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#ICYMI: August 2019 Real Estate News
By Jessie Trapp, Marketing Coordinator & Tiana Baur, Marketing Manager
Pumpkin-spiced lattes, pumpkin pie, pumpkin patches, really all things orange colored and pumpkin flavored are right around the corner. That’s right, summer is coming to an end! I know we sound excited and that might sound weird to some people, but we live in Seattle and were literally born in the rain so give us a break.
So, August was scorching hot when it came to random, weird news stories and, as always, we’re here to tell you about it! In case you missed it, here are the top five August 2019 real estate news stories to know:
1. iOi Summit in our hometown
The NAR iOi Summit happened last week in our very own backyard (well, downtown Seattle), and we had SUCH a great time! Curbio won the iOi Summit Pitch Battle, the food was unusually amazing for a conference, and our fearless leader and CEO, York Baur spoke on an interesting new topic: how agents and brokerages can drive more transactions, grow their business, and ultimately, grow the entire economy! Checkout a little snippet here.
2. Kanye West’s Affordable Housing Under Scrutiny
So, yeah… this is a very real headline, we promise we didn’t fabricate it. Here’s the lowdown via NAR: “West broke ground last month for an affordable housing community in Calabasas, Calif. But state authorities are reportedly threatening to demolish the village if West doesn’t bring it into compliance with construction permits by Sept. 13.” Honestly, it’s really incredible seeing someone as high profile as Kanye West use his fame for good. The need for affordable housing has skyrocketed and if he wants to get involved, we are here for it.
However, the jury is still out on his architecture design skills. Apparently, these homes are described as “igloos,” “beehives,” and Star Wars dome-like structures. West has about 30 days left to make the homes compliant with city requirements. Fingers crossed they can sort it out in time.
3. AgentNEO Rolls Out Alexa Skills for Brokerages
Déjà vu? Earlier this summer we noted the announcement of Realogy’s Agent X, an Amazon Alexa voice assistant for real estate agents. Now, we’re recognizing the fact that Amazon is literally taking over the world growing deeper into the real estate space, with the first large brokerage deploying a voice skill on Amazon’s echo. According to Inman, AgentNEO is “a voice-activated internet (VAI) software company for real estate agents. It helps them create branded apps so customers can ask Alexa about home valuations, finding listings and booking showings. The agent is permanently linked to the user’s device.”
And now they’ve announced a brokerage option as well, which means any franchise or independent brokerage with more than 20 agents can play the game. May the odds be ever in your favor.
4. In Race for Tech Talent, Compass Swoops in After Uber Lays off 400
Okay first of all, Uber… ouch. Second of all… very misleading headline. Hard to know if Compass actually hired anyone from Uber (or if anyone from Uber took them up on it), but regardless, this all boils down to a Tweet. There, you’re welcome. #SlowNewsWeek
5. The U.S. Is Going Green: The Top 10 States With LEED-Certified Residential Homes
Saved the best for last! Can we get a “whoop, whoop!” for eco-friendly living? According to RISMedia, green homes (aka LEED-certified homes or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certified homes) have “increased by 19 percent since 2017, currently at a historic high. Over 400,000 units in the U.S. and almost 500,000 single-family, multifamily and affordable housing properties are certified.”
The top 10 states with these homes are California, Texas, New York, Washington, Colorado, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Maryland and Georgia. Read more about this topic here.
Thank you for reading our snapshot of August 2019 real estate news and stay tuned for another #ICYMI in September! In the meantime, catch up on the latest industry trends and talk via our AMAZING podcast, REAL with MoxiWorks! If you haven’t started tuning into that, you’re definitely missing out.
5 Ways Our New Integration with Buyside Will Rock Your World
By Jessie Trapp, Marketing Coordinator
Looking for another way to gain a competitive edge? Always. Thanks to our latest integration, users of Buyside and MoxiPresent will have the capability to impress clients, appear tech savvy, transact more often, and one-up competition every step of the way.
The award-winning presentation builder, MoxiPresent, is already helping agents across the country do 43% more transactions per year. And now, we’re combining our superpowers with Buyside to do something no one else in the industry is doing – adding innovative Buyer Market Analysis report functionality to a powerhouse presentation builder.
Here are five ways our deepened integration with our certified partner, Buyside, will rock your real estate world:
1. Create on-the-fly Buyer Market Analysis reports.
Gone are the days of copying & pasting Buyer Market Analysis (BMA) reports into your listing presentations. This new integration allows you to include a powerful, real-time BMA report directly in your MoxiPresent presentation the moment you have a seller interested in your services.
2. Facilitate meaningful discussions.
Buyer Market Analysis reports allow you to answer two major questions each and every one of your sellers has:
- What is my home worth?
- Are you confident you’ll be able to find buyers for it?
With the data provided in these reports, you’ll be able to have meaningful discussions surrounding these questions with your clients during listing presentations using up-to-date, local data.
3. Introduce your clients to qualified buyers.
Don’t just tell your clients you have buyers interested in their listing, show them. Go above and beyond by handing your clients a list of unique, qualified buyers actively looking for a home like theirs in the area.
4. Illustrate the demand.
Ease any worries your sellers have about factors such as transaction speed and price with the help of the a clear, easily digestible buyer heat map. This will illustrate where the buyer demand is concentrated in their area in relation to their home and add context to any related estimations you provide them with.
5. Demonstrate the power behind you and your brokerage.
Sending potential clients these BMA reports will demonstrate the abundance of potential buyers that are actively engaging with your brokerage. Having this confidence as they begin working with you will ease many of the fears associated with selling a home, particularly for first-time sellers.
