5 Tips for Your First Year as a Real Estate Agent
Whether you're already in your first year as a real estate agent or thinking about a career change, you've probably had an image of agent life in your head. Whatever notions you might have about life as a real estate agent, it's important to manage those expectations and build a solid foundation for your business. Here are five things to do in your first year to make sure you're building toward a successful career:

How to Join Online Meetings and Webinars
There are many benefits to attending webinars and meetings online. They allow people located far distances from each other to connect and share ideas. They conveniently allow us stay in our own offices and desks during the work day. They don't require expensive software or technology to use. They allow for more attendees than traditional meetings and training sessions. Online meetings and webinars are great, but if you haven't attended one before, they may be a little confusing. If you've been invited to an online meeting using GoToMeeting, here's a great resource explaining how to join your meeting. Attending a webinar? In this post, we'll explain four things you should know!

Summer School: 3 Online Training Opportunities for Real Estate Agents
The kids may be out of school, but class is still in session for agents who want to gain new skills this summer. Just this week, we learned of three new educational opportunities in areas like listing photography and social media. All options are offered online, too, which means that you can work through them at your own pace while powering through the busy season. Here's a quick rundown of each: #GetSocialSmart Academy For years, Katie Lance has been real estate's go-to guru on all things social media. It's likely you've heard her share her knowledge on stage at real estate conferences, or read her name in any number of industry publications. On Tuesday, Lance launched her latest knowledge sharing venture, the #GetSocialSmart Academy. It's a web-based "learning portal" featuring social media training videos, downloadable materials, and live webinars. The content is based on Lance's 6-week coaching program, and covers topics like content strategy, blogging, Facebook advertising, Instagram, Pinterest, video marketing, livestreaming, LinkedIn, Twitter, and beyond. Until June 30, Academy membership is available at a deeply discounted "early bird" rate. Check out GetSocialSmart.com to learn more. Looking for similar training opportunities? Check out The Paperless Agent and/or their Real Estate Digital Marketer (REDM) certification course.

How Technology Training Revolutionized One Realtor's Business
It was a fluke that led John Diaz to the training program that changed the direction of his real estate career. In August of 2013, he had been in real estate for over a decade, and a broker since 2005. Diaz already knew that leveraging technology was important for success in real estate, but he struggled with how to implement it. He planned to get an iPad, but hadn't yet. He had also tried Evernote, but "could never put my arm around how to use it for my business." That all changed when he travelled from California to Chicago for a conference hosted by his franchise. There, he hoped to learn how to better use technology in his business, but was largely disappointed—with the exception of one fleeting moment. "What I had flown to Chicago for I didn't really find," said Diaz. "But what's interesting is that the speaker I went to listen to briefly mentioned The Paperless Agent. He's actually the one who pointed me in their direction." The Paperless Agent is a training program owned and operated by the leaders of GoodLife Realty. GoodLife is an independent brokerage in Austin, Texas that's well known for driving sales through their innovative use of technology. Through The Paperless Agent, they share the technology systems and best practices they successfully use at GoodLife Realty with other real estate agents and brokers. On his flight home, Diaz took advantage of the onboard wi-fi to work through the first training session of The Paperless Agent. He was so impressed with what he saw, that he immediately went out and bought his first iPad and started implementing what he had learned.

6 Online Resources for Real Estate Education
Looking to complete CE credits? Find software user tips? How about discovering new sales techniques to leverage? Whatever your particular situation, you can satisfy just about any educational need online. The big question is--where to start? A search for "real estate education online" turns up 358,000,000 results on Google. The problem isn't a dearth of information, but an abundance of it. To help you cut through the noise, we've created this quick guide to our favorite online educational resources for real estate. Check it out to find six great places to start your learning journey. Through your Broker, MLS or Association We'll start with the most obvious. Checking the educational offerings of your brokerage, MLS, or association should always be the first thing you do. They often offer training in conjunction with their technology partners on tech solutions used within the organization or offered as a member benefit. Your MLS or association should be your go-to source to find continuing education opportunities. Start by checking their website for more information. If your organization's website is a little thin, don't hesitate to call or email them directly. And don't forget to check out NAR. Their REALTOR® Education page offers a wealth of information and links to learning resources: http://www.realtor.org/education

