Online Real Estate Marketing

The Future of Real Estate Marketing blog is a very special place for me. When I was getting my feet wet within this industry, FOREM was among my go-to daily reads. The content that Joel Burslem created was no where you can be found in 2006, 2007, and 2008 – back when people were saying, “Facebook – what is that?” When I came on board with Inman News in November of 2009 and was asked by Brad Inman, founder and publisher of Inman News to consider over managing editing duties and become the main writer for FOREM, I was honored, excited, and a little nervous. 

I knew I’d big shoes to fill, and had several conversations with Joel about why FOREM had the success and audience it did. A big part from it was the content – offering a fresh eye, referring to what was new and exciting as well as taking a look at other industries to see the parallels to the real estate technology space. Another part of FOREM’s success was Joel’s personality. Anybody who knows Joel recognizes that he is a great guy – right down to earth, super smart, and one from the nicest people you’ll meet.

So for the initial few months, I attempted to be like Joel and things i quickly realized, and any blogger reading this can relate, is that I needed to find my own voice. It wasn’t soon after January 2010 which i really found my rhythm. I began writing about stuff that I knew real estate agents desired to know more about and a few things i was enthusiastic about. I talked a great deal about Facebook and Twitter – do’s and don’ts, starting out, and taking it one stage further. We also talked a lot about mobile technology – especially with the iPhone and the iPad. It’s tough to remember a time before those two devices!

Within the fall of 2010, I began to bring in some fantastic guest bloggers to speak about technologies these were working on in order to offer another point of view. During the period of 2010 and today 2011, our readership grew and grew. I’m very proud to say that we increased our RSS readership ten-fold – literally growing from the couple thousand RSS subscribers to now almost 12K and quadrupling our quantity of page views. We also won the coveted “Best Blog Award” from NAREE (National Association of Real Estate Editors) this year – taking home the 2nd place award – competing with blogs like the New York Times and Wall Street Journal real estate blogs. I say all of this not to pat myself on the back, but to really prefer you – our readers. It’s our readers and our devoted audience who have helped form and grow FOREM; and through your feedback, comments and sharing – have made FOREM what it is today.

So what exactly is next?

I think there’s a huge chance to take FOREM to the next level and provide a bigger number of content, have more contributors, and reach a broader audience. I am excited to announce the official launch on Monday 7/11/11 of Inman Next, made by Inman News. Inman Next is a spot for real estate agents to learn concerning the latest tips and tools in social networking, mobile, tech & gadgets and events. FOREM will play many in Inman Next.

If the mortgage crisis is winding down, online real estate marketing ideas will once more be explored in earnest. Some economic indicators, together with some prognosticators, have suggested that indeed the mortgage crisis is bottoming out. If this is true, then not only online approaches is going to be reevaluated, but all real estate marketing tools will be taken out of storage and placed on broker’s grindstones to become honed to a new height of effectiveness. The fact is, real estate brokers have used real estate marketing tools including online strategies for several years. The only real question here is how much improvement can be created to the process. “For all have sinned and fallen short from the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) 

Conventional methods of marketing houses, businesses and buildings for sale are still a staple for agents. In fact, marketing experts for those kinds of selling recommend at least 3 or 4 mediums they are driving the sales wagon of any venture, including real estate. Traditional methods for advertising include newspaper ads, flyers, pens, calendars, open houses, mass mailings, brochures, ground signs, and even road advertisements. Many a refrigerator magnet has adorned appliances from coast to coast, reminding those who own that friendly agent coming who’s waiting to list the following real estate. There’ve also been, through the years, the many home salespeople traveling in the neighborhood Independence day parade with a friendly wave along with a large magnetic sign on the convertible’s door. These kinds of personal, up-close contacts can never be replaced within the arsenal of real estate marketing tools.

From broker to broker, rules will vary, however, many agents be forced to pay of these traditional marketing tools from their own income. These advertising methods are personal, and tax deductible, but they’re also expensive. Supplying a number of different products to prospects could be a heavy fiscal outlay. A healthy balance between the traditional methods and also the online real estate marketing tools which are now voraciously ensconced in the business are called for these days. The marketing of any product has turned into a delicate science of knowing when and where to make use of the advertising mediums that are offered. Real Estate advertising methods are becoming increasingly more imaginative.

When it comes to online real estate marketing ideas, the net has really become the oyster for the agent. It’s a more affordable way to engage prospective buyers per capita than the traditional methods that still have to be used. And data supports the assertion that Internet customers looking for homes spend a minimum of 25% more for a home purchase than non users. The handwriting is definitely about the wall. The Web today supplies a quantity of advantages that brokers without doubt wished they had possessed two decades ago. Think about the following real estate marketing tools that are offered to agents today:

Websites are actually emerging to make investigating a property’s history open to online prospects including former sale prices, virtual inside tours of the property, satellite images and now even permit the negotiation and final sale of the home, saving a large chunk of the agent fee on the buyer’s end. There is the availability of pod casting and even video casting, which enables agents to provide daily or weekly personal messages to any or all clients, thus creating a trust factor as clients reach better know the broker. Websites now allow clients to see housing price reductions on the property of interest, and may also see how long the home has been available on the market. These functions can play directly into the hand of a savvy broker. Here’s another of the quantity of real estate advertising possibilities tools:

Think about a fictional agent who uses a viral marketing plan as part of numerous online real estate marketing ideas to sell a million dollar house. The agent contracts an author to create a half page mystery story with an ending that isn’t complete. The story is loaded on the internet and sent to every current email address that the agent has ever collected. It’s hoped that the unsolved mystery piece will then be sent as a fun interlude to any or all friends and family of the original recipients as well as on as well as on. After the short mystery story, a hyperlink will get an invite to go to the agent’s website for the solution. Upon arrival at the website, a sweeping panorama unfolds of the house’s many amenities and sweetness, in addition to a place to obtain the mystery’s solution. While wild videos an internet-based games happen to be used for viral marketing to younger people, this more cerebral approach could attract the demographic that possesses the economic means to make this type of purchase.

