Twitter likes to hide some of its best features, such as the ‘Advanced Search'. Scroll down to the bottom of any Twitter.com page. Click on ‘Search' then click on ‘Advanced Search'. Here you can search specific people, date ranges, places and phrases.
2. Tweet by texting.
Twitter limited tweets to 140 characters so they could be sent as a short message text service (S.M.S.). When you login, go to ‘Settings', then ‘Devices' and add your phone. The Twitter interface will add buttons next to each user you follow so you can turn update on or off. You'll want to use this feature sparingly so you don't run up your bill.
You can tweet form your phone by texting a message to 40404.
3. Twitter/Facebook integration.
If you use both Twitter and Facebook, You can add only one status update and have it go to both networks. Go to Twitter.com/widgets/facebook and click on ‘Install Twitter in Facebook' and work your way through the configuration.
This will work in both directions, but it is a good idea to send your tweet to Facebook. It takes fewer steps and you know you are within your 140 character limit.
4. Favorites.
Want to save a tweet? Mouse over it and a star-shaped icon appears. Click the icon and it will link to Favorites on your Home page.
5. Share photos.
You can't send photos, but you can send a URL for a photo hosted on a website. TwitPic will store your photos and create the URL. Go to TwitPic.com, use your Twitter user name and password and upload your photos. Share your photo by going to the photo page on TwitPic and tweeting from there.
6. Desktop apps.
Instead of going to Twitter.com to send tweets, you can use a desktop app which is more like using AOL Instant Messenger.
For Windows users, Digsby displays Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and your email accounts in a long, tall window. Mac users will want Twitterrific.
TweetDeck works on Windows and Macs and displays in multiple columns.
7. Phone apps.
There are numerous apps for smartphones. Try Twitterberry for Blackberry devices and Tweetie for iPhones. These applications make it easy to post photos from your phone.
"Why is Tweeting on Twitter good for your real estate business?" you ask. Because that is where the people are!! Twittermania began last month when Oprah ‘tweeted' for the first time. For the week ending May 9, HitWise ranked Twitter.com as the #6 social networking website. All those young ‘20 and 30 somethings' who are first time home buyers hang out there. Like all buyers, they want to know you and trust you before they do business with you.
The next question most people ask is, "What is Twitter?" Twitter is a micro-blog that allows posts of no more than 140 characters. As with other social networking sites, Twitter is not the place to sell, sell, sell and jam real estate down people throats, but a place to be yourself, be real and let people get to know you. Can you slip real estate in there once in awhile, sure, but don't make it all about real estate. Camouflage your business related info and have some fun.
So how do you get started? Below is a Beginners Guide to Twitter to help you out:
1. Sign up.
Go to Twitter.com, click on the large green button that says, ‘Get Started - Join!'
Enter your name, user name, password and email address. Pick a user name that isn't too cutsey. You want people to know who you are, but using your real name is better than sellyourhomefast.
2. Send your first tweet.
When you log in you will see a large box in the top left corner that says, "What Are You Doing?" Type anything you want here but don't go over 140 characters.
3. Settings.
Click on? Settings in the top right corner and personalize your account. Add your photo and other information about yourself.
4. Find people.
Search Twitter for your friends, invite other to join, and check to see if friends from other email services have a Twitter account.
5. Follow users.
You choose who you want to follow. Click on the user's photo or name to go to that person's page. There is a list of suggested users to get you started.
6. Protect your updates.
You can protect your updates by only allowing people you approve to follow you. It is a good idea not to put anything on the Internet you don't want your Mother to know about.
7. Search.
Click on the ‘Search' button at the bottom of your screen to search all tweets on Twitter like you search on Google. You can also bookmark search.twitter.com.
8. Notices.
Twitter can remind you if you haven't tweeted in less than 24 hours, email you when someone starts following you, and email you when you receive a direct message (private message just to you).
9. Apps.
There are numerous Twitter applications so you can easily find out what your friends are doing. TweetDeck puts a widget on your desktop so you can follow tweets without logging in. It shows you everything you want to see all at once. There are lots more you will want to check out.
Consider jumping on the bandwagon and being where the action is. My user name is ruthannmacklin...I'd love you to follow me!
Don't have time to set up a Twitter account? Contact me at info@myreassistant.com. As your real estate virtual assistant, I'm glad to do it for you!
