The Power of 5

March 1, 2012Scott MacDonald Leave a comment

When it comes to social media, remember the power of 5…

1. Become a member of 5 social networks. Don’t worry about being a member of them all! Concentrate on the basics, twitter, facebook, linkedin, youtube, and a blog. Keep it simple, link them together for more efficiency and be active on them.

2. Post 5 times per day on any of your social media sites. Valuable content can be found in newspapers, friend’s posts, blog feeds, etc. Find something to post just 5 times a day. Use a program like hootsuite to schedule your posts. 10 mins in the morning and you’re done with your posts throughout the day.

3. Read 5 articles or blogs a day. Getting into the habit of reading will give you the knowledge you need to speak with others about the market, post on sites about it and might even inspire a blog post. You know you can post articles that you read on your blog…write a brief comment about it and link it back to the article’s source…it can be that easy.

4. Upload 5 videos per week. These videos can be ones that you take personally or videos that you “favorite” on youtube. Subscribe to video channels, simply click on the favorite button if you like a video and it will appear on your channel. Share it with Facebook and you’re done! Videos should be quick and informative, so interview your sellers, your buyers, your fellow agents, etc. Get creative and post it!

5. Post 5 blogs a month. Blogging can be intimidating where you think it takes a long time to put it together. It doesn’t have to be a long article. It could be a quick 2 paragraph post discussing something you heard today. Don’t stress yourself by feeling that you have to write a very meaningful and motivational piece. Simply write in your own voice…your readers will appreciate that. They want to hear from you and are interested in what you have to say. So let them hear it!

A fad? I don’t think so!

May 3, 2011Scott MacDonald Leave a comment

Social Media is here to stay. It was reported on the news that the killing of Osama Bin Laden was being tweeted live by Sohaib Athar as the raid occurred. As the death Bin Laden was being reported, over 4,000 tweets per second were being posted – the typical average is 600 per second. If you noticed, people at the Mets and Phillies game were getting the news of his death on their smart phones – no doubt many through social media postings. The question is, how did you hear about his death? I heard several people saw the postings on Facebook. If people are going to these sites so frequently and getting their news there, why aren’t you there?

People are getting the news of school delays from weather from social media sites as well as other news about friends and family. If you aren’t it the social media game, you will be out of the game before you know it.

Check out the Facebook numbers – http://www.facebook.com/press/info.php?statistics
Here are twitter’s numbers – http://www.marketingpilgrim.com/2011/03/twitter-by-their-numbers.html – there are over 460,000 new accounts per day in the last month alone!
How about YouTube? http://www.reelseo.com/youtube-statistics/ - more of the same!
Then there is Linkedin – over 100 million users and the identities are real people.

There are so many other sites but these are the some of the most visited. Get busy getting social if you want to survive and thrive in today’s business world. Get it? Got it? Good!

Now, go sell something!

Shakespeare said it then, Scott says it now

February 1, 2011Scott MacDonald Leave a comment

To blog or not to blog – that is the question. My answer is to blog. There is business to be gained by blogging. What is important to keep in mind when posting is what is the purpose of your blog? Are you looking to pick up buyers or sellers, be a neighborhood expert or do have another goal in mind? Whatever it is, keep this as your focus in every blog you post.

My belief is it is our job to let the consumer read what they need to read, hear what they need to hear and learn about what is really happening in the market from the experts and so they don’t get wrapped up in what the media wants them to read, hear and see. The media’s job is to sell negative information and not plant the right seed.

What can you blog about? Neighborhoods, client interactions, success stories, your listings, homes you have previewed – deal of the day or week, life experiences, your interactions with others or anything else you find interesting or think someone else may find interesting.

Why is it important? It is important because the consumer goes to the internet to get information on everything – not just houses. This being said, when they are looking to make one of the biggest decisions of their life, don’t you think they will do more research on this topic than not? This is why blogging is important. Get your word out to others on where the market is – don’t be afraid to make your opinion known.

