RE Base Camp

Are You Poised to Prosper in 2010?

Claudia Wicks (Real Estate Base Camp) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 22:11:28 -0600

Now is the time to complete your plan for 2010. This will allow you to get a jump start on the agents who will wait until Jan to begin to plan. It will also allow you to create a mind-set for success. While other agents are getting ready for the holidays, shopping and cutting back on their real estate activity, you can prosper. This is the time of year that the top agents: finish their plan, write transactions that will close before the end of the year and begin to generate business that will close in 2010.

I mentioned in my last blog that I would share planning tips from Ray and Nimi Singhal, one of THE top teams in the Minneapolis area.

Here is what they have to say about the importance of creating a business plan, from "Make the Move."

The Singhal's believe planning is a continuous process.

"We plan every October through November for the following 12 months. We analyze what we achieved for last 12 months we set ambitious goals and believe if we have accomplished 85 percent of our goals we have done very well. Then we look at areas where we didn't do as well as we anticipated. We also evaluate areas that we exceeded our expectations."

Ray says that there are additional keys that have propelled him and Nimi to success: Being flexible and adapting to the market conditions; educating themselves to be able to help consumers regardless of market conditions, and building a large database.

Ray points out that lead generation became a very important part of their business.

"We recognized early on that collecting emails and marketing online would be very important to our business," he said. "Many people now collect email, but when we started not many people did. We saw the value of building our database online and staying in touch by email is the most effective way to grow our business."

Ray is matter of fact about the value of his database: "If you have a large database, in a down market it is your bank. If you continually stay in front of clients and prospects in good times, when the market shifts or the need arises, you will become their agent."

So - how much money do YOU want to make? How many transactions do YOU need?

How many prospects do YOU need in your database to achieve your goals?

Next blog, I'll prove some tips to grow a database so you can create YOUR "bank" and prosper regardless of market conditions.

It's all about the plan...

Claudia Wicks (Real Estate Base Camp) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:49:07 -0600

Many agents dislike the fact that this time of year, their managers ask them to develop a plan to give them a rough idea of their numbers for next year, so they can budget. Many managers really take the time to review their agents' plans and help them establish worthy goals and an action plan to accomplish those goals. On the other hand, there are many, many agents who don't have a plan. I am consistently surprised when I ask in class, "How many of you have a business plan?" Only about 20% of agents raise their hand. You are the CEO of your own business; you are responsible for the success or failure of your business. To be in business and not have a plan just doesn't work: Hope is NOT a marketing strategy!

Here are some tips from one of the most effective planners I know, Staci Dancey- one of the top agents featured in "Make the Move."

Staci is a wonderful role model for those agents who got into real estate to make more money and have more time to live the life they envisioned. She works 4 days a week and has almost doubled her income every year since she began. Staci is adamant about goal setting and the value of establishing a business plan and sticking to it. In developing her business plan, she always looks at the volume of business she's done the year before.

"I break that down into where it came from. You know, if you don't understand where your business came from, you won't know how to recreate it.

It's always been a numbers game. If you want to increase the odds of your success, you have to increase your numbers. You know that it takes so many ‘touches' or leads to get an appointment. Then you need a certain number of appointments in order to get a listing. Once you have a listing, you need many appointments to generate the sale, and many sales to earn a certain dollar number. The greater the numbers, the greater your odds of success."

Staci is steadfast in her commitment to time management and is not at all reluctant to suggest that some tasks are better performed by someone else.

"I always have had assistants," she says. "I've always realized that if you don't have an assistant, you are the assistant."

Have a great Thanksgiving holiday. We all have much to be thankful for.

Right after the Thanksgiving holiday, I'll provide you with some additional tips on planning from another featured agent.

More Excerpts from “Make the Move”

Claudia Wicks (Real Estate Base Camp) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:25:11 -0600

Before I move onto some of the other agents featured in the book, I thought I'd add a few other comments from Donna Harris. Here is Donna, in her own words.

"I have grown my database with the Internet leads I have purchased. NAR says nationally the number (of Internet consumers) is 87 percent. I'd rather spend my marketing dollars online.

I also input my past clients into my database and my sphere of influence - actually everyone I meet or who contacts me. I have grown my database to over 3,500 prospects and clients since I started keeping track in 2004. I put them all on automatic drip e-mail campaigns.

Then, in 2006, I decided to start blogging for additional exposure. I knew that people were online, so I wanted to be there with them. Marketing is cyclical. People used to cold call, farm neighborhoods, and have magazine ads. Now almost every publication is online, because that's where consumers are searching.

Blogging provides national exposure, primarily Active Rain and Blogger.com. Search engines really like Active Rain and Active Rain handles all of the back end for you.

Consumers want information. If you provide relevant information consistently about an area - localism - you show up on the front page of the search engines."

Donna is one of the most effective bloggers I know. Donna consistently provides valuable info to her consumers. Google her...you'll find her right on top!

Sneak Preview!

Claudia Wicks (Real Estate Base Camp) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:47:41 -0600

In my last blog, I mentioned that I would share some excerpts from my new book, “Make the Move.” Here is a preview of the cover- what do you think?

