Real Estate Technology & Tools

When it comes to keeping in touch with your contacts, it’s no easy feat. Especially if these contacts are past clients of yours. Combine that with all of your other daily responsibilities and that could lead you down a very overwhelming path. However, it is important to maintain and nourish those relationships, even after closing on the listing. Not only will you be seen as the go-to agent for these contacts, this will also help you get referrals as well. Here are a few surefire ways to keep in touch with your contacts the right way:1. Assign your Contacts to an Automated Nurture Email CampaignPlain and simple, you don’t have an unlimited amount of time to go and chase after your past clients and follow up with them and that is okay. You are only human. A system that acts like your pers... 07/28/2020

YouTube Thursdays - Stories of Love, Inspiration, and Soul!  A recent post about different branding perspectives from Ron and Alexandra Seigel, really inspired us. Therefore. we are considering the varying viewpoints to tell our own brand stories as illustrated in their post. This is still a work in progress, however, we wanted to share what we have to date.  Love - Passion for the environment, beautiful surroundings, and how Nature heals.  Inspiration - Nature's healing can happen at home too through gardening, soothing vistas, and reflective spots created throughout the landscape.  Soul - Connecting people to properties that bring them pleasure and rejuvenation. Once we are crystal clear that we have identified these three principles well, we will begin creating ideas for new brand st... 07/23/2020

 I have a listing coming on next week, but we wanted exterior photos, since all the weeds were removed, and the yard was looking GOOD.    Unfortunately, my photographer had to cancel the night we really wanted the photos done, so he was there Thursday evening. Of course, there were clouds rumbling around the area, and boy, the clouds sure put on a show!   Denver International Airport was shut down for a while, and there were alerts sent out for severe weather. I had twilight photos taken of this new listing, so my photographer was there until almost 10 pm. and captured some GREAT photos.  Sometimes having really cool storm clouds behind a home is cool.   Sometimes you don't have a choice!   The clouds were really coming in by the time he was ready for the twinkle photos!     Photos comp... 07/11/2020

It's been awhile since I have been able to update my blog - I have been very busy with launching my new website at www.yourspecialagent.com, and I wanted to "relaunch" my blog in order to go with my new website.  It is amazing how much work and time go into creating a website and it gave me a new level of respect for the people that design and build them. If you have any feedback about our new website, feel free to contact me or leave a note here in the comments.  I'd love to hear what you have to say! I should be updating this blog at least once a week with information about the real estate market and my own personal thoughts and experiences.  I have a link on the website to bring you here, so check back from time to time to see my new updates. If you have any particular subject you'd ... 07/07/2009

The Power of Good Stories  In our opinion, it's difficult to produce a video without having a specific goal(s) in mind. We always follow these guidelines prior to shooting any video: 1. Flesh out the purpose and plan. 2. Identify the target audience. 3. Formulate a beginning, middle, and an end.4. Keep our brand personality in mind. ( Does this video match our brand?)5. The video should be able to "show" (not rely on telling) the story.  When you think about it, most videos tell a story. Even if the producer doesn't realize it. And, much like listening to people talking, those without a point tend to lose their audience quickly, while those who tell good stories tend to captivate their audience.  Therefore, it's important to make sure a video tells a compelling story.   Hook the viewer ... 07/16/2020

When people are looking for a neighborhood to move into, there are certain things which can make the area more appealing. These usually include schools, stores, parks, public transport links and places of worship. By contrast, there is also a long list of things which can lower a neighborhood’s value and make it less appealing for upmarket residents. Close proximity to factories, high levels of criminal activity, and a lack of job opportunities are amongst the off-putting factors which can make potential buyers walk away from a property.However, not every neighborhood business or amenity fits neatly onto either the ‘good’ or ‘bad’ list. They bring both positives and negatives to an area, and are therefore often the topic of debate. One such business is a casino. While many people view g... 07/27/2020

The Power of Good Stories     In our opinion, it's difficult to produce a video without having a specific goal(s) in mind. We always follow these guidelines prior to shooting any video:   1. Flesh out the purpose and plan.  2. Identify the target audience.  3. Formulate a beginning, middle, and an end. 4. Keep our brand personality in mind. ( Does this video match our brand?) 5. The video should be able to "show" (not rely on telling) the story.    When you think about it, most videos tell a story. Even if the producer doesn't realize it. And, much like listening to people talking, those without a point tend to lose their audience quickly, while those who tell good stories tend to captivate their audience.   Therefore, it's important to make sure a video tells a compelling story.     H... 07/21/2020

07/03/2020

Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, Plaxo, Linkedin and the list goes on and on and on.  These sites can cause complete overwhelm as well as take users careening off in unproductive directions, leaving them wondering what did I even accomplish today. Myspace used to be the "IT" place to social network but it was quickly gobbled up by the power of facebook.  The largest growth group for facebook is the 50 year old female out there diving into the socila networking scene.  Facebook like Myspace offers mini games and social applications suck as buy a round and send a hug.  There is PLENTY on facebook as well as myspace to grab your attention and suck the minutes and hours away from you. Twitter has a completely differetn dynamic.  You are allowed only 140 characters total including spaces for your... 07/06/2009

When looking for a computer technician either for your real estate business or a home renovation business or just about any business, it is important that you choose a reputable and qualified one. There are several things you should consider when making your selection. To help you find the best technician for your needs, here are some important things to consider:ExperienceHow experienced is the technician you are thinking of hiring? This is important because if the technician is not experienced, he or she will not be as qualified to do repairs. A technician should be able to work on different types of computers and be able to handle the most common problems. Ask for references and ask how long the technician has been in the field, and what type of experience he or she has. This will gi... 07/24/2020

