San Antonio's Rockstar Real Estate Agent

What Do You Get When 166,213 People Take The Day Off?

Matt Stigliano (RE/MAX Access - San Antonio Real Estate Rockstar) — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 10:31:00 -0600

Thanksgiving - a day of rest for most of us.

Not many people write loans, shows houses, or close transactions on Thanksgiving Day here in America. I bet there's a few transactions occurring, but overall the real estate world is dead today. There's plenty of us checking our Twitter streams, sending emails, and blogging about Thanksgiving...but overall, the American real estate industry is silent.

So what happens when so many people stop going about their normal routines? I'll let this screen shot explain it all:

HAPPY THANKSGIVING ACTIVERAIN!

Matt Stigliano, Realtor® | RE/MAX Access | (210) 646-HOME | www.RErockstar.com

"Your all access pass to San Antonio real estate."

Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

Foursquare: Thoughts On Possible Real Estate Uses At AgentGenius

Matt Stigliano (RE/MAX Access - San Antonio Real Estate Rockstar) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:16:28 -0600

photo courtesy of roomjosh

It's just a stupid game.

Fans of Foursquare probably can tell you that it's a bit addictive. The thrill of unlocking a badge or ousting someone as Mayor of your favorite restaurant can make you want to pull your cell phone and drain your batteries more than many of the social media products and sites. If you're not familiar with Foursquare, head on over to their site and get an idea of what it's all about. Then head over to my profile on Foursquare and become my friend.

Once you've checked it out for a bit and started to check in here and there, perhaps it's time to "think outside the square" and read some of the less obvious reasons Foursquare is more than just a stupid game. My most recent article at AgentGenius, goes over some of the thoughts I've been having about it. Do you have more ideas to contribute?

Read "Why Wasting Your Time With Foursquare Is Good" part of The Stigliano Chronicles at AgentGenius

Matt Stigliano, Realtor® | RE/MAX Access | (210) 646-HOME | www.RErockstar.com

"Your all access pass to San Antonio real estate."

Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

Excited about Our Upcoming Conversation with Chris Brogan on Social Media Edge!

Matt Stigliano (RE/MAX Access - San Antonio Real Estate Rockstar) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 05:57:55 -0600

Now this is something you don't want to miss.

JCKC Radio is having a big show this week. A radio show by our very own Jason Crouch and Ken Cook (and featuring regulars like Jeremy Blanton and Mike Mueller), I usually try and catch the show each week to see what they're up to. This week, though, I can't make it and I will have to listen to it on the archived recording.

I say "have to" as their guest this week is Chris Brogan. If you don't know who he is, you're missing out. I had a chance to have a brief chat with Chris at BlogWorld Expo and he will blow your mind. The best part? He's as down to earth as could be and loves to talk.

Tune in this week, even if you never return as a regular listener. A chance to have a bit of interaction (make sure you join the chat room, the hosts read from it during the show and often will ask your questions to their guests) with Chris Brogan is well worth the hour of your time. Even if you don't interact with him, just hearing what he has to say will make you think.

Via Jason Crouch, Broker - Austin Texas Real Estate (512-796-7653) (Austin Texas Homes, LLC):

Ken Cook and I are very pleased to announce that Chris Brogan will be joining us for our next show. We've had a string of terrific guests, but Chris is arguably our most well-known guest to date. I have a feeling that this show will probably break our previous listener records, but time will tell. I would like to publicly thank our friend, Cathy Browne, PR pro, for booking Chris. Cathy has been in charge of booking talent for a few months now.

Chris' blog at ChrisBrogan.com has over 30,000 subscribers, and he's the co-author of "Trust Agents", which became a New York Times best seller earlier this year. He is a highly-sought-after speaker these days, and I highly recommend both his book and subscribing to his blog.

Here's a quick review of "Trust Agents" that I wrote previously:

"Trust Agents" - Chris Brogan & Julien Smith - Quick Book Review

Clearly, the guy knows a bit about social media.

Join us on Tuesday, November 24th at noon Eastern (11am Central, 10am Mountain, 9am Pacific) right here LIVE to hear Chris (and us, too!):

http://blogtalkradio.com/jckc

I think the segment with Chris will start around 25-30 minutes into the show. It promises to be an hour of fun and learning.

On another note, if you have any questions that you would like for me to ask Chris during our time together, feel free to leave them in the comments below and I'll do my best to work them in, depending on how many I get.

If, for some odd reason, you are simply unable to listen live, you can always listen via the archive recording. All of our previous shows can be found on our Facebook page: http://facebook.com/socialmediaedge thanks to Mike Mueller!

So, here's the list again in case you missed anything above:

1. Tune in to listen to us and Chris LIVE Tuesday morning.

2. Post any questions you might have for Chris below.

3. If you miss it, listen to the archive recording.

Thanks for listening!

If you enjoyed this post, why not connect with me in these other communities?

If you're looking for a home in the Austin area, you can visit my primary Austin real estate website at www.austintexashomes.com. Thanks!

Matt Stigliano, Realtor® | RE/MAX Access | (210) 646-HOME | www.RErockstar.com

"Your all access pass to San Antonio real estate."

Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

San Antonio Videos - People, Places, Neighborhoods, And Homes

Matt Stigliano (RE/MAX Access - San Antonio Real Estate Rockstar) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 08:08:08 -0600

Want to see more of San Antonio?

Whether you're looking for something to do in San Antonio, to learn a bit about real estate, a new local neighborhood to explore, or a home to buy; the RErockstar YouTube Channel has something for everyone. As we move into 2010, I plan on using more and more local San Antonio video to provide my readers with more information. Everyone loves to be able to see what they're reading about and although a picture is still worth a thousand words, video can often give you an even better look.

So take a moment and subscribe to the RErockstar Channel at YouTube and keep up with all that San Antonio has to offer. If you have anything you'd like to see covered in video, just contact me and I'll do my best to get it included.

Matt Stigliano, Realtor® | RE/MAX Access | (210) 646-HOME | www.RErockstar.com

"Your all access pass to San Antonio real estate."

Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

Enter The "Frank And Sally Explain Real Estate" Episode X Contest! - Now Extended!

Matt Stigliano (RE/MAX Access - San Antonio Real Estate Rockstar) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 06:22:19 -0600

The "Frank And Sally Explain Real Estate" Episode X Contest Has Been Extended!

I just received a call from Sally and with all that is going on with her (she's picked up three new clients this week) and the Thanksgiving holiday fast approaching, she's asked that we change the deadline for the Episode X contest. The new deadline is Monday, December 7th, 2009 at midnight (Pacific Standard Time).

Official Contest Rules

Write a two person script about real estate to be turned into a short movie. You may use any of the characters already used in the "Frank And Sally Explain Real Estate" series: Frank, Sally, Bob, or Tina. You may also introduce a new character.

Use the script to explain a real estate concept, question, or answer. Please make sure it's not state specific (ie, don't quote Paragraph I.A.(2)(b)(d) in your script as these differ from state to state based on that state's real estate laws).

Post your script as a blog entry on your ActiveRain blog. Put a link to it in the comments of the original contest post.

See original post for more details on what you can do with your script.