6. Offer something competing agents can’t.
The average person knows approximately ten real estate agents. Chances you become the agent they choose to work with after sending an informational, data-driven report enabled by this integration are high. The more pain-free and simple you’re able to paint the picture of selling a home, the more clients will feel inclined to work with you!
There are countless benefits that come with being part of an open platform, including the ability to grow and innovate over time. This deepened integration with Buyside is a perfect example of how partnering with other best-of-breed vendors allows us to set the bar high and keep our clients competitive in the long-run, regardless of what changes come our way.
Want to see more on our Buyside + MoxiPresent integration? Checkout the video below!
MoxiWorks and Buyside Launch Powerful Integration for Best-in-Class CMA
SEATTLE, August 22, 2019 – MoxiWorks, a leading real estate technology company, has announced a deeper integration with Buyside, adding even more power behind the industry’s best-in-class CMA, MoxiPresent with powerful buyer data analytics.
“We’re excited to partner with MoxiWorks,” said Charles Williams IV, Founder and CEO of Buyside. “Our partnership provides sales professionals easier access to valuable insights about their market and an innovative new way to better serve their customers.”
Now, real estate agents can add the power of Buyside’s intel on real-time buyer demand to their MoxiPresent listing presentations. With the click of a button, agents can now show actual buyers working with agents inside their network that are a match for the seller’s home. Agents can also add Buyside heatmaps, which helps facilitate a conversation with sellers around pricing strategy and be an indicator of how quickly their home may sell. This additional content makes the agent look professional, competent, and ultimately, is a huge differentiator as they will be able to come to the table with buyers on day one.
“We’re beyond excited to add this integration to MoxiPresent. Not only does this provide more oomph for the agent when trying to win a listing, but these buyer profiles that are generated are hooked into an actual buyer in the Buyside system, which means that an agent can directly contact the buyer or the buyer’s agent and get a listing in front of them immediately,” said Bryan Link, Product Manager at MoxiWorks.
The best-in-class interactive CMA presentation tool, MoxiPresent, has delighted the industry for years as the utmost powerhouse for CMAs. Users of MoxiPresent see 43% more business on average than those not leveraging it, and the average adoption rate stands proudly at 75%. This tool includes always up-to-date MLS data and enables on-the-fly editing, rich media, beautiful listing flyers, interactive buyer tours, commute times, and now, this advanced Buyside integration.
“Partner integrations that are deeply connected to streamline agent workflows is what the MoxiCloud partner program is striving for, which is why we’re so excited about the MoxiPresent and Buyside integration.” said Kylah Searing, Director of Partnerships and Integrations at MoxiWorks. “The ability for agents to get their buyer market analysis without ever leaving MoxiPresent, and have it displayed seamlessly in the presentation, is going to be a major win for them. Our brokerage clients have been asking for this and I’m thrilled to deliver it!”
About Buyside
Buyside is a data analytics & marketing company on a mission to help real estate brokers profit from their largest untapped asset: data. Buyside aggregates buyer activity from a variety of sources, using it to power actionable insights and intelligent marketing tools that help brokers: generate and capture seller leads, win more listings, and close more transaction sides in house. For more information, visit getbuyside.com.
About MoxiWorks
MoxiWorks is a comprehensive open platform system for large residential real estate brokerages that serves over 72 brokerages and 120,000 agents nationwide that account for more than 13% of the transactions in the U.S. MoxiWorks’ customer retention over the past seven years stands proudly at 96%. Their integrated tools are centered on sphere methodology that increases agents’ repeat and referral business by 54%, while lowering overall technology, training, and support costs for the brokerage. The open platform known as the MoxiCloud has tools from more than 50 partners that integrate to create unique brokerage solutions. MoxiWorks also powers the LeadingRE Cloud. Find more information at moxiworks.com.
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For more information on this topic and other press inquiries at MoxiWorks, please contact Tiana Baur at tiana@moxiworks.com.
How to Get Better Real Estate Listing Photos
By Jessie Trapp, Marketing Coordinator
You know the golden rule “don’t judge a book by its cover?” By the looks of it, the world of real estate definitely missed that memo. The culture surrounding buying and selling homes closely resembles that of Beverly Hills, and with 51 percent of buyers purchasing a home that they found online, it’s up to you to give your listing the Botox, image, and runway-approved style that will get it sold in record time and at the highest price possible, starting with your real estate listing photos!
Here are our top tips for producing eye-catching real estate listing photos:
Hire a pro.
Yes, smartphone cameras are getting better (shout out to portrait mode) and suddenly we’re all ready to start charging for our snaps, but that doesn’t mean you should use your phone to capture the images you’re depending on to get your listings sold.
Think about it – your listing images will show up in places like the MLS, Zillow, Facebook, your brokerage’s website, listing flyers – the list could go on & on! They need to scream quality. Find a few go-to photographers in your area that you know have mastered the important factors like angles and lighting, and that you can count on to consistently produce beautiful images.
Use drones!
The quickest way to make a buyer want to smash their head into a pillow? Post listing pics of corners and rooms without adding anything to illustrate the layout and flow of a home.
Drone footage is the perfect way to capture the beauty of your listing in its entirety, from top to bottom. Use the flexibility that a drone offers to give your clients a clear picture of what the acreage looks like, how the property is laid out, and how other major highlights play into the desirability of the property. Painting a clear picture of the home for buyers will help it sell faster – a whole 68% faster compared to those with standard pics according to RISMedia. But again, consider hiring a pro for this one – operating a drone is MUCH easier said than done!
