YouTube is truly an amazing marketing tool for real estate agents–posting videos of your listings, information about your area and basic information about buying and selling homes. Today’s successful agents are creating personal video profiles, posting them on YouTube and linking to their website, Facebook, LinkedIn and other social media sites. Your personal video profile is a great way to get prospects to feel comfortable with you before they ever meet you. Remember that people like to do business with people they like. The goal of your website is to have the prospects who watch your video feel good about you and to like you after they’re done watching the video.
Think of the short 2-4 minute video clips that you see about Olympic athletes. These clips give us some insight into the type of person they are and helps to make them a real person in our minds.
As an agent, start with a brief personal introduction–who you are, your past, your family– and perhaps a short comment on why you decided to become a real estate professional or what you enjoy most about being a real estate agent. Don’t sell the second you start talking, saying what you can do for the person watching, etc., or you’ll instantly take on that used car sales persona.
When Hobbs/Herder creates one of these videos for an agent, we talk about things that themes we want to cover, the tone we want to create and develop a basic outline of topics, but we do not script it. If you read or recite a script, unless you are a truly gifted actor, it will come across stiff and uninteresting. When the camera starts rolling, you want to be both personable and professional. Smile…be friendly…and relax. We recommend not looking directly into the camera…but instead just off to the side as if you were being interviewed by Larry King.
It’s fine to use a cue card, where a subtle glance at key words can keep you on target. Don’t be afraid to use your natural humor; the key is to be yourself. The more relaxed and comfortable you are, the better you will come across on video. Record a few practice sessions and critique them with help from friends and family. But remember, it’s more important for your presentation to be authentic and personable than for it to be flawless. When you are ready to record the real thing, do three or four takes and select the best one.
Then post your video on YouTube, your website, in social media, and everywhere else you can think of.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Bullseye! Target Marketing on the Web
Target marketing has been around for ages. And, in today's consumer-centric real estate market, reaching the people who can benefit most from your services is vital to your success.
Real estate coach Rich Rogala of Consistent Clients offers these tips for drilling down to your super-target market and driving them to your website:
Ever wanted to become the local expert for a particular neighborhood in your area? For those of you in smaller towns with less competition, it might be fairly easy to stand out. But it’s awfully difficult to become the local expert for the entire city of, say, Chicago. There are just too many homes and too many sales associates. Plus, if you live on the north side, you may not be an expert on the south side real estate market.
A better solution is to take an area you do know really well, like a neighborhood, development, etc., and focus on becoming the expert for anyone buying or selling a home there.
One way to do this is to grab a domain name with your neighborhood keywords in it. This costs about $10 from GoDaddy or another domain registrar.
Simply go to www.GoDaddy.com and search for a domain using your keyword, along with real estate or home or something similar:
For example: lakeview-chicago
So if I went ahead and grabbed this, I have a domain for homes in the Lakeview neighborhood in Chicago. Can’t get much more keyword rich than that!
The next step is to create a page on your website to hold tons of information on the Lakeview neighborhood--market statistics, average price of homes that have sold, current listings for the area and more. The idea is to capture leads from your website. Make sure you add some kind of opt-in box. Offer to send those who opt-in a monthly update on the area or some other type of valuable information.
Finally, go back to GoDaddy, and forward that domain so it points to the correct page on your main website.
Voila! You have a keyword-rich domain name pointing to an info-rich page on your website. From here, there are lots of different ways you could promote this:
1. Marketing materials. If you sponsor any events in your community, use this domain on your promotional materials instead of your usual website.
2. Create an area for resources. If you write any articles for your blog on this particular neighborhood, add a paragraph or excerpt of the article with a link pointing back to your original post.
3. Send out a mailer to neighborhood residents with a really targeted call to action. Example: Hey Lakeview residents! Ever wanted to know what homes and condos in your neighborhood sell for? Check out your new neighborhood real estate resource-- www.LakeviewChicagoHomes.com--where you can find out instantly.