Who is reading blogs? As previously mentioned, the consumer but also other are people you will invite to read it – past clients, other Realtors and real estate professionals, your sphere of influence and people interested in the neighborhood or area you are blogging about. If you make it interesting, keep it up to date, and do it consistently, you will gain readership. Why are Realtors and other industry professionals reading blogs? To find good referral sources for their relocating clients. If you have a relocating client, do you help them find a Realtor where they are moving? How do you narrow down the selection? Typically I look at production, what their hobbies and interests are and if they match my client’s hobbies and interests, if they have a website and if they blog. If they blog, I read their blog to determine if they are positive or negative, on target with the market and generally what their knowledge is in real estate. The more they know in what they say and how they say it, the more likely I am to refer them.

Pitfalls – time, writing ability, how to come up with new ideas, where to get started, to pay or not to pay for your blog site, and does your company have a policy on blogging?

Good examples

Bad examples

What to avoid – negativism, writing about a specific case as it is in process, defamation of character issues

What to include – add pictures, hyperlinks and video. Have a good title, insert good metatags and keywords. Solve a problem or provide valuable information (housing stats, trends, pricing, DOM, companies moving/relocating into the area), say it simply and in layman’s terms not in our language, again, have a call to action (subscribe here, click here for free home search, follow us here, email me for more details here, click here for a free home buying/home selling consultation, etc. and as always, make it about them – not you!

It’s all about results and ROI on your time. Be sure to work with a site that will allow you to track numbers such as total page views, average page views per day, unique visitors, bounce rates, referral websites and most popular pages. Also, ask for people to share and comment on your blog and you in turn should return the favor. Give in slices, get returned in loaves!

Things to consider now that we have reviewed blogging…How do you benefit? What can happen? How do you do it? It can only produce results. Get it? Got it? Good!

Now, go sell something!

Now is the Time…

December 1, 2009Scott MacDonald Leave a comment

Now is the time for innovation and creativity. As our market continues to change it is even
more critical to look at how you are running your business and determine where
you are getting results. Additionally,
you should look at others and see how they are getting results. Analysis of your business as well as your
competition’s should be an ongoing practice for you to grow and thrive in any
market.

Areas that you should be considering are: How are you marketing? How are you expanding your database? How are you attracting new business? How can you grow your business? Are you educating yourself? Let’s review
different options.

From a marketing perspective, have you embraced social
media? What are you doing to use this
venue to market yourself, your listings and obtain new business? What are other venues that are available to
get you results? Do you utilize drip
marketing campaigns to your sphere and new additions to your database? Are you offering seminars to your clients and
the public? Seminars you ask? Yes – home
buyer seminars, tax credit seminars, now – move up buyer seminars, investor
seminars, short sale seminars, and there can be more – innovate and create!

How are you expanding your database? Are you working business to business avenues
to grow your database? Are you involved
in BNI or other business development groups? Are you involved in associations such as
alumni, exotic cars or other areas of interest you may share with others? Do you have the ability to invite people to
subscribe to your website to get market updates like Listingbook offers? Are you giving back to the community? Are you involved in a charity? Have you started a food drive, coat drive,
book drive, or Toys for Tots campaign to help others…get creative and get in
front of others to grow your database!

How are you attracting new business? We spoke about seminars in the marketing
section but have you offered anything else “free”? Educate yourself and then educate others. Also, think of other avenues to create
opportunities for yourself. Offer a free
home warranty when you buy or sell a home through you or your team, offer free
staging when you are utilized to sell a house, or a free home energy analysis
to your sphere or anyone they know, or anything else like this you can think of
to make your phone ring? What if you
offered a reduced commission when you sell your home and buy a new one through
you type of marketing campaign? Get the
word out on what you are doing to get new business – it is out there but you
have to go get it – it won’t come to you!

How is your business growing? Have you considered starting a team? Have you thought about merging with another
team or perhaps acquiring one? There is
a lot of talent out there just needs direction to be successful in this
market. Do you have systems and
processes in place that can help others grow?
Are you generating leads that you can’t handle? Start a referral network if you are in this
situation – don’t lose these extra opportunities. Are you partnering with your vendor partners
or business associates to offer incentives to your clients and theirs to create
new opportunities? Are you writing
reverse testimonials for each other? Are
you looking of opportunities in the market to grow your business in this
way?

