Using Facebook for Real Estate: Best Practices

Posted on January 23, 2012 by egenova

Social media has grown exponentially over the past several years, but no network has grown as much as Facebook. The social giant’s growth is giving real estate professionals like you a great reason to learn how to use Facebook to grow your real estate business Having a custom, branded Facebook business page and social integration on your website gives you a clear advantage over competitors not taking advantage of social tools.  With social integration, you’ll have access to a huge batch of prospects in your community that will significantly expand your business reach. By following a few simple guidelines, using Facebook to promote your real estate market is relatively simple.

Understanding Facebook 

Facebook For Real Estate

 The first step in learning how to use Facebook to grow your real estate business is understanding how it works. Facebook is a social site.  For the most part, proponents of Facebook are using it to connect with friends and family, and some use it to reconnect with classmates or coworkers they had lost touch with over the years. However, within the past couple years, it has become a large hub for businesses to advertise, connect with potential customers and offer a more humanized side to the company. One of the key success factors is understanding what to expect from a social relationship online. You have to be sure you are willing to take the time to post status updates and interact with your business fans on a regular basis. Z57 has an extremely effective marketing plan that minimizes the amount of time you have spend on Facebook to achieve great results along with customized, intuitive business profiles that make you look great!.

Understanding the Statistics

 The next step in using Facebook to grow your real estate business is to understand who you are appealing to. Did you know…

  1. There are more than 800 million active users on Facebook
  2. The average user spends more than 55 minutes on Facebook per day
  3. Over 50% of Facebook users are between 25 and 55 (your target demographic!)
  4. Facebook users referred to your business by a friend are 2X more likely to engage with your business and 4X more likely to use your services

With those statistics – you can’t go wrong!

How do I manage a Facebook Business Profile?

 The key in having a successful Facebook business profile is to post consistently. The more consistently you update your profile with status updates and valuable information, the more likely to you are to appeal to a broad range of prospects and to get prospects engaging with your business. Post status updates to share information with prospects including new listings, price reductions and community information.

Are you excited to see your business grow? Visit www.Z57.com to get started!

 

 

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Real Estate Agent Apps: The Mobile Craze

Posted on January 9, 2012 by egenova

In our increasingly mobile society, taking advantage of real estate agent apps is vital to success in an on-the-go field. Browser-based internet access from a mobile device is a great tool for Realtors® and for your potential customers, who want information on a propertyright away.

According to Nielsen studies, thirty-seven percent of mobile subscribers have Smartphones, and their data consumption has risen eighty-nine percent in the past year.  With Ericson predicting that half the planet will be mobile by 2015, and Morgan Stanley

The Mobile Craze

Analysts forecasting that mobile devices will be more common than PCs and laptops by the same year, the significance for real estate marketing and business processes is clear. The necessity of being able to do more on the go has become increasingly more apparent as people crave instant gratification. By utilizing mobile real estate agent apps, you can conduct your business on the go and reach a greater number of potential customers with ease.

Real estate agents can now work a sale from beginning to end with these convenient real estate agent apps.

 

  • SignMyPad: This affordable, easy to use PDF reader and annotation tool reduces your printing and time at the office! Use it to load PDFs directly from your email, sign them, and email them back.
  • D-Measures: This app creates a way to share measurements in a meaningful way, allowing users to draw measures and dimensions on photos and share them with others.
  • MxCalc 12c : This financial calculator can be used to determine loan payments, interest rates and conversions, standard deviation, percent, time value of money, cash flows, bonds, and more.
  • Real Estate: This dictionary of real estate terms is the most comprehensive app of its kind, providing a valuable research tool that is extremely user friendly.

If you haven’t made the jump to mobile, the time is now.  In October, Z57 launched Z57Go – a mobile version of our Realtor’s websites and IDX listings. With Z57Go, our Realtor’s clients and prospects are able to access our agent’s website and listings on their mobile phone – anytime, anywhere. We have also included QR, or Quick Response Codes for our agents to integrate into their listing fliers and other offline marketing materials to generate even more traffic to their website. Are you ready to go mobile? Visit www.Z57.com today to learn more.

