Roomvu Launches in the U.S. in Partnership with LeadingRE, Realty One, and More
Roomvu has announced its expansion into the U.S. in partnership with Leading Real Estate Companies of the World (LeadingRE), Realty One, and a growing network of enterprise and corporate partners. As an award-winning company recognized among the CIX Top 20 most innovative real estate technology companies in Canada and venture capital-backed by NAR REACH, Roomvu stands at the forefront of a growing trend in video marketing in the real estate industry. With a mission to transform property and personal marketing for real estate professionals, Roomvu leverages the support of NAR REACH, the investment arm of the National Association of REALTORS®. This strategic partnership fuels Roomvu's U.S. launch, aiming to deliver unparalleled marketing support to real estate agents and brokerages with its advanced technology and services. Jeff Kennedy, Vice President of Sales and Partnerships at LeadingRE, praises Roomvu for revolutionizing the marketing landscape with its innovative approach. "Roomvu sets itself apart with its advanced marketing strategy, offering a comprehensive suite of tools designed to elevate your marketing efforts. Roomvu's video customization capabilities empower you to create compelling visual content tailored to your specific needs, enabling you to captivate and resonate with your audience like never before. With Roomvu, you can rest assured that your marketing needs are fully met, allowing you to focus on what you do best – serving your clients and growing your business," says Kennedy. Roomvu's AI marketing assistant platform offers automated, hyperlocal content creation, empowering real estate agents with a consistent and engaging online presence. This service is especially valuable for brokerages aiming to enhance their brand and agents striving to differentiate themselves in a competitive market. "Our expansion into the U.S. is not just a milestone for Roomvu but a significant opportunity for real estate professionals across the country," said Sam Mehrbod, CEO of Roomvu. "Our partnerships with LeadingRE and RealtyOne are just the beginning. We are committed to providing our innovative video marketing solutions to help agents and brokerages enhance their brand visibility, engage more effectively with clients, and ultimately drive business growth in today's competitive and challenging market." The U.S. launch comes after Roomvu's successful track record in Canada, where the company has made significant strides in transforming real estate marketing through technology. Roomvu's solutions are designed to meet the unique needs of the real estate industry, making marketing more accessible, effective, and efficient for agents and brokerages alike. "The residential real estate industry is ripe for innovation, and Roomvu's entry into the US marks a pivotal moment in this transformation," said Tyler Thompson, Managing Partner at Second Century Ventures and REACH. "By leveraging AI to produce customizable, hyper-local videos for REALTORS, Roomvu is setting a new standard for property marketing."

Draft Marketing: Picking Up Followers From Other Brands
It is that time of year. Time to take stock of your efforts last year, and set your targets for 2024; part of that is a brand assessment. You should be looking at how your brand shows up online. It's a thing – like measuring the growth of your children. If your measurements in 2023 were lower than 2022 – fix that. Here is a simple idea called Draft Marketing. Sometimes we use social media to dive deeper into something. Have you ever scrolled through a bunch of webpages, aka "gone down the rabbit hole," where one page takes you to another page? You find so many of them to be informational to your interests that you click "follow" on a slew of companies. You are not alone. Marketers understand the rabbit hole, and social media is structured in a way that highlights similar pages to whatever sparked your interest. Funny thing – most real estate brokerages (and agents and teams) have not figured this out yet. Let's start out with an example of how Draft Marketing works. I am going to use Taylor Swift as an example. I did not follow Taylor on Instagram, so I went to her page and clicked the follow button. Below is the page before I followed her. Then I clicked the "follow" button. Pay close attention to the red arrow that points to additional pages that I might like. These artists are draft-marketing off of Taylor's brand. Because I liked Taylor Swift, Instagram suggested that I also follow Selena Gomez, Olivia Rodrigo, Ariana Grande, "Taylor Nation," and Sabrina Carpenter. All competitors to Taylor Swift. Let's take a look at how it works on Linkedin — pretty much the same way. Once you hit the follow button, look what happens… Here, you will find that major brands are draft-marketing on Taylor's brand. So, take this idea to real estate in your market. The largest brand in my market is Compass. Good news – Compass is not developing social media at the office level. It is easy to beat a competitor that has not built office pages. Compass has over 300 offices and has not deployed a hyper-local social media strategy everywhere yet. I know that they read this blog, so maybe this will change soon. Shown in the image above here is the top independent brokerage in our area – San Luis Obispo Realty. They have a LinkedIn page that has not been claimed, yet. Please – if you have a brokerage – claim it on all social media platforms. These pages show up in search, and it looks bad when you have not taken some basic steps to do something as simple as claiming your own page. For those of you who hate social media, claim your page anyway – make sure that your address, phone number, and link to your website are correct. This is most likely what you see when you google a competitor. Again, in the example above, I have not followed them yet. Once I hit the follow button, here is what happens… Oddly, I get Generative AI and OpenAI as other companies to follow. In general, even the "People also viewed" links on the sidebar only have one competitor, JDR Property. This is a great example of a company that you can draft-market off of. I mean, they only have 56 followers – which is not a great showing – but it's something. Clearly their efforts to build and grow their community are not significant. If you build up your community to be larger and more engaged, that will not be a bad thing for your brand. Side note – agents look at this stuff when they are being recruited. If the digital footprint of your brand sucks, that is a strike against your recruiting efforts. Draft Marketing is the simple pursuit of finding look-a-like customers from your competitors' social media pages. To get started, create a spreadsheet in Google Drive or another shareable document space. Go to your competitor sites, add links to their profiles into the spreadsheet along with a screenshot. Do the same thing for your pages. Pay close attention to the number of posts per month and the number of followers. This is a race, so you need to track your progress. Look what happens when you follow, or unfollow them. Who shows up? Do you show up? If you don't show up, you need to invest in the time to fix that. Here is an article that explains how to get followers on Instagram for draft marketing. You can do the same draft marketing on LinkedIn. If you do show up as a suggested follower, where do you show up? Position 1, 2, 3, 4, 5? Keep track for the race. Be sure to check mobile apps vs. browsers too. As you do your work, track what happens and how your position changes. It takes time for this to happen. The race is more of a marathon. The good news is that most real estate brokers are not paying attention to these things. Per the teachings of just about every real estate guru, it is not super hard to put enough effort into winning on social media. Ninety-nine percent of brokers do a crappy job. If you have more money than time, hire us and we can work on it for you. To view the original article, visit the WAV Group blog.

21 Holiday Marketing Ideas for Brokerages
Do you have a signature holiday marketing campaign or event that you put together for your brokerage every year? If not, what are you waiting for? While this is not a time of year where most markets are experiencing robust real estate sales, it's the perfect time of year to get more involved with your community, remind prior clients that you exist, and get into the holiday spirit. With that in mind, here are some tried-and-true holiday marketing ideas for brokerages, from direct mail to email to online to in-person. Pick one or two (or more) and see how they can help lift everyone's spirits, throughout your brokerage and your entire community. Direct Mail Holiday Marketing Ideas for Brokers 1. Holiday Cards They're basic and classic because they work. And people expect them! Plus, you can get really festive and creative with the designs and information you put on them. Have everyone in your brokerage sit down for a signing party, or take a group photo and send it out postcard-style. 2. Holiday Swag From ornaments to wreaths to warm hats, there are all kinds of branded gifts you can put together for clients, fans, and more. Tote bags are perennially popular, and crafting a different ornament every year to mail out to your network can create a new family tradition. 3. Mistletoe If you're already sending out a card, why not add a sprig of mistletoe to your mailing or drop-off routine? It's one of those things people love to display on a holiday, yet don't know where to find on their own initiative. (If you mail mistletoe, make sure to follow USPS guidelines around mailing plants). Email Holiday Marketing Ideas for Brokers Most of these ideas will work in tandem with your website. In other words, you can post a blog or create a landing page on your website (this is very easy to do if you use a platform like Real Estate Webmasters), and then send an email blast that links back to the web page. 4. Neighborhood Light Tours Ask your agents which homes typically go all-out for holiday light displays, then use Google Maps to put together a map of a tour that people can follow either on foot or in their cars. If you have lots of listings, this can be a great way to get people to drive by them; hire some light-hanging professionals and put those homes on the light tour. 5. Favorite Holiday Recipes Cookie exchanges are standard, but you don't have to stick to the standards if you want to branch out! Ask your network for the best family holiday recipes they make year after year, from latkes to roast goose, and put together a locally inspired meal plan if you're feeling really aspirational. 6. Decorating Guides First-time buyers living in a new home might not have much by way of decorations, and even longtime homeowners love a good before-and-after photo. Put together some decorating guides for curb appeal and interior homes of different sizes, and provide step-by-step instructions for recreating the look. 7. Charity Highlights It's the time of the year for giving, and your sphere of influence is going to want to know about local charities that could be in need of donations. From domestic violence shelters to animal advocacy groups to food banks, there are all sorts of ways for a real estate brokerage to get involved in their community. Providing a roundup of local charities (with information about how to donate or volunteer) can be a popular way to share your involvement. 8. Home Winterization Tips Like holiday cards, this is a classic for a reason! Depending on where you are working, the climate might require different levels of winterization, and providing information to first-time buyers and long-term homeowners about how to winterize their homes (including vacation rentals or homes that are not occupied year-round) can be welcome reminders. Website and Social Media Holiday Marketing Ideas for Brokers 9. Home Decorating Contests Some people already love the idea of decking the halls for the holidays, and if you can drive engagement on your website, why not take advantage of their enthusiasm? Host a home decorating contest through your most active social media accounts (perhaps centered on a landing page on your website) where visitors can submit a home or room into a contest; you can make the prize a gift card to a home improvement store or something similar. 10. Donation Drives Already involved with a charity such as a domestic violence shelter or a food bank? Hosting a donation drive, either online or in person (or a mix), can be a great way to share your passion without alienating anybody. Online donation drives might involve ordering items from Amazon or another etailer to be sent to the charity, or links to donate directly. 11. '12 Days of (Neighborhood)' Social Media Posts If you have an active social media presence, why not plan the 12 days before December 25 to share things you and your agents love about the area where you work? This can be a wonderful way to celebrate your market as well as showcase your expertise by uncovering hidden gems for your audience. 12. Gift Guides for New Homeowners Figuring out what to buy loved ones for the holidays can be stressful. If those loved ones recently bought a house, then your brokerage could do an act of service by providing a list of gift ideas that new homeowners will love, especially if you source those gifts from local shops or artisans. 13. Holiday Giveaways Hosting some kind of giveaway on social media, for followers old and new, can be a great way to increase your audience and grow your footprint during the holidays. Consider providing a gift certificate that covers a fancy dinner for two, an evening away at a local vacation rental, a whole-house cleaning service, or something else that will generate a lot of excitement and interest. In-Person Holiday Marketing Ideas for Brokers 14. Baked Goods Drop-Off If you or someone at your brokerage already likes to bake, or you have a good relationship with a local bakery, then dropping off pies or cookies or other goodies door-to-door can be a wonderful way to remind your clients that you're always around for their real estate needs. (If you're going to bake yourself, go with something simple – nobody wants to bake 50 pumpkin pies in a residential kitchen.) 15. Give Flowers or Wreaths New homeowners might not have a holiday wreath for their door, and poinsettias are an ever-popular gift for a reason. If baking isn't your thing, consider sourcing such items from a local nursery or farm, and give something green instead. 16. Cheer Up Your Open Houses Selling a house during the holidays isn't always easy, but if the sellers are amenable, maybe you can offer some extra cheer at your holiday open houses. Photos with Santa are relatively easy to set up if you can find a Santa and a photographer, for example, and it might generate more foot traffic than the local mall if you can market it right! 17. Host a Holiday Party Many brokerages decide to host a client appreciation event during the holidays, and there are all kinds of options you can explore to help you stand out from whatever competition exists in your area. From cookie swaps to gift-wrapping to tree-lighting to hosting a buffet spread of lunch or dinner on Thanksgiving Day or Christmas Day, consider what your community would most appreciate, and then ask yourself if you can help create it for them. 18. Put Together a Crafting Event Making wreaths or decorating gingerbread can be two kid-friendly examples of holiday crafting options that are easy enough for many brokerages to host. Crafting ornaments or gifts like picture frames can also be good options. Ask your agents and staff (especially those with kids) for ideas and run with it! 19. Screen a Holiday Movie Brokers operating in climates where outdoor movies might still be an option could consider hosting a movie night with the film projected on the side of a building; otherwise, you could ask your local movie theater what the cost is of renting out a room, or talk to a rec center or gym about indoor movie seating opportunities. 20. Go Caroling Are you and your agents notorious for your karaoke skills? If so, why not organize a caroling event where you walk door-to-door and serenade the neighborhood with holiday tunes? It's quirky and fun enough that you might find some joiners; if you're going to bring branded swag, like hats and scarves (we recommend you do!), make sure to bring extras for new friends. 21. Shovel Snow (Or Hire It Out) When there's a big storm brewing in the area, whether it's the holidays or not, a lot of people don't have the ability or the energy to clear the snow out of their driveways. If you're the lucky possessor of a snowblower or you have the ability to do this yourself, clearing out driveways and walkways can be a wonderful way to endear yourself to the community. Or you can always hire out the services of a professional for a morning or afternoon and ask them to mention you sent them! The holidays can be the best time of year to remind your clients that you're in their corner and ready to help them with all their real estate needs. Hopefully one or more of these holiday marketing ideas for brokers will resonate with you and your clients!

