Market Your Listings to the World
According to the National Association of Realtors, 87% of homebuyers are using
the internet to make their buying decision. This makes it more important than
ever to display good quality pictures for consumers to see on all forms of internet
marketing (your website, single property websites, virtual tours, MLS, etc.

The more pictures you provide, the more interesting the property will be to the
consumer, the longer they will stay on your site and the more leads you can
receive!

Here are some tips from professional architectural photographers on how to
show your home’s best face to buyers:

• Outside: Keep the sun behind you, shining on the face of the home. If the
main entry is always shade (on the north face), shoot it on a partly cloudy
day to lower the contrast.

• Remove garbage cans, cars, seasonal decorations, flags and plaques. Never
photograph a house dead on, or when it’s backlit by the sun.

• If there are heavy shadows from trees, shoot on an overcast day.

• Figure out where the sun rises and sets, and shoot when the sun is 45
degrees from the angle you want to take the shot. If a façade faces north,
shoot just before sunset or on a cloudy day.

• For a fresh perspective, stand a few feet to one side of a corner, but angle
the camera as if you were standing in the corner

• Inside: Close the drapes to lessen the possibility of light meter being fooled
by bright exterior light.

• Clean up the clutter. Make sure there are no toys, clothes hanging on
hooks or other detracting items around the home.

• Don’t use a wide angle lens for interior shots. They make rooms look
smaller.

• Turn off the flash; it will make the most spectacular room look like a scary,
semi-lit dungeon. Good photo editing software allows you to brighten and
add flash during the editing process for a much clearer effect.

• Turn off time and date stamp settings. It detracts from the home and
especially makes it difficult when trying to crop and edit your photos.

• For vacant homes, try to capture rooms that are together, like a master
bedroom and bathroom, to add interest to the image. Also stand back as
far as you can to show how large the space is.

• Each room looks best at a different time of the day, so give yourself a day
to take your pictures.

• Shoot two walls only, with a bit of floor and ceiling. Shooting three walls
creates a shoebox effect.

• For a fresh perspective, stand a few feet to one side of a corner, but angle
the camera as if you were standing in the corner.

• Don’t tilt the camera up or down: it gives objects odd, unnatural shapes.

• Use props such as fruit, drinks, magazines and towels. This will make the
space look as if someone was just there.

• Turn on as many lights as possible, and fill in dark areas with work lights.

• Draw blinds so they are horizontal and windows look transparent.

• Shoot at chest-level so you show less ceiling.

• Shoot rooms from an angle; they’ll look larger.

• Fluff the pillows, so you don’t have an imprint of where people sat on the
bed or sofa.

To keep consumers interested viewing the home, it’s suggested that each website
display 50 or more pictures. Here are a few suggestions on what to shoot:

• Take three pictures, standing at the entry/foyer. Left, center, and right so
the buyer can see the surrounding area.

• View down to lower level from upper level
• Dining Room
• Family Room
• Living Room
• Den
• Fireplace
• Fixtures and Hardware
• Kitchen (including all appliances)
• Master Bedroom
• Master Bath
• Master Closet
• Master Tub
• Vanity
• All Bedrooms
• Study
• Balcony View
• Garage
• Attic/storage space
• Laundry room
• Back patio, deck or other exterior features
• Back of home
• Fenced area
• Front of home (entry)

Remember to take as many pictures as possible. It is always better to have too
many pictures than not enough. Save yourself the extra trip.

Forward to your friends and hit the share button. Remember, if you have any questions please contact Richard Smith at real estate agent support and tips.

Real Estate Agent support and Tips wants you to really be successful with this very simple tip that can effectively increase your real estate sales. And, I want to thank Bill Hart for his contribution and skills. Please comment and forward this post and have an outstanding week!

With new goals, a new determination to get it right this year, to be better, to be the person we are striving to be. It has been said that 80% of New Year’s Resolutions are broken by Jan. 2nd. Sad, isn’t it?

So how does one execute these goals and plans, get them done, in a world that careens at us 90 to nothing? By time blocking the activities and tasks. To-do lists don’t work to get big picture things accomplished; they are only good for minor tasks. Big stuff takes time. You need to block it off.

For example, let’s say one of your goals was to organize your database better and begin a follow up system. Unless you have no database, organizing all of your contacts into groups takes time. If you have it listed as a to-do it will keep rolling over every day. The tyranny of the urgent will overcome it. That phone call from the frantic client, the need to get a closing to get some cash, the e-mails, the calls press in on us and that database will have to wait. Week after week, it gets pushed off, and then, another year is gone. It happens quicker and quicker every year.

