All posts by Tyler Zey

Hey! I'm Tyler with Easy Agent Pro! We provide top notch marketing content for realtors... And we do it for FREE! I get excited about sharing tactics and strategies that can be implemented TODAY.
Easy Agent Pro Blog

The Death Of Real Estate Facebook Ads? ☠️

We’re still in the golden era of real estate Facebook ads.

Will it come to an end? I believe it will yes…

However, I don’t think Facebook will ever fade away.

It will always be a useful platform for real estate agents.

The potential there outside of ads will always be incredibly useful.

Groups especially still show a significant amount of untapped potential.

real estate facebook

But I digress….

This post is about what you should do with Facebook RIGHT NOW.

As well as what you should do in the likely event that increasing

saturation eventually makes Facebook ads a less viable strategy for

real estate agents.

Let’s Get into it!

 

 

You’ve Just Begun To Scratch The Surface

Make Your Real Estate Facebook Ads Better

There Are Two Parts To This Equation

 

 

The first thing I want to discuss (since it’s the most important)

Is establishing your own short term lead strategy on Facebook.

I want you to GET WHILE THE GETTING IS GOOD!

Lately, I’ve had a number of comments and emails coming my way saying

“FACEBOOK ADS DON’T WORK FOR ME!”

Now, if that’s the perspective you have and you’re going to stand your ground on that

You should stop reading this blog now because I wholeheartedly disagree with you.

You’ve Just Begun To Scratch The Surface 😮

 

I feel that it’s very important to remind you of something…

just because one strategy worked for one agent in a DIFFERENT MARKET,

doesn’t necessarily mean it will work the exact same for you.

There are a number of variables that go into the Facebook ad space.

• Bid Amounts

• The Audience You’re Targeting

• The Relevance Score Of Your Ad

• The Time Of Year


I could go on and on and on…

So the examples and strategies we give you here at EAP have been PROVEN to work BUT…

You should always be experimenting with the fine-tuned details to make it work best for you.

Things always work better for some agents in certain markets.

All the case studies we provide are meant to give you a starting point.

 

What Are Those Starting Points?

 

Precomposed Searches

These are performing well statistically across the board.

Single story homes, houses under 300k, homes with pools, homes in certain school districts.

The concept of precomposed searches being effective isn’t new either.

There will ALWAYS be interest in searches like this that help eliminate some of the time

your prospect has to spend filtering through various properties.

 

real estate facebook

 

Now, if the single story home search ad didn’t work for you

It doesn’t mean Facebook doesn’t work for you,

it means the climate and interest points of your market are probably different.

So try a different type of search….

is there a large number of people relocating to your area because of a big employer?

Is there a larger population of people looking to retire and downsize?

Effective Facebook ads really come down to how well you know your market and much you’ve experimented.

 

Very Targeted Video Content

Here’s an agent who picked up both the buyer and the seller.

 

 

He put together a very targeted Facebook video ad using drone footage.

Not sure how to go about getting your own Drone footage for Facebook?

Check out Droners.io it’s a really cool site where pilots get matched with agents.

 

real estate facebook

 

 

Foreclosures/Investors

I understand why agents are hesitant to deal with foreclosures.

However, this can lead to a recurring relationship with investors.

It’s also a large general interest point among buyers, and a good way to grow your CRM.

 

real estate facebook

 

This ad landed this agent 100+ leads that’s a huge bump to her database!

Which brings me to another very important point.

You’re being sidetracked by the short-term

There are a lot of agents who don’t want to put in the time and effort to convert Facebook leads.

If you’re judging the potential success of Facebook ads based on who is ready to sell the next day…

You’ll be sorely disappointed. On Facebook, there are prospects at every possible stage of the real estate process.

So you need a diverse approach in terms of both the content you’re creating and the angles you’re leveraging.

Make Your Real Estate Facebook Ads Better 🔥

 

What’s Your Angle?

If any of you have attended my Office Hours presentations every Friday you’ve heard me ask you this question.

If you can’t answer it more than likely your ad won’t perform well.

Let me give you a fantastic real estate Facebook ad example from my friend Chris with Space Coast Homes And Lifestyle.

 

real estate facebook

 

Yes, it’s a list of single story homes but we’re using the angle of maintenance-free communities.

This is going to impact two very important things.

The relevance score of the ad, and the targeting.

Both those things will impact Chris’s costs and success.

 

How Can You Add More Value?

Another huge complaint I’ve seen is “I’m getting a lot of clicks but no leads”.

Now that observation is helpful but what you do about it is even more important.

If your ad is reaching lots of people and better yet they’re clicking on it…

Then the angle you chose to advertise is great!

The problem (in this situation) usually can be found on the landing page.

If you’re in this situation you should do two things.

 

Make Sure Your Messaging Is Succinct

Sticking with Chris’s example you can see below his ad and landing page use the exact same message strategy.

 

real estate facebook

 

If you want to diversify the images and phrasing I’d suggest you split test your campaign.

Meaning: Run a certain number of people to both pages and see which one converts better.

 

Have you Looked At Your Targeting?

Again for the sake of simplicity let’s take a look at Chris’s targeting.

 

real estate facebook

Now Chris is dropping pins on a map and getting really customized with his locations.

Which is very important given the location of the maintenance free homes.

He’s also started exploring the detailed targeting section to refine his potential audience.

According to Facebook, his audience is on the border of being too broad.

Given the population density of his area, I would say 40,000 is a comfortable projection to sit at.

 

Eliminate Redundancy

Finally, don’t fall into the pitfall of being completely redundant with your messaging.

Chris sent me a screen shot of his final ad layout before launching.

 

real estate facebook

Make sure you’re adding diversity to the messaging of your real estate Facebook ad.

Earlier I mentioned making sure the messaging on your landing page and the ad was succinct.

Here I’m saying the text above the ad and the headline/link description below the image should be different.

real estate facebook

I’ll give you an example using one of our own ads.

You can see there’s a similarity but the headline and ad text are not verbatim.

Also, we’ve been experimenting with how adding the link in the text impacts our ad performance.

There Are Two Parts To This Equation 🤔

 

One of the biggest components of successful online lead generation comes down to email.

Half the equation is basically “How can I buy email addresses?”… i.e. FACEBOOK ADS.

 

real estate facebook

 

The numbers (according to emarketer.com) really back up why that’s the first part of the equation….

The other half is “How can I convert these leads to clients?”

During the golden era of Facebook ads you SHOULD BE BUYING as many emails as you can.

Because anywhere from 3-6 years down the line (or whenever Facebook ads decline in usefulness to you)

You’ll be left with a database of hopefully THOUSANDS of emails.

 

real estate facebook

 

Having a database like that will give you a HUGE advantage over your competition.

I’d experiment with a range of different ad sets to see which one is buying emails at the most Cost effective rate.

Then I’d double down on the ad with the lowest CPA (cost per acquisition).

I’ll leave you guys with this video that Tyler made which I think breaks this subject down really well.

 

 

So let’s revisit the question that brought you here…

Are Facebook ads dead? HELL NO!

If real estate Facebook ads aren’t working for you YET…

It doesn’t mean they can’t work for you, so get going while you still can.

 

Also, If you’re still confused on how to setup your own Facebook ad join us in Office Hours!

All LeadSites users have access to FREE daily coaching and we cover Facebook ad setups.

 

real estate facebook

 

We’d love to get you started on a successful real estate Facebook ad campaign!

 

THANKS GUYS!

 

 

Easy Agent Pro Blog, For Real Estate Agents, Software

Automation For Agents: Use This One Tool To Automate 50% Of Your Business (Step-By-Step Guide)

Automation for agents not only frees up your time by eliminating busy work, but it also guarantees consistency because it’s productivity on autopilot.

Sounds great, right?

Certainly!

So, why isn’t automation for agents being taken advantage of more rigorously?

Although it will ultimately make your life easier, taking the plunge can be a bit tricky. Just remember though, the time you put up now, will greatly benefit you down the road.

To get you started, we’ve taken the industry’s top automation tool and broken down how to quickly create 3 automations right now.

Let’s begin!

automation for agents

Meet Zapier

First, here’s a brief introduction to the platform we’ll be working in for automation for agents.

Simply put, Zapier is an integration platform that lets you connect two or more applications so they can communicate.

Apps do a lot of things, but they are not always so good at talking to one another. Therefore, they need a place to go so they can be connected.

Zapier solves this problem by letting you connect and automate tasks across applications.

