digital media, social media

meetups for real estate – post 11 of 31

marketing in a social age is devoting 31 posts this month to social and digital media and the real estate industry.

In my opinion what makes digital and social media most effective is when brands interact with their customers or fans in the real world.  I recently wrote a piece called “major league baseball proves that meetups work in the age of digital and social media.”  I showed that when baseball’s general managers gather for their regular meetings, many trades and deals happen.  More so than at an other time of year.  And I argued that it is because these people feel more comfortable dealing in person than through other digital means.

What this means for Real Estate

Let’s press pause here and do a little reflection.

I believe that we all need to discover new and imaginative ways to use new tools and technology to market and promote our business.  And this includes all things online, digital and social.

However, I also believe that we need to do what works.  And this means doing what I call, “slowing down to speed up.”  Actually meeting people one on one or in small groups may not seem productive.  But at second glance it just might be.  When was the last time you had a conversation with someone face to face for more than 15 minutes?

Suggestions

Here are some suggestions to help you get thinking of what you might want to do:

  • Take the time to hold a get together of people who have supported you.  How does a movie night for family and friends sound?
  • Support a neighbourhood picnic or garage sale.  Do more than post your name and business number on a sign.  Get your hands dirty.
  • Invite a special speaker into your office to talk to you and your associates (maybe even those you see as competition).  This person could be a mortgage broker or even someone who can help you understand about various tech tools.
  • Hold a business-time barbeque for your office neighbours.  I suggest waiting until the weather improves.

What other IRL (in real life) events can you think of?  If you’ve organized a meetup please share your experiences below.

digital media, social media

5 best iPad apps for real estate agents – post 10 of 31

marketing in a social age is devoting 31 posts this month to social and digital media and the real estate industry.  

As professionals (and that includes Realtors) find more uses for their iPads, I thought I would include the 5 best iPad apps.  This one’s for you, Realtors!

Complete Realty – This innovative app allows users to access foreclosed, pre-foreclosed, auction, and bank-owned homes right from their fingertips.  The app provides each property’s asking price, square footage, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, year built, housing type, and also includes a picture and satellite aerial view of each home, a detailed map, driving directions and much much more.

RentCompass – View photo albums of rental properties at higher resolution and use the iPad multi-touch experience to navigate through rental properties with as little clicks as possible.

Keynote – this app from Apple is a great tool when doing listing presentations or showing clients various properties for sale.  Don’t let the chance to make a great first impression pass you by.

Pulse News Reader – Want to keep up on all the business, real estate and other news you find interesting?  Then Pulse might be for you.  Pulse is a visual news reader for your iPad. It takes the news sources you follow, and instantly creates a visual mosaic of your news. Tap on an article, and you’re presented with a very clean view of the news story. 

Realtor Assistant – The market keeping you busy?  Wish you had more than 24 hours in a day and more than 7 days in a week?  Realtor Assistant was created to help Realtors stay focused on what needs to be done. Simply create a new project, pick your workflow and start date. The app will do the rest and populate your calendar with all of the necessary events that you need to finish the job! It’s a great way to stay organized and each project can be customized to fit that specific clients needs.

Do you use an iPad for your business?  What’s your favourite iPad app?

social media

major league baseball proves that meetups work in the age of digital and social media

The Major League Baseball season is a long one.  162 games from April until September.  Then players begin to play for a chance at immortality.

Before this though there is Spring Training.  And prior to Spring Training is the popular Winter Meetings (usually in a nice hot climate.  This year is was at Disney in Florida.)

Something interesting always happens at these meetings.  Big name free agents get signed.  Roster altering trades happen between teams.  Managers get fired or hired.

Big moves during a 3 day period.  Why?

I don’t believe that it’s because managers are tweaking their rosters for the long season ahead.  It’s not because General Managers begin their work during the Winter Meetings:  They tend to work almost everyday of the year.  Even during the winter season.

What happens during the Winter Meetings that results in deals either beginning or being consummated.

I believe it’s because there is a Winter Meeting.

General Managers don’t have an opportunity to meet like this all together during the season (except for the All-Star break).

There is something comforting, safe and natural in conducting business with people you can actually see and “press the flesh” with.  There is only so much one can do over the phone, email or other digital and social channels.

Let’s translate that to this ever-changing world of digital and social media.  We communicate with others online in these social spaces.  Some even develop friendships.  Others conduct research and crowdsourcing for projects this way too.  And there are cases when productive work and business gets done.

However, I am a firm believer that when the opportunity arises people, brands and businesses should take the opportunity to meet face-to-face.  Relationships become stronger.  Trust becomes built. We put faces to names, voices and avatars.

Something powerful happens when people get together in their “protein forms” (credit to Mitch Joel for that term).

Just ask the Boston Red Sox and Carl Crawford.

digital media

which smartphone should a real estate agent use? – post 9 of 31

marketing in a social age is devoting 31 posts this month to social and digital media and the real estate industry.

You have 3 4 choices:

  1. Windows Phone 7.
  2. BlackBerry (pick your version. I use a Torch).
  3. Android-powered device.
  4. iPhone 4 (does anyone still use a 3?)

