t’s the beginning of a hectic week. Your long time client is finally prepared to write an offer and have asked you to put the paperwork together. They are due at the office by 11 a.m. to sign. The inspection report of your current transaction was mailed electronically and you must download it, print it and prepare a request for repairs by noon for your second client’s review. Your third customer left you a voice mail about two homes that became available on the MLS over the weekend and your further research before they decide which one to purchase. Prepared and focused, you set your steaming cup of coffee at your desk, crack over your daily planner and press the ‘start’ button of your personal computer. Then, as if struck by an invisible wall, the slow and agonizing churn of your hard drive reminds you that you will need to wait at least 15 minutes before the tired Windows 95 operating system wakes up from its deep slumber and an additional 5 minutes away from finding a viable internet connection through your ‘blazing’ dial up modem. Sadly, you have spent the first frustrating hour of your day powering up an outdated computer, wasting precious time, hurting your productivity and worst of all: becoming an obsolete REALTOR® in the process. So you decide to do something about the situation. It is time to upgrade to a new computer. Now your challenge is to decide what your budget is and what type of computer to buy.
A basic rule of thumb when purchasing technology is to buy as much of it as possible. With computers growing in processing power every week, there is never a perfect time to buy. In my opinion, unless you have specialized needs, you shouldn’t spend over $1,500 on a new computer. If your are buying a personal computer, other wise known as a pc or desktop computer, this budget should include peripherals like a monitor, basic printer and in some cases a webcam. With that being said, I don’t recommend desktops for REALTORS®. Mobility and ease of use is our advantage and you can’t accomplish that with a 30 pound computer. Therefore, a lap top system is your best bet. It allows Real Estate professionals the ability to ‘set up shop’ anywhere and provide ‘on-the-spot’ services.
What brand of lap top should you buy and what software should you purchase with it? My experience with different lap tops leads me to recommend the Toshiba brand. As my every day computer, I have found this system to be a reliable and powerful. It has been able to handle major programs running simultaneously with very few glitches. With regards to software, Microsoft Office including Publisher is a must. This will typically add $500 to your computer budget but its well worth the price since you will be using these programs nearly everyday. Be aware that most advertisements in the newspaper promote computers for $400.00. But these deals do not usually include the Office programs. As I said, you shouldn’t spend more that $1,500 for a basic computer system.
Some may ask about PCs versus Macs or Vista versus XP? At this time, I don’t feel that Macs provide the tools that REALTORS® need for every day business. They are wonderful computers with dozens of neat utilities, but unfortunately, they are not up to the task at this time. As for Vista? Yes it has some glitches but not enough to detract me from purchasing it. I love XP and I’ll keep using it as long as possible, but conversion to Vista is inevitable. Besides, for everyday use, it is an intuitive operating system that is easy to navigate and learn. Most Real Estate agents should have no problem with it.
So there you have it. My pick is a Toshiba lap top with a Vista operating system that includes the Microsoft Office suite including Publisher for under $1,500.00. Hugo Torres is the General Manager of CENTURY 21 Adams & Barnes Monrovia and a member of AAR’s Tech Committee. To learn more about Hugo or to read more technology oriented articles, e-mail him at tech@hugotorrres.com or visit his website at www.HUGOTORRES.com
THE MAGIC OF MARKETING AT YOUR FINGERTIPS
A property flier can be so much more than a set of bullet points outlining the square footage or bedroom count of a home for sale. With a little imagination, good knowledge of a publishing application and great photos, an agent can create (in-house) Property Marketing Materials that strike immediate interest about the home and the professional behind the listing. In my work, I have found the Microsoft Publisher is a wonderful ‘all-in-one’ application that can create professional results in a relatively short period of time. My goal is to share with you, some of the main functions of Publisher so that you can begin to inject some ‘zing’ to your property marketing notices. I guarantee you that your clients (sellers) will appreciate it and in time create a wonderful portfolio of homes you have listed and/or sold.
So where do you find Publisher? Well, it is likely that if you own a newer laptop of personal computer (PC) with Microsoft Office Small Business 2007 installed, then you already have the program in your system. Simply browse your ‘Start Menu” and look within the Microsoft Office folder for the Publisher option. Once open, you will find that the program will automatically load a series of templates that can quickly create countless publications for print. Amongst these are Brochures, Calendars, Fliers, Envelopes, Business Cards and many other items Realtors® find useful. I encourage you at the beginning to use these templates to create simple design fliers. Often, the system will have obvious icons and tutorials that will show you how to bring in digital photos, brokerage logos, text, numbers or graphs to your flier. In addition, I often create a folder in my computer that houses all the graphics that I use on a continuous basis.
Once you have mastered the use of templates then the real fun and creativity begins. Start creating your own templates and build a look for yourself. But remember these basic marketing facts when you create your masterpieces.
