Expanding your current search engine marketing strategy to include local search optimization can offer a great return on investment — especially for those in the real estate industry. The bulk of search engine queries are local in scope to include the name of the neighborhood, ZIP code, city, county, and, in some cases just a state, i.e. "wedding photographer miami" or "hagerstown REALTOR®".
The competition is fierce for most large cities and metropolitan areas — particularly in the real estate industry — but targeting a specific subdivision or ZIP code may still yield the results you want with little investment on your part. However, a harder road does not mean you shouldn't give the larger areas a try ;)
Some search engines are able to identify a site's host location on their own (which may or may not be a good thing for the local business Web site) and other engines require location information from the site. The key is to help the search engine's find you and relate your Web site and services to a desired market and geographic location.
As many of you know, this is a crucial marketing task for real estate agents who wish to bolster their Internet lead generation.
Anyone can go to the bookstore and purchase one of the many books about search engine optimization (SEO), but the topic of localization and geo-targeting is not approached by most.
So, to pay homage to "local search", I have provided 15 tips to consider when "geo-targeting"
For many years, open houses were looked at as a necessary part of marketing a home. But are open houses quickly becoming a thing of the past?
Maybe not quite yet — like any product or service that is on the decline, open houses will likely be around for a while, even if it is just to appease home owners. For some reason, agents believe that they must show home owners that they are trying to sell their home, and do so with perhaps the most ineffective marketing tool in the agent arsenal.
But who really benefits from the open house?
The seller?
Seller’s may believe that open houses are a necessity because it is tangible to them. But what most sellers don’t realize is that the agent is the one with the most to gain, as they use open houses to find buyers to work with.
Usually, the seller will leave the house excited about the possibility of finding a buyer in the 2-3 hours that they will be gone, only to come home and find that few, if any, people came to view the home. Ultimately, disappointment sets in, and eventually frustration.
The agent?
There was a time when open houses were successful. During a seller’s market, it is possible to have a number of buyers visit the home in their attempt to be the one that gets the house.
Buyers in the current market no longer have that mindset. Most of them are perfectly happy to continue to see as much available inventory as possible. Without a sense of urgency, the agent
REALTOR® magazine, in cooperation with Remodeling magazine, is surveying real estate practitioners for the 2008 Cost vs. Value report. Tell us about the returns that sellers in your market can expect from home remodeling projects, and you'll be entered to win one of four $500 prizes.
The annual Cost vs. Value report surveys sales agents, brokers, and appraisers each year to discover construction costs and resale values on remodeling projects in markets across the country. View the 2007 Cost vs. Value report.
As many of you who read the YPN blog know, many of us are on Facebook too. Facebook, which was once a trend among college students, has wriggled its way into our lives as a resource for young professionals to use as a marketing and social connection tool.
Facebook is in our faces and it’s a great instrument to have in a business based on who you know and the connections we create.
Let me take a moment to say thank you to those of you who have accepted and sent me friend requests on Facebook. I welcome many more so please keep them coming!
I am thanking you because with your connections I have the opportunity to learn about what is taking place in many towns and states across the country, which is becoming a valuable tool when I sit with my clients here in Rhode Island and they ask about the national real estate market.
But while making connections on a social networking site is always beneficial, there is a courteous and respectful way to do so. For example: Brooke Wolford, a newer rising star agent with Edina Realty in Minneapolis, and I recently connected. Brooke and I have exchanged a few messages and she has given me insight into the market in Minneapolis.
Brooke took the correct course when Facebook friending me. She simply sent a request and on her profile noted what she does, who she works for, and then she responded to my message and introduced herself.
Here are a few Facebooking tips that I find even I need to be more proactive in following:
1. When sending a friend request there is a little box to send a personal message, send one saying who you are and why you are sending the request.
2. Once you have a new friend don’t inundate them with products or service information. A friend acceptance does not mean that their e-mail should be used without permission. This is
I recently attended training delivered by Negotiation Expertise, LLC to receive the CNE (Certified Negotiation Expert) designation. The training was very practical considering that negotiation skills are foundational for all phases of a real estate transaction.
