Bill - what awesome information for your sellers. There HAS to be multilevel marketing of homes these days. You do such an excellent job!

Linda - Thanks a million. I really take pride in my online efforts. The efforts have certainly been paying off. While many agents are struggling my business has continued to chug along. The blogging has really stepped up my business quite a bit.

Bill, a great blog to get the word out on how important this is. I love it when you tell the reader to google their name!! That is great advice. Have you seen the new youtube on the home page?

Hi Jo - I did see the video..pretty humerous! People use Google to search for everything but many probably would never think to Google the agent they are interviewing. Great way to find out quickly what kind of agent you could be working with :) 

We need to remember to KEEP blogging about our listings - different aspects, lifestyle - anything to keep it at the top of the search engines. Same with neighborhoods.

Great list of questions, Bill. I haven't updated my website list in ages, so this is motivation to do that.

I'd add to your list - What educational courses and conferences have you attended in the last year? What are you doing to keep updated in the real estate industry? 

Sharon - That is an excellent thought. I am a big proponent of keeping on top of the latest trends, technology, services, ect. Education is always important. I have been trying to get the time necessary to really start featuring neighborhoods.

 Hi Bill, I'm still surprised to see what a small percentage of real estate agents are blogging. Those who are tech savvy have an incredible advantage, especially since (speaking for the consumer), most of us these days start our search for homes on the web. Have a great weekend...

Marti - It is amazing how few there are and I hope it continues for a while. The leverage a Real Estate blog creates is unbelievable. It some point there will be a lot more utilizing this great tool....until then I plan on cleaning up :)

Bill - this is great information! It is so important for sellers to go over a REALTOR's marketing plan before they are hired, for after they sign on the dotted line it is too late. A REALTOR today must use every tool available to market a home and get the home sold for the highest price possible. Fantastic job of getting the word out.

Bill~This is fantastic information and so very true in every aspect. As for the blogging, it is well worth the time and effort. Many people are very much unaware of blogging and those that I have told about (many agents) are not very receptive to the idea whatsoever. Have a wonderful weekend. 

Bill - I'm l o v i n g our buyer's market in Tucson...whichever side has an advantage, there would be no sides without a transaction!

Hi Bill,

Good information for all home sellers, you said it plain and simple yet direct and accurate. Easy to see why you're the top Realtor of Metrowest, MA.

Great post Bill! Nice to see straight talk about the marketplace!

Sandra & Julie - Thanks so much. As Realtors working in the trenches everyday you see the wide skill level and marketing expertise of our fellow agents. There is a wide gamete in our business of what kind of marketing the consumer will get from who they hire. Online marketing is extremely important, especially in the tech savvy area of Massachusetts I am located in.

Kent - Your right on the money. In any kind of market homes will sell. In a weaker Real Estate environment marketing and pricing properly becomes a lot more important.

Lynda & Ben - Thanks being honest is very important as well. There is no point in sugar coating things. Home sellers need to get good advice. They don't need to hear something unrealistic from a Realtor looking to get them signed to a listing contract and then hearing they need price reductions a few weeks later.

Bill - You're right on the mark. If I can't get a seller to price their home realistically I won't take the listing.

Tom - I operate the same way. There are so many Realtors that play games with people. You probably see this all the time in CA as well. Agents that intentionally give a seller a high price in order to "buy the listing" are a real annoyance. It happens way too often.

Bill  I can honestly say, after 31 years in this business, if an agent is unwilling to market ate every possible level there will be difficulty getting the home sold - this is the longest down period I've seen over my career, Karen

Karen - The lanscape in the Real Estate in most markets across the country has changed. Marketing is extremely important. You are correct about covering as many avenues as possible. We did have a much longer down turn here in Massachusetts going back to the late 80's to early 90's. From 1987 until 1993 we had a weak Real Estate marekt. Things took off though toward the end of 1993 and we had twelve years of record breaking growth.

Bill - Many things about the market have changed, but it's important for sellers to understand that's why it's precisely that much more important to have a Realtor(r) that is on top of buyers purchasing trends - and that includes the ways buyers begin their home buying search and all the marketing avenues that now become available to those same sellers via their net savvy Realtor(r). 

Bravo on the post!

Jackie

Jackie thanks so much. As a professional home stager in my area and an internet savvy one at that, I know how much of a difference it makes!