Brokers: Holiday Marketing Tips to Help You Reach Your Annual Revenue Goals
It's officially fall, and the holiday season is fast approaching. While some real estate brokers and their teams are already starting to wind down for the year and hibernate for the slower winter months, smart and enterprising brokers are motivating their teams to do a final end-of-year push. The next couple months are critical for hitting your annual revenue targets and setting your brokerage up for a great start of the year. Why the holiday season is a great time for real estate agents to market With the finish line in sight and only a few weeks left in the year, it may be tempting for your team to take your foot off the gas. But in fact, the holidays are an amazing time for real estate marketing. Here are six reasons why real estate brokers should market over the holidays: 1. You can capture leads that are looking for a quick sale There are numerous financial and tax benefits of closing on a house by the end of the year. If any of your leads decide that it's time to take action, they'll be especially motivated. If you were nurturing your leads properly throughout the year, you'll already be top of mind. But it's never a bad time to share how you can help your leads buy or sell their home before December 31. 2. You can tee buyer and seller leads up for the spring The winter months are notoriously slow for real estate in many markets, with lots of buyers and sellers preferring to stay put and wait for the warmth to return. But real estate leads can also take many months to convert, making staying top of mind, even when business is slower, that much more important. Interested sellers will want to start making preparations well in advance, and buyers will want to be ready to make a move when their dream house gets listed. Plant the seed now, and it may bear fruit in the spring. 3. It's a great time to highlight your team's achievements What is real estate marketing if not self-promotion? After 10 months and three quarters, your brokerage definitely has things to brag about: talk about all the great deals you closed, feature your total sales volume to date, share any glowing testimonials or reviews you received, and toot your own horn a little bit. You deserve it, and your leads deserve to know about it! 4. It's the perfect opportunity to share some cheer In general, the holidays are a delightful time. These months are full of reasons to celebrate, enjoy gatherings with family and friends, be generous and kind, and have fun. The warmth of your marketing can make up for any lack of warm weather, that's for sure! During the holidays, timely, warm, short, low-key, and relevant emails, texts, calls, social media posts, and even in-person visits and events can be the cherry on top of what is already a lovely time of year. 5. The holidays put the meaning (and value) of home into focus Holiday parties, family gatherings, trick or treating, pumpkin carving, cookie baking, latke making… these experiences are often part of our core memories, and they both remind us and help us appreciate home, wherever that may be. It's easy to forget sometimes — amid the conversations about artificial intelligence, ChatGPT, technology, software, the cloud — that the fundamental job of real estate brokers and agents is to help people find their home. What better value proposition to sell during the holidays? 6. You can tell your past and potential clients how much you care about and value their business Your brokerage exists because of your great team and, ultimately, your clients. The holidays are a time of heartfelt messages and feelings, so the time is ripe for sharing just how grateful you are for your past clients' business and how excited you are to help your sphere with their real estate needs. The last couple months of Q4 are also your last opportunity to hit your business goals for the year so you can set yourself on track for a great Q1. Don't waste them! How to make your real estate marketing go the extra mile over the holidays Here are a few useful tips for making your real estate marketing even more successful toward the end of the year. 1. Reconnect with cold leads As a rule of thumb, it's easier to keep a lead warm than it is to revive a cold one (or find a completely new one). But the holidays can be an exceptional time for generating organic leads. What better excuse to reach out than the holidays? You should also think to share information your leads will find relevant: if your communications are full of your expertise and tips about homebuying and your community, your leads will engage in a meaningful way and think of you when they're ready to move. 2. Coordinate your physical and digital touchpoints Digital marketing is an incredible way to amplify your physical marketing efforts, and vice versa. Are you delivering food to previous clients or the less fortunate? Share what you're doing and how you're impacting your community on social media. Are you hosting a client appreciation event? Make an invitation on Facebook and promote it across your digital channels. Always complement your touchpoints and find ways to share the same information on different channels. Since social media is free, it's a great way to get your brokerage's name out there. To learn more about optimizing all your touchpoints, download our free ebook. 3. Publish blogs for homeowners and homebuyers alike Are you leveraging blogging as effectively as you could be? Real estate agent blogs are an amazing way to generate organic leads, and with the right blogging tools, it doesn't have to turn into an extra chore for your agents. Here are some post ideas that are perfect for the holidays: Promoting businesses that help remove leaves, ice, and snow Tips on winterizing homes to save on heating bills Announcements to remind your clients of any holiday hours or closures Holiday decorating ideas (you could even hold a photo contest for previous clients) Reasons why the residents of your community love where they live Best practices for holiday marketing and messaging Keep in mind that different people celebrate different holidays (or choose not to celebrate at all). Whenever possible, tailor your messaging to the holiday(s) you know your clients are celebrating. After all, the better you know your clients, the better you'll be able to help them with their real estate needs, and this includes the religious and cultural traditions they have around this time of year. If you're not sure, just be warm, friendly, and spread the holiday spirit, rather than your wishes for a particular holiday. Upcoming holidays you can work into your marketing This list is current for 2023: Veteran's Day – November 10 Diwali – November 12 Thanksgiving – November 23 Giving Tuesday – November 28 Chanukah – December 8–16 Christmas – December 25 Kwanzaa – December 26 New Year's Eve – December 31 To view the original article, visit the Constellation1 blog.

eXp Realty Unleashes Agent Marketing Powerhouse with Game-Changing Listing Kits
eXp Realty announced the launch of its Listing Presentation and Active Listing Kits, providing agents with all the necessary tools and resources to effectively demonstrate their comprehensive marketing efforts to potential clients directly through the eXp Marketing Center. The Listing Presentation Kit is a carefully crafted package that empowers agents to skillfully present a property's comprehensive marketing strategy to clients. By utilizing this kit during client appointments, agents can enhance their ability to secure listings with confidence and efficiency, creating a professional and lasting impression. The Active Listing Kit offers an array of features tailored to enhance the marketing efforts of agents, ensuring their active listings receive the attention they deserve. Some of the key features of the Active Listing Kit include: Seamless integration with eXp Realty's direct MLS data feed: This integration ensures that all information is accurate and up-to-date and eliminates the need for manual data entry or constantly updating multiple platforms, saving agents valuable time and effort. All-Inclusive Print Marketing Materials: The kit provides agents with professionally designed print materials, including flyers, postcards, door hangers, thank you cards and a sign rider. Each printed material incorporates a distinctive QR code, seamlessly directing potential buyers to a sophisticated single-property website, with detailed information about the listing and a lead generation form. Digital Assets: In addition to a lead-generating single-property website, the kit includes essential digital assets: a seller's roadmap, listing management checklist and a comprehensive single sheet detailing eXp Realty's listing marketing resources for agents. These resources empower agents with the knowledge and tools they need to effectively manage their listings. Social Media Templates: The Active Listing Kit provides agents with professionally created social media templates, enabling them to showcase their listings on various social media platforms, maximizing the property's visibility online. Convenient Printing and Shipping: The kit simplifies the printing and shipping process for agents, allowing for easy dissemination of marketing assets. Agents can also take advantage of direct mailers that can be sent to specific audiences or neighborhoods, streamlining the process for efficient and targeted marketing campaigns. This feature enables agents to cultivate and nurture leads effectively, ensuring a personalized approach to potential buyers. "We are committed to providing industry-leading support and resources for our eXp Realty agents, delivering enhanced tools that make marketing and branding easier for them and amplifying their impact in the market," said Carolyn Merchant, Chief Marketing Officer, eXp Realty. "Backed by the formidable eXp Realty brand, our agents can confidently take center stage, seizing opportunities and delivering exceptional results for their clients. We are dedicated to helping our agents grow their businesses by offering and constantly iterating on the finest marketing tools and making it easy for them to access and utilize these valuable resources directly through the eXp Marketing Center." eXp Realty's Listing Presentation and Active Listing Kits are currently available to U.S. eXp Realty agents, with plans to expand into Canada in 2024.

eXp Launches the eXp Luxury Design Center
eXp Realty is enhancing services and investments in its luxury division with the launch of the eXp Luxury Design Center and exclusive training. "We are dedicated to investing in our luxury agents through our forward-thinking eXp Luxury program that features industry-leading tools and innovative technologies," said Michael Valdes, Chief Growth Officer. "As the largest independent brokerage in the industry, our unique reach coupled with this luxury focus enables our agents to grow their business and provide unparalleled service to their clients." eXp Luxury Design Center offers high-quality marketing support The launch of the eXp Luxury Design Center provides agents with exclusive luxury-branded templates for print, mail, social media, signage and more. The Design Center allows agents to quickly edit, download and share assets from a single easy-to-use interface and order professional print and mail services directly from the application. Open workshops and member masterminds offer best-in-class training eXp Luxury agents will have access to several open workshops and member masterminds throughout the spring and summer focused on luxury networking. Top eXp Luxury agents will share insights for expanding a sphere of influence and building valuable relationships in affluent communities. Join the Upcoming 'Secrets of Luxury Networking' Workshop: Date: June 22, 2023Time: 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET Register here today!