Are you educating yourself?
If so, how? Are you obtaining
designations? Many agents put their head
in the sand and say they won’t do short sales or foreclosures. Well, they are here to stay and will be for
the next few years so get a designation such as CDRS so you can handle them more
effectively and efficiently and to learn more about the process to determine if
you should work with the agent on the other side of the transaction. As the world gravitates towards social media,
perhaps you should earn your E-Pro
Certification Designation. If you have
always been a listing agent and you see the benefit of working buyers or you
see the first time buyer market as a viable market for you – get your ABR. Are you attending seminars? If you attend seminars – are they varied or
are you only going to hear one speaker?
Are you reading publications, blogs, attending conventions, trainings,
mastermind groups, etc or are you just maintaining the status quo as far as
your educational development is concerned?
The best way to innovation is through education.

As you can see, if you are creative or innovative, you can
come up with ideas that are better than these or expand on the ones
presented. You need to take the time to
analyze opportunities that are out there.
Also, speak with other industry leaders in the business and see what
they are doing or what they hear others are doing to grow their database,
market themselves and their teams, how they are attracting business and growing
their business. Also, conduct your own
research on line, read publications, attend your Realtor association events,
attend builder events, etc. to learn more about your competition and how they
are growing or more importantly, not growing in today’s market. Basically do something! Get it?
Got it? Good!

Now, go sell something!

Demand Success Today

October 29, 2009Scott MacDonald Leave a comment

As you know, RE/MAX officials were in town yesterday.
Here is what was shared! Click on the link for the presentation.

Demand
Success Today

The Economy –

Right now our recovery is considered to be a jobless
recovery because we continue to lose jobs yet; the economy is pulling out of
the recession without creating jobs. The nation’s jobless rate won’t be back to
4.5 % until 2014.

Most companies have cut back and will not rehire people they
let go. The car business most definitely won’t hire their people back –
everything is cheaper in China and a lot of production is being exported there.

Housing will have a hard time helping economy get out of
recession because new home sales have plummeted so far down.

America is responsible for 27 % of the world’s GNP China is
7% within 30 years China will lead world in production.

Foreclosures –

Build your resume, contact the right people and give right
presentation to get REO business

There are 3.5 million foreclosure filings per year expected
in 2009 and 2010

25 % of homeowners with a mortgage are underwater

A huge number of commercial loan maturities are coming due
in 2011 and 2012 which will put pressure on this sector.

Savings rate is 7 % today as a result of people’s fear over
job loss, their property values being down, and they can’t use their house as a
piggy bank anymore plus their 401K’s are down so consumers have become less
likely to spend.

You can’t use yesterday’s business methods to make money in
today’s market and expect to be in business tomorrow.

Number of Realtors –

800,000 in 2000

1,400,000 in 2006

1,100,000 in 2009

Need 900,000 for more agents to be successful

LIFO last in first out is a great rule for real estate when
referring to Realtors

9.7 million Distressed properties right now, 4.7
million will sell over the next few years – many will renegotiate to stay in
their properties.

RE/MAX has 6 % of agent total and handles 26 to 28 % of REO
sales

Systemized and standardized process for short sales is
expected to be announced within 2 business days. This is coming from the
government and discussions with Liniger.

NAR has a new designation to handle short sales – SFR.
RE/MAX agents can get discount on Mainstreet – contact me for details

Rebuild USA 203k specialists

There is a new foreclosure tab on remax.com. Don’t
forget to register as well as update your profiles email address, education,
designation, specialties to get leads. You must have a designation to
receive leads for short sales and foreclosures – don’t delay, do it today!

Know your market and its dynamics –

Our market is predominantly 1^st time buyers and
investors – get into these business arenas.

Generations –

Baby boomers 3 more moves downsizing selling buying selling
smaller house moving in with their kids or family members

Generation X –

50 % not married yet and most have no kids. They are
just now beginning to buy houses skeptical but loyal

Millennials –

Very different on line, no high pressure, knowledgeable,
instant everything

When dealing with online leads, have the shot gun approach –
send out response to 5 agents and the first to respond gets the lead.

80 % of Americans have nothing to retire on assisted living
or nursing homes or moving in with family

Social media will take you to the next level take pictures
of clients after settlement do portraits get busy getting involved with it
today – don’t delay it is not going away.

The crowd was enthused – you should be too! Get
it? Got it? Good!

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