Baby Boomers Overtake Millennials as Largest Generation of Home Buyers
The share of baby boomers has surpassed millennials and now makes up the largest generation of home buyers, according to the latest study from the National Association of Realtors®. The 2023 Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Trends report, which examines the similarities and differences of recent home buyers and sellers across generations, found that the combined share of younger boomer (58 to 67 years old) and older boomer buyers (68 to 76 years old) rose to 39% in 2022, up from 29% the year prior. Younger millennials (24 to 32 years old) and older millennials (33 to 42 years old) have been the top group of buyers since 2014, but they saw their combined share fall from 43% in 2021 to 28% last year. "Baby boomers have the upper hand in the homebuying market," said Dr. Jessica Lautz, NAR deputy chief economist and vice president of research. "The majority of them are repeat buyers who have housing equity to propel them into their dream home – be it a place to enjoy retirement or a home near friends and family. They are living healthier and longer and making housing trades later in life." Twenty-six percent of all buyers were first-time buyers, the lowest since NAR began tracking the data and a decrease from 34% last year. Seventy percent of younger millennials and 46% of older millennials were first-time buyers. Behind these groups, only 21% of Generation X (43 to 57 years old) and 9% of younger boomers were first-time purchasers. Generation Z – ages 18 to 23 – now makes up 4% of home buyers, a slight increase from 2% in 2021. Nearly one in three Gen Z buyers – 30% – moved directly from a family member's home into homeownership. Finding a location convenient to friends and family was most important to this cohort of buyers. "As the youngest generation of home buyers and sellers, it's encouraging to see Gen Z entering the market," Lautz said. "Their desire for homeownership is strong, and many are relying on family support systems to help make their first real estate purchase." Generation X made up 24% of total buyers. They had the highest median household income of any generation ($114,300), followed by older millennials ($102,900). In addition to leading the way in home buying, baby boomers remained the largest home seller generation, jumping from 42% in 2021 to 52% in 2022. Among all generations, sellers typically remained in their home for 10 years before selling, up from nine years last year. On average, younger millennials stayed in their homes for four years, while older boomers sold their homes after 16 years. All generations agreed that the most common reason to sell was to be closer to friends and family. Older generations were also more likely to sell due to retirement, while younger generations cited the desire for a larger home and job relocation as top reasons to sell their home. On average, people are moving farther distances. Overall, buyers moved a median of 50 miles when relocating, the highest ever recorded and up significantly from 15 miles last year. Younger generations moved shorter distances, with younger and older millennials each typically moving 15 miles away. Younger boomers moved the furthest (90 miles), followed by older boomers (60 miles) and the silent generation (50 miles). Overall, buyers expected to live in their homes for 15 years, up from 12 years in 2021. For younger millennials, the expected duration was only 10 years, compared to 20 years for younger and older boomers. Surprisingly, Generation Z expected to remain in their newly purchased home for 19 years. Eighty-six percent of all buyers purchased their homes through a real estate agent. This number was highest among younger boomers (90%) and Generation X (88%). Buyers from all generations agreed about the top reasons for using an agent: they wanted help finding the right home to purchase (49%), negotiating the terms of sale (13%) and negotiating the price (11%). Younger (14%) and older (12%) millennials were most likely to want their agent to help with paperwork. Eighty-eight percent of all buyers reported that they view a home purchase as a good investment. Seventy-four percent of younger millennials and 77% of older millennials viewed a home as better than or about as good a financial investment as stocks. Seventy-six percent of buyers said that they would use their agent again or recommend their agent to others, a number that was consistent across all generations. "Owning a home is more than just a financial investment. It's a symbol of stability, independence and community that helps people build their lives and achieve their dreams," said NAR President Kenny Parcell, a Realtor® from Spanish Fork, Utah, and broker-owner of Equity Real Estate Utah. "Whether you're a first-time home buyer or an experienced investor, Realtors® have the expertise and knowledge needed to provide valuable advice and help you make informed decisions about your purchase."

Why Agents Need to Think More About the Consumer Experience
We know you're focused on generating the best outcome for your real estate transactions. You work hard to find buyer clients a home that fulfills their wants and needs, is in the right location, and is listed at the right price. You do your best to help seller leads create a compelling listing for their properties, select the right buyer, and negotiate on behalf of their best interests. You already know what you need to do to generate a successful closing — but it's not all about the destination. For your real estate clients, it's also about the journey. Why the Experience Your Clients Has Is So Important The process of buying or selling a home can draw up many emotions, and the escrow process isn't always common knowledge among consumers — especially first-timers. Buyers and sellers want to have a smooth real estate transaction experience, and they place their trust in agents to serve as their guides. Giving your clients a good experience is how you lock in a lifelong client and potentially access referrals. If someone enjoyed working with you, it's likely that they'll call you when they're ready for their next transaction. When someone they know is looking for a real estate agent, they'd recommend your services. This is one way to build up a strong reputation in your area and gain more market share. Pro Tip: Remember, past clients are like a hidden gold mine in your real estate database. They already know what it's like to work with you, so most of the work it takes to convert them is already done. If you want to reap the benefits of happy clients that keep on coming back and sending strong leads your way, make sure that you're providing excellent service and unbeatable transaction experiences. 4 Things to Do to Create Amazing Consumer Experiences Start improving your consumer experience today by adopting these four best practices. 1. Provide Digestible Information Not every buyer and seller is a real estate expert. As an agent, you can help your clients feel comfortable and confident with their transactions by providing them with easy-to-understand educational resources. Break down the information so that it's easy for them to digest without feeling overwhelmed. Help your clients understand why you're deploying specific strategies. Tell buyers why you suggest submitting an earnest money deposit if the market is particularly competitive. Help sellers understand how you're pricing their listing based on comparables and market conditions. Pro Tip: Going the extra mile to walk your clients through their transaction strategy will demonstrate your expertise and knowledge. You'll position yourself as an irreplaceable asset in their real estate transaction, helping you build a lifelong relationship with the people you work with. 2. Make Yourself Available Your clients want to have someone to reach out to when they have questions or need something. Making yourself available is one of the best ways that you can curate a pleasant experience for consumers. Get back to them when they message you. Call them back as quickly as you can. Contact them first to address unspoken concerns that you may have picked up on. Remember, buyers and sellers have a lot on the line. They don't want to be left in the dark or feel like they're being put on the back burner. Show them that they're a priority by being there for them when they need you. 3. Make Sure They Feel Heard Buying and selling a home can be an emotional process for many people, and clients want to work with an agent that understands and supports their needs. Above all, your clients want to feel heard. When they speak to you about something, actively listen. If they're voicing concerns, asking questions, or explaining their circumstances, take the time to listen to them and let them know that you understand. If you're unsure about anything, ask questions to learn more. Be fully engaged, and keep track of what clients tell you so you can reference it down the line. Once they've fully communicated what it is they had to tell you, provide them with actionable feedback. If they're having an issue, provide options for solutions with gentle recommendations. If they had a question, provide them with educational resources to help them learn about the topic. Provide customized solutions for their needs and do what you can to address their unique circumstances. 4. Provide a Seamless Technology Experience Your clients don't want to be burdened with any gaps or glitches. They want a smooth and streamlined transaction process that's optimized by best-in-class technology — not one that's weighed down by complicated digital processes. Today's consumers want Amazon speed and boutique service. Deploying the right technology solutions can help you foster a seamless technology-powered experience for your consumers. When building out your tech toolkit, think about how each tool will impact your customer experience. Prioritize software that is easy to use, mobile, and consumer-friendly. To view the original article, visit the BoomTown blog.

[Podcast] Creating Video Content as a Realtor with Peter Flores
Peter Flores is a Realtor at Compass who has over two decades of real estate, business, commercial, and corporate banking experience. His passion is helping people find their dream home and make the process as easy and stress-free as possible. Hear how to create video content as a Realtor, get over video hurdles, grow your following, what equipment to get, and how to use your video content as a lead generation tool. This episode covers everything from creating videos to finding a business coach. Here's a small sample of what you will hear in this episode: When did Peter become a Realtor? What does he attribute his success so far to? How frequently should you post videos? What do you do if you don't have many followers? How do you grow your following? Why should you upgrade your equipment? Do you need a CRM? How many DMs did Peter get during this interview? Connect with Peter on Instagram @iAmPeterFlores and TikTok @RealPeterFlores. Check out the episode and show notes below for much more detail. Listen on: Spotify Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Visit the episode homepage for show notes and more detail.

Creating Rental Transactions in Transactions (zipForm edition)
Thursday, March 30, 2023 at 12:00 PM PDT Learn everything you need to know to create a transaction as a rental agent from start to finish! Creating a Rental Transaction How to add Parties How to add Documents Rentspree Updater Create an e-Sign Using Layouts Sending the e-Sign Register now!

3 Vertical Video Ideas for Real Estate Marketing
Gone are the days when the traditional horizontal video was king. Thanks to social media and the widespread consumption of content on smartphones, vertical now rules the roost. If you're not already creating TikTok videos or Stories and Reels for Instagram and Facebook, now's the time to start. But don't let the format change intimidate you—let it save you time instead! Because vertical video is more casual and off-the-cuff in nature, it takes less time and effort to create. There's no need to use fancy equipment, set up shots, or spend much time in post-production—your smartphone is all the tool you'll need! Vertical videos are so easy to create that you can get started ASAP. Watch the video above to learn: How to create better content with less effort 3 types of vertical videos to create for your real estate business Tips and tricks for making your videos more watchable And more! Further Reading How to Leverage Instagram Reels for Real Estate 7 Adjustments That Will Make You Better on Camera TikTok: Video Makes the Real Estate Star 7 Fresh TikTok Video Ideas from TikTok Influencers

Opinions Wanted: Share Your Thoughts on AI in Real Estate in This Survey
As a valued real estate professional, we're interested in learning about your experiences with AI, specifically OpenAI's ChatGPT, and how it's impacting your work in the industry. Your valuable insights will help us understand the current state of AI usage in real estate and guide future developments. Please take a few minutes to complete our brief survey, and share your thoughts on AI's potential, challenges, and benefits in the real estate industry. Your feedback is crucial in shaping the future of AI for real estate professionals like you. Thank you for your time and contribution to this important research. We appreciate your input and look forward to learning from your experiences. Take the survey now!

Lead Generation Boot Camp: Practical Hacks to Generate and Convert More Business
Thursday, Match 30, 2023 at 11:00 AM PDT Competitive market? It's time to step up your lead gen. As the market fluctuates, it's more important than ever to create brand awareness, expose your value and keep your pipeline full. In a competitive market, you must ensure you are staying top-of-mind for consumers and consistently demonstrate why YOU are the GO-TO resource when buying or selling their home. Join Elm Street Academy for this information-packed webinar where Elm Street Academy coaches will teach you lead generation hacks so you can generate and convert more business. What you'll learn: Marketing strategies for increased brand exposure What type of value-driven content you should be sharing Top social platforms for lead generation results How to leverage a lead generation system that saves you time Much more! Register now!

AI and Real Estate Business Management, Part 1
AI, or artificial intelligence, is a pretty controversial topic in the business world. Thanks to the wave of Hollywood movies and sci-fi books, we see AI only through the lens of an all-powered machine that will take the world over. While it is difficult to know exactly what the future holds, it's undeniable that AI has possibilities that can serve good. The real estate industry is no exception when it comes to the negative perception of AI. While being one of the most lucrative industries, the real estate market has been slow to adapt to new technologies. And while real estate agents may be concerned about the rise of AI, we want to remind you, technology is just a tool. Real estate professionals are the mediators and the prime decision-makers, connecting clients to the real estate world. AI in the Real Estate Industry: What Are the Possibilities? Let's take a deeper look at what possibilities AI is creating for real estate professionals nowadays. AI-Based Targeting and Smarter Ads We already mentioned that AI-based solutions can process large quantities of data. And what is targeting if not making an informed decision about your target audience based on analyzing a large quantity of data? Many AI-based solutions use NLP, or natural language processing, to analyze communication patterns and predict—for example, whether a client is serious about buying a property or not. They can also determine which clients are more engaged with agents, thus predicting those that are more likely to become an actual client. Real Estate Market Analysis Analyzing the real estate market is an important part of making an informed decision about the home buying and selling process. It helps you understand the general state of the market, helping you be a better advisor to your client and have a stronger marketing strategy when it comes to showcasing listings and suggesting the best sales price. Considering that AI is able to analyze a huge amount of data in a short period of time, and at the same time make predictions, it's a useful tool for real estate agents. More Efficient Communication AI right now is all about making every process more efficient. Communication is no exception. By analyzing a large set of data and analyzing communication patterns, AI-based solutions can make your communication process 10 times better and faster. AI in Mortgage Industry Implementation of AI in the mortgage industry is more task and workflow-related. AI in the mortgage industry is oriented on automation while at the same time improving compliance, quality, and processing times. Using a chatbot is just one example of enhancing processing time because clients don't need to wait for human agents, especially when they have common questions that are repetitive, routine, and don't require comprehension. This is something that AI can be responsible for. The more complex questions that involve decision-making and advising are still and will continue to be done by human agents. Real Estate Investment The same applies to real estate investment. AI amplifies our possibilities when it comes to the data analyzing and prediction process. The predictive accuracy of AI that has access to large data pools is unmatched. Matching Property to the Real Estate Client The possibility of AI being able to match the property to the client is both exciting and scary. This is where we can understand the initial concerns about biases in predictive processes. But the promise that AI will amplify and improve the home search experience and make it more personalized benefits both clients and agents. As Julianne Heller, data scientist at NAR, says, "Some companies avoid using AI because of the perceived costs and resources required to use it, a lack of trust in AI products, the difficulty in explaining what it does behind the scenes and a fear of an AI takeover related to job displacement. "AI does not equate to replacement, but it supports human work and makes our lives easier," she said. "AI can improve the buyer and seller experience." A Few Final Words The possibilities of AI in the real estate industry are immense, but there are some problems that come with AI systems implementation. One thing is certain: real estate technology, specifically AI and machine learning, is an unavoidable future, whether we like it or not. Therefore, we must understand and adapt. Establishing AI ethics in the real estate industry may be a first good step. The protection of client data will likely be another foremost priority. These measures may help algorithmic labeling and profiling to not be biased and based on human prejudices. Transparency is the key when it comes to artificial intelligence, whether it concerns data usage or the AI implementation itself. To view the original article, visit the Realtyna blog. Further Reading Fact vs. Fiction: 3 Myths of A.I. in Real Estate How Real Estate Agents Can Use ChatGPT How ChatGPT Can Help You Generate Real Estate Marketing Ideas

The Hidden Costs of DIY Presale Renovations: A Guide for Real Estate Agents
As a real estate agent representing sellers today, you may find homeowners are eager to maximize their return on investments and be tempted to take on DIY improvement projects. To help your sellers make the right choice, it is crucial to understand the risks and potential pitfalls of pre-sale renovations. Every DIY project comes with pitfalls. But few projects take on the magnitude or the impact of a DIY home renovation undertaking. The challenges associated with DIY presale renovations can lead to significant setbacks with hidden costs that are only uncovered after it is too late. Let's look at some of the most common hidden costs that are typical to sellers wanting to do their own upgrades and repairs compared to the advantages of partnering with a professional firm with a proven track record that specializes in presale renovations. 1. Time and effort Sellers often underestimate the time and effort required to complete DIY presale renovations. What may seem like a simple project that might take a few days can quickly turn into weeks or even months of work. As a result, the property won't be on the market when planned, causing the seller to lose potential buyers, and possibly compromise the listing as the homeowner may become overwhelmed by what their undertaking and decide to wait to sell. 2. Inexperience and mistakes Homeowners who lack experience in home improvement may make costly mistakes during the renovation process. Incorrect installations, poor quality materials, and lack of attention to detail can lead to further expenses down the line. Hiring a professional firm with in-house designers, project leaders, and a network of professional, high-quality contractors ensures the job is done right the first time, saving your clients from these costly errors. 3. Permits and building codes Many homeowners are unaware of the need to apply for building permits and the impact of local building codes that regulate renovation projects. Navigating this complex process can be time-consuming and often frustrating – especially for someone who is inexperienced in dealing with local government regulations. Failure to obtain the necessary permits may lead to fines, delays, and even the need to redo the project. A professional presale renovation firm knows the permitting process, understands local building code requirements, and can handle all the necessary paperwork, saving your clients time and potential headaches. 4. Safety risks DIY presale renovations can present safety hazards for inexperienced homeowners. Electrical, plumbing, and structural work can be dangerous if not performed correctly. Many of these projects require licensed and certified professionals, all of whom have liability insurance coverage. The risk of injury or property damage increases when homeowners try to tackle these projects on their own. A professional firm that specializes in renovations will have the necessary safety equipment, training, expertise, and insurance coverage in place to complete the job safely and reduce homeowner risks. 5. Reduced resale value In a worst-case scenario, when a DIY presale renovation is executed poorly, it can actually decrease the value of the home. Potential buyers are turned off by subpar work and may factor in the cost of correcting mistakes when making their offers. Hiring a professional firm specializing in presale renovations ensures high-quality work that adds value to the property. Bottom line While a DIY presale renovation may seem like a cost-effective solution for sellers, the hidden expenses and potential risks make it a highly unattractive option. As a real estate agent representing sellers, it's essential to educate your clients about these overlooked aspects. You can help your sellers by guiding them to partner with a professional presale renovation firm. By doing so, you'll help your clients avoid costly mistakes, ensure they experience a smoother selling process, and most importantly, help them obtain the best possible sale price for their home. Dalip Jaggi is at once an active entrepreneur, a highly skilled technologist, and a profoundly passionate business leader. Today, Dalip is co-founder of Revive Real Estate, a PropTech with a goal to democratize house flipping.

