“somethin’s comin’… my chickens won’t come out of their roost!!!
So, Do you think Facebook will fix thems
So, Do you think Facebook will fix themselves before we all find a new playground?
Ok, so The “Activity Dialer” on my Dro
Ok, so The “Activity Dialer” on my Droid is not working… “REALLY!!!??” **And now it’s dialing the number on its own!!
Tech Thursday’s…. What is thaaaaat??! Bonus: Top Producer, Link QR Code to Flyer
You’ve seen them, but you probably don’t remember… yet 
It’s a QR Code…. Duh… Ok, really? This is the coolest thing I’ve seen in a looooooong time! So buyers are driving around looking at homes, trying to get the Realtor to call them back on their favorites and they finally throw the towel in and call on any listing that has a hot body on the other end of the line to get them everything they need on all the homes… because, well, that Agent answered…. DONT loose buyers to the next person who will answer the phone!
If you have one of these in your Listing window… On the panel… the post… where ever… The Tech Savy buyers will know exactly what to do! Pull out their Smart Phone, Blackberry, I Phone or Droid and point the QR Code Reader right at it to get directly to the content that you choose to share! Today’s Smart Phones allow the consumer to touch a screen and get what they want in a matter of seconds. Don’t let time stop you from getting them the answers they need.
You can create a QR Code for any website you choose. Once you read this, you’ll see them everywhere.. Watch out!
Bonus: Top Producer
Top Producer has the ability to create a flyer and post it on line, sharing a link for whomever to follow to get to the information that you’ve chosen to share. Create a QR Code and point it to your flyer… snap!
Create your flyer in your Marketing Library. Choose a template, drag and drop your client info into it and then edit it to suit your needs. Click email and then in the pop up to email, highlight the link TEXT, Right click for the hyperlink and copy THAT text as your link for your QR Code.
Tech Thursday’s Leveraging…. BONUS: Top Producer, Need I say more?
I’ve been an agent for about 13 years. I’ve always claimed the title “Queen of Freebies”. You may as well have thrown down the crow bar because I wasn’t budging! I used my Yahoo Briefcase for on line documents before anyone even knew what online file storage was in this business. I built my own Webpages on the blank pallets of the likes of AngelFire and AOL’s Hometown pages before most other Realtors in my office even thought about it… Then, I built all of theirs. I used my Yahoo address book to organize my clients. Anna Georgiadis used Top Producer. She raved about it all the time.. Back when it was on like a billion disks and cost about the same amount of money. You wouldn’t catch me within a mile of thinking about implementing something like THAT in my business.
WOW, times have changed. I still consider myself the “Queen of Freebies” but I’ve strategically chosen just a few tools that I use to run my business. Tools that I am certain are the key to my success at this time. Now if I could just do that Lead Generating thing! All kidding aside, Lead Generating is almost automated now. With all the internet Sharing, Surfing, Networking, Advertising, BLOGGING 😉 Technology has made it very easy to have enough of a web presence to impress a client enough to want to call or at least, email. The trick is to utilize as much of what is offered that makes sense to your business and budget!
So what’s next? LEVERAGE! It’s truly a mindset that I had to learn. Keller Williams was the key component in helping me to realize what I needed to do to get to the next level. My previous company never seemed to encourage growth in any other capacity than to just be more “productive”. I have grown more in the last 5 years than I have in many years before. Anna was like a second mother to me and I had a tremendous respect for her business savvy and wit… but somehow I missed what she was saying. So, Hear me now…. If you hear nothing else that I ever say, hear this. No matter how much or little money you have, it is IMPERATIVE that you create a plan to build and maintain your business no matter how big or small and spend just a little money. When I tell you how important it is.. do you hear me?
Here’s a thought. I’ve been in Real Estate for 13 years, never selling much more than a million or so. In the last 6 months that I’ve embraced the idea of structuring and leveraging all aspects of my business, and I have SOLD over 3 Million dollars…. PERIOD. Let that sink in and then listen……
You hear it said so often, “I wish I knew then what I know now.” Well, I wish I had listened to Anna. She was a Mega Agent in my eyes. So why didn’t I? Because I thought I had no money. Well, then I had no money for years…….. You know what I’m going to say next… “If you think you can’t afford it, then you need it.” But, I have a surprise for you, and it’s not just that Top Producer isn’t 15 hundred CD’s or dollars any more :).. But I’ll get there in a minute… This is NOT a SALES pitch. There are a billion choices of internet tools that you have to choose from that you can utilize for your business. Some are really expensive, but you DON’T have to spend THAT money. Sit down, figure out what tools you will need to build and run your business. Write them down and then start with Google. Type in “Free Contact Management Software” and check it out!
