allen f hainge: Two Steps Forward For The New Year! - 12/19/07 09:11 PM
OK...time to take a breather and plan your business for 2008, if you haven't already. From my perspective, here are two top steps you can take to a more prosperous (and happy) New Year for you and your business.
Take A 2-Day CRS Course
The CRS (Council of Residential Specialists) offers the absolute … (12 comments)
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allen f hainge: A Top 10, Must See Web Site For Real Estate Agents - 12/18/07 11:20 AM
I spent my one-hour “learn my technology” time today watching 17 short videos on using layers in Photoshop. I needed learn more about this technique, and the videos, well done and very complete, were just the ticket.
They are on Expert Village, a site I just discovered and immediately bookmarked … (12 comments)
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allen f hainge: Will You Lose Your Domain? - 10/25/07 04:25 PM
I just received this from one of my CyberStars(r) posted on our private listserve:
"I need your help, guys! I had a webmaster a few years ago who left town 'under the cover of dark' so to speak and left me and several others in a real mess with out websites. … (3 comments)
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allen f hainge: My Friend Burt: A Life Lived Well - 08/31/07 07:44 PM
My friend Burt died earlier this week. I'd known him for 20 years, and he taught me some life lessons that I hold dear to my heart: service to others and humility.
The world we live places great value on achievement and acquisition. We are often judged by what we have, not … (19 comments)
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allen f hainge: Looking For Love In All The Wrong Places? - 08/26/07 05:25 PM
Looking for love in all the wrong places? These words, from a famous country western song, are relevant if you feel "loved" when you have a number of qualified buyers today.
In most markets today, agents face an excess of listings and a shortage of buyers. They need qualified buyers, and … (8 comments)
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allen f hainge: Real Estate Agents: No More "Listing Wimps!" - 08/24/07 08:00 PM
When it comes to taking listings, especially in a down market, there are two types of agents: "The Boss" & "The Wimp." The Boss has strategies for taking listings on his or her terms....and prospers. The Wimp lets the seller dictate terms....and starves.
We had one of our monthly private "CyberStar® Friday Morning … (5 comments)
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allen f hainge: Inspiration: A Video Well Worth Watching! - 08/21/07 03:03 PM
CyberStar(r) Steven Estein of RE/MAX Pros, Frederick, MD, sent us a link to an amazing video. It is a 3 minute story of humility, talent, triumph and just plain joy! I know it gave me a real Feel Good moment....and I think you'll have one, too, if you watch it. You … (9 comments)
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allen f hainge: Top Business Building Tips of The CyberStars(r) - 08/20/07 09:34 PM
A number of you have told me that you find the ideas and techniques I have posted, ideas I mainly learn from my Allen F. Hainge CyberStars(r). I got to thinking that it would be great to have a free online Webinar featuring some of these CyberStars(r), to let them share … (7 comments)
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allen f hainge: What's Your Best Bet For Getting Visitors To Your Site, Blog or Podcast? - 08/15/07 09:33 AM
Where do your Web site visitors come from, i.e., how are they attracted to your site? Search engines? Pay-per-click? Personal promotion? Once you know the answer, you can effectively increase your efforts in that direction in order to attract visitors to your site.
My take is based on research with a … (4 comments)
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allen f hainge: Real Estate Marketing On You Tube: One Money-Making Example! - 08/12/07 02:53 PM
In preparation for a seminar I'm giving in Lexington, KY ("Web 1.0 vs. Web 2.0") tomorrow, I was doing some research on how agents use YouTube for marketing themselves and their services. I came across the videos of one of my CyberStars(r), Sam Miller of RE/MAX Stars Realty, Mt. Vernon, … (13 comments)
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allen f hainge: iPhone: An agent's next "must have" tool? - 08/10/07 11:59 AM
Several of my CyberStars(r) have already gotten the new iPhone....and they are finding some creative marketing uses for it. Here's one from Allen F. Hainge CyberStar(r) Ira Serkes of RE/MAX Executive, Berkeley, CA (www.BerkeleyHomes.com).