Discover the Power of Data-Driven Real Estate Sales Funnels
Are you ready to maximize your marketing impact? Utilizing real estate sales funnel data can be the key to reaching your niche and driving growth in your business. What's a sales funnel? A real estate sales funnel is a process used by real estate agents and brokers to convert leads into clients. It involves a series of steps that help agents identify, qualify and nurture leads, eventually converting them into buyers and sellers. The funnel comprises various stages: generating leads, nurturing leads, setting an initial meeting, closing a deal, and even post-transaction follow-up. At the start of the funnel, leads are generated through various methods such as advertising, social media, networking, referrals, and cold calling. After leads are identified, they're nurtured by providing information and resources to help them make informed decisions and build trust. The next step is setting an initial meeting, usually a face-to-face meeting, to determine their needs and discuss the options. How to set up a real estate sales funnel Setting up a sales funnel for your real estate business can seem daunting, but with the right steps, it doesn't have to be. Let's walk through the steps to set up a sales funnel for SEO-based campaigns, social media, video and other marketing outreach: Define Your Target Audience: Start by pinpointing who your target audience is. Ask yourself questions like, "What type of clients do I like working with most?" and "What are their interests?" Once you've identified your target audience, you can tailor your sales funnel to meet their needs. Choose and Optimize Your Platforms: Once you know your target audience, decide on the platforms you'll use to reach them. Will you be using SEO? Email? Social media? Video Marketing? Choose the platforms you think will work best for your audience and then optimize those platforms for maximum visibility and engagement. Create Content: Content is king and especially important for sales funnels. Create content that your target audience will find valuable and shareable. Tailor the content to the platforms you're using. For example, if you're using social media, you may want to focus on visuals and short snippets of content. If you're using SEO, then focus on keywords and long-form content. Lead Magnet: Lead magnets are attractive offers that entice prospects to visit your site and provide their contact information in exchange for something of value. Examples of lead magnets include e-books, webinars, white papers, market reports, a "What's my home worth?" landing page and more. BONUS: RPR Market Activity reports are a powerful lead magnet. Consider offering a Market Activity report to prospects with data-driven market insights about the local real estate market. These reports contain invaluable information about the current market, including listing and sales activity and pricing trends that can help potential buyers and sellers determine whether the time is right for them to enter the market. Be sure to have a clear call to action, such as, "Provide me with your address and I'll send you a Market Activity Report based on your area," or something to that effect. Design Your Funnel: Once your content and lead magnet are ready, it's time to design your funnel. Often this involves a landing page. It should be eye-catching and provide clear messaging and a call to action. From there, create a form to capture user information and set up automation to follow up on those leads. Automating your follow-up process allows you to reach out to potential customers quickly and easily and ensures no leads slip through the cracks. Track and measure: driving maximum impact with your sales funnels If you're serious about your sales funnel strategy, don't stop short of tracking your results. Pay attention to the metrics that can give you the most useful insight into your campaigns' performance and areas that need improvement (social media engagement, website visits, click-through rates, conversion rate, cost per lead and more). Then based on those metrics, craft messages that will really connect with your niche audience! Use trends from your existing campaigns – emails, mailers, social media and more – to identify what's working and areas for refinement. With this data to guide you, create targeted messages and campaigns that resonate. And use the same data to focus in on the best messaging for maximum impact. Unlock the power of data to get the results you want! Unlock your inner marketer: create an engaging sales funnel Embrace the power of sales funnels and use the tools you now possess to craft a powerful funnel that resonates with your target audience. With the right combination of content and analytics, you can see the tangible results of your efforts and confidently optimize your marketing plan. Take the plunge and make your mark — the success is yours for the taking! Good luck! To view the original article, visit the RPR blog.

Top 5 Ways for Real Estate Agents to Protect Their Data and Personal Privacy
As a real estate professional, your data and personal privacy are crucial for your reputation to earn client trust. Unfortunately, hackers and cybercriminals are always looking for vulnerabilities to exploit, making protecting your data and personal privacy from threats vital. Technology advances can help you safeguard your privacy. For example, password managers like LastPass or Dashlane can help you create and store strong, unique passwords for all your accounts. In addition, antivirus software like Norton or McAfee helps protect your devices from malware and other cyber threats. For more tech-savvy agents, a Virtual Private Network or VPN can give you an extra layer of protection by encrypting your internet connection and keeping your online activities away from prying eyes. Also, adding a privacy-focused browser extension to Google Chrome, Firefox, or Microsoft Edge, like HTTPS Everywhere, Privacy Badger, or uBlock Origin, can increase your browser's security. But agents also need to remember that almost all email is not encrypted unless you use an encrypted program like ProtonMail. This is where email best practices help protect agents: never share confidential or financial information via email, such as passwords or credit card numbers. Here are five specific ways you can safeguard your data and personal privacy, from safe browsing habits to securing your devices and accounts: 1. Safe Browsing Habits Like email, one of the simplest ways to protect your privacy is by practicing safe browsing habits. Here are a few tips: Always keep your browser updated by changing your setting to auto-update. Use a reliable ad-blocker to minimize the risk of malicious ads. Be extra cautious when clicking on any link or downloading files, especially from unknown sources or unsolicited emails. Use a secure browser, like Google Chrome, Safari, or Edge, and enable their privacy settings to block third-party cookies and trackers. 2. Protecting Files Online and on Your Computer Securing online and offline files is essential to protect sensitive data for you and your clients. Here are some tips: Use cloud-based storage services, such as Google Drive or Dropbox, as they offer encryption and multi-factor authentication. Always back up your data on external storage devices and/or secure cloud services. Regularly update your operating system and software to patch security vulnerabilities. 3. Securing Your Devices and Keep Your Online Accounts Safe Your smartphone, tablet, and laptop can be treasure troves of sensitive information. Keep them secure by following these best practices: Set strong, unique passwords for all your devices and change them periodically. Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) on devices that support it. Regularly update your operating systems and security software on all your devices. Install reputable antivirus software and keep it updated. Use device encryption to protect stored data if your device is lost or stolen. Be cautious when connecting to public Wi-Fi networks. Use a VPN to ensure a secure connection. Regularly review the privacy settings of your online accounts and limit the publicly visible information. 4. Conduct a Security Audit Conducting regular security audits helps you identify and address potential vulnerabilities. Here's how to perform one: Review your online accounts and delete any unused or outdated accounts. Analyze your passwords and update weak or duplicate ones. Check for software and operating system updates and install them promptly. Carefully review your device and app permissions, ensuring that you're only granting access to trusted sources. Evaluate the security of your home and office network and consider implementing a firewall or other security measures. 5. Educate Yourself and Your Clients Cybersecurity threats continually evolve, so staying informed is crucial in maintaining privacy. There's also an opportunity to share your best practices with your clients. Here's how to stay ahead of the curve: Follow reputable sources, such as KrebsOnSecurity or the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), to stay up-to-date on the latest threats and trends. Create a Google Alert called "computer viruses" or "malicious malware" to track the latest threats making news. Encourage your clients to adopt secure communication methods when working with you. Reach out to Tech Helpline whenever you have a question about security or privacy, as a tech analyst can walk you through the steps you need to take. As a real estate agent, protecting your data and personal privacy is paramount to maintaining trust with your clients and safeguarding your reputation. Incorporating these strategies into your work routine will further bolster your defense against privacy threats and ensure that your data remains safe and secure. Remember, it's essential to remain vigilant and proactive in protecting your privacy and your client's sensitive information. And if you are one of the 750,000 real estate agents with access to Tech Helpline, never hesitate to ask for assistance! Tricia Stamper is Director of Technology at Florida Realtors®, which owns and operates Tech Helpline and Form Simplicity.

How to Keep Your Real Estate Leads Up When the Market is Heading Down
Real estate is heading into the bear market territory. After a couple of years of "go, go, go!" home sales are beginning to decline. A bear real estate market doesn't mean you have to look for another job; it means you must look for ways to improve on your marketing to keep your leads up. Using proptech tools is key to getting top dollar for your seller, and everyone knows a happy seller generates leads. It's time to focus on getting back to the new normal by capturing leads and nurturing them through the awareness stage and into the customer stage. Virtual 3D tours are now more critical than ever to stay connected. What's with the bear? Typically, a bear market is used to describe a drop of more than 20% from recent highs. NAR recently reported that home sales were down 36.9% year over year, part of a recent downward trend. This can trigger a whole new set of buyers and sellers who have been waiting for the bubble to deflate. It is time to use analytics to help your real estate lead generation when doing a listing presentation. You can showcase important data about the duration of every 3D virtual tour visit or the number of days on the market. Demonstrating your marketing ability helps potential sellers recognize the well-thought-out strategy you use to get properties sold. Real estate is cyclical Whether it's a bear real estate market or breaking record sales, ups and downs are inevitable. Reasons for selling a home can range from losing a job or getting promoted to a different city to wanting more space or downsizing. It's about satisfying the needs of the consumer. The changing needs of the consumer have given rise to the demand for 3D tour technology, immersive floor plans and virtual showings. The best way to keep your leads up is to make sure the consumer is satisfied. Sellers want their homes sold in the least amount of time with minimal interruption. This can be achieved by using easily accessible online marketing tools. Visual content generates interest. The most helpful technology for buyers, according to Realtor.com, are virtual tours and accurate property information. Not only do virtual tours engage the buyer, but more than half of sellers prefer this method of showcasing their homes. Credibility A sharp correction in the market is coming. According to a recent Forbes article, home prices are 27% overvalued and that translates to some big bucks! Focus your real estate lead generation on real value like a property's floor plans with advanced measurements and accurate details. Your property listings exude value when the consumer can correlate size with the price. By using a consistent measurement standard, you give credibility to all the information needed to list and sell a house. Communicating value through accurately measured rooms in 2D and 3D gives both the seller and the buyer confidence in your real estate agent's abilities. Trending now Interest rates are up and that means two things for qualified buyers. They either have to buy a less expensive home or put in a higher down payment. Listings are also trending upwards according to the National Association of Realtors. What that means is competition in the seller's market. Give your listings a boost by offering ways for potential buyers to engage. Make it easy for the buyer to understand the fit and flow of a property through interactive 3D virtual tours. Why do you want to increase engagement with a property? Interacting with a property sparks interest and it allows you to check for further signs that your buyer leads are ready to move forward. Don't forget to share your contact details to elevate your brand's visibility. When the buyer is prepared it is easy for them to reach out to you. The time is always right Adjust the mindset of the seller. Whether they think they have "missed the boat" or want to wait for the next wave, a bear real estate market doesn't mean no one is buying. Reports from major news feeds indicate home prices could continue the downward trend into 2023 but, conversely, some areas are forecasted to see increases. Either way, stay focused on why buyers need a new home. That stash of cash they have accumulated during the pandemic and the need for a larger floor plan are just a few reasons for them to buy. Show the seller the best ways to sell their home quickly by using the marketing advantage of a 3D virtual tour on your website, links to MLS and social media channels. Whether the market is trending towards a bear or a bull situation, keeping your real estate leads up means keeping up with technology. Stay in touch and connect to the needs of the consumer by setting the stage, sharing information and showcasing value. To view the original article, visit the iGuide blog.

RPR for New Members: The Complete Beginner Series
Five dates, from March 23 - April 20 We know that there are many new challenges to getting started and growing your business. And RPR is here to help. As a REALTOR®, you have access to RPR, an essential tool for every member. RPR is included in your membership dues so there are no extra fees to access the platform. We'll show you how to create an RPR account and ensure your account is properly set up. RPR provides data, tools and property reports to help you get your business up and running. Here's an overview of what you'll find in RPR: Residential and Commercial Property Information Public record and MLS data Pricing and Prospecting Tools Market Analysis Tools Neighborhood information, school data, and walkability and livability scores Shareable Templated Reports for clients and customers In this brief 30-minute session, we'll provide you a high level overview of the RPR platform. You won't be disappointed! Register now!

Should You Have a Chatbot on Your Real Estate Website?
Visitors always have questions to ask, no matter how detailed your website is. And as a skilled real estate agent, responding to them on time is vital, mainly because website visitors quickly divert their attention to something else if they think you can't answer their questions on time. And this might increase your website's bounce rate. You don't want that. Sometimes, corresponding with clients through email might not provide them with the immediate response they want. Thus, to keep up with the communication demands of your clients, a more approachable form of communication through artificial intelligence (AI), such as chatbots, can be handy. What Is a Chatbot? A chatbot is software designed to automatically engage website users to resolve their queries. It is built to replicate human speech and discussions. Sometimes referred to as virtual assistants, chatbots make live chats with clients or prospects more personalized, improving user experience and the overall performance of your real estate business. Benefits of Using a Chatbot on Your Real Estate Website One of the reasons real estate professionals add chatbots to their websites is to improve the end user's experience. To succeed in a competitive market such as real estate, agents have to provide their clients with only the best products or services. Fast response Speed and convenience are two of the most valued assets in today's marketplace. The automated system with chatbots makes responding to clients almost immediate, resolving their queries and answering all their questions. This is a valuable tool, especially for businesses with fewer human resources. Increase sales Not only do chatbots help create excellent customer support, but they can also easily be used to increase sales. For example, Realtors can use information about the users' questions, interests, and preferences to provide recommendations, advice, and offer home search suggestions. Reduced cost While they won't replace human interaction, they can help reduce operational costs by being available all day at no additional charge. In addition, real estate professionals can automate frequently asked questions and conversations for easy access to users. Lead generation Chatbots are designed to identify potential customers, initiate their interest in your products or services, and cultivate a relationship with them. Through the marketing approach used by chatbots, they can collect vital user information while offering business information, thereby generating more leads. 24/7 assistance This point is pretty self-explanatory. Users visit your website at different hours of the day, so having ready support for them at any given time is essential. This is what chatbots provide on your real estate website. All-day assistance offers accessibility and convenience to your customers, thereby reducing bounce rates. Other benefits of using chatbots on your real estate website include: Improved engagement Increased user experience Helps reduce errors Increases customer satisfaction Improves service personalization Versatility Bottom Line There are three main elements involved when using chatbots. They are built to collect information, facilitate human interaction, and, in some cases, substitute human-to-human conversations. To view the original article, visit the Realtyna blog.

The Benefits of Partnering with Local Businesses for Marketing and Lead Generation
Marketing and lead generation are essential aspects of any business, regardless of the industry or size. In today's fast-paced world, the competition is fierce, and businesses need to leverage every opportunity to stay ahead. Partnering with local businesses is a strategy that many companies overlook, but it can be incredibly effective. In this post, we will explore the benefits of partnering with local businesses for marketing and lead generation. Access to a Wider Audience - You can reach a larger audience by collaborating with a neighborhood business. You can tap into the established customer base of nearby businesses to broaden your market and raise brand recognition. Cost-Effective Marketing - Creating a partnership with a nearby company can be an affordable marketing plan. You can split the cost of marketing initiatives like print ads, social media campaigns, and event promotions by partnering with another company. Increased Credibility - Your reputation within the community can be improved by collaborating with a neighborhood company. Working with a reputable and well-established company can help you build a reputation as a trustworthy and dependable company. Joint Promotions and Events - By collaborating with a nearby company, you can organize joint promotions and events that will draw in more clients and keep the loyalty of current ones. Positive Impact on the Community - Collaboration with a neighborhood company can benefit the neighborhood. Collaboration with another company can foster a sense of neighborhood and provide support for nearby businesses. To sponsor a community clean-up event, for instance, you could partner with a nonprofit group. This partnership not only demonstrates your dedication to the neighborhood, but also offers a helpful service, increases awareness of the nonprofit organization, and benefits the community. In conclusion, partnering with local businesses for marketing and lead generation can provide numerous benefits for your business. By collaborating with other businesses, you can create unique and valuable experiences for your customers and attract new customers who may not have otherwise known about your business. So, the next time you are looking for a way to boost your marketing and lead generation efforts, consider reaching out to local businesses and exploring partnership opportunities. To view the original article, visit the Transactly blog.