All Mortgages 3.30% in Foreclosure 7.88% in Default (30+ days late) 11.18% Total in Default
Prime Mortgages 1.88% in Foreclosure 5.06% in Default (30+ days late) 6.94% Total in Default
Subprime Mortgages 13.71% in Foreclosure 21.88% in Default (30+ days late) 35.59% Total in Default
FHA Mortgages 2.43% in Foreclosure 13.73% in Default (30+ days late) 16.16% Total in Default
VA Mortgages 1.66% in Foreclosure 7.52% in Default (30+ days late) 9.18% Total in Default
Note the dramatic difference between the number of homeowners who are actually in the foreclosure process compared to those who are 30 days or more late in payments. The FHA figures jump from 2.43 % in foreclosure to 13.73% in default...an 11% increase. The VA figures increase 6%, Subprime...11%. These numbers are a strong indication that the foreclosure crisis is going to continue to get worse before it gets better.
If you are continuing to shy away from working with homeowners in distress and short sales, you may want to reconsider. This segment of the market will be with us for quite awhile. The good news for Realtors is Fannie May has instructed their servicers NOT to negotiate your commissions up to 6%.
If you need help building and managing your short sale business, a real estate virtual assistant can help. My Team and I have earned our CDPE designations so we have the background necessary to support you. Take a look at our Short Sales In A Box and give us a call...we're glad to help!!
You wouldn't be alone if you have been apprehensive of pre-foreclosure listings and short sales. These transactions are very often a long and drawn out process and are a ‘bear' to close! You also wouldn't be alone if your apprehension has given way to acceptance of a necessary evil or maybe even grown into embracing the opportunity to help families facing extreme financial distress. Wherever your thought process is, pre-foreclosures and short sales have become a part of mainstream real estate. Currently, 1 out of 10 homeowners is in some stage of the foreclosure process. Foreclosures are at an all time high and are expected to get even higher.
This being the case, how do you start to grow your pre-foreclosure and short sale business? Below are 10 low cost steps to jump start this new facet of your business:
1. Brand your short sale business.
Branding is developing a logo and a set of consistent marketing materials. It is a look and a feel that the consumer will associate with you when they see your marketing pieces. This concept is not new to many real estate professionals. We have heard about branding for years. Branding your distressed property business is just as important as the branding of your real estate practice as a whole. Quality Images for your marketing materials can be found on 123RF.com or IstockPhoto.com for just a few dollars per image.
2. Register a domain name.
Part of branding is the use of a keyword rich domain name to use on your marketing. One of the best keywords to use in real estate marketing is the name of your city or town. Combine your city or town name with words the consumer will use when searching for information about short sales, such as foreclosure or short sale. A couple of examples are: www.stopatlantaforeclosures.com or www.atlantashortsales.com. You can register a domain name at GoDaddy for less than $10 per year.
3. Create a short sale website.
Homeowners facing foreclosure are in desperate need of information. Most don't realize there are options other than foreclosure. Create a short sale website that provides information in layman terms, explaining their options and how you can help. And don't forget to include a call to action. A cost effective website option is a Standard Point2Agent website. You get 15 pages with the first three months free and then only $9.95 per month. A good example is ShortSalesCentralNJ.com. Another option is to create an additional page on your current website dedicated to short sales and foreclosures and point your short sale domain name to it.
4. Create a short sale business card.
Having a separate business card isn't necessary. Utilize the back of your current business card to promote your short sale business and let the world know you are a short sale expert. Be sure to include your new short sale domain name.
5. Place an ad on CraigsList.
Being free, Craigs List is one of the most cost effective marketing tools available. Place your ad under Real Estate Services for your area. If you haven't used the ‘Services section of Craigs List, there are additional hoops to jump through before you can post. You are required to provide a phone number associated with your ad. Craigs List then calls and verifies the number. There are any number of ways to create your ad, but one to consider is using Vflyer.com, which creates the code necessary for an HTML ad. Free personal accounts are available.
6. Write a press release.
Submit a press release about how you can help families in distress avoid foreclosure. Highlight any designation you have earned or additional training you have taken. Your local newspaper will print a press release for free and there are numerous online options, such as Free-Press-Release.com, PRlog.org and PressRelease365.com.
7. Advertise in local print media.
Your local newspaper and real estate magazines aren't as cost effective as online marketing, but it will set you apart from the crowd. Consider both classified ads and display ads.
9. Send an introduction letter, email or postcard to your database.
Get the word out with a letter, email or postcard to your database informing them of how you can help families facing foreclosure. They may know you are a real estate professional, but they need to know of your expertise in the area of short sales and avoiding foreclosure.
10. Call your sphere of influence.
Last, but certainly not least, do what real estate professionals dread the most. Pick up the phone and call your sphere of influence. Sharing how you can save families from foreclosure is a great reason to call old friends and clients, as well as an excellent way to generate business. These days, most everyone knows someone struggling with making mortgage payments.
