May 18, 2012

Getting Down to Basics

teaching 300x199 Getting Down to BasicsNow that we have launched into 2011, I am starting a new regular series here at the BVAS Connection called “Getting Down to Basics”. In this series, I intend to explain the basics on using social media sites like Facebook or Twitter, various platforms such as HootSuite, Google, or any other technology plaform.

On this blog, as well as many other real estate marketing and real estate technology blogs, we review and talk about various technologies and platforms meant to improve your real estate business. For the tech-savvy among us who work in these platforms all the time, they are like second nature to us. But over the years of working with clients for whom technology may not always come easy, I realized that quite a few people didn’t really know how to actually create an Facebook page  (or the difference between a profile and an official page), how to sign up for Twitter, how use HootSuite, or other tasks. So I saw a need for some easy to understand tutorials to bring agents into the tech savvy arena.

I’m creating this series of based on the frequently asked questions I have run into on various things from Facebook to Google. It will include some instructional blog postings, as well as video demonstrating exactly how to do various tasks.  Now, of course I am not an expert in everything (shocking, isn’t it?), so I will occasionally be inviting other experts to guest post on the BVAS Connections with their tutorials.

Have a question about how to use Facebook, your CRM, or any other technology that has you stumped? I want to hear from you! I invite you to please leave me a comment below with any questions or requests for basic how-to’s for anything social media related,  technology tools, what have you. And if I don’t have the answer, my team of experts will!

First up, Facebook pages and more, so stay tuned!

 Getting Down to Basics

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10 Ideas for Real Estate Video – Part V

In previous postings I have mentioned that as a real estate virtual assistant, I often get asked by agents how to incorporate different technologies like video into their real estate marketing. The biggest obstacle for them seems to be ideas on what to make videos about. In this installment of 10 Ideas for Real Estate Video, I am bring you two more video content ideas.

(Click the following to see Parts 1, Part 2, Part 3 or Part 4)

3909601558 11f2c8d078 m 10 Ideas for Real Estate Video – Part V
Image by roarofthefour via Flickr

9. Demonstrate a Quick Home Improvement or Staging Tip

Homeowners could definitely appreciate some how-to’s on simple fixes or decorating and staging ideas. A great way to to capture your homeowner audience’s attention is to make a video demonstrating just that.  Create some videos that shows a quick way to improve curb appeal, tips on how to winterize your home for the cold weather, or great furniture placement techniques for staging.

Videos with home tips can be extremely useful to homeowners and when developing content for your blogs and websites, providing tips they can use will capture their attention and garner their trust in you.

Not the tool-savvy type or a staging expert? Enlist the help of a handy-man colleague, or a local home stager you work with to create these demonstration videos.

10. Videos with Good-Natured Humor

Comedy 10 Ideas for Real Estate Video – Part V

Image via Wikipedia

Some of the most “viral” videos out there are the ones that make people laugh. You can create videos that parody the life and times of a REALTOR, poke fun at yourself, or do a silly skit addressing common issues and troubles that come up in a real estate transactions. Come up with something like “Reason #126 You Need to Use a REALTOR”, and illustrate

in a simple skit a humorous problem that could befall a buyer or a seller, and how an agent can come to the rescue.

If you create some videos that are meant to entertain and make people laugh, it shows that you are not a “real estate robot”, gives a glimpse of your personality, and shows you have a sense of humor (which is relate-able to so many people) Keep it light, keep it fun, and remember to keep it clean and good natured.


So there you have it in this final installment of 10 Ideas for Real Estate Video. I hope you were able to get some creative juices flowing when coming up with content for your new videos. Of course, you can probably find way more than just 10 content ideas, and I will periodically add new content ideas as I run across them.

Iff you need help with creating and promoting your videos, consider using the BVAS Real Estate Virtual Assistant team to help with you with your video marketing needs.

And feel free to leave me a comment with more content ideas, or links to your own real estate videos. I would love to see them.

 10 Ideas for Real Estate Video – Part V

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Market Your Real Estate Listings QR Codes

In this previous post, Technology Fun for Real Estate – QR Codes , I gave an introduction into the world of QR codes, what they are, how to get them, and what you can do with them. Today I want to dig into them a little more and talk about some ways to spice up your listing marketing by using QR codes and using them effectively.