Below are the top six negotiation tips I gleaned from the training:
1. “I am in charge of the process. You are in charge of the decisions.” Our job is to guide our clients with information, not make decisions for them. We need to proceed with the blessing of the boss! As professionals though, we must drive the overall process.
2. It’s not about the money! When objections arise in a negotiation, deal with issues one at a time and isolate each one. Start with the minor ones first. Buying or selling real estate can be very emotional, and often you’ll find that other issues are more important than money.
3. When a consumer does not understand the value of a product or service, they resort to cheap. Differentiate yourself and the services you provide. It is easy for consumers to
As a real estate professional in the current market you are bound to run into your share of expired listings. Whether it is your listing that has expired, or a competitors, here are four major areas to address with the seller to get the listing back and get it sold.
1. Strong communication. Teamwork and communication between the seller and agent is key to know how to alter a marketing plan for success. Inattention to a listing can be a factor, but rarely is it the core issue. Make sure you let your sellers know that you want any feedback they can provide and that you will offer the same to them. The seller is the key source for information regarding changes in the neighborhood and property condition that affect the property’s salability. The more you work together, the faster a sale will be closed.
2. Price is right. This is the obvious and most common culprit for the lack of a sale. An incorrectly priced home attracts the wrong buyers or worse, none at all. When working with a previously expired listing be sure to prepare an up-to-date competitive market analysis, the market conditions have probably changed since it was initially listed. Activity without offers often indicates overpricing. Remember, any home, no matter what the condition is, will sell for the right price.
3. Good condition. A home that is in like-new condition sells faster and gets the best price because it outshines the competition. Make sure your sellers fix all the little squeaks and drips, paint neutral colors where needed, and brighten up and concentrate on outside curb appeal. I
The first step to developing a solid marketing strategy and business model is to identify your target market or niche. Many real estate professionals, especially those new to the profession, target all consumers — perhaps only limiting their efforts to a specific geographic area.
However, geo-targeting is not enough. As the old marketing saying goes, “If you target everyone, you won’t reach ANYONE.” And you’re mistaken if you think focusing on a specific group within the entire market will mean you’ll be missing out on all of that extra business.
Consider your own purchasing decisions as a consumer. Do you seek out professionals who have a particular expertise? Market saturation, especially the online market, demands that service professionals become specialists.
A niche is important because it:
Defines you as an expert.
Acts as a competition “buffer.”
Laser-focuses your marketing messages, thereby making them far more effective.
Assures your target audience that you are the right one for the job.
Assists you in selecting keywords for your blog or Web site.
Makes market research easier.
Roadmap to a Niche
To identify your niche, do the following:
1. Consider your interests and strengths — and the market. Who is underserved or not served at all? If you are targeting senior golf enthusiasts, not only should you have an indepth
Just imagine a closing gift that can help your clients save money on their utility bills and make them more comfortable in their new home. This latest video from REALTOR® Magazine Online shows how Virginia real estate practitioner Candace Lightner used an energy audit as a memorable closing gift to her clients. Watch an energy audit in action and see how you can add more green to your business.
Some — many, actually — will tell you that real estate is about three basic principles: location, location, and location.
Of course it would be silly to dispute it. Right?
Question: What if the three sacred laws of real estate also pertained to a nonphysical or virtual space?
Instead of thinking of real estate as just a place on a map, or an intersection you may know, imagine that “location” also refers to real estate or Internet placement on a proven high-volume Web site. The place where the vast majority of all people looking for a home go to find their information.
Get it? It’s about placement, placement, placement!
In fact, research shows that 82 percent of people who are going to buy a home this year will do most of their search online, and 86 percent of those online searchers will go to Realtor.com.
So, here is my bold, young, arrogant statement: Physical location is important, but unless you have superior online placement, it doesn’t matter.
I’ll go even further: Internet placement of a home on the market is the single most important
“The nightmare, coughing, achy, sniffling, stuffy head, fever, so you can rest medicine.”
Sound familiar? That is the unique selling proposition of Nyquil, the popular nighttime cold medicine. A unique selling proposition (or USP) is a short and concise statement that identifies a specific benefit to consumers that differentiates you from your competition.
