Real Estate Marketing with Instagram

Businesses haven’t really taken advantage of the perks and benefits that Instagram offers. This holds true especially for real estate marketing. Due to tough and highly competitive world of marketing homes and houses, having Instagram working for you will truly help. Here are three reasons why you should use Instagram for your business:

1. Post Photos of Homes for Sale at Lightning Speed.
   • Timing is everything and when you want to sell a house. Many experts believe that timing is everything if you want to make the perfect sale.
   • As long as you have a smartphone and a stable internet connection, you can post photos of houses for sale.
   • You can even play to the strengths of the house that you are selling and post photos pertaining to that using Instagram.
2. Let #Hashtags Work For You.
   • Hashtags (#) serve as a way to work around the lack of tags in microblogging and social networking websites.
   • If you want to get people to notice your photo, then it would be a good idea to attach various hashtags related to the home in your Instagram post.
   • Putting hashtags on posts will also give your company an advantage in terms of searchability.
3. Tag Your Location.
   • Placing the location where the home is located is also a great way of marketing a house.
   • The location that you place in your post can greatly boost the sale of your real estate.
   • Best of all, these location tags can easily be spotted when using social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter side-by-side with Instagram.

Not a lot of folks have seen how powerful Instagram can be especially when it comes to marketing and raising brand awareness. This photo sharing application and software has been making waves with a lot of different age groups ever since it picked up steam. We can’t blame them; after all, it lets us show other people the things we see and experience.

Summer Cleaning Your Real Estate Website

It’s already the end of Spring & beginning of summer, its never to late do your Spring Cleaning… on your website? It’s the perfect time of the year to update your content and decide whether you’d like to change up the look of your real estate website. An updated and well-maintained website keeps visitors coming back. We’re giving you 6 simple ways to fix up your website:

1. Once you’ve sold a property, update your listing on your website so visitors won’t get confused.
2. Post about new developments in your neighborhood such as new establishments opening or upcoming community events happening soon.
3. Don’t forget to add beautiful photos and well made virtual house tours of your updated listings.
4. Show newly added agents to your team by adding a photo of them and necessary info on your Agent roster page.
5. Updating your website doesn't have to be a complete overhaul. Simple things such as changing your websites color scheme or updating the photo slideshow on the homepage can do the trick.
6. It’s important your contact info listed on your website is updated or you might not be able to get in touch with great leads.

Spring Cleaning Your Real Estate Website

A Back-to-Basics Look on Photo Blogging for Real Estate Brokers

Photo blogging has been a great marketing tool for a while now. It’s a proven way of showing potential clients the property that you are offering. Established real estate marketers have can attest that photo blogging just doesn’t make their lives easier it also gets to the point.

Here are a few incredibly easy ‘back-to-basics’ tips for photo blogging for new and old real estate agents alike:

• Take Photos of the Good Stuff
  Since you’re selling a house, it would be a good idea to start off your photo blog by showcasing all the positive and unique aspects of the property that will attract buyers. If, for example, the property lies on a hill, take photos of the scenic view from the top of the hill. Better yet, take photos of the scenery while in the veranda or the deck. These small things may or may not mean a thing for the future property owner but it still gets people visiting your site.
• Use your Smartphone
  Put your smartphone’s dynamic features to work. Take photos with your phone and take advantage of the multiple photo editing apps to liven up your images. Then, post your images to your blog. Most blogs should have a mobile app or mobile version to easily allow you to add posts with images.
• Connect with Social Networks
  Take your blog or site traffic to the next level by syncing it with your existing social networks, such as Instagram, Twitter or Facebook. Instagram is an extremely popular photo app that attracts numerous users. Upload your photos to Instagram and share them on your blog, Facebook and Twitter for more exposure. Remember to add hashtags relative to your property photos so that people can find your images easily.

Happy 4th of July !

We would like to wish you all a Happy 4th of July!Thank you for reading our blog.

The Inman Team

Creating your Mobile Marketing Strategy

Make sure your website displays properly on a smartphone and tablet.  If it does not, adjust your strategy.  Either make your site “responsive” to the device on which it’s being viewed – OR – drive mobile traffic to your profile on another responsive site.  For example,advertisers of The Real Estate Book get a mobile optimized profile and the ability to create a free basic mobile website or an reasonably priced enhanced mobile site.

