With the social networking craze continuing to capture headlines, and names like Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Google now common topics of dinner conversation, one cannot ignore the impact this new medium has had on our lives.
Did you like the Super Bowl ads? If you didn’t tweet your thoughts, your opinion was probably not counted! Researchers were watching Twitter data to assess the biggest winners and losers!
Big business spends millions of dollars a year on social networking and media. Twitter and Facebook logos are now common place on most advertisements, television and print media. The latest car gadgets include Facebook messaging and YouTube is used by President Obama to get his message out to the people!
So just how should you as a real estate agent or broker embrace this technology and how can it benefit the bottom line? Is your time best spent writing a blog (web log), spending hours on Facebook connecting with your sphere of influence, and others you don’t even know? Should you have your profile on Facebook or MySpace, what about Twitter, LinkedIn, RealTown or ActiveRain?
First, let's take a look at the difference between social media and social networking and a little history. Social networking is not new! You and I have been doing it for centuries. When you mingle with co-workers around the coffee machine, go to a fund raiser, club, party, business get-together, seminar, golf, sewing circle, etc., these are all forms of social networking. Similarly, the new online social networking is a bi-directional mode of communications between people, sometimes a group of people with similar interest. Good examples would include email, Facebook, LinkedIn, RealTown and ActiveRain; places where you are having conversations with your friends and associates.
Social media is also not new. We have all been listening to the radio and watching TV for years. Social media and social networking are very different. Social networking is a conversation, while on the other hand social media is a broadcast of communications and is not typically a conversation of sorts. A good example of the new online social media would be YouTube, Vimeo, Podcast and Virtual Tours. Social media typically would include the use of pictures, video, images and/or sound to deliver a message to a group of people or audience.
So, where did it all begin... well the first mass form of social networking technology was the email or electronic mail, and without going into the techno-mumbo-jumbo of the early days of email on large shared computers back in the 1960's and 70's, the first real commercial and mass use of email came about in the late 1980's and early 1990's with the widely used MCI Mail, Compuserve and AOL applications.
As an example of how widely used email is today, I read an article in the local paper last year titled, "Dear Santa". In this article they published several letters to Santa, and as you know, kids say the darnedest things! Well, one little girl wrote "Dear Santa, Do you have an e-mail address? If you do, please give it to me so we can send messages quicker." - Love Bella.
Social networking and social media are tools! And these tools are here to stay. If you don't think so, just check out these facts: Facebook in July 2010 announced they surpassed 500,000,000 active users! YouTube is now the second most used search site, second to Google! And Facebook just surpassed Google in the most weekly hits for the first time ever!
The most recent National Association of Realtors statistics show over 90% of home buyers said they looked online for their home before purchasing!
So, how do you balance this new medium and new technology with your current business without letting it overwhelm you? First of all, don’t try to do it all at once. Take your time. Start by creating a Facebook profile if you haven’t done so already. Invite your friends, business associates, other real estate agents and prospects, and then create a Facebook business page. The most success I have seen is when agents specialize or localize to build brand recognition. Then join LikedIn and create your business profile. If you are serious about social networking (and you should be), join one of the real estate networking groups at RealTown or ActiveRain.
Once you have these accounts created, don’t spend more time than you are comfortable with. Getting started, many experts say to spend no more than 15-30 minutes a day on your social networking. Or, you may want to set aside an hour once a week. These are tools, not a new way of life.
Another great way to increase your online branding and integrate your social networking is the use of social media. Virtual tours and YouTube videos can be very useful for property marketing or even personal marketing and branding. Find a virtual tour service that utilizes the latest technologies, social media, social networking, and integrates these services in an easy to use platform so you aren’t spending a lot of time learning something new on top of everything else. Integration and ease of use are keys to survival in the new world of social technology!
Written by Tim Denbo, President/CEO
VirtualTourCafe, LLC is based in Dublin, California and was co-founded by Timothy Denbo and Hannele Rinta-Tuuri. The business is operated as a limited liability company and has an advisory board made up of professionals in the real estate, technology, and marketing fields.
