Ros Null's (edgevirtualassist) Blog

Agent Marketing 2007

Ros Null, REVA (The Edge Virtual Assistance) — Wed, 13 Sep 2006 14:53:15 -0700

There has been much talk about marketing tools for Agents and I know that especially at this time of year everyone is looking at calendars etc for client gifts. Personally, I dislike the calendar idea. In the old days these were often to be seen hung behind the toilet door at my Grandmothers house. She lived in the same house that she and my Grandfather had bought just after they got married, right after WWII. The area had changed ALOT since then and all around her smart renovations were underway, but her simple little cottage still stood proudly in the middle. Needless to say she probably received more marketing gifts from Agents than any person I have ever known. She received everything from clocks to calendars, notepads, egg timers, write-n-wipe boards, pens and even a cookbook as end of year gifts from local agents.Apart from the calendar which she only hung behind the toilet door as "the picture was pretty" (calendars with agents pictures on them saw only the inside of the trash bin). The one gift she had the most use out of, the gift that hung around the longest, was the pen... A humble little pen with a name and phone number on it. The pen lived next to the phone, moved to the fridge door, to the study and later next to her chair where she did crossword puzzles with it. When she eventually DID sell, do you know who she called? Joan van Zyl... (SEE even I remember her name!)... the agent on the pen.... Ros Null, REVAwww.the-edge-va.com

The joy of referrals....

Ros Null, REVA (The Edge Virtual Assistance) — Wed, 13 Sep 2006 11:56:15 -0700

Nothing beats this feeling... and I mean NOTHING. No "atta girl", "you rock", "thanks for the help", "your work is amazing" N-O-T-H-I-N-G...I started with a new client on Tuesday last week. I took over from the current VA who was moving on to assist her husband in his own business. There were one or two loose ends that needed sorting out and a brand new project to coordinate. By Wednesday the ends were tied. By Sunday the new project was ready to roll out. By Monday I had two referrals from the client who was blown away. Today one of the referrals converted and I had a new client come on board...I have this to say... Forget a card and chocolates for a job well done... REFER A FRIEND!! Ros Null, REVAwww.the-edge-va.com

Firefox Fans get a load of this!

Ros Null, REVA (The Edge Virtual Assistance) — Tue, 05 Sep 2006 02:38:50 -0700

Article Source - ZD Net, UK (http://news.zdnet.co.uk)Firefox Fan Owns IE7 Domain Name - Vivian Yeo As Microsoft looks set to launch IE7 some forward thinking Firefox fans have hijacked the domain ie7.com. You would think that given the same thing happening last year with ie6.com they would have learnt their lesson, but ohhh no...www.ie7.com comes up for renewal in March '07 this is going to be fun to watch. Visit www.ie7.com to see what these fans have done to the site. (Site best viewed with Firefox. LOL!!) Ros Null, REVAwww.the-edge-va.com

HTML: The Definitive Guide

Ros Null, REVA (The Edge Virtual Assistance) — Mon, 04 Sep 2006 12:41:52 -0700

I am so excited! I finally got a copy of this book, HTML: The Definitive Guide - Chuck Musciano & Bill Kennedy, and have been poreing over it, off and on, all weekend. It is a MUST read for all of you who work with your own sites. It is comprehensive and easy to read and understand and covers a whole host of topics like: Style sheets & layersTablesFramesInteractive Formsand it also has a section dealing with ensuring your site is suitable for viewing on all browsers... I have two others:Designing Multimedia Websites - Stella Gassaway, Gary Davis and Catherine GregoryHTML Publishing for Netscape - Gayle Kidder and Stuart HarrisAll passed along by a friend and all of them apparently really good reads so I thought I would share. Will let you know what I think of them when I am done. Ros Null, REVAwww.the-edge-va.com

