What Is Web 2.0? Teaser Trailer

Here is a little teaser of Web 2.0. You can look for a post from me very shortly about Web 2.0 and how real estate professionals should be embracing it.

"De-Mythtifying" Internet Voodoo

You will hear me constantly talk about how most of the agents I talk to don't know how they can harness Web 2.0 for their business. They are constantly being "mythtified" by the voodoo talk of most internet marketers and web developers. I am really excited about the trend I am about to start spearheading in the local real estate community for the proliferation of knowledge. I believe that the more educated real estate professionals we have, the better everyone will be served!

Putting information into the hands of real estate professionals will drastically improve the quality of service those professionals can provide to their clients, and it will cause business service providers to step up their game in what they promise to deliver to real estate professionals and lower the price they charge for it. Do you like the sound of that?

The tools and resources that I will be sharing with the real estate community is not something that will be mastered overnight, but neither will it take a great deal of effort to understand. Besides, my firm belief is that if real estate professionals see how something will help them improve the value they provide their clients then they will do everything they can to learn it. With just a little seed of knowledge and a few drops of persistent action, the tipping point of real estate professionals as a corporate body embracing the changes of the internet will begin to be rapidly accelerated towards.

If you ever hear about something and you're not sure what it's all about...bring it to my attention...and you'll have an answer that empowers you to improve your real estate practice.

Coming Changes in 2007!

2006 was the year I started my affiliation with Ubertor and started working with real estate agents in the Northwest. A little rocky at first; learning all the ins and outs… Becoming more knowledgeable about what resources are available… Forging alliances with various agents and brokers… Becoming more aware of what real estate professionals need… It was definitely a learning experience. Going into 2007, some of my closest colleagues and I have high expectations…well, I have high expectations. What’s happening in the real estate industry, while perhaps not earth-shatteringly revolutionary, is still ground breaking and what gets me is that literally 90% of the agents I talk to have no clue! I am really excited for the growth in knowledge amongst the real estate community coming this year and I am even more excited to be part of creating that movement! Some of the biggest changes to my revamped approach in ’07 will be:

Training and Educational Workshops. Yes, I’ve done this before but on a limited scale. This year, I am going to be doing it regularly in real estate offices all over the Northwest and at public libraries. The training is going to be related to Ubertor and the amazing website system they have developed. The educational workshops are going to be aimed at making real estate agents aware of exactly what Web 2.0 is and what they are missing out on by not taking it seriously and harnessing it. I am looking forward to the rapid spread and growth of the information as an increasing number of agents start to become aware of all the ineffective internet marketing techniques that are constantly marketed to them. It’s time that real estate agents start understanding what is possible and what they can expect, even demand, from internet marketers and not get duped anymore by “mythical lingo” about how the internet works. It’s simpler than the average person realizes, to become effective. I am not saying gurus will be created, but I am definitely going to see to it that the number of effective real estate agents on the internet starts growing very rapidly.

Blog! You are on it right now, so obviously it’s working! I show agents how to do this for their business…why not do it for my own message? It can only make me better at what I already do.

Quarterly Networking Events. These will be designed for real estate professionals looking to expand their network with other like minded pros. “Like minded” meaning: Understanding that you are both embracing the internet and using it or are ignoring it and being left behind.

These are 3 main transformations to my approach in getting value to the real estate community. It’s going to be exciting to see how it is received and nurturing the growth process. The next 90 Days are going to be critical!

Web 2.0 Education Reformation Coming!

I am back from vacation! It was a blast! I really needed it. Thanks for being loyal and plugging into my blog while I was away. As you can see, my website itself has been gutted and is going through a drastic change; guess what? my entire business platform is going through a drastic change! While away on vacation, I got a chance to free up my mind of a few ruts and when I came back...I have been seeing things in a different light.

Some of the biggest changes that you will notice is that training is going to be a lot more consistent and on a regular basis. My message is rapidly growing and changing...I am so excited about my new approach that I can't wait to see this explode and grow like wild fire! I will be in talks with members of Ubertor, Zillow, Beyond Search, Redfin, and Google to name a few, in researching beyond even where my resources and educational abilities currently stand. The new approach is "Web 2.0 Reformation". Upcoming blogs you can look forward to very shortly are "Myspace: Why is it worth $450,000,000.00?" and "Web 2.0: How does it matter to Real Estate Agents".

I am looking for feedback...so if something catches your attention, e-mail me about it. This is about Reformation in the way business practice is approached. I need your feedback so that I can know what kind of research is helping you reach your goals; and I can research further into those topics!

Give me a call if you have questions or suggestions and you can look forward to the beginning of a fantastic new year. We are going to reach new levels and breakthrough to bigger heights than ever before!

Real Estate Marketing: 3 Commonly Overlooked Methods

It doesn't matter whether, as a real estate agent, you are a beginning rookie or a seasoned veteran; marketing is the one and only way to create your business. Real estate agents have to make sure that they have a well balanced approach to their business; because just like any entrepreneur, they are responsible for the boom or bust of their livelihood. 3 commonly underestimated marketing methods are:

Effective Business Card Design: Your business card is an extension of the professional image you work so hard to project when you are interacting with clients; so is it undermining that image when you are not around? As it is commonly quoted, "God is in the details". It is the only way that a prospective buyer or seller has of remembering you and you want to make sure that when they see your card it matches up with your in-person impression! For a great breakdown of what your business card should look like, check out Effective Business Card Design for Realtors.

Are Your Home Sales Flyers Up to Par? Obviously every agent is using a sales flyer; but they just regard it as a piece of paper with facts and then they start looking for the "Great Big Marketing Idea"! If you want the Big Idea than watch Donny Deutch present it during primetime tv. If you want increased closings than stop overlooking what is right in front of you. You can go the library and pick up a book on marketing that would probably give you bunch of great ideas...in the meantime you can check out Create a Sizzling Home Sales Flyer to get a great start!

Real Estate Website: Do your eyes glaze over or do you get scared when you hear this? Bill Gates was quoted earlier as saying that "In about 5 - 10 years there will be two kinds of businesses: those on the internet and those that don't exist". Real estate agents are not some people out doing something to make some money...They are bonafied business entrepreneurs who are creating a brand: Themselves! Now I understand that getting a real estate website can be a daunting task, but it doesn't have to be! I personally have found a great vehicle for agents called Ubertor that, and get this, each and every agent that I have worked with has gotten on the system! If you want to know more than feel free to contact me through the "Contact Me" page on my site. In the meantime, Real Estate Website Success Killer #1: Are You Unwilling to Fail? provides a list of great insights into the importance of harnessing a website as a marketing tool.

So there you have it gang; those three methods are much too often overlooked. Just like when building a home you need to make sure that the foundation is solid; when you are a real estate agent your business needs to be built on excellent marketing and you have to make sure that you don't overlook details so that you don't fall into a season of bust! Dig your well before you are thirsty and a refreshing drink will always be a simple transaction away.