 

If you’re familiar with IFTTT, then you already know a bit about automation software. The difference between IFTTT and Zapier is that Zapier is more business-focused. It allows you to take repetitive tasks and automate them.

While Zapier does have a paid model, you can create up to 5 “zaps” for free and decide if it’s worth your time and investment. And you’ve got 300+ applications to choose from! If you go the paid route, you’ll unlock more apps and have access to even more Zaps.

zapier apps

What’s a Zap?

When you create a Zap you can set an action to occur and be repeated when it’s triggered.

This is a cause and effect model that you get to control completely.

So, in Zapier’s world, the “cause” is your trigger and the “effect” is the action.

zapier geetting started

For instance, let’s say you want to send all of the blogs on your site to your Facebook page. You can create a Zap to do just that. We’ll show you how in this post!

In this case, the trigger is your blog getting published and the action is posting to Facebook.

Once you sign up and create your Zapier.com account, they’ll send you a free eBook. It’s a great primer for getting a feel for the platform and learning your way around.

With our without it though, we’re going to show you exactly how to set up three Zaps right now.

zap

More Blog Traffic

If you’re a LeadSite user, then you are already used to having lots of blog content populate your site as we provide two posts each week just for you.

eap blog share

What you do with this content, however, is up to you.

With Zapier, you can automatically set these blogs and any that you write to be shared instantly across your social media platforms.

Blogs are awesome social content and will help to drive quality leads back to your website. Because of the effective of blogs, we recommend setting up this Zap across any social platforms you’re active on.

Pinterest, Twitter, and LinkedIn are all great networks that can help you generate more blog traffic. Therefore, let’s make sure you can easily share content on all of these platforms whenever you’d like!

Here’s how to do it:

Once you get into your dashboard, click the orange Make A Zap button that will be displayed next to your name.

dashboard

You can then choose a Trigger App to get started.

zap set

Select RSS Feed and Facebook from the Zapier apps section.

rss

Follow the step-by-step instructions that Zapier gives you.

You’ll need to find the RSS feed link for your website. It’s often your website address with “/feed” at the end. You’ll also need to link your Facebook account.

During this set up, Zapier will ask for a few permissions and test your accounts to ensure everything connects properly.

Click “Finish” and… That’s it!

Once your Zap is set up, new blog posts that you publish will automatically post to your Facebook wall!

You can repeat this with as many social networks as you’d like!

Automation for Agents: File Management

No matter how careful you are, files have this funny way of disappearing all by themselves.

Zapier can automatically organize your new files, naming files so you can find them and saving the files right where they should be kept.

Here’s how:

file saving

Follow THIS LINK and then simply click on the Use this Zap button for the applications you want to pair up.

Let’s say we want to save new Gmail attachments (original file format) to Google Drive.

gmalsave

Just select Use this Zap to get started.

You’ll need:

  • A Gmail account with new emails that have attachments in them
  • Google Drive account

When you receive a new email in Gmail with an attachment, Zapier copies the attachment to your Google Drive account so you can keep up them with the rest of your files.

Step 1 

First thing’s first. Set up your Gmail Trigger by connecting your account.

 

gmailtrigger

Zapier does require a few permissions to be able to complete this Zap.

emailverify

Step 2

Second, go ahead and set up your Attachment details.

gmail attachment

Step 3

Create your Google Drive Trigger. You’ll have to, again, verify and test your drive link.

google drive action

And then create and select a folder in which you want these files to live.

zapier drive

Step 4

You’re done!

zap complete

After you create your Zap, it will be turned on automatically and you can view it on your dashboard.

If at any point you do not want a particular Zap to be active, just turn it off.

Follow This Mailchimp Autoresponder Tutorial

An autoresponder lets you send a customized email to someone right after they opt-in or subscribe. These emails aren’t connected to a campaign or anything. They are sent out individually to new subscribers once they join.

If you’re using Mailchimp, you may be familiar with this, but what if a paid Mailchimp account isn’t in your budget?

Don’t worry because Zapier’s got you covered!

This particular Zap was actually created by IT pro Brad Knutson.

mailchimp zap

The Zap is triggered each time you get a new MailChimp subscriber and will use the Gmail account you connect to instantly send a personalized follow up to that person, and anyone else that opts-in.

Getting Setup

  • Choose MailChimp and New Subscriber as the trigger
  • Select Gmail and Send Email as the action
  • Authorize both your Gmail and MailChimp account through Zapier and make sure you test each to make sure they’ve integrated correctly.

Good to go?

Now you’re ready to head over to Brad’s site for the full set up. No strings attached.

Have you created any new Zaps lately?

Let us know how it’s working for you!

 

Easy Agent Pro Blog

Real Estate Drip Emails: Get 30x ROI With These 4 Steps [Free Email Templates Included]

If you’re new to the game of online lead generation, one the hardest things to get your mind around is that many of the leads you work and pay to generate… Are NOT ready to do business with you right now… And that’s totally normal! But you do need a specific strategy for how to convert those leads later, when they are ready to buy or sell. And that’s where real estate drip emails come in.

Why Email?

What many agents wonder is… Is email still relevant? And the answer is, overwhelmingly, YES. Email has been the highest ROI direct marketing channel online for a decade.

On average, for every $1 you invest in email, you get $30 back.

30x ROI … Stop and think about that.

One of the other advantages of email is that you own the list. A good email list is an asset to your business that you control. You can move your list from CRM to CRM and continue marketing to those folks.

The same is NOT true of Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media platform. You can’t bring those people with you.

So one of the best ways to maximize the value of your email list is to send automated drip emails.

Once you set these up, your drip emails will build trust and close more leads long-term.

The trouble is…

Frankly, most agents are sending BAD drip emails.

How Most Agents Do “Drip Emails”

When most agents talk about drip email, what they mean is that they send people a list of homes every week.

Or they pester people with the same “let’s talk this week” email.

Which can work.

Except…

1. Sending lists of homes, with maybe a few sentences of generic email copy, is what every agent does.

Not to mention people can get IDX info anywhere.

So if that’s all you’re sending, you’re not doing anything that sets you apart from other agents.

2. Not every lead is ready to meet with you. A LOT of people who give you their email address are going to be in the initial research phase of their real estate decision, and it may be months before they’re ready to talk to an agent (more on this below).

So, let’s recap: Most agents are sending emails that blend into the crowd or they’re sending emails that are irrelevant to the majority of their email subscribers.

^^^ Those are both bad options.

And there are MUCH better ways to do drip emails for real estate.

Done correctly, you can actively build trust with potential clients over time and position yourself to be the agent they trust when they’re ready to buy or sell.

Let’s get down to business:

Here’s your step-by-step guide to dramatically improving your long-term conversion with drip emails:

NOTE: This article assumes that you have a website that captures leads effectively, and that you have some kind of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform that organizes your leads and allows you to create saved email sequences.

If you don’t have a website yet, check out LeadSites.

If you need a CRM or email service, try these free services: MailChimp, HubSpot

Powerful Real Estate Drip Emails, Step #1: Separate Your Leads By Interest

When people give their information to a real estate agent online, it’s going to be for a variety of reasons. If you work with both buyers and sellers, you don’t want to send both groups the same emails.

The help you offer to a homeowner thinking of selling will not be the same help you offer a first-time homebuyer.

That much should be obvious.

But many agents don’t take the time to create separate interest groups (In marketing, this is known as “List Segmentation”).

Different email categories you might consider, depending on how you capture leads on your site, are:

  • First-time homebuyers
  • People moving from out of town/out of state
  • Free home valuation opt-in
  • Prospective sellers
  • Closed clients
  • General leads
  • Commercial real estate leads
  • And any other specific groups you may work with

But if you’re just getting started, begin by creating 2 lists: One for Prospective Sellers and one for Prospective Buyers. These are the two core groups you likely work with most

Set these lists up in your CRM now.

Powerful Real Estate Drip Emails, Step #2: Create Content-Driven Emails For Different Interests

So you have your leads grouped by their interests in your CRM. The next question is…

What do you send them?

As we said above, sending IDX info and asking “are you ready to look at houses?” is not the best approach for a lot of people on your email list.

Sometimes these leads need to be nurtured.

This is your opportunity to build trust with these people so they feel comfortable reaching out to you when they are ready to buy or sell.

So what do good, content-driven emails look like for these different groups?