Stage the listing.
There’s no greater crime when it comes to staging than doing it the same way for each listing you put on the market. Every listing is unique and needs to be staged with the specific style, theme, and décor that complements the space the most and helps your clients envision its potential. In fact, 83% of buyers’ agents surveyed said that staging a home made it easier for buyers to visualize the property as their future home (NAR).
Not only does it paint a pretty picture of the home but staging also makes a difference when it comes to the dollar signs. 22% of sellers agents reported an increase of 1-5 percent of the dollar value offered by buyers when a home is staged, in comparison to similar homes that aren’t.
Whether you’re working with a brand-new house or more of a fixer upper in need of some major love and care, hiring a professional stager who can turn a clean house into a masterpiece is non-negotiable.
Variety
Make sure that your photography inventory contains a wide variety of shots. We’ve all seen those listings that include one single image of the front of the home – that isn’t enough to inspire prospects to reach out. Make sure you find ways to mix it up, make your real estate pics interesting and produce content that keeps your audience engaged. Close-ups, portraits, landscapes – you’ll want to have them all!
The bottom line? When it comes to listing a home on the market, leave the real estate listing photos to the pros and focus on the bigger picture. Put your time and effort into what only you can do – building relationships!
30 Day Real Estate Social Media Challenge
As seen in Mile 62 e-Magazine.
By Jessie Trapp, Marketing Coordinator
The internet is chock-full of advice for what you should be doing with your social media accounts. With endless tips and conflicting strategies floating around the web, the results from a simple inquiry online can leave you in a far more overwhelmed state than you were prior to braving the Google search bar in the first place.
Our advice? Take it in small, bite-sized chunks.
Whether you’re hoping to get started from square-one with social media, or simply looking to refresh your existing accounts, take things one step at a time. This strategy will still result in lead generation and major growth for your business, without adding loads more stress to your hectic schedule.
To get things started, we’ve compiled 30 days’ worth of real estate social media to-dos that are sure to give your channels a major boost:
Day 1: Image makeover
If there’s one golden rule for social media success, it’s that your images need to be on-point. If your pics are uber outdated or blurry, it’s time for a refresh. Real estate agents use their headshots constantly so please, please spend the extra cash to get them done right by a professional.
Day 2: Bio redo
Write a new personal bio. Save the novel for the “about me” section of your website and keep your social media bio short and sweet – emphasis on the short. Make sure you add a healthy dose of personality to intrigue visitors, not bore them away to your competition’s account.
Day 3: Research #hashtags
Hashtags can play an important role in driving your posts and profile to reach a more robust audience. To set your content up for success from day-one, have a hashtag lineup ready to go the second you get your accounts up and running. For more info on hashtag best practices, take a look at this HubSpot article.
Day 4: Account setup
Now that you have the building blocks of a strong social media account, it’s time to sign up for at least one (if you haven’t already). Due to the visual nature of real estate, we’d recommend being on a minimum of Facebook and Instagram. To set up/refresh your account:
- Create a username that can be used consistently across all of your social media accounts
- Make one of your new gorgeous headshots your profile picture
- Copy and paste your updated bio into the bio section of your new profile
- Add your website URL to the link section provided
Day 5: Create & post a video of yourself
Although it might seem easier to start off by posting an image, most consumers prefer video content, so you might as well come out of the gate strong and make a splash. Making an introductory video for your social profile will help visitors get acquainted with you quickly, increasing your chances of getting a follow from them. It doesn’t have to be anything too fancy or high-tech, but it should still scream quality. Most smartphone cameras these days should do the trick.
This video should include info such as:
- Who you are
- What brokerage you’re with
- What you love about working in real estate
- How clients can contact you
- Why you are excited about being on social media
Day 6: Post an image (or two)
Have any current listings that are especially beautiful? Show them off and real estate-ify your page by posting pictures of them. Get in the habit of posting these images as soon as you take on new listings. Again, don’t forget to add your #hashtags into a comment below your post!
Day 7: Follow 50 accounts
Now that you have some content on your pages for the world of social media to see, it’s time to get out there and start engaging.
Start by following 50 accounts (give or take). Ideally, these would include accounts of friends, family, other agents in your brokerage, or local businesses. This will create a base following focused on quality, not simply quantity. The point of posting on social is to grow your brand recognition, your following, and ultimately, generate leads for your business. Having fake accounts follow you just to say that you have XX number of followers likely won’t help you reach that end goal.
Day 8: Create a “current listings” Instagram highlight story
Highlight stories are a great tool for posting content that you don’t need to stay long-term. Making a highlight story dedicated to your current listings is the perfect way to give your followers a source they know they can refer to for quick glimpses at all the listings you have on the market. Get in the habit of checking it regularly to make sure it’s always up-to-date.
To learn how to create a highlight story, go here.
Day 9: Get local
You are the real estate expert in your neighborhood, and it’s time to spread the word! Share your new favorite restaurant, boutique, or coffee spot. The more you position yourself as the go-to advisor for your neighborhood, the more your audience will trust what you say and look to you for advice.
Day 10: Engage, engage, and engage some more
One of the biggest keys to success with social media is continually engaging with your followers. Like, comment, and share their posts as often as possible. The more you do, the more likely they’ll be to repay the favor, so do your best to make engaging on social a small part of your daily routine.