Maximizing ROI: The Art of Presale Renovations for Real Estate Investors
One of the hottest ways to attract real estate investors in today's market is using a presale renovation to help maximize property value or to turn an as-is listing into a ready-to-rent home. Often, presale renovations are used for luxury properties because they quickly accelerate the property's value to help sellers maximize their profits. But presale renovations can work with a wide range of property prices and sizes. Real estate investors looking to sell one of their properties are the perfect candidates for using a presale renovation solution. Moreover, real estate investors may be especially attracted to single-family home listings that have gone through a presale renovation because it accelerates their ability to rent and manage their investment — which, over time, maximizes their ROI, or return on investment. The alternative is both scary and risky. Real estate investors looking to self-flip a home will find limited inventory in most markets. In addition, self-flipping also increases their risks, delays the start of their rental income stream, and requires tying up significant financial resources that may be better used elsewhere. It's why most real estate investors today are attracted to homes that are sold ready to rent and why they see presale renovations for their own property sales as no-brainers. Presale renovation protection Investors know from industry research that while typical renovations will help increase a home’s value, most won’t recoup their investment costs, according to Remodeling Magazine’s 2022 Cost vs. Value Report. But when using a presale renovation expert, such as Revive, the renovation is covered by the increase in value of the investment, or the property itself. The average ROI from Revive is 2.5x the original cost of the upgrades. This is where the "art of presale" renovation creates the right math. At Revive, the focus is on making improvements that will maximize the home's value. The expertise gained through hundreds of improvement projects nationwide enables Revive to focus only on projects that will create a positive ROI. For the selling real estate investor, it means higher final sales prices than if they marketed their property as-is. Real estate investors buying a property are protected from all the financial, supply, contracting, design, engineering, and other risks that a self-renovation can bring. When a real estate investor buys a home that has completed a presale renovation, they purchase a home that they are confident will have staying power. When buying a place that has gone through a presale renovation by Revive, real estate investors know the high quality of the finished product. What you need to know Here are three things you need to know as a real estate agent to tap into the real estate investor market: 1. Know your sphere Most successful real estate agents get the majority of their business from their sphere of influence, or SOI. According to the National Association of Realtors, agents earning more than $100,000 annually generate 64 percent of their business from the SOI. About 30 percent of their business comes from client referrals and 34 percent from repeat business. Dig into your client database. Comb through your transactions and look for clients who you know either currently own an investment property or are poised to discuss investment diversification and the advantages of real estate investment. As part of your regular client and sphere outreach, offer information about the opportunities in today’s market for real estate investment. Don't forget to contact investment advisors, trust and real estate attorneys, insurance agents, and others who provide financial advice. Let them know about the real estate services you offer for real estate investors. Finally, look for local real estate investor clubs, Facebook Groups, and other social online networking opportunities to connect you to others interested in real estate investment. 2. Know your market U.S. Census data shows there are about 20 million rental properties in the U.S. and 48.2 million rental units. Individual investors own some 70 percent of all rental properties. While companies own about 18 percent of rental properties, they invest heavily in apartment rentals, owning 45 percent of all units. Most real estate investment purchases are all cash. Three-quarters (75.3 percent) of investment properties were purchased with cash in the fourth quarter of 2021. Today, more than 40 percent of all renters live in single-family homes. In June 2022, Zillow reported that the average national monthly rent surpassed $2,000. 3. Know your audience Successfully marketing to any specific population segment — like real estate investors — requires understanding the audience you are trying to reach. According to industry research by Zippia, the average age of a real estate investor is 40+ years old. That's 71 percent of the population. While most real estate investors are men (68 percent), the number of women real estate investors is growing rapidly, from 26.53 percent in 2015 to 31.5 percent in 2021. Real estate investors are well educated: 89 percent have a college degree, with 73 percent holding a bachelor's or master's degree. In addition, 63 percent have at least five years of experience investing in real estate, and one in three have 11 years or more experience. Have the talk In your conversations with real estate investors, have the presale renovation talk. It works well for real estate investors who want to sell a property and those who are looking to buy a home that just underwent a renovation by a company like Revive. And remember that not all presale renovation firms are equal. Take time to do your research and look at their process and track records. Do they disclose all the financial details of their work product — like this? Do they report their average ROI? The average profits gained? To learn more about presale renovation services and opportunities available in your area, check out Revive at www.revive.realestate. We love talking to real estate professionals about how to unlock inventory and maximize profit! Michael Alladawi, CEO and Founder of Revive, is a Southern California real estate veteran with a proven track record as a builder, investor, and respected home flipper. Michael created Revive to share his spectrum of knowledge and help homeowners maximize their profits when selling their homes. Learn more about Michael and Revive at www.revive.realestate.com.

What Is an Electronic Signature?
Electronic signatures are a key part of doing business in our increasingly connected, mobile and remote workplaces. But what exactly is an electronic signature? In this article, we reveal some facts you might not know about eSignatures. What are electronic signatures? An electronic signature, also called an e-signature or eSignature, and sometimes referred to as a digital signature, is a legally recognized way to indicate a signer agrees to the contents of an electronic message or document. According to the U.S. E-Sign Act, an electronic signature is, "an electronic sound, symbol, or process, attached to or logically associated with a contract or other record and executed or adopted by a person with the intent to sign the record." Let's explain what this legalese really means. Today, eSignatures are everywhere, but when we say "eSignature," most people probably imagine a picture of a signature placed above a line on an official-looking document: This is the most literal example of an eSignature, but many people are surprised to find out that checking a box that says "I Agree" when signing up for a social media account or making an online purchase is also an "electronic signature" under the ESIGN act. While an electronic signature can take many different forms that may or may not look like your John Hancock, the key words in the ESIGN definition are process and intent. The link between process and intent Whether signing manually or digitally, for a signature to be legal, the signer must have demonstrated their intent to sign, or that they meant to agree and sign a digital record and didn't do it by accident. The key to demonstrating intent to sign is the signing process. There must be a sufficient number or combination of steps—clicking an obvious link to a signing ceremony, using a mouse to draw a signature, and/or checking a box that clearly says "Accept"—to show intent. Theoretically, any process that demonstrates intent to sign could constitute an eSignature. An example of the eSignature process The eSignature process is even more secure than traditional pen and paper, protecting you and your business. For example, Constellation1 eSign is a web-based, customizable, and secure eSignature solution, which uses an ironclad process to establish intent to sign to ensure all signatures are legally binding and non-repudiable (i.e., signers can't claim later that they never signed the document). Here's an overview of how the electronic signature process works, using Constellation1 as an example: First, the signer receives a notification via email or text message to access their signing ceremony. Next, the signer customizes their signature options, either by hand-drawing a signature or choosing a stylized signature for their name. Next, the signer reviews the document and has to tap or click the screen to add their signature to the required fields. Documents may also contain check boxes and other fields. Lastly, before the signing ceremony is complete, the signer has to agree a final time to submit their signatures. To view the original article, visit the Constellation1 blog. Next Steps Explore more eSignature solutions in our Product Directory Read more articles about Electronic Signatures

How to Create a Power Listing that Attracts Renters
Trying to make a rental listing that's so powerful and appealing renters flock to it? You've come to the right place! Here is a step-by-step guide to creating a listing that will generate leads and get you closer to a successful closing. Step 1: Add your listing The first step in creating a powerful rental listing is… listing it! (Duh.) If you're using property management software such as Buildium or AppFolio, this is trivial: simply syndicate your listings to a platform like Rental Beast and then claim them. You can also manually add the listing to Rental Beast's platform if you're building it from scratch. Step 2: Enhance your listing This is where the fun begins. It's essential to have photos that convey a sense of belonging for the renter. They need to be able to picture themselves living there. Here are key ways to make that happen: If you have the funds, hire a professional photographer. If your phone camera is the professional, then consider these elements when shooting: Take photos on a sunny day and in landscape mode. Play around with the lighting: avoid dark spaces or bring in a lamp to cozy up the light. Photograph the rooms from several angles so you give the renter a sense of the size and features. Consider staging the space either with real furniture or using a virtual staging app to show renters how they can set up the home. Use your best photo as the feature photo. It doesn't have to be a street shot of the whole home or apartment building; it can be a really great kitchen or a bedroom with lots of windows. Include more than 10 photos, if you have them. Photos are usually what draw the renter in, so it's important they see all aspects of the unit. Here's a great example of a feature photo that isn't the exterior of the home. The lighting is crisp, you have a good sense of the space, and it highlights the modern kitchen. When it comes to details, hopefully your client gave you lots of them. You may think some details aren't necessary to include, but you'd be surprised by what some folks latch onto. Maybe they really want a house with a carport or a big backyard with access to a shed. Don't forget to highlight items like new appliances, stunning views, and built-in bookshelves. Don't forget to include your contact information so potential renters can easily get a hold of you for a showing! Step 3: Share the listing on social media and start generating leads Sharing is caring. And in this case, it's caring for your rental clients. With 90% of agents using Facebook to find leads, it's important to syndicate your listing to social media platforms to get in front of renters. To view the original article, visit the Rental Beast blog.

How to Migrate Your Website Hosting Without Affecting SEO
As your real estate website grows, it may be necessary to migrate it at some point. Unfortunately, the process of migrating your website to another host is not easy. It takes a great deal of thought and consideration to migrate your website effectively. For example, suppose you have invested significant time and effort into search engine optimization. In that case, you may be concerned that your efforts would be wasted if you transfer web hosting providers. Migration, while challenging, has the potential to open up new prospects while resolving issues that you were experiencing with your previous hosting platform, if carried out correctly. In today's article, we will focus on how you can migrate your website host without losing SEO value. When it comes to SEO, web hosting is significant since it influences crucial factors such as the speed at which your site loads and up and downtimes. Here are the three main changes involved when migrating your web host and how they affect SEO: Domain change Nameserver change, and Web host change Choose the Right Real Estate Hosting Provider You should not have to worry about your real estate SEO and search engine rankings if you migrate your web hosts the right way. You may want to switch web hosts to receive better service. Your real estate website will be hosted on entirely new servers, which will result in a change in the IP address of your website. If your new web host has a skilled support team, you shouldn't have to be concerned about losing traffic or experiencing substantial downtime during your transition. Before choosing a host, ensure that it meets all of your requirements. You can, for example, look at the following features: Low downtime Server bandwidth Excellent documentation and technical support The technical specifications of the server Changing Nameservers This is perhaps the most straightforward part of the website migration, but it can significantly impact your real estate SEO. If you simply change your nameservers, it is unlikely that you will see any changes in your search engine rankings. Furthermore, you can change your nameservers in minutes. However, using an effective hosting provider to streamline the process is vital. Domain Change If you change your domain name, you should place permanent redirects, also known as 301 redirect, on your website's old pages. This will route your users to the new domain name when visiting the old one. The 301 redirects in web development indicate a permanent move, and 302 redirects let Google know the move is not permanent. These are the commonly used types of redirects. However, a 301 redirect is used for most domain changes since it is a permanent move. Other Factors You Should Consider When Migrating Your Real Estate Website Carefully Choose a Real Estate Server Location Geographical advantage can be crucial in deciding your real estate website SEO. For example, if you were targeting the United States before relocating and using a server in the area, you'll need to find a similar hosting provider in terms of location. You should be familiar with the server on which you will host your real estate website. In addition to impacting your SEO rankings, your server location affects your target audience. Create Backup Make a comprehensive backup of your website before beginning the migration process. You can use plug-ins for effective backup. This step will ensure your return to the old real estate website if something goes wrong. Conclusion Follow these steps carefully to ensure that you don't damage your SEO while migrating your real estate website. Ideally, it should not affect your search engine optimization. However, to avoid confusion, it is advisable to maintain control of the old site for at least five months to ensure that the transition is done properly. Nevertheless, always use web developers to execute the migration effectively. To view the original article, visit the Realtyna blog.

Creating a Great First Impression: The Role of Pre-Sale Renovations in Real Estate
Here are some reasons why pre-sale renovations are essential for today's market: Increase Property Value: Renovating a property before putting it on the market can significantly increase its value. By making updates and repairs, you'll be able to list the property at a higher price point, potentially earning your client a greater profit. On average, agents that partner with Revive help their clients make an additional $186,000 in added profit. As a bonus, well-maintained properties are more attractive to potential buyers, who may be willing to pay a premium for a home that's turnkey. In fact, 7 out of 10 of today's buyers would sacrifice square footage for a move-in-ready home! Faster Sale: Did you know renovated homes sell faster by 72%? When a property is in turnkey condition, buyers are more likely to make an offer quickly, knowing that they won't need to invest time and money into repairs or upgrades. In contrast, a property that needs a lot of work may sit on the market for months, with little to no offers or interest. More Interest: Every listing agent wants a property marketed as a "hot home." A renovated property is more likely to attract a larger pool of potential buyers. Buyers want move-in-ready homes and are often willing to pay a premium for them. A renovated property can also help your listing stand out from the others, generating more interest and potentially leading to multiple offers. Better Photos: Again, first impressions matter! Especially, in today's digital age, the first impression of a property often comes from online photos. A pre-sale renovation can help make the property look more appealing in photos, leading to more clicks and views online. Professional photos of a renovated property will show off the updates and repairs, creating a better first impression for potential buyers. Good Reputation: As a real estate professional, your reputation is everything. By recommending pre-sale renovations to your clients, you'll be seen as a proactive and knowledgeable agent who is committed to helping your clients get the most out of their property sale. This can lead to more referrals and repeat business in the future. Agents that partner with a listing concierge are the ones maximizing the value of their listings. By investing in updates and repairs before putting a property on the market, you'll increase its value, speed up the sales process, generate more interest, create better photos, and build a good reputation as an agent who goes above and beyond for their clients. Pre-sale renovation partners, like Revive, offer agents an all-in-one solution for their clients by fronting the cost of needed repairs and renovations with $0 money out-of-pocket. It's a real estate game changer that'll increase your commission and increase your client's profit. Talk about a win-win. Learn how you can sell for more. To view the original article, visit the Revive blog.

5 Tech Tips for Improving Team Communication
We're approaching the spring selling season—what better time to audit your communication processes with team members and clients to discover where you can improve? After all, building credibility with clients begins with solid communication, and that includes quicker response times and better collaboration between agents and administrators. But things are not always so easy when it comes to communication. In fact, in a recent Workman Success Systems teams survey, 500 real estate team members ranked communication as their biggest pain point. Because tech tips and tricks are our bread and butter here at RE Technology, today we'll show you five simple tech tweaks you can make to improve your communication quality. (Need to build your soft skills, too? Check out these articles for improving communication with clients and your team.) 1. Integrate Your Tools You probably use many different tools in your real estate business—but how well do they work together? Your CRM may record some of your communications with clients, but is it drawing communication from other sources? It can if your CRM is integrated with your other tools. Because the transaction is the heart of your real estate business, we recommend making your transaction management platform the hub of all integrations. Dotloop, for example, integrates with over 75 programs so you can do things like initiate earnest money requests, sync your email contacts, communicate on Slack and more—and never miss a beat. 2. Use Transaction Management In-app Messaging The real estate market moves at a competitive pace. When it comes to submitting offers and signing documents, your clients need to be notified ASAP. Modern transaction management platforms with advanced capabilities offer in-app text messaging that not only lets you send documents for signing via text, but keeps track of all your communications. Texts can be sent to individuals or groups, and messages can even be exported to other apps as needed. Here's what that looks like in dotloop: 3. Leverage Email Templates The average real estate consumer only buys or sells property a handful of times in their life, so make sure they're informed about what happens next every step of the way. One way to do this is via email. Create a library of email templates that you or your transaction coordinator can send to clients that explains whatever step of the process they're in at the moment. The email template below, for example, is sent to sellers when their listing goes live online. It includes links to important marketing collateral, like virtual tours, so that the seller sees the work you are doing on their behalf (and so that they can share the links with their own network). Rather than writing every email from scratch, email templates are an easy way to save time. They keep your clients informed and the transaction on the right path. For more email template ideas, check out this article: 19 Email Templates Transaction Coordinators Can Copy to Work Faster. 4. Task Lists So you use email templates to keep your clients on track, but how do you keep your team on track? Easy answer: Task lists! Task lists help ensure your team never misses an important deadline or document. With a task list, you can assign team members and dates to important items that need to be completed. This gives your entire team transparency into what's happening with a transaction at any given moment. Here's a best practice: Be sure you turn task notifications on so that your team receives reminders in a timely fashion. Most transaction platforms offer task lists, and will allow you to build or import your own. Dotloop users can learn how to set up task lists here. 5. Push Notifications Speaking of notifications, one simple way to improve your communications in the new year is make sure your transaction management platform has push notifications turned ON. This ensures that all relevant parties receive notifications when a document is signed or shared, when a signature is required, when a document is edited, and more. After all, a missed signature or document can derail an entire transaction, and notifications can help push everyone to the finish line on time.