My team of Marketing Specialists and Transaction Coordinators have earned the Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE) designation, making us uniquely qualified to assist you with growing and managing your pre-foreclosure and short sale business. We can create your website and marketing materials, call your sphere of influence, manage your listings and coordinate your closings. Check out our Short Sales In A Box...a turnkey solution to building and managing your distressed property and short sale business.
For more information on how we can help visit myREassistant.com or call 757.271.6047.
The Certified Distressed Property Institute (CDPE) has just reported the most recent distressed property statistics form the Mortgage Bankers Association and I'll tell you folks, "they ain't pretty!"
The statistics below are based on 45,000,000 mortgages for the 3rd quarter of 2008:
All Mortgages: 2.97% are in foreclosure 6.99% are in default 9.96% total in default
Prime Mortgages: 1.58% in foreclosure 4.34% in default 5.92 total in default
Sub-Prime Mortgages: 12.55% in foreclosure 20.02% in default 32.57% total in default
FHA Mortgages: 2.32% in foreclosure 12.92% in default 32.57% in default
VA Mortgages: 1.46% in foreclosure 7.28% n default 8.74 total in default
As you can see, 10% of all mortgages were in default. Not just subprime mortgages but all mortgages! A number that has doubled since January 2007. These numbers are not only overwhelming, but also heart breaking knowing they represent 4.5 million families in crisis.
The real estate industry has the ability to help these families avoid foreclosure and regain stability in their lives. Most families in distress don't know they have options and think foreclosure in inevitable once they get behind on mortgage payments. CDPE training provides you with the tools you need to assist families in distress. As real estate virtual assistant who is CDPE certified, I can assist you with implementing the tools CDPE provides, growing your distressed property business, marketing distressed property listings and progressing to a successful closing.
Give me a call. I'd like to work with you helping families in need.
First let me say, if you haven't taken the Certified Distressed Property Institute (CDPE) course, you are missing out. This is an invaluable course, teaching you how to identify/qualify distressed property owners, effectively negotiate with the lender, getting to a successful closing.
Until I took the course, I thought the foreclosure problem was at its peak and the worst was over. This couldn't be further from the truth. 2.97% of homeowners are in foreclosure and another 6.99% are in default, meaning they are behind on payments but not in the foreclosure process yet. When I realized the foreclosure crisis is not going away any time soon, I knew it was time for my Team to earn our CDPE designations and offer virtual assistant services to CDPE designees.
We have put systems in place to help CDPEs with:
building a distressed property business
servicing distressed property listings
assembling your short sale package
and coordinating a successful closing
The primary goal of a CDPE is to help a homeowner avoid foreclosure and move forward with their lives. We believe so strongly is this goal that we are limiting our distressed property services to CDPEs only. This way we know we are all on the same page and are working toward the primary goal of helping those in distress.
If you are a CDPE in need of support services in building your business and assisting homeowners, visit our website, myREassistant.com or give us a call, 757-271-6047.
10 website "must-haves" needed to ensure success a successful and profitable website.
With 78% of home buyers starting their home search on the Internet, real estate professionals have embraced websites and an Internet presence in a big way. Let's face it, you need to be where the consumers are and that means the Internet.
But how many of the hundreds of thousands of real estate websites actually bring in business and generate income. I don't have statistics, but my gut, along with discussions with agents I come into contact with as a Real Estate Virtual Assistant, tells me not many.
Rismedia.com published a great article about the 10 website "must-haves" needed to ensure success a successful and profitable website. I have included these 'must-haves' along with insights of my own:
1. Remember: There Is But One True Goal - Sales
If you have, or are planning to create a website, it is essential that you keep in mind that the only goal of a website, ultimately, is sales. Don't get caught up in the vanity or technology surrounding websites (which is all too easy to do). Make sure everything on your real estate website is oriented toward your "One True Goal."
In the early days of the Internet, websites were no more than an on-line business card with attention focused on the agent. We have learned the consumer doesn't care about 'you.' He cares about 'what is in it for me.' Today's websites need to give the consumer what he wants and what he wants is to look at homes.
2. Prioritize Lead Capture
If the "One True Goal" is sales, then focus on capturing leads. Don't waste your time (or the time of your visitors) on other objectives. Make sure your website includes calls-to-action and offers that will result in hard leads-on every page.
Call to action 'buttons' are much more effective than words. But your call to action on a highly visible button and make it the first thing the consumer sees.
