It’s a well known fact that Chicks love Geeks. Happy National Star Wars Day!!
Become the Expert by Recycling Your Real Estate Articles
April 9, 2012 By 5 Comments
Most Real Estate Agents write a blog post or article, post it and forget it. Doing this creates more work for you and time lost. Instead, focus on writing really good articles and then recycle them over and over again to spread 
your message and get more out of each one.
Start by writing 3 really good articles that answer the questions the people in your target market are asking. Now is the time to position yourself as the expert and really think about the problems that these people face, the issues that you can help them solve (are they facing foreclosure?), what is stopping them from reaching out to you, what is making them angry or upset.
Brainstorm a bit, talk to people in your area about what they think, and then write all of your answers down on paper or a whiteboard.
When you sit down to write your first article, try to be very specific about their problems. Get really detailed about it so that they can feel it; trigger an emotion that says “Yes! This person understands my problem! He’s not just a Real Estate Agent who is after my money, he cares about my community!”
Be authentic, be real, and be genuinely concerned.
Now do it again, two more times. If you need time in between articles, that’s okay, just make sure to schedule some quiet writing time into your calendar so that it will actually get done.
Now here is where the recycling comes in:
- Post it on your blog and tweet it
- Post it on your Facebook Page. If you had any comments, mention an interesting one in the status update.
- Bookmark it on Digg.com and tweet it again
- Add it to your Linked In stream. (If you’re using HootSuite, schedule this out)
- Remove all links and calls to action, rewrite the first paragraph and change some things around. Submit it to:
- Bookmark it on Delicious and tweet it again
- Start writing your monthly, bi-monthly, or weekly newsletter. Add in an excerpt of this blog post with a link to “read more” back to the blog post
- Bookmark it on Stumble Upon
- Post the picture from your article (or video if you have it!) on Pinterest (if you’re unsure of how to use Pinterest for Real Estate, take my free 5 day email course.)
- Post it on Active Rain
- Add a link to it from a Single Property Website if it is in the community you are writing to in your article.
- Create a video about it, post it on You Tube and link it back to your blog post
Remember to be as definitive as possible. When you are clear about solving someone’s problem, the reader or viewer will be forced to think if it will solve their problem AND if it will help anyone they know.
If you know that this will help you, but you know you’re just too busy to do it all yourself, go to the Work With Me page and schedule a quick phone call to see how we can help you.
How To Use Basecamp for Transaction Management
April 6, 2012 By 1 Comment
Basecamp is one of my favorite business tools. I use it daily to keep track of clients, their projects, my projects, and my team. I even have a project setup for my kids chores, but that’s another post! Today I want to show you how you can easily use Basecamp to organize your transactions, give others access to it, store it for later, and keep all information in one central, cloud-based location.
- Create a Basecamp account if you don’t have one already at http://Basecamp.com. You will get 1 project and 4.95 MB of storage for free, which is plenty to get you started.
- Click Projects and then New Project.
- Use the property address for the project name, add in a description if you wish. I put that it’s a short sale and that escrow should close on April 30, 2012. You can put your clients names or whatever you want here. Also add in your Transaction Coordinators email, your broker’s email, or your clients email; anyone who needs access. If you do decide to add in your clients, you’ll want to make sure that each and every property is its own project.
- Once that is done, I’m going to make sure that all of the important days are on the calendar. Click on Event and start adding in the day that escrow is opened, the day it should close, contingency removal dates, inspections, etc. You will see that the dates are displayed in an Agenda style; click Calendar to view them on a 6-week grid.
- This would be a good time to point out that you can subscribe to this calendar so that you have access to it via Google Calendar to view on your smart phone or tablet.
- Time to make checklists! To jump back to the main page of the project, type the address into the search box, click, and you’re there. Click To-do List, and the title will be Disclosures. Click Save and start adding in each disclosure, the date that it needs to be signed by, and who is responsible for getting it done (you or your TC/VA). I just want to throw in really quickly that New Basecamp does not yet support Checklist Templates like Basecamp Classic does. If you already have a Basecamp Classic account, you may want to do this as a Checklist Template instead.
