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Blogging with Activerain

Why use ActiveRain as your Blog?

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ActiveRain currently has a membership of over 160,000 RE Industry members averaging 200 new members daily.  There are more than 1.3 million articles posted, with an average of 10,000 new posts monthly.  Two million+ visitors traffic the ActiveRain network each month, over 80% are consumers.  Only Rainmaker upgraded accounts receive Google traffic to their blogs and posts.  ActiveRain Members blog posts receive more than 500 views on average.  Activerain provides a wide of variety of tools, services, and solutions to the Real Estate community and to the consumer.

So you think this might be a good resource for your business?

• Think about building your realtor base nationwide
• AR is a cost effective way of starting a blog
• Access to Localism  you can sponsor your community ( if it is available )

Here is the link to an ebook that will guide you through ActiveRain

 

Blogging on Trulia

Trulia Blogs

One way to set up a blog is on a site such as Trulia. Trulia is similar to other MLS aggregators that put together the property listings for the public ot search. You can start your blog once you set up your account on Trulia. Here is a short video on seting up your blog.

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Trulia has other features like trulia voices where consumers can  ask questions about real estate and realtors who have signed up for trulia voices can answer these questions. Just another  way to make contact with the consumer !

 

How to Start your own Blog

Keep it Simple

These days its very easy to start your own blog. There are many platforms like Wordpress or  Blogger, where you can go in pick a template & start designing your own blog. Or you can hire a company that will design your blog using one of those platforms. It’s all a matter of time & money!

I think the simpler the blog the better, what really counts is the information you share. The information you share is called your content .

Here are some tips on developing content for your blog

1. First ask yourself who is your audience, are they buyers & sellers of real estate or another sector of the market?  You will be writing for them so you will need to put yourself in their place and figure out what is important to them.
2. Read other blogs in your industry & see what others are blogging about.
3. Your writing does not have to be perfect it should be as if you were having a conversation.
4. Write about your property listings or someone elses!
5. Write about events in your community

Offer help, be consistent, add value. This is what you do anyway. Now you are doing it online for the world to see !

The Mind is a Powerful Tool

From Dianna Kokoszka’s Journal

Dianna Kokoszka is the president of MAPS Coaching for Keller Williams Realty. I was at a BOLD training and came across this statement from Dianna.

• When you want it means you lack. The brain hears you want & helps keep you in the wanting.
• Want = lack
• When you want money the brain says give them what they ask for-They ask for wanting money so keep them wanting money.
• Want control – never get it.
• Wanting control means you are lacking control & you’ll always lack.
• We cannot stand up & sit down at the same time
• You cannot want & have at the same time. 
• Release the want & you’ll receive it.

We must change the way we speak to ourselves in order to change our circumstances. This is the start of changing our limiting beliefs.

Are You Using Social Media ?

If Not You May Be Missing the Boat …

Here are things I hear from some agents regarding technology & social media.

• I don’t have time
• I don’t know how
• I don’t know what to say
• I like the old way better

What I have to say

• Take the time to open your mind
• Learn how
• This is marketing
• If you don’t incorporate technology you will become extinct

If you are not convinced watch this video for starters

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Realtors check out Google Voice!

One Number Rings all your lines !

I have been using Google Voice, formerly Grand Central for quite some time. I got a number when it was still Grand Central. I am sure you would agree that in the Real Estate business your phone is your everything! Customers have your number, your office has your number, vendors have your number, its on your cards and website. As realtors, you need to be accessible & responsive by email & phone.

Well, Google Voice makes that very easy. You need be invited to join & then you can choose practically any area code you want, from local or faraway destinations. You set it to ring your work phone, your cell phone & your home phone or whichever numbers you want to ring. You then can screen your calls, listen in and then decide to pick up or send directly to voice mail. Google Voice also transcribes the voice mail into text and it emails it to you !

SMS and Miscellaneous features

When people SMS your Google Voice number, the message will go directly to one or more (however many you have set up) mobile phones. You can respond to those SMSs directly from the phone, and that response will appear to come from your Google Voice number. You can also send and receive SMSs right from the Google Voice Web interface, so that you don’t have to take out your phone every time you want to text your friend to ask why he’s late picking you up—assuming you’re in front of a computer already, that is. Google Voice lets you archive your SMS logs too so that you can reach them anytime from the website.

Stay tuned for more information on how to use Google Voice in my future posts.

My Google Voice # is 954-892-6199.

Give me a call!

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Inman’s Real Estate Connect 2009 – The Future of Real Estate

This year focused a great deal on Social Media & Video, but more than that there was a constant reminder that we must be “for” the consumer, that we must be a facilitator not a salesperson. What a concept to be “for” the consumer I wondered how we ever could be anything but on their side, then I recalled my experience as a consumer before I got my license,  then again getting into the real estate business. My experience  of real estate agents was less than stellar. Read the rest of this entry »

Real Estate Agents Tips for Working with Buyers

Rather than racing blindly after as many buyers you can come in contact with, wouldn’t it be valuable to know what the expectations and behavior of today’s buyer are ? This series of tips will focus on the buyer’s expectations, wants and needs; and the strategies and the tactics for you to use to secure more buyer closings. Read the rest of this entry »

Real Estate Agents Investing in your Business

How Much are you Going to Invest in your Business this Year?  

Your first consideration is “How much did you invest in your real estate business last year and what was your ROI?  Secondly, what were the dollars that produced “results”!  Start making a list of your activities, dollars spent and what were the results!

Here is your measuring stick and rules:

* You must constantly be measuring because you can’t manage what you don’t measure.
* Look at your past expenses and determine if you received a favorable return on the investments in your business.
* Simply focus dollars in the areas that generate a result.
* A rule of thumb for marketing dollars:  You should invest a minimum of 15% of your gross income (dollars before commission split and or fees to your broker) in marketing dollars.

If you would like some assistance in creating a budget, give me a call! Let’s make it work!

Real Estate Salesperson’s Statistics

It Can Be So Simple to be Successful in

The Real Estate Business!

• 48% OF SALES PEOPLE NEVER FOLLOW UP WITH A PROSPECT
• 25% OF SALES PEOPLE MAKE A SECOND CONTACT AND STOP
• 12% OF SALES PEOPLE ONLY MAKE THREE CONTACTS AND STOP

Read the rest of this entry »