Millington, NJ

The simple fact that the internet is a part of the returning real estate market is not big news, but with so much information coming out so fast, understanding it can be difficult. This article is the third in a series of six that decodes the basics, and even some mild intricacies, of the world of electronic marketing and will show you how to compete and succeed in an area of marketing where you might have previously feared to tread. In this part I will break down social networking into its basic parts and explain how it works to your advantage to incorporate social networking into your marketing strategy.

	New Jersey Estates/ Real Estate Group Paul Stillwaggon September 2009 LINKING THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY TO OLD FASHIONED SERVICE Copyright © 2009 Realty Times All Rights Reserved.

Social Networking

Social Networking has actually existed on the internet for quite a long time. The first act on the then ARPAnet (now internet) was a student sending a transmission from UCLA to Stanford that simply said 'login.' Unfortunately the system crashed after the 'o' but it eventually worked an hour later. Ever since that time we have been working on better ways to interact with one another via the internet - hence social networking.

Today's social networking pallet is an evolutionary jump from the roots of text based multiplayer games and fido-net based BBS's (Fidonet was similar to the internet, but transmissions only occurred twice a day over phone lines). There seems to be something for everyone.

Whether you are looking for a younger platform such as MySpace or something more professional such as LinkedIn, there is a social network for you out there. If you look hard enough you can find a social network for nearly anything. As a matter of fact there are social networks that you might not believe exist. Hamsterster is a social network for rodent owners, Zii Trend for amateur clairvoyants and prognosticators, and Lost Zombies a site for zombie enthusiasts. With options like that, it is obvious that there are social networking options for nearly everyone and nearly every interest.

Why You Should Get Involved

There are three practical reasons to get involved in social networking. The first of these is marketing; social networking gives you the opportunity to brand yourself - either the way that you wish to be branded, or as a readily available expert in your field, thereby connecting you to new customers. The second reason is that it connects you to existing customers. Larger companies such as HP have actually created customer service profiles on Facebook and Twitter and you are far more likely to get more personalized service through those mediums due to the fact that those service reps are relegated to those particular services.

The third reason is personal; to engage in social networking for your own education, need for affiliation, and the opportunity to give your skills a freshening up.

Social Networking for You

Fortunately, as a real estate agent, you have many options for your personal use. There are a number of quality social networking sites that take different forms. Try one or more and find the ones that work best for you as an agent. Let's be honest, we can always benefit from other's advice. Let's examine a few of the more popular sites:

Active Rain (activerain.com) - Starting with Active Rain is a must. Not because it is the oldest, or necessarily even the best network for everyone, but they have done the best job of making themselves present in the real estate marketing world. I find Active Rain slightly confusing to navigate, but with the number of resources available at Active Rain it simply cannot be ignored. Users: 150,000+

Real Town (realtown.com) - Real Town was one of the first social networks exclusively for agents and their partners. While I wish there was a bit more disclosure regarding the Point2 / Real Town connection, this is a site that I do like otherwise. It is easy to navigate and there is a lot of great, easy to find, information available. Users: 137,000 +

Broker Agent Social (brokeragentsocial.com) - While smaller than the other social communities there is still valuable information to be had here. Try it out. The smaller community may fit your personality better. Users: 20,000 +

Wannanetwork (wannanetwork.com) - I would be remiss if I did not mention wannanetwork, however they have been besieged with technical problems due to the platform they were on. As of this writing they are working on a solution. It should be a great social networking option once they get every up and running once again.

Social Networking for Marketing

Social networking is also a great way to attract new customers, but let's be careful here. No one has ever gone on Facebook, Twitter or Myspace and created a reproducible method of making money just for signing up. It simply doesn't happen. The problem is that it is the 'personalities' that make the money on these networks. That is, the people that have branded themselves for the purposes of making money on these networks. As such, I have been reminded many times by real estate SEO guru Tim O'Keefe, from Spiderjuice Technologies, "You can't reproduce personality." What they have done, you may not be able to easily reproduce simply due to the fact that you are not them.

Find a social networking medium that works best for you and use it often. For marketing you are more likely to use social networks external to the real estate market than sites such as Real Town or Active Rain. The reason for this is as simple as marketing itself. Where is your audience? They are far more likely to exist on Facebook than on Real Town. If you are new to social networking here is a quick overview of the big three to help you find the best fit for you.

