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.

Ten Tips for Staying UP in a Down Market

My friend and Realtor extraordinaire, Allyson Hoffman sent this to me. I thought you would appreciate it also…

1. Get a jump start on your day.

Get to work early – get set up and get started as fast as you can.   Get your e-mails out of the way before 9:00 a.m. – save “Prime Time” for getting more business!

2.  Work from a “money” list.

Create and follow a list of profit-making and money-making things to get done that day.

3. Focus on today!

Forget yesterday, and don’t fret about tomorrow.  What can you make happen TODAY?

4. Avoid the “time robbers”.

There are people out there that will waste your valuable time today.  Stay away!  When feasible, assist quickly, and move right back to your money list.

5. Stretch yourself beyond your comfort zone.

Try new things, take risks, challenge yourself to do more than you have done in the past.

6. It’s not personal – it’s business!

 Avoid the habit of trying to do personal errands and tasks on work time – Get to WORK!

7. Stick to success.

Hang around; call on, lunch and network with positive, successful people. 

8. Don’t do other people’s jobs.

 Your time should be spent doing your job.  Trust and let go!

9. Celebrate the small victories.

 Enjoy and reward yourself to taking initiative and making progress

10. Keep your attitude and your energy up!

Avoid “energy drainers” – these are the people who call only when they need something from you, and have no propensity to provide business (they can be negative energizers as well). Eat well, exercise, get rest, listen to upbeat music, and keep the faith!

I have to be honest. I hated the Real Pro Systems old blog format. It was embedded so far into the website, I doubt search engines ever found the blog posts and as diligently and regularly as agents would blog, it didn’t seem to get them any results. Well that has changed!! 

Real Pro Gold websites now have snippets of each blog post on the Home page which provides fresh content that search engines just love. Using the correct keywords and meta-tags, you should see remarkable improvement in your search engine placement. Mind you this will not happen overnight or if you only blog once a week. But with effort it will happen! 

Real Pro Gold and Twitter

Another new feature you will be excited about is being able to submit your blog post to Twitter with the click of your mouse. Yes, you do have to have a Twitter account set up, but after that, tweeting is a piece of cake. 

If you have not heard of Twitter and don’t have a clue what I am talking about…you are not alone. Contact me. As your Real Estate Virtual Assistant, I’m glad to help.

Follow me on Twitter!

You wouldn’t be alone if you have been apprehensive of pre-foreclosure listings and short sales. These transactions are very often a long and drawn out process and are a ‘bear’ to close! You also wouldn’t be alone if your apprehension has given way to acceptance of a necessary evil or maybe even grown into embracing the opportunity to help families facing extreme financial distress. Wherever your thought process is, pre-foreclosures and short sales have become a part of mainstream real estate. Currently, 1 out of 10 homeowners is in some stage of the foreclosure process. Foreclosures are at an all time high and are expected to get even higher. 

This being the case, how do you start to grow your pre-foreclosure and short sale business? Below are 10 low cost steps to jump start this new facet of your business: 

1.  Brand your short sale business. 

Branding is developing a logo and a set of consistent marketing materials. It is a look and a feel that the consumer will associate with you when they see your marketing pieces. This concept is not new to many real estate professionals. We have heard about branding for years. Branding your distressed property business is just as important as the branding of your real estate practice as a whole. Quality Images for your marketing materials can be found on 123RF.com or IstockPhoto.com for just a few dollars per image.

2.  Register a domain name. 

Part of branding is the use of a keyword rich domain name to use on your marketing. One of the best keywords to use in real estate marketing is the name of your city or town. Combine your city or town name with words the consumer will use when searching for information about short sales, such as foreclosure or short sale. A couple of examples are: www.stopatlantaforeclosures.com or www.atlantashortsales.com. You can register a domain name at GoDaddy for less than $10 per year. 

3.  Create a short sale website. 

Homeowners facing foreclosure are in desperate need of information. Most don’t realize there are options other than foreclosure. Create a short sale website that provides information in layman terms, explaining their options and how you can help. And don’t forget to include a call to action. A cost effective website option is a Standard Point2Agent website. You get 15 pages with the first three months free and then only $9.95 per month. A good example is ShortSalesCentralNJ.com.  Another option is to create an additional page on your current website dedicated to short sales and foreclosures and point your short sale domain name to it. 

4.  Create a short sale business card. 

Having a separate business card isn’t necessary. Utilize the back of your current business card to promote your short sale business and let the world know you are a short sale expert. Be sure to include your new short sale domain name. 

5.  Place an ad on CraigsList. 

Being free, Craigs List is one of the most cost effective marketing tools available. Place your ad under Real Estate Services for your area. If you haven’t used the ‘Services section of Craigs List, there are additional hoops to jump through before you can post. You are required to provide a phone number associated with your ad. Craigs List then calls and verifies the number. There are any number of ways to create your ad, but one to consider is using Vflyer.com, which creates the code necessary for an HTML ad. Free personal accounts are available. 

6.  Write a press release. 

Submit a press release about how you can help families in distress avoid foreclosure. Highlight any designation you have earned or additional training you have taken. Your local newspaper will print a press release for free and there are numerous online options, such as Free-Press-Release.com, PRlog.org and PressRelease365.com.  

7.  Advertise in local print media. 

Your local newspaper and real estate magazines aren’t as cost effective as online marketing, but it will set you apart from the crowd. Consider both classified ads and display ads. 