Use offline tools to drive traffic to your mobile site.  For example, a text or a QR code placed on a yard sign, brochure, a postcard, or an ad will stimulate traffic to your mobile site.  In 2012, advertising pages in The Real Estate Book generated over 300,000 text leads for advertisers. It’s clear that having a call to action placed locally drives response.

SMS text codes placed locally generate more local leads.  Think about your website and those who surf homes online.  You do not know their identity until they decide to register or request more information.  Consumers who have to text a code to see a property are giving you their phone numbers to text them back.   You know who they are right away.

If they text you, respond with a text.   The consumer has chosen their preferred method of communication.  Respect it.  If, after a few texts back and forth, things would be easier explained with a phone call, then call them.  It’s not that you should not call them.  You should just not call them first.  It can be seen as intrusive or pushy.  Instead, text and say, “Did you find the information you needed?  Would you like to know more?”

Mobile leads are leads, not sales.  Recently a local representative told me that not every text lead was converting to business for him.  Let’s set the expectation correctly.  It’s a lead, not a guaranteed sale – or even a conversation.  You still have to work to convert the lead into a conversation, a meeting, some showings, and, hopefully, a sale.  Not every lead you receive from any source always results in a sale.   Also consider that the prospect may be working with another agent and may have that agent set up the showing with you once they've determined their interest.  It may end up being a sale, but you might not be aware of the source of the interest.

Use your mobile marketing strategy in YOUR LISTING PRESENTATION.  In survey after survey, home sellers say that the most important service their agent can offer them is marketing their home to potential buyers.  Make sure they know that you are ahead of the curve when it comes to current marketing trends.  It will increase your credibility, your competitive edge, and your listings. When we put together our presentations for our potential clients, we always include about 3 or 4 pages with how we will market there home. The pages usually include the
 social media websites we use and what advertisements there home will be in. Be sure to specifically write the web address so your clients cant go check out your Facebook page, twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, Instagram, etc. And for the advertisements put in examples, like if you put homes in the Daily Breeze or DIGS magazine, be sure to bring them a copy of the latest issue with your Ad in it. 

Help Discouraged Buyers Stay on Track

Inventory continues to shrink in dozens of metro markets all around the country, creating a headache for buyers who are ready to jump into the market but can’t find the right place. In some cases, these buyers are turning to new construction as an alternative.

How do you keep buyers in the game when demand is outpacing supply? Here are some key steps:

Encourage Them to Get Pre-approved
For starters, get your buyers pre-approved before looking at houses. This is crucial, perhaps more than ever, because of the tight time frames homes are selling in. Encourage buyers to gather documentation they’ll need to submit for a pre-approval, and connect them with a trusted lender in your area to move the process in the right direction. And then—only after this key step is completed—start looking at properties.

Don’t Waste Any Time
If you or your buyers find a home that fits their needs today, you’ll want to get them in for a showing within 24 to 48 hours. Waiting until the weekend to look at a home they really like is not a good idea; the home could be sold by then. Similarly, if your clients see a home they love and want to write an offer, be ready to do so on the spot.

Write Strong Offers
Some buyers think they can still get away with making lowball offers and asking for the washer, dryer and a carpet allowance. With the return of bidding wars and multiple offers, buyers must be ready to present their highest and best offer, and they should ask for minimal concessions. If your buyers can afford to put down more earnest money and a larger down payment, they increase their odds of beating out the competition.

Keep Expectations Realistic
If your buyers are bound to a restrictive price range, don’t let them fall into the trap of reaching beyond their means, no matter how much they’d like to get into a home. Keep their expectations realistic, and advise them to walk away if the transaction simply doesn't work for them. They’ll thank you for it.