Don’t know what they are yet? Check out my previous post

So you have a new listing, and want to enlist the technology of these curious looking codes to promote to mobile users. how do you do it? First of all, you will need decide on the destination you want to direct your mobile users to. It helps to have a mobile friendly page to direct them to that can convey all the listing info easily. Here are my 3 favorite uses:

  1. vyoo logo2 Market Your Real Estate Listings QR CodesMost single property websites are also mobile ready. Simply use a generator like Goo.gl (which I love for it’s tracking ability) to turn your single property site url into a QR code.  Some single property website providers,  like Real Bird, have even added the ability to generate QR codes for you to use in their services.
  2. If you are not a user of single property websites, another option you can use something called vyoo.it. From the samepeople that brought you Postlets, vyoo.it allows you to create a fabulous looking mobile ready page, packed with all the details of your listing including pictures and your contact info. And if you are a current Postlet user, you can save yourself a step since you can automatically import the Postlet url to populate the vyoo.it page for you. Super simple!
  3. Another great destination to direct your QR code to is to a video or virtual our. YouTube, for example, is already
    youtube qr Market Your Real Estate Listings QR Codes

    goo.gl/Qt0qI

    optimized for mobile viewing, so sending your mobile visitors right to the video tour on YouTube is a perfect match. Imagine a potential buyer standing outside your listing and scanning the code off the sign to be taken to the virtual tour instantly. And if they’re holding a flyer in their hands with a majority of the property information, it makes little sense to direct them to a site that rehashes the same information. So why not send them to the video tour? Just use a generator like Goo.gl to make the QR code.

Now where should you put these codes to market your listing? Naturally, some of the best palces to put these codes are on your property flyers, “Just Listed” card, or on signs and sign riders. Anywhere that you can reach potential buyers that would be interested in your property.

A couple more quick tips before I go: I recommend when using QR codes in your marketing, is to add in small print instructing users to scan the code with their phone’s reader. And just so you don’t completely alienate non-smartphone users (or those that still can’t figure out this scanning thing), provide the short url that can take mobile and non-mobile users to the same destination.

If you know of some creative spots to add your QR codes for marketing your listings, I would love to hear them in my comments down below. and coming up soon, I tell you how to utilize these things on your signs, business cards, and more. Plus I’ll include various QR code vendors who provide great products and solutions using QR codes. Stay tuned!

 Market Your Real Estate Listings QR Codes

 Market Your Real Estate Listings QR CodesMegan E. Barber is a Real Estate Virtual Assistant, and owner of Barber Virtual Assisting Solutions. With over 10 years of experience working within the real estate industry, Megan and her team Virtual Assistants provide top notch real estate support services such as marketing, lead follow-up, social media, WordPress websites, and more. Megan E Barber is also the creator and author of The BVAS Connection and VA Mommy.

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Combat Post-Closing Amnesia

remember 300x300 Combat Post Closing Amnesia Referrals and testimonials can be the greatest business booster. And the best sources for referrals are your past happy clients. The problem is that so many agents haven’t mastered the “keep in touch” once the closing papers have been signed.  And in the coming months and years, if they never hear from their agent again, the happy clients settle in and suffer from memory loss when someone asks them about an agent to assist in buying or selling.

Attention Agents, you need to combat this memory loss! Again, these past clients are your best source for referrals and repeat business, so you must keep in touch. It is super important to have a Post Closing follow up plan. One place that I like to direct my clients to use is The Personal Marketing Co and their ProPower client follow up program. It is what I like to call, “Post-closing follow up made easy”.

The plans from TPMCo include a 5 year follow up option full of postcards and magazines that will be mailed to your clients. One nice touch the program includes: In the first week your happy new home owners will receive a set of labels with their new address as well as a photo “keepsake” of the new home with a thank you message from you. And following that will be a series of postcards and magazines over the next 5 years (23 touches in all). All you have to do is enter your clients in the system, and they are taken care of without a second thought. All this is offered for $25 per enrollment.

Using something like this, along with your online marketing and social media efforts will help keep that front of mind awareness. Hitting them on all fronts will help ensure that your past clients will not suffer from amnesia later when someones asks them for a recommended REALTOR to help buy or sell a home.

You can reach The Personal Marketing Co at 800.458.8245 or online at www.TPMCO.com

Disclaimer: Megan Barber, The BVAS Connection, and Barber Virtual Assisting Solutions is in not an affiliate, not an employee, or not in any way a representative of The Personal Marketing Company. We received no kickbacks or money to promote them. We just like their product/service and thought it a good resource. Please do your due diligence before purchasing or using any product.
 Combat Post Closing Amnesia

 Combat Post Closing Amnesia Megan E. Barber is a Real Estate Virtual Assistant, and owner of Barber Virtual Assisting Solutions. With over 10 years of experience working within the real estate industry, Megan and her team Virtual Assistants provide top notch real estate support services such as marketing, lead follow-up, social media, WordPress websites, and more. Megan E Barber is also the creator and author of The BVAS Connection and VA Mommy.

