As a seller in the current market, you might find yourself wondering on occasion if now is the right time to sell. If you’ve seen a decrease in the number of visitors to your property, don’t pull the listing. Instead, look at these ways you might improve your chances of finding a buyer:

1. Review the price.  Speak with your agent, especially if your house has been listed for more than a month.  Take a look at recent comps to ensure your price is in line.  If necessary, get a fresh appraisal to ensure your price makes sense.
2. Create curb appeal.  Potential buyers explore neighborhoods before they set up viewings.  As such, make sure your house looks as beautiful on the outside as it does on the inside.  If you have any out-of-season flowers or shrubs, consider sprucing them up.
3. Improve interior appeal.  Sometimes all it takes is a simplification:  store the knick-knacks and extra furniture.  A fresh coat of paint may be in order.  Work with a staging company to ensure that any of those “problem” spots in your home look wonderful and inviting!
4. Update your listing.  These days, most buyers start looking for homes online before they view homes.  Review your listing, and make sure the pictures in your listing represent your house beautifully and accurately.  If you’ve done anything along the lines of items 2 or 3, take updated pictures and make sure they’re updated online.
5. Negotiate.  It used to be the buyer who had to do this.  Now, it’s the seller’s turn.  Make sure you consider all advantages of an offer before rejecting it outright.  The ground between you and the buyer may be much smaller than it initially appears.  Consider seriously what it would mean if you didn’t take the offer and what it would really cost if you did, then think about #6.
6. Sweeten the pot.  You may have already decided that you’re getting rid of the appliances, so consider throwing them in.  If you have a little wiggle room, consider helping the buyer with closing costs or moving expenses to help defray some of those costs for them.

In today’s housing market, you have to be one step ahead of the competition.  By following one (or several) of these suggestions, you can help ensure the best opportunity possible to sell your home.

In the past five years, an entirely new segment of marketing technologies have evolved in the real estate world. Some have faded as trends, while others seem to be here for the long run. Mobile marketing is definitely one that looks like it will be around for years to come.

Of course, with these new technologies come challenges. Finding the time to not only learn about them, but also to learn how to use them effectively, can be daunting at times. To assist, we’ve complied some great statistics that emphasize the reach of mobile marketing. As of 2010, nearly 95% of all Americans were using a mobile phone, with nearly half of them being smartphone users. As if these number aren’t large enough already, they are estimated to grow by 80 million over the next year. Although the numbers may vary from area to area, there is no disputing the immense opportunities in mobile marketing.

If you are interested in gearing up your mobile marketing strategy, there are a few things you may want to start thinking about.

Optimized Website: There is nothing worse than going to a website from your phone and finding out it doesn’t work or is limited in its functionality. One big fail is the use of Flash, as iPhone devices cannot read this program. There are various vendors and WordPress plug-ins that can help with the optimization of websites, with prices ranging from free to a several thousand dollars.

QR Codes: Quick Response Codes have become quite popular over the last year, and real estate professionals are now looking at ways to integrate them into their mobile marketing strategies. QR codes can be placed on business cards, for sale signs and printed advertising. When the end user scans the code, they are taken to a predefined location on the web. This gives the person who scanned the code instant access to the website via their phone. Of course, if you are linking to your website, ensure it is mobile optimized for best results.

A decade ago, there wasn’t much talk about online marketing strategies. Real estate professionals were primarily focused on print marketing, farming strategies and referral business. Today, we know the landscape looks quite different and that the web has literally changed everything.

Having an online presence is now a pivotal part of a real estate agent’s overall marketing strategy, and there is quite a bit of data that strongly supports this premise. Consumers today are used to getting information quickly and in an efficient manner. Within the National Association of Realtor’s 2009 Homebuyers and Sellers Study, the following statistics were discovered:

• 90% of homebuyers utilized the Internet as a source for information when thinking about buying or selling a home

• 77% of Internet buyers took the action to drive by or view a home after they initially saw it online

• 36% of homebuyers found the home they ultimately purchased on the Internet

These statistics only reiterate how important an online presence is in today’s world, but the challenge can reside in figuring HOW to develop a strategy. To assist you, we’ve assembled a list of resources that may assist you as you look to create your online marketing strategy.

