The ActiveRain Stuff You Won't Find Anywhere Else on the Web

Are you getting the absolute most and best results from your ActiveRain, Zillow, and other Agent memberships and sites?  Are there some things you’re doing or maybe not doing that could increase the results and successes you’re currently experiencing?

Many times we feel confident and believe that we are doing all the right things possible, but sometimes as Gary points out in the video below, there might be a better or more efficient way to get even more and better results.

Take it from someone who is successfully active in both the local real estate community as a REALTOR, and online as a successful Agent.  He’s been doing this for over 30 years, and the past two years have really paid off for him as he has fine-tuned his marketing skills and advertising efforts.

 
In this video, Gary will explain the “Best Practices” and the importance of the following:

• Using Market Data, Information, and knowledge To Close More Transactions
• Understanding How Important Your response time is to every Online Contact
• What to do when you get calls on homes that aren’t for sale or not your listing
• Having all the right answers is impossible, it’s all the right questions that count
• Keeping your eyes and ears open for those subtle signs of opportunity
• Follow-up can mean many things, but what does it mean to YOUR contacts
• What is the most critical and important activity that produces results online
• The perception of your role portrayed online within your community is their reality
• Using creativity with the featured showcase advertising gets you more contacts
• Recognize the advantages of using Zillow as a Buyer Sales tool and a Listing tool

Enjoy this short 3-minute video and be sure to contact Gary directly if you have any questions at all. 

I think you’ll be convinced from Gary's 2 years of experience converting online contacts into clients, that his tips and advice could be very useful and powerful additions to your online efforts and marketing strategies in 2012.

*Get More Tips and Tools "By Agents for Agents" Here

About Gary Gold: 
Gary Gold is the Executive Vice President of Hilton & Hyland. He's an active Real Estate Agent representing Celebrity's in the Luxury Housing Markets of Southern California. Gary is a Zillow Top Marketer in the Beverly Hills, Bel Air, and Sunset Strip communities. He recently debuted on HGTV's "Selling LA" and has appeared numerous times on local and national television.

Do you ever wonder who's reading the content on your websites and blogs? 

Is it possible that people reading and seeing your online content might be considering using you or your services based on the information you're sharing? Do you wonder if they're quietly sizing you up? We sure hope so... that's why we're doing it, right?

Your online presence and content is now part of the "Interview" process.

When online visitors and target prospects are reading your ratings and reviews, they're making decisions and choices based on what others are saying and have experienced. The results can be incredible.

I had the chance to catch up with Erica Vautier Liodice at the NAR 2011 Conference in Anaheim this year. Erica is the Director of Marketing for RealLiving.com. When I asked her what tools and services she and her agents were using online to help generate more business this year, here’s what she shared with me.

Word of mouth referrals are a traditional and powerful way that business does get done. Online ratings and reviews are just as powerful in that they remain online and visible long-term to anyone and everyone that may want or need your services.

The BIG message and tip here is to solicit and get lots of great reviews. The secret formula to getting great reviews is to provide an “AWESOME” customer experience with each and every client you ever work with or do business with period.

Agent's Ratings and Reviews are definitely generating client referrals and new business.

Enhance Your Business Listing - Rank Higher and More Often

Having your Local Business Listed on the web is important for its future survival.  Claiming your listing will help give you more control over how the search engines index you and will also help prevent spammers from hijacking it.  There's also a good chance it could improve your search engine rankings and deliver your Company increased traffic.

GetListed.org has some tools and information to help you get your Business noticed on the WEB and by the searching consumer.  GetListed checks the most popular and commonly used search engines like Google, Yahoo, MSN Bing, and Best of the Web, to see how your Business rates and ranks in a variety of ways. 

Get a listing score or percentage based on your Business listing or Company name. Your "listing score" is a number that ranges from 0-100 that approximates how effectively your business is taking advantage of free listings at the major search engines.  Claim your Business Listing on the major search engines, it's the easiest and yet most over-looked detail by many Local Businesses today. 

DON'T JUST HIT THE SNOOZE BUTTON ON THIS ALARM!

In the process of consulting a client on how to get more exposure for their Company and Local Business on the Web, this is what we discovered.  You can see below why I am sharing this with you today, and why it is so important.  No matter how large or small your Company, you need to be registered and "LISTED" with these search engines. 

It's FREE, and your efforts could make a huge difference for your Local Business.

DO YOU WORK HARD GROWING AND PROMOTING YOUR BUSINESS?

GetListed.org has Local Marketing Advice, Advanced tips, and News for marketing your business.

• Why Local Search Is So Important
  Over 10 billion unique searches are performed each month, and that's just in the United States! See why listing your business online is so important.  Learn More »
  

• Why Citations Are Important to Your Local Business Listings
  Citations are defined as "mentions" of your business name and address on other webpages, even if there is no link to your website. Find out why they matter in Local Search.  Learn More »

• Managing & Improving Your Business's Reputation Online
  In this article, they recap the advice of a number of prominent Local Search Experts about the importance of paying attention to, and even encouraging, customer reviews of your business online.  Learn More »

NOTE: There are many other search engines on the web, not quite as popular, but here's a quick list if you're interested.

