blogging: New Listings Turn Me On!
- 12/30/08 03:49 PM
I can get revved up about a number of things. New listings for one. They really turn me on. It doesn't matter if I am the only agent the sellers interviewed before making their choice...I love when that happens...or I was the one selected out of several people interviewed.
I work with both buyers and sellers, so perhaps my perspective is a little different. Maybe not. But new listings get me pumped up and raring to go. I can't wait to get started and tell everyone about the new home.
IT'S SHOW TIME!!
Being enthusiastic is, of course, important. It … (9 comments)
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blogging: Are YOU a Friend? Do you Want to Be? Or Are You Unfriendly?
- 12/26/08 07:37 PM
We all have special people we refer to as friends - folks we have known for year, our spouses and partners, those people on whom we know we can depend and want to spend time with, and so on. Friends are people we regard with affection and trust, and enjoy socializing with, those who play an important role in our lives in many ways.
Why there even was a well-known and very popular sitcom about Friends, and a number of websites dedicated to this popular series.
The whole notion of what a friend is has taken on a rather different … (41 comments)
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blogging: What is YOUR Buying Strategy for 2009?
- 12/23/08 01:33 PM
If you are considering buying a home in 2009, or perhaps have been working on it but it hasn't happened, you might want to do some planning.
What IS your real estate buying strategy?
Do you HAVE a strategy or are you going to just go about it haphazardly?
Consider the following:
DON'T IGNORE THE INTEREST RATES
Interest rates are historically low and there are predictions of 4.5%. It's worthwhile checking into what programs you can qualify for and what this means financially for your monthly budget. Be aware that loan qualification requirements remain very tight and a good number … (41 comments)
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blogging: The Many Contributions You Can Make as a Member of ActiveRain
- 12/10/08 03:59 PM
Being a part of a social network can be daunting.
And one like ActiveRain, where there are over 100,000 members, with many who have been involved in the blogging world for some time, can be particularly intimidating. Even more so if you know nothing about blogging, which is likely the case for many who decide to join.
An all-too-common pattern emerges, where a new member creates a profile, perhaps adds a few comments, and then never is heard from again. Some don't even add photos. Abandoned profiles sit idle, shadows of real people who were inspired to join, but for some … (15 comments)
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blogging: Does YOUR Localism Post Appeal to Readers?
- 12/09/08 11:07 AM
Writing localism posts - those articles about your particular area - should be part of your blogging repertoire.
Posts about restaurants, tourist attractions, shopping, dining venues, places to visit, neighborhoods, and business services are the kind of articles that folks enjoy reading about, in particular those who are moving to an area and who are unfamiliar with it.
But sharing news about local events and venues appeals to residents as well, since they may not be aware of them.
Localism posts serve multiple purposes:
Educate others about places and goings-on in the local community Spread the word via the Internet … (69 comments)
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blogging: Social Media Broadcasting Series -- The Next One Is Just Around the Corner!!!
- 12/02/08 06:44 AM
Wow. Another chance for folks who want to learn more about the many benefits of social media networking is just around the corner.
Beginning this Friday December 5th in fact.
This is a DON'T MISS, IMO. I am about halfway through the series and I can tell you the learning is top notch. Kevin Boer and Pat Kitano are recognized experts on social media (and darn nice guys to boot), and their webinar series is chock full of good stuff, not techy/geeky gobbledegook that some of us don't easily grasp. And you can participate from the comfort of your own … (12 comments)
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blogging: How Many Ways Can You Use Real Estate Shows (RES)?
- 12/01/08 02:11 PM
There are a number of ways I use RES shows in my business for buyers, sellers and marketing in general.
I am, of course, referring to Jeff Turner's Real Estate Shows virtual tours that you all likely know about. If you don't, your head has been in the sand, I think. And you are missing out on a terrific marketing and advertising tool if you are not using it, IMO. But you may have your reasons. It can't be financial - AR folks get a 1 year subscription for unlimited shows for $99.95.
