What is the most important Internet Advertising Tool?
An Online Agent Video!
I just recently created my first online Agent Video. I believe this may be the single most important part of my online advertising since I purchased my first real estate website. I've done my homework when it comes to Social Networking, Facebook, and Youtube videos.
Youtube is a social network and so your videos should be as social as possible. I learned that the wrong way to do a video is to walk around a home video taping the whole house (that's how I did my first video). The correct way to video a home is to do one room at a time with individual clips that have a personal voiceover from the agent. The agent should include as much of their personality in the video as possible. The easiest way of accomplishing this in my opinion is to use high quality still photos, stitched photos, and add a voiceover for each picture/room. I prefer to use Visual Tours for my visual tours.
The same principle of high quaity individual photos with a voiceover was used in my agent video below. Cheryl Waller created my Facebook Fan Page, I believe they are called Biz Pages now. Cheryl also created my Agent Video and then I added my voiceover to the video. I love this because I have the original video and I can add a different voice over at any time. The combination of having a web page, facebook biz page, and an agent video is a must for any successful online advertising campaign.
I have been working on finding places to add my agent video and trying to get my video indexed by the search engines. I came across a web page today that should prove useful for getting more exposure for videos. So far I've added my agent video to My Main Website, my profile on Coldwellbanker.com, Facebook, our office website, my Active Rain sidebar, Trulia Blog, LindedIn, Digg, Stumbleupon, and Delicious.
What is your most important Internet Advertising Tool?
Do you have a Online Agent Video? If so, please feel free to share it here and tell me all about it.
I think this blog has some great content. I think you should always make a counteroffer, especially if it's low. The only time a seller should not make a counteroffer is when they are happy with the offer and accept it. I believe that all buyers and all sellers should never be afraid to write counteroffers. I've seen sellers afraid of writing a counteroffer because they fear that the buyer will move on to a different home. Writing offers and counteroffers are just part of the process of getting a home sold.
Have you ever been involved in selling a home where an offer was made and you refused to counter the buyers offer? Here is some advice for sellers to consider, especially in today’s economic environment.
If a buyer has taken the time to put an offer on paper and submit it to your listing agent, I think you would agree that this is a good sign that they are interested in purchasing your home.
Your agent calls and says, “great news, we just received an offer!” They come over to review it with you and you immediately get defensive. The offer price is way too low or the terms of the contract aren’t favorable. These terms could include financing contingencies, a long and drawn out closing date or a request for you to pay some of the buyers closing costs.
Do your best to leave your emotions out of this! Consider this a business transaction that, when completed, will get you to your eventual goal. That goal may be buying your dream home, retiring to a different state or country, downsizing and buyer a less expensive home allowing you to stash some cash, and the list goes on.
I have been involved in a few transactions with sellers who have absolutely refused to counter a buyer’s offer. 9 times out of 10 this is the worst thing you can do! Your strategy is that if you do not counter, the buyer will come back with a better offer in a few days. What!? This is like catching and releasing a fish where there are other fishermen around you and hoping the fish decides to come back to you because you think you have better bait on your hook. Why would you take a chance at losing an interested buyer when there is a lot of inventory for them to choose from? Chances are there’s another home out there that could work for them. You may have a special home unlike any others on the market. If priced properly, maybe holding out is the right thing to do, but that is a big risk to take. Make sure holding out for a better offer is worth the risk.
If you have received multiple offers while listed on the market that you feel have been too low, perhaps your agent is not being upfront with you. There is a high probability that your home is overpriced. If your agent has made you aware of this and you have refused to listen and agree to a price reduction, then you are missing the chance to get your home sold for the best price with the least amount of stress. I have seen more sellers that have ended up in foreclosure, short sale, not selling at all or receiving 20% less than an offer they received months or a year earlier because they held out for a better deal. As an agent, it’s hard to see this happen to a client. The agents best bet is to walk away from the listing if there is no agreement to reduce the homes price. The ability to sell your home depends on you and your agent working together to achieve that goal. If you have done your homework and hired a full time, professional and knowledgeable agent, take the time to discuss your concerns with them, they will do the same. Listen to the advice they have given you. This is their daily job. They eat, breathe and sleep real estate!
They have their finger on the pulse of the market and know what needs to be done to get your home sold.
Make the counter offer and keep the negotiations moving. This may be changing the price and terms, just the price or just the terms of the contract. You may have to go back and forth 10 times to get to a final agreement, but there is a good chance you will come to an agreement if you and the buyer are reasonable along the way. Not countering an interested buyer’s offer is not reasonable!