Tips and Advice on Blogging:

Writing great content for your website and blog

Online videos for your real estate website and blog

How to turn your blog into a prospect producing machine

General Online Marketing Advice:

Build a better website toolkit

Property marketing toolkit

One landing page does not fit all

Articles on Marketing Your Website:

Website visibility: 7 ways to get your website noticed

Online marketing: Technology without technique doesn’t work

What is the best website marketing strategy?

Today, QR codes, or “Quick Response” codes, can be found in newspapers, magazines, brochures, billboards, even on the back of business cards.  Think of them as “image hyperlinks” in the form of a bar code.  Businesses and marketers use them today to take their consumer to a customized URL using their cell phone.

How does it work?

Any person with a smart phone can take a picture of the QR code (using any QR code reader software).  After the photo is taken, the software will direct the user to a specific landing page associated with that particular code.  These codes can be scanned from printed ads, signs, t-shirts, even computer screens.  By scanning a QR code, smart phone users can access a wealth of more detailed information while on the go.

This technology is being used in many different markets, and is especially making its presence known in real estate marketing.  Real Estate agents have incorporated QR codes on “For Sale” signs, large window ads, flyers, etc. The possibilities are endless.  Once someone scans the code, the customized URL they are directed to could feature details of the home for sale, a view of the floor plan, colorful photos, a video of the inside, a map showing details of the location or additional properties around the area, etc.  They could even be given a way to contact the listing agent immediately.

QR codes make it easy for prospects to get information on properties instantly and easily.  Instead of remembering an advertised URL, it’s so much more convenient to simply take a photo on a cell phone and be redirected within seconds to the customized URL.  There are many different QR code generator websites, such as www.qrstuff.com and www.interlinkone.com , and QR code reader software, such as I-Nigma, Optiscan, and QuickMark.  Generate your free code today to begin using the latest strategies and trends in real estate marketing.

The picture below is a screen shot of multiple comments that were left on a blog post that was promoting a happy hour gathering at a social media conference that happened earlier this year.

Quick, take a look at the image and tell me at first glance which of the people commenting:

1. Did you look at first?
2. Do you think is the most professional?
3. Do you think is the most technically proficient?
4. Seems the most like a real person?
5. Are you most drawn to?

I’m willing to bet that the people who have images next to their comment (me, CWaterhouse, and Colleen Truax) were the answers you gave.  If I ask you which people appear to be the least professional and least technically proficient, which would you answer?  The one’s without a photo?  Probably so.  Which camp would you rather be in?

In an earlier post, I explained what an Avatar is (your visual image of yourself online – usually your photo), and how it is an essential consideration of the brand image for any modern Realtor.  This post expands upon that and introduce you to Gravatar.com, a service that will make including your avatar in your blog comments, simple and easy.  Here is a brief video which clearly explains the service:

As the video mentions, once you sign up for a gravatar account, you can associate ALL the email addresses that you have with your account (your brokerage email, your gmail account, your home account, your college alumni account, etc).  And, then when you go to comment on a blog or forum, no matter what email address you use, your photo is automatically included when you make a comment (assuming the site supports gravatars…which many blogs and forums do).

A gravatar is a great way for a Realtor who participates in blog commenting to be positioned with a professional, consistent brand image across many sites.  It also centralizes and automates the posting of your photo when you comment on the web.  By using a gravatar, you are more effectively branding yourself with the image you choose and you are more likely to be perceived as more professional and technically proficient.  So why not continue the brand image you have created off-line to on-line and sign up with Gravatar.com?

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”.

Blogging is the cornerstone of the new media marketing movement, and the promise of business for the Realtor who embraces it is tempting.  This post is designed to give the pros and cons of blogging, and help you decide if blogging is something that you should incorporate into your real estate business.

First, what is blogging?