Ira writes:
"And I stumble across yet another cool marketing use for my new iPhone!
"I uploaded my … (14 comments)
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allen f hainge: Good, Short Interview On Real Estate Blogging Success - 08/09/07 11:32 AM
One of my CyberStar®, Bryan Bomba of RE/MAX Elite, Hinsdale, IL, is featured in an on-target interview with RealEstateBlogSites.com. The subject, of course, is blogging. It's a short interview, but he makes some good points with regards to effectively blogging to provide consumer information and to market yourself and your services. … (4 comments)
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allen f hainge: Valuable Listing of HP Online Classes - 08/07/07 07:00 PM
A quick post about a very valuable site, HP's Online Classes. Lots of good online seminars here in several categories:
Digital imagingDigital entertainmentSecurity solutionsHome officePersonal interests and hobbiesYou can find a list of classes here.
It's a great day here on the lake in Reston....hope it's a great day wherever you are, too!
… (6 comments)
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allen f hainge: Cutting The Fat From Your Site....And Increasing Its Effectiveness! - 07/30/07 06:09 PM
Most agents have Web sites by now, but you know my views on their effectiveness: most of them don't earn money for the agent. Those agents who do make money from their sites keep up on what helps make their site accessible and effective.
Here's one tip from Allen F. Hainge CyberStar(r) … (32 comments)
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allen f hainge: You Have A Life Outside of Real Estate, Right? - 07/28/07 12:55 PM
Life is good. Oh, I, like everyone else, have my problems, but I also have blessings that give me a daily sense of gratitude. I'm grateful for my business, of course, teaching for the CRS technology course and teaching my private seminars nationwide, for my Web site consulting, etc. But my … (7 comments)
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allen f hainge: Fun, Interesting, Useful Sites - 07/09/07 09:00 PM
For your use and enjoyment, here's a list of some fun, interesting or useful sites. The list comes from sites used and recommended by my CyberStars(r). I've included comments from aCyberStars(r) who uses a particular site.
Enjoy & prosper!
FreeConference.com
A site to set up free phone conferencing (free to the person … (27 comments)
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allen f hainge: No Whining! Comment on a Great Post - 07/03/07 11:26 PM
AR'er Ralph Nudi wrote an excellent post in the Tech Corner group praising "stealth sites." Rather than simply adding a comment to his post, I decided to post here in hopes that it will attract more readers to his post. I recommend that everyone wanting to market is or her … (5 comments)
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allen f hainge: Top Agent Comments On iPhone - 07/03/07 09:15 PM
Sam Miller of RE/MAX Stars Realty, Mt. Vernon, OH, is one of my CyberStars(r) and one of the top agents in the country. One of the reasons why he's a top agent is that he embraces today's technology to market himself and to provide excellent service to his clients. Sam has … (4 comments)
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allen f hainge: Internet Power: Are You REALLY Using It? - 07/03/07 07:46 PM
I was sitting on my balcony overlooking Lake Anne here in Reston and reading one of my favorite authors, Thomas L. Friedman. I've written in my newsletter and here, I believe, about the impact his book, "The World Is Flat," had on me an on my business. I recommend it for … (7 comments)
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allen f hainge: Using Firefox? Please Note...And Check Your Web Site! - 06/25/07 08:23 PM
If you use Firefox, rather than IE, as your browser, here's something you should be aware of if you are not already. It effects your site viewing...and, most importantly, results you get from your own site.
I was looking over one of my CyberStar's(r) sites, using Firefox, as I usually do. The … (4 comments)
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allen f hainge: Effective Web Sites To Check Out - 06/24/07 06:25 PM
So many agent sites...yet so few make money! It's not hard to be one of the agents who make money from hi or her site if you understand what makes an effective site...and focus your efforts on getting one.