The Prizes

First place winner will receive 3,000 points and have their movie filmed and directed by me. This movie will be yours to use and will be featured on my ActiveRain blog as well as my RErockstar.com site with links back to your site.

Five runner-ups will receive 500 points and will have their scripts retained as possible future development deals.

As this is my first contest here on ActiveRain, I'm bound to have forgotten to mention something. If you notice something that isn't explained fully, don't be afraid to ask. Because of this situation Frank, Sally, and I reserve the rights to add to the rules. You will not be disqualified for breaking new rules, but you should be aware of the changes as the contest progresses - check back often.

Good luck everyone, we can't wait to read your scripts!

Please note, comments have been disabled on this post, if you wish to comment, please comment on the original post.

Matt Stigliano, Realtor® | RE/MAX Access | (210) 646-HOME | www.RErockstar.com

"Your all access pass to San Antonio real estate."

Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

The Joys of Texas: BBQ in November

Matt Stigliano (RE/MAX Access - San Antonio Real Estate Rockstar) — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 08:14:33 -0600

This is my grill.

I love to grill. One of my favorite family stories is about a cold winter snowstorm in Pennsylvania. A friend of my sister's lived nearby and had gone to the store, braving the icy conditions. When she returned home, she called my sister to say hello and tell her about the "idiot in the parka out on his balcony grilling in this weather." That idiot was my Dad.

Both my brother and I received the grilling torch from my father and both of us have become quite skilled over the years. If I could, I would grill every day for dinner. I never grow tired of the smoky taste and tenderness you get from grilling, whether through smoking with woods like Mesquite and Hickory or just the good old taste of charcoal. I don't use a gas grill much (I currently don't own one), but they are great if you're in a hurry.

Since moving to Texas, I really got into the smoking side of BBQ. I do live in the land of brisket after all. Smoking takes forever, but when you cut into the meat and see the smoke rings on the outside - that's a reward I love to have.

You can have your snowstorms and below freezing temperatures.

I'm not interested in the cold. Yes, it does get cold in San Antonio, but not nearly as much and not nearly as severe. Today, the high is expected to be around 75. It's November 22nd. I'll be out there all day; checking my fire, making sure the meat is moist, and enjoying time with my friends.

This is why I live in Texas. The long hot summer, the short cool winter. The ability to BBQ anytime I want (not that a little rain or snow has ever stopped me). Give me a meat or vegetable and I'll slap it on the grill: hamburgers, turkey burgers, hot dogs, Italian sausage, Kielbasa, smoked sausages, Bratwurst, Knockwust, brisket, steak, chicken, fish, shrimp, mussels, lobster, Boston Butt roasts, turkey, beef ribs, pork ribs, baby back ribs, riblets, pork chops, lamb chops, leg of lamb, fajitas, corn on the cob, zucchini, mushrooms, peppers, onions, squash, tomatoes, garlic, potatoes...are you starting to get the picture yet?

Today's menu will be brisket, Boston Butt (pulled pork), and beef and pork riblets. My wife will make her famous potato salad, our friend who is a pastry chef at a local Inn will make her out of this world deserts, we'll drink some beer and enjoy the day. That's what BBQ is all about. Good friends and a whole lot of doing nothing.

I may not be a true Texan, but I will always be a member of the Texas BBQ lovers.

Matt Stigliano, Realtor® | RE/MAX Access | (210) 646-HOME | www.RErockstar.com

"Your all access pass to San Antonio real estate."

Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

Better Homes And Gardens Real Estate Does App Better.

Matt Stigliano (RE/MAX Access - San Antonio Real Estate Rockstar) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:26:34 -0600

Better Homes And Gardens Real Estate builds an app for everyone.

I'm a RE/MAX agent, so it might seem surprising to hear me extol the virtues of another real estate franchise, but this is one I can't ignore. The Better Homes And Gardens Real Estate App for iPhone is simply one of the best real estate apps out there. Sure, there are plenty of useful ones, but nothing that personalizes the experience quite like this.

So, you're out looking at homes and you want to remember the details of each one? As they say, "There's an app for that."

Just whip out your iPhone and click on this app and you'll be prepared to make great use of your time. You can take snapshots of the home you're viewing, make an album out of it, rate it, take notes, categorize it, and even share the photos as you take them (to Facebook or send them as email). So far it just sounds like a fancy photo organizer, right?

Location, location, location services.

By utilizing the iPhone's GPS-based location services, this app tags the photos based on your location and then allows you to view neighborhood data in reference to this particular home. Check out home values (sales activity and price trends), community information (demographics, crime, housing stability, housing inventory, and work force data), school information (broken down by elementary, middle, high, adult, private, and Catholic), and find points of interest (eating and drinking, shopping, recreation, and banks). I toyed around with my zip code and found most of the information to be excellent (sometimes sources of data for apps seem shaky at best, but not with this app).

Consumer education and resources.

The two buttons at the bottom probably weren't going to be too exciting I thought. Just some bland basic info about remodeling and a few brief bits about some real estate education topics. I actually found them to be a well written resource of information that consumers want to know.

Excellent.

Well done Better Homes And Gardens Real Estate. Best part of it all, the app is absolutely free and available to anyone with an iPhone. I'll be recommending it to all my clients to use. Anything that helps make sense of all the data you're bombarded with while searching for a home is an excellent idea and I applaud them for creating this app. My assumption is that the other brokers are scrambling to get similar branded apps out to the market place. Until then, thanks Better Homes And Gardens Real Estate.

Matt Stigliano, Realtor® | RE/MAX Access | (210) 646-HOME | www.RErockstar.com

"Your all access pass to San Antonio real estate."

Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

Virtual REbarcamp Is Today - An Interesting New Way To Hold REbarcamp.

Matt Stigliano (RE/MAX Access - San Antonio Real Estate Rockstar) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 08:22:51 -0600

image courtesy of Virtual REbarcamp site and Jim Cronin

Today is the day!

Virtual REbarcamp has arrived. If you're not even sure what REbarcamp is all about, I suggest you read Mike Mueller's post, "What the heck is an RE Beer Camp?" to get an idea of what's about to happen. This REbarcamp is a little bit different though. Instead of having to travel miles to the location, the location is anywhere you want it to be. It's, dare I say...virtual.

At 9AM Pacific Standard Time, the first ever Virtual REbarcamp will kick off with Jim Cronin's (RealEstateTomato) welcome and then the learning begins. With sessions ranging from "The Real Estate Office Of The Future" to "YouTube For Real Estate" to "LinkedIn - The Red Headed Step Child Of Social Media" to "Mortgage Blogging Success" - there is a topic for just about everyone. You can check the Virtual REbarcamp schedule to see what interests you. Registration is FREE.

I'll be attending today and look forward to seeing a) how the overall experience is, b) what I can learn, c) how this virtual experiment goes, and d) prepare myself for future REbarcamps (I'd like to do some presentations in the future to share some of the things I've learned).

What are you waiting for? Come and join in on the first ever Virtual REbarcamp!

Matt Stigliano, Realtor® | RE/MAX Access | (210) 646-HOME | www.RErockstar.com

"Your all access pass to San Antonio real estate."

Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

Ever Wanted To Write A Movie? Enter The "Frank And Sally Explain Real Estate" Episode X Contest!

