Which image is more interesting?

The image on the left is reflective of the default look for a Twitter profile.  It’s not unattractive, but it is also overused, and not customized to the personality or brand of the twitter user.  The image on the right is the exact same Twitter profile – the only difference is that it has a custom background applied to it.  This is a very simple, and free process that any Twitter user can do.

When you are utilizing Twitter for your business, you want to make sure that you project a persona reflective of who you are.  And, when using social media for real estate business purposes, your presence in social communities should reinforce your status as a trusted advisor.  How your Twitter profile looks is an element in that.

I’m going to assume that if you are utilizing Twitter, you have already made sure that your profile is filled out and includes you location, links to a business URL, and you have a bio that mentions your profession and gives some personality insight as to who you are.  Realtor Elaine Hanson (@ElaineHanson on Twitter) provides a great example of this:

With these details in place, the next step is to make sure that your background is also reflective of your professionalism and personality.  There are several great resources out there designed to do just that.  Here are two of my favorite:

1. Twitrounds:  This site offers hundreds of free, beautiful and creative Twitter backgrounds and has a 1 click, automated process for installing your selected background on your twitter profile.  It doesn’t get easier than that!

1. TwitterImage:  Fantastic photographic images as well as creative professional backgrounds can be found here (also for free).  This site does not have an automated installation script like Twitrounds does, so you have to go through the manual process of uplaoding the Twitter background to your profile.  This is a fairly easy process and the site offers a 4 minute video and step by step directions on how to do this here.

In addition to the free Twitter backgrounds that these sites offer, they also both have the option to pay for a customized Twitter background (between $79-$99 per background).  If you want to have a background that is unique to you, this is a very affordable option and a great marketing investment for the Realtor interested in representing their brand on Twitter.

If you install a custom background on your Twitter profile tell us about it by putting a link to your profile in the comments!

If you are unfamiliar with why you might want to use Twitter for real estate, these earlier posts will help to introduce you to Twitter for Realtors:

• What is this Twitter Thang Everyone Is Talking About?
• Why Twitter and 10 Ways a Realtor Can Use It
• Mobile Twitter Tools for Realtors

Interested in what you are reading? To automatically receive these Tuesday Technology Tips in your email box, subscribe to these articles at the top right corner of this site (www.CoachellaValleyEscrow.com) in the box titled “Subscribe via Email”.

When you open your internet browser window, wouldn’t it be nice to see something useful?  Is there a site you visit every time you browse the web?  If so, wouldn’t it be helpful to have that set as your home page on your browser?  It’s very simple to change and this week’s tech tip is designed to show you how to do that.

Some suggestions of sites that might be relevant to a REALTOR to set as your default home page:

• Your MLS login screen (are you at the computer mostly to check the MLS?)
• CVEscrowBlog.com (new tech tips and escrow posts will automatically appear on your homepage!)
• AgentGenius.com (real estate magazine)
• MyTechOpinion.com (tech magazine for the real estate industry)
• Google.com (the search engine – good one to choose because it loads quickly)
• WSJ.com (leading business and financial news)
• InmanNews.com (real estate news)
• Realtor.org (NAR’s REALTOR site)

First step is to pick a default home page.  Select one from the list above or select your own (ANY website will work).

Once you decide what site you want, follow these step by step directions on how to change your default home page to something useful.

Most of our readers are on PC’s and using Internet Explorer, so these directions are geared towards them.  If you are on a Mac and in Safari, directions can be found here and if you are using Firefox, you can find directions here.

To change your homepage in Internet Explorer (example is for version 7…other versions might vary slightly):

1. Open Internet Explorer
2. Go to the page you want to set as your home page (for this example, I’m using Agent Genius as my desired homepage)



3. On the Tools menu, click Internet Options



4. Confirm you are on the General tab, Choose the Use Current button, then Click OK

That’s it.  You’re done.  Next time you open up your browser, you will see the site you selected.  I’m curious to hear what site you choose as your home page.  Leave me a comment and let me know!

Interested in what you are reading? To automatically receive these Tuesday Technology Tips in your email box, subscribe to these articles at the top right corner of this site (www.CoachellaValleyEscrow.com) in the box titled “Subscribe via Email”.

