate Online advertising tips - 06/29/11 11:11 AM

About 80% of home buyers are using the Internet now for finding themselves a new home.  Considering that much of the online advertising you can do can be done for little or no expense, you should be learning all you can to make your online ads as effective as possible.  This article series takes a look at what top producers are doing with their online ads to give them an edge over the competition:
Use Advertising Analytics – many people neglect to track the results and return on their online ads because it didn’t cost them anything to post them except … (2 comments)

Five Surefire Ways to Stay More Organized in Your Real Estate Sales Career - 06/28/11 04:31 PM
This is a great article by Rich.  Drip Marketing campaigns are always effective for staying in touch. This helps the realtor maintain an efficient follow up system.
Become a Fan of Gabrielle Jeans
   

Via Rich Gaasenbeek (IXACT Contact Solutions Inc.):

Are you struggling to stay organized? Do you feel that organization is an area where you need some help? Are you already organized but interested in learning how to better stay on top of your game? The below are suggestions that will help you become and stay better organized in your real estate sales career so you can focus on … (1 comments)

Real Estate Agents; Are you building your email database? - 06/28/11 04:14 PM

He starts to reel them in by creating very short classifieds ads on Craig’s List on a daily basis that bring people to a squeeze page on his website.  The squeeze page entices the person to sign up for his mailing list to receive updates on suitable homes via email.
Let’s take a closer look at how he’s designed this database building system:
First Time Buyers
 

His online classified ads take into account the type of person who is looking for a first home, their pain points, and where they’re typically at when they start looking.  Let’s look … (3 comments)

Using Email For Attracting Buyers/Sellers in Real Estate - 06/28/11 02:09 PM
If you don’t get their email address from the ad then your goal is getting them to reply via email to an email you sent them.  That both gets you their real email address and allows you to add it to your database.  You can add it because you have proof of prior contact them, and email providers usually roughly equate prior contact with permission to send them solicitations.  If your internet or email provider ever accuses you of spamming then you can send them this reply from the FSBO as proof you were acquainted with this person and weren’t sending … (6 comments)

For Sale By Owners Marketing Online 2.0 - 06/28/11 11:47 AM
Getting Their Email Address
One thing you’ll notice right away with Craig’s List and Kijiji is that most people’s email addresses are not posted in the ad.  About 90% of the ads on Craig’s List have email addresses ending in @craigslist.org.  When people post ads on this site they’re given the option of using a temporary Craig’s List email address in their ads.  When prospects  email these @craigslist.org email accounts Craig’s List automatically forwards the email to the ad poster’s real email account.  This allows them to not reveal their email address publicly, making them far less susceptible to having their … (0 comments)

For Sale By Owners Marketing Online 1.0 - 06/28/11 11:45 AM
Today, because of the internet and technology, more people are trying to sell their own homes than ever before.  There are enough people trying the FSBO route nowadays that you could focus exclusively on wooing FSBOs and have a thriving business.  So it’s important you understand how to engage FSBO online and persuade these people to work with you.
FSBO Ad Sources
Many people who decide to sell FSBO do so because of the internet.  They think advertising online is the way to sell their home because it’s almost always free to advertise online and millions of people are using online … (0 comments)

Are you a Branded Real Estate Professional in North America? 2.0 - 06/27/11 04:10 PM
Domain Name – your domain name should be synonymous with your core business branding, so use it everywhere in your promotional materials.  The goal is having your website name easily remembered and top of mind with prospects when they need a real estate professional’s services.  So have it prominent in the letterhead on your 8.5” x 11” print stationary, sticky notes, note pads, business cards, quotation and invoice templates, and any fliers you send out.
Newsletter – you should be using the same template and graphic design elements for all your newsletters, regardless of whether they’re published on your website, distributed through email, … (3 comments)

Are you a Branded Real Estate Professional in North America? - 06/27/11 04:04 PM
Today, all real estate professionals in North America must create their own business identify through their branding.  Long gone are the days when we could rely on our company name for our branding.
One of the most important aspects of branding is consistency.  You should be using the same wording (eg. business name, slogan) and graphic design elements for your business identity in all areas of your promotional material.
So here are some of the things you can do for building your branding:
Unique Selling Proposition – this is where you define your competitive edge.  It’s really the heart of your business … (0 comments)