In February, I did a detailed post answering this very question.  Basically blogging is an on-line journal.  It consists of posts, or articles, that the blog author writes and adds on a regular basis to the blog.  The most current post resides at the top of the blog, and the prior posts move down the page.

Success in blogging results from two things:

1. Providing content of value to your target audience
2. Frequency

What content is of value in real estate?

I view the following topics as good topics for Realtor blogs:

• Market Data: Answer the question, how is the market? This is likely the most common question in real estate and makes for excellent blog post fodder.
• Neighborhood Info: Talking specifically about different neighborhoods and farms will help build your credibility, establish your expertise in an area, and help you with what is called the “long tail” search in Google. When it comes to buying decisions, people are very interested in the nuances of a particular neighborhood. You discuss this in the car with prospects, and you work to show sellers your neighborhood expertise with post cards mailings, and in your listing presentations. Take this information to the web in the form of blog posts.
• Lifestyle Information: Every buyer wants to know what the lifestyle is like in various cities, communities, and neighborhoods, and you as a Realtor are selling not only the houses in a particular area, but you are also selling the lifestyle. Blogging about the events, people, restaurants, schools, and area information are all great topics for a blog and paint a picture about the local lifestyle in the area.
• Transaction Education: For most people, the process of buying a home is complicated and overwhelming. As the Realtor, part of your job is to navigate buyers and sellers through that process. By discussing the process and providing an education on the nuances of the transaction, you have the opportunity to establish your professional credibility and attract buyers and sellers who appreciate the education you are providing them on the process of home buying and selling.
• Competent Advice/Perspective/Interpretation: No doubt about it, there is access these days to almost any information someone could want. The problem is that the amount of information is overwhelming. This presents a blogging opportunity for the Realtor who can provide an interpretation of all the data. From all the stats, what is the most important piece of information for today’s buyer to know? Why is it important for them to know? What is meaningful about that?

And what about frequency of blogging?

How often you blog is going to vary for each Realtor.  I suggest that blogging once or twice a week is a good target.  The key is to do it on a regular basis.  This keeps your blog fresh, reminds people that you are active and current in the market, and helps you with Google.

Blogging has several advantages for the Realtor.

Blogging Pros:

• Establish Your Expertise:  Keep in mind that when you are positioned in the mind of the buyer or seller as THE trusted advisor, you have a client. There is no better way in social media to establish yourself as a trusted advisor than with blogging. Blogging provides you a golden opportunity to establish your real estate expertise. It allows you to express your perspective, your professionalism, and you market knowledge in a way that reflects your tone and personality.
• Google Friendly (Search Engine Optimization – SEO): By definition, blogging is Google friendly. The platform of blogging is designed to be indexed by Google and if you are blogging using words that are relevant to your market (key words), you are helping yourself naturally appear in search results when people search Google for terms that match what you are blogging about. So, for example, if you are frequently blogging about items related to La Quinta real estate, when someone types in “La Quinta real estate” into Google, you are more likely to rise to the top or be on page one.
• Subscribe Feature:  Blogs have the ability to have people subscribe to them so that any content you post is automatically distributed to the reader (vs. them having to come to the site to see new content). When this channel is properly respected (and not abused, which would result in the reader “unsubscribing”), the blogger creates a drip marketing opportunity to all of the readers who are “reminded” of you ever time you post a new blog post.
• Brand Building Opportunity:  Through blog subscribers (as described above) and in the visual design of your blog, you have the opportunity to establish, and extend, your personal brand. What you say on your blog, and how it looks, is a reflection of your professionalism and your personality and gives people an impression about you.
• “Long Tail” Opportunity:  This benefit relates to the opportunity to reach people who are searching for specific terms in Google, vs. broader terms. For example, “La Quinta Real Estate” is a very general term that yields about 1.6 Million results in Google. Compare this to “The Hideaway La Quinta Real Estate” which yields about 8,000 results and you can see that there is a much greater opportunity to be found on the long tail search. Another benefit is that people who search long tail terms tend to be closer to a purchase or sale decision as they have gotten specific in what they are looking for.
• Can be a Lead Generator:  Blogs can generate great leads. When you are effective in articulating your real estate knowledge, answering the questions of your target market, and positioning yourself as a trusted advisor, people will contact you through your blog. Those that do contact you are generally attracted to your perspective and generally stronger leads than you may get off of an ad or other form of marketing. People tend to watch a blog for a while. They will get a feel for you. When they do contact you, it is because they have a feel for who you are and they are interested in working with you.