What are you doing to target your niche?
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
5 Ways to Promote the Tax Credit and Extension
From Lore Magazine: http://www.loremagazine.com/go/?blog_id=121
Get Started Today!
Earlier this month, legislation was passed that extends the First-Time Home Buyer Tax Credit of up to $8,000 to first-time homebuyers until April 30, 2010. In addition, it expands the credit to grant up to $6,500 credit to current homeowners purchasing a new or existing home between November 7, 2009 and April 30, 2010.
We’ve got 5 ways you can promote this to prospective buyers:
1. Blog about it. Have you worked with first time homebuyers who have a particularly touching story about how they finally achieved the American dream of homeownership because of the tax credit? Tell their story on your blog to inspire other prospective homebuyers.
2. Make the call. Go back to past customers who bought with you in the past eight years. Let them know that now is the time to take advantage of low prices and a $6,500 tax credit.
3. Produce a flier. Design an informational flier that explains who qualifies for the tax credit and the benefits. Give prospective homebuyers suggestions for spending their tax credit on home remodeling, upgrading appliances and decorating--or paying down their mortgage! Add your name, company and contact info as well as your logo and tack the fliers onto community bulletin boards at places such as Panera Bread, Einstein Bagel and Starbucks.
4. Join the Army. The new legislation includes benefits for Armed Services members as well as intelligence service and foreign-service personnel— those who are on active duty and out of the United States for 90 days during any part of 2009 get an additional year to buy their homes, to May 1, 20ll.
In addition, they don’t have to repay the credit if they have to sell their home after fewer than three years occupancy due to official business. Highlight this information and reach out to those in the armed services.
5. Sponsor a homebuyer seminar. Hold an informational seminar for homebuyers about how to qualify and apply for the tax credit. Hand out an info packet with your current listings, details about the tax credit and more.
For information from the National Association of Realtors about who qualifies click here.
We’ve got 5 ways you can promote this to prospective buyers:
1. Blog about it. Have you worked with first time homebuyers who have a particularly touching story about how they finally achieved the American dream of homeownership because of the tax credit? Tell their story on your blog to inspire other prospective homebuyers.
2. Make the call. Go back to past customers who bought with you in the past eight years. Let them know that now is the time to take advantage of low prices and a $6,500 tax credit.
3. Produce a flier. Design an informational flier that explains who qualifies for the tax credit and the benefits. Give prospective homebuyers suggestions for spending their tax credit on home remodeling, upgrading appliances and decorating--or paying down their mortgage! Add your name, company and contact info as well as your logo and tack the fliers onto community bulletin boards at places such as Panera Bread, Einstein Bagel and Starbucks.
4. Join the Army. The new legislation includes benefits for Armed Services members as well as intelligence service and foreign-service personnel— those who are on active duty and out of the United States for 90 days during any part of 2009 get an additional year to buy their homes, to May 1, 20ll.
In addition, they don’t have to repay the credit if they have to sell their home after fewer than three years occupancy due to official business. Highlight this information and reach out to those in the armed services.
5. Sponsor a homebuyer seminar. Hold an informational seminar for homebuyers about how to qualify and apply for the tax credit. Hand out an info packet with your current listings, details about the tax credit and more.
For information from the National Association of Realtors about who qualifies click here.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Do you really think I’m visiting your Facebook profile to look for homes? Really!?!
Posted By NikNik on November 11, 2009: http://www.mytechopinion.com/2009/11/do-you-really-think-im-visiting-your-facebook-profile-to-look-for-homes-really.html
Saturday night brings with it one of my most favorite TV segments…“Really!?! with Seth & Amy”. In this SNL skit, Amy Poehler and Seth Meyers share their snarky take on current affairs. So in the spirit of “Really!?”…I’m going to shed some light on “Real Estate Listings Inside Facebook”!
Let’s start with obvious failures inside Facebook…at the moment!
