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PLANNING FOR 2009. AGENTS AND BROKERS, THE TIME IS NOW. OR, BE LEFT IN THE DUST.

By
Real Estate Agent with Lenn Harley, Homefinders.com, MD & VA Homes and Real Estate 303829;0225082372

AS TIME GOES ON, I BELIEVE THAT THE INTERNET WILL PLAY AN EVER LARGER ROLE IN THE BUSINESS PLANS FOR SUCCESSFUL REAL ESTATE AGENTS AND REAL ESTATE BROKERS. 

WHAT DO YOU HAVE PLANNED FOR 2009?

In 1994, my then broker asked "What's new with you Lenn?"  I said "I'm thinking of going on the Internet."  He responded with, "What's the Internet?"

In June 1995, the original version of Homefinders.com went live. 

In 1995, I told folks that the Internet would change the world.  No one believed me and thought I had taken leave of my senses.Real estate MD VA

By December 1995, the Internet was my sole source for new business. 

In 1995, the Internet completely changed my business practices.

In 2008, the Internet completely saved my business.

I'm not bragging, merely commenting. 

STATIC WEB SITE OR BLOG??? 

Why ask the question?  Do both.  After all, a blog is a web site.  It's still the Internet traffic that we are seeking to reach.  Spend some time on the Google Guidelines and learn how to Optimize your Internet presence. 

NUMBERS DON'T LIE.   Many statistical reports claim that up to 80% of consumers use the Internet for their initial real estate search.   Even if the statistics are overstated and I believe that they are, if only 60% or 50% of consumers use the Internet to begin their real estate research, that's what I call a TARGET MARKET.  Reach out to them in ways in which you are comfortable, a web site, a blog web site, a web site with a blog. 

IT'S TIME TO GET BUSY AND PLAN FOR 2009. 

Agent      REAL ESTATE

ENJOY THE SLOW SEASON?   OR,  GET AHEAD OF CONTINUING ED and WORK HARDER AND SMARTER.

REAL ESTATE PRACTITIONERS HAVE CHOICES.  We can either enjoy the slow market until the money runs out, OR, use the time to prepare for 2009 and the new real estate market. 

NO MATTER WHICH type of Internet site you select to pursue, with up to 80% of consumers beginning their real estate research on the Internet, we must be there.

Courtesy, Lenn Harley, Broker, Homefinders.com, 800-711-7988, e-mailReal estate talk.

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Comments(131)

Lenn Harley
Lenn Harley, Homefinders.com, MD & VA Homes and Real Estate - Leesburg, VA
Real Estate Broker - Virginia & Maryland

Cyndee.  Thanks.  I Googled "top 100 women in real estate" and there it was.

Craig.  For buyer business, the Interent is a great place to "post your card".

Lynn.  I suspect that many real estate folks don't embrace the Internet because they don't see tangible results. 

Katerina.  Blogging hasn't changed my Internet business but it has made it more fun and broadened the scope of my market reach.

 

Sep 29, 2008 10:37 PM
Scott Barr
Pacific Sotheby's international Realty - Newport Beach, CA
Realtor

How come I don't have you on my subscription? Thanks Lenn for the encouragement.

Sep 30, 2008 12:09 AM
Barb Overmann
Keller Williams Realty - Lugoff, SC

I am working on my blog.  It is amazing how much Goggle will do for you!

Oct 01, 2008 12:50 AM
Jennifer Fivelsdal
JFIVE Home Realty LLC | 845-758-6842|162 Deer Run Rd Red Hook NY 12571 - Rhinebeck, NY
Mid Hudson Valley real estate connection

Lenn - Great advice.  This is no time to take it easy, now is the time for action, education, lead generation and business planning.

Oct 01, 2008 03:59 PM
Lenn Harley
Lenn Harley, Homefinders.com, MD & VA Homes and Real Estate - Leesburg, VA
Real Estate Broker - Virginia & Maryland

Scott.  Goodness.  I love subscribers.  I rely on subscribers.  There are only so many Gold Stars to go around. 
Lenn's Blog

Barb  Indeed.  What Google can do for us is the worst kept secret on the Internet.

Jennifer.  I'm preparing for January 2009.

Oct 02, 2008 01:06 AM
Toby & John T. Williams
Douglas Elliman Real Estate - Medford, NY

 I have had my Spouses-Selling-Houses.com website since 1995!  Back then, almost no one knew anything about the internet.  I have since added the domain, tjplace.com  just because it is SO much easier for the public. 

After all these years, I got an email this week that the company hosting my site is going out of business!  YIKES!!!  I am looking for  a new company now. Oh, well, it was time for an update anyway!

Oct 03, 2008 07:21 AM
Team Honeycutt
Allen Tate - Concord, NC

Now more than ever it is time to prepare for the coming year. The market will turn and the ones prepared will profit!

Oct 03, 2008 11:24 AM
Team Honeycutt
Allen Tate - Concord, NC

Now more than ever it is time to prepare for the coming year. The market will turn and the ones prepared will profit!

Oct 03, 2008 11:24 AM
Team Honeycutt
Allen Tate - Concord, NC

Now more than ever it is time to prepare for the coming year. The market will turn and the ones prepared will profit!