- My poor husband was just bombarded with all of those emails! Anyhow, at this point you or your TC/VA will then get all of those forms signed by your client with DocuSign, EchoSign, or by that old-fashioned method of signing in person (on an iPad of course).
- Check them off as they are signed, then compress them into a Zip file, and upload that to the File section.
- Once they are all loaded, scroll down to the bottom of the page and click the link that says “Loop-in someone who isn’t on the project to share this by email only” Add in the Buyer’s Agent’s email address. If you know their TC/VA’s email, you can add that in as well.
- Alternatively, you can click to add a discussion and address the Buyer’s Agent directly and add the documents in that way as well. This works best when the other agent isn’t as tech savvy as you are.
- Once you receive the fully executed documents, you or your TC/VA should upload each individual file to the file section in Basecamp.
- You can keep up-to-date with what everyone is doing by clicking on the Daily Progress tab.
Keeping an accurate account of every step of a real estate transaction is important. If you’re negotiating a short sale, you can use Basecamp’s Text Documents to keep track of each person you speak with and everything that was said and/or promised during the conversation. If you’ve negotiated them before, you know that they tend to “forget” what was previously said, and this is a good way to remind them.
Having all of the information in one central location is also important. Sure, there are a lot of transaction management programs out there, but most of them are not very intuitive. Basecamp is so easy, I’m sure that my grandmother could use it, so getting people on board with you should be much easier.
If you need help getting this set up, or you are in need of a transaction coordinator, go to my Work With Me Page, fill out the form and schedule a quick chat session with me. You can also check out our TC packages here.
The Timeline Checklist All Facebook Pages Must Have
March 27, 2012 By 6 Comments
Originally posted on All Facebook
Creating a successful Facebook page requires more than just a few clicks, especially with the new timeline design.
Even before timeline, there were so many things to consider that we’d found it helpful to create a checklist for pages.
So we’ve upgraded our pages checklist to help you upgrade to timeline, and also keep track of your page on an ongoing basis. Print out this timeline checklist or save it on your computer so you can check off tasks once you complete them. And by all means, give us feedback on this in the comments section beneath this post.
1. Analysis
Task |
Description |
Complete? |
|---|---|---|
| Internal Analysis | Do I generate added value for my business and my fans with my page? Do I have the resources (time and money)? Does it fit with my business strategy? | |
| Target Group Analysis | Who is my target group? Is the target group actually on Facebook? Are the fans on my page part of the target group? | |
| Stakeholder Analysis | Are there active fan pages for my business or products? Is a merger or partnership possible?
Tip: Merge the pages, where applicable. An explanation how to do this appears here. |
|
| Competitive Analysis | Are my competitors active? What are they doing?
Tip: Compare your fan page with others. |
2. Strategy
Task |
Description |
Complete? |
|---|---|---|
| Define Objectives | What are my objectives for the fan page? Are they reasonable and measurable? Do they contribute to the success of my business? Are they smart? | |
| Define Key Performance Indicators | How do I measure success (number of fans, user engagement, increase in sales, and so on)? What do I want to achieve? Which metrics should I use?
Tip: Define clear objectives and metrics upfront for a certain time frame and continuously check the performance. |
|
| Create a Framework | What resources do I have available? What departments need to be involved? Who is responsible for what?
Tip: Involve all internal and relevant stakeholders (marketing, legal, customer support) in a timely manner and create processes and outlines for responsibilities. |
|
| Define Systems And Processes | Who is the responsible spokesperson within the company? What are the processes for approval?
Tip: Outline an approval process that serves as a binding, unmistakable guideline for community management. Plan for quick processes that enable personnel to act. |
|
| Define Content | What basic content will be posted?
Tip: Avoid marketing and advertising text. Facebook requires individual contributions that adapt to the platform, its environment and behavior. |
|
| Internationalization | Do I need a central fan page or country-specific fan pages? Are the target groups within the markets big enough for individual pages? Are there sufficient resources for multiple pages and translations?