Just like most markets, the real estate market is saturated. Competition is fierce and the only way to grab a piece of the pie is to differentiate your services, thereby creating a competitive buffer.
To effectively develop your USP, you must first perform an indepth analysis of your service’s unique benefits, not features, and compare those benefits to those of your competitor’s.
Why It Pays to Be Unique
When identifying your USP, consider the following qualifiers:
A unique selling proposition states a specific benefit, not a feature, of your services. For example, a feature such as a 20-point marketing plan may translate to the
Advertising executive, religious writer, copy writer and United States Congressman Bruce Barton once said:
"When you are through changing, you are through."
Could anything be truer for real estate?
Many of us are in “changing markets” or “soft markets” and are wondering how to make it through these tough times and still generate leads. For many, that means finding low-cost or no-cost marketing ideas.
Here are a few simple suggestions to cut down on your marketing expenses and still steady yourself in times of change:
1. Evaluate what you are already doing.
What’s working? What isn’t? What is generating business and actually bringing in leads that get you to the closing table? Look back at your past marketing and plan your 2008 marketing accordingly. And from now on, keep detailed records of the effectiveness of each piece.
2. Get writing!
Blogs are big! Of course you know that — since you’re reading one right now! The best part is, they can also be FREE. Chances are you’ve thought about starting one. Starting a blog is a great way to reach out to your clients (and gain potential clients). Then you have to promote it.
Put the link everywhere — business cards, flyers, your Web site(s), and signage. What you
What works for you in this market? Is it your advertising? Do you use print advertising, or do you advertise online? Or maybe it's your brilliant marketing or referrals?
To find out, I talked to someone who knows what works — my broker, Rudy Soltesz, with Pro-formance Realty Concepts, who was once a top producing agent.
Here’s some of his advice for making it in any type of market:
1. Expand your reach. His biggest source of business came from using door hangers and newsletters and calling FSBO’s (For Sale By Owners) and expired listings. Another way to drum up more listings: Contact out-of-state owners by phone, e-mail, or snail mail.
2. Be consistent. No matter what you choose to do, it’s all about the message you send out and the consistency you use it. Don’t try to save a few bucks by scaling back your marketing and advertising. Realize, your message takes time to reach your audience, and if you stop your advertising and marketing, it’s going to take time for it to get going again. So make your message specific and consistent.
3. Tailor your message. For example, I speak English and Spanish so I decided to make one of my target audiences the Spanish speaking community. I have already started my marketing in English and Spanish so that I do not miss out on the opportunity to make new clients I might otherwise miss.
With a plethora of homes on the market at low prices, it’s an ideal time for you to advertise and
Get connected with young real estate professionals from across the country. Our YPN bloggers give you the latest buzz on technology, marketing, prospecting, YPN news, and more. Read more >
Expanding your current search engine marketing strategy to include local search optimization can offer a great return on investment — especially for those in the real estate industry. The bulk of search engine queries are local in scope to include the name of the neighborhood, ZIP code, city, county, and, in some cases just a state, i.e. "wedding photographer miami" or "hagerstown REALTOR®". 
For many years, open houses were looked at as a necessary part of marketing a home. But are open houses quickly becoming a thing of the past? 
As many of you who read the YPN blog know, many of us are on Facebook too. Facebook, which was once a trend among college students, has wriggled its way into our lives as a resource for young professionals to use as a marketing and social connection tool. 
I recently attended training delivered by Negotiation Expertise, LLC to receive the 
As a real estate professional in the current market you are bound to run into your share of expired listings. Whether it is your listing that has expired, or a competitors, here are four major areas to address with the seller to get the listing back and get it sold.
The first step to developing a solid marketing strategy and business model is to identify your target market or niche. Many real estate professionals, especially those new to the profession, target all consumers — perhaps only limiting their efforts to a specific geographic area. 
Some — many, actually — will tell you that real estate is about three basic principles: location, location, and location. 
Advertising executive, religious writer, copy writer and United States Congressman Bruce Barton once said:
What works for you in this market? Is it your advertising? Do you use print advertising, or do you advertise online? Or maybe it's your brilliant marketing or referrals? 
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