I’m not going to tell you which one to use.  But here are some questions you should ask yourself.  The answers will tell you which one you should use.

  • what do you want to use the phone for?
  • are mobile apps important to you?
  • will you use it to make any sort of visual presentation?
  • what’s your budget?
  • are you a full time or a part time agent?
  • do you value productivity tools over entertainment applications?
  • is a smartphone a communication device for you?
  • are there mobile apps that you need to conduct business?
  • is having the latest and coolest gadget important to you?

Ok.  I said I wouldn’t tell you which phone to use.  But I will tell you which phone I use.  The BlackBerry Torch.  I’m thinking if I was using an Android or iPhone that I’d be too busy playing games and wasting money buying apps.

But that’s just me.

social media

5 Questions with Andrew Witkin – President of StickerYou.com

1 Comment

On a weekly basis I hope to introduce to you some of the interesting people I encounter in Toronto and everywhere else I go.  Here is Andrew Witkin.  Andrew is the President of Toronto-based start-up StickerYou.com.

What motivates you to do what you do on a daily basis?

We are motivated to create a breakthrough solution for anyone in the world’s sticker needs. We get excited knowing that we are pioneering new ground and creating partnerships with customers and consumers to help make our platform better. Most of all we love seeing people’s reaction to getting their own personalized sticker product. That fuels us every day.

Do you have any success start-up tips for people wanting to create a name for themselves in your industry?

Take time to plan the business model such that what you are creating solves a problem, is differentiable, and (most importantly) is something that you can be passionate about. If you are going to have to work religiously at anything, you’ll want to love doing it. Determine what is needed from the technology. Build the core technology first, and not all the frills around it. Test the concept with customers and iterate.

In your opinion why is Toronto a hotbed for cool tech start-ups?

I believe people in Toronto collaborate fairly well and there is a diverse pool of talent to pull new concepts together.

What’s your favourite tech toy and social media site and why?

I have only used it a few times, but the iPad is impressive. You really enjoy the depth and simplicity of leisure consumption when using it, and I think that is powerful. If you can have fun using your media you are going to use it a lot more. I am admittedly not a huge user of social media, in part because I have less time for it, but when I do have some time I enjoy the features Facebook provides me.

Who would you say is one of Toronto’s social media/tech stars and why?

I think some folks I am following actively are Erin Bury and Sarah Prevette of Sprouter. They are doing a lot to raise the profile of start-ups in Toronto. Anything that can be done to raise the profile of the city is great!

digital media, social media

5 mobile apps for real estate – post 8 of 31

marketing in a social age is devoting 31 posts this month to social and digital media and the real estate industry.

  1. REALTOR.ca for Windows Phone 7.According to the press release, the REALTOR.ca app provides house hunters with the functionality of REALTOR.ca while taking advantage of Windows Phone 7 device features such as GPS.  The app allows users to search for houses and properties across Canada and to connect with REALTORS to view, buy or sell a property.  Photos, newly listed properties and open house information are all available.
  2. Zoocasa’s mobile search for iPhone. On your iPhone, Zoocasa uses the GPS to pinpoint your location and show you all the nearby homes that are listed for sale and indexed by Zoocasa.
  3. RealEstate411.  This app was released this past springin Canada.  This marketing tool that allows Canadian Realtors to generate leads, deliver instant property information and connect with prospective buyers over any cell phone.
  4. HomeZilla’s Neighbourhood Knowledge.  HomeZilla’s Neighbourhood Knowledge iPhone app makes researching Canadian neighbourhoods very easy: You can find the closest schools, parks, coffee shops, demographic information, electoral history, and much more.
  5. RentCompass.  RentCompass for the Android combines the rich functions of Google maps with your Android’s GPS into a very easy and powerful tool to find your next home to rent.

Do you have a favourite mobile real estate app?

blog, social media

5 blogging for real estate points – post 7 of 31

marketing in a social age is devoting 31 posts this month to social and digital media and the real estate industry.

Blogging may be the simplest thing you ever do to market yourself and your business.  You can write almost from anywhere and at anytime.

Here are 5 points about blogging for real estate:

  1. Make sure you have a website that you can blog on.  Personally, I would stay away from company’s that offer templated and boring realtor sites.  Try WordPress or even the Blogger platforms.  There are amazing realtor-focused templated sites out there.  I just have a hard time finding them.
  2. Blog consistently.  You don’t have to do it everyday. I advise against it (even though I’m doing it this month) and suggest something more manageable.  Maybe 1-2 times per week.
  3. Variety is the spice of life. Feel free to post your latest listings.  Also feel free to post neighbourhood news, interesting recipes, real estate trends and even stuff that’s happening in your personal or professional life.  You want to be able to relate to your potential audience.
  4. Encourage comments and questions.  Don’t be afraid if people disagree with you.  Having conversations is what you want.  It will give you an opportunity to shine.  So please don’t disable your comments section.
  5. Don’t stop.  I’m not promising a get rich quick scheme.  Building readership and a community of readers takes time and effort: just like a real relationship

Bonus:

Have a catchy title to get people to read your blog post.

blog, digital media, social media, youtube

youtube and real estate – post 6 of 31

marketing in a social age is devoting 31 posts this month to social and digital media and the real estate industry.

