You’ve come to the end of a listing appointment; you’ve introduced yourself, shared information about your group, toured the property, smiled, and politely answered every question. This is the moment. The homeowners look at each other, trying to gauge each other, and there is an awkward pause. You ask if they would like to list and the sellers tell you that they need to talk it over… you can already tell you’ve lost the listing. Winning listings can be tough. Nervous sellers, stiff competition, and a small window of opportunity are all working against you. But take heart, there is a way to knock your listing appointments out of the park. Check out five ways to win every listing.

Present Your Sales History

Most sellers will be anxious about the unknowns surrounding the listing of their home. Sellers top questions include, “Will my home sell?” and “How long is it going to take to sell my home?” If they are already under contract on another home or they are crunched for time, these “what ifs” will be even more overwhelming. In order to overcome this apprehension and build trust with sellers, it is important to bring information about your sales history to the initial appointment.

The more concrete you are in presenting your data, the better. Charts and graphs can be great accompanying tools. Show the seller the percentage of listings you have sold in the two weeks or less, and in a month or less. If you have gold star clients in the area that can give personal references, even better. Creating a testimonial section on your webpage to direct sellers to is a great idea, too.

Be Confident of Your Value

It is no secret that more sellers have been opting to list their homes on their own. This shift has made your confidence in the value that you bring to the table more important than ever. Since agent services are intangible, making your worth concrete for the seller is key.

Walk your seller through all of the things you will do to add value to their selling experience. Make sure to highlight your strengths. You bring so much value to your clients, including:

• negotiating skills
• industry knowledge
• a marketing plan
• staging techniques
• your professional network

Confidently presenting what you plan to do for the seller on a daily basis will build their trust and win their listing.

Come in with a Customized Marketing Strategy

Telling your sellers about your value is one thing, but demonstrating your value is the best. Every homeowner wants assurance that you will be able to sell their home. Do your prep work ahead of time and make a detailed marketing presentation before sitting down with the seller. Tools like Single Property Sites even allow you to create a custom website of a seller’s property before you even step foot in their home.

You should also be clear about everything you plan to do to maximize their listing reach. With apps aiding buyers, it’s easy for a home to get lost in a sea of listings. Show your seller how you will ensure that their home is well marketed. This includes:

• staging
• custom websites
• industry photography
• your network
• virtual tours
• a targeted online presence

Make sure to use an industry photographer for your presentation. You may also consider using a “before and after” example of a listing with seller photos and no staging/marketing savvy and compare it to an “after” listing that you have created. Include all the bells and whistles you utilize (drone photography, virtual tours, etc.)

Work Out the Listing Price

Ah, the listing price. As the old saying goes, “the wise man is the first to listen and the last to speak.” Sellers will go into the listing appointment with certain expectations surrounding the listing price. Where and how they came up with their price point is always interesting. Listen to the homeowner as they describe their selling desires. Are they closing on a new home in a month or are they casually looking to downsize? Are they expecting an unrealistic profit? These clues will help you know how to steer the conversation.

In preparing for the listing appointment, you should do detailed research in gathering your comps. While most buyers turn to the major listing sites when coming up with their price, tools such as Real Quest and RealEstateABC can give you a more comprehensive look at any property.

Colorado listing agent, Heather Charbonneau suggests listening first and then presenting a price range, encouraging the seller to choose a price somewhere in the middle. If a seller is really fixed on a specific price, work with them, allowing them to set their price and explaining that most homes should sell in a few weeks. Let them know that if the home doesn’t get any offers in a certain time frame, you can revisit pricing together, later. Be sure to never set the price yourself; leave it in the seller’s hands. If you list at your chosen price and the home doesn’t sell quickly, the blame will fall squarely on you.

Close the Deal Immediately

You should close your deal at the listing appointment. Make sure you are prepared and bring all of the paperwork with you. Don’t wait for the seller to ask for a contract and don’t be afraid to suggest making your working relationship official. If the homeowner needs to sell quickly, all the better. Remind the seller of their own timetable. At the end of the appointment, try saying, “you said you needed to sell in the next month, are you ready to get started?”

If your seller seems apprehensive or standoffish, try asking, “Is there any reason you think I might not be the right fit for you?” If the answer is yes, overcome their objections. At the end of the appointment, offer the seller an agreement. Make sure to offer to answer any questions or concerns. If the seller is holding multiple listing appointments, make sure to find out when you will hear back and follow up immediately with a personalized “thank you.”

The post 5 Ways Real Estate Agents Win Every Listing appeared first on Real Estate Marketing and Property Marketing Blog by Single Property Sites.

The genesis of this rule stems from the FAA’s first findings in 1981:

“Model aircraft can at times pose a hazard to full-scale aircraft in flight and to persons and property on the surface.”  Federal Administration of Aviation

To mitigate these safety risks, the FAA produced operating standards for all controlled drone devices.

1) All drone aircrafts are restricted to operate on populated areas

2) Limitations on the operations of these devices are imposed, until these devices have been proven airworthy and has been flight tested for safety.

3) These devices are restricted to operate 400 feet above the surface.

