ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: The Best Leads Money Can Buy
- 05/01/23 08:18 PM
Over the years we've explored many ways of building our business.
Pay per click.
Grocery store advertising.
Direct mail.
The pay us at closing lead companies.
The leads that came from our big box brokerage.
Some worked better than others, ranging from totally being a money pit to offering a decent return on our time and/or money.
But overall, there was one key drawback to all those approaches: we were presented as "generic" agents.
When you are just one of many agents sending the same message, how do you prove your value to a home buyer or seller? How do you give them a reason to select you, and … (15 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Too Bzzy To Blog?
- 04/25/23 09:48 AM
I wear more than a few hats. so staying bzzzzy isn't an issue.
Engineer. Real Estate Agent. Zookeeper. Beekeeper. Homeowner.
So you may wonder how I get it all done?
The short answer, I don't, at least not every day.
Every day is a matter of prioritizing what MUST get done today and what doesn't.
Certain tasks are non-negotiable, some have a little wiggle room, others are "as time allows".
Evening feeding for the zoo (current count 17 cats and 9 Chihuahuas) is about an hour every evening, and those little furries are not going to let us forget!.
Church service isn't negotiable.
Beekeeping is seasonal, there are … (17 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Be Specific Or Get Lost!
- 04/12/23 01:02 PM
Centerville property for sale!
How many Centervilles do you think there are in the U.S.? Per geotargit.com, 43.
Tri-state Homes For Sale!
How many tri-state areas are there? While locally that refers to the area where Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio are adjacent, I'd bet we don't have the monopoly on the term tri-state!
Lakefront property for sale!
Did you know (depending on reporting source) over 125,000 lakes in the Lower 48 states, and many, many more if you consider Alaska!
Commercial property for sale on Main Street!
There are in excess of 11,000 Main Streets in the US.
Golf Course homes for sale!
There are more golf courses than Main … (17 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Door Busting Sales!
- 04/11/23 11:46 AM
One of the things I enjoy about traveling is experiencing the amazing artistry of years past.
Now a door is a door, right? Some hinges, a slab of materials, a handle and latch boil it down to its basics, but HOW those items are executed is the difference in being just another big box store blah door or something truly exceptional.
The exceptional draws your eye and beckons, come take a look, explore, maybe check out what's inside!
And whether you realize it or not, when you blog, you're in a competition.
Against other bloggers.
Against other information sources.
Against your direct competition for business.
Against the real … (14 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Reputation Vs. Reality
- 04/04/23 04:08 PM
Both our cars are paid for, and have been for years.
We THOUGHT the luxury SUV that we bought would be great. German engineering and all that jazz. And while the SUV has been comfortable, the reality has been that the reliability has been less than desirable, and when it's needed repairs, the cost have been on the high side.
On the other hand, the "hamster mobile" I bought for my every day running around, picking up bales of hay, hardware store trips and delivering yard signs, while not sporting the luxury reputation has been more than adequate for my needs. And even … (15 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Same Old Same Old Or New & Improved?
- 03/27/23 08:24 PM
Apparently there's a kitty communication network that points them our way when they need help. Last year two more cats started showing up at our doorstep. A female that had been previously trapped and spayed (ear is slightly tipped as is the practice for Trap Neuter Release) and a male with a full set of "kittenmakers". They show up on our front porch one at a time (she's a a bit skittish and afraid of him, he'd walk in our front door if we let him), so we feed them and put a heating pad in a doghouse on the front … (14 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: You Only Get One Chance For First Impressions
- 03/20/23 07:01 PM
Last week I had our Tuesday Ask An Ambassador post ready to go. Fully written, picture attached, tags and groups assigned, everything but clicking SUBMIT.
But I never clicked SUBMIT. Instead, I wrote an entirely different post to publish.
Why?
Because when all was said and done, I wasn't satisfied with the outcome. I think the topic was valid. We'd had a less than positive experience at a local restaurant and the theme Bait & Switch seemed worth exploring. Easy enough to relate it to real estate blogging and our overall business.
But..
Any post can be your FIRST impression, be it a consumer or another … (15 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: How Do I Get Help Around This Place?
- 03/07/23 08:34 AM
Whether you're experienced or a newbie in the Rain, sometimes you need some help.
In years past we might have tagged someone from ActiveRain management and chances are they'd appear to help. That's not going to work in the site's present staffing situation. There's no Bob and no Kerrie to call for help, so you have to pick from other options.
1. Ask a friend in the Rain. Sometimes it's something routine like "hey, I don't remember how to edit my blog signature" and the other Rainer will know.
2. Find an ACTIVE Ambassador and ask them. The Ambassador list is slimmer than it … (24 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Dead Wood Falls Down
- 03/05/23 09:13 AM
Our home is on heavily wooded land. We love the privacy when everything is green, and since most of our woods are not evergreen trees, we get some great color changes during Fall. But thanks to emerald ash borers, our ash trees have taken a beating. Many have died thanks to this invasive pest, so we have to continually assess which dead trees are a threat to our home, because sooner or later dead wood falls. Wind storms make life interesting and when we hear the CRRRRAAAACCCKK of a tree falling from inside the home, we have to wonder which direction? … (12 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Getting The Consumer Out Of The Shadows
- 02/27/23 05:05 PM
Today we received a jumbo postcard in the mail about a recent sale in our area. Glossy, a good picture of the home, a JUST SOLD banner, but it was intentionally missing the sold price. If you wanted that information, you had to go to a website and enter a long code to get that key piece of info, and if you wanted to give up more information, a valuation for your home.