Chose what programs you implement wisely. There will be some that have a cost involved. If you asked me 10 years ago to spend any money on technology tools, I would have run in another direction. It’s always been a challenge to find what I need and make it work with no cost involved. Then I re-discovered Top Producer. I’ve already gone so far into what got me here, that I don’t want to hinder any more of our progress, so I’m going to keep this simple…Top Producer is the first program that I had allowed myself to purchase as a contact management tool when I went to work outside residential sales. I was enlisted by two amazing men to be a creative hand in a project that would take all of my time and I didn’t want to loose what business I had built until then. So I guess you can say that I was forced into spending the money for Top Producer. It was one of the best things I ever did. My entire database ran itself for the most part. All it took was a little time to set up. The next thing I did after completing the Marina Project was to jump back into Real Estate and use everything I had learned over the course of that year under Bill Rush and Patrick Sheppard’s direction. When I returned to residential sales, I swore I’d never do business the same again. I learned to Network, Prospect, Market and Cultivate client relationships. I took that Top Producer and put it to work. I then began to implement the tools that I found through Google. When I structured what I needed, and then Googled my options, I came to find that the internet was loaded with free and affordable leverage! Take what you feel you need the most help in and implement the most sensible tool to help you accomplish that goal. Spend a little… I certainly do NOT spend that much. I choose not to drain my purse in hopes of gaining enough business to make it up. I just make sure that what I “do” do is effective enough to get me the leads I need and then I make sure that I am polished enough to turn those leads into sales.
Tech Thursdays: Lead Generating with Wolfnet Bonus: Top Producer and Wolfnet
This week I taught as much as I know about Wolfnet Technologies. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, “I don’t claim to know everything about everything”…. and I’m sure my loyal followers are sick of hearing it. My intention is to share all that I do know and as much else as I can figure out. I got lucky and shared a bunch of stuff that helped a bunch of people and that’s what makes me happy. So… This week, I am depending on the sources “link” to educate you on this topic. The great thing I do know about Wolfnet’s IDX is that you can use it anywhere you’d like to allow clients to search the MLS to your benefit. There’s a “Back Office” that has both a free and a paid version. They have created a special link to learn more about Wolfnet’s opportunities that you can access here. In their own words,
“WolfNet is a real estate internet technology pioneer and innovator. The Company accesses data from more than 290 MLSs and services national franchises, brokers, teams, agents and MLS’s. Services include IDX and VOW search solutions, map search, lead management, websites, intranets, custom applications and MLS data services. WolfNet is celebrating its 14th year in business.”
The BONUS Top Producer tip that goes hand in hand with today’s topic is that Wolfnet and TP work seamlessly together in capturing the leads, automatically populating them in to your Top Producer as a “lead” and last but not least TP has the capability of auto applying a “plan” to that lead while you’re laying on the beach… or at this time of year… Geocaching! (That’s my favorite pastime right now!) But, that’s another story that I LOVE to share whenever anyone asks.
Another part of utilizing the IDX is in Microsites. They can be found in your personal Keller Williams Website and Wolfnet hosts the ability for the client to search the MLS from those stealth sites as well.
TechThursdays A personal thought…. BONUS: Top Producer vs The Other One
Last year the most consistent thing I heard was to Lead Generate. This year, I heard consistency. Yes, Lead generating was there. But no matter how much of anything that you did, they made sure that you knew to do it, whatever “it” was that was doing it “for” you every day. That statement in itself was something I think we should think about…… a lot. I think that today… we should take the time to think about what “it” is that does it for us… and to decide to do “it” every day…. PERIOD. What brings you business….. What is your lucky charm…What “do” you do that makes it happen? It’s time to write it down and take the time to figure out the game plan that’s gonna get you to your goal…. I think that rather than ranting a raving about how “I” think it should be done based on what I’ve learned…..that YOU should take a long hard look at your numbers, Your reason, Your path…..Lay out what you’ve learned and figure out what it’s going to take to get you there… and further again…..What’s the next step? How are you going to get there? Take control of your future… and make it happen the way it should be.. NOT the the way it would be if you just kept going. I suggest making a list of the positive and negative aspects of where you have found yourself in comparison to where you have been. Make special note of the positive things that have caused you to be and feel proud. From those, discover the why anything happened… then use that answer to grow into the where it has or hasn’t gotten you to. The next step is to right the wrongs…learn from your mistakes and find champion in your falters.
