Real Clues

[RealClues] #323: Online Dominance (part 3)

Copyright (c) 1996-2008 www.RealEstateCoach.com and
Teleclass4U.com, LLC. All rights in all media reserved.
We have a no SPAM policy. If you received this newsletter and did
not subscribe to it, visit www.RealEstateCoach.com to unsubscribe.

Special Double Edition: I was out last week at our Really Awesome Women in Real Estate Conference. The good news this week--two new articles rather than just one!

This Week at LuxuryClues.com:
Shop with the Ultimate Status Symbol
The Most Expensive Residential Real Estate Sale
The World's Healthiest Chocolate Bar

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Table of Contents
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. CoachingClues--Two Articles This Week:
**Michael Russell Reveals How to Drive More Traffic to Your Website
**Bonus article: Get Buyers to Buy Now!
2. Welcome Notes: Incredible Value--Don't Miss This
3. Reprise: Eight Ways to Increase Your Profits
4. Create a Better Life: Want to Attract More Business--Take a Vacation!
5. Positive News for Positive Realtors(reg): You Absolutely Must Listen to This Audio--Learn why what the press reports is a BIG lie.
6. Featured Products:
**New at www.ListenandLearnRealEstate.com: "Do You Have What it Takes to be a Top Performer" plus Parts 1 and 2 of "Thirteen Tips for Becoming a Top Performer."
**Special Offer for Michael Russer's On-Line Dominance Course
7. Increase Your Production with Personal Coaching
8. Give Us Your Feedback on this Newsletter
9. How to Subscribe/Unsubscribe

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. CoachingClues: Drive More Traffic to Your Website
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Do you know the secrets of motivating people to visit your website and to give you their contact information? If not, today's article reveals the steps that you need to take to make your website generate more closed transactions for your business.

Before attempting to drive traffic to your website, you must have a very specific market niche that you serve, you must provide your web visitor with a "Wow!" experience that makes the visitor feel that "this site is perfect for me," and you must have a conversational tone that makes your site about your web visitor, not about you.

Real estate professionals are increasingly spending more of their marketing dollars on-line and less on print. To achieve the maximum return on your marketing dollar, you must integrate your print marketing with your web marketing. Use your print advertising to drive people who want additional information to your website.

There are numerous ways to motivate people to visit your site. One of the tried and true methods is to offer downloadable coupons from local vendors. You could also have any number of downloadable reports such as "How to Avoid Costly Home Repairs," "Ten Ways to Cut Your Energy Costs," or "The Top 10 New Gadgets for Your Home." Notice that these articles are not necessarily about the real estate transaction. Instead, they focus on the issues of home ownership. Your goal is to become a resource for all aspects of homeownership, not just issues dealing with the real estate transaction.

When you serve a specific market niche, one of the smartest strategies that you can use is to engage your web visitors in a conversation about what's great about your particular niche or location. For example, you could do a mailer that asks local residents to go on-line and vote for their favorite restaurant. Another alternative would be to create a blog or a community website where others can post comments and pictures (be sure to moderate comments). Ask for stories about growing up in the area 30, 40, or 50 years ago. The point is to get people engaged in what is fun and exciting about your area or niche. Become the place on the web where they "meet, greet, and discuss."

Michael Russer in his On-Line Dominance class uses a different strategy to target statistically likely sellers. If the average length of time that someone in your area stays in their home is six years, then he recommends that you identify people who have been in their present home five to seven years and market to them. These are the people to whom you send your print marketing. Russer says that focusing on this three year window normally achieves excellent results.

All of these strategies are great approaches, but the bottom line is how to get your web visitors to volunteer their personal information. Russer says there's a simple approach: use a privacy policy.

When you require web visitors to fill out a form to receive information, most will leave your site. On the other hand, using a privacy policy will actually help you obtain more information by giving your web visitor the option of providing their contact information. Russer says his privacy policy guarantees that any information web visitors provide will be private and will not be shared with any other source. "We follow up by explaining that we understand that most of our web visitors are in the information gathering stage and that they prefer to remain anonymous. If the web visitor is uncomfortable providing their information, there is no obligation to do so. What's surprising about this approach is that by making the form optional, approximately 80 percent of your web visitors will provide their information." This approach honors the web visitor's desire to remain anonymous. You're goal is to be available if and when they need you.

A major trend that is emerging from blogging and social networking is that people may visit your site repeatedly provided they get what they want and have the option of remaining anonymous. Then, when they're ready to list or buy a property, they will contact you because they perceive you to be the expert in the area. In fact, many agents report that they receive calls that sound like this:

"I've been visiting your website/blog for a long time. We're thinking about listing our house and you're obviously the expert in the area. Do you have time to work with us?"