Facebook just recently overtook Myspace as the number one social networking site. To put this in perspective look at Alexa's rankings for the top 100 sites in the United States:

1. Google

2. Yahoo

3. Facebook

4. YouTube (social media networking)

5. Myspace

The power of Facebook is quite apparent. You will pay a fee to list your services in the Yahoo directory, but all you need is time and tenacity to have a distinguishable Facebook presence. The disadvantage of Facebook for marketing is that it is such a closed community. You are really only viewed by the people that add you as friends. Best marketing use: Pay per click ads on Facebook can be extremely cheap. Often you can easily achieve over 100,000 impressions for less than $100 per month in a very selective market.

Myspace - Myspace is the closest to what you think of as a traditional website. The big difference is the interaction between users such as chat functions and the ability to leave messages on each other's walls. Myspace was the king of social networking until Facebook appeared on the scene. Best marketing use: Youth - Myspace has a much younger demographic that may be better for rentals, etc.

Twitter - Twitter is simply a medium wherein you post a short message (140 characters or less) and everyone that 'follows' you gets your message - either on your Twitter page or on your phone depending upon your settings. You can also follow other's tweets. You may recall the use of Twitter by Iranian nationals showing the aftermath of their recent election.

Twitter was not on our list of the top five web sites in the US. It is actually ranked 13th, but you have to take into consideration the fact that there are many people that use Twitter only via their cell phone or smart phone so the numbers here may be slightly skewed away from Twitter in terms of overall use. Best marketing use: Very SEO friendly. Tweet key phrases loudly and often.

Social Networking Success

There is more to social networking than business. I recently reunited with a group of friends from third grade on Facebook and regularly see posts from cousins, aunts and uncles that I would never hear from normally. I spoke with an old friend on a business matter a few weeks ago and we picked up our conversation like we had in fact seen each other in the six year gap apart, simply because we followed each other's activity on Facebook.

At first appearance social networking looks like a young man's game and maybe a little scary to break into, but the single highest demographic entering Facebook for the first time is currently women in their 40's and 50's. Until recently my oldest friend on Facebook was 93 years old - until he passed away this spring. You are never too old or inexperienced to jump into the world of social networking! It's good for your business and it's good for your relationships.

Next Article: The Core of Your Electronic Marketing Strategy - The Website

About the Author: Brandon Smith is a marketing expert in the real estate industry and college instructor. He can be reached at agentexcel.com.

Related Articles:

Turning Internet Confusion into Success

Turning Internet Confusion into Success



Written by Brandon Smith
September 17, 2009

---

New Jersey Estates
Real Estate Groups Web Site
www.NewJerseyEstates.Net
Unique Visitors

August 2009 14,460 Visitors
July 2009 18,268 Visitors
June 2009 16,365 Visitors -- Contact Us

Paul Stillwaggon, For All Your Real Estate Needs Contact New Jersey Estates Real Estate Group E-mail: njestates@gmail.com Web: http://www.newjerseyestates.net 908-561-5492 (Paul S) 908-310-1358 (Cell)

New Jersey Estates Weichert Realtors 908-561-5492 55 Stirling Road, Watchung, N.J. 07069

Equal Housing Opportunity

Financing the purchase of a home could be the most complex financial decision you'll every endure. You need all the help you can get. To help get you started with the basics, the Federal Reserve offers "5 Tips for Shopping for a Mortgage," because, well, the fundamentals always apply.

	New Jersey Estates/ Real Estate Group Paul Stillwaggon September 2009 LINKING THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY TO OLD FASHIONED SERVICE Copyright © 2009 Realty Times All Rights Reserved.

Don't bite off more than you can chew. Check your budget. You must have a budget so you can estimate what you can afford to pay for a home, including the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, and monthly maintenance and utilities.

You also have to have enough to save for emergencies. Plan ahead to have enough to afford your monthly mortgage payments for several years. Check your credit report to make sure that the information in it is accurate. A higher credit score may help you get a lower interest rate on your mortgage.

Shop around. Online and off, shop lenders, brokers, credit unions, government (city, county state) programs, even seller financing. Shopping around is a bear, but it can save you thousands of dollars.