The Power of Negotiation in Real Estate 3.0 - 06/27/11 02:59 PM

Intimidation, Threats, Fear For Motivating People
Real estate professionals often are totally unaware they intimidate and threaten their prospects in their negotiating.  Here are some examples:
-    “You won’t get a higher price than this”-    “This is the most these buyers will pay”-    “Don’t counter offer on this contract.  If you do, we will lose them”-    “If you reject their offer, are you willing to wait a long time for another offer?”
Negotiating is always a big reason people hire real estate professionals because they don’t want to negotiate on their own.  So the above statements convey you’re not willing … (0 comments)

Real Estate Website Solutions for Real Estate Professionals and Real Estate Companies in North America - 06/27/11 01:31 PM
 
Moneymaker™ Real Estate Website Solutions for Real Estate professionals and Real Estate Companies looking for a total web and internet marketing solution. Moneymaker will ensure that real estate buyers and sellers will find you online in Google.Moneymaker™ is more than just a fully customizable self managed website, but it is also a complete real estate marketing system for real estate sales people and brokerages.
 
Features include:
CRM Contact Management system
eNewsletter Manager
Drip Marketing System
Blog
E-Card System
Follow-Up System
SEO Tools
IDX Listing System
Article Library
Free SEO Training and
Free upgrades for life
 
....and More  sign … (0 comments)

The power of Negotiation in Real Estate 2.0 - 06/27/11 01:09 PM

Giving Up Too Easily
When clients say, “I won’t pay a dime more than that price” or “I won’t take a cent less than that price”, real estate professionals all too often believe them.  You must realize every buyer or seller will say this at some point, but they usually don’t mean it.
Always know that both the home seller and the home buyer are motivated to make a deal, no matter how unmotivated either party seems.  The trick is keeping the negotiating going.  It keeps both parties moving closer and closer toward a deal everyone is happy with.  Be … (3 comments)

The power of Negotiation in Real Estate - 06/27/11 12:47 PM

Bad Timing
Good timing is an important part of negotiating.  However, many real estate professionals don’t know how to time their negotiating well.  For instance, some don’t take sufficient time to explain something about the contract or the negotiations to their client.  Some real estate professionals make great points to their clients, but at not at the right times.  Some reps overbook their schedules and consequently lack the time for completing a presentation.  This puts pressure on the client and doesn’t help the negotiations at all.  Some reps give up on the negotiating at the wrong time.  The worst sin … (1 comments)

Google and Facebook Tips for Real Estate Professionals. - 06/27/11 11:36 AM

Always Request Their Email Address
One thing that’s fundamentally different about using pay per click ads with Facebook and social media sites vs. search engines like Google is what people are trying to accomplish when they use these sites.  It’s important to understand each site has a fundamentally different purpose and people use them for those specific purposes.
With social media sites people use them for socializing.  You could say Facebook is a relationship search engine.  That’s why most of the sponsored ads on Facebook are ads for online dating sites.  Many people cruise around on Facebook looking to meet … (4 comments)

QR Code for Charleston, SC Real Estate Information - 06/24/11 04:52 PM
I think every Real estate agent should have QR codes. Its necesasary in keeping with the times. Check out this blog I think it is awesome.
Via Joye Hollis Ridgeway, (843) 270-8665 Homes, Land, Investment, Commercial (AgentOwned Realty, Charleston SC):
QR Code for Charleston, SC Real Estate Information
The combination of QR (Quick Response) codes and real estate has turned the INFORMATION HIGHWAY into an INFORMATION SUPER SPEEDWAY !!  Use the QR reader in your smart phone to scan a QR code for link to Charleston real estate information.

