The internet is all abuzz about Twitter.

Twitter is a “microblogging” platform that lets you send 140 character “Tweets” (sort of like instant messages). People “follow” you, and you “follow” others. It’s a social networking platform that is undergoing tremendous growth. (See this article from Nielsen Ratings for more info. And note the largest user demographic is those aged 35 – 49. That’s prime home buying selling age folks…)

Realtors tend to jump on anything that has even a hope of getting them business — and there is nothing wrong with that provided you investigate and understand what it is you are getting in to. And yes, Twitter can get you business. It is a wonderful tool for expanding your Sphere of Influence and for networking with other professionals in and out of the real estate industry.

While there are no “rules” for the proper use of a platform like Twitter, there are unquestionably some guidelines and generally acceptable etiquette practices that, used properly, will accelerate your business growth and used improperly may result in you never getting anything out of Twitter. Continue reading this post

As 2009 begins, I am cautiously optimistic that it is going to be a good year for real estate sales.  I am encountering a great deal of buyer activity in El Paso, Texas and I get the sense that most people think that it is a good time to buy, with interest rates and home prices at attractive levels.  I am not finding people scared to buy — on the contrary, they seem anxious to buy in this market thinking that they can get a good deal.

Another good thing is that the declining real estate market does not seem to be the main news story every day.  We are now on to new problems — bank and automaker bailouts.  At least it isn’t real estate!

So, what should you do to take advantage of these conditions?

1. Let everyone know how low interest rates are and that they won’t stay this low for long.  Send out email blast to your mailing list — call your top buyer prospects.
2. Send out a list of best buys to your buyer prospects. Again by email and also call your top prospects.
3. Follow up, follow up, and follow up.  This is what really makes the difference between the top Realtors and the rest.  You don’t have to be good at what you do — but you have to be there — when they are ready to buy or sell.  Continually check back with your prospects by both email and phone.  Don’t fall in love with email — a lot of people only follow up by email.  You still need to make a good old fashioned phone call once in a while.
4. Stay upbeat about the opportunities in this market.  I find that when I have a good positive attitude, it is infectious and good things happen.
5. Do more with less.  Reevaluate all of your expenses.  If you can do without the item, cut it.  I’m also making more of an effort to reach people by phone.  I would generally try to reach a prospect one time, and if I couldn’t get them, I’d move on to the next — because Continue reading this post

In the month of October 2008 there were about 750 real estate deals transacted in Brooklyn, New York. This is down about 50% from a year ago. Half of the neighborhoods in Brooklyn have also lost about 10% of their home values during the same timeframe.

I am not stating these facts to be negative, quite the contrary; I view this as a positive!

Remember, in adversity lies opportunity.

You see, what had actually taken place was a correction in the market. From 2000 to 2005 real estate prices in Brooklyn tripled and quadrupled or more in some places. It basically was becoming impossible for your average buyer to afford a home. Buyer’s pretty much had no choice but to boycott the market.

However, given that prices are down and interest rates are at an all time low, Continue reading this post

Here’s some quick advice for AgentView real estate agents to manage that new blog you may not know what to do with:

1. Blog articles are great but they do take time to write. Generally, the first ideas new bloggers have for topics – how-to’s, hyperlocal news – have been done before by other bloggers. It’s hard to differentiate yourself starting up a blog.
2. So do something different. Think like a journalist; watch out for real-time housing market news and be the first to report it.
3. Take notes at the tour marketing meetings, subscribe to the feeds of local online news and real estate publications.
4. Think in sound bites. Whenever you hear something interesting, write a sentence or two in the blog. Be efficient, don’t take more than 3 minutes per idea. Use a cellphone to write it if you’re in a tour meeting or open house.
5. When you see an interesting article online, cut and paste the article title and create a link to it.
6. If you write down several ideas per day, you soon accumulate a whole portfolio of ideas and facts that will be displayed on the blog. This content is just as revealing about how you develop business and help clients as blog articles.
7. You become a go-to source for your market. Prospects will come back again and again to see your new “sound bites”. After all, you’re the only one reporting on a daily basis… this is compelling to a committed home buyer or seller. Analogy – if I’m doing a stock purchase, I’d much rather analyze it in real time on Marketwatch.com than pick up the current Business Week magazine.
8. You’ll soon realize you can expand on the sound bites to construct more detailed blog articles. You’ll lose your writer’s block.
9. Finally, it’s easier to automate the whole process of “reporting” using a variety of micro-blogging and bookmarking applications like Twitter , Friendfeed, Tumblr, Delicious and Diigo. This is another story.

To learn more about HomeGain’s AgentView product, click here.

In everyone’s life we must all face opportunities and challenges. Some focus more on the challenges and others focus on the opportunities.  My recent opportunity and challenge can help you with your opportunities and challenges in this real estate market.  I saw an opportunity to come onboard with HomeGain and use my business development skills to help agents across the country grow their real estate business.

This market is full of many challenges. Do you also see the opportunities? The government is underway with the “bailout” plan and removing the bad debt of the lending institutions. With some of their previous activities curtailed, the lenders will have to make new loans to make money.  This will result in means more qualified Buyers. This is the next opportunity.  Are you ready for this?

Sales in several areas are increasing and foreclosures in some areas are decreasing. This can lead to a more stabilized real estate market with Buyers who are ready to buy and the beginning of the reduction of the foreclosure flow. Real estate professionals should be getting their marketing and internet exposure in place for the next phase of the changing market. Continue reading this post

I had a conversation with a new client for about 20 minutes on the phone the other night and about half way through he revealed to me that he has been looking at houses for the last 6 months, but, could not understand why real estate agents would stop contacting him after showing several homes.

Three agents had the opportunity to sell this buyer a home and would have, except they did not want to show him more than 10 houses to make it happen.

Perplexed? Amazed?

Really, I’m still not sure what I feel after having this conversation, but, one thing I did know was that I was going to find him a home and close the transaction. In a time where many real estate professionals are struggling to make ends meet, I simply cannot understand the mentality that many agents have.

Maybe it’s the water that we can drink at the cooler in the office or maybe many agents are simply demoralized after looking at their shrinking bank accounts and rising credit card balances. Either way, once we get an opportunity to work with a pre-qualified buyer who will buy a home, we need to make it happen.

Maybe the difference for some agents and teams who are successful today is that they seize the opportunity when presented while others just want things to fall in their lap – unwilling to work hard enough to make a deal happen.

If I could just offer a simple recommendation in what is generally a tough real estate market: seize every opportunity presented. Do whatever it takes. Continue reading this post