Andi Grant's Blog - Everyday Real Estate with a Twist

As you know, in my blogs titled "Twitter Me This - Calling All Veteran Twitterers!", and The SEO Rapture, Will the Reluctant Agent Be Left Behind?"  I've been encouraging those in business especially in real estate, to utilize the many free online resources that are fast becoming the most effective tools in marketing.  Quite a few of you posted questions in how to make Twitter most effectively work for you.  Colleague Mickey O'Brien posted a very thorough blog on how to build your business on Twitter and I just had to share it with you. Enjoy and tell me what you think!

Good friend and colleague Carla Muss-Jacobs gives great insight regarding the deal that some buyers are imagining they will be getting when coveting only short sales and foreclosures.

Of course Mr. and Mrs. Buyer, this doesn't apply to YOU!  Nooooo, you are much too smart for that because you know that its about the bottom line numbers after all is said and done and not what "looks" to be a great deal on the front end.  So please pass this blog along to those friends of yours who do think like the buyers mentioned below. 

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I have mentioned on quite a few occasions how important it is to ask your short sale sellers the right questions in order to know what you are up against when presenting a short sale packages to the bank.  Colleauge Amy Jones out of Chandler AZ brought up a few questions to ask short sale listing agents prior to submitting an offer.  In the comments section it was mentioned how short sale agents are abusing the system by allowing their listings to still show active when they've already sent in offers.  What are your thoughts?  There is a violation flagging feature on the MLS as well?  Do we go "there."

Prior to starting the blogging process, I had heard quite a few disparaging remarks about it. People said things like, "If you blog, you must not have anything better to do" and "blogging is for people who need the business." I'm not gonna lie, I too was somewhat in agreement and skeptical because 1)  I was misinformed 2)  who the heck had time to write a well thought out article day-to-day or week-to-week? But then duh, it dawned on me that it wasn't about the who that blogged, but the why they blogged.

Once you fully grasp the why, nothing else matters and you make the time!  You farm because you want to market yourself to potential clients for business.  You place expensive ads in local media because you want to market yourself to potential clients for business. You perform open houses because you want to market yourself to potential clients for business.  So why in this instance wouldn't you not want to market yourself, your services, your listings to potential clients for business in far greater numbers by blogging?  Why wouldn't you want to reach your targeted market with little to no cost to you by positioning yourself where they are hanging out, on the internet?

In the blog I recently posted "The SEO Rapture - Will the Reluctant Agent Be Left Behind" I also mentioned how for some people it simply was a matter of being overwhelmed with the enormity of social marketing, blogging and SEO as a new form of marketing.  They are hoping it is a fad that will go away. 

I seriously don't envy brokers who have new or veteran agents on their hands that rebel or refuse to see the why they should blog in terms of where effective marketing and self-promotion is headed. For some of you who've been in the business awhile, you probably had to wrestle thick listing books out of the hands of some when the computer age hit.

I know it sounds as if I'm beating a dead horse, but I hate to see those that TRULY love the business fade into the background because of fear or misinformation. 

 photo courtesy of Creative Commons Org

 SEO AND SOCIAL MARKETING AGE - WHERE WILL YOU BE WHEN IT HAPPENS? 

THE PROPHECY 

It was foretold.  Now all of the signs are here:

 the list goes on and on...
Terms like SEO (search engine optimization), Social Media Networking, Google Rankings, Google Web Crawlers, Lead Capture, Lead Conversion, Blogging, Regional Branding have been preached at every corner and business stage platform from coast to coast.  All of a sudden we're inundated with every form of internet marketing you can think of.

 THE PERCEPTION

Where was Facebook 2 -3 years ago except on my son's dorm room computer screen?  And Twitter?  I thought it was the most idiotic thing I'd ever heard.  I didn't want to know when you were going to the potty party or your every move in "real time."  I thought it was just another self-glorifying device that was feeding our narcissistic driven society.  Boy was I ever wrong!  No matter how adolescent the social platforms were initially perceived, they are all grown up now and considered to be some of the most effective marketing tools of our time.  If you still don't think you need to take platforms like Twitter seriously, think again. Google Announces Search deal with Twitter.  Google loves new content and what better way to showcase it than with live Twitter feeds. With every tweet you have a chance to better your SEO.  Has your brain exploded yet? 