Bullet points ‘loose’ readership in fliers. Using paragraphs that describe the home often resonate better with likely buyers.
One large quality photo of the home is better then many small photos that are hard to view.
Stick to one (1) font. Sometimes, having too many choices is a bad thing. Stick to a font that is easy to read and don’t change fonts throughout your work.
Don’t be shy. Many Realtors® hide their photo or make small. Remember that these are marketing pieces designed to not only attract buyers to the home but also to feature you as a professional.
Have a call to action. Remember to guide people to call you TODAY.
Don’t forget Corporate Disclosures. As your broker what are hers/his requirements on Marketing Materials.
To learn more about Microsoft Publisher and what it can do to your business and brand, please join the Tech Committee on Feb. 22 at the Arcadia Association for Tech Thursday. If you have any questions and/or comments, please write to hugot@century21.com
WEB MARKETING & TODAY'S REALTOR
Have you ever spent hours licking envelopes? Are the soles of your shoes worn from the wear and tear of door knocking? Has your wallet grown weary of the rising cost of newspaper advertisements? If you’re like most Realtors® today, all these activities are part of a marketing plan that (over time) creates a brand name which will generate sales and produce income. Among the drawbacks of these and other older practices is that they are expensive and time consuming. Because of this, several Real Estate agents are taking advantage of on-line advertising to reach their target audience. By adding a web campaign to the more traditional methods of Real Estate marketing , this new flock of net savvy Realtors® are addressing the needs of consumers who feel ‘at home’ on-line and use this tool to sell, buy and refer.
A core component of an effective Web Marketing campaign is the Personal Website. Consider this your billboard on the net superhighway that is available to review 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. An effective web site is a lead generator and a resource for consumers. Your site must be easy to find, contain relevant and up to date information and gather statistics for you about the persons visiting it. Often during my travels on-line, I find that agents have sites that don’t address a need or compile data. Therefore I don’t feel prompted to call them or use them. Take into account that with the myriad of sites available to consumers, if you have failed to make an impression on someone it is unlikely that they will ever return to your site. You have lost an opportunity! Therefore, set a day in the week where you review your site and update it. Make sure that you content, data, photos, logos, links, contact information are all current and easily located on your pages.
Once you have completed you site, you must then use traditional advertising to promote it. Have you ever heard of Yahoo, E-Harmony or Overstock.com? These are web based companies who advertise on television and magazines to draw consumers to their site. Make sure that your sign riders, e-mails, business cards, fliers and any other media that you typically use have your site mentioned. A consumer may not always be able to reach you on the phone, but nothing stops them from pulling up your site during the evening and e-mailing you a question or need.
Recently, blogging and Social Networking sites like MySpace, Facebook, Yahoo 360, MiGente and others have given Realtors® another inexpensive web advertising solution. Blogs are on-line journals that professionals use to disseminate information and mine for leads. I have witnessed several agents who have obtained viable consumer request through these pages. Again, relevant and up to date information is the key to their successes. Always check with your Broker for their on-line advertising standards since you do not want to put effort on a page or site that will need to come down due to non-compliance. The World Wide Web has and will continue to change the Real Estate industry. Realtors® who are on top of the on-line needs of consumers will have an advantage in years to come. By supplementing internet marketing techniques with more conventional approaches I believe that Agents can thrive in any market. After all, who wants to give up the sweet taste of envelope glue?
Hugo Torres is the General Manager for CENTURY 21 Adams & Barnes / Monrovia. He is a member of the Arcadia Association of Realtors® Tech Committee and has a working knowledge of Real Estate data management systems, Web Marketing, Transaction Coordination systems, Winforms, Graphic Design and is currently earning an E-Pro designation. To learn more about Hugo and/or to read more articles written by Mr. Torres, visit www.hugotorres.com or e-mail him at articles@hugotorres.com
WRANGLING DATA & CLOSING DEALS / BUILDING DATABASES
Today’s REALTOR® can not thrive in our modern sales environment if he or she is unable to build, maintain and grow a relevant consumer database. Today’s Real Estate prospect has a growing list of resources from which to draw knowledge from and with an abundant flow of mailers, e-mail spam and shear size of the internet it is easy for the average Real Estate professional to get lost amongst the herd. It follows then, that those who wish to make a true impact in our field must use simple but consistent systems that will help us develop true ‘consumer farms’ that deliver profitable results.
Developing a great Database takes patience, time and a core philosophy. Typically, I see incoming sales professionals order lists and data from various sources with very little thought given to the relevancy of the names and numbers they are receiving. An old sales mentor of mine once told me that success in Real Estate came from developing a list of 150 people who could “do at least one personal closing or refer one sale during a given year.” If I could develop and foster such a list, then (in theory) I could be looking at a minimum of 150 closings a year. This then, has become my philosophy towards how I manage my database and everyday I work towards adding another valuable consumer to my growing list.
