Updates from July, 2010

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• Finding Real Estate Success – Selling to the Four Temperament Styles

  MSC Marketing 5:10 pm on July 26, 2010 | Comments:0
  Tags: agents (23), Best Practices (27), Business Development (25), competitive information (50)   Filed under: Agent advice, Best Practices, Business Development, People

  By John Boe

  RISMEDIA, July 21, 2010—Have you ever wondered why you seem to hit it off right away with some customers, while with others it’s more like oil and water? That’s because we respond intuitively to the natural chemistry, or lack thereof, between temperament styles. Our temperament style not only determines our behavioral traits, body language patterns and buying style, but it also influences our compatibility with other people.

  Today we have access to innovative tools such as the Internet, cell phones, faxes and voice mail, all designed to enhance our communications and support us in selling more effectively. Nevertheless, even with all of these technological tools at our disposal, the alarming number of failed relationships, dissatisfied employees and lost sales all reflect the fact that none of us are as effective at understanding others as we would like to believe. For example, what about that sale you thought you had made, but for some unknown reason your prospect changed their mind and didn’t buy…or at least they didn’t buy from you. Chances are you lost that sale because of your inability to recognize and adjust to your prospect’s preferred buying style. This temperament mismatch is often referred to as a “personality conflict.” (More …)

  
   
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• Around the Home: Keep Your Cool while Conserving Energy

  MSC Marketing 9:44 am on July 19, 2010 | Comments:0
  Tags: Best Practices (27), Consumer news and advice (162)   Filed under: Best Practices, Consumer news and advice

  By Terri Bennett

  RISMEDIA, July 17, 2010—(MCT)—Depending on the climate where you live, cooling your home accounts for as much as 50% of the money you spend each month on utilities. As temperatures and humidity levels continue to rise, most of us are seeking relief from the heat this time of year. There are many ways to keep your cool while doing your part to waste less energy. And less energy wasted means more money in your wallet. (More …)

  
   
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• Is It Time for a Marketing Reboot?

  MSC Marketing 11:51 am on July 16, 2010 | Comments:0
  Tags: Best Practices (27), Business Development (25), competitive information (50), Today's Marketplace (34), web exposure (27)   Filed under: Agent advice, Best Practices, Business Development, Marketing, Web

  RISMEDIA, July 16, 2010—“Real estate has shifted.”

  “Today’s buyer is more educated than ever before.”

  These statements echo throughout the real estate sector as agents attempt to adapt their marketing strategies to an ever-evolving consumer.

  It’s fitting then, that REBAC debuted a new course this spring, designed to help agents market themselves where consumers are already interacting: online and through social media.

  Real Estate Marketing Reboot is a one-day course that expands on marketing fundamentals, teaching students everything from branding and relationship marketing to social media technologies and practical business-building tips. (More …)

  
   
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• For Social Media ROI, Content Rules

  MSC Marketing 9:17 am on July 15, 2010 | Comments:0
  Tags: agents (23), Best Practices (27), Business Development (25), social networking (14)   Filed under: Agent advice, Best Practices, Business Development, networking, social networking

  The Real Estate Professor by Gee Dunsten

  RISMEDIA, July 15, 2010—If we turn the clock back 30 years ago, when we started down this path as real estate agents, it was all about “Call us if you want to sell your home or find a home.” Eventually, we moved from a selling and listing focus to a marketing and then social marketing focus. In the last 2-3 years in particular, however, our industry has experienced perhaps our most significant shift—we’ve moved from being a product-based industry to an advice-based industry. This is exactly where social media comes in.

  As real estate professionals, social media allows us to expand our reach and can help position us as what I call “knowledge leaders.” But this doesn’t happen just by posting or tweeting. Using social media effectively requires creating a specific strategy, and this strategy must revolve around providing content, because this business is no longer about us, it’s about understanding what we can provide in terms of advice. It’s no longer about who we know—it’s about who knows us and this is where social media plays a big role. (More …)

  
   
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• The Art (and Business) of Finding More Time: 10 Ways to Organize Your Time and Resources for Maximum ROI

  MSC Marketing 11:50 am on May 13, 2010 | Comments:0
  Tags: agents (23), Best Practices (27), Business Development (25)   Filed under: Agent advice, Best Practices, Business Development

  RISMEDIA, May 13, 2010—Time is money. We’ve all heard it before, but these days, it bears repeating. Yes, it’s always been important for workers to make sure that they’re doing the right things and staying on task. But in shaky economic times it’s a matter of survival (your own, career-wise, as well as your company’s). Yet nearly all of us are guilty of sabotaging our performances to some degree because we fail to go on the offensive against two specific threats: disorganization and poor time management.

  Well, that’s true, you might agree. Sometimes we get our priorities mixed up, and lose one minute here and there. But maybe you’re thinking: “I’m just a regular Joe—not an efficiency or organizational expert. How can I improve the way I spend my time?”