Inside Real Estate Launches CORE Listing Machine and Design Center
Inside Real Estate announced the rollout of the new and enhanced CORE Listing Machine & Design Center. Connecting directly to the MLS, CORE Listing Machine & Design Center pulls in property details and automatically creates a complete marketing campaign across all listing stages. "The excitement of our sales team over having a fully integrated marketing solution for both digital and print is overwhelming," said Wendi Iglesias, CIO, The Keyes Company. "Our goal is always to provide best-in- class, streamlined solutions to our team that will allow them to make an impact and drive business without having to leave our ecosystem to find the solutions they need. Now, we have everything we need to market ourselves and our listings in one easy to use platform!" CORE Listing Machine & Design Center is the only marketing solution in the industry that has both direct MLS and print vendor integrations. By directly connecting to an agent's MLS, property details are automatically populated to create an entire marketing campaign for any listing. Features include: Single property websites are generated for each listing, automatically shared on social media pages, and each site has full screen property images, a mortgage calculator and multiple ways to engage potential buyers, and secure contact information. Customizable listing kits allow agents to tailor their marketing templates to fit the design and dynamic of the property they are promoting, to better highlight their listings, reach potential buyers more effectively, and add more value for seller clients Custom listing videos maximize listing exposure while driving powerful SEO value, with custom intros, outros, music, and voiceover capabilities, and are posted directly to an agent's YouTube page. Social media automation keeps agents top-of-mind with customers through a consistent, branded social media presence. The Design Center makes it easy to create custom branded print and digital assets, with a library of premium, customizable templates, that can be leveraged to promote an agent's personal brand across any channel, in just a few clicks. Direct print integration capabilities allow you to quickly and effortlessly create printed assets to bolster your brand and market your listings. "So often the most effective marketing tasks are the most time-intensive, but with this new suite of capabilities, we're ensuring our clients can seize every marketing opportunity, at every stage of the listing cycle, automatically," said Joe Skousen, CEO of Inside Real Estate. "These tools free up agents' time, allow full control over branding and market presence, and most importantly, deliver incredible value to both their seller and buyer clients." Early data suggests strong adoption. In the early stages of the CORE Listing Machine & Design Center rollout, over 300,000 assets have already been auto-generated. CORE Listing Machine & Design Center availability to all kvCORE users will continue over the coming months. Learn more here.

7 Ways to Build a Strong Brand for Your Real Estate Brokerage
Building a strong brand is critical for any business, and this is especially true for real estate brokerages. A strong brand can help you stand out from the competition, attract clients, and build trust with potential buyers and sellers. In this blog post, we'll discuss some key strategies for building a strong brand for your real estate brokerage, and provide specific examples to illustrate these strategies. 1. Develop a Unique Value Proposition Your brokerage's "unique value proposition" (UVP) is the argument for why a customer should select it over the alternatives. A strong UVP should be unambiguous, succinct, and emphasize your special strengths. Your UVP might read, for instance, "Our team of experienced agents provides unparalleled expertise in the luxury market, with a commitment to delivering exceptional service and results," if your brokerage specializes in luxury properties. 2. Define Your Target Audience The demographic most likely to use your services is your target audience. You can create marketing campaigns that speak directly to your target audience's needs and desires by defining your target audience. For instance, if first-time homebuyers are your target market, your marketing materials might emphasize the thrill and adventure of buying your first home while also outlining financing options and the home-buying procedure. 3. Build a Strong Online Presence A strong online presence is essential for any business in the modern digital era. This includes a professional-looking website, social media presence, and listings on websites like Realtor.com and Zillow. Your website ought to be simple to use, visually appealing, and filled with useful data for buyers and sellers. Your social media pages should be updated frequently with interesting content that promotes your company's name and products. Additionally, your online directory listings ought to be accurate and current, with expert photos and thorough property details. 4. Provide Exceptional Customer Service Building a strong brand is based on offering exceptional customer service, but it's crucial in the real estate sector in particular. The process of buying or selling a home is a significant life event, and your clients will remember how you made them feel. You can establish a reputation as an honest and dependable brokerage by giving each client individualized attention, being transparent with your communications, and going above and beyond to meet their needs. 5. Establish a Consistent Visual Identity Your brand's appearance, including its logo, color scheme, and typography, is referred to as its visual identity. You can increase brand recognition and increase the recall value of your brokerage by establishing a unified visual identity across all of your marketing materials. For instance, the real estate brokerage Compass has a standout logo made up of two intersecting circles, and their marketing materials are uniformly bright blue and white in color. 6. Leverage Testimonials and Reviews Reviews and testimonials from pleased customers can be effective tools for gaining the trust and credibility of prospective buyers and sellers. Include client endorsements in your marketing materials and website, and encourage pleased customers to post reviews on Google Reviews and Yelp. For instance, the real estate firm Redfin prominently displays client evaluations on its website, where they have more than 26,000 ratings and a 4.8-star rating. 7. Give Back to the Community Giving back to the community is a fantastic method to not only have a positive influence but also to develop your business. Establishing yourself as a dependable and respected member of the community can be facilitated by taking part in neighborhood activities and charitable causes, supporting local kid sports teams, or volunteering at a neighborhood non-profit. As an illustration, the real estate company Keller Williams has a program called KW Cares that offers financial help to Keller Williams agents and their families in times of need, disaster relief, and assistance to local non-profits. Building a strong brand for your real estate brokerage requires a combination of strategies, including developing a unique value proposition, defining your target audience, building a strong online presence, providing exceptional customer service, establishing a consistent visual identity, leveraging testimonials and reviews, and giving back to the community. By implementing these strategies, you can differentiate your brokerage from the competition, build trust with potential clients, and establish a strong reputation in your local market. To view the original article, visit the Transactly blog.

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Reveals New Global Brand Identity
Ahead of its 10-year anniversary, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices unveils a bold new look. Celebrating the success of the past decade and expansion to more than 12 countries, 1,500 offices, and 50,000 real estate professionals, modern design paired with sophisticated and vibrant colors brings a refreshed new identity to a brand founded on the principles of trust, stability, integrity, and longevity. "Our refreshed look pays respect to our past and our core foundations of who we are as a brand and perfectly positions us for the exciting future ahead," said Christy Budnick, CEO, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices. "We are a brand that stands apart due to our guiding principles and commitment to excellence, and this contemporary new design aligns with our goals as we celebrate our 10-year anniversary later this year and begin a new decade in a pivotal time for real estate companies." The Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices style evolution is centered on the needs of real estate professionals working within a business that is driven both digitally and with an emphasis on personal connections and relationships. A striking new brand logo, refreshed color palette, and modern typography will be showcased throughout the world and via the millions of marketing pieces, digital impressions, and brand awareness campaigns generated each year and proudly displayed on company and agent websites, yard signs, marketing collateral and more. "The refresh of the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices brand was a thoughtful and strategic undertaking that was executed with care and consideration," said Wendy Durand, SVP, Global Marketing and Communications. "The re-envisioned identity will live beautifully in digital and traditional marketing spaces and incorporates an invigorated collection of colors and designs. Of course, we made sure to include Cabernet—our iconic hue that is distinguishable the world over." The Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Luxury Collection also reveals a new look today. Luxury Collection Specialists comprise an exclusive group of real estate professionals and an unparalleled portfolio of the most magnificent properties around the globe. Designed to personify the qualities Luxury Collection Specialists conduct their business, the new look of luxury is contemporary, yet classic, and always refined. "The new chapter for the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Luxury Collection had to reflect the high quality of properties and the unparalleled level of innovation and sophistication our Luxury Collection Specialists bring to their work every day," said Laura Stace, VP, Global Luxury Marketing and Communications. "I am so proud to unveil an elegant new look for the Collection as our Specialists continue to raise the bar in the industry and provide expert service for those seeking or selling luxury homes. This initiative as whole has been a true testament to the strength and creativity to all at the Global Headquarters—working together for our incredible network." Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and franchisees will incorporate the refresh look and feel in a phased approach with the environment and economics being important considerations of a project of this magnitude and scale. To view the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices new look and for more information, visit www.bhhs.com/refresh.

Real Estate Media Trends You Should Follow in 2023
As a real estate pro, staying ahead of the curve and being up-to-date on the latest industry trends are essential. This not only allows you to serve your clients better but also allows you to stay ahead of the competition. The media landscape is constantly changing, and it can take time to keep up with the latest trends. However, following the industry trends is vital to stay on top of your game. Here are the top six real estate media trends for 2023: Virtual Reality Is More Favored One of the significant technologies changing the real estate landscape today is Virtual Reality (VR). VR allows potential buyers to virtual tour a property and its location without physically visiting the space. It also allows real estate developers to present complex projects in an immersive and realistic view. It is an excellent tool for real estate marketing. Realtors can create virtual tours of properties, making it convenient for potential buyers to view and ask questions about the property. So remember to keep up with VR and its continuous helpful effect on the industry to continue to provide your clients with the best possible service. Drone Footage Is Needed Another hot trend in real estate media is drone footage. Drones offer a unique perspective that allows viewers to see properties in a whole new way. 3D mapping is becoming popular as time goes on. It uses images taken from a drone to create highly accurate 3D models of buildings, landscapes, or objects that are not visible from ground level due to their height. Drones are an effective tool for real estate marketers. Given the demand for exceptional real estate photography and detailed property listings, this trend will be around for a while. Social Media Will Remain a Powerful Tool Social media is a powerful marketing tool in the real estate industry. Real estate professionals use social media to increase awareness, educate potential buyers, and generate leads. It is also a great way to connect with people in your community. Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter can be used to share information about events, news articles, or pictures of your listings. Get on TikTok TikTok is one of the practical marketing tools that can assist agents and brokers in reaching a larger audience and increasing their conversion rate. It enables you to present your listings and services to instantly catch homebuyers' attention. The app has become a popular app for real estate. TikTok's true power stems from its relative simplicity. You can create lead-generating material that indicates your authority on the subject and help position you as the go-to real estate professional in your community with a few clicks using the information you already have. Harnessing the Power of Email Email marketing is becoming a necessity in this day and age. More than an online presence is needed; you also need a sound customer relationship management system. This means that you need to send out newsletters regularly. Real estate pros need to send out more marketing emails to reach your business goals and connect with your target audience. You're busy seeking new homeowners for your properties; automated email marketing campaigns deliver the appropriate message directly to them. Real estate email marketing used correctly, can help you reach more clients and close more deals. Prioritize SEO SEO is a crucial part of marketing strategy for the growth of a real estate business. Building a solid online presence can help differentiate your company from the competition and grow your business. Search engine optimization (SEO) is optimizing a website to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). This process includes on-page factors such as page load speed, content relevance, title tags, and keyword density. There are many things to consider regarding SEO and real estate. The keywords that you use on your website, the content you post, your design, and how often you update your pages all impact how well your website ranks in search engines. The most important thing to remember about SEO is that it's not something you do once and forget about later. It's a process that requires constant attention and care if you want to see results. To Wrap Things Up Real estate media trends are changing rapidly, and agents need to keep up with these changes. With the emergence of new media technology, agents and brokers can reach a wider audience and increase their lead generation. In recent years, online platforms such as social media, blogs, and websites have provided agents with the necessary solutions for marketing their businesses. Following these trends will improve your real estate business, whether you try them yourself or get in touch with experts to help you stay on track. To view the original article, visit the Realtyna blog.