For the first time ever, U.S. web surfers visited the Facebook social networking site more often than any other site in 2010, beating out Google now in the number two spot, according to a report from Hitwise, an Internet analytics firm.
As a real estate virtual tour provider we spend a lot of time on social networking activities both for the company and to promote our clients. But what is social networking and how can it help sell real estate, you ask?
Using Wikipedia "the online encyclopedia" for the term "Social Networking" it is described as:
A social network service is an online service, platform, or site that focuses on building and reflecting of social networks or social relations among people, e.g., who share interests and/or activities. A social network service essentially consists of a representation of each user (often a profile), his/her social links, and a variety of additional services… “
It goes on to talk about the types of social networking, networking groups, communities, etc. For a more detailed definition, go to: www.Wikipedia.com.
So how can social networking help you sell more homes?
Real estate is a contact sport. You want to be networking with people, both those you already know (your sphere of influence), and those you have yet to meet. Social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, ActiveRain and RealTown are the new online elbow-rubbing (virtual), story-telling, cocktail parties of the new social world!
Don’t be late to the party…
You can add your virtual tours and property listings to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and others. But for every virtual tour or listing you post, you should be writing six or seven non-selling messages or “tweets” as they are called in Twitter. Write about what you are doing outside of business or what is happening in the neighborhood. Write about local sports, market conditions, local fairs, farmers markets or anything you might talk about with a group of friends. Think of social networking as a “virtual cocktail party” and remember your manners… let others talk and then respond; back and forth!
What social networking is not!
Social networking (in most cases) will not replace your traditional methods of prospecting and networking such as “farming”, Open House, Just Listed and Just Sold postcards, phone calls, cold calls, letters (snail-mail), Chamber of Commerce or the local MLS Marketing Groups.
How to get social in 2011
Let's start with Facebook... Facebook has been thought by many people to be just for young people or something that our kids use to communicate with friends. Well, this “was” true several years ago. However Facebook has evolved into much, much more! Today, Facebook has more subscribers than the entire population of the United States! Facebook in 2010 passed the 500,000,000 member mark! Yes, that is 500 MILLION!!! And it is still growing at a rate that appears to be unstoppable.
Take Action – It’s Free!
So, sign up for a free Facebook membership and create a personal profile with basic information about yourself, nothing too personal, keep it simple. The important thing is to get started today! Create a profile with a minimum of your name, contact information, picture (yes, include your picture), business, and some personal information such as hobbies, pets, etc. But remember to ONLY share information you would be comfortable having shared on the front page of the newspaper… Since virtual content “could” be seen by more people than ever read your local paper, even the New York Times!
Next, start searching for your friends, associates and clients who are also on Facebook. You may be amazed at how fast your friends list grows... Congratulations, you are now social networking! Now that wasn't so tough was it?
Join us on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/VirtualTourCafe
Wishing you a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year!
VirtualTourCafe.com “Do-It-Yourself” Virtual Tours is the Real Estate One-Stop Marketing Shop for agents and Brokers looking to meet the needs of the modern online buyer, using automated technology and social media integration.
Written by Tim Denbo, President/CEO
VirtualTourCafe, LLC is based in Dublin, California and was co-founded by Timothy Denbo and Hannele Rinta-Tuuri. The business is operated as a limited liability company and has an advisory board made up of professionals in the real estate, technology, and marketing fields. VirtualTourCafe continuously donates a minimum of 10% of all net profits to charity.
Are Your Virtual Tours Naughty or Nice?
Virtual tour providers and virtual tours are all exactly the same, or are they? Does it matter if you use one that offers free virtual tours or one that charges a monthly subscription? Does it matter if the virtual tour company is brand new or may claim to have 100,000 users? Does it matter who owns it or what the company philosophy is? It does depend on “why” you want a virtual tour in the first place.