New Kid in School

Ros Null, REVA (The Edge Virtual Assistance) — Mon, 04 Sep 2006 09:57:09 -0700

It has been bugging me all day. Why don't they like me? What did I do wrong? Am I not cool enough for them? And finally, I have come to the conclusion that honestly it doesn't matter to me. I have an incredible life, a fantastic family, a gorgeous home and a thriving business. I provide outstanding service to my clients who are all raving fans. I LOVE my job and I do it well! What do I really care if some people in an online networking forum don't like me and have no interest in the services I provide. That is their right. I cannot be all things to all men. Does it really matter in the grand scheme of things? It would be nice to feel part of a group of people who are passionate about what they do. People who are in this network to learn and grow, people who take note of the information they need and glance over the information they don't. We shouldn't be nervous about posting in our blogs and worry that it might not be well received, doesn't that kind of defeat the point?One man's trash is another man's treasure as is clear from my previous posts about the services that I provide as a REVA. I had an emailed request for more information and a comment from other members of the site. When I posted more information, someone else felt that this was not useful to them and they rated me poorly and left no further comment outlining why not... Being the "new kid in school" is never easy... I have walked this road a lot. My mother was a full-time agent, my step-father a part-timer. We changed houses like most people change socks, and yet I never got over this whole "new kid" feeling. But that ends today!I have decided to go on posting what I feel may be beneficial and informative to others on this network. If you don't like my posts, or feel that they provide no information that you personally find useful, please feel free to read someone else's blog... If you enjoy reading them, or you learnt something, please leave me a comment or get in touch with me by email. I have gained a lot in my three short days as a member here. I hope that in the coming months I will be able to add value to others as well.

Listing Marketing Tracking... The bane of many Agents...

Ros Null, REVA (The Edge Virtual Assistance) — Sun, 03 Sep 2006 11:50:44 -0700

The final stage in the listing marketing coordination from a REVA's perspective is the reporting. All marketing efforts are tracked and recorded for the property owner. This is a time consuming process and one that I know many Agent's REALLY dislike. But it is important to give the property owner the feeling that you are focused on their property. That you are on top of it every step of the way. That you have done everything within your power to promote it and get it sold. Listing Marketing Tracking:Copyright - The Edge Virtual Assistance. Please do not use this diagram without permission!

Pre-Listing Management

Ros Null, REVA (The Edge Virtual Assistance) — Sun, 03 Sep 2006 11:43:36 -0700

In my previous post I created a schematic or process model showing exactly what Listing Marketing Coordination can include. There are two sub-sections of this process that I would like to share with you today.The first is Pre Listing Management:It includes setting the lead up on the Agent's Lead Management system, creating the pre-listing package for the client which outlines the marketing plan for the property. This is then either sent to the lead or to the Agent for them to present to the lead where the agent would discuss his/her plans for marketing, do the PowerPoint presentation and hopefully sign the lead up. If the leads decides to go it alone or with another agent, they then remain in the lead management system where "warming" emails/letters can be sent periodically reminding the lead of the agents name and contact information. ALl of this information is outlined below.Copyright - The Edge Virtual Assistance. Please do not use this diagram without permission!

Listing Marketing Coordination - How can a REVA help?

Ros Null, REVA (The Edge Virtual Assistance) — Fri, 01 Sep 2006 14:23:49 -0700

What exactly does Listing Marketing Coordination include? If you have heard about Listing Marketing Coordination, just one example of services offerred by Real Estate Virtual Assistants, but have no idea what this service covers, read on... I have drawn up a Process Model detailing the steps that I personally in my capacity as a REVA take when performing this service for clients. All my services may be adjusted and tailored to fit the more specific needs of my clients, and this is just an outline schematic of some of the options:Copyright - The Edge Virtual Assistance. Please do not use this diagram without permission!

Great Open Source HTML Editor!

Ros Null, REVA (The Edge Virtual Assistance) — Fri, 01 Sep 2006 13:17:16 -0700

I made a new friend today! :)Open Source NVU, it's an HTML Editor, it's an FTP client... it is everything I need in a neat little package and best of all it's Free! NVU certainly wont compete with your fancier web design software, but if you're a dedicated "codie" then this is just the tool for you! Take a peek at this link for more of techsupportalert.com's 46 Best-ever Freeware Utilities:http://www.techsupportalert.com/best_46_free_utilities.htm Ros Nullwww.the-edge-va.com

YouTube, The Next Frontier?

Ros Null, REVA (The Edge Virtual Assistance) — Thu, 31 Aug 2006 15:41:52 -0700

This week I have been busy meandering the sometimes interesting, often scarey halls of You Tube and look what I found! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKADPEWP-kYCould this be the next "big thing" in REALTOR® Marketing? This industry changes virtually (ha!) from minute to minute and you need to keep abreast of all new developments. A few years ago you hardly saw any REALTOR® websites and today you cannot swing a cat without finding one. Virtual Tours are another example, hardly ever saw one, and now they are quickly becoming one of the hottest marketing tools out there. With all the technology available to us these days, there really is no excuse for plodding along the same predictable paths. ? What are some of YOUR current marketing strategies? ? Have you made use of ANY of the technology available? ? Are you keeping up with industry trends? Don't get left behind. Maybe it's time to give me a call and find out what I can do to increase your visibility! I will be keeping a close watch on Real Estate related developments on You Tube while I wait for your call!