Real Estate Websites that really work

Standard 5 page websites includes domain name and Hosting for $149.00

Dennis Handa (DH Management) — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 09:36:29 -0600

New Basic Web site development and implementation …$149.00
* Develop site template, graphics, content and site navigation
* Create the site.(Basic 3 page site)
* Upload and test
* Check SEO keywords and adjust for major search engines
* Submit the site to all major Search Engines
* Provide Site hosting by Verio (the world’s largest server provider with
24/7 site maintenance and 99.9% uptime-Price included.
*5 E-mail addresses

Effective Web-Sites
We Create New or redo and refresh existing sites.
We utilize SEO (Search Engine Optimization) code rewrites, keyword content matching, site submissions, link additions, and building customer lists through online forms.

We will take your Business to the Web in the most user-friendly and searchable method known in the industry. We specialize in getting your site in the top search engines and directories through web design, comprehensive search engine optimization, site submission, National Press Releases, EZine Articles and more.

How we work:
We function much the same as an Advertising agency. That is, we handle accounts. Each account or customer will be put on a schedule and a timeline for all of our services.
Like an Ad agency, our goal is to earn and have your account for the long term..
We will accomplish this by achieving your marketing goals and clearly putting you ahead of the competition.

For more information please see http://www.agenteasysite.com

Real Estate Agent Deluxe web sites

Dennis Handa (DH Management) — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 09:33:09 -0600

Deluxe Sites: Our most popular Real Estate Agent web site-just $370.00
Comparable sites with the Content, Features and Benefits we offer, will cost you $695.00 to $2000 per year or more.

Deluxe Sites--$370 includes a 15 to 20 page site
* Plus 1 year hosting through Verio, the worlds largest vendor. with 24/7 maintenance and 99.5% uptime.
* Plus Site submission to over 1000 search engines and directories*Deduct $75.00 if your site is hosted elsewhere.
* Free site updates anytime from agent submission
(Domain name registration $10.00 extra)

About your new Site

Your new site will typically have the following in the way of Real Content pages: (Not Links)
(Content is King to both the search engines and your customers. People want real information-not just links to mortgage companies)

1. About Us and/or My services page.
2. Contact us/me (We utilize a short form to build your e-mail lists)
3. General MLS Search (this search shows on your site--this feature is what IDX companies charge $$$extra for)
4. Featured Listings or My Listings (this search shows on your site--this feature is what IDX companies charge $$$extra for)
5. Investors Section (A tab drop down page with 3 to 4 Real estate investment subjects covered-Example 1031-Short sales-etc)
6, Buyers Section (A tab drop down page with 3 to 4 Real estate Buyer subjects covered-Example inspections-Homestead exemption-etc)
7, Sellers Section (A tab drop down page with 3 to 4 Real estate Seller subjects covered-Example Pricing the home to sell-Home staging-etc)
8. Online CMA ( This page includes Text and an easy to fill out form--another way to build your e-mail list)
9. Partner Links (Links to non-competing agents-or business partners--the goal is to increase Google Page rank and help site position)
10. Community Links (Links to local Government and community parks etc)
11. Site map (Large sites need site maps to help customer site navigation)
12. Area Information (This will be a general info page about the city and/or county you are working in)
13. Free Reports Form (This adds a database Email program to your site---#this can only be added if we host the site)
Area Specific Information (see below--these are all popular search terms, people use when investigating an area to relocate to)
14. Arts and Culture
15. Cost of Living
16. Employment
17. Health and medical
18. Recreation
19. Weather
20. A searchable Google Map (this shows inside your site)
External Links (2 to 5 -Typically these go to Mortgage companies-Bogs-Calculators-Generic links-Real Estate News)

Site Development: Your New Deluxe Site includes.

* Development of a site concept, graphics, layout, content and content navigation
styles per agent input
* Site Creation.(15-20 page site)
* Upload and test
* Check SEO keywords and adjust for major search engines
* Submit the site to all major Search Engines and directories (over 1000-includes E-mail verification sheets)
* Provide Site hosting by Verio (the world’s largest server provider with
24/7 site maintenance and 99,9% uptime) at $75.00 extra per year.
*Google xml site map added.
*Google analytics added
*10 E-mail addresses (your name@yourdomainname.com
*A comprehensive Database E-mail program (See Below for more Information)
*Lead capture through free reports form
*Contact Forms
*Online CMA Form

Overview New Agent EZ-Mail management program for Deluxe Sites:
(*This feature is currently only available for Sites that Host with Agent EZ site)

How the E-mail program works:
1. A page is added to your site that offers a user(s) Free information or reports, plus a newsletter if you offer one.
2. When the user submits the Free Reports form after filling in the information, an email is sent to you about the submission, plus his/her information is automatically added to a database unique to your web site.
3. You then have easy access to your new email list through a secure control panel on your site. Typically it will be www.yourdomainname.com/cp
4. Once you have logged into your control panel, you will be able to manually add more e-mail names or import them from other email programs, in addition to the ones automatically added via the free reports form.
5. You can easily send broadcast emails through your control panel.
6. You can easily delete or edit an email name if changes are necessary.
7. You can easily change your password (initially one will be assigned to you)
8. You can easily change the information you want to have as the signature for your emails.
9. If you have a problem or question you are just one click away from a support/help forum plus common FAQ’s to quickly resolve the situation.

The Features and benefits of our deluxe sites are unmatched in the Web industry. The majority of Web site development companies charge $295.00 and up for just a 3 to 5 page web site.
A site comparable to ours in number of content pages and forms will run from $695.00 to $2000.00

Since we are Real Estate agents-we know what works and what doesn't and what buyers really want to see from a site.

Remember:

1. The first thing is to get your site on the search engine pages-so people can find it.
2. When they do find it-
They are looking at your Online Sales presentation. Meaning, you have just seconds to get their attention and establish yourself as the area expert. This is done by having lots of useful information that speaks directly to your customer.

To submit some basic information so we can get your project underway, click on our Get Started page

If you have more questions please either call-321-956-4003 or email me at dennis@agentezsite.com or see http://www.agenteasysite.com

Broker Web sites

Dennis Handa (DH Management) — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 09:30:09 -0600

Broker Web Sites

Our Broker Websites offer you the Important Features and Benefits to not only attract more customers, but help you recruit agents and free up valuable phone time for your Property Management Department(s)
Broker sites average 40 to 50 pages (this includes average of 15 agents with separate pages showing Bios-their listings and a contact form)

Site Content Overview

Our Agents Section
Names, pictures and contact information on a general page. Clicking on an agents picture, takes you to a specific agent page, that includes a Picture-A Bio-plus Their current listings and a form below those for customer submission to get more information. !5 to 20 pages on average. For an example go to http://www.mailandrealty.com/our_agents.html and then http://www.mailandrealty.com/agents/agent_bettes.html

Additional Pages
1. About Us and/or My services page.
2. Contact us/me (We utilize a short form to build your e-mail lists).
3.Property Searches both General and Company Listings (The searches and the listings show up on the site pages and are not an outside link)
4. Recruiting page-Text content and form (Features and benefits of joining your firm)
Property Management Division
5. A searchable Google Map (this shows inside your site)
6. Investors Section (A tab drop down page with 3 to 4 Real estate investment subjects covered-Example 1031-Short sales-etc)
7, Buyers Section (A tab drop down page with 3 to 4 Real estate Buyer subjects covered-Example inspections-Homestead exemption-etc)
8, Sellers Section (A tab drop down page with 3 to 4 Real estate Seller subjects covered-Example Pricing the home to sell-Home staging-etc)
9. Online CMA ( This page includes Text and an easy to fill out form--another way to build your e-mail list)
10. Partner Links (Links to non-competing agents-or business partners--the goal is to increase Google Page rank and help site position)
11. Community Links (Links to local Government and community parks etc)
12. Site map (Large sites need site maps to help customer site navigation)
13. Area Information (This will be a general info page about the city and/or county you are working in)
14. Free Reports Form (This adds a database Email program to your site---#this can only be added if we host the site)
Area Specific Information (see below--these are all popular search terms, people use when investigating an area to relocate to)
15. Arts and Culture
16. Cost of Living
17. Employment
18. Health and medical
19. Recreation
20. Weather
Property Management Section
21. Available Rentals
22. Maintenance Request (Includes text and a form outlining the problem)
23. Online application (typically a PDF form for download and faxing)
24. Pages for Owners (company promotion and why owners should have you manage their property-includes form)
25. Owner FAQ's
26. Renters FAQ's page (outlines rental qualifications-any legal concerns etc)
27. make an online Payment (if applicable)
28. Site Map
29.Community Links (Code enforcement-county and city departments)
30. Affiliate Links (Non competing companies and or vendors)

