Top 10 Most Popular Articles of February

Putting yourself on the map—literally—was on the minds of agents and brokers in February, according to our top 10 most read articles of the month. In our second most read article of the February, we learned the dangers of "geotagging" yourself in online posts.

Our #1 article was also map related—Google Maps, that is, and the features you may not know about.

You may not know that you can use Instagram without posting photos, too, so head to article #5 to learn how. Want to discover new promotion ideas you may not be using? Check out article #3!

The rest of this month's top articles cover ground like the worth of open houses (#8), accessories that enhance your smartphone (#6), social media fails (#7), and beyond.

Want to see what else was popular reading amongst your peers in February? Check out our list below!

1. 5 Things You Didn't Know Google Maps Could Do
Google Maps does much more than get you from point A to point B. Maps actually has a whole list of functions – some more useful than others. Here are some cool ways Google Maps can help your real estate business run more efficiently.

2. Geotagging: How It Can Put You at Risk, and 4 Ways to Stay Safe
While geotagging can be fun and convenient, it's important to be aware of how geotagging works--and its potentially unpleasant side. Because although we may like the benefits and convenience of geotagging, there are also dangers that come with it.

3. 14 Real Estate Promotion Ideas You Might Not Be Using
Real estate agents need to be social media and internet savvy as well as personable. Buyers and sellers are spending more time online, which means real estate agents need to mix tactics to reach new prospects. Here are 14 new and old-school real estate marketing ideas and tactics you can use to make yourself known and therefore get more leads.

4. Why Your Referral Business Has Dried Up
One of the best sources for new business is by way of client referrals. If your referral business has dried up, it's time to refuel it and diagnose the real reason why it stopped flowing in the first place.

5. How to Secretly Use Instagram as Your Photo Editor (without Posting)
From Photoshop to Lightroom to free programs like GIMP, there are a ton of photo editing tools for real estate agents to choose from. But despite all of those options, have you ever wanted to just, well... run that listing photo through Instagram instead? Here's how you can do that without posting.

6. 8 Accessories that Give Your Smartphone Superpowers
Want to soup up your mobile phone? Rather than relying on apps for that (as we so often do), let's head down the road less traveled instead. Today, we're exploring the world of physical accessories that work with--and enhance--your smartphone.

7. Social Media Fails All Real Estate Agents Make (and How to Avoid Them)
There are benefits to using social media. But, like with everything, there are rules to the social media game and sadly, a lot of real estate agents are still finding their way around these rules. Here are some common social media fails made by real estate agents and you can avoid them.

8. Are Your Open Houses Just Seller-Pleasing Tools?
Do you get new business from your open houses? Statistics show time and again that only a tiny percentage of homes sell because of an open house, so what are we trying to accomplish other than to make our sellers feel good?

9. Top Apps for Real Estate Agents in 2018
There are innumerable contact management, CRM tools and apps available. But you need to be sure they actually help and don't simply add more work for you. Take advantage of this list of contact management software and customer relationship management tools we've gathered from top agents to help you accomplish things more quickly and efficiently.

10. 3 Easy Steps to an Email Marketing Strategy that Converts More Leads
Did you know that using the word "video" in an email subject line can boost open rates by 19 percent? That's one handy tip from a free, new guide to email marketing for real estate. You'll learn about the visual assets you'll need for marketing your listings, how to choose the right apps for the job, and tips on strategy. It's a lot of ground to cover, so we're highlighting the basics here (and adding a few tips of our own).