Matt Stigliano (RE/MAX Access - San Antonio Real Estate Rockstar) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:41:33 -0600

Frank And Sally Explain Real Estate: Episode 3

Wow, did you hear what Tina said?

That's right folks, this is a contest. I've enjoyed working with the cast for the last few weeks. Unfortunately (or fortunately as we would say as agents), Sally is a bit busy lately (showing Bob houses and getting Frank ready to find a new home), so she requested some help from me. We discussed it and thought it would be a lot more fun to let all the ActiveRain members have a crack at it.

P.S. I apologize that Tina seems to think that she's real and you're living in a virtual world - just let them keep thinking it, it doesn't hurt anyone.

The "Frank And Sally Explain Real Estate" Episode X Contest:

The idea - We want you to write a script explaining some basics of real estate. You can talk about contracts, buying, selling, inspections, staging...you name it. All we ask is that you keep the information non-state specific (ie, if you talk contracts, don't talk about Paragraph A.2.(b)(c).1.Q.) and that you don't continue any of the story-lines already begun in Episodes 1-3 (we are currently shooting several episodes so I don't want any story inconsistencies). The more it applies to overall real estate the better.

You can use two characters - So far, we've introduced Frank (first time home buyer), Sally (real estate agent), Bob (home buyer), and Tina (Sally's assistant). You may introduce a new character, but please include a brief description of who they are and what role they will play, so that we can locate an actor that fits the part. (Hint: There are many great roles still available. Lenders, sellers, escrow agents, inspectors...you get the idea.)

There is no limit on length - However, if you write a 50,000 word epic, I probably won't be able to finish the movie until 2057.

Write your script - Have a conversation. Don't just do a question and answer session. These are real people with real lives. Show that in your script. Your script should come in the form of a blog post. Please use the following format to write your script:

Ralph: Hello Sally, what are you working on today?

Sally: Not too much Ralph, just showing people how to format their scripts.

Post your entry on your ActiveRain blog by Midnight Pacific Time, November 30, 2009. Title your post "Episode X: Frank And Sally Explain Real Estate Contest" (you may add more after that, but it must contain that phrase first).

Place a link to your blog post in the comments of this post. Your link must be a clickable link to your blog post (I don't feel like playing cut and paste all day). If you need help, visit Jeff Turner's Tutorial on Adding Links To Your Blog Post.

That's all there is to it.

The Prizes.

One (1) Grand Prize - Winner will be whisked away to Frank and Sally's home town for an all expense paid working vacation. There, you'll be on set as the latest episode is filmed and treated like a Hollywood mogul. Who knows, you might ever get to rub elbows with some of the town's elite. Once your episode has been filmed and edited, you will have full rights to the video (as will myself, Frank and Sally) to use as you please. Your video will be featured on my ActiveRain blog as well as RErockstar.com. This prize package is valued at 3,000 points.

Five (5) Runner-up Prizes - Five entrants will be selected as possible future scripts and considered for development deals. We will retain the right to shoot these films, but you will still maintain rights to your intellectual property. As compensation for our buying your scripts, you will be each be given 500 points. If your scripts do make it to the big screen, you will retain the same rights as the Grand Prize Winner, and be allowed to use the movies for your own use.

Judging.

The entries will be judged for creativity, factual real estate knowledge, ability of characters to interact with each other as well as the movie-viewing audience, and overall interest as a film. Judging will begin on December 1st, 2009, and the winner will be announced sometime within the following week by blog post and email. We have not formed a panel of judges just yet, but they will be announced in the next few days (if you're interested in judging, feel free to comment below).

Good luck everyone, we can't wait to read your scripts!

Matt Stigliano, Realtor® | RE/MAX Access | (210) 646-HOME | www.RErockstar.com

"Your all access pass to San Antonio real estate."

Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

Sally returns to help new home buyer Bob.

Matt Stigliano (RE/MAX Access - San Antonio Real Estate Rockstar) — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 07:27:16 -0600

Frank And Sally Explain Real Estate: Episode 2

Sally is one busy Realtor®.

Thanks to her talk with Frank about the First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit last week, Sally has picked up a new client, Frank's brother Bob. Bob is looking to purchase a home soon, so he and Sally sit down to chat as Bob has a few questions about home buying. Sally explains some of the basics in the home buying process and soon they will be off looking at homes for Bob.

Bob has been generous enough to allow us to sit in on his interactions with Sally during the home buying process. Although all information passed between client and agent is covered by confidentiality, Bob doesn't mind us all listening in.

If you'd like to use this video, just click on the video and locate the "Embed" text box on that page. Select all of the text in this box (it is not automatic like many video sites), copy, and paste it into the HTML editor...that's all there is to it. All I ask is that you attribute it back to me and RErockstar.com.

Bob, Frank, and Sally are fictional characters who do not represent any persons living, dead, or animated. Sally is not technically licensed in any state other than the virtual world, but her real estate knowledge is based on Texas real estate (I taught her everything she knows).

Bob wears track suits a little too often, but he's just trying to be comfortable and ready for a quick jog whenever the mood strikes him. Sally wears the same color suit everyday, but we promise you they're clean.

Matt Stigliano, Realtor® | RE/MAX Access | (210) 646-HOME | www.RErockstar.com

"Your all access pass to San Antonio real estate."

Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

You Probably All Think I'm Crazy - NARDiego And Me.

Matt Stigliano (RE/MAX Access - San Antonio Real Estate Rockstar) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:02:40 -0600

photo courtesy of peasap

National Association of Realtors® Convention - San Diego - November 13-16

The National Association of Realtors@ Convention (NARDiego) is upon us. I had no intention of going this year, but a few recent conversations with agents whose opinions I truly value, really got me thinking about it. Of course, there was a few huge issues in the way. First, you need to get a pass and they're not cheap. Second, there's travel involved (sometimes living in San Antonio makes me feel really far away from just about everything). And third, there's the incidental costs of hotels, food, and things like cabs to and from events.

It all adds up rather quickly. Because of that fact, I hadn't made plans to go. I'm doing well lately, but not well enough to throw down a pile of cash like that. I'm spending my money re-investing in myself and my business as well as doing the usual - paying the bills.

So, after a conversation on Twitter with Kelley Koehler (@housechick), I really started to think I was going to miss out. I think this year's convention will be an interesting one to say the least - just read my most recent post on AgentGenius to understand what I think we're preparing for in the coming years. So now I had the desire to go...but not the plans.

A pass.

After some thought, Kelley gave me a few ideas about how to acquire a pass. I didn't think it would work, but I've learned to trust Kelley (she's freaking smart that one!), and so I followed her plan. It worked. I've acquired a pass thanks to a good Samaritan I know via Twitter.

An idea.

If you happen to know Mariana Wagner (@mizzle), you might know of her strange fascination with the idea of arm-wrestling me. I don't know when it started, but we often joke about it on Twitter. Well, the idea popped up and I sent Mariana a message - "How much do you think people will pay to see us arm-wrestle?" It was half-joke and half-serious question. Mariana even offered to put up $50 of her own money for a different accomplishment if I can pull it off (more details on that if I make it).

