Elevate

Low Inventory Got You Down? 5 Tips for Finding More Homes for Sale
It's not news that housing inventory is low, but anyone who's been working as a real estate agent during the past couple of years can attest that it's more difficult than ever to find homes for sale! Listing agents are struggling to find homeowners interested in moving and selling their home, and buyer's agents have the challenge of finding a house for their buying clients, one that meets their needs and is within their budget. We've created an ebook in partnership with several companies whose bread-and-butter is helping agents find listings. You can download and read it here — and in the meantime, here are five more proven ways for you to try to find more listings as a real estate agent. 1. FSBO and expired listings This is a tried-and-true method for finding listings, and that's because it works! The red-hot seller's market that many areas were experiencing during the coronavirus pandemic and during recovery have now largely vanished, but there are a lot of would-be sellers who didn't get the message and who might be trying to offload their house without the help of an agent. A list of FSBO sales or expired listings can truly be real estate gold because you already know that the people who own that house are interested in selling it; you just need to understand what the barrier is (or was) to concluding that transaction. 2. Build relationships with builders New construction is an important part of inventory in many markets, and it's the only way to make a listing appear out of thin air, more or less! Builders want to focus on what they do best, which is build houses, not negotiate with a buyer. If there are developers or construction magnates in your area who aren't already working with a brokerage or a specific agent, maybe that could be you! 3. Find the landlords Making passive income by renting out a home can sound like a dream come true — but real estate professionals know that being a landlord can also be more of a nightmare scenario for some people. Who owns a home that they're currently renting out in the market where you operate? How long have they owned that home? Do they struggle to find quality tenants? Are they reaching retirement age or another life milestone that might cause them to reconsider their investments, both time-wise and money-wise, and make some different allocations? The landlords are going to want to sell that house someday, and if you know who they are and have been chatting with them about the pain points surrounding rentals in the area, then you might be the first agent to know about that listing. 4. Familiarize yourself with foreclosures Due to forbearance programs connected to the coronavirus pandemic, foreclosures have been mostly down nationally, meaning there haven't been as many in the past couple of years as we typically see. But now that the forbearance is ending and those programs are not available anymore, it's possible that we could be seeing more foreclosure activity in the near future. These homes can represent an opportunity in at least two different ways. First, you can reach out to homeowners who are facing foreclosure and offer to help them sell the house to pay off the mortgage. If that doesn't work out, then you can always try to represent the property on behalf of the bank if it doesn't sell at auction after it's been foreclosed. The bank doesn't want to keep the house; it wants to sell it to a buyer. Some agents specialize in REO (real estate-owned) listings and work directly with the banks to help represent and close transactions around those properties. 5. Knock on some doors With email and social media both prevalent ways of reaching out to prospective buyers and sellers, door-knocking has largely fallen out of favor. And that's a bit of a shame, because not every possible buyer or seller is active on social media, and one of the best ways to find listings is to learn who in the neighborhood might want to sell but feels like they can't for one reason or another. And how do you find those listings? Simple: You travel from door to door to introduce yourself to the occupants, ask if they own or rent, and then pose a few questions to them about their current situation and how happy they are. If it seems like they're dealing with a problem that you could help solve as either a listing agent or a buyer's agent, then you might have found yourself a new client! Low home inventory is a challenge for everyone in real estate. Buyers want more options for their ultimate purchase decision; sellers might be leery of leaving a house where they're comfortable because they're unsure they can find something comparable at a decent price. To generate more inventory for your own listings and for your buyers, sometimes thinking outside the box is the best approach. Want more outside-the-box ways to find homes for sale? Download our ebook

Monitoring Your Keyword Rankings
Thank you to Real Estate Webmasters for sponsoring this article on RE Technology: Understanding the power of SEO and keyword rankings is essential to stand out in the competitive real estate landscape. As more Realtors and potential buyers shift their searches online, mastering SEO is not just an option but a necessity. The top spot on search engine results pages trumps a prime billboard location, and being relegated to the bottom means less views on your property listings. Basics of Keyword Rankings Keyword ranking is part of search engine optimization (SEO), and it serves as a guide to the most relevant content based on users' search queries. It determines your search engine result pages (SERP) position, so it is also best to keep track of algorithm changes to maintain your ranking. When choosing keywords, always consider your target audience. Think about the terms and words they're most likely using in their searches and incorporate those in your final selection. Furthermore, refrain from using generic terms like "house for sale," and opt for long-tail keywords like "4-bedroom homes in [specific location]" or "lakefront houses in [city]." Tools for Keyword Ranking Monitoring tools like Google Search Console and Google Analytics can be used to analyze your keyword performance and gain valuable data on keyword rankings, click-through rates, and user behavior. Google Trends, on the other hand, is helpful for insights regarding the amount of times your keyword was searched in a year. SEO audits, tracking, and constant adjustments are also essential for sustained success. Conclusion In conclusion, the Real Estate industry has drastically evolved and is now about visibility, relevance, and ranking. By focusing on SEO and keyword ranking, you position your business at the forefront of your client's minds and, ultimately, for success. You can contact Real Estate Webmasters if you're interested in getting professional help to elevate your online presence. This is a condensed version of a blog originally published on Real Estate Webmasters'

