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Renae Bolton ~ Marketing 4 Realtors

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Teaching Them To Praise the Lord - At An Early Age!

08-26-09
Renae Bolton ~ Marketing 4 Realtors

Teaching Them To Praise The Lord - At An Early Age

I read a post recently written by Loreena Yeo called If You Teach Them, They Will Learn. She talked about teaching her young son to love the Lord. When I read that post, it made me think of my own children and my goals for them.

We regulate their music so they only listen to songs that are appropriate for their ages. Remember this song?

Oh be careful little ears what you hear
For there's a God up above
Looking down on you with love.
Oh be careful little ears what you hear!


The other verses are:

Oh be careful little eyes what you see
Oh be careful little mouth what you say


This picture is of our youngest when we were on our way home from church one day. They are 17 month old identical twin boys, praising the Lord. We were listening to 95.5 The Fish, a Christian radio station.

Micah and Joshua praising the Lord!


My hope and prayer is that we raise all 6 of our children to love the Lord and to be contributing members of their society! I know that teaching them to praise the Lord now will have many benefits later!

~Renae - Market 4 Real!
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Need help with consistently marketing to your leads and your listings? Don't put it off! Contact us today for assistance and get started on the road to turning your leads into clients and your listings into SOLD properties!

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Should I Jump For Joy or Start Crying? School Is In Session in Garfield Heights, Ohio!

08-26-09
Renae Bolton ~ Marketing 4 Realtors

Garfield Heights City SchoolsOk, Should I Jump For Joy Or Start Crying? School Is In Session in Garfield Heights, Ohio!

I have a dilema. School is back in session in Garfield Heights, Ohio! WeGarfield Heights High School now have a high school student <gasp!> who started yesterday, a middle school student who started today, and 2 pre-school students who start on Monday. For the most part, all of them are excited about returning to school (good for us!). Our eldest son has no feelings about school one way or another other than that he has "a lot of goals to accomplish this year so I have a lot of stuff to think about" (probably not so good for us).

school speed limitOne thing I noticed while driving my son to and from high school today was the number of drivers who were speeding. I just Garfield Heights Middle Schoolwonder sometimes... Do people remember what a school speed limit is? I mean, those slower speeds are set for a reason. Mostly, to ensure that my sons and my daughter - and everyone else's son and daughter - get back home safely. It really isn't set to give you a hard time (I promise).

William Foster Elementary SchoolAnyway, I'm happy about school because my children are in a great school system and they are learning and growing a lot! So I'm looking forward to how they will develop this school year. Also, with all 6 children home, it has been a very long summer. Lots of fights and arguments, aggravated children, and major meltdowns which overflowed to the other children. So the first day of school is usually a day of jumping up and down for joy in my house!

I wonder this year if I should actually start crying though. You see, we have 3 children at 3 different schools (and possibly a 4th who is on a waiting list for pre-school). 3 different schedules. 3 different start and end times. 3 different learning levels (not to mention styles). Projects and studying and homework and bears...oh my!

And thus another year begins, wondering if I should jump for joy or start crying... School is in session.

~Renae - Market 4 Real!
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Need help with consistently marketing to your leads and your listings? Don't put it off! Contact us today for assistance and get started on the road to turning your leads into clients and your listings into SOLD properties!

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Real Estate Marketing Series, Part 4 - 5 Ways to Market to Your Leads to Grow Your Real Estate Business

08-26-09
Renae Bolton ~ Marketing 4 Realtors
Real Estate Marketing Series

Welcome to the fourth installment in my Real Estate Marketing Series, "5 Ways to Market to Your Leads to Grow Your Real Estate Business."  In the first installment, we discussed 5 Things To Do To Jumpstart Your Real Estate Business.  That was basic information, things that all real estate professionals should do on a regular basis but if you're just starting out or need a business boost, that's the post you should start with. Next, we covered 5 Unique Ways to Market Your Real Estate Business.  Then, we talked about 5 Unique Ways to Market Your Real Estate Listings.  This time, we're going to discuss some unique ways to make your listings stand out from the crowd!  So let's discuss 5 Ways to Market to Your Leads to Grow Your Real Estate Business!

