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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, 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, 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, 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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• The Art of Selling Real Estate

  MSC Marketing 3:12 pm on April 6, 2010 | Comments:0
  Tags: Best Practices, real estate (165)   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, 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, 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 …)

  
   
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• Going Paperless – What to Expect as You Begin to Transition

  MSC Marketing 9:27 am on March 25, 2010 | Comments:0
  Tags: Best Practices, Technology (11)   Filed under: Best Practices, Business Development, Technology

  

  By  James Kingery

  RISMEDIA, March 25, 2010—For starters, going paperless is a good thing and any organization “over the hump” will tell you the same. The benefits of paperless operation are well documented and include the elimination of filing cabinets and offsite storage, reduction in supply expense, faster access to files and information, elimination of lost files, elimination of lost documents from within a file, reclaimed office space, secure agent access to transaction files, compliant records and much more.

  More elaborate advantages come in the form of workflow, standardized processes for your specific requirements, coverage strategies and virtual operation. So what problems will we face implementing a paperless solution? How can we assure a successful launch? What expectations should I set? (More …)

  
   
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• 4 Tips to Profit from Niche Marketing

  MSC Marketing 3:17 pm on March 18, 2010 | Comments:0
  Tags: Best Practices, Business Development (25), competitive information (50)   Filed under: Best Practices, Business Development, Marketing, Motivation

  RISMEDIA, March 17, 2010—In 2009, the total number of available transaction sides per agent increased by a whopping 13%. This is the largest recorded gain in over 25 years. Simply put, there is still a lot of business to be had and a lot fewer agents going after it. Successful agents have embraced the change and are already profiting. The current marketplace is full of challenges but it also provides more niche opportunity than ever before. The following four strategies will help you profit from niche marketing in today’s market. (More …)

  
   
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• Around the Home – When You Should Leave Home-Improvement Projects to the Experts

  MSC Marketing 9:53 am on March 8, 2010 | Comments:0
  Tags: Best Practices, Consumer news and advice (162), residential (65)   Filed under: Best Practices, Consumer news and advice

  By Amy Hoak

  RISMEDIA, March 6, 2010—(MCT)—Eager to save money, homeowners are more willing to get their hands dirty with home-improvement projects these days. But the DIY route isn’t always the safest or cheapest.

  “Especially with money being so tight, it’s totally understandable that people want to take on projects themselves that in other periods they would have hired someone to do,” said Meri-K Appy, president of the Home Safety Council, a Washington nonprofit dedicated to preventing home-related injuries. But how do you determine if a project entails more than you can realistically handle? (More …)

  
   
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• Online Marketing: The ‘Silver Bullet’ for Internet Success

  MSC Marketing 9:26 am on March 3, 2010 | Comments:0
  Tags: Best Practices, Business Development (25), Technology (11), web exposure (27)   Filed under: Business Development, Technology, Web

  By Mike Parker

  RISMEDIA, March 3, 2010—Everyone wants to somehow profit from the Internet. These days – with 80+% of all homes sales beginning on the Internet, the ‘wants’ has changed into ‘must.’ Any agent who is not making a significant percentage of their sales from Internet activity is missing out on more commissions than they can imagine as well as continuing up that traditional methods trail that surely is becoming a dead end.

  That’s part of the reason so many methods of trying to succeed online are out there: everyone is looking for the ‘Silver Bullet’: the one thing that will make them successful. (More …)