After scanning the code with your smart phone, you will have the ability to search the MLS right through your cell phone.  I use QR … (1 comments)

Advertising Ontario Real Estate Listings - 06/24/11 11:44 AM

Try Advertising Your Listings
One thing few (if any) of your Real Estate competitors will be doing is advertising specific listings in their Facebook ads.  Virtually all of them will be advertising a type of property (eg. Ontario foreclosures) and linking to a squeeze page seeking your contact info.  Advertising a Real Estate listing can get you pretty good bang for your buck if you’re very specific in the ad about what the property is.  There’s no reason for someone to click the ad if they’re not interested in that specific type of property, so you can bet you’ll get … (0 comments)

Ontario Real Estate advertising - 06/23/11 01:23 PM
In general, if you have ads bid at less than 25% of the suggested minimum bid (eg. 20 cents for a minimum $1 bid) then you’ll find your ads get very few impressions.  Still, it’s worth setting up ads at these lowball prices as you’ll get a few very inexpensive clicks from time to time which will lower your overall Average Cost Per Click significantly.
Have Multiple Ads
It’s always a good idea to get as many types of home buyers and sellers as possible that fit the demographics of your farm area, so to do that you need to … (0 comments)

Toronto Real Estate squeeze landing pages - 06/23/11 12:51 PM

Always Use Squeeze Landing Pages
You don’t want people clicking your ad, visiting your site, and then leaving.  That’s just a waste of money and many people will do this if you don’t capture their contact info on your landing page.  What you need to do is capture that person’s interest by having your ad link to a squeeze landing page.  A landing page is the page people get directed to when they click your ad.  A squeeze landing page has a single thing to offer (eg. foreclosure properties) and the visitor is either interested or they aren’t.  If your … (0 comments)

Mining Your Toronto Real Estate Network 2.0 - 06/23/11 12:45 PM

Unless you collect business cards as a hobby, then I highly recommend avoiding ‘mingling’ type networking events, especially ones with a generalist (IE non-industry specific) membership. The relationships resulting from the people you meet at these events are usually shallow and fleeting and expire even before the event ends. These events are more about quantity of contacts, exchanging business cards, posturing, preening and air kisses than developing meaningful, profitable relationships.  If you are a REAL business card aficionado and want to take your collection to the next level (but not your business), I especially recommend the networking events held by … (1 comments)

Mining Your Real Estate Network - 06/23/11 10:04 AM

Some real estate professionals think they have to constantly spend thousands of dollars on advertising, computer equipment, and the latest technology to keep a steady stream of prospects coming in. Many don’t realize their very best prospects are right under their noses. It’s your built-in network: people you already know. And there are a lot more of them than you think.
Here are some sources for building your email database with people you already know:
Your Friends: an obvious source, but you may not have mined it for all it’s worth. Think back to friends you had in college, university, … (3 comments)

20 Tips For Selling Your Home Faster - Bergen County Specialist - 06/22/11 05:00 PM
Great post Ruth. Would definitely be sharing this with my network. I think my favorite point is "Relax: No need to try and force conversation, being friendly is perfect but prospects don’t want too much distraction when checking out your home." this is something most people forget to do. great post
Via Ruth Weitzman (remax properties):
20 Tips for Selling Your Home Faster – Bergen County NJ Specialist
 

 
As a Top RE/MAX Associate I am very proud of my track record.  I’m in the RE/MAX Hall of Fame and have a Lifetime Achievement Award as well as countless New … (0 comments)

Start Your 10 day Free Trail Now! - 06/22/11 04:00 PM
Have you signed up for our 10 day free trial? Design Your Real Estate website without having to pay ridiculous amounts to web developers. Get Started here

… (0 comments)

The Facebook Like button Phenomenon - 06/22/11 03:49 PM

Have Like Buttons Everywhere
Facebook’s ‘Like’ button allows people to indicate the things they like in the Facebook world, whether it be new articles, video clips on people’s walls or anything else.  The ‘Like’ button is now being used extensively outside Facebook by search engines as a highly influential social bookmarking tool since Facebook is now the #2 most visited site in the world.  The more popular a site is, the more it means to search engines when it’s users bookmark or ‘like’ your site.