Here are some good real estate drip emails that you can copy, paste, and adapt to your business:

Example 1: Drip Email for Home Buyers

Subject: why your dream home vanished…

<<First Name>>,

If you’ve watched some of the top homes on the market disappear before you could even blink…

You’re not alone.

This is one of the hottest real estate markets in years.

The best homes for the best prices are getting snatched up almost as soon as they’re listed (and sometimes before they’re publicly listed at all).

If you’re set on finding your dream home, there are 3 things you should know about buying a home in a market like this:

Click here to read more [link to a blog post]

Best,

Agent Realtor
Real Estate Company

Example 2: Drip Email for Sellers

Subject: how she got an extra 12k

<<First Name>>,

It’s no secret that if you list your home for the right price, it will sell…

Sooner or later.

But what a lot of people don’t know is are THESE 5 SECRETS [Link to a blog post] that can help your home not only sell faster, but for more money.

We just helped a lady in our community sell her home for twelve thousand over her asking price, just by doing a few simple things.

Want to know what they are?

You can read all about it in our latest blog post.

Just click here. [link to blog post]

Best,

Agent Realtor
Real Estate Company

See how that works?

Instead of constantly asking them to list their home with you, or always asking them to go look at houses now…

Offer helpful advice that brings them back to your site over and over on a weekly basis.

This builds trust and positions you as the first agent they think of when they are ready to buy or sell a home.

NOTE: This is not a replacement for cold calling, door knocking, or anything else you’re doing to get business NOW. This is your long-term pipeline that converts people later who are not ready to do business now.

Drip emails are all about maximizing the people who genuinely aren’t good prospects now, but likely will be in the future.

Powerful Real Estate Drip Emails, Step #3: Save Your Content-Driven Emails As a Drip Sequence

Now, the idea of writing a brand new email (and very likely an accompanying blog post) every single week sounds daunting.

But keep two things in mind:

1. Sending drip emails that offer helpful content works.

Because the average purchase cycle of a homebuyer is 18 months. If you can build trust with folks who are in the early research phase of buying or selling a home, you can crush your competition in the long run.

2. It’s work you only have to do ONCE.

Once you create these emails, and any accompanying content, you save them as a sequence in your CRM…

And EVERY future lead gets the same sequence of emails.

You set it up once, and those emails go to work converting leads for you for years to come.

The important thing in the beginning is to just keep writing emails, creating content, and saving everything to beef up your drip system.

Don’t look at it as “Oh my gosh, how will I ever create 100 emails for a drip sequence?”

Look at it as “If I write one drip email a week for a year, I have a year’s worth of marketing that will work leads for me for free, FOREVER.”

That’s powerful.

The trick to building an effective drip email system is to keep your mind off the up-front time investment, and keep your eye on the long-term payoff (which is MASSIVE).

The exact “HOW” of setting up drip system varies from CRM to CRM. But the basic idea is that once someone is added to your email list, they will receive a pre-determined sequence of emails on a pre-determined schedule.

So, let’s illustrate using the free email service MailChimp as an example.

After logging in, go to the “Automation” tab. You can then select a custom work flow, like this:

As you can see, this allows you to create a custom email series for your business.

You will then create a name for the drip sequence (eg: “Buyers Drip Campaign”), and select the list that these emails will go to (eg: “Buyer Leads”).

You can now create the drip sequence by adding “triggers” and writing emails. So your initial “trigger” will be that someone is added to the list. The next trigger might be that one day has elapsed since they received the first email. The next trigger is that one week has past since the last email, and so on.

Once you set it up, it looks like this:

You can continue adding emails to this chain endlessly and they’ll go out a week apart like clockwork.

And anytime a new lead is added, they’ll get the entire sequence… automatically.

BOOM. Automatic lead nurturing.

Which frees you up to focus on generating more leads and to work with those folks who are ready to do business now.

Powerful Real Estate Drip Emails, Step #4: Feed More Leads Into Your Automated Pipeline

Once you have sequences of emails that offer value to your subscribers, based on their interests…

Your goal should be to get as many new email subscribers as possible.

The more people you have in your system, the better your automated drip emails are going to work in converting emails into real, qualified leads.

If you built a list of 10,000 email subscribers and put them into your drip campaigns for 12-18 months…

What would your business look like if only 1% of that list did business with you each year?

Would an extra 100 highly qualified leads who already know, like, and trust you make a difference in your business?

By leveraging content-driven real estate drip emails, it’s not a stretch to say you could build a six or even seven-figure business over the next 24 months.

We work with agents daily who are leveraging drip emails to multiply their businesses, year over year.

And you can do the same thing!

So what are you waiting for?

Go schedule your real estate drip emails RIGHT NOW 🙂

Your Action Plan:

  • Segment your email subscribers into specific lists (example: buyers and sellers)
  • This week, write a blog post that fits one of your email segments. (If you’re a LeadSites user, this step is done for you with the 2 blogs we give you each week!)
  • Write an email that gets attention, offers value, and points the reader to the blog post to learn more.
  • Do not ask for an appointment. Do not ask them to list their home with you. Just offer value!
Easy Agent Pro Blog

Steal These Real Estate eBooks: 2 Guides Your Clients WANT (Ready To Download!)

Ready to generate more high quality real estate leads online?

Then you need landing pages!

And one more thing…

Value to put behind them.

After all, what good is a landing page if you don’t give your prospects any reason to opt-in?

So we decided to put together two complete real estate eBooks for you that your audience will love!

All you have to do is swap out our details for yours, download the PDF and stick these real estate eBooks behind their own unique landing page.

Let’s get to it!

ebooks

Just Give Me The Real Estate eBooks

If you’ve been with Easy Agent Pro for awhile, you know how we roll.

14241599_10208481838696132_5582160425199353293_o-1024x1024

If you love building squeeze pages and creating Facebook ads for them, but just need a little extra content…

Go ahead and check out these customizable real estate eBooks now.

FIRST TIME HOME BUYER’S GUIDE : DOWNLOAD NOW

RENTING vs BUYING GUIDE: DOWNLOAD NOW

If you want to learn how to get the most value out of these free guides and exactly how to set them up to get more leads, read on.

First-Time Home Buyer’s Guide

eBooks have a lot of advantages:

• They make you look more trustworthy and authoritative

• And move your prospect toward doing business with you through education instead of pushy sales tactics

Plus, you can share them

EVERYWHERE

The first eBook we’ve created for you is a guide to giveaway to folks who are buying a home for the first time.

pexels-photo-352736

There are a ton of real estate eBooks that you can giveaway, but this is a great one to start with, whether or not you deal with a lot of first-time buyers.

Nearly every first-time home buyer today starts their home search by looking for information and listings online.

And what this particular guide proves is that you know your stuff. Your leads could just as easily go to Zillow to get this information, but Zillow will never know as much as you do about your area.

Because you are the local expert.

Plus, everyone knows someone who is shopping for a home.

And this is an incredibly easy guide that your clients can pass on to others.

We created this guide in Google Slides. So all you have to do is

Screen shot 2011-08-15 at PM 12.34.45

Save it to your Drive with the filename you want.

copy

 

Customize it to your business, and use it for lead generation!

Customizations To Consider –

  • Insert custom images (check out pexels.com for free Stock photos) Though you’re free to keep the ones we’ve chosen as well. That said, any images you can provide of your area are likely to increase value perception with your readers.
  • Swap our company’s logo for yours
  • Modify the text
  • Adjust the color scheme

You can then export it as a PDF and stick it behind a landing page. Heck, you can even print it out to hand out at your next open house or send it as an email attachment to leads.

Ultimately, no one knows your market as well as you do.

Your goal here is to customize real estate eBooks for your future clients so they’ll happily fill out their contact info on your landing page.

Screen+Shot+2017-02-27+at+4.29.55+PM

DOWNLOAD THE GUIDE FOR FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS

Renting vs. Owning

If you’re dealing with a buyer, especially a first-time buyer, you want to make damn sure they’re ready to commit to purchasing a property and everything that goes along with it.

You also want to ensure that you gain their trust as soon as possible.

To help you do this, we put together a guide to compare and contrast the major differences between being a renter and becoming a homeowner.

rentingorbuying

We bet you’ll have even more pointers to add to this guide!

Feel free to create additional pages or revise the ones we’ve come up with.

DOWNLOAD THE RENTING VS BUYING GUIDE HERE

You can always edit or update these eBooks and the best part is they’re totally evergreen.

Buyers will always appreciate having this information available to them.

You can also download a customizable eBook for sellers HERE.