Blogging Cons:

• Time Consuming:  No doubt about it, blogging is a time consuming endeavor. It takes a commitment from the Realtor. Keeping in mind that frequency is a key element to successful blogging, you really need to view blogging as a strategy that you have a plan for. It takes time to generate good content.
• You Need Average, or Above Average Writing Skills. Blogging is a content driven marketing vehicle. If you are not generating good content, you are not going to get good results. If you do not have the ability to articulate your perspective easily with the written word, blogging will be a challenge for you. There is an alternative – video blogging. With a very affordable piece of equipment called a Flip Video Camera, you can post a video blog instead of writing one. A video blog doesn’t carry the same SEO benefits that the written word does, but it can be a very effective way to articulate your perspective, or actually show your market area. A video blog can also be an efficient use of your time (maybe video tape yourself while you are sitting at an open house and waiting for traffic).
• Several Nuances to Learn:  Although the actual process of posting a blog is not much more difficult than sending an email, to succeed in blogging over time, there are many nuances to learn about the blogging platform. For example, there are better (vs. worse) ways to title your posts so that you rank well in Google and/or capture the attention of your readership. There are best practices to follow in terms of naming your images and inserting links into your posts. Although none of these items are particularly challenging, all of these little items tend to present a learning curve for the Realtor just getting into blogging.
• Becoming Competitive:  Blogging has been popular in real estate for several years now, and in some markets, there are some very established real estate blogs. In these areas, the landscape for blogging is very competitive. You should survey the blogging competition for your market and determine if there is a great opportunity for you there. Even in markets where blogging is very established, there are still ample blogging opportunities on a hyper-local level. You don’t have to blog about Palm Springs. You can blog specifically about Rancho Las Palmas. This would be a hyper-local topic and one where you have a strong chance to stand out and dominate a niche area. Alternatively, you could also define a niche market – maybe foreign buyers or sellers for your area. Or , seniors. Or, first time home buyers. Think about segments that may be under-represented by blogs that are focused on larger areas and geographies and you will find some great blogging opportunities.

I’ve pointed out the reality of the challenges of blogging in an effort to give you a realistic view on what it takes to succeed in blogging.  Blogging may or may not be for you.  But, if you are searching for a new strategy, or you actively farm a geographic area or demographic niche, and plan to be in business for 5 years or more, I suggest you seriously consider establishing a blogging presence.  There is just so much to be gained.  In a future post, I will lay out the leading blogging options for those who would like to pursue a blogging strategy for their real estate business.

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 when you log into Facebook this week you see this message at the top of the page:

Have you claimed your username yet?  If not, you should do so! It makes it easier for friends, family, and clients to connect with you on Facebook.

Last Friday night, Facebook gave users the opportunity to claim a “vanity URL” that represents their profile on Facebook.  Over 6 million people have already registered their username (as of Sunday).  This optional process gives Facebook users a distinct web address for their profile and makes it much easier to share and promote your Facebook presense with others.  If you haven’t registered your username, the URL for your profile looks like the before picture below.  After you register your username, the URL for your profile will look something far more friendly (see the after image below).

To claim your username, go to http://www.facebook.com/username and follow the simple process that Facebook has set up.  You can select a username that Facebook suggests or create your own. Select “Check availability” to check for available usernames. If the desired username is available, click “Set Username” in order to confirm your choice.

