5 Reasons Why Realtors Must be Nice to Everyone

Yesterday I walked into a store owned by a sole proprietor who rents his spot. He was in a tizzy because the building he's in has been on the market for some time, and now has a serious offer on the table. In fact, they were expecting a closing within 2 or 3 days.

This man had no idea if he would be asked to move, and if he was, where he could go. And he was absolutely incensed at the treatment he'd received from the Realtor involved. He had been trying to get some kind of information from her, and had been brushed aside at each attempt. So while gossip swirled around him, he was unable to determine how much of it could be true.

When I walked in he started telling me about the situation immediately. He was very vocal in his dislike for this Realtor and all who were associated with her. He said "She could tell me something, but she won't. She doesn't care anything about little people like me - she only cares about the money." And then he proceeded to tell me about 15 minutes worth of reasons why this particular agent should get shoved back under the rock she crawled out from.

Can we assume that I was not the only customer who heard that story? I think so. I think everyone who entered his store for a week or more heard that story. And since he has now been given 30-day notice to leave, everyone who comes in for 30 days will hear it.

This particular store owner is the kind who turns customers into friends, and his following is loyal. Many of them will accept his judgment about the morals and ethics of this particular Realtor. Many will join in his outrage and tell others how he has been mistreated.

No paid advertising could be as powerful as this word-of-mouth message.

Consider how different this could have been had the agent recognized that even though this gentleman is not wealthy, he is important.

She could have let him know that if the sale closed he would indeed be asked to move. Then, since she does handle a good number of rental properties and many are vacant, she could have offered to help him find somewhere to go.

He would have been singing her praises and telling all of his customers what a good and helpful person she was. He would have been recommending her as the best agent in town, and if she found a building for sale that he could use, he would have purchased it through her. He actually is better off financially than she realizes, and probably could purchase a building if he could find one.

And that brings me to the 5 reasons why Realtors (and really, all business people) should be nice to everyone:

1. People talk
2. Everyone is a potential customer - you can't judge by appearances
3. People talk - and when they're angry they talk more
4. Everyone is a potential source of referral business
5. People talk - and when they feel insulted or abused they keep on talking for a good long time

That's what it all boils down to: People talk, and people do business with other people who treat them well. Each day when we set out to meet others - in person, on the phone, or through our e-mail - we are building our reputation through the things we say and do.

Perhaps even more important than the reputation, however, is the way we feel when we look in the mirror at the end of the day.

Marte Cliff is a Freelance Copywriter and former real estate broker who specializes in writing for real estate and related industries.

Marte offers a 6-month Career Builder Program for Realtors at http://www.promotemyrealestatecareer.com - Each lesson comes with an assignment to lead the beginning Realtor into success. While geared toward marketing, the Program also offers insight into customer relations and sound selling techniques.

For Realtors who are ready for aggressive marketing, she offers web copywriting and lead generation packages at http://www.copybymarte.com

Marte's weekly ezine for real estate professionals offers tips and hints for building a successful business. To subscribe, and get a copy of her report: How to Get Referrals & Testimonials, visit her at http://www.marte-cliff.com

Real Estate Flyers - 7 Essential Tips for Your Next Ad

Real estate flyers can differentiate your properties from the rest of the market. The best way to attract potential buyers and grab the attention of your prospects is to show them what they want to see. A well-designed and effective flyer will highlight the key features and benefits of each property while captivating the reader's attention with beautiful pictures and full color graphics.

While a good ad is easy to put together, the information must be presented in a persuasive and response-generating manner. Too much information will bore your readers and lessen their interest. However, too little information will make the property seem like it's hiding problems.

Before you get started with your flyers, you should look at other real estate ads in your area and think about what works and what turns you off about each ad. Maybe one ad has a great use of color, and another ad has superior pictures. Some ads will probably look "cheap" and unprofessional. Make sure you take notes and incorporate only the positive aspects of each ad into your own custom design.