One of our CyberStar(r) teams, Jeff & Paulia Kennedy of Trademark Real Estate, … (13 comments)
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allen f hainge: TinyURL: A Useful Tool For Email Marketing! - 06/17/07 01:50 PM
Email is a powerful marketing tool, as you know, email. One thing that makes it so is your ability to put a URL (Web site page location) into the body of the message. The URL might link to a new listing, an announcement regarding a client’s new house or … (9 comments)
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allen f hainge: Does Your Web Site Have "Stick To Itness"? - 05/22/07 10:45 AM
NAR research shows that home buyers and sellers are interviewing agents 6-9 months ahead of their sale or purchase...without most agents knowing it. How? By searching agent Web sites in order to choose the best agent to work with.
The key to getting the consumer to choose you, of course, is deep, … (7 comments)
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allen f hainge: "60 Minutes" Segment: Their Perception, Your Reality - 05/15/07 05:16 PM
Like many of you, I saw Sunday night's "60 Minutes" segment. I have also read the comments on AR regarding the segment. Like many of you, I see a disparity between the portrait of the "typical agent" shown on the segment and what top tier REALTORS do to earn our fee. … (28 comments)
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allen f hainge: Benefits of ActiveRain: Your Comments Wanted! - 05/08/07 07:39 PM
What is the main benefit you receive from participating in ActiveRain? I'm going to do a post on myCyberStars(r) real estate tips/techniques blog, and I want to publicize ActiveRain membership....and urge non-members to join this great family.Instead of my listing the benefits I see to AR membership, I'd rather list yours.So...leave … (37 comments)
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allen f hainge: My Tips/Techniques Blog Is Up - 05/08/07 07:14 PM
Just to let everyone know, I have begun my "CyberStars(r) News & Views" blog. It emphasizes real estate sales and marketing tips, many of whicxh I learn from my CyberStars(r). You can find it at http://blog.cyberstars.net. If you have ideas for topics you would like to see addressed, let me know … (2 comments)
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allen f hainge: Marketing On You Tube: Are You There? - 05/03/07 05:25 PM
Erik Bjorklund of EMit Mortgage, Duluth, GA, wrote an insightful and extensive post on the impact of YouTube. Lots of good examples of why YouTube has become a force in the areas of marketing and communication. I want to extend Erik's comments here to include something that I think is vital … (6 comments)
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allen f hainge: The Peabody Ducks - 04/28/07 06:07 PM
While in Orlando speaking at the Realty World International Convention, I stayed at the Peabody Hotel. While there, I took this photo of the famous Peabody Ducks...and was reminded of how important branding your business is!The Peabody Ducks premiered at the original Peabody Hotel in Memphis in the 1930's. Lore … (10 comments)
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allen f hainge: What A Week! - 04/28/07 05:17 PM
Whew! Finally home after a week on the road, doing seminars for the Realty World International Convention Tuesday in Orlando and the Nebraska Association of REALTORS state convention Thursday in Omaha. Great groups, lots of interest in Active Rain when I showed them what it can do, Maybe we gained some … (7 comments)
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allen f hainge: Lead Followup is Crucial: Which Automatic Followup System Is Right For YOU? - 04/07/07 02:31 PM
Here's an unbiased look at the "Big Three" automatic folloup systems for real estate: My Home Management Club, RealProSystems and Rainmaker e-central. My comments are occasioned by a comment to one of my blog posts. My friend George Tallabas (www.tallabas.com), an active AR contributor, wrote the following after I mentioned RealProSystems, … (13 comments)
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allen f hainge: The "Web Site Loop": Your Blog + Your Web Site - 04/07/07 02:38 AM
Want to earn more while working less? If so, remember the following:
Your Web site and your consumer blog are your biggest, most cost effective money makers, the most effective marketing tools we in real estate have ever had. They are for my CyberStars(r), and they can be for you, too. … (21 comments)
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allen f hainge: Is Your Web Site Being Copied? Better Check... - 04/04/07 02:59 PM