8.  Utilize social networks. 

Blog about your short sale business and add it to Face Book. Put it on My Space, Linked In, and Active Rain and be sure to tweet about it on Twitter. 

9.  Send an introduction letter, email or postcard to your database. 

Get the word out with a letter, email or postcard to your database informing them of how you can help families facing foreclosure. They may know you are a real estate professional, but they need to know of your expertise in the area of short sales and avoiding foreclosure. 

10.  Call your sphere of influence. 

Last, but certainly not least, do what real estate professionals dread the most. Pick up the phone and call your sphere of influence. Sharing how you can save families from foreclosure is a great reason to call old friends and clients, as well as an excellent way to generate business. These days, most everyone knows someone struggling with making mortgage payments. 

My team of Marketing Specialists and Transaction Coordinators have earned the Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE) designation, making us uniquely qualified to assist you with growing and managing your pre-foreclosure and short sale business. We can create your website and marketing materials, call your sphere of influence, manage your listings and coordinate your closings. Check out our Short Sales In A Box…a turnkey solution to building and managing your distressed property and short sale business.

For more information on how we can help visit myREassistant.com or call 757.271.6047.

The Certified Distressed Property Institute (CDPE) has just reported the most recent distressed property statistics from the Mortgage Bankers Association and I’ll tell you folks, “they ain’t pretty!” 

The statistics below are based on 45,000,000 mortgages for the 3^rd quarter of 2008: 

All Mortgages:
            2.97% are in foreclosure
            6.99% are in default
            9.96% total in default 

Prime Mortgages:
            1.58% in foreclosure
            4.34% in default
          5.92 total in default 

Sub-Prime Mortgages:
          12.55% in foreclosure
             20.02% in default
            32.57% total in default 

FHA Mortgages:
           2.32% in foreclosure
             12.92% in default
            32.57% in default  

VA Mortgages:
          1.46% in foreclosure
            7.28% n default
         8.74 total in default 

As you can see, 10% of all mortgages were in default. Not just subprime mortgages but all mortgages! A number that has doubled since January 2007. These numbers are not only overwhelming, but also heart breaking knowing they represent 4.5 million families in crisis. 

The real estate industry has the ability to help these families avoid foreclosure and regain stability in their lives. Most families in distress don’t know they have options and think foreclosure in inevitable once they get behind on mortgage payments. CDPE training provides you with the tools you need to assist families in distress. As real estate virtual assistant who is CDPE certified, I can assist you with implementing the tools CDPE provides, growing your distressed property business, marketing distressed property listings and progressing to a successful closing. 

Give me a call. I’d like to work with you helping families in need.

10 website ‘must-haves’ needed to ensure success a successful and profitable website.

With 78% of home buyers starting their home search on the Internet, real estate professionals have
embraced websites and an Internet presence in a big way. Let’s face it, you need to be where the consumers are and that means the Internet.

But how many of the hundreds of thousands of real estate websites actually bring in business and generate income. I don’t have statistics, but my gut, along with discussions with agents I come into contact with as a Real Estate Virtual Assistant, tells
me not many.

Rismedia.com published a great article about the 10 website “must-haves” needed to ensure success a successful and
profitable website. I have included these ‘must-haves’ along with insights of my own:

1. Remember: There Is But One True Goal – Sales

If you have, or are planning to create a website, it is essential that you keep in mind that the only goal of a website, ultimately, is sales. Don’t get caught up in the vanity or technology surrounding websites (which is all too easy to do). Make sure everything on your real estate website is oriented toward your “One True Goal.”

In the early days of the Internet, websites were no more than an on-line business card with attention
focused on the agent. We have learned the consumer doesn’t care about ‘you.’ He cares about ‘what is in it for me.’ Today’s websites need to give the consumer what he wants and what he wants is to look at homes.

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One would think if one picture is worth a thousand words, then 20 pictures must be worth 20 thousand words…but is this really the case when selling real estate?

The old adage is ‘a picture is worth a thousand words.’ Most of us in the real estate industry believe this to be true and offer the consumer numerous photos of a property to look at with virtual tours, single property websites, video tours and the like. One would think if one picture is worth a thousand words, then 20 pictures must be worth 20 thousand words…but is this really the case?

I must say, I had never given it much thought, either as a licensed Realtor or as a Virtual Assistant, until I read an Inman article, Too much exposure can be a bad thing? The article asks the question, Is it possible that too many pictures online is preventing buyers from looking at your property and therefore a bad thing? There are 2 very different schools of thought on this question.

Point2Agent has released a new study measuring the effect multiple photos have in marketing of listings. The study researched three variables:

1. Detailed views

2. Interest in terms of interaction with the listing on a Web site (i.e. how many times visitors viewed a virtual tour, viewed the listing on a partner site, completed a mortgage calculation for the property, etc.)

3. Leads generated

The study evaluated all Point2 listings entered into their system during the first quarter of 2008. The sample consisted of more than 100,000 listings and included listings from all 50 states, every Canadian province, plus other countries worldwide. All price ranges were represented.

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It was brought to my attention by a reader of my Walk Score post, that Drive Score is
also available. Drive Score shows a map of what establishments are in a property’s neighborhood and calculates a Drive Score based on the number of places within a convenient driving distance. With Drive
Score, buyers can see how close establishments are by car. Homes are often located in an area where restaurants, libraries, grocery stores, hospitals and other businesses are easier to get to by car than on foot.

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