5 Ways to Grow Your Business with Designations
Real estate agents are busy people, right? Between prospecting for business and working with clients, who has time to earn real estate designations? It's true that only a small percentage of agents have completed the requirements for one of the official designations or certifications awarded by the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR). But don't assume they have plenty of time on their hands. Rather, designated agents represent the upper echelons in their field, go-getters who consistently outperform other agents. Here's what they gain from their designations: 1. Fresh ideas. Every agent can benefit from learning new and better ways to do things. NAR's designation courses are packed with regularly-updated information on the best ways to work with buyers and sellers—and deal with other agents. If taken in a classroom setting, designation courses also provide a great opportunity to hear fresh ideas from some of the best instructors in the industry, as well as other attendees. 2. Time savers. Designations are about much more than training and education. They also provide members-only access to many time-saving tools that simplify your work with buyers and sellers, including professional marketing materials, consumer education tools and other benefits. 3. Competitive edge. In a crowded market, designation training helps agents bring more skills to the table and tout their credentials online. It's tangible evidence that you've set the bar higher and could easily be a key difference-maker when consumers compare your credentials to a competitor's.

Do’s and Dont’s for Thriving in the Electronic Information Age
Being a top agent means more than listing and selling more homes. Today's agent must be tech-savvy and prove to potential clients that they can leverage leading edge tools. Real estate technology is moving at such a blistering pace, most agents will eventually fall behind if they don't have a strong electronic marketing campaign. Here are a few "do's" and "dont's" to help get you started. Don't Use the "Buckshot" Approach It's not enough to simply haphazardly toss your listings online – a buckshot approach that lacks precision. Intention and strategy are essential. This means two key things: Carefully fine-tuning your listings, making sure they are optimally crafted for the online environment; Making sure they're seen in the right places (as well as keeping them from ending up in the wrong places). Electronic real estate marketing is becoming more competitive every day, and your listings have to stand out from the crowd. Do Rely on the Experts There are so many avenues and options, finding a combination that continues to work, and implementing all the necessary tools for every listing, is a full time job. Don't hesitate to take advantage of the many people who specialize in this area. After all, we live and breathe online marketing–so you can allow us to do our jobs, enabling you to focus on your job (helping people buy and sell houses).

Learn how to be a Paperless Agent™ with the GoodLife Team and RE Technology!
"I've begun to wonder how many agents who own iPads actually know how to use it in their business. I've speculated that the majority of these agents do not. Anyone can buy an app from the app store – that's a piece of cake – but what they're missing is the knowledge of what to do with the application once it's been downloaded." -- Krisstina Wise, Why You Must Be A Paperless Agent RE Technology is proud to present a free webinar with Krisstina and Garry Wise of the GoodLife Team next Wednesday, January 23. Whether you're an iPad expert or a rookie, you'll learn how to use your tablet for everything from home tours, listings presentations, transaction management, and more! See the video below to learn more about becoming a Paperless Agent™, then register for the webinar.

IMSD’s Makeover: Quality and Quantity
The real estate training powerhouse – IMSD – is rolling out some big changes this week. Focusing on both quality and quantity, the "Geeky 2.0" release will mark the first major makeover of the popular system. We chatted with IMSD's leadership team to learn more about what real estate agents can expect. Meet IMSD IMSD (which stands for "Internet Marketing Specialist Designation") has become a household name for many real estate professionals. However, before we look forward to their new launch, it may be helpful to look back and clarify who they are and what they do. IMSD was founded in 2010 through a partnership between top real estate broker Ben Kinney and Market Leader, Inc. Kinney's own early struggles and subsequent successes with online marketing gave birth to a proven system, now in use by thousands of real estate agents nationwide. What is great about Ben Kinney is that he practices what he preaches. His team closed over 500 transactions in 2011 and ranks 18th among all brokers in America for transaction sides (according to REAL Trends and the Wall Street Journal). The training provided through IMSD focuses on online marketing for lead generation and lead conversion. The curriculum is completed through a series of live and online classes that include homework assignments to help drive the lessons home.

Sales Skills: Some Kids Are Just Born With It
So you call yourself a sales person?  Sales takes skills and certain type of person.  The question is: is it nature or nurture? In the case of this young rockstar the verdict is nature! 