The key is to block off time to execute these key tasks. Like an appointment with an important client, you block off the time and get it done. When you are face to face on an appointment with a VIP, you don’t check your e-mails, your calls go to voice mail. The key to successful living is to treat your goals with the same respect. Block off 2 hours Thursday morning to update your database-don’t take any calls, don’t look at your e-mail, unplug from Facebook, just do the task.

Your entire day should be made up of blocks like this where important goals are nailed down. But Brian, I have to take that call, check that e-mail, deal with that crisis. Really? What happens when you are on the lunch appointment with that VIP? You did not answer that e-mail then. When will we realize that until we place the important but not urgent above the urgent, we will never really live! Everything that makes life great is important but not urgent, you NEED to plan these things into blocks of time and just do them.

Time blocked out to exercise, to date your wife, to worship God, to love your children, we actually need to set aside time to do these things or else the urgent will impose itself upon us and we will flounder around in mediocrity. Another year wasted.

If you want to make this year better than last, you need to block off the important but not urgent things that need to get done. Block off time to execute those goals, and then nail those blocks. That is how you get the important things, the things that matter done.

Be blessed…

Richard

p.s. Whether it is helping you close more loans or helping you improve your time management, Real Estate Agent Support and I care about your success. How many other LO’s really care about your success? I want you to succeed and encourage you to give me a call to discuss time management or that deal that comes across your desk. Give me a call and let’s start making 2010 great together! My number is 832-887-1300. Talk to you soon!
Please forward and leave a comment if you enjoyed this……

This week on Real Estate Agent Support and Tips I give you a great tip for saving time and money! Watch the video to find out more and please forward to your friends!!

When you plan your 2011 you should look back at what is working and try to tweak it. Look at what did not work and kill it. Then, after planning that in, you should look to add a new revenue stream. The average Realtor gets over 70% of their listings and indeed their business, from friends/family and past/present clients. Think of that-70%. That is something that is WORKING! Yet the average Realtor does almost NO marketing to these groups. Most of their money is spent on classified ads, display ads, website methods and open houses and yet that yields less then 30% of the Realtor’s business. Web leads just are not as good as referred leads!

So, let’s work into 2011 a simple method to comb this database-to systemize it so we get even more business from this source. Wouldn’t it be better to spend a little time, and indeed, a very little amount of money and market this group that comprises most of your business? In fact, based on the above percentages, it is likely that 5% of your efforts and money produce 70+% of your results. Rule number one of business strategy is to find out where your business is coming from now and increase it. I have a great strategy you can use to build yourself up as an expert, increase your sales and do it all for FREE! It is with a simple newsletter tip that you e-mail out to your database on a consistent basis, much like what I am doing now to you. The new era of marketing is not in your face ads, it is consistently adding value. By sending out helpful tips on a consistent basis, you can double or triple your sales and CUT BACK on your advertising!

Here is how to do it. First, get your database in order. This simple step stops most people from execution but it is good business. You can work this either by mail or e-mail but e-mail is cheaper and gets instant penetration. If your database has a lot of names and numbers but no e-mails, then this would be a great excuse to call your clients. Just call them, let them know you are updating your records and do they have an e-mail address? Those calls will probably generate you some business as well. My free system will automatically follow up with great tips and your picture and contact info along with it. You will always be “top of mind” with your entire database! YOU CAN DO ALL OF THIS BY NEW YEARS AND BE READY TO ROLL IN JANUARY. Real Estate Agent Support can help you set this all up and the rest is automated!

It has been proven that 200 clients, marketed to in this manner (e-mail adding value one month, phone call the next), done consistently for 1 year will generate 5 closings a month. Just 200 names. What would you need to do now to close 5 deals a month? Is it worth a few hours a month to achieve that volume level? I am finding it well worth it in my business and I think you will find it that way as well.

I hope this tip helps you grow your business! Please comment below!!!

If you need help executing this I am just a phone call away. Call me at 281-206-8956 if I can help in any way! Take care!

Be blessed, Richard

13 “must know” email secrets for a profitable real estate business
By Richard Smith www.realestateagentsupport.com for real estate agent support

Email marketing is simply formulated emails that have related content that people can expect to receive on a regular basis. The goal is to develop solid relationships with customers that will pay dividends down the road, with the added effect of maximizing your opens, clicks and conversions. You can start getting more out of your email programs as early as today by following these simple tips.


Tip 1: Provide a Solution –

Sometimes we get so anxious to start sending emails that we don’t start with a well thought out plan for our email programs. So our first step must be to determine what problem we want to solve. The first way to do this is to decide what your goal is. Are you looking for repeat business from your past database, one time shots, referrals from partners? From this, make sure the email content and offers you send out provide a solution. Right now, credit repair is one of the biggest problems that America is facing so I use that as a subject for a lot of my emails. You can also read your local paper and find out what the big “buzz word” problems are and then provide a solution.