What Are You Getting Paid for? Explaining Your Real Estate Agent Remuneration
Let's talk about money. Big commissions are why you got into real estate, but how do you justify the amount you charge for your services? "Why do I need a real estate agent?" is often the first question sellers ask themselves when thinking about selling their house. It is natural for the consumer to query their Realtor on how much commission they will pay. Commission on a $500,000 house can run anywhere from $20,000 to $30,000 — a large chunk of money! Highlight your value to give the consumer a better understanding of why it is important to use a professional real estate agent and forgo the FSBO route. Experience Completing a real estate sales contract relies heavily on the power of negotiation. What do real estate agents do better than anyone else? Facilitate sales. Naturally, some agents are better at closing deals than others. The experienced Realtor has a wealth of knowledge gained over time and can use that knowledge to connect with potential buyers. Driving engagement by implementing proptech tools like 3D virtual tours and targeting buyers through the right channels is valuable. The goal is to grab their attention and keep it there. Buyers want information in an easy-to-use format. The experienced agent knows that the combination of 3D tours and floor plans makes it easy to navigate a property to achieve a comprehensive understanding of the space. The longer the buyer interacts with the property, the higher the potential of a sale. Quality marketing tools Digital marketing demand has risen in recent years, and now it is expected that your listing services will offer a full package. According to a recent Zillow report, virtual tours rose 750% due to the demand to get up close and personal with residential property listings. Not only was the demand high, but without a 3D tour, your listing might get overlooked altogether. Sellers are the ones who pay your commission and, in return, you provide them with the latest proptech tools for marketing their home. The "why do I need a real estate agent?" question can also be answered by sharing analytics from current and past sales. When the consumer sees and understands your marketing efforts, it is a whole lot easier to agree to pay the commission. Due diligence Due diligence is not just for the buyer. As a real estate agent, part of your responsibility is to provide information for every property. What do real estate agents do to ensure the accuracy of floor plans, room measurements and detailed information? Professional marketing services and real estate photographers use cutting-edge tools, like those offered by iGUIDE, to provide a host of data for every listing. According to Realtor.com, immersive 3D tours paired with great real estate photography and advanced measurements help sell houses. Why is it so important to get the details correct? Conflict can often arise when properties are measured incorrectly. No one wants to end up in litigation over wrongly advertised square footage of a home. As the seller's representative, you want to do everything you can to get everything right — after all, it is your fiduciary duty. Speed and limited disruption Daily interruptions are not what your seller expects when they hire you to sell their house. The thought might be, "Why do I need a real estate agent if I have to continuously prep my house for anyone who sees the for-sale sign?" You can eliminate a lot of stress for your seller when using real estate marketing tools. iGUIDE gives you everything you need to market a house successfully. The average home can be photographed and measured while capturing a 3D tour in about an hour. Potential buyers can then access all the information they need directly from their device of choice, in their own time. Virtual tours engage the buyer and provide a wealth of information, essentially pre-qualifying them before booking a showing. Sellers benefit by having fewer disruptions in their daily schedules. Multiple studies from companies like Zillow and iGUIDE show that homes sell faster and at a higher price point when utilizing 3D virtual tours. It's not a question of what do Realtors do, but rather how much do Realtors do. From outstanding digital marketing to superior negotiation, the best way to get a home sold is by using a professional. That's exactly why 92% of consumers choose a Realtor.

Website Speed Optimization: A Beginner's Guide
There is a lot of material available on improving our marketing channels, developing better social content, and writing better emails. But, as you already know, all of that directs to one place—your website. And for many companies, maintaining a healthy website performance can be very challenging. Today's real estate businesses, especially those with an online presence, rely on website speed optimization as a critical component of technologically advanced web designs. Having a real estate web page that takes too long to load increases visitors' bounce rate and decreases the likelihood of conversion, leading to low search engine ranking. As a business owner, you want to ensure that your website is user-friendly, loads fast, and is search engine optimized to reduce bounce rates and improve conversion. In this guide, you will learn about website speed optimization, the various areas that most definitely affect website performance, and a few tips to improve it. A Beginner's Guide to Website Speed Optimization Before diving into the nitty-gritty of website speed optimization, let's shed some light on the meaning of website speed or page speed. What Is Website Speed? The page speed of a website is a measurement of how quickly pages on the site load. When a website visitor visits a given page, this speed impacts how long it takes to show the content of that page. What to Consider When Optimizing Website Speed Identify the problem using PageSpeed Insights Execute requests in a safe and timely manner Reduce the number of requests you serve at a time Deliver queries properly Reduce Request Size Bundle several requests together Reduce the load on your server How to Optimize Your Website Speed What do you do when your real estate website speed does not meet expectations? How do you properly optimize your website speed to rank better on search engines while improving your website conversion rates? Read on for more information! 1. Choose a Suitable Web Host There are two major types of hosting options—shared hosting and dedicated hosting. Hosting dozens of websites on a single server is the most common and least expensive hosting option, known as "shared hosting." However, with this hosting option, your website is prone to reduced uptime and low processing power, which can significantly affect your site's loading performance. On the other hand, there is dedicated hosting which is faster and more efficient, and gives you full control over your website. Regardless of the amount of traffic your website receives, it provides the highest possible online performance and loading times. In contrast to shared hosting, dedicated hosting is more expensive. However, security, speed, support, as well as improved conversion rates are guaranteed. That it is recommended for real estate professionals to invest in an effective hosting plan. 2. Optimize Images It is essential to have high-quality images to represent your business and maintain a professional image. However, if images are not optimized or overused, they might be the primary cause of a slow-loading page. It is not necessary to avoid using images to solve this problem. Rather, resize the image, use proper image format and compression. 3. Use Browser Caching After a visitor visits your site for the first time, browser caching saves the site's static files and data on their device. This makes it easy for them to access most of the JS, CSS, and image files stored each time they visit your website. This reduces load time and improves user experience. 4. Install Less Plugins In order for plugins to function properly, a significant amount of back-end processing is required. By loading additional files and sending too many queries, they will also slow down your website. While certain plugins are necessary for the operation of your site, the majority of them aren't necessarily beneficial to your site. Consequently, it is preferable to stick with the essentials and uninstall any plugins that are not absolutely necessary for the operation of your website. Final Words It is not news that the future of search engine optimization will be based on website performance. As a result, businesses have started paying more attention to page speed and are working hard to enhance their performance. To view the original article, visit the Realtyna blog.

Home Concierge Programs: Are They Worth It?
Nearly every listing agent for resale properties offers advice about the condition of the home and what features can be improved. Whether it's a coat of paint or new kitchen counters, most homes need a refresh in order to appeal to today's buyers. Even at the height of the buying frenzy when sellers had the upper hand in most markets, the majority of buyers held out for a move-in ready house. Just 6% of buyers wanted to take on a fixer-upper, according to the National Association of Realtors' 2022 Home Buyer and Seller Generational Trends Report, and only 21% reported compromising on the condition of the home they bought. As the housing market shifts to one that is balanced between buyers and sellers, home sellers are more likely to want to take the extra step of renovating their home for maximum profits. Several companies, including Revive, now offer concierge services that provide design guidance, project management, contractors and financing to renovate a home to appeal to today's buyers. How concierge services work At Revive and other concierge services, an experienced team prepares an analysis of a home with recommendations for updates, the cost and the estimated return on investment. Once an agreement is signed, Revive provides funding for the project and expert contractors begin the work. Project managers provide oversight to ensure the renovations are done properly, on budget and as quickly as possible. Once the home sells, Revive is reimbursed for the project and the sellers walk away with a higher profit. Seller benefits from concierge programs Many sellers dread preparing their home for sale and would prefer to list it "as-is." As an agent, you already know how dangerous that can be. A home that is not in move-in ready condition is likely to take longer to sell and will sell for less money. Taking on a larger project such as renovating the kitchen and bathrooms may seem like a waste of time and money to sellers, but if they have someone who can provide end-to-end concierge services – and, most importantly, upfront funding – they may feel differently. Revive's analysis of their clients shows that on average, sellers receive an extra $186,000 in profit above what was anticipated without a renovation. In addition, the return on investment averages more than 200%. The renovate now, pay later approach also relieves stress for sellers when they want to keep their cash for their next move. Homes that are renovated typically sell 72% faster, too, which every seller appreciates. ‍Agent benefits from concierge programs As a listing agent, you can also benefit from working with a concierge program. Instead of spending your time evaluating the house, consulting with the sellers, coordinating contractors and following up on the progress of preparing a house for sale, you can focus on marketing. When the property sells more quickly, that benefits you, too. You can move on to your next transaction faster. A higher sales price also generates a higher commission for you. Whether you're making a listing presentation or already have a signed agreement with your sellers, one way to be the trusted advisor they need is to discuss the possibility of working with Revive to position their home for maximum profit. Take a look at the before-and-after case studies on our site, each of which includes the profit from the sale and the ROI on the projects, then share them with your sellers to start a conversation about the benefits of concierge services. To view the original article, visit the Revive blog.

The 10 Most Important Marketing Tactics You NEED When Selling a Home
In today's real estate market, implementing the right marketing tactics is crucial for successfully selling a home. With so many options available, it can be overwhelming to determine which tactics will be most effective for your particular property and target audience. In this post, we will discuss some of the best marketing tactics for selling a home in 2023. Keep on reading to find out more! Professional Photography: First impressions are crucial, and prospective buyers frequently base their decision to view a property on the pictures they see online. How potential buyers perceive your property can be greatly affected by professional photography. The property will stand out and generate more interest if you use high-quality photos that show it off in its best light. Virtual Tours: As more buyers start their home search online, virtual tours are growing in popularity. They enable prospective buyers to virtually tour a property, giving them an understanding of the layout and flow of the room. This is particularly helpful for properties that are hard to get to or situated in areas where potential buyers might not be able to travel easily. Video Marketing: Another effective tool for selling a house in 2023 is video marketing. It enables prospective buyers to get a sense of the location, neighborhood, and surroundings of the property. Additionally, it offers a chance to highlight the distinctive qualities and best parts of the property. When combined with virtual tours and expert photography, video marketing can be particularly effective. Social Media: You can reach a large audience by using social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter as effective marketing tactics. Particularly effective for showcasing properties and reaching a younger demographic are websites like Instagram and Pinterest. Professional images, videos, and virtual tours can be shared on social media platforms, and they can also be used to update users on the status of the property and interact with prospective buyers. Online Listing Services: Online listing services like Realtor.com, Redfin, and Zillow are excellent resources for connecting with a sizable audience of prospective buyers. You can create thorough listings on these websites that feature pictures, virtual tours, and other details about the property. Additionally, they give you access to buyers who are looking for properties in your area right now. Print Advertising: While print advertising may not be as popular as it once was, it can still be an effective way to reach potential buyers. Print advertising can include ads in local newspapers, magazines, and real estate listings. It can also include brochures and flyers that can be distributed to potential buyers. Agent Network: The network of agents and Realtors is the most effective tool for selling a house. They have a sizable client base of people who want to buy or sell a house. They know the market trends, competition and the best strategies to sell a property. Additionally, they have the expertise and knowledge to properly market the property, set the right price, and negotiate the best terms. Email Marketing: Reaching out to potential buyers via email marketing can be very successful, especially if they've previously shown an interest in your property or properties that are similar to it. You can remind prospective buyers of your property's distinctive qualities and advantages by sending targeted and personalized email campaigns. Direct Mail: To reach potential buyers who might not be actively looking for properties online, direct mail marketing can be useful. You can reach buyers who might not be aware of your property or who might be just starting their home search by sending targeted mailers to particular neighborhoods or demographics. Open House: Although an open house is a traditional method of marketing a property, it is still a powerful tool. Open houses give prospective buyers the chance to see the home in person, which can be especially useful for homes that might be challenging to appreciate through photographs or virtual tours. Additionally, open houses give sellers the chance to interact with prospective buyers and address any inquiries they might have about the property. In conclusion, there are many different marketing tactics that can be used to sell a home in 2023. Some of the most effective include professional photography, virtual tours, video marketing, social media, online listing services, print advertising and agent network. By using a combination of these strategies, you can reach a large audience of potential buyers and help your property stand out in a crowded market. However, it's important to remember that each property and location is unique, so it's essential to understand your target audience and tailor your marketing strategy accordingly. We hope that you can make use of these 10 marketing tactics to sell more homes and reach your real estate goals this year. To view the original article, visit the Transactly blog.

Understanding and Leveraging Your Network to Grow Your Business
"Sphere of influence" has become a popular term in the real estate world, but it's more than just the latest buzzword. A sphere of influence defines your reach in the real estate market — through social, professional and community connections. This broad collection of congruent paths leading to your doorstep is where the majority of your leads will come from. So, how do you use your sphere of influence to grow your business? First, it helps to understand the concept in greater depth. What is a real estate sphere of influence? The simple definition of a sphere of influence is a collection of people with similar buying habits, desires and lifestyle preferences. While it might seem like the answer is purely quantitative — e.g., number of Instagram or Twitter followers — your sphere is determined by the character traits, interests and behavioral tendencies of your contacts. Knowing your sphere doesn't mean avoiding or ignoring those outside your sphere. Rather, it means you may simply have to put more effort into learning about new potential customers through things like networking events, paid advertising and email marketing. Past clients, family friends and colleagues are all excellent sources of real estate referrals, but don’t hesitate to reach beyond the local market to find more business. Understanding your sphere of influence in the real estate business A sphere of influence (or SOI) can seem like a vague and nebulous term to define. Luckily, there is a basic formula you can use to pin down your specific sphere: Demographic: As a real estate professional, you probably already have an idea of who your target market is. Some examples might be young professionals, first-time homebuyers or commercial investors. Distribution channels: A distribution channel is anywhere you sell or advertise. This includes social media platforms and advertising online or in local publications. Social media is essential for nurturing and expanding your SOI, as you can build an online presence and find new clients while staying top of mind with your former clients. Environment: Think about any external influences at work in your market. Broad social or economic factors can influence the real estate industry and your sphere — for example, the local job market behavior, inventory volume and infrastructure. Consider any factors in your local community affecting your own sphere of personal relationships and professional relationships. Why is growing your SOI so important for real estate agents? If you're in the business of real estate (selling/buying/renting), you can't do it all yourself. One of your greatest assets as a real estate agent is your sphere of influence because it includes potential for new business through existing relationships. Staying actively involved in nurturing your sphere will help you in more ways than just getting new leads, too. It can help you find and recruit other agents, build referral relationships with clients, keep the business cycle turning, and direct the flow of industry information to help you succeed in buying or selling homes. Real estate is often described as a business built on who you know. It's a business involving considerable personal involvement — after all, you're not just selling a house, you're selling a home. Successful agents build rapport and trust with their clients, leading to repeat business, referral business and a broader sphere. If real estate is all about who you know, it's essential to understand the individuals included in your personal sphere. When you start to think critically and strategically about your sphere of influence, you'll realize you know more people than you thought you did. Growing your SOI is crucial, but so is nurturing your relationships! Need assistance managing your SOI? Elm Street Technology is here to help! Elm Street Technology offers customized solutions to assist agents in the growth and management of their business, no matter the stage they are in. Schedule a 1-on-1 conversation today to learn how a customized solution can help you grow and nurture your sphere of influence. SCHEDULE 1-ON-1 CONVERSATION

Black History Month: Resources and Trainings
To continue our Black History Month series, here's a list of resources and studies for educating yourself on the profiling, racism, and barriers that Black and African-American people come up against in the housing industry. Studies/News about racial discrimination and profiling in housing Appraised – The Persistent Evaluation of White Neighborhoods as More Valuable Than Communities of Color by Dr. Junia Howell and Dr. Elizabeth Korver-Glenn – A study that shows the prevalent racial inequality that exists when homes are being appraised. A 'Forgotten History' of How the U.S. Government Segregated America – Learn about the history of redlining that still impacts our society today. Racial inequities: Black Coloradans often face barriers in homeownership – A deep dive into how racial discrimination has impacted Black and African-American people in Colorado. National Association of REALTORS® Fairhaven: A Fair Housing Simulation – In 2020, the NAR rolled out a fair housing simulation training for members to learn how to identify, prevent, and address discriminatory practices. Approximately 43,000 members have successfully completed the simulation. Bias Override: Overcoming Barriers to Fair Housing – The video explains how our brains' instant association of stereotypes with particular groups can cause us to treat those who are different from us unfairly, despite our best intentions and often without our conscious awareness. Perception then applies these concepts to the everyday work of REALTORS®, and offers strategies to override bias in order to convey respect, ensure fairness, and improve business relationships. A three-hour course is also available online or in person here, and may qualify for continuing education credits. The MLS Hour: Fair Housing Marketing in the MLS – Insight into the Fair Housing Act including why it was passed, what is required or not of housing advertising, and more. Podcast recommendations – A list of podcasts to learn more about fair housing. Book recommendations – Book recommendations to learn more about racial segregation, discrimination, profiling, and how they've impacted society and the housing market. For more books, check out our last Black History Month blog post. To view the original article, visit the Rental Beast blog.