Pricing
A site as described above would run $1200.00 (Sites smaller than 45 pages deduct $20.00 per page-larger than 45 pages add $20.00 per page)

This includes 1 year hosting through Verio, the worlds largest vendor. with 24/7 maintenance and 99.5% uptime.
* Plus Site submission to over 1000 search engines and directories
* Free site updates anytime from Broker/manager submission. (Email me any text changes or outside link additions)
(Domain name registration $10.00 extra)

IMPORTANT EXTRA INFORMATION
*Broker sites allow for unlimited content change furnished by the Broker. *Submit in word or text editor by E-mail for us to add.
*Initial site submission to major search engines and directories.
*Depending on Local MLS-classifications such as Commercial/Income property can only be accessed via a nightly download. This setup averages approximately $200.00 extra ( A folder is setup on the server and a program is written to extract it to the specific companies pages.
*Flash can be included (requires a price quote) but is not recommended due to older browsers and slow download times from customers without DSL or Cable hookups.

For Brokers who want to Edit their own sites: This requires a Database conversion.
Database site Explanation
*Brokers/agents can go online from any computer and access their web site through a Control Panel That allows them to edit the pages on their site through a simple-easy to use drop down menu. When they are on the page there is a menu up top similar to word. Agents can then type in/edit-erase or paste in content and add links.
For the first year-there is no extra monthly charge. After 12 months it runs just $25.00 a month this takes care of site hosting and Database maintenance. Initial cost is $300.00 for 15 pages and $25.00 per page afterwards.

Other Options
See our Online Promotional Packages Click here

See a site example Go to http://www.mailandrealty.com

In addition to the packages we also offer Google ADWORDS setup and maintenance:

We can put your site on the front page of Google under Sponsored links. Depending on the competition and keyword availability-this will run from $100 to $300 per month.

Technical questions
support@agentzsite.com
Questions regarding invoices or terms
Billing@agentzsite.com
General inquiry
Dennis@agentezsite.com
Suggestions, feedback
feedback@agentezsite.com
Get Started or set account up
http://www.agenteasysite.com/get_started.html

Site examples: http://www.mailandrealty.com http://www.bestbrevardrentals.com

Melbourne real estate services

Dennis Handa (DH Management) — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 10:01:21 -0600

Dennis Handa, REALTOR of Coldwell Banker Schlitt Real Estate company, specializes in the sale of fine Homes and Condos in Brevard County. Since 1997, he has provided buyers and sellers with in-depth professional assistance in the sale and purchase of residential property. If you are interested in buying or selling a home, and want the professional assistance of a seasoned expert, who will work diligently in an effort to satisfy your needs, please call Dennis anytime at 321-956-4003. Hopefully, you will find this web site to be comprehensive, interesting, and informative. Please bookmark this site (http://www.brevardren.com), for fast and detailed real estate information at your fingertips.

To my Buyers:
As a buyer of property, you will receive personalized, professional assistance in both locating the property that suits you, and in negotiating the deal. Before buying any property, you will be an educated buyer, having learned sales prices and asking prices of comparable properties in the area of your choice, so that you have the necessary information to make an educated decision.

To my Sellers:
As a seller, your property will be marketed locally, nationally, and internationally. Your property will be featured on more than 6 real estate web sites. In addition your home will have a professional photographic and virtual tour for exhibition on the Web. A full color brochure will also be produced. Target marketing of your property to financially capable prospects.

Your home will also have it's own 800 number that works 24/7. When anyone calls the 800 number their phone number and name are forwarded to Dennis. Further your home will be assigned it's own web site and receive a free Homeowners warranty. These are just some of the many marketing tools that will ensure that your property is "SOLD".

Dennis Handa is one of the Top Producers in real estate sales, is admired by his fellow realtors, and has earned the respect of buyers and sellers who have come to him, to seek the assistance of an expert in Florida Real Estate.

Relocating to Brevard county Florida from the UK and canada

Dennis Handa (DH Management) — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 09:58:12 -0600

Relocating to Paradise can offer you and your family a life of unparalled freedom, with
endless summers and the future of your dreams.

The economic climate is perfect at this
time for Canadians and Brits investing into the States – the pound is strong against the dollar making
your choices in real estate endless.
I am happy to assist you in every step of the way with your real property investment and
to introduce you to those people who I trust totally and who work beside me in finding
financial support for Brits based on their UK credit status with no questions asked.

I have prepared a number of useful links for you to browse through in an effort to answer
those hundreds of questions you and your family may have at this time. Please use these
links and make direct contact with any or all of my associates.
Everyone is an ex-pat Brit
and everyone will completely understand the questions you pose and the information
you seek.
Let me help you to realize your dream and to start again on an adventure you will never regret...
It does not have to be a dream any more…let me Turn your Dream into Reality……
Don't Hesitate - Call me today, let's chat.
Property is the best investment you will ever make... and Property in the Keys
will make you more than you ever dreamed possible.

Links... Helping the Brits make it in America
Attorney at Law - Mike Cummings - mikecummingsGB@aol.com
Car Insurance - Mike Cummings - aaallassurance@cs.com
Flights Sunbird Travel - peter@sunbirdtravel.com
UK Passport Office in USA - www.Britain-info.org
Accountant - Arnott Ferguson - GAF7120@aol.com
Pensions - Mark Solomon - ukpensions@adelphia.net
Mortgages - Paul Lovelady - pvlovelady@aol.com
FinEducation - http://www.flarren.com/melbourne/info/education.html
Medical Health -http://www.flarren.com/melbourne/info/health.html
Citizenship and Immigration Services - www.uscis.gov
Immigration Attorney - Matt Selby - greencard@legalimmigrationservices.net

These are just some of the contacts I know you will be seeking if you are considering
relocating to America. Call me if I can help with Property Investment in any way.
I am here to work for you in Turning your Dream into Reality

How to establish a great online presence or how do I get buyers?

Dennis Handa (DH Management) — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 12:03:48 -0500

How to establish a superior online presence or how do I get buyers?

First a few facts:

Seventy-three percent of Internet buyers go online in search of a real estate agent and more than three-quarters (79 percent) of these Internet buyers find their real estate agent online.
Most traditional buyers find their agents through brochures, flyers, and mailers (44 percent) and referrals (19 percent).
Brokerage Web sites (82 percent) edged Realtor.com (73 percent) and individual agent Web sites (67 percent) as most visited by Internet buyers.
A higher proportion of Internet buyers are first-time homebuyers (11 percent), compared to 6 percent of the traditional buyers.
Internet buyers are younger, wealthier and buy more expensive homes. At a median age of 37 years, 66 percent of Internet buyers earn an annual salary of $150,000 or more (compared to 39 percent of traditional buyers,) and buy a median priced home of $452,000, while traditional buyers clock in at 43 years of age and purchase a median priced home of $310,000.

To read this article and more details go to: http://www.flarren.com/head_info/Internet_Advertising.html

So, given that the buyers are on-line, how do we get our share of them?

