BRER Real Estate Marketing Blog

by Kathleen Allardyce from BuildRealEstateResults.com

May 30th, 2008

Whimsical Wednesday: Just a Little Late

Whimsical WednesdayNo, you’re not confused.  It isn’t really Wednesday!  Yes, you got me!  I forgot about Wednesday this week.  That’s what a holiday will do to you.  Time is short during this short week, so I thought I’d just share one of my favorite chuckles.

Silly Headlines!

Pedestrians Beware!

  • Headline:  Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers

Now, You REALLY Need to Find a Way Out of Jury Duty 

  • Headline:  Two Convicts Evade Noose, Jury Hung

If You’re a Farmer. . .  and Your Name Is Bill. . .  Don’t Go Home!

  • Headline:  Farmer Bill Dies in House

Don’t Call the Squad When You Really Need Animal Control! 

  • Headline:  Squad Helps Dog Bite Victim

Now We Know Why There Are So Few People Drinking Milk These Days. . . 

  • Headline:  Milk Drinkers are Turning to Powder

Enjoy Your Weekend!

May 29th, 2008

Photos Sell Houses

If you’ve been wondering whether hiring a photographer to take pictures of your real estate listings was worth the cost, here’s more information on how important photos are!

  • Photos Sell Real EstateThe California Association of REALTORS® finds that Internet visitors rate multiple photographs and slide shows highest among desired features.
  • Point2 Agent discovered interesting facts during a 30 day study of home listings:  those listings with over 20 photos received 15 times more views and 10 times more leads than listings that had less than 20.
  • MLS associations are moving in the direction of requiring photos before a listing can go live.

For more detailed information, refer to this article in RIS Media.

May 28th, 2008

NAR & DOJ: Everyone Won

I’m sure the real estate sites on the Internet will be full of NAR and DOJ news, but I figured that I’d post something in case you missed it.

NAR and the DOJ have reached an agreement to settle the antitrust lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice in 2005.  Luckily, both sides won.  At least that’s the impression you’d get from their respective press releases.

Huh?The DOJ won because the agreement ”guarantees that Internet-based brokerage companies will not be treated differently than traditional brokers.” And because “NAR also has agreed to adopt antitrust compliance training programs” which will update local REALTOR® Associations on the implications of the agreement and antitrust laws in general.

NAR won because “the real estate industry is dynamic, entrepreneurial and fiercely competitive. Thanks to REALTORS®, consumers can access detailed information about millions of properties for sale across the country.”  And because “NAR does not admit any liability or wrongdoing and NAR will make no payments in connection with the settlement.”

Hmm. 

I’ve always believed that there are no stupid questions.  In this instance, to be honest, I haven’t really followed the dispute in great detail, and the coverage I’ve read of the proposed agreement just doesn’t make a lot of sense to me so far.

However, I think this is really the meat of the issue from the DOJ’s standpoint:

  • “Under the new policy, brokers participating in a NAR-affiliated MLS will not be permitted to withhold their listings from brokers who serve their customers through virtual office websites (VOWs). In addition, brokers will be able to use VOWs to educate consumers, make referrals, and conduct brokerage services. Such brokers will not be excluded from MLS membership based on their business model. NAR will report to the Department any allegations of noncompliance. “

I find this somewhat confusing because the only real data I have about VOW vs IDX systems is from the Chicago area.  In Chicago, 100% of the listings are shown on the VOW system, while the IDX only has 60% of the listings.

This seems to fly in the face of the statements that brokers were holding their listings out of the VOW.

From NAR’s standpoint, this statement seems to be the meat of the issue:

  • “The proposed terms are a win for NAR, REALTORS®, and consumers, and confirm that MLS members must be actively engaged in real estate brokerage by actually helping people buy or sell homes.”

So, I’m thinking that if I’m confused, I might not be the only one.  If anyone out there can explain the dispute and the proposed settlement in English, please leave a comment!  I’ll update this post as possible.

May 27th, 2008

Live Introductions for Your Real Estate Website

Recently, someone asked me about using a spokesman for their website.  There are a number of ways to put a spokesman (or woman) on your website.

The lowest cost option is to use a service like SitePal.  SitePal offers drawn characters to do the talking, and some do-it-yourself features - for example, you can record your own message via phone.  This means you can change the message whenever you want. 

It’s now also possible to create a speaking character from a photograph you upload.   You can create a character that looks almost like you!

The more sophisticated approaches use “borderless” video to project the image of a real person on top of your website.  The features and prices for this approach vary.  Here are a few companies you might want to evaluate:

If you have any experience using a talking head on your website, please speak up!

May 22nd, 2008

Memorial Day 2008

Support our Troops

Happy Memorial Day!

 

Don’t forget our troops this Memorial Day.  There are lots of ways to show support for our fighting men and women.  Here are a few. . .

Send an email at America Supports You!! 