RES shows' leading proponent (other than Jeff himself, … (12 comments)
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blogging: Making the Honey Lebkuchen for the Holidays – A Family Recipe for Generations
- 11/29/08 01:20 PM
One of our favorite, and closely observed, traditions during the holiday season is making honey lebkuchen, an old German recipe passed down through the generations in my wife's family.
The recipe we use, and follow religiously, is her great great grandmother's. The cookies are always mixed and made right after Thanksgiving, since they need to season in tins for several weeks (although tasting along the way is, of course, mandatory to ensure quality).
My wife and I have been making these every year since we have been married (29 years), which, given the recipe makes about 15 dozen, is one heckuva … (14 comments)
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blogging: ActiveRain Celebrates the Holidays – Here, There and Everywhere (NEW GROUP)
- 11/29/08 10:18 AM
The holiday season is once again upon us, a time of celebrations, family traditions, shopping to take care of, events to attend, parties to plan and enjoy, and a wealth of activities and memories that make the holidays special, no matter how you celebrate or what holiday is meaningful to you.
Given the diversity of folks on ActiveRain, I thought it might be fun to create a NEW GROUP where everyone who wishes can share THEIR particular traditions and celebrations up to and including New Year's Day.
Here's the link - sorry I left it out before!
No matter what … (7 comments)
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blogging: What do You Say When You have NOTHING to Say?
- 11/19/08 01:48 PM
The social media network is a fascinating world.
If you have been there for a while, you know this. For new folks, well, the discovery road is an interesting one. The rules are pretty much unwritten and still evolving, the places to play are numerous, how one goes about it is not always intuitive (Twitter being a case in point), and the value, short of adding to your list of contacts and having a list of profiles, user IDs and password to remember, is not immediately apparent. It is not, mind you, simply about being Poked or throwing sheep on Facebook, … (13 comments)
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blogging: Buyers and Sellers: What YOU Should Know About Social Networking and Why
- 11/17/08 11:54 AM
If you are reading this you are undoubtedly one of the 80%+ of buyers and sellers who are using the Internet to research the real estate market and gather information to assist you in your home search or sale. That being the case you likely know something about social networking on the Internet, or at least have heard of some of the popular sites where folks congregate on -line - MySpace perhaps being one of the better known networks.
As a buyer or seller, you should know about social networking and how this can help you in your buying or selling. … (42 comments)
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blogging: So you Think YOU Have Challenges? A Day of Inspiration in La Jolla, California
- 10/26/08 01:37 PM
Imagine missing one leg, or both.
Or an arm, or both.
How about both arms and legs?
What if you were confined to a wheelchair, partially paralyzed?
Can you imagine what life might be like?
There are lots of folks who DO know what it's like. And they don't let it stop them from enjoying life and being active. Some are incredible athletes. I saw some of them today in La Jolla.
La Jolla was the site of the Tour de Cove and the San Diego Triathlon Challenge to benefit the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF).
And many of the folks I … (20 comments)
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blogging: Who am I? I am an Internet Lead!
- 10/22/08 07:27 AM
Do you know who I am? I'm an Internet lead.
Much has been written about me. I seem to get talked about in every real estate seminar and keynote speech, big and small. I'm pretty popular these days. Cool beans.
Many of you seek me out, or try. SEO experts pound the pavement and make big bucks with suggestions on how to capture me, even though I don't want to be "caught," and won't.
There are scads of polls out there claiming to know who I am, that categorize my behavior, and characterize me, in order to shed light on my … (6 comments)
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blogging: Learnings from the California Association of REALTORS Tech Tuesday
- 10/15/08 02:51 AM
I wasn't on AR most of yesterday due to attending the first day of the C.A.R. (California Association of REALTORS) in Long Beach, California.
I always come away from these events with new learning, and many thoughts about what to implement in my business. Some I get to some I don't. And I always run into folks I know or meet new ones.
Yesterday I spent some time with Irina Netchaev, Ted Mackel (who I met off-line for the first time last month at REBlogWorld08 in Las Vegas), Mana Tulberg, and Elaine Hanson (who I know on-line but met for the … (5 comments)
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blogging: I'm NOT #1 and I Don't Care!
