ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: It's Personal
- 01/18/21 08:39 PM
As a real estate agent I think it's good to occasionally go through the same things our clients do. Liz and I have lived in the same home for almost 30 years. The only other personal real estate transaction in that time was a few years ago buying an acre from the neigbhor to expand our turf a bit, and obviously that didn't involve any internet searches or driving around looking at property. A calculation of how much more frontage I wanted, how many feet back we'd have to go to make that an acre, a contract and a real estate … (21 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: What Does Your Audience Want From You?
- 01/12/21 12:04 PM
When I blogged daily I had certain days for certain topics.
The first of the month, a top line market snapshot, and those posts had two audiences: area consumers that want to know how the real estate market is doing (going up, down, sideways, should I sell or should I buy?) and less importantly IMO other Rainers as an opportunity to show them your market and that we have a handle on it.
Tuesdays are Ask An Ambassador posts, and they're basically Pay It Forward type posts. Tidbits of what I've learned about blogging, this community, etc. that hopefully help other members be … (19 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: It's What YOU Do That Matters
- 01/05/21 03:03 PM
Once upon a time...
And thus starts many fairy tales. Meanwhile we're working in reality, a reality that often doesn't mesh with various sales pitches.
While it may be true that some consumers use brand name to find their agent (we've been at the end of a "RE/MAX agents near me" search results that have led to business), I believe more and more consumers no longer give a flip about brokerage brands.
Yeah, I know this runs counter to all the brokerages spending billllyyyyyuuuuns of dollars trying to sway people into believing ONLY WE HAVE THE BEST AGENTS, but I don't think any of … (29 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: How Often Should You Post?
- 12/22/20 01:37 PM
Is there only one way for blogging to generate business?
Of course not, but what works for one may not work for another.
There's a need to be authentic, to find what works for YOUR local market and what brings you the type of business you WANT to work.
So let's say you understand your target market and you're ready to sit down at the keyboard, how often do you need to post?
Like many questions in Life, the answer is "it depends".
How many others are competing for the same target market?
If I target Homes For Sale In Cincinnati, I'm going to need TONS of … (26 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Upon Further Review...
- 12/15/20 04:39 PM
I do it.
You probably do it too.
When I'm shopping online for a product or service, I'll read the reviews.
An absence of reviews typically doesn't bode well, nor does a bundle of reviews with a heavily negative slant.
I tend to sample reviews of both the highest and lowest scores. Sometimes it's obvious someone is a paid shill with a 5 star review, and on the other hand some of the low reviews, well it can be pretty obvious the problem is with the customer and not the product or service.
And I know I've had clients tell me they've picked us to … (26 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: The Lurkers Are Out There
- 12/08/20 03:22 PM
Right now I'm more spectator than participant when it comes to social media.
I've taken a sabbatical from daily blogging and for right now I'm just doing Tuesdays to honor a commitment I made years ago.
Facebook? I've went from posting a photo almost daily to weeks with nothing new posted. Sparsely enough that a friend reached out to me today to make sure I was still okay. (I am).
Most of the other social media I've never been a big hitter on. I dabbled in Pinterest for a bit. Twitter never appealed to me and I have no IG account. And I'm … (22 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Are You Prepared?
- 12/01/20 07:06 PM
If 2020 has taught us nothing else, it should have taught us being prepared matters.
Even under routine circumstances, being a real estate professional requires a good level of preparedness.
Business can ebb and flow.
You can be a week from a closing and suddenly the tenant refuses to move out.
The sure thing buyer walks into a new construction model home WITHOUT YOU.
Websites crash.
Brokerages sell to other brokerages.
Laptops crash.
Cell phones go for a swim.
Niches that are good one year may suffer a hard blow the next year.
Then throw in 2020 specific COVID wrinkles. We were fortunate in Ohio that real estate was always considered … (26 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: What Signal Are You Sending Out?
- 11/24/20 04:15 PM
If you know me, you know I'm not much of a touchyfeely guy. What else would you expect from an engineer/agent? You run any personality test you want on me and it'll be conclusive, I'm an introvert, analytical, etc.
My blogging tends to reflect a Sgt. Joe Friday approach: facts, context, interpretation. I cut rants out of my repertoire long ago because I think there is something to the "birds of a feather flock together" quote. I don't want to attract high drama level people to my client list.
In the last few weeks I've had two different clients explain why they chose … (21 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: 10 Things Your Broker Should Have Told You
- 11/17/20 03:36 PM
When I first started in real estate, my potential for getting into real estate trouble was fairly limited. Direct interactions and direct mail kept the sphere of influence constrained. The Internet was just getting started and most of the tools we use today hadn't even been thought of yet.
Obviously, things have changed quite a bit, but some things haven't changed much, including the minimal barriers to becoming a real estate agent. Here in Ohio, take 4 classes, pass an exam, pay the fees and find a broker to sponsor you and you're now a member of the official Real Estate Agent … (25 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Good Niche, Bad Niche
- 11/10/20 05:17 PM
As a real estate agent you're a commodity until you're not. Bakers start with commodities: flour, eggs, sugar, butter, salt, etc. It's what bakers do with those ingredients that determines whether they have a successful shop or hanging a CLOSED sign.
Last I checked there were over 6000 real estate agents in Cincinnati MLS, all with more or less the same fundamental skill sets and baking business with more or less the same ingredients.
