How many bad predictions do we need to read (hopefully not rely on) before we decide that there must be a better way to prepare for our future? How did the following turn out? Did they help you prepare?

“It may be too soon to say that it’s over. It may not be too soon to say that the worst is over”, said former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan in an October 2006 speech.

In a November 2006 speech, his successor Ben Bernanke said he saw some “encouraging” signs in recent housing reports.”

Continue Reading »

Comments & Trackbacks (1) | Permalink

If you are an avid Gmail user, you may have noticed a new tab, Buzz, alongside your Inbox, Sent, and Draft labels in the lefthand column. Buzz is essentially Google’s version of a Social Network.

According to Google, Google Buzz helps you start conversations about the things you find interesting. It allows you to post status updates, share photos and comment on other people’s activity. (If you have used FriendFeed, Google Buzz is very similar.) Google Buzz also has a nifty social integration tool, which allows you to link Google Buzz with your Twitter, Picasa, YouTube & Google Reader.

How can Google Buzz be helpful to Real Estate Agents?

Google Buzz can be especially valuable to real estate agents who primarily use Gmail as their main email address. Once you are signed into Gmail, Buzz automatically suggests that you begin to follow the contacts you already have in your Gmail contact list. If you have been using Gmail as a main email address, you could literally have hundreds of leads and clients in your contact list. By ‘following’ those contacts, you will be allowed to see and comment on their status updates, photo uploads and all other activity they share.

For more information on Google Buzz, check out these “5 Buzz Tips” from the Gmail Blog.

Comments & Trackbacks (0) | Permalink

There is still time to sign up for the FREE Efficiency Maine Certification Program Course being held in Brewer on Tuesday, February 23! The class is being held from 1:30 PM - 4:30 PM at Jeff’s Catering, 15 Littlefield Drive in Brewer.

As professionals in Maine’s real estate industry, we are in a position to point consumers to accurate information and resources provided by Efficiency Maine(administered by the Maine Public Utilities Commission). Your instructor Bill Childs is a certified building analyst with 20 years of experience in the construction and energy auditing fields. You will experience first hand how Bill conducts an energy audit using a blower door, infrared camera, and other tools of the trade. Upon completion of the class you will earn the designation of Efficiency Maine Real Estate Specialist.

If you are unable to make this course, click here to see a list of other available times and locations.

Comments & Trackbacks (0) | Permalink

Yesterday we showed you how to export your contact list out of Top Producer. Today, we’ll show you how to upload your contact database to Facebook and start connecting to past, current and potential clients.

Continue Reading »

Comments & Trackbacks (0) | Permalink

It’s Tech Tip Tuesday! In the past few weeks, I’ve worked with several new clients who are eager to get started in Social Media. Besides actually setting up the profiles, the next most important thing is adding friends and connecting to people you already have in your network. My recommendation to get started is to use the contacts in your existing email database. Since many of my clients use Top Producer, I thought it might be a good idea to give you instructions on how to export your contact database from Top Producer 8i into a CSV file so you can then use it to connect with your contacts in Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter.

Continue Reading »

Comments & Trackbacks (1) | Permalink

Albert Einstein once said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”.

Is this what you are doing with your real estate career? It’s a new year and you have new business goals, but how are you going to achieve those goals? Are you going to do the same things you did last year and hope that this year brings better rewards or are you committed to doing things differently this year? If you are (and we hope you are), we encourage you to join us in Portsmouth, NH on March 3, 2010 for a free preview class of the Real Estate Sales Advantage Course brought to you by The Real Estate Learning Group and The Dale Carnegie Institute.

The full eight week course starts on March 25th and is designed to help you increase your confidence, sharpen your skills, and have fun while you learn. Our past students have seen a dramatic +350% increase in their business as a result.

For more information check out this quick intro video about the Real Estate Sales Advantage class. Follow us on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.

Comments & Trackbacks (0) | Permalink

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!

Comments & Trackbacks (1) | Permalink