Damon's Blog

Ten Ways to Make Your Home Irresistible at an Open House

Damon C (eCommission) — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 17:10:19 -0500

1. Put fresh or silk flowers in principal rooms for a touch of color.

2. Add a new shower curtain, fresh towels, and new guest soaps to every bath.

3. Set out potpourri or fresh baked goods for a homey smell.

4. Set the table with pretty dishes and candles.

5. Buy a fresh doormat with a clever saying.

6. Take one or two major pieces of furniture out of every room to create a sense of spaciousness.

7. Put away kitchen appliances and personal bathroom items to give the illusion of more counter space.

8. Lay a fire in the fireplace. Or put a basket of flowers there if it’s not in use.

9. Depersonalize the rooms by putting away family photos, mementos, and distinctive artwork.

10. Turn on the sprinklers for 30 minutes to make the lawn sparkle.

How to Make Your Mark as A Real Estate Agent

Damon C (eCommission) — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 13:03:39 -0500

If you want to stand out from the other agents in your area, you're going to have to make a mark for yourself.

Ralph R. Roberts gives some valuable tips on how to brand yourself a superstar

Market yourself on paper.

Just about all agents have some sort of business card and brochures to hand out. What will make the difference is being creative on your card. I have a stack of about 200 cards I've received from agents. Most of them look exactly the same. The ones that I remember and keep at the top of the stack are the ones that are unique and have something more valuable to offer than just the contact information.

Market yourself to the media.

You want to be the expert that the local media comes to for quotes and story lines. Introduce yourself to news reporters and magazine writers. You can also speak to groups for free to establish yourself as the expert. If you can get a spot on a radio station, that would create even more exposure for you.

Market yourself on the Internet.

More and more buyers and sellers are looking on the Internet before they make a decision on an agent. The more available and accessible you are online, the more likely you will get a call from one of these prospects. Every agent should have their own website as a starting point. From there, there are many different social networking websites where you can put up your profile and your areas of expertise. Also, Cindy wrote a great post how to use Facebook to brand yourself and expand your business network so you can create more of a presence online.

Keep in touch with a drip e-mail campaign.

You want to remind all your former clients and current prospects that you are still in business with any updates on the local market or new properties for sale. Email marketing is one of the easiest methods to making contact with everyone in your network.

Advertise everywhere.

This is the one suggestion I do not agree with. You don't want to waste good money on advertising that won't lead to any sales. You should have already created a business plan for the type of houses you want to sell and they type of buyers and sellers you want to work with. Once you've done this, you can better focus on specific advertising strategies to put yourself in front of your ideal clients.

What are the other methods that you are using to brand yourself as THE agent in your area?

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The 5 Myths of Sales Prospecting

Damon C (eCommission) — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 11:51:14 -0500

Myth #1: Prospecting is sales.

Prospecting and sales are not the same thing, but they are very correlated.

Prospecting is just weeding out the buyers from the looky loos. You want to be able to identify who actually wants to buy a house and who is just curious.

Myth #2: Prospecting is a numbers game.

You can waste your time chasing the wrong crowd. If you go to a party with 100 attendees and nobody is interested in purchasing a house, you’re not prospecting, your networking. However, if you go to an open house with 10 people, you know those people are looking for a house and are more qualified.

Myth #3: Scripts are for kids.

Very few agents can sell without a script, but they are the minority. Scripts must be personalized to each individual. Top producers in all industries have relied on scripts and learned which ones work for certain people and how best to manage the script.

Myth #4: Prospecting takes time.

It only takes a couple of minutes to determine if someone is serious or not about purchasing a house. You don’t want to waste more time on someone that is either unqualified or just a looky loo.

Myth #5: Close them on the appointment.

What happens when someone says they’ll meet with you next week, but then never shows up? You thought you closed them on an appointment.

Make sure in the first introduction you get their contact information so you can send them some information or additional details about houses in the area. Now you’re turning a new lead into a hot lead.

Five Simple SEO Techniques

Damon C (eCommission) — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 12:49:26 -0500

There are some very simple SEO techniques available for you to improve your search engine ranking. Anyone can put together a quick real estate website or blog, but it won’t matter if no one can find it.

Using these will not in itself allow you reach the top position for your keyword, but they definitely help, and there is no single factor that will enable you to hit the top. A #1 position on Google is attained by a combination of many factors, such as internal and external linking strategies, relevance of your content to the keyword and the overall look and feel of your site. Plus those detailed below.

Google and the other main search engines list web pages, and not entire domains. That means that every single page in your website should be optimized in the same way: each should contain every single one of the SEO techniques listed below.

