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Google+ Business Pages

10 Nov

By now, you should be well aware of how important a business page is on the internet. If you don’t have your real estate business listed on Google, Yahoo and/or Bing, you’re behind the times. Of course, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are also great places to create business listings as well as interact with your peers and potential clients. Google+ has now incorporated the best aspects of social media into an SEO-friendly business listing with their Google+ business pages.

Creating a Google+ business page is really quick and easy. First, you sign in to your personal Google+ account using your Google account info. Proceed to the Google+ Business page. You will have five choices for the kinds of business page you want to create: Local Business or Place, Product or Brand, Company/Institute/Organization, Arts/Entertainment/Sports or Other (for those that don’t fit into any of the other categories). Most likely, as real estate professionals, you will choose either the Local Business or Company categories. Choose the subcategory you want to be placed in, add a tagline (you only have 10 words to sell yourself here), choose your photo, share your link with your circles and you’re good to go. You can create a lengthier profile, share more photos and videos and add posts to your page. And you’re done.

You can create up to 10 business pages using your Google+ account. Create a separate page for buyers, sellers and foreclosure/short sales or show off your local smarts by creating a business pages for each community you serve. You can highlight specific events, showcase your favorite haunts and show off what makes each neighborhood so special. Then, share your pages with whomever you wish. This is marketing at its finest.

Google+ is quickly becoming an important tool in the business person’s arsenal. If you need help setting up your Google+ business page, feel free to contact me. Second Self Virtual Assistance is always on the lookout for the best ways to help our real estate clients stay on top of the latest marketing trends. That’s what makes for a great business partnership.

Pamela Cendejas, Real Estate Virtual Assistant – Second Self Virtual Assistance: When There Isn’t Enough of You to Go Around!

Originally posted on my Real Estate Support blog here: http://real-estate-support.com/2011/11/google-plus-business-pages/.

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Posted in Tips and Tools

Communication is Key with Clients

03 Nov

Every successful real estate agent knows that communication is key with clients. This is true whether your client is a buyer or seller. With sellers, in particular, there are a few specific ways you can keep your clients “in the loop” on what’s happening with their listing. An informed client is a happy client. Happy clients refer you to other potential clients and everybody wins.

Follow-up After a Showing – This may seem obvious, but it shouldn’t be overlooked. Whether via email or a personal phone call (whichever your client prefers), informing them of how the showing went in a timely manner helps alleviate some of the stress they are feeling during this important time in their life. Take lots of notes during the showing and ask important questions, such as what the buyer/agent liked most/least about the home, what they think needs to be improved on, how many other homes have they looked at and how does this home rank in comparison to the other homes they’ve seen. When you take this feedback to your client, they can get a more realistic picture of how their home looks to potential buyers. This can help both you and your client tweak your marketing plan to accommodate.

Sign Up for Google Alerts – Most of today’s homebuyers begin their home search online. So, it makes sense to follow what is being said about your clients’ property and where it is being seen. Setting up a Google alert for the property’s address takes only a couple of minutes. You can receive the alert as often as you want, but you may only want to share this information every other week or so with your client. You don’t want to overwhelm them with too many alerts. This will show them that you are always keeping an eye on their listing because they are very important to you.

Analyze Online Listing Performance - Smart real estate agents understand the importance of posting your clients’ listings online. But, it’s not enough to just post and syndicate these listings. You need to know how these listings rank in search engines, who is viewing them and which portals they are viewing them most (ie, Trulia, Zillow, Craigslist, etc). Most listing sites provide an in-house report that will allow you to track how your listing is doing on that particular site. Do a weekly update to see where your clients’ listing is getting the most viewings so you can, again, tweak your marketing plan to take advantage of the traffic. When you present your findings to your client, they will see for themselves that their listing is never far from your mind.

When you deal in a customer service-oriented business like real estate, you quickly find that communication is key with clients. Word-of-mouth is still a very powerful and effective advertising tool. Keep your clients informed and they will be more than happy to pass along your name to their friends, families and coworkers. Then, they’ll tell two friends and they’ll tell two friends and so on and so on…

Pamela Cendejas, Real Estate Virtual Assistant – Second Self Virtual Assistance: When There Isn’t Enough of You to Go Around!

Originally posted on my Real Estate Support blog here: http://real-estate-support.com/2011/11/communication-is-key-with-clients/.

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Posted in Marketing Tips

You Can’t Get a Gourmet Meal at a Happy Meal Price

06 Oct

Everybody is trying to save money wherever they can nowadays. Eat out less, rent a movie, clip coupons…it all makes good dollars and sense, right? There is, however, a dollar vs quality aspect that some people lose sight of. I mean, you wouldn’t go to a five star restaurant and expect to pay a Happy Meal price, would you?

