Real Estate Marketing Blog

Real Estate Video

VIdeo on your website is another way to offer your message thru a fresh modality.

Some might think of this as the new generation of TV. And certainly there are many video indexing and storage directories attempting to organize all this new web programming.

Now, I have always attempted offer an interpretive translation to all this techno gadgetery such that it has some sort of value to my clients bottom line. Thus, the question that begs to be asked is, "just because we can use a new gadget, should we"?

In the fledgling days of the internet, designers were enamored by flashing buttons and anything that seemed like it was animated. We all remember over designed animated gifs generously sprinkled all over websites.

Of course, in most cases, it was a giant distraction from the sites purpose.

-->With a website, for best results we should have a Call to Action, and perhaps your Unique Selling Proposition.<--

It is my belief that the Most Wanted Action for a Realtor Website is that the visitor sign up and register to see your MLS listings. Now the relationship building begins!

Everything that encourages them to register is good. Everything that distracts from them registering is bad. (From a direct Response perspective anyway)

Using this methodology, then we shoud put the use of online video under scrutiny . What purpose does a video or virtual tour serve you on a website?

The question I believe that should be asked about every tool on the net is, "how does this tool lead to a buck?"

• My website- How does that lead to profit?
• My Blog- How does that lead to profit?
• Podcasting-How Does that Lead to Profit?
• Video Casting-How does that Lead to Profit?
• Email Marketing.......

You get the idea.

It may seem anal. However, by really asking yourself questions that lead your actions to be laser focused, you will be able to act faster and with much effectiveness.

Technology is seductive and can be blinding us from its real power.

Now back to video....

Video can lead dollars to you by:

• making you an Authority thru tutorials like at Realtor.com
• displaying your listings
• rebroadcasting your Real Estate TV Shows
• etc

Again, the issue I have with most Real Estate Blogs, email, and most new broadcast methods, is that the broadcasters are not really using focused marketing. There is no direct response call to action.

As an example, how can you make a blog listing like the one here more direct response?

How about showing the outside and landscaping in the first clip and it automatically redirects to a forced registration page if the visitor wants to see the rest of the inside of the house?

Barbara Simmons has been doing this for years with pictures on her sites. She teases them with a photo from the street. To see up to 20 more pictures of every room in the house, and backyard, they have to register. This is similar to what Premier Realty does in their thumbnails of listings. To see more information about the house you have to sign up.

Lets be smart and use technology to lead our prospects to registering with you. It is only when you have the visitors personal information, that you can then control your message with them. 

Here is a pretty good Video Blogging Tutorial for you do it yourselfers.

I will be teaching these types of strategies and tactics at http://REALESTATEGUERILLA.COM/

We are taking pre-launch applications right now.

On Our Fascination With the Latest Gizmo

My Chicago friends expanded on my recent 2006 predictions. David is hot on Video and I agree.
He mentions the possibilities of email with embedded video adds major impact in your communications.

Again I agree. But I am concerned that with all the gizmos out there that we might take our eyes off the ball". Meaning the real  purpose of all this web stuff.

Certainly I don't think I am being a Capitalist Pig to assume the reason we all  do this is to get a sale. However, I mention in my Ten Commandment Audio that Technology has no value except that which it brings you profit.

In other words, This blog is nothing but a gyration if it does not bring business to "The Juice",  directly, or at least indirectly.  We in the real estate community have always loved the latest greatest. However, I think we all need to catch our breath on all this cool, and make sure it brings cool cash.

My recent posts and this one is not to say it is bad or good. But that it should be measured by the profit it brings you. 360Digest recently posted about another one of the new fangled home search services.

... mentions in the Seattle Times 1/9/06 “when looking for a home, he used Redfin.com.”  He may have seen the listing there, however, records indicate it was listed and sold with Windermere, not Redfin..... But if Windermere was the listing and the sales agent, exactly how did Redfin make any money on this sale? I think the answer was, they didn’t. As this illustrates, just having a fancy website does not guarantee one will make money from it.

This is not to put down Redfin type companies as they are pioneers and part of this Wild West we call internet marketing. All I am saying is that I think we need to make sure we know what all these tools can do, before we jump on the bandwagon. After all, the last time I checked my Company is not getting a Cash infusion (like Redfins $1.25 million from Madronna Venture Group)from some Angel Investor, and I doubt the vast majority of my broker/agent readership is either.

Earth Real Estate

There has been a big push lately where new web companies are building real estate search sites with Satellite Mapping Technologies.

The technology of overhead imagery mixed into search has been a hot topic of late being mentioned in Inman, Search Engine Watch and others. They all illustrate the cool integration of real estate search with overhead Satellite imagery.The RainCity Guide has posted quite a bit on this and has taken me to task on new online search sites like Trulia, PropSmart, and others.

(RainCity does a great job of listing Property Search Sites. Look around, there is a bunch to find.)

What I would like to discuss is the obsession with the overhead imagery. It definitely is cool. But I can tell you that if I was to see my house from overhead I might have never visited the open house that caused me to buy.