A few notes:

• Facebook usernames are permanent.  In other words, they cannot be changed or transferred!  This is an important consideration.  How are you branding yourself?  Are you using facebook for business or personal use, or maybe for both?  Should your username be your full name or something more tailored to business (staceyharmon vs. RealtorStacey).  Only you can make that decision.  But, keep in mind that it cannot be changed.  So choose wisely and make sure it is a username that will represent you over time.
• Your username must be at least five characters in length and only include alphanumeric characters (A-Z, 0-9), or a period or full stop (“.”)
• Once you have your new friendly “vanity URL”, consider adding it to your email signature to encourage those you deal with to interact with you on Facebook.
• It is possible to also have a vanity URL for a fanpage, but you must have over 1,000 fans and have registered your page before May 31, 2009 in order to qualify.  More details can be found here.

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”.

To many Realtors, the concept of using video in their business is limited to the use of a virtual tour to market their listings.  But, the technology of today busts the door wide open for agents to incorporate video into their business like never before.  And, video is powerful stuff.  Take a look at this video by Mike Mueller discussing the merits of video for real estate. He recorded this as part of a contest on MyTechOpinion.com answering the question “What technology product or service has made the biggest impact on your business? And why?”. (see all the finalists submissions here)

It is so easy and very affordable to get started with video.  I carry around in my purse a Flip Video camera.  You can buy one on Amazon.com for $60-$130 (depending on features like duration of recording and color ).  I have this one:

My Flip Video is the size of a box of cigarettes, runs on two AA batteries, and is SIMPLE to use (you just push a red button to record, and the same button to stop the recording).  And, the video is all pre-compressed and ready to be uploaded to YouTube or other video sharing site such as Viddler.  The camera comes with a USB connector built into it so you just pop the Flip Video into your computer and go!

And, did you know that CV Escrow has Flip Video’s of our Escrow Officers, Escrow Assistants, and Business Development Directors on our site?  People like to know who they are working with, and a brief video shows them so much more in 30 seconds than a bio that lists their professional background.  Often buyers and sellers never meet the escrow officer until the end of the transaction when documents need to be signed.  And for out of town buyers and sellers, they may never meet the escrow officer.  We have several agents who forward on to their clients the link to the video of the escrow officer that is handling their transaction.  Through the video introduction, clients get a better familiarity with the people they are dealing with on the phone.  Check out videos of our team by following these links:

• Escrow Officers:
  • Cindy Mozingo
  • Karen Guess
  • Leslie Even
  • Julie Ekstrom
  • Vickie Donati
• Escrow Assistants:
  • Lois King
  • Kristin Mozingo
  • Claudia Rascon
  • Judith Sevilla
• Business Development
  • Jan Whishaw
  • Ellen Kardashian

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”.

This week we are going to take a look at several Realtors who are succeeding by incorporating social media and web 2.0 principles into their real estate businesses. Social media provides an array of opportunities to develop relationships with clients – for some the diversity of options can seem overwhelming. With so many opportunities to apply web 2.0 practices to your business, the following agents have been selected as examples because they exploit one strategy particularly well. The lesson is to pick and choose what works best for you. Focus. By doing so, you too can grow your business by applying social media techniques. Let’s learn from others who are leading the way!

Video

Mike Lefebvre | Hallmark Sotheby’s International Realty – Suburban Boston, Massachusetts

Particularly outstanding is Mike’s use of video on his blog…specifically, this one which he submitted to www.MyTechOpinion.com answering the question “What technology has had the most impact on your real estate business”.

• Blog

Listing Information

Kris & Steve Berg | San Diego Castles Realty – San Diego, California

Both the website and blog do an excellent job of presenting dynamic information that consumers want, particularly in regards to listing information and market trends. On the home page of both their sites, the visitor is presented with a map showing active inventory in the San Diego market and the blog has the ability to let visitors search home listings from their cell phone.

• Blog: The San Diego Home Blog
• Website: www.SanDiegoCastles.com

Networking & Niche Marketing

Andy Kaufman| Keller Williams – Berkeley, California

Andy personifies the definition of networking in a web 2.0 world…and it isn’t only the social media networking he does. Supported by an informative, data rich blog, a niche focused on the foreclosure, REO, and investment market in the East Bay of California, the real power in Andy’s strategy comes in his outstanding use of blending social media and “in real life” (IRL) interactions to network for business. Andy is everywhere – networking at conferences that draw the real estate, the social media, and/or the technology scene – events such as the REOMAC conference, the REBarCamp Conferences (Andy is the founder of this successful series of social media conferences focused on Real Estate), and SXSW (South By Southwest). The power of his networking activities has resulted in no less than 7,000 followers on Twitter and 1,100+ friends on Facebook.