You may not always like what your agent has to say. It’s not your agents’ job to agree with you all the time or be your best friend. There are days you will not like them and you’ll wonder why you hired them. Ultimately, their job is to sell your home. If that means you getting upset because your agent gives it to you straight, that’s ok. You’ll thank them and get over it once your home has sold and you’ll be glad they weren't sugar coating anything. In fact, I have a good feeling you’ll become great friends…
I hope this helps to keep you focused on the ultimate goal of selling your home!
Warner Robins Georgia 2010 Fireworks Scheduled for July 4th at McConnel Stadium, Warner Robins GA - Diamond Rio Performing - Gates Open at 6 p.m.
The Air Force Reserve Command Band Independence Day Celebration at the McConnell-Talbert Stadium in Warner Robins. Bring Your family, friends, picnic baskets and chairs to enjoy an evening of music tribute to the nation with Diamond Rio, followed by fireworks. Gates open at 6:00 p.m.
McConnell-Talbert Stadium is a sports stadium in Warner Robins, Georgia that often plays host to games and competitions for Houston County, Warner Robins, and Northside, the three largest high schools in Houston County. It is situated on South Davis Drive, across from the Warner Robins High School-Rumble Academy campus.
I went to the stadium to watch the fireworks in 2007 and it was a blast! Music, food, drinks, fireworks, and F-15 flyby - it was great. Here is a video from 2007.
Diamond Rio will be performing this year. Here is a video of Diamond Rio performing Meet in the Middle:
Outgoing Referrals is a good way for a real estate agent to increase business while providing a valuable service to anyone buying, moving, or selling a house from anywhere to anywhere in the United States. For assistance in selling or buying a property across town, or across the country call Coldwell Banker SSK Realtors. We are full service broker that can give you peace of mind during the home buying or home selling process. Allowing me to submit a referral on your behalf to our relocation office can help make your move smoother with less stress. I can submit a referral through our office and we will find an agent in your destination or current area that will contact you regarding the sale or purchase of your home. You won’t be obligated to that particular agent, but if you do decide to use their services, then we would all be working together to help keep your move as smooth as possible. Also, at any time if you are not happy with the agent we referred you can change agents within the same office at any time.
How We do It?
Coldwell Banker SSK, Realtors is a member of an extensive international network called the CARTUS Broker Network. This network consists of over 6,000 offices that service individuals and families with their relocations. Brokers who are a member of the network are selected based on their position in the market, timeliness, and professionalism in handling moves. Furthermore, all of the sales agents are trained and certified through the CARTUS Certified Agent Advantage program - then carefully monitored and measured to provide the highest level of quality service and comittment. At the time of closing our office receives a small referral fee paid by the agent/broker we provided to you.
What Can the CARTUS Broker Network Do For You?
With domestic and international connections across the U.S. and four other continents, CARTUS and it's partners offer a wide variety of services including: General market information, Area Counseling & Orientation, School Information, Home Sale and Home Finding, Moving Services, Closing Administration, and much more!
Why CARTUS ?
CARTUS is the world's largest employee relocation company, servicing 2,100 clients worldwide. With service to both individuals and businesses, the CARTUS Broker Network handles more than 115,000 relocations annually. That's experience you can count on!
Moving?
Asking your favorite Realtor, whether they are a Realtor you have used in the past, friend, family member, or friend of a family member, to submit a referral before you purchase or sell your home is a great way to help make your move smoother and provide a small reward or Thank You to your favorite Realtor.
If you would like me to submit a referral, just provide me your address, phone number, best time to contact you, and your permission to submit the referral, and I’ll be happy to get it started. Also if you know of anyone planning on buying or selling a home, or moving then feel free to forward my contact information to them as well.
Scam Alert: I had a telemarketer call me promising 1st Page on Google for my favorite keywords. This was my first red flag: Anyone who promises first page on Google: look out. I asked him if this is pay per click advertising and he says no it is unlimited clicks. Then I ask him if he is selling Google Adwords: He says no, but doesn't tell me exactly what he is selling, just 1st page on Google. This is the second red flag: There are only two types of Google Search Engine results - Organic and Pay per Click (Google Adwords). I am very familiar with Organic search engine results and Google Adwords. I am also very familiar with the type of scam he is running. Here is how the scam works: He calls you and tells you he can gaurantee you first page on Google for unlimited clicks. He will charge you a monthly fee of say $75 and a one time setup fee. Set up fees are my third red flag: Set up fees are often a legal way of getting around charging you for something they are not selling you or providing a service for. Before they call you they have already done their research on keywords on Google and have calculated how many times different keywords have been clicked per month, and estimated how much it will cost them to have those keywords on the 1st Page of Google for the entire month. Then they double or triple that cost, add some setup fees, and charge it to your credit card keeping the extra money for themselves. They don't want you to know they are using Google Adwords because you can set up Google Adwords relatively easily, for less money, and manage your Google Adwords better than a telemarketer. They are lying when they gaurantee 1st page placement (No one can gaurantee 1st page placement), they are lying when they say unlimited clicks (they just have an estimated monthly cost based on past history and then charge twice this amount hoping that it will be enough money to cover the clicks and keep the rest for themselves), and the setup fee is ridiculously high.