5.  Are you really focusing on buyers when you market your listings?
When you market your listings, ask yourself this question:  Am I presenting this listing in a way that will catch the eye of buyers?  Posting your listing on Craig's List with just text isn't focusing on the buyer.  Buyers want pretty. Buyers want unique and unusual.  It takes only a few minutes to set up a listing on a service such as Postlets or vFlyer so that when you post it on Craig's List with the html code, it will be presented in the most favorable light possible.  When you pick up a new listing, are you sending information about it to the contacts and leads already in your database?  Buyer leads that you receive through LeadStreet and Market Leader and Arch Telecom (or whichever 800 system you use) should all receive information on your new listing.  These same buyers should also receive personal invitations to your Open House events.  When you receive a new listing in your farm area, you should send information about that listing to everyone in that farm.  Why?  Because there may be buyers in your farm who want to live in that same area but no longer want to rent.

4.  Farming is Key
I've said it already in previous posts but I'll take this opportunity to say it again.  If you don't already have a farm area, find one and start marketing to that farm area!  Get to know the people living in that area.  Learn all there is to know about that area.  Become the go-to person for that area and believe me - they'll come to you when they are ready to make a real estate move!  Your marketing plan for your farm should include, but not be limited to:
  • an initial introduction (if you haven't already done so), preferrably in person;
  • periodic personal visits;
  • events hosted in your farm area and for those people living in your farm;
  • regularly sent postcards to keep them informed of important real estate-related information.

3.  Keeping past clients in the loop pays off!
Where are your past clients?  What's going on in their lives?  Past clients should be kept on a marketing campaign that continues to keep your name in front of them.  The purpose is so that your past clients don't go out in search of a new real estate agent when they are ready to move up (or down), invest, or get a vacation property.  The last thing you want to have happen is that you finally get around to contacting your past client only to find out that they've sold the 2 bedroom starter home you sold them and bought a new 4 bedroom.  Not only should you send regular letters and postcards but you should also actually pick up the phone and call your past clients at least once per quarter.  Your voice makes a connection that a letter or postcard just can't compare with.

2.  Don't forget about partnerships
Have you picked a moving buddy?  No?  What about a general contracting partner?  A mortgage lending partner?  In the immortal words of Woody from Toy Story, "If you don't have a buddy yet - GET ONE!"  Partnerships give you an opportunity to do things that you may not be able to afford doing by yourself, such as first-time home buyer seminars or first-time home seller seminars.  You can share the expenses of such an event with your partner and both of you can benefit from the leads you receive as a result of hosting the event.  Also, your partner can share in the expense of a postcard marketing campaign to your farm.  Aside from sharing expenses, your choice of a partner can also help with cross-promotion.  A mortgage lender can promote your services to their leads and you can promote the services of your preferred mortgage lender to your leads.  Moving companies are great for this as well - renters move with moving companies just as buyers do.  You want to get the lead while they are yet renters because they may not want to rent forever and that's where you come in.  Similarly, any moving company would be downright tickled to cross-promote with a real estate professional because those are sure leads - if you are buying or selling, at some point you are going to have to move either into or out of a house!

1.  Social Media Marketing Works - So Use It!
Do you have a profile set up on Facebook?  LinkedIn?  MySpace?  Twitter?  If not, you best get hoppin'!  Social networking is all the rage these days.  And let's be honest - your target audience are buyers, sellers or both. Whatever profession they may be in, be it trash collectors, lawyers, or the folks who clean up animal poop at the zoo - if they are going to buy or sell one day, they are your target audience.  I say this because many times, my clients have wanted me to not friend or connect with someone because they didn't know the person.  My response to this is: Do you always know the walk-in who comes during your floor time?  Do you always know the person who called from one of your signs?  Do you always know the person who filled out a contact form on your website? The answer typically is a resounding NO.  So don't limit yourself on the social networking sites.  Make use of the fact that you love gardening - people connect with that.  Talk about how much you love bike riding - people connect with that!  Don't forget to discuss the charities you support regularly - people connect with that! Making connections is what it's all about, folks. Getting people who don't know you to feel as though they know you, which leads to trust, which leads to new clients. The point is, social networking doesn't seem to be going anywhere any time soon.  In addition to telephones with internet capabilities, social networking sites such as Facebook are increasing in popularity exponentially.  Don't get left behind!


Want to market to your real estate leads by implementing these and other real estate marketing ideas but you just don't have the time?  The best thing you can do for your business is to contract with a Virtual Assistant.  Ask me all about it!

~Renae - Market 4 Real!
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Need help with consistently marketing to your leads and your listings? Don't put it off! Contact us today for assistance and get started on the road to turning your leads into clients and your listings into SOLD properties!

Follow me on Twitter! Become one of my favorite Facebook fans! Connect with me on LinkedIn!

