Articles by Michael LaPeter on ArticleSnatch.com

Making an Open House Succeed - The Pointers to Consider

Thu, 30 Jul 2009 20:57:06 -0400

Experts and real estate agents alike unanimously say that open houses are not as effective as they were before. This is acceptable and believable, considering the advent of the Internet. Open houses also require a lot of effort-and most of the time, the effort is not rewarded directly or instantly. Many agents prefer to concentrate on their real estate marketing campaign online and elsewhere. Indeed, they can channel all that energy, time, and money anywhere else other than in open houses. And yet, some realtors still do open houses. They may do it for a number of reasons-because the seller wants to, because they want a list of potential clients-but the point is, the practice isn't completely dead. And open houses can still be successful too, especially if one consider a number of pointers and tricks. Here are some of them: * Consider date and location: If the agent is forced by the seller to do an open house, he has to first consider the location of the property for sale. As a general rule, a property that is easily accessible (near the main road, not hidden in some secluded community) generates the most traffic. **End Summary** Topics: real estate marketing]]> realtors marketing]]> single property websites]]> realtor]]> real estate agents]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Michael contributes to My Single Property Websites , a web 2.0 marketing tool that lets real estate agents create stunning virtual tours and single property sites easily, with a free version available for listing presentations. He also contributes to the Real Estate Marketing Blog there.

3 Solid Tips For Marketing High End, Luxury Real Estate

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 11:17:32 -0400

At some point in your career, you'll come across the most exciting, profitable, and intimidating market in real estate: the high end real estate market. The high end listing is no ordinary beast: your clients are paying more, and they'll expect more. Your target market is completely different, and often substantially more sophisticated than the first time buyers and sellers you may be used to dealing with. Follow these 3 tips to make sure your first step into the high end market is the right one: 1. Realize luxury is about service. Think about companies in the luxury market, whether they're hotels or retailers or luxury car companies: they all make providing great service one of their top priorities. Great service is one of the hallmarks of luxury: your sellers will expect it, and so will prospective buyers. This means you need to be prepared to go the extra mile -- accommodating extra private showings often with short notice, including refreshments during open houses, and dealing with fussy buyers ( I had one client who would only buy a place if it was brand new; even if someone had lived there for a week he wouldn't consider it!). **End Summary** Topics: real estate marketing]]> realtors marketing]]> luxury real estate]]> realtor]]> real estate agents]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Michael is an active real estate broker and writes frequently on real estate marketing. Michael is also the founder of My Single Property Websites , a web 2.0 marketing tool that lets real estate agents create stunning virtual tours and single property websites easily. He also writes on the Real Estate Marketing Blog there.

How to Market Your Real Estate Listing For Under $100

Tue, 28 Jul 2009 10:38:31 -0400

Cash flow can be a serious problem for real estate agents, and it's not hard to figure out why: we have a ton of upfront costs, but we don't get paid a cent unless and until our listing sells. Even worse, in the current market the odds of the listing even selling are dramatically worse than they used to be. An agent could drop thousands into marketing a listing, only to end up empty handed a few months later. At the same time, sellers are expecting the absolute best marketing possible to make their home stand out in a tough market. So what's an agent to do? The good news is, that the internet has absolutely slashed the costs of effectively marketing a listing. Here's one way to market your listing for under $100: MLS Listing - $0 While of course you pay dues to access your local MLS, there's no per listing cost, and this is always the best place to start. Make sure to go the extra mile, and include a solid description and professional photos (below) or at least the best photos you can take. **End Summary** Topics: real estate marketing]]> realtors marketing]]> luxury real estate]]> realtor]]> real estate agents]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Michael is an active real estate broker and writes frequently on real estate marketing. Michael is also the founder of My Single Property Websites , a web 2.0 marketing tool that lets real estate agents create stunning virtual tours and single property websites easily. He also writes on the Real Estate Marketing Blog there.

Open Houses - a Good Real Estate Marketing Tool?