Facebook uses the number of likes your website pages get as a way of … (3 comments)

Long Tail Marketing for Real Estate Professionals - 06/22/11 03:34 PM

Have Highly Nuanced Ad Pricing
Whenever you look at a large group of prospects there are usually a multitude of ways of dividing that group of prospects up into smaller and smaller groups.  For example, you can immediately divide any group roughly in half by separating male from female.  Age is another great way of dividing your groups up, as is relationship status.  The fewer number of prospects Facebook identifies as suitable for each ad based on your specifications, the better.  This is known as taking the Long Tail approach to marketing.  Long Tail Marketing is the cornerstone of any … (0 comments)

Email Guide for Real Estate Professionals in North America - 06/22/11 03:29 PM

Many real estate professionals who have an active online presence and regularly receive email inquiries from prospects have difficulty dealing with these prospects.  Some are more used to dealing with prospects who call them on the telephone and make the mistake of handling email prospects the same way.  Others are perplexed when they receive no response from the prospect or the email conversation ends abruptly.  Many of these sales reps therefore conclude such prospects are a waste of time.  These people are worthwhile prospects, but these reps just aren’t engaging them properly.  So here are a few hints for improving … (0 comments)

Web Developer vs. Real Estate Web Developer? - 06/22/11 10:13 AM

Website developers have been around since the internet began.  So there is certainly no shortage of talent in this area.  But the question remains: what credentials should a real estate website developer have?  This is of utmost importance for successfully building your business online.  So here are a few important insights into what you should look for in a developer for your real estate website:
Most Website Developers Are Generalists
Most companies or individuals who develop websites don’t do so for any particular industry or profession.  They will design a website for anyone and everyone who wants one.  Even if … (0 comments)

Essential Ingredients for your Real Estate Listing presentation 2.0 - 06/22/11 09:56 AM
2.  Pre-Appointment Package
There are three items which should only be in the pre-appointment package:
1) The Listing Contract.  Make sure you include a copy of the listing contract.  If it’s a condo, include a condominium listing agreement.  With Microsoft Publisher you can take agreement templates from the internet and easily add your own wording to suit the situation (eg. Specimen Only).  You can still use a stamp if you don’t know how to modify these documents.  However you do it, make sure you provide a sample listing contract.
2) The Agreement Of Purchase And Sale.  There is a version of this agreement … (0 comments)

Facebook Pay per Click for your Ontario Real Estate Business - 06/22/11 09:50 AM
One of Facebook’s most popular innovations is the Like button.  A Like button is a way for people to support someone or something.  For instance, your ontario real estate website could have a Like button on it and you could ask your site visitors to click this button.  Let’s say John Smith saw your Facebook ad, clicked it, was brought to your website and clicked the Like button on your landing page.  If John Smith had 500 friends on his Facebook account (not an uncommon number nowadays) then your site would be visible to all of John’s 500 friends on their … (0 comments)

Essential Ingredients for your Real Estate Listing presentation - 06/21/11 05:03 PM
There are four things every listing presentation package should have:
1.  Media Kit2.  Pre-Appointment Package3.  Marketing Strategy4.  CMA or comparables
1.  Media Kit
Here’s what I mean by a media kit.  Let’s say I’m on the phone with a prospect who’s interested in selling but doesn’t want to see any real estate agents right now.  The prospect knows when they want to sell (eg. after their son finishes high school and leaves for university in late August) and asks you to call them in the fall. In the past, real estate sales people would just send a business card and thank … (0 comments)

Ontario Real estate Professional Online promotions and Website developments - 06/21/11 04:04 PM
Not Enough Online Promotion
Many real estate professionals in ontario make the mistake of spending tons of money on a fully customized site, thinking that a great looking site is all important.  But with search engines, substance is king, not image.  In other words, search engines value your website’s written content.  They don’t value how your website looks at all.  So spend your money on promoting your website online than on the website itself.  Popular classifieds websites like Kijiji can give your listings the best exposure for a small fee.  This is money well spent.  Also, make sure your website is … (0 comments)

Is your Ontario Real Estate website content wishy washy? - 06/21/11 02:22 PM
Wishy Washy Site Content
One of the biggest turnoffs for a real estate website is having a generalist slant to your content.  This makes your website just a face in the crowd of many other competitors’ websites.  Have specific content only on the specific geographic areas you service.  Your site will thereby be more interesting to people interested in those areas and search engines will rank you higher for those areas as well.  One way you can know if your site is wishy washy is looking at your home page’s bounce rate amongst your website stats.  The bounce rate tells you … (1 comments)