Is Neglecting Your Real Estate Database Hurting Your Sales?
We've said it once, twice, a thousand times — but we're saying it again: your database is the lifeline of your real estate business. Your database of contacts is like a goldmine that's just waiting to be tapped into. From past clients to seemingly "weak" leads, your database contains the keys for taking your business to the next level of success. The truth is clear. Agents who are systematically working their database are doing more business than those who don't. Here's the data to prove it. How to Start Doing 18% More Business It's not magic or rocket science. The key to increasing your lead conversion and successfully moving more clients through their transactions to closing all lies in how you leverage your database. Top-performing real estate agents leverage a CRM to help them manage their workload and grow their businesses. Did you know: The agents who employ a professional solution to manage marketing activities have 14% more business on average than their peers. Agents who use a CRM for their daily operations have an average of 18% more business than those who don't. The ultimate secret here is building a strategy that is sustainable, repeatable, and scalable. Sustainable, meaning it's a seamless part of your workflow that you can actually maintain over long periods of time. It's not a one-shot sprint, it's a marathon. Repeatable, meaning the system is so organized that you can follow a set of steps over and over again. You keep making the same right moves, and the process continues to generate measurable wins. Scalable, meaning even as you grow your business, secure more leads, and boost your production, your strategy still works for you. Your database action plan should be flexible enough to adapt to your business at every stage of its expansion. If 18% more business sounded good, how about 14 more transaction sides every year? Data-Proven Follow-up Strategies to Start Doing NOW Here's everything we learned from a 2021 RealTrends study conducted on individual real estate agents and teams to get a deeper understanding of how marketing processes and contact database size can affect overall performance. What We Know: Real estate agents who have a formal workflow for new leads average 12% more transactions than those who do not employ any kind of systematic follow-up. → What You Can Do: Follow in the footsteps of the best in the business by running systematic follow-up processes and marketing campaigns that nurture your sphere. What We Know: Real estate agents who have a systematic follow-up process in place for both past clients and new leads do, on average, 22% more transactions than those who do not employ any type of systematic follow-up, and 10% more transactions than those who only target new leads. → What You Can Do: Make sure to target both former clients and new leads! Don't leave anyone in your database behind. What We Know: Agents who use a mix of contact types, including programmatic and social media advertising, do 29% more transactions on average than those who don't. → What You Can Do: Support a diverse mix of marketing platforms and contact types to create more touchpoints where you can connect with your sphere. What We Know: Agents who make 10 or more touchpoints per person, per month have 39% more transactions than their peers who are less communicative. → What You Can Do: Aim for 10 or more touchpoints per month! Set a communication cadence that allows you to reach out with different, meaningful messages at least 10 times per month. What We Know: Agents who maintain a larger contact database complete more transactions. Those whose databases contain more than 500 contacts have an average of 25% more transactions than agents who have less than 500 contacts. → What You Can Do: Up your lead generation! The more contacts you have in your database, the better equipped you are to grow and scale your business. To view the original article, visit the BoomTown blog.

RPR Pushes for Perfection with New Property Details Additions
At RPR (Realtors Property Resource), we pride ourselves on pushing the platform to make RPR better for its users in every way imaginable. For our team of developers and designers, the work is simply never done. We take feedback, survey responses, suggestions and user testing sessions very seriously, and we make updates and enhancements to our website and the mobile application, to ensure that REALTORS® have access to the most complete property data tool in the industry. Case in point: our latest improvements to the Property Details pages. Yes, we did come out with a redesigned and refreshed version of our Property Details pages last October. And after some input from users, we're fine-tuning and improving them even more in our latest product release. RPR's reformatted residential Property Info page When you click into a property in RPR, you're taken right to its Property Details page, and the first section you're presented with is the Property Information. With its bigger pictures and improved layout of facts, you're now able to see more information about a property at a glance. The new design features: A larger property photo The basic facts are more prominently displayed (beds, bath, square footage, etc.) An improved display of the RVM® estimated range and confidence score The Refined Value and CMA link have been moved to the new Pricing Tools card The RPR Pricing Tools card Directly underneath the photo and facts is the Pricing Tool cards. These new color-coded boxes provide important price and valuation numbers, with links for more details. But what you'll probably notice first is the color! This pop of color for each card really helps the numbers stand out and be noticed. The new Pricing Tools Card includes links to: The list price (for active properties) or the most recent sold price (off market properties), as well as the RVM® CMA Tools (Comparative Analysis and Sales Comparison Analysis) The Refined Value Tool Seller Proceeds More prominent display of the sold price for off-market properties For researching off-market properties, we've made it much easier to view the last sold price, including the date the home went off the market. Less scrolling and hunting—more viewing! RPR's Market Trends/Neighborhood Housing Charts The Market Trends and Neighborhood Housing charts and graphs in RPR are perfect for keeping tabs on local housing markets. Agents are checking them monthly, and sharing the stats with their clients and prospects to keep them "in the know" on how the market is doing. Which can go a long way in positioning yourself as the local market expert! RPR has made the following improvements to these pages: The "About this Data" link has been replaced with an italicized 'i' The date has been moved from the bottom of the chart to the top. Reminder: These charts are updated monthly (5-7 days after the first of the month). RPR keeps getting better! Our goal is to help REALTORS® be better, faster and more proficient at what they do. Helping you "wow" clients and close more deals is the mission, and our constant drive to improve the product will help us all get there. This is just a highlight of all the changes and improvements RPR made with its latest product release. Be sure to check out our February 2023 Release Notes for more details and in-depth information on everything else. To view the original article, visit the RPR blog.

4 Pre-listing Steps to Boost Your Commission and Add Value to Your Clients
When you're focused on adding value for your clients, increased and more steady commissions naturally follow. 4 Things to Do Before You List a Home While some pre-listing tasks are the same in any housing market, you may need to tweak your planning as the market in your area shifts. 1. Provide the best possible comparative market analysis (CMA). The most important thing you can do for your clients is to help them price their home accurately when it first goes on the market. Your sellers rely on you to help them understand how much they can expect to receive for their property. When markets shift, it's often wiser to base your CMA on the current competition of listings, including homes that linger on the market, rather than sales from even two or three months ago. Bring net sheets to your listing presentation to help your sellers visualize their potential profit from a sale under various scenarios. A home that's priced right will sell faster and for a higher price than one that lingers, which impacts your bottom line and your time. 2. Advise your clients on the most cost-effective presale prep. Depending on the property, a quick decluttering, some plants and fresh paint may be enough to get their house buyer ready. But homes that need more work may be best served by a presale renovation program such as Revive. After a thorough analysis of the costs and return on investment of needed renovations in consultation with you, Revive funds and coordinates the project and is reimbursed after the closing. The sellers are likely to receive a bigger profit and your commission will therefore be higher, too. 3. Pay for pro photos and videos. Buyers start house hunting online and tend to visit fewer properties in person than in the past. According to the 2022 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers from the National Association of Realtors, buyers looked at a median of five homes before making an offer – and four of those visits were online only. Great photos and videos can make a difference in the speed of a sale and the size of the offer. 4. Use every marketing tool available. Higher prices, higher mortgage rates and a slower pace of sales encourage buyers to be pickier when looking for a home. Make sure your listing gets seen by as many buyers as possible through your MLS, your website and social media. The more prospects that see your listing, the better your chances of getting a higher offer and a bigger commission. To build a long career as a real estate agent, use the best available tools and focus on serving your customers in every market. To view the original article, visit the Revive blog.

The Best Listing Photo Is Actually a Video: Here's Why
Homebuyers are consuming content all day long, and videos are an ever-growing share of what they're looking for online. According to Oberlo, 92.8% of internet users watch videos online at least once a week. According to TechJury, 66% of internet users consume video content more than any other kind. Ninety-two percent of mobile users share video content they watch with others. And depending on whom you ask, YouTube (a Google-owned product) is ranked consistently as either the second or third most popular site by search volume, after traditional Google search and Google Image search. In other words, the most important medium for showcasing your listings isn't listing photos. It's virtual tours and property videos. The undeniable benefits of real estate videos Make no mistake, high-quality listing photos are great (and often required), because they're still the go-to for MLS listings and all the resources and platforms that utilize MLS data. But video has undeniable benefits. Let's look at some of those below. Videos catch users' attention People are busy and distracted, so when it comes to consuming content online, what do you think will catch their attention more: a paragraph of plain text, an image, or a well-made video? Chances are most people will choose to watch the video, since it's the easiest (and often the most enjoyable) way to absorb information. Video increases engagement By some estimates, videos are shared 1,200% more than images and text. This is because videos grab users' attention (see above) and are more effective at stirring the emotions that get people to like, comment, or share. When viewers watch videos they like, they usually can't wait to share them with their friends. This is especially true of well-made listing videos! Images show, but videos tell A picture is worth a thousand words, but what is a video if not a thousand pictures strung together? That's a lot of words! Instead of telling viewers what they should like about a listing, a video really shows them. Why talk about high ceilings and an abundance of natural light when agents can take a video showing them to viewers in real time? And there's nothing quite as effective as helping a prospective buyer imagine themselves owning a particular property than sharing a great video or virtual tour (apart from setting up a showing, of course!). Videos boost SEO rankings and drive more traffic to your website and listings Videos are an excellent search engine optimization tool. Remember, more and more people are relying on videos in general and YouTube in particular to find what they're looking for online. Several important factors contribute to boosting SEO ranking: Inbound links – The links you include in your video descriptions on YouTube count as important links back to your website. High quality links like these show search engines that your content is valuable, so they are likelier to rank it higher. Engagement – The increased engagement we talked about earlier drives organic traffic and, if your content is reshared, more inbound linking opportunities. Dwell time – Dwell time, or how long a searcher stays on your page, is an important SEO metric. By showing visitors quality video content, you're likelier to capture their attention for longer, increasing dwell time and showing search engines that users like your page. The rise of the real estate influencer? If you're on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok, you've probably seen an explosion of "real estate influencer" accounts. From the informative to the entertaining to the satirical, there's something for nearly everyone, from budding superstar agents to expert brokers to people just looking for a laugh. These influencers may be on to something! Having an online presence that doesn't focus solely on listings and provides useful advice on all sorts of topics of interest to both agents (lead gen tips, personal branding, time management skills, etc.) and consumers (buying their first home, breaking into real estate investing, mortgage tips, etc.) can be a relatively easy way to build your brand and (ultimately) get more leads and more eyes on your listings. Does that mean everyone needs to break out the tripod and start dancing on TikTok? Of course not! But helping your agents post video more effectively online will only benefit your business, both now and in the future. The key ingredients for a compelling real estate video Across platforms and across content areas, there are a few things you can do consistently to make your videos pop: A catchy thumbnail image – Remember, your content is a video, but you still need something to entice users to click on it and watch it. This is where a good thumbnail comes in. Don't just pick a random still from the video: get a high-quality image with bright colors that relates to the video, overlay some key words, and give viewers a taste of what they can expect by watching it. A clear and compelling script and voiceover – People are generally watching your video so you can show them something, but telling them key points is important, too. Catchy words will make the visuals even more appealing. A nice soundtrack – A soundtrack to match the voiceover will give your video a nice, cohesive feel. A call to action – You want viewers to know what they should do next. Call you? Visit your website? Like and follow for more content like this? Different videos have different goals, so customize your CTA to the content you've created. To view the original article, visit the Constellation1 blog.

How to Earn Google's Trust
As a real estate agent, you naturally value the power of in-person interactions when developing relationships. What you may not realize is that developing relationships – which is, at its core, about earning trust – often begins online. Consumers, even those who receive a referral, regularly turn to the internet to find and vet people they're considering doing business with. Reading reviews of other people's experiences is a powerful form of social proof – consumers want to know that you're worth their business. If consumers can't find online testimonials about your services, they'll turn to other agents. You won't even have the opportunity to win them over in-person. It might be enough to make you wonder: How many leads am I missing out on right now because I don't have a strong online presence? When it comes to earning trust online, a strong Google presence is key. Google is the dominant, most-trust search engine. As such, Google is where consumers are most likely to start their real estate journey and identify the agent they want to work with. Think of winning trust online as similar to winning trust in-person. Strong testimonies from past clients and colleagues will demonstrate your trustworthiness. Having fully updated business information and up-to-date listing photos establishes your professionalism. This helps you earn Google's trust, vault to the top of Google search results, and win new business. 1. Establish a Strong Google Business Profile The first way to earn Google's trust and demonstrate excellence in online search results is to have an informative, comprehensive Google Business Profile. This is the information box that appears on the right-hand side when consumers search for you online. Your Google Business Profile displays your contact information, a description of your services, recent listings photos, and, crucially, reviews of your services. Google values the business profile because it helps to winnow down search results. Consumers can be served listings of active, legitimate real estate providers when they search terms such as "real estate agents near me." Google will "verify" profiles that are comprehensive and have positive reviews – signaling to searchers that you are a legitimate professional who has earned Google's trust and is ready to do business. Remember that both consumers and Google will place more trust in your profile if it is updated regularly. To maintain Google's trust, include up-to-date contact information, listing photos, and reviews. 2. Solicit Positive Reviews As mentioned, reviews are an essential part of your Google business profile. And when it comes to fully securing Google's trust, reviews are an absolute necessity. Google reviews do more than just give consumers a sense of your abilities as an agent. Google also factors in these reviews when deciding whether to serve your business profile alongside other high-performing agents when people search for terms like "local real estate agents." Just take a look at this search result for local real estate agents. The listed agents all have dozens of positive Google reviews in addition to a complete Google Business Profile. Clearly, having as many reviews as possible is crucial to earning Google's trust and appearing at the top of search results. Just like the other information on your Google Business Profile, reviews are weighted in part by recency. So, continue to solicit reviews as your network expands. That way, you'll rise in Google search results and maintain your position over time. Once you earn Google's trust, you'll experience substantial benefits. To view the original article, visit the Homesnap blog.

The Importance of Domain Name for Your Real Estate Website
Let's talk about the importance of a domain name for your real estate website and how the right domain name can help improve your website traffic and SEO ranking. If you're interested in learning more, keep reading! Why Are Domain Names So Important for Your Real Estate Website? Your domain name is a vital part of your real estate website as it allows people to find your company online. It also plays a significant factor in driving more potential clients to your website and increasing your lead generation. Having the right domain name can help drive more traffic to your real estate website and increase your ranking on search engines. Additionally, it represents your company and adds credibility to your business, making your customers more likely to trust your services. Investing in a domain name streamlines migration, which means that you will be free to switch web hosts or change things up without it harming your SEO or ranking. How to Pick the Right Domain Name for Your Real Estate Website To ensure that you have the right domain name, you must consider the following: Keep the Name Short and Professional Something to consider is keeping your domain name short and professional. The key is to make it possible for your clients to easily remember your domain name. By making it short and professional, people are more likely to remember it. In addition, the name should indicate what you are offering on your website. However, the content of your real estate website still plays a significant role in how search engines rank you. It's not only about keywords but about choosing names that will connect you to your target audience. With a short and powerful domain name, you can make a more lasting impression on your clients. Pick a Unique Name Pick a unique domain name and not just go with your agent name. Unless you are well known in the industry, people are less likely to recognize your name, so it is better to use highly searched keywords in your domain name to make it more recognizable on Google and other search engines. At the same time, try to make it unique and professional to leave a lasting impression. Try to match your domain with your company name as it reinforces your brand and makes it easier for your customers to remember you. It will also help your customers pass it along to friends and help expand your business through referrals. Take Control of Your Domain Extensions To protect your company, make sure to purchase and take control of all the widely used extensions of your domain name, such as .com, .org, and .net. This will prevent your domain name from being resold online with a different extension. It can also help you outrank your competitors on search engine results by controlling over variations of your domain name. Other Things to Take Into Consideration Lastly, one more thing to take into consideration: Do NOT use "Realtor" in your domain name. Only the members of the NAR are authorized to use the Realtor mark to indicate their NAR membership. However, NAR members can purchase domain names with a .Realtor extension, e.g. www.agentname.realtor. To view the original article, visit the Realtyna blog.

Black History Month: Books to Learn About Racial Disparities in Real Estate
In honor of Black History Month, we're sharing a list of books that highlight previous and existing racial disparities, biases, and discrimination within the real estate industry. It's important to learn about the ways our industry has perpetuated racial disparities and erected barriers to Black and African-American people. The Voucher Promise: Section 8 and the Fate of an American Neighborhood by Eva Rosen The Voucher Promise examines the Housing Choice Voucher Program, colloquially known as "Section 8," and how it shapes the lives of families living in a Baltimore neighborhood called Park Heights. Eva Rosen tells stories about the daily lives of homeowners, voucher holders, and renters who receive no housing assistance, and the landlords who provide housing. While vouchers are a powerful tool with great promise, she demonstrates how the housing policy can replicate the very inequalities it has the power to solve. Race for Profit: How Banks and the Real Estate Industry Undermined Black Homeownership by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor By the late 1960s and early 1970s, reeling from a wave of urban uprisings, politicians finally worked to end the practice of redlining. Reasoning that the turbulence could be calmed by turning Black city-dwellers into homeowners, they passed the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968, and set about establishing policies to induce mortgage lenders and the real estate industry to treat Black homebuyers equally. The disaster that ensued revealed that racist exclusion had not been eradicated, but rather transmuted into a new phenomenon of predatory inclusion. The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein In this groundbreaking history of the modern American metropolis, Richard Rothstein, a leading authority on housing policy, explodes the myth that America's cities came to be racially divided through de facto segregation—that is, through individual prejudices, income differences, or the actions of private institutions like banks and real estate agencies. Rather, The Color of Law incontrovertibly makes clear that it was de jure segregation—the laws and policy decisions passed by local, state, and federal governments—that actually promoted the discriminatory patterns that continue to this day. Family Properties: Race, Real Estate, and the Exploitation of Black Urban America by Beryl Satter The "promised land" for thousands of Southern blacks, postwar Chicago quickly became the most segregated city in the North, the site of the nation's worst ghettos and the target of Martin Luther King Jr.'s first campaign beyond the South. In this powerful book, Beryl Satter identifies the true causes of the city's black slums and the ruin of urban neighborhoods throughout the country: not, as some have argued, black pathology, the culture of poverty, or white flight, but a widespread and institutionalized system of legal and financial exploitation. American Apartheid: Segregation and the Making of the Underclass by Douglas Massey and Nancy Denton American Apartheid shows how the black ghetto was created by whites during the first half of the 20th century in order to isolate growing urban black populations. It goes on to show that, despite the Fair Housing Act of 1968, segregation is perpetuated today through an interlocking set of individual actions, institutional practices, and governmental policies. In some urban areas, the degree of black segregation is so intense and occurs in so many dimensions simultaneously that it amounts to "hypersegregation." The Black Butterfly: The Harmful Politics of Race and Space in America by Lawrence T. Brown The world gasped in April 2015 as Baltimore erupted and Black Lives Matter activists, incensed by Freddie Gray's brutal death in police custody, shut down highways and marched on city streets. In The Black Butterfly—a reference to the fact that Baltimore's majority-Black population spreads out on both sides of the coveted strip of real estate running down the center of the city like a butterfly's wings—Lawrence T. Brown reveals that ongoing historical trauma caused by a combination of policies, practices, systems, and budgets is at the root of uprisings and crises in hypersegregated cities around the country. *All book summaries were sourced from goodreads.com. To view the original article, visit the Rental Beast blog.