Mon, 27 Jul 2009 12:42:40 -0400

According to an article in The Washington Post, many real estate agents do not see open houses as a good way to sell houses. Instead, majority of the real estate agents consulted by the publication for their article said that they do them only as a marketing tool rather than as means to sell a house. The Washington Post said more than 70 percent of the real estate agents involved in the survey organize open houses only to "appease sellers" while more than 50 percent said open houses help them only to generate new contacts. And this was conducted way before online marketing has become common. What triggered the change? And should a real estate agent still conduct an open house? The change in the trend must have been triggered by the Internet. No surprise there, since the Internet has definitely changed the way people do business. Instead of going to the location itself, potential buyers simply go online to look for properties. When they see a property they like, they will contact the real estate agent to look at the property themselves. Internet has eliminated the need for open houses-at least from the buyer's point of view. **End Summary** Topics: real estate marketing]]> realtors marketing]]> blog]]> blogs]]> realtor]]> real estate agents]]> prospecting]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Michael contributes to My Single Property Websites , a web 2.0 marketing tool that lets real estate agents create stunning virtual tours and single property sites easily, with a free version available for listing presentations. He also contributes to the Real Estate Marketing Blog there.

The Basics of Creating a Real Estate Blog

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Creating a personal blog is easy. All you have to do is sign up for a free service from a web space provider such as Blogger or WordPress, create a design or get template designs online, and simply post content. However, when the blog is for a professional purpose, the set-up for creating a blog may become a little difficult. So with that, it can be said that creating a real estate blog needs ample preparation. Signing for up free blog space is easy-it doesn't even take a few minutes-but creating a good real estate website is not. First off, should you sign up for free blog services? Many top real estate blogs use the services of the likes of Blogger and Wordpress. The point is, it doesn't really matter if you use free web space or if you get your own domain. The deciding factor of the success of your blog is and always will be the content. The design, of course, is also a serious concern. You don't have to pay for someone to create the layout of your blog-all you have to do is get one that's easy to browse and supports certain applications for differently-abled. **End Summary** Topics: real estate marketing]]> sales]]> realtor]]> real estate agents]]> single property websites]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Michael contributes to My Single Property Websites , a web 2.0 marketing tool that lets real estate agents create stunning virtual tours and single property sites easily, with a free version available for listing presentations. He also contributes to the Real Estate Marketing Blog there.

Why the Blog is a Great Real Estate Marketing Tool

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Blogs have now become an industry standard in the real estate business. In fact, blogs are common not just in real estate but practically in every industry existing. This is due to the fact that online presence is given so much premium by customers and clients. Business owners and other professionals are now investing on blogs because it can help a business or an enterprise. Blogs do more than what websites offer-websites, after all, often directly sell the property or the service; on the other hand, blogs are "soft sell," or they sell something without the potential customer realizing it. This makes blogs great marketing tools. But what makes blogs efficient in marketing? Remember that many experts claim that common marketing and advertising methods are losing their edge because of the saturation of similar materials in the market. Remember, too, that the people or the real estate agent's market, to be exact, is usually adverse to hard sell or direct advertising. Blogs address these two weaknesses in marketing. Real estate websites that serve as blogs are not direct hard sell. This is because a good and effective real estate website should be content-based rather than advertising-based. **End Summary** Topics: real estate marketing]]> realtors marketing]]> single property websites]]> realtor]]> real estate agents]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Michael contributes to My Single Property Websites , a web 2.0 marketing tool that lets real estate agents create stunning virtual tours and single property sites easily, with a free version available for listing presentations. He also contributes to the Real Estate Marketing Blog there.

Dealing With Online Potential Real Estate Clients and Leads

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

In essence, dealing with a real life real estate client personally and a real estate client online are not too different. But just the same, there are also evident differences between the two. A good real estate agent should know how to differentiate; at the same time, he also knows how to use the tactics for traditionally dealing in online transactions. After all, this could very well make or break a deal. Some real estate agents fail to consider these differences, thinking that the practice they are accustomed to still applies online. In the end, they end up losing a client. Here are some tips on how to deal with online leads and potential clients: 1. The Internet is dramatically different from any other medium used in real estate because it allows the client and the agent to communicate instantly. Therefore, when a client contacts a real estate agent through e-mail, for instance, he or she expects a real almost instantly. Above that, the response of the agent should be adequate enough-enough to generate interest. This is more so application when the inquiry is done through text messaging or SMS. **End Summary** Topics: real estate marketing]]> realtors marketing]]> single property websites]]> realtor]]> real estate agents]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Michael contributes to My Single Property Websites , a web 2.0 marketing tool that lets real estate agents create stunning virtual tours and single property sites easily, with a free version available for listing presentations. He also contributes to the Real Estate Marketing Blog there.