Real Estate Knowledge for the Ontario Real Estate Professional - 06/21/11 11:36 AM
Real Estate Blogging & Site Content – Best Practices
Most real estate professionals who try their hand at blogging for their business write sporadic, very general articles on real estate.  This actually does little to help your real estate business.  There are two basic reasons to have a real estate blog: demonstrate your real estate expertise and help your website’s search engine optimization (SEO).  When you write very general real estate articles, you’re really not giving your prospects any information they can’t find on the next real estate website they visit.  So why would they sign up for your mailing list?  … (0 comments)

Mining Your Network to Capture Real Estate Leads - 06/21/11 09:33 AM
Many real estate professionals regularly spend lots of money promoting their business: print ads, fliers, the latest gadgets, and so on.  But few tap the very best source of prospects available to them, and you don’t have to spend a dime on them.  I’m talking about your existing network of prospects: the people you know or have known in the not too distant past.  When you actually sit down and figure out who they are, you’ll find there are a great number of these people.  So here are some places to think about where you know people from:
Friends: this is … (0 comments)

One Advanced Way to Get More Fans on Your Real Estate Facebook Page - 06/21/11 09:30 AM
This is an interesting way to capture facebook fans. The more available the information is, the more likely people are to convert. Always make your social media available on your site 
Via John Alexandrov (Real Estate Inner Circle™):
If you have a professional Facebook fan page for real estate, you’re probably wondering how to increase your number of fans.
You're about to discover one of the most advanced techniques we use to get a lot more fans to our Facebook fan page.
The easiest way for us to get more fans is to put a custom tab on our page to … (0 comments)

Marco Pontillo : Marketing Properties : Real Estate : North Vancouver - 06/20/11 04:58 PM
Interesting post by Marco Pontillo: My Favorite line from the post was "First impressions can make the difference between a sale or a higher netted sale. Keeping things simple can give you a leg up on similar houses on the market." 
Via Marco Pontillo (Sutton West Coast Realty):
Welcome to my blog post : MP | Marketing Properties on the North Shore, BC, CANADA.
Real Estate is very local by nature, and every economy is different. Vancouver, British Columbia is experiencing an influx of buyers in some areas such as North Vancouver, West Vancouver, Richmond and the West Side. Some of these places … (0 comments)

Succeed by Starting Your Real Estate Career Part- Time - 06/20/11 04:54 PM
Kubrick was well known for his perfectionism in directing his movies.  He read 500 books on Napoleon for a movie on the French Emperor he never actually got to make.  Most famously, Kubrick often demanded dozens of retakes of scenes from his actors.  In particular, Kubrick’s movie The Shining gave rise to the legend of Kubrick as a megalomaniac perfectionist.  Reportedly, he demanded hundreds of re-takes of scenes.  In The Shining Kubrick had Jack Nicholson do 100 retakes of one scene.  Another scene from the movie took nearly a year to complete.  In Eyes Wide Shut Kubrick had Tom Cruise do … (0 comments)

Looking for a book about your city? - 06/20/11 01:29 PM
 
Great Recommendation. It is important to know about the city before proceeding to purchase real estate in that city. This helps the client get the full benefit of their money's worth.
 
Via Alec Kinnear (Canadian Real Estate Insights):
Every realtor should know his or her city very well, I think we all can agree on this. However, our knowledge is often restricted that what we personally like and do. If you have a client asking about bike routes around the neghbourhoods, what are you going to say, if you rode your bike in 1992 for the last time?
We cannot … (1 comments)

Marketing Tips for Real Estate Websites in Ontario - 06/20/11 01:15 PM
A real estate website need not be all about showcasing your listings.  One innovative sales rep has a section where they put details about the specific types of properties their current buyers and regular investor clients are looking for.  They include city, neighborhood, type of house, # of bedrooms, etc. along with price range.  This sales rep has a form where buyers can submit what they’re looking for, and it gets posted here.
                                                     Twitter

… (0 comments)