Tip: Individual status updates can be directed at different countries and languages. |
|
| Define Direction | Is the fan page long term or is it campaign driven? How will the users be directed to the right page? |
3. Basic Set-Up
Task |
Description |
Complete? |
|---|---|---|
| Page Name | Is the page name fitting and can it be used long term? Does it conform to policy and the law? Does it communicate your objectives? Will potential customers or fans search for this name?
Tip: The guidelines for Facebook page names appears here. |
|
| Profile Picture and Cover Photo |
The new profile picture (square and small) ideally can be used for the company logo. You could try to design a profile image that’s part of the design of the cover photo, but that requires a lot of work.
Does the new cover photo fit the objectives and does it represent the company? Tip: The new cover photo ideally measures 851 pixels by 315 pixels and has a resolution of 96 dots per inch. When deciding which picture will be the new cover photo, some Facebook guidelines have to be considered. An overview of the requirements appears here. Tip: Test the new design in advance with a Photoshop template. |
|
| Information Tab
|
Is all relevant company information provided? Can a fan get in touch via email or phone? The new design directs more attention to the info tab, so design accordingly.
Tip: The information options within the info tab vary depending on the type of fan page selected (local business, company, and so on). |
|
| Create a Vanity Address | What address do I want, and do Facebook’s rules allow it? What are the rights for the URL? Is it communicated in marketing?
Tip: A vanity URL can be created here. Be sure your page is selected. |
|
| Chronology |
The new timeline can be used to illustrate the history of the company.
Tip: Add past events in retrospect with the new timeline features to create a rich company history on Facebook. |
|
| Applications | Which applications are needed on the page — or are they even needed at all? Who designs them? Who implements them? What resources are necessary?
Tip: Timeline allows almost 300 pixels more horizontal space for displaying application thumbnails. Take advantage of this. |
|
| Integration with Other Channels | Am I active on Twitter or YouTube? Should these channels be integrated as a separate tab on the fan page? | |
| Netiquette | Does my page require a netiquette? What should be included? Can I bypass Facebook rules here? |
4. Community Management
Task |
Description |
Complete? |
|---|---|---|
| Editorial Plan and Responsibilities | What content will post within the next weeks? Who is responsible and serves as administrator? What type of voice will be used?
Tip: Create an editorial plan that outlines when contributions are to be posted and name clear responsibilities so that even in emergencies one person is responsible for the fan page. |
|
| Frequently Asked Questions And Approval Processes | What are the most common questions? When do I need to inform the legal department? Who can give approval?
Tip: Create an FAQ in advance and outline posts that require an approval process so the community manager can react quickly and independently. |
|
| Crisis Management and Prevention | What are potential crisis topics? What are our opinions in each of these scenarios? What will be communicated and what not? Who needs to be informed when and how should they be involved?
Tip: Develop a crisis plan and statements for well-known issues so your community manager can react quickly. |
|
| Pin to Top
|
What’s the post of the week? Do I have to point to current promotions or campaigns again and again?Tip: Use the function ‘”pin to top” to prominently show your current campaign, your promotion or an important post on your fan page. | |
| Messages |
Do I want to allow direct messages delivered through the Facebook page or do I want to focus on emails?
The new option is a chance to conglomerate crucial comments or service queries in a less public way beyond the timeline. Tip: The launch and the use of the messaging function on Facebook require adequate monitoring and the development of frequently asked questions to ensure fast processes. |
|
| Monitoring | What is happening on the fan page? What happens on weekends and outside of working hours?
Tip: Set fixed monitoring periods, also beyond normal working hours. Determine which comments require a reaction and which do not. |
|
| Reporting And Evaluation | What is the atmosphere like? Have performance indicators been achieved? How is the activity? How is growth?
Tip: In addition to Facebook insights, use additional sources for evaluation and develop your own metrics based on objectives. Continually compare this with your determined performance indicators and standards, checking at regular intervals. |
5. Additional
Task |
Description |
Complete? |
|---|---|---|
| Media Buying |
Are advertising campaigns on Facebook effective for my goals? How is the price-performance ratio? Is there a desired click-through rate? Who designs and administrates ads? How are they paid for? Is the contact with Facebook necessary?
Tip: Start with a small budget and test the effectiveness of ads if you are unsure. You can create and manage ads on your own. An up-to-date overview about the different ad types and how they can be used for business purposes appears here on Facebook. |
|
| Marketing & Presence Beyond Facebook | Presence on other platforms/independent activity:
Is my fan page included on my homepage? Within my advertising? How should the fan page be integrated in marketing communication? Tip: Integrate your fan page on your homepage with the like box,which you can find here. |
Guest writer Jasper Krog is a consultant for digital communication with a focus on Facebook marketing atEdelman Digital in Germany.
Creating A Real Estate Niche
March 19, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Wanting to work with everyone is common. You’re a Real Estate Agent, and you want to be able to serve as many people as possible, and that’s great, but you want to market to one specific group at a time. When you cast a wider marketing net, you end up diluting your message.
Not only does your message end up getting watered down, but you also become just like everyone else in your field. What are you doing to differentiate yourself? How do you stand out in an overcrowded market that has everyone clamoring for the same business?
You need to speak to people directly. Last week I wrote about getting face to face with expireds, but today is about speaking directly to a lot of people at once. Creating a very specific target market that when they see your advertisement, they feel a connection with you. For example, I was at an epropertysites seminar at the Mission Viejo Country Club last week. As an example, Chris Bates threw out (as a joke) having a poodle niche. That’s right, only marketing to people who have poodles. Silly, yes, but apply it to your business. Horse property, beach-front property, condos, retirement communities, vacation homes, military families. You need to choose something that works with your demographics, your expertise, and your personality.
When you found this article, were you searching for a Virtual Assistant? If you were a lawyer searching for a Virtual Assistant and you read the title “Creating a Real Estate Niche” would you have clicked on it? No, probably not. You clicked on it because I was speaking directly to YOU, the real estate agent.
My challenge for you: The next blog post you write, your next tweet, or status update on your Facebook Page, direct it toward a specific group of people in your target market. Does the house have a huge backyard? Write a post to dog lovers in Huntington Beach, California. Does it have a pool with a swim-up bar and a dance floor on the deck? Call out to the party people. When you write your message for someone specific, they’re much more likely to find it.
[Infographic] 15 Grammar Goofs That Make You Look Silly
March 12, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Happy Monday Morning! I’m sitting here this morning with my Hawaiian Hazelnut coffee and having a little chuckle at this infographic. It’s so sad how many times I’ve seen a well-meaning person on Facebook post about something that is important, and all anyone can do is focus on the fact that they used Your instead of You’re. Maybe once in jest is enough, but come on people, give it a rest already! I know for me, I KNOW all of the grammar rules, but when I spend most of the day at my computer, what I hear in my head doesn’t always translate perfectly to the page (or screen). Unless an entire website, article or post is riddled with poor grammar, please cut the writer a bit of slack! One of these days, you just might be the offender!
Like this infographic? Get more copywriting tips from Copyblogger.
Creating Action Plans & Checklists
February 27, 2012 By Leave a Comment
It’s so funny (funny peculiar, not funny “haha”) how clients who have no idea the other exists will need the same services at the same time. And I’m not talking one or two clients, I’m talking four or five. 
Prospects as well. I had two back to back consultations last week where each agent was looking for the same service as the other. To tell you the truth, I had a hard time remembering who was who after that.
Maybe it’s that time of year, or maybe I’m putting off some organizational vibe. I don’t know.
What I do know, is that EVERYONE wants checklists.
My clients like to know what step is coming up next, who takes care of it, and what is going to happen after. There is a certain sense of security in that, isn’t there? Not having to worry about missing a step, leaving something out or getting so busy that your client falls through the cracks.
Step by step systems and processes help every business. They help mine tremendously and I know they help yours as well. Think of how many steps are taken to get from prospect to closed sale in Real Estate. From marketing yourself, to getting the listing, to marketing the home, finding a buyer, negotiating, signing ALL those documents, coordinating the inspections, and then FINALLY closing escrow.
How many steps does it take you to get from the beginning to the end?
In the last two weeks I have created the following checklists:
- New Lead
- New Buyer
- New Seller
- After the Sale
- Listing Process (Gold)
- Listing Process (Silver)
- Listing Process (Bronze)
- Weekly Blogging & Article Submission
- Agent Referrals
- Initial Consultation
I think I did a few more, but you get the idea.
Can you see how having these lists in place would help you out in your day to day business? I keep them in Basecamp, my “online office”, but I also transfer them to Top Producer, Wise Agent, or Any other CRM that you are using. It’s important to have your lists where you’ll use them, so if you need to print them out and stick them in a “Business Operations” binder, do it.
Do what it takes to be more organized and on top of your business. It makes all the difference in the world.
22 Ways to Create Compelling Content
February 24, 2012 By 1 Comment
Like this infographic? Get more content marketing tips from Copyblogger.
Prepping for the New Year!
December 12, 2011 By Leave a Comment
It seems that every email, newsletter, ezine or business tweet I see these days is reminding me to re-do my business plan for the new year. Revamp for the new year. Change everything for the new year. Great advice, but for someone like me who is in the business of helping other businesses like yours, this gets a tad overwhelming at times. Also, as a mother for four (exceptionally good-looking) children, my new year typically begins in September.
While I may not be jumping on the bandwagon completely, I will step lightly on it.
Our service packages are in the process of changing right now, and I think you are going to be VERY pleased with our new options. I’m taking a two-week vacation to Oregon right after Christmas and staying with another Virtual Assistant Business Owner. It may not sound like a vacation to you, but I am super-excited to get together with this amazing “chick” and create some kick-ass packages and programs for YOU.
As I work on the NEW Services page, I wanted to make sure that the old one was not lost. I’m not one to get all nostalgic too often, but I do love this page (and it was stolen enough times by newbies that I know it’s good!)
My team and I provide expert administrative support to help you reach your goals. Whether it’s a one time project, you need help with a few listings, or you require a support package that suits your unique needs, the chicks that work here have got you covered!
At Virtual Assistant Chick, your “stuff” is our specialty!
Ongoing Real Estate Support
It’s all about personal service, anticipating your needs, and being there when you need us. When you purchase a support package, we are available to you when you need it the most. We only work with one agent per market so that you really can get a leg up on the competition. Need a listing changed? Have a problem that needs to be solved now? Need to learn about how to effectively use Social Media or want to become the expert in your area? Many agent’s have told us that they’re able to work with more clients, and when the stress of doing it all is removed, they are much more attractive to prospective clients.
Listing Coordination is more than just creating flyers and virtual tours. When Virtual Assistant Chick gets a hold of your listing, you can be sure that everything is taken care of from the moment you take the listing through opening escrow. CMA’s, listing packages, entering the listing into the MLS, preparing flyers online and off, scheduling an open house and even preparing the Listing Agreement are part of our Listing Coordination service. Don’t forget to take a look at our portfolio to see what our designer has created for other agents! With multiple packages to choose from, you can select the best fit for YOU!
Experience is key when it comes to properly closing a real estate file. Utilizing the latest technologies such as transactional software, Docusign & various file sharing programs, we can close your files in record time. From the moment you open escrow (or are under contract), your Transaction Coordinator (TC) will track, organize, obtain signatures for all documents and coordinate schedules and appointments. At the end of the transaction, you will receive a complete, DRE and Broker Compliant zipped file that you can print or put on disk.
General Office Administration
No, we can’t get your coffee for you, but we can “virtually” do everything else. Pass off your email, appointment scheduling, newsletters, auto responders, office documents, mailings, data entry, and all of those other mundane tasks that keep you from the real core of your business. Imagine going on vacation and still have your business run without you. We even have a Virtual Concierge on our team who specializes in travel planning to get you on that vacation! Check here for a full list of services.
WordPress Websites & Blogs
You hear it all the time – you’ve got to be a “tech-savvy agent”, you’ve got to have a WordPress site with IDX and a lead capture form. You need to blog every day and be a neighborhood expert. Your website is your “hub”; everything has to feed back to it. Who has time for all that? Instead of trying to be that “tech-savvy agent” yourself, partner with a tech-savvy virtual assistant! That way, you can do what you do best and leave the rest to us. We’ve learned from the best on how to build WordPress websites from the best, and have partnered with some WordPress pros to make sure all the “tech stuff” works perfectly.
Realtors, Use an Editorial Calendar to Blog More Often
November 30, 2011 By Leave a Comment
“He who fails to plan, plans to fail”
I speak with a lot of Realtors® in my business, and one thing that runs true with most (not all) of you is that you don’t like to blog. You tell me things like
- I don’t have time to blog!
- I’m not a very good writer.
- I don’t know what to write about.
- Can’t you just do it for me?
I get it because I’m not much of a blogger myself. I do it because when I don’t, I c an see it in my analytics – big time. So let’s dissect your most common responses when I ask you about blogging.
I Don’t Have Time to Blog!
Um, yes you do. It takes 15 minutes if you plan ahead for it, which you should be doing for everything. You know how you just sat on Facebook for 15 minutes? Whether you were “working” on Facebook or not, you could have written a blog post about that great little restaurant you ate at last night that’s in your farm area. Set aside 15 minutes per blog post and JUST DO IT. You and your analytics will thank me later.
I’m Not a Very Good Writer.
Neither am I. Next? Seriously though, a little advanced planning will help you overcome your fear of poor writing skills. Determine your audience and write as though you are speaking with them one on one.
One of my first clients was a Southern California Realtor® whose native language was not English, and you could tell that in his writing. It bothered him because he felt as though people would view him as less intelligent than other agents and he’d lose business AND be embarrassed. Instead of giving up, I began editing his posts before putting them up on Active Rain and his website. 3 blog posts per week and his site climbed up the ranks and earned him a new client eventually.
I Don’t Know What to Write About.
We’re all plagued by this issue and none of us are immune to it. Even the most prolific bloggers will be hit with the dreaded writer’s block at one point or another (and if they tell you otherwise, they’re lying). This brings us to the real reason of this post: Plan Ahead!
I use a simple WordPress Plugin called WordPress Editorial Calendar. If you and I work together, you’ll see that it’s installed in the Posts section of your website. Here’s a picture:
With this cool little feature you can plan your posts in advance and also see at a glance everything that you’ve published so far. Plan it out a week, month, or even a year ahead of time. Put in ideas for your holiday posts, link to other posts, reminders for your clients, WHATEVER. Just start planning ahead. Once you’ve done that, put a recurring appointment in your calendar that reminds you to blog.
You can also determine what you’re going to write about on a weekly basis. Monday is about market stats, Tuesday is for local events, Wednesday is a picture submitted by you or a reader, Thursdays you can add in local politics. You get the picture.
Also setting up your categories in advance will push you in the right direction. My advice is to have 5 to 10 categories and that’s it. It will keep you focused. Anything beyond those categories can be covered by tags.
Can You Just Do It For Me?
Yes and no. Yes we can help you install and set up your editorial calendar. Yes we can help you come up with a kick-ass plan to get the ball rolling. Need good categories? We can help you set those up as well and some tag ideas to go along with it. And yes, we’ll even write some blog posts for you, but they’re going to be generic in nature and aren’t going to be from YOU. Well-researched information that your clients will want, but the real meat needs to come from you. Put yourself out there and let your clients get to know you. Blogging is just another form of social networking and should be treated as such.
If you need help getting off the fence about blogging, let us know how we can help. Leave a comment below or have a free consult with us to find out how we can help you. I can even schedule a strategy session with you and get you moving forward in no time.
