Yesterday I came across this article about how to use social networks like LinkedIn & Facebook to increase lead conversion. As a Social Marketing Consultant, I’m always open to new ways to use these social networks in all facets of business. However, the method discussed in this article, seemed a little too aggressive for my taste.

The article suggests that once you receive a lead, that you attempt to locate the individual on Facebook or LinkedIn and send them a quick message saying something like:

Hi Robin,

I saw you were searching for Memphis homes on my real estate site. I wanted to connect with you personally and learn more about what you’re searching for and your needs.

Best
Realtor Bob

As a broker, I can see why one would use this approach, you want to immediately connect with this lead and strike while the iron is hot. As a buyer, however, I personally would be turned off…it seems a little stalker-ish and desperate to me. An agent would have to go out of his way to take my information, go to a social network (or many of them) and search my name, weed through the ones that share my name, find me, then send me a message? If I left my phone number or email, why wouldn’t he just contact me using one of those methods?

To further prove my point, the article goes on to say that the method gets a relatively low response rate, only 25% of leads accept a friend request on LinkedIn and 10-15% on Facebook.

What do you think? Is this desperate or an acceptable way to nurture your leads using Social Networking? Comment away!

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Blogging can be hard. After a long day of showing homes, writing contracts and answering emails, the last thing you want to be doing is coming up with something ‘creative‘ to blog about.

Don’t despair I’m here to give you an idea. Think about your day…did any of your clients ask you a question? Of course they did! Home buyers and sellers are full of questions for their real estate agents. Take one of those questions and turn it into a blog post. Chances are, if your clients asked you that question, someone else on the web has the same one,  and when they go searching for the answer, they’ll find your blog.

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Google Yourself! Go ahead…do it! I’ll wait.

What comes up? Are you dominating the top 10 results for your own name? If not, then you should pay close attention to this blog post. I’m about to give you the top 10 social networking profiles that you should set up in order to start ranking for your name and start being found in Google.

The following sites all have fantastic ranking power in Google:

1. Facebook
2. Twitter
3. LinkedIn
4. ActiveRain
5. Naymz
6. Trulia
7. Zillow
8. Google Profile
9. Flickr
10. YouTube

As a real estate agent, I’m sure a good portion of your leads are coming from past clients or referrals. I am here to tell you that the first thing most people do when they get a recommendation is go to the internet to do a little investigative research. Prospective clients want to that you exist and what your credentials are. Setting up these profiles, will allow them to find you, see what you look like and also get familiar with what you have to offer.

What are you waiting for? Go ahead and get started!

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There I was, using my computer as I do many times a day to do all kinds of business critical things like work on the company business projects, send and receive dozens of important communications by e-mail and other tasks that if done on paper, I would certainly file away for safe keeping.  Then I get a message saying:

“1720 – S.M.A.R.T. Hard Drive detects imminent failure.  Please back up contents of the hard drive.” 

OK, I think, kind of like getting a chest pain; a little scary but probably not serious. 

I then consider that it has been a while since I backed up my files.  When was the last time?  Hmmmmm, it was July!   I’d been meaning to do it.  It was on my calendar.  I’d just been carrying it forward day after day till today.  Well clearly, today is the day.  Now I need to take immediate action. 
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The Sales Agent license is an entry-level license that allows you to acquire on-the-job training and experience while you complete the requirements for an Associate Broker license. The license is valid for two years and is not renewable.
To qualify for a Sales Agent license, you must:

• Complete the 55 hour Sales Agent Course
• with a grade of 75% or above
• Pass the Pearson VUE (formerly Promissor) Maine sales agent examination with a score of 75% or above
• Apply to the Maine Real Estate Commission
Consult the State of Maine Real Estate Candidate Handbook for complete details.
The Real Estate Learning Group offers both the Sales Agent Course and the Sales Agent Exam Prep Class. Click the link for either class to see dates and locations near you!
Is there a way to get my license without driving to class and sitting in a classroom for 55 hours?
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For those of you who are unfamiliar with a Real Estate Bar Camp, it is essential a day long workshop filled with short seminars about Real Estate technology, marketing practices and networking events. A great chance for you to sharpen your skills and network with others in the industry. Perhaps, the best part about a Real Estate Bar Camps is that they are usually free and supported mainly by Sponsors.

Who attends a Real Estate Bar Camp?

Anyone with a vested interest in learning more about the real estate industry. Real estate agents, mortgage brokers, loan officers, marketing professionals and bloggers are all welcome at Real Estate Bar Camps.

When is the next Real Estate Bar Camp?

Upcoming Bar Camps include:

• Virtual Bar Camp on January 4th

• REBarCamp NYC on January 12th

Fore more information about Real Estate Bar camps visit www.rebarcamp.com

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Did you know that there are 29 pre-written templates created for your use in MREIS?
We are familiar with a “Property for you” but there are several more.  Here are a few examples:
“Client Listing Search”
“Your open house confirmation”
“Thanks for your inquiry”
“Let me introduce myself”
“First time owner”
“For sale by owner”
“Buyer open house announcement”
“After sale follow-up”
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I just watched the video, “My Mom is on Facebook” and it got me thinking about the ways that people share information on Facebook. Some people remain conservative with the information they put on Facebook while others use it like a personal diary. If you have been on Facebook long enough and have an extended network of friends and family at one time or another you’ve probably caught someone ‘oversharing’.

While it is true that Facebook is personal, those who are also using it to build a personal brand and legitimate business leads should be careful about what type of information they are sharing on social networking sites.

Here are 3 questions to ask yourself before updating your status or uploading a photo:

1. Is this information I would feel comfortable discussing with a large group?
2. Will anyone find this offensive?
3. Is this providing value?

A quick hitlist of topics you probably don’t want to discuss on Facebook are: relationships, drinking/partying habits, or how much you hate your job. These topics are best kept to the confines of an intimate conversation with your friends. Remember..your mom (or potential clients) could be reading your updates. Play it safe.

Become a fan of The Real Estate Learning Group on Facebook

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Hate paying $1.75 or more to use 411 on your cell phone to get a business phone number? This service from Google allows users to search businesses in the US and Canada and get connected for free. Dial 1-800-GOOG-411 from any phone, speak your city and state or enter your zip code. Goog411 will list off your options and connect you to your chosen business category for free.
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After reading this article, you might just start finding the time.

Let me share with you some statics from the report published last month from the National Association of Realtors.

* Buyers use a wide variety of resources in searching for a home: 90 percent use the Internet.

* Eight out of 10 home buyers who used the Internet to search for a home purchased through a real estate agent.

* 43 percent of buyers relied on referrals to find an agent, while 18 percent of repeat buyers used an agent from a previous transaction.

* 64 percent of sellers chose their agent based on a referral.

* Eighty-one percent of sellers are likely to use the same agent again or recommend to others.

Still think you don’t have time to blog???
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