Tip 2: Maintain Clean “Mailing” Lists –

Do not maintain a dirty list or a dirty database; keep it clean. ISPs dislike poorly organized and cluttered lists, because lists with large numbers of bad addresses and outdated data increase the amount of unnecessary emails that they must block and filter. You can lower ISP complaints and raise reputation scores – both of which lead to higher deliverability- by not sending to customers who haven’t opened or clicked for the past year.

Tip 3: Choose Your “From” Name Wisely–

You may not realize that the recipient decides whether or not to delete the email based on the name in the “from” line and that they decide whether or not to open it based on the “subject” line. Your “from” name should stay consistent, and it should match the brand that your customer recognizes and trusts. Keep in mind that your relationship with the customer will be built on the “from” name. If they see an unknown name, it’s likely that they will delete your message. In our industry, we are building relationships and branding ourselves. Also, make sure your “from” line is your name and not your company’s name.

Tip 4: The Subject Line is Key –

The way you address an envelope has a lot to do with whether it gets open or not. And so it is with how you “address” your email subject line. They need to be to short and to the point. Unfortunately, there is not one single word that you can use that will guarantee delivery, open or action every time. But, here are some tricks that will help.

Same or Different?
If you are using a recurring email program, use the same line over and over again. This creates anticipation and recognition and keeps the “open” rate high. For instance, “Richard’s Weekly Tip” and “Your December Credit Repair Strategy” are examples of archetypal program subject lines.

If you are sending out an email that does not have a regular sense of frequency and familiarity to it, write a unique subject line every time.

Caps or not?
Do not include all capital letters and words, it seems like you are yelling. Instead capitalize the first letter of each word (initial caps). This suggests that there is a story to follow. This technique works well in unique subject lines, it looks professional and it is more noticeable in an average inbox of everyday email.

Use Action Words
Action words or money saving coupons will prompt the recipient to act quickly. Note the power of the words “Last Chance” in this email from Hallmark.com: “$10 Coupon Inside – Last Chance to Save.” Also note that the word “Free” is fair game again (it didn’t used to be). It’s now okay to use the word free if you are offering something free. I like to use “Free Report” or “Free Insider Secrets.” Also, don’t use their first name in the subject line. First name usage in a subject line is almost always classified as spam.

Reference previous actions or purchases
Instead of a generic email subject line, making it refer to a past action, like a previous purchase, refinance or credit repair. This will help ensure your email gets open.

Tip 5: Know Optimum Times and Dates to Send Emails –

Sending and response data has become a very important part of email campaigns. Obviously, there’s a great deal of information of varying value. As an email marketer, you are compelled to comb through specific dates and times that emails were sent in search of trends and opportunities.

Tip 6: Use Segmentation to Enhance Content –

If your offer or content is not interesting to the person receiving it, 53 percent of them will unsubscribe. It would be nice to have a 0% unsubscribe rate, but highly unlikely. But there are things you can do to lower your unsubscribe rate. If you segment your database, you can make the content of your messages more relevant, which will help reduce the rate. For example, borrowers and prospects will be in different groups, purchases and refinances are two groups, those who are interested in credit repair can be segmented into one group; those who want to receive your Wednesday tip another and those who are interested in short sale strategies yet another. This list can be constructed by taking surveys or just asking.

Tip 7: Fine-tune Email Frequency –

The frequency of your emails will change according to the needs of different audiences and segments. Testing is really the only way to find how often you should email. Really popular sellers can send daily, while others with less cult-like following would see a dramatic spike in unsubscribe rates if they began sending weekly. No matter what, each email sent must convey valuable content to prospective readers, regardless of its intent to either to sell or inform. If the content has value and relevancy, then frequency is secondary. The very low cost of email causes some marketers to abuse it without any effective strategy. Unfortunately, this approach will yield recipient fatigue, spam complaints and list attrition.

Tip 8: Find Out Which Are Your Top Domains and Throttle Based On That Knowledge –

“Deliverability” is a popular email marketing term and is the most common factor in the majority of email marketing choices. Adhering to best practices is the best thing you can do to maximize your delivery rates. It is necessary to know whom you will be communicating through, because you are at their mercy. For instance, Verizon only allows 500 emails delivered per hour, so you must set your email program to send out 1 less than that per hour. Your email-marketing vendor will probably fill you in on who to throttle against and who to abide by. Domain throttling is a requirement for sending through many ISPs and can improve tremendously your ability to get your message to the inbox.

Tip 9: Leverage Partnerships to Build Your Lists –

When contemplating list building and co-marketing to enhance your email programs, choosing the right partner makes all the difference in getting more opt-ins from the partner’s audience. Most email marketers learn by trial and error which partners fit their audience, and which don’t.

