Home staging has been a buzz word in real estate for a number of years now but still is not used by many real estate agents. Does it really work? Would it be a good idea for real estate agents want to spend their own money to stage a home? This is what Realtor Joe Molnar of South Bend Indiana did.

Joe listed a home that had been on the market over a year with two different agents. The original list price was high at $237,900 and was then reduced to $220,000. The house was in good condition but was vacant.

Take a look at how the house showed when it was listed with the first two agents:

Home Before Staging

Joe listed the house for $215,000. He spent $500 for staging and furniture rental for 3 months. When you look at the photos of the house after staging you don’t even realize it is the same house.

Home After Staging

See what I mean? When you compare the before and after photos the difference is remarkable.  Staging and good photos make a BIG difference. Joe thinks his $500 investment will earn him a $6,000 commission this spring.

Would you spend $500 for a $6,000 return?

Another good example of Home Staging is HGTV’s ‘Get It Sold‘ with Sabrina Soto. Sabrina takes a home that has been on the market for awhile and stages it for an Open House. Once again the before and after is amazing!

Real estate success tips from Steve Harney, Keeping Matters Current.com. Good stuff you will want to read!!

1. Stop waiting for the cavalry to arrive. WE ARE THE CAVALRY!

The Fed has stopped purchasing mortgage-backed-securities (MBS) and the Home Buyers’ Tax Credit has expired. What should we do now? The answer is simple. We need to get back to work. Originally the end to the Fed’s purchasing of MBSs was to occur on December 31, 2009 and the Tax Credit was set to expire November 30, 2009. We petitioned the federal government and explained that they couldn’t abandon the housing market in the middle of the winter. We let them know that if they got us to the spring (our normal peak selling season) we would take it from there. They lived up to their end of the bargain. Our time to perform has arrived.

We need to show leadership right now whether we are an owner, a manager or an agent. The best comment I have ever heard on leadership was from Colin Powell:

“A leader must be the person people come to in times of crisis. When they get there, they must never see you hungry, cold, afraid or tired.”

Let’s be strong right now. How do we do this?

2. Start CREATING transactions

During the boom years of 2004-2007, we really were not in the business of creating deals. We were actually in the business of facilitating the transactions. There were even some who said we should actually take on the title “Facilitator”. That was then and this is now.

A recent Gallup poll reported that “Lower but stabilizing home prices combined with continued low mortgage interest rates have persuaded 72% of Americans that now is a ‘good time’ to buy a house.”

What might prevent these people from accomplishing their goals? FEAR!

But let us realize that fear always comes from ignorance. Fear is only the symptom. Ignorance is the disease. We have been trying to make people feel better by trying to hide the reality of the market (treating the symptom) instead of educating them to the market (treating the disease).

Once we can simply and effectively communicate the reality of the market, we can easily point out the opportunities that exist and help these people accomplish their goals. Let’s search out the people mentioned above and help them understand that the move they are considering is not only possible but in the future will be profitable.

And make sure that when these buyers do purchase that they purchase your sellers’ homes. How?

3. List the property at a COMPELLING PRICE

The sale of a home can be a very emotional time for a seller. They often have fond memories of people and events that graced their home over the years. However, when we are setting the price we must realize that emotion should play no part. The value of any item in any industry is determined by two variables: the DEMAND for the item and the SUPPLY of that item.

With the government programs aimed at bolstering prices expiring, we can be very confident that DEMAND will remain stable throughout the year at best. If anything, potentially higher mortgage interest rates could soften demand.

The SUPPLY side of the equation is much clearer. A recent Zillow.com survey shows “8% of homeowners, or about 10 million Americans, are ‘very likely’ to sell if and as local conditions improve.” Obviously, not all 10 million will come to market. But even if only one quarter does that would be 2.5 million additional homes. And recent foreclosure statistics show that between 5 and 7 million homes are eligible for foreclosure. Prices will be impacted severely when this discounted inventory begins to come to market as the year unwinds.

Help your sellers to price their houses properly now to avoid further reductions that will occur later in the year. What should YOU do to prepare for this wave of foreclosures?

4. Become comfortable with DISTRESSED PROPERTIES

More and more families are finding it very difficult if not impossible to keep up with their monthly mortgage payments. It is our duty to help these people in every way we can. We must become better informed as to the programs available to these families in order to assist them as a true real estate professional should. Get certified by taking the short sale/distressed property classes offered by your local and state associations. Then commit a portion of your weekly work schedule to assisting this rapidly growing segment.

The more neighbors we help avoid the nightmare of foreclosure (either through a modification or a short sale) the better off they and our neighborhoods will be. Vacant foreclosures are what drive down values in a community. Modifications and short sales avoid this situation.