4 Comments
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Real Estate Marketing Series, Part 3 - 5 Unique Ways To Market Your Real Estate Listing

08-24-09
Renae Bolton ~ Marketing 4 Realtors

Real Estate Marketing Series

Welcome to the third installment in my Real Estate Marketing Series, "5 Unique Ways to Market Your Real Estate Listings."  In the first installment, we discussed 5 Things To Do To Jumpstart Your Real Estate Business.  That was basic information, things that all real estate professionals should do on a regular basis but if you're just starting out or need a business boost, that's the post you should start with. Next, we covered 5 Unique Ways to Market Your Real Estate Business.  This time, we're going to discuss some unique ways to make your listings stand out from the crowd!  So let's discuss 5 Unique Ways to Market Your Real Estate Listings!

5.  Use a Property Website with a Creative Domain Name

Setting up a property website has unique advantages over just having the property listed on your "Featured Listings" page on your website.  First of all, you will be able to take advantage of keyword usage in order to get that site high up in the search engines for "2 bedroom condo" or "4 bedroom home for sale in Pittsburgh, PA."  Also, you will be able to place that website address on your marketing material to give it even more exposure.  Creative domain names can also be redirected to another website once the property sells so that you can use it over and over again.


4. Center Your Open House Around an Event or Theme

Let's face it.  Most Open Houses are boring events at which you may not always get attendees.  So change it up! This will work best if the property is vacant but many sellers want their property to sell so they will most likely be willing to go along with you on this idea.  If you center your open house around a theme (such as "Spring Fling" or "Summer Splash" or "Winter Wonderland"), then send out invitations to your Open House Party, you'll get a much better turnout!  Your newspaper and internet announcements can focus on your event as opposed to the same old Open House announcement.


3.  Throw a Party for Your Farm at the Listing Address or at Several Addresses

Your farm is an excellent source of new buyer and/or seller clients, depending upon what type of farm you are working.  So, if you host a party for your buyers which either showcases the listing as the focal point or the does a round-robin for several listings, that would make an excellent way to not only connect with your farm but to make you more "real" to them.  You will go from being the real estate agent who just leaves junk on their doorstep to someone who they can connect with!


2.  Socialize It!

Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter are real and here to stay.  So make the best of them to promote your listings! On Facebook, upload photos of the listing into a separate photo album.  Be sure you have your seller in your contact list and then tag them in the photo album.  Make comments on the album about the different rooms to entice your friends to look at the photo album as well.  Also, set up groups on Facebook and LinkedIn that are specific.  You don't want groups named "Real Estate in Tampa."  You want groups that people will be able to connect with.  Try "I Want A Condo On Long Island" or "My Dream Home is a Luxury Home on the River in Michigan."  Your groups should be something that the person joining can really identify with.  Then, when you have a new listing, you can post about it to the appropriate group and know that everyone who sees that information are your real target audience.  If you use Twitter, be sure to tweet about your listings but not in the "I just listed a 4 bedroom home" way.  Be creative!  Be unique!  Tweet something like "I just love the double ovens in my new listing on Park East Drive! Wanna see it?" or "I just listed a home with 2 built-in fireplaces. You've just got to see the finished basement, too!"


1.  Virtual Open House

A virtual open house is a great way to not only show off your property but also to show potential clients just how tech saavy you are!  As you walk through the property, film from the outside in, slowly highlighting aspects of each room.  As you talk about the features in each room, ocassionally intersperse your own commentary to make it feel real to the viewer.  Not only will it show that you know the home inside and out, but it will also show that you care enough to ensure that viewers see every single thing about the house and miss nothing, as though they were actually alking through the property themselves.  Post this tour on your website and make mini-cds of the tour so that you can hand them out and mail them to leads who request them either directly or through your website.


Want to uniquely market your real estate listings by implementing these and other real estate marketing ideas but you just don't have the time?  The best thing you can do for your business is to contract with a Virtual Assistant.  Ask me all about it!

~Renae - Market 4 Real!
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Need help with consistently marketing to your leads and your listings? Don't put it off! Contact us today for assistance and get started on the road to turning your leads into clients and your listings into SOLD properties!

Follow me on Twitter! Become one of my favorite Facebook fans! Connect with me on LinkedIn!

4 Comments
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Real Estate Marketing Series, Part 2 - 5 Unique Ways To Market Your Real Estate Business

08-15-09
Renae Bolton ~ Marketing 4 Realtors

Real Estate Marketing Series

Welcome to the second installment in my Real Estate Marketing Series, "5 Unique Ways to Market Your Real Estate Business." In the first installment, we discussed 5 Things To Do To Jumpstart Your Real Estate Business. That was basic information, things that all real estate professionals should do on a regular basis but if you're just starting out or need a business boost, that's the post you should start with. This time, we're going to get even more involved with ways to make you stand out from the crowd! So let's discuss 5 Unique Ways to Market Your Real Estate Business!