The premise of “Make the Move” is to help agents who have not mastered online marketing and systematized their business using Internet tools. The goal is to help them migrate their business online. My goal is to provide you with the information I have learned over the past 7 years teaching Internet marketing and technology training to agents and brokers. I will also share with you the best and brightest ideas of the top agents across North America. They have generously shared their ideas. We have all learned from one another.

So today, let’s start with one of the Top Agents featured in the book- someone many of you already know, Donna Harris, as an Active Rain Rainmaker. Donna generously shared how she started an online business and how she now generates nearly 100% of her business online.

Donna’s consistent blogging and the online presence that she has developed has generated high search engine ranking, Internet leads, provided a real service to her customers and allowed her to prospect painlessly.

Here’s how to work with Internet consumers in Donna’s own words:

“Working with Internet leads is different from working with the traditional consumers. You have to understand how to work with Internet consumers versus traditional consumers. The typical open house buyer, you get to meet. There is no anonymity. You know they are real, same with a sign call. You have the opportunity to talk with them. The Internet buyer, however, is just searching online. They may click on a pop-up without thinking about it. They insert their criteria; they are casually looking. You never know their actual price range. They still have anonymity; you need to follow-up differently. You can’t push. You don’t know their motivation. You need to stay in touch in a less invasive manner. Targeted drip e-mail campaigns work well for this. This just provides a way to stay in touch without constantly bugging them for an appointment.”

NEXT BLOG- I’ll share how Donna grew her database to over 3,500 prospects. Now that the book is almost ready- you’ll be able to find it on my website in about 1 month- my future blogs will contain smart tips from the book garnered over the past 7 years as an Internet marketing innovator and some of the very best ideas from the Top Agents featured in the book, who so generously share their expertise.

Make the Move!

Claudia Wicks (Real Estate Base Camp) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 20:31:23 -0500

Now that the deluge has begun again, I look back on this summer. This was one of the most incredible summers we have ever had in Seattle. We actually had a summer! One of my favorite one-liners is, “Welcome to the Seattle Rain Festival, Sept through June.” During this wonderful summer, where we had a record number of days over 80 degrees and no rain for almost 4 months, I made a move to Port Ludlow on Hood Canal.

Having moved from downtown Bellevue, this more rural environment is so delightful. Everyday feels like I am on vacation: the air is redolent with the smell of salt water and pine trees. I have deer in my backyard. I am living in Paradise- actually, on Paradise Bay. The move was very beneficial in terms of lifestyle. When I commute, now it is by ferry boat vs. on congested freeways and bridges.

Making a move to enhance a lifestyle or to be closer to family or work can be so rewarding.

Now think of how rewarding it would be to make move (a lifestyle enhancement) for work- your real estate profession.

Can you imagine automating more of your work so you can do more in less time? I can. I have. Many agents have started using more technology. Really most agents have, at least to some degree: online forms, syndicating listings, digital photos and virtual tours of listings, email, etc. What about other enhancements? Are you migrating more of your prospecting and follow-up online? There are specific tools that will allow you to market yourself and your listings online. Many of them are FREE. Are you taking advantage of all of the FREE or cost-effective tools that are available to help you build relationships with more people than ever before? Have you created an E-farm - a database of prospects, clients and past clients that you provide valuable information to in order to position yourself as their real estate resource?

This summer with my move, I spent time writing a book on how to build your business online. I have included some examples from top agents across the country, who have built a database of literally thousands. Their business has not suffered in the downturn. The book includes: planning, online prospecting, managing a large database, using tech tools and building relationships using social media. It is called, “Make the Move- How to Move Your Real Estate Business Online.” I will have it available on my website within a month. My goal is to help you make it to the top! I will share excerpts from “Make the Move” in the following blogs.

It was a great summer; I hope you enjoy the book.

Something new at Real Estate Base Camp

Claudia Wicks (Real Estate Base Camp) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:23:03 -0500

Since I started Base Camp about 1 ½ years ago and have been teaching live classes, I have noticed a real need for some tools to help agents organize their business.

When we discuss business planning in class, only about 1/4 - 1/3 of the agents in class have written business plans. Of those agents who do have plans, only about 50% of those agents have broken down their plans into how many prospects they need to accomplish their financial goals. Many agents stop their planning at how much money they want to make and how many transactions they need.

On the Real Estate Base Camp web site, we have placed a FREE, downloadable calculator to help agents determine how many prospects they need to reach their goals.

Go to: www.rebasecamp.com
Click on “The Right Tools for the Job”
Click on Products and download the calculator

We also have a Business Plan that you can purchase for a nominal fee if you don’t have a good template for your annual business plan. Many of the top agents begin their planning process in November to jump start their next year.

The other tool that is missing is a budget. Often, I will ask in class, “How many of you know how much money you have made year to date?” Truly, about ½ of the agents in class can tell me. The next question seems more of a challenge. When I ask, “How many of you know how much money you have spent on marketing year to date?” almost no one knows! You really want to run your business like a business. You also want to be able to know what kind of results your marketing dollars are yielding-what’s working and what’s not. There is a FREE sample budget on our web site that you can download and use. I would also encourage you to use analytics to measure your results. Google has very effective and FREE analytics tools.

