[Podcast] Selecting the Right Brokerage to Start Your Career with Victor Lund
Victor Lund is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of WAV Group. For two decades, they've provided consulting services to leading brokerage firms, franchises, MLSs, associations, and the technology industry that serves them. In this episode of Real Talk with Realtors, hear how to select the right brokerage when starting your career as an agent, the importance of good training and a good mentor, whether to get on a large team or join a small brokerage, what the current lawsuits mean for new agents, and the state of the brokerage business. This episode covers everything from brokerage firms to teamwork. Here's a small sample of what you will hear in this episode: How did Victor get into real estate? Should you join a big team or a small brokerage? How does the recent lawsuit affect agents? Is it getting harder to become a real estate agent? What's the state of brokerage businesses? Is the broker business a good business? How do you select which brokerage to work at? What is Acquiring More Profit about? Connect with Victor on LinkedIn and check out his book, Acquiring More Profit. Listen on: Spotify Apple Podcasts Visit the episode homepage for show notes and more detail.

7 Unexpected Marketing Wins You Can Achieve with a Virtual Tour
Budgets are tightening in today's real estate market, and your marketing budget is probably no exception. But before you cut back on specific marketing activities, take a look at the tools you already use — they may offer features you don't know about that can help you promote your listings at no extra cost. One of our favorite sources of hidden marketing features is the virtual tour. Not only do you get three major visual assets (an interactive 3D tour, listing photos, and a floor plan) from one photoshoot, but these platforms also offer a wealth of tools you can use to market your listing. Today, we're going to explore seven marketing wins you may not have known you could achieve with a virtual tour. And, bonus, these are things you can (and should!) talk about in your listing presentation to win over sellers (but more on that later). Let's dive in: 1. Create feature sheets Have an open house coming up? Help your listing make a lasting impression by offering printed feature sheets to attendees. There's no need to open Canva or Photoshop — your virtual tour solution can create this for you! Let's use 3D virtual tour provider iGUIDE as an example. Their platform automatically generates a visually appealing Feature Sheet with photos, a floor plan, and property info in just minutes. The feature sheets are generated as a PDF for easy printing or sharing online. 2. Share downloadable floor plans Did you know that listings with a floor plan spend 50% less time on the market, according to Zillow research? That's great news for agents who use 3D virtual tours, as most come complete with floor plans. Floor plans often mean detailed measurements of your listing have been taken, too — but check with your virtual tour provider to see how accurate these are. iGUIDE, for example, uses a time-of-flight LiDAR laser to capture accurate measurements of the space, which can be viewed directly on the tour. You can use these measurements in your listing. If iGUIDE is your virtual platform, visitors can see these detailed measurements in your virtual tour under the "Details" tab. There, visitors can also download a PDF of the floor plan. You can share these PDFs, too! They're easy to print, email, and upload to your website — or, if you convert them to image files, you can share them on social media. (See a sample PDF here or navigate to the "Details" tab below to see one available in a live 3D virtual tour.) 3. Highlight selling points or property features in your 3D tour One of our favorite virtual tour features is the ability to add tags throughout the tour to highlight your listing's unique selling points. Does your listing come with luxury appliances, like a Viking stove? Tag that in your tour to grab buyers' attention! It's the next best thing to showing off these features in person. Tags can include text, photos, and even videos — you can use whichever medium best highlights your listing's best features. 4. Share directly to social Sharing your listing on social media is an expected part of any marketing plan. Unlike photos or videos, it's not so easy sharing virtual tours, however. Technology to the rescue! Many virtual tour platforms, including iGUIDE, will generate snippets of your tour as an image file that you can share on social media. 5. Use as a landing page Using online ads to draw attention to your listings? No need to create a brand new landing page — just direct your ads to your virtual tour. This works well because virtual tour platforms, like iGUIDE, don't just offer a digital walkthrough of your listing. They also offer property details, detailed measurements, photos, local maps, and more — all branded to you and featuring your contact information. You can also promote your virtual tours in your offline marketing. Use a QR code or short URL that leads to your tour on yard signs, flyers, postcards or other printed marketing. 6. Impress your sellers with data We're going to switch gears. While previous items are about marketing to buyers, the next two are about impressing your sellers — the key to winning referrals, testimonials or repeat business from them in the future. When evaluating which virtual tour solution to use, ask if they offer analytics. iGUIDE, for example, provides data on how many people are visiting your tour, how they're interacting with it, which areas are getting the most attention, and how long viewers are spending in the tour. You can share this information with your sellers to show your value and demonstrate the marketing you are doing on their behalf. 7. Include tour data in your closing gift Your transaction may be drawing to a close, but that doesn't mean you can't stay top-of-mind with your client. If your virtual tour provider allows you to download your files, as iGUIDE does, you can give this data to your seller at closing. Load up the files on a USB stick that's branded to your business and include it in your closing gift. It's a nice gesture that plays on the nostalgia your sellers may feel about their old home — and it helps keep you top of mind for when they're ready to transact again. BONUS: A flyer to include in your listing presentations The items above are great talking points to cover in your listing presentation as part of your marketing plan! To help you start that conversation, we're including a downloadable listing flyer that you can incorporate into your listing presentations, courtesy of iGUIDE. Download the listing flyer now to help you win your next listing presentation! Then visit goiguide.com to learn more about iGUIDE.

National Housing Conference unveils new Housing Resource Center, redefining access to federal housing policy insights
WASHINGTON, DC – The National Housing Conference (NHC) today announced the launch of its new Housing Resource Center, poised to transform access to federal housing policy information. This comprehensive platform serves as the penultimate destination for individuals and organizations seeking easy access to insights and resources in the realm of housing policy. With more than 1,000 curated resources and growing, NHC's Housing Resource Center provides access to an unparalleled wealth of knowledge. From research papers, case studies, and best practices to policy briefs, talking points, and FAQs to news articles, blogs, and podcasts, users will be a click away from a diverse array of materials designed to inform and empower. "At NHC, we recognize the critical importance of informed decision-making in shaping effective housing policies," said David Dworkin, NHC's President and CEO. "Our new Housing Resource Center consolidates information from across the housing spectrum, catering to the diverse needs of policymakers, journalists, lenders, home builders, civil rights, consumer and affordable housing advocates, real estate professionals, nonprofit and for-profit housing development corporations, academics, and more." The Housing Resource Center serves as a comprehensive and centralized repository of legislative and regulatory developments, ensuring that users stay abreast of the latest changes and trends impacting the housing landscape. NHC's Housing Resource Center equips users with access to the knowledge needed to navigate complex policy challenges and drive meaningful change. "We are excited to provide a single, accessible platform that empowers stakeholders to play an active role in shaping the future of housing," continued Dworkin. "By fostering collaboration and dialogue, we aim to create innovative solutions and advance equitable access to housing opportunities for all." Explore the NHC Housing Resource Center today and unlock the insights needed to make a difference in housing policy. The Housing Resource Center will remain accessible to all through June 30, 2024, after which it will become an exclusive benefit reserved for NHC members, policymakers, and academic researchers only. Visit hrc.nhc.org to access this invaluable resource. About the National Housing Conference (NHC) Founded in 1931, the National Housing Conference is the oldest and broadest housing coalition in America. NHC is a diverse continuum of affordable housing stakeholders who convene and collaborate through dialogue, advocacy, research, and education, to develop equitable solutions that serve our common interest—an America where everyone is able to live in a quality, affordable home in a thriving community. Politically diverse and nonpartisan, NHC is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. To learn more about NHC, visit www.nhc.org.