Nationwide House Day will be on April 10th and April 11th. I haven't decided on which home I will have my Open House, but I'll be sure to let everyone know when I do. In the meantime I found this video from Georgia Association of Realtors about the Tax Credit. It's somewhat funny - Poor Bob!
It is very important to talk with a mortgage lender about getting preapproved as quickly as possible. Lending restrictions have increased over the past year. There is nothing worse than showing someone a house priced at $250,000 and having them fall in love with it, only to find out they only qualify for $200,000. Once the bar is set too high it becomes extremely difficult to find a $200,000 home that compares with the home priced at $250,000.
I talk to potential buyers every day. Most of them give me a call about a specific property they have seen on the Internet that they want to see right away.
At some point in the initial conversation, I ask if they have talked to a lender about prequalification. Most admit that they have not, but indicate that they have excellent credit and have purchased many homes in the past.
Often, when I try to tell them that the criteria for obtaining a loan are much more stringent these days, they feel like I just don’t want to show them the property. That is only partially true. I don’t want to show them property until they talk to a lender.
There is nothing worse than having a buyer fall in love with a property that they later discover that they cannot purchase. It is morally devastating and a frustrating waste of time and effort.
It is much better start the process correctly, and to have a preapproval letter in hand, ready to attach to an offer to purchase. No time is lost, and the offer is much more appealing to the seller.
And even more importantly, it is better to discover potential stumbling blocks early in the game, when they can be addressed and corrected.
So when I ask a buyer to speak to a lender, I am not putting them off unnecessarily. I am only doing my job as a professional to serve them better.
And to help you get the best deal on your next home purchase.
Did You Know? NAR 2009 Profile of Buyers and Sellers
According to National Association of Realtors in 2009:
90% of homebuyers searched for their new homes on the Internet and to find a real estate agent.
The most valued features in a real estate website were property photos, detailed property information, virtual tours, real estate agent contact information, and interactive maps.
36% of buyers found the home they purchased on the Internet, 36% through the real estate agent, 12% by a yard sign, 6% through a friend, and 2% through a newspaper ad.
44% of home buyers found their agent from personal referral, 10% from a previous relationship, and 10% from an Internet website.
46% of home buyers wanted an agent to help them find a home. 16% wanted a Realtor to help negotiate terms of a sale while 13% want a real estate agent to help negotiate price.
The top qualities homebuyers desire in a real estate agent are honesty and integrity (98%), knowledge of the homebuying process (95%), responsiveness (93%), knowledge of the real estate market (92%), negotiation skills (84%), and communication skills (83%).
85% of home sellers used a real estate agent to sell their home.
40% of home listings never saw a price change before selling while 26% of all homes had their price reduced once.
47% of home sales in 2009 were 1st Time Homebuyers
The median price of home purchased was $210,000 in the Northeast, $158,000 in the Midwest, $175,000 in the South, and $240,000 in the West.
Real estate agents were viewed as a very useful information source by 81 percent of buyers who used an agent while searching for a home.
Seventy-seven percent of buyers purchased their home through a real estate agent or broker.
Recent sellers typically sold their homes for 95 percent of the listing price, and 60 percent reported they reduced the asking price at least once.
The share of home sellers who sold their home without the assistance of a real estate agent was 11 percent. About half of them, 45 percent, knew the buyer prior to home purchase.
#1 reason Buyers purchased their home was the desire to own their home.
Repeat buyers usually purchase larger homes than first-time buyers. Repeat buyers typically purchased a 2,100 square foot home whereas first-time buyers purchased a 1,600 foot home.
The median home purchased by a married couple was 2,000 square feet, around 500 square feet larger than the median home purchased by a single person.
Homes purchased in the South were generally larger at a median of 1,905 square feet.
Homes purchased in the West and Northeast were more expensive per square foot (slightly more than $130 dollars) compared to the Midwest and South where homes were purchased for a median of $91 per square foot.
79 percent of home buyers using the Internet bought their home through an agent
Data obtained from "National Association of Realtors 2009 Profile of Buyers and Sellers"
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
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