Address and data inclusion are the next challenges you face once you have found someone with whom you have similar goals and agree to work in partnership together. You will probably want to gradually release your information to the new partner’s email or customer database. This will allow you to introduce yourself to this newly opted-in audience over time with the least amount of risk while helping you manage deliverability reputation. Partner opt-in programs are an excellent choice to acquire new addresses to your promotional email lists.

Tip 10: Pay Attention to Customers Using Handheld Devices –

The number of people who read their email via a handheld device (i.e. a Blackberry) is growing rapidly. For them, an email formatted for a large screen, with lines and lines of html links can be very annoying and cause them to delete the message without ever reading it.

Your message should include wording at the beginning of your message inviting readers to click through, as well as a link. You can improve the overall experience of the customer by addressing the environment in which your messages are being viewed.

Tip 11: Keep it Legal –

Never forget that email is a regulated industry both in the US and abroad. You should make a complete inventory of your email programs and make sure you understand all relevant legal requirements. It would be best to speak to an attorney to make sure that your email programs are compliant. You can read the list of US email laws at the link below to get you started. To ensure protection of the channel, keep compliant and understanding e-mail laws.

US Laws: CAN-SPAM – www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/buspubs/canspam.shtm

Tip 12: Be Certain Before You Hit “Send” –

With the click of your mouse, you can send an email marketing campaign to thousands – even millions – of opt-in recipients. With that kind of power, you want to do all you can to avoid mistakes. The following is a broad checklist to help you avoid mistakes.

Be sure that email is coming from the right source by double-checking your data source. Go over the email content. Check your naming and links, as well as make sure your unsubscribe link works and look into all required CAN-SPAM elements. Test the account by sending out live test campaigns.

With email marketing you can contact millions of people in a matter of minutes. Ensure that you are proud to send out the communication.

Tip 13: Improve –

“Improve” is the last tip. Testing is the most prodigious way to improve any email-marketing element, and best of all it’s a simple task. Email is not completely impossible to manage by yourself. It is very likely to improve your email program if you run tests. Testing is a very quick process, and results can be reported in real-time. Therefore test and if you don’t, then don’t attempt a lame excuse about not having enough time.

Richard Smith is the nationally recognized #1 expert for email and website video marketing for realtors. He has used video marketing as one of his primary platforms for himself and the members of the exclusive mastermind group, Carl’s Marketing Animals. For more information on how to explode your business with this proven marketing strategy, you may contact him at rsmithcrown@gmail.com

Agents, do you know a simple strategy that both Charles Shchwab and Mary Kay Ash implemented that earned them both Billions of dollars and a life time of success? Watch my video and see how you can implement this into your Real Estate career. It only takes 5 minutes a day….. Mary says “This is the kind of real estate agent support I love! Simple but very powerful!”

Everyone procrastinates. We put things off because we don’t want to do them, or because we have too many other things on our plates. Putting things off—big or small—is part of being human. If you are reading this post, however, it is likely that your procrastination is troubling you. You suspect that you could be much better at marketing if only you didn’t put off small projects until the last minute. You want to block off an hour to make calls but find yourself doing busy work instead. You find that just when you have really got a great marketing idea or plan you have a slight fear and put it off again. You feel okay about procrastinating but know that if you want to hit your big goals you need to do something different.

Procrastination Killer
You can tell whether or not you need to do something about your procrastination by examining its consequences. Procrastination can have external consequences (you don’t hit your goal of 4 closings a month) or internal consequences (you feel anxious much of the time, even when you are doing something that you enjoy). If you put off washing the dishes, but the dishes don’t bother you, who cares? When your procrastination leaves you feeling discouraged and overburdened, however, it is time to take action.

For those of you who want to eliminate procrastination, here are 10 simple steps:

1. First make sure you really, really, really want to do it. Seriously – don’t skip this step.
2. Keep things simple – don’t mess with minute details, anything, just start.
3. Make it the first thing you do each day, before checking email or anything else.
4. Clear away everything that stands in the way of doing. Including turning off the Internet.
5. Just get started. Overcome the initial barrier by diving in.
6. Remember the 80/20 rule. Does is really need to be done by you or can you delegate it?
7. Put something you dread more at the top of your to-do list — you’ll put off doing that by doing the other things on your list.
8. Find something about it that excites you.
9. Forget about perfection. Just start doing it, and fix it later.
10. If you keep procrastinating, re-evaluate whether you really want to do it. Consider not doing it, or putting it on the backburner.

If all else fails, think about time-blocking your day. Time block an hour to do marketing calls and, make sure you time-block a nap or go outside and enjoy the outdoors or do nothing. Life isn’t only about productivity.

Please email me if you would like a great real estate marketing time-block system you can incorporate into your business or more details on our 80/20 productivity system. richards@southwestfunding.com

List building and time-blocking are some great tools to increase your Real Estate productivity…