5 Easy Ways to Integrate Video into Your Marketing Efforts
Guest Contributor Veneeta Eason says: Real estate professionals know that success is, in part, driven by how well they can create a connection. One way to do that is to integrate video into your marketing campaign. With today’s technology, it is easier than ever to capture great video. What previously required a studio, a green screen and professional media equipment can now be done with a handheld video camera and a computer. More importantly, video has the ability to increase your business, build better relationships and amplify your credibility.  Here are five easy ways to integrate video into your marketing efforts:

8 Tips for Holding a Successful Open House
With spring just around the corner, the season for open houses will soon be upon us. As we at HomeFinder.com know, open houses give sellers an opportunity showcase their home in a casual way to serious home buyers and generate interest in their property.   A successful open house, however, requires a bit more than just being sure that the home is clean. The ultimate objective is for potential buyers to be comfortable in the space, with a sense of being able to envision themselves living there.  We have compiled a list of some simple adjustments you can make in preparation for your open house to create a warm and inviting atmosphere.  

Part 2: Building Relationships, Not Barriers
When it comes to technology and the real estate agent, I believe agent want to use technology to its fullest extent to serve customers better and in the most cost-efficient way. But they have been overrun by technology. Some real estate agents are are searching for a technique, tool, software or system that will eliminate the task of prospecting, when in fact it will only eliminate prospects. It’s time to get back in touch with some real, fundamental principles about the reality of prospecting. Tip #2: Build relationships, not barriers! This is still a people business, so the ultimate goal of prospecting is to secure a face-to-face meeting. Too many agents use the wrong contact methods at the wrong time and the misuse of technology has hurt the business as much as the proper use of it has helped. Technology can build a barrier between the agent and the client. Are you properly handling your technology?

Sell More, with Less Words
It's true. The best advice I ever got as a salesperson was to shut up. Too often we tend to think a moment of silence is only for funerals or church, but one of the keys to making more sales is to quickly make your point, ask for the sale, and then be quiet. Nine times out of ten, the first person to speak owns what you are selling. If it's you, then you are still stuck with what you wanted to sell, and that's not who you wanted to buy what you are selling, is it?

Part 3: Avoid the Quicksand of the Trivial
When it comes to technology and the real estate agents, I believe agents want to use technology to its fullest extent to serve customers better and in the most cost-efficient way. But they have been overrun by technology. Some real estate agents are are searching for a technique, tool, software or system that will eliminate the task of prospecting, when in fact it will only eliminate prospects. It’s time to get back in touch with some real, fundamental principles about the reality of prospecting.

What Is In Your Twitter Toolbox?
If you set out to learn something, you might as well learn from the best. One of the pioneers of social media marketing is Chris Brogan, founder of New Marketing Brands. He works with large and mid-sized companies to improve online business communications like marketing and PR. With a vast Twitter following and a number of tools by his side, Brogan consults and speaks about how to better utilize Twitter for business developement. What type of tools does he use to make Twitter easier to use, and more effective? Keep reading to find out.

10 Action Steps to More Strategic Social Media
It's an action oriented world.  Social media is fast paced and before you know it the three or four well-planned Tweets you prepared are burried in two minutes.  We are all just figuring out how to use utilize social media to grow our business. Some have made social media the focus of their professional practice and research.  One of the more noteable leaders is Dan Zarella. As a preview for his upcoming webinar, he has taken ten of the most important lessons from his research and distilled them into actionable advice that you can implement in your own marketing strategies and tactics.

Connect the Past with the Present Using Facebook
Facebook is the most popular social network by professionals stretching from college age students on up. For most, about 20 percent of the people you know are already using Facebook. Facebook reports around 400 million accounts. The younger you are, the more people you will find. Also note some of the most recent Facebook statistics: More than 500 million active users 50% of our active users log on to Facebook in any given day Average user has 130 friends People spend over 700 billion minutes per month on Facebook More than one million websites have integrated with Facebook Platform More than 150 million people engage with Facebook on external websites every month There are more than 150 million active users currently accessing Facebook through their mobile devices

LinkedIn - Provider of 4 Degrees of Separation
Since you are already familiar with Plaxo, you should know that LinkedIn.com has a number of similar features. LinkedIn allows you to stay connected to people who are in your address book.  LinkedIn also allows you to see what is happening with the people you know, but most importantly, it allows you to find people. Remember the wisdom of six degrees of separation. The theory is that we are all connected to everyone on the planet in some way through someone who knows someone, who knows someone, and so on—six times. LinkedIn supports four degrees of separation.