- 10/10/08 12:21 PM
I am not #1 and I don't care.
The reverse sentiment might be - I AM #1...So What?
Being #1 is pretty important for anyone who is competitive. The real estate field is filled with competitive folks. And a good number of them claim to be #1. How many #1s can there really be?
Being #1 can be defined in so ways, and plenty of flyers, ads and signage can make this claim depending on how it is defined, or even if the notion exists in the eyes of the would-be beholder. Ho hum. Being #1 seems a bit, well, meaningless.
… (108 comments)
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blogging: Extremes in the San Diego Real Estate Market
- 09/29/08 05:03 PM
I thought it might be fun to look at some of the extremes in the San Diego real estate market. I often gasp at some of what I see but looking formally at the wide range of properties throughout our county is not something I normally do. I'm procrastinating.
There really is no point to this except to share how diverse our market is. So here goes.
Second Longest active listing - a beach cottage for $1.4 million was listed 9/8/2004 (priced at a whopping $1828/SF), ‘bout 1486 days. Boy, does that skew the DOM calculations in that community Longest active … (18 comments)
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blogging: People and Places - REBlogWorld08 in Las Vegas
- 09/27/08 12:26 PM
This post is purely for visual entertainment, for those interested in seeing more of the action, and the people, at REBlogWorld08 (unless, of course, you have seen too much already), as well as anyone who has an interest in seeing some of Las Vegas. if you have been there, well, this will be pretty boring, since I was only there Thursday night until early Saturday morning.
I met some new AR folks IN PERSON there - John Novak, Mariana Wagner and husband Derek, Chris Shouse - which was lots of fun as it always is.
Enjoy the tour of the ActiveRain … (17 comments)
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blogging: Click or Call
- 09/24/08 11:20 AM
Click or call. It's a choice we often have.
~ Shop on-line or call a bricks and mortar store ~ Arrange a flight on-line or contact a travel agent (yes, they still exist, and yes, they can add value) ~ Make a restaurant reservation at Open Table or call directly Our prospects are faced with these choices as well. At first, the tendency, for many, is to click. On a blog or a website, a link on Google. We know that about 80% of buyers are clicking before they are calling.
So, of course we need to be there so they … (64 comments)
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blogging: REBLogWorld LIVE from Las Vegas Sept. 19, 2008
- 09/19/08 08:02 PM
I'm sitting here LIVE at the Las Vegas Convention Center in, guess where, at the REBlogWorld Convention.
Right now I'm listening to Teresa Boardman, a favorite blogger, educate us on PHOTOGRAPHY and WEB.2.0 (moderated by Pat Kitano). I also just listened to Mariana Wagner talk about Click to Close (and had the chance to meet her F2F for the first time). More on her talk later.
Some tidbits:
Photos on your blog show your knowledge and help sell your community
Google likes photos - check out IMG_1045 - but only if they are labeled. Huge advantage if you LABEL your photos.
… (36 comments)
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blogging: Engaging the Media - LIVE from REBlogWorld08 with Jim Duncan
- 09/19/08 12:42 PM
Here's more great information LIVE from Las Vegas with Jim Duncan talking about engaging the media, beginning at 4:00 PM, Las Vegas time (moderator Kevin Boer).
How do you get the media to reach out to you and to develop mutually beneficial relationships.
Challenges:
Introducing yourself Define your target audience - local, regional, national
Your goal is to be THE SOURCE - for media, consumers, and other agents
Media are desperate for content, the audience is dwindling.
Traditional medial had authority whereas blogs are still somewhat mistrusted.
You need to be THE EXPERT - content is critical. Suggest to media … (7 comments)
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I can get revved up about a number of things. New listings for one. They really turn me on. It doesn't matter if I am the only agent the sellers interviewed before making their choice...I love when that happens...or I was the one selected out of several people interviewed.
;)
;)
;)