I am not saying lets get rid of it. But why are we obsessing over it? Seems like I see a new post or article on this subject almost every week.

Viral Marketing in Real Estate?

I came across this site again. It is an upcoming TV show that is getting a ton of traffic and grass roots interest thru its viral curiosity factor. They are implementing Video with Blogging to tease you to sign up for updates.

Another site that has been a viral succes is the Conversation With God site.

I wonder what kind of viral marketing that you the Realtor could create?

Some ideas pop into mind:

• a discounted commission program set around guessing which buyer will get the free/discounted commission. Use a blog, Video, Podcasts. This has great publicity and Viral Capabilities.
• Same kind of thing above as a charity drive.

To dream up these things you have to get wild and step outside of your traditional mindset. Who would have ever though the Conversations site would make the creator well known on the net. He did thats who!

Who is Your Marketplace?

NAR just posted their survery of 2005 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers. Order it at 800/874-6500 for cheap.

Here are some of the more obvious numbers:

• 9 out of 10 home buyers use a real estate agent in the search process
• 71% of buyers use a yard sign

When asked where they first learned about the home purchased, 24% of buyers identified the Internet, up strongly from 15% in 2004 and only 2% in 1997. Although most buyers use an agent to complete the transaction, 36 first learn about the home they buy from a real estate agent and 15% from yard signs; five other categories were 7% or less.

NAR President Thomas M. Stevens from Vienna, Va., said “Buyers who use the Internet in searching for a home are more likely to use a real estate agent than non-Internet users, and consumers rely on professionals to provide context, negotiate the transaction and help with the paperwork,” said Stevens, senior vice president of NRT Inc.

More info on FSBO's is that 13% of sellers conducted transactions without the assistance of a real estate professional in 2005 (down from 18% in 1997), and 39% of those FSBO transactions were “closely held” between parties who knew each other in advance, up from 32% in 2004.

This is great sales fodder: The median home price for sellers who use an agent is 16.0% higher than a home sold directly by an owner.

“The housing market today contrasts sharply with predictions a decade ago that the Internet would ‘disintermediate’ real estate agents, including speculation that NAR membership would fall in half. In reality, it’s grown dramatically – selling real estate is not like selling a book or buying an airline ticket,” he said. Comment:True but the true bastardization of Realtor data is just now coming to fruition.

Realtor.com was the most popular Internet resource, used by 54% of buyers, followed by multiple listing service (MLS) Web sites, 50%, real estate company sites, 38%, real estate agent Web sites, 31%, and local newspaper sites, 15%; other categories were smaller.

61% of all transactions was with Married couples.
21% of homes from Single women.
9%.of homes from single men.
Unmarried couples were 7% of the sales.

Check this one out: The typical buyer visits 9 homes
They take 8 weeks to buy a home within 12 miles from their previous residence.
The typical seller placed their home on the market for 4 weeks afte rhaving lived there for for six years. They have owned 3 homes previously within 15 miles to their new residence.

In finding a real estate professional, 44% of buyers were referred by a friend, neighbor or relative, 11% used an agent from a previous transaction,
7% found an agent on the Internet,
7% met at an open house and
6% saw contact information on a “for sale” sign.

WOW! that explains all those leads and only a small conversion to sale. I just heard today that 1 in 75 people in California is a Real Estate Agent. That is why there is only 6 sides per agent according to another NAR study. Thus, if you are going to market online, you need to convert and swoon your leads to become loyal.

The most important factor in choosing an agent: 41% of homebuyers said. 24% said knowledge of the neighborhood.

Satisfaction with real estate agents is very high, with 85% of buyers saying they were likely to use the agent again. This smacks in conflict with non NAr studies that rate Real Estate agents at the bottom of most professions. This calls into question the validity of NAR's study.

As far as sellers go: 43% chose agents based on a referral by a friend, neighbor or relative,  28% were previous clients.

57%  again said reputation was the most important factor in selecting an agent

94% of buyers and sellers believe their home purchase is a good financial investment. 66% use the equity from their previous home for a downpayment on a new home.

Why buy in a given location? 68% said it is close to a job or school, 43% said close to family/friends, & 36% said the school district itself.

This report offers many insites into how you can capture business offline and online.

Men and Women Surfing Habits Differ

The Pew Internet & American Life Project's report, "How Women and Men Use the Internet," finds online differences between the women and men.

Male online users increased to 68 percent in 2005.
Women users increased to 66 percent.

Young women, ages 18-29, are more likely to go online than men of the same age group.
86 percent of Young women, ages 18-29, uses the Internet, compared to 80 percent of young males.

The over 65 group has 34 percent of men using the internet, while 21 percent of women are online.

70 percent of White men are more likely to use the Web & 67 percent of white women regularly go net surfing. 

60 percent of black women use the Web, while 50 % of black men go online

The percentage of English-speaking Hispanic women online women has gone to 66 percent. While men are up to 67 percent.

75 percent of married or living-as-married women surf, while 72 percent of married and living-as-married men are online, compared to their single counterpart which is online 62 percent.