Like you, I am all about saving money wherever I can. Some things, however, are well worth the price. For example, Tide may be more expensive than Dreft, but I use less of it to get my clothes cleaner. It averages out to just about the same price for a much better result. Also, my husband and I used hand cranked can openers for years but they always seemed to break or go dull, rendering them useless pretty quickly. Finally, when we were looking at replacing it for the umpteenth time, I turned to my husband and said, “For the amount of money we spent on all those awful can openers, we could have purchased an automatic one that still works and actually saved ourselves money.” So, we bought the automatic can opener. Of course, we keep the low-tech version for our emergency kit.

In the real estate business, some sellers are trying to save money by representing themselves (ie, via a FSBO). You and I both know that, while it appears that they are saving themselves a few bucks, in reality, it can cost them much more than if they hired a real estate professional to do this work for them. Your knowledge, expertise, contacts and experience are the reason you get paid your commission on a sale – you earn it. You can put all your skills to work for your clients to get the job done in a quicker fashion and, most likely, for a better profit.

The same can be said for a Real Estate Virtual Assistant. We understand that it’s a tough world for everyone. Saving money is on your mind as well. So, when someone offers you their VA services for what amounts to less than even minimum wage, it can sound very enticing. However, you usually get what you pay for. As a Real Estate Virtual Assistant operating within the United States, we at Second Self keep ourselves abreast of the most current trends to keep your online presence constantly evolving. Through education and experience, we are able to present you with a marketing strategy that is unique to you. We can be a collaborator, an innovator and a huge money-saving resource all rolled into one. We are committed to making your business the best it can be because that is OUR business. And, we speak your (professional) language. We know what you need and know how to make it happen.

Yes, you’re going to have to pay more than $7/hour to get good, quality work. But, remember, you can’t get a gourmet meal for a happy meal price!

Pamela Cendejas, Real Estate Virtual Assistant – Second Self Virtual Assistance: When There Isn’t Enough of You to Go Around!

Originally posted on my Real Estate Support blog here: http://real-estate-support.com/2011/10/you-cant-get-a-gourmet-meal-at-a-happy-meal-price/.

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Posted in Real Estate Virtual Assistant

Running Around 90 Miles an Hour with Your Hair on Fire?

29 Sep

Do you feel like you’re running around 90 miles an hour with your hair on fire?

Are you running out of time before you’ve run out of work to be done?
Do you wish you had two of you to help with your daily duties (a “Second Self“, if you will)?
Has the sales portion of your business (not to mention your family) suffered because you’re spending way too much time on your administrative duties and marketing your business?

Successful real estate professionals know that, in order to be productive and stay on top of their game, they need to delegate their workload so it’s completed in a timely, proficient manner – giving them more time to focus on their buyers and sellers. That’s where a Real Estate Virtual Assistant comes in. But, what should a Real Estate Virtual Assistant be doing for you?

The right Real Estate Virtual Assistant has the experience, dedication and knowledge to take care of just about any job a traditional in-house assistant can do for you. They never call in sick, you don’t have to pay for their health insurance and payroll taxes, they need no training and you only pay them for work they do. There is no “down time” cost for adding a Real Estate Virtual Assistant partner to your staff.

A Real Estate Virtual Assistant should be able to help you organize and maintain your online presence. This includes blogging, social media networking and marketing yourself where it counts. That’s what gets your name on the tips of potential real estate clients’ tongues and keeps your phones ringing.

A REVA can also make sure your clients’ listings are promoted across the web to get the most exposure. As you already know, most buyers in today’s real estate market turn to the internet first when looking to purchase a home…even before they decide on an agent to represent them. So, getting your clients’ listings seen on the internet is an important factor in selling real estate to today’s tech-savvy buyers. Using mobile sites, drip campaigns, weekly or monthly newsletters, consistently blogging, targeted social media marketing and a professionally designed and maintained website can create a platform for both you and your clients to gain a widespread audience, especially to those potential buyers who are outside of your local real estate market and are contemplating a move to your area.

Your clients hire you to handle their real estate transactions because they need the knowledge and expertise you possess. This is the same reason you need to hire a Real Estate Virtual Assistant. A dedicated REVA continually educates themselves on the latest marketing techniques that help their REALTORS® succeed, just like a smart real estate professional does with their continuing real estate education. The REVA you hire doesn’t even have to be in the same city or state as you are to get the job done. We, at Second Self Virtual Assistance, have worked with clients from as far as Hawaii and Alaska to New York and Florida.

These are only some of the things your Real Estate Virtual Assistant should be doing for you. There may be a special project that pops up that necessitates getting help. A REVA can do that. Do you need someone to help you with traditional real estate marketing (such as flyers, postcards, etc.)? A REVA can do that. Only need someone to handle listing syndication or weekly blog writing? A REVA can do that.