For me, the surest way to get me to head the opposite direction is to attempt to manipulate me. I recognize in this world there's not much private any … (23 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Survive or Thrive?
- 02/19/23 07:23 AM
Real estate agents cover the entire spectrum, from those "dabbling" in the business with almost no completed deals in a year to those doing 100s (or more?) in a year.
Single agents to couples and small agent teams to humongous teams across multiple states, there's a model for success for however you want to practice real estate.
As an agent you can fail outright, do just enough to survive, or thrive.
What's the difference?
A large contributor is how you understand (or not) your LOCAL market.
Too often people (consumers and agents alike) relay on real estate reports that either focus on national trends, or paint … (13 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Is Your Heart In It?
- 02/14/23 01:19 PM
It's Valentines Day. Hearts to the left of me, hearts to the right of me, into the breach we go!
Blogging covers an entire spectrum.
Rote blogging, Joe Friday stuff. 47 variations of the same long tail theme, change the location and fill in the blanks. X location with X number of Bedrooms. They CAN be bread and butter lead generation machines if you pick the right long tail, but they're about as exciting to write as watching paint dry, amirite? But there's certainly a place for them, and maybe lots of them! It's a numbers game, lots of pages with solid content … (18 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: ActiveRain Is What You Make It
- 02/07/23 03:39 PM
Is ActiveRain a blogging site? Yes.
Is ActiveRain a social network? Yes.
Is ActiveRain a place to create a valuable referral network? Yes.
Is ActiveRain a place to gain knowledge about the latest happenings in real estate? Yes.
Is ActiveRain a place that can increase your business? Yes.
Is ActiveRain a place to keep your finger on the pulse of real estate markets across the country? Yes.
Is ActiveRain a place to make friends that feel your pain from things that happen in real estate? Yes.
Is ActiveRain a place you can have a virtual watercooler? If you've visited the Q&A section you know the answer.
I could go … (20 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Diagnosing The Problem
- 01/30/23 07:28 PM
Yesterday I watched a digital version of my heart pump. We could see each chamber and valve as the heart muscle contracted and the technician took measurements, sound recordings, flow measurements and more to provide a thorough report of how my almost 60 year old ticker is working. The ultrasound check was a routine follow-up prescribed by my cardiologist and part of ensuring that we're keeping my afib under control.
Experts provided me the diagnosis years ago of why I could feel a heartbeat tango in my chest, and they continue to monitor me and adjust treatment as needed.
And similar to my … (17 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Build Your Business
- 01/24/23 04:22 PM
It may not look like much at the start.
Bare dirt, but there's potential. Some ideas of what can be done to add value and put some demand in place.
Much like undeveloped land, that's how our blog begins. Not much there, but ideas to follow and if we do it right, there's something of value in the future.
There are many ways you can use your blog to build your business.
One of the better ones for us?
Providing information about new construction opportunities in our market.
While we can double dip our niches with posts about new construction patio homes and new construction condos, there's … (10 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Is Daily Blogging For You?
- 01/17/23 07:58 PM
We've taken an interest in gardening, thinking forward to our next place and being more self-sustaining. There's a wide range of heirloom vegetables out there to explore. Yep, not all tomatoes are red or green, some squash are not smooth skinned, and there are various veggies out there with histories of many centuries.
There's a seed store in Michigan that caught my attention when I was researching seeds (MiGardner.com). They have a great variety of seeds, $2 a pack, free shipping at $12 or more in purchase, and some great information on their website with how tos, information about the various seeds … (15 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Expectations Vs. Reality
- 01/10/23 06:22 AM
Last night I watched the college football championship game. What I expected beforehand based on the semi-final games was for a high-scoring game with TCU remaining competitive. While I got the high scoring game I expected, the reality was I didn't expect ONE team to put almost all the points in the game!
Many moons ago when I was taking my real estate licensing classes, I had some knowledge of what I was getting into thanks to Liz starting in the business 2 years prior. I knew the reality of what I was getting into, but many of my fellow students were … (26 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: New Year, Time To Pivot?
- 01/03/23 12:33 PM
Your year-end review is complete and you shed some unnecessary expenses.
However, is removing expenses enough? Or is it time to consider a pivot from your typical blogging?
Fewer homes for sale (still), fewer buyers thanks to higher interest rates, so does your past methodology of gaining business a continued guarantee of success?
Only you have the knowledge to fully evaluate what has brought you business and how willing you are to continue doing those things AND if they're still likely to work as the calendar moves onward.
Niche blogging works as long as there are people looking for information about that niche AND with … (17 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Assess & Adjust
- 12/27/22 06:47 AM
In a few days I'll export the stats for our 2022 expenses. The summary goes to our CPAs when it's time for our annual tax prep and it's an eye-opening experience and part of an overall year-end assessment for both business and personal aspects.
We spent HOW much on vet care for our furry herd? (time to sell some more houses!).
There are certain non-negotiable expenses (MLS, licensing, etc.), but there are other expenses that aren't mandatory, and year-end is a good time to assess and decide whether it's an expense that should continue or be eliminated.
Is our current brokerage providing a good … (16 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Purposeful Blogging
- 12/20/22 11:19 AM
You can blog for multiple reasons: lead generation, relationship development, just for fun, etc.
You can choose to blog willy-nilly or planned to the nth degree, it's totally up to you.
Back when I used to read books heavily, I'd mix up what I read. One classic followed by one just for fun, so Dickens or Shakespeare might be followed by a sci-fi novel.
Blogging can be the same way, splitting your target audience between consumers and real estate professionals.
Bloggers take many different paths:
Some choose to work themes or schedules: Designated days are market reports, other days may just be a picture, other days … (14 comments)
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