We are all being overwhelmed with choice these days, and real estate technology is no exception. So, how do we choose which virtual tour provider to use? Which virtual tour company or virtual tour service is naughty and which is nice? Let’s take a closer look…
Most real estate agents want a virtual tour to do five things:
Here are a few more reasons that may or may not come to mind:
Okay, we know what we want, but how do we measure if our virtual tour provider meets our needs? If you want to expose your property to more buyers and sellers and demonstrate to the seller your marketing skills, it won’t do you any good if the virtual tour simply sits idle on your website without being distributed to a global network of real estate sites. So, if exposure is your objective and the virtual tour provider doesn’t have a significant distribution system… naughty!
If you want to show off the best features of the property and the virtual tour does not include high-definition full-screen capability, and HD YouTube videos… naughty, naughty!
How about creating more website traffic and Google Juice? Or selling the home faster? You will want to be sure your virtual tour provider includes links to your website, including the ability to download the YouTube Video (if they create one) so you can include it on your personal YouTube Channel and gain the advantage of backlinks to your website and improve your Google score… Very Nice!
Speaking of YouTube videos and other features that are, well nice! Is there an extra charge for the YouTube video? Do you have to pay extra for distribution, agent website, how about social media, mobile optimized, are these extra fees? If so… naughty, naughty, and naughty!
No different than your cable TV service, your mobile phone or even the latest and coolest gadgets on the market, if they start off free just to get you hooked (yeah been there), and then charge for all the extras… or worse, don’t include them at any price, it’s just not nice! And how about the price; is it fair, is there just one price to fit all customers or do you have a choice? Choice is very nice!
When searching for a virtual tour provider, look for a provider that has the latest technology: global syndication, social media, YouTube-style video, e-flyer and HD virtual tours. Also search for virtual tour providers that offer pricing options like a-la-carte tours (so you may buy them as needed) or provide different subscription levels – without a contract! All of these options are nice, nice, and very nice!
And don’t be so concerned with how long they have been in business. Facebook and Google have only been around for 5 years or so. Technology is evolving quickly and companies must do the same. Look at the company philosophy. Do they support charities? How is their customer service? Confused by a question... Are they easy to contact via e-mail, phone or fax? ? What is their company guarantee? Will they refund your money without a naughty hassle?
Virtual tours are not all created equal and your reputation and income could be significantly impacted by making the right choice. The latest statistics show that over 90% of home buyers are searching online before they ever talk to a real estate agent.
Sure, being naughty once in a while can be nice, but not when it comes to your virtual tour provider… Leave the naughty ones for the others and treat yourself and your customers and prospects the way you want to be treated, nice!
Wishing you a nice, happy holiday filled with joy and giving!
Written by Tim Denbo, President/CEO
VirtualTourCafe, LLC is based in Dublin, California and was co-founded by Timothy Denbo and Hannele Rinta-Tuuri. The business is operated as a limited liability company and has an advisory board made up of professionals in the real estate, technology, and marketing fields.
VirtualTourCafe.com launched at the National Association of Realtors (NAR) Convention and Expo, November 5-8, in New Orleans, Louisiana. VirtualTourCafe continuously donates a minimum of 10% of all net profits to charity.
Tim Denbo is no stranger to life’s challenges as a sober recovering alcoholic of 24 years. After losing his job as National Sales and Marketing Director of 8 years just two weeks before Christmas in 2007, then struggling to find a new job during the worst economic recession in 70 years, Denbo eventually lost his home to foreclosure and was forced to file for bankruptcy.
But Denbo was not alone. Over 8 million people are estimated to have lost their jobs during the recent recession according to The Department of Labor Statistics as reported in February 2010. Thankfully, Denbo has found a niche where he combined his 20+ years and passion for marketing along with his love of real estate.