 

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Real Estate Branding as the Local Expert

Posted on January 6, 2012 by egenova

One of the most recent trends in branding yourself as a real estate agent is a focus on becoming a local expert.  However, few real estate agents understand how to become a local expert or why it is important to develop extensive knowledge in the local area.

Buyers and Sellers Expect Expert Information

 When a home buyer or seller chooses a real estate agent, they expect that agent to offer them expert market information.  Although all real estate agents can provide general market information, it takes a local expert to have the “inside” information that many buyers and sellers have come to expect.  Learning more about the local neighborhoods and towns where you conduct the majority of your business can improve your brand as a real

Branding As The Local Expert

estate agent, not only locally, but even nationally, when out-of-town prospects are looking to relocate and need an agent to handle their real estate transaction. Think about it this way, if you were researching a product you want to purchase and one provided two vague sentences about the product and no image and the other provided tons of quality information and photos from every angle, which one are you going to feel more comfortable purchasing? The one with all the great content!

Becoming a Local Expert

 So how do you do it? The first step in becoming a local expert is to define the exact parameters of your area or areas of focus.Your area does not have to be confined to one neighborhood, town or development, especially in rural areas Choose your area based on where your expertise lie, you have good business and there is opportunity to be the dominant agent in the market.

Once these parameters have been determined, you should gather as much information as possible regarding schools, government and healthcare to enhance your brand as a real estate agent and local expert. real estate branding.  Learn about police agencies and fire departments in the area and build a team of local partnerss that include trusted lenders, builders, landscapers, plumbers and any other business that a buyer or seller may need.  Learn who the community leaders are and get to know them.  Becoming active in the local Chamber of Commerce is one of the best ways to learn about your local area and get to know all the details that will impress your prospects.

Past, Present and Future

 Another way to establish your brand as a real estate agent is to learn the history of the area, what is happening now, and what is proposed for the future.  Visit the local planning and zoning office  and ask to see copies of master plans, zoning and information about future developments; you may actually be able to purchase copies to have on hand for clients.  Research past trends in the area as well, because some homeowners are interested in local history or may want to know if there were any past issues that have impacted the area where they plan to live.

Today’s home buyers and home sellers are looking to real estate agents who can provide information about neighborhoods and the quality of life in their community.  Enhance your brand as a real estate agent by earning your ZPro Certification.  Z57 Academy can teach you more about becoming a local expert and building your brand as a real estate agent.  Visit www.z57.com to learn more.

 

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Real Estate Marketing in 10 Minutes A Day

Posted on December 28, 2011 by egenova

Z57, Real estate industry experts, explain how you can improve you marketing strategy in only minutes a day. You will see positive results immediately. Z57 does not just offer a real estate website and tools, we provide Z57 Academy. Our Academy is one on one marketing training to help you capture more leads and grow your business. For more information call us at (888) 769-7190

Join us on our Facebook and Twitter channels for more information and updates!

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12 Holiday Marketing Tips

Posted on December 19, 2011 by egenova

12 Holiday Marketing Tips:

 Tis’ the season to focus on spending time with loved ones and getting in some quality rest and relaxation time. To help you get in as much relaxation as possible, we’ve created a top 12 list of holiday marketing tips that are easy to implement, will save you time, will get you prepared for 2012 and most importantly will make a great impression on your prospects and book of business.

The 12 Days of Marketing

1. On the first day of Marketing, Z57 said to me, enjoy your holiday! Most importantly – enjoy your holidays and prepare for a wonderful new year! Okay so that one is not so much a tip, more of a ‘pretty-please’. There are some very exciting new features and changes coming soon from Z57 and we’re working hard to make sure we’re ready to support you better than ever in 2012! We want you rested for the New Year.

2. On the second day of Marketing, Z57 said to me, use scents of the season. While staging open houses, be sure to add some holiday scented potpourri or oil plug-ins. It takes 30 seconds and visitors will warm up to the welcoming holiday, homey scents and will be able to visualize calling the property their new home.

3. On the third day of Marketing, Z57 said to me, personalize your marketing. Personalize your listing postcards and drip email campaigns to include messages of season’s greetings and holiday cheer. You’re already sending out your listing postcards to your book of business once a week so take an extra ten seconds and personalize your message! Realtors® who highlight relatable events become more personable to their clients and prospects, making them more likeable and ultimately more successful.