Things Are Looking Up for the Housing Market
Well, would you look at that: the housing market is showing signs of life and things seem to be looking up! The housing market is currently experiencing a period of growth, with prices rising at an unprecedented rate. This market trend is being driven by numerous factors, with some of them being lower mortgage rates, a strong economy, and a lack of available housing on the market. Lower mortgage rates One of the key drivers of the housing market is the current lower mortgage rates. The Federal Reserve has kept interest rates at historic lows in the past in order to stimulate the economy and encourage borrowing. This has made it more affordable for people to purchase homes, which has led to increased demand for housing. With higher fed rates, it has pushed rates to all-time highs, but we can see rates coming back down into the 5%-6% range. (Charts from Nerdwallet) Based from these charts from Nerdwallet, some key lower mortgage rates to look at are the 20-year fixed-rate at 5.868%, the 15-year fixed-rate at 5.423%, the 10-year fixed-rate at 5.160%, the 30-year fixed-rate FHA at 5.562%, and the 30-year fixed-rate VA at 5.375%. The strong economy Another factor that is contributing to the housing market's rapid growth is the strong economy. The unemployment rate is at a 50-year low, and wages are rising. This is giving people the confidence and financial means to make large purchases, such as buying a home. Additionally, the stock market over the last 10 years has been performing well, which has also given people more disposable income to invest in real estate. Lack of available housing A third factor that is driving the housing market is a lack of available housing. As the economic principle stands, more demand = less supply. The population is growing, and the number of new homes being built is not keeping pace with demand. This, in turn, has led to a shortage of housing, which is driving up the prices of homes. Additionally, the pandemic has accelerated the trend towards remote working, which has increased the demand for homes in less urban areas. But wait, is there cause for concern? With lots of highs comes lots of lows as well — some first-time home buyers, and those with lower incomes, have cause for concern with the rising home prices. The high prices can make it difficult for these groups of people to enter the housing market, which can have a negative impact on the economy. Additionally, the high prices can put a strain on the budget of those who are able to purchase a home, leaving them with less disposable income to spend on things they would usually be allocating budget for. However, despite these concerns, the overall outlook for the housing market is positive. The economy is strong, and the lower mortgage rates are expected to continue, which will continue to drive demand for housing. Additionally, the lack of available housing is expected to be addressed in the coming years, as more homes are built to meet the growing demand. It's worth noting that while numerous articles have been talking about the growth of the U.S. housing market, similar trends are also being observed in other developed countries. Low interest rates, strong economies, and increasing populations are also driving up housing prices in these countries. In conclusion, the housing market is currently experiencing a period of growth — driven by lower mortgage rates, a strong economy, and a lack of available housing. While this has caused concerns amongst various groups of people, like first-time home buyers and those with lower incomes, the overall outlook for the housing market is and looks like it will continue to be positive. As always, it is important for us to keep an eye on the market. To view the original article, visit the Transactly blog.

The Real Estate Niche with Big Profit Potential
Do you serve a real estate niche? Focusing on a specific niche makes it easier to brand your business and stand out from competing agents who have a more generalized real estate practice. From first-time buyers to land sales to luxury, there are plenty of niches to choose from. While it's best to work in the niche that most interests you, if you're looking to choose based solely on profit opportunities, one niche may stand out from the rest. In the video above, Realtor Jaime Resendiz explains why new construction/new home sales may be the way to go for pure profitability. Watch the video to learn: What is new home sales? 8 benefits of new home sales 4 downsides of new home sales And more! To learn more about new home sales, see 6 Ways to Construct the Perfect Builder/Realtor Relationship. For more information on choosing a niche, see Finding Your Niche in Real Estate.

Outperform Your Competition with These 10 Prospecting Essentials
It's no secret, prospecting is a critical factor in determining how successful you will be in the real estate industry. This article will identify prospecting strategies to help you stand out from the competition and increase your real estate success. From knowing your niche to utilizing digital marketing to its fullest potential, these strategies will help you make the most of your time, acquire more leads, and close more deals. 1. Know Your Niche Identify your competitive advantage and focus your efforts on the areas where you excel. Also, consider the type of clients you want to work with and the services you can offer to meet their needs. 2. Leverage Behavioral Targeting to Connect with Your Ideal Prospects With your niche selected, use behavioral targeting to identify key characteristics of your prospects and then craft a message that speaks directly to them. 3. Create a Localized Website with SEO Optimization This is your home base for showcasing your listings, marketing your services, and providing resources for buyers, sellers, and investors. Consider including a blog to discuss local real estate news and showcase local resources such as schools, restaurants, and attractions. 4. Embrace Video in Your Marketing Video has the potential to reach a large audience and gives potential prospects a chance to get to know you — building your trust and credibility. Your tips and market insights will help to position you as a local market expert. Video marketing also helps you stay top-of-mind with past clients. 5. Leverage Social Media to Connect with Prospects Social media is a terrific way to build relationships with prospects and create content that adds value to their lives. Share helpful advice and tips about the area, the real estate market, and the home buying/selling process. Connect with local businesses and organizations to increase your presence in the community and become a trusted resource. 6. Host Events to Network with Prospects Host open houses or educational seminars that allow potential prospects to meet and learn more about you. Consider participating in, or organizing, local community events to meet new locals and build connections. 7. Develop an Effective Follow-Up Process It's important to follow up with prospects after initial contact to stay top of mind. Take the time to craft a personalized message tailored to the prospect. Ask questions that will give you insight into their needs and wants. And don't rush the process! Be patient and take the time to build trust and rapport. 8. Providing Exceptional Customer Service Always strive to provide the highest level of customer service to ensure prospects will remember you and reach out for future business. That starts with listening intently, following through on promises, providing timely answers, and going above and beyond when needed. 9. Leverage Referrals from Past Clients Word-of-mouth referrals from happy past clients are invaluable for real estate prospecting. Sending thank you notes is a great way to thank past clients for their business and remind them to refer their friends and family. 10. Develop an Effective Lead-Nurturing Strategy It's important to identify and prioritize leads based on their level of engagement and interest, so you can focus your efforts on the most promising leads. This is why it's important to have a lead-nurturing strategy that includes targeted content, automated emails and follow-up calls to keep prospects interested and engaged. Prospective clients are out there… we'll help you find them What's just as important as your current client? Your next one! Proven prospecting methods like the ones above will help fill your pipeline and start some conversations. Use this top ten list of prospecting strategies and tactics to stand out from the pack and get noticed. To view the original article, visit the RPR blog.

Customized Real Estate Marketing to Kill It in a Crowded Market
The real estate field is crowded, and competition is fierce. What compounds this for most agents is just how extremely busy everyone is. Battling multi-offer scenarios, exhaustive showing schedules… So how can you cut through the noise and set yourself apart from the competition without putting more work on your plate and trying to make time appear out of nowhere? Smart tech and customizable marketing can cut through the digital noise, differentiate you from the competition, and build trust. 1. Custom landing pages to target buyers and sellers in refreshing ways (digitally!) A landing page is a standalone web page, created specifically for a marketing or advertising campaign. Landing pages are a great way to drive traffic to your website, improve your SEO, and build your brand. They're also part of a PPC strategy that delivers the ROI. Create landing pages to target specific groups of people and capture their interest and info. It's like a mini website and a specialized marketing campaign. For example, create pages to promote thematic campaigns, like a "Coming Soon" page, a Seller Landing Page, Feature a Listing, Promote First Time Home Buyer Program or a Credit Repair Program. These landing pages are quick ways to capture interest, market to a niche audience, and flex more marketing opportunities without building a lot of collateral. They are also a fast and much more noticeable way to promote your specialize programs and offerings, or featured and coming soon properties. 2. Automated drip campaigns keep your leads engaged, and you top-of-mind Consumers want to work with a brand that they feel like they know. That's why leveraging the right nurture campaigns are crucial to making sure things are working "backstage" in your business while you're out in the field and running from showing to showing. Drip campaigns for new buyer leads can consist of a series of emails that pipe in tailored neighborhood updates, leverage the hotsheet to highlight fresh listings opportunities, and info that helps those in specific situations, like buying for the first time, downsizing, etc. For your seller clients, these campaigns can include some just-sold properties, testimonials, and your take on market insights for why it's a good time to list. Our clients have seen incredible results incorporating video into their campaigns, allowing for that coveted "facetime" and helping their potential customers feel connected and engaged with you. 3. A branded consumer app to keep prospects searching and interacting with your brand People love searching for homes on their phone. You love leads using your site. The power play here is to make sure you have an app that is branded to your business, and keeping your prospects interacting with you. You don't want leads that could be engaging with your brand searching on Zillow instead. They'll be bombarded with ads for other agents, and disconnected from the opportunity to feel like they've found a trusted advisor and someone with great local expertise. Of course it should go without saying that your mobile app needs to offer a great search experience and fresh data so that your prospects keep coming back for more! 4. Social media ads that you can create and promote with just a few clicks When you're building high-performing social media campaigns, they engage and re-engage buyers and sellers (while you're doing other things!). They get them interested in your brand, drive them back to your site, and tee up meaningful conversations and more conversions. Some agents are incredibly savvy when it comes to the ins and outs of social media, but others don't want to waste their time learning the ropes of digital marketing when they're swamped already. If you're in the latter boat, look for top-performing ad services. These are the "low-hanging fruit" of marketing right now. You can whip these types of email campaigns, social media ad campaigns, and promotional landing pages up in seconds, and let them fly. And bonus, you'll get the piece of mind knowing standing out from the crowd, and preparing that pipeline for whatever the market may bring. To view the original article, visit the BoomTown blog.

[Podcast] Real Talk, with Realtors: House Hacking, with Marcus Norman
Marcus Norman is a serial entrepreneur, Navy veteran, and the founder and CEO of Mark's Real Estate Holding Company. He has several businesses he operates and invests in. In this episode of Real Talk, with Realtors, hear what house hacking is, how to expand to multiple properties, become a stronger investor, invest in REITs (Real Estate Investment Trusts), and how real estate agents can benefit from house hacking. This episode covers everything from house hacking to modern investing. Here's a small sample of what you will hear in this episode: How did Marcus get into house hacking? Is Dalip house hacking? Were there any conflicts among the house guests? Where does Marcus go for crowdfunding? What are the risks with real estate investing? How do you acquire your first house hacking property? What was Marcus's evolution with house hacking? How do you profit with house hacking? Connect with Marcus at the GentleMan Style Podcast and on social media. Listen on: Spotify Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Visit the episode homepage for show notes and more detail.

Big Conventions Are Back, Believe It or Not: A look at the Builders Show in Vegas
I had an immediate pandemic flashback as I looked around at the thousands of people that filled the Las Vegas Convention Center at last week's National Association of Home Builders annual International Builders Show. I remember asking colleagues on virtual conferences at the height of the pandemic if anyone thought we'd ever have major, mask-less conventions again. The consensus was "no way." Yes, way. In fact, it was rare to see many masks at the latest builder show. And I probably saw more reporters wearing masks in the press room than in any other location. And this Builder Show was massive, just like the ones that have drawn 100,000 attendees. It featured towering exhibits that filled several exhibit halls. If you haven't been to an IBS, think NAR Exhibit Hall but Texas style: exponentially bigger. Why attend IBS? One of my clients, Ben Caballero of HomesUSA.com and the No. 1 ranked agent in the U.S., works with over 60 builders. So this show gives me great insight into this audience. Plus, every time I attend, I get two other great opportunities: to put on my journalist hat and discover and write about the new home tech on display and to meet fellow National Association of Real Estate Editors members, as NAREE typically hosts an event. Here is what I discovered on both fronts: Smart tech in new homes making the same mistake In 2016, just as Amazon's Alexa was starting to become the smart home standard, I attended IBS for a press luncheon that NAREE was hosting on smart house technology. I listened to several experts from the home builder tech industry, all promoting their own siloed brand of smart home tech. I couldn't believe the disconnect. Where was the interoperability with the fastest-growing home tech at the time, Alexa? I finally asked Andrea Medeiros from TecHome Builder, who gave an overview of what was happening in the smart house space about Alexa, as none of the technology discussed integrated with Alexa. She agreed that players like Amazon and Apple would win because "people feel like they can trust them" to be around when other tech firms go away. To me, the home tech industry not focusing on Alexa was an obvious miss. I also wrote that it was game over for these folks in a March 2016 blog post: "Digital Dawn: Amazon is creating the smart house for the rest of us." Guess what? These technology firms and their tech are either gone or have fully embraced Alexa and other top smart tech like Google Home. So, this year, as I journeyed through the Startup and Next exhibits at IBS, I noticed the same unfortunate pattern. But this time, all the software firms offering builder smart tech packages were hawking their interfaces: custom smart displays. The problem was that they were all vastly different; once again, there was no standardization. Can you imagine buying a home with this new smart tech, then learning and getting comfortable with the idiosyncrasies of the display, only to move to another home with a completely different display and dashboard? Sure, all these systems integrate with all the smart tech standards. In fact, most boast "Alexa built-in." However, these vastly different hubs reek of making the same mistake: thinking your tech is better, so your display should be what the consumer uses. To me, that's the failed vision of a lot of tech, streaming back to Betamax vs. VHS tape. Beta was a better tech, but VHS was standardized. Sony held its tech too tightly while VHS was offered by more vendors and became more popular, aided by the fact you could tape more hours. VHS became the standard. Better technology does not automatically trump a more widely used standard, which helps it become more popular. Often, popularity counts more. Amazon Alexa and Google Hubs dominate smart house tech because they created and shared widely adoptable standards that are easy to use ­– and are getting even easier. My guess is that most homeowners will set everything up with their Alexa or Home software and talk to their tech, forgoing the displays altogether. I imagine these firms are collectively investing millions in creating these displays with their proprietary software. Once again, it seems like a misstep and a missed opportunity. Where are the innovations? Sadly, I found very little new tech. Some of the ones that caught my eye included various garage charging stations for your new EV. I can see most new homes eventually offering these as a standard feature, not an upgrade. I was also pleased to see the extensive use of sensors to maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of home temperature control and energy use. I wrote about sensors and the future of tech in 2017, and now they are impacting our homes more and more. One example: your thermostat will know when the oven is turned on and not overact to the temperature change, which is more intelligent management of your energy use. Energy storage systems are bringing the "grid" to the home. With solar and other alternative power sources, firms are developing advanced energy management systems that change how we think about energy consumption. In some cases, homes are creating more energy than they are using. These new grids can monitor and manage power in a whole new way. However, on the whole, I saw a lot more iteration than innovation. Of course, iteration is vital – it makes our innovations better. But I've seen the smart toilets lift their lids and turn on their lights as I walked by before. I was hoping to see something really new – like the window tech I saw at the last builder show I attended that adjusts to the sunlight like an automated tinting system to improve energy efficiency. If something cutting edge was at this IBS, I missed it… Except for the Tesla-ride via the Las Vegas loop that shuttled me between the convention halls. No driverless cars, but the experience was a huge time-saver. A 20+/-minute walk from the North to the West Hall was accomplished in a few minutes through a coolly lit tunnel. Now that was hot tech. (See video here.) IBS + NAREE What I did not miss was attending a NAREE event at IBS. It was so good to be back with a winter event. I've been a NAREE member for more than 25 years. I probably attended more than a dozen IBS shows as well. IBS draws a much different crowd of attendees and reporters covering real estate. At IBS, I immediately bumped into perennial NAREE attendees, including Eileen McEleney Woods at the Boston Globe (Chair of NAREE), Mary Doyle Kimball, NAREE Executive Director, Ralph Bivins at Realty News Report, and Clare Trapasso, News Editor at realtor.com. A few other NAREE members I usually see at IBS planned to attend but didn't make it as airline groundings and other unpreventable circumstances prevailed. NAREE Past President Lew Sichelman, current NAREE President Jason Hidalgo at the Reno Gazette-Journal, and Jeff Collins at the Orange County Register/Southern California News Group were unable to attend. I am sure there were others, as winter storms caused a slew of cancellations. There was even snow in the Las Vegas area the day before the convention began. As a result, thousands of flights were canceled. I arrived in Vegas from Seattle, flying my favorite airline (Alaska). It was a breeze for me. However, getting to the hotel took longer than usual and was twice the typical fee. I later discovered I could have cut the cost of my hotel trip in half if I had used the taxi app, Curb. I used it in New York at Inman Connect the week before, but did not realize it worked in Vegas. Pro tip: The Curb app does not have the surge pricing you'll see on Uber or Lyft. It's great to use as an alternative for price comparison. It works great in NYC and reasonably well in Vegas. The highlight of IBS was the NAREE event. They hosted a reception on the High Roller Observation Wheel. The 30-minute ride included a hosted bar with a talented and personable bartender and unlimited beverages. It was a fun event and a great way to socialize and see the lights that blanket the Vegas skyline from a helicopter view. Not long ago, I thought I might never enjoy a tight space like the High Roller capsule packed with people and no masks. I was wrong. We all enjoyed it (at least those of us not afraid of heights), proving that being face-to-face with others is something tech can't replicate – or replace. Now excuse me, as I must take a COVID test. To view the original article, visit the WAV Group blog.