Zillow is not the enemy! - 06/20/11 12:42 PM
Zillow is indeed where the consumers are searching. Most Real estate agents fight this but that is the reality. Whether or not the estimates are accurate they are at least approximate and thats what the consumer sees first. So stop fighting Zillow
Via Nick & Trudy Vandekar Realtors Main Line PA Homes for Sale (Long & Foster Real Estate Inc):
Many agents love to hate Zillow, they complain about the Zestimates and how accurate they are but these agents seem to forget the customer.
Yes, the customer, the consumer who is on Zillow and checking for homes for sale, prices realized, nearly all … (0 comments)

How to Post a .pdf File to your Facebook Fan Page - 06/20/11 12:31 PM
For Real Estate professionals that need to post pdf files to their facebook fan page, here is an easy step by step process for that. 
Via John Alexandrov (Real Estate Inner Circle™):
You’re about to discover the step-by-step instructions for how to post a .pdf file to your Facebook fan page.
Many real estate agents, loan officers, and attorneys want to share their marketing materials on their Facebook fan page, but are not sure how. I recently taught our social media coaching clients how to do this, but wanted all Facebook fan page owners to have access to these instructions.
1. Sign up for an … (0 comments)

Frequently asked Questions on a Real Estate Website - 06/20/11 12:04 PM
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
When people can’t find the information they want quickly they’ll tend to move on to other real estate websites.  So having a FAQ on your website is a great way for your visitors to get quick answers to the many of their questions without searching all over your site.  With a FAQ you can group questions according to the type of prospect (eg. First Time Buyer, Investor) or subject area (eg. mortgages). One enterprising sales rep has an extensive FAQ section with questions many home buyers and seller have asked him such as:
“Could the US … (1 comments)

Facebook advertising tactics for Real Estate professionals - 06/20/11 11:25 AM
Facebook ads can be powerful ways of promoting your real estate business, but things can very easily get out of hand.  Sure, you can get your ad displayed to hundreds of thousands of people in a very short amount of time, but it may cost you a small fortune before you realize it and yield dismal results.  So this article series is for helping you tweak your Facebook real estate ad campaigns so you get a great return on investment for your advertising budget.
Have Lots Of Nearly Identical Ads – Once you’ve specified all the demographics of who you want your … (0 comments)

Do you have a Digital Assistant for your Real Estate Business? No? *Gasp* - 06/20/11 09:35 AM
Personal Digital Assistants, commonly known as PDAs, are great for keeping your business and personal matters organized and on track. But many real estate professionals are in the dark about how to do this without spending a fortune. Some, being technology averse, don’t understand how to use PDAs well. Others haven’t gone beyond cell phones and perhaps text messaging, not seeing the value in having anything beyond that. So this article will help you get on track with more effectively using your PDA and making more money with it.
 
Mobile MLS – when PDAs first hit the market, they were … (0 comments)

The Holy Grail for your Real Estate Web Issues - 06/17/11 03:53 PM
Do You find that your real estate website is not incorporating a lot of the features that you would love to have? Are you paying programmers and web designers ridiculous fees to help change even one word on your website? Look no further because http://moneymaker4agents.com is the holy grail for your Real estate web issues. Money Maker caters specifically to Real Estate professionals.
You can build your website yourself according to your taste without paying ridiculous amounts to do this. There is a 10-day free trial available so check out the website today and decide if this is the best route … (0 comments)

Narrowing Content to fit the needs of your Real Estate Prospects. - 06/17/11 12:33 PM
Does having a real estate website build your prospect database?
When people find your website, it’s your chance to demonstrate to them why you’re the best at what you do and why they should work with you. You’ve probably found it much easier to close people who find you vs. people you’ve found yourself. So the next question is: what content should my website have?
Your website should be a composite of and reflection of the different types of people in your target market. Your website should be all about THEM. NOT you. Quite frankly, prospects don’t really care who you … (0 comments)

Is Your Real Estate Website Referrable To Social Media Sites? - 06/16/11 03:33 PM
Is Your Real Estate Website Referrable To Social Media Sites?
One of the biggest things that boosts your real estate website’s ranking in search engines like Google is having your website’s links on other people’s websites. These are called backlinks. If your website has 50 back links on other people’s websites for your farm area, it will be ranked higher than your area’s competitor who only has 20 back links on other people’s websites.
One of the best ways of getting back links is having a Real Estate blog where your readers can create back links to social media sites with … (4 comments)