Understanding the importance of "why you are doing the things you're doing" in today's "Staying In Business" model, should help to motivate you in getting these certain tasks done.  I find it very beneficial when others that have learned by "Trial & Error" take the time to share their experiences.  We can all learn from each others mistakes, I trust that will be the case here today.

(Imagine the potential of sharing this info with other local businesses you wish to connect or build a relationship with)

Do your Local Business a favor, take the next 10 seconds to run your Company name and Zip Code.  Then take 10-15 minutes and List your Local Business in each of the Top Search engines, this will help to "Enhance Your Business Listing & Rank Higher and More Often."

Setting Your Financial Real Estate Goals for 2010

Here's a tool I created back when I was in Title and Escrow. I've used this in the past to help Brokers and Agents with their financial goals. I called it Agent Assist because that's exactly what it was created for, to assist them in reaching their income goals. Based on just a few simple questions, the AA spreadsheet will calculate exactly how many homes you need to sell to reach your desired income goal in Real Estate.

By entering the average sales price of the homes in your area, your commission and broker split, the number of weeks you want to take for vacation, the number of days and hours you're willing to work, and lastly, your desired income goal, the program will automatically calculate how many contacts you'll need to make, how many appointments it will take, and precisely how many homes you'll need to close to reach your goal.

Check it out, I think you might like some of the features and tools that stemmed from the opinions and suggestions of other Brokers and REALTORS across the country. Below is what the "Goals Analysis" page looks like. It's real easy to use, I know it works, and it might be a tool you can use too.

In addition to the Goals Analysis page, there are some others tools I added for tracking sales, monitoring marketing budget, tracking expenses and taxes, created a contact to lead conversion table, inventory and pipeline chart, buyers costs, sellers costs, rent vs own, a mortgage calculator with amortization table, etc. Here's to you reaching your income goals in 2010 no matter what means or tools you need to use to do it! Cheers.  :-)

BTW- This post was inspired by Broker Bryant and Carra Riley's recent "Goal" posts.

The Virtual Real Estate Brokerage and Office of the Future Today! - WEB 3.0

What does the future Real Estate Brokerage and Office really look like?  If you decide to read on, it may change your perception of what the "Virtual Real Estate World" could look like in the future.  While Secondlife is the Internets largest user-created, 3D virtual world community, and used primarily for Social Networking, eXp Realty has taken this same concept, and created a Business Model where the Real Estate Brokerage and Office is 100% Virtual.  They are using the invisible walls of the Internet as their "Brick and Morter" office.

Their Business Model is defined as "The Worlds First Fully Immersive WEB 3.0. Real Estate Brokerage."

Last month, while at REBarCamp in San Diego, I got to meet and spend some time with Dale Kreiser, eXp REalty's Washington State Broker.  He shared what their company was doing, and how well it was working for them.  When I returned to the office, I did some research on their company and their site.  I was "Blown Away" at what Glenn Sanford - Founder and CEO and their team have created!  Could this really be the Real Estate Office and Business Model of the Future for Brokerages and even the smaller Mom & Pop offices?

Here's a video clip from a discussion held at that REBarCamp in San Diego.  The topic?  What does the Real Estate Brokerage of the future look like?  It's an interesting discussion with Tom Ferry, Stefan Swanepoel, Wendy Forsythe, Sherry Chris, Dale Kreiser and others.  What is the "New" strategy or tactic?  Here's a hint of what you're about to see; The future is HERE now!

So I called Dale and asked him for a "Virtual Tour" of their "Virtual Office."  He and Glenn agreed to let me share that tour with you via this recorded video.  For me personally, this was really the next best thing to actually being there.  I felt like I was there.  Now anyone that knows me well, also knows that I love all the new technology that is being introduced to our Industry, but I am also a practical person and want to be certain that this stuff really works.  Don't just tell me it does....SHOW ME!!

This video is a bit longer than I wanted, but I edited out over 40 minutes of some really great stuff I wish I could have shared with you all, maybe another time. I would encourage you to watch the entire thing, I'd hate for you to miss any of this one. Sit back in that comfy chair of yours, relax, and enjoy this first ever virtual office tour...

Is this the way some Real Estate Company's and Brokerages will operate in the future?  Yes, here's one already.  Are these guys way ahead of their time?  Maybe, but after today's tour, I realized that just talking with them about it, and then visiting their website was no comparison and nothing like "virtually being there!"  I had no clue how well this was all put together.  It was nothing short of interesting, fascinating, and awesome!

The Virtual Real Estate Brokerage and Office - WEB 3.0  So tell me what you're thinking at this moment...