The key to a great real estate flyer is a healthy balance of text (information) and images. Great property descriptions will surely enhance your advertisement. However, poor descriptions or an improper use of text will reduce the response rate of your real estate flyers.

So how should you begin creating an effective ad? Use the following time-tested advertising techniques to help you produce a first-rate advertisement.

The 7 Elements of a Successful Real Estate Flyer:

• Describe each property as it appears to you - you know best!
• Only use high resolution, clear, and attractive photos/graphics
• Always use a photo of the exterior front of the home
• Include photos of other "must-see" attraction (pool, etc)
• Keep home descriptions clean, concise, and factual
• Clearly list contact information and promotional items
• Always print in full-color on glossy paper!

Chris Barr is an experienced marketing professional and graduate of Christopher Newport University. For the lowest prices on printed flyers, newspaper inserts, brochures, menus, and postcards please visit http://www.taradel.com

Mortgage Marketing Tip - Putting Trust Back Into Lending

Stressing Credibility in Mortgage Marketing

Are you looking for the one mortgage marketing tip that can make a difference to your business? It's simple, right now consumers and Realtors are looking for mortgage companies they can trust. When you create marketing campaigns around your "trust worthiness" you have marketing gold.

How exactly do you prove that you are trust worthy? It's a simple matter practicing what you preach. First, you need to have an impeccable track record for helping real estate agents and clients solve problems. Your reputation must be above reproach - you are the image of ethical behavior.

Testimonials Speak Volumes

You've got those clients out there that are more than willing to sing your praises. Take advantage of that. Get permission from the client to use their name and comments on your marketing materials. Record their comments and produce them into stories that illustrate your services. Prospective clients and Realtors are looking for proof of your claims - a testimonial provides that credibility.

Educate the Clients

Knowledge is power. Another mortgage marketing tip is to provide potential clients with an educational resource to help them better understand the mortgage process. Set up monthly seminars on mortgage topics, have a resource library that is available to clients, offer free reports that simplify and clarify mortgage steps. When the information is readily available, consumers are confidant in your abilities.

Be Above Reproach

Make it impossible to question your reputation by being thorough. Make sure that your website includes links to information that clarifies your role and the role of the lender. Include information on the Truth in Lending Act, Privacy policies, RESPA adherence statements, etc. Explain how the Good Faith Estimate is prepared and what it means. When you show that you are more than willing to adhere to the rules that govern mortgages, you inspire trust.

Highlight Your History

Realtors and clients want someone who will be in business tomorrow. Show that you and your company have a solid history of doing business. Include a short sentence that explains how long your company has been in business in your marketing materials.

Show Your Accomplishments

Don't be afraid to highlight your education and experience. Hang up the certificates from the courses you complete. Do you have any special mortgage training or certification? Include information about that certification on your website.

Trust should be the cornerstone of your mortgage marketing materials. Even a subtle proof of your claims provides the necessary credibility to make you seem like the real deal. In implementing these mortgage marketing tips, you'll inspire trust and loyalty in your clients - what better way to show them than through your solid reputation and necessary training.

Jeffrey Nelson helps loan officers increase loan originations by getting referrals from real estate agents.

Click here to get a free Video Book. It shows Jeffrey's exclusive marketing solution for getting clients from real estate agents in as little as 30 days.

Visit us at www.AgentMagnet.com

Mortgage Marketing Ideas - Three Steps to a Winning Marketing Campaign

Secrets to Successful Mortgage Marketing Ideas

Are you wondering if your mortgage marketing ideas are paying off? Here's an easy test: if your current marketing campaign isn't bringing in leads, resulting in new clients, or closing more sales, it's time to rethink your strategy.

The best mortgage marketing campaign needn't be complex or costly. You can implement effective mortgage marketing ideas easily - especially when you remember the three golden rules of marketing.

Rule #1 - Have a Specific Target.