4) These devices must give right of way to, and also avoid flying near manned aircraft.

5) Must have an assistant when the aircraft is in operation

The FAA then, explicitly  listed conditions upon which drone aircrafts must fall within.  The FAA will allow operations of these controlled drones if they meet all the criteria below:

• the aircraft is flown strictly for hobby or recreational use
• the aircraft is operated in accordance with a community-based set of safety guidelines and within the programming of a nationwide community-based organization
• the aircraft is limited  to not more than 55 pounds, unless otherwise certified through a design, construction, inspection, flight test, and operational safety program that is administered by a community-based organization
• the aircraft is operated in a manner that does not interfere with any manned aircraft
• when flown within 5 miles of an airport, the operator of the controlled aircraft must provide the airport operator and the airport air traffic control tower, prior notice of the aircraft’s operation.

The FAA is aware that more and more real estate professionals are using drones to take aerial pictures & videos of their properties, and the FAA wants to stress out the fact that any aircraft flown from the ground up is within their ruling, and must follow all applicable rules that the FAA enforced in order to ensure the safety of the public, and other manned, or unmanned aircrafts.

At the moment, the FAA has no means of finding out organizations that are in violation of their statutes and regulations. If they do find enough evidence through the Internet: social media; videos; websites; people’s complaints; or even a suspect receipt from a distributor; then the FAA is within its power to enforce or act upon such violations.

The FAA released a Myth vs. Fast document, further elaborating on this issue. 

Where  do you stand on this issue? Do you think the FAA should allow for the commercial use of these drones?

The post Using Drones for Real Estate view is still illegal according to FAA appeared first on Real Estate Marketing and Property Marketing Blog by Single Property Sites.

The problem is, how will you find the time to learn the best use of each social media platform, actively participate in discussions on those platforms, and run your real estate business at the same time?

Here are 6 social media tips to help you boost your real estate marketing:

1) Have a content strategy.
Many complaints Real Estate Agents have regarding social media is that they don’t feel like anyone is interested in what they have to say. This is true to the extent that many people don’t necessarily want to hear what your dog ate for dinner last night, but when it comes to providing helpful real estate information, this complaint couldn’t be further from the truth. When deciding on content to create for your social media marketing, ask yourself the following questions:

• What real estate topics do I know the most about?
• What are other people talking about in my area?
• If I were a home buyer or seller, what information would I be most interested in reading?
• What fun events are coming up in my area?

Keeping each of these questions in mind will provide you with great ideas for posting content on your social media accounts.

2) Consistency is key.
As a Real Estate Agent, you can’t expect results from working only once a week. The same thing goes for social media. You will not see results if you only post once a week. “Consistency” means something slightly different depending on which social media platform you are using. A good place to start is by posting at least once a day on Facebook / LinkedIn, and 2 or 3 times per day on Twitter. If you post more than once per day, be sure to spread them out a bit.

This is where most Real Estate Agents find trouble. How can you remember to set aside time to post multiple times per day when you are running around conducting open houses, showings, and running your business? A great way to combat the time crunch is to set aside about an hour at the beginning of the week and schedule out your posts for that week. There are multiple tools such as HootSuite or TweetDeck that allow you to easily schedule social media posts.

3) Think local.
Remember that the majority of your business as a Real Estate Agent is likely to come from people in or around your local area (unless you manage offices all over the country). Also remember that buying or selling a home includes so much more than the house itself. People are interested in local attractions, parks, restaurants, school districts, etc. Including posts on these topics will go a long way in setting yourself apart from the competition.

4) Understand how each platform is unique.
People use different social media platforms for specific reasons. For example, Twitter posts can only include 140 characters (letters, spaces, punctuation). Facebook allows an unlimited amount of characters and also allows you to post photos / images. Pinterest revolves specifically around photos / images. Understanding how each is unique, and how you can leverage each platform’s functionality is a big factor in successful social media management.

5) Measure and track results.
If something you’re doing in your business is having no impact on generating new business, you likely would not continue doing that thing, right? Perhaps a specific social media platform is just not working for you for one reason or another. Understanding where and when to cut your losses will allow you to focus on the platforms that ARE producing results.

Add Google Analytics to your website and track how much of your traffic is coming from which social media site. Remember that you aren’t likely to see results right away, so don’t be discouraged. If you aren’t seeing any results after an extended period of time, research how to better utilize that social media platform and see if a different strategy produces better results.

6) Have FUN!
Social media marketing should be a fun experience. Not only does it connect you with potential clients, but you will likely learn a lot about the things you are interested as well! It’s easy to become too focused on using social media solely for a business purpose. But make sure you are coming across as a genuine human being, and interact with others who are talking about subjects that you yourself enjoy as well.

Are YOU currently using social media in your real estate marketing strategy?

The post 6 More Social Media Marketing Tips for Real Estate appeared first on Real Estate Marketing and Property Marketing Blog by Single Property Sites.

According to the article, sales of existing homes were up 9.6 percent in May compared to a year ago, with 4.6 million homes changing hands at a seasonally adjusted annual rate. This also includes a 15 percent rise in contracts to buy existing homes, indicating that the market will continue to improve.