Just a quick FYI ... if you're not at least sightly interested in Relola ... then you're missing out. Heather Sittig Jackson is one of the creators of this cool new technology! Now, I don't endorse products for dollars ... (well, not yet anyway :-)) ... so this is organic. Relola is such a cool product because it allows you to be part of literally anyone's listing! You get to be the expert on every door you walk through. The product allows you to get something out of the homes you are previewing that reaches beyond just "knowing the inventory." Now, people don't have to call you to know what you know ... they can visit Relola and see what you think and know that you are "active" in the field because you are posting new insights. So, here's the skinny: you get out in the field and check ... 08/11/2016

I think many of you knew about doing snapshots, but hopefully, I shared a few things that help you take snapshots to the next level. And, if you are using Windows 10, be sure and check out the great new features of Snip & Sketch.Please don't forget to take my 2019 Technology Survey if you haven't done so already. I'll be posting those results in the next couple of weeks after the survey is closed. But I'm looking for more responses first!This post is a prelude and will be a useful tie-in to other upcoming posts. My next series will be looking at how to do a blog signature make-over. So snapshots, composite graphics, creating layout tables in your posts, and online note-taking apps are on the immediate radar, so watch for these!  #whetyourappetite Sometimes it's just easier to SHOW rathe... 11/18/2019

If you want to be a good property manager, you have to use and work effectively on managing your client's contact and also other information like a pro. Now, you must be thinking about what are the reasons that can make you lose a deal if you don't have proper contact management. For this you will have to avoid making some mistakes which are:Absence of A Compatible ProcessThe beginner's first mistake is the absence of efficiency and compatible process to manage and upgrade commercial contacts. The major default is that the managers don't put their data on a commercial property management software database. And this lack of maintenance and upgrading of information which makes the system inefficient. It also results in wasting all your valuable hours in just finding contacts, making irrel... 07/24/2020

Raise your hand if you’ve ever felt stuck determining prices for your property rentals. An effective solution is to use information from the best in the vacation rental industry, Rented.com! Today, we discuss optimal performance in revenue management for property managers with Amber Knight of Rented.com — a revenue strategy business that helps property managers and realtors earn more with less hassle. MyOutDesk can save you up to 70% on employment cost Claim a free business strategy consultation & 'Grow Virtual' Guide Effectively Managing & Scaling Your BusinessLook no further when you need to save time. MyOutDesk’s skilled virtual assistants can support your property management & real estate business, marketing efforts, finances, and documentation. Leverage full time virtual assistants... 07/24/2020

Images are very important to help your web pages engage your audience. The combination of informative text along with appropriate photos and illustrations is the formula for a captivating post. Some of the biggest amateur mistakes of creating web pages is related to working with images. Doing it wrong will not "break" anything, but doing it right shows your expertise.  The ways to optimize images that you should be aware of are:(1) file resolution/pixel size not exceeding actual page frame size(2) file aspect ratio(3) maximizing file type compression(4) SEO optimization In this post, let's talk about the first 3 ways noted above to optimize our images. To illustrate the process, let's use this image from Pixabay (h/t to Bruno /Germany from Pixabay - While pixabay allows free use of ima... 01/15/2020

For the sake of full disclosure, I have been a little underwhelmed with the QR code mania going around. Sure, it's neat to be able to scan a code and have it open a website on my phone, but there's a reason why I don't sit around surfing the Interwebs on my phone. Phone + website = yuck. If the page I'm opening hasn't been reformatted to be viewed on a tiny screen with a 728K connection, what's the point? Well, I found the point (at least for me). One word: vCard. I was sitting around thinking: why can't I scan someones QR code and have it put their contact information into my phone. That would actually be useful. The vCard format is basically an electronic business card file that integrates with most smart phone contact managers. After a little google magic, I found a few cards that wo... 02/19/2011

As a first-time buyer, you will have two options for buying your first ever home — should it be a house or an apartment? There are pros and cons for both, of course, but in today’s guide, we are going to focus on the benefits of starting out with the apartment lifestyle. Let’s take a closer look at six reasons why buying a flat or apartment can work out well for you.AffordabilityOf course, apartments can cost a broad range of prices, depending on their size, location and available amenities. However, in the vast majority of cases they are cheaper than buying a house — which can make the difference for a first-time buyer. That means you will only need a smaller deposit, monthly payments will be less, and it’s an easier way of getting a foot on the property ladder.LocationBuying an apartm... 07/17/2020

Many people will tell you that renting is pointless. Well, it isn’t if you don’t want to live at your family home. But it is from a financial point of view. Why? Because the rent you pay each month doesn’t go towards buying the property. It just ends up in your landlord’s bank account.With the improving economy, more people want to get on the property ladder and buy a home. The trouble is: they just don’t have enough money to do so. But it turns out there are many creative ways to buy a house. Want to know what they are? Keep reading to learn more!Buy a starter homeYou might envisage yourself living in a sprawling house with plenty of outdoor space. Unless you’ve got the money, there’s no chance you’ll ever own such a property! To get out of renting, you need to start small and work you... 07/17/2020

Real estate agents do much of their work in the field, showing homes or visiting properties. With all of this time out of the office, they need to be able to access their workspace as easily as possible from a variety of devices. Some may work from their phone, while others use tablets and laptops. Staying connected at all times is extremely important, especially if they want to capitalize on a sale or locking in a new client. Microsoft Office 365 puts their office in the palm of their hands any time, any place making it easier for them to manage their business.ConvenienceMicrosoft Office 365 is more than just an email system and word processor. It also contains marketing and accounting tools that allow you to manage every aspect of your office in one convenient location. From spreadshe... 04/26/2019

Visit www.dabest.com/oxnard for more statistics in Ventura County. 09/10/2013