4. On the fourth day of Marketing, Z57 said to me, decorate for open houses. Set up some non-denominational holiday decorations at any homes that you’re currently showing. You don’t have to go overboard, just set out an item here or there – it will take just a few minutes and they can be inexpensive items. The more someone can visualize themselves spending special, quality time with family in a home, the more likely they are to become attached to it and the more likely you are to make a sale!

5. On the fifth day of Marketing, Z57 said to me, get involved in charity! Find a local charitable cause to support, share your plans across your social networks and encourage others to get involved. Many of you likely get involved in holiday giving already – just take a few extra minutes to share it with your network! You could collect toys for Toys for Tots or set up a fundraising page for the Salvation Army Holiday Giving campaign. Show off your big heart, gain followers on your social networks, build your referral base and do something good for others in a time of need.

6. On the sixth day of Marketing, Z57 said to me, add cheer to your website. Add a holiday photo to your website. Clients will be impressed that you have current, timely information on your site. It will take you less than a minute and will show the spirit of the season and the spirit of hard work – bound to impress!

7. On the seventh day of Marketing, Z57 said to me, send greeting cards. There are several online resources that offer free and paid e-cards and printable cards (see http://www.erealtycards.com/ ) for Realtors® to send out to their clients. With e-cards, you can often send to an email list that you simply copy and paste so it would only take a couple minutes to send out cards to your book of business. The gesture will be appreciated and it will get your name back in front of your potential leads in a very cheerful way!

8. On the eighth day of Marketing, Z57 said to me, connect with clients on Facebook. Use your Facebook page to connect with your network. Take a few minutes to ask questions about holiday plans, make suggestions on different community activities, recipes or craft projects and be sure to wish everyone a happy holiday season! Show that you’re interested in what your network is up to.

9. On the ninth day of Marketing, Z57 said to me, take some goodies. If you make any delicious holiday goodies, take leftovers along to your open houses or listing presentations. You’ve already done the work and a thoughtful gesture goes a long way in impressing a client!

10. On the tenth day of Marketing, Z57 said to me, clean up your leads. Start preparing for 2012 – clean up your lead database. Set aside a little time to purge old leads and add any new ones you’ve found on Facebook or through other resources. Make sure you’re starting out the year fresh and with your best foot forward. It will save you tons of time in the New Year!

11. On the eleventh day of Marketing, Z57 said to me, schedule early. Get any marketing campaigns that will be going out between now and the New Year ready to launch now. You’re going to be busy visiting family and celebrating the holidays so be sure to automate as much of your work as possible to free up your time.

12. On the twelfth day of Marketing, Z57 said to me put holiday lights on your yard sign. It will only take you about five minutes to get it set up and you’re guaranteed to get inquisitive visitors picking up flyers as they drive around neighborhoods checking out holiday lights with their families.

Everybody now!

12 Holiday Marketing Tips:
12. Lights on your yard sign
11. Schedule early
10. Clean up your leads
9. Take some goodies
8. Connect on Facebook
7. Send greeting cards
6. Add cheer to your website
5. Get involved in charity
4. Decorate open houses
3. Personalize your marketing,
2. Use scents of the season,
1. And enjoy your holiday!

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Your Mobile Solution for Real Estate

Posted on December 7, 2011 by egenova

Z57,Inc, a leader in Real Estate internet marketing, has the perfect solution for your mobile clients and prospects. Did you know that more than 50% of your clients use smart phones? Those clients expect you to offer up-to-date real estate mobile tools. But don’t panic… that’s where we come in. Introducing Z57Go.

For more information contact us at 888-769-7190. Also, join us on Facebook and Twitter for more tips and information.

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Social Media 101: Real Estate Social Media Strategy

Posted on November 30, 2011 by egenova

You’ve decided to hop on the social media train and you’re ready to figure out the ins and outs of real estate social media strategy. Now what? This infographic from Mashable is a good place to start. It lists 9 drivers of “world class brand sociability,” something only achieved by a few well-positioned brands.

The Nine Drivers

1)    High-quality social media marketing creates original content, reaches out on a personal and professional level and uses social media to showcase the practitioner’s personal style.