The traditional way is to of course put up a website. With an average agent’s website—there is one big problem however.
It cannot be found!
Of course it can be found if someone types in your name. But Mr and Mrs relocate in Cleveland Ohio, don’t know your name.
Instead what they will do is type in a keyword phrase

*(95% of people online find their information on the first three pages of the top search engines, Google Yahoo and MSN)

How do I get in the first three pages of the top search engines?

Give your Web site a name that relates to a search term or keyword phrase. You can still use your name but you need a searchable term!

What are keyword phrases?

These are words, phrases that someone looking to relocate enters into the search engines.
For example Key West real estate, Florida real estate, moving to Florida, Florida relocation, etc.

How do I find the best phrases to use?

Go to the site below and enter in a phrase. Once there it will show you alternate phrases and how many times that phrase was looked at in the last 30 days. http://inventory.overture.com/d/searchinventory/suggestion/
*Software for a PC that helps you find the best keywords. A free download http://www.goodkeywords.com/products/gkw/

This is a great site http://www.addme.com/keywordsuggest.htm

Let’s suppose I pick Key West Real Estate as my keyword phrase. How do I integrate it with my site?

Enter that phrase into the Heading and the text of your Web site index page and in the description and keywords of the source code.
*Make sure the new Heading of your site is in text or Gif form and not in a jpeg.
If you have pictures on the index page. Enter this same phrase into the alt code. (Note if you don’t know how to do this, contact your webmaster) For more information please go to http://www.agenteasysite.com

Taking professional pictures is in the exposure

Dennis Handa (DH Management) — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 15:43:00 -0500

Back when, I started off in photography, I was fortunate to take a lesson from a seasoned Pro. I saw his images and was basically blown away by them. I called him up and the next time he was in my area, I paid him to spend a couple hours with me, so i could ask him everything i could think of about taking professional shots.

It basically came down to really understanding exposure time. Most of us use the automatic feature on our cameras and just shoot away ---which is fine if you want to take snapshots and not dynamic wow images.

The situation is this--All cameras when left to automatic exposure want to shoot everything at neutral grey. For example-Take a shot of snow and notice that the snow is blue and not white??

So why is it not white-It was white when i looked at it----So what do you do to make it look white. You have to open up the lens say one and 1/2 to two stops to let more light in--(The camera has to be set on Manual---anyone that wants to take dynamic pictures and be in control of the camera instead of the camera being in control of you need to be able to choose the exposure time and lens opening,

Lets look at it another way-say you are shooting something and you want the blacks to really be black--if you shoot it in automatic--it will be neutral grey, not black like you wanted. So what do you do---close the camera stops down 1 to 2 stops and let less light in.

To try this out go into your backyard and take some shots-Forst shoot something automatic where you want the whites to be white---then open the lens up a stop and notice the difference.

It will take time and lots of trial and error as to to correct exposures--both the lens opening and the time to get it the way you want. The goal is to look at a scene and have it come out the way you want t to come out.

There are tons of books on this subject---some of the best are by John Shaw.

Dennis Handa

My website is at www.dhphotoart.com

Photography tips for taking pictures of Florida wading Birds

Dennis Handa (DH Management) — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 15:26:34 -0500

Photographing Florida Wading Birds

(Yes I am a REALTOR but in my spare time I do wildlife photography--If you get good at exposure etc-all of those skills will definitely help you take shots of your listings)

When, Where and How

First off this article is by no means intended to be the last say in techniques and equipment. Basically what follows is what has worked for me in pursing my interest and love of Florida’s magnificent wading Birds! Incidentally I use mostly Nikon gear (Nikon D100 digital camera and Nikon lenses) but any comparable gear can work as well.

Incidentally the birds I was able to shoot at the places below were Egrets (Snowy, Reddish and Great) Great Blue, Little Blue and Tri-colored Herons, Green Herons, Cormorants, Anhingas, Black and Yellow Crowned Night Herons , White Ibis, Wood Storks, Osprey. White Pelicans and Roseate Spoonbills. There were certainly other birds but these were the ones I found the most interesting as subjects..

The article covers the following.

!-Where-Places to photograph wading birds in Florida

2-When-The best times of the year to find them.

3-Techniques of shooting Birds from metering them to suggested equipment.

4-Image editing or now that you have the shot what’s next.

5-Reccomended reading/study.

Places to photograph.

I’m sure that there are more places than I’ve been to and certainly some obscure places also. If you can add to this list-it would be much appreciated and I will add the locations to this article with the senders name.

If you want more information on these locations e-mail me and I’ll gladly help.

1.Merritt Island out of Titusville Florida. Specifically Black Point Wildlife Drive. This is an approximately 8 mile drive through the wetlands that has about 300 species of birds available at different times. This is a very enjoyable and user friendly place. It’s Ok to pull off to the side of this one- way road and photograph (East Coast)

2-Anahinga trail at the South entrance to the Everglades—Just out of Homestead Florida at the end of the Turnpike and entrance to the Florida Keys. Nice walk through wetlands on raised boardwalk, also Gumbo Limbo trail to see native plants and trees.

3-Shark Valley on Highway 41 or Tamiami trail. This is a great area! There is a 15 mile paved loop where you can either hike, ride a bicycle or take a tram. Lots of Birds and Alligators. Birds don’t seem afraid and so your potential is great for shots.

4-Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge-Located on Sanibel Island. There is a four-mile Wildlife drive. You can walk-ride bicycles or Drive. Similar to Merritt Island. Incidentally you can fish and put in Kayaks at Ding Darling. This park is loaded with Birds hence potential keeper shots. Gulf Coast.)

5-Venice rookery-Venice Florida-this is a small island with lots of birds and potential for incredible shots-Just off US 1. (Gulf Coast)

6-Pelican Island-just south of Sebastian Inlet on A1A (south of Melbourne Florida. This is a very nice park with hiking trails and lots of Birds.(East coast)

7-StAugustine Alligator farm, St Augustine Florida north of Daytona (East coast)

This is one of the most prime spots due to the rookeries. Since there are lots of alligators, the birds know you won’t be bothering them. In some cases their nests are within 10-15 feet from you.

When-in my opinion and Since I live in Florida I would say Jan-Feb-March and April for three good reasons.

1-Breeding season and thus great shot potential. This time of the year the birds have absolutely beautiful plumage in order to attract mates. Plus you have a chance at shooting the little guys

2-NO Mosquitoes!!! Do not go into Everglades in the summer-unless you like to suffer. If you do take lots of spray or lotion.

3-Cooler weather. It’s hard to lug around cameras and big lenses when its 100 degrees out.

Now-you can obviously shoot Birds any time of the year-but I find the first 4 months of the year the most fruitful.

Some general Techniques and Information

Since there are a zillion books on techniques-I’m going to cover just what I have found works for me! These are in no certain order.

1-Be glad when it’s overcast- It is so much easier to get shots of White Birds and not blow out the reflected areas. If it is sunny out and the sun is hitting on a White heron or Egret-get ready to meter the subject and underexpose and/or compensate.

*I would rather lose some detail in the dark areas than Blow out the Highlights.

2-Use a Tripod!!!!! In most cases you will be using at least 200 to300mm lenses and due to the weight you will need a Sturdy tripod. In my opinion, you cannot handhold a heavy camera with a large lens and get a sharp image.

*In my opinion most shots by beginning photographers lack clarity/sharpness.

*Focus on the Birds eye—especially with long lenses.

*The best pictures of solo birds should give an idea of the birds personality!