Let us know how helpful you find the tools. We are committed to helping you make it to the top!

Incredible Panel

Claudia Wicks (Real Estate Base Camp) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 21:47:17 -0500

Seattle King County Association of Realtors and Real Estate Base Camp sponsored another great panel, featuring Matt Heinz (Pres. of Heinz Marketing), Rhonda Porter (CMPS and top producer for Mortgage Master) and David Gibbons (Dir, of Community Relations for Zillow). They each shared their areas of expertise- Matt on Marketing, Rhonda on blogging, and David on technology. The panel took questions from the audience. The panel advice wasn't limited to their areas of expertise. They were all so versatile and shared ideas on how to use technology, social media and marketing ideas to grow your business. They were all so generous, smart and very witty!

The biggest take-away from each panelist was:

Matt- know your customer. Social Media isn't effective if your customers aren't online. Know what they want and how to deliver the information in the way they'd like to receive it.

Rhonda- provide relevant information that will help your customers, potential customers and client be well informed and comfortable making decisions about real estate. If you provide value, consumers will get in contact with you to do business .

David- while everyone is excited about the newest technology and social media trends, it is important to remember that technology is just a tool to build relationships. It is vital to build the relationship. Technology merely makes it easier to build relationships with more people than ever before.

It was so valuable to hear from experts who are affiliated with our industry, so they understand it - yet who also bring their perspective. Often, we in real estate, tend to get myopic and lose focus on what is happening around us.

July 4th Prospecting!

Claudia Wicks (Real Estate Base Camp) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 14:44:03 -0500

One of the prospecting ideas that agents have used so effectively over the years is to send out an e-newsletter to their entire database wishing them a happy 4th of July and providing some tips to help ensure that the day is safe and fun. You could also post these same tips on your blog. Many people know what they need to do, but based on the fact that there are literally thousands of children, pets and adults hurt every year the safety tips are always a good reminder. You can obtain ideas for safety tips just by “Googling” the topic. The SPCA has some excellent tips for pet lovers like, “Never use fireworks around pets! While exposure to lit fireworks can potentially result in severe burns and/or trauma to the face and paws of curious pets, even unused fireworks can pose a danger. Many types contain potentially toxic substances, including potassium nitrate, arsenic and other heavy metals.” The tips don’t all have to be dire warnings. There are some excellent tips for alternate ways to celebrate. For example Lisa Holt, RN, MS offered this suggestion, “Try offering glow sticks as a safer, non-toxic alternative to sparklers this year.” Sparklers get hot enough to melt gold (1800*F). They are not safe in the hands of young children. Another excellent site for tips is the National Council on Fireworks Safety. Their mission is to educate the public. They have many safety tips such as:

“Always have water handy. (A hose or bucket).
Only use fireworks as intended. Don't try to alter them or combine them.
Never relight a "dud" firework. Wait 20 minutes and then soak it in a bucket of water.
Use common sense. Spectators should keep a safe distance from the shooter and the shooter should wear safety glasses.
Alcohol and fireworks do not mix. Have a "designated shooter."

Wherever you find the safety tips (perhaps you even have a few of your own) write up a short paragraph or two, list the tips and wish your database a fun holiday. This is just one more way to stay in front of your past clients, sphere, neighbors and prospects. It lets them know you care.

What do YOU do on the 4th to connect?

Sold Signs - Yakima, WA

Claudia Wicks (Real Estate Base Camp) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 13:54:56 -0500

It is great to see more sold signs around town! Many agents are telling me that the market is picking up. It seems the tax credit for first time buyers is helping, the prices and of course the interest rates. At Gary Keller’s seminar which I mentioned a while ago, he shared the stats that 50% of the 2009 transactions are to first time buyers. First time buyers have usually started the recoveries of the past. Then the transactions move up the food chain. Is that what you are seeing as well?

While teaching a class in Yakima for the Yakima Association of Realtors, one of the agents showed me the SOLD signs many of the agents over there are using. Thought you would enjoy seeing what they are using as much as I did:

Exceptional Seminar

Claudia Wicks (Real Estate Base Camp) — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 22:27:11 -0500

I attended a seminar presented by Gary Keller last week. It was exceptional. There were so many things that resonated with the entire audience. The special take-aways for me were:

• The quote by Peter Marshall presented by Gary Keller: "Diamonds are made under pressure"

• This is a defining moment in the marketplace and therefore in our careers: It needs to be the era of extra effort- average won't cut it. Choose the results you want; then match your effort.

• Twice as many sales get made before noon. Prospect in the morning.

• Use time blocking: How you spend your time is how you spend your life. Block your time to achieve your desired results. The amount of money you make is a direct result of how you spend your time.

• Learn and use scripts- you have to know what to say: when you prospect, when people ask you, "How's the market?" And, learn and use scripts when you are handling objections.

• Last year first time homebuyers comprised 41% of all of the purchases. That percent will probably rise to 50% this year. They are a great target market.

This info was just a glimpse of the information and ideas shared to help agents SHIFT their business to become more successful in today's market. I really liked the fact that Gary Keller mentioned: today, the biggest focus needs to be on lead generation.