I love Posterous.  It’s my new favorite must-have application for the modern Realtor.  If you are a Realtor, and you want to have a personalized, real time web presence for your real estate business, but don’t know how to get started, Posterous is your solution.  Before I get into why, let me introduce what Posterous is.

Posterous describes itself as “The dead simple place to post anything.”  By creating a Posterous account, you instantly create a web presence for yourself that lets you post anything to it – photos, articles, videos, MP3′s, files (such as word documents, pdf’s, etc).  There is no easier way to create a blog for yourself and your real estate business (if you’d like some background as to why this might be valuable for your real estate business, check out my earlier posts on social media, web 2.o, and social networking for real estate).  And posting is EASY, making Posterous the most attractive blogging option to the novice user, while still being an outstanding and powerful resource for the techiest of agents.

Why do I love Posterous so?

First:   It’s easy.  It’s simple.  (You can do this.  Really.  You Can.)

If you can email, you can use Posterous.  In its simplest form, all you have to do is email whatever you want to post to post@posterous.com, and it is done.  Doesn’t get much easier than that.

Simply tell Posterous what your email account is, and it will know that when you send an email to them, the content is to appear on your Posterous blog.  And, if you have multiple email accounts (for example, a brokerage account, a personal account, a gmail account, etc.) you can tell Posterous all your email addresses and it will post to your site no matter which email account you send from.

In addition, there are multiple ways to update your Posterous site from both your PDA cell phone and from your computer.  This makes Posterous easy to use whether you are in the office checking out the MLS, or out in the field working an open house or showing property.  Here are the options for how to update your Posterous Page:

1.  From your PDA cell phone:

• Email whatever you want to post to Posterous and it will automatically post to your site.
• Text in your post via SMS (maximum post size is 110 characters…even a busy Realtor can manage that!)
• PicPosterous:  If you have an iPhone, you can download the free PicPosterous application which further simplifies the process of posting photos to your site, and organizes the pictures on the site into photo-galleries allowing the user to preview multiple thumbnail images and select the one they want to view larger (see an example on my site here).

2.  From your computer:

• At your Posterous.com website:  Simply create a new post and type in what you want to say.
• From your email:  Email whatever you want (including file attachments) to Posterous and it will post to your site.
• Use the Posterous Bookmarklet:  This is a Posterous application that will let you grab photos, video, audio and text right out of the web pages you’re looking at, comment, and post it to your posterous blog.

Second:  Posterous looks good.

Social media is really a brand building opportunity for Realtors.  And, part of that opportunity is the visual design of how you are represented online.  Posterous has a simple, elegant, and clean design that is professional and will display you and your content in an attractive manner that is good for your business image.

Third:  It’s Free.

There is no charge to use Posterous.  By creating a Posterous account, you create a free website for yourself.  And everyone like free, right?!  Over time, Posterous will be adding premium features, but they state in their FAQ “…there will always be a useful free version you can use.”

Fourth:  It’s branded to you.

When you sign up for a Posterous account, you will select a vanity URL that can be branded to you.  So, for example, my Posterous URL is:  staceyharmon.posterous.com.  Assuming it’s available, you can have YourName.posterous.com or PalmDesertProperties.posterous.com or WhateverYouCallYourBusiness.posterous.com.

Fifth:  Posterous integrates with other social media sites.

One of the most powerful features of Posterous is the ability to auto-post to ALL of the social media sites that are most relevant to Realtors, all at the same time.  This includes:

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Flickr
• WordPress
• Blogger

So, for example, if I take a photo of a listing that I am holding open and want to send that to Posterous with a note that says “I’m holding open 123 Main Street from 12-4 today…come on by and say hello!”, I can choose to have that photo and message sent (with one email) to Posterous, and concurrently to Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, and my WordPress blog.  This is powerful and efficient stuff!

How to Use Posterous For Your Real Estate Business:

Posterous is the best way for Realtors to get started in social media and in blogging.  The possibilities for using Posterous for your business are only limited by your creativity.  The goal is to give people a glimpse inside your life as a working Realtor, in real-time.  Here are a few ideas to get you started.  At the minimum, your Posterous site is an outstanding place to post photos…of your neighborhood, of your listings, of your life as you experience it (why not post photos of your office, or of your team as they are out showing listings?).  Position yourself as a trusted real estate advisor by sharing with people relevant information related to real estate in your market.  Post market reports for your farm (simply scan what you get a hard copy of at your sales meeting and email it to Posterous, or post a PDF of one that is emailed to you).