With a solid philosophy in place you can then begin the work of developing the tool in which you will collect data. Over the years I have worked with many such systems: AgentOffice, Top Producer, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Access, Calyx Point and others. All of them have benefits and features that can allow a REALTOR® to manage information but I have found Microsoft Excel is a flexible tool which serves as a universally proficient database that can feed any of the above referenced systems.
Therefore, before you rush out to buy expensive software, I would encourage you to open Excel from the Microsoft suite and begin the process of compiling your data. Over time, you will have developed a healthy list after witch you may be ready to graduate to a more Real Estate related system that can help you capitalize on your work. Simplicity is key! Choose a system that has tools that you know you will use. E-mail, word processing, mail-merging, drip lists are all characteristics of a good data management program. Some systems have dozen of ‘bells and whistles’ that sound great but will require much training and practice to master. The time that you spend learning these tools, is time that you will forfeit to prospecting and developing new deals. I suggest to use simple and in time work towards incorporating new tools as needed.
My approach to data management requires thought, patience and simplicity. To stand out and grow your business, make sure that you create a solid foundation based on a strong philosophy. To learn more about Excel and Real Estate based Data Management systems and what it can do to your business and brand, please join the Tech Committee at the Arcadia Association on Tech Thursday, or check out Hugo’s Tech Tips at www.hugotorres.com. If you have any questions and/or comments, please write to hugot@century21.com
NOTES FROM THURSDAY'S PRELIMINARY TITLE REPORTS TRAINING:
Title companies insures information that is of public record.
There are typically two (2) policies of title ordered in an escrow. 1) Covers the seller if there are any issues with title and this is typically paid for by the buyer. 2) The other covers the lender and their investment and is the cost of the buyer.
A preliminary report will not tell you what you can and/or what you can't do with a property. You will need to check with the city that governs the property for more information.
The title officer (TO) listed at the cover letter of the report is a great resource for explanations and/or additional information.
NOTES FROM THURSDAY'S TECH TRAINING: PUBLISHER
Remember the versatility of the 'Ctrl' button on publisher. It will help you select (using your mouse) different graphics at one time and 'bundle' them together using the 'grouping' icon that appears.
Remember that using the 'right click' function of you mouse will open sub-menus that can allow you to edit text and/or format photos.
Look through the templates Publisher comes with and visit Microsoft's Office Suite (CLICK HERE) page to download additional templates. clip art and tools you can use to make your marketing pieces stand out.
Build some content to the back of your marketing presentations by inserting another page. Remember that these pieces are about your ability as a Marketing Professional.
Use plenty of 'action' words and impacting adjectives in your fliers. Lead the reader to take a step towards you.
Bulletpoints loose readership. Work on developing a few 'stock' descriptive paragraphs of homes. The more that you know your client and nuances of the home, the better position you will be to talk and describe it.
Refrain from using hard to read fonts. Typically, Arial, Times News Romans, Century Gothic are amongst the most used lettering types. Stick with these. \
Crop unsightly visuals from the photo. Trash cans, piles of dirt, etc. do not make a good impression. Guide your seller to clean up the are you will be photographing. Help him or her..help you in marketing their home.
Save your work of art as a PDF or a JPEG and e-mail it to your distribution list. Cut down the cost of marketing to your sphere of influence by electronically distributing your fliers.
Have fun and get creative. Take pride in your work and keep your marketing pieces for future reference. You will have a healthy portfolio in no time.
If you have any questions, suggestion, feedback and/or other tech topics you would like to discuss, please email me at hugot@century21.com, or call me at 626.930.9340.
PRIORITY ACTIVITIES FOR NEW AGENTS (NOTES FROM WED. 14 BRAINSTORMING SESSION
Ask your broker and/or manager for a list of top agents in the office. Interview these people to determine what they do on a daily basis to 'drum up' and sustain business.
Work on your FARM & your Database (Sphere of Influence)
Farm is a geographic or demographic list of people that you have studied for profitable sales volume and the opportunity for marketshare growth.
Database (sphere of influence) is a list of 150 people who you know will either refer or do a transaction with you in one year.
- Information necessary to have: Client Name, Spouse/Partner Name, Client Occupation, Birthdays for client & Family, What Needs to the Have?, Income, Hobbies, Organizations they belong too.
Both lists will take time to develop but are necessary for new agents to have.
OTHER ACTIVITIES FOR NEW AGENTS
Sit open houses. Talk to experienced agents who have houses available for show. (Twilight Open House?)
Take available floor shifts (have an experienced agent ride along with you)
Pass out business cards to someone everyday.
Attend chamber and business mixers.
Get to know the inventory by caravaning at the board.