Denbo co-founded VirtualTourCafe.com, an online real estate marketing service that offers real estate agents and Brokers an easy to use and inexpensive marketing service that automates the distribution and syndication of real estate virtual tours to get more leads for the agent and to help home owners sell their homes faster.
“Having experienced foreclosure after attempting a short sale on my own home, and having been a licensed real estate agent in two states and a Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE), I know how critical it is to market real estate properties online and get the most exposure possible in an efficient, cost effective way,” says Denbo.
Virtual tours and virtual tour providers have been around a long time, but Denbo saw a gap that needed filled. Virtual tour services were either too expensive, too difficult, or not using the latest technology.
VirtualTourCafe.com helps agents and brokers by offering more flexibility to take advantage of current and future technology including social media integration, HD full-screen virtual tours, YouTube-Style video, mobile phone support and Craigslist style e-flyers, with just a few simple clicks of a mouse. VirtualTourCafe was built by real estate professionals for real estate professionals.
VirtualTourCafe, LLC is based in Dublin, California and was co-founded by Timothy Denbo and Hannele Rinta-Tuuri. The business is operated as a limited liability company and has an advisory board made up of professionals in the real estate, technology, and marketing fields. VirtualTourCafe.com launched at the National Association of Realtors (NAR) Convention and Expo, November 5-8, in New Orleans, Louisiana. VirtualTourCafe continuously donates a minimum of 10% of all net profits to charity.
Note: This press release is scheduled to go out to the public today and I want my Activerain friends and associates to be the first to see it. Do you have or know of similar stories?
Free Virtual Tours by VirtualTourCafe
VirtualTourCafe.com Offering Free Virtual Tours for Homes in Foreclosure and will give 50% off and donate up to 50% to charity for 50 hours for all others.
DUBLIN, Calif., Nov. 22, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- VirtualTourCafe.com, a new technology online real estate marketing company is giving back to the community one virtual tour at a time by offering free* virtual tours, e-flyers and video marketing for homes in foreclosure and a huge discount to all others.
Starting at 12:00am, Thursday, November 25, until 2:00am, Saturday, November 27, VirtualTourCafe.com will offer their online world-class virtual tour service at a 50% discount when Discount Code: 5050 is applied. Like many, real estate agents have come through tough times this recession and VirtualTourCafe wants to give agents and home owners alike something to smile about.
According to Realty Trac, there are more than 2 million homes currently in foreclosure. Many real estate agents can't afford to spend money on marketing these distressed properties. So for sellers that have their properties listed with an agent as a short sale, or are in foreclosure, VirtualTourCafe will offer their service for FREE! Contact your agent and ask them to use the code: FreeTour*.
"To help during these hard economic times we are pledging to give 50% of all proceeds collected during this 50 hour campaign to charity when our goal of 1000 agents subscribe to one of our real estate marketing programs. Gratitude, charity and giving back to the community is at the foundation of VirtualTourCafe, LLC which is why we always give at least 10% of all net profits to charity," says president and CEO, Tim Denbo.
90% of home buyers are now searching online for homes, according to the National Association of Realtors, and many search homes based on the number of pictures and/or a virtual tour before considering other listings. As a virtual tour provider, VirtualTourCafe.com helps the home owner, the real estate agent and ultimately the community by adding virtual tours and video tours to more property listings to help market and sell the property through global online exposure.
VirtualTourCafe is an easy to use, fast and inexpensive online real estate marketing tool with individual agent and full-office broker programs available, starting at under $10.00 per tour. E-flyers, Virtual Tours, YouTube-Style videos and global distribution are a few of the many services included on www.VirtualTourCafe.com.
*activation fee of under $1 per tour will be applied
SOURCE VirtualTourCafe, LLC
Yes, if they raise money for charity! Please help us help each other by passing this press release on to a friend or associate that may be just starting out, hit a rough patch or just needs a break on some marketing expenses! OUR GOAL is to reach 1000 new subscribers during this Thanksgiving weekend and generate THOUSANDS of DOLLARS for Charity!!! Pass it on…
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