Check out my Posterous account here (which I use primarily as a photo blog site) and then sign up for your own.  Give it a try.  And let me know what creative ways you come up with to build your real estate business with Posterous.  I want to hear your great ideas!

Interested in what you are reading? To automatically receive these Tuesday Technology Tips in your email box, subscribe to these articles at the top right corner of this site (www.CoachellaValleyEscrow.com) in the box titled “Subscribe via Email”.

It is very common for Realtors to find the world of Web 2.0, social networking, and technology overwhelming.  There is so much new terminology and new information.  The technical landscape seems to move so fast.  The news talks about the latest “thing” be it Blogging, Facebook, or Twitter.  How does one keep up?

This post is to remind you that the most obvious forum for finding the answer to your questions is right under your nose and is often overlooked: Google.  Google tends to have the answer to anything.  Not sure what that text acronym TTYL is that your client (or niece) is using?  Type “TTYL” into Google and you’ll have an instant answer.  Wondering what this Twitter thing is and if it is something you should know about?  Type in “Twitter for Realtors” into Google and you’ll get plenty of perspectives on how to decide if Twitter is for you.

Do you feel you get too many results or don’t seem to find what you are looking for when you search for a topic on the web?  Common Craft did a great video explaining Web Search Strategies in Plain English.  Invest 3 minutes of your time and watch the video to learn some basic tips that will help you find exactly the content you are looking for when you search the web.  It will not only save you time, but it will also open the door to answering any question you might have regarding technology, your real estate business, and this world of Web 2.0.

You might also want to consider Google-ing the name of the clients you are working with.  In a previous post, I discussed the merits of Google-ing yourself and how to set up a Google alert to track what is being said about you on the web.  With the proliferation of social networks and the boom in participation in them, many of your clients are out there and searchable on the web.  You may learn a thing or two about your clients that will help you to connect with them as you help them with their real estate needs.  Give Google a try!

Interested in what you are reading? To automatically receive these Tuesday Technology Tips in your email box, subscribe to these articles at the top right corner of this site (www.CoachellaValleyEscrow.com) in the box titled “Subscribe via Email”.

Are you texting yet?  If not, it’s time to get on board!

Why Text Message?

Text messaging provides a great, and increasingly common way for you to communicate with your clients and for them to communicate with you.  Maybe you want to confirm a showing with them, send them a quick message about a listing, or they want to let you know they are running late.

Texting can be very beneficial.  Here are a few reasons why:

• Time saver:  Texting tends to get right to the point (who wants to type out a bunch of pleasantries small talk?).  A simple “be there soon” gets the message across quickly and succinctly alleviating the need to call and explain the situation.  Text messaging can also eliminate the need to carry on a long-winded conversation with someone.
• It’s Easier:  It is easier to simply read a message on their phone rather than have to call into a voice mail system to retrieve messages.
• Less Intrusive:  Texting can be a discreet form of communication especially when you or your client are in a situation where phone calls are inappropriate.  Texting provides a more subtle, less intrusive option than talking on the phone or in person.
• Not a Harsh Interruption:  Texting is far more subtle than a phone ringing (which would you rather have happen in a movie theater, for example).  The phone can be set to silent and the person can still read a new text message that comes in without the need to have the phone ring, or call into voice mail to hear what you are trying to communicate.

Considerations:

• Texting isn’t free.  Check with your cell phone provider for how much texting you have on your plan.  Do you have a limited number of text messages per month?  What is the charge if you go over your limit?  Generally it is about .10 – .15 cents per text which may not seem like a lot, but can add up quickly.  It may be more cost effective to switch to an unlimited texting plan with your cell phone provider.  Either way, it is something to watch out for.
• It is against the law to text while driving in California.  Don’t do it.
• Understanding texting will help you to understand Twitter.  Twitter is basically broadcast texting (you send one message, and multiple people can see it).  If you are comfortable with texting, you will be more likely to understand and be comfortable with Twitter.  And Twitter is starting to make a splash in the real estate world (more information on this coming in future posts).