Let’s Say Thanks - This site is sponsored by Xerox Corporation.  You choose a card design that was donated to the site by school-age artists, select a pre-written greeting, or write your own.  Xerox prints the cards and sends them to our troops serving overseas.

AMillionThanks.org - This organization is dedicated to showing support for and assisting our military.  You can write letters and drop them off at many locations nationwide.  It’s a good idea to check out the website first to read up on the guidelines for what to send.

Operation Homefront is one of a select few charities privileged to operate under a MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) presented by the Department of Defense.  Operation Homefront provides emergency assistance and morale to our troops, to the families they leave behind, and to wounded warriors when they return home. A nonprofit 501(c)3 founded after September 11, Operation Homefront leads more than 4,000 volunteers in 31 chapters nationwide. Since its inception, Operation Homefront has provided critical assistance to more than 45,000 military families in need.”

May 22nd, 2008

Free Online Training for Brokers and Agents

Thanks to Sam Chapman, I was introduced to a website that offers free training videos for real estate professionals.

You’ll find the site at www.CKGTV.com.  It was started by a firm called CKG International out of Ontario, Canada.  I’ve not heard of that company before, but I think they’ve done a good job of pulling together some helpful resources you can take advantage of at your leisure.  At least you could if you had any leisure time!

Address a Variety of Issues with Top Professionals and Consultants

Real Estate Information on the InternetThe site has several “channels”:

  • Coach’s Corner
  • Special Feature
  • Skills
  • Inside a Mastermind
  • Luxury
  • Brokers
  • Teams
  • Foreclosure & Short Sales
  • H.R.
  • Technology
  • Marketing

Each Channel is populated by videos on the specific topic.  So, it’s a great way to learn something if you’re a visual person.  You can see the person doing the talking and get a good feel for the subject.  That is especially helpful since several of the topics have to do with communication skills, so you can see role-playing sessions face-to-video.

The Coaches Corner is hosted by Ken Goodfellow who is the CEO of CKG International, and a professional real estate coach.  There are other videos about how to manage short sales, scripts for FSBOs and Expireds and interviews with top luxury agents.

You’ll also find videos from Michael Russer on Internet Marketing and Brad Carroll talking about technology issues.

I sampled a few of the videos and found most of them interesting and informative.  There was only one series that seemed to be more sales pitch than anything else.  Not to mention any names, but it was from a principal from TheShortSalesCompany.com.  Guess it would be useful if you were looking for a firm to handle your short sales.

Check it out.  Feedback would be appreciated.

May 21st, 2008

Whimsical Wednesday: The Story of Michael

My brother called from Michigan to tell me about a baby bird he met in his backyard over the weekend.  Eventually its mother showed up, so he was glad to know the child would be taken care of.  But, it brought to mind our pet Robin, Michael.

Actually, Michael was mine.  Everyone else in the family thought I was just heading for another one of those “I tried to save the baby bird, but it died” situations.  But, Michael was different.

Whimsical WednesdayI met Michael one day when I was on summer break from college.  The back door was open and through the screen, I heard an amazingly loud chirping of a bird.  I opened the screen door that lead from the back yard to the kitchen, and Michael marched in, screaming at the top of his lungs.

He didn’t seem at all afraid.  Nor was he intimidated by the lack of grass under his feet, the imposing height of the refrigerator or the befuddled human being watching him stalk around the room, evidently looking for something to eat.  Well, he was in the kitchen.

I hadn’t noticed any Robin nests close to the house, so I had no idea where to return him.  I decided to try and raise him until he was big enough to go out on his own.  And, that started a very memorable relationship.  I’m not sure why I called him Michael - it just seemed to fit.

I called the vet and asked him what I should feed Michael.  I’m sure he was the only Robin in town who pigged out on raw hamburger rolled into worm-shaped morsels.  I figured out that the best way to feed him was by wrapping him in a couple sheets of paper towel.  His bathroom habits were rather uninhibited.

And so it was that Michael became part of the family.  At night we would all watch TV with Michael sitting on a wooden pole that laid on top of his box.  At bedtime, he was closed in the box with the requisite towels and soft fluffy stuff.  As he grew and got stronger, the issue of his training had to be addressed.

We spent time outside chasing after ants and other small insects, and he eventually got the idea that he could eat them when he was finished pushing them around.  Flight school was in session every day and consisted of first being gently tossed in the air from a few inches off the ground, then from increasing heights.  He’d spend time each day sitting in a backyard tree until it was time to come back in the house.

Eventually, his flying skills improved and he would play in the neighboring yards, but he always came when I whistled.  It is quite an experience seeing a wild bird careening out of a neighbor’s backyard to land at your feet.

And, then of course, the inevitable happened.  One day he just didn’t come when I whistled, and I knew my job was done.  It was a little bit sad, but I was sure that he had undoubtedly found a mate.  Actually, based on the color of his chest as he matured, I really think Michael was a female.  And, I am sure that there are many generations of her descendents out there, signaling the coming of Spring.