MyRealEstateListings (there are 2 of them, as well as a few more similarly named cohorts) but they essentially all do the same thing- create a “MyRealEstate” or “MyListings” tab on your profile. You can then click on the tab (when was the last time you clicked on a tab) to view a lack luster interface of your manually entered listings from which you can then decide to click further to obtain details, which lands you on a third party site outside of Facebook. Click for more details, really!?!
My Listings, or Realtor Listing Application, displays your listings on a tab or box on the side of your profile. But again when you click to learn more you are taken to a third party site away from Facebook. Third party site. Really!?!
CenterStage for Real Estate, a failed, failed attempt to charge you $8 for displaying listings inside Facebook. Don’t even get me started! $8, really!?!
Oodle Pro aims to solve the listings inside Facebook issue. The tool can distribute listings to online communities like Facebook Marketplace & MySpace Classifieds. I’m sorry, when was the last time you were on MySpace. Really!?! Oodle Pro can upload your listings to your Profile and Fan Page, yet they recommend to keep personal and professional identities separate from one another. Listings on both, or is it one or the other, really!?! And Oodle Pro will run you $15 a month! Really!?!
I will throw them a small “woot” for displaying links back to social profiles from wherever your listings get posted online. And I do see great value in listing syndication to numerous online marketplaces and listing aggregators…don’t get me wrong! But the Facebook MarketPlace is not where I’ll be turning to search for my dream home. Really!?! I’ll turn to a reputable source…like the agent, broker, or one of the major real estate portals.
Apparently, the best options…
Posting your listings as status updates on a Fan Page dedicated to your local market, where locals can choose to participate seems like the best choice to me! This strategy is non-invasive, opt-in, and informative. It can even be more friendly and creative since you can add your own take via text in the status bar along with a link to the listing…preferably one that takes you back to the agent/broker blog or site. Check out the example from Heather Elias.Now if you don’t host listings on your own domain, the next best option is creating a single property site or posting to Vflyer or Postlets. Once you’ve created a detailed packed site with all the trimmings (local info, pictures, video, etc) you can post the URL to your Fan Page Wall and include a brief message. Some services include an autopost to Facebook feature.
SeeMyListings from Realtor.com is a widget that can be added to your Facebook profile and displays your listings. To view more details you are derailed to a 3rd party site, but it is a more reputable site (at least in the eyes of consumers) and also displays listings in a much more user friendly manner. See the example I grabbed from Mariana Wagner’s profile on the left.
Now if you are looking for a more organic way to share listings inside Facebook, I would recommend using photo albums. You can create photo albums of active and sold listings. I have to say, The Rains Team, does a great job of sharing listings via photos on their fan page. But don’t forget to include a few details about the home, and important contact info. I also came across Lesley Lambert’s photo of a recent listing via Posterous inside Facebook. She emailed the photo from her phone which was posted to her Posterous site as well as her Posterous photo album inside Facebook.
Last but not least, if you like to have stuff that no one else has you can create a custom tab for your listings with FBML (Facebook Markup Language). You could brand the landing page with links to your blog or listing sites. Check out the Los Gatos Real Estate & Homes Fan Page via Mary Pope Handy. She includes a great deal of area info, market reports and listings with links to her blog. But again, I worry that tabs get looked over. Nonetheless, I know where to look for Los Gatos housing info inside Facebook.
My opinions on all this…really!?!
Personally, if and when I’m ready to move again I wouldn’t go to Facebook to look for listings. I’d go to a resource that rocks…like the agent or broker Website or a national aggregator. I go to Facebook to make connections and build relationships….to chat and find out what’s new in the lives of my friends, family, colleagues and clients! Search listings, really!?!
But if you’re goal is to show everyone the listings you’re currently managing, then go ahead and share them at Facebook too. But consider posting them to a Fan Page dedicated to your market area with links back to you, your site, or your company…not third party sites. Third party sites, really!?!
Don’t fail at implementation! If you post photos about the listing on Facebook don’t forget critical contact info or brief details. No contact info, really!?!