How and when did all of this fluff turn into something respectable?  Real Estate Agents, freelancers, Fortune 500 companies, politicians and scientists are even on board now. Why?  If you have a product or service that needs exposure of any kind, you need to position yourself online in the most effective way possible.  How do you do that?  By using social marketing platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter as directional tools to boost your SEO rankings, thus steering people to the front door of your website.  The better your SEO, the more exposure, the greater potential for business - PERIOD.  If your business lands on page 2 or 3 of a consumer's search engine results for your type of product or service, you will have lost business to your page 1 competitors.  When was the last time you were searching for a specific service or product and searched past page 1, hm?

"...the better your SEO, the more exposure, the greater potential for business - PERIOD."

 THE PARTICIPATION

Most of us at one time or another have felt overwhelmed with just how fast technology has taken over our industry.  I heard one person say they were going to ride "it" out.  "It" being the social networking thing because it was just a fad. Based on the customer insight that 66 percent of people are using Internet search more frequently to make complex decisions* the value of Social Networking and subsequent SEO is not going anywhere anytime soon. The public dependent businesses most likely to survive this internet marketing age are those that will have taken the time to educate, participate and consistently promote themselves on some type of  social marketing platform. 

It's not too late to start now.  The likely alternative is to find yourself by yourself wondering "Where did everybody go?"  Your "A" referrals (family and friends) can only keep your business afloat so much.  It's the "B" and "C" folks (acquaintances, soft referrals, friend-of-a-friend and future clients) that are all online now visiting and getting up close and personal with your competitors.   

Stat Source*Ipsos 2009

$359,900

SPACIOUS AND AFFORDABLE Starter Home in west Long Beach, CA! 4 Bedroom/3 Bath home features large family room with wood beamed ceiling and fireplace, granite countertops in kitchen. Large permitted covered patio. Backyard has large paver courtyard with fruit trees. Perfect for outdoor entertaining! For viewing appointment go direct or please contact Andi Grant at 310-508-4354.

$589,000

REMODELED HOME boasts 4-5 bedrooms (5th room could be used as a den/office), 2 bathrooms and an upstairs bonus room. The remodeled kitchen features new cabinetry and granite countertops. The home has a tile roof, copper plumbing, and central air/heat. Enjoy alfresco dining in your own backyard which features a newer pool & spa. This home is a must see! Call me today at 310-508-4354 or Michael Berdelis at 562-818-6111 for a showing appointment!

For more information on this home please click here.  For other Long Beach and Downey CA listings and home photos please click here.

THIS HOME HAS SOLD!  But there are plenty of other great homes just like it.

$1,079,000

SPACIOUS BEAUTY featuring 5 bedroom/4.5 bathrooms, master suite with balcony, loft, formal living room and dining room, beautifully appointed kitchen featuring granite countertops and Viking appliances! Oversized family room. Open floor plan perfect for entertaining! Pool, spa, and BBQ in backyard. Please call me at 310-508-4354 to schedule viewing appointment!

For more information on this home please click here.  For other Long Beach and Downey CA listings and home photos please click here.

My head is spinning.  I received my 8th email about this waived 90 day flip rule thing.  Grrrr....I'm pretty positive I unsubscribed to many of these lenders.  I wrote one of my trusted lending professionals and he forwarded the HUD documentation that listed the 90 Day Flip rule waiver conditions.  When flipping or working with investors, please talk to a qualified FHA lender who specializes in the intricacies of FHA lending before proceeding forward.  Find one who understands the old rules as well as the new rules in order to get a more accurate picture of where the differences lie. 

• Do you need an FHA inspection or not?   
• Is there a pattern of previous flipping of the subject property?  Having multiple title transfers within a small timeframe could possibly draw  a red flag.
• Will you need to market the property openly and fairly using public channels such as MLS, auction, For Sale By Owner offerng, etc?
• Are there additional conditions that need to be met for properties that will list for 20% or more over the acquisition  price?  Can you justify significant increases if asked?  Changing carpet, hardware and installing recessed lighting may not necessarily be enough to justify such an increase.  If you do not have supporting documentation to substantiate the increase, will the appraiser be able to justify the increase since last title transfer? There of course are many exceptions. Find out what they are.

There are many more conditions that I didn't list.  I AM NOT A LENDER.  I'm a Realtor® that is constantly being forced to wrap her head around all of the new changes that occur DAILY in our industry and in the industries that affect ours. 

Any mortgage professionals who want to elaborate to help us get a clearer understanding of how we can accurately pass on this information to our eager investors and the FHA buyers who we've told "Sorry, we can't look at that home because of the 90-Day flip rule", PLEASE do so... while I pop an aspirin.