So the idea grew in my head through the night. What if I could figure out a way to make it there? I thought about driving (which isn't easy considering my wife and I only have one car and she has a job and all that good stuff) - it will only take me 19 hours and 24 minutes according to Google. Not exactly the best idea.

And then there's flying, but that's expensive. So perhaps, the RE.net Arm-Wrestle Of The Second Century could bring in enough to pay for it. So here's the idea...

Can this really happen?

I'm taking donations. From agents and companies - whoever wants to contribute. By my estimation, my flights and hotel should run me about $1,200. That's a lot, but let's break it down - $10 from 120 people. Doesn't seem so bad now. The donations will be used to cover those costs and will allow the RE.net Arm-Wrestle Of The Second Century (Mizzle vs. RErockstar) to occur. If you're going to San Diego, you will get the invite to watch it take place live. If you're not going, you will be able to watch the video after we get back (of course it's going to be videotaped - and probably from a million angles).

All it takes is reaching the goal of $1,200.

But wait, there's more.

In the interest of incentives and feeling like I'm doing my part for good in the world, I've decided to once again involve Mothers Fighting For Others. If you've ever met Rocky Turner (@headmutha) you'll understand why her organization is my charity of choice. For every cent over my goal of $1,200, I'll donate it to Mothers Fighting For Others. And if for some reason, we don't reach my goal, the entire amount will be donated to Mothers Fighting For Others. It's a very short time (2 days maximum) to reach the goal, so no matter what happens it's a win-win situation.

So how about it, send me to NARDiego and help support Mothers Fighting For Others. And as an added bonus, I will be giving the top contributor (dollar-wise) a special gift from my collection of band memorabilia from my days as a rockstar. I have a few things in mind and they're all much better than just a CD or a poster (or something like that) - these are actual artifacts from my personal collection.

So what do you say? Am I going or not?

Think of all the things you'll gain: front row seats (or at least some video) to RE.net Arm-Wrestle Of The Second Century (Mizzle vs. RErockstar), potential contributions to Mothers Fighting For Others, more posts and reporting from me, and if you donate big time - a serious piece of rock and roll memorabilia. Just click the "Donate" link below and PayPal will take care of it from there.

Because of the nature of how I'm doing this, I don't think you'll be able to claim any tax deductions for this, but that's for you and your accountant to figure out.

Donate to RErockstar's NARDiego Fund/Mothers Fighting For Others

And remember - there is only two days to pull this off!

Matt Stigliano, Realtor® | RE/MAX Access | (210) 646-HOME | www.RErockstar.com

"Your all access pass to San Antonio real estate."

Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

Frank And Sally Explain The First Time Home Buyers Tax Credit

Matt Stigliano (RE/MAX Access - San Antonio Real Estate Rockstar) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:01:03 -0600

Frank And Sally Explain Real Estate: Episode 1

Meet Frank and his agent, Sally.

In trying to come up with a simple breakdown of the First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit, I thought that video would be the answer. Since I've done a few for the previous tax credit, I wanted to find a new way to use video to explain it all. Enter Frank and Sally. In this video, Frank's agent Sally, helps him understand the basics of the First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit. In the future, Frank and Sally will be providing some much needed help to me, so that I might take some time off from blogging when they're able to pick up the slack.

If you'd like to use this video, just click on the video and locate the "Embed" text box on that page. Copy and paste...that's all there is to it. All I ask is that you attribute it back to me and RErockstar.com.

Frank and Sally are fictional characters who do not represent any persons living, dead, or animated. Sally is not technically licensed in any state other than the virtual world, but her real estate knowledge is based on Texas real estate (I taught her everything I know). Frank likes Metallica, but Sally is more of an easy-listening kind of gal.

Matt Stigliano, Realtor® | RE/MAX Access | (210) 646-HOME | www.RErockstar.com

"Your all access pass to San Antonio real estate."

Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

Realtors® Property Resource (RPR) Webinar now available to everyone.

Matt Stigliano (RE/MAX Access - San Antonio Real Estate Rockstar) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:11:47 -0600

photo courtesy of whiteafrican

Big news for some becomes big news for all.

You may remember me discussing some thoughts about the Realtors® Property Resource (RPR) the other day in "Will the Realtors® Property Resource (RPR) drive up the costs of referrals?" I was lucky enough to have been invited to attend the webinar in advance and didn't think it would be available until sometime after NARDiego, but it appears the Association has decided to let the cat out of the bag. Watch as Dale Stinton, CEO of the National Association of Realtors® lays out some of the basics of the Realtors® Property Resource (RPR) and explains just what you'll be able to do with it when it launches.

The RPR has generated a lot of talk in Realtor® blogging circles (although not much here at ActiveRain, which I thought was a bit disappointing) and whether it is a boom or a bust for the Association remains to be seen. It does look like powerful stuff based on the presentation and I can't wait to get my hands on it to take it for a tour.

Now that the webinar is available to all via realtor.org, I'm hoping to see some more comments and discussion about the implications of what NAR is doing with such a behemoth of a site. It will be interesting to watch to say the least.

Watch the Realtors® Property Resource (RPR) Webinar now.

Matt Stigliano, Realtor® | RE/MAX Access | (210) 646-HOME | www.RErockstar.com

"Your all access pass to San Antonio real estate."

Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

The Wurst Night Of My Life - Wurstfest 2009.

Matt Stigliano (RE/MAX Access - San Antonio Real Estate Rockstar) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 07:20:52 -0600

My friend Luke hanging out with "Das Schnitzel" at Wurstfest 2009.

No, I didn't fly to Germany this weekend.

I've spent a lot of time in Germany in the course of my life. I was there before the Wall came down and have spent months at a time roaming from town to town while I was still a musician. I actually had designs on being a German teacher at one point in my life. I still speak and understand some of the language - enough to get me where I need to go.

I have a certain love for all things German. I guess it just rubbed off on me during my time over there. Some cities are so familiar to me I can point you in the right direction of my favorite restaurants, hotels, and venues. My love for all things German especially extends to two things: beer and sausage (or Wurst as they are called in German).

Wurstfest 2009 - New Braunfels, Texas

I didn't realize how much German influence there was in this part of the country until I moved here. New Braunfels, Texas is the home of Wurstfest, "A Salute To Sausage," billed as Oktoberfest - Texas Style. With tons of different vendors selling all sorts of different sausage, beers from Späten to Warsteiner (as well as local German-inspired favorite, Shiner), gifts (steins, lederhosen, hats, and more), and a typical round up of small town festival foods. Music continues throughout the day and night in several locations throughout the Landa Park grounds. No matter what, you'll have a good time.

This year seemed very packed compared to previous years I've gone and I wonder if the festival isn't growing too much for the size of it's location. Located along the banks of the Comal River in Landa Park, the Wustfest grounds may need expanding once again if attendance continues to climb. Started in 1961 (1967 was the first year it was held in Landa Park at the Wursthalle), the festival continues to attract people from around the world as well as locals and nearby residents. You can see the pride on people's faces as they walk through the festival grounds. It's a Texas thing that's deeply rooted in the beer halls of München (Munich).

Next year, come on down. Trink ein bisschen Bier and viel Spass machen. (Drink a little beer and have a lot of fun.) Wilkommen. We're glad you came.