Kids equal more online time. 80 percent of parents with kids under 18 use the Web compared to 60 percent of those without children under the age of 18. Clickz has asome good graphs to explain it all.

Reciprocal Link Request & Automation

You can imagine with all the website marketing campaigns that we manage, we get hammered for link requests.

This has got be one of my all time favorites, and a good reason that many people like myself do not take automated requests for reciprocal link trades seriously.

Pre-suspension notice! (Comment: Wow! How personal and inviting)

Please verify that my link http://www.xyz.net (url deleted to protect the guilty) is current on you link http://  (Comment: this is exactly what url the letter gave me)

Our scheduled routine checking has reported that the above mentioned url does not contain our link.

Please Check the url, If it is found missing next time we may suspend your link.

Best regards
admin

I will get right on that Mr. Admin. My website at http://
will not be the same without your link! :-)

I just recently got a threatening letter from someone who said I copied their content and placed it as a blog post. Only problem was he never looked at the post to verify what his automated service told him. He decided to trust the machine instead of his eyes.

I kindly replied I would be glad to delete it or give credit to him if he would just tell me what I said that was his. He wrote back and actually did apologize stating that it was not my post, instead it was the comments that were taken from his material and the commenter had his permission. This could have saved us both some time if he just would have looked first before sending out a threatening letter.

Automation is good but let's not let it replace common sense. This guy trusted automation over himself, and then communicated with me as if I was a machine. That's what can happen when we give up on the best machine we have. The Common Sense between our ears.

Anyone care to share their own silly experiences that you have experienced whilst managing your campaigns?

Advertise Your Blog

I just lowered the entry ad levels for Realty Blogger.com

You can get into all the County and State pages. Or just get a link to your site, blog, and XML/RSS link. We also list two of your posts.  Check it out

These links from our site can add a link not only to the front of your blog, but also it allows the search engine spider to find your XML link. It will also link back to a post page, helping your internal pages get linked. This helps the engines respect your linkages as more natural. Because when you have internal pages linked it helps balance out your internal links away from just your front page.

We also have a reciprocal link feature that will link off a supplementary page on your local city.

Check it out

On Domain Names

When we first go online, often we buy a jillion domain names. I often find my Search Engine Marketing Clients will buy a bunch of names that represent various areas of their marketplace.

Many of them have taken the URL's and have created redirects to their real hosted domain. Some of my clients thought that this might even be useful for a search engine campaign. It isn't. And in fact, if done wrongly could hurt your real URL.

The redirect is created with the hope that someone might type your url into the browser. After managing and running thousands of search campaigns. I can tell you it is pretty much a poor use of a good domain.

A better use, in my experience is to take the domain. Host it on a cheapy host with simple tracking and use it for your off line ads.

This will solve your problem of knowing what is causing your traffic from the offline world. Because your logs in your main URL will now be from your redirect page. And your redirect page show traffic.

You will have to set up your redirect properly so that it does show your clicks. But that is simple programming. Now you can also track your offline ads in seperate parts of your market.

On Starting Out in Real Estate

Back in the late 80's I came out of College green around the ears with Alex P. Keaton ideals (Family Ties TV Show), and a whole bunch of Green around my ears.

So I decided to take my very naive self and insert my being into selling real estate. Heck I helped out around my dad's boutique Mortgage Broker and Development operation during the summer months. How hard could it be?

Well, after awhile reality hit me, and I realized that there has to be a better way to do this. My problem was that I wasn't working my network. And guess what? I had no network. And worse yet, I was an ex-College Jock. I was used to people coming to me, not me going to them.

Well long story short, I looked for clues.

I am not sure if it was at a Mike Ferry seminar or Walter Sanford, someone told me that, "the one with the most listings wins!" I learned from football, do as the greats do and I will have what they have. Tony Robbins calls it modeling.

This made sense, because I knew a local agent (who this day is one of the top agents in L.A.) who all he did was call expired listings.

So I became an expired listing evangelist. And while I was at it I hit quite a few fsbos in my day too! That gave me a huge listing inventory over time.

If I was to do it today though, perhaps a less "confrontational" approach would be to find new communities and insert yourself into them. (Less competition). Farm the dickens out them. Call your self the "xyz community expert". And then set-up a blog around that community. Cross promote in your blog url into your farm letters. (ASK US about blog hosting and marketing!)

Get them to sign onto your on line marketing/drip system. Become that new communities expert.

Of course you can do this in any community new or old can't you? And you can do it for every community in your desired market.

This article was inspired by a piece in Inman about a newbie agent suffering thru her first few months in the business. Inman also recently mentioned that the real estate economy is not suffering from a housing bubble. It is suffering from an agent bubble!

Heck, NAR stats show only 6 sides per year for each agent.

I know an agent who is very successful and has been able to manage her real estate career rather well. She has floated back in and out, and then back into the business over the years.

She was able to do this because she had such great name recognition in her area. How did she start? She made herself a star in a new condo community.