So, now that you’ve got your value ready to present, let’s put it into action!

The Setup

Create a Squeeze Page for your eBook and use the “Download” function (instead of the “Redirect” function) and upload your PDF file, like this:

Screen+Shot+2017-02-27+at+4.37.17+PM

Setting up your page:

  • Login into your LeadSite dashboard
  • Select Apps
  • Find the Squeeze App in the bottom right hand corner
  • Click Create New Squeeze Page
  • Choose a template
  • Customize your page

Now when anyone fills out your squeeze page, they’ll get your valuable eBook in exchange for their contact information.

When writing the headline for your landing page, try a fresh take like this:

  • The 5 Secrets Every First-Time Home Buyer Should Know (But Don’t Usually Find Out Till After They Buy!)
  • 3 Easy Tricks To Making Your First Home Purchase Fun and Stress Free!
  • 7 Ways To Buy Smarter! How To Avoid the Road Bumps Almost Every First Time Home Buyer Hits

That’s it!

Drop us a link when you set up your landing pages to giveaway these free real estate eBooks!

Create Your Own Real Estate eBooks

Ready to create your own real estate eBooks? Use these quick steps to get started!

1. Pick a Topic

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Your eBook has to be about something. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Complete Home Buyer’s Guide

• Complete Seller’s Guide

• The Ultimate Guide To Buying a Home In __________ (insert your market)

• Guide To Downsizing After The Kids Move Out

• How To Get The Best Possible Price When Selling Your Home

2. Write an Outline

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Organize information about your topic into chapters.

Example: The chapters of a home buying guide might be –

  • What to expect from the pre-approval process
  • Different kinds of loans
  • How to start your home search
  • The top 5 neighborhoods in ________ (insert your market)

At Easy Agent Pro, we create most of our ebooks using presentation software like Microsoft Power Point, Apple Keynote, or Google Slides.

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Presentation software makes it easy to add text and images, without it feeling overwhelming (like you’re “writing a book”).

When you’re done adding content to the presentation, simply export the presentation as a PDF as shown above.

You can find more agent eBooks and guides from Easy Agent Pro HERE.

Easy Agent Pro Blog

Kickass Real Estate Video On A Budget

Today I wanted to show you the exact setup I use to film my videos.

Video is key to reaching more people and generating more business.

However, there’s one huge misconception I see all the time.

That being the idea that you need a professional studio and expensive

camera to make a quality video.

All you really need is your smartphone and a little creativity to

DOMINATE YOUR MARKET!

 

Want To Skip Ahead?

The Power Of Video

The $100 Real Estate Video Budget

What Does A $1200 Video Setup Look Like?

The Power Of Video

 

Driving traffic to a landing page and getting more clicks on your posts is one thing.

Video is the most effective way to establish TRUST with digital prospects.

We talk so much about the various way to increase conversion and grow traffic but at the end of the day…

PEOPLE ONLY DO BUSINESS WITH YOU IF THEY TRUST YOU.

You see this guy right here?

 

He has his own hair product line and I buy from him monthly.

I’ve never met the guy nor have I ever read one of his blogs.

So what was I willing to click a link and pay him money for his product?

Because I’ve seen every one of his videos and I TRUST HIM.

This is especially true for larger ticket items….LIKE HOUSES!

Video helps ease what’s referred to as cognitive dissonance.

Which is essentially the concern viewers experience before they feel validated in giving you their information.

Start By Introducing Yourself

If you’re not sure how to start making video create a 30-60 second introduction.

Our friend Erik did just that and he’s bringing in leads DAILY.

real estate video

Here’s the full video on his ad setup, landing page, and video if you want to learn more.

 

The $100 Real Estate Video Budget

 

The reason I’m writing this blog is because lots of people have asked about my specific studio setup.

However, admittedly I was a little worried about showing you guys the equipment I use.

I really don’t want any of you to get discouraged or feel like it’s not plausible for you to do the same thing I do.

If you’re just starting (which I know is the case for a lot of our viewers) stick with your smartphone.

This real estate video was taken by an agent in Philadelphia, our friend Steven Hartner.

 

 

I think this is a perfect example of the quality you can produce using nothing but your smartphone.

And to help you guys gradually improve the quality of your video…

I thought I’d add some cool (affordable) tech for you to check out!

$20-$30 is all you need to take your content from BLAN…to…BAM!

I couldn’t help it…😭

 

Better Audio

Still using the on-camera mic?

Consider a lav mic for much better sounding audio.

The IK Multimedia iRig Mic Lav $49.99 (Phone ONLY)

http://amzn.to/2mKAY92

real estate video

 

 

The Boya By-m1 3.5mm Electret Condenser Microphone $19.99 (CAMERA/PHONE)

http://amzn.to/2lnjJd7

real estate video

 

I added two mics here so you would have some options depending on what you’re comfortable spending.

The iRig mic is solely for smartphones, while the Boya lapel mic is for camera and phone.

If you don’t like the idea of having a cord involved you could get a shotgun mic.

real estate video

 

If that’s that route you choose however you’ll have to stay closer to the phone when filming.

Rode VideoMic Me Directional Microphone for Smart Phones $59.99

http://amzn.to/2letH2d

Better Real Estate Video

Now, smartphones naturally have a pretty narrow field of view.

So if you want to experiment with adding external attachments I’d pick up something like…

The AUKEY Ora iPhone Camera Lens $39.99

http://amzn.to/2mU9HTc

real estate video

 

This next cost effective upgrade is perfect for you avid SnapChat users.

Mpow Selfie Stick $15.99

http://amzn.to/2n41CMx

real estate video

 

I think a good selfie stick can help you get a lot out of your picture and videos.

This one comes with a button on the handle that allows you to activate your camera via Bluetooth.

The downside to this is that you need to charge the selfie stick.

Now, if you’re like me, that’s a problem ( I would never remember to charge the damn thing 😭).

If you already have a selfie stick pair it with this Bluetooth remote.

CamKix Bluetooth Camera Shutter Remote $7.49

http://amzn.to/2mxyAAI

real estate video

 

Can I be totally honest with you guys?

Talking about tech like this is ridiculously fun, one more item and we can move on I promise.

Arkon iPhone Tripod Mount $19.99

http://amzn.to/2n47HZj

real estate video

 

This is a like the baby cousin to the tripod I use for all my vlogging.

This provides you with a lot of flexibility if you’re constrained to filming with your smartphone.

 

What Does A $1200 Video Setup Look Like?

 

Here’s a picture of the filming setup I’ve used for every EAP video I’ve done

real estate video

 

I have two umbrella lights, a ring light, my camera, and some red paper.

The camera and ring light we’re the most expensive part of my studio setup.

The only reason I need a ring light is because I film in a pretty dark room with little natural light.

real estate video

 

These umbrella lights were only $60 for the pair and I would highly recommend picking some up.

You can’t always film video out and about (believe me I’ve tried) so you’ll need additional light.

Here’s the exact pair of lights I use, the link is right below the image if you want to pick up a pair.

real estate video

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005FHZ2SI/

 

As for the BEAUTIFUL red background that I use I got that from http://www.michaels.com/ I got a roll of paper for $8.99.

I couldn’t find a link on their site to the exact roll I purchased but any color will work I just cut out a long strip and then pinned it to the wall.

Here’s the tripod I use as well, it’s not great but it gets the job done and that’ss all that matters.

real estate video

 

I can’t find a link to this tripod either but I do have a link to the one I using just before this and it’s only $20 at Target.

My Camera And Mic

This is what my setup looks like when I’m on the go and in the studio.

real estate video

 

I use the Canon 70D DSLR as my main shooter, the two biggest reasons, the flip out screen and the autofocus.

When I’m filming and moving around I can’t afford to have the camera struggling to keep the image crisp and clear.

The lens I use is a Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM SLR Lens, great autofocus and a wide field of view.

Though if you’re not planning on doing much vlogging I’d suggest using the more affordable 24mm pancake lens.

real estate video

 

Finally, the mic I’m using is the Rode VideoMic Pro Compact VMP Shotgun Microphone

If you’re curious about this specific camera and how it performs outside of my studio environment you can check out some of the EAP vlogs

Both of these videos were filmed using this exact setup.

 

Have any more questions?? Leave a comment below if you do!

THANKS GUYS!

Easy Agent Pro Blog

The Best Laptop For Realtors: Ask Yourself THIS Before Choosing Mac or PC

We’ve seen dozens of infamous rivals go head to head over the years.