Set an appointment with a Real Estate Virtual Assistant to discuss your current support needs and let your REVA set up a Plan of Action to accomplish your professional goals. Stop running around at 90 miles an hour with your hair on fire and start enjoying your real estate profession – and your family!

Pamela Cendejas, Real Estate Virtual Assistant – Second Self Virtual Assistance: When There Isn’t Enough of You to Go Around!

Originally posted on my Real Estate Support Blog here: http://real-estate-support.com/2011/09/running-around-90-miles-an-hour-with-your-hair-on-fire/.

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Posted in Real Estate Virtual Assistant, Services for Realtors

Slideshare Goes Social

22 Sep

There has been a lot of talk about the new updates that Facebook has rolled out recently (hello blue tab “Top Story” and new layout). I haven’t decided yet whether I like or loathe it. I’ll have to let it marinate for a while first. Whatever your feelings are about it, there’s a reason Facebook seems to be kicking Google+’s little booty. Social networking continues to be a great tool for real estate professionals to integrate their business savvy in a social arena. Now, one of the best information sharing programs available online has joined in on the social networking bandwagon. Slideshare has gone social.

When you log in to your free Slideshare account, you will find that you now have a newsfeed (like Facebook) that shares what your friends have recently uploaded, comments on your presentations, Slideshare’s feature presentations, who has been looking at your profile recently and when someone in your friend network follows someone new so you can check them out for yourself. Your friends will be able to “favorite” your slideshows that they like, which then gives you exposure on their network of friends, extending your slideshow’s reach even further. By having the ability to view and read commentary on what your friends are looking into, you can determine whether you feel their friends are worth following as well, thus building your social network through Slideshare.

As we are all well aware of, social networking has become a mainstay in our personal and professional lives. If utilized properly, it can be an exceptional tool in your real estate business. Now that Slideshare has gone social, you can use your Slideshare presentations to an even bigger advantage in building your real estate business. Contact me now to find out how you can harness the power of social networking to create a strong presence for yourself and your business online.

Pamela Cendejas, Real Estate Virtual Assistant – Second Self Virtual Assistance: When There Isn’t Enough of You to Go Around!

Originally posted on my Real Estate Support blog here: http://real-estate-support.com/2011/09/slideshare-goes-social/.

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Posted in Social Media, Tips and Tools

Don’t Forget Anything Ever Again With Evernote

16 Sep

noteuq Dont Forget Anything Ever Again With Evernote Everyone seems to living a “hurry up and GO” lifestyle. Multi-tasking has become a common way to get through our daily lives. That is especially true when it comes to the life of a real estate professional like yourself. But, when you multi-task, you run the risk of forgetting some important information that you really wish you had later. There is a new real estate tool I have found that I believe can help you remember every idea, snapshot, memo and more for retrieval at any time. Don’t forget anything ever again with Evernote.

Evernote was created for any busy person living the on-the-go lifestyle. With Evernote, users can save notes, clip interesting web pages, store photos and even keep pdfs on file. It is easily accessible through your desktop, laptop or smart phone as well, making it totally portable and user-friendly anywhere you need it. If you have tons of paperwork and want to keep it organized, you can take a photo with your smart phone or scan it into your Evernote account at your home or office.

With your free Evernote account, you can create as many files (or “notebooks”) as you want. Add as many notes, photos, web page links, scanned documents and pdfs as you want to any notebook as often as you want. You can add tags to each file for easy reference. With their Web Clipper download, you can even “clip” parts of different web pages and send them to your Evernote notebook whether you use Windows, Firefox or any other web browser. It’s also available as an app on your iPhone, iPad or Android smart phone for your convenience.

Make a separate notebook for buyers, one for sellers, one for foreclosures and short sales, etc. You can include a checklist of information each new real estate client will need to have on hand that fits their particular profile (maybe a checklist of information a buyer will need to have on hand, what a seller needs to do to get their home ready before listing it or what a homeowner can expect when buying a short sale). Voila! You have an instant marketing package to send to any client.

Create an individual notebook for each client that includes their wants/needs listed to help you stay organized. When you do a broker’s open or caravan, take photos and upload them to specific clients’ notebooks so that you can share them with your clients later. You can also save any emails sent back and forth between you and your client in one area.

Evernote makes it easy to share with anybody and everybody, too. Simply go to the notebook you wish to share, click the “Share” button and choose whether you want to post it on Facebook, Twitter, send it through an email or get a link to share in another way. You won’t ever forget anything ever again with Evernote!

Pamela Cendejas, Real Estate Virtual Assistant – Second Self Virtual Assistance: When There Isn’t Enough of You to Go Around!

Originally posted on my Real Estate Support blog here: http://real-estate-support.com/2011/09/dont-forget-anything-ever-again-with-evernote/.