Optimize Your Online Listing, Step 3: Show Results to Your Clients
Last year, we shared a three-step system for optimizing your online listing. Over the past several weeks, we've published a series of articles that breaks down each step one by one. Below is Step Three. See Step One and Step Two. On with the show. Proof of your efforts to successfully market a property can help your seller understand how and when their home gets viewed. Not only can you identify the most popular dates and times the 3D virtual tours and floor plans have been seen, but you can analyze the duration of online visits to your listing information. The staging and sharing steps make your listing stand out to the consumer, but it is also important to show the seller how they benefit from the process. Questions of why their home is not selling or not being shown enough often arise during the contract period. Sellers are anxious to know "How is everything going?" and "When can we expect an offer?" When you give the seller the full scope of online activity, you can help answer some of their questions. After all, your seller is providing compensation for your professional services and, in return, you need to show them why they made the correct decision in choosing you as their real estate agent. Show value by showing your real estate analytics. Real Estate analytics: numbers don't lie Numbers provide everyone with a way to identify specific trends. When the real estate market is hot, it is reflected by the number of houses sold, the number of homes currently listed, and the all-important number, the selling price. Numbers can also give you a comprehensive understanding of space when paired with 3D virtual tours, floor plans and advanced measurements. According to the National Association of Realtors, homebuyers place a high value on the availability of these details when searching for websites for information. Similarly, home sellers are looking for numbers to confirm the popularity of their listing and the results of their real estate agent's marketing efforts. This can easily be shown with the help of comprehensive data gathered and viewed through listing analytics. Understanding the data What can real estate analytics tell you? You can gain a better understanding of where your referrals are being generated. Realtor.com is a popular referring sight for many potential buyers. You can also see if your listing is generating interest from your website or through linked resources like Google or popular social media links like Instagram and Facebook. Analyzing the information helps you modify your real estate marketing to place your online listing information in front of buyers. Good indicators of successful marketing are repeat visitors and the duration of time spent browsing your real estate photos and floor plans. All this data can be shared with your seller to demonstrate the value of virtual tours and how you are marketing their property. Improving results Analytics give you more than just data and numbers, it can help you adjust your marketing. Not getting traffic through your Facebook advertisements? Try switching social media channels until you see the numbers improve. Sharing the listing analytics with your seller is important, but it is also important to make sure you are sharing your contact information too. Analytics reports can be edited to include a banner containing your brand, your name, your phone number and your brokerage logo. Build your brand Real estate-related Google searches continue to be popular, so make sure you give your listings a reason for Google to identify them. Every online real estate listing with consistent information like floor plans, advanced measurements and 3D tours captures the attention of potential buyers. How do you know your listing is getting traffic and growing your brand awareness? Real estate analytics. It's not always enough to have great negotiating skills and plenty of experience. With more than 1.5 million members of the National Association of Realtors competing for business, you need to show the value you bring to the table. Analytics help you build your brand one seller at a time by showing the results of your marketing efforts. You can count on a happy seller referring you to their friends and family. Give more, get more Listing analytics reports can get you more leads from prospective sellers. When you share more information about your online listings like advanced measurements, floor plans and easily navigated virtual tours, your listings get more attention. Virtual 3D tours are now the norm in the industry and are expected by your seller as part of the listing package deal. Analytics provide call-to-action insights and show value to your seller. A more comprehensive understanding of your marketing efforts keeps you and your seller in the know. Think of your real estate analytics as a listing report card where you can watch your progress, see improvement and track your results. Get straight As from your seller for every listing with iGUIDE. To view the original article, visit the iGuide blog. Other articles in this series Optimize Your Online Listing, Step 1: Staging Your Listing with Virtual Tools Optimize Your Online Listing, Step 2: Sharing Your Listing to Get Attention

Creative Real Estate Blogging Ideas to Engage Your Audience and Drive Leads
Blogging is a cost-effective way for a real estate agent to reach potential customers online and build relationships with them. Blogging can help you gain credibility, create authority, and establish yourself as an expert in the field. Plus, it's easy to set up and maintain. With blogging, you can share valuable insights about the real estate industry that will help your readers make informed decisions when searching for a home or property. You can also use blogging as an opportunity to showcase your properties and services to attract more customers. In short, blogging is one of the best ways to promote your real estate business and get more leads! However, if you're starting fresh with real estate content marketing, it might seem daunting to choose real estate blog ideas for yourself. After all, you want to provide helpful, valuable information while also boosting your website's SEO. While the details will be slightly different for every real estate blog, blogging for real estate professionals can be as simple as sticking to a handful of basic subjects. Share local trends and the latest market updates Keeping up with the local real estate industry happenings and market trends is an essential part of staying competitive in the business world. Knowing what's happening in your area of influence can give you a leg up on your competition, and help you identify potential opportunities for growth. With the right resources, you can get a better understanding of the local market and stay ahead of the curve. Sharing a distilled, simplified version of local market insights or real estate market trends can help your website visitors make more informed decisions — and establish yourself as an authority on the subject. If you need a blog post idea, think beyond the basic market report and write about the housing market from your own perspective. Highlight success stories and client reviews Real estate is a competitive business, and it's important to stand out from the crowd. One way to do so is with real estate blog topics showcasing success stories and client reviews. These stories can highlight how you've helped clients achieve their goals, as well as demonstrate your expertise in the field. By sharing these stories, you can help potential clients get a better sense of what you can do for them. Client reviews also provide an opportunity to show off your services, as well as provide insight into how satisfied customers are with your work. By sharing these success stories and client reviews, you can help establish yourself as a reliable real estate professional and build trust with potential customers. Offer home buying and selling tips Buyer and seller guides are a staple of real estate websites, but with a real estate blog, you can take them a step further. Some of the best topics are those offering advice for the homebuying or selling process, and can definitely help you create a connection with your audience as a trusted resource. You might write a blog post with home selling tips about virtual staging software or setting the best asking price. Provide valuable information to homebuyers about choosing the right mortgage lender, understanding property taxes or ways to save money by finding affordable properties. Cater to a specific niche by offering guides for luxury properties or rental properties. Other helpful content ideas in this category could include highlights of local parks, local businesses, local events, local attractions or benefits of a particular neighborhood. Showing off your local expertise in real estate blog content will not only help you reach your target audience, but also helps boost your search engine rankings and generate leads. Real estate blogs are a surefire way to set yourself apart from other real estate agents and make your real estate website the go-to source of relevant and helpful information in your community. But if you feel like you're lacking a great idea, just think about the most relevant and helpful real estate topics. When you start with these basic real estate blog ideas, you'll quickly find new and exciting things to write about, whether they be housing trends, real estate investing or real life examples of successful sales. Need help with blogging? Looking to automate your marketing strategies? Look no further! Elm Street Technology offers content creation and blogging solutions to help streamline your marketing efforts. [LEARN MORE]

Top 5 Home Trends to Watch in 2023
Move over, chef's kitchens. Functional outdoor space is the new must-have for 2023 home buyers. Zillow data finds backyards are now being mentioned 22% more often in for-sale listings compared to last year, suggesting this once overlooked area will be one of the most sought-after spaces in the coming year. The evolution of the backyard tops Zillow's top five home trends to watch in 2023, based on Zillow's data and analysis. Backyards move to the forefront The humble backyard, once overshadowed by chef's kitchens and walk-in closets, is the new luxury for today's home buyers. Backyards are now highlighted in 1 out of every 5 Zillow listing descriptions. Mentions of patios and pools also surged, up by more than 13% and 11%, respectively, in 2022. "The rising popularity of outdoor features suggests the pandemic has changed the way we want to live for good, priming the backyard for a 2023 evolution," said Amanda Pendleton, Zillow's home trends expert. "When the pandemic forced all entertaining outdoors, homeowners reclaimed their backyards from the kids or the dogs. Now they're rethinking how that space could serve as an extension of their home in new, creative ways." In 2023, look for outdoor home gyms, natural pools alive with plants, edible gardens, and outdoor rooms for dining, lounging and quiet reflection. Kitchen islands get their glow up Today's ideal kitchen now includes a spacious island. This hub can seamlessly flex from breakfast bar to homework headquarters to dinner prep station, which is likely why there was a 19% increase in mentions of this multifunctional feature in listing descriptions on Zillow this year. "As we redefine the spaces in our homes, kitchen islands are being designed to accommodate dining and entertaining activities in the kitchen rather than the formal dining room," said Kerrie Kelly, creative director at Kerrie Kelly Design Studio. "In 2023, we will see a surge of larger and even double kitchen islands using unique colors and materials." Instead of islands blending in with the kitchen, expect to see them stand out in contrasting paint colors or wood stains. Different countertop materials, combination wood and stone worktops, and mixed metal fixtures and hardware will become more common. Look for homeowners to increasingly repurpose unique furniture pieces or vintage tables as islands. Mirrored walls are back A mirrored wall or ceiling might conjure up 1970s flashbacks, but this throwback feature is primed to make a 2023 comeback in a modern way. Mirrored surfaces reflect light and can make tight quarters feel more spacious. Today's mirrored wall is often antiqued and applied in a grid, adding character and an on-trend Parisian feel. Mirrored walls or ceilings are now appearing 12% more often in listing descriptions on Zillow. Privacy, please For nearly three decades, contractors have been taking down walls across America as homeowners and builders embraced open concept living. However, the pandemic exposed the fatal flaw of the open floor plan once everyone was living, working and schooling at home: the lack of privacy. A soundless space for video calls or a quiet sitting room for reading became more desirable than ever. More than a quarter of all Zillow listings now mention privacy or private spaces, a 7% increase over last year. As home buyers and homeowners seek out privacy, calm and quiet, expect the closed floor plan to make a return to style in 2023. Closed floor plans create cozy, comfortable, enclosed spaces within a home, allowing for bold color and design statements in each room. Homeowners who have open floor plans will look to compartmentalize their space through furniture layout and design to create private nooks and corners. The renovation generation The youngest homeowners will lead a new wave of the pandemic-era renovation boom. A new Zillow survey finds 48% of homeowners younger than 40 have tapped the equity in their home in the past two years, most commonly to pay for home improvement projects. However, 90% of those homeowners under 40 who took out a home equity line of credit or second mortgage, or opted for a cash-out refinance, have yet to spend all the money they borrowed, suggesting 2023 may be the year they complete all the renovation projects on their to-do list. Look for this younger generation of renovators to focus on projects that make their homes more sustainable, low-maintenance and high-tech. Investing in drought-resistant landscaping and smart-home systems are energy-efficient projects that can help save money, the environment and boost a home's value when it's time to sell.

6 Ways Agents Can Dominate on Twitter
Having a solid social media presence as a real estate professional is crucial to your overall marketing strategy, not only for boosting brand awareness, but also to establish your company as the go-to authority in your area. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) reports that nearly 47 percent of real estate businesses say that generate the best quality leads through social media compared to other platforms. And 77 percent of Realtors say that they leverage social media to connect with young buyers. Considering the popularity of social media as a source of information for both buyers and sellers, it is crucial to learn how to maximize the benefits you may reap from platforms like Twitter. Read on to learn more about connecting the dots to effectively dominate Twitter as a real estate agent. 6 Ways to Effectively Market Your Real Estate Business on Twitter As millions of users continue to use social media for marketing their businesses, it is vital for real estate agents to catch up to these marketing strategies for business brand exposure and business success. And Twitter offers just that. Here are tricks to get a business edge on Twitter: Establish Your Goals Establishing your goals can provide the clarity required to effectively market your business on Twitter, whether your objective is to attract the attention of consumers, sellers, or top recruits in your area. Promote Your Brand To attract more Twitter followers, establish your brand identity and spread the word about your brand. This means that you must be consistent in your presentation. For example, your logo, theme, and color must be consistent throughout all platforms. Then, share tweets about your brand to get exposure and user engagement and generate leads. Engage with influencers Real estate agents should interact with influencers. Connecting to those with a good following in the real estate niche is ideal. Establishing productive relationships with influencers can significantly benefit your company's success. Post Engaging Content In addition to engaging with influencers, one of the most important things you can do to keep your current audience interested and draw in new ones is to put time and effort into creating content they enjoy. The best way to increase your visibility on social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and the rest is to create high-quality content. You can achieve this by posting high-quality images, videos, infographics, and the like. Adding a few real estate-specific keywords to interesting material may also help you gain more followers. Leverage Twitter Tools Juggling your day-to-day tasks with your listing appointments and showings can be challenging. However, if you want to make the most out of your time on Twitter, you should consider getting tools that will help you keep track of mentions, reply to tweets, engage with your followers and increase efficiency. Some of these tools include: Buffer Sprout Social Monitor Your Progress Nothing is more frustrating than sending out tweets only to discover that no one has read them. Keeping tabs on the response to your tweets is an excellent approach to stay ahead of your performance. Also, you can use Twitter's analytics tool to track your account activity. Conclusion Keep in mind that these are only some of the suggestions that could help you attract new followers and maintain the interest of your current audience. In the end, what matters is providing your users with a comprehensive overview of your services and to offering amazing content that will keep them engaged and help you in enhancing your online presence. To view the original article, visit the Realtyna blog.

5 Roadblocks Getting in the Way of Your Real Estate Success
Here are the top five roadblocks you need to address to stay ahead of the competition, position yourself for growth, and put the right systems in place to seize every opportunity. Real Estate Success Roadblock #1: Time Time is money (louder for the folks in the back). Time is money! But so many folks are not focusing on their most dollar-productive activity. They're swamped in admin work, or chasing cold leads with a manual approach. If you want big things, you need to focus on the right things. This means getting support to help you prioritize. It could be hiring an assistant, or ISA (or buyers agent, transaction coordinator—whatever will help you focus where you're using your skillset to the fullest). Or it could mean outsourcing tasks and avoiding the overhead with a third-party service of experts at your back. Whatever the case in your own business, take stock of the time vampires, and where you excel, so you're not stretched too thin and stuck in the overwhelm to see real gains. Real Estate Success Roadblock #2 Not Diversifying your Lead Sources and Working your Database Too many business plans look just like the year before, and that doesn't set you up for exponential growth and success. If you're just checking boxes and doing the same thing every year, it's time to shake it up. Competition will be brutal this spring, so you have to have the lead gen edge. This means improving and diversifying your current lead sources, and really maximizing your efforts for your existing database. It means having the tools, to engage, re-engage, and re-engage some more. Think about which lead sources are bringing in the ROI, and which ones need to be rethought. (And are you leveraging the right technology to track each source properly?) You need tools in your marketing arsenal to engage and re-engage (and re-engage) your existing database, and market to new clients in an engaging and personalized way. Automated email, texting, social media marketing, custom landing pages to promote exciting things like new listings, featured properties, a new homebuyer seminar—you name it! Real Estate Success Roadblock #3: Not Tracking Actions and Measuring Results We feel like a broken record talking about tracking everything, but it's just because we know it works and it's the proven way to optimize your marketing, your business, and your growth. But so many agents fail to do this because they're too busy, and don't have the right system to make it easy. (Like…automatic easy.) When you're tracking everything (website visits, email open rates, website traffic sources), you get a clear picture of what marketing efforts are bringing the ROI, what leads are ready for action, and what is converting. This is critical information to help you focus on what matters and what will ultimately drive your growth. As Tom Ferry says, "Marketing is math and there's a direct correlation from the numbers in my savings account to the numbers in my marketing." So make it easy on yourself. Get the tech system in place to track every single click, view, open and action. Real Estate Success Roadblock #4: Not Enough Accountability The most successful businesses are built on systems. This means they are run with the structure of the right software, and repeatable systems for success built around it. It's a process, it's a culture, it's a direct line to success. Every year, you should take an audit of your software and services and make sure you're leveraging them to improve your service offering. Investing in this means you can step back from the whirlwind. It means your direct involvement in every fire drill is unnecessary, and the fire drills are few and far between. It also means that your team understands the expectations and they "why." They know that when A happens, the next step is B, and then we move to C. Find a tech partner that gets this. You don't want a platform that doesn't have a system. That means it's a complete package and a real partner with training on the best practices, dedicated advisors to help you improve and optimize, and coaches who have been there and succeeded, and now they're here to share and help you succeed too. Real Estate Success Roadblock #5: Doing it All Penny wise, pound foolish. The cost vs. the growth mindset. However you'd like to phrase it, many agents are operating under the misconception that technology, good marketing, and outsourced services are a cost, rather than an investment. They're not running their business with a business mindset, and it will cost them their growth and success. By nature, real estate professionals are go-getters and entrepreneurs, but one person trying to "do it all" will ultimately not empower the business to succeed. You have to have the leadership and growth mentality to put the right technology and tools in place to handle your email marketing and automation, your digital marketing and social media marketing. You need the tools to track performance, test new campaigns, and drive traffic back to your site. Every lead needs to be followed up with and nurtured. And the list goes on. This is a list that should be divided between experts and savvy tech. When the right ones are in place, the results are astounding. To view the original article, visit the BoomTown blog.