The ActiveRain Point System - 06/16/11 02:55 PM
 
Learn how to increase your active rain points. I personally have utilized a lot of the suggested factors so i recommend that you take the time to read the article
 
Via ActiveRain Corp.:
The ActiveRain Point System
ActiveRain awards members points based on participation and their individual involvement within the network and community.  While there is a much more complicated and technical explanation of how the point system works, this post is to provide you with a general overview of how points are earned and distributed to all ActiveRain members.
ActiveRain points are earned based on a member's individual activities … (8 comments)

Video Blogging for Ontario Real estate Professionals - 06/16/11 02:21 PM
Video Blogging for Ontario Real estate Professionals
 
            Your real estate blog needn’t be just writing. You can easily have video clips posted within your blog for your readers. So make sure you use a blog where Podcasts and Videocasts can be easily incorporated into your articles. Your blog should allow two options: hosting the video on the blog’s server, or having it link to a site like YouTube where it’s hosted. Using the latter method will get you the greater exposure.
            Video-wise, the best thing to use for your real estate blog is video tours of your listings. … (0 comments)

Real Estate: Downsizing with Style and Grace: Part Two - 06/15/11 04:18 PM
This is an interesting post. It has useful information and tips for downsizing. It offers advice about stagers also. Be sure to check out both Part one and two. Enjoy.
Via Richard Silver (BOSLEY REAL ESTATE LTD.):
Thanks for the great response and ideas from the first post on Downsizing...before I add some more thoughts, let's talk about some of the issues generated after Post One:
There seems to be a universal response to the negative naming of the difficult process: Downsizing. However, I remembered with some friendly prodding that Barry Lebow, Founder of  The Accredited Senior Agent Designation refers to it as "Rightsizing", … (0 comments)

Selling Real estate using Google Marketing Tools - 06/15/11 03:49 PM
Google AdSense Ads
In 2011 you have most likely noticed those short classified ads by Google. Google can deliver unobtrusive ads
whose offerings match the content of your website. Google will pay you for every person who clicks the ad. You
should do this especially if your website is Search Engine Optimized and gets lots of traffic. These ads can
become a nice source of passive income.

Google Maps
This is a great way of showcasing your sold listings. You select the geographic area you want featured in the
map and then input the addresses of the sold listings to Google. Visitors will then see … (2 comments)

Toronto Real estate Branding tips - 06/15/11 03:48 PM
In Toronto Real Estate, Branding is extremely important in
order to stand out from the numerous competitors. The
branding of your real estate business is critically important
to staying at the top of the minds of the people in your
target market comes to buy or sell. So have you taken
steps to develop a strong identity for your business that is
memorable to your target audience? Research has shown
that with the constant barrage of advertising we daily
encounter, the human mind only remembers a finite number of brands: seven. Now that number refers to
brands of large companies who spend millions of dollars on advertising in mass mediums like television
and national publications. … (0 comments)

Toronto Real Estate SEO Series 1.1 - 06/13/11 03:30 PM
Here are the number people who searched for the following keyword phrases in June 2009 for Google, the world’s
most popular search engine:
“Toronto real estate” – 60,500 searches
“Toronto condos” – 40,500 searches
“Toronto homes” – 22,200 searches
“Toronto property” – 14,800 searches
The following are how many people did those exact Google searches in March 2011:
“Toronto real estate” – 90,500 searches
“Toronto condos” – 60,500 searches
“Toronto homes” – 40,500 searches
“Toronto property” – 27,100 searches

 
That’s a 50%-100% increase in people doing these searches less than 2
 years later! If your website was on
page one of … (0 comments)

Toronto Real Estate SEO series 1.0 - 06/13/11 02:47 PM
 Search Engine Basics –
What Are Search Engines? The easiest way of understanding internet search engines is this: they are today’s evolved Yellow Pages and White pages rolled into one. For decades people used the traditional print Yellow Pages directory for finding businesses and the White Pages (IE phone book) for finding people. Today, most people rely on search engines for finding virtually any information they want.
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Why Are Search Engines So Important Today?
Search engines are now the world’s most popular means of finding virtually any information. They’re now far more popular than traditional print directories … (4 comments)

 

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