My last post on digital marketing and real estate was about podcasting.  This one will be about YouTube and how you could potentially use this tool to market your real estate business.

Note:

Before we continue, a reminder:  These 31 blog posts are not meant to be an exhaustive list.  Nor is each post a complete post.  Digital and social media marketing changes constantly so to write everything in one post would be impossible.  What these are meant to do is act as a catalyst for you to change or adapt the way you are marketing yourself and your business.

YouTube

YouTube allows you to post videos and share these videos via comments, links, social media sharing and embedding the actual videos on your personal site or blog.  Here are two ways that videos can help promote you and your business.

Content

The obvious one is content.  Create fun and compelling content.  You can film anything from an open house, your latest listing, neighbourhood news or anything you and your clients might find interesting.  George O’Neill and David Pylyp are two Toronto-based real estate agents who really understand how to take advantage of this medium.

Both of these agents post everything from neighbourhood landmarks, client testimonials, and even humourous videos asking for your business. Their videos are almost always short and informative.

Link Building

The other thing these two agents have in common is that they understand the concept of link building and the important role this plays in building traffic and potential clients.

One of the things you will notice is how both George and David refer the viewer back to their website.  The best case scenario is that a viewer has stumbled upon their YouTube videos and finds them interesting enough to visit their website and leave a note for George or David.  We would all love this!

Here’s the worst case scenario:  Google recognizes a link between YouTube (a popular site) and their personal blog (not as popular).  In turn, Google ranks George and David’s blog a little higher.  Amazing!  Why?  Now, when you search for real estate information using terms that George and David have capitalized on, you will find them!  Brilliant!

Want to understand link building more?  Click here.

Want to understand how to make simple, easy and effective videos?  Get yourself a camera such as a Flip Mino and press the little red button. It’s that simple.

blog, digital media, podcast, social media, twitter

podcasting for real estate – post 5 of 31

marketing in a social age is devoting 31 posts this month to social and digital media and the real estate industry.

By now you may be thinking to yourself, “I don’t think I can do this blogging or social media thing.”  Maybe it’s because you can’t figure out how to get your thoughts into the written word format.  Don’t be so hard on yourself.  It takes time.  I know. It’s taken me a long time and I don’t think I’ve arrived at all.

Maybe you like to talk though!  That’s where this post’s idea comes from.  If you like to talk, then podcasting may be for you.

Why Podcast:

Let’s first discuss what podcasting is.  Here’s a great video from friend Lee Lefever of Common Craft:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMgemQahuFM]

Do you see value in telling your story to an audience you may not have had access to?  That’s what marketing is all about.  Reaching new potential markets.

When you do start podcasting remember to share value.  Similar to your monthly newsletter it’s not always about the last listing you sold or the new property for sale. Talk about how to take care of your home, tips on saving for a down-payment and even your grandmother’s excellent pie recipe.

How to Podcast:

Here’s where it gets a little tricky.  I host a podcast called Social Media Show which is hosted by Perpetual Radio Networks (PRN).  If you were to stop me on the street and ask me “How does somebody start podcasting?” I may not be able to provide you with a proper answer.  However, if you asked me “How did you start podcasting?” then I can answer!

How I got started in podcasting:

I knew I wanted another outlet for my thoughts.  And I knew I wanted another outlet to tell the stories of people I was running into in my life.  Finally, I knew that my interest was mainly in social media.  So I did the only thing I knew how to do.  I tweeted:

I want to start a podcast. Can anyone help me?

Guess what happened?  I received a tweet back from PRN saying they were looking for someone to host a new show on their network.

Happy podcasting!

Tell us about your podcast or if you want to start and don’t know where to go leave a comment below.  Someone here may be able to help you.

digital media, social media

get recommended on linkedin for real estate – post 4 of 31

marketing in a social age is devoting 31 posts this month to social and digital media and the real estate industry.

Here’s a neat little tip for those of you in the real estate industry.

Recommendations are a huge part of your marketing campaign already.  Guess what?  Recommendations are a huge part of LinkedIn as well.  If you’re not familiar with LinkedIn, here’s a quick description courtesy of WikiLeaks Wikipedia:

LinkedIn is a business-oriented social networking site. Founded in December 2002 and launched in May 2003, it is mainly used for professional networking.

LinkedIn’s recommendations are a vital part of creating new connections in the online and offline worlds.  They are identical to “centres of influence” or references on a traditional resume.  What they do is give the reader comfort knowing that there are other people out there who think highly of you and even recommend your services.

Here are 4 steps to get a LinkedIn recommendation:

  1. Set up a LinkedIn profile which includes your real estate business.
  2. Connect with friends, clients and business associates.
  3. Ask current and former clients to help your business by recommending you.
  4. Once someone has recommended you, you are able to see it before you approve the comments.

Simple!

Now you can use these recommendations to help promote your business.

How do you use LinkedIn?  And what other digital and social tools do you use to promote your real estate business?