2 Tasks that Every Real Estate Marketer Must Review
Attention digital marketers, if you have not accomplished these two tasks, you need to start today! Install Google Analytics 4 This Week! First on your list is to have Google Analytics 4 (GA4) set up on your web assets by July 1, 2022. Why? Google has scheduled Universal Analytics (UA) for deprecation on July 1, 2023, and they do not intend to move any analytics data from your Universal Analytics to GA4. The lack of a migration pathway makes the data models between GA4 and UA so different. So, if you want to compare year-over-year web analytics for next year, you'll need GA4 installed today. Another reason to start gathering GA4 web analytics data is to allow you to grasp the principles of using the tool and the necessary effort to migrate your UA Events. What are the differences between Universal Analytics and Google Analytics? Universal Analytics uses the hits approach to keep track of page views, screen views, and event interactions. A session with many hits will be produced as a result of this technique. UA also employs cookies to capture analytics of individuals throughout their online journey. On the other hand, as a method of collecting consumer engagement, GA4 makes use of interactions as events. To capture engagement from a web app, iOS, and Android smartphones, GA4 includes over 500 distinct activities. Google created GA4 to coexist in a cookieless environment to maintain consumer data privacy. Things to know about GA4 are: In a new GA4 setup configuration, do not utilize the "Collect Universal Analytics events" option. GA4 allows you to rethink naming conventions for custom events and parameters. Enabling "Collect Universal Analytics events" removes any flexibility GA4 offers to build a new naming convention strategy. While you may add your events, GA4 only allows 50 custom dimensions per property. It's essential to take advantage of GA4's recommendations and reconsider event and parameter naming conventions. GA4 enables tracking across multiple devices, including native mobile apps. The data retention duration in GA4 is two months. Change the data retention duration to 14 months in the Admin. Cookies, user identifiers, and advertising identifiers will be maintained for 50 months by GA360. If you don't already have Google Tag Manager (GTM) in place, now is the time to do so. GTM and GA4 give marketers much freedom regarding what, when, where, and how they collect site events into the analytics. If you haven't yet implemented GA4, you should do so as soon as feasible. The next step after installation is to learn everything there is to know about the benefits and improvements of GA4. Unfortunately, the learning curve is steep, and your web analytics reports will change dramatically next year. Are Your UTM Parameters Following the Customer Journey? Another issue that digital marketers should consider is whether their UTM settings are correct. UTM parameters allow marketers to see which digital advertising campaigns bring people to their websites and provide insights on lead conversions. When you use tracking links to collect visitor information, remember that the URL link in an ad might include UTM parameters. This link should consist of tracking variables that reveal the name of the ad source, marketing campaign, and type of consumer action taken. Example: https:/somewebsite.com/?utm_source=Google&utm_mediam=ppc&utm_campaign=just_listed_property Typically, when visitors arrive at a website, they choose to explore other links rather than interact with your lead form. A properly configured UTM parameter will follow people browsing the site. The digital ad links to a client who fills out an inquiry form. This statistic allows you to calculate an exact Return on Advertising Spend (ROAS) when a customer purchases or sells a property. I discovered that most websites' settings do not keep track of the client when they go from page to page on the site. As a result, when the consumer ultimately decides to fill out an inquiry form, marketing has lost sight of the ad source attribution. Worse yet, marketing will not be able to determine their digital campaign's real ROAS. Solving this problem is easy with a little JavaScript and Google Tag Manager (GTM). I've used this on several websites, and the benefits have been fantastic. Additionally, test your website like a customer to see whether the criteria are consistent across the site. If they don't, make changes. You'll be shocked at how many inquiry requests include the first source attribution and provide more information about your ROAS. If you require assistance setting up GA4 or UTM parameters, contact WAV Group. We would be delighted to assist you in understanding how clients interact with your web or mobile assets. To view the original article, visit the WAV Group blog.

Howard Hanna Partners with Lone Wolf Technologies for Transaction Management, Digital Marketing and More
Lone Wolf Technologies and Howard Hanna Real Estate Services announced an expansion of their partnership that extends the broker version of Lone Wolf Transactions (zipForm Edition), as well as top digital marketing tools, Boost, Connect, and Spacio, and business intelligence from BrokerMetrics, to the entire brokerage. Howard Hanna's brokerage solution comes with a complete set of tools for agents, brokers, and staff, including built-in eSignature, a mobile application, and real estate's most robust broker file review process. Lone Wolf's digital marketing solution, Boost, delivers fast, easy, and effective digital ads to Facebook and Instagram, as well as to the most popular sites on the internet, while Spacio and Connect provide mobile tools for open house/event lead capture and client collaboration, respectively. The final piece to Howard Hanna's technology suite from Lone Wolf is BrokerMetrics, which delivers real-time data analysis on market share and market dynamics. These solutions combine to provide a complete experience from listing to close and beyond, putting leading technology in the hands of Howard Hanna's agents and brokers, so they have everything they need to run their business, improve profits, and deliver superior results to their buyers and sellers. "We're thrilled to partner with Howard Hanna, one of the biggest and best real estate companies in the U.S.," said Kyle Hunter, GM of Franchise for Lone Wolf. "This partnership represents the best of the real estate and technology worlds coming together to significantly improve marketing, transactions, and business management for everyone involved. Combined, these solutions offer Howard Hanna's agents and brokers a real estate experience like no other, which in turn helps them do the same for their clients." Howard Hanna is the largest privately held brokerage in the U.S. and the fifth-largest brokerage overall, with more than 125,000 transaction sides in 2021 and $36.5 billion in sales volume.* Since using Boost, Howard Hanna has seen over 337,000 leads generated a month, as well as a staggering 8.8% click-thru rate on their digital advertising efforts. In the last 30 days alone, Howard Hanna's advertising with Boost has netted over 15 million impressions and 94,000 total engagements from consumers. "We're excited to expand our partnership with Lone Wolf and extend these amazing solutions to our company," said Howard W. "Hoby" Hanna, IV, President of Howard Hanna Real Estate Services. "There are so many technology providers out there, but none can match the breadth of brokerage functionality of Lone Wolf. With Boost and Transactions already being used by our agents and brokers, the proof speaks for itself: Our partnership with Lone Wolf has already yielded significant results, and I'm confident it will continue to give our agents and brokerages a competitive edge in the marketplace in the years to come." *As disclosed by the RISMedia Power Broker Report

Real Estate Digital Marketing Trends that Will Make It to 2022
While there is still time for surprises, the end of the year is an excellent time for all real estate companies to review their performance, analyze business strategies, and consider the best practices, real estate digital marketing trends they can adopt in the following year. Every year, we encounter new digital trends that create the groundwork for the future of digital marketing, the real estate industry, and the world at large. Yet, even a challenging year like 2021 was more consistent and predictable than 2020. For example, the first few months of the year saw the rise of TikTok, which has now become the most popular social media platform for Gen Z users, NFTs, and cryptos making waves in finance and, of course, Facebook changing its name to Meta. Overall, many interesting digital innovations affect how we connect with our audience. Read on for digital marketing trends that will most likely make it to 2022. Top Real Estate Digital Marketing Trends in 2022 More Online Events With online events such as webinars, you get the chance to speak directly to your audience and gather vital information about them. These online events are more about creating a long-term engagement with clients and potential customers than generating income short term. After gaining valuable information at a brand's event, a customer is most likely to refer back to that brand when it comes to making a purchase decision in the future. A Continuous Rise in AI The rise of artificial intelligence in digital marketing will continue to gain momentum. Real estate businesses that are not taking advantage of AI in their marketing strategies risk missing out on benefits such as keyword suggestions for better organic search, automatic online traffic reporting, and even projections of consumers' anticipated future purchases. On the other hand, most businesses that automate their marketing generate reasonable ROI within a year. Excellent Customer Service As the digital ecosystem evolves, customers are getting pickier about what they consume, and as a result, their expectations are high. We're witnessing a significant shift in perceptions of what marketing is. It is no longer necessary to persuade individuals to buy from or work with your company. Instead, the focus is on creating exceptional customer experiences that keep people coming back. Video Marketing Videos will account for 82 percent of all online traffic by 2022, according to a Cisco study published in 2022. Videos are 53 times more likely to earn first-page SERP ranks than other SEO strategies. In addition, 84% of consumers today say that seeing a video has led them to make an online purchase. Personalization One of the most effective ways to attract your clients is to tailor your real estate digital marketing to their specific requirements. We can now use data to uncover what keeps them up at night and what messages will resolve their problems. From content to design to product recommendations and everything in between, advances in technology like AI and enhanced data collecting have made hyper-personalization effortless and straightforward. 2022 will see better integration of CRM and CMS to deliver consistent, tailored brand messaging in digital marketing. 2022 Is Almost Here If you haven't started planning your 2022 marketing strategy yet, now is the best time to start. While there is a constant change in marketing trends, you need to know what your audience wants and deliver it to them through regular communication to succeed in your real estate business. To view the original article, visit the Realtyna blog.