Matt Stigliano, Realtor® | RE/MAX Access | (210) 646-HOME | www.RErockstar.com

"Your all access pass to San Antonio real estate."

Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

Will the Realtors® Property Resource (RPR) drive up the costs of referrals?

Matt Stigliano (RE/MAX Access - San Antonio Real Estate Rockstar) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 10:01:48 -0600

The Realtors® Property Resource is coming.

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, let's get you up to speed first. Check out these articles (and the articles they reference) for some great information about the Realtors® Property Resource (RPR) and what it potentially means to your business. You might want to grab a few extra cups of coffee before you click - this is pretty heavy stuff and the analysis and information might require some serious caffeine.

Breaking News: NAR/RPR + Cyberhomes = written by Jim Duncan

The Coming Civil War in Real Estate: The RPR Saga Begins written by Rob Hahn

Feeling up to speed now?

(You're not alone if you feel a bit bombarded with a lot of information in one go. The RPR is big stuff and until it's fully released to be toyed with, I think I'll wait to truly pass judgment on it.)

RPR and your referral network.

We all strive to build a healthy referral network of Realtors® across the country. We make friends, comment on their blogs, chat with them about the latest issues...much like our clients getting to know us, we want these agents to trust us enough with their clients who are moving to our market areas.

Referrals are big business. There is a reason ActiveRain has a referral network link on "Your Home." I've seen referral fees swing from free to 50% (several ActiveRain referrals that I've seen come through the wire have been at 50% - no thanks). From what I've seen the typical amount is closer to 20-30% for a referring agent.

So how does the Realtor® Property Resource affect referrals?

It's just a theory of mine, but let's look at an example. I used to live in Philadelphia, PA. Since coming to ActiveRain, I've become friends with the Somers Team, Christopher and Stephanie, in Philadelphia. We often comment on each others blogs (they better comment on this one!) and I love talking to them because a) they're smart Realtors® and b) they remind me of my former home and the places I used to go in the city. I would gladly refer business to the two of them if a client in San Antonio wanted to move to Philadelphia. I would feel safe in knowing they'd do the best for my clients. That's what referrals are built on.

Let's say I have a San Antonio-based client that wants to move to Philadelphia. "Great," I tell them, "I'm from there and know some excellent agents that work in that specific neighborhood. Let me give them a call and have you speak with them." The connection is made and my client loves Christopher and Stephanie. We've got a referral on our hands. I speak with Chris and he agrees to pay me 25% when my client closes their transaction. We sign a referral agreement and everything works out wonderfully. The Somers search their local MLS for properties matching my client's needs, negotiate the contract, and handle the closing. I get a check for 25% from Chris and everyone is happy, including my client who received excellent care from The Somers Team.

* As a side note I would like to add that I have a specific policy of who I send referrals to and how much I would ask as a referral fee. All the numbers in this article are just there for arguments sake. I would work out any arrangements personally between myself and The Somers Team and this is no way implies that I feel Chris owes me 25% of anything.

So there are three basic (overly-simplified for the sake of this example) steps to what Christopher and Stephanie did for my client:

Find them a list of properties via their MLS
Make an offer on a home and negotiate the contract
Take the contract through to a successful closing

But wait...thanks to the Realtors® Property Resource (RPR) I can eliminate one of these three. With my client still in San Antonio, we can begin compiling a list of homes that they would like to see. Chris doesn't need to search his MLS for my client. In addition, I can provide my client with all sorts of data on the Philadelphia market and more specifically the neighborhood they are interested in. My client comes to Chris well informed and ready to make an offer.

In the past, we were paid referrals almost as a "thank you" more than anything else. We didn't do a ton of work to get that referral fee, just picked up the phone and called on one of our trusted friends (you do know the people you're sending referrals to I would hope). Now, with the Realtors® Property Resource, we can do some of the work before we even pick up the phone to speak with the local agent we're going to refer to.

So, following that logic, if I did little in the past and got paid 25% from Christopher and Stephanie, now that I've done part of the work for them, can't I then command a larger percentage referral fee? Perhaps I should charge them 40% from now on. Maybe even 50%.

Of course, I don't agree to that logic, but I bet plenty will. The "if I'm doing the work, I deserve a bigger cut" mentality will appear in no time after RPR is launched. We're all looking for ways to make more money, so why not right here under our noses?

My thinking follows more along the lines of yes, I will do research for my soon to be out of state client. Yes, I will pull properties from the Realtors® Property Resource for them to get a better understanding of their new local neighborhoods. Yes, I will refer that client to someone who I have built a trusting relationship with. No, I will not ask for a larger referral fee than I would have in the first place. Sure, I've done some more work than I used to, but the fact remains that the agent I referred the business to is a local expert and I am not.

I value the abilities of the Realtors® I refer to and asking them for a higher referral fee just because I ran some property searches (admit it, searching for property is pretty easy - it's getting down to the right house for the client that takes a bit more work) seems like a ridiculous idea. I won't let greed rule the day when it comes to the Realtors® Property Resource (RPR), but will use it to help clients be prepared for their possible move to a new location.

Stay tuned for more news on the Realtors® Property Resource as it becomes available. I am chomping at the bit to get my hands on it and mess around with it. Hear that NAR? I'm ready for some demo time.

photo courtesy of Shot_by_Cam

Matt Stigliano, Realtor® | RE/MAX Access | (210) 646-HOME | www.RErockstar.com

"Your all access pass to San Antonio real estate."

Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

3/4 Acre Lot In Georg Ranch (Garden Ridge 78266) Awaits Your Dream Home!

Matt Stigliano (RE/MAX Access - San Antonio Real Estate Rockstar) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:14:18 -0600

Matt Stigliano | RE/MAX Access | (210) 646-HOME

22003 Cristobal Drive, Garden Ridge, TX

3/4 Acre Lot In Georg Ranch Awaits Your Dream Home!

0.773 acres Vacant Land

offered at $94,500

Lot Size

0.773 acres

DESCRIPTION

Large wooded lot in Georg Ranch just waiting for your dream home. Mature treed (cedar and oak) lot is in well established area of community. Level/gently sloping home site with green area behind and gorgeous views to the front. The lot sits higher than street level so with a two story home, you'll have fantastic views of the surrounding area. Utilities are on site and the lot is partially cleared. Come take a look and see for yourself - imagine your new home today.

see additional photos below

LOCATION FEATURES

- Wooded

- Mature cedar and oak trees

- Luxury acreage homesites

- Gated Neighborhood

- Greenbelt to the rear of property

- Utilities at rear of property

- Partially cleared

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

22003 Crisobal Drive - Ga	22003 Crisobal Drive - Ga
Photo 422003 Crisobal Dri	Photo 522003 Crisobal Dri
22003 Crisobal Drive - Ga

Contact info:

Matt Stigliano

RE/MAX Access

(210) 646-HOME

For sale by agent/broker

Equal Opportunity Housing

Posted: Nov 6, 2009, 7:01am PST

Matt Stigliano, Realtor® | RE/MAX Access | (210) 646-HOME | www.RErockstar.com

"Your all access pass to San Antonio real estate."

Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

What time is the best time for blogging? Do you have a pattern?