# 4 The MOST important question: How is MY attitude?!?

Claudia Wicks (Real Estate Base Camp) — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 11:42:43 -0500

We need to have a good attitude regardless of the economy!

Here are 10 bad attitude busters:

1. Smile. Duh! No Really! Just smile. You'll be amazed at how much better you feel and the difference in the reaction you'll get from others.

2. Do something nice for someone else. It ALWAYS makes you feel better. Help a co-worker by holding an Open House or help your elderly neighbor in with his/her groceries. Volunteer to bring the cookies to the kid's soccer game.

3. Do something nice for yourself. As Realtors we are really good at doing for others, but not very good at doing something for us. Our generous nature sets us apart. It may also keep us from paying attention to what we need/want. Get in that last run on the slopes; see the new Animal Planet movie; have a manicure/pedicure or a facial. Sit and relax for 1 hour with a good book.

4. Call your past clients. They think you are great.

5. Get some exercise- any kind: a walk, running, swimming, Pilates, Yoga, Salsa dancing... This is a key ingredient in your happiness factor.

6. Get together with friends and family. Make the time. It is vital. When you see yourself reflected back in the eyes of people who love you, it strengthens you.

7. Don't listen to so much news. It really can be depressing.

8. Listen to good music. It is uplifting.

9. Don't hang around with negative people. If your office has negative people in it, tune out or don't send more than a few minutes there. If your friends are negative, for now don't spend as much time with them. Find positive people to reinforce your approach to the world.

10. Take a minute to list the things you are grateful for.

Remember:

"Life is not about waiting for the storms to pass...
it's about learning how to dance in the rain!" anon

What are YOU doing to keep a good attitude?

Question # 3: What am I doing TODAY to build MY business?

Claudia Wicks (Real Estate Base Camp) — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 21:33:56 -0500

As CEO of your own business (most of you work with a broker, but you are in charge of the success or failure of YOUR business), you are responsible for business development:

Planning. Budgeting. Building Your Brand. Marketing. Prospecting. Systems. Follow-up.

Many people leave that to chance. They say they are too busy. But if they do not market and prospect, there will be no business - especially in this market.

Hope is NOT a marketing strategy!

Start with a plan. You need to know your numbers. Every top agent treats real estate as a business-their business! Decide what you want to earn. Break it down into number of transactions needed. Next, break it down into how many prospects you need to generate the income you desire. Build a large database. Add to it every day. Prepare a budget. You need to know how much you are spending and what is working. Today, eliminate ANY unnecessary expenditures. In the last blog we discussed learning technology. There are so many FREE and cost effective ways to market your-self online. Build your brand on social networks today. That is where the Gen X & Gen Y buyers are. 64% of first time buyers are under 35. Use your website to market yourself and your listings. Syndicate your listings. Drive traffic to your personal website with smart value propositions and use web capture to obtain emails. A CRM -customer relations management system - is essential to stay in touch. Agents aren't very good at consistently staying in touch- they just aren't. (I apologize to the 12 people out there who are good at it!) Find an automated system and use it. Import your database and send out an e-newsletter or a market update every month. Call people; we need to personalize our communication. Check to see what is working- don't keep spending money on things that do not yield results! Google docs have free spreadsheets. Google also has free analytic tools to help you see what is working.

Build your business a day at a time. You're in this for the long term. Right now it is a challenge. The market always turns. Lay the groundwork today for an extraordinary business.

And, most of all FOLLOW-UP! Every day. Schedule it. If you schedule it- you will do it!

Gary Keller, who was in town for a seminar shared a quote from Peter Marshall that is so apropos: "Diamonds are made under pressure."

What are YOU doing to build your business today?

Next... Question # 2

Claudia Wicks (Real Estate Base Camp) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 18:51:38 -0500

The next question we need to address is, "What new skill have I learned today?"

In order to accomplish this great habit of lifelong learning, think about the skills you need to learn to be successful in this market; then make a list of what you need to know.

Sample list:

• How to negotiate? (Over the past several years that became a lost art- we only had to ask, how much over asking price do you want to spend.)

• How do I handle selling foreclosures and REOs? (Essential today!)

• How do I syndicate my listings?

• How to take great photos to market my listings online? Or, who can I hire to do that for me?

• How to use social networks?

• How, where, what to blog?

• How to organize and send a group email in Outlook?

• How to use a CRM (Customer Relations Management system) to stay in touch?

• How to use the functions on my new Smart Phone?

We can learn something new every day - especially in the Internet marketing and tech arenas. If we learn a little bit at a time, it is not overwhelming.

Schedule yourself!

Sign up for a good class or designation class on negotiating and/or foreclosures. Stop by a Mall kiosk where they have Smart Phones. Ask them to show you how to use it. Schedule 1 hour per day, from 7:30 - 8:30 am just to try out and learn a new tech skill or marketing skill. Go online and set up your profile on Zillow and Trulia- it is free; it is straightforward. Try it. Next, go in and read the Q/A on Trulia or Zillow- post a comment in your area of expertise. Next try out something new online. Check out websites. Because of the recession, Microsoft is providing some free online classes on their products, so you can learn how to use some of the tools you have. In this market, most agents spend at least 1 hour a day worrying- get into the game!