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Put property listings in a lot of places | Inman News

media httpwwwinmancom evkop.jpg.scaled500 Put property listings in a lot of places | Inman News

It’s quite obvious. The more places your listings show up, the more exposure your listings get. And when partnering with a Real Estate Virtual Assistant, it is our job to make sure your listings get posted everywhere without you having to think about it.

Posted via email from megbarberva’s posterous

 Put property listings in a lot of places | Inman News

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10 Ideas For Real Estate Video – Part II

 10 Ideas For Real Estate Video – Part II
Image via Wikipedia

Needing more ideas for your real estate video? Video is a great way to build your “trusted advisor” status, so here are a few more ideas to help you do just that. As a continuation of my series 10 Ideas for Real Estate Video, here we go with Part II which includes two more content ideas for your real estate video.

3.  Featured Business

Do a video featuring a favorite local business in your market area. You can do this by simply taking your camera to local restaurant, shop, or service provider in your town. Take shots of the scenery place of business, interview the owners or workers, and make mention why this is a favorite spot to do visit or do business. It is a great cross promotion tool, a great way to show off your neighborhoods to outsiders, and another way to show your area expertise. you can even consult with the business for them to offer special discounts and offers to your viewers.

4.  Highlight a Community Event

Show off a different side of yourself and your community. Highlight a special community charity you are involved in, or a special community event that speaks to you. If you are involved in something like Relay for Life, take along your camera and show highlights of the event, interview organizers and participants on why they are involved and show why it is important to you.

You could also take your camera along to special or unique festivals or parties that go on in your community. Whether it is a fall festival with pumpkin patches and scarecrows, or something that is unique to your community, show it off. It is another way to show how you are involved in your community,  show off why it is a great place to live, and again it helps to build your “trusted advisor” status.

 10 Ideas For Real Estate Video – Part II

 10 Ideas For Real Estate Video – Part IIMegan E. Barber is a Real Estate Virtual Assistant, and owner of Barber Virtual Assisting Solutions. With over 10 years of experience working within the real estate industry, Megan and her team Virtual Assistants provide top notch real estate support services such as marketing, lead follow-up, social media, WordPress websites, and more. Megan E Barber is also the creator and author of The BVAS Connection and VA Mommy.

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We Do WordPress Websites!

300px Wordpress logo We Do WordPress Websites!

Image via Wikipedia

Have you seen my latest video posted to YouTube? You still need a great real estate website? Well now at BVAS, we are offering WordPress website design! Check out what I had to say about the recent development.

So if you are interested in starting a new real estate website and real estate blog using the WordPress platform, visit my  website for more info and contact us today!

 We Do WordPress Websites!

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Three Reasons You Can’t Afford That High Maintenance Client

media httpmichaelhyat Dunug.jpg.scaled500 Three Reasons You Can’t Afford That High Maintenance Client

I know in real estate you run into the “high-maintenance” client probably more often than most businesses. Today I stumbled upon this great post via Twitter – Three Reasons You Can’t Afford That High Maintenance Client. It is a fantastic read and something you should really take to heart. As bad as you think you “need” the money and take on any listing that comes your way no matter how hard headed the seller is on that way-too-high price, it ends up costing more of your time, sanity and money in the end. Click on the above link below the photo and check it out.

Posted via web from megbarberva’s posterous

 Three Reasons You Can’t Afford That High Maintenance Client

 Three Reasons You Can’t Afford That High Maintenance ClientMegan E. Barber is a Real Estate Virtual Assistant, and owner of Barber Virtual Assisting Solutions. With over 10 years of experience working within the real estate industry, Megan and her team Virtual Assistants provide top notch real estate support services such as marketing, lead follow-up, social media, WordPress websites, and more. Megan E Barber is also the creator and author of The BVAS Connection and VA Mommy.