Help our neighbors in order to save our neighborhoods.  It is a rather simple concept but it won’t be easy unless you…

5. Develop the HEART OF A TEACHER

Dave Ramsey the writer, radio personality and financial guru said: “When getting help with money, whether it is insurance, real estate or investments you should always look for someone with the heart of a teacher, not the heart of a salesman. If you find someone with the heart of a salesman, run away.”

We must stop trying to sell people and instead educate them to the best options for themselves and their families. Take the time to truly understand WHAT is happening in the current market. Then, go even deeper and discover WHY it is happening. Then, and only then, will you be able to simply and effectively explain it to your customers and clients. Until they truly understand their options, they will be afraid to move forward.

Recently I wrote a post, Adding Your Real Estate Listings To Facebook, which received a lot of attention.  I thought you might want to take a look at the new Vflyer application for Facebook to market your listings.  Of course, you have to have a Vflyer account. If you carry one or two listings, Vflyer is free. For larger inventories, monthly fees can run anywhere from $12.95 to $79.95.

Vflyer has it all over some of the other Facebook listing applications for many reasons:

• Your contact info is prominently displayed at the top of the page
• The listing information displayed is the Internet flyer you created with links to your information
• The application can be installed on both your profile and your fan pages

Here is the Vflyer’s real estate listing application on Leigh Brown’s page, Charlotte North Carolina Real Estate.

Here are instructions for adding the Vflyer application to Facebook.

I also like the Internet flyers you can create with Vflyer. It offers many unique features:

• It contains a slide show and a link to your real estate website on the first page of a multi-page flyer.
• You can include an unlimited amount of links to your other online real estate marketing tools.
• It includes a nice map.
• And offers marketing for your other listings.

Interested in Vflyer, but don’t have the time to fool with it? As your real estate virtual assistant, I’m glad to help. Simply give me a call, 757.271.6047 or send me an email to get started.

My friend and Realtor Margaret Rome, ePro of Baltimore MD is featured in the ‘Masters Series’ of the latest Realtor Magazine. In this video, Margaret her secrets for creating a successful open house:

Congratulations Margaret on your successful career and creative marketing!

Much of your real estate marketing in the last 18 months as probably been directed towards first-time home buyers. The home buyer tax credit is due to expire in just 8 days. The end of free government money will most likely make this segment of the population less motivated to buy real estate. This begs the question, “Who do you focus your real estate marketing on next?”

For the last two years, the Marketing Executive Networking Group has polled its members to learn about the issues on the minds of top marketers. Both surveys included questions about the “most important marketing segment.” Both times Boomers topped the list. Higher than Women or Hispanics/Latinos.

Boomer Project founder/president Matt Thornhill lists 10 reasons to examine the opportunities of targeting boomers in your 2010 marketing plan:

1. You will build your career and legacy on their backs
2. They buy things. Lots of things
3. They try new things
4. They are easy to reach
5. They think they are in the middle of Middle Age
6. They use the Internet
7. They have grandkids
8. They are control freaks
9. They like advertising
10. They are the future

Be sure to read Matt Thornhill’s complete article when considering to include Boomers in your real estate marketing plan.

As you know from previous posts, your real estate virtual assistant is taking a social media with Social Media Magic.  Today I want to share with you how to strategically optimize your LinkedIn profile.

LinkedIn is a network of over 55 million professionals who are interested in exchanging information, ideas and opportunities. It is a ‘place to find and be found.’ You can find people who will be helpful in building your business. And you can be found by people needing your real estate services.

Your profile is your online business card. It is the first glimpse of who you are. It is a showcase of your experience and expertise. And it needs to be strategically optimized for people to be able to find you. There are 2 reasons to optimize your profile. One is for the computer and one is for people. Optimization of the computer includes the strategic use of keywords. People don’t search for you by your name but by the services you provide or the company you are affiliated with. You also want people to look at your profile and think, “Wow, this is a person I need to do business with.”

Prior to optimizing my profile, if I searched ‘real estate virtual assistant’, I showed up on page 3 of the results. After optimization, I show up as #2 on the first page. Certainly, a better place to be if I want someone to find me. Let’s look at the elements of a profile and how to best make them work for you.

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Social Media. Real Estate. What’s the BIG deal?

Are you one of many who think social media is a Fad and you and your real estate business don’t need to be there? I was! This video by Erik Qualman at Socialnomics.net will change your mind!

As a real estate virtual assistant, I have been blogging for years and have understood the seo value of blogs. I also have personal profiles on the prominent social media sites, as well as created profiles for clients. But I have to admit, I did really GET social media.

This video and a webinar course with Social Media Magic his opening my eyes. You will hear more about what I am learning and how to make money with social media.

