You would think that after running businesses for my entire adult life (25 plus years), I would have this entire marketing thing down! Actually, I thought I did until about 2 years ago.

In all my businesses I always understood lead generation was a key component of success. However, in Real Estate things seemed different. When I first got in the business, I was doing what everyone else did. I spent a lot of money on print advertising and even more money on name recognition (billboards, buses, postcard mailings, etc.).

However, once I started my Internet programs, I started realizing something different. I noticed that for the amount of money I spent on media outlets, that same money would most likely get me more leads if I spent it on the Internet.

It was just one of those things that made me go “hmmm”. Continue reading this post

Part 1

Few major decisions in life seem to be as monumental as moving to a new town and buying a home, or even buying a home in one’s existing town.

Those of us who work daily with homebuyers recognize the daunting task house hunting presents to many a homebuyer.

Many consumers of all products want to be on the leading edge of the latest buying trends. How many of us stood in line to grab the iPhone and the Nintendo Wii. The same can be said for home buying.

Not only do homebuyers want to locate in the hottest areas, but many assume there’s an ultimate financial payoff in being on the leading edge. Buy into an “up and coming area” the theory goes, and you can enjoy the thrill of watching your Pied-a-Terre appreciate in value.

As a Realtor who wants to earn repeat business and referrals from happy customers, it may prove beneficial for us to help our home buyers situate in growth areas, and not declining areas.

It’s interesting that of HomeGain’s most active metro areas for home buying in 2007, three are East Coast cities, Washington DC, Atlanta and Philadelphia. Chicago in the Midwest and Dallas in the South round out the top five. Continue reading this post

The approximately 2,000 Realtors® who came by our booth at the 2007 National Association of Realtors® Convention & Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada last week, that’s who!

Thank you to everyone who stopped by the HomeGain booth! It was our busiest and most successful event ever.

We handed out TomTom™ One GPS navigation systems, $50 American Express® gas cards, remote control cars, and, of course, orange gorillas.

Everything except the gorillas fell under our theme “drive your success.”

We met Realtors® who never heard of HomeGain, and who were very excited to hear about how they can receive more traffic with BuyerLink, reach home sellers with AgentView, get 20 guaranteed home buyer leads with AIMS, and market themselves online to home buyer and home seller leads with AgentEvaluator.

It was also NAR’s largest show in history, with a record-breaking 744 exhibitors and 31,000+ attendees.

Were you at the Expo? Were you able to stop by our booth? Let us know what you thought!

What did you like and didn’t like? What sessions did you find most valuable? How was the special guest Bill Cosby and the concert with James Taylor? Continue reading this post

It’s been a fun couple of years watching the real estate world trying to catch on to the realities of the “New” Real Estate and the importance of the Internet.

On a weekly basis I get many phone calls about how agents can maximize their websites and Internet Leads. It still amazes me that most Realtors® do not use the Internet.

Of course if you are using HomeGain’s BuyerLink program you are heading in the right direction.

How many of you have Real Estate Websites? Go ahead, raise your hands! Ok, now how many of you actually get business from your Websites? I don’t see many hands out there. So let’s take a few minutes and look at why that is so.

Lead Capture

I am on the Web probably too much these days to see what the competition is doing. To my joy, they still don’t get it and aren’t doing anything except taking listings and more listings and more listings.

Wow! I must be missing something because the last I looked listings weren’t selling.

Anyway, the Internet, in my mind, is the best way to capture home buyers. Remember, sales is a numbers game and Real Estate is no different. If you want to work, then the Internet is the place to be. Continue reading this post