More often than you might think, agents copy text, graphics and layouts from good Web sites and claim them as their own. It might pay you to see if this has happened to you without your knowledge. We had been discussing the problem of site stealing on our private CyberStar(r) list … (19 comments)
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allen f hainge: Skype: No-Cost, High Quality Calling To Those Far Away! - 04/01/07 06:47 PM
I am attending a train-the-trainer workshop for CRS instructors here in Chicago. Just before we were ready to start our session today, my "computer telephone" rang. Really....it sounds like a regular telephone ringing. I answered it, and it was my son Chris, who lives in Japan. I saw him on the … (4 comments)
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allen f hainge: Listen To Dr. Phil, or "How's It Workin', Pal?" - 03/27/07 12:01 PM
I don’t watch a lot of television…usually just mysteries and other British programs on PBS, that wonderful new series now showing on the Discovery Chanel, soccer matches and (I confess) CSI. When I’m on the road doing seminars, however, I confess to being guilty of “channel surfing.” Recently, I saw … (6 comments)
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allen f hainge: Are 35+ Million Eyeballs Enough For Your Message....For Free? - 03/24/07 11:31 AM
Imagine placing your marketing video in front of 35+ million viewers on the Web at no cost to you. That's real estate marketing today, a radical departure from "the old days." It is a valid, powerful marketing tool that is within reach of all of us.You've heard about YouTube and MySpace, … (3 comments)
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allen f hainge: It Makes My Blood Boil! - 03/19/07 09:05 PM
Dad Gum It! My blood boils when I see the views some agents have when it comes to taking time off from this business! Lynda Eisenmann wrote a nice post, "Are You Taking Four Months Off A Year?" Lynda is right on target, and everyone should read her post. Why am … (80 comments)
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allen f hainge: Your Auto Responder's Message: “I Don’t Really Care About You” - 03/19/07 10:26 AM
You have auto responders on your Web sites, right? These bits of stored text go out automatically when you get an email inquiry from your sites. I have seen hundred of auto response messages during the course of my Web site evaluations, and most say something like this: “Thanks for your … (16 comments)
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allen f hainge: CRS Courses: Another Big Advantage! - 03/11/07 05:22 PM
Just got through teaching the CRS 206 technology course for two days in Reno with my co-instructor, Mike Selvaggio. As usual, it was a great experience, and the attendees left with a severe case of "brain overload" due to all the techniques, tools and sysems they were exposed to during … (8 comments)
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allen f hainge: Neat Listing Product, Reduced Price - 03/06/07 08:27 PM
Just received word on a price reduction for a product that's a real money maker: AgencyLogic Power Sites. Most of my CyberStars(r) use it and have been very happy with the results.You can see an example of a listing at http://6724sobrante.com. Basically, you just upload photos & text, they do the … (2 comments)
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allen f hainge: Web Sites: Here's How To Make Money (Quick Case Study) - 02/28/07 12:10 PM
You have a Web site and it's not making you money? All too common in our industry, but here's a "case study" on how you site can make you good money. One of my CyberStars(r), Kathy Drewien of North Atlanta Realty Group (www.AtlantaRelo.com) sent the following out to our CyberStar(r) list … (0 comments)
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allen f hainge: The World's Most Important Question: Improving Your Business & Your Life - 02/25/07 01:52 PM
It's a beautiful snowy day here on the lake in Reston, as evidenced by this photo I took from my balcony... Snowy days seem to get me thinking about "non real estate stuff." The last time it snowed, I posted about writing a gratitude list, something I do frequently. Today, … (3 comments)
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allen f hainge: So Many Sites: So Few Are Making Money. Why? - 02/24/07 08:56 PM
So many agents have Web sites, but so few are making money with them. Why? Two main reasons:First, too many agents have weak sites, sites that are little more than an agent promo page, some stock info pages & listing links. Many company & franchise sites fit this category. If you … (15 comments)