Furthermore, when you are the area specialist, people from outside your area who find you online will seek you out when they relocate.

Bottom line, the key to on line marketing success is making your web visitors say, "Wow--this is the site for me!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1. Bonus CoachingClues: Get Your Buyers to Buy Now!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Are you ready to get your buyers to buy now? If so, today's article will show you how.

Many agents are lamenting about how bad the market is. Most people who were in business in 1998 will remember that it was a pretty good year. NAR is projecting that in 2008 there will be over 5 million home sales or 10,000,000 "sides," the same number as in 1998. Assuming that there are approximately 1,000,000 active Realtors(reg) today, that's 10 sides per agent. The question is how can you capitalize on today's market conditions to increase your income in 2008?

1. Target active market areas
Regardless of where you work, there are some locations and price ranges that are more active than others are. Watch the sales board in your office as well as the Multiple Listing Statistics. Focus your marketing efforts on those areas that have the most business. If you do face-to-face prospecting such as door knocking, calling on For-Sale-by-Owners, prospecting owners of expired listings, or holding open house, make active areas your first priority. If you normally work the $400,000+ area and the sales are currently active in the $250,000 to $300,000 price range, shift your efforts there. Also, be sure to carefully monitor activity each month. If you observe a shift, follow it.

2. Put pressure on buyers who are negotiating by doing a simultaneous price reduction
Whenever you issue a counteroffer with a lower price, ask the seller to reduce the list price. When the buyers realize that the seller is lowering the price, it places additional pressure on the buyers to take action.

3. The Best Buyer's Market in 35 Years
If you use print or web marketing, use your marketing pieces to proclaim, "2008--the Best Year to Buy a Home in 35 Years!" Here's how to back up this claim. In April of 1973, Mortgage rates were about the same as they are today. Since that time, we have only had mortgage rates this low during 2001 and 2002, the height of the seller's markets where there was little inventory. In the last two major buyer's markets, one in the early 1980s and the other in the early 1990s, the rates were much higher. When I started in the business in 1978, interest rates were at 9.75 percent, en route to 18 to 21 percent in 1980. In the early 1990s, the rates were hovering in the 11 to 12 percent range. Thus, today's buyer's market, with exceptionally low mortgage rates plus a substantial supply of inventory, is the best time in decades to purchase.

4. Show first time buyers the cost of waiting
There are several different ways that first time buyers lose money by waiting to purchase. The first is loss of tax deductions. In most cases, people who lack a mortgage pay more Federal and State Income taxes than those who qualify for a mortgage deduction. You can use a mortgage calculator to illustrate this point. For example, assume that a buyer is currently paying $1,500 per month on a rental. If the buyer purchases a $300,000 property with $30,000 down and a fixed rate 30 year mortgage of $270,000 at 6.25 percent, the buyer actually nets $24,262 more, assuming that appreciation keeps pace with inflation, the buyer owns property for 8 years, and is in the 28 percent bracket.

Another way renters lose money is through wealth accumulation, generally in the form of creating equity by paying down the loan and through appreciation. According to the Federal Reserve, the average homeowner between 1995 and 2004 had a net worth of $184,400, of which approximately $60,000 was due to home ownership appreciation. To account for the difference of $60,000 of wealth accumulation, a $200,000 house would have to decline by 30 percent. Thus, each year a buyer waits to purchase a median priced home, they lose $6,000 in potential wealth accumulation.

An additional way that renters lose money is through increased interest rates. For example, on a $200,000 mortgage, assume that interest rates increase from six to seven percent. By waiting, the buyer's payments increase by $1,578 each year causing a total loss (in payments and wealth accumulation) of $7,578. If interest rates increase from six to eight percent on that same loan, they will pay an extra $3,221 per year resulting in a total loss of $9,221.

Using the numbers that clearly illustrate the costs of waiting to purchase will help to get many reluctant buyers to take action. If you need more help getting buyers to buy now, then don't miss next week's article.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
2. Welcome Notes
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Welcome to our new subscribers this week. Each week RealClues provides you with great strategies to improve both your business and your life. If you find this issue of RealClues helpful, take a moment to hit the "forward" button and send it to another friend in the business.

Last week our entire team was in Albuquerque, New Mexico for our Really Awesome Women in Real Estate Conference for women who hold leadership positions in our industry. Over the next few weeks, we'll be sharing many of the great ideas from the leading women leaders at this conference.