Pro tip: This is a perfect way to pass the time while in line at the supermarket, “patiently” waiting for your morning coffee, or simply something to do while in the elevator.
Day 11: Highlight a client
Whether or not they’ll admit it, everyone loves a little time in the spotlight. Post a pic of recent clients who you’ve helped sell a home, preferably in front of said home. People in real estate LOVE those pics, so you’ll likely generate loads of engagement from it.
Day 12: Hit pause
Social media rocks, as long as it doesn’t encompass your entire life. Take a day to put the phone away, live in the moment, and enjoy the people around you without obsessing over your Instagram account.
Day 13: Share a real estate-related stat or fact
Sharing accurate statistics and facts can help build your credibility and demonstrate to your followers that you know your stuff. Use a content creation site like Canva to quickly make an intriguing visual for your stat. Make sure to cite your source when you post!
This stat/fact could be related to topics such as:
- The housing market in your local neighborhood
- The hottest design trends in the market
- Tips for getting the highest ROI on a home
Day 14: Post something personal
Did you just complete a marathon? Make an apple pie that’s to-die-for? Whatever it is, post a pic of something personal to your life. Your followers want to feel as though they can relate to you and giving them glimpses into what you’re up to outside of the realm of real estate can help accomplish that.
Day 15: Share an event on Facebook
Take a gander over to the “Events” section on Facebook and look for a local event that you feel your followers would enjoy. Once you find the perfect one, share it on your page along with some commentary on why you’re excited about it.
Day 16: Share a new blog from your website
Share your latest blog from your agent website on all of your social media channels. Not only is this yet another way to spread the knowledge and solidify your role as an advisor, but it’s also an easy way to grow your sphere of influence via shares and drive traffic directly to your website.
Day 17: Testimonials
92% of buyers trust referrals from people they know, so the more testimonials you can get from happy clients, the better. If possible, post one in the form of a quick video.
Day 18: Ask a question
Questions are a great way to get people involved and engaging with your account. Post two images of different living rooms and ask which one your followers like the most. Ask which concert you should get tickets to for your next social media giveaway. Whatever it is, make sure it’s relevant to your audience.
Day 19: Help another biz
Have a favorite interior decorator or painter whose services may come in handy for your followers? Highlight them in your next post along with the link to their website.
Pro-tip: Try to coordinate a share-for-share where both brands post about one another. It’s an efficient way to spread the word about your business among an audience who’s already invested in some aspect of the housing market.
Day 20: Squeeze in some humor
No one likes a dry social media page. Squeeze in a light hearted video, quote, or a real estate meme to mix things up.
When it comes to humor on social media, we could honestly all probably learn a thing or two from these accounts.
Day 21: Have HGTV
If you’re not watching Million Dollar Listing or Fixer Upper in your free time, do you even like real estate? Engage with your followers over your shared love for housing-related shows by posting a quote from your favorite show, sharing one of their impressive remodels, or reposting something from a star in the show.
Day 22: Show your appreciation
Spread the love by letting some of your most engaged followers know how much you appreciate them via direct message or by tagging them in a post. If they know that them liking and commenting on your posts is making a positive difference for your business, they’ll likely be encouraged to keep it up.
Day 23: Host a contest
Boost engagement by purchasing tickets to a local event or concert and hosting a giveaway for them on your social accounts. Have your followers enter for a chance to win by leaving a comment under one of your posts!
Day 24: Start advertising
46% of Americans check their smartphones before getting out of bed in the morning. Yes, we’re addicted. Yes, it’s probably only going to get worse. And yes, it’s most definitely time for you to leverage it. Incorporating digital ads into your social media plan is a must in order to meet your clients where they’re already spending time – online. Create an ad for your hottest listing now.
Day 25: Share a pro tip
Have a killer piece of advice about the home buying process that your audience might find helpful? Share it on social media along with a link to your contact information so they can easily contact you with any follow-up questions if need be.
Day 26: FAQ time
Is there a particular question that you’ve been asked multiple times by several different clients? Post the question along with the answer on social media. If multiple people have already asked, many more people are probably thinking about asking. Beat them to it and offer them the information they’re searching for proactively.
Day 27: Celebrate a holiday
Any excuse to celebrate with your sphere of influence is an opportunity worth taking on. If there aren’t any major holidays coming up, take a look at the #hashtag holiday calendar (yes, that’s officially a thing) and see if there are any worth celebrating on your social accounts.
Day 28: Research your competitors
It’s always valuable to have a grasp on what your competition is doing on social media and how you stack up against them. Take some time to browse through the social accounts of other local agents and see how they’re leveraging their channels. Who knows, you might even get some fresh new ideas for your own accounts!
Day 29: Look at your followers
Knowing your audience on social media is an essential step towards creating content that they’ll actually enjoy. Scroll through your followers on Instagram and Facebook and see who’s liked your Facebook page. If there are any names that you don’t recognize, check out their accounts and see what you can learn about them.
Take it a step further and look at the analytics provided by the social channels. This will provide information such as the gender, location, and activity trends of your followers.
Day 30: Plan out your next week
After a successful month of posting, engaging, and growing your biz, you should consider yourself a social media pro. Although managing real estate social media accounts requires constant love and care, if you do it right, it doesn’t need to become a source of stress in your life.
Sit down, open up your calendar, and plan out your next week of real estate social media posts. Get a system in place that allows you to think ahead, be thoughtful about your content, and avoid any last-minute scrambling. This will enable you to engage with your sphere of influence efficiently and effectively, while growing your unique real estate brand along the way.