What's the Quickest, Most Effective Way to Earn Consumers' Trust?
Buying or selling a home is a major transaction and moment for consumers. Time and again, we've heard from consumers that when they're deciding on an agent, it's really a determination of who they trust. That's why having good online reviews is so important. There is no shortage of sites that accept consumer reviews. Google, Facebook, and Yelp are some of the most popular in the real estate industry. And you likely have a few static testimonials posted on your agent website, too. Why Google? When a prospect wants to read your reviews, they almost always start by searching for your name. Most likely, they're using Google. It's the go-to search engine for an overwhelming majority of Americans. And since so many of them trust Google for search, naturally, they trust Google for reviews, as well. Why? Without getting too deep into the weeds, many consumers are skeptical of whether third-party websites, built specifically around reviews, are truly unbiased. Many of them are, after all, businesses, meaning they could be incentivized to alter reviews. If you poke around online, you'll find many accusations about review manipulation on these sites. Google, on the other hand, has no such doubt, as their business model is built upon bringing accurate data to consumers. Where does Google display your reviews? Short answer: The Google business profile. The Google profile appears prominently to the right of search results, and is filled with business-related content like contact information, your latest listings and deals, a brief bio and, most importantly, consumer reviews. Here is how it looks on Google Search: It also appears on Google Maps. Maintaining a Google business profile with recent reviews needs to be part of every agent's marketing strategy. This profile isn't something consumers just scroll past. It's a search result, and they're used to exploring its content. Just think about the last time you searched online for a restaurant or business. You probably looked at the Google business profile to see the hours of operation, read the reviews and scroll through the photos. It's an easy way to see all the business information you need without clicking into a website that might turn out to be a dead end. How to get reviews on your Google business profile If you don't already have a Google business profile, the first step is to claim your business on Google. Then fill out as many fields in your profile as possible and upload photos, like a headshot, happy clients, and your recent listings and deals. This content will show prospects that you're an active, successful agent and help them understand what differentiates you. When you're ready to generate reviews, do it strategically. Don't ask your entire sphere all at once. The worst thing you can do for your profile—whether it's new or not—is to have a slew of reviews given around the same date and then no new reviews for months. Generating new reviews regularly, ideally every 30 days, is important for maintaining and increasing your search ranking. So spread out your initial requests, and then solicit new reviews at least once a month. Yes, it's okay for you to solicit reviews. Unlike review sites like Yelp, Google encourages it. Why? Google wants its platform to provide as much value as possible to consumers so they continue using Google over its competitors. Social proof in the form of firsthand reviews is a big value-add—82% of consumers read online reviews—plus it builds trust in the source. How reviews impact your ranking in Google search Whose Google business profile will appear when a consumer searches for "real estate agents near me"? Google isn't transparent about how its search algorithm decides to show one Google business profile over another. Experts believe that the quantity of native Google reviews (with text, not just star ratings) is one of the top factors that influences ranking. Homesnap's own data scientists reviewed the thousands of Google business profiles that we professionally manage for agents and found that those with just one review are likely to see a 71% increase in profile views and a 122% lift in actions, like calls and clicks. These results suggest that a higher quantity of reviews do, in fact, influence ranking. When our team looked at how star ratings affect profile performance, they found that positive reviews boost its ranking even more. Homesnap's data reveal that agents with an average review rating of 4 or better on Google will appear in 350% more Google searches than those with an average review rating of 0-3. Even if you're early in your career as a real estate agent, you can still generate a high number of positive reviews. Google doesn't care who leaves you a review, just as long as it's a real person. So you can feel free to ask anyone you've worked with in the past, as well as those who can give you a character reference. To view the original article, visit the Homesnap blog.

The Home Improvement Projects Spring Sellers Should Tackle Now (and What to Skip)
Sellers gearing up for the spring home shopping season need to roll up their sleeves now and spruce up their homes if they want to attract a shrinking pool of buyers. Investing in improvements, maintenance and repairs could pay off when it's time to sell. New research commissioned by Zillow and conducted by The Harris Poll finds a majority of recent sellers (65%) take on at least two home improvement projects to prepare their home for sale, while Thumbtack data finds they can invest about $5,400 on average when hiring a professional to complete the most common projects. The average cost of the three most common home improvement projects recent sellers complete to prepare their home for sale, according to Zillow and Thumbtack. The survey finds that sellers who sold their home within the past two years most commonly completed interior painting (40% did this), carpet cleaning (35%) and landscaping (33%) before listing their home for sale. Data from Thumbtack shows the average cost of those projects adds up to $5,388, but can average as much as $8,249 in metro areas like Seattle-Tacoma and as little as $4,102 in metro areas like Miami–Fort Lauderdale. In addition to location, costs for these home improvements can vary based on the size and scope of the project. For instance, smaller landscaping projects, such as flower planting, lawn upkeep and shrub trimming, can cost several hundred dollars, while larger projects involving tree planting and sprinkler installation can cost thousands. "These projects can instantly boost a home's online curb appeal," said Amanda Pendleton, Zillow's home trends expert. "An inviting outdoor space, clean floors and a fresh coat of paint — particularly in the right color — can deliver a powerful signal to potential buyers that a home is well-maintained and contemporary. While sellers may be reluctant to shell out for these projects up front, those improvements can ultimately pay off, either by helping a home sell faster or for more money." Nearly 3 in 4 recent sellers (74%) believe the improvement projects they completed to prepare their home for sale helped their home sell. The top projects that recent sellers say helped sell their homes were interior painting (27%) and landscaping (21%). "A well-maintained home is one of the best ways for homeowners to attract buyers," said David Steckel, home expert at Thumbtack. "Thumbtack research finds a well-maintained home can sell for about 10% more than a similar home in average condition. Buyers are making life's biggest investment, and they want the peace of mind that they're investing in a home that was well cared for." When considering which projects to skip, only 11% of recent sellers thought appliance repair or replacement, and roof repair, maintenance or cleaning helped sell their home. Meanwhile, fewer than 1 in 5 of recent sellers (17%) believe completing a kitchen renovation to prepare their home for sale helped sell it. While costs vary depending on the work done and materials chosen, this project can average $10,355. Neglecting needed repairs and minor cosmetic updates can lead to seller regret, particularly in today's shifting market. The Zillow survey found that 30% of recent sellers think more home improvements or repairs would have helped them get a higher sale price. Separate Zillow research finds that about 2 in 3 real estate agents believe today's sellers are mistaken if they think they don't need to make home improvements before selling. Late April is traditionally the best time to list a home for sale, which means now is the time to get a jump on any repairs or improvements. Previous Zillow research found that the top seller's regret is that they didn't start the process of preparing their home for sale sooner. And one-quarter of sellers who made at least one home improvement before listing their home for sale say it took longer than expected. Today's housing market is far different than the frenzied pandemic era of bidding wars and record-fast sales. A recent Zillow analysis finds that homes are now lingering on the market for a median of 54 days, 45% longer than last year. However, the listings that are finding buyers are doing so in 18 days nationwide, suggesting the most appealing homes are still moving very quickly. A trusted local real estate agent can help sellers decide which projects are worth the investment based on the market in their neighborhood, and Thumbtack can help homeowners find a local professional to get the job done.

How to Network Successfully to Grow Your Real Estate Business
Successful networking is about developing strong interpersonal skills, increasing your brand awareness and discovering hidden possibilities others have to offer. It can help you build your sphere of influence and create valuable connections for you to tap into. We all know well-developed, in-person relationships keep on giving in more ways than one. Successful networking is a combination of confidence and preparation. Knowing how to network is a key skill in today's business world. Let's bring your networking skills to the next level! Here are five must-have's for killer networking to grow your real estate business: 1. Have an open and confident body language for the memorable first impression. You have about seven seconds to make a first impression. You want to come across as a confident business professional — a mover and shaker. Confident body language can help you accomplish just that. Open torso with uncrossed arms Head and chest up Shoulders pulled back Expand your body to take up space Mirroring other's body language Smile at people walking by Always offer to shake hands – this leads us nicely to the next networking technique. 2. Have a firm and welcoming handshake. A handshake is an act of confidence and respect when meeting another professional – approach it as such. Make it firm, warm and authoritative. I think the handshake is a secret strategic weapon. 3. Have intriguing conversation openers at the ready. Don't start your line of questioning with "What do you do?" It's tired and old. You want to be memorable. Here are a few suggestions for killer conversation starters: What is your favorite blog or podcast? What are you passionate about? What are your hobbies? 4. Have your mindset set to the giver mentality. Think how you can help other people, not how they can help you. The giver mentality results in authenticity and confidence. When we are in the taker mentality, we are in the scarcity mode and come across as needy. When we are in the giver mentality, we are in the abundance mode and we are at ease and a magnet for people. Being a giver helps you make meaningful business and personal connections. 5. Have a well-developed elevator pitch. Prepare your elevator pitch beforehand. Tailor it to the networking even you're attending. Stick to one to three sentences describing what you're all about – make it interesting by injecting a few interesting personal tidbits that can lead to a more in-depth discussion. An elevator speech is the easiest way to share who you are, what you do, and why you want to get to know another person in a quick efficient manner. When combined with a positive first impression and a confident handshake, this can lead to building valuable connections. Practice displaying a confident body language. Practice making a positive first impression. Practice your handshake. Practice and play around with your conversation starters. Practice tailoring your elevator speech to various audiences. Practice makes it more natural and second nature. To your networking success! To view the original article, visit the Zurple blog.

3 Ways to Make Every Listing Count
Over the last couple of years, homes for sale flew off the proverbial shelves. However, the market has shifted, and sellers are finding that's no longer the case. As Redfin recently reported, "new listings are down by double-digits." One big reason is that homes are taking longer to sell. In December, the average home was on the market for 40 days — more than double the record low of 18 days last May and only about one-in-four homes went under contract within two weeks. Listings are tough to win, perhaps today more than in a long time. Inventory is restricted because so many homeowners' mortgage interest rates are incredibly low. They aren't interested in moving because today's mortgage rates are typically more than double their current rate. Agents have more competition than ever. For example, today, there are more Realtors in the US — nearly 1.6 million — than ever, yet we have an estimated 1.2 million homes listed for sale. Talk about competition! Making every listing count Real estate sales pros need to optimize every listing they can secure. That means getting their sellers the maximum sales price. When the seller wins by getting more for their home, the listing agent wins, too. Here are three ways you can make every listing count: 1. Presale renovation conversation: One crucial strategy that you can use to help your listings secure the highest price — and sell faster once listed — is making sure every home is market-ready. Selling a home in today's market "as-is" is rarely the best strategy. Most homes can use at least a little bit of love. And many can benefit even more from significant improvements. This is where agents can help their sellers tap into a company like Revive. Revive offers a property advisor to help your seller determine their best path forward. Does your seller just need minor renovations, bringing a fully functional, spotless, and well-presented home to the market for a fast sale? Or would your seller benefit more from major renovations (perhaps a new kitchen and fresh upgrades throughout)? Revive fronts the cost, so sellers can make the smartest decision for their situation without the stress of finding the cash. Major renovations can be expensive, but with a presale renovation firm at the helm, the expense and the risk are no longer insurmountable hurdles. The presale renovation conversation is something every agent needs to have with every seller. Because making every listing count means ensuring your seller is not leaving money on the table. Revive's research has found sellers often leave as much as 20 percent of their potential profit on the table simply because they do not know about this new option. Agents can learn more about how presale renovations work at Revive's website (revive.realestate), which shows dozens of examples — and all the details — of presale renovations that put tens of thousands of more dollars into sellers' bank accounts. No other presale renovation firm has helped homeowners generate more significant wealth when selling a home than Revive. Make sure you build your presale renovation conversation into every listing presentation. 2. Understanding buyers to help your sellers: Forty-three percent of all home buyers today are millennials. That's the highest share of any generation, and it is growing, according to research by the National Association of Realtors. Boomers comprise 29 percent of buyers, and Gen Xers comprise 22 percent. Conversely, Noomers are the biggest group of home sellers: 43 percent of all sellers are Boomers, far greater than any other generation. Millennials sell the second greatest number of homes (26 percent), closely followed by Gen Xers (24 percent). You can help your sellers by making sure they understand what today's buyers want. Millennials and Gen Xers have different wants, needs, interests, and priorities than Boomers. NAR's Research Group recently published an excellent study, "2022 Home Buyer and Sellers Generational Trends Report," worth carefully reviewing. Other research also is available to help you understand the buying habits of a different generation. For example, a study by TD Bank reveals that nearly 80 percent of millennials want move-in ready homes. NAR research also discovered that 70 percent of millennial home buyers would instead buy a smaller home that was ready to move in – giving up more space – than a larger home being sold "as is." By understanding these differences, agents can help their sellers ensure their listings match what buyers in today's market want. 3. The value of staging: Properly staging a home can be a highly effective way to make every listing count. This should include securing the talents of a professional stager (unless you have this certification or proven experience). Professionally arranging and decorating a property to make it more appealing to potential buyers has numerous benefits. Well-staged homes make a great first impression, and you only get one chance to do that. Staging also can help put a spotlight on the home's best features. In addition, when professionally staged, a property can make it easier for buyers to envision themselves living there. More importantly, research supports the value of home staging. For example, studies from NAR and the Real Estate Staging Association found that staged homes sell between 5 percent and 23 percent over their listing price. In addition, home staging provides between an 8 percent and 10 percent return on investment. And staged homes spend 73 percent less time on the market than non-staged homes. Your competitors also believe in staging, as 96 percent of Realtors believe home staging influences a buyer's decision. Change with the market The real estate market has changed, which means how to win a listing should also change. Adding a presale renovation discussion to your listing presentation, understanding better what today's buyers want and educating your sellers about those differences, and taking advantage of the benefits of professional staging can help you make every listing count. Use these tactics to win more listings and increase your GCI. Michael Alladawi, CEO and Founder of Revive, is a Southern California real estate veteran with a proven track record as a builder, investor, and respected home flipper. Michael created Revive to share his spectrum of knowledge and help homeowners maximize their profits when selling their homes.

How to Create High-converting Landing Pages
If you could increase your return on investment (ROI) in your real estate business today, what marketing strategy would you use? Our best guess is to use landing pages. A landing page has a high chance of converting visitors into leads or potential clients. It gets even better when your website attracts massive traffic. While many people often confuse landing pages for home pages, landing pages are much more specific and have a single goal that is often highly targeted. Therefore, a high-converting landing page is one that automatically compels visitors to click the CTA (call to action) button, resulting in leads. Below are a few tips on creating a high-converting landing page for your real estate website. Target Audience For your landing page to be high-converting, you need to target your audience. Always start with the end goal in mind. Landing pages aren't meant for a general audience, but serve as a final destination for your internet users who click on your ads. Ensure that your landing page caters to the needs and questions of your audience, making them more likely to contact you for your services. Write a Compelling Headline Your landing page headline should captivate the visitor's attention. Headlines are the first thing visitors see when they get on your landing page. So the headline should clearly state your ad's value. If your landing page ticks this box, your chances of converting a visitor to a lead will increase. Keep It Concise and Simple A lot of users quickly get bored reading through chunky content. Ensure that your landing page content is concise and simple to avoid confusing the visitor with long paragraphs of endless information. It will be more difficult to seal a deal with a lead that needs clarification about your offer. So get to the point with information about the value of your product or service. Lean on Social Proof Although it may seem straightforward to exchange contact information for helpful content, as there is no financial cost to your audience, individuals are understandably guarded about their email and personal information. Trust is a crucial component of a successful landing page, just like in every real estate marketing effort. Therefore, Realtors should include reviews and other forms of social proof, such as certifications, awards or even earned badges, to show potential clients that their business is legit and trustworthy. Use Images and Video Efficiency is essential for landing pages. For example, a striking image or video can often be more effective than short headlines. So real estate professionals should use high-quality images to draw visitors' attention and show them how much value your brand offers. Additionally, the quality of your images or videos clearly reflects your brand, what it has to offer, and its value to others. That's why it's important that the media quality adds value to your brand's image rather than taking from it. Like every other component in your real estate marketing engine, landing pages need a complex web of interlocking methods to work in harmony to bring in new clients and listings. So as you narrow down on your target group and branch out to new targets, don't hesitate to explore fresh communication techniques and new approaches. To view the original article, visit the Realtyna blog. Further Reading 3 Keys to Creating Effective Real Estate Landing Pages Landing Pages: Your Secret Lead Conversion Weapon Landing Pages for Real Estate Seller Lead Generation