3. Create a Meaningful Brand
Your name is your brand. Protect it at all costs. The goal of any brand is to ensure that it equates with a "value proposition" that is meaningful to your prospective buyer or seller. Make sure that your brand-i.e. your name-is clearly associated with attributes that will be valuable to your website visitor. (Suggestion: It's worth taking a pencil and paper and writing down what you think your value proposition is or should be.)
4. Keep Your Site Fresh
Keeping the content of your website fresh is important. Fresh content is more interesting to visitors and to search engines. Set aside a specific time and day, each week, to review and maintain your website's content and structure. Make changes accordingly.
One alternative to the customary website is a Blog. Blogs utilize Web 2.0 technology. They are cost effective with free platforms such as Typepad and WordPress. Content can be updated easily and they are search engine magnets.
5. Use IDX and Syndication
Again, if the goal is sales, the only way to achieve that is by helping your website visitor get access to any listing of interest and by making your own listings known far and wide. To achieve the former, make sure your website incorporates an IDX solution-not just framed access to the local MLS listings-but an IDX that truly adds value to your visitors' searching. To advance your own listings, syndicate all your listings with Internet real estate marketplaces like Google Base, Trulia®, and Zillow®. It's free, so what do you have to lose?
6. Create an Environment of Trust and Confidence
Capturing leads, and getting sales, depends on your visitor having trust and confidence in you. Your website will be the first chance your visitor has to find that. Make sure your website is accurate, informed, and useful. Make sure you include information about yourself that will help visitors identify with you and understand your values.
7. Use Specific Key Words for Optimal Search Engine Rankings
Search engines like Google, Yahoo!, and MSN are a source of free leads. Search engines do their best to ensure that people looking for information find what they need. You have to do your part. Do not water down your content with useless, generic terms or broad-brush terms like "real estate" or "home buyers." If you want to be found, use specific and relevant terms like "Chicago Real Estate" or "Philadelphia Condos" or "Walnut Street Homes" to help the search engines get you placed better and more appropriately in their listings.
Use tools such as Keyword Discovery to determine the most searched keywords in your market. Usually, the most searched keyword is your area name + real estate. Example: Virginia Beach Real Estate, Huntsville Real Estate, Bergen County NJ Real Estate.
8. Make Sure Your Site is User-Friendly
Like with you, a website visitor's time is money. Don't waste it. When someone visits your website, make it easy for them to find what they're looking for. This means that most of your content should be visible or accessible from the home page. It also means that you will offer information that is relevant and useful to the prospective buyer or seller. If you do not, if you waste their time, you won't get a second chance - they're outta there.
Keep it simple. Don't get caught up in technical real estate jargon. Write your content like you were talking with someone who knows absolutely nothing about real estate in your area.
9. Don't Post Bad Content
Not only does bad content waste the time of your visitor, it kills trust and confidence in you, confuses search engines, and reflects poorly on your brand. Likewise, old content is stale, uninteresting content. While most websites come with pre-packaged content of some sort, make sure you take the time to edit it and augment it with local information and comment that will make it truly useful. Freshen up your site's content regularly and always be on the lookout for tidbits of information that might be useful to your real estate website visitor.
10. Focus on Your Goals - Not Your Competitor's
Lastly, keep your focus on your website. Do not get distracted by the bells, whistles, or glitz of the website from the agent down the street. Simply because another agent has a site with really cool gadgets, doesn't mean it serves the 'One True Goal.' Stay focused on the results of your website. Your goal is to ensure that it works. If you ensure that you adhere to the first nine must-have's, then the 10th won't be necessary, and you will certainly arrive at the utopia of successful Internet marketing.
Need help with your website, adding content, creating call to action buttons, setting up a Blog or ghost writing? As a Real Estate Virtual Assistant, I have experience in these areas and am glad to help. Give me a call at 757-271-6047 or email me at Info@myReassistant.com.
It was brought to my attention by a reader of my Walk Score post, that Drive Score is also available. Drive Score shows a map of what establishments are in a property's neighborhood and calculates a Drive Score based on the number of places within a convenient driving distance. With Drive Score, buyers can see how close establishments are by car. Homes are often located in an area where restaurants, libraries, grocery stores, hospitals and other businesses are easier to get to by car than on foot.
The greater number of businesses nearby, the higher the Drive Score. It is really very important for home buyers to be aware of nearby infrastructure to make their choice. This option will enable home buyers make searches with much more confidence. Directions are available by clicking on any icon shown on the map.
Drive Score does disclose that it is just an approximation of a convenient driving to places in your neighborhood.
Similar to Walk Score, Drive Score offers a widget to place on your website or blog. Just more information you can offer the consumer, encouraging them to return to your website again and again.