So, what’s your opinion…
- Do you think listings should be posted inside Facebook?
- If so, what’s the best way?
- Where do you post listings ? Profile and/or fan page?
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
7 Steps for Success
Posted by LORE Magazine: www.loremagazine.com/7-steps-for-success
Is success achieved by trading your family for money? Is success achieved by trading your health for dollars? True and lasting success is accomplished by creating balance in all areas of life and adding wealth to all these accounts on a daily basis. Success is living today with all the zeal, gusto, and zest that you can pack into a 24-hour period of life we have today. Success is clearly not a destination but a daily journey we undertake every day.
Here are seven steps toward success from Dirk Zeller of Real Estate Champions. Use this as a basis for your 2010 business and marketing plan:
Step No. 1. You must first decide what you want. The truth is we can have anything we desire in life. If your vision is clear, you are assured that you will get there. The problem is we do not have a clear vision and set enough goals. We do not take the time to create the vision.
Step No. 2: Your goals must be written. Success begins when you grab the pen and paper (or your computer) and craft your ideal life. Successful people think on paper before they act. You must take the time to write your success plan and your goals down on paper.
Step No. 3: Create a time frame for your goal or vision. Set a target for when you'll accomplish it. You have to get your mind in motion to achieve it by a certain time. Without a timeline, you have no goal, you only have a wish. Wishes will only cause frustration.
Step No. 4: Create a list of the series of activities you must do for you to achieve your vision or your goal. As your motivation increases, the better you can clearly write out this series of activities. People will often not take the time to create the list. Planning a vision or goal completely through to create small bite size pieces makes it easier to digest. Successful people evaluate the situation and elicit help and create a plan to lighten the load on all. They then have everyone dive in and begin accomplishing things in bite size pieces.
Step No. 5: Re-check the series of activities to insure they are in the proper order. Organize this into a comprehensive step-by-step plan to achieve the vision or the goal. You need to start with the important and move to the least important. Do not delay, begin the most important item today. Do not move on to another item till you complete the most important item first. There is an order to all activities and tasks. Spend the time planning to create it.
Step No. 6: Don't allow procrastination to set in. The key is to start the momentum today. A primary law of physics is a body in motion will tend to stay in motion. Do not delay getting your body in motion.
Step No. 7: Keep the body in motion daily. Don't neglect to do something daily that moves you closer to your vision or your goal. Constantly ask yourself is this activity I am doing now moving me closer to or further away from my goal?
Once you're moving forward, your vision or goal can stay in motion with a smaller amount of effort. If you apply these seven steps to your real estate business, you can accomplish any amount of sales you choose to do. The truth in life is you are the one who does the choosing. The market, competition, and interest rates do not effect your choice or outcome. You are the one that does the choosing, so choose wisely.
Here are seven steps toward success from Dirk Zeller of Real Estate Champions. Use this as a basis for your 2010 business and marketing plan:
Step No. 1. You must first decide what you want. The truth is we can have anything we desire in life. If your vision is clear, you are assured that you will get there. The problem is we do not have a clear vision and set enough goals. We do not take the time to create the vision.
Step No. 2: Your goals must be written. Success begins when you grab the pen and paper (or your computer) and craft your ideal life. Successful people think on paper before they act. You must take the time to write your success plan and your goals down on paper.
Step No. 3: Create a time frame for your goal or vision. Set a target for when you'll accomplish it. You have to get your mind in motion to achieve it by a certain time. Without a timeline, you have no goal, you only have a wish. Wishes will only cause frustration.
Step No. 4: Create a list of the series of activities you must do for you to achieve your vision or your goal. As your motivation increases, the better you can clearly write out this series of activities. People will often not take the time to create the list. Planning a vision or goal completely through to create small bite size pieces makes it easier to digest. Successful people evaluate the situation and elicit help and create a plan to lighten the load on all. They then have everyone dive in and begin accomplishing things in bite size pieces.