How to Make Marketing Ideas Make a Difference

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Marketing is essential in real estate. But with all the real estate agents out there, does the way you market your properties and yourself even make a difference in the market? Considering that there are more than one million real estate agents in the United States alone, it is easy to see why marketing has becoming more and more difficult. For one, with that number, it is possible that what you have done and are planning to do has been done before-and maybe even done better-by other agents. And then there are the people. Potential clients are becoming more knowledgeable about real estate. Also, they are no longer impressed by marketing since-more often than not-they know the truth behind it. Still, there are a number of ways to make marketing ideas work, or at least stand out from the numerous similar campaigns out there. Here are some ways to market and make a difference: Enjoy what you are doing-As a real estate agent, you have to enjoy what you are doing. Because when you enjoy what you are doing as an agent, it will be evident in your work. **End Summary** Topics: real estate marketing]]> realtors marketing]]> single property websites]]> realtor]]> real estate agents]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Michael contributes to My Single Property Websites , a web 2.0 marketing tool that lets real estate agents create stunning virtual tours and single property sites easily, with a free version available for listing presentations. He also contributes to the Real Estate Marketing Blog there.

Two Easy Real Estate Marketing Ideas For Savvy Realtors

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The real estate market is becoming more saturated by the minute. With fewer clients and an increasing number of agents, the business could not be more competitive. With all this competition, an agent needs to be more resourceful. An agent needs to use every possible tool and method out there to make a sale and earn money despite the stiff competition. So how is this possible? Simple: by effective real estate marketing. As an agent, you probably know that practically all agents are selling the same thing. Realtors are selling property. And while different properties have different traits and features, they are intrinsically the same. For instance, if two agents are selling two different properties to the same person at the same price-how would the client choose? More than the features of the properties, the client will choose depending on how the agents present the product (in this case, the property), as this is embedded in the perception of the client. Marketing is a way of presenting a product (property) to a potential customer. Hence, in order to succeed in the business, you need great marketing ideas-but they also can't cost a small fortune. **End Summary** Topics: real estate marketing]]> realtors marketing]]> single property websites]]> realtor]]> real estate agents]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Michael contributes to My Single Property Websites , a web 2.0 marketing tool that lets real estate agents create stunning virtual tours and single property sites easily, with a free version available for listing presentations. He also contributes to the Real Estate Marketing Blog there.

Why Real Estate is Similar to Dating

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

If you have been reading real estate websites and tips on real estate marketing, you may have noticed that they often characterize the real estate business as something similar to dating. The truth is, the analogy does not only apply to the real estate business, as it works for most industries that are driven by a client-agent relationship. Much about real estate is dealing with clients, and dealing with clients is much like how one would treat a person they are dating. As in dating, you need to make your client trust you as an agent, because any type of relationship is always based on trust. But more than that, real estate is similar to dating in that you'll establish a very close relationship with your client as you search together, amongst other reasons . And it is important to know these reasons because, as with dating, being prepared can lead to better things. Here are some of the similarities: * You want to know what they know about you. In dating, our curiosity usually leaves us dying to know what our date has heard about us, especially if a friend referred them. **End Summary** Topics: real estate marketing]]> sales]]> realtor]]> real estate agents]]> single property websites]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Michael contributes to My Single Property Websites , a web 2.0 marketing tool that lets real estate agents create stunning virtual tours and single property sites easily, with a free version available for listing presentations. She also contributes to the Real Estate Marketing Blog there.

Real Estate and the Internet - New Technologies Can Help (And Hurt) Agents

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The Internet has been changing practically every industry and every professional-and the real estate business was not left unaffected. Of course, the changes in the real estate business, thanks to the wonders of the Internet, have all been good both for the realtor and the property buyer. With the use of online tools and techniques, real estate marketing has never been easier. And since an interested individual can simply search for his or her desired property with a click of a button, looking for property has never been easier either. But needless to say, the advantage and benefits brought about by technology can be felt more by the agents. After all, competition is becoming stiffer and stiffer by the minute, with the economic crunch and the number of agents engaged in the business. For instance, a number of studies and researchers say that more than half of the current homebuyers look for property first online. This is the exact opposite of the current misconception that people avoid the Internet when purchasing property. Although the Internet is home to some scams and dubious plots, it is always easy to spot them-and homebuyers know this. **End Summary** Topics: real estate]]> internet leads]]> online leads]]> leads]]> prospects]]> single property websites]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Michael contributes to My Single Property Websites , a web 2.0 marketing tool that lets real estate agents create stunning virtual tours and single property sites easily, with a free version available for listing presentations. He also contributes to the Real Estate Marketing Blog there.