Online real estate marketing ideas also include a chance to provide a virtual tour associated with a listed home, room by room. Additionally, clients might have realtors automatically send them more home choices, selected by location, price, schools or perhaps a mixture of the 3. Broker authored newsletters that may be sent as email attachments are a good way to keep in touch with customers after the sale. Sending valued clients important holiday greetings with actual personal handwritten messages, through traditional mail sources, can be done from online services. As the mortgage crisis starts to wane, the real estate broker has lots of help to make the future business outlook bright.

Marketing with video keeps growing like wildfire and when you have not already begun using it in your real estate practice you have to begin right now. Below you’ll find a simple 5 step process will get started or add to your repertoire in making use of marketing with video for the business. 

Step 1: Begin with the End in your mind
I know that is a little cliché but it’s critical with regards to using video in your real estate marketing plan. You will find really only about 4 different outcomes to try and accomplish. They are are as follows:

Prospecting
Branding
Listing Plan
SEO

After you have your required outcome for the video you’re ready to move onto Step 2.

Step 2: Keyword Research
Regardless of your required outcome, you will need to perform some keyword research to determine what keywords you want to pursue with your video. This sounds complex – but really it’s really quite simple. Visit Google and key in “google keyword tool” in the search box. It’ll return a result for Google AdWords: Key phrase Tool. There you can simply enter keywords that you’d wish to target and Google’s tool will explain how much traffic those keywords are becoming.

Here’s a keyword example to test: foreclosure listings Harrisburg Pa. Have you observe that Google identified all the key phrases assoicated and provided the entire number of searchs in addition to their respective local and global search strengths?

Once you have a summary of potential keywords, go back to the Search and type in your keywords to determine how many competing sites you will find on Google. The best keywords to focus on are those which have high amount of searches and not that many competing pages.

This post is important- it will be used to sometimes determine the topic of your video, to title and to describe your video when it is time to release it towards the public (see Step 5).

Step three: What Type of Video Will You Use?
There are several video types you can use. For example you can create a video slide show, video property tour, neighborhood video tour, screen capture video and the list can go on and on. You need to simply pick which kind of video you will use and then move on to Step four.

Step 4: Create or Render
Once you determine the kind of video, you will need to create it. The way you produce the video will depend on the type you choose in Step 3. You may need to visit a real property and shoot the recording tour or you might be able to simply create it on your computer having a slide show or screen capture. After you have it created you will need to either upload it to some video sharing site or you may need to first render the video after which upload.

Step five: Syndication & Distribute (The Fun Part)
So you have your video created, ok now what? You’re ready to have it up and out on the web. There are tons of video sharing sites available, but definitely the best and many recognized is Youtube. To ensure that has become the best place to begin. It’s quite simple to create a merchant account and upload a video there. But when you really want to turbo charge your results you are going to want to syndicate your video on many different video sharing sites. I understand this sounds like a large pain, but here’s the cool thing, there are sites available which will get it done for you. The very best free site to do this is tubemogul.com. The way it works is you upload your video to tubemogul after which enter your title, description and tags and it will actually syndicate your video to some couple of different sites all simultaneously!

I think you’ll enjoyed reading this information and would use marketing with video inside your real estate investing business.

The financial suggest that the present economy is within implies that many industries take popular. Including the Real Estate Industry. Realtors don’t have to be limited by geographic location any longer. They are able to now access a larger target audience through the use of online real estate advertising models. 

There are realtors who’re already experiencing success. They have already tested the proverbial waters. Online real estate marketing is allowing them to improve their income. This type of marketing can also be providing them a larger potential income base. They are no longer limited to their physical location; description of how the can target customers all over the world.

Online real estate advertising models include utilizing social networking sites. Sample sites include: Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, etc. There are literally hundreds of sites such as these that can be taken advantage of; these are the most popular. Bookmarking sites can also be incorporate into you advertising models. The opportunities are endless.

One other popular website is www. WordPress. Com. Online real estate marketing is allowing realtors to create blogs and make up a following. Substandard plenty of potential income, not to mention the truth that they are being considered a specialist within their field. Make sure to link your site to other social networks and bookmarking sites to assist yourself be seen.

Industry specific networking sites such as ActiveRain and LinkedIn are excellent for networking with other people in your field. Improve your contacts, write blogs, and be considered an expert by your peers. You will not believe who is already taking advantage of the online real estate marketing opportunity. Do not be a follower; be considered a leader in the market.

Online real estate marketing has been the key to success for the several realtors who’re already benefiting from this chance. Don’t let it pass you by. Jump on the bandwagon today and begin to reap the rewards. A large amount of companies are incorporating the Internet to their daily routine. You need to too. When you do, it may become your key to success as well.

You should not hold back until the housing market turns around. Go on and get a grip now. Learn the ropes. You are able to hire firms or virtual assistants to help you get your web real estate marketing plan into motion. It is less expensive than you probably think.