Understand costs. Shopping around means scrutinizing loan costs and fees not just the annual percentage rate (APR) On any given day, lenders and brokers may offer different interest rates and fees to different consumers for the same loan, even when those consumers have the same loan qualifications. Keep in mind that lenders and brokers also consider the profit they receive if you agree to the terms of a loan with higher fees, higher points, or a higher interest rate.

Learn risks, benefits of loan options. Mortgages have many features -- fixed interest rates, adjustable rates, payment adjustments, interest-only payments, prepayment penalties, balloon payments and more. Consider all the features, including the APR and the settlement costs.

Have your lender calculate how much your monthly payments could be a year from now, and 5 or 10 years from now. A mortgage shopping worksheet can help you identify the features of different loans. Mortgage calculators can help you compare payments and the equity you could build with different mortgage loans.

Get advice from those you trust. Ask family, friends, co-workers, professional associates and others you trust for referrals. Talk with a trusted housing counselor or a real estate attorney that you hire to review your documents before you sign them. You can find a list of counseling resources at NeighborWorks and on the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) website or by calling (800) 569-4287.

For more mortgage shopping details, see: "Looking For The Best Mortgage."


Written by Broderick Perkins
September 17, 2009

---

New Jersey Estates
Real Estate Groups Web Site
www.NewJerseyEstates.Net
Unique Visitors

August 2009 14,460 Visitors
July 2009 18,268 Visitors
June 2009 16,365 Visitors -- Contact Us

COMPLETE INFO UPDATED DAILY
Current Listings Info
Luxury New Homes
Custom Build A New Home
Land & Building Lots
New Jersey Estates
All New Jersey Homes
Real Estate Listings Blogs
Real Estate Info Blogs
Open Houses & Directions
Our Testimonial Letters
Going Green/ Complete Info

How do you determine whether a prospect should become a client? What are the criteria of becoming a client? Have you created a series of questions to help you minimize the time invested, to determine if a prospect will meet your standard?

New Jersey Estates/ Weichert Realtors Paul Stillwaggon & Pat Cornish

July 2009 LINKING THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY TO OLD FASHIONED SERVICE

Copyright © 2009 Realty Times All Rights Reserved

You need to create a systemized approach to determine if a prospect measures up to your specific criteria. This approach needs to be applied each and every time you come in contact with a prospect. I believe it doesn't matter where the prospect comes from; he needs to be evaluated based on a standard. Even if the prospect is a referral from a "Raving Fan", he still needs to meet the standard. If the prospect does not meet the standard, I would encourage you to gracefully decline the potential business.

There are eight questions that I used during my career in real estate to determine if a client would meet my standards. I will go through each question and explain why this question was important in making the decision of who to have as a client and who to pass on.

1. When is this prospect going to buy or sell? When is the prospect ready to move? The further out the move date, the lower the motivation of the prospect. You will have to follow-up more with the prospect, and you will have to invest more time to achieve a sale, if the moving date is far in the future. It is difficult to make a decent income chasing prospects that may buy or sell in the distant future.

2. Does the prospect have the ability to buy? Does the prospect have the cash down payment and is he able to be approved for financing? There are many Agents who show property to prospects for a week or two, only to find out they cannot buy. My suggestion is to find out if they are able to buy a home, before you even put them in your car. Require them to meet with your lender, or provide proof of being pre-approved from another lender, before you invest your time, effort, and energy in the prospects.

3. Does the client have reasonable expectations? This question is two-fold. Is the "wish list" of what the client thinks he can afford, and what he can actually afford, the same? Often buyers are not in the real world in regards to what they can afford to purchase. If you are chasing a prospect that is not in reality, you are truly wasting your time. In this situation you are going to either be the bad guy by telling him what he can really afford, or the client dumps you because you do not believe in his crusade. Either way, it is a difficult road to success and eventually leads to no commission.

The second part of this question is directed to the clients who try to beat the market. I always tried to avoid the seller who wanted more than fair market value for his property, and the buyer who wanted to steal the property. They both can be wastes of time for Agents. The odds are heavily weighted against this buyer and seller. You often will invest a tremendous amount of additional time to earn the same income. Not to mention, that often these people have the desire for an "I win - you lose" type of transaction. In my experience, those are the least enjoyable transactions to enter into, when one of the parties is only concerned about himself winning.