McDonald’s vs Burger King

Pepsi vs Coca Cola

Mastercard vs Visa                      

 BMW vs Mercedes-Benz 

Xbox vs PlayStation                          

Canon vs Nikon

To name a few…

All on a quest for dominance to reign supreme.

But of all the battles that have raged across time, none have been as fierce as the war of the machines.

PC vs MAC

It ends now. We’ve put together a replica rolex guide of the key features that set these systems apart and also make them the technology giants they are today. Let’s see what laptop for Realtors reigns supreme.

Let the battle begin!

macvspc

Current Events

After Microsoft revealed the Surface Laptop running Windows 10 S last week, Apple too released some interesting user stats. According to Apple, there are now nearly 100 million Mac users while there are an estimated 1 billion Window users in the world and 400 million active users on Windows 10 alone.

This means you’ll want to know both platforms.

Why? Imagine a client uses a PC and you only know your way around a Mac.

That will immediately set the ground rules that in some ways, you don’t work together.

You don’t want that!

Be platform-agnostic.

Know both, even though you may not use both, and you’ll be able to more accurately meet your customer’s needs.

macorpc

Versus

To determine the best laptop for Realtors like you, you first need to take a look at your current workflow. Of course, this will look different for everyone, but a PC and Mac are essentially just two separate ways of thinking.

You can add 2+1 or 4-1 to get 3. Ultimately, the solution is the same, but the way you got there is slightly different.

To break down the true pros and cons of each system, we chatted with Business Development Strategist and marketing expert Courtney Brophy of Happy Turtle Marketing Services  to better compare the two.

Courtney

Here are Courtney’s top 3 considerations when choosing the best laptop for Realtors.

Compatibility of Tools

If you are using an iPhone, as the majority of agents are, you should absolutely be using a Mac computer.

All of the the tools and calendars are designed to work flawlessly together, without a clunky Google middleman complicating the setup. Everything works together so you will never miss a message or appointment.

Of course, the same can be said for those living in the Google ecosystem. With the new Google Pixel phone, users can directly manage multiple Gmail accounts and have access to Google Drive along with multiple other features to keep the connected.

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Ease of Use

The adage of “it just works” was one which Apple lived by for quite some time, but this is true of properly built computers on both sides now.

You should choose a system based on being able to get as much bang for your buck as possible, not simply based on the brand recognition or the preconceived notion that PCs are clunky or that Macs simply work.

Technology has grown and become much more user-friendly on both sides, and the PC world has stepped up its game greatly in the years since those outdated “I’m a Mac, I’m a PC” ads.

Any computer can have issues, no matter who built it.

Simply owning a Mac, or an expensive PC, does not mean you won’t have issues. However, taking proper care of your system: keeping it clean, using good file management and backup, and being wary of spyware/adware means that your system should run well for quite some time.

Apple computers are manufactured only by Apple, but support and service for them can be handled by a number of authorized outlets.

They feature the OS X operating system, which is a solid operating system which comes pre-installed with a suite of Mac applications.

Macs are an easy option, offering a one-stop shop for those that don’t want to know much about the inner-workings of their computer. Or, “what’s under the hood?”

These are all things that should be considered when determining the best laptop for Realtors.


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PCs are manufactured by many equipment manufacturers, and all run the Windows operating system, but some will include “bloatware.” Which is just software you don’t want nor need on your system.

Most of this can be uninstalled with ease, but some is baked into the operating system.

As a result, it’s important to remember that buying a lower-cost PC can be problematic, because that PC costs less because your hard disk space has been rented out by software companies installing bloatware onto your drive.

Speed

There is nothing more embarrassing than sitting down at an appointment, opening your tech tool and having technical difficulties. How can you sit in a client appointment and claim to be a tech-savvy agent when your tools in no way reflect that?

Every piece of your business builds or breaks down your brand. Invest in looking and working as well as you claim you do!

Whatever your preference, make sure you have a top-performing system. You won’t need a super-fast gaming computer, so don’t get sold on something that’s more than you need.

However, you want to ensure that you have a reasonably fast CPU, so look for an Intel i5 or i7 CPU.

computer-motherboard-pc-wires

These CPUs come in mobile (Marked with a U or M) flavors, and also in desktop options (the same you have in your desktop system, called the Core series). Either of these CPU offerings should be reasonably fast enough to handle everyday web and media editing needs.

You’ll also want to have a little more RAM (Random Access Memory) in your system.

Why?

If you’re like most of us, you probably have a lot of applications open at once. RAM allows you to more easily store temporary data, such as having lots of Chrome tabs open, without crashing your system.

8GB of RAM is typically a good go-to in a properly-configured system.

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Built-In Software

The need to buy Microsoft Office is an additional cost many don’t consider when purchasing their Mac.

The business world lives in Excel, Word and Powerpoint. Luckily, Office is friendly to both platforms, and is available in both subscription and purchase options.

Subscription options give you online storage with Microsoft’s OneDrive, as well as Skype credit every month. This can be super useful for working with distance clients!

Subscription options are relatively inexpensive, as is the option to buy Office outright.

You’ve really got to consider the people and systems you interact with and how you exchange documents and information.

Munich Germany Aug.11 2011. Apple store in Munich

This also may raise the bigger, more philosophical question of: What kind of agent do you want to be?

If you want to create a lot of out of the box content, offering clients a media-rich experience, you’ll want to ensure that you have the tools to do so.

Many of these are available with low-cost options.

You can also find online training to get to know how to use this software to present your offerings to your clients.

But isn’t design and media-creation only done on a Mac? Not anymore.

Design software is, luckily, mostly platform-agnostic. Adobe Creative Suite works on both Mac and PC, as do many other creative applications for video editing and more.

Some creative applications are baked into both platforms, and the new Windows 10 Creator’s Update rolls in support for 3D creativity, Virtual and Augmented Reality, and more.

The Logo Screen In Windows 10 Operating System.

While some software is going to only work on one platform, this is becoming less and less of an issue. Software developers continue to realize more and more that there is a need to be able get work done on both platforms.

Best Laptop for Realtors – K.O.  or not so?

If you’re not seeing a clear winner or loser yet, that’s because there really isn’t one.

The best laptop for Realtors will come down to your personal preference as an agent and daily workflow.

Don’t make a decision based on what others tell you, but more on what you feel comfortable with, and what will help you get the best work done.

knock out

It is important to speak to someone who knows about computer hardware and software when deciding what you may need.

This is what always made Apple very appealing.

If you didn’t know much about computers, an Apple store associate would usually be able to help you make a decision.

That is still true, but as Apple’s laptop and desktop offerings have dwindled, the Windows and PC market has offered more consumer-friendly options.

Check out a local computer shop, find an online retailer with one on one consultation options.

Or, swing by your local Best Buy on your lunch break and spend some time feeling out a few systems.

Happy computing!

No matter which side of the fence you’re on, you can use your current laptop to attend our next webinar! CLICK HERE for all the details.

Easy Agent Pro Blog

VR For Real Estate: 3 Ways To Get Started With Cutting Edge Technology

Mark Zuckerberg and the Facebook team gave developers and marketers alike a lot to think about after the F8 2017 Conference last week.

And they’ve got big plans. Not only does Zuckerberg see the smartphone becoming obsolete, but Facebook is already planning ways for people to experience social media and the digital world as a mixed-reality phenomenon.

vrfuture

This may both excite and frighten social media (and smartphone) users, but there are some great things happening here for you as an agent.

Last year, we took you through a brief crash course on VR for real estate and we’re back today to give you three concrete ways that you can take action with this technology today.

Buckle up. It’s going to be a bumpy ride!

realestatevirtual

Virtual reality is taking the world by storm. When it comes to VR for real estate, you need to know where this cutting edge tech fits in and how you can best use it to serve your clients.

Let’s get one thing straight.

Even with the rise of virtual and augmented reality and chatbots — we can’t forget all of the bots — you as the agent are irreplaceable.

You exist as the very link that can connect people to the latest innovations. You are the gatekeeper. Let this empower you.

There’s absolutely no reason to be intimidated by these technologies once you learn how to tame them.

pexels-photo-123335

In your workflow, technology should be used to automate marketing, lead gen, and immediate follow-up efforts. More and more, your focus should be on offering exceptional service and building relationships.

In today’s self-service economy, VR for real estate can help you do all this and more.

But how does it work? 

