So many Web sites out there….but which can build your business and make you money?  Here’s a list of 20of my favorite sites, most of which I demonstrate in my seminars, showing how agents can make money, save money and save time using them.  Hope they help your business!

It’s a beautiful day here on the lake in Reston…hope it’s a beautiful day wherever you are, too!

 

1.     Issuu.com (Free)
Takes any document, spreadsheet, PowerPoint show saved in PDF format and converts it into a sexy “eBook” format.  Posting your marketing presentation, home tour, etc. here can be a real point of difference when going for a listing!

2.     City-Data.com (Free)

My fellow CRS Instructor, Mike Selvaggio, introduced us to the great data available on this site while we were at our CRS 206 meeting at the DC NAR meetings…outstanding resource for your data and analytics

3.     Atom.Smasher.org (Free)

 

Cute…but useful.  Make your own digital sign to include in presentations, emails, etc.  I use it to do a “Welcome Sign” during the introduction for my seminars.

 

 

4.     GoToMeeting.com

This site, and its big brother GoToWebinar, makes doing online Webinars and training sessions a snap.  I use GoToWebinar to conduct private Webinars with my CyberStars(r) and for presenting Webinars with clients to promote our upcoming seminars. 

5.     LowesRealtorBenefits.com (Free)
Great prospecting & client retention tool.  CyberStar(r) Mel Coker of Columbia, SC, writes about this and how he uses it in my upcoming eBook.  A great resource that few agents seem to know about. 

6.     Google Docs (Free)
Great online document collaboration tool for working with your Virtual Assistant. 

7.     Google Analytics (Free)
Every agent with a Web site needs to use this measurement tool to analyze traffic to his/her site so that adjustments and improvements can be made on a regular basis. 

8.     Google Maps (Free)
Linking Google Maps to an agent’s listings results in more sales and is a terrific listing and showing tool. 

9.     Google Earth (Free)
Screen grabs of listings, property to be shown, etc., from Google Earth are great sales tools.  Here’s an example that CyberStar(r) Alan Mah uses in his property eBook for listing presentations.

 

10.  Agency Logic Power Sites
Tremendous, easy-to-use single property sites for displaying listings, selling listings from your Web site and getting the listing by showing sellers that you go the extra mile in marketing your listings. 

11.  RealProSystems
The biggest money-making option for agent Web sites according to my 200+ agent networking group. 

12.  FotoFlexer (Free)
Online image editor with great features and photo effects. 

13.  Photo Story 3 (Free)
Create slideshows using your digital photos, touch-up, crop, add special effects and voice narration, titles and captions.  Extremely easy to use! 

14.  YouTube (Free)
Not just for tipsy teenagers, YouTube has become a valuable marketing venue for savvy agents.  Hope your video client testimonials, marketing presentation, area tours, etc. are up on YouTube…it pays! 

15.  Animoto (Free)
Takes digital photos and turns ‘em into videos.  Best suited for the younger generation that likes action in their presentations!

16.  TubeMogul (Free)
One click uploads your videos to the top video sites and gives analytic data on who, what and how videos are being watched. 

17.  Jott
Great time saver!  Ever have a voicemail where the caller goes on and on and on?  Jott translates voicemail or notes into text messages for easier, faster review.

 18.  WalkScore (Free)

Instantly locates all area attractions within waling distance of an address.  Great for adding data to your listings.

19.  Xobni (Free)

 For Outlook, a great tools for managing/analyzing your crowded email!

 20.  Zemanta (Free)

Free service that will find free photos to include while you are blogging or writing emails

 

Hopefully, you have a good consumer-oriented Web site.  Hopefully, you have started using videos attached to your site and posted on YouTube. 

These two tools have worked for members of my CyberStars® for quite some time now.  With 87% of consumers going first to the Web for information on buying a home or selecting an agent to sell theirs, you must have a good, deep Web site today.  With over 800 million search inquires a month, you must have videos on YouTube.

So…you have a good site and you post videos (listing, area tours, neighborhood tours, your listing presentation, etc.).  How do push consumers to these two great marketing venues?  There are many ways, but I’d like to mention one easy one: your real estate magazines. 

Too many agents use real estate magazines for the purpose they were first intended: to make the phone ring.  (You would think that all agents would have figured out by now that consumers do not need to call an agent: they have the Internet.)  Almost all agents I see today still have a single photo for each of ten or so properties, scant descriptions of each property (“3 br, 2 ba, ww carp, dream home, hurry….won’t last!”) and the agent’s phone number or email address. 

There is a better way! 

Today’s purpose for your ads should be twofold:

 

• To get the reader to your Web site, where you can really show off the property, especially if you use a dynamite single property listing site from AgencyLogic.
• To get the reader to your YouTube videos, where they can really see the property or whatever service you are promoting. 

 

I have been preaching the “1/3 – 2/3” rule for years: the top 1/3 of your magazine should promote your site or your videos, stressing a particular service you offer (free Senior packet, free info on buying a home in a distressed market, free info on selling your home in a down market, free short sale info packet, etc.).  This means that you select only 1-3 of your listings to promote in the bottom 2/3 of the page. 

Some examples of what my CyberStars®, top marketers in their areas, have done with this better way of marketing appear here.  You, too, can shift the focus of your print advertising to accomplish those two all-important goals: get the consumer to your Web site and to your YouTube videos. 

 

 

 

The 1/3 – 2/3 Rule, when applied to your print marketing will yield much better results for your business….I guarantee! 

It’s a great day here on the lake in Reston..hope it’s a great day wherever you are, too!