4. Does this prospect respect my time and me? Our time is our most precious commodity. Once it is gone we do not get it back. A prospect that does not value your time, by not keeping appointments and by showing up late, is clearly telling you that he does not value your service, or your time.

Often buyers and sellers will try to tell Agents what to do and how to do their jobs. They need to understand they are paying for your knowledge, advice, and professionalism. When they do not take your guidance, you need to decide if you want to continue to work with them. In my career, I chose not to do business with people who disregarded my guidance. If you acquiesce during the listing agreement period, once the listing expires you will still wear the black hat. The seller will still talk disparagingly about you and your service. How many times has this happened to all of us? I truly believe, if you are a professional REALTOR, your clients should regard your guidance, as they do that of their doctor, attorney, or accountant. I would not question my attorney or accountant's guidance. It is rather presumptuous for me to think I know more than they do in their area of expertise. My best advice to Agents is to run away from this type of prospect quickly!

5. Am I being asked to compromise morally, or ethically, from my beliefs to make a sale? If we have to deviate from our business philosophy, we need to reevaluate this business relationship. Being able to stand tall and live with your decisions is better than any sale you might make. If a prospect requests you do something that would fall into a gray area, you should carefully evaluate it. What if the deal blows up, or the gray turns pitch black? Remember most buyers and sellers will immediately point the finger towards the Agents involved.

6. Can I create a satisfied client? Is this prospect the type of person who will never be satisfied? Do you want to be the next Agent he is complaining about? These are people who will never be satisfied, no matter what you do, or what level of service you provide. Remember people tend to know, enjoy, and develop friendships with people who are similar to themselves. Do you want more referrals like the current prospect? I urge you to carefully evaluate this question when you are determining who you want your current clients and future prospects to be.

7. Is the client willing to tell me the truth so I can help him? Sometimes people view us as the enemy, or as a necessary evil. Prospects can sometimes play "hide the ball" with an Agent. I think that open and truthful communication between the Agent and the client leads to a successful relationship and transaction. In the end it will lead to successful referrals. If a prospect can't be honest with you, you should probably pass on him.

8. Is the commission that you will earn worth the trouble? Some Agents may be offended by this question. But the truth is, we are in this business to provide a service and to turn a profit. This is a question that must be asked every time. Are the dollars earned adequate for the time and effort you will be expending to put this transaction together and close? Maybe you would be better to invest the time to find a higher quality prospect or client. It is your time, so you are entitled to select in whom you invest your time.

It is all right to decide to go ahead and work with someone, even though you know the amount that you will earn may not be as high as compared to other transactions. In my career I entered into a handful of deals annually to help people. The key was, I accepted the fact that I would not be compensated for my time at my usual hourly rate, before I entered into the client relationship. I think that it is easier to accept when you understand it going into the relationship, rather than invest all your time, and then find out. It is easier when the choice is yours.

Develop your own list of questions to evaluate your prospects and clients. Make sure that the clients with whom you are spending and investing your time on measure up to the standard you have set. You will find an increase in your production and income, waiting around the corner, once the standard is established and met with all your clients.


Written by Dirk Zeller
July 10, 2009

---

www.NewJerseyEstates.Net
Up 6000 Unique Visitors
June 2009 over May 2009 -- Contact Us

---

COMPLETE INFO UPDATED DAILY

Current Listings Info
Luxury New Homes
Custom Build A New Home
Land & Building Lots
New Jersey Estates
All New Jersey Homes
Real Estate Listings Blogs
Real Estate Info Blogs
Open Houses & Directions
Our Testimonial Letters
Going Green/ Complete Info

For further information Phone: Paul Stillwaggon (908) 561-5492 Cell: (908) 310-1358 Pat Cornish (908) 561-6499 Cell: (908) 578-0890

You can Email us at: njestates@gmail.com We are located at: 55 Stirling Road, Watchung, NJ 07069

---

Want a real easy way to get more exposure for your business without spending a whole lot of cash? Try publishing an online newsletter to prospects and existing clients.

	New Jersey Estates/ Weichert Realtors Paul Stillwaggon & Pat Cornish June 2009 LINKING THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY TO OLD FASHIONED SERVICE Copyright © 2009 Realty Times All Rights Reserved.