Texting Vocabulary

You aren’t the only one who wonders what all those abbreviated words mean.  Texting has, in essence, a language of its own.  Brevity reigns in the texting world and in order to be able to decipher messages and send quick replies, you should know the common shorthand.  Here is a guide to some of the most common you will find in the texting and twitter world:

2gtbt – too good to be true
2nite – tonight
b4n – bye for now
btw -  by the way
cu -  see you (as in cu l8r)
eod – end of day
f2f  -  face to face
ftr -  for the record
ftw – for the win
fwiw -  for what its worth
fyi – for your information
gtg – got to go
imo/imho – in my opinion/in my humble opinion
irl – in real life (often used in Twitter to reference meeting someone irl)
jk – just kidding
l8r – later
lmao/lmfao – laugh my a** off/laugh my f*** a** off (not the most charming of text abbreviations but very commonly used in conversational social media)
lol – laughing out loud
nbd – no big deal
oh – overheard
omg – oh my god
pls  – please
rotfl – rolling on the floor laughing
re – regarding.  Can also mean “real estate” depending on context.
thx – thanks
ttyl – talk to you later
ty – thank you
wOOt – hooray/congratulations
ur – your
yw – your welcome

:)  -  happy face for humor, laughter, friendliness, sarcasm
:D  – super happy/toothy smile, broad smile, etc.
:(  -  sad face for sadness, anger, upset
;)  – wink
:/  – wry face
:P  – tongue out for just kidding
((hug)) -  a hug
{{{{hug}}}}  – really big hug
<g> – grin
<3   – heart on its side to show love.  Ex: I <3 re = I love real estate

ALL CAPS = Yelling

Also remember that Google is your friend.  If you run across a text shorthand that you don’t know, just put it into Google and you are certain to get an answer.  You can also check out this Lingo 2 Word Translator.

Now that you have the benefits and terminology to successfully text, it’s time to give it a try. TTYL! :)

Interested in what you are reading? To automatically receive these Tuesday Technology Tips in your email box, subscribe to these articles at the top right corner of this site (www.CoachellaValleyEscrow.com) in the box titled “Subscribe via Email”.

As the internet becomes an ever increasing part of the business of selling real estate, it is important for Realtors to keep an eye on how they are being perceived on line.  With at least 84% of real estate clients using the internet (according to NAR), it is a safe bet that the people you are working with look for you on line.  I’d go as far as to say that every client you are working with Google’s you.  What do they see?

Google yourself and find out.

Google Alerts

Now that you know what is out there about you, would you like to be able to automatically keep up with what is being said about you on the internet?  Google has a simple (and free) tool called Google Alerts that let’s you monitor yourself (or anything else of interest to you) on the internet.

You can set up Google alerts so that any time your name appears on the internet, you get an email.  It’s easy.  Here is how:

1.  Go to Google Alerts:  www.google.com/alerts
2.  Fill in the Form to tell Google what you want to track:

In this example, I’m telling Google to search the internet for:

• Search Term:  My name “stacey harmon”.  VERY IMPORTANT DETAIL THAT MATTERS - You want to put your name in quotes.  This way, Google will only send you alerts when your full name appears, otherwise, it will send you an alert any time either your first name OR your last name appears on the web (and this can become very annoying).
• Type:  “Comprehensive” vs. a simple search of my name in blogs, or web pages, or videos.  Comprehensive means I want to receive an alert any time my name shows up in any of those places.
• How often:  You can choose to receive an email alert “once a day”, “once a week” or “as-it-happens”.  I’ve chosen “as-it-happens” because I want to know as soon as something is posted on the internet about me.
• Your Email:  Enter the email address you want to have the alert sent to.  It doesn’t have to be a gmail account, although if you have a gmail account, it makes it simpler to manage multiple Google alerts that you set up.

3.   Select “Create Alert” and you will see this message:

4.  Go to your email and click on the blue link after “Verify this Google Alert request” in the verification email that was sent to you:

You are now confirmed and will receive an email anytime your name (as you typed it in the Google alert) appears on the internet.

