Realtor Protection
How safe are your files? Most Realtors I know are busy out showing properties and taking new listings to worry about backing up their computer files. Not backing up your computer frequently is a painful lesson to learn. If you have experienced the pain of losing all of your files due to a computer crash or virus you know the value of backing up your pc. The other day I rec’d an email from a good friend and local San Diego Realtor telling me how devastated she was when she turned on her pc to see a blank screen. After rebooting multiple times she feared the worst, so she shipped her machine back to the manufacturer and hoped for the very best. 2-3 days had passed when she got a call from the support department explaining that they were unable to retrieve any of her files. Years of client files, personal files and marketing materials and research gone forever… Don’t let this happen to you! Get Mozy Online Backup – 2GB Free and start resting... [Read more]
BarCamp San Diego
BarCamp SD off to a slow start! Maybe it’s the rain. Afterall it never rains in San Diego, so I expected most would show up later than anticipated. Not knowing what to expect, I was impressed with the Intuit campus but a bit confused when I walked in to the entrance. There was very little instruction and even fewer presentations scheduled. The presentation board has 4-5 slots per half hour from 10am – 6pm, so figure 64-80 presentation opportunities. At 10am I only counted a dozen or so scheduled presentations. So I grabbed my seat in the first presentation at 10:30 for HD Video and at 11am they were forced to move the HD Video presentation to 12pm in a different room due to technical difficulties. At the very least I am now planning to meet some interesting people and get quite a bit of work done on Web Real Estate Tools. Read More →
Get UN-BROKE
I only got to see bits & pieces of this show, but Samuel L. Jackson was hilarious. Read More →
Google vs. MIBOR and NAR
While Google promises to help Realtors and the Consumer get maximum property exposure online, MIBOR and NAR seem intent on working dilligently against the Realtor and Consumer…. Can these Realtor Associations exist without Realtor members? I think not! Realtors, we need to step up now and be a voice or we will continue to see these ridiculous road blocks put in our way. Sometimes I wonder if it is even worth being a licensed Real Estate Professional; between the limited vision of our associations and the old-school mindset of some Realtors I find myself scratching my head in disbelief quite often. For those of you that have no idea what I am talking about, let me give you a quick overview. You will also want to click on a few of the below links to read more thorough explanations and opinions from other industry experts. Recently a Real Estate Broker filed a complaint to his local Association Board, MIBOR (Metropolitan Indianapolis Board of Realtors) surrounding... [Read more]
Mobile Marketing
Mobile Marketing provides incredible revenue opportunites for Realtors! In tough economic times and unusual real estate market conditions every Realtor is looking for ways to decrease expenses while increasing revenue…. So What’s The Answer? Mobile Marketing! aka. (Texting) That’s right, texting can improve your marketing and follow up immensly. One of the more obvious benefits will be the elimination of those costly flyers that sellers require you put on the For-Sale Sign. Instead you use a small sign like this one to tell the interested prospect to text your keyword to get the information on your listing.  Want to try it out, go ahead get out your phone and Text “RealtorSMS” to 85800. Think of the paper, printer ink & toner that you will save. Not to mention the gas & time it takes to drive over to the listing every week to fill the flyer box. I am not sure about you, but I know that I certainly don’t get... [Read more]
Realtors have no standards
When it comes to file compliance, Realtors have very little standards.It’s true, but they are not alone. It seems that very few in our industry have standards when it comes to file compliance, but why should they since the DRE and our State & Local Associations haven’t set any for us to follow. The lack of standards is most evident in the transaction coordination of our files. This is a very turbulent topic amongst Realtors, Brokers and Transction Coordinators. After 7 years in the business I understand the different points of view; however as a Broker I try to educate my team that ultimately the DRE holds the Realtor and Broker responsible. Additionally as the Broker I also hold the majority of the liability so of course I want my team to help raise the industry bar. I have noticed the past 12-24 months the overall attitude of Realtors has become very LAZY. Most Realtors and Brokers seem to be content doing the very mininum required to stay out of... [Read more]
7 Reasons Your Website Sucks!
Real Estate is a highly competitive industry and Realtors need to distinguish themselves from their peers; yet the majority of Realtors use generic template websites from a handful of vendors. Blogs are the new website! Let me explain why you should shut off your website and replace it with a WordPress Blog immediately. First let’s talk about websites: Websites are static. Once the site goes live the content is rarely changed or updated….Search engines hate this! Custom Websites require expensive web designers to create the site AND to provide ongoing management. Custom Websites can take weeks or even months to complete. Template Websites are generic and look just like 90% of all other Realtor sites on the web Template Websites come with template content AND most Realtors never take the time to re-write the site content. Search engines hate duplicate content… So guess what it is likely that the search engines hate your website. Websites are really nothing more... [Read more]
San Diego RE BarCamp
Have you heard of the RE BarCamp? It is taking the country by storm. RE BarCamp has developed out of the strong desire for real estate professionals to share and learn in an open forum. Industry experts come together to participate in creative discussions and demonstrations. Listen here to a recent call to get information on the upcoming San Diego RE BarCamp. I hope to see all of you there. Our industry needs you to step up and be part of the voice to develop new solutions to the challenges being experienced. Read More →
FREE WordPress Blogs
Blogs are the new website! And WordPress is the only blogging platform you should consider… It makes me happy to see more Realtors adopting Web 2.0 technology because it is changing the way we do business. Recently someone posted an interesting article on Inman News, read post here. I tend to agree with her on one point, Social Media Sites Do NOT Sell Real Estate; however, I think she has unrealistic expectations of what these sites can do for Realtors. Often I am asked questions about setting up blogs, which hosting company should I use, how do you put IDX on your blog, etc… Since I love technology so much and I truly believe in helping others I want to share some information and extend the below offer to Realtors. I have several blogs currently hosted with a variety of companies, but recently I found a hosting company that I really like. The company is MidPhase. They are less expensive than some of the more well known companies like godaddy, and offer... [Read more]
5 Keys to Balancing your Professional and Personal Life
Balance is the key to your success! How do you establish balance in your professional & personal life? The easiest way is to create a Life Design Plan. Your Life Design Plan (LDP) is much more than a business plan; it includes all areas of your life: work, family, fun, friends and community. True success is finding balance in all areas of your life. Those who are successful in finding and maintaining balance in their lives will tell you that they have a plan that is based on what they want.  Every step taken to achieve their goals is tied to that vision. The best way to create your LDP is to begin by asking yourself a series of powerful questions, then design your plan around your answers. Here are a couple questions to get you started: What is my life’s purpose? What are the most important values in my life? What do I most want to accomplish in my life? Why do I want to accomplish this? How will I feel when I have achieved this? You answers will help you stay... [Read more]
Real Estate Stats