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allen f hainge: Your Business Card: Make It Count! - 02/20/07 11:34 AM
Does your business card maximize your marketing? Bruce Slaton's does! Bruce is from Sacramento, CA, and has a great Web site. Note how his business card focuses on getting folks to his site with the words, "24 Hour Condo & Townhome Internet Searches At...." followed by his Web site address. … (17 comments)
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allen f hainge: Why So Few Good Sites? Your Comments Wanted! - 02/19/07 05:04 PM
Why do so many agents resist getting a good real estate Web site? It is real estate's #1 money-making tool and by far the most cost effective. How come so few agent have money-making sites (closed gross commissions of $10,000+ in my humble opinion?It is not difficult to get a good … (15 comments)
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allen f hainge: Making Money With Template Web Sites - 02/19/07 12:02 PM
Unfortunately, many agents still do not have money making, consumer-oriented Web sites. I have written extensively on how this can be achieved in my four part series, “What Makes A Site A Money Maker” (see Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV). In those articles, I make the point … (5 comments)
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allen f hainge: Real Estate's Top Money Making Softwares & Web Services - 02/16/07 10:58 PM
Active Rainer Jim Crawford, in another post, asked AR'ers to let him know what real estate software they couldn't live without. I posted the following list, based on a survey of my CyberStars(r). The list below shows what these top agents use and is ranked in order of its money-making ability: … (16 comments)
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allen f hainge: Must Read Article: "Watch Out For Online Ads That Watch You" - 02/06/07 07:40 PM
You are familiar with those pop-up ads from certain Web sites, right? Well, some of them are far worse than just a mere annoyance. PCWorld has a must read article on ads placed by behavioral marketing networks. Such ads place a "cookie" on your computer. The cookie records (and reports back … (10 comments)
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allen f hainge: CRS Courses: The Best! - 02/06/07 11:11 AM
I am in Franklin, TN, teaching the CRS 206 course, "Technologies To Advance Your Business." It is a good time to remind you that the CRS courses are, in my opinion, the best educational offerings in real estate today.Like the 206, the "core" courses that lead you to your CRS designation … (4 comments)
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allen f hainge: Free Group Phone Calls: High Tech, High Touch! - 02/04/07 09:56 PM
Allen F. Hainge CyberStar(r) Ira Serkes of RE/MAX Executive, Berkeley, CA provided the following tip for my online newsletter awhile back. Ira is a big believer in “high tech, high touch,” as his tip shows. “High Tech doesn't mean much without high touch, and we have some very cool uses for … (4 comments)
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allen f hainge: Allen's "Must Have Tech Tools" List - 02/01/07 05:00 PM
The following list of some tech tools I have found valuable originally appeared in my online newsletter last year. I use technology to help me save time, save money, make money and, in general, to make my life easier and more productive. I highly recommend each of the following if they … (13 comments)
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allen f hainge: Online Gatherings: Great Way To Share Ideas! - 02/01/07 04:10 PM
Four of my CyberStars(r) who are also ActiveRainers got together for an online Webinar session today, just to kick around some ideas as to how we can contribute more to the growth of AR and how we can increase our effectiveness using AR.Thanks fot Angus Woodbury, Teri Isner, Sharon Simms … (0 comments)
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allen f hainge: Getting Traffic To Your Web Site: Secrets of the CyberStars(r) - 01/26/07 02:42 PM
I wrote this article awhile back for Broker Agent News, a wonderful online and “snail mail” publication featuring many items of interest to active agents. In it, I took a specific look at how to get traffic to your site. Here ‘tis….. It would be one thing for me, a national … (25 comments)
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allen f hainge: Creating A Community: Web 2.0, Active Rain & Your Marketing Efforts - 01/23/07 06:35 PM
