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Active Rain, Changing the World, One Realtor at a Time!

By Sara Lipnitz

Real Estate Agent with Max Broock Realtors

August 23, 2006 10:34 AM

Time for me to fess up. I don't have a web site.... I don't even belong to Realtor.com. I can't specifically say why... I just don't.

I'm not even afraid of technology! I've had the Treo phone for 3 years now. I have my IPOD hardwired to the factory head of my car. Heck, I even met my husband on the Internet over 7 years ago. I'd like to think I'm "with it".

So what kind of Realtor am I? I email my database regularly. I have virtual tours on my listings. But that's as far as I go on the web.

What I am good at is the face-to-face stuff. I can't go to a party without leaving with a few leads. A few weeks ago I was at the salon giving my hair to Locks of Love. There were tons of people around watching me get my hair cut. I got talking to some of the women at the salon and poof... 2 more leads. Open houses usually work well for me too. That's just my style.

I guess what I've struggled with was finding my voice on the web. I have a very specific way about me. I'm the person who has never sent out mailers to a farm area. I don't have a farm area. I don't work the floor at the office. I don't really market myself in the "traditional" Realtor manor at all.

My dear friend & co-worker Maureen Francis invited me to join AR. I always tell Maureen that she needs to divorce Dima and partner with me..... She's a whiz with all this Internet stuff. So I decided to join and see what its all about.

I'm happy to report that after just 5 days, I'm starting to get this. I see the importance of it all. I care about my "Google" search. Active Rain has given me a place to attempt to find my voice. I enjoy the dialog. I find myself motivated and invigorated by the idea of the entire real estate community sharing ideas. I believe with all my heart that we have purpose here.

I look forward to where this new road will take me. I've started to look into web developers and I'm on my way. Thank you to everyone who has shared with me thus far. Thank you to Active Rain. Like I said, you're changing the world (of real estate) one Realtor at a time!

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Maureen Francis

Coldwell Banker Weir Manuel - Bloomfield Hills, MI

Coldwell Banker Weir Manuel

You've built your business by engaging in social networking. I was just thinking about it today. Now you are enhancing your natural GIFT for social networking by adding a web component to it. I am sure you will be ragingly successful at this aspect of your business too. You are certainly grasping the concepts adeptly.

And I really do believe what I said the other day, you don't necessarily need a web page. This and SKBK.com together could take care of your needs. I'll show you how when you get back from vacation.

Aug 23, 2006 10:48 AM

Kristal Kraft

Novella Real Estate - Denver, CO

Selling Metro Denver Real Estate - 303-589-2022

Sara, It sounds as though you are a networking machine. YOu will probably never need a website...so don't stress over it!

Aug 23, 2006 11:21 AM

GA-agent.com Georgia Real Estate Directory

GA-agent.com - Canton, GA

Reading your post I could tell that is was straight from your heart. Thanks for giving us a positive message and sharing your ideas...it's reading something such as this that changes one Realtor at a time as well!

Aug 23, 2006 11:50 AM

Geri Sonkin

Douglas Elliman Real Estate 516-457-7103 - Merrick, NY

Long Island Real Estate & Staging Expert

Sara, why not think of the web as one more party. You'll get to meet many new people to interact with. I suspect you'll take to it like a duck to water.

Aug 23, 2006 12:18 PM

Christopher H

REAL ESTATE - Shelby Township, MI

Welcome Sara, great to see another local on AR. A website may not be needed but it can only help. I hear a ton of business goes down in those beauty salons.

Aug 23, 2006 02:42 PM

Sara Lipnitz

Max Broock Realtors - Birmingham, MI

I appreciate all the kind words. Thank you to everyine who takes the time to read my posts.

Aug 23, 2006 02:57 PM

Erika Cannet

Optimar International Realty - Hollywood, FL

Beautiful story. You must be on cloud 9....

Aug 23, 2006 10:47 PM

Ann Cummings

RE/MAX Shoreline - NH and Maine - Portsmouth, NH

Portsmouth NH Real Estate Preferrable Agent

Hi Sara,

What a great post! You may find that you'll never NEED a website, but it could enhance your natural skills that you're building on now. You obviously do a great job networking, think of a website as just another way to network with those you don't already have the opportunity to network with....networking beyond your own physical location to a worldwide network! ;-)

Great post!!

Aug 24, 2006 08:30 AM

Real Estate Tomato

Real Estate Tomato - Cottonwood, CA

Real Estate Website Design Done Beautifully

Sara-

I hope you haven't just set yourself up for a tidal wave of cold calls from web design firms... 5 years ago I would have been licking my chops... :)

I love your story.

I feel that if you just choose 1 or 2 online marketing techniques, and really commit to the success of those efforts then you will florish. Trying to do it all: website, email marketing, top producer, blogging, lead aggregators, payperclick, seo, and on and on... you'll end up getting little out of a lot of headache and expense.

Your approach to focusing on the Virtual Farm of your email database was a great idea. Once you have that licked, move on to your next avenue of online success... an independent blog perhaps... let me know - I'd be happy to read it.

Aug 24, 2006 01:37 PM

Sad to say that its been 2 days and no calls from people dying to build me a website! I have slowly begun to dive into additional web pressence. I take it one day at a time...

Aug 25, 2006 08:43 AM

I'd love to be of your service, if it is a ring into which I can throw my hat.

Plum

Aug 25, 2006 08:57 AM

I would be very open to that.... let's talk!

Aug 25, 2006 11:18 AM

Candi,

Thank you for reading my posts. I really appreciate it.

I wrote that post when I had only been exposed to AR for 5 days. I was just starting to understand the whole scope of AR.

As for Lock of Love... What I left out of the story was that I had a local magazine photgrapher at the salon. They were writing an article about my friend & I. So there was tons of attention on us. I left that part out because I wanted to write about it when the article came out. Which it did last week. (SO LOOK FOR THAT POST TOO)

I just take every opportunity I have to talk to people. It comes VERY naturally to me. If you are not naturally extroverted, don't force it. People will sense that its uncomfortable for you, and may think its fake. Just do what comes natural to you.

Here is another post you may find interesting. It's called The Ask.

I see that you have a real interest in the networking aspect of this business. That happens to be my forte. I'm not great with the internet stuff. I'm not good at putting out self marketing pieces. What I can do is network. If you ever want to discuss this, please feel free to call me. I'm happy to help.

Oct 01, 2006 04:52 AM

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Sara Lipnitz

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