How a Real Estate Agent Should Work With Clients

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Because a large part of transactions and negotiations happen online these days, many real estate agents have forgotten how to deal with clients face to face. Of course, realtors face their online clients personally after some time, but the fact that agent and client have been talking and possibly negotiating online have already reduced the risk of problems occurring once they meet for a transaction. Needless to say, dealing with clients is a very important skill in the real estate business. The first meeting between client and realtor can officially make or break a deal or a sale. A real estate agent needs to know how to deal with clients professionally and intelligently, as these are two different things. As an agent, one should always expect emotions from his or her client-panic, fear, uncertainty, and even joy. Clients are entitled to express their emotions, so an agent has to be ready for this since the realtor's reaction can be a factor in the client's decision later on. This is one of the reasons why an agent has to be good with people. A good agent should know at what point of a discussion certain "emotions" will come up. **End Summary** Topics: real estate marketing]]> sales]]> realtor]]> real estate agents]]> single property websites]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Beverly Manago is a freelance writer and along with Michael contributes to My Single Property Websites , a web 2.0 marketing tool that lets real estate agents create stunning virtual tours and single property sites easily, with a free version available for listing presentations. She also contributes to the Real Estate Marketing Blog there.

How to Add Google Maps to Your Real Estate Website

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Google maps have been around for a while now, but there still aren't very many real estate agents who use them on their personal or farm real estate website. Whether you're focusing on a neighborhood or a subdivision, you can quickly and easily use Google maps to create a useful, local resource that you can provide to your farm or use to attract buyers interested in the area. Local, accurate information from a human, whether in the form of Google maps, single property websites, or hyper-local sites, is one of the best advantages we can provide as real estate agents, and it's one of the hardest areas for national conglomerates and huge search sites to break into. It's easy to get started using Google maps. You can use the the place-mark pins as I have in this example, or you can draw shapes on the map for subdivisions or bigger buildings. You could make a "buyer's tour" for out of town buyers, perhaps highlighting desirable (or especially undesirable) areas, and including points of interest with your own personal commentary. Why not have the first point start at your office? 1. **End Summary** Topics: real estate]]> website]]> google maps]]> map]]> maps]]> listings]]> virtual tours]]> virtual tour]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Michael is an active real estate broker and writes frequently on real estate marketing. Michael is also the founder of Bold Virtual Tours , a web 2.0 marketing tool that lets real estate agents create stunning virtual tours and single property websites easily. He also writes on the Real Estate Marketing Blog there.

Social Media and Real Estate - Where to Start?

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Tweets, friending, blogging, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter... chaos! Or at least that's what it can look like if you're a real estate agent dipping your toe in the social media waters for the first time. You don't have time to tackle them all, and even if you did, where to start? I've sorted through the dozens of social media networks and summarized the top ones below, in order of importance. LinkedIn: Best for: Industry referrals Think of LinkedIn (linked in) as a place to post your online resume. You start by creating your resume, entering your current and past jobs, education, etc. just as with a normal resume. The next step is what makes LinkedIn so powerful: it can scan your email contacts and start linking you to everyone you know. Then, when you visit your connections' pages, you can see who they know. This is what LinkedIn is all about: helping people harness the power of their business network to find new jobs, opportunities, or in your case clients! Facebook: Best for: Keeping in touch with past clients, referrals from clients/ friends If any industry can tap the potential of Facebook, it's the real estate industry. **End Summary** Topics: real estate]]> internet leads]]> online leads]]> leads]]> prospects]]> online prospecting]]> prospecting]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Michael is an active real estate broker and writes frequently on real estate marketing. Michael is also the founder of My Single Property Websites , a web 2.0 marketing tool that lets real estate agents create stunning virtual tours and single property websites easily. He also writes on the Real Estate Marketing Blog there.