#ICYMI: July 2019 Real Estate News
By Jessie Trapp, Marketing Coordinator & Tiana Baur, Marketing Manager
There are officially only five months left in 2019. Woah. Every time we write another #ICYMI, we feel like we blinked, and it became a new month! So far this year we’ve seen tons of positive and growth within our industry. It’s definitely an exciting time to be a part of it! Are you keeping up with everything that’s been happening?
In case you missed it, here are the top five July 2019 real estate news stories to know:
1. Women moving into real estate leadership roles
RISMedia recently wrote that, “Women are taking on leadership positions at a steadier pace than ever before, according to the Pew Research Center.” Also saying that, “Majority female leadership in real estate is becoming more commonplace, as exemplified by a recent leadership restructuring at Title Alliance, a family of full-service title insurance and escrow agencies.”
We can add to this narrative even further with our own recent announcement: adding two powerful women leaders to our Business Development Team.
2. Amazon moves into the real estate industry
So, yeah, this happened. Here’s the breakdown from REALTOR Magazine: “Home buyers who select a real estate agent through Amazon’s new homebuying program can receive thousands of dollars’ worth of free smart-home tech and home service credits for move-in day. Amazon has partnered with Realogy to launch a new program called TurnKey in 15 cities.”
Are we super surprised? Honestly, no, it was bound to happen eventually. Is it really THAT big of news? Yes and no. We’ll let you and their stock price be the judge.
3. Realogy sues Compass
According to Inman, “Realogy, the nation’s largest real estate holding company, filed a lawsuit Wednesday in the Supreme Court of New York against the well-funded upstart real estate brokerage Compass over ‘unfair business practices and illegal schemes to gain market share at all costs.’”
Inman also pointed out that this isn’t the first lawsuit against Compass. Zillow, Zephyr Real Estate, and Modern Spaces, all have previously filed lawsuits against them. Oh, and this isn’t the first lawsuit filed against them by Realogy either. Yikes.
4. Inman Connect Las Vegas
Last week, many of us in the industry gathered in the scorching inferno that was Las Vegas to attend Inman Connect 2019. We learned that agent marketing right now is all about video, video, and more video. Also, that Amazon is taking over, and you might as well jump on the bandwagon (hint, hint: create your own Alexa flash briefing to get ahead of the trend and wow your clients/sphere/consumers in general). We learned that despite the number of vendors serving real estate, there are still many exciting new vendors popping up on the scene (thanks, Vendor Alley!). We also learned to stay indoors.
5. New ad calls out fakeness in home search
A new campaign from realtor.com® was just launched, making fun of Instagram-perfect homes and their unrealistic nature to many home buyers out there. According to REALTOR Magazine, realtor.com® said, “Our new campaign serves as a humorous reminder to not be discouraged by unattainable stereotypes, and that realtor.com® is here to help you find a real home that matters to you.”
We love the vibe! But to all the grammers out there: please don’t stop posting major mouth-watering real estate eye candy, our feeds wouldn’t be the same without it!
We hope you enjoyed our breakdown of July 2019 real estate news. As always, thanks for reading and stay tuned for another #ICYMI next month! In the meantime, catch up on the latest industry trends and talk via our podcast, REAL with MoxiWorks!
Repeat Business: 10 Tips That Keep Clients Coming Back
By Maddie Jostol, Senior Marketing Manager
Repeat and referral business is the heart of your business, which means every real estate agent should be thinking about how they can keep clients coming back time and time again. Referrals convert at a significantly higher rate than cold purchased leads, so nurturing everyone in your database over the long run will generate business continually, capturing opportunities with past clients and their friends and family.
Here’s the reality: it takes work to keep in touch with clients over the years that go by in between transactions. It’s a combination of automation, following a methodology, and utilizing systems that enable real estate agents to foster a client base that continually brings in business. Because, not taking advantage of your existing client base is like leaving money on the table. Here are a few tips to keep your clients coming back.
1. Start early.
What not to do: close a transaction successfully with happy clients, wish them well, and then ping them a year or two later because you realized you should probably keep in touch. Instead, plant the seed early. While you’re working with them, be sure to mention all the ways you’ll be able to support them throughout the transactions and after. Then, immediately following the transaction, start those activities so that they’re well received rather than coming out of the blue.
2. Be their go-to expert.
The second someone considers moving, they won’t even consider who they’re going to work with because you’re already they’re go-to real estate expert –– you have been for years. How do you make this happen? Be consultative in your sales process, and in your touchpoints after the sale. Programs like automated market snapshots are a great way to stay relevant and be seen as an expert so that when someone hears “real estate” you’re the one who pops into their head.
3. Automate, automate, automate.
For those regular, repetitive tasks, automate as much as you can. Those automated market snapshots that we just mentioned are a great example. It’s a simple way to keep your clients in touch with their market, with a subtle reminder that you’re there if they have any questions. In addition, set up email drip campaigns to keep your clients engaged by delivering tailored content at the right time with set-it-and-forget-it systems.
4. But, don’t be robotic.
People want to work with people. So, while automation should be a key strategy, make sure you don’t rely solely on automated programs. Sprinkle in personalized touchpoints every once in a while, such as a handwritten card for their house-versary, a congratulatory note on a life achievement, or a quick email recognizing that the home next door just sold, and you wish them well with the new neighbors.
5. Take advantage of special dates.
Speaking of handwritten notes, special dates are a great excuse to reach out to your clients to stay in touch and keep them coming back. It’s a relevant, thoughtful reason to let them know you care, even long after the transaction is complete. During the sales process, take note of any special dates your clients mention such as birthdays or anniversaries. Log special dates in a system that reminds you of these dates and records your touchpoints (your CRM should do this).