TITLE TAG

The title tag is contained within the ‘HEAD’ tags of your HTML, before the ‘BODY’ tags. This states the title of the page, and must contain the major keywords of the page. The contents of your title tag do not appear in the text of the page: its purpose is to inform the search engine spiders what the topic of your page is, and what words are important (i.e. your main page keyword). For example, the TITLE tag of a page based on this article would be “SEO Techniques - Improve your Search Engine Ranking”.

DESCRIPTION TAG

The description Meta tag is used by Google, and other search engines, in the search engine listings. I have tested this with them all and Google uses it as is, while Yahoo uses part of it. You should provide a description of what the web page is about, and a simple check of the descriptions in other sites using your keyword on Google will show you how many words you can use to have the whole description included. About 20 words are fine.

KEYWORD TAG

Search engines rarely use the keyword Meta tag: Google ignores it completely. However, it doesn’t hurt, and can help in a small way. Include your brand name and your own name. That way some engines might show your pages if somebody is looking for your name. The other Meta tags have no SEO value, and do not help to improve your search engine ranking whatsoever.

HEADING H TAGS

Heading tags (H1, H2, . . .) are used by Google to determine the importance of the text contained in your headings. Use H1 tags for the main title of your page (you also use it in the TITLE tag, but that isn’t seen by readers, only by the spiders). Put subtitles in H2 tags. You can change the font size of the text within these tags.

WRITING STYLE and CONTENT

Do not write for algorithms (spiders): write for your readers. Always write for humans and you won’t go wrong. If your page content reads well, and has good vocabulary relating to the topic, then it will have a better chance of a higher listing than if you stuffed it full of keywords. I rarely use more than 1.5% - the keyword densities of the terms ‘SEO’, SEO techniques’ and ’search engine ranking’ (the main keywords) of this article are 1.5, 0.87 and 0.87 respectively. Too many keywords is bad SEO, and could result in a poor listing for your page - if it is listed at all.

So there you are: five simple SEO techniques to improve your search engine ranking. It is surprising how many experienced webmasters fail to apply all of these: there is no excuse, and they are failing to get the nuts and bolts properly fitted and tightened on their web pages. Apply these to every page and not only will you improve your SEO, but also your chances of a good search engine ranking.

Five Simple SEO Techniques to Improve your Search Engine Ranking

5 Surefire Ways To Get More Traffic To Your Real Estate Website Or Blog

Damon C (eCommission) — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 16:16:01 -0500

It’s a numbers game. The more people that you connect with, the more likely you will be able to start a business relationship with. This is true with making connections on your website or blog. But how do you get more people coming to your website or blog? Here are a couple of powerful ways to generate more traffic!

1. Submit your site to as many search engines as you can. The big ones are Google, Yahoo, and MSN but the smaller ones are important too such as AOL, Excite, and Alexa. If your site isn’t indexed in the search engines, then it will be hard for anyone to find you.

2. Content on your website or blog. People go online to find information. You should tailor the content on your website to attract the type of people you want to do business with.

3. Share your link. If you work with vendors or other real estate professionals in your area, trade links with them. The more links you have back to your website, your site will have higher visibility in the search engines.

4. Put your url on all marketing material. If you’re handing out flyers or even if you’ve created coffee cups for prospects, make sure your website url is on there so they know where they can get more information on your services.

5. Participate in online forums and social networking. You can give your knowledge in real estate forums and social networking sites. Remember to always include a link back to your website when you post in online forums or on social networking sites. When others see that you’re the expert in your area, they will be sure to go to you.

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5 Real Estate Agent Mistakes (and how to avoid them)

Damon C (eCommission) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 16:48:38 -0500

Mistake #1 — Pricing Your Property Too High

Sure, you know that there is going to be negotiation on the price of the home, but if you start your opening bid too high you’re not even going to get people in to see the house.

Mistake #2 — Trying to Sell to “Looky-Loos”

You must qualify your buyers as quickly as possible. How serious are they? You don’t want to spend valuable time and money on people who have no intent to buy.

Mistake #3 — Failing to Market Your Home in Different Ways

Different advertisements appeal to different types of people. You can market all day using flyers, signs, and open houses, but if your not creating exposure for the house via the Internet, email, and your website you’re leaving out a high percentage of potential buyers.

Mistake #4 — Forgetting to “Showcase The Home”

It’s so important to have the house look tidy and clean. There is nothing worse than for a prospective buyer to come into a dirty house. Instead of them thinking about how wonderful everything is, they’re thinking about everything they’re going to have to work on.

