Top 10 Most Popular Articles from January

Welcome to the new year! It's hard to believe that the first month of 2019 is already over. Before we transition fully into February, let's take a look back at what agents and brokers were reading on RE Technology during the month of January.

January is resolution season, so it's no surprise that articles about achieving success in the year ahead played well (see articles #2 and #5). Want to improve your language skills in 2019? Check out article #9 for an easy, year-long way to boost your Spanish language real estate vocabulary. If it's your writing skills that you want to polish, article #3 can help you write better listing descriptions.

Finally, if it's getting more organized that you desire, check out the list of free spreadsheets in article #1. For new closing gift ideas for the year ahead, see #4. To see what else piqued the interest of your real estate peers, check out the full list below.

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1. 7 Google Sheet Templates for Real Estate Businesses
It's crucial to have a base plan for your business. But if you're not the savviest when it comes to spreadsheet sorcery, Google Sheets has you covered. They have a library of pre-made templates to help make organizing your business (and your workouts, finances...life!) much much easier. Let's dive in to a few of of favorite templates for real estate businesses.

2. 8 Characteristics of a Successful Real Estate Agent
Whether you are just starting out as a Realtor or have years in the books, there is always room for growth. Steps in the right direction for becoming the best of the best include looking at the type of skills you possess, and the ones you need to work on. Check out our top eight characteristics to begin building upon to become a successful real estate agent.

3. Writing Listing Descriptions that Sell
When buyers are searching for properties online, photos and property descriptions are vital to gaining exposure and showings. The same is true when agents are searching for properties to show their clients. But should the descriptions for both audiences be the same?

4. Thoughtful Closing Gifts to Give Your Clients in 2019
Many agents choose to mark a closed sale by presenting their clients with a closing gift – something that will leave a lasting impression and help them settle into their new home. If you want to join in the closing gift tradition but aren't sure where to start, these closing gift ideas for 2019 are for you.

5. Anatomy of a Successful Real Estate Agent
Oversaturated markets give consumers an abundance of options, but make it difficult for brands and vendors to stand out. With so many choices in a competitive playing field, real estate agents really have to differentiate themselves to stand out from the crowd – and become a powerful player in the market for the long-term. Here are the seven essential ingredients that lead to success in real estate.

6. Facebook Business Pages: 4 Hidden Features to Boost Visibility
Want to maximize your presence on social media? A Facebook Business Page is a great starting point--so long as you're venturing past the default settings. Whether you recently set up shop or your page has been up for a while, fine-tuning your page with the following tools is a must. Learn how to customize your layout, communicate with customers, compete for business, and analyze trends.

7. Agents: Here's How to Justify Your Pay So Tech Doesn't Eat Your Lunch
"All agents do is push paperwork while I find the listings and then collect their 3 percent." Sound familiar? You're not alone. Real estate agents are facing more challenges now than ever. Consumers are driving their home search with freely accessible listings, technology companies are trying to use artificial intelligence to automate away the agent, and MLSs and incumbents are stuck offering antiquated tools. Here's what agents can do.

8. Safe Selling: 4 Times You Should ALWAYS Have a Showing Buddy
Agents are frequently told to "Just take someone with you," to stay safe, but few do. While the agent buddy system is effective for staying safe, it's not always practical. So even though agents with solid safety skills can usually go without accompaniment, there are still times when you should ALWAYS pair up with a colleague. Watch this video to learn the 4 scenarios when a showing buddy is CRITICAL for safety.

9. The 1-Year Challenge: Learn 52 Spanish Real Estate Terms in 52 Weeks
Did you know that Spanish is the second most widely spoken language in nearly every U.S. state? But even though translation apps have come far in recent years (more on that later), it's still difficult to accurately translate the specialized jargon of real estate into Spanish. So to help you better serve your Spanish-speaking clients and leads, we've compiled this list of 52 of the most-used real estate terms and their Spanish translations.

10. The Big Secret to Effective Facebook Advertising
We really can't overstate the importance of Facebook ad targeting. Ineffective targeting is the top way real estate agents waste money on Facebook ads. The frustrating thing is that Facebook doesn't make it easy for you. There are a lot of different ways to target, and of you're setting up an ad for the first time, it can feel tricky and intimidating. Here's how agents can avoid the most common mistake in Facebook advertising.