AI Tied to CRMs Is the First Big Wave
Do you hear that buzz? AI this, AI that? There is a lot of activity swirling around artificial intelligence, but also a lot of questionable noise and hyperbole mixed in with a few scare tactics. Some real estate agents may be wondering if this is just another Web3-NFT-cryptocurrency craze thing that will disappear if they ignore it. The answer from nearly every leading tech CEO is a resounding NO! But agents are correct. AI is not going to replace them. However, real estate agents who don't use AI are more likely to be replaced by agents who do. And that's why firms like Microsoft, which Fast Company already says "is winning Big Tech's AI war," are betting the farm on AI. Investment often leads where success follows. Total spending on AI systems is forecast to reach nearly $100 billion in 2023, almost three times that of 2019. Over the last five years, the AI sector's annual growth rate has eclipsed 28 percent. But the big question for real estate agents isn't about what AI will do. It is what AI can do – now. The bottom line that will drive AI growth and adoption in real estate among agents in particular: What pain points can AI solve today? AI + Customer Relationship Management systems are the big first wave The lowest-hanging fruit that agents need to pick comes from the practical applications of AI in marketing, specifically those that integrate with an agent's CRM. These systems will do more for agents than their typical DIY use of ChatGPT. Two great examples today: Delta Media Group and Productive.ai. Now Delta Media is a veteran tech firm. Delta was founded in 1993 and is now the largest family-owned and operated real estate tech company. If you are surprised that an "old-school" firm is helping to lead the AI movement, don't be. Delta is anything today but old school. Owner and CEO Michael Minard has written considerably about AI in real estate. In 2019, Delta Media Group collaborated with five North Carolina State University Master of Science in Analytics (MSA) graduate students in a year-long artificial intelligence lead scoring study designed for the real estate industry. The project examined behavioral patterns of home shoppers that were most likely to result in a closed transaction. Moreover, Delta Media is a proven innovator: check out its historical timeline. After reinvesting tens of millions of dollars into its all-in-one-platform, DeltaNET, since it launched in 2015, Delta unveiled its new AI-powered DeltaNET 7. It is the most significant launch since its all-in-one DeltaNET platform was created. The promise is huge, as Delta calls DeltaNET 7 "one of the industry's most advanced CRM-based, all-in-one digital marketing platform." Labeled "made for mobile," the new digital marketing platform leverages artificial intelligence and automation with "unmatched brokerage and user-level customization." AI impacting agents What does that mean for agents? Thousands and thousands of agents will have access to smart marketing tech fully integrated with their CRM. The best example of the power of AI inside the newest Delta platform is its "My Customer for Life" marketing tool, known by users as MCFL. It's a dynamic, AI-driven email newsletter featuring new and unique content each week. What makes MCFL unique is machine learning. The built-in machine learning is content-focused and, like Amazon, tracks consumer interactions, enabling it to deliver more of the content the consumer is interested in. It means agents can automatically deliver the right content at the right time to the right client – just set and forget, as it does it all for them. The number one mistake most agents make is not staying in touch with past clients. Smart tools like MCFL eliminate orphaned buyers and sellers. The click-through rate on Delta's MCFL is up to three times the industry average because the content automatically customizes to the user's interest based on engagement. Brokerages love it because they can customize all significant elements of the MCFL newsletter with their branding and personalize it with individual agent information. You can read about the Delta announcement here. A smarter smartphone I wrote about Productive.ai as they recently won the NAR iOi Summit Pitch Battle. I watched a dozen contenders at the Miami Beach confab, and like many in the room I spoke with, Productive.ai was the clear winner, confirmed by the $15,000 check they received. Why would agents want this AI? Prodcutive.ai delivers immediate, actionable, useable, practical AI-empowered features tied to a client or prospect's phone call and their CRM. It is like automatic data mining (remember that term?) as it summarizes a call, and automatically assigns tasks discussed during the conversation into your calendar for action. And then, most importantly, it integrates with your CRM – logs the calls, notes, recordings, and transcriptions, but more importantly, with one touch, it adds a new contact to your CRM from the app itself. Its CRM integrations already include Keller Williams, KVcore, HubSpot, ActiveCampaign, Wise Agent, SalesForce, ZOHO, BoomTown!, Follow Up Boss, Pipedrive, Procore, and SalesLoft. You can watch videos on how some of these integrations work here. Their AI use is so attractive because the human voice controls the AI. Nothing to enter: it is all voice commands. Voice control is clearly the future for nearly all things AI. These are the kinds of AI-powered tech agents will adopt now because they will save them time and make them money. AI can change an agent's game According to the most recent NAR member profile survey, 41% of agents rarely or never use a CRM. Of those that do, only one in four use it daily or nearly every day. Yet other NAR research shows that a CRM is a top three source of leads for agents, second only to social media and their MLS! These new AI-powered tools from Delta and Productive.ai can change the CRM quandary – instantly. AI does the heavy lifting. This kind of AI is creating one colossal wave early on that every agent has a chance to ride. To view the original article, visit the WAV Group