Mistake #5 — Not Being Pro-Active at Closing

Deals can still fall through at the closing table. The more you have prepared beforehand, the more likely everything will go through. You don’t want your buyers to be surprised by anything new at the closing table.

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To the Agents Who Have Weathered the Storm - Forecasts from Top Bank Execs

Damon C (eCommission) — Thu, 29 May 2008 15:29:01 -0500

The tide is turning in the real estate market and agents can see all the signs of brighter days ahead. The last two years have been tough for agents in most parts of the country, and the ones that have survived are seeing things turning around.

In an article from Yahoo:

Howard Atkins, chief financial officer of Wells Fargo, was quoted in the American Banker newspaper as saying that lower mortgage rates -- the latest 30-year average dropped below 6 percent again last week -- plus more affordable housing, and banks newly strengthened by capital infusions, should trigger a recovery this year.

So it's important for agents to continue to do what they've always done and sell housing. As with any other industry there are going to be up cycles and down cycles.

Bottom line here: Real estate is -- and always has been - a uniquely localized asset. The healthiest markets today never boomed. They never bust. They just plodded along during the boom years turning out annual gains of three and four percent while California and Florida were out of control at 25 percent a year.

As the real estate market continues to rebound, I hear stories everyday from agents on how much better their business is because they had to go through the down cycle to truly appreciate who they are as a real estate agent.

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Postive Outlook for the Real Estate Market

Damon C (eCommission) — Mon, 19 May 2008 16:15:44 -0500

More positive news for agents across the country as Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors® said,

"Home sales and prices throughout most of the country are poised for improvement in the second half of 2008, and the recovery will vary by market"

"There are many reasons for people to get into the housing market today, and very few reasons not to. With the plentiful supply of homes for sale at affordable prices, interest rates approaching 40-year lows, and the strong track record of housing as a good long-term investment, conditions are ripe for buyers,” he added. “Those are the facts, plain and simple."

This, along with other data suggests that the real estate market is coming back up again and agents should see more people looking to purchase houses and more opportunities to represent buyers and sellers.

"Each up cycle begins with a down cycle"

How's the market in your area?

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Adding a blog to your website

Damon C (eCommission) — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 15:18:14 -0500

I know that the majority of real estate agents have a website to help promote themselves, but few are using it effectively to attract and retain clients.

One of the biggest marketing tools for not only real estate agents, but businesses in every industry, is utilizing a blog. Some agents only use the blog platform as their website, where others use the blog platform for just a section of their website. Either way, it can be the most powerful tool to attract more clients in your local area.

The Real Estate Tomato is the best website for agents looking to use a blog in their marketing. The Real Estate Tomato has a wealth of information and can help any real estate agent learn how to set up a blog and use it for marketing purposes.

So, if you haven't already, set up a blog on your website or put up a blog as a stand alone website and start getting more clients to sell to.

Short Sales Becoming Common

Damon C (eCommission) — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 14:28:43 -0500

MSN posted a great article today called As housing falls, short sales becoming common that goes into the reasons why short sales are becoming so common and how best to manage a short sale transaction.

Short sales are becoming more common in today’s market:

“Our numbers suggest that 20 percent of completed home sales nationwide are short sales,” said Guy Cecala, publisher of Inside Mortgage Finance. “The number would be larger if it weren’t for the fact that one-third of all attempted short sale deals don’t go through.”

Read the rest of the article here

Using Electronic Flyers To Promote A Listing

Damon C (eCommission) — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 11:50:08 -0500

There a many companies that will allow you to send a listing via email to agents in your local area such as TheAgentMarketingTool.com.

As an agent, your sellers are expecting you to market there house. Electronic flyers are a cost efficient and very professional way of demonstrating to your sellers that you’re working hard for them to sell their house.

Advantages of sending electronic Flyers

*Easy and fast to create

*Get your property in front of agents even before they can find it in the MLS

*Cost efficient compared to other types of marketing

*Attractive, professional design to make your listing stand out

Read the rest of the article here

Benefits of using ActiveRain.com

Damon C (eCommission) — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 12:27:34 -0500

ActiveRain.com is the largest social networking website for real estate professionals. It has grown to over 80k users over the last two years and has helped create business relationships for people who would have never met otherwise.

ActiveRain has an easy to use online account set up to create your profile. Once you’ve logged in the first time, there are many different options you can choose from to set up your profile and share your contact information with others. The website is able to sort your profile by your location. This makes it easier to target your market and meet other people in your area.

Read the rest of the article here

Taking advantage of an opportunity?

Damon C (eCommission) — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 13:55:07 -0500

In an article that came out yesterday, Bear Stern is being purchased by JPMorgan Chase for $2 a share and many expect that a lot of the Bear Stern employees will be laid off.