Real Estate Virtual Assistant Buzz:

Do you remember the brisk Buyers Market of a few years ago? Buyers were beating down your doors. Anyone who could breathe had a real estate license and was selling homes. Then the market went south. Buyers were no where to be found and your pipeline of new business dried up because you hadn’t been doing any marketing. You had neither the time nor the need to keep your name out there. A tougher real estate  market requires getting back to basics and evaluating what works in our new reality and what doesn’t.

Brain Buffini has detailed detours on your road to success:

The Five Detours on the Road to Success

1. Lack of Accountability

Every human being does better with accountability because we truly cannot see our own shortcomings; outside perspective is the best way to gain clarity on our patterns.

2. Loss of Motivation

Motivation, by its very nature, is designed to dissipate so we need to seek it out continually. As my friend and mentor, Zig Ziglar, says: “Motivation is like bathing. You have to do it on a daily basis!”

3. In Need of Direction

Once you get things moving and gain some momentum you actually need more direction than you did when you were just starting out. This is borne out by countless people who work their whole life and have nothing to show for it.

4. Isolation

All you have to do is watch the “Animal Planet” documentary on predators in the wild to know how detrimental isolation can be: Predators never attack the pack; they always look for the isolated, hurt, wounded, and lost, the ones who’ve stopped moving forward. Self-employed people are more predisposed to this isolation than anyone else.

5. Drift

While “isolation” is a predator, “drift” is a killer; it’s the “silent assassin” because we don’t know how far and how fast we’ve drifted until something catastrophic happens.

As you can see, the “Five Detours” are things we all face and it can be easy to get off track in both business and our personal lives. But let’s examine the solution side of things. If there are detours, then rest assured there are also rules of the road to get you and your real estate business back on track.

Stay on Track with These Rules of the Road

1. Stay Accountable

While it may not be natural to seek out accountability, let’s just have a look at what happens in its absence. Tiger Woods – the greatest golfer in the world – recently missed the cut at the British Open. Just so happens it was the first time in five years he didn’t bring his coach to a tournament.

2. Brainstorm and Network with Others

We humans do much better when we mastermind together, which is why we facilitate networking at our events, as well as in our Coaching programs and Small Groups. Surround yourself with positive, resourceful, successful people, because they’ll lift you up rather than drag you down.

3. Plan Daily Doses of Motivation

Just think of your daily motivation like an essential vitamin, with nothing but positive, good-for-you side effects. Plan daily doses by listening to affirming CDs in your car or by reading good books – just a few lines here or there will go a long way.

4. Follow the System

You know you’re in need of direction – everybody is. And we’ve developed a system that works. Now, I know that few people ever follow the system 100%, but what if that means you’re missing out on a 30% jump in your income?

5. Work with a Coach

A Coach has the expertise, tools and strategies to help you get your business cranking. That accountability and direction will help you avoid drift – the deadly killer.

A real estate virtual assistant helps you stay on track on your road to success. We can create and implement the systems needed to accomplish your goals and keep you moving in the right direction. Contact us and together we will make 2010 the best year yet!

I feel part of my job as a Real Estate Virtual Assistant is to be on top of the latest marketing techniques. I take the time to educate myself in the latest tools needed to build a successful real estate business. I then share what I have learned with my clients to help them grow their businesses. I am currently taking a 4 week course with Social Media Magic learning how to create a strategic and comprehensive social media marketing campaign for real estate. Here is what I have gleaned from the first course… 

I’m sure you have heard the latest catch phrase, social media. Like me, you probably realize that social media has to do with sharing photos with friends, telling about the great party you went to last night and what you are having for dinner tonight. You may not understand what it has to do with your real estate business. Sure all the real estate trainers say you need to be on Facebook and Twitter, but what exactly IS social media and WHY do you and your real estate business need a presence there!! 

What is Social Media? 

Social media is a complex, organic online conversation between multiple people. The keyword here is ‘conversation’. In the old Web 1.0 Internet, you had no interaction or relationship with people. Your website is most likely is very static. The content doesn’t change much and there is no real time interaction. With the new Web 2.0, which social media is a part of, you are involving people in your business and empowering them to have a relationship with you. 

Social media is not just Facebook and Twitter. It does include social media networks, but also includes, blogs, microblogs, video and photo sharing, message boards, wiki, virtual reality, social gaming, podcasts and Real Simple Syndication (RSS). 

Why Do You Want to Participate In Social Media? 

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Friend and Realtor extraordinaire Allyson Hoffman sent this to me and I though you would enjoy it:

How To Stay Young

1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay ‘them’
 
 2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down.
 
 3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. ‘An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.’

4. Enjoy the simple things.
 
 5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath.
 
 6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.
 
 7. Surround yourself with what you love , whether it’s family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge.
 
 8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.
 
 9. Don’t take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is.
 
 10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.
 
AND ALWAYS REMEMBER :
 Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but  by the moments that take our breath away.