Facts and figures about REALTORS is from the latest research, presented by Matthew Ferrara & Company.

Watching this video may change your thinking about where you spend your real estate marketing dollar.

• Approximately 1 Million Realtors
• Average Realtor Age 54
• 51% of Realtors Have A Social Presence Online
• Average Age 1st Time Home Buyers 31
• 95% of Young Buyers Use Social Media Every Day

This cold and bitter first week of 2010 is a great time to create your 2010 Marketing Plan. Most of us hate sitting down and spending time on such an exercise, but putting goals and strategies in writing greatly increases the chances of reaching those goals. The tough real estate markets we have seen in the last couple of years make it even more critical that we evaluate what marketing has worked and not worked to stop spending money with no return on your investment. 

Grab a cup of coffee or hot tea along with your laptop or a pad of paper and let’s start strategizing how you can increase your production in 2010: 

Print Marketing

1. Update business cards/stationery/marketing templates with social networking and home buyer tax credit info.
2. Sponsor a home buyer workshop.
3. Join a local networking group.
4. Mail hand written thank you notes to clients, prospects, agents and vendors.
5. Create a neighborhood newsletter or online networking website for your farm or neighborhood where you live.
6. Get involved in the Chamber of Commerce.
7. Join Realtor national networks.
8. Support a local charity and sponsor a fund raiser. 

Listing Coordination and Marketing

1. Add to all your websites.
2. Create virtual/video tour to add to all websites.
3. Syndicate listing with use of Postlets.com or similar software.
4. Enhance listing on Realtor.com with headlines, text descriptions, video, additional photos, call to action promotion.
5. Upload to Craigs List weekly.
6. Create Facebook page.
7. Tweet with Tweetlister.com
8. Blast email your database.
9. Post on your blog. 

Email Marketing

1. Send high quality email birthday and anniversary cards.
2. Send weekly/monthly email newsletter.
3. Offer free online Webinar for first time buyers, tax credit, short sales, etc.
4. Email local Weekend Events tips.
5. Email local holiday events.
6. Email home maintenance tips.
7. Offer raffle or drawing with other local businesses.
8. Send local interest rate and financing news.
9. Invitation to your social networking profiles.
10. Ask for testimonials on your social networks. 

Website/Blog

1. Use a keyword search tool and confirm your keywords and metatags are relevant.
2. Offer free IDX home search.
3. Offer free listing alerts.
4. Offer free market analysis.
5. Write about other local businesses on your blog.
6. Comment on other local blogs.
7. Create niche website or blog.
8. Add Facebook Connect to your blog.
9. Create ebook and require name and email to download.
10. Host a contest with local businesses.
11. Post to blog 2-3 times per week using relevant keywords. 

Sphere of Influence

1. Send something of value monthly.
2. Send hand written birthday and anniversary cards.
3. Hold client appreciation event.
4. Give free pumpkins at Halloween.
5. Give pies at Thanksgiving.
6. Send Santa letters
7. Give a calendar.
8. Hold drawing to get email addresses.
9. Send monthly or quarterly market reports.
10. Call and ask for referrals quarterly. 

Social Networking

1. Join Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn.
2. Comment on 3-5 posts daily with links to your blog or website.
3. Create Facebook page for your business.
4. Add video testimonials to your business page.
5. Comment on local business pages.
6. Update your status daily.
7. Use software such as Ping.fm to post to all social networks at one time.
8. Use Twitterlocal.net to connect with local people.
9. Send birthday wishes to friends. 

Contact us today. Let’s put your real estate marketing plan together NOW and make 2010 your best year ever!!

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.

Read the rest of this entry »

There has been a growing trend over the past couple of years for real estate professionals to market their listings with property websites.

A real estate virtual assistant forum I belong to had a discussion this week concerning the various single property website platforms and the light bulb went on…what an informative blog post. 

There has been a growing trend over the past couple of years for real estate professionals to market their listings with property websites. These websites use the property address as the domain name (Example: www.123mainStreet.com) and are a relatively inexpensive marketing tool.  Below is a comparison of some of the platforms available and their features (I found this on www.epropertysites.com):

Read the rest of this entry »

When marketing a new real estate blog, one of the first things you want to do to register it on Blog Directories.

When marketing a new real estate blog, one of the first things you want to do to register it on Blog Directories. Whe your website was new, you registered it on Google, Yahoo, and other search engines. Registering on Blog Directories does the same thing for your real estate blog. It is how people find your blog and can read your latest post.

RssHugger.com is one of the neatest and easiest to use directories around. You can actually see how many peole have visited your blog. I registered my husband’s blog, AllVirginiaBeachRealEstate.com, a few weeks ago and it was fun to go back there today and see that his blog is in the Top 100.

I have just registered this blog and would like to go back in a couple of weeks and see that I am in the Top 100. Please visit RssHugger.com and help me out.