I still remember my Robin whistle.  I fashioned it after the “feed me” chirping Michael made when he first arrived.  And, every once in a while I’ll whistle as I pass by a Robin who’s listening for worms on the lawn.  Those unsuspecting Robins will stop, tilt their heads and look around.  Then, you can almost see them thinking,  “Nah, the kids are already gone for this season!”

May 20th, 2008

The Myth of the Unusual Real Estate Website

I’ve talked to several people lately who  want unusual websites.  They don’t want the regular design - a header, menu, etc.  They want something different.  And, I understand that.  After you’ve looked at several dozen real estate websites, they all start looking the same.

Best to ask yourself why that is.  There are a number of reasons.

Your Visitors are Trained

Unusual Real Estate WebsiteThe visitors to your website are undoubtedly Internet-savvy to some extent.  At least, I think it’s a safe bet that they’ve been to at least one other website before they landed on yours.  They are familiar, and perhaps even comfortable, with how a website is normally laid out.

They expect to see some type of a header.  The header usually tells them what the website is about.  If it doesn’t, chances are they won’t stay long.  They expect to have a consistent way of getting around the website.  Usually, that’s a menu of some type.  And, they expect to see the content of the site displayed in words and images.

It’s also helpful if a good bit of the content appears “above the fold”.  That means that they can scan down the content to see if they want to stick around without having to scroll vertically.

Unusual Site Design Doesn’t Make Your Website More Effective

Usually, the examples people give me for unusual site designs start out with a lot of flash.  You’ve seen those before - they’re called Splash pages or Intro pages.  And, unfortunately, they don’t work.  Search engines can’t read flash.  So, that pretty opening page with no content except the cute buttons that change color and style when you scroll over them will eliminate any possibility that your website will be ranked by the search engines.

In addition, what if your visitor wants to find market information for your area?  Are they going to guess whether they should click on the Buyers button, or the Area Information button or the Listings button?  I don’t think so.  Odds are, they’ll just go find a website where they can see what they’ll be getting before they start clicking all the buttons.

Many (Most?) of Your Visitors Can’t Spot an Unusual Site Design

Keep in mind that your visitors will not land on your website after just pouring over several dozen other real estate websites.  You’re the only one who does that. 

Give Your Visitors What They Want

Here’s what your visitors want:

  1. INFORMATION - Give them the information and tools they need to make an informed real estate decision and that will also illustrate your expertise.
  2. EASY NAVIGATION - Keep it simple.  Yes, it’s just a boring menu, but it’s what they expect and it should be consistent on all the pages of the site.  Having one set of navigation on the home page and different navigation on the other pages just causes confusion.
  3. CLEAN DESIGN - Your site needs to be attractive and professional.  It needs to welcome visitors and make it easy to stay a while.

So, by all means, make your site the best it can be.  Make it informational and easy to navigate.  But, unusual?  THAT will probably backfire on you!

May 19th, 2008

Should You Be Promoting Foreclosures?

According to Forbes Magazine, the best places to look for foreclosure deals are in those areas where the underlying economy is stable and where foreclosed property is being offered at a significant discount.  Forbes ranked the top 10 locations as:

  1. Charlotte, N.C.
  2. Raleigh, N.C.
  3. Nashville, Tenn.
  4. Oklahoma City, Okla.
  5. San Antonio, Texas
  6. Albuquerque, N.M.
  7. Knoxville, Tenn.
  8. Seattle, Wash.
  9. Indianapolis, Ind.
  10. Washington, DC-Arlington-Alexandria, Va.
May 15th, 2008

Personalize Your Electronic Signatures

My English teacher in school was always a bit disappointed in me.  I did OK in her class with the exception of penmanship.  Yes, when I was a child, people still cared about making sure you could write stuff - with a pen.  Thus, I suppose, the name “penmanship”.

She’d probably be disappointed yet today.  I never did figure out how to write legibly.  Guess I should have been a doctor.  And, that might explain why I got attached to computers early in my career.   Such a relief to be able to communicate without spending most of my time explaining to people what that squiggle at the end of the line was.

But, now in the computer age, some of the personality has been taken away from our communication.  Sure, you can sign your emails using a script font, but it just never looks right somehow.

Take heart, though, there’s a new way to spiff up your electronic signature.  You can find it at www.MyLiveSignature.com.  Using the Signature Wizard, you can create a signature that has a bit of personality to it.  They have 120 fonts (better than the ones in Word), an array of slants and different colors to choose from. 

You can also get the signature animated for a fee.  But, be careful.  It is a novelty to see the signature being “written”, but the samples show the animation on an endless loop.  It might start to drive folks cross-eyed watching it over and over.

You can get HTML code (for websites/blogs/email signatures) or BB code (for many forums) generated at no charge.  So, get creative and put some personality in your goodbyes!