Step No. 5: Re-check the series of activities to insure they are in the proper order. Organize this into a comprehensive step-by-step plan to achieve the vision or the goal. You need to start with the important and move to the least important. Do not delay, begin the most important item today. Do not move on to another item till you complete the most important item first. There is an order to all activities and tasks. Spend the time planning to create it.
Step No. 6: Don't allow procrastination to set in. The key is to start the momentum today. A primary law of physics is a body in motion will tend to stay in motion. Do not delay getting your body in motion.
Step No. 7: Keep the body in motion daily. Don't neglect to do something daily that moves you closer to your vision or your goal. Constantly ask yourself is this activity I am doing now moving me closer to or further away from my goal?
Once you're moving forward, your vision or goal can stay in motion with a smaller amount of effort. If you apply these seven steps to your real estate business, you can accomplish any amount of sales you choose to do. The truth in life is you are the one who does the choosing. The market, competition, and interest rates do not effect your choice or outcome. You are the one that does the choosing, so choose wisely.
Monday, November 9, 2009
House passes homebuyer tax credit extension, expansion.
by Ben Martin, blogmaster emeritus (VARBUZZ.com) on November 5, 2009
The Unemployment Insurance bill including the homebuyer tax credit extension and expansion has passed the House by a vote of 403-12 after passing the Senate last night 98-0. The new provisions take effect as soon as President Obama signs the bill, which we expect will be before the weekend. Right click this link and select “Save target as…” to download a chart explaining the difference between this credit and the one set to expire on November 30.
The bill would extend the present $8,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers through April 30, 2010. Current homeowners are eligible for a $6,500 tax credit through April 30, provided they have lived in the home they are selling, or have sold, as principal residence for five consecutive years in the past eight years. If potential home buyers have a binding contract on or before April 30, they will have until July 1 to close the transaction.
Income limits for eligible home buyers are expanded to $125,000 for single buyers and $225,000 for couples. The purchase price of the home cannot exceed $800,000. To help guard against fraud, buyers are required to attach documentation of purchase to their tax return.
Here’s a Q&A from NAR about the new credit:
Q. Existing homeowner credit: Must the new house cost more than the old house?
A. No. Thus, for example, individuals who move from a high cost area to a lower cost area who meet all eligibility requirements will qualify for the $6500 credit.
Q. I am an existing homeowner. On October 25, 2009, I signed a contract to purchase a new home. I have lived in my current home for more than 5 consecutive years and am within the new income limits. I will go to settlement on November 20. If President Obama has signed the bill by the time I go to settlement, will I qualify for the new $6500 tax credit?
A. Yes. The existing homeowner credit goes into effect for purchases after the date of enactment (when the bill is signed). There is no reference to the date of contract for the new credit. The provision looks solely to the date of purchase, which is generally the date of settlement.
Q. I am a first-time homebuyer but was not within the prior income limits at the time I entered into my contract to purchase on October 30, 2009. I will be covered, however, by the new income limits. If the new rules have been signed into law by the time I go to settlement, will I be eligible for a credit?
A. Yes. The new income limitations go into effect as soon as the President has signed the bill. The income limit and other eligibility rules will look to your status as of the date of purchase, which is the settlement date. So if the new rules have been signed when you go to settlement, you should be eligible for the credit (or a portion of the credit if you’re within the phase-out range).
Q. I am an eligible existing homeowner. I have a fair amount of equity in my home. I have found a home with a non-negotiable price of $825,000. Will I be able to use any of the $6500 tax credit?
A. No. The $800,000 cap on the cost of the purchased home is firm at $800,000. Any amount above $800,000 makes the home ineligible for any portion of the credit. The $800,000 is an absolute ceiling.
Q. I owned my home for 10 years, but sold it two years ago year and have been renting since. If I purchase a home, will I be eligible for the $6500 tax credit if I meet all the other eligibility tests?