It has been awhile since I first told you about WalkScore.com. This is a fun website that helps people find walkable places to live. You type in any address and Walk Score shows you a map of what's nearby - stores, movie theaters, parks, restaurants, schools and more. It then calculates a Walk Score (or 'walkability') from 0 to 100.
The reason I bring up WalkScore.com again is because of an article on Inman.com the other day talking about this website. With gas prices surging over $4.00 a gallon, the 'walkabilty' of a neighborhood has renewed interest to home buyers.
From Inman: "WalkScore.com was developed up by Seattle-based, environmentally and socially conscious "civic software" developer Front Seat, which hopes people will use the site to find homes and apartments in 'walkable' neighborhoods.
Front Seat is making a Walk Score tile available to real estate professionals -- or anybody else who wants to embed the tool in their Web sites -- that's been embraced by sites like postlets.com and is now generating 100,000 views a month.
Walk Score looks at the distance to 'walkable' locations near an address, calculates a score for each location, and combines all of the scores into a single measurement. Lerner said research shows that the average person is willing to walk less than a quarter mile to destinations they visit frequently, such as a grocery store.
A Walk Score of 25 or less means you'll probably need to get in the car to take care of the smallest errand, while a Walk Score in the 90 to 100 range indicates a "walker's paradise" where just about everything is in walking distance and many residents get by without owning a car.
What makes a neighborhood 'walkable'?
According to WalkScore, 'walkable' communities tend to have the following characteristics:
A center: 'Walkable' neighborhoods have a discernable center, whether it's a shopping district, a main street, or a public space.
Density: The neighborhood is dense enough for local businesses to flourish and for public transportation to be cost effective.
Mixed income, mixed use: Housing is provided for everyone who works in the neighborhood: young and old, singles and families, rich and poor. Businesses and residences are located near each other.
Parks and public space: There are plenty of public places to gather and play.
Accessibility: The neighborhood is accessible to everyone and has wheelchair access, plenty of benches with shade, sidewalks on all streets, etc.
Well connected, speed controlled streets: Streets form a connected grid that improves traffic by providing many routes to any destination. Streets are narrow to control speed, and shaded by trees to protect pedestrians.
Pedestrian-centric design: Buildings are placed close to the street to cater to foot traffic, with parking lots relegated to the back.
Close schools and workplaces: Schools and workplaces are close enough that most residents can walk from their homes.
WalkScore offers a widget or real estate tile for your website or blog which allows visitors to compare the 'walkabilty' of properties and see a map of what is nearby. With gas prices being top of mind for most Americans these days, having this information on your website or blog will probably bring visitors back again and again.
Branching Out offers a custom weekly drip campaign service.
Real estate is all about relationships. It seems we have a never ending challenge to communicate in a meaningful way with our clients and prospective clients. Providing real estate information is the easy part. It is constantly communicating on a more human level and allowing others to see us as real people and not just as a name on a website, that becomes challenging.
You may be familiar with the former service, Monday Morning Coffee, which provided weekly inspirational articles that could be added to your website or blog. The articles were always uplifting and positive...a great way to start out the week. They weren't too long, just a couple of paragraphs, which encouraged readership. When I was actively selling, my clients loved getting their weekly Monday Morning Coffee email and let me know if I missed sending it one week.
Unfortunately, the MMC people retired, but there is a new service, Branching Out from MyWordTree.com. Branching Out offers a custom weekly drip campaign service that provides you with a new article to send out to your email contacts every Monday morning, and also includes a custom-designed webpage that gives you the ability to add a personal message to each week's article.
You have a choice of themes for your weekly articles.
Your weekly articles can be copy/pasted into your website or blog, sent as a link or accessed by a button to your website.
The best part is that you can take advantage of this service for $129 a year - that's less than $3 a week.
As a special offer during the month of June, you can get a discount off of their already low price.
When signing up for Branching Out through their website, MyWordTree.com, enter the promotional code "PROMO1" and you will receive an additional thirty dollars off of your annual subscription.
With this discount, you receive your full year-long custom drip campaign service for only $99 - less than $2 a week.
If you are ready to take advantage of this special offer you can sign up today, click here.
You can also sign up for their FREE monthly electronic newsletter, click here.
Branching Outis a wonderful service! I hope you will check it out!
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
But how many of the hundreds of thousands of real estate websites actually bring in business and generate income. I don't have statistics, but my gut, along with discussions with agents I come into contact with as a Real Estate Virtual Assistant, tells me not many.
From Inman: "WalkScore.com was developed up by Seattle-based, environmentally and socially conscious "civic software" developer 
Unfortunately, the MMC people retired, but there is a new service, Branching Out from 
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