Go Big or Go Home – Network with Google Using Gmail
The next place you will want to do networking is with the largest online company on the internet – Google.com.  Specifically, you want to establish a Gmail account. Do not fret! You do not need to use the Gmail email address, although it is free, has unlimited storage and is the best at protecting you against spam. The goal of the Gmail account is to put your contacts in a place that will allow you to easily join other social networks and find your friends who are already there. As you may have noticed when joining Plaxo, all popular social network sites allow you to connect to your Gmail account to retrieve your contacts. When you do this, they search their registered members to see if there is anyone using their network that you might know. This is not unique to Gmail, although it is the most commonly offered service. You will find that many social networks allow you to use your hotmail.com or yahoo.com accounts also. Another great benefit of Gmail is that they make it easy to get your email anywhere, anytime. They support mail on your phone, and you can access your mail from any computer by simply logging in. Here is how to get started: Go to www.gmail.com

Microsoft Outlook For Effective Contact Management
Learn how to effectively use Microsoft Outlook to build your real estate business. Work smart with an accurate database. Color Manual Provided Bring Your Laptop! Registration: $50.00 ($20 Cancellation Fee)   Gather information about alternative ways to send and receive email in Microsoft Outlook Customize Microsoft Outlook preferences for optimized use Create and manage client email sub-folders Create voting email buttons Create effective file management system for each client Utilize Outlook Calendar with color coding, recurring appointments, reminders and invitation Add and assign Tasks Create effective email signatures with your picture and other images Create distribution lists Create emails with embedded flyers Add contacts with categories and key words for effective filtering Create Email Mail Merges with Contacts Create Mailing Labels with Contacts Set up reminders for active clients and prospects Export closed emails to external client file folder Contact: Desiree Savory  Technography Solutions  [email protected]  713-557-1531 Where: Check A Pro  16300 Katy Freeway at I-10 and Park 10 Exit Suite 170 Houston, TX 77094 When: Thursday August 12, 2010 at 9:00 AM to Thursday August 12, 2010 at 4:00 PM

Step 4: Getting Online Home Buyers to Your Open House
In an effort to empower real estate agents to convert online listings to leads, REALTOR.com published the 6-Step Online Optimization Plan. This report covers the following topics: Intro: Get more buyer leads from your online listings Step 1: Generate more buyer leads with photos Step 2: Get more calls with Persuasive Property Prose Step 3: Capture more buyers with full-motion home tour videos Step 4: Getting online home buyers to your Open House Step 5: Your social network is still your #1 profit center Step 6: Increase exposure, increase buyer inquiries Following step three of this report, step four discusses tips on how real estate agents can get online buyers to their open house.  More consumers are now searching online for homes and open houses. That’s why it’s more important to optimize your listings and your Open House promotions in the places where more consumers are looking.

Get More Buyer Leads from Your Online Listings
In an effort to empower real estate agents to convert online listings to leads, REALTOR.com published the 6-Step Online Optimization Plan. This report covers the following topics: Intro: Get more buyer leads from your online listings Step 1: Generate more buyer leads with photos Step 2: Get more calls with Persuasive Property Prose Step 3: Capture more buyers with full-motion home tour videos Step 4: Getting online home buyers to your Open House Step 5: Your social network is still your #1 profit center Step 6: Increase exposure, increase buyer inquiries Today's column will begin with the introduction to the report. In order for real estate agents to maximize on their listings, they need to successfully convert these listings into leads. To learn how to do this, begin by reading REALTOR.com's advice...

Communication Alert! How Behavior Impacts Clarity
According to E. H. Schein, Consultant, the most important thing for people to understand is what goes on inside their own heads.  If we enter into a conversation without knowing how we assert our own feelings and biases, we won’t be able to tell whether the information we are receiving is based on reality or our perceptions.  As human beings, we can’t help but filter all communication through our own personal filters which include prejudgments, expectations and alert our defenses if we hear or read a statement a certain way.  Because of our tendency towards misperception of what happened or why it happened, we may “allow” ourselves to respond emotionally to our interpretation without being aware that it is based on incorrect information.  As a result, if we don’t check whether our observation and emotional reaction were correct and appropriate, we may act rationally but make the situation worse.  How do you think an argument can brew to a boiling point after discussing the type of cheese you may want to incorporate into a salad? To illustrate and imbed what E. H. Schein has discovered, I’ve often used the “telephone game” in my training sessions.  I whisper a short five sentence statement into the ear of a volunteer.  That person then repeats the statement to another person and tells them exactly what I told them.  This whispering process is continued through 10 people.  Much like gossip, don’t you think?  Someone hears something interesting, they pass it along to another person, and before you know it, when you hear the information it is the truth, nothing but the truth, so help you God!  Wrong.