Done-for-You Tools for Brokerages
Even with real estate listings selling like hot cakes, marketing your brokerage and your agents is more important than ever before. Broker-owners are increasingly turning to done-for-you solutions to help their teams project consistent brands online--and are reaping huge benefits. During the last week of May, Kim Koraca, Vice President of Marketing at Constellation1, joined David Caveness, President of Carpenter Realtors, to discuss done-for-you tools for broker-owners at Inman Connect Now, the popular digital event series where real estate professionals have the opportunity to network, learn, and grow. Watch the "Done For You" Tools Broker/Owners Need to Offer Agents Now: You can't neglect your marketing Agents are busier than ever in this market, especially if they're representing buyers: they're writing five, six, or even more offers before one gets accepted, which represents an enormous amount of work. Sellers agents are busy too, preparing for and sifting through the mountain of offers for every property. That means that even the most conscientious and motivated agents don't have time to market themselves, and those who do might not have the technological savvy to do it properly. But busy or not, marketing and branding are top priorities that can't be ignored. To market effectively, broker-owners are increasingly taking the lead and implementing done-for-you marketing solutions for their teams. As David Caveness said, "You call these tools done for you, I call them set and forget, both for our agents and our marketing team." He knows they're working because he never has to think about them. Let's take a closer look at what he means. Social media marketing done right Carpenter Realtors has a team of 670 agents at 33 offices across Indiana. Even with such a large team, it only has one full-time marketing director. How can one person handle the marketing for so many others? By leveraging marketing solutions that deliver on their promises. The key to marketing is consistency. Keep your brand consistent and top of mind, and your leads will come to you. But when agents are busy, consistency is a challenge. So, Carpenter started using Reach Social by Constellation1 as an agent benefit to centralize and manage all of their social publishing. Today, the tool boasts a 74% agent adoption rate, which is remarkably high and rivaled only by Carpenter's mandatory transaction management platform. Now the brokerage handles all top-of-funnel activities on its agents' behalf, so they can focus on adding value and closing deals at the bottom of the funnel instead. Thanks to hard work, a talent for sales, and social marketing tools like Paradym by Constellation1, some of Carpenter's individual agents are selling up to $20 million a year in a market where the average listing price is $220,000 (that's two homes per week). Read the full Carpenter Realtors customer story here Marketing is more important than ever "Marketing is more important today in 2021 than ever before in my 50 years in this business," David observed. As he drives around Indianapolis, he doesn't notice as many yard signs anymore. Houses are selling so quickly that, when there is a sign, it's only up for a couple of weeks. This leaves a major void, and one that brokerages need to fill to get their brand out there. With a tool like Reach Social, all 450+ agents who use it get unique, branded content automatically pushed to their social channels to make sure the Carpenter name really stands out. "If a broker isn't pushing their brand out there consistently," David went on, "then they're losing out. People will forget you if they don't see your brand on a regular basis." And if they forget you, they're going to list with someone else. Relying on the right partners It's important to take care of your brand, no matter what the market is doing. Having the right partners makes it a lot easier. "Some people call them vendors, but at Carpenter, we call them partners," David said. "Constellation1 has been a valued partner in our marketing campaigns for the past 12 years, and it all comes back to set it and forget it." Today, more than ever, prospective buyers and sellers need to see your brand so that you're top of mind when they're ready to make a move. For more information about done-for-you marketing tools for your brokerage, book your personal tour today! To view the original article, visit the Constellation1 blog.

Delivering on Your Own Brokerage's Secret Sauce
In real estate, every brand delivers the same ultimate net result -- the purchasing or sale of a home. So, if every brokerage basically delivers the same service, how do you attract consumers to your brand over others? How do you differentiate your messaging when every "product" does basically the same thing? Also, how do you ensure that the customer experience with your brand will be consistent when the experience is delivered by independently minded real estate agents? These are three very important questions to pay attention to if you are interested in scaling your business. Real estate is not alone in this challenge. Think of the laundry detergent section in your grocery store; every detergent gets your clothes clean, yet there are TONS of them on the shelf. Why? Each one of them has carved out a unique niche to convince the grocery store chain they are worthy of placement on their shelves. Real estate brokerages need to identify a meaningful, customer-centric benefit they can deliver that is true to their brand and yet meaningfully different than competitors. Not an easy task, but it can be done. We have helped tons of brokerages, tech companies and even MLSs figure out how to differentiate themselves from others. Let's discuss how to get started down a path toward brand differentiation. What Makes Your Brand Different? The first question you need to ask yourself is, what makes my company different? When you think about the culture and service philosophy of your company, what makes yours unique? What are you most proud of? What do you think your agents say about your brand when they are talking to prospects? These are important questions to ask yourself before you can build a brand messaging plan or customer experience plan. What Do Consumers Say About Your Brand? It is very important to understand how the real estate consumer perceives your brand. You must differentiate those that chose to work with you – versus those that chose to work with another brand. Ask those who are considering a purchase in the next 12 months; renters are a critical group for feeding your future sales opportunities as well. With consumer research, you can uncover your key brand perceptions, as well as compare strengths and weaknesses of your competitors. WAV Group is the largest independent consumer research company in real estate today. If you need help, reach out and we are happy to help you put together a research plan. What Do Your Competitors Say About Their Brand? While branding is a lot more than a slogan, the tagline that each brand chooses gives you a look into what they prioritize in their communications. Here are some examples of the phrases/mantras in real estate today as a starting place. Do the same exercises in your local market to identify what your strong, local competitors are claiming as well. Sampling of National Brokerage Brands Compass: Find Your Place Keller Williams: Find Your Dream Home Coldwell Banker: Search for Homes in your Neighborhood eXp: Find Your Home, All the help you need for your home buying journey Zillow: Change Starts Here Redfin: Find Homes First. Tour Homes Fast. Berkshire Hathaway Home Services: Our network knows great homes Century 21: Don't Settle for Average Why Does Your Brand and Messaging Matter? Some brokerages we talk to are not interested in doing the hard work to carve out a unique position in the marketplace. They are worried that they will somehow limit their agents' opportunities through focusing on their message. They say that consumers buy from agents, not brands, so, why does my brand matter? With an ever-increasing amount of competition and business models entering the real estate space, that attitude is very myopic and dangerous. Think about your own behavior – does brand matter when you buy a car? Do you appreciate the consistent experience when you travel from one Marriott hotel to another? Are you excited when your favorite Ben & Jerry's ice cream flavor delivers every time? That's what brand consistency can do for you, too. How We Can Help? WAV Group can help you identify and clarify what you deliver to produce raving fan experiences. The evidence we gather is likely to be what you already know, which may or may not be the experience you really want to deliver. This information forms the foundation of your brand messaging and the ultimate service experience you are striving for. If you are interested, give us a call and we can help you take your brand and your growth opportunities to a whole new level. To view the original article, visit the WAV Group blog.

BHHS Towne Realty: Savvy Social Media Marketing
In today's digital age, brokerages that aren't harnessing the power of social media are getting left behind. Learn how BHHS Towne Realty partnered with Constellation1 to upgrade their online presence and create a social media marketing team 400 agents strong. Making social pay dividends for brokerages Real estate marketing has undergone a monumental shift from paper to digital. Today, the majority of homebuyers begin their property searches online and are active social media users. If your listings aren't being heavily marketed online, the gap in your strategy is likely costing you leads and affecting your bottom line. Typically, 65% of an agent's new business comes from their sphere of influence, but only one in ten agents is marketing to that sphere effectively. The solution? Social media marketing. A cohesive social media strategy is a must for brokerages, but creating one from scratch or optimizing an underperforming one can seem daunting (especially for those who aren't great with computers). With the right tools, social media marketing can actually be effortless. In our newest customer story, BHHS Towne Realty talks about how they automated their social media marketing with Paradym by Constellation1. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Towne Realty is the leading local real estate brokerage in resale and luxury sales in Southeastern Virginia, with 17 offices and 400 agents. They have been offering premier real estate services to Virginians for more than 35 years. "It worked so well we decided to make it available to the entire brokerage, about 400 agents," says Rolston S. Audain Jr., Marketing & Luxury Collection Director, BHHS Towne Realty. After testing Paradym by Constellation1, a fully automated, multi-pronged, and multi-network digital marketing suite, with their 50 top luxury agents, the team was hooked. "It worked so well we decided to make it available to the entire brokerage, about 400 agents," said Rolston S. Audain Jr., Marketing & Luxury Collection Director at BHHS Towne Realty. "Paradym's social media marketing solution lets us post consistently every single day, and all the posts are solid," he went on. "My philosophy is to give our agents the best tools, then get out of their way. Treating our agents like internal customers is the driving mission behind what we do," says Barbara Wolcott, Chairman and CEO of BHHS Towne Realty. A powerful agent retention tool Management decided to make the full suite a brokerage-paid benefit for all agents. "My philosophy is to give our agents the best tools, then get out of their way," said Barbara Wolcott, Chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Towne Realty. "Treating our agents like internal customers is the driving mission behind what we do." With automated social media marketing, BHHS Towne Realty's team of agents can drive leads to their listings, market effectively to their entire sphere of influence, and give homebuyers what they want: a seamless online marketing experience. By taking digital marketing off agents' plates, BHHS Towne Realty found an easy, cost-effective way to support the entire team. Read more about how BHHS Towne Realty has harnessed Paradym by Constellation1 to level up their social game and turn 400 agents into a coordinated posting team. To view the original article, visit the Constellation1 blog.

How to Keep Your Brokerage Top of Mind Through Low Inventory Periods
Recent data shows that housing inventory has never been lower. According to CNBC, at the end of February 2021, there were 1.03 million homes for sale in the U.S., down nearly 30% year-over-year. It's the lowest supply on record. Despite the lean supply, people are more interested than ever in buying. Bidding wars and all-cash offers are the norm, but your team might not be closing as many deals as usual—simply because properties are scarce. What can you do to sustain your stream of leads, keep your agents busy and keep cash coming in? Read on for a few tips for staying top of mind and making the most of low-inventory periods. Use the lull to revamp your website. In the digital age, your website is your 'For Sale' sign. You want to make sure it pops with eye-catching images, industry-leading SEO and a multitude of ways to contact your brokerage. Slower periods are the perfect opportunity to devote much-needed time to your website, and with a strong online brand, you'll be sure to attract the attention of potential sellers who are looking to list. Market better to agents' spheres of influence. Low-inventory periods can be stressful for anyone who relies on commissions for their livelihoods, especially agents. It is important for them to stay productive during low-inventory periods, and an easy way to do that is to market to their spheres, i.e., the network of people they have sway over. According to the National Association of REALTORS®, 67% of agents' new business comes from their spheres. Make sure your brokerage's is on point (and automated!) so your agents' networks know your brokerage's name and think of it when it's time to buy or sell. Be a force for good in the community. There are so many ways to give back, even when inventory isn't low. Sponsor a park cleanup, organize a neighborhood mural, plant a garden or help at a vaccine clinic in your community. Wear your office shirts and be ambassadors for your brokerage. You'll help your neighbors, and they may think of your brokerage and agents for their future real estate need. It's a win-win! Make it easy for people to contact you, and respond fast. When there aren't as many homes to buy or sell, leads are all the more precious, especially potential sellers and buyers whose offers weren't accepted. You need to be able to follow up fast. Studies have shown that fast responses are critical, and providing the right information before your competitors means you are more likely to win the lead. A CRM tool that helps your entire team follow up with leads fast can make all the difference. Give listings the star treatment. With the way the market is going, houses are selling themselves. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't pull out all the stops. Top-notch customer service is key, including stunning listing photos, customized property sites, a marketing blitz and an overall stress-free sale. Remember, referrals are a major source of business: if your agents take care of buyers and sellers now, they will be top of mind next time, too. Set up regular touch points. Don't be afraid to provide useful information to remind your contacts you're there. Leverage your CRM to send recommended properties to your entire active customer database based on what they've viewed and saved. That way, they never miss a listing, and your team gets to be who helps them close on their dream home. For more information about stunning websites, social media marketing, the best real estate CRM available and more, book your personal tour today! To view the original article, visit the Constellation1 blog.