You can do this! Remember, a bite or byte at a time...

What have YOU learned today?

Question # 1

Claudia Wicks (Real Estate Base Camp) — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 16:50:10 -0500

Let's start with the question I posted as number 1 in my last blog. Although we all agree that we should start with attitude, I'll save that - the best - for last.

What am I doing today to generate prospects?

Sitting at your desk waiting for the phone to ring isn't the way to generate prospects. My favorite one liner (which I know I have mentioned before) is: Confucius say, Man have to sit at desk long time before roast duck flies into mouth.

Here are some things you can do to generate prospects:

Preview property so you have an incredible knowledge of the marketplace and can speak with authority. Don't sit there worrying about where your next transaction will come from. Get up, get dressed, get out there!

Call your friends and family. Let them know that you have seen 5 new properties today that would be great investments. This is definitely the time to buy! Ask them, "Who do you know who might be interested in buying..." Have they considered acquiring a rental? Let them know you'll stay in touch with other new properties that are coming on the market- they would like to know about them, wouldn't they? Ask if you could email them the info from time to time.

Call your past clients. Ask how they are doing. They actually may need your help - job loss, need to sell; having twins - need to move to a bigger home. If it has been awhile and you are hesitant to call out of the blue, you can say," Hi, this is Claudia Wicks. I know it has been awhile. I have been thinking about you..." Ask them how they are doing. Ask for their email address to stay in touch. Let them know you'll send them market info from time to time.

Participate in a networking event, join a gym or volunteer for something. Meet new people! Hand out your business card; ask for theirs. Send them a follow-up email, letting them know you enjoyed meeting them. Tell them you'll stay in touch from time to time by sending them market updates.

Open Houses have been much maligned over the past few years. According to many top agents, traffic at Open Houses has picked up dramatically over the past month or so. I know, it could be the better weather, but the prospects are venturing out. That is a good way to meet new potential prospects- regardless if they are ready to buy or sell today. A time waster is only a time waster until they have a life-altering event. Agents who advertise their Open Houses on Craigslist tell me they have more traffic- a lot more traffic! It is free. Why not?

Obtain more listings. Some agents are telling me they don't want more listings because they are taking much longer to sell. Their carrying costs are running pretty high. The listings need to be very well-priced and in good condition in this market. When you control the listings you control the inventory and the buyers come to you. Make sure you are syndicating your listings online for 24/7 exposure, rather than using print ads today. That will help your marketing costs and 87% of consumers are searching online. Online ads are FREE for the most part.

There are no magic bullets on this list, are there? It is just good business sense. We'll talk about online prospecting when we cover question # 3. However, I attended a webinar put on by Active Rain earlier this week. Bob Stewart and Brad Anderson mentioned that not all Internet leads tend to take 6-18 months. Bob said that the prospects generated by SEO using very specific neighborhood online searches (Seattle home, Green Lake neighborhood) tended to convert within 90 days. Basically, they already had done their homework and knew what they wanted to buy and where they wanted to live. That's smart marketing!

What have YOU done to generate business today?

Got a question?

Claudia Wicks (Real Estate Base Camp) — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 20:24:46 -0500

What 4 things should you be asking yourself every day in this market?

1. What am I doing today to generate prospects?

2. What new skill have I learned today?

3. What am I doing today to build my business?

4. How is my attitude today?!?

What do YOU ask yourself every day in this challenging market?

Next few blogs, we'll answer them one at a time!

Upcoming Panel Questions

Claudia Wicks (Real Estate Base Camp) — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 22:38:11 -0500

As promised, here is the list of questions for the upcoming panel.

What question or questions would you like to add?

Dan Mc Comb - BIZNIK- Social Media Guru

What made you and your wife Lara, decide to build Biznik?

Why not just online? Why Business networking vs social networking?

Why live events as well?

How many people participate?

How many real estate agents?

How have people told you business networking has impacted their business?

Facebook- social networking

How does this social networking site differ from business networking?

Why should real estate agents join Face book?

How should they use it to grow their business?

Twitter- mini blog

Most people just don't "get" Twitter.

How does it work? What makes it useful?

Why would real estate professionals want to use it for business?

How does using social media for networking impact life and business?

Why do so many people do it?

Denise Seavitt - Database Diva- Online Lead Gen and database management

You were a pioneer in Internet lead generation several years ago? (What year started?)

What made you decide to develop a large database (pipeline)?

What made you decide to buy leads instead of just prospecting for them?

How many people (prospects, sphere, past clients, etc.) in your database now?

What has that done to your business? (2 databases<why 2 instead of combining them?)

How do you manage such a large database? How do you stay in touch?

Could you manage and cultivate a large database without an automated CRM?

What info do you send out? Do you still call? Do you drop by?

How do you add prospects? Who do you add?

How about your website? Why build a website? What has that done for your business?

Do you get leads from your web site? Market your listings online? Syndicate your listings?

How has online marketing changed your business?

What one thing would you recommend to agents to help them grow their business?