Basically VR for real estate looks like this:

  • Record a 360 video of a home
  • Host it on a video platform with lead capture
  • Now prospects can experience a home in virtual reality

VR For Real Estate Starter Pack

Before you can start offering VR for real estate to your clients, you should try it out for yourself.

Order the Google Cardboard headset to get a taste of the new VR tech hitting the mainstream.

googlecardboard

Check out the price in the upper left corner.

$15 bucks!

SOLD.

At this price, you can even consider sending a pair or two out to your hottest leads and best clients.

You’ll also need a smartphone. Use it while you can!

Then just download the Cardboard app.

The phone connects to the headset and so begins your VR experience. Google Cardboard is supported by both Android phones and iPhones.

See it in action here:

Now, let’s talk about how you’re actually going to record 360 video of your listings to capture more leads with VR for real estate.

If you’re an iPhone user, take a look at the Splash app. It also supports Google Cardboard VR.

splashforvr

Android users can also experiment with Google Street View.

google street view

Lastly, you need to consider video hosting.

This goes far beyond Youtube. While we are all about putting consistent content on Youtube, it’s not necessarily the best way to push leads directly to your website to opt-in. You also don’t want to have to fight for attention between ads when trying to show a new 360 video listing.

We recommend video hosting with Wistia.

videohosting

The best part? Wistia actually comes with lead capture technology. Analytics, heatmaps, CTAs, email capture, SEO…just to name a few!

You also have control over where videos are played and how they appear via search and social media.

Once you upload your video in Wistia, you can customize it, upload it to your website and share it via social. The site has a ton of video and online tips and tutorials to ensure you get the most bang for your buck.

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So, now that you’ve got your toolbelt on. Let’s see what we can do with VR for real estate.

Grab Homebuyer Leads Remotely

90 percent of home buyers searched online during their home buying process. This stat shouldn’t surprise you. Part of the self-service generation is having the freedom to take action on your own time and get instant results.

For most, house shopping online isn’t that different than browsing Amazon.com. The consumer expectation is the same, though you and I both know that not even the Amazon empire can make house shopping easy.

Only you can.

revirtualreality

Think about the hundreds, if not thousands, of expired listings floating around online. Imagine how many poor photos are stacked up misrepresenting beautiful properties, while others are filtered to death to try and hide unsightly renovations along with the spots that still need some serious TLC.

With VR for real estate, you’ll be knocking listings out of the park. And forget about virtual tours. You’ll be able to give each lead a completely immersive room-by-room experience. No more unflattering photos or lighting setups.

Show 10 Homes Without Leaving Yours

Taking things a step further, you no longer have to host open houses every weekend. Or rather, you can give complete home tours from the comfort of your own.

Now, of course there is a lot to be said for giving buyers a tangible, in-person open house experience, but this isn’t always doable.

vrforrealestate

If you are having luck targeting leads remotely, there’s already a decent chance they don’t live directly in your area yet. Maybe they’re looking to move to it from a nearby town or suburb, or perhaps they’re relocating for work.

Instead of having to fly out for a weekend and quickly tour as many properties as possible, you can guide them through the perfect matches from your couch.

Heck, you can even create virtual neighborhood guides!

Stand Out With This Facebook Ad

Once you get acquainted with the technology, you can use your new skills to make a Facebook video ad to advertise and capture more leads. Facebook is clearly prioritizing videos and video ads right now, so this is a great one to make as soon as possible.

Record your 360 video and put it on Facebook. Agent Cole Holley from Holley Real Estate did it with a drone, but it’s a similar concept.

Holley_Real_Estate-839x1024

Cole actually landed a buyer and seller listing off this ad!

Just record a minute of 360 footage highlighting a recent listing. You can show off the landscape, yard and any noteable features inside the property.

Cole achieved success with this ad through interest-based targeting.

He used fishing as his targeted interest and that proved to be a powerful influencer in his campaign.

Choose 1-2 interests max on a Facebook ad to help keep it as concentrated as possible.

Easy_Agent_Pro_🔊-886x1024

Luckily, it’s very common to get a cost per view of around $0.01 which is insanely cheap advertising. Even if your video doesn’t generate immediate lead generation results, they work very well for effective brand exposure.

I say this because you may have to try a few different interests before you find the one or two that stick and get you leads. Consider your location, what your area is known for and the features of the property and surrounding landscape.

Let’s do a quick review…

  • Grab a Google Cardboard Headset
  • And the app
  • Record a virtual tour on your smartphone
  • Upload it to Wistia
  • Edit
  • Embed it on your website
  • Share it on your social networks
  • Create a video ad to get leads and listings

BONUS ROUND – Augmented Reality

Your brains are probably pretty full at this point, but we’ve got just one more area to cover before you dive into the possibilities of VR for real estate.

Augmented Reality.

If you thought virtual reality was out there, just wait until you see what’s happening with AR!

Though if you were part of the Pokemon Go hype, you already know what’s happening here.

realestatear

In application, AR for real estate is really intriguing for advertising new developments. Imagine being able to look at a photo or blueprint of a new luxury condo complex being built. You could meet with a client and turn it into an interactive home model simulation.

Of course, AR technology hasn’t come as far as VR for real estate just yet, but it’s definitely something to watch.

Realtor.com has already caught onto the trend and released two AR tools for their Android app to support augmented reality house hunting.

We’d love to hear your thoughts about VR for real estate! And let us know when you make your first video!

Easy Agent Pro Blog

Low Inventory Real Estate Market Tactics: 4 Ways To 10x Your Leads This Month

It’s no secret that 2016 was a historic low inventory real estate market and that this seller’s market isn’t going anywhere in 2017. The question is… Are you equipped to thrive in this environment? If not, you’re about to be. Here is your complete guide to 10x your real estate business in a low inventory market.

shortage

When competition gets fierce — and make no mistake, competition is fierce right now — the first step is to adopt a “do whatever it takes” mentality.

EVERYONE is hungry for price-point listings right now. All agents are struggling to put their buyers in their dream home.

So the reality is… To close more deals than your competitors, you may have to do things that your competitors are unwilling to do.

Here are some tactics that will help you close more deals, even when inventory in your market is bone dry:

Low Inventory Real Estate Market Tactic #1: “I Have a Buyer” (Door Knocking + Facebook Ads)

When people aren’t listing their homes, you have to go out and get them.

But instead of door knocking, sending direct mail, and cold calling blindly…

You can use your buyer’s desired neighborhoods to generate a larger volume and higher quality of seller leads in a tough market. Here’s how:

When you door knock and ask someone “Ever thought of selling?” you’re interrupting that person with a broad, non-specific question. The quality of the answer you get is going to be generally low.

Like a sales clerk in a retail store asking: “Can I help you find anything?”

You’re going to get a lot of low-quality, knee-jerk reactions like: “No thanks. Just looking.”

Here’s the solution:

Create a printed proposal of a pre-qualified buyer who is having a hard time finding their dream home and what they’re prepared to offer. Take this printed proposal with you when you go door knocking in that neighborhood.

That way, you’re not asking a broad question, you’re making a specific offer.

low inventory home offer

which is always better in marketing.

You knock and say:

“I represent these buyers who badly want to move into this neighborhood. They are pre-approved for this much and want to buy your house. Have you ever thought of selling your home?”

See the difference?

Now you’re not talking to them about selling their home “someday” …

You’re making them a specific and very real offer, right now.

You will notice a massive difference in the quality of conversation.

And even if the person isn’t interested, you can always ask them if they know of any neighbors who might be…

And then you have a double whammy. You can use your “I have a buyer who wants to buy your home” pitch in conjunction with name-dropping the neighbor.

Do this up and down one street and you will find someone who has thought about selling and… Presto.

You just generated a seller lead.

Pair This Tactic With A Facebook Ad:

You can also run an “I have a buyer” Facebook ad, which sounds like this:

Are you thinking of selling your home in the _____________ area? We have a home buyer ready to purchase. Inventory is tight in the area, so you’ll get a fast sell and a great price. The buyers are a nice family who are relocating soon, and we’re trying to help them out by getting the word out on Facebook.

They need this many beds/baths, they want to be in _______ school district, they’re moving because __________, they can spend up to $_________. They have this many kids, they’re wonderful people, etc.

This is not a bait and switch. The buyers are a real family who need to move soon.

If your home meets the criteria and you’d like to sell, contact us here:

[Link to a page on your site with more information and a contact form]

ihaveabuyer

And if you want MAXIMUM impact?