Fathom Holdings Signs Definitive Agreement to Acquire Technology Platform LiveBy
Yet another tech roll-up for one of the leading brokerages building out their value as a technology solutions provider. LiveBy currently provides local content automation for websites and social media for tons of big brands like Ebby, Alain Pinel, Hunt Real Estate and many others. Brokers, yet again, are going to have to make the decision about whether to stay with a technology that is owned by a competing brokerage. This trend is not going to slow down any time soon, I don't believe.

A Podcast Classic: Joe Rand Rants and Raves about Relevant Content and Digital Marketing
Podcasts have been popular during the last decade and have flourished during the pandemic. Over 55% of the US population has listened to podcasts, and over 155 million people listen to at least one podcast every week. With over 700,000 active podcasts and 29 million episodes, choices are abundant. In real estate, here's one every agent should enjoy: Snapshot. The Snapshot podcast, featuring Homesnap's Gayle Weiswasser, delivers solid takeaways from every episode. Gayle is easy to listen to, is a skilled interviewer, and also is a top industry expert. With over 150 podcasts to date, Gayle talks to real estate agents across the country about social media, marketing, real estate and client development. She finds agents who are doing marketing in interesting and innovative ways and interviews them so that others can learn about new strategies, platforms and content ideas. It's an excellent way for agents to learn how to transform their marketing efforts from the experts featured on this show. The latest episode is a hoot: it's a must-listen-to podcast featuring industry veteran and thought leader Joe Rand. Joe wears two hats. One as the Executive Director for the Broker Public Portal and the second as Chief Creative Officer for Howard Hanna|Rand Realty. In this Snapshot episode – "Snapshot #152: Sharing Relevant Content Through Marketing" – Joe talks with Gayle about some of the most effective ways to use digital marketing to communicate. More importantly, Joe describes most candidly ways not to use social media and digital marketing. Joe proves he's not only informative, but he's hilarious. This episode is packed with great, immediate takeaways for agents. It's also fun to listen to Joe as he teaches. Joe started in real estate as a teenager – his mom started his family's now-legendary brokerage. Joe got his real estate license when he was 18 years old. He stepped away from real estate, becoming a lawyer and a law professor before returning to the business about 20 years ago. He's written a couple of terrific real estate books (Disruptors, Discounters and Doubters and How to be a Great Real Estate Agent) and is one of the most sought-after convention speakers. Listen to this podcast and you'll understand why he is in demand as a keynote. Gayle shares a background with Joe as a former attorney (they both admit they hated being lawyers on this episode) turned communicator. Take a listen as Joe talks about what communications should achieve. You'll hear him compare and contrast the success and failures that agents make with their digital marketing and social media posts. And you'll probably laugh out loud when he discusses the tendency of agents to talk about themselves with their marketing instead of things their customers are actually interested in. At one point, he notes that only real estate professionals will post an activity that's part of their job. "Who does that?" Joe asks, noting that other professionals don't post on Facebook, "I healed a patient, I just won a case, or I just cut somebody's hair!" Joe says, "You're supposed to get listings; that's your job. It's like you are doing a touchdown dance because you took a listing." With humor and fun laced throughout this interview, Joe is in top form. From discussing video tactics that work and ones to avoid, he also provides fantastic tactical advice on a social media strategy that can engage people agents want to reach. And he gives several specific examples. Finally, don't miss the last six minutes of this 38-minute podcast. Gayle asks Joe her signature question. It's one she has asked every guest appearing on Snapshot: What apps are you using? Maybe for fun, productivity, or relaxation. Gayle notes that most guests in the past have included the Calm app in their answers. Joe's response begins, "I don't even know what Calm is!" You will just have to listen to the rest. Related post: Real Estate Leader Joe Rand Named Executive Director of the Broker Public Portal with Homesnap To view the original article, visit the WAV Group blog.

Delta Media Launches Creative Studio as It Builds the One-stop Marketing Shop
Earlier this year at the LeadingRE Conference, Delta Media launched its cutting-edge DeltaNET 6 platform. CEO and Owner Michael Minard described it as "the ultimate all-in-one website and digital marketing platform designed by real estate experts for real estate professionals." This was a huge move by Delta. DeltaNET 6 culminated in more than 40,000 development hours and an investment north of $30 million. At the epicenter of the DeltaNET 6 ecosystem is its built-in CRM, which connects to everything.

Delta Media's Creative Studio Available Free to Real Estate Agents and Teams Using DeltaNET 6
Real estate agents don't have time to learn how to become professional designers--yet the most successful ways to market a listing requires design management and intelligence, and often design skills. To help agents maintain and create high quality customizable designs with just a couple of clicks, Creative Studio, a robust real estate brokerage digital and print marketing center, is now available for free to all DeltaNET 6 agents and teams. Delta Media Group, one of the U.S.'s most established and largest broker technology solutions providers, dramatically expands the digital and print marketing capabilities of its market-leading all-in-one platform with the launch of Creative Studio. An update and substantial expansion of Delta's highly popular ECard and Flyer design system, Creative Studio offers a number of new features including — for the first time — the ability to design marketing materials from scratch. "Delta Media now offers agents and teams a single place that handles virtually all of their marketing needs," said Michael Minard, CEO and owner of Delta Media. Minard notes that DeltaNET 6 CRM platform features the real estate industry's top patent-pending SEO software that powers agent websites as well as "the most powerful and easiest-to-use CRM in real estate." A design contest offering $1,000 total in Amazon.com Gift Cards for the best original Ecard or flyer is coinciding with the launch of the DeltaNET Creative Studio. Agents with access to Creative Studio can enter multiple designs, as can any other agent as Delta Media is offering a 30-day free trial of DeltaNET 6 that includes Creative Studio. More details about the contest are here and the free trail offer is available at deltamediagroup.com/free. One of the most flexible marketing platforms available, Creative Studio now supports Adobe InDesign imports, as well as fully integrated same-day printing with overnight shipping by Xpressdocs. Creative Studio also offers an expansive library of professionally designed and customizable marketing templates for digital, social media and print-related needs. "Now with Creative Studio, agents and teams no longer have to pay multiple software marketing providers to build their business—cutting their monthly marketing costs," Minard explained. "Agents and teams also won't have to struggle using different marketing tools that are not integrated and don't talk to each other, solving a huge real estate technology pain point." Other marketing platforms require agents or teams to input listing information for each property to create marketing materials. Like the previous eCard and flyer system from Delta, Creative Studio is embedded into DeltaNET 6 CRM platform, so no data entry is required. The listing information comes directly from the local MLS and instantly populates each marketing piece with a single touch or click. The CRM integration allows brokers, agents, and teams to deliver direct marketing materials to specific customer groups. Images from the MLS are also automatically imported to create marketing materials simple and fast, and Creative Studio allows uploading of images from one's library for additional customization and personalization. Agents can integrate their marketing materials into Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and email campaigns. While Creative Studio's basic mode helps agents and teams easily create all their digital, social and print marketing materials, Creative Studio features an advanced method for in-house and contracted marketing designers. The advanced settings allow the custom creation of marketing materials from InDesign files or scratch. Designers and advanced users can use Creative Studio to create custom-branded "smart" marketing materials that instantly change when importing the desired property listing information directly from the MLS with a single touch or click using smart data tags. Creative Studio gives agents and teams the ability to create high-resolution, print-ready flyers, brochures, postcards, door hangers and more. Marketing materials can be provided to a local printer or directly within the platform to Xpressdocs, a leading provider of direct marketing solutions for real estate.

How Goli Marketers Are Blowing It with Their Influencer Strategy
Ever notice when people you follow on social media give a shout out to a product, or do an unboxing or a product review? Those people are usually being compensated because they are influencers (influencer is a term for word-of-mouth marketing on social media). I am going to share a relevant influencer story about my daughter then wrap it up with an influencer strategy for real estate.

What Makes a Powerful Brand? 3 Key Things to Include
Real estate is no stranger to brands. After all, a brand is your identity in the real estate world; it's how you present yourself and, ultimately, it's how people recognize you and your real estate business. But there's a lot more to a brand than picking a name and a logo. It's as much about the story you tell as it is about the visual identity you choose. When you're building a powerful brand (or maybe even going through a rebrand), here's what to consider—and what it should reflect.