5. Door knock (and leave something seasonal)

Let's face it... Most agents are NOT door knocking. (I've mentioned this before!) It is time consuming and doesn't often yield the results you would like. However, I'll say it again. Most agents are NOT door knocking. That means, if you DO, you'll be ahead of the pack. The whole point is to do something that other agents are NOT doing... to make them remember you. And, uh, that would be door knocking. When you door knock, though, be sure to leave something seasonal. If you door knock during the fall, that's the perfect time to leave items such as weather stripping or plastic for windows. If you door knock during the spring, that's the perfect time to leave things like flower starter sets (just one or two). Coupons are great, as are gift cards (if you want to spend that much). Remember, the point is not to leave so much that they can plant an entire bed of flowers or weather-proof all the windows in the entire house. It is just a little to get them started! (And don't forget - many home improvement stores are willing to work with you to give you the products with their coupons or give you big discounts for buying from them!)


4. Send sweet treats

Send sweet treats to uniquely market your real estate business.Choose your top 50 or 100 contacts and send them an envelope filled with Hershey's kisses or Starburst candies. Let them know that they are the sweetest contacts you know and you really appreciate the referrals they send your way. The point? To make them remember you! When is the last time you received an envelope in the mail that contained candy and a hand written note? Probably not since you went off to college and your Mom sent you a care package. So be the first to send sweet treats to someone else. They will likely remember you and think sweetly of you thereafter!


3. Host a coloring contest

Pick a farm area and send out flyers and postcards that you are hosting a coloring contest for children ages 15 and under. Be sure to have your age categories set (for example 12-15, 9-11, 6-8, and 5 and under). Additionally, put Host a coloring contest to uniquely market your real estate business.up a page on your website to promote the coloring contest. You should also be able to advertise the coloring contest in your local newspaper either free of charge or at a discount if you make the newspaper a sponsor of the contest. Prizes can be secured from companies at no additional cost to you through a mutual agreement with the company. For example, gift cards to Build-A-Bear, a local toy store, and/or a department store (Wal-Mart, Target, etc.). The key here is to also get gifts for the parents of the winning children! Home improvement stores, department stores, grocery stores, etc. will all work! As "sponsors" of the coloring contest, with free advertising on your website, most companies will be happy to donate prizes! Then, host a luncheon or brunch or just an award ceremony program for the entire farm area to announce the winners! (If you don't have many entries, let everyone win, depending upon how many prizes you secure.) The point? To make them remember you!


2. Host a brunch for Working Parents Day (Sept 16)

Working Parents Day is always September 16th. This is a perfect opportunity for you to show the working parents in your farm area, community or your database just how much you appreciate how hard it is to be a working parent. (Even if you aren't a parent yourself, you had some at some point in your life so you know how hard it is!) Host a brunch, luncheon or just cookies and punch for the working parents. You want people to see your name and see you active in your farm area or with your sphere, leads, and other contacts. If you go in on a Working Parents Day event with a mortgage lender, the cost of the refreshments won't cost that much at all. And what's the point? Let's say it together: To make them remember you!


1. Create a Community Website

Where is the first place people will go when they are interested in a particular community? The internet, of course! And you want them to find you. One of the best ways to do that is to become the "go-to" person for that community. By creating a community website, you can become the IT website owner for that area. Your community website can include upcoming events in the community, important dates to remember (such as the first day of school, no school, city council meetings, etc.), highlights of the community, condo association information, virtual tours of available properties in the area, listings of available properties only in that area, and information about your preferred home staging company and mortgage lending partner. Have a community newsletter with information about both old and new businesses in the area and also with relevant news on your community website. Also, you can highlight the neighbors on your community website. Take pictures of the homes in your community once they've started decorating for holidays or planting flower beds for the season. Anything and everything to make your name prominent in their minds because, after all, what's the point? To make them remember you!


Want to uniquely market your real estate business by implementing these and other real estate marketing ideas but you just don't have the time? The best thing you can do for your business is to contract with a Virtual Assistant. Ask me all about it!

~Renae - Market 4 Real!
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

Need help with consistently marketing to your leads and your listings? Don't put it off! Contact us today for assistance and get started on the road to turning your leads into clients and your listings into SOLD properties!

Follow me on Twitter! Become one of my favorite Facebook fans! Connect with me on LinkedIn!

7 Comments