Matt Stigliano (RE/MAX Access - San Antonio Real Estate Rockstar) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 06:10:47 -0600

photo courtesy of woodleywonderworks

I woke up early...again.

I sat at my computer, checking emails and reading blogs as I usually do while the coffee working its magic. Once I was fully awake, I began to ponder what I would write today. Blogging for me is an all day affair - I don't have just one blog to write for, so I tend to write several different posts a day. As I considered this, I thought about how I write and what time it is when I write it. I had never thought about it much, but it seemed to me that a pattern emerged.

Early Morning - These posts tend to be very introspective and questioning. For some reason my brain is great at pondering in the morning. Questioning, provoking, and idea making seem to be the rule of thumb for these pre-dawn hours.

Morning - Once I've arrived at work, my thoughts usually turn to real estate and what issues surround me. These tend to be the "how-to" posts for consumers. Dissection of the details of a real estate transaction and advice for San Antonio buyers and sellers.

Afternoon - If I'm doing any sort of video post, this is usually the time to do it. The office is quiet and I can be left alone to speak freely in my office without people knocking on my door wondering why I'm talking to myself. This is when I also do photo and video set up for later posts, such as my San Antonio neighborhood coverage. I find this to be my geekiest hour - where I install and test new plugins, toy with video and photo editing, try out new tech toys and websites...that sort of thing.

Mid-Afternoon - Typically at this point, I'm more involved in other aspects of the business, but I do sometimes still find time to blog (especially if I did the other things during the morning hours). These blogs tend to be a mix of just about everything, but do seem concentrated on localized information. A lot of that has to do with the fact that I've been out and about and saw a neighborhood I liked, visited a new business I want to talk about, or just finished up a listing set-up.

Evening - Another time to question, theorize, and dream. Evenings also tend to be a great time to wrap up everything I started during the day, but didn't get posted. It's also when I'm most active in social media, so my thoughts tend to be geared towards the community I've been speaking with. I also watch the news at night, so this is a great time to post thoughts on current events, especially national news as it relates to real estate.

Do you have a time schedule?

Do you find some posts are easier to write at certain times than others? One thing I've tried to do occasionally is to mix it up. Write that tech blog before the sun comes up, follow up your days activities with a real estate post referencing what you experienced today. Try something new. You might find a new voice as you do it as different times of day reflect different aspects of our personalities. No matter what you do, don't stay rigid and on course. Blogging is an exercise in fluidity. If you can't bend here, you're not going to bend out there. The only thing you shouldn't change is your consistency.

Matt Stigliano, Realtor® | RE/MAX Access | (210) 646-HOME | www.RErockstar.com

"Your all access pass to San Antonio real estate."

Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

I'm all out of words. Comments are hard to come by.

Matt Stigliano (RE/MAX Access - San Antonio Real Estate Rockstar) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 06:51:50 -0600

photo courtesy of stev.ie

My commenting isn't nearly what it used to be.

I've slowed down on commenting a lot. I hit the blogs I subscribe to just about everyday and usually take a peak at the Featured Posts once or twice a day. I even scroll through the blog list to see what's been written by those I may not know. I do a lot of reading. Commenting, is a different story.

Why you might ask?

Well, the first (and obvious) reason is that I'm busier than I once was. I've got a lot more going on. Not just in terms of actual business, but also in my blogging and social media efforts, my prospecting, and my education. Time isn't growing alongside my business and my business plans. We all face that.

But there's a bigger (more exciting) underlying reason. You. Lately, I've noticed a shift, especially under some of my favorite bloggers. A shift that has been there for some time, but seems to have grown. I don't know if it's the influx of new members, the excellent blogs by the ActiveRain team on "how to," or just something that happened by itself.

I see more and more localized content lately. Content that the consumer wants, but doesn't necessarily pertain to me and what I'm doing. More posts about local events, businesses, and lifestyles. More posts about neighborhoods and communities. More info about places I don't live or work. I still read many of these posts, as I enjoy learning about your market and what's happening in your neck of the woods (I've traveled the U.S. extensively, so many of these places I'm familiar with). Regardless of my feelings on it - I'm seeing more of it.

And this is not a bad thing.

And I love not having much to say about your favorite coffee shop and that new gated community down the road. I'd rather never make comments if it means we're providing the consumer with what they want. This is the goal of ActiveRain and should be every real estate bloggers goal.

So do me a favor, help me keep my mouth zipped shut and keep writing local content.

Matt Stigliano, Realtor® | RE/MAX Access | (210) 646-HOME | www.RErockstar.com

"Your all access pass to San Antonio real estate."

Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit: Will The Winter Affect It's Impact?

Matt Stigliano (RE/MAX Access - San Antonio Real Estate Rockstar) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:14:20 -0600

Please note, as of this recording, the First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit extension has not been passed. This video and post is based on the presumption that the tax credit has been extended for the purpose of the ideas expressed in the video and the conversation it seeks to create.

What if the First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit is extended to April 30th?

It all started with a conversation with Jay Thompson the other day during the rash of tweets claiming the First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit had been extended. If you read my blog regularly, you know my thoughts on that. I had called Jay because I needed a sympathetic ear for a few minutes to rant about how I felt as I saw all that misinformation.

Let's put that aside for a moment. Let's pretend the tax credit as you read this is passed and extended (it may be if you read this late enough in the week - that remains to be seen). Assuming it is now extended to April 30th, I got to thinking about the impact of it through the winter months. When they originally announced the new $8,000 tax credit (as opposed to the old re-payable $7,500 tax credit), it took quite some time for it really to have much an affect. In fact, it wasn't until the summer months that you really started to hear agents saying how great it was. Up until then, it seemed we were all telling people how great it was, but we weren't seeing the business because of it.

So what do you think?

I'm curious to hear from as many different markets as possible. You're the local market expert and probably have a better feel for the pulse than any economist. I want to hear about how it will affect your market. I want your thoughts; not quotes from the government, NAR, or the economists on TV. I think it could be very interesting to hear what people are seeing in their part of the world.

Matt Stigliano, Realtor® | RE/MAX Access | (210) 646-HOME | www.RErockstar.com

"Your all access pass to San Antonio real estate."

Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

Quick thought: Disclosure on Twitter

Matt Stigliano (RE/MAX Access - San Antonio Real Estate Rockstar) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:21:15 -0600

image courtesy of Twitter, croncast, and rerockstar

I'm not great at quick thoughts.

I was having a discussion today with Doug Lazovick, Jeff Turner, and Kris Smith about Kris' (@croncast) useful tool, CMP.ly which I've written about previously, "A quick and easy way to satisfy new FTC disclosure requirements on your blog - CMP.ly" when a thought that had been in the back of my head for some time came to the surface.

In the comment above, you can see Kris quotes "http://cmp.ly/4" at the end of his Tweet. This particular disclosure (CMP.ly Disclosure 4), states:

Employee/shareholder/business relationship

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION

I have a direct relationship with a brand, topic or product that is mentioned herein.

As Kris is one of the founders of CMP.ly, it makes sense that he would disclose this when discussing it on blogs. That's the whole point of his site and why you should be using it in light of the FTC advocated fines for non-disclosure.