3D Walk-throughs Aren't Just for Listings: Capture These 6 Local Spaces to Boost Engagement and Business Opportunity
As a real estate professional, a meaningful connection to your community is vital to the success of your business. But we know you've heard the same advice on the subject over and over--host events, be a source of community information, volunteer, etc. Today, however, we're going to introduce you to a high-tech way to connect to your local market--and, bonus, it's sure to dazzle and engage consumers in your area. That strategy? Capturing community spaces in 3D walk-throughs. Not only does this help relocating buyers become more familiar (not to mention creating sight-unseen opportunities) with your community, but it also adds confidence and comfort to the home search through knowledge of local establishments, helping real estate consumers decide which neighborhood suits them best. "Increasingly, especially when we're talking about suburban redevelopment, you're not only choosing the house, you're choosing the neighborhood and the places that are part of that neighborhood," says Charles Nitschke, Chief Integration Officer, Sotheby's Tomlinson Group. Nitschke is part of a growing group of savvy real estate professionals around the country who are tapping into the power of Matterport's technology to capture three-dimensional models, or "digital twins," of various community establishments and businesses in their market areas. Here are examples of six local spaces you can capture in your community to boost consumer engagement, lead generation and awareness of your real estate brand. Schools So you've got school ratings, school district zoning, and other information on your real estate website. That's a great start, but you can take things to a whole other level by including 3D walk throughs of those schools where people can virtually experience and learn about the facility for themselves. Nitschke finds that this is especially useful for markets with colleges or universities. "[Institutions] are tremendously interested in being able to show off their space to attract students, to be able to walk the parents and students through the facility, to get comfortable with it before they start travelling to narrow down their final school selection." After scanning their first school, Nitschke's brokerage, Sotheby's Tomlinson Group, approached another. Next summer, they will scan Idaho College's athletic department and then scale out into dorms, classrooms, and eventually the whole college. The 3D scan will be available on the college's website and on their brokerage's site, said Nitschke. "It's a big part of becoming that digital mayor, becoming that tour guide for the community." Local art galleries Lisa Larkin is the designated broker for RE/MAX Select in Tucson, Ariz., and she has long understood the power of co-branding with influential local figures. For years, her team has worked with Diana Madaras, a high-profile local artist, to host client appreciation events at her gallery, license her art on their marketing materials, and more. When Larkin and her team discovered Matterport, they offered to scan a new gallery space she had just purchased so that she could put it on her website. It's now featured prominently on her site's front page. They put the scan on their website too, under a relocation tab where people new to Tucson could see different places and businesses around town. The result is mutually beneficial: real estate consumers learn of an important local artist, and art consumers learn about a local real estate company that's differentiating themselves through the use of innovative technology. Event and recreational spaces Microbreweries are a big trend across the country, and they tend to attract a savvy, upwardly mobile clientele—an ideal real estate customer. A new agent at Sotheby's Tomlinson Group captured a local brewery as a way to break into the market and to introduce himself to the owner of the brewery. That introduction led him to listing the owner's house when the owner decided it was time to downsize. Theaters, concert venues, gyms, and other similar spaces are also excellent candidates for 3D reality capture. These popular locations service what equates to a large audience every year, many of whom will visit their website where your Matterport scan is located. That means this untapped audience will have the chance to see your 3D digital twin on a consistent basis and the opportunity to learn about your real estate business. Places of worship Sotheby's Tomlinson Group parlayed their digital twins of local schools into an opportunity to scan a 60,000 sq. ft. mega church and its 60,000 sq. ft. athletic facility. Along with building awareness for their brand, the scan is also connecting their community to church-facilitated services that they may not have otherwise known existed, such as substance abuse and domestic violence programs. "If you were to walk into this large church, try to figure out where to go to find those services, to familiarize yourself with what's available, or even to get the process started, it would be an intimidating process to go down that road," says Nitschke. The digital twins of the church helps community members understand what's offered, where to go within the church, and how to reach out. The church is even leveraging Matterport "Mattertags," to embed digital media (in this case video) into their digital twins. Every week, they add their sermons in a Mattertag for people who missed the service or want to listen again. Your office While creating 3D digital twins of local spaces is a great form of passive marketing, let's not forget one very important space you should also capture—your office. "It's fantastic to send out to clients so that they know where they're going to be going, where they're going to be meeting and take some of the apprehension out of that process," says Nitschke. Unlike your office, the digital twin is available 24/7, and it can help current and potential clients feel more comfortable with your business. Sotheby's Tomlinson Group has also scanned their title company and has future plans to scan their mortgage vendor's office, too. "When the consumer is getting ready to go to closing day, they're able to navigate the building where the title company is so they know where to go from the parking garage to the title company, what the reception desk looks like, what the conference room that they're going to be signing in looks like. It just takes a lot of that stress out of an already stressful situation by being able to walk them through," says Nitschke. How Can I Get Started? We've talked about capturing some very big, important spaces in your community. If that seems intimidating, it isn't. Starting with local businesses you're already familiar with will streamline the partnering process, but creating the digital twin itself is really quite simple. It's a natural step in building relationships for an industry that relies on that ability. "I'm finding the more that we get involved in these community spaces that are incredibly important to how and why and where people choose to live, the relationships start to build on one another," says Nitschke. "Shooting this facility ends up leading to an introduction to somebody to shoot another facility, and so we're kind of growing very naturally through collecting these spaces." Once you've captured your first community space, be sure to put it on your website and promote it wherever you can. Lisa Larkin's brokerage, RE/MAX Select, has even created a website dedicated solely to 3D tours of local spaces, as well as a Facebook page for that website. An easily accessible collection of 3D digital twins of community spaces also helps real estate consumers get a better sense of what a neighborhood's all about—far better than traditional real estate tools and MLS data can. Traditional tools offer "no depth to what a community is all about, and this allows us to give them a much better idea of what the difference is between some of these neighborhoods," says Nitschke. For more in-depth information about capturing community spaces, including marketing strategies, check out our recent webinar here. And try Matterport yourself with your free Matterport account to get started with 3D differentiation.

2 Secrets to More Lead Conversions, Straight from a Top Team's Playbook
Lauren Bowen leads one of the most productive real estate teams at Robert Slack. She's increased conversion rates and productivity while the company nearly doubled in size. The secret to her team's success? They stalk their real estate leads... or, more accurately, they let their lead generation solution do it for them. Targeting the Most Likely Buyers Anyone who has spent any time on the internet has been "stalked" by an online ad. You visit a site once, and for days or weeks after, an ad from that site follows you around the web. This is called "ad retargeting," and marketers love this advertising strategy because it is so effective. The Lauren Bowen Team employs this strategy to great success via realtor.com's Local Expert program. Local Expert users can create three types of ads: For Sale ads, Just Sold ads, and Branding ads. Those ads are then displayed to buyers in your chosen area on realtor.com. Once they leave the site, those same ads are displayed in their Facebook feed. "This not only helps bring a buyer to the house, it also shows the seller that we are putting it in front of numerous buyers for them," Lauren says. Tip: Because Local Expert offers detailed campaign analytics, you can impress your sellers by telling them exactly how many people have seen their home's ad. Dialing Up Lead Volume for a Higher Conversion Ratio Lauren's team may have stumbled on another secret to improved conversion rates when, thanks to the success of their realtor.com program, they decided to increase their volume of leads. This lead to a curious phenomenon. The team's number of lead conversions not only increased—as expected with more overall leads coming in—but their conversion ratio increased as well. That means the team is converting a higher percentage of leads than they were at their previous lead volume. "We've almost doubled our conversion ratio with the same leads," says Lauren. See Lauren THIS THURSDAY at Inman Connect NY Want to hear more real estate lead wisdom from Lauren? On Thursday, she'll be sharing her expertise during a panel discussion on the Team Track at Inman Connect New York. Check out her panel, Lead Distribution: Who Gets What?, on January 30!

HER Realtors Launches kvCORE from Inside Real Estate to Fuel Growth in 2020
HER Realtors, ranked by the RISMedia Power Broker Report as one of the top 100 largest brokerages in the country, has partnered with Inside Real Estate to provide kvCORE to their over 1,250 associates. The platform will serve as a comprehensive tech ecosystem, allowing associates and teams to manage their entire business in one location, driving increased efficiencies and higher productivity for HER Realtors' growing footprint of associates throughout Ohio and Northern Kentucky.

Sotheby's International Realty Unveils Marketing Suite for more than 23,000 Sales Associates
Sotheby's International Realty today announced the launch of its newly developed marketing suite, Current by Sotheby's International Realty, a suite of technology tools that was developed in tandem with Sotheby's International Realty affiliated companies and independent sales associates to benefit their businesses and clients. The offering was introduced by Kevin Thompson, chief marketing officer for Sotheby's International Realty Affiliates LLC, during Inman's Luxury Connect 2019 conference.

Safe Selling: Why Agents Should Avoid Getting Personal in Their Marketing
How can brokers help their agents stay safe? You probably already know all the physical basics, but did you know the way your agents present themselves online can actually deter--or attract--predators? We've already learned how an agent's profile photo and the language they use in their marketing can put off a potential attacker. In today's episode of "Safe Selling," we're deepening that knowledge by exploring what types of marketing information attracts dangerous people, and what repels them. Watch the video above to learn: The difference between personal and professional information Why agents should NEVER include personal information on their website or other marketing channels The personal details that can cause a predator to stalk an agent in person What topics your agents' marketing should focus on instead Tune in next week when we'll learn the ins and outs of social media safety!

6 Kinds of Infographics to Use in Real Estate Marketing
The real estate business is competitive. Marketers are competing for attention in the same arenas for similar audience profiles. With the digital sphere clogged with information, it is becoming harder for marketers to get their content noticed. While content marketing efforts make a difference in the amount of engagement real estate agencies receive, the best way to captivate an audience is by using strong visuals, like high quality images, charts, and infographics. But not all marketers have access to graphic designers nor the time or ability to start learning graphic design software to make such visuals. Fortunately, there are online resources now available to real estate marketers that offer stunning infographic templates, all of which are customizable and shareable. Today we will be looking at the six kinds of infographics you can use as a real estate marketer.

Community Data Marketing: BHHS Fox and Roach Gets Creative
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Fox and Roach, REALTORS®, one of the largest brokerages in America (over 5000 agents), is among the firms at the forefront of combining technologies using APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) to get the most out of the technology solutions that power their success. In the first quarter of this year, Fox and Roach implemented LiveBy as a partner for their community information. LiveBy writes and aggregates localized content used by Fox and Roach for a number of business needs. Their content is primary used to build out community pages on their broker websites that power a 360-degree snapshot of what it is like to live in a community. Fox and Roach integrates the API from LiveBy with MLS and other data sources to build very compelling pages. Check out this page for Chestnut Hill, PA.

How One Brokerage Gets More Listings and Referrals with Online Branding
Robert Slack, LLC uses branded property portal and retargeted ads to attract clients, recruit agents, and win listing presentations. In this interview, Robert Slack, Founder and CEO, and Dan Walters, Partner and COO, share their secrets to online marketing success.

Better, Faster, Stronger: How to Make Agile Marketing Work for Your Real Estate Company
WAV Group supports brokers, MLSs, and technology firms by developing a culture of agile marketing across their business. Agile is mostly known as a software development approach through which requirements and solutions evolve through short sprint processes and team collaboration. In marketing terms, agile is a process of applying short sprints of highly focused marketing. The idea is to get as much done as quickly as possible and release marketing faster.

Brokers Need to Rebuild Their Marketing Departments
Since the mid-2000s, brokers have decimated their marketing departments to cut expenses and transition from print to digital. With the commission splits increasing the amount of money received by agents, the brokerage marketing budget now focuses on supporting the agent. Profoundly, few broker marketing departments are developed to serve the larger marketing spend of agents and teams.

How to Use Google My Business to Boost Local Awareness
What is Google My Business? Do you own a business? Are you looking to expand the customer awareness of your business or its online reputation? Do you want your business to be seen on Google? If you said yes to any of these questions, then Google My Business might be just the thing your business needs!

Tapping the Zillow Gap: Competing on Consumer Experience
Ah, Zillow. The real estate portal we all know and love? It's no secret that many homebuyers leverage the "Z word" to begin their initial stages of the homebuying process. Due to the popularity of Zillow with homebuyers, many brokerages and agents alike feel they must be committing a dedicated monthly budget to the platform out of a perceived fear of missing out on a potentially limitless stream of leads. Many real estate professionals also feel there is an unspoken expectation they need to be present on the search portal to truly compete with those who are also on Zillow.

How to Become a Content Marketing Master
There's no doubt that content ranks among the most powerful marketing tools for real estate pros, but content marketing can also be a big, intimidating concept if you're unfamiliar with the process. The good news is that even if you're just getting started with content marketing, your real estate experience provides you with the knowledge, background, and authority to create content that your audience will love.