  A new book offers some insight. “Thriving in the Workplace All-in-One For Dummies®,” comprised of seven books in one volume, gives people of all ages, in any job, and in any type of workplace, the information, tips, and action plans needed to boost professional value, increase visibility, and manage stress, according to its publisher. (More …)

  
   
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• 4 Steps to Come Out of the Recession on the Upside

  MSC Marketing 8:56 am on April 22, 2010 | Comments:0
  Tags: agents (23), Business Development (25), competitive information (50), economy (72)   Filed under: Agent advice, Best Practices, Business Development, economy

  RISMEDIA, April 22, 2010—When asked to sum up the year ahead, Stan Ross, chair, USC Lusk Center for Real Estate, believes values will further drop, foreclosures and delinquency rates will increase, and a limping economy likely will continue to crimp property cash flows. But capital will start to come in at a time when higher lending rates, more stringent underwriting, increased equity requirements and recourse terms will continue. So with all this doom and gloom, how do you survive during these times?

  This year, the real estate industry has to focus on survival and solutions, looking toward expansion and new opportunities in a distressed market. The best approach for coming out of the recession on the upside involves four steps: checking your assets and liabilities, performing an organizational restructuring, improving relations with lenders and going after some great opportunity ‘buys.’ (More …)

  
   
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• Florida Sales Report - February 2010 Single-Family, Existing Homes

  MSC Marketing 4:21 pm on April 7, 2010 | Comments:0
  Tags: Consumer news and advice (162), Florida Association of Realtors (5), real estate (164), Statistics (63)   Filed under: Best Practices, Florida Association of Realtors, Statistics

   

  http://www.media.floridarealtors.org/statistics/2010/Feb%202010%20home%20chart.pdf

  
   
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• The Art of Selling Real Estate

  MSC Marketing 3:12 pm on April 6, 2010 | Comments:0
  Tags: Best Practices (27), real estate (164)   Filed under: Agent advice, Best Practices

  Friday, March 26th, 2010 | By Longboat Key News

  Longboat Key has always been home to Hannerle. It is on Longboat Key where she has honed a perfect marriage of sales and marketing with the visual eye of an artist. That skill has driven her to the top ranks of real estate success year after year.

  

  Hannerle spent her childhood surrounded by artists, writers and musicians while living on Longboat Key’s north end in the historic Longbeach Village. She attributes the artistic drive of her father, painter Robert McFarland, with helping her see through the eyes of an artist. She studied piano, ballet, painting and sculpture. She was also encouraged to make decisions — not only in her artwork — but to be successful in her own right and make her own way in the world. That she did and more.

  (More …)

  
   
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• Around the Home – Get Rid of Unwanted Items the Green Way

  MSC Marketing 2:57 pm on April 6, 2010 | Comments:0
  Tags: Best Practices (27), Consumer news and advice (162)   Filed under: Best Practices, Consumer news and advice

  By Terri Bennett

  RISMEDIA, April 3, 2010—(MCT)—Now is the time of year when many of us finally get around to tackling our biggest cleaning and organizing projects around the house. That might include cleaning out cramped closets, boxing up clothes, and even getting to that cluttered garage. Do your part to create a second life for your extra and outgrown stuff and keep it out of the landfill.

  Clothing
  There’s just something satisfying about a clean closet. As you organize, you might have a lot of old or outgrown clothes you no longer need. An easy thing to do with clothing in good condition is to donate it to Goodwill. You will get a tax deduction and the resale of the items pays for job training programs. Gently worn children’s and teen clothing is highly sought after and you can even make a little money by taking it to a re-sale or consignment shop.

  Shoes
  For shoes of all sizes, consider donating them to SolesForSouls.org. This organization gives your shoes to kids and adults around the world who need them most. You can find collection sites in hundreds of stores all across the country.

  (More …)

  
   
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• 3 Tips to Effectively Connect with Today’s Client

  MSC Marketing 2:51 pm on April 6, 2010 | Comments:0
  Tags: Agent advice (15), Best Practices (27), Business Development (25)   Filed under: Agent advice, Best Practices, Business Development

  RISMEDIA, April 5, 2010—There’s an awful lot of noise out there today. To rise above the din, Realtors and brokers must take a look at the consumers in their marketplace, while reviewing the various technologies available, merging both into a sound business practice that applies time-tested principles with the realities of new media.

  So how does one connect with today’s clients? How can technology be harnessed to communicate with them on their terms?

  In the real estate business–and in any industry, for that matter–the challenge is to cut through the clutter, reduce the racket and convert the clamor of commerce into a symphony of sales.

  Your ability to overcome the chatter of the crowd and differentiate your product/service will determine whether you sink or swim.

  But first things first: how connected are you?

  Connect yourself first
  Let’s not take anything for granted. There are various levels of connectivity, so the concept of “being connected” varies between professionals, but suffice it to say you need a smartphone to get started. Says who?

  (More …)