Are you one of those real estate professionals who knows they need a blog, but don’t have the time nor the inclination to learn what it is all about, set one up, market it and then post to it on a regular basis. As your real estate virtual assistant, I can do this for you. Visit my website to learn more, or give me a call at 757-271-6047. I am glad to help!

For agents at every level, from those still waiting to complete their first transaction, to those closing hundreds of transactions each year, success in your career is comprised of ten systems. Overcoming every challenge and all growth in your business only occurs through your skills and application with these ten systems. They are:

1. Planning – You need a simple way to set goals and manage their completion. We call our method “Goals and Measurable Results.” Our client’s annual goals are broken into initial appointments weekly and production in three categories recorded monthly.

2. Lead Management – Successfully managing the generation, capture, conversion, and retention of your leads is an ongoing challenge. Whether you use contact management software or three by five cards and a paper calendar we coach a lead follow-up system and habit that relieves the pressure of all those loose leads in your life.

3. Marketing – Most agents miss the boat on Marketing, even those spending thousands of dollars on it. What are your markets? What message do you wish to convey to those markets? And, what is your best method and media to convey that message to those markets? How do you measure the effectiveness of your marketing and do you get a minimum 400% return on your investment?

4. Service – There is more business for you in great Service than there is in great prospecting. Our clients prove that, year after year. What are the service systems that make you the most money? Do you maintain consistent, scheduled communication with every listed seller and pending client? Do you use a checklist or whiteboard for your pending actions and actively manage it daily? Most importantly, do you keep your word?

5. Presentations – A Real Estate career in which you have complete confidence requires mastering your Seller Presentation, Price Reduction Presentation, Buyer Presentation, Offer Writing and Negotiating, and Property Showings. Each of these has a structure, scripts, and a mindset for you to learn. Learning them takes time. The reward is confidence, skill, and results that make you a highly successful professional.

6. Quality of Life – We say that your business should serve your life not your life serve your business. Days off occur when you schedule them. Putting your health or your loved ones first occurs because you choose it that way. One of our leading coaches and top Agent Rusdi Sumner says that once you are licensed everything is an appointment. You turn your choice into your life by putting your health, happiness, and loved ones activities into your calendar, then keeping your word to yourself and others by honoring those appointments.

7. Assistants and Teams -Between thirty and sixty transactions you reach a limit to your ability to grow your business by yourself. To get past that point you either add assistance or your business and/or your quality of life decline. To grow past your transaction limit you are challenged to learn and master hiring, training, delegating, and supervision. These are the early skills of leadership. Do you hire part or full time, for how many hours? When do you consider a buyer specialist? Should your assistant have client contact? There are many decisions for high producing Agents that lead them to the next level and beyond.

8. Financial Freedom – We discovered that people in the habit of being broke stay broke regardless of increases in their income. For those with this affliction you have to work directly to challenge and break the struggling mindset and habits so that as your production and income increase, your financial stability and freedom follow.

9. Technology – Every Agent faces technology challenges; choosing a mobile phone or new computer hardware, choosing your level of web presence and web vendors, plus a myriad of hardware and software choices. Every one of the above systems includes and is impacted by your technology choices. We are constantly challenged, as you are, to seek the technology tools and services that preserve your time and increase your profitability. We are constantly discussing these tools and services with our clients and among our coaches to keep our knowledge up to date and offer the best possible suggestions to you.

10. Self-Esteem – In our “Rich Levin’s Hierarchy of Success” model, Self Esteem is displayed as the foundation. Success in your business and in each of the individual systems rests on the strength of your self-esteem. We work indirectly and sometimes directly on how you think and feel about yourself personally and professionally. We teach two basic affirmations.
Try these in the privacy of your own mind. “I like myself, unconditionally.” And, “I completely trust my own judgment.”

Each time you improve a skill in one of these ten systems that comprise your business, your career improves. As you work continuously on one skill after another you watch your results improve and your confidence reach new heights.

About the Author: For more information on how you can implement the ten systems and ?Rich Levin’s Hierarchy of Success? into your business, call or visit us on the web at RichLevin.com. You can register for ?The Rich Levin Success Club? and receive tips, articles and other information to take your career to the next level and beyond.

Rich Levin is a nationally recognized Coach, Trainer, and Speaker. His specialty is working with top producing Real Estate Agents and Brokers taking them to their highest levels of production and performance in their business and in their lives. Rich Levin is President of Rich Levin’s Success Corp. Contact Rich at 585-244-2700 or rich@richlevin.com.

As a Real Estate Virtual Assistant, I can assist you with planning, lead management, marketing, service, presentations, assistance, and technology. This assistance allow you the financial freedom and the quality of life you desire. Give me a call, 757-271-6047 or visit my website, www.myREassistant.com. I’d enjoy being a part of your success!