3-Use a shutter release cable and always bring a backup. If you’re lens is locked on a bird and you’re waiting for it to stretch out or whatever-it’s nice to just click the release and get the shot. Sometimes the window to do this happens very fast! (on the backup-I lost/misplaced a cable at Ding Darling and there was no camera shop within 20 miles to get a replacement)

4.Understand your exposure meter (either handheld or TTL) I find that practice really helps-I have spent lots of time in my own backyard and out in forest areas to see what different settings produce. Try Aperture priority. When in doubt I use a spot meter and set my camera at what I want the metered are to look like. There are lots of books on this-so learn about zones and then manually set your camera. PS-if you are shooting birds and the light is pretty much the same-find the exposure that works then set it manually and stick with it. Be careful though because if the light changes, your exposure will need to be adjusted for more or less light.

Suggested equipment.

1-A REALLY good tripod and head with Quick release plates. The good stuff will probably set you back at least $400 to $500 for both tripod and head. It is well worth it—it doesn’t make sense to spend a small fortune on lenses and then have the shots out of focus.

PS-put your camera and it’s longest lens on your current tripod and then tap the tripod legs and see if the image moves. In the best situations there will be no movement or very slight.

*Don’t raise the center post as it gets even more unstable and harder to get a sharp picture. I love Gitzo tripods but there are other good brands as well.

2-Good lenses. For bird shots you will in most cases need longer lenses.

I have found that a Nikon AF 80-200mm F2.8, is a great all around bird lens. It is a razor sharp lens and focuses fast!

A longer lens with a smaller set aperture like 2.8 or 4 will cost much more and they are physically larger but the results are far far better than a cheaper off brand and/or slower lens.

For 300mm I have found an F.4 works well-if you can afford it a 300mm F2.8 would be great but it would cost in the thousands.

3-Good Teleconverter-I favor a 1.4x and also bring along a 2X. I have found that for AF use a Kenko 1.4 model 300 pairs up with the Nikon gear very well.

*The good stuff costs more, but since the lenses are faster and because they allow more light they auto focus quicker and the results are far superior to a cheaper and/or slower lens.

*I am not saying that there are no good off brands-only that when in doubt you generally cannot go wrong with a good OEM lens.

More general thoughts!

Image editing---Photoshop CS or at minimum 7 (due to file browser feature and Raw image handling)

*If your camera has the feature, Always Shoot in RAW format and then keep the raw file as your negative. This is a larger 16 bit file that can be changed as to exposure-white balance-contrast etc. You have much more to work with going in.

*Learn Burn and Dodge techniques and especially how to use levels and curves in Photoshop and last but not least how to sharpen the image without overdoing it.

*Take as many photo work shops as you can afford and interest you.

*My goal in a days shooting is to get one or 2 keepers or WOW shots. If you approach it this way it takes the pressure off. Sometimes at the end of the day I will find a shot I wasn’t really inspired by at the time is the one that really stands out-so take lots of pictures.

Recommended reading. These are just a few.

1-Anything by John Shaw-especially the Art of Landscape Photography. This is loaded with great useful information—if you can get only one book, get this one.

2-Jim Zuckermans Secrets to Perfect Exposure and Guide to Natural Light Photography.

3-The Photoshop book for Digital photographers. By Scott Kelby

4-Bill Fortneys-Great Photography workshop.

5-Galen Rowels Mountain Light—(wow what great images)

6-geprge Lepps books-the Digital Image-each issue has very useful information.

7-Ansel Adams or other peoples books about the Zone system.

In closing this is what I have found has helped me but make no mistake I learn something new every time I go out and shoot and have just scratched the surface of this great pastime. See my photography website at www.dhphotoart.com

Understanding what business we’re really in!

Dennis Handa (DH Management) — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 13:47:37 -0500

Understanding what business we’re really in!

In order to be successful we have to understand what this business is all about or what it really boils down to. (Unfortunately this is a concept that few salespeople really understand.)

So given that, what then is real estate all about?

Emotions and Dreams

In short Real Estate is about people’s emotions and how those relate to their decisions. The premise is that people buy things based on their emotions and then justify them through logic.

This then leads us to the question and answer of, “why do people buy and sell homes”?

Let me explain:

Everyone has a deep-seated desire or fantasy burning inside that dictates why they make major or even minor purchases and rationalize their decision to do so.

What’s interesting is that decisions made because of these emotions often outweigh logic and/or generally carry no guarantees.

To illustrate the point consider a few reasons people buy a newer, fancier or more prestigious home:

A-To feel good about themselves.

B-To feel successful and to justify their hard work.

C-To look better to their friends and Family.

D-To enjoy their free time better.

E-To have a nice place for their children to grow up in.

Given the fact that everyone wants to improve their lot in life, these reasons definitely can contribute to the goal of improvement even though there are no guarantees that the results they are looking for are going to happen and/or they make sense financially.

So What?

As a salesperson, if you make a conscious effort to get to the bottom of what people’s real motivations are, you are way ahead of the game in helping them buy or sell. This of course means qualifying or asking the right questions and really listening!

Relocating to brevard county and melbourne florida

Dennis Handa (DH Management) — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 09:21:10 -0500

Melbourne and Brevard) County is an area that is growing rapidly and welcomes new business.
The Melbourne (Brevatd County) metropolitan area, which includes Titusville, Cocoa, Meritt island and Palm Bay, has a population of more than 500,000 It is defiitely one of the most diverse metro areas in all of Florida. Although the areas are sprawled out, they all have a small town feel, a great infrastructure and a “user-friendly attitude.”
Whether you’re considering relocating a company or starting a business from scratch, Melbourne wants your business.
To consider:
Employees:
Over 185,00- in the Brevard County area.
The market and potential:

Total Population 519,000
Population Forecast (2010) 588,000
Median Age 41
Income
Median Income $35,271
Average Household Income $47,571
A good business assistantance site is at http://www.spacecoastedc.org/BusinessAssistance/RelocationExpansionIncentives.aspx
http://www.nspacecoastedc.org/tax-inc.html
As of Sept 2005-the jobless rate here was 3.5%

Some of the more significant advantages to living and establishing businesses in Florida, with respect to taxes are:

No state income tax
No corporate income tax on sub-chapter S corporations
First $5000 of taxable income apportioned to Florida is exempt
No state property tax on inventory or equipment
No business inventory tax
No corporate franchise tax on capital stock
No corporate tax on limited partnerships, individuals, Estates and private trusts
No collected or assessed state property tax
No sales tax on "boiler fuels" used at a fixed Florida location in an industrial manufacturing, processing or compounding process
No sales and use tax on goods manufactured or produced in Florida for resale or export outside Florida
Corporation accounts receivable (one third) exempt from intangible property tax
Exemption of employee stock options from employer
No property tax on goods-in-transit for up to 180 days
While these are in themselves incentives, the following are additional incentives offered by the State and local government working together to provide you with an environment conducive to your success.

Ad Valorem Tax Exemption (real and personal property) is offered by the local government and is based on the financial impact projected on the County (number of employees, capital expenditure, etc.).
Sales and Use Tax Exemption

Silicon technology-based industry transactions involving manufacturing or research equipment
Purchases of machinery and equipment used by a new or expanding Florida business to manufacture, produce or process tangible personal property for sale
Labor, parts and materials used in repair of and incorporated into machinery and equipment that qualify for sales tax exemption upon purchase (phased in over four years, 25% exempt on July 1, 1999)
Electricity used in the manufacturing process (phased in over five years, 80% exempt on July 1, 1999)
Aircraft parts, modification, maintenance and repair, sale or lease of qualified aircraft
Commercial space activity - launch vehicles, payloads and fuel, machinery and equipment for production of items used exclusively at Spaceport Florida
Labor component of research and development expenditures---------------------------------------------------------------------
Summary of Florida's Tax Incentive
Qualified Target Industry Tax Refund Programs
This program provides an inducement for target industry to locate new facilities in Florida or to expand existing facilities in Florida. The program provides tax refunds of $3,000 per new job created. The incentive is increased to $6,000 per job if the company locates in a rural county or an Enterprise Zone. Higher awards are available to companies paying very high wages. To qualify for the “QTI” program, a company must create at least 10 new jobs (or a 10% increase for expanding Florida companies), pay an average of at least 115% of area wages, have a significant positive impact on the community and have local support.