• Blog: MyEastBayAgent.com

Photos

Teresa Boardman | Saint Paul Home Realty – Saint Paul, Minnesota

Photos are Teresa’s thing, and her use of the social community Flickr for her real estate business, in conjunction with her blog, is an example for all. Photos are so paramount to her web presence they not only have their own navigation section on both her blog and website, but also to warrant an entire blog of their own. She also has thousands of photos representing the St. Paul area in her Flickr account and truly gives a consumer an outstanding feel for the area.

• Blog: StPaulRealEstateBlog.com
• St. Paul, MN Photo Blog: StPaulPhotos.com
• Website: www.TwasHere.com

Active Rain:

Rich Jacobson | Windermere Real Estate – Kitsap Peninsula, Washington

Active Rain is the largest real estate social network with over 170,000 members. And, if you are a member of Active Rain, you probably know the name Rich Jacobson. He is a Community Builder there and a brilliant example of how to utilize this great resource to not only promote yourself and your business, but to learn and participate in the social media real estate community. He also expresses his personality and interests by having a blog dedicated to his personal interest in Crabbing which results in a niche marketing effort based around a Pacific Northwest activity that he loves.

• Active Rain Blog: Rich Jacobson
• Website: KitsapLife.com
• Western Washington Real Estate Blog: Sound Bite Blog
• Personal Interest Blog on Crabbing: CrabbingInTheHood.com

Consumer Focused: Clear and Effective

Kristal Kraft | The Berkshire Group Realtors – Denver, Colorado

An excellent example an agent who combines her website and blogging efforts into one site online, Kristal’s blog is simply one section of her web presence and surrounded by a website which illustrates her professionalism, market knowledge, and answers the most pressing buyer and seller questions. No one tool overpowers others in this site – its success is more about an overall strategy of providing content that consumers care about and establishing herself as the trusted adviser in the consumers mind.

• Website/Blog: KristalSellsDenver.com

Please send us who you think is doing it right in real estate and social media and we can do a follow up post in the near future!

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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!

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You probably answer some version of one of the following 3 questions from your clients and prospects every day:

• What is for sale?
• How much is my house worth?
• How’s the market?

I’ve found a vendor who helps Realtors to answer these questions from a very informed perspective.  Altos Research offers a series of products that are based around real time local market data.

My favorite of Altos product offerings are as follows:

AltosCharts

This is a graphic image that reflects local market conditions and is automatically updated once per week with current market data.  They have charts that show the general pricing trend, the average days on the market, the median price per square foot, and the active inventory level, to name a few.  This image reflects a sample of the charts available for Palm Springs.

Here is an example of a Realtor who has incorporated AltosCharts into his site:  Brian Wiegand – SeattleHome.com

AltosStats

Their newest offering, just released last week, AltosStats provides a tabular 7-day snapshot view of a local market answering questions such as the Median List Price, total inventory, average home size, days on market, average price per square foot and average age of a home.

Here is an example of agent using it in a blog post:  Irina Netchave – SanMarinoCaRealEstateHomes.com

AltosReports

AltosReports are a pdf report that can be emailed to your prospects and clients or printed for use on listing presentations, open houses, or client meetings.  They are customized to you with your name, photo and contact information, and present a detailed anaylsis on the local market along with written commentary to help explain the numbers and trends.  The reports also provide a “quartile analysis” so that you and clients can compare the trends around different pricing brackets.  The reports are approximately 10 pages long offering a plethora of data on the local market.  In addition, there is a 1 page summary report that is useful for prospecting in places like open houses. You can see a sample report here.