How about Twitter?

This had popped into my mind right after the FTC fines were announced. What about Twitter? It is often called a "micro-blogging" platform, so does it fall under those rules. Do we need to tag a URL (like the CMP.ly URL) at the end of every tweet about a product or service? What if I was comped a free lunch at Brasserie Pavil since they know I am a big fan of theirs (both for their restaurant and what they do on Twitter in a marketing sense). I love the free lunch and immediate tweeted "Just had the best service and food @BrasseriePavil"...would I be responsible to disclose my lunch's gratis status? I obviously should, in the interest of transparency, but what if the FTC saw that tweet and thought I was trying to get around the system. Would a tweet warrant a fine?

Just thinking out loud...

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: http://cmp.ly/0

Matt Stigliano, Realtor® | RE/MAX Access | (210) 646-HOME | www.RErockstar.com

"Your all access pass to San Antonio real estate."

Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

In search of: Information on the First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit

Matt Stigliano (RE/MAX Access - San Antonio Real Estate Rockstar) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 06:02:00 -0600

image courtesy of Bramus!

Numbers don't lie.

At the end of last week, I was a bit upset about the information going out about the First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit through Twitter and various blogs, both real estate and news media related. Two of the blog posts I wrote in reaction to the situation, both at RErockstar.com, garnered a bit of attention and created a bit of discussion, but I wanted to see just how much they mattered in a world full of real estate blogs and internet chatter.

"First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit NOT Extended Depsite What You May Have Heard." and "Real Estate Bloggers And Journalists – Are We All That Different?" dealt with the issue of misinformation about the First Time Home Tax Credit and its extension. Although I knew I could never reach everyone who had heard false information, I had hoped I could at least reach my readers and a few others to be sure they were being guided in the right direction.

From Friday to Monday, I paid special attention to my numbers on Google Analytics. What I saw was telling. People are hungry for information, especially when what they're searching for is shrouded in mystery and confusion. Based on keyword searches (and nothing else), here are the percentages of traffic by queries involving the words "tax credit" and "extended" (or "extension"):

Friday, October 30 - 31.9%

Saturday, October 31 - 39.8%

Sunday, November 1 - 35.8%

Monday, November 2 - 59.1%

It doesn't take a genius to figure out that people are hungry for knowledge on the First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit and are out there searching for it. Armed with that knowledge, I think both my post over at RErockstar.com about bloggers/journalists and the similar post I wrote here at ActiveRain, become slightly more important. The consumer is out there searching, reading, and listening - even when we don't see them or hear from them in the comments. We as an industry owe it to them to provide reliable information that they need and want.

Matt Stigliano, Realtor® | RE/MAX Access | (210) 646-HOME | www.RErockstar.com

"Your all access pass to San Antonio real estate."

Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

The First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit - How misinformation affects us all.

Matt Stigliano (RE/MAX Access - San Antonio Real Estate Rockstar) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:47:32 -0500

I'm frustrated by what I see.

Imagine what a consumer feels if I'm frustrated. I work in this industry, so I know what's going on and read up on everything I can. I spend hours doing research for posts, ideas, and clients. I actually enjoy that side of real estate and real estate blogging. When I see misinformation being passed around on things like the First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit recently, it really frustrates me. Not just because I then have to field questions from my clients and locals in my area who say "but I just read on ______ that it was extended," but also because I worry about those consumers who rely on someone's blog who didn't check their facts first.

As a real estate blogger, I feel the necessity to try and deliver the most timely and correct information to my clients as well as to those who aren't my clients, but choose to read my blog anyway. In some ways, I have even more responsibility to those non-clients. When a reader stops in to read an article I've written on the First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit from Kalamazoo, I hope that my post helps them understand it and encourages them to seek a local blogger in their area who upholds the same ideas as I do and can be a great real estate agent for them.

But Matt, it's such a small percentage.

Most of the incorrect posts and tweets about the First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit were done by a small number of agents when you look at the big picture. Most of the agents I consider friends and mentors didn't tell anyone that it was "passed." They wouldn't dare, but a quick search on Twitter for "tax credit extended" brings up all sort of results that say it "has been extended" (in all fairness, there are a bunch who say "has not"). What is even more shocking is that when you look at the "has been extended" tweets and then follow the links to the posts, they typically say "might be" or other such non-definitive words.

So what?

Our industry should strive everyday to be better and more educated. We should do everything in our power to help people make sense of real estate. Giving them false hope or misinformation is not a good way to do either. We require clients to trust us as we go about our work in helping them buy and sell their homes, yet we give them a great reason to distrust us with things like this. We will destroy our own industry if we let ourselves. "But Matt, I don't do this." Ok, so you're on my side then. So when you hear people giving out incorrect information - get involved, do what you can to fight the wrong information. You may not save everyone, but at least you'll be fighting to save our industry as a whole. And who knows, someone might just hear you and think, "hmmmm...I'd like to work with that person."

Matt Stigliano, Realtor® | RE/MAX Access | (210) 646-HOME | www.RErockstar.com

"Your all access pass to San Antonio real estate."

Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

Deed Street - A new way to make your real estate tweets work for you (and help consumers).

Matt Stigliano (RE/MAX Access - San Antonio Real Estate Rockstar) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:25:14 -0500

Take a walk on Deed Street.

I was introduced to Deed Street at Blog World 2009 thanks to Doug Lazovick, the founder and man behind the curtain. During the conference I actually spent quite a bit of time with Doug and got to know him and chat with him about Deed Street.

The idea of Deed Street is pretty simple. As you tweet about real estate in your local market, Deed Street pulls those tweets onto its site and lets users search through them in real time as they happen.

Say for instance your a consumer in Phoenix, Arizona. You head over to Deed Street and select your location (Phoenix, Arizona). The next screens shows you the current tweets happening in Phoenix.

screen capture from Deed Street - PHX

How does Deed Street work?

Deed Street requires little work on your part, but it does require some. When you're tweeting about real estate, you need to add a special tag so that the computer voodoo magic that makes Deed Street run recognizes that you're talking real estate. In order to make it easy (and differentiate it from hashtags (#) and other secret codes of Twitter), Doug opted for the ^ symbol. Doug even has reasoning for that. What's it look like? The roof of a house. (If you speak to Doug on Twitter he even calls it the "house symbol.")

So in order to tell Deed Street you're talking about Phoenix real estate, you would enter ^PHX somewhere in your tweet. In my case, San Antonio real estate is represented by ^SA. There are quite a few cities available currently (Deed Street is in Beta, but I bet if you ask Doug, he'll get your city up there in no time at all), but too many to list here - so go to Deed Street and click the "Location" tab on the main screen to learn the code for your city.

In addition to the city codes there are several other important codes:

^CRE - Commercial Real Estate

^MTG - Mortgages

^REO - Real Estate Owned

^LSTG - Listings

^RENT - Rentals

^^ - General Real Estate (use this one when it's a non-local tweet)

Let's talk in examples.

You have a new listing in your hometown of Philadelphia. Your new listing is at 123 Fake Street and has a pool. It's also a foreclosure. What do you tweet?