That's right. Go to Constant Contact.com, sign up for a free trial and start getting the word out on who you are and what you're all about.

"Whoa there Brian", you might be thinking. "You want me to publish a newsletter? What could I possibly say?" Great question. This is something people ask me all the time, so you'll be happy to know that the answer is real easy: It can say anything you want.

Remember, the objective of this newsletter is not to promote yourself as the #1 Agent in town who can do all of these great things. (People hate that and will tune you out.) But instead, it's purpose is to position you as a credible resource in your local real estate community. The type of person who's knowledgeable in her industry, and isn't afraid to share some of that information when it comes to the buying and selling of your home.

So how exactly do you do that through an online newsletter? Well, how about answering some Frequently Asked Questions you've picked up over the years from different clients and prospects? Questions like: · When is the best time to sell my house? (During the spring and summer months.) · Does "curb appeal" really have an impact on how potential buyers view my house? (Yes!) · Should I consider hiring a "staging expert" prior to putting my house on the market? (It depends.) And so on down the line.

You see, a lot of times people have been in an industry for so long that they take for granted what they know, and as a result, discount the value that information would have to others. So even though some of those questions might seem "too basic", or even self explanatory in your mind, they could be quite insightful for someone who hasn't bought or sold a home in a few years.

"All right fine", you might be thinking. "I can see how this newsletter thing might be helpful, but I'm not a great writer. What should I do now?" Ok, let's talk about that.

"Not a great writer." I'm not entirely sure what people mean when they say that. Does it mean they're physically incapable of putting their thoughts on paper? They don't like to write? They haven't written something in a long time? Because anyone who's gotten through even the most basic of formalized education here in the United States has had experience in writing before. And since most readers of this article have fully assimilated themselves into society, let's assume that "not being able to write" simply means that it's not an easy, or natural skill they've acquired over the years.

No problem. Let's talk about how we can make writing easier by providing a template you can use with your articles.

Part I (first couple of sentences): State the question at the top of the page as well as the reason why something like this might be important to the reader.

Ex. Question: How much of an impact does "curb appeal" have on the sale of my house? Well that all depends on how close you want potential buyers to get to your original asking price.

You see how with those first two sentences I've not only "hooked" the reader with a relevant question, while simultaneously providing a follow up sentence that makes the question important to them.

Part II (next few sentences): Discuss examples where you've seen "curb appeal" impact the sale of the house. This might be based on personal experience or what you've heard around the office, but try to point out some "real world" examples of why this is so important.

Part III (2-3 paragraphs): Provide some thoughts and ideas on how you've recommended clients impact the curb appeal of their home. It doesn't have to be too fancy, and can actually be written in a bullet type format. But it needs to be 3 or 4 things that people can do right now to impact the sale of their home.

Part IV (last couple of sentences): Tie it back to your original point or question at the top of the page, along with the following call to action. Ex. And if you have any questions, comments, or just want to chat about the upcoming buying or selling of your home, feel free to call or shoot me an email. Even if you or someone you know isn't ready to buy or sell their home right now, it's never too early to get out in front of what for most people is their largest personal asset.

You see how easy that was? And believe me, that type of newsletter will go a long way towards helping you stand out a market as "challenging" as this. And speaking of standing out, if you'd like some more ideas on how to get more business in today's tough market, just email info@agitoconsulting.com (Subject: Today's Tough Market), and we'll be sure to send out our free report right away.

But in the meantime, jot down some questions people have asked you over the past few years, and put together a newsletter that others would want to read. Because when it's all said and done, it'll be your business who thanks you for getting the word out on all that you know.

Written by Brian Hilliard
June 24, 2009

COMPLETE INFO UPDATED WEEKLY

Current Listings Info
Luxury New Homes
Custom Build A New Home
Land & Building Lots
New Jersey Estates
All New Jersey Homes
Real Estate Listings Blogs
Real Estate Info Blogs
Open Houses & Directions
Our Testimonial Letters
Going Green/ Complete Info

---

For further information Phone: Paul Stillwaggon (908) 561-5492 Cell: (908) 310-1358 Pat Cornish (908) 561-6499 Cell: (908) 578-0890

You can Email us at: njestates@gmail.com We are located at: 55 Stirling Road, Watchung, NJ 07069