Oct 03, 2008 11:24 AM
Lenn Harley
Lenn Harley, Homefinders.com, MD & VA Homes and Real Estate - Leesburg, VA
Real Estate Broker - Virginia & Maryland

Toby and John.  I'd sure hate for that to happen.  I just actived a new server in August.  Cost me a bloddy fortune. 

 

Oct 03, 2008 11:47 AM
Matthew Quackenbush
Matt Quackenbush at Keller Williams Realty, Albany New York - Albany, NY

Lenn, thank you for the information, it is very encouraging. I'm very new to this, 2nd day, and I have alot to learn. I am finding, you can teach an old dog new tricks.

Oct 04, 2008 01:33 AM
Perri K. Feldman
Keller Williams of Essex, Union & Morris Counties - Short Hills, NJ
NJRealEstateWire.com

Lenn,

You are right on target...in just three years in real estate I am #3 in my office (out of 130 agents) and credit my web presence...both my website and my blog.

Now we can only hope that the economy doesn't totally tank!

Oct 05, 2008 09:52 AM
Robert Lopez
Gloria Nilson GMAC - Princeton, NJ

It is all so funny when we remind ourselves of the many who surround us and refuse to think out of the box. I can recall way back when of a discussion I had with my broker about the importance of a computer to better develop our business-she wouldn't hear of it or accept it. Today you can't get her off the computer as she just loves to send us all emails-read all the advertisements-it is her new penny candy store

Playing with this remarkable too since 1978 I am surprized each and every day of the many people I meet that still have a basic phobia of how to properly make it sing. The lesson I have learned is the importance not to assume that all we send our prospects/customers/clients via the internet will be easily navigated if we are more concerned with impressing and forgetting that the key is communicating.

Currently, I am having some fun but also frustration with the active communication thru the smart phones-I was forced to get more involved as I started working with a stockbroker (at least he was one the beginning of last week) who loved to see everything on his iphone and thus expected that my responses would be as instantaneous as his-no problem with texting back something but he wanted more pictures of the properties I sent etc.

The times ahead with the many tech toys we have to better position ourselves as "Real " Pros is exciting and I am of the opinion that all of us who stay on the cutting edge of our industry will have no problem in a down market and the "sky" is the limit in our next run at a real seller's market.

Bob

Oct 05, 2008 09:59 AM
Lenn Harley
Lenn Harley, Homefinders.com, MD & VA Homes and Real Estate - Leesburg, VA
Real Estate Broker - Virginia & Maryland

Robert.  The tools are important, but I don't fall for the toys.  Many agents become gadget, widget obsessed and lose sight of the goal, which for me is to produce in Google SERP.  I look for numbers, big numbers.

Perri.  I for one don't see how it can get much worse. 

 

Oct 05, 2008 10:17 AM
Lenn Harley
Lenn Harley, Homefinders.com, MD & VA Homes and Real Estate - Leesburg, VA
Real Estate Broker - Virginia & Maryland

Matthew.  Age has nothing to do with real estate brokerage.  That canard about older agents not being Internet savvy is a myth perpetrated by folks to young to know any better.  Experience is what counts in real estate.  Along with, of course, a decent personality and willingness to work your butt off. 

 

Oct 05, 2008 10:21 AM
Vanessa Hackleman
Diamond Realty & Associates, LLC - Bossier City, LA
Vanessa Hackleman, REALTOR, ABR, ePro

We have had more agents leave our company this year than ever before. It is heartbreaking! I, for one, am choosing to stick it out and "ride the wave"

 

Vanessa

Oct 08, 2008 10:42 AM
Lenn Harley
Lenn Harley, Homefinders.com, MD & VA Homes and Real Estate - Leesburg, VA
Real Estate Broker - Virginia & Maryland

Vanessa.  Thank your lucky stars that there are fewer competitors for the little business that there is.

 

Oct 08, 2008 10:50 AM
Nakia Evans
Urban Living Realty LLC - Baltimore, MD
Baltimore MD, Flat Fee MLS Services & HUD Homes

Thanks for posting this Lenn.  Nowadays whenever you mention the words "real estate" to people....they either make a comment or a face like the skys about to fall.  I, on the other hand, see this as the ideal opportunity to renew online marketing efforts and prepare for 2009!

Oct 08, 2008 10:57 AM
Zane Fikany Connie Hettinga
Steinborn GMAC - Las Cruces, NM

I think these last few months of 2008 set the tone for 2009.  Why wait for 2009 to do all the things you need to do to be successful?  We need to parlay these months into a great January and a great 2009.

Oct 09, 2008 08:20 AM
Anonymous
Matt

I agree that not having an Internet presence is like trying to walk in deep snow without snow shoes, however you can spend a lot of money on sites from companies that promise rankings, lead capture, quality service...etc. I have a great site but my provider charges me every year for the honor of him hosting the site to the tune of 1500.00 yearly then tacks on optimization charges of 1400.00 a year to have it near the first page on goggle. I have also paid 3999.00 for site that is not very user friendly and frankly if I knew now what I needed to know then before I bought into the hype I would not have purchased the site. So I don't pay the optimization charge and I have decided to not pursue using the site anymore. My question is who can I turn to and trust to not nickel and dime me when I need a site that has ranking, lead capture,etc..? My current site charges every time I want to add stuff to keep up with consumer trends, and I mean everything. Any suggestions Folks?     

Oct 19, 2008 09:55 AM
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