6. Use a proven sales methodology.
Following a sales methodology is a simple, effective way to run your real estate business. Methodologies like Ninja help agents follow a proven process to grow their business. Good sales methodologies guide you to generate repeat business through effective management of long-term sales cycles. Plus, when you follow a proven method, you have access to training and resources to support your business and improve over time, rather than creating a process from scratch.
7. The best CRM is one that you use.
Leverage a CRM to help manage your sphere of influence effectively. Again, keeping track of the hundreds of people in your contact database takes time and effort. Relieve that burden a bit by using a system that helps you manage that work, reminding you who to reach out to and tracking your relationship and activity with each contact. No, it’s not enough just to have a CRM. You actually have to use it. And when you do, we think you’ll be excited about the results you see.
8. Ask them to refer their friends.
When you not only work with them, but you also work with their friends, colleagues, neighbors, and in-laws, it solidifies you even further as their go-to person when anyone mentions real estate. Plus, those referrals will refer their friends, who will hopefully refer their friends, and the trend continues. Now that’s how you grow a killer sphere of influence.
9. Stay relevant.
Stay relevant in the lives of your past clients by publishing content that is useful and engaging to them. A blog on your agent website is a great way to do this. Not sure where to start? Here are some easy blog topic ideas for real estate agents.
10. Share helpful content on social media.
Publish those great blogs as well as other content relevant to homeowners in your local market on social media. It’s a great way to stay in front of that audience with engaging, sharable content. Grow your presence in your clients’ newsfeeds to remind them you’re there to help.
As a real estate agent, you’re a pro at building and maintaining relationships, which is the heart of repeat and referral business. Keep your clients coming back with these simple tips for managing ongoing engagement with your sphere of influence.
25 Tips for Winning Real Estate Listing Presentations
By Jessie Trapp, Marketing Coordinator
Coffee snob or not, I bet you’d admit there isn’t really that much fundamentally different between the offering of your favorite local coffee shop and that of the Starbucks around the corner. You can count on them both having coffee, tea, a selection of cookies, and maybe even a croissant or two. So, what is it that makes you favor the local shop day in and day out? Odds are, it’s the customer experience it provides you with from the moment you arrive until the second you leave.
The barista at the local shop knows your name, the chairs are comfy, your favorite band is playing through the speakers and the coffee mugs fit in your hand just right. Sure, you could go to a Starbucks and leave with a (debatably) comparable cup of coffee, but you won’t get the warm fuzzy feeling that the local shop provides – that sense of connection that we’re all searching for in the crowded consumer space we’re faced with today.
We’d argue that your real estate listing presentations serve as your first major chance to set yourself apart from the generic “Starbucks” of the real estate world. This requires that you not only show sellers what services you offer (as any agent can do that), but that you give them a glimpse into what the entire home selling experience will look like with you from start to finish, warm fuzzy feeling and all.
Here are our top tips for creating real estate listing presentations that will give you an edge and convince sellers to list with you time and time again:
Personalize.
1. Start from scratch. No two clients are alike. Each has their own wants, needs, and dreams, making it essential that you tailor your listing presentations to them accordingly. Instead of using the same presentation outline over and over again, start fresh. Sure, it’s probably efficient to add in a few of your pre-made slides that are relevant cross-clients, however striving to build the majority of your presentations from scratch will force you to do so with your specific clients in mind.
2. Snap a pic of the home. If the house hasn’t been listed on the MLS in the past few years, it’s your time to shine. Hire your go-to professional photographer to grab a snap of their home ahead of time. Not only will including it in your presentation add a nice personal touch, but it’s also an opportunity for you to give your prospects a glimpse into the high-quality resources you’ll utilize to sell their home.
3. Add rich media. Record a video for your clients detailing what you love about their listing and why you’re so excited to work with them. Pop it into your listing presentation before sending it/presenting it to them to give them a personalized experience from the very moment they open the prez.
4. Don’t use real estate lingo. The real estate industry tends to use a lot of acronyms – CMA, FSBO, MLS, FMV – the list could go on and on. Chances are, the majority of the population has no clue what these mean, which makes using them a great way to make your clients feel more like they’re sitting in a chemistry lecture rather than a listing presentation. Avoid this industry jargon in your presentations and instead use common language that even someone completely new to the world of real estate will understand, at least at first.
5. Know the home. Find out as much as you possibly can about the property prior to giving a listing presentation. This should include info such as:
- The square footage of the home
- Total acreage
- The room and bathroom totals
- Any notable history about the home
- The most popular restaurants/parks nearby
6. Do your research. Familiarize yourself with the market. Consider going beyond the data and physically visiting a few of the comparable properties in the area to better prepare yourself to answer any related questions your clients may have.
Make the best first impression.
7. Show up early. The best way to make a bad first impression is by showing up to the presentation appearing frazzled and rushed. Instead, show up at least 15 minutes early and wait in your car. This will give you time to breathe, gather your thoughts, give yourself a pep talk, and enter the house feeling ready to win business.
8. Dress like a winner. Love it or hate it, your personal brand and how you present yourself is closely correlated to your ability to win listings. Dress professionally, modern, and maybe even add a little flare such as bright dress socks or fun earrings to help you stand out.
9. Smile. You might be nervous, and your mind might be going in a million different directions, but do your best not to show it. Smile so you come across as calm and accessible.