Rich Jacobson - Blog Master - Active Rain Community Manager

What made you decide to blog?

When did you start to blog?

Did you start with Active Rain? Do you blog anywhere else?

How often do you blog? How do you schedule time to blog?

What do you blog about? Tell us about Localism?

How has blogging helped you grow your business?

Do you receive referral business from the online Active Rain community?

Have you linked your blog to Face book, Twitter or Plaxo or other social networks?

What % of your business comes from your blogging and/or online presence?

Tell us about being community manager for Active Rain- what does that involve?

How has online marketing changed your business?

What one thing would you recommend to agents to help them grow their business?

What question or questions would you like to ask the panel?

A Chance to hear from industry innovators! Including AR's own Rich Jacobson!

Claudia Wicks (Real Estate Base Camp) — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 18:48:19 -0500

Here is your opportunity! Based on some great feedback, Seattle King County Association of Realtors and Real Estate Base Camp are sponsoring a Panel of Industry Experts.

The panelists are:

Dan Mc Comb- Co-Founder of Biznik.com: named Seattle's top 25 most innovative entrepreneurs by the Seattle Business Monthly.

Topics: social/business networking, including Facebook & Twitter

Denise Seavitt- CEO of Seavitt Real Estate: database of over 3000

Topics: web marketing, database management

Rich Jacobson- Community Manager of Active Rain: blogger extraordinaire

Topics: blogging, localism, community building

They are generously willing to share their time and expertise about how to successfully use web 2.0 to build their online presence and grow your business.

Save the date: April 29th, from 9:00 - 10:30 am.

Continental breakfast and networking begins at 8:30am. Seating is limited! Call SKCAR: 425-974-1011. To cover the basic SKCAR costs, a fee of $10.00 will be charged. Please bring a can of food for NW Harvest.

In my next blog, I'll share with you a list of questions I will be asking the panel. Please post your comments and any questions you'd like the panel to address.

We'll be opening the Q/A to the audience.

Real Estate Cyber Space Conference and Exposition

Claudia Wicks (Real Estate Base Camp) — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 21:11:16 -0500

Here are some of the ideas I liked the best from the CyberSpace Convention that I mentioned in a previous blog. There will be another Convention next month. It is free! Check it out: www.cyberspacesociety.com.

Matthew Ferrara: The Next Generation

His premise is that the next generation of real estate companies needs to be mission focused, consumer centric and technology enabled. He mentioned that Gen X and Y are generally 20 years younger than the average Realtor. They are online. When shopping, they can find 7 photos on Zappos.com for a pair of shoes! That is much more than most agents provide for million dollar homes. Look at car websites. They offer videos with narration. With that type of online marketing, which Gen X & Y have come to expect, we need to step up our marketing. These were great analogies.

Gen X: work within their sphere. They are very involved with social networking, text and videos. You need to respond in seconds using a smart phone.

Gen Y: are the youngest generation of buyers and sellers ever. They are 80 million strong- even larger than the Boomer generation. They are a highly networked generation; they are wireless- use text and IM.

Dave Beson: The Most Important Thing for Agent Productivity

"1. Pipeline management is the single most important skill for agent success; it involves recognizing every contact as a profit center and getting the most benefit from people at all stages in the real estate process.

2. Technology is a boon for pipeline management; communication with prospects can be customized, scheduled and implemented database; automatic follow-up can run for years."

This information really resonated with me. It is compatible with our Real Estate Base Camp philosophy and approach to the business.

Sherry Chris: Fundamentals of Social Networking

Build your network before you need it

Give more than you take

Don't keep score- if someone doesn't respond immediately, don't worry about it

Connect to connectors

Build your brand

Broadcast your brand: Facebook, Twitter , LinkedIn,

Blog Be involved- you need to let your personality show; you really cannot have your assistant do this for you

Dan Gooder Richard: Lead Generation

Lead generation is the number 1 job of real estate professional

Offline and online combined works best

Web capture: forms and micro-sites maximize web leads Go green! Use email and save

Stephan Swanepoel: Social Media, Social Networking

Stephan Swanepoel recommended using technology, social networks and blogs to provide info and service to consumers. His philosophy and approach to the business is a mirror image of the approach we take at Base Camp. Update, innovate and use web 2.0 to market yourself and your listings. One of the best sources of info is Swanepoel's 2009 Trend's Report.

We use Swanepoel's annual trends report to ascertain the gap between what consumers are doing and real estate professional are doing. That helps us target and provide leading edge training, especially to target Gen X & Y buyers. The numbers are telling.

There were many other fabulous speakers, including Bernice Ross and Raleigh Pinskey. This is an exceptional event with smart bites of information and topics to appeal to both brokers and agents.

Panel of Experts

Claudia Wicks (Real Estate Base Camp) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 21:37:33 -0500

The REBARCAMP event at Zillow was packed with information and people generously willing to share their expertise. There was a great panel of blogging experts: Brad Coy, from San Francisco, Rhonda Porter, The MortgagePorter and Marlow Harris, CBBain. They shared when, where, how often, and where to obtain content to blog to generate business. All three generate the majority of their business online- through blogging.

