ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Look Out For Con Artists
- 12/04/23 07:35 PM
You work for years producing content, IDX pages, refining your website, seeking that page 1 placement for key search results, all with one goal: to attract business.
The phone rings, text dings, email "you've got mail", the start of (hopefully) a productive relationship.
BUT...now all leads developed from our work are GOOD leads.
Of course there are those already working with an agent, the brain pickers, the "I don't need an agent, just tell me the price", and the like, but that's not what this is about.
There are those out there far, far worse. Literal law breakers.
True story follows:
TL;DR version: con artist fakes being … (24 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Eye-deal Blogging
- 11/28/23 02:37 PM
For blogging to work for you, you have to succeed in gaining attention (be it bots or humans) and there are multiple factors involved, and a big part of it comes down to various eye tests.
If you're in a community such as this one, the rules of gaining engagement may be different than when writing for the consumer, but the fundamentals remain much the same.
1. Have a title that catches the eye
My Tuesday posts have strictly been of the Ask An Ambassador series for years. I would hope by this point that the AAA lead-in is sufficient for some to … (17 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Add To The Toolbag or Hire A Pro?
- 11/21/23 09:56 AM
Over the years my tool bag has grown, and also changed.
Instead of being limited by an extension cord, now I can throw a drill, a circular saw, a reciprocating saw and a multi-tool into my bag with a few charged battery packs and I'm more flexible in where I can work on a project.
I've added newer hand tools, and I've got my eye on a couple of other things to add to my workbench...that table saw looks nice and shiny and I wonder how much trouble I could get into with a router?? :)
And while I have the tools to do … (13 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Recalculating...
- 11/13/23 07:04 PM
Yesterday morning I was driving to a routine cardiologist appointment. I'd left maybe too early (but I hate being late to anything...Navy training sir!!), but that became a moot point rather quickly as traffic on the interstate slowed across all lanes and the overhead ARTEMIS system announced (Right 2 lanes blocked 3 miles ahead).
From that point of notification, there were about 5 quick choices to be made as alternative routes to get to my destination, so just like my old GPS system, some recalculating was in order, shift routes or stick to my original plan? Having lived and worked in the … (20 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: How Can You Succeed As A Dual Career Agent?
- 11/06/23 07:25 PM
You want to be successful as a real estate agent AND another career at the same time? You'll note I didn't use the term "part-time agent" in the title, because in my view doing real estate right involves a full time mindset and commitment.
So how do you succeed at two careers at once?
Solo or Team? Your options can change dramatically depending on whether you are a solo agent or part of a team. Obviously if you have other team members, a proper division of duties may allow more options for success in real estate than if you are operating completely … (23 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: What Gets Your Energy?
- 10/31/23 01:01 PM
24 hours.
One brain.
One heart.
One soul.
That's what I've got to work with on a daily basis.
I'm an engineer, an introvert, an analyzer, show me data and I'll draw my own conclusions.
In real estate, there is ALWAYS drama. The news cycles thrive on lawsuits, business disruptors, and whatever else that can be flogged to drive up our collective blood pressure and gain clicks to pay their bills.
While it's important to be aware of what is happening in our industry, what change could mean to us and our particular business models, how much of our energy should be devoted to wringing our hands and … (17 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassdor: Proving Your Value
- 10/24/23 10:14 AM
If you survey the real estate forums, there is concern amongst the ranks about the latest lawsuits. What will be the outcome? Will buyer's agents go the way of the dodo?
A statement I see frequently is "Agents who can prove their value will do fine".
So how to you go about proving your value is more than peanuts to a prospective home buyer?
Of course the referral of a friend or family that has witnessed firsthand your expertise and how you protect your clients is the ideal.
But failing that, how do you prove value?
Your blog can be a key component to demonstrating value.
Most … (21 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Fuhgeddaboutit!! Tips For Evergreen Posting
- 10/17/23 02:05 PM
One of the benefits of blogging is if you do it properly, you can post and forget about it. If you're careful about how you write and what you do and don't include, a post can still be effective a decade (or more) later.
We have certain posts that continue to generate contacts year after year, but you have to set yourself up to succeed. Evergreen posts don't happen by accident.
Let's face it, what real estate agent isn't busy more than not? So do you want to have to routinely go back into old blog posts to make sure they're current? No, … (22 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Need ActiveRain Help? 2023 Edition
- 10/09/23 07:06 PM
Everyone needs help at some point, be it here in the Rain or elsewhere.
I've been here in the Rain for a long, long time and one of the things that differentiates this place from other real estate forums is the general willingness of community members to help other community members.
Things aren't the same as when we first started in the Rain. There's no Bob or Kerrie roaming the virtual halls of ActiveRain or in real life at Raincamps. In that regard, the community has had to develop self-sufficiency, and how we get help has changed.
Once upon a time my advice for … (13 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: So You Want Referrals?
- 10/03/23 11:36 AM
ActiveRain is my first stop for outbound referrals.
We've been here since 2006 and love the community and the ability to get to know agents coast to coast and even some outside the borders of the USA. We get to see what they know, how they interact, what motivates them, etc. The interaction that started in this community may have transferred to other places such as Facebook, but the relationship was founded in the Rain.
For me to be comfortable providing a referral, I have to respect the agent I'm referring friends and family to. My reputation is impacted by that agent, and … (21 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Routines
- 09/26/23 03:53 PM
When you have as many furballs as we have, routines are important.