2)    Appeal to a mobile audience. Consider a mobile-friendly website or other mobile content, check-in apps, or proximity-based marketing. Our mobile solution, Z57Go allows you to do just that. Visit www.z57.com to learn more.

3)    Build a consistent brand personality that resonates across all your social media and marketing efforts Integrate posts and output to reinforce a consistent, recognizable image across the Web.

4)    “Make social central” – set up a central organizer or committee and ensure that all social media marketing extends outward from that hub. You’re more likely to build that consistent personality and simplify your operations.

5)    Listen, engage, and encourage fan feedback to make sure your products and services reflect customer needs. This, in turn, will improve your service packages and your image at the same time!

6)    Pay attention to the number of contributors. Instead of posting all posts as “Company Name,” have employees post separately. Invite guest bloggers/posters/video bloggers. Build a real sense of community, not a one-way stream of information.

7)    Increase your recognition. As a Realtor® you may work locally, but don’t be afraid to reach out to larger audiences. The more people you can engage, the easier it will be to grow your business.

8)    Enlist outside support to save time and increase your social reach. Z57 can help you take your social media marketing to the next level.

9)    Pay attention to all posts and be sure to reply to any negative posts.

How Do I Do It?

 You know the basics and you’re ready to take the plunge. You’re just not sure where to start! Check out this piece by Jay Baer from socialmediatoday.com to get the ball rolling.

Baer focuses on three major rules: (1) Remember, it’s about people, not logos; (2) Use your human capital to humanize your online presence; and (3) Broaden your presence across social media outlets, but use a well-branded message by having a core social media team.

 The key to social media success is a personable image that both builds and shows community. At Z57, we can help you take your social media marketing to the next level. Enlisting outside help is one of the 9 greatest drivers of world class brand “sociability”! Get started today – call 888-769-7190 to contact us to set up an appointment, and we’ll help you hit the ground running.

 

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Social Media 101: Cross Platform Promotion

Posted on November 22, 2011 by egenova

The golden rule in social media marketing is not to put all your eggs in one basket. When deciding which social networks to market on, consider cross platform promotion. Each network has their own strengths and can be great for your business in different ways. For example, Facebook has the highest traffic and most

Cross Platform Promotion

diverse audience so it’s a great place to post listings to generate referrals and gain exposure. LinkedIn is a network of business professionals that lets you tap into a different demographic. You can promote your business to a group of adult professionals in your area while networking with other Realtors®. Twitter gives you an opportunity to not only market but also establish yourself as an expert in your field by following well-known and respected real estate professionals and companies.

Remember that your customers have differing personalities and preferences and that what attracts one person may not influence another. Use all the tools available and you’ll reach the most broad and diverse audience.

The Great Equalizer

According to Dean Anthony Gratton at socialmediatoday, cross platform promotion gives small, independently owned and operated businesses like those of your average Realtor® the same voice and pull as global players. If you are careful to consistently brand your business image across your messaging, mobilizing cross platform promotion will help you reach a wider audience and can be the key to you social media marketing success.

Ready to learn more? At Z57, we can help you take your social media marketing to the next level. Get started today – call us at 888-769-7190 to view a live demo of our proven marketing strategy and learn what we can do for you and your business.

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Lead Generation for Real Estate Professionals

Posted on November 15, 2011 by egenova

When it comes to lead generation for real estate, agents who make the most of their resources will be the market leaders. With all the marketing tools available to reach today’s Internet savvy consumers, agents sometimes overlook one of their simplest and most powerful assets, their book of business Agents who learn to use their book of business effectively will be ahead of the game.