Lots of marketing campaigns rely on the "shoot first, then move the target" idea. These campaigns have broad, undefined target clients. If you can't define who your target is, your campaign isn't doing the job. Imagine a campaign that targets "people who want to refinance." You won't connect with clients because you aren't generating a target that clearly identifies them. If however, your target was "people that need to refinance, are over 55 years of age and plan to retire in the next five years", you have an entirely different focus. You can connect with your prospects on an emotional level and be specific. The more specific you are in identifying your target, the larger percentage of your target market you will attract.

Rule #2 - Keep it Measurable.

Once you have a mortgage marketing campaign in place, how do you measure the success of the campaign? Yes, it should bring in more leads and more sales. But you should be able to quantify exactly how successful the campaign was - and to do it, you need to keep track of numbers. If you start a mailing campaign by sending out 2000 mail pieces, there's a lot of data to track. How much did you pay for the materials? How much did you pay in postage? What was your response rate? What percentage of responses resulted in sales? By carefully tracking the costs associated with any campaign, you can easily determine whether the campaign is beneficial, and just as easily eliminate the unsuccessful or unprofitable campaigns.

Rule #3 - Use a Strong Call to Action.

The best-designed mortgage marketing ideas are worthless if it doesn't tell the prospect what to do next. Your call to action should be clear and direct. Don't make assumptions about prospects calling. If you don't tell them what to do, they won't do it. Again, be specific - "Call me today for a free copy of my report" or "Go to my website to receive a free copy of my money saving article." A simple call to action can make all the difference to your marketing campaign and completely change your response rate.

These golden rules of a winning mortgage marketing strategy might not be complex, but they are guaranteed to make the difference between success and failure in your marketing campaigns. Use these secrets to success with your mortgage marketing ideas and you will turn your campaigns into money makers.

Jeffrey Nelson helps loan officers increase loan originations by getting referrals from real estate agents.

Click here to get a free Video Book. It shows Jeffrey's exclusive marketing solution for getting clients from real estate agents in as little as 30 days.

Visit us at www.AgentMagnet.com

Real Estate Website - An Asset For Realtors

Real estate website can be a great help if you want to start up as a real estate agent. Even if you are an agent without a website, you can foster the business by starting a website of your own company. No matter who you are and where you service, a real estate broker website will give you a firmer identity. In the present day world, with the Internet having emerged as the major informational hub, a website can be the cheapest way to reach maximum number of people. Here are some of the things you might like to know before starting a real estate website:

How to get your website known?
Starting a website is not a big deal. But making people to know about your domain is what really matters. Search engines do it for you. In fact, majority of the visitors an average website receives come through search engines, like Google or Yahoo. But to be ranked well by a search engine, your real estate website must be search engine friendly. To be search engine friendly, a website needs to be rich is keyword.

Your Real Estate Website Design
A simple and easy-navigating website is best for real estates. Making the website attractive is good, but don't end up in a hodgepodge. The potential customer shouldn't feel like trapped in a maze while trying to find something in your website. Remember, he is there to make one of the major financial and emotional decision of his life, not for playing hide and seek. Include the available homes and their photographs in the listings on your website.

Contact Page
The real estate broker website must have a contact page, with all the necessary information users need to contact you. If you are not available 24X7 at the phone number mentioned, specify the time you will be available for contact. It is better if you have someone else to answer the calls while you are not there at the desk. Make sure to connect every page to the contact page through apparent links.

The Website Content
The website content should be free of spelling mistakes and errors in grammar. Such flaws may create a negative impression on the potential customer. Content should ideally be simple, appealing and terse. It should arouse faith in the reader.

A good website can be a real asset to your real estate services. For more information and advice on how to make a good real estate broker website, you can visit Real Estate Websites Advice section. There are a number of companies providing Real Estate Website Design Services

Real Estate Marketing - Put Your Free Report on Steroids

It's getting harder and harder for real estate agents to generate business online. But those agents who put forth a little extra effort can overcome this fact, and reap the rewards of a highly successful web presence.