They provide valuable information, answer questions and establish trust relationships before people are ready to buy and/ or sell. When the time is right, they are the professionals of choice. That was a wonderful example of Web 2.0 at its best.

The employees and management team from Zillow were so helpful. They provided excellent support, answered questions, presented tech information and were genuinely glad to host the event. REBARCAMP and BloodHoundBlog had several sponsors for the events. That was great to see in this economy. I was surprised that more agents and brokers did not attend- we have approximately 10,000 agents in the greater Seattle area. So, I asked several people, "Why didn't you attend?" Many brokers hadn't heard about the event. Many agents didn't know about it and didn't realize how valuable this type of information is. Some are just doing business the old fashioned way: cold calling, mailing, etc. With 87% of consumers online, they are missing some business.

I discussed this conundrum with Seattle King County Association of Realtor's Director of Business Development, Claudia Crowell. We decided that we should act. We will host a panel of experts who are using Web 2.0 successfully. It is a familiar venue. The content may help agents and brokers shift their paradigms about the next generation of real estate. What do you think?

5 Pillars of Smart Marketing

Claudia Wicks (Real Estate Base Camp) — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 21:46:19 -0500

Brian Brady, the MillionaireLender.com, had some pithy comments at the BloodHoundBlog event at Zillow on Feb. 12th, 2009:

# 1 job of real estate professionals is bringing in and securing customers. (We forget. We are so focused on the people part of the business. Without prospects, we have no business. )

Web1.0 was a brochure. Web 2.0 is an exchange.

Facebook has 20 X the growth of Twitter; MySpace is growing 2X as much as Twitter. IM is like the phone of 10 years ago.

Brian said there is so much information online that consumers are looking for reasons to reject you and move on.

Brian Brady shared the 5 Pillars or Smart Marketing:

Declaration of identity (Who are you; what do you stand for)
Identity by association (Who do you know; referral base)
Consumer generated conversation
Provide/generate conversation
In-person interaction (That is the goal!)

How do you do it?

Ubiquity: be everywhere! Join social networks.

Feed the community: do not just join and ignore - provide value! Brian reiterated the give to get philosophy of web 2.0.

Blood Hound Blog Unchained

Claudia Wicks (Real Estate Base Camp) — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 10:41:18 -0500

Greg Swann, Broker of Blood Hound Realty gave a cheeky, irreverent and thoroughly dazzling presentation at Zillow on Feb. 12th. Greg and Brian Brady present Blood Hound Blog Unchained annually. This is an event where agents and brokers go to learn internet marketing tips, tricks, tools and techniques. The work is sophisticated, smart and effective.

Greg provided a hands-on presentation, demonstrating how he uses engenu a program he developed to create websites for each listing with multiple photos, neighborhood info, etc. One of the many smart strategies Greg shared was to keep sold listings on his website. That way, prospects can see the type of properties the BloodHound team have sold; it shows that they sell a variety of homes in a wide price range.

He also developed Scenius scenes. It’s a type of ultra-minimal weblog that can be used to echo selected information into other weblogs or web sites. You can use Scenius scenes to link together communities of like minds, to manage information that appears in multiple locations or to syndicate weblog content to static web pages- that info is taken directly from BloodHound Blog. Give to get exchange is the value.

Check out the BloodHound Blog. There are many, many contributors. BloodHoundBlog is a great source of valuable content for real estate professionals.

How's the Market?

Claudia Wicks (Real Estate Base Camp) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 08:08:58 -0500

The team at Altos Research, Scott Sambucci, VP of Sales and Analytics and Jason Buberel, Co-Founder, VP of Engineering, presented a session at RE Bar Camp. They suggested that agents prepare an "elevator speech" to be able to answer the question that EVERYONE asks agents- especially in today's market. That really resonated with me. I believe every agent should be prepared. Preparation allows you to be knowledgeable and professional in every circumstance.

The next most common question they suggested that people want to know: What's for sale? After that people want to know: How much is my home worth?

They suggest that you research and use data to answer the kinds of questions you are asked. You can provide information on rent vs buy, what has sold and what is on the market. Provide your prospects/client with a market report. You can obtain the info from Altos. They have real time and weekly market reports. You can also obtain information from Zillow. By attaching a Zillow or Altos widget, you can provide rich, data driven information on your website. You can use graphs and charts to "show" what is happening. Jason recommended sending out a market update once a week, every week, on the same day, on Friday. That way you can train your database to expect the information and look forward to it. The applications (charts, graphs, detailed information) were impressive.

Is anyone using this type of application on their web site or for your market update?

It has been awhile!

Claudia Wicks (Real Estate Base Camp) — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 22:31:00 -0500

I cannot believe I took time off from blogging! This goes against everything we teach in class. No excuses. However, after completing a book in mid- Jan and 4 new classes in Feb, I just couldn't do it! If you have any suggestions on how to keep at it- I would welcome your tips. I'll let you know a little about the book as soon as I get it back from my editor.

There are several things I would like to write about. I'll write about them a bite at a time.