Lead Generation for Real Estate

  •  Your book of business is your personal white pages. By keeping accurate contact information for friends, family, previous clients and business partners, you empower yourself to reach a much wider market. Reaching out to the people in your personal book of business can generate great referral leads as your contacts share your information with their contacts. Don’t hesitate to reach out to individuals who have already started working with another Realtor®. Clients often switch from one Realtor to another based on a good referral from a friend.
  • You have the ability to stay on someone’s mind. If you use your book of business to effectively market yourself and your listings, you can keep your business name in the forefront of your contacts’ minds. When they hear of someone looking for a property, your name will be the first thing they think of, providing their contacts with a connection to a great Realtor® and providing you with valuable referrals.
  • Your marketing should pull people to your website. There are many ways to reach out to those who are in your book of business. You can send weekly listings postcards and connect with your clients on social networks such as LinkedIn and Facebook. Posting your listings to social networks online where your book of business contacts can quickly and easily share them with others is a great lead generation resource. No matter how you choose to reach out, your goal should always be to drive all your potential clients right back to your website to capture their information.
  • Make new friends, but keep the old. It is an old saying, but is especially true when it comes to lead generation. Here is a recent example of success through book of business marketing: a Realtor had been sending emails with recent listings to his entire book of business on a weekly basis. A client with whom the Realtor had not done business in seven years found the perfect listing in one of the listing emails he received, and the Realtor® made the sale. Had he purged his contact list, he would have missed that opportunity.
  • Your book of business is priceless. As the market turns around and real estate continues to increase in value, real estate lead generation becomes more and more important. One good lead that turns into a referral that turns into a big sale is hugely valuable to real estate professionals. Definitely market your business, seek out new leads and expand your following – but don’t forget about what’s right under your nose!

The real estate market is highly competitive, and real estate professionals need to be sure they are using every tool available for lead generation for real estate. Never underestimate the power of the book of business for marketing efforts that will drive business back to your website. Perhaps even more importantly, make sure your website is designed to make you successful. Founded in 1998, and specializing in internet marketing education and services, Z57’s dedicated employees can teach you proven solutions that will generate leads and build your business.

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Creating a Marketing Calendar

Posted on November 8, 2011 by egenova

In the real estate business, creating a marketing calendar can mean the difference between occasional, half-successful advertising and spot-on campaigns that take your real estate business to the next level. A marketing calendar can be an invaluable tool in helping you bring marketing strategies to life. Today, we’ll share some tips on the most effective way to set up your marketing calendar and reminders. Sticking to a written plan will ensure your marketing success!

Consistency

Creating A Marketing Calendar

 The first key to success is consistency – both in creating your marketing calendar and in following through with each of your tasks. Make sure to set aside some time on a regular basis, (once a week or once a month, whatever works better for you) to schedule your upcoming marketing tasks. If your schedule is fairly consistent, you can schedule all of your events in one sitting and set them as recurring calendar events. This will make your schedule easy to remember and will save you time in the long run!

Consistently following through on all the aspects of your marketing strategy will increase your exposure and will help you stick in the minds of your potential clients. The more potential clients see your name come up associated with real estate in their community, the more likely they are to contact or call you first the next time they are looking to purchase or sell a home. In addition – once you’ve become memorable, your referral business is bound to increase.

Set Reminders

Create a master calendar and be sure to schedule reminders that will pop up when your deadline is drawing near. You can plug your dates and reminders into any device you use frequently. For those of you who are often at your computer, this might mean using your Outlook, Google or other email calendar to schedule all of your reminders. For those of you frequently on the go, you can set up reminders on your mobile phone or tablet. Know that you’re a bit forgetful sometimes? Set reminders on multiple devices to keep you on track.

Setting up reminders will nudge you into action and will keep you from letting time get away from you and your marketing efforts. Before you know it, you won’t need to rely on reminders anymore – you’ll be doing it by habit all on your own!

What do I Need to Schedule?
Schedule the following items to generate tons of leads for your business:

  1. Send out new listings to your book of business
  2. Post your listings on your social networks
  3. Set up and managing drip email campaigns
  4. Post local information (favorite restaurant, upcoming event, etc) on your social networks to gain credibility as a local expert
  5. Posting your listings on craigslist
  6. Many, many more! (Give us a call at (888) 769-7190 to learn about how to implement our proven marketing strategy)

Why Bother?

When you structure your schedule around your lifestyle in a way that is convenient and tailored to you, you’re sure to be consistent and successful with your marketing efforts. Building a calendar will also help you balance your marketing and other aspects of your working life. You’ll be surprised at how simple it is to successfully implement your marketing plan once you’ve taken the time to organize your schedule to include your marketing. Sticking to your calendar will keep your business exposure – and client count – high.

At Z57, we can help you take your marketing strategy and your business to the next level. Give us a call today at (888) 769-7190 to view a live demo of our proven marketing strategy and learn what we can do for you and your business. 

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