How about: Home for sale: 123 Fake St. Fabulous home with pool! Price change - $210K ^PHI ^LSTG ^REO http://fakeURL.com/123FakeSt (This would get your tweet listed in the Philadelphia section (^PHI), in the listings section (^LSTG), and the real estate owned section (^REO).)

The First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit just got extended to 2092 and is now $80,000 for everyone. Obviously, you want to tell the world! (Please note: if you're reading this and getting excited - a) it's not true and b) it's not going to happen)

How about: New First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit Rules - $80K for everyone until 2092! Read more: http://fakeURL.com/NotTrue ^^ (This would get your tweet listed in the general real estate section (^^).)

Your name is Ken Cook and you just wrote you finest post ever about FHA mortgages. You think everyone must see it.

How about: New post at FHA Home Loans: Learn the secrets to getting approved for FHA loans. http://fakeURL.com/FHASecret ^^ ^MTG (This would get your tweet listed in the mortgage section (^MTG).)

And your tweets don't just have to be links to blog posts. You could also just tweet things such as:

Anyone know any good ^MTG people who work with ^REO in ^SA ?

(Anyone know any good mortgage people who work with real estate owned properties in San Antonio?)

I hope that gives you some ideas to get started using Deed Street. It's still in its infancy, but there has been a lot of good feedback from agents so far and I think it could become a great place for consumers to do research long before they pick up the phone, plus as a local tweeter, they will see your face and everyone wants exposure. If you have any questions, hit up Doug Lazovik on Twitter, he's a super down to earth guy and will help you out.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: http://cmp.ly/0

Matt Stigliano, Realtor® | RE/MAX Access | (210) 646-HOME | www.RErockstar.com

"Your all access pass to San Antonio real estate."

Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

Ambassador Series: Soft Connecting With Consumers

Matt Stigliano (RE/MAX Access - San Antonio Real Estate Rockstar) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 09:50:18 -0500

image courtesy of Twitter, Gimp, and my own conversation with a local consumer

Talking to the consumer...not at them.

Recently, I had a conversation with a local about their home that resulted in a post about "For Sale By Owner" homes in San Antonio (and beyond). I was pretty proud of the post as I thought I covered the topic pretty well, but after walking away from the post, I realized something was missing.

The person who had inspired the post would probably never read it. Sure, we talk on Twitter, but do they really pay attention to my posts? There was only one way to find out what they thought. Ask them. So I did. The image above is part of the resulting conversation that took place after I wrote the post based on our original conversation.

Of course, there were several things I was trying to do at once here. Spread the word about my post, remind people what I do for a living, help a consumer, help an online friend, and peer into the mind of a consumer (and yes, I even had a secret hope that this person would drop everything and say "You want to list our house?"). All of these things at once, but at the core of it all? Helping a consumer understand the world of "For Sale By Owner" from a San Antonio real estate agent's perspective.

Don't just stand there, do something!

When we write a blog post, we dream of it being the greatest single post ever written in history, but often it falls short. The goal of any blog post is to be read. We do a lot of things to help facilitate this: we practice good SEO, feed our posts to places like Twitter and Facebook, and talk to anyone and everyone that will listen to us and tell them about our blog.

But do we guide them direct to posts? If you're not doing this, you might be missing out on strong connections made through "soft connecting."

The Soft Connect.

In this case, I had spoken to this person before about real estate and their future purchase, but we had never discussed their home for sale up until this point. We have spoken here and there about local things, but I wouldn't say we talk a lot by any means. They are someone I "sort of know."

Because this particular consumer mentioned the word "FSBO" many agents would have taken this as an opportunity to say "list with me." This is a much more in-your-face way of going about it and in my book, would fall under the "hard selling" category. They didn't ask to be marketed to and told about your great services and they probably won't listen if you tried. You can even set up alerts and auto-tweets to help you accomplish these goals (please don't, but it is possible).

The better route in my opinion? "Soft selling" or in this case, the "soft connect." This particular consumer now has heightened awareness after reading my post. Awareness that I am a Realtor®, that I blog, and what I blog about. They are making a connection with me through a single post (and if I did my job correctly, they will continue to read more posts). We are getting to know each other and building trust and confidence. Will we get to work together? Only time will tell.

image courtesy of RErockstar.com

The image above is a comment left on my RErockstar.com blog from another local San Antonio buyer after we were discussing their search for a home. How did I connect with them? They mentioned they were searching for a home and we got to talking - no selling, just discussing that it was their first home and how the process was going for them. In the conversation, I asked who their agent was (to see if I knew them). Turns out, they hadn't selected one yet and had been a bit disappointed with what they found. So I sent them a link to an article I had written, "How to choose the Realtor® that’s right for you." Not long after that, this comment appeared on my site and we have been discussing their future home and running searches of the San Antonio MLS.

No selling required - just helping local San Antonio residents by sharing what I've written with them. Letting them make the decision that I am the San Antonio Realtor® that they want to work with. The "soft connect."

Next time someone mentions a real estate topic (or a local topic for that matter), think to yourself - have I written about this before? Is there an opportunity to pursue a "soft connect" with someone new? Can that lead to business today or perhaps tomorrow? People appreciate you taking the time to recommend some reading for them and they will read it. All you have to do is listen and know when someone is looking for the "soft connect."

* Obviously enough, the images have been edited to remove reference to the people in the tweets and comment. I tried my best to make it look nice for you.

Matt Stigliano, Realtor® | RE/MAX Access | (210) 646-HOME | www.RErockstar.com

"Your all access pass to San Antonio real estate."

Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

A quick and easy way to satisfy new FTC disclosure requirements on your blog - CMP.ly

Matt Stigliano (RE/MAX Access - San Antonio Real Estate Rockstar) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 06:48:13 -0500

photo courtesy of hyku

FTC handing down $11,000 fines? Yikes!

When first announced, the changes to the FTC Act of 1980 caused quite a stir throughout the blogging community. The idea was that if you were endorsing a product, you had better disclose your relationship with that company. Were you given a free sample? Did they let you keep that $5,000 product in exchange for a glowing review? After many for-profit bloggers were seen as becoming the mouthpiece for advertisers and more or less company spokesman, the FTC decided to step in and stem the tide of possible false claims in exchange for free stuff.

Although some of the heat from the initial announcement has died down thanks to some explanations by the FTC, it is still a good idea to disclose any relationships between blogger and products or services.

Enter CMP.ly.

I bumped into Kris Smith of CMP.ly (as in "comply") quite randomly at Blog World Expo 2009. He started a conversation with Jeff Turner, Todd Carpenter, and I and he gave us a quick rundown of CMP.ly and I thought it sounded like a great, simple idea. Back in the hotel room, I loaded up the site and checked it out.

screen capture from CMP.ly

Use of the site is about as simple as it gets. Go to CMP.ly and select one of the five (currently) available disclosures. Once selected, the site will give you a quick and easy cut and paste wording to provide a link to your disclosures (which according to Kris Smith were checked out with the FTC and comply to their definitions of disclosure). Paste onto your post and away you go. Full FTC disclosure compliance in seconds.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: http://cmp.ly/0

(see how it works?)

Matt Stigliano, Realtor® | RE/MAX Access | (210) 646-HOME | www.RErockstar.com

"Your all access pass to San Antonio real estate."

Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.