Brevard county florida employment

Dennis Handa (DH Management) — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 09:17:33 -0500

Melbourne and Brevard County Employment

According to the latest survey from info USA, a provider of proprietary databases, Melbourne came in at No. 4, tied with Miami, with 16.5 percent growth over the last five years in the number of businesses in the metropolitan area. The city saw its number of businesses grow from 19,337 in 2000 to 23,159 in 2004. Only Fort Myers reported higher business growth, coming in at No. 2 with 18.3 percent growth.First a few statistics:

The Central/Space Coast’s unemployment rate has remained lower than the state and national averages since 1995.
In 2004, the unemployment rate of 4.6% was 0.2 percentage points below the state average, and nearly 1 percentage point below the national average.
Because of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center and Spaceport Technology Center as well as several providers of similar services, the region is at the leading edge of space research and is a foremost contributor to technological advances in the industry
The labor force is growing faster than the Florida average. Brevard employs more than 180,000 workers, and is on track to increase over 30% (53,000 new jobs) between 1995 and 2005.
Manufacturing jobs are a major portion of the areas job base.
Brevard County offers a wealth of opportunities for employment.

Computers,
Communications
Space industry
Health
Transportation
Construction
Education
Retail
Additional resources for job and demographic information
Bureau of Economic and Business Research at the University of Florida (BEBR)

Brevard county cost of living

Dennis Handa (DH Management) — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 09:14:11 -0500

The cost of living index is based on the composite price of groceries, housing, utilities, transportation, health care, clothing and entertainment.

Cost of living indexes will generally be higher in areas that offer access to beaches, culture, arts and recreation. In addition areas, that offer a wider variety of services such as health and education will run higher due to higher wages, and increased quality of living.

ost of living indexing explanation
A figure of 100 points is used as an average both for the USA and Florida. For example:
Boise Idaho is ranked at a 99
Boston Mass is rated at 240
San Francisco at 217
Statewide, Florida cities come in from a low of 90 and up.
One way to compare Florida areas to salary requirements
For example-If you were relocating from Portland Oregon (whose rate 1s 120) to Melbourne, and you currently make $50,000 per year, the formula is as follows
Take the destination index, in this case Melbourne-98.0 and divide by Portland’s index-120, then multiply by a salary of $50,000. This will give you a figure of $40,833.00 which would be required to make in Melbourne to have the same quality of life.

A personal observation: Melbourne is a small city and so the drive time to shopping, recreation etc is short…meaning you won’t burn as much gas, which in this day and age is definitely a help. I find the car insurance and home insurance rates very reasonable. (If you live on or near the water and require flood insurance, the rates will be higher)

In conclusion, Melbourne is a great place to live.
For overviews on the other Space Coast or Brevard County areas like Cocoa, Titusville and Palm Bay, see the dropdowns to the left.

Titusville Florida Part 3

Dennis Handa (DH Management) — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 12:49:28 -0500

Some of the best light-tackle fishing in America is also right at your backdoor, among the myriad islands of Mosquito Lagoon and the upper reaches of the Indian River. This is sea trout, redfish, and even snook country.
Your outdoor recreation of choice is paddleboating? Again, some of the best canoe and kayak trails to be found anywhere in North America are right here. And much of the nearby St. John’s river basin has been preserved from further development.
Despite all this incredible feast of pristine outdoor recreational options, you can work in Orlando!

Or you can play in Orlando! Orlando – the big city, with all that implies for jobs, for shopping, for dining, for the Arts, for access to colleges and a rich variety of higher education, for the fun of professional sports, and for other entertainment choices, is just a 45-minute drive from Titusville.
Central Florida is a veritable smorgasbord of interesting neighborhoods, backcountry roads, beach communities, whatever. Again, Titusville’s location is uniquely convenient.
So is Orlando International Airport, with nonstop flights to most of the USA and Europe. Parking is abundant, convenient, and inexpensive. Most people in the USA’s big metropolitan centers would love this kind of hassle-free convenience! (By the way, if you fly your own plane or have a business that does, the well-equipped Space Center Executive Airport is right here.)
If all this sounds appealing to you, check it out: for more information on Titusville, at
http://www.titusville.com/about/index.htm

Titusville florida part 2

Dennis Handa (DH Management) — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 12:46:04 -0500

Titusville really is the Gateway to the Space Coast. You must go through it to get to the Kennedy Space Center and various other space-related attractions and museums. If you want to feel connected to America’s future in the cosmos, hey, this is a cool place to be, like no other.
But it’s a relatively quiet place. Titusville is “behind” Cape Canaveral, and is and will remain fairly compact because of its unique geography, unlike the more spread-out megalopis-in-becoming area south of the Cape and SR 528 (on a map, the area stretching from Cocoa through Melbourne to Palm Bay).
For example, “Titusville’s beach” is not a happening place like Cocoa Beach; instead it’s the Canaveral National Seashore, and the pristine, undeveloped, and forever-wild 24-mile stretch of barrier-island sand and palms known as Apollo, Klondike, and Playalinda Beaches.
And that’s not all: In addition to 37 local parks, there is the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge. This incredible wildlife preserve has over 140,000 acres and is home to 16 threatened or endangered mammals and some of the world's finest birding. See www.dhphotoart.com Florida has one of the best networks of hiking, biking, and equestrian trails in the United States, and this area has more than its fair share of them, and easy access to a bunch more

Skills needed to be a Top producer

Dennis Handa (DH Management) — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 14:19:58 -0500

Skills needed to be a Top Producer.

To be a Top Producer in sales you need to do the following things extremely well:

A. Really, really listen to the customer.

· Most of us don’t really listen-instead we wait for the soonest place in any conversation where we can inject our thoughts or ideas.

· Back off and be patient!

· If you really want to have a positive conversation, do more listening than talking.

· Become good at asking questions. You will uncover more information about a customer’s motivation by simply asking them.

*Always remember, everyone likes to talk about himself or herself.

B. Have genuine empathy for the customer

· Really and truly put yourself in their shoes and be on their side.

*If a customer feels that you are sincerely interested in furthering their goals and dreams, you’ve locked them into dealing with you alone. At this point the sales part of selling yourself is almost over (now you just need to find the right product for his specific needs).

· PS-The only way a customer will be convinced that you are in fact in business with him is to really listen and participate in his viewpoint to convince him that you’re both on the same page.

Important Premise
If you keep the customers wants and needs in mind, the commission will follow.
Important premise
Never think about the money first, as this will definitely seep in and affect the way you interact with a customer.

Important thoughts!

· The majority of customers assume that salesmen are primarily concerned with making a commission. Therefore, it’s your job to convince them that is not how you operate.

· You need to whittle your initial sales contact down to a brief few minutes in which they are convinced of two things.

· 1 You know your stuff

· 2 You put your customers first.

C. Really know your product.

· Product knowledge is at the heart of anything and everything we sell.

*How many times have you gone into any type of retail store and found a salesperson that really knew the product. Probably very few and when you did find this person, you probably breathed a sigh of relief.

· If you’re selling homes, know the inventory, the pricing, the neighborhoods, the subdivisions, the streets, the zoning laws, etc. This is what separates the Top Producers from the average.

For more information please see http://www.agenteasysite.com

Advice and information about a sale career

Dennis Handa (DH Management) — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 14:16:46 -0500

About Sales in general!

A. Sales are at the heart of everything we do in life.

· From childhood, we’re selling ourselves and/or our ideas to others. This boils down to our basic relationships with parents, spouse, employer or friends.

· At the end of the day, we’re all salesman!