In this article, I'll offer some tips and strategies you can use to generate more leads and attract more clients from your real estate website. Specifically, we will look at the so-called "free report" of yesteryear that has died a slow and painful death. Then, we will look at ways you can resurrect this concept in new and effective ways.

In other words, I will explain how real estate agents can put their free reports on steroids, metaphorically speaking.

The Challenge of Real Estate Marketing Online

There are a lot more agent websites online these days, so the consumer who is researching real estate in his or her area will often become inundated with competing websites. This level of information overload makes it harder for the individual real estate agent to establish an effective web presence. It makes it harder, mind you, but not impossible.

One of the most common "marketing" strategies you find on these agent websites is the free report. This is a strategy that worked well in the past, but does not work so well anymore -- at least, not the way most agents employ the strategy. Many of the so-called "reports" I encounter online are poorly positioned in several ways:

First of all, the report will consist of information the web visitor can easily find elsewhere online. For example, "Top 10 Tips for Buying a Home" is so worn out and over-used that it's practically invisible to the modern consumer. Yet, real estate agents continue to "promote" these items.

Here's what it all boils down to. Who is going to offer their email address in exchange for a generic article they can find on thousands of other websites? Consumers are web-savvy these days, and they know how to ignore useless information and find the good stuff.

On top of this, most agents who employ this strategy fail to give it any visual punch. People want what they can see, so a graphical representation of a free report will almost always outperform a textual description of that same report. Yet I rarely see agent create enticing artwork for their reports.

This strategy in its original form no longer works. But you can resurrect the concept behind the strategy in new and exciting ways. Here's one way to go about it.

Injecting Your Free Report With Steroids

So let's say you took the "free report" concept and injected it with steroids and other performance-enhancing substances. Let's say you created an actual e-booklet, in PDF format, that was all about the local real estate scene in your area. Specific, factual and relevant. Suddenly, the booklet becomes something that people cannot find anywhere else, thus the perceived value of the item increases. But we're not done yet.

Other Performance-Enhancing Ingredients

Now let's take this concept even further and hire a graphic designer to create a "virtual cover" for the booklet -- one that you can use to promote it on your website. People believe in what they see, so sometimes a little visual entice is all it takes to get people to starting filling out those web forms.

But we're still not done yet. Let's create a press release and distribute it online to announce this insightful new guide to the real estate scene in [your town] ... jam-packed with recent sales statistics, development news, residential reports and more. A must-read for anyone planning to buy a home in [your town].

I've shared enough. You get the idea. But suffice to say these are only steps 1 through 7 of about 15 steps I would take, if I were serious about generating leads through my real estate website. I offer these kinds of ideas and strategies all the time, but very few people implement them. And do you want to know why?

Because nobody ever said lead generation was easy!

Those who put in the extra effort will reap the extra rewards. And those who keep peddling their "Top Ten Tips for Buying a Home" will probably find another line of work at some point.

Brandon Cornett provides Realtor SEO services to real estate professionals across the United States. Visit the author's website for a wealth of tips, resources and services. Learn more by visiting http://www.armingyourfarming.com/seo

Marketing For Loan Officers - Targeting Agents is Easy

Loan Officer Marketing: Target Agents In Your Marketing Strategy

If you're a loan officer trying to market to REALTORS®, you might've heard horror stories about how badly these relationships sometimes go. In fact, some loan officers don't pursue marketing to agents because they don't even want to deal with what they see as a quagmire that will only turn out to be a negative experience for them.

Face Your Fear

However, it doesn't have to be this way; you can, indeed, form positive relationships while marketing to agents. Ignore what others have said -- maybe even what you've said to others. Whether you have had a bad experience yourself or are relying on what your contemporaries have told you, don't let past experiences turn you off completely from marketing to agents. They can be your greatest source of purchase transactions. If you ignore them, you could be losing out on an awful lot of earning potential.

Take The Wheel

In fact, you're in the driver's seat here, because you know something others don't. Agents need you more than you need them.

Let me say that again. Agents need you more than you need them.

