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From Realtor.com

According to a NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® survey of 3,793 adults conducted by Harris Interactive and released in January 2011, home owners and renters agree that home ownership benefits individuals and families, strengthens our communities, and is integral to our nation’s economy.

Here you’ll find highlights from the research report plus easy ways to share the information.

Among the findings of NAR’s “American Attitudes About Homeownership” survey:

* The vast majority of both home owners and renters say that owning a home is a smart decision over the long term. Even in today’s challenging economy, 95% of owners and 72% of renters believe that over a period of several years, it makes more sense to own a home.

* Home owners are much more likely to be satisfied with the quality of their family and community life than renters. While more than half of owners (56%) are “very” or “extremely” satisfied with the overall quality of their family life, only about one-third (36%) of renters report the same levels of satisfaction. Also, 43% of home owners are “very” or “extremely” satisfied with their community life, compared with 30% of renters.

* An overwhelming majority of home owners are happy with their decision to own a home. A full 93% of owners surveyed would buy again.

* Most renters aspire to home ownership. The majority of renters (63%) say they are at least somewhat likely to purchase a home at some point in the future. Among them, young adults (18- to 24-years-old) have the strongest aspirations for home ownership.

The survey also confirmed that home owners and renters continue to have concerns about the economy:

* In today’s market, many aspiring home owners face worries about job security and credit worthiness. Among renters who are “very” or “extremely” likely to buy a home in the future, three out of five consider confidence in job security or creditworthiness to be an obstacle.

* Home owners and renters both believe that the mortgage interest deduction should not be targeted for change. 74% of owners and 62% of renters say it’s “extremely” or “very” important that the MID remain in place.

Given the strong public support of and aspirations for owning a home, we need to keep in place policies that support and encourage responsible, sustainable home ownership.

You have posted on your blog. It’s all ready to go. Now what?

You need your blog seen. Post on your Twitter, Facebook Business Page, LinkedIn and ActiveRain accounts.

If you haven’t done so yet, you need to sign up for all of them. They are free (on the most part). ALL will point back to your website. And that is a very very good thing.

Once you have set up your Social Media Accounts, you will need the icons and their links inserted on your website, email signature, blog and pretty much anything you send out showing they can find you there and either follow you, join you, link to you or like you. These are people who now will be FOLLOWING YOU and what you write. Oh, sure there will be people you have never met before and out of your area who start following you, but they are just there for the number count. You do not have to acknowledge them – you don’t have to follow back…. they will get lost in your numbers. But there are some who will start following who you will want to follow. Tip: Write a quick thank you note for them following.

I suggest creating an igoogle home page for your computer desktop. This is a WONDERFUL and is an action packed home page in which you can have your Twitter and Facebook feeds go right onto your home page. You are constantly and instantly updated. You can also have these stream into your smart phone, but sometimes you can get a bit overwhelmed by what streams in. FOLLOW influential, knowledgeable people and companies with rss feeds.

Who should you follow on your igoogle home page?

The National and your Local Realtor(r) Association

Jeffrey Gitomer

Seth Godin

ThinkBigWorkSmall

BildaBetterBusiness

Your Coaching Matters

for just a few ideas ….

And any other organization who has good interesting and relevant content.

To follow them, type their name in the Twitter or Facebook search bar. Go to their page, click on “Follow” or “Like”. And that’s it. You’ll be following them and their information will start streaming into your feeds.

If you do land on a site where the information is quite interesting, look for the rss feed. Click on this icon and it will direct you to a page which asks if you want it on your igoogle page or google reader. Opt for your igoogle. Then whenever the content on that (blog posts usually) are updated, it will immediately stream on your igoogle page. I like to rss feed from different news sources especially in the area of where my clients are.  You can also stream locally.

By following several on FaceBook and Twitter, you’ll be up to date with what is going on and have great ideas for your posts. You can also post comments and get into conversations, linking back to your website for even more Search Engine Optimization.

Invite your database to follow you. SUPER easy way to keep them updated. DO NOT POST LISTINGS TO THEM USING YOUR BLOG OR SOCIAL MEDIA!!! That is a SURE way to have them leave you. They want information. If they wanted listings, they can go to your website and search the MLS.