…

Do both!

Getting “boots on the ground” while leveraging paid ads on social media is a powerful combination.

Low Inventory Real Estate Market Tactic #2: Use Zillow’s “Make Me Move” Listings

On the surface, this strategy might not seem like it would yield worthwhile results.

But stop and think about it.

This person is interested in selling, at least to the point where they’d go through the effort to put their home on the internet.

Maybe they haven’t listed their home with an agent… But they are dipping their toe in the water to see how it feels.

Maybe they listed their home in the past and the agent did nothing to actually help the home sell quickly, or the market was sluggish when they listed.

Either way, these folks are actually very good candidates to reach out to and offer a comprehensive marketing plan for getting their home to sell fast and for a price they’d accept.

All you have to do is go to Zillow, search your area, and check the “make me move” option under “potential listings.”

makememove

Low Inventory Real Estate Market Tactic #3: Expired Listings

I’m sure you’ve hit these before in your MLS and done your share of cold calling.

But if you approach the owner with a very specific “I have a buyer” offer (as in tactic #1), or pair it with a clear plan for how you will market the home more effectively, or simply just communicate to the owner that the market has shifted and homes like theirs are now selling faster than ever…

Your chances of getting valuable seller leads from expired listings go way up vs. just asking them if they’d like to list again.

Come to these folks with real value and a specific offer that helps them get what they want and you will generate more quality seller leads than the other agent who’s making vague offers or beating around the bush with these folks.

Low Inventory Real Estate Market Tactic #4: Ask Other Agents

If you’ve got buyers lined up but no inventory, don’t be afraid to reach out to other agents who may be holding pocket listings or have a queue of “coming soon” listings that fit your buyers’ needs.

If you can approach other agents with pre-approved buyers — a deal that’s “ready to go” — then your chances are fairly good you’ll be able to close deals on properties before they make it to market.

Sure, some agents may not want to talk to you about their pocket listings…

But it never hurts to ask.

And what’s more…

If you can build a reputation as an agent who brings serious buyers to the table, closes deals, and is easy to work with, other agents may begin to seek you out to sell listings quickly or bring you qualified buyers for your own listings in return.

Because the thing about doing business in a low inventory market is that everyone is working in the same low inventory market.

It might not be easy, but everyone’s in the same boat.

Just by asking you’ll be surprised at how many agents will be willing to work with you so that everyone can close more deals and make more money.

Takeaways

  • One of the most effective tactics for thriving in a low inventory real estate market is to leverage your pre-approved buyers to find “off-market” sellers. In a low inventory market, you need to make potential sellers a direct offer, not just ask if they’re interested.
  • Try pairing an effective “I have a buyer” Facebook ad with your door-knocking activities.
  • Get more out of expired listing cold calls by making a firm offer.
  • Don’t be afraid to reach out to other agents in order to close deals and do more business.

Looking For Ways To Get Listings Without Cold Calling?

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Facebook Groups For Real Estate: A Goldmine For Realtors Willing To Do These Simple Things

Are you struggling to get a solid stream of traffic to your website? Do you wish you had a few more leads coming to you every month? Well, there’s actually a free way to get more leads and more traffic by using the world’s most popular social media platform. Here’s how to use Facebook groups for real estate to grow your business:

facebook goldmine for real estate agents
Click here to download a 100% Free PDF of this article

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A few extra leads could be the difference between a great month and not quite making it. So in this post, I’m going to show you a super easy trick you can use to siphon more leads from Facebook today. Plus, this tactic will help you not only generate real estate leads but also establish and grow your brand.

This blog post assumes you have a website with a blog.

If you don’t, you can use a company like GoDaddy to buy a domain and install the free platform WordPress to start your own blog.

Also, check your LeadSites. LeadSites makes blogging easy, gives you 2 done-for-you blog posts each week, and comes loaded with powerful lead capture tools.

Facebook Groups For Real Estate Step #1: Join Facebook Groups For Your Local Area

The first thing you need to do is go to: https://www.facebook.com/browsegroups/

You should see a tab in the middle of your screen called “Local Groups.” Depending on the city you are located in, there should be 5+ groups with over 10,000 people in each. Join all of these groups.

localgroups

Facebook Groups For Real Estate Step #2: Write a Blog Post

Start by writing a blog post on your website. Think about topics that will be relevant to your local marketplace, and specifically to the groups you just joined.

It could be about the increase in rent rates across the city, the climb in home values, the new public school rankings that just came out, or even the hot new restaurant that opened up in that vibrant neighborhood.

That’s one of the great things about being a real estate agent. It’s not just that you buy and sell homes…

People look to you to be an authority on the area for a variety of subjects. It’s your job to have your finger on the pulse of your market, which gives you a nearly endless well of blog ideas to draw from.

Think about what people in those groups would be interested in and like to read.

Watch this video about blog post ideas to get your wheels turning:

Facebook Groups For Real Estate Examples:

So, for a group called “Dallas Garage Sales,” we want to write something popular about moving sales.

You could easily write a piece of content about how you rent free garage sale signs or moving sale signs.  Or you could write an article about the top 10 tips to have the best luck with your moving sale.  The key here is creating something that is both about moving/real estate and the group you joined.

If you join a popular mommy group, you could post a list of the top 10 kid-friendly parks in the city, a list of the best places to do mommy-and-me yoga, or the top 5 breweries with kid-friendly patios (yes, that’s a thing).

If you’re a bit of a nerd, you might even consider creating a post about the top 10 places for Pokémon Go in your area.

Use your imagination!

Just remember that the goal is…

To build trust with locals, get your name into the public, and establish yourself as a go-to authority in your local marketplace.

One of the best ways to do this is to just tap into what people are already interested in.

A great tool I use is called buzzsumo.com. This website shows you articles that are already popular. It even shows you how many shares each article gets across the internet.

I really suggest going to buzzsumo.com and typing in “garage sale”.

You’ll find articles that are already popular online. You can simply re-write them in your own words, post them on your website, and be good to go!

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Facebook Groups For Real Estate Step #3: Share Your Blog Post with The Facebook Group

The next step is posting the article in the Facebook group. There are a few warnings to heed here. You’ll want to contact the admin of the group and make sure you’re allowed to post your link.

Some groups allow it… others don’t.

Simply abide by the rules and you shouldn’t have any problems.

share

After an admin gives you permission to post, simply post your link. I recommend posting it on a Tuesday or Thursday morning as these are very active times.

I also recommend writing a 2 sentence teaser along with your link. It will help the click-through rate. I also really recommend having a quality website and real estate logo. These two things improve trust and conversion on your website substantially!

That’s it! You’ve successfully found a goldmine of traffic on Facebook. Best of all? You’re going to be helping a ton of people out. They will want to do business with you.

If you can find a few groups that you post to regularly, to the point where they recognize your name and look forward to your articles, your chances go way up of those folks contacting you in the future when they need your real estate services.

Important Note

It’s important to keep in mind that blogging and interacting in groups is not about getting a flood of leads right now. You’re planting the seeds for later.

But the inverse is also true. The more you invest right now, the bigger it’s going to pay off for you later. You will be the agent people trust in the long run because you’ve offered so much value online.

Blogging and networking in online groups is a fantastic way to generate leads online because it’s essentially FREE lead generation once you do the work of offering value and building trust.

Find your perfect social media platform with our handy guide!

Want The Complete Agent’s Guide to Facebook? Get It Here!

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Real Estate Blogging Basics: Using Other People’s Content Without Getting Sued

Real Estate blogging can yield major results for your team. It’s an easy and effective way to establish credibility with your audience and build trust and lasting relationships with your network.

If you’re not careful though, your blog can also damage your reputation and ability to get leads if you don’t give credit where credit is due. Even worse, it can lead to costly mistakes for your business.

The subject of blogging etiquette has come up a lot recently in our community. One member of our Beat Zillow group on Facebook even created this poll for other agent’s to weigh in on the topic.

Take a look at the results.

blog poll

What answer would you choose?

Today we’re going to clear up any muddy waters surrounding real estate blogging attribution, copyright and how to correctly cite sources. This will ultimately give you more freedom and confidence when blogging and ensure that you don’t end up in any sticky legal situations.

Let’s dive in!bloggingcopyright

Words To Know

In order to avoid stealing people’s content, you’ve got to know what to look out for. There are several factors at play when it comes to copyright infringement. So let’s first start by getting better acquainted with the territory.

What does copyright actually mean?