Bonus: Top Producer vs The Other One
Red Tools is an excellent alternative to Top Producer. .. hence the word, “alternative”, in my case anyway. Red Tools is a GREAT program… but I have to say, They are so slow at catching on and staying in the game. TP had it’s fair share of downfalls when they hit the market as well. When something needed to be changed, they were all over it. What took TP hours to rectify, takes RT weeks…..BUT Red Tools is a much simpler plan for the less techie in the best of us. It definitely serves it’s purpose. It’s a GREAT tool for doing mailouts and managing your database at the entry-level. It costs just about the same amount of money to use Red Tools as it does to use Top Producer. For those adventurous types, TP offers a plethora of additional tools. I certainly DO NOT boycott the use of Red Tools. My choice is personal and in no way meant to “dog” any contact management company. Again, RT is a GREAT tool. I just feel that it is limited and I do not think that it is fair that they charge the same amount of money for a program that falls so short of content in comparrison to another of the same cost.
In a nutshell, I feel that Red Tools is for Agents who merely want to manage their contacts and utilize the extensive templates offered. Their “postcards” are less expensive to mail out. My finding is that their “letters” are so overpriced that the costs balances the great cost of .54 that it takes to mail out a 4×5 card. I can’t help but wonder… is it really worth the postage to give up the consumers satisfaction experience?
Tech Thursdays on Friday! MEGA CAMP TECH NOTES!!!!
Well, you asked for it and I’ve got it! I am going to list the highlights of what I’ve learned at Mega Technology Camp!
Many of the things I list are tools, activities and ideas that I’ve experienced before, but so many warrant reiterating. Sometimes it’s best to be reminded of the ideas we’ve had before and never put to good use. I’ve come away with much passion, energy and a few NEW tech tips to keep us moving in a successful direction! Here are some of the highlights…
Wikipedia: Has become one of the most trusted sites among consumers and teachers. Did you know that you can go there and create your own profile??? GO!
Want to know what the consumers are searching for on the internet pertaining to Real Estate? Go to The NAR and search for “Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers”
VIDEO! Need I say more? Record your own video pertaining to any aspect of Real Estate, Post it to YouTube and embed it into your website. For you Keller Williams Agents, There’s a “focus box” on the first page of your websites that you can embed and tailor a YouTube video into! There are also other sites, like “Tokbox” that allow you to create a video and send it directly to your clients. Throughly check out this and every site you consider as that some of these sites have pop up and spam agents.
VIDEO! Yes, again…. Post a video of your listing to YouTube for all the world to see. YouTube is World’s 3rd largest search engine….. Yup!
Contact Number: Make sure all your websites have your direct number as the contact number. Clients are browsing the internet on their smartphones more than ever and with the versatility of cell phones now, the consumer can just touch a phone number on their screen and expect to get an answer right away. If they get your office and you’re not there, you risk loosing their interest in trying to find you. If they get your voicemail at the office, they’re more likely to have already gotten their answer from another agent by the time you’ve gotten the message.
Bar Code: There are companies that can help you create a bar code to put on your yard sign that a client can scan with their smartphone which will give them all the details of the home and send you their information at the same time. A developing smartphone application will allow the consumer to point their phone at any home and get the information on the spot.. Get ready!
Online Leads: Don’t focus on making a sale as much as making an impression. Develop a strategic response and be consistent. Don’t treat your online leads any differently than your face to face leads.
The Social Media Revolution: SMR is becoming the new customer relationship management tool. Consider your favorite site to be a living breathing database and maximize your potential for business. Remember to be careful what you post. If Mo Anderson wouldn’t approve, then don’t post it! They used to say that when you do something wrong, they tell 10 people , and they tell 10 people…. well, Facebook tells 100’s of people on the first try!
Don’t use 10% of 20 websites. Use 100% of one until you’ve got it mastered. Then move on to the next one. I’ve created a list of websites here to help you grow your real estate business. Find one that you think will most impact your business and focus on mastering its components.
DropBox.com : Organize your team. Watch the video here.
Skedgeme.com : Get everyone on the same page. Spend more time running your business by letting customers see when you’re available and enabling them to book online 24/7. No more phone tag! Your Team Members can use it too!