10. Project confidence. Even if you’re asked a question that totally catches you off guard, don’t let it hinder your ability to appear confident.
11. Be honest. Sometimes when you’re put on the spot, it can be tempting to sugarcoat things in order to please or impress the people sitting across from you. This usually doesn’t end well, so make sure to be honest and upfront about everything. Share the good and the bad, and be productive with your advice.
12. Be positive. Don’t talk poorly about your fellow agents. Keep it positive, and you’ll likely receive the same respect in return.
13. Use the right title. Don’t refer to yourself as a Salesman, as the first thing clients will think of is their local car dealership. Instead, refer to yourself as a trusted consultant. This will imply that you are there to assist, guide, and inform them.
Come prepared.
14. Ask questions. Sellers want to feel heard by you. Come with a list of thoughtful questions to ask them in order to demonstrate that you truly care about their personal wants and needs.
15. Let them ask questions. Instead of breezing through your presentation, pause and give them chances to interject and ask questions throughout.
16. Bring the value from the get-go. Arrive at the meeting with a list of low-cost repairs that will quickly increase the value of the home. These suggestions might include:
- Painting over small flaws in the current paint
- Replacing any outdated light fixtures
- Cleaning out any cluttered areas
- Staging the main living areas
17. Be informative, not aggressive. We’ve all experienced a sales agent so pushy that we left the interaction no longer wanting to purchase a product or service simply because of that negative experience. Be helpful, kind, and informative, but don’t lay on the pressure. Let your work and preparedness speak for itself to win clients over.
18. Illustrate your qualifications. Love it or hate it, prospects care about your reputation so be sure to show up prepared with visuals that demonstrate it. From testimonials, to awards that you’ve won at your brokerage, make sure to let clients know you’re the real deal.
19. Prepare for objections. If you’ve done real estate listing presentations before, you know things don’t always go as planned. There’s no way to know exactly what sellers are going to ask, and what kind of information they’re going to want to know from you. This is where the importance of having a reliable real estate CMA tool comes into play. Make sure your tool is one that allows you to respond to questions and objections on-the-fly and provides your clients with reliable data.
20. Give them a process overview. Particularly for clients who have never sold a home before, the entire process can be confusing and a bit daunting. Make a list complete with an overview of what the experience will look like, and what kinds of strategies you like to use. Having a general idea of what to expect can quickly calm the nerves of sellers.
21. Give them an overview of your business. Do you often volunteer within the local community? Does your business sponsor the high school soccer team? Share it all with your clients, as every bit of good counts for something.
22. Bring a leave-behind. Bring along a few quality brochures or a printout version of the presentation to leave behind.
Post real estate listing presentations.
23. Follow up. Send them a handwritten note immediately after your presentation thanking them for meeting with you.
24. Gift. Including a small gift with your note definitely couldn’t do any harm, but be thoughtful about it. Do they have a dog? Get them a fancy dog biscuit. Are they total foodies? Get them a gift card to the newest local bakery.
25. Wait. While it can be tempting to call prospects the next morning after a presentation, sit tight and give them some more time to mull things over – but not too much time, as you want to stay top-of-mind. Consider checking in with them two days after the presentation to achieve both.
Real estate listing presentations are your time to shine. Looking for a best-of-breed CMA tool to help you make the most of it? We have a recommendation. Already using MoxiPresent? Learn how to make the most of it.
MoxiWorks Technology Company Hires Real Estate Leaders from Zillow, National Association of REALTORS®
SEATTLE, July 16, 2019 – MoxiWorks, a leading real estate technology company, welcomes two key new hires to their business development team: Kirsten “Kiki” Wanshura and Heather Glass, each of whom bring an impressive background and significant industry experience to MoxiWorks.
York Baur, CEO of MoxiWorks weighed in on the notable hires, saying, “We’re excited to further add depth and experience to the fold of our business development team. Both Heather and Kiki bring years of real estate experience with them that will no doubt drive our goals both for the team and MoxiWorks as a whole.” MoxiWorks, founded in 2012, has grown significantly over the past several years, now reaching almost 100 full-time employees.
Kirsten “Kiki” Wanshura, Director of Business Development at MoxiWorks, has an impressive history with over 20 years in the industry, including positions as Regional VP at Obeo Inc. and Regional Director at Realtors Property Resource (a wholly owned subsidiary of the National Association of REALTORS®), time spent as a certified real estate instructor, and almost a decade holding her own real estate license.
“It’s exciting to be rounding out our team with extremely seasoned women in the industry, both that come with impressive backgrounds and highly recommended from many brokerages that we work with and the real estate community,” said Georgia Perez, VP of Business Development and Product Evangelism at MoxiWorks. “It’s also great to be adding more women to work with in tech!”
Heather Glass, Director of Business Development at MoxiWorks, holds over 18 years of experience in real estate technology and marketing solutions including e-mail marketing, display advertising, lead generation, and SaaS solutions. Notable positions include Director of Broker Engagement at the Zillow Group, Regional Sales Manager at Connecting Neighbors, and Sales Manager at Homescape.com.
“MoxiWorks is enjoying significant growth, not only with these notable hires for sales territory expansions, but with new positions like Technical Account Managers as well. The growth that our business development team has delivered has also required two new hires for customer success roles. We are looking forward to continued growth in the years to come,” said Ring Nishioka, VP of Human Resources and Operations at MoxiWorks.