Why I Think This Product Is Good For Realtors:

I think the Altos products are a must have for any Realtor website.  Buyers who are utilizing the internet for property searches (84% of the buying population according to NAR) want to see what the local market conditions are.  They want to know what the trends are in a local market.  They want to know what the average price is right now.  Why not give them what they want?  It builds credibility that you have a pulse on the local housing scene and provides a reason for buyers to come back to your site.  And, with the Altos products, there is no updating necessary on your part.  You don’t have to do anything – the data automatically stays current.  I also see their products as an outstanding listing tool.  How powerful would it be to graphically show a seller what the current trend is for median and average list price in the area, what the percentage of properties with price decreases is, and what the percent of re-listed properties is?  I think Realtors armed with this information are having very different discussions with sellers about pricing than those who aren’t, and these Realtors are far more likely to secure and sell listings than those who do not use this data.

Learn More:

Altos Research also walks you through how to gain leads and secure listings utilizing their products.  Tomorrow (Wednesday March 4^th) at 11:00 am they are hosting a webinar discussing how to market utilizing statistics.  There is no cost or obligation to attend the webinar, but you do need to register here.  They will discuss practical ideas and applications in using their products to:

• Get buyers “off the fence”
• Set realistic seller expectations
• Prospect and lead generate
• Drip market and convert leads
• Build client trust

Definitely a great vendor for Realtors to check out!

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Are you looking for an international buyer for your listing which would make a fabulous second home?  Interested in getting your listings exposed to those potential foreign buyers?  Although sites like Realtor.com do a great job of reaching a national audience, wouldn’t it be better if your listing was appearing in the currency of the country that it is appearing in?  How about having your listing translated into the language of the country you are targeting?  Or maybe you just want to make sure your listings are appearing on sites that rank well with Google in foreign countries.  Although still fairly new and evolving, a growing area of online real estate marketing is in international listing websites and portals.  Some are specific to a country, while others are trying to develop a global listing database.  It is still too early to determine who the winner of this latest phase of real estate website positioning is going to be, but here are a few sites to watch, and check out for your current and future listings:

GlobalEdge:

Billing themselves as “The Business Portal for Overseas Properties” this site is based in the UK is “an award-winning trade portal designed to help real estate agents and property developers do business overseas”.  In order to participate on this site, you need to create an account.  They have several pricing models which range from free to £250/month.  For £15/month you can showcase 3 of your best listings.  In addition, this site has a property portal section which is an “independent analysis of the best overseas property portals” presented by region and by country.  This is an excellent resource if you are trying to target a specific country for your listing.

Enormo:

With the tagline “Every Property, Everywhere”, this site aims to be an international listing portal and translates your listing into approximately 30 languages for a moderate monthly fee.  Realtors can list their properties on the website, provided they have a website of their own.  Specific details and pricing information is available by filling out their interest/inquiry form here.

Property Showrooms:

Based in Spain and a respected site amongst the European investor community, this site allows agents to post unlimited listings for 75 EURO/month with a 3 month minimum sign up period.  Their site describes itself as:

Winner of CNBC Best Portal, frequently mentioned in the worlds press such as The Telegraph, The Wall Street Journal, and The South China Morning Post. As a result we appear at the top of Google, Yahoo and the other major search engines providing extensive background information, up to date news and services for both the public and industry alike.

Point2Homes:

A listings syndication service based in Canada, Point2Homes has a free 3 month trial membership where you can upload your listings and choose where they are distributed.  After 3 months, the price is $9.95/month.  Point2Homes is a great way to exposure your listings to many sources at once, including leading national, and international websites.  The process is manual and requires you to create an account and upload your listing data.

All Global Properties:

As of the time of this post, the ability to upload listings in the United States is not possible, but the team behind this site (the REA Group) has a lot of visibility and credibility, so it is one to watch.  Currently they feature listings in Australia, Belgium, Dubai, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Luxembourg, New Zealand, and the UK.  The site offers consumers advice on buying properties oversees and until they offer US listings, might be a good place for buyers agents to consider advertising their US Services to international buyers (via banner ads, for example).

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