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Posted in Freebies!

I Have Talent, Yes I Do!

08 Sep

I have talent, yes I do. I have talent, how ’bout you? One of my talents is helping real estate professionals increase their online presence as well as assisting them in their day-to-day business dealings so they can go out and get more business. I am a success when you are a success! Social networking has quickly become a driving force in getting name and brand recognition. Now, you can show off your talents on Facebook by using the Talent.Me app.

The Talent.Me app is a professional networking app available on Facebook that organizes your friends’ professional lives into a quick, easy-to-follow snapshot. Knowing who works where and what they do can help you harness the power of social networking much more succinctly, creating a focused networking strategy for your real estate business.

All you have to do to use the Talent.Me app is to click on the Talent.Me link here, log in to your Facebook account and follow the prompts. Create a profile of your professional accomplishments, add your specific areas of expertise so everyone will know and connect with your friends to add them to your network. Grow your network by inviting your friends to join in. The more the merrier. Using the information you provide in your profile, Talent.Me will put together a listing of jobs that fit your qualifications. It’s also a great place for you to connect a relocating client to a real estate agent in the area they are moving to. Or, a way for you to connect with real estate agents around the country for possible future clients relocating to your area.

If you have talent (and I know you do), try the Talent.Me app to grow your real estate network. Feel free to contact me and grill me about my many Real Estate Virtual Assistant talents. I think you’ll be impressed.

Pamela Cendejas, Real Estate Virtual Assistant – Second Self Virtual Assistance: When There Isn’t Enough of You to Go Around!

Originally posted on my Real Estate Support blog here: http://real-estate-support.com/2011/09/i-have-talent-yes-i-do/.

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Posted in Facebook Tips

Free Online Computer Classes

25 Aug

computern Free Online Computer Classes I am a big believer in educating yourself to get a leg up on the competition. This is as true in the real estate business world as it is in your regular life. Since so many homebuyers turn to their computers to search for their next home purchase even before contacting a real estate professional, it’s a good idea to have at least some knowledge of how your computer works as well as gain knowledge on what you can do to make your clients’ listings stand out. Hewlett Packard, one of the largest computer companies in the world, offers some valuable free online computer classes that you may want to check out at their HP Learning Center.

Hewlett Packard is a wealth of information for real estate agents. Their Microsoft Office and Adobe classes teach you how to work with Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Photoshop. Their home office classes will inform you about creating an interactive marketing brochure, designing unique business cards, constructing and printing high quality marketing materials and even online social networking tips. Their basic business classes offer information on editing videos for your real estate business, how to get started on Facebook and Twitter, networking basics and even how to build your very own web page. Their digital photography classes are a must for real estate professionals, since the first impression most buyers will have of your clients’ listings involve photos. Learn more about how to compose a shot before you take it to make the most impact, how to solve some common photo problems, scanning photos into your computer and how to touch up/edit photos using Photoshop.

Whether you’re a big corporate company or work out of your home, the HP Learning Center can help you build a better real estate business with their free online classes. Take advantage of all that Hewlett Packard has to offer today. Don’t feel overwhelmed, though. If you still find you need help with your real estate business, feel free to contact our team at Second Self Virtual Assistance. We’re always here when you need us!

Pamela Cendejas, Real Estate Virtual Assistant – Second Self Virtual Assistance: When There Isn’t Enough of You to Go Around!

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Posted in Freebies!, Services for Realtors, Tips and Tools

Publish Your Real Estate Blog on Kindle

18 Aug

Electronic readers, like Kindle, have become popular ways for people to view their reading material. They give you the opportunity to carry your entire library with you at all times, giving you a variety of things to read. Now, you can publish your real estate blog on Kindle for free.

After you have created your free account, you simply add your blog feed, type in a title, tagline, keywords and brief description (for SEO) and verify your feed, Kindle will automatically update your blog feed several times throughout the day. That way, readers are guaranteed the freshest content possible. Unlike regular RSS feeds that only show the headlines for blog posts, Kindle posts the entire text and most of the images for each real estate blog post. This can be much more enticing for readers (and potential real estate clients) to pursue reading your blog further.

Another aspect of publishing your real estate blog on Kindle is that you have the opportunity to sell your blog through monthly subscriptions. Since Kindle automatically offers your blog as a monthly subscription to its users, they handle all the advertising for you. This may be a way to bring yet another source of income into your household.

If you’re interested in getting more exposure to potential clients as well as bringing in some extra income, try publishing your real estate blog on Kindle. Get your blog into the hands of readers now!

Pamela Cendejas, Real Estate Virtual Assistant – Second Self Virtual Assistance: When There Isn’t Enough of You to Go Around!

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Posted in Blogging for Realtors