A. Yes. Because you lived in the home for more than 5 consecutive years of the previous 8, you will qualify for the $6500 credit. For example, Say John and his wife bought a home in 2000 and lived there until 2008 when he got a divorce. Whether John has been renting or bought in the interim, he WOULD INDEED be eligible for the credit because he owned a home and occupied it as his principal residence for 5 consecutive years out of the last 8 years. The keyword here is "consecutive." As long as he lived in that house for 5 years straight, what he did since 3 years doesn’t impact eligibility.
Q. I am an eligible first-time homebuyer. I entered into a contract to purchase on November 1, 2009. Do I have to go to closing before December 1? How does the extension date affect me?
A. You do not have to close before December 1. Once the legislation has been signed, it will be as if the Nov 30 date had never existed. Therefore, so long as the contract settles before April 30 (or July 1, worst case), the purchaser will be eligible for the credit.
The bill would extend the present $8,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers through April 30, 2010. Current homeowners are eligible for a $6,500 tax credit through April 30, provided they have lived in the home they are selling, or have sold, as principal residence for five consecutive years in the past eight years. If potential home buyers have a binding contract on or before April 30, they will have until July 1 to close the transaction.
Income limits for eligible home buyers are expanded to $125,000 for single buyers and $225,000 for couples. The purchase price of the home cannot exceed $800,000. To help guard against fraud, buyers are required to attach documentation of purchase to their tax return.
Here’s a Q&A from NAR about the new credit:
Q. Existing homeowner credit: Must the new house cost more than the old house?
A. No. Thus, for example, individuals who move from a high cost area to a lower cost area who meet all eligibility requirements will qualify for the $6500 credit.
Q. I am an existing homeowner. On October 25, 2009, I signed a contract to purchase a new home. I have lived in my current home for more than 5 consecutive years and am within the new income limits. I will go to settlement on November 20. If President Obama has signed the bill by the time I go to settlement, will I qualify for the new $6500 tax credit?
A. Yes. The existing homeowner credit goes into effect for purchases after the date of enactment (when the bill is signed). There is no reference to the date of contract for the new credit. The provision looks solely to the date of purchase, which is generally the date of settlement.
Q. I am a first-time homebuyer but was not within the prior income limits at the time I entered into my contract to purchase on October 30, 2009. I will be covered, however, by the new income limits. If the new rules have been signed into law by the time I go to settlement, will I be eligible for a credit?
A. Yes. The new income limitations go into effect as soon as the President has signed the bill. The income limit and other eligibility rules will look to your status as of the date of purchase, which is the settlement date. So if the new rules have been signed when you go to settlement, you should be eligible for the credit (or a portion of the credit if you’re within the phase-out range).
Q. I am an eligible existing homeowner. I have a fair amount of equity in my home. I have found a home with a non-negotiable price of $825,000. Will I be able to use any of the $6500 tax credit?
A. No. The $800,000 cap on the cost of the purchased home is firm at $800,000. Any amount above $800,000 makes the home ineligible for any portion of the credit. The $800,000 is an absolute ceiling.
Q. I owned my home for 10 years, but sold it two years ago year and have been renting since. If I purchase a home, will I be eligible for the $6500 tax credit if I meet all the other eligibility tests?
A. Yes. Because you lived in the home for more than 5 consecutive years of the previous 8, you will qualify for the $6500 credit. For example, Say John and his wife bought a home in 2000 and lived there until 2008 when he got a divorce. Whether John has been renting or bought in the interim, he WOULD INDEED be eligible for the credit because he owned a home and occupied it as his principal residence for 5 consecutive years out of the last 8 years. The keyword here is "consecutive." As long as he lived in that house for 5 years straight, what he did since 3 years doesn’t impact eligibility.
Q. I am an eligible first-time homebuyer. I entered into a contract to purchase on November 1, 2009. Do I have to go to closing before December 1? How does the extension date affect me?
A. You do not have to close before December 1. Once the legislation has been signed, it will be as if the Nov 30 date had never existed. Therefore, so long as the contract settles before April 30 (or July 1, worst case), the purchaser will be eligible for the credit.
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