One such real estate agent thought that he might be able to offer his services to these people:

At the Madison Avenue entrance, Ray Schmitz, a Realtor with Coldwell Banker, was betting that with the value of their stock options in tatters, Bear's employees might soon be looking to trade their luxury homes for something a little easier on the budget.

"You have to go where the business is," Schmitz said as he handed out business cards. "A lot of these people are going to lose their jobs, and most of their wealth will have been in share options. They're soon going to be looking for a cheaper place to live."

This seems like a really bold strategy to generate leads and prospects.

What do you think?

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Real Estate Brokers, Are You A Good Boss?

Damon C (eCommission) — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 17:10:32 -0600

RIS Media recently conducted a survey on what people considered necessary for being a good boss. The response was:

1. Communication/listening skills
2. Effective leadership skills
3. Trust in their employees to do their jobs well

Read the rest of the story here

Real Estate Agents Receive New Solution to Health Insurance Coverage

Damon C (eCommission) — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 11:18:13 -0600

Real estate agents now have new options to manage their cash flow and have their health insurance premiums paid by eCommission’s Premium Coverage Plan.

Austin, TX (PRWEB) February 12, 2008 — eCommission Financial Services, Inc. (eCommission), the nation’s leading provider of commission advance services to real estate sales professionals, announced today the launch of its newest product, Premium Coverage Plan.

Read the rest of the story here

Finding your niche as a real estate agent

Damon C (eCommission) — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 15:48:49 -0600

I came across an article today titled "The Hunt for Green" and I was thinking about some of my successful friends who have made it in the real estate business. Each of them have found their own niche in which they are able to sell into. One of them only deals with first time homeowners, another one only sells houses in the $200k - $300k price range, while still another only deals with recently divorced husbands. Dave, who was frustrated after buying his first house, thought there should be a better way and devised his own plan to make the entire process easier and gives the first time home buyer a pamphlet he put together that talks about everything they should expect. Sarah knows her particular area very well and explains to potential clients exactly what they are going to get from a house in the $200k - $300k range. And Jim, he went through his own ugly divorce about 10 years ago. He knows the pain those men are going through and helps them manage everything when finding that new home. They have each found the type of buyers that fit their personalities and know how to help. Because of this, they are able to relate to and connect better with the buyer, resulting in higher close ratios and better focus on their business. I have seen too many real estate agents try to be everything to everybody and fail terribly.

Continue reading: "Finding your niche as a real estate agent"

Another great site for real estate agents - Sellsius.com

Damon C (eCommission) — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 17:47:28 -0600

Sellsius.com is a great site that’s filled with a lot of information real estate agents can use to better their business. I’ve been checking out and reviewing the site the last couple of days.

Continue Reading: "Another great site for real estate agents - Sellsius.com"

Real Estate Agents Looking To Increase Exposure

Damon C (eCommission) — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 17:37:10 -0600

Looking to get more online exposure to promote your real estate business and services? Well, you better start blogging. More and more attention is being given to real estate blogs as a method to increase brand awareness, establish yourself as THE agent in your area, and develop leads.

Continue reading "Real Estate Agents Looking To Increase Exposure"

800 Info Home Line for Real Estate Agents

Damon C (eCommission) — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 17:34:36 -0600

I was talking to a real estate agent the other day and he was telling me a new service that he’s been using with some success. 800infohomeline.com allows you to set up a voice prerecording of a house’s details and any other pertinent information. He said that he writes the toll free number on the signs he puts out and a potential client can call 24 hours a day to get more information on the house.

Continue reading "800 Info Home Line for Real Estate Agents"

Using magazine articles to sell your services

Damon C (eCommission) — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 17:25:04 -0600

Whenever you’re trying to sell anything, you always want to have some sort of support. This support could come from statistical research, testimonials, newspapers or magazines. Buyers want to trust what you are saying is true.

Continue reading "Using magazine articles to sell your services"

Marketing yourself as a real estate agent

Damon C (eCommission) — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 17:00:28 -0600

I’ve seen many real estate agents come and go over the years and the biggest reason they go is because they don’t understand that being a real estate agent IS a business. They get licensed to sell homes and they think they’ve found their golden ticket to freedom and wealth. However, many of them start to see how tough the business really is and quickly find another career.

Being a real estate agent IS a business, and the successful agents run their career AS a business.

There are many different products and services you can use to market yourself as a real estate agent and over the coming months I will provide reviews on many of these products and services and how you can incorporate them into your own marketing program. But to get started, I wanted to introduce you to the marketing plan.

Continue reading "Marketing Yourself As A Real Estate Agent"