· Anytime we interact with another person we are in some way being sold or are selling ideas and concepts!

B. We all have a different style!

· All of us have definite sales styles. By this I mean each of us has a unique and individual way in which we interact with people. To illustrate this point, ask yourselves?

· Are we low key or do we come on strong or even pushy?

· Are we information gatherers or do we like to improvise or even do both.

· Are we negotiators and/or problem solvers?

· Think about it. In your interactions with people you’ve encountered all these (and more) different styles.

Extremely Important!

· You must know and understand your own individual style, or how you basically interact with people

· You must always strive to improve weaknesses and capitalize on your strengths.

· You must always remain true to your basic feelings and values.

· Bottom line is that if you’ve been successful at sales, stick with whatever style works for you and you feel comfortable with! (Remember I said been successful with-if your sales experience has been negative up to this point, then it’s obviously time to rethink your style and method)

*Ok So I recognize and understand my own sales style or approach. Now what?

· Develop it, work on it and improve it. Your style defines who you are.

Watch out for-

· Anyone who implies that his or her sales approach is the ONLY way.

· To adapt their style, means that you have to change your basic beliefs and/or personality)

However-

· Listen to them and when you hear something that makes sense, adapt it into your own style. There is always room for improvement.

· Everyone has something to say that we can probably benefit from.

*My point is, just don’t buy into it hook line and sinker.

Always!

· Stay true to yourself.

· Don’t try to reinvent your basic personality or be somebody you’re not. If you do, be assured that most people will pick up on it and you’ll lose esteem instead of gaining it.

· Remember that you can achieve incredible success and still remain the same person you are.

*In conclusion if people like you for who you are, and you’ve had a good sales record, don’t try to reinvent yourself.

C. Sales is a percentage Game!

· Batters in the national league are considered good if they bat 300 or better. (That’s three hits in 10)

· No one can achieve 100% sales, unless the product is illegal. Find out what the norm is in your industry among top producers and then work to achieve and better that.

Important Premise

“Only worry about the things you have control over”

D. Sales is an up and down process.

· You will have good days and bad days.

· Whenever you become successful, you’ll find that the highs tend to be really high and the lows really low.

· Some people cannot handle this in their lives. If that’s the case then you need to probably work at a job, where you punch a time clock and do the same thing repeatedly and play it safe.

· What I’m saying is know that there will be ups and downs. Just, don’t dwell on it. There’s always tomorrow.

E. One essential way to always stay optimistic.

· Get to the point where you honestly believe that you can help your customer better than anyone else.

*Note: To get to the point where you honestly feel you have the most to offer will take lots of work, but the payoff is immense.

· Always keep this goal in mind, as it will point out the approach to take to get there.

F. You cannot get along with everyone.

· There are always going to be people you won’t be able to deal or get along with.

· I’m sure you’ve run into people that you just couldn’t relate to and/or didn’t want to.

* The danger here is forming too early an opinion of the other person. As to that please consider trying the following.

G. How to turn a negative situation or person around.

· Keep your opinions from forming (count 10) and then truly try to understand the other person’s motivation.

· If you’ll do that, about half the time, you can turn the situation into a positive rather than a negative experience.

*Please understand that it’s worth the effort, because once you’ve gotten a tough customer on your side, he’ll be just as tough in favor of you as against you.

Another way to look at it.

· Generally if a client is too easy, he’s that way with everyone and in some cases won’t really commit to anything. He just wants to be a nice guy

· If you really try and see that you can’t get something going with the customer, let it go.

· In the business of Real Estate refer him to another agent so you’ll still make money for your efforts. We simply cannot please everyone.

H. Straight commission is the way to go!

· Successful salespeople know that the best money is in straight commission sales.

· Next to Doctors, Pilots, Architects (professional designations) and CEO’s, Professional sales people have the highest income potential.

· In fact, there are lots of Real Estate agents that make more money than people with professional titles.

· Selling is a both a career choice and a Profession. If you approach a sales career as a professional endeavor the rewards are limitless.

Why is straight commission so important?

· In almost all cases, if you play it safe and go for a base wage, the good money will not be available to you. There definitely is a tradeoff here.

With straight commission, you are completely on your own, however if you opt for straight commission, the benefits are as follows.

· There is generally no ceiling on how much you can make.

· If you want a raise you don’t have to depend on someone else’s opinion. All you need to do are the things necessary to increase your income-work harder and/or work smarter!

· Your future is determined by you and you alone. Not by another person.

· People who earn straight commission are generally not as tightly managed as those that are on a wage.

· This is not to say that you don’t have to perform, but just that you will enjoy more freedom with your time.

· To sum it up then, be yourself, learn your product and listen well to what your customers say and you will have a great sales career and life”

Why a successful sales background works in Real Estate

Dennis Handa (DH Management) — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 14:12:20 -0500

Assuming I have a sales or business background, how does that apply to a career in Real Estate?

· Over 40% of the people currently coming into Real estate and achieving success, have a sales and/or business background.

What does this have to do with it?

· Successful people coming from a corporate background tend to be better organized, have better work ethics and are generally computer literate.

· The idea of a financially rewarding career without the corporate grind, is attractive.

· They generally adapt faster to a changing industry and new ideas.

Why is the Real estate industry changing?

· Due to the Internet, fax machines, email etc, we’re in the age of quick accessibility to information, which in turn means they (the customers) are operating smarter than before.

· Because of this, agents have to work smarter and continually make changes in order to stay up with today’s business climate.

*What happens if an agent cannot adapt quick enough?

· There is a large fall out rate in Real Estate right now. The old are making way for the new. You have to change or adapt your skills to deal with the current and upcoming world.

*Remember the one thing you can always be sure of is that things will change!

For example:

· In the old days REALTORS had control of the MLS listings. They were generally printed out in a monthly book format. Whenever a customer wanted to look at properties he had to rely on a REALTOR or classified ads in the local newspaper.

· This has all changed. Real Estate salespeople no longer control the listings. MLS associations of most cities/areas are now available to anyone with Internet access.

· In order to find customers, we have to get adept at e-mail-websites-digital cameras-laptops, Internet advertising and more

· You have to offer your customer benefits and in effect become a consultant.

The 80/20 rules

· It is a proven fact that 20% of the people in ANY endeavor do 80% of the business.

· It doesn’t matter what you’re selling, there will always be people who are at the top of their profession.

· If you will really focus and improve your sales skills as far as making sales presentations and qualifying buyers and sellers, plus really know the product (inventory) you can be in the top 20%.

Important Premise

“If you have to work for a living, you might as well make the best of it and earn lots of money.”

Brevard county arts

Dennis Handa (DH Management) — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 10:34:00 -0500

Melbourne Arts and Culture
The Melbourne/Brevard County area is extremely welcoming to actors, artists, musicians, photographers and writers in all genres.
There are first class Art supply stores, photography, book stores and libraries for supplies and research.
The Maxwell King Center brings in national acts, from Rock legends to Tony Bennett.
Another important thing is that its very easy to get involved in the community and the Arts scene. I do wildlife photography and have found incredible promotional support from the Brevard Arts society here. It is very professional and very approachable group. email: at brezinal@artsbrevard.org

Melbourne and its communities are definitely receptive to new ideas and creativity.
Listed below are a few places/organizations in the area.

How to market individual property websites

Dennis Handa (DH Management) — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 12:28:15 -0500

Individual Home Web sites

By the way-these really do work:

Want an Incredible advantage over the competition?
Think about having an individual Web site for your Top Listings. To see some examples go to www.13013th.com or www.30825granada.com

Features and benefits of Individual property web sites

Win More Listings:
Impress your sellers with showcase property Web sites that are 100% dedicated to their property. Their listing will be available to a worldwide audience 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There is NO competition with other listings to distract the buyer.
In addition, Neighbors that see a www.address.com sign rider on your listing will immediately know that you are doing something different. This definitely puts you ahead of the competition in all your farming efforts.

