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Forget What the Experts Say…You CAN Shortcut Your Way to Success with Social Media
By NikNik · August 23, 2010 · 19 Comments
The Social Media Experts I’m a fan of will tell you that if you want to succeed in applying social media as a business strategy that it requires planning, consistency, balance, originality, relevancy, and listening…among other things. And they would be right. But when it comes to real estate marketing, many agents struggle with working ON their business because they’re tapped by working IN their business. And for the most part, I’ve always considered that an excuse (myself included).
There is some validity however, to the shear amount of effort required in implementing social media marketing strategies….or ANY effective marketing strategies for that matter. And that’s why I’m not surprised when agents ask me if I can do “the social media” for them. But if you know me, then you know I’m not an automator…I’m an educator. Which means I prefer you learn about the new strategies available to you, best practices for using them, and how to measure their effectiveness. Read full story
Why I Wanna ROCK Agent Reboot!
By NikNik · June 28, 2010 · 9 Comments
A great opportunity to get excited about the future of real estate, and your role in it, is headed your way. Agent Reboot is a new conference tour created by Inman News. This road show of sorts is hosted by yours truly (Woohoo!) and Daniel Rothamel. The goal of the event is to examine and identify new technologies that are shaping and changing the real estate industry, and ideas on how they are being implemented…or should be.
This one-day party, oops, I mean conference will be taking place in 12 cities. My boogie shoes are packed for: San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, San Diego, Las Vegas, Portland. And then your favorite Real Estate Zebra will be rocking: Denver, Houston, Chicago, Boston, Ft. Lauderdale, Washington DC.
So what goes down at an Agent Reboot you ask?
Well, as one of your hosts I can confirm that you’ll most likely learn something you probably didn’t know already. You’ll hear about the latest innovations in real estate from local brokers and speakers, as well as from many familiar industry rockstars! You’ll be invited to stop by, connect, and “tweetup” with attendees and speakers after the event. Oh, and checking out any of the top industry products and services in the EXPO may result in a handsome reward.
iThink iNeed iPad for Real Estate
By NikNik · April 30, 2010 · 38 Comments
The future of real estate marketing, business productivity, and customer service is here. The iPad has arrived and if you think you don’t need another tech tool, think again. There are so many benefits of owning an iPad, both for personal and business use.
Let’s say you called all the local Apple stores today, managed to find an iPad just 90 miles away, and dropped everything to drive there on a mission (not even stopping to use the bathroom). Okay, you could have just added your name to the list on the Apple Website and waited patiently for a day or 2 (but what fun is that).
So you have the iPad now….time to put it to good use! To start, you need some apps. You won’t have the abundant choices like with the iPhone since it’s still early. But there are several iPad apps worth adding right away. Check out the following: Read full story
oneforty. Your Target for Twitter Tools
By NikNik · April 21, 2010 · 9 Comments
There’s an app for that! That’s what we’re told anyway. But how do you find the best apps to streamline business productivity and online sharing? When it comes to Twitter, there’s a site for that? Oneforty, and it’s “oneforty”…all lower case letters for those of you that would like to bring a smile to @pistachio’s face.
Anyway, oneforty is like your Target for Twitter tools. Sure I can go to Walmart…but the shelves are overstocked with so many items I get frustrated by the experience and make a b-line for the door while hoping nothing jumps out at me. Target, on the other hand, also offers a great variety of items, but the shopping experience is one that draws me in. It’s organized aisles invite me to stay awhile, assuring me I’ll find what I need….oh, and there’s a Starbucks.
Now oneforty may not have a Starbucks, but it does happen to be a comprehensive site for finding, rating, collecting, and sharing Twitter apps. And by Twitter apps, I’m also referring to any application which posts to, shares content with, and/or is relative to Twitter in any way. The site was founded by Laura Fitton “@pistachio”, author of Twitter for Dummies, is backed by a rockin’ development team, and advised by social media heavyweights @briansolis and @guykawasaki. Read full story
Customize Your Facebook Profile or Fan Page with Smarter Agent!
By NikNik · February 26, 2010 · 8 Comments
You may have heard of the popular Smarter Agent Mobile Application for real estate companies and professionals….but what you may not know is that they just released a Facebook application to compliment their mobile app!
First and Foremost
Smarter Agent is a mobile app platform that can be utilized and branded by agents and brokers. The app can be downloaded by consumers to search all MLS listings in their area. And it’s important to know that Smarter Agent works on virtually all mobile phone devices. Read full story
Do you really think I’m visiting your Facebook profile to look for homes? Really!?!