Don't sleep past X time.
Don't put them all to bed before Z time.
Know that if you're late feeding them, they're going to let you know you're late!
As their humans, we have our routines in taking care of them, and they know their part of the routines too! Feeding time, the cats know where each of them gets fed, and so do the Chihuahuas. We have a row of small pet crates in the living room and Hairy Winston goes to crate 4, Tiffany to 5, Gia to 6, Ellie to … (14 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Trying On The Clients' Shoes
- 09/19/23 02:33 PM
No, I'm not literally taking my clients' shoes and trying them on! I'm about comfortable footwear that are easy on/off when showing houses, and that's about the end of my interest in shoes!
But what we've been doing is spending a lot of time walking in our clients' shoes (figuratively) for the last year or so as we prepare to transition from our home in Ohio to our forever home (God willing) with the valley view in West Virginia. The skills we've sharpened with almost 20 years in real estate is paying dividends for us now. The advice we've been giving clients, … (19 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Blogging is Risky Business
- 09/12/23 08:26 AM
Your reputation is at risk with every blog post. You're being watched and first impressions formed.
Even if you don't have any comments on a post, you're being watched, just check your stats if you need proof.
Some people lurk, some engage, either way, people are out there and what you post matters.
If you're in an established community such as ActiveRain, you may establish your reputation over time. Be it good or bad, people have thoughts about you based on your comments, your posts, and how you interact with other members.
Reputations can be heavily influenced from the very first contact, that first blog … (15 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Boom!
- 09/05/23 12:09 PM
Back in my Navy days my last job was as the ship's Ordnance Officer. Guns, missiles, associated radars and the men that kept them running were my responsibility. If you're a young man in his early 20s, could there be a better job on a ship than to stand out on the bridge wing as a practice missile went WOOOSH off the rail to chase down its target?
Now many moons later, what passes for excitement in my life is of a far different (and less combustible) variety. Sometimes it's good, other times it's more of a "something fell down and went … (19 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: 10 Sources of Blogging Ideas
- 08/29/23 05:41 AM
Some days blogging ideas come easy, other days not so much.
So how do you find ideas for blogging? The sources are numerous, it's just a matter of tuning in and realizing another blogging idea is right in front of you.
1. The routines of real estate. Great for FAQ type posts that cover the basics of real estate as they apply to your local market. Explaining real estate terms, the steps of first home buying, financing options, home inspections, etc., the day to day stuff is rich with topics.
2. Housing specific. From advertising your own listings to covering subdivisions, types of housing, … (25 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Just A Cherry Picking Blog!!
- 08/15/23 12:20 PM
As an Ohio licensed real estate agent I can technically work with any home buyer or seller within Ohio's borders.
Since I'd down in the Cincinnati/Dayton corner of the state and not the Cleveland corner 3+ hours away, it wouldn't be sensible for me to blog about Cleveland communities unless I was willing to join some other MLSs, hire local team members, learn Cleveland particulars, etc. And guess what? That's NOT something I want to do.
Our blogging gives us an opportunity to broadcast to EVERY potential home buyer and seller with access to the Internet, but again, is it sensible to try … (17 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Lessons From The Beeyard
- 08/08/23 09:18 AM
We currently have 8 honeybee hives in our backyard apiary. In addition to pollinating our flowers and any other blooms within about a 2 mile radius, our honeybees can provide us two outputs: honey or stings.
We're not into our bees as a business, but we've been doing it long enough to learn some important lessons along the way about whether we're rewarded with honey or stings, and those lessons learned apply to both life in general and real estate.
1. Never stop learning. You start knowing next to nothing, and there's always more to learn. I'm still not the greatest at picking … (18 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Here Be Dragons!
- 08/01/23 02:53 PM
Rumor has it that old mapmakers used to put the phrase "Here be dragons!" as a warning for unknown sections of the world. Often, what we don't know, we fear, and there's still much we don't know.
Some fears are legitimate. If you've been in this business any length of time you've heard the stories. Not every day ends well for those in the real estate profession as there are bad people with bad intent out there. You need to mitigate the risks and protect your well-being.
Other things can cause some anxiety, but with time and practice you can develop a proficiency … (17 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Why Do You Blog?
- 07/25/23 10:42 AM
There's an entire spectrum of reasons to blog, ranging from purely social to purely business.
A quick scroll through ActiveRain's blog roll and it's easy to see the variety of motivations for blogging.
We each find a personal reason to start blogging. What you may find is the reason you started blogging and the reason you continue to blog (or even decide to stop) may change over time.
When I first started blogging on ActiveRain I had a shotgun approach. As much as I could type and any pretty much any topic was fair game. Comments were good. Getting featured was a rush. And … (16 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Semper Gumby!!!
- 07/17/23 06:54 PM
"Semper Gumby!!" was a saying back in my Annapolis days.
Semper from the Latin word for "always" and if you had a Gumby toy as a kid (like I did), you know Gumby was FLEXIBLE, thus "Always Flexible!!".
As a midshipman you had to be "always flexible" because things can change quickly and you have to reset priorities. That requirement didn't end when we threw our hats in the air at graduation, and the need to be flexible continues to this day.
Liz feeds our furry crew (9 Chihuahuas & 17 cats) every morning and I do the evening feeding (and there are differences … (24 comments)
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You work for years producing content, IDX pages, refining your website, seeking that page 1 placement for key search results, all with one goal: to attract business.
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