Attract Buyers:
1. When prospective buyers drive buy, they only need to remember the street address, then log onto the web, and type it in. (Lots of buyers, will drive by and like the home but don’t want to call and get involved. They just want more information. A property web site lets them easily and privately look at the home.
2. Buyers get to see who you are and have access to your web site and/or e-mail. (An individual home web site is a live sales presentation…much better than just a listing sheet)
3. Individual home web sites allow you to feature photos, virtual tours, Google maps and UNLIMITED text for property descriptions. Individual property web sites are the richest source of information about a single property – exactly what buyers are looking for.

Your Competitive advantage:
In any market, it’s important to emphasize your competitive advantages to add value for your sellers.
An Individual property web site clearly demonstrates that you are marketing their property in the place where the most potential buyers are looking. Individual property web sites position you as a tech-savvy professional, and make it easy to justify your commission.
PS-homeowners will proudly tell their friends to look at their home web site which can definitely bring you referral business.

Advertising
A Home web site is both inexpensive and Easy to promote and advertise.
Use your home site address in all print advertising in place of expensive, descriptive copy(A Classified Ad Example: Run this in newspapers up north)
Incredible Florida Keys estate

Increases Your Brand Awareness:
Each web site comes with your company brand identity which can help increase your brand awareness. The more Listing Domains you have the better!

Testimonial

The property websites that you have created for me have been an invaluable marketing tool. The URL's make it easy to imbed the entire web site into all of my e- marketing, eliminating the need to have burdensome large phtographic files in the e flyers. I also have sign riders with the URL's on all my properties that have websites. This is a great tool, not only so that buyers can easily get all of the information they want quickly from their mobile devices but sellers also see these websites on my signs. As a result, they too want to list with me so that their home can be part of such a comprehensive marketing plan that includes the indivisual website designs. You are a master at your craft Dennis! Thanks for taking care of my Internet marketing needs!
Sally Stribling
Real Estate Sales
Coldwell Banker Schmitt Realty Co
100430 Overseas Highway, Suite 100
Key Largo Florida 33037
Business: 305-451-4422
Home: 305-451-1816 Fax: 305-451-0398
Cellular: 305-283-2002
email: keysproperty@bellsouth.net

For more info go to www.agentezsite.com

How to make Changes and look at Real Estate in a different light

Dennis Handa (DH Management) — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 10:56:33 -0500

How to make changes:

Remember the hardest thing to do for a business or person is to perform surgery on itself or himself.

Rewrite your script: Change the way you approach things on a daily basis
Stop being the Victim
Get mad at your situation!
Make changes and do them for 90 days…no exceptions ( like a diet or weight training)

*Not making a decision to change is STILL a decision ( You’re making a decision to keep doing the same)

If you keep doing the same, don’t expect the results to change.*Most people plan a party better than they do their lives.

NEW RULES:

We will not have 25 phone numbers…just one that our customers can reach us on.
We’ll change our voice mail message daily. Merry Christmas in July doesn’t work!
We’re not in the CIA. We’ll wear our name badges and have at least a company license plate on our car.
We’ll rethink our business strategy NOW and at regular intervals. One thing we can always be sure of is CHANGE.
We’ll have a business plan and be able to say it in one sentence.
We’ll be able to quickly answer (numbers and stats) how we’re going to achieve our plan!

Summary : Important premises.

Real Estate is a business and needs to be treated as a business!
Next to professional designations such as Doctor, Lawyer, Architect, etc, the next highest paid profession is sales.
Regardless of the product, to be successful at sales, you need to know and have command of specific Sales skills, techniques and basics. Remember, if it were easy, everyone would be making lots of money.
It is possible to enjoy your work and make lots of money.
To change your future, you have to make the move! No one will ever ask you to do it.
Sales are sales are sales, regardless of the product! If you have a sales and or business background and possess an entrepreneurial spirit, then you are a SALESMAN. What product you choose to sell is after the fact!
Not making a decision to make a change is still a decision
If you stop learning, you’re standing still and will get passed by.
What a shame to go through life and then look back and wish you’d played out your life differently”
Most people plan a party better then they plan their life.

COMMISSIONED SALES AS A CAREER AND IT’S RELEVANCE TO OUR REAL ESTATE BUSINESSES.

Dennis Handa (DH Management) — Sun, 09 Sep 2007 10:50:42 -0500

Important premises:

The changes in the Real Estate market require that to be successful you need to be at the top of your game.

This means in many instances going back to basics and really reviewing and understanding them. First and foremost is the fact that, to be successful at Real Estate we have to be good salespeople.

So with that as our topic, I believe we should look at the field of sales from a different perspective. Sometimes we are so close to something we don’t see the forest for the trees.

Fact: We are commissioned salespeople!!!! (If we don’t sell, we make no money…if we sell we make money)

SUBJECT: COMMISSIONED SALES AS A CAREER AND IT’S RELEVANCE TO OUR REAL ESTATE BUSINESSES.

Commissioned sales is a career choice!
Next to professional designations such as Dr, Lawyer…Architect….Commissioned sales is the second highest paying career field.

How corporate America looks at Commissioned salespeople. (Look at each point and see how and if it relates to Real Estate)

1. Before a major company will hire you as a straight commissioned salesperson representing their company, they will expect you to:

A-Have a strong track record in either selling or dealing with the product or above average sales success with another product.

B-Have good people skills (initial Interview)

B-Understand basic Business concepts (Wholesale and Retail)

C-Look and act professionally.

D-Have family backing as far as time constraints. (Is it ok to work the long hours necessary to be the best)

E- Have a good credit report. (Not required in Real Estate)

F- Be healthy (Expect a Complete physical exam)---Essential to being above average….being above average means working above average.

G- No police record

H- High energy profile

If you are working for a major company and are a straight commission salesperson, you will have the following responsibilities. If you cannot handle these areas, expect to be terminated.

A-A budget to meet (It will increase each year)

B-Paperwork to fill out and get in on time

C-Know your competition

D-Have a concise plan to call on your A, B and C accounts

E-Attend Trade shows and sales meetings

F-Handle your territory well…meaning

1-Making your immediate supervisor look good

2-Not having customers (Accounts or Consumers) calling the home office and complaining

G-Training your accounts and their sales-forces on the features and benefits of your product.

H. Above average product knowledge of the Industry you’re in.

I-To SHOW UP

The Difference between people that do the above well and make the most money also falls under the 80/20 rule-or 20% percent of the people get 80% of the business!!

The Eleven attributes of a great salesperson and Top Producer!

Dennis Handa (DH Management) — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 17:25:44 -0500

The Eleven attributes of a great salesperson and Top Producer!

Having been in management and sales for over 35 years-these are the points that I feel sum it all up. I find they are applicable in all fields of business and especially Real Estate.

1. They believe in themselves.

Good sales people visualize themselves as being successful.
They truly expect the deals to go their way. This confidence seeps into all they say and do and it is catching.

*Customers respond to optimism and high energy. It’s absolutely necessary for a top producer to believe in himself or herself in order to keep going.

Important Premise

When you do have a bad day, analyze what went wrong and use it as a learning experience!

2. They are trying first and foremost to impress themselves.

Watch how a good athlete responds when he wins.
Really successful people in all walks of life, motivate themselves.
It’s not that they don’t want praise. It’s just more important, they prove to themselves they can do it.

*Success is intoxicating-once you’ve tasted it, you’ll want more!

About success

Success is a way of life. People who have been successful and have something go wrong (bankruptcy etc) in most cases turn around and start right up again and wind up being successful. This happens for two reasons.
They learn from their mistakes.
They have the drive to reach success.

Important premise

If you don’t try something you’ll never know if you could have done it!