Google Alert Considerations:

• You Have a Common Name: If you have a common name, you will receive alerts anytime that your name appears on the internet and it might not be content related to you.  For example, there is a woman named Stacey Harmon Deckard who lives in Indiana.  Sometimes her name will appear on the web and I will receive an alert with information about her because my Google alert searches for the term “Stacey harmon”.
• Name Commonly Misspelled? If your name is hard to spell, or commonly misspelled, consider setting up a separate Google alert for the misspelling of your name as well.  For example, people commonly spell my name “stacy” (without the “e”) so I also have a Google alert for “Stacy Harmon” so that if people reference me in a blog and spell my name incorrectly, it will come up in my google alerts.

Google alerts are a simple and easy way to follow the conversation about yourself on line and in social media.  Go set one up today and start tracking how you appear on the web!

Interested in what you are reading? To automatically receive these Tuesday Technology Tips in your email box, subscribe to these articles at the top right corner of this site (www.CoachellaValleyEscrow.com) in the box titled “Subscribe via Email”.

Are you on Facebook? If not, and you are a sphere of influence (or social) farmer, you probably should be. Facebook is a Web 2.0 site that is one of the greatest ways for Realtors to create a social networking strategy. Facebook currently has over 175 million users and makes it so easy to connect with people you already know from all parts of your life. It is a great way to let those who already know you, what you are currently up to (for example, that you are a Realtor and have a particular expertise in real estate in the Coachella Valley – think of the potential for referrals!). Find and connect with friends from high school, college, your company, or others in the industry, like CV Escrow. CV Escrow has a new “fan page” (Facebook terminology). By becoming a fan of CV Escrow on Facebook, you have an easy way to stay connected to all of the training and event opportunities that we offer and support. In addition, by connecting with CV Escrow on our fan page, you have a way to subtly remind your other Facebook friends that you are in real estate, as they will see you interacting with other professional organizations in the industry. So become a fan! Here is how:

Step 1:

Login to Facebook. (If you aren’t yet on Facebook, it is easy to create an account. Simply fill in the Sign Up section on the homepage and follow the directions to get started)

Step 2:

Search for “CV Escrow” in the Search box in the upper right hand corner of the Facebook screen .

You will get this as your search result:

Step 3:

Click “Become a Fan”

That is it! Once you click “Become a Fan” the wording will change to “You are a Fan” and you will be connected to CV Escrow on Facebook.

Step 4:

Check out our fan page. You can now click “View Page” and see the details of the CV Escrow fan page where we will keep current all of our training opportunities (stay tuned…a training session on Facebook for Realtors is coming soon!) and you can keep up with the latest events and announcements from CV Escrow. You can even send us a message on our fan page.

Just another great way to build your social network and establish yourself as a working Realtor who is keeping up with the latest trends and opportunities in the industry. We look forward to seeing you on our fan page!

Interested in what you are reading? To automatically receive these Tuesday Technology Tips in your email box, subscribe to these articles at the top right corner of this site (www.CoachellaValleyEscrow.com) in the box titled “Subscribe via Email”.

You may have noticed that we’ve been providing some escrow education and answering a lot of great questions here on our blog (even though you may be getting this in your inbox, the article is still also part of the CV Escrow Blog and permanently archived/available there). Topics like Options for How to Hold Title – The Vesting Form Explained and What Day Should You Negotiate Close of Escrow? Although there is new topics/articles on our site every week, the old topics remain on the site and are available for you and your clients anytime. And, it is simple to share these articles via email with your clients. Here’s how:

Step 1:

Go to the site and find the post you are looking for.

Say you want to email the article Notary Choices When it Comes to Signing Your Escrow Documents to your Client. Go to the site and locate the post so that it appears in the main area on the left of the site:

Step 2:

Scroll to the bottom of the post and locate and click on the “Share This” icon.

Step 3:

Click on the Share This link and select the Email option under Send.

Step 4:

Fill in the form and select the Send button.

That’s it! Your client will now receive an email from you that links them to the post and includes your message.

It works for any of the posts we do. Share away!

Interested in what you are reading? To automatically receive these Tuesday Technology Tips in your email box, subscribe to these articles at the top right corner of this site (www.CoachellaValleyEscrow.com) in the box titled “Subscribe via Email”.