Is Your Marketing Email Driving Away Business?
There are many very successful real estate professionals who are masters at real estate email marketing. They generate leads on their websites and use email to develop a relationship that leads to the closing table. They also follow up with past clients with email to build repeat and referral business. If you use email for prospect and client marketing, how is it working for you? Do you have any hard data to show whether it's working or not? Could your real estate marketing email be driving away business instead of bringing it in? Here are some tips to help you make real estate marketing email work for you instead of against you.

Preach to the Converted
The real estate industry has been led astray by advertising portals. Today, there seems to be a shift happening in syndication strategy, MLS strategy, advertising strategy, and CRM strategy that puts brokers and agents back on course--and it's about time. Let me share this perspective with you. To follow this perspective, you need to consider these three statements: Just about every home ever traded in America has been with the help of a Realtor or two. The National Association of REALTORS® reports a market share of over 90 percent. Over 80 percent of all transactions are with a repeat or referral customer of a Realtor. The no. 1 reason why a customer does not use the same Realtor is their Realtor did not stay in touch. (I think that the no. 2 reason is that their Realtor retired.) Strategically, the very first dollar invested in supporting your business should be spent fixing the leak of repeat and referral customers lost due to a failure to stay in touch. Somehow, that focus on customers is not happening in our industry today, hence the claim that the real estate industry has been led astray. I blame the advertising portals for this. They have done an excellent job of selling agents on how to drive online leads so convincingly that agents forgot to spend money on maintaining the business relationships with their current customers. I am not suggesting that investing in online lead generation is bad, but you are a fool if you invest more in that than you do on supporting 80 percent of your existing business. Take care of the relationships with current customers first, invest in new customers second. I remember my first conversation with Jed Carlson of Adwerx. His company started out helping music bands connect with their fans—websites, newsletters, social media, pimp your Myspace page, whatever. He knew then, as he knows today, that the social capital, er, "relationship" between a band and their fans is everything. If a fan downloads your song, likes your Facebook page, goes to your concert, or sees your video, you want to make them a fan for life. His company specializes in advertising to your customer base. When Jed told me that he was bringing this sauce to real estate to help agents and brokers stay connected to their clients, I knew that he would be successful immediately. The real estate industry has been out there spending their entire wallet on trying to find new customers or taking customers away from someone else, and doing little to shore up the relationship with their existing customers. The Shift A shift is visible in our industry as brokerages and agents come out of the proverbial fog. Adwerx is growing remarkably because they help brokers and agents stay in touch with their fans (Facebook custom audience advertising). This consumer-agent connection is what companies selling Facebook Boost Ads are missing. CRMs such as Commissions Inc, Inside Real Estate, Contactually, Boomtown, and IXACT Contact are experiencing widespread adoption because they organize the customer record for agents to prevent them from losing addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses. Syndication is viewed through the lens of the Fair Display Guidelines, whereby an online listing is treated as a yard sign. Only the listing broker and agent are displayed. MLSs are being recognized for their value in this regard, leading the way with data licensing agreements that follow better principles. The Broker Public Portal with Homesnap is a perfect example of this improvement, although there are several others. The takeaway is simple: preach first to the converted. Make sure that you are staying connected to your existing customers first. Worry about new customers after you have done that job to your satisfaction. To view the original article, visit the WAV Group blog.

Trends in Online Marketing and Lead Generation
Online marketing and lead generation is a constantly evolving science. In the early days of the internet, simply putting a property online with text was a big chore that required agents (or their development partners) to have HTML programming skills. The next big evolution happened around 1999 when the industry launched the first Internet Display program called IDX. This allowed agents and brokers to publish all of the listings from the multiple listing service on their websites and enable consumers to search. This was quickly followed by the emergence of national property advertising portals like Realtor.com, MSN, Yahoo! and others. IDX and listing portals delivered a great savings to the real estate industry, which was focused on newspaper and magazine advertising at the time. It was not uncommon for listing agents or brokerages to spend between as little as $300 or well over $1,500 in the marketing of a property. Online home search grew in popularity among homebuyers as access to internet connected computers grew. The next huge growth in this category came along with the consumer adoption of internet connected mobile phones and tablets. Today, more than 50 percent of all property searches happens on a mobile device. Nearly concurrent with the adoption of mobile, popular social media sites have became conduits for accessing real estate information including Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and now Instagram and Snapchat. The options consumers have today for looking at property is almost absurd. There are millions of agent websites, hundreds of thousands of brokerage websites, and hundreds of property portals. The abundance of these options has created some interesting consolidation. It is estimated that the top 10 real estate portals in America are visited more than 500 million times a month. Given that there are only about 5.5 million transactions a year in America, it makes you wonder what all of those people are doing. Agents and brokerages are recognizing that digital marketing and advertising is changing from "spray and pray" to highly focused and localized marketing. To accomplish this, solutions have emerged that support real estate marketers with geotargeting to a particular house, neighborhood, polygon, or Zip Code. Within those geographies, real estate marketers can tune their marketing for attributes like age, renter vs. homeowner, or any number of filters that narrow the audience. Another major development is the connection between customer management solutions and online marketing. There is an appreciation that one goal of online marketing is to help build a database of potential customers. This famous sales strategy of collecting contacts and staying in touch was famously dramatized in The Wolf of Wall Street where Leonardo DiCaprio encourages his sales team to stay in touch with the customer until they buy or die. Some research has emerged that provides some good guidelines for real estate agents who hope to develop a digital marketing farm. A good target is to focus your efforts on a group of 2,000 to 2,500 households. With a steady focus of targeted digital marketing, agents should be able to develop a sales funnel that will yield about two trades a month. The important ingredient to developing this volume of units from this number of transactions is the frequency and quality of your marketing and lead conversion efforts. Always remember that digital marketing only works if you respond inside of five minutes to an inquiry—or ideally inside of one minute. Consumers expect you to be ready to serve them right away. Want to learn more about online marketing and lead generation? Download our latest Success Guide today!    

Upping Your Game with Real Estate Investor Content
What is so different about real estate investor website content? It's not as much about different topics as it is about a higher level of content treatment. Don't get offended, but some real estate investors are spending more hours in educating themselves each year than your Continuing Education requirements. They're using their money for courses and taking on risk, and the successful investors are constantly bulking up their knowledge base to reduce risk and increase profits. Do you really want to work with real estate investors? Perhaps you're busy enough that you don't have to. However, if you would like to build a client base of buyers and sellers who need very little hand-holding and bring you repeat business, then investors are desirable. Here are real estate website content hints to help you build an investor client niche.

How to Stay on Top of Marketing Trends
Marketing trends are like other current customs in business. Some will stay and some will go. But firms that jump on them at the right time stand to increase their profile and revenues. Plus, you don't have to be an industry insider to get in on the action. Read on to learn how to spot and stay on top of the latest marketing trends.

BHHS Fox and Roach Launches ACE to 5100 Agents
BHHS Fox and Roach REALTORS is among the largest real estate brokerages in America, wholly owned by HomeServices of America, a Berkshire Hathaway Company. Fox and Roach is among the crown jewels of HomeServices in terms of size and volume along with Edina Realty, Long and Foster, Ebby Halliday and others. They have long maintained a commitment to delivering world class technology solutions to their agents and the customers they serve. Over the past two years, they have been focused on creating the most modern and best integrated platform for agents, rivaling any enterprise solution found in America today.

Old School Is... New School?
When a real estate brokerage, team or agent is asked about what they are doing regarding their own individual marketing efforts, the answers might surprise you. The majority of agents in the United States have an almost even distribution of their marketing dollars between print and digital marketing. To shed some light on how agents spend their precious marketing dollars, it is important to identify exactly what constitutes print vs digital.

5 Holiday Content Ideas to Spice Up Your Marketing
No matter the season—themed, locally focused content is one of your most important online marketing tools as a real estate professional. The holidays are an especially fruitful time for creating content, often featuring a wealth of local events to highlight in the communities where you do business, as well as plenty of opportunities to touch on topics that are important to buyers, sellers, and local homeowners. Let's take a closer look at five real estate content ideas to spice up your marketing and bring traffic to your blog for the holiday season.

4 Types of Content Real Estate Pros Need to Use
What does your real estate content say about your business and brand? While you don't have to be a writing expert to create an excellent blog post, it's important to make sure that your content represents the best elements of your brand. That requires creating content that demonstrates your expertise, speaks to the needs of your audience, and takes advantage of trends geared specifically toward real estate clients. Creating different types of content allows you to connect with different segments of your audience, and keeps people coming back to see what you'll create next. Today, we're going to take a closer look at four types of content that are essential for marketing your real estate business.

The 7 Deadly Sins of Social Media Marketing
Social media marketing snafus are all too common in an era when entrepreneurs go to great lengths to get their businesses seen online. But those who can recognize the pitfalls of these digital platforms before they hit "Post" are better poised to grow their business while maintaining its good name. Keep reading to identify some of the most common social media marketing mistakes — and how to avoid them.

How to Create Content That Makes You Stand Out
The secret's out – content marketing works. So well in fact, that virtually everyone seems to have hopped on the content marketing train in some way, shape or form, meaning the amount of content floating around the online universe is exploding at rates that are tough to keep up with. For instance, within the minute that you spent clicking on the link to this article and reading the first sentence alone, 350,000 tweets were sent. By the end of today, 95 million new pictures and videos will be posted on Instagram. By the end of this month, 79.7 million new WordPress blog posts will be published. Have I scared you away from ever practicing content marketing? No? Good.

Bradley Real Estate Going after Listings with Effective eProspecting Campaign
Jason Lytz, Vice President at Bradley Real Estate, operates in Northern California, a market experiencing extremely tight inventory. He spent time with us to explain a new process their company is putting in place to engage potential home sellers. Jason explains Bradley's company-wide campaign to help their agents build relationships with potential sellers by arming them with detailed neighborhood data and teaching them ways to encourage homeowners to contact their agents if they are considering selling. Read the interview here:

'Float like a Butterfly, Sting like a Bee': The Power of a Good Brand
I've been thinking a lot about brands lately. Why do some brands do better than others? Some flounder, some transcend—and it's not always a reflection of effort or innovation or value. Brand success can seem random. But that's the genius of a good brand; it should be so effortless that it makes you think, 'obviously!' The quality of a brand is determined by many factors—logos, voice and tone, vision etc.—but what interests me the most are the oaths, the mantras, the mission statements that yell the brand from the rooftops.

What Are the Benefits of Google My Business?
Whether you're an online marketing expert or simply someone looking to grow your business, Google has always offered a ton of popular marketing tools for real estate professionals. Google Maps helps customers locate and learn about your business, Google+ provides a social network tightly integrated with other Google tools, and of course Google search results are one of the most important factors in helping prospects find you. But how do you manage all of those tools at once? It's easier than you might think with the help of Google My Business.