According to Copyright.gov, (see what I did there?) “Copyright literally means the right to copy but has come to mean that body of exclusive rights granted by law to copyright owners for protection of their work. Copyright protection does not extend to any idea, procedure, process, system, title, principle, or discovery. Similarly, names, titles, short phrases, slogans, familiar symbols, mere variations of typographic ornamentation, lettering, coloring, and listings of contents or ingredients are not subject to copyright.”

Essentially, copyright law is applied to anything that you curate that is tangible. When it comes to blogging, the text you write and publish is covered.

But what about…

intellectually property

Intellectual property is protected by law in the form of patents, trademarks as well as copyright law when it applies.

A trademark is used to cover branding and identity. Like a logo. You can trademark your blog as well.

Patents protect inventions.

In general, when we talk about copyright violations in real estate blogging, it’s usually going to be in regards to graphics and images. And you’d better believe that photographers and companies that publish stock photos will come after you if you use one of their images without permission or the proper licensing.

pexel attribution

Unless you’re using a paid-service like BigStock to ensure your images are royalty free, you should always get online photos from a site that curates content that is free for personal and commercial use.

The above details are from Pexels.com. This is an excellent site with a variety of photos you can safely use. Plus, they include all of the licensing details on the same page as the image. We’ve rounded up a few other websites that provide free stock photos HERE.

CC0 License – if you find an image under this Creative Commons licensing, you’re in the clear. CC0 essentially means no rights reserved and does not require attribution.

Knowing the source of your images is just as important as knowing who and what you’re citing for information.

For example, just because you find an image or infographic on Pinterest or Twitter doesn’t mean it’s fair use or that you can simply attribute it to either of these social networks. The original photographer or author still retains ownership. And this is why stock photo sites are always a safe, painless bet.

If you and your team are struggling to find the perfect images, give Bigstock a try. Click THIS LINK to try it free for a week and see what you think.

bigstock

Do These Three Things To Cover Your Ass

Gone are the college days of APA and MLA format. There’s no one style guide for real estate blogging. We’re venturing more into internet etiquette for the most part.

Notice the most popular option in the Beat Zillow poll was to only share content from another website if the blogger has explicit permission.

Take a look at this comment from LeadSite pro Karin Carr.

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While it may be doable to get prior consent when working within your own community and with other experts you know, it’s not very realistic in many cases.

What if you want to pull a stat from WordStream or share a passage from a New York Time’s interview.

Who do you contact? What if they don’t respond? Should you just not include any sources?

What’s the alternative?

Karin’s right on this one.

Sharing around great information and using reliable sources in your blogs can only help your content marketing.

Here’s a three-step checklist you can use to ensure you’re giving people proper credit.

plagarism1. Cite Your Source

It goes without saying, at least it should, that you should never copy and paste someone else’s work onto your blog. But that doesn’t mean you can’t use information from other places as long as you are transparent about where you got your data or content from.

If you’re going to quote someone or a website, you need to attribute the source. Use these starter sentences for easy, on point citations:

According to (SOURCE),

As stated in (SOURCE),

A recent study from (SOURCE),

SOURCE said an interview with (SECOND SOURCE),

Today we learned from (SOURCE)

2. Provide Links

Citing your source is only the first part. To complete the citation, you need to having this information hyperlinked back to the source. This way, your readers can access the original article or interview.

It’s not always as easy to do this with photos, so that’s we why suggest using a worry-free stock photo site.

Inserting a link to credit your source serves two very important purposes.

First, you’ve done your part to credit your source. This allows your readers to look deeper into the subject if they’d like. The cool part is that you’re the one giving them access to this educational content.

This can only help to earn their trust, and even their business down the road, when they see that you’re providing great resources even beyond your own original content.

Secondly, you’re also driving more traffic to the source site which can open all sorts of potential collaborations in the future. Especially for cross-promoting on social media and opportunities for guest blogging. Or even inspiring a website to feature you, your team, or your blog!

kylefeature

The one case that this two-step attribution won’t work is if you pull in someone’s entire blog or article. And you should never do this. Because now you’re not encouraging your audience to check out the original content. You’re just being lazy and ripping off the author.

You can also ask yourself if it seems likely that any blogger would give you permission to repost an entire piece of original content. Most likely, they would not.

3. Credit inspiration and ideas

Lastly, don’t take credit for other people’s ideas. One way to do this is, of course, not to steal content, but taking a casestudy or video idea from someone and not crediting them as a source of inspiration, is just a crappy thing to do.

You like being recognized for your contributions, right? So make sure you give folks credit for their ideas and efforts as well.

pexels-photo-316465

We hope that clears up some of your questions!

What else do you want to know about copyright and real estate blogging etiquette?

Tell us in the comment section!

 

Easy Agent Pro Blog, Social Media Marketing

Real Estate Email Marketing Tips: Free Template for Emails That Get Answered!

Bad emails are sent every day by agents all over the world. And if you’re not getting the results you want with email, it’s not because “people don’t read email anymore.” You just need to change your approach with a few of these real estate email marketing tips.

real estate email marketing

The other day I received an email that looked like this:

My name is [Name Taken Out] and I am available to help you with your real estate search. I would just like to thank you for visiting our website. I specialize in helping individuals find the perfect home and would love to help you through the process. Our company has been in business for over 20 years and helped numerous individuals find the perfect house.

 

Would you be so kind to tell me when the best time is for us to sit down and talk?

I wish this was the first time I’ve gotten an email like this. But it isn’t. Everyday people message me through LinkedIn and email with messages worded in a similar manner.

Now, I understand that from the realtors perspective this email may not be so bad. It’s not THAT offensive.  But I wonder how these emails would look if we thought about them from the recipients perspective. Let’s get into it:

Quick BONUS: Join Our Free Marketing Course that will grow your CRM and help you profit from your website. You'll set more appointments and sell more houses with this FREE VIDEO SERIES. (It'll also help your real estate email marketing...)

So how should I do Real Estate Email Marketing?


What if there was a way to increase the number of times people opened your emails? Is there a way to make them respond more often? Or a way to have them save an email rather than delete it?

I’m going to show you how to accomplish these things.  What do all of these questions have in common? You want your buyer to give you more of their time.  More of their attention.

But that’s difficult because almost all of your buyers lack time.

This means that the value you offer them has to be worth more than the time it takes to process the information.

You have to give value.

A great way to remember this is WIIFM.

WIIFM: What’s In It For Me?

If that first email had offered me a guide to buying homes in that area or a list of things that could help me move more efficiently, I would have saved it. I would have even responded. Real estate email marketing is all about the value proposition.

From your customers view point, your email has to make their job easier. It has to grab our attention, align with our interests, conform to our desires, and then tell us how to act.

The average time spent on each email is very short. It’s typically 15-20 seconds says marketingsherpa.com.

This means your email has to perk that attention and then drive home value very quickly.

Fortunately, it’s not that difficult to write great emails. I honestly believe that so many people are doing it poorly that you can easily make it a competitive advantage in your business.

Here’s A Free Real Estate Email Marketing Template:

  • Attention Grabber Opening: State your clear and concise value proposition. It has to get their attention yet describe what you do honestly.
  • Custom Interest Poke: Social media makes this really easy.  Perhaps you can add something from their Facebook or LinkedIn page that they posted recently. People love to hear about themselves. You’ll see a vast increase in the number of responses after you start customizing each email for the person.
  • Provide Value: Maybe these are links to blog articles that you KNOW help potential clients. Maybe it’s just a pdf attachment to help them buy/sell their house. Maybe it’s interesting information about the area they are interested in. Whatever your value is, it will help your email stand out. People will actually start saving your emails if you can provide something they cannot easily find elsewhere.
  • Call-to-action: Finally, don’t forget your call to action. Examples: “When are you interested in brainstorming ways to sell your property?” “You can reach me at [insert phone number]. I can’t wait to hear from you.” etc.

These email tips will help you sell more real estate. Real estate email marketing is still the best way to stay in touch with clients. The game has just changed a little bit in the past few years. Now, you simply have to provide the most value to people in order to see the most return via email.

You can even had your administrative assistant copy this real estate email marketing template!

Get The Ultimate Guide to Copywriting For Real Estate!

  • Even more email templates!
  • Done-for-you scripts for hyper-effective text messages that you can start using today!
  • Pro-Tips for creating better blog posts!
  • And much more!

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Want More Free Tips?

Join Our Free Real Estate Marketing Course!

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