I'll explain. You can earn income by generating loans from many sources of business. An agent can't do this. If a purchase transaction is to be completed, an agent needs you to handle the mortgage financing, unless it's a cash sale. But cash sales happen very rarely. Here's the thing; you can choose which agents you attract. To an extent, it depends on your marketing strategy.

Market to Agents the Right Way

Remember, finding an agent is just like hiring an employee. You need to "hire" the REALTOR® who's going to benefit you the most. He or she will be your strategic partner, in effect. You want the candidates for this job to match your targeted audience and comply with your marketing strategy.

Look For Specific Traits

There are certain things you look for in the agent you want to hire. These attributes are also called 'agent demographics'. Things to consider include:

1) Whether you want to work with part-time or full-time agents,

2) The type of buyers you want the agent to work with, and

3) The loan program the agent's buyer uses most frequently.

You basically have two objectives, which are: to determine your segments or subgroups in the overall agent population, and to determine exactly what the characteristics are of a typical agent for each segment.

You'll want to attract people you're going to like to spend time with, and who can be efficient. That means, they're probably going to be a lot like you. One possible way to determine this is called the DiSC Learning Model™.

Without going into too much detail, it basically helps you understand different behavioral types and styles, across four different primary dimensions. This, in turn, helps you match your behaviors and preferences to someone you'd be working with. It's a good tool to use if you want to figure out what a harmonious match for you might be.

Because different communication styles work better for different types of people, you'll want to pick someone who matches your communication style. Some will want facts and supporting data right away, while others will want to know how you'll benefit their team or organization. Some need statistics before they make a decision, while others can make a decision with relatively little information.

However, you and the agent may need to change your communication styles to what the prospect can best understand. Therefore, you'll need to learn to adapt to other communication styles if the situation warrants it.

Treat Agents As You'd Like To Be Treated

Finally, be clear upfront as to what the ground rules are. You want someone who has integrity and is honest, and who can handle stress with equanimity when situations aren't going that well. Of course, if you expect this from someone else, you'll have to offer the same benevolence. Therefore, don't expect stellar behavior from others unless you're willing to deliver as well.

If you want to really keep an agent's attention, learn about their values. Asking them about past experiences in dealing with other loan officers can tell you what to expect. Listen for behaviors that get repeated, but with different loan officers. Although there are two sides to every story, when you develop a perception, it's usually on the money.

In following these guidelines and trusting in your intuition, you'll be able to use your marketing strategy to find those agents best suited to work with you. Once you realize that what's keeping you from marketing to REALTORS® is that you're standing in your own way, you'll have no excuse but to move.

Jeffrey Nelson helps loan officers increase loan originations by getting referrals from real estate agents.

Click here to get a free Video Book. It shows Jeffrey's exclusive marketing solution for getting clients from real estate agents in as little as 30 days.

Visit us at www.AgentMagnet.com

Turning A Negative Into A Positive - Three Tips To Make Money In A Down Real Estate Market

There has been a increasing number of negative reports and stories on how the real estate market is turning bad. The following are some tips to turn a negative situation into a positive one with some creative thinking and a ability to adapt to changing environments. Even in a down market there are many ways to make money on real estate.

Foreclosure rates at a all time high.

This situation can force many positives for a real estate investor. With more properties for sale the investor should be able to get a low price. The investor must be careful not to offer to much in this situation because a low bid may get more properties than at any time before. If you own rental property there will be a large group of people looking to rent because they will not be able to get any financing for a while. This means that you will get to choose from more tenants and possibly charge a higher rent.

Media Scare.

The constant negative reports can make sellers start to panic and think that they have to move a property quickly before they really lose money. New investors who have a couple of houses may want to get out of the real estate business before there property values go down. It really does not matter if the real estate market is down or not, it matters if the sellers believe that it is. In either case bids should be kept low because if you are lucky enough to get a seller who is starting to panic they may be ready to sell quickly and cheaply.

Mortgage lenders tightening lending practices.

With mortgage lenders tightening there lending practices it will be harder and harder for people