7 Ways For Real Estate Agents to Save Money

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

As a real estate agent, you can't count on any financial bailout to save your business during this recession. These seven tips by an active real estate broker will help you trim your costs and make your business lean and more productive: 1. Track Your Expenses. While this sounds obvious, you'd be surprised by how many agents have no idea how much they're spending or what they're spending it on. It's no surprise: real estate agents are usually social animals, and digging into a heavyweight accounting program such as Quickbooks is downright painful. For personal finances, I recommend a company called Mint. You can link your accounts in about five minutes, and because they only track your finances (you can't transfer or withdraw anything), they're very safe. 2. Instead of Advertising, Try Picking Up The Phone. I learned this idea from the course "Ninja Selling" by Larry Kendall. His great advice: make 50 brief calls to people you know every week and offer them real estate information of value (sales in their neighborhood, market update, etc.). This costs you nothing, and is probably the single most effective thing you can do to generate more business. **End Summary** Topics: real estate]]> internet leads]]> online leads]]> single property sites]]> single property websites]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Michael is an active real estate broker and writes frequently on real estate marketing. Michael is also the founder of My Single Property Websites , a web 2.0 marketing tool that lets real estate agents create stunning virtual tours and single property websites easily. He also writes on the Real Estate Marketing Blog there.

Five Ways to Use Twitter in Real Estate

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

You've no doubt heard of Twitter by now. But it is worth the effort? Will it help your real estate business? You may have delayed a year or two on Facebook before, only to realize now how useful it can be for generating referrals and keeping in touch with your sphere. Don't make the same mistake with Twitter! Consider these 5 ways of using twitter in real estate to decide if you should get started today. Reason #1: Following other top agents in your market. Even if you never send a single "tweet" (that's what it's called when you post a message on twitter), you can sign up and follow the top agents in your market. You already know how useful it is to talk with other agents to stay on top of your local market: new listings coming on, pocket listings, new developments, and general industry gossip. With Twitter, you can stay constantly aware of this chatter even if you're in the office all day. Reason #2: You'll add people to your social sphere you won't find elsewhere. **End Summary** Topics: real estate]]> internet leads]]> online leads]]> leads]]> tweets]]> prospects]]> online prospecting]]> twitter]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Michael is an active real estate broker and writes frequently on real estate marketing. Michael is also the founder of My Single Property Websites , a web 2.0 marketing tool that lets real estate agents create stunning virtual tours and single property websites easily. You can also read more about Using Twitter in Real Estate on his blog.

How to Start Your Own Real Estate Blog

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Real estate blogs are now a must have for serious real estate agents. Fortunately, they couldn't be easier to set up, and they're free! Many agents now use their blog as their main real estate site, saving them hundreds of dollars a year and avoiding the hassle of maintaining both a website and a blog. Step 1: Plan it out. What areas and topics do you want your blog to cover? What would you like to name your blog? You want your blog to cover broad enough topics that you can reach new clients. But you don't want to be overly broad or you'll be competing against larger, more entrenched blogs. Also, the more you focus on a smaller area the more of a local expert you will appear. For most small towns, consider a blog covering your entire region. If you are in a larger city, you may want to focus on that city only. It's not recommended to focus your blog on just one neighborhood, as it may be hard to consistently write new content if there is not that much news to report for that neighborhood. **End Summary** Topics: real estate]]> real estate blogs]]> blogs]]> realtor blogs]]> real estate blogs]]> how to blog]]> agents]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Michael is an active real estate broker and writes frequently on real estate marketing. Michael is also the founder of My Single Property Websites , a web 2.0 marketing tool that lets real estate agents create stunning virtual tours and single property websites easily. Read even more tips and tricks for Real Estate Blogs .

5 Reasons You Should Add Single Property Websites to Your Real Estate Marketing

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0400

As a real estate agent, it's safe bet that you're both short on time and working with a stretched budget. On top of this, you need to use your limited budget to find new prospective buyer and seller clients, win listing presentations, and last but not least, market your listings. Single property websites are one way to achieve all three goals, at a budget friendly cost of about $10-20 per listing. In this article I've boiled down the five main reasons to add a single property website to your bag of marketing tools: 1. Sellers love them. I learned this lesson firsthand after a recent listing. During my listing presentation, I gave my clients about 50 pieces of paper along with about two dozen reasons why they should work with me, one of which was that I would create a single property website for their listings. After I won the listing, I assumed they just skimmed everything and didn't think the single property website was even that important to them. **End Summary** Topics: single property websites]]> single property website]]> virtual tour]]> virtual tours]]> free property sites]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Michael is an active real estate broker and writes frequently on real estate marketing. Michael is also the founder of My Single Property Websites , a web 2.0 marketing tool that lets real estate agents create stunning virtual tours and single property websites easily. He also writes on the Real Estate Marketing Blog there.