The first item is that I attended the BloodHound Blog class and the Re Bar Camp Symposium held at Zillow on Feb. 12^th and Feb. 13^th. That was weeks ago, which is why we all (me too!) need to blog consistently. I thought it was brilliant and important. Duane Hopper already provided a wonderful summary of Bar Camp (thank you Duane), but I wanted to give you my take on those events.

At the RE Bar Camp symposium, Jim Marks from Virtual Results opened his remarks with a joke. I adore humor as a learning tool- so please do NOT become offended by this joke. I'm going to paraphrase: A cab driver and minister were at the pearly gates. St Peter gave the cab driver a silk gown and golden staff and welcomed him to heaven. The minister was next in line. St. Peter gave him a cloth rob and wooden staff and welcomed him to heaven. The minister said he was really grateful to be there, but wondered why the cab driver was awarded a silk robe, when he, the minister only got a cloth robe. St Peter said, "We reward results! While you were presenting sermons, people listened appreciatively. When the cab driver was driving, they all prayed!" That really made me laugh and it was a great analogy for real estate. All of the good things we do, or think we are doing, don't matter if we don't get results. Today, many agents are doing the same old things and not getting results. Perhaps it is time to change!

Jim Mark's premise was: focus on results driven marketing. Look at the amount of traffic you are getting and then look at your conversion rates. Are you getting the results you want? My question is, "Are you even tracking your results?" At seminars I ask agents, "How many of you have a business plan?" Only 1/3 of agents tell me they have a plan. I ask agents, "How many of you know how much money you have made this year to date?" M any do not know. I ask, "How much, on average, are you spending on marketing- what % of your earnings?" Most do not know. We cannot improve if we don't know what is working and what isn't. Today more than ever, we need to be results driven. Where are you spending your marketing dollars and why? If according to NAR, 87% of consumers are online- are YOU there?

Jim Marks also recommended thinking about the expectations of web 2.0 consumers. What are their expectations? Is your value immediately apparent? He recommended communicating clearly your unique value proposition. Make your communication: simple, useful and authoritative. Make sure you have killer content on your blogs: news, event coverage and articles. Jim suggested using Google analytics to track your results.

This was a sparkling presentation. Any comments?

What can I say?

Claudia Wicks (Real Estate Base Camp) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 21:34:00 -0600

With all of the distressing news we really need to be the bright lights in the marketplace. This has been discussed before. It is merely a reminder, as more agents (and their sellers) endure higher levels of frustration than we have seen in awhile.

We need to be alert for local information that is encouraging. The national figures don't always apply. (Localism!)

Here are a few samples of articles I noticed recently that might provide ideas to guide you in your search:

"Seattle is nation's No. 6 destination for moves Puget Sound Business Journal- January, 2009 Despite a flagging economy, Seattle is the sixth most popular destination for movers, according to a recent study....."

America's Most Wired Cities By Elizabeth Woyke, Forbes.com (Jan 22, 2009)

"Seattle takes the lead in our annual list of the most broadband-connected U.S. cities.

Move over, Atlanta. Seattle, home base of Microsoft and Amazon, is now the country's most wired city.

While these marquee names have long lent the Emerald City techy cachet, it was Seattle's increased use of broadband that powered it up Forbes' annual list of the 30 most broadband-connected cities in the U.S. High marks in two other wired city categories -- broadband access and Wi-Fi hot spots -- helped Seattle clinch the top spot."

The best places to start a small business

Leaders are concentrated in the South and West

bizjournals - February 2, 2009 by G. Scott Thomas

Seattle is number 3!

Seattle was just named one of the top three cities to start a small business.

Seattle ranks 3rd, behind #1 Raleigh and 2 Charlotte.

"Seattle enjoys a strong concentration of small businesses, 29.44 for every 1,000 residents. That's 20 percent better than the average for America's 100 largest markets (24.57 per 1,000), a nice cushion against tough times ahead."

This information is uplifting and positive, without negating the market turbulence.

Be sure to provide the source and give full attribution. Don't use the entire article. Rewrite the information in your own words. Just quote a small portion of it, indicate the date and source it. Then provide a little bit of information to personalize it, like: We all know Seattle is wired, but did you know that Seattle was just named...

Be the bright light...Illuminate!

Elevator Speech

Claudia Wicks (Real Estate Base Camp) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 22:26:03 -0600

Have you perfected your elevator speech?

When people ask you, "What do you do?" How do you answer?
When people ask you, "Why should I list with you?" What do you say?
When people ask, "How's the market?" If you say, "It's tough" - you're done!

I mentioned perfecting your "elevator speech" in the Top 10 Holiday tips. I received so many comments. So, I am checking back- did you develop your speech and practice? What do you say that would make me want to work with you?

According to most body language experts, you have about 30 seconds to make a good visual impression. Image is important, so smile!

Most communication experts say you have approximately 3 minutes for people to decide whether or not they like you and/or want to do business with you.

Tell them your unique value proposition within 1 ½ - 3 minutes. Here are some of the samples I have heard recently:

I'm a real estate professional. I help people find the home of their dreams.
I list and sell real estate. My goal is to be the trusted real estate resource for my clients.
I am a real estate professional. I help people buy their first home, investment properties to build their portfolio and sell their last home.

What's YOUR value proposition?