FlowTown.com :Social Media Marketing Made Powerful. Behind your customer list is a goldmine of information. We dig it up.
Vyoo.it : Make your listings Mobile! Create a mobile-friendly landing page for any existing property flyer. Get a short URL that’s both easy to remember and share. You also get a QR code for your listing. Print these on your marketing material and share them on social media sites. Visitors will see the version that’s right for their viewing device.
GoldMail.com : Your Voice Matters GoldMail is the easiest way to combine your voice with your content to create on-demand rich-media messages and presentations. Don’t let your content speak for itself online. GoldMail It!
OK, for the Grand Finale… This is by far my most favorite! Are you sitting down?
As agents we are constantly on the move to find more business. What if you could search sites like Facebook and Twitter for people who are looking for help in Real Estate just by looking for a keyword? Well, Booshaka is here! Just go there and type in the word “move”…. If you can get past a little profanity.. You’ll find that there are quite a few results from people who are either moving or want to move! So… just think if you could master the art of choosing words that will bring up potential local clients…. You’ll have a lead machine online!
P.S. no type-O comments… Im sooooo tired and I really wanted to get to all of you who were waiting for me… Now, I rest 🙂
Tech Thursday’s….. Hello World!
I am in Austin and I need to beg for your forgiveness! I know…it’s a sin…. But I wanted to share some highlights of my trip to Austin, Texas for our Annual Mega Camp Convention! We are just wrapping up and I will be back on tomorrow to share everything that I think you’ll want to hear about right here! So I’m going to get myself home and start writing! See you then…..
Tech Thursdays General Q and A…. MLS and Top Producer… Anything You Want to Know
This week almost got away without me! Well, Better late than never, which is what happened last week! I’ll do my best to cover enough to appease you. I’ve got 50 minutes to write something that usually takes at least 1 to 2 hours. This week at the office, we had a general Q and A which was really fun. I wish that this Blog was live so that I could do the same here, but it’s not, so I’ll just try to remember what we talked about, or I’ll just pick topics and bounce around.
One thing we talked about this week was CMA’s. No, not Country….. Comparative Market Analysis’s. This is what we do when we compare a home that we want to list to the Market around them and hopefully come to the same idea of what to list for. MLS has its own version of a CMA that you can personalize. Both the MLS and TP CMA’s are easy to use and look great. I can’t say that I prefer either one that much more over the other except that I love the TP version because I am a TP Junkie 🙂 . I do have to say that I really have never completed a CMA on MLS that was “complete” and correct. I had trouble editing the comparable… but that could just be user error. I don’t claim to be good at everything 😉 Another Great topic that we hit on was the Stats icon on the bottom of your Search Results screen on MLS. I believe that we’ve covered this before, but just for giggles… When you’re on the Search Results TAB, You can see icons along the bottom of your screen… Try doing a search on a subject properties subdivision, including Active, Sold’s and In Contract, Pending, Withdrawn..ect… then click STATISTICS…. WOW… That’s what I said.. Check it out…
I use this exclusively as my CMA on occasion! Really!
Another FUN icon to experiment with is the CHARTS icon on the left when you are on the DETAILS Tab. You can toggle between the difference between List Price w/DOM comparison OR Activity by Area.
Here’s a nifty trick, if I haven’t mentioned this already… Instead of trying to save this and turn it into a picture or pdf…I’ve seen people beat their heads against the wall trying this stuff…. Save your brain and choose, PRINT.. then PRINT to PDF in your print box option. It will allow you to choose what you want to name it and where you want to save it.
Ok, It’s 11:45pm.. what else? We won’t have a BONUS TP session here because the CMA topic covered Top Producer as well, except for where to go to get there… It’s in your presentations. Not too long ago we talked about Community Reports.. MACK DADDY! Well, you can find the CMA there as well. And you can expect the same AWESOME display of information as well.
So I guess well end with some things that “I” want to share that I’ve learned along the way and may or may NOT have shared in the not so distant past:
- Did you know that you can advertize a Non MLS property on Trulia and still get the same great internet exposure as if it were on MLS?
- Did you know that you can do a General query on Realist to search for, say Foreclosures in Pinellas County on the WATER only?
- Did you know that you can embed your IDX link into ANY other web page for buyers to find and search for homes?
- Did you know that you can make yourself STAND OUT above everyone else by mass emailing your data base with a personal video message via Tokbox?
Ok, Times about up…. till next Tech Thurs….. byeeeeee
Donna Suchocki's Blog 