Congratulations, Active Rainers! You are, whether you know it or not, in at and a part of the birth of "Web 2.0." Books such as "Wikinomics," by Don Tapscott and Anthony D. Williams, claim that "Web 1.0" has run its course and that Web 2.0 is upon us. You, as bloggers … (26 comments)
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allen f hainge: What Makes A Web Site A Money Maker, Part III.....Choosing A Site Designer - 01/23/07 09:59 AM
Your response to my first two posts on what makes a site a money-maker has been gratifying: 2,120 of you have viewed them and 75 of you have taken the time to post some very thoughtful and enlightening comments. A recent comment by Active Rainer Debi Braulik gave me pause. Debi … (11 comments)
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allen f hainge: What Makes A Web Site A Money Maker, Part II - 01/21/07 08:44 PM
Last week, I gave a number of tips and techniques from my CyberStars® which go a long way toward increasing Web site effectiveness. Here is Part II, complete with examples from the sites of my CyberStars®. Again, I wish I could include examples from every CyberStar’s® site, but space prohibits my … (38 comments)
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allen f hainge: As The Snow Falls....A Gratitude List - 01/21/07 04:28 PM
My apologies to my friends in Denver, but it's snowing here on the lake in Reston (VA), and the falling snow is beautiful. The muffled silence and the view lead to a feeling of serenity. I look out on the snow covered trees and the water, and I experience an … (10 comments)
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allen f hainge: Are You Using A Virtual Assistant Yet? - 01/18/07 12:44 PM
Hopefully, you use a VA (Virtual Assistant) to help you get to the top! If not, perhaps this post, taken from my online newsletter (www.CyberStars.net) will help you see that a VA is crucial to your success….so that you can “do the little things that the winners do”! By now, … (29 comments)
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allen f hainge: Starting As A New Agent....And Succeeding! - 01/17/07 03:42 PM
So many agents start out in this business, working hard, yet find only frustration. If this sounds familiar, read this secret of success from Linda DeVlieg of Coldwell Banker Legacy, Albuquerque, NM. Linda is one of my CyberStars(r) (www.CyberStars.net), and she exemplifies the qualities of the agent who succeeds wildly … (4 comments)
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allen f hainge: Make It Easy For Prospects To Contact You From Your Site! - 01/16/07 11:04 AM
Here’s a tip from one of my CyberStars®, Brad Korn of Blue Springs/Kansas City, MO (www.BradKorn.com). Brad is an excellent marketer, and he gets a lot of business from his Web site. This tip should be obvious to all, but I evaluate a lot of Web sites, and the problem … (3 comments)
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allen f hainge: Using CD Presentations - 01/16/07 03:41 AM
Whether you get your own CD duplicator or you farm out CD’s for copying, there are a number of uses for personalized CD’s. Among them are: A CD featuring your accomplishments, information about your market area and referral details for distribution to successful agents you meet at conventions or seminarsA … (5 comments)
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allen f hainge: Marketing High End Properties on Your Web Site - 01/16/07 03:17 AM
Allen F. Hainge CyberStar® Jo Ellen Nash of Nash & Co., Vail, CO (www.JoEllenNash.com) specializes in high end properties. She has a wonderful Web site, and she is an expert at marketing high-end properties. She gave a presentation at our members-only CyberStar® Summit last year on how she markets such homes. … (3 comments)
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allen f hainge: Book List - 01/15/07 09:38 PM
I posted this some time back, but I just discoved the book group, so I'll send it on.... We just finished our 3 day CyberStar(r) Summit meeting in San Antonio. Lots of great ideas on many topics and panels on topics such as:Generating business in a changing marketBuilding a winning listing … (5 comments)
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allen f hainge: Annual Cyberstars Meeting in San Antonio - 01/04/07 08:34 PM
This week several of our cyberstar group will be meeting in San Antonio in fact Sharon Simms and I will be flying out on the same plane. This annual meeting is jam packed with marketing, tech and general real estate information. There are selected vendors presenting their products and 10 minutes of fame for … (4 comments)
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