Would you like to have two sessions with America's top marketing coach? Jennifer Cummings is the person we turn to at RealEstateCoach.com when we need marketing advice. Why? Jennifer has worked with Ben Stein, Jack Canfield, plus the highest producing agents in the real estate industry. Jennifer helped Christina Martinez, the top producing real estate agent in the country, increase her NET commissions from $4 million to $7 million in just 14 weeks. Jennifer is one of the most highly acclaimed speakers on the real estate speaking circuit and kindly allowed us to video two of her keynote speeches. Her individual coaching fees are $10,000 per month. Her special offer to you as one of our subscribers is $197.00 (plus S&H) for both sessions. If you want to learn the secrets of having a "R.I.C.H. Life" as well as Jennifer's Unique, "Potato Chip Marketing" approach, don't wait--this is your chance to access the smartest real estate marketing coach in the country on two hours of DVD for a fraction of her regular fee.

http://tinyurl.com/4q9wsd

Make it a great week.

Bernice Ross, MCC, and Byron Van Arsdale, MCC
www.RealEstateCoach.com, www.LuxuryClues.com, www.RossdalePress.com, www.ConferenceCallTraining.com, and www.TeleconferenceLine.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
3. Reprise: Eight Ways to Increase Your Profits
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You can increase your profitability by working harder, but have you ever thought of "spending smarter?" Sustaining profitability in a slowing market is always a challenge. When sales slow, you can still keep your past level of profitability by controlling spending. Here are eight tips to help you stay profitable even if your market is slow.

http://www.realestatecoach.com/articles_archive/art20040927.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
4. Create a Better Life: Want to Attract More Business? Take a Vacation!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Taking a vacation may sound like a crazy way to increase your business, but surprisingly, it works!

http://www.realestatecoach.com/articles_archive/art20031027.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
5. Positive News for Positive Realtors(reg)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is the one Positive News you absolutely must hear. This session reveals the real source of much of the bad news in the press as well as where to find the numbers that counteract it. Special thanks to Michele Leonard of Long and Foster for sharing this information and especially to the author, David M. Michonski, Chairman and CEO of Coldwell Banker Hunt Kennedy in New York City.

http://listenandlearnrealestate.com/news.html

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
6. Featured Products
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
**New at www.ListenandLearnRealEstate.com Six to eight new audio broadcast training modules EVERY month for only $29.97 per month or $147.00 for six months. Here's what's new for April:
"Do You Have What it Takes to be a Top Performer?"
"Thirteen Tips for Becoming a Top Performer" Parts 1 and 2
Our library has over 50 training sessions plus the new titles above. Don't wait--order today:
http://listenandlearnrealestate.com/

**Michael Russer's On-line Dominance Course:
If you're not achieving the results you want from your website, don't wait. Michael Russer made a great offer to our readers--$100 off his On-Line Dominance course. He normally sells this seminar for over $2,000. The price he is offering to our readers is $100 less than it is on his website (He's charging us $495.00 for the 12 week intensive course.) After interviewing Michael, I'm convinced that this course will produce the results you want. You'll have to do some work, but the dividends will be high for years to come. To receive this special offer, please email me at Bernice@RealEstateCoach.com for a personal introduction to Michael and learn how to become the On-Line Dominance agent in your area.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
7. Increase Your Production with Personal Coaching
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Looking for a well-trained coach who knows the real estate business? Our coaching team can help you increase your production and make your dreams come true. Send an e-mail to Shane@RealEstateCoach.com and we'll help find the right coach for you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
8. Give Us Your Feedback On This Newsletter
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We want your feedback-to share your thoughts and suggestions, please e-mail us at Shane@RealEstateCoach.com.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
9. How to Subscribe/Unsubscribe
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Visit our Web site, http://www.RealEstateCoach.com to subscribe/unsubscribe to RealClues.

Copyright (c) 1996-2008, RealEstateCoach.com and Teleclass4U.com, LLC. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to reproduce, copy or distribute RealClues as long as this copyright notice and full information about contacting the contributors to this newsletter is attached.

Contributors to this newsletter:
Bernice Ross, MCC, and Byron Van Arsdale, MCC, Owners, www.RealEstateCoach.com, www.LuxuryClues.com, www.ConferenceCallTraining.com; www.RossdalePress.com; and www.TeleconferenceLine.com
Shane Bowlin, REC General Manager

Give a Gift to a Friend:
Please forward RealClues to your friends and colleagues, since your recommendation is how we grow. Anyone can subscribe to RealClues by visiting http://www.RealEstateCoach.com and signing up. To cancel, visit the Web site and simply cancel your subscription.