Today, MoxiWorks supports over 72 brokerage clients across the United States that account for over 120,000 agents on the MoxiCloud open platform, which aims to help real estate brokerages and agents sell more homes together with technology that makes their lives easier. The MoxiCloud partners with over 40 real estate tools and services, such as RealScout, DocuSign, Imprev, Buyside, QuantumDigital, MoveEasy, and more.
About MoxiWorks
MoxiWorks is a comprehensive open platform system for large residential real estate brokerages that serves over 72 brokerages and 120,000 agents nationwide that account for more than 13% of the transactions in the U.S. MoxiWorks’ customer retention over the past seven years stands proudly at 96%. Their integrated tools are centered on sphere methodology that increases agents’ repeat and referral business by 54%, while lowering overall technology, training, and support costs for the brokerage. The open platform known as the MoxiCloud has tools from more than 50 partners that plug and play to create unique brokerage solutions. MoxiWorks also powers the LeadingRE Cloud. Find more information at moxiworks.com.
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For more information on this topic and other press inquiries at MoxiWorks, please contact Tiana Baur at tiana@moxiworks.com.
5 Tips for Boosting Your Confidence
By Jessie Trapp, Marketing Coordinator
We’ve all been blessed with their presence – the Fredrik Eklund’s of the world who walk into a room standing tall with annoyingly perfect posture, captivate their audience by simply existing, and project attention-demanding confidence to everyone surrounding them. Having this kind of presence comes natural for some but for others, it’s SO much easier said than done.
The importance of portraying yourself with confidence applies to all facets of life, however it’s especially important within the realm of real estate where your ability to do so holds the power to make-or-break your entire career. Whether you’re giving a listing presentation or hosting an open house, it’s essential that prospects and clients perceive you as being confident in yourself for them to even consider placing their own trust in you to buy or sell their home.
It’s difficult to convince others of your confidence if you, yourself don’t actually feel it. With some help from Jen Sincero, the confidence-oozing author of the book You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living and Awesome Life, we’ve compiled five tips for boosting your confidence and obtaining that amazing posture, pronto.
One: Put yourself first.
“Take care of yourself as if you’re the most awesome person you’ve ever met.” ― Jen Sincero
In order for you to appear confident to others, you take care of yourself in every way possible.
Eat food that makes you feel good inside. Get outside. Move your body. Buy clothes that make you feel like a winner. Take personal days when you need them. Pet tons of dogs. Take luxurious baths. Listen to music that makes you feel happy.
Whatever it is, do it because it makes you feel like the best version of yourself.
Two: Embrace a growth mindset.
“The only failure is quitting. Everything else is just gathering information.” – Jen Sincero
Perfection (if there’s even such a thing) doesn’t come to fruition overnight. It takes time, practice, trial, and error to perfect your craft. Instead of giving into your natural instinct to be afraid of failure, learn to embrace it. Each failure presents you with an opportunity to grow and learn how to improve your performance the next time around. The more you can enter situations feeling sure that – failures and all – you’ll come out on the other end feeling stronger and more successful, the more you’ll be able to achieve and the more confident you’ll feel.
Three: Take risks.
“Nobody who ever accomplished anything big or new or worth raising a celebratory fist in the air did it from their comfort zone. They risked ridicule and failure” – Jen Sincero
The more you expose yourself to new situations and experiences, the more you’ll be forced to push through the unknown and uncomfortable feelings that come along with them and prove to yourself that you’re capable.
Never been a seller’s agent? Go for it. Never experimented with social media marketing? Definitely try that.
The more you push yourself, the more you’ll grow and succeed in ways that far surpass those who stay within the confining boundaries of the comfort zone they’ve built for themselves. Be bold, try new things, and allow yourself to be confident in the risks you take.
Four: Don’t worry too much about what others think of you.
“What other people think about you has nothing to do with you and everything to do with them.” ― Jen Sincero
The harm that comes from spending your time worrying about what others think about you extends much further than wrinkles. People who lack confidence tend to worry a lot about what others think of them, but here’s the deal – those people that you’re worrying about are in the exact same boat. They, too, may very well be stressing over what you think of them. And if we all start spending our precious time worrying about what everyone else thinks of us, we would become the least productive and innovative society EVER, so let’s not let that happen.
Stop spending your time looking for other people’s approval and start setting your own expectations and goals for yourself, they’ll take you much farther.
Five: Form the right habits.
“Our thoughts become our words, our words become our beliefs, our beliefs become our actions, our actions become our habits, and our habits become our realities.”
― Jen Sincero
We all tend to get stuck in our ways. We listen to the same radio stations, watch the same TV channels, and turn to the same news sources for the latest buzz. Prospective clients are looking to work with an agent who’s cutting edge, innovative, and known as the crème de la crème in their neighborhood – something that’s hard to become if you’re creating a box for yourself. Be confident that you’re on the track to becoming the best agent you can be by opening your mind and choosing to be a sponge for any bit of helpful information you can soak up. A few tips for achieving this:
Tip 1: Actively devote time to keeping up with the latest methods, tools, and trends. Get in the habit of checking (different) news outlets while in line for your morning coffee and turning on notifications for the #realestate hashtag so that you’re always up to date on the current industry happenings.
Tip 2: Dedicate time to studying the newest successful agents to the game, see what’s working well for them, and emulate some of their practices in your own business. You’ll never know if you could be even more efficient and productive than you are now if you never try new things.
Following these 5 tips for boosting your confidence will help refine your craft, grow your expertise, and improve your mindset, all while boosting your confidence in your ability to deliver as a real estate agent. Walk tall and proud – you’ve got this!