Connections Rule
I keep hearing social media is about “building relationships”.  I even say it when I teach Social Media for Real Estate.  “Build relationships, establish your community… “  I am not saying that is incorrect, but I think that perhaps the process may not be clearly explained, or defined. You don’t just dive into a relationship. There are founding measures that occur first, which allow for a relationship to develop and a community to build.  The question then also becomes, are you really establishing a “relationship”, perhaps you are building affinity, fondness, or friendship?  I think we may be putting the cart before the horse. What is a Connection? Merriam Webster defines connected as: 1 : joined or linked together 4 : having social, professional, or commercial relationships 5 of a set : having the property that any two of its points can be joined by a line completely contained in the set; also : incapable of being separated into two or more closed disjoint subsets. A connection is defined in this instance than as: a person connected with another especially by common interest. In social media we are all seeking to make a connection with people who have common interests, therefore I would surmise that social media is more about making connections, connecting people, and expanding those connections to grow larger networks, thereby permitting more connections to be made, and eventually relationships to grow and communities to be created. That is why I say – cart before the horse.

Top Producer 8i or Microsoft Outlook?
Top Producer 8i and Microsoft Outlook are both contact management database programs. The biggest difference between them both is that Top Producer is was designed specifically for real estate and Microsoft Outlook is not. In my opinion, choosing a contact management database can’t be made solely on what the program is capable of doing, but how much time and dedication is given to the program and the experience that the REALTOR® has using computer software.  

Real Estate Blogging: Quantity, Not Detail!
Beginning a blog is hard. What do you write? How long does it have to be? Does it fully capture who you are and what you can offer your readers without making you sound lame? Jim Cronin of Real Estate Tomato hears these types of questions all day long, when working with real estate professionals who want to begin to blog. In answer to these frantic, initial questions, here's what he has to say: "The following is based on a phone rant that I have let loose so many times that I’m starting to feel myself on auto-pilot, almost thinking about something else, as I explain the basic formula to guaranteed blogging success. It struck me that I need to write this down before I mistakenly consider it to be no longer relevant. The fact is that it couldn’t be more relevant for new and struggling real estate bloggers. I am adding this article to the Pre-Class Homework that all of our new clients will receive, for it is the foundation of their path to blogging reward.

7 Steps to Powerful Online Seminars
As the global marketplace moves real estate communication and closing transactions online, online seminars create the ability to move a sales or training presenation online. Online seminars are increasingly replacing face-to-face meetings. In the real estate industry, online seminars are not just for NAR speakers to record their presentations, although that is useful. This technology can be harnessed for the real estate industry. It can be used to provide valuable and engaing information to potential clients or current clients. It can be used for brokerage educational meetings, all online. Online seminars can also be a profitable and cost-effective alternative to hosting live events. For those agents, brokers interested in learning how to create powerful seminars, John Jantsch of Duct Tape Marketing recently posted a blog containing seven steps necessary to creating online seminars. Continue to read John's seven steps...

Ten Tips for Using Twitter to Drive Traffic!
Real estate professionals are tapping into the marketing resources Twitter facilitates! They know it is more than a vehicle to complain about your coffee spilling in route to work. Agents and brokers know the power Social Media has to drive traffic to their company site, or blog. Social Media guru Mark Hayward, who writes for Problogger, has learned how to harness Twitter and use it to drive traffic to his blog, which drives traffic to his business. He states that Twitter is not easy to learn. So he recently shared ten tips for using Twitter to drive traffic to a blogsite. These tips, however, are just as valuable for driving traffic to property virtual tour, your single property website, technology business or brokerage. Using Twitter can take time, but these tips will help you generate traffic by making sure you do things like complete your bio or add branding to your background.  Online networking is a science, but it is worth learning. To read Mark's ten tips for using Twitter, please continue...

Twitter Marketing Tips
Social media is all the buzz in the real estate space. Blogging, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and more are commanding a lot of attention in the real estate space. Twitter is now talked about in the mainstream media, and is one of the fastest growing and most heavily trafficked website on the planet.But where does the real estate agent start?

If You Don’t Offer S’mores…You Should!
Show me a man who cannot bother to do little things and I'll show you a man who cannot be trusted to do big things. ~Lawrence Bell It was just a s’more. Yes, I’m talking about a graham cracker, a little chocolate and a marshmallow. It probably had a cost of a half-cent to the business offering it, but that s’more made an impact. It symbolized a small act of kindness and generosity—with no expectations attached—that made a lasting impression. And THAT, my friends, is what each of us MUST replicate if we want OUR businesses to last and thrive in today’s unpredictable economy.