3. They have a high level of productivity.

That is not measured in how many hours they work but how they work.
They learn how to cut through to the bottom line, making them more productive by spending less time on things that don’t give results.

*Good salespeople obviously accomplish more than non-successful sales people.

4. They are competitive.

I can't think of anyone that excels in anything that is not competitive and usually by nature.
They hate losing and will do the work that’s necessary to make things happen.
They want to be at the top of their game.

5. They have a high energy level.

They do whatever is necessary to make it happen.
They have a good work ethic.
They show up and work at it every day.

*I have never met anyone who was successful at anything, that didn’t work hard at it (day in and out)

6. They want to please

They like approval.
They believe it’s important that their customer, boss and coworkers respect them.

*For some people it's the applause more than the money.

7. They see themselves as different from the rest.

At some point in their lives, they figured out they could pull off whatever they set their mind to.
They believe in themselves and visualize success.
*If you believe you could have been whatever you’d like to have been, then you’re there!

8. They have the ability to REALLY focus.

Anyone who can do better than average, be it sports, sales or whatever, have the talent of being able to focus and get inside whatever they're trying to do.
They think through whatever it is they’re trying to do.
They look at all sides, both good and bad.
They see things for what they really are and not what they’d like them to be.

*This simply means they were serious about it and did what was necessary and focused on the goal.

9. They work towards getting a system down.

They want to be on top of things and get the work to a routine.
They keep trying things and discard the stuff that doesn't work until they get a groove going.

*They generally pull this off, because they have the ability to see the bottom line or what is really happening.

10. They’re not afraid to ask questions and constantly work at growing themselves.

They’re always trying to learn and improve.
After a sales call they generally reflect on what they did well and what they could have done better. It’s this serious approach to the craft that defines a real winner.

*Some people get good to a point then stop growing. This is a formula for failure.

11. They have a high opinion of themselves.

In order to get past the rejection and failure that comes with sales, they have to be optimists and really believe in themselves and that they can succeed.
Successful salespeople visualize and really believe that success is attainable.

About Titusville Florida

Dennis Handa (DH Management) — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 15:20:01 -0500

Titusville is an interesting situation. The city, right now, is reinventing itself. Titusville can lay claim, with considerable justification, to being the original city to give the entire area the name “Space Coast”. Both men and women of every possible NASA job description, and in the greatest numbers, chose Titusville as their place to call home.

Other choices, of course, were Cocoa and Melbourne, but Titusville had pride of place: it was closer, easier to access, and had everything you needed. As time passed, the “center of gravity” for the entire area drifted down the Coast towards Melbourne. It seems now that things have come full circle. Perhaps some of the best values – for buying, for investing – for the moment can be found here in Titusville.
The city has some extraordinary Indian River waterfront areas and is, as we speak, involved in multiple processes to figure out what is their highest and best use. Stay tuned, for the discussions are lively.
.Titusville Florida sits in the northeast corner of Brevard County, on the mainland, along the Indian River, with I-95 and the St. John’s River National Wildlife Refuge as a kind of western edge. It sits just across the tidal Indian and Banana Rivers from the Kennedy Space Center’s rocket launch sites, and provides by far the best uninterrupted view of the nation’s blast-off space activities you can buy into anywhere on the Space Coast.

Titusville – for now anyway – is a small city of just over 40,000 that blends the best of nature with science and technology. The average year round temperature is 79 and it enjoys 295 days of sunshine.
With an average home sale at $204,000 as of August 2005, Titusville is absolutely still affordable. (This will change.) Last but not least, it has a great climate for business and lifestyle.
If you are relocating to Florida, I can think of a number of good reasons to look seriously at Titusville’s unique variant of a relaxed yet connected Florida lifestyle, but here are several good ones:

The Importance of press releases for online marketing

Dennis Handa (DH Management) — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 11:53:24 -0500

The importance of Press releases

Press releases are one of the best forms of promotion for several reasons.

Press releases are extremely cost effective as compared to print advertising. Definitely more bang for the buck. You can have releases forwarded to hundreds of newspapers (weekly and daily) for $30.00 and up.
Press releases have a high credibility (believability) factor as compared to advertising. Most people interpret a press release as a current news event.
An effective press release can generate tons of free publicity for your business, product, or service. But it can also increase your search engine visibility, the fact of being visible in the search engines for keywords related to your brand.

4. News releases that include links to your product offering or web site can potentially increase your search engine visibility. And the higher your message appears in the search results for related search queries—the more referral business you will generate from the internet.

5. All the major search engines - including Google, Yahoo Search, MSN , Ask Jeeves and more, typically pickup newsworthy press releases in their search results.

Why would a newspaper print my press release?

Answer: Newspapers and editors/writers are always looking for good content. If your press release is newsworthy-it stands a very good chance of getting printed.

Is there a specific format for press releases? Answer: Yes there is.

Basic Guidelines

When writing your press release use the inverted pyramid format, placing less important information further down in the release.
Structure your press release in block format by not indenting your paragraphs.
Review your press release and make sure it does not sound like an essay or an advertisement; it should be informative but appealing.
Keep your press release within 500 words; this should be enough to cover your news event and prompt people to take action.
Proofread your press release more than once. Step away after you are done writing and come back with a fresh set of eyes.

Sample Press Release Format

Headline
Create an active and descriptive headline that will capture the reader's attention. The headline should appeal to journalists as newsworthy.

Summary
Write a summary of your press release that helps clarify the headline, and describes what the press release is about.

* While not all press releases have a summary, if you are distributing your press release to PR Leap it must include a summary.

Press release Body (Answer the Where, When, Who, and What)

Lead Paragraph
City, State - Month Day, Year - Organization Name - Answer the "what" in the rest of this paragraph.

Include Quotes
After the first paragraph of the body it is a good idea to include at least one quote from an executive that discusses why this is an important news event. Add credibility to your press release; identify the people you quote using their title, and company name in addition to their name.

Answer the Why and the How
The second paragraph of the body should connect the first paragraph to more detailed information about the "why" and the "how" of the news event.

Additional paragraphs should contain supporting information, industry statistics, and quotes.

Call to Action
The last paragraph is where you can make a call to action. This is your opportunity to prompt your target audience to do something. It can be as simple as "To contact the author please go http://www.yoursite.com/

At the very bottom on the left use this ### (three number signs) to denote where the press release ends.

Corporate Summary
Include a short summary about your organization.

Contact Information
Include the contact information of a person the media can follow up with. (Name, Company Name, Phone Number, E-mail Address, Company URL)

Palm Bay Florida part 2

Dennis Handa (DH Management) — Fri, 07 Sep 2007 07:01:30 -0500

Palm Bay has quite an incredible range of both indoor and outdoor recreational opportunities in addition to these big Atlantic beaches, including sailing, water-skiing, fishing, biking and tennis, golf, hiking, horseback riding and surfing, walking and birding.

With 169 parks, 23 golf courses, and 30 marinas throughout the Area, and not to mention several colleges and universities located nearby and offering diverse educational opportunities, you won’t be bored.

Oh, and one more thing. A quirky and quite wonderful distinction that sets Palm Bay apart from a lot of the Space Coast is its seemingly infinite variety of ethnic foods.

If dining out is something you like to do, restaurant choices range from Middle Eastern to Jamaican to Italian and French and much more. And if that’s not enough, there’s still other choices available in historic downtown Melbourne, a few minutes drive away.

Last but not least, if you (for some reason) need a big city fix, well, Orlando is just under an hour away. For access to the rest of the country and the world, Melbourne International Airport is about 20 minutes away.

For more stats on Palm Bay, please go to http://www.city-data.com/city/Palm-Bay-Florida.html
For more stats countywide (Brevard) go to the Melbourne general info links on this Website.
For Real Estate information and related businesses see the Real Estate section on this Website.

“Think about the possibilities of living in an area where most people go for vacation.”