Save the Listing Agent’s Time
Listing agents are busy and under the gun to get homes sold. Be the best agent they’ve ever worked with by submitting an offer package complete with a pre-approval letter, a strong, well-written offer and any other supporting documentation that could help your buyers make an impression. Be concise, thorough and responsive, and your efforts could put your clients at the front of the pack if all other things are equal. When it comes down to it, your buyers may still have a tough time finding their dream home in a low-inventory market. New construction is a great alternative; cultivate relationships with local builders and preview some of the up-and-coming projects to familiarize yourself with what’s there. Builders will pay you a commission for bringing a buyer, making this equally beneficial for you and your clients.

Whether it’s a traditional resale or a new home, your knowledge, market expertise and
proactive approach can deliver exactly what your clients are looking for—even in a seller’s market. Above all, stay positive and encourage your buyers not to give up.

9 Ways to Make your Offer Irresistible to Sellers

1. Pay cash. Investors have been snapping up homes to flip or rent, and they usually come to the table with cash. Sellers love all-cash offers because they’re less likely to fall through before the sale closes. In January, all-cash transactions accounted for 28% of existing home sales, according to the National Association of Realtors. Cities currently attracting strong investor interest include Atlanta, Detroit, Las Vegas and Phoenix, reports CoreLogic. If you need a mortgage, a low appraisal could cause your bank to back out of the deal, forcing the sellers to put the house back on the market.

2. Get preapproved. If you can’t pay cash, you’ll need to get a mortgage. Three or four months before you shop for a home, check your credit reports, says Michael Corbett, a consultant to real estate Web site Trulia and author of Before You Buy! That will give you time to dispute any errors and take short-term steps, such as paying off debts, that will improve your credit score. You can get your reports once a year free from the three major credit bureaus at www.annualcreditreport.com. Then get a bank’s pre-approval. It won’t guarantee that you’ll get a loan, but it will show sellers that a lender has verified your income and credit score and determined that you can afford payments on a mortgage for a certain amount.

3. Make your best offer on price. You may only have one shot to get it right, so make your best offer—what you’re willing and able to pay. Base your offer on recent sale prices of com­parable properties in the neighborhood so that it will pass muster when the property is appraised. If you hold back, thinking you’ll sweeten the offer on the second try, you may lose the property to another buyer.

4. Up the ante. You can add an escalator clause, with which you agree to ratchet up your offer if there’s a higher bid from another buyer. Keep in mind that if you agree to pay more than the market value determined by an appraisal, you’re on the hook for the difference from your own funds.

5. Beef up your earnest money. This deposit signals how serious a buyer you are. Try doubling the amount that the seller requests or that is customary in the area. If you must renege on the offer for any reason allowed by the contract or state law, you’ll get your money back.

6. Pay for extras yourself. These might include some of the closing costs, homeowners association dues that must be prepaid, a one-time contribution to a community-enhancement fund, or a home warranty.

7. Make contingencies palatable. Most sellers prefer offers with no contingencies, but you probably can’t afford to forgo the protection that contingencies provide if you want to cancel the contract. Offset a financing contingency with preapproval and a strong earnest money deposit. If you have enough cash, temper an appraisal contingency by assuring sellers that if the appraisal comes in lower than the purchase price, you’ll pay the difference or split it with them (up to a certain amount). Include a home-inspection contingency, but tell sellers that you will cover the cost of any repairs. If the price tag on those repairs gets out of hand, you can back out of the deal.

8. Write a love letter to the sellers. Re/Max agent Gayle Henderson, of Scottsdale, Ariz., says this will help you connect with the sellers, especially if you haven’t met them. She suggests such points as: "We’re relocating from..." "We see ourselves living in your neighborhood or chose your schools because..." "We especially love..." and "We appreciate your accommodating our visits."

9. Give the gift of time. Express your willingness to work with the sellers’ timetable to go to closing. If the sellers want to remain in the home for a while after closing, offer them a "lease back" or "rent back," which means that you will be their temporary landlord. This is a legal arrangement, and you’ll need to work out the details with your agents and be sure that the sellers keep their homeowners insurance during their stay. If you are bidding on a short sale, make clear to the sellers that you are patient and can wait for the bank’s decision.

Read more at http://www.kiplinger.com/article/real-estate/T010-C000-S002-make-your-home-offer-irresistible-to-sellers.html#5qjijkg2xcTt5RHe.99