While we've lived in our home for almost 30 years and been in real estate since 2002, we don't have deep roots in our immediate market area. We … (25 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: 10 Things To Do When ActiveRain Is Wonky
- 11/03/20 12:36 PM
Some days ActiveRain (or anything else in Life for that matter) can get a little wonky. I'll try my go to work-arounds, but frankly I'm not going to spend a LOT of time fighting uncooperative things. Time is limited, and just flushing it away willy-nilly isn't smart.
And while ActiveRain is an important part of our business generating strategy, it's not all we do.
So if ActiveRain is wonky, what else can you do to help your business?
1. Have you requested reviews from recent clients? It's easy to send a link to your My Google Business page, from your Zillow profile, etc.
2. Don't … (17 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Are You Ready For Your Interview??
- 10/20/20 07:05 PM
Saturday morning started off with no appointments. We're entering the slower time of the real estate year here, and there were a LOT of leaves on the lawn that could use moved back into the woods where they came from!
But mid-morning the phone rang and it was an out of towner visiting family and the night before they'd decided rather than him continuing to rent, they might just buy a house instead!
We chatted for a bit and while I'm not normally a big fan of short notice work, they had a home they were interested in seeing so I made arrangements … (21 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Be Original & Local
- 10/04/20 06:38 AM
Whether you're a rookie blogger or experienced, topic choice can be a challenge.
What will it take to attract attention to your blog?
And we've all heard the saying real estate is local, right?
So for the most part while I might find it interesting to see how the real estate market in California behaves, there's usually VERY little correlation between a Cali feeding frenzy on a new listing and what happens here in Ohio suburbia.
The Cali seller gets 50 offers well over full list, I get 3 on a brand new condo listing and I consider it a REALLY good day for my … (11 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Sometimes It's Better To Just Punt
- 09/29/20 01:59 PM
Topic.
Intent.
Tone.
Execution.
I've typed away at this keyboard literally thousands of times to produce a blog post.
Some days are easy, some days not so much.
The idea is there. I know what I want to accomplish with the post.
I start to type, but something just doesn't feel quite right. I may be one sentence in, or almost done with the post, but I can feel it.
Somewhere in the execution of the idea and the intent, the tone isn't what I want, and tone matters, especially in a flat medium where there's no body language to tip you off as to which end of the … (16 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Why Your Blog Might Not Be Bringing You Business
- 09/21/20 08:19 PM
While I've not been here since the founding days of ActiveRain, I have been here for the bulk of its history and have seen many bloggers come and go.
Some found other platforms to blog on (Wordpress), some shifted to other methods (Facebook & Twitter), and some quit "because blogging doesn't work".
For the "blogging doesn't work", a quick look at their blog usually identifies two main issues that contribute to a blog not working:
1. A blog with relatively few posts
2a. Post topic choice & 2b. Comment chasing
For the 1st issue, blogging isn't a quick shot magic cure-all for a scarcity of … (16 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Are Builder Reps On Your Side?
- 09/01/20 03:27 PM
Have you ever considered a builder's rep as someone that can help grow your business?
In theory the builder is probably better off NOT having an agent involved as often as possible since that's just more profit margin for them, right?
However, a builder and their reps might find value in aligning with agents that can provide value to the builder, and what brings value to them?
For one, free marketing.
If a builder rep provides me knowledge (especially advance knowledge) that fits my niche, they know I'll put out a blog post (or two or three) that promotes their community. And let's face it, … (12 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: 9 Ways To Use Google Maps To Help Your Business
- 08/25/20 04:40 PM
If you weren't able to make the Tuesday Zoom meeting this afternoon, we shared some tips on how to use Google maps to help your business.
I'm not going to get into the How To's of building Google Maps here, but if you've got a Google account, you'll find that creating maps is much like riding a bicycle, with a little practice it gets easier and easier. Create, make public, copy html code and drop into your Wordpress pages or your blog posts.
So without further ado, 9 ways to use Google maps to your advantage:
1. Create a map of your service area … (31 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Find What Works For You
- 08/11/20 04:15 PM
There are many different varieties of blogging, some are more successful at generating business than other methods...BUT just because a particular approach works for me doesn't guarantee it will work for you. And on the other hand what works for you may just not fit me at all.
Anyone that reads us knows that I'm a big fan of niche blogging. We cover Cincinnati patio homes and condos and subdivisions and new construction. Those posts are by far our most productive when it comes to generating consumer contacts.
When you get really focused, you'll find that you have less competition for eyeballs.
If I … (22 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Are You Crosstrained?
- 08/04/20 03:20 PM
Back in my Navy days, in addition to your primary job on a ship you also stood what was called "watch". Basically for a certain number of hours, you'd fill an additional job that had to so with operating the ship. In my limited career I served as EOOW (Engineering Officer of the Watch), JOOD (Junior Officer of the Deck), OOD (Officer of the Deck) and TAO (Tactical Action Officer). Those watches might be in the busiest part of the day, or they might be the midwatch (midnight to 4 a.m. give or take a bit) with the side perk of … (23 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Are You Refilling Your Glass?
- 07/21/20 09:08 PM
There's a joke about the pessimist and optimist arguing about whether a glass is half empty or half full and the pragmatist walking up, grabbing the glass and knocking it back and proclaiming that was good! And of course the rest of us realize the glass was always refillable with whatever we prefer.
Well right now some people are upset about the current state of ActiveRain. Will it be what it was? Will it be something different? Will it even BE, period?
But how much energy and mindspace should we give to a situation that we can't truly influence or control?
No amount of … (17 comments)
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