marketing: If Real Estate Is Local, Your Twitter Should Be Too: TwitterLocal.net - 04/07/08 12:18 PM
I awoke this morning to a Twitter timeline with a gem inside.
Laura Fitton ( @pistachio ) had just sent out a tweet about TwitterLocal.net. She said, "twitterlocal.com is going straight to the top of my answer to the question "how do I get started on Twitter and find people to follow?" Her tweet had an incorrect link, so I replied to let her know it was .net instead of .com. Her follow up tweet echoes my feelings exactly.
"Oooops www.Twitterlocal.net! The .com is a squattery mess. .net can rock your Twitter world. Sub in RSS to a city you're traveling to, etc." 
TwitterLocal … (67 comments)

marketing: Buyer's Agents, Have Consumers Really Chosen Their House Online? - 03/24/08 06:25 AM
I'm fascinated by the conversation around REALTORS® and real estate on Twitter.
I track lots of different key words and find the conversations that take place enlightening. The other day I saw this comment from PJ.
"Going to meet with my realtor. I don't know why as I've already picked out my house. GO AHEAD, TAKE MY MONEYS"
The timing of the comment was particularly interesting, since I had just had a conversation with Mariana Wagner about how her Internet clients "think" they know what house they want, based on their Internet searches, but more often than not end up buying something … (109 comments)

marketing: PLEASE STOP USING ALL CAPS! - 07/30/07 02:21 AM
THIS QUALIFIES AS A RANT. I SEE THIS PRACTICE ALL THE TIME, AND I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE.
YOU'VE SEEN IT TOO... AN MLS OR REALTOR.COM LISTING, A POST OR A DESCRIPTION IN A REAL ESTATE SHOW, AND THE ENTIRE TEXT IS IN CAPS.... LIKE THIS. HELLO? THIS SEEMS SO BASIC TO ME.
IT'S OBVIOUSLY NOT BASIC. I JUST FINISHED VIEWING A SHOW WITH A DESCRIPTION JUST LIKE THIS AND IT SENT ME OVER THE EDGE... AND THERE WERE NO PARAGRAPH BREAKS. THE STARTLING PART WAS THAT IT WAS PRODUCED BY A VERY GOOD REALTOR WHO OTHERWISE CREATES EXCELLENT SHOWS. SHE … (85 comments)

marketing: Make It Personal: No, There's No Template To Follow - 12/06/06 05:17 AM
I am new to the blogging world. I guess you could call me a "late blogger." But I've been reading other blogs for a good long time. I know what I like when I see it. Apparently, what I like is not unique to me. There are some common elements to a successful blog that apparently lots of people are attracted to. The one element that is common among all the myriad of different styles of writing and topics for discussion is this, the ones that allow us to see into their personal life, the ones who have found a voice … (52 comments)

marketing: Newspapers Are Good For Something! - 12/04/06 09:05 AM
The demise of real estate classified advertising is well known. (And I'll admit I am trying to hasten their demise.) Several posts (Here is one by Chichi Ahia) in the past week have talked about advertising budgets and where you should be spending your money. It's evident from all the numbers, and from the comments on the posts, that advertising a listing in the newspaper is not necessarily going to give you any bang for your buck. According to NAR, only 3% of home owners surveyed found their home as a result of a newspaper ad. 
That said, newspapers can be your … (27 comments)

marketing: Give The Consumer More Views! - 11/30/06 05:19 AM
OK, so this is actually more of a rant than a tip, but there is some advice buried in here once you get past the two paragraphs of rant. 
One of the things that annoyed me when I was searching for a new home three years ago was the lack of variety in the advertising of a home. It was second to the annoyance with how few listings had multiple photos. It's three years later and I still see it everywhere. Here's what I mean by variety. You see a photo of a home in the newspaper, and then go to the … (24 comments)

marketing: Small Rooms: Take Off The Door - 11/29/06 06:47 AM
When shooting a very small room, there are several things to remember. 
First, take the photos at an angle as commented on by Dawn Shaffer.
Second, if you don't have a wide angle lens, get one. I like the Panasonic Lumix FX35.
And here is a tip I like personally: Take off the door. This is especially helpful in small bathrooms. The first photo below is taken with a wide angle lens with the door on. The second, with the door off. You can see the subtle, but important difference it makes. The room feels larger, less cramped. It takes only … (30 comments)

marketing: Reach Your Buyer's Network of Family & Friends - 11/29/06 06:11 AM
You know there is no way to guarantee that your clients are going to run and tell their friends and family about you... no matter how great of a job you do for them on either side of the real estate transaction. You can't force them to do it. But on the buyer side there is a way to insure that they will email their friends. Create a "just moved" presentation about their new home. Do it in an evocative way. Make it emotional. 
Here's a fact. I've never purchased a home that, at the time, I wasn't proud of. I look … (21 comments)

marketing: Connect With Your Family & Friends - 11/29/06 01:54 AM
There has been a rash of Blog posts in the past 24 hours about your friends and family network.
I wrote this post a few weeks ago for my other Blog, but thought it would be good to share it here. I apologize for any self-promotion, but I'm not sure how to share this concept and the Realtor's comments without being somewhat self serving. Obviously, you can use other tools besides ours to accomplish the same goals, as long as those tools allow you to brand yourself as a Realtor in a way that seems natural. That's extremely important.
Whenever we speak … (22 comments)

marketing: If You Can't Fix It, Feature It! - 11/28/06 10:31 AM
Dawn McCurdy came up with a creative way to sell a home that needed a lot of work. She used honesty and the "Mission Impossible" theme song from our Just For Fun music library, to give this real fixer-upper a great marketing piece. She decided not to take a "this house doesn't deserve a Show" approach to marketing the home.
"We were all talking about why we shouldn't put photos of it or showcase it as it is in such need of repair," Dawn said. "Then, we thought, why not. When you advertise something as needing work, the first questions buyers … (14 comments)

marketing: Highlight Your Expertise And Educate Your Clients - 11/28/06 01:06 AM
It's important to highlight every skill you have when trying to set yourself apart from the masses. Using Internet tools to create presentations that highlight thoses skills in an evocative way is critical. People want to connect with you and your message. They don't want cold presentations. Find the right tool for you and use that to create presentations that truly set you apart from your competition.
ActiveRain member Sarah Cooper and Pat Murphy, of Coldwell Banker Advantage in Hurricane, West Virginia, showcase their expertise to better capture their client's attention in the education process.
View Their Educational Show Here
Sarah writes, … (11 comments)

marketing: Reach The Network Only Your Children Can Reach - 11/28/06 01:00 AM
When we saw this show we said, "Yes! That's perfect. She really gets it." Julie Eichacker took some time away from selling and went to the Valentine's day party at her child's school. She, of course, took her camera so she could capture the moment. When she got home, she put together a show for the class.
Then she gave the link to the teacher to send home with her students... to give to their parents! This is just a great idea. The teacher, students and parents will enjoy it and the parents won't be able to keep themselves from sending … (30 comments)