QR codes are being hyped as the “next big thing” for connecting prospects to your marketing, according to several tech experts during the California Association of REALTORS® Expo in Anaheim this week.

So what are they and what can you do with them? QR codes, which resemble a store’s barcode, can be added into your marketing materials, such as on your flyers, brochures, or signs. Others can then scan and snap a photo of the code using their smartphone’s QR code reader app, which is basically available on any phone. The code reader transcribes the code and then instantly sends the encoded materials and information to that person’s phone.

For example, say you had a QR code on your business card that contains all of your contact information. When a person takes a photo of that QR code using the app, she will instantly receive all of your contact information on her smartphone, never having to input a thing. Your contact information would automatically be added to her address book.

Admittedly, it’s hardly a must-have tool, but if you’re looking for a way to spice up your marketing, particularly among your more tech savvy prospects, you might try it out. It’s easy to make your own QR code too. Just Google “QR code generator,” and you’ll find plenty of vendors. You just plug in your URL or text and then you’ll instantly receive a code to use in your marketing. Or you can just go straight to Clikbrix to access a solution designed especially for real estate purposes.

I have other sources to get these codes and includes many other great marketing tools included. Call me today for more details.

ALSO!! other great ways to use the QR code are:

• on your listing sheets (buyers can take a photo of the QR code with their smart phone and immediately send it on)
  
• on your Open House fliers
• On your Listing Postcards
• On your Yard Sign (have it printed on magnetic vinyl and stick it on your sign)
• Make individual business cards of the house with the home picture, QR code and your information – give to your sellers to hand out.
• And the list goes on and on.

Don’t want to do this all by yourself??? Give me a call. I can help.

How much would you pay to reach potential clients searching for homes in YOUR area? It’s all what we’re pouring advertising dollars into, right? Just how much are you paying right now to accomplish that?

For one online presence, it doesn’t have to cost a THING!

Realtor.com has a “Find a Realtor” search (which I just noticed the link is now at the top of the page – YEAH and about time!) I am AMAZED how many agents are not taking advantage of this FREE advertising – it’s web based and free for the taking. And with 90+% of potential clients searching on the web – you need to be taking advantage of it. Check yourself out – Is your information even there or are you a gray silhouette?

How about your local MLS and State Realtor Association websites? Is your information up to date? Is it there?

What if your information is on these sites – is YOUR website listed? or your company’s? Do the links work? Are you User Friendly or do the viewers have to really work to get your information? Is the contact information up to date? Do the sites have your current photo? Does the information brag up your services, or is it the generic crap of “I really work hard for my clients! Service is my top priority! Blah blah blah”.

It doesn’t take much to post or update your information and get it done today. What do you have to loose? It’s free!

What one agent or company is your nemesis? Arch-rival? Opponent? Who is that one agent you would either like to emulate or do better than?

I know you aren’t motivated by that little green monster, but who’s getting the business in your area? Okay …. break them down.

What do they have that you don’t?

What are they using that you aren’t?

If they are indeed getting more business than you are, why?

• Do they pop out from the crowd of real estate agents in the area? Are they more recognizable? Branded?
• Do they have a better system of staying in front of they client base creating more loyalty?
• Are they accessible to their clients? Do they answer the phone, return phone calls promptly, answer emails immediately or are proactive in getting updates before the clients ask? Are they easy to do business with?
• Do they have the marketing programs to get the listings out to the public?
• Do they have their own website and Social Media program instead of just using a web page from their company for their website.
• Do they give more value to their clients? Are they a resource?
• Are they more visible than you are?
• What do you think it is?

You know you have the right stuff to be the Top Agent in your Market, but you may not know how to implement. Don’t reinvent the wheel – get some help – there is a lot of free information on Realtor.com / Realtor.org – your broker – and multiple blogs. However, there is a much faster way and I can help you with that.

Get going today – be that Agent everyone is envying – turn the tables so others want to emulate you.

If you ARE the agent others are envious of, GOOD JOB! Keep up the SUPER WORK! But if you need assistance because you are so busy, let me know. I can help.