By NikNik · November 11, 2009 · 47 Comments
Saturday night brings with it one of my most favorite TV segments…“Really!?! with Seth & Amy”. In this SNL skit, Amy Poehler and Seth Meyers share their snarky take on current affairs. So in the spirit of “Really!?”…I’m going to shed some light on “Real Estate Listings Inside Facebook”!
Let’s start with obvious failures inside Facebook…at the moment!
MyRealEstateListings (there are 2 of them, as well as a few more similarly named cohorts) but they essentially all do the same thing- create a “MyRealEstate” or “MyListings” tab on your profile. You can then click on the tab (when was the last time you clicked on a tab) to view a lack luster interface of your manually entered listings from which you can then decide to click further to obtain details, which lands you on a third party site outside of Facebook. Click for more details, really!?! Read full story
How to Make Use of Twitter Lists
By NikNik · November 2, 2009 · 12 Comments
Twitter has been rolling out their new Lists feature to tweeps over the last few weeks. If you’re still waiting, be patient (or whine about it in the public stream like I did). The feature was made available to me last week and unfortunately I was so busy I had to wait until the weekend to play with it. But now that I have, I’m excited to share my experience and suggestions with you.
What are Twitter Lists?
Twitter Lists are nothing more than groupings of your tweeps based on categories you choose. For example: I have 3 lists thus far, (1) RE Rockstars, (2) Tech Influencers, and (3) Keepin’ It Real. Tweeps can exist in multiple lists, but at this point it looks like you are limited to creating 20 lists. Read full story
AgentPress: The Ideal Theme for Real Estate Bloggers
By NikNik · October 26, 2009 · 15 Comments
If you’ve been reading MTO for awhile you know we’re huge advocates of WordPress as a platform to power your real estate blog. And we’re not the only ones who think WordPress rocks! Matt Cutts, the head of the Web Spam team at Google, recently declared WordPress as the best blogging platform in terms of search engine optimization. He went on to say that WordPress automatically solves 80-90% of the mechanics behind SEO, making your site easily crawlable by search engines.
Now when it comes to selecting a WordPress theme that delivers a clean design, variety of options, highly optimized code, and customer support….the MTO team chooses StudioPress. Which has been a great theme option for us and our Web design clients. But now theme legend, Brian Gardner, is back and has developed AgentPress, specifically for the real estate industry. In fact, we’ve partnered with Brian to offer customization and consultation for AgentPress theme users. Read full story
10 Reasons to Tweetup & 10 Tips for Success!
By NikNik · September 8, 2009 · 17 Comments
Tweetups are fast becoming a fun and effective way to connect with other Twitter users in your local community! What exactly happens at these tweetups you ask? Well, usually they provide an opportunity for Twitter enthusiasts to get together offline and talk about their love of Twitter, their local flavor, and other interests.
Tweetups also give small business owners a chance to reach out to consumers (in a non-spammy way) and gain more exposure. Some local businesses will even take it a step further by sponsoring or hosting a tweetup. For real estate professionals who understand the current marketing and communication shift taking place, tweetups offer a unique way to engage with likeminded locals and grow your network. But there are many more reasons to tweetup, here are my top 10: Read full story
How to Give Your Brand an Instant Facelift
By NikNik · August 27, 2009 · 4 Comments
Ever visited someone’s social profile only to find they are represented by a logo, building or their glamour shot, circa 92′?! Branding yourself online plays a key role in helping others learn about who you are and what you do. So don’t give people the wrong idea….that you are stiff as concrete or unwilling to age. People don’t connect with buildings and signs, people connect with people. And we can do an even better job of relating with each other if we are represented accurately. Read full story
Farming Twitter With DemandSpot
By NikNik · August 9, 2009 · 25 Comments
DemandSpot is a brand new Twitter tool that aims to help real estate professionals actually farm Twitter for local leads. Find locals based on location and keyword relevancy (house hunting, apartments, rent, condos, etc.). Search your location and actually connect with real people looking for real estate in real time! Read full story
Real Estate Marketing: Carving Your Niche
By NikNik · June 17, 2009 · 15 Comments
Targeting your marketing efforts is easier said than done. A lot of agents are finding themselves in scramble mode right now. Just trying to get “it” done. For many, that “it” is just maintaining the basics like client interactions and daily administrative tasks. But if you’re not prospecting then what happens when the “keeping up” with your current business ends, and you’re left without new listings or buyers? Ummm, I think you know the answer to that!
If hiring an assistant or marketing coordinator is not in the cards for you right now, you need to find a way to organize your marketing efforts and concentrate on sharing your expertise with the right network. One simple way to elevate your expertise above the competition is by obtaining a designation or specializing in certain types of real estate transactions. Do you have several green builders in your area, as well as knowledge of sustainable home features? You may want to consider becoming an EcoBroker, a special designation for environmentally concerned real estate professionals.