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Announcing our Holiday Mailing Assistance

Holiday Mailing Assistance

Need assistance with your real estate marketing this holiday season? BVAS is here to help!

holly Announcing our Holiday Mailing Assistance

We have reached the time of year that is a great time to touch your clients for the holidays with a token of thanks, gratitude, or good tidings. Not everything is done online. Some people like the more personal approach of a personalized greeting card, calendars and more. But I am sure as a busy real estate professional you hardly have the time to gather all the cards, stuff envelopes, and affix the labels and postage. That is where your Real Estate Virtual Assistant comes in. Send us your mailer pieces and we will process and send your holiday mailer for you in First Class style.

Holiday Mailing Rates

We can order or design your mail pieces depending on your needs. Then send us your mailing list and have your pieces delivered directly to us where we will process and get out in First Class Mail time for your selected holidays.

(Client is responsible for the costs of the mailing pieces, postage, etc.)

Greeting Cards, Letters, or Calendars

  • Ordering Set-up Fee – $45 This is only if you need us to order your greetings for you. Includes helping your find the desired mailer pieces and ordering all the materials needed for us to process.
  • Mailer Processing -$110 per 100 mail pieces (greeting cards or magnetic calendars) This includes folding, adding business cards, stuffing envelopes, affixing mailing labels and postage. Postage and labels costs are additional
  • 1st Class Postage for greeting cards or letters$44 per 100 (or $0.44 per piece)
  • Custom Design from us – $85 design Fee. Printing quoted on case by case basis.

Please keep in mind that materials need to be ordered in time for us to process, by December 10th. Any time after that, additional costs in rush delivery with your vendor will have to be made.

All materials and mailing lists need to be in our hands for timely delivery by the following dates:

Deadline for delivery by Christmas- December 17th.
New Years Day – December 24th

Postcards

  • Custom Designed Postcard – $85 design fee
  • Printing and mailing cost – $58 per 100 4×6 size – $90 per 100 for Jumbo size – Includes full color printing on both sides, addressing and postage.

Deadline for ordering postcards for timely delivery

Delivery by Christmas Day – December 18th
Delivery by New Years Day – December 26th

**Referral Bonus** Refer a new client that signs up with us and receive a $60 discount on your holiday mailing processing order!

To get started, contact us here or call us at 856-896-0318 today!

Don’t spend your valuable time trying to get your holiday greetings out! Let us at BVAS handle your holiday mailings for you!

(Edit)

Need to get out your holiday greetings to your clients and sphere of influence? This time of year is busy enough with shopping, gatherings, preparations and more. So why give yourself the extra work of processing your holiday mailings to your clients when you can outsource to your Virtual Assistant?
Check out our holiday mailing plans here on my website to see what we can do to help you rest easy this holiday season and make sure you make contact to your client database.

Posted via web from megbarberva’s posterous

 Announcing our Holiday Mailing Assistance

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Mega Props to Coldwell Banker on YouTube

cbScreenshot 300x166 Mega Props to Coldwell Banker on YouTube

Lately I have been exploring the uses of video for my own business as well as how to best help my agent clients use real estate video for their own business.  While doing this, I ran across Coldwell Banker’s very cool YouTube channel, Coldwell Banker On LocationSM. It launched in May of this year, and though my own area doesn’t have as much activity, I am quite impressed with the look of it and it’s potential.

On the consumer end, I think the page itself is very cool with an interactive map a the top with your selected location, and all videos uploaded from Coldwell Banker agents from the selected radius. This includes listing videos, agent promotional videos, etc.

For Coldwell Banker and their agents, I think this channel and its setup is incredibly smart. This benefits their agents by allowing them to upload their own videos of their listings, personal promotion, or community videos, and it helps increase the agent’s exposure. It is also great for Coldwell Banker to help increase their brand exposure and possibly making it the go-to channel on YouTube for real estate.

Social media has become an increasingly valuable real estate marketing tool, and with their presence on Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, and more, Coldwell Banker seems to be a step ahead of most of the other big brokers right now. I have a few of their lucky agents as clients, and as their Real Estate Virtual Assistant I am eager to help them utilize these awesome tools their broker has provided them.

If you are not a Coldwell Banker agent, that’s not a problem. You can still have a kick butt YouTube channel on your own. Your Real Estate Virtual Assistant can not only help with your video marketing strategy, but help you develop and implement your overall social network marketing strategy as well.


Megan Barber is a Real Estate Virtual Assistant, owner of Barber Virtual Assisting Solutions, LLC,  and runs blogs, The BVAS Connection and The Virtual Perception. Megan has been in a Virtual Assistant for 4+ years and has spent 10+ years doing the “behind-the-scenes” work in the real estate industry assisting agents with their real estate marketing and transaction needs.

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