The data suggests how Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke’s low interest-rate policy is likely beginning to finally save the housing market from a six-year decline and providing a boost to the overall economy. Home buyers are benefiting from record-low mortgage rates and are taking advantage of the situation.

Michelle Meyer, Senior U.S. Economist at Bank of America, stated, “The Fed is very much focused on the housing market because that’s typically the best way to channel low interest rates – through home sales and refinancing. We are seeing some signs that the credit channel is unclogging modestly, and the Fed is going to be quite pleased with that.”

Click here to read the full article.

Want to increase exposure of your property listings and dominate your Listings market? Single Property Sites will help!

The post Home Sales Increase as Bernanke’s Low Interest Rates Gain Traction appeared first on Real Estate Marketing and Property Marketing Blog by Single Property Sites.

Pinterest is a fairly new social media platform that is gaining increasing traction in the Real Estate Marketing world. It was designed as a way for people to “pin” pictures of various things they enjoy, whether it is a favorite recipe, a fantastic vacation destination, or a dream home property.it has now morphed into a great tool for both consumers and Real Estate Marketing professionals alike.

A recent webinar from Inman showcased some great ideas on how you as a Real Estate Agent can use Pinterest to gain more exposure for your property listings and increase sales.

The main points discussed in the webinar include:

• Why is Pinterest becoming so popular so quickly?
• Why is Pinterest for real estate marketing?
• How can Pinterest increase traffic to your real estate website or blog?
• Why is HGTV already one of the largest brands on Pinterest?
• What are the best real estate industry specific examples of Realtors and Brokers using Pinterest?
• How do you add a pin properly and how can you use tagging effectively in Pinterest?
• What are Pinterest Goodies?
• How can you add a Pin It button to your website and blog?
• How can you integrate Pinterest and WordPress?
• How can you integrate Pinterest and Facebook?
• How can you not waste time but still see results from using Pinterest?
• How can you add a Pinterest plugin to your browser?
• Is the iPhone app for Pinterest worth using?
• How can you integrate Instagram and Pinterest?

Click the video link below to see how you can incorporate Pinterest in your Real Estate Marketing strategy.

The post Using Pinterest for Real Estate and Listing Marketing appeared first on Real Estate Marketing and Property Marketing Blog by Single Property Sites.

Whatever the reasons for lacking a blog, “content marketing” is essential to add to your site to set you apart from your competitors.

The following are 4 reasons you need to incorporate content marketing in your real estate marketing strategy:

1) It builds TRUST
It’s hard for potential home buyers to go an entire day without being bombarded with some type of advertisement to buy a new home. This has caused potential buyers to always have their guard up, wondering, “What’s the catch?” Providing consumers with helpful content shows that you are genuinely interested in helping them, and also allows them to find your content when THEY want it. If you write content based on what you know and what you are good at, the consumers will be able to see that you are a trusted resource instead of some greasy salesperson with malicious intentions.

2) Content Marketing is FREE
Not only is blogging a great real estate marketing technique, it also requires no monetary investment on your part. The only thing it will cost you is the time it takes you to research your desired topic and type it out. What’s better than effective marketing? FREE effective marketing.

3) Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Blogging isn’t just a platform for you to get your opinions in front of potnetial buyers, it’s a way to boost your website’s search ranking as well. If you have already begun a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) program, incorporate your target keywords into your blog posts at least a few times. Not only does this show the search engines what your article is about, it also helps you keep your content on-topic and relevant for your target market.

4) People like to share good content
By adding social media buttons to your blog posts, you allow people to share your content with their social networks as well. WordPress and many other blogging platforms automatically include these buttons in your blog posts in order to make it as easy as possible for others to share your quality content. A well written blog piece can take on a life of its own after people begin to share it!

When it all comes down to it, the best rule of thumb to remember in your new content marketing is to write about things that people want to hear, and stay focused on your target market. If you are a Real Estate Agent, writing articles on video games will likely fall on deaf ears. Keep the content interesting, unique, and beneficial, and you will see great results for your real estate marketing!

The post 4 Reasons you Need a Content Marketing Strategy in your Real Estate Marketing appeared first on Real Estate Marketing and Property Marketing Blog by Single Property Sites.

A complete property website can be imported and set up as a showcase property website with an integrated slideshow virtual tour in about 40 seconds. Photos and data fields will be imported and correctly set up within the property website.

You can even choose the Listing Agent so that the property website is literally ready to go once the import is complete.

Your benefit:
This new feature allows for a very data setup time, which in turn means more properties can be set up with less effort. This means that you need less staff and admin hours to run the SPS listing marketing program.

To import a property site simply click the “Add New Listing Site” button (shown to the left) and choose the option to import. Your listing needs to have been submitted to your MLS for a couple of days so that our data partners have it indexed.

The post NEW Feature: Increased Real Estate Marketing Productivity With the Property Import Feature appeared first on Real Estate Marketing and Property Marketing Blog by Single Property Sites.