Our Connected World is About to Get More Intertwined

June 4, 2011 Leave a comment

I came across this short video that made me think about how we are going to conduct business with our customers in the not to distant future.  In just a few short years we have evolved into a society that has embraced mobile connectivity.  And guess what?  It’s about to get a whole lot more mobile.


Links of interest:
- How mobile devices are changing community information environments (Pew Research Center)
- Apple vs. Google (Bloomberg Business Week)
- Tablets – The Future of Mobile Computing? (WATBlog.com)

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There Just Might Be Something to This Social Media Stuff

April 23, 2011 1 Comment

We’ve all heard that Social Media is something that we should be involved with because it’s where internet browsers are spending their time.  But do most of us really buy into Social Media?  Do we look at it as a waste of time?

 There is mounting new evidence within Prudential Homesale that not only is Social Media not a waste of time, but it may be even better than anything we had previously imagined.

 In recent internet traffic numbers gathered by Rod Messick, Chief Financial Officer with Prudential Homesale Services Group, he stated that in January of 2011, “Facebook surpassed Trulia, REALTOR.com, and Zillow as a referring source” to PrudentialHomesale.com.  A referring source means that traffic comes to our website from another website instead of a user typing in our website name into their browser or finding us on a search engine.  It’s also known as a click-through.

 How much is Facebook being used by the general public and Prudential Homesale agents? 

 According to the most recent website rankings (week ending 1/29/11) by Experian Hitwise, a leading global information services company providing data and analytical tools to clients in more than 65 countries, 10.35% of all internet traffic lands on Facebook.  That’s the highest ranking of any website.  (Yes – it even beat Google which came in at 7.52%.)

 “Visits to PrudentialHomesale.com from Facebook are up 143% as compared to January 2010,” said Messick.  Based on this new data, Prudential Homesale agents can expect to see training developed by the company so that they can utilize social media to a greater extent in their personal marketing and advertising campaigns.

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Are You Painting the Right Picture With Your First Impression?

March 5, 2011 Leave a comment

We live in a world where people make snap judgments about you in the span of one minute or less.  It may not be fair, but it’s the way things are.  Get used to it.

In real estate sales, we are constantly being evaluated by potential buyers and sellers all the time.  They look at how we dress; how we communicate; and how we carry ourselves.

Take a moment and give yourself a quick ‘first impression’ check-up and see if you pass the test.

1.  Appearances Matter.  Stop denying it!  If you think that your clients aren’t concerned about the way you look, you’re in dreamworld.  Twenty years ago, a suit and tie for a guy was a prerequisite for doing business.  Over the years, that has changed.  Business casual is the norm in many offices and most clients have no problem with that.  However; business causal does not mean clients are OK with dressing down.  What you wear to your kids soccer game is probably not appropriate attire for showing houses.  A good rule of thumb is if you have to ask whether clothes are appropriate or not for a certain situation, they’re probably not.  Trust your instincts.  They’re usually right.

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Social Networking Becomes More Entrenched In Our Lives

October 9, 2010 Leave a comment

© 2010 Experian Information Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved

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Will ‘Tweeting’ Benefit Your Business?

August 30, 2009 Leave a comment

There is no denying that social media has grown exponentially over the last year or two and will continue to impact our lives in the future in ways that we can’t even imagine today.  For evidence, go to my recent post on the subject.  However; real estate companies, brokers and agents have been slow in trying to get their arms around this 800 pound gorilla since it first appeared on the marketing scene.

Perhaps the biggest obstacle that our industry has had to overcome with this newer form of advertising and networking is that a large majority of the company owners, leadership and top-producers are 50 plus years old.  In general, they have had a successful track record that hasn’t included social media so in their minds the cost/time versus benefit matrix just doesn’t add up.  In addition, this group of practitioners is traditionally more conservative and resistant to change.  (In the interest of full disclosure and just so you don’t think I’m bashing this specific group, I fall within this age demographic – but just barely.)

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Link Sharing is Ruled by Facebook

August 18, 2009 Leave a comment

A recent survey conducted by AddToAny shows that Facebook users share more links to information than any other site out there.  In fact, the spread between Facebook and e-mail (2nd place) is over two times as much.  Just a short time ago, e-mail dominated link sharing but social networking has taken over and now has a greater reach worldwide.

What does this mean for the real estate industry?  In my opinion, the days of agents sending out e-mail blasts telling the world about their new listing are numbered.  The world is choosing to communicate differently.  People want a more personal interaction with who they are going to do business with in the future.  Does this mean you ought to abandon e-mail?  No.  It just means that real estate agents should not assume that their future business wants to communicate this way.

NOTE: AddToAny is a maker of one of the most popular widgets that lets content sites provide their readers with an easy way to share stories across multiple social media sites.   I use the AddToAny widgets in the sidebar of this blog.

Related articles of interest:

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Is Your Net-Working?

March 17, 2009 Leave a comment

          
Networking has changed from when I first got into the real estate business over 25 years ago.  Back then, you wanted to stay in touch with people (i.e. future listings and sales) via telephone calls or personal visits with the goal that they would remember you when it came time to sell or buy real estate.  In addition, you were always asking the question, “Who do you know that could use the services of a professional real estate agent?”  While these tried and true techniques still apply today, they are enhanced and accentuated by the phenomenon of Social-Media Networking.  Click on the slide show below to get a better understanding of how Social-Media Networking can work for you.

HINT #1:  Before playing the slide show, click on the “Full Screen” icon in the lower right hand corner.  This will make the presentation easier to read (some of us need help with our eyesight.)

HINT #2:  Definitely click on the slide with the embedded video about Trader Joe’s.  What a catchy little tune.

HINT #3:  When you’re done with the slide show, hit the “Esc” key to return to this blog so you can read more cool stuff.

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