10 Steps to Open House Success

Seasoned real estate agents know that holding an open house is generally not the procuring cause of the sale. However, open houses can generate new leads and make a good impression on your seller. The short list below offers a few tips to make your open house memorable and generate as many leads as possible.

1. Feature all of your listings (not just the New ones) in your weekly agent Just Listed e-mail; mention any open house information under each featured listing

2. Feature all Open House information on your branded e-mail stationery

3. Bake bread or some other sweet-smelling treat

4. Compile a list of 10 nearby listings and attach your business card to distribute to open house visitors

5. Create a neighborhood fact sheet with school information, local restaurants, local map, and overview of community amenities

6. Require guest registration by signing Open House Sign-In sheet; if they don't sign-in they can't enter the property

7. Offer some kind of sign-up for your mailing list or e-mail newsletter list and provide an overview of what information they will get and how often - make the value clear!

8. Play relaxing music

9. Have takeaway articles about the neighborhood printed for visitors (these can sometimes be found in the local newspaper or magazine)

TIP: If you see an article about a neighborhood that you farm in the newspaper, save it for future uses such as this...

10. Follow-up with registered guests by sending a "thank you for coming" note or e-mail and add them to your drip campaign



For more great ideas and help preparing some of marketing materials mentioned above, give the Real Estate Geeks a call at (866) 239-2999 OR visit us on the web, click here.

10 Things You MUST do in 2008 to Put Your Marketing in High Gear!

I hope you all have heard about Real Estate 2.0 and the importance of incorporating the latest technologies into your business during a slow market - if it's slow for you ;) ... Below I have listed 10 essential to do's to put your marketing into high gear and enhance your web presence for the new year!

1) Start a Blog

2) Add an IDX Feed to your website

3) Get a drip marketing account

4) Add a lead capture form to your website

5) Sign up on Active Rain

6) Get an RSS Reader

7) Automate your showing feedback requests

8) Create a marketing plan for the year

9) Create a MySpace profile and Facebook Page for your company

10) Hire a Virtual Assistant to do non-income-producing tasks so that you can focus on SELLING!



What are your top goals?



To start implementing these goals and more ... complete our Needs Analysis and schedule your FREE consultation!

Essential Tools for Podcasting

It seems that many agents are slowly, but surely, becoming painfully aware of the rapidly-evolving technology that is at their fingertips to improve their efficiency, offer better customer service, and enhance their Internet presence. One of the new technologies that exist to keep you in-front of your prospects/customers and create more sticky content to your site is informative podcasts.

Although, the overall work required is far less than you would expect for the impressive end result, it may be more prudent to outsource such work to a professional virtual assistant or some other provider.

However, if you decide to go it alone (as I often like to do...so I can say that I gave it a try )... Here are the tools that you will need to get started. This is a 3-part series post that will include:

* Essential Tools for Podcasting
* Podcasting Production
* Advanced Postcasting - Getting Your Content to the Masses


Essential Tools for Podcasting

1. Powerful Computer

I won't delve into much technical detail about this, but most likely if your computer is less than 2 years old and free from memory-hogging software and viruses... you should be fine.

2. A/V Editing Software

PC: Windows Movie Maker for Video Editing; Audacity for Audio Editing (both are FREE)

Mac: iMovie for Video Editing; Garageband or Audacity for Audio Editing (both are FREE)

3. A/V Hardware

* Built-in Mic
* Wireless Mic (I recommend a Sennheiser Lavalier)
* Studio-Monitor Headphones (not your Bose ones for your iPOD)
* Speakers
* Interview Kit - if you plan on conducting over the phone interviews, etc. (Purchase a telephone-recording adapter from Radio Shack)
* Tripod
* Video Camera (I've listed some minimum spec requirements below that you should consider when purchasing)
o Digital DV
o Mic Input
o Handheld (not too bulky)
o Firewire/iLink port
o Manual White Balance
o Image stabilization

Most store salesmen can point you in the right direction...



Check back soon for Part 2: Podcasting Production (to include a step-by-step how to and common timelines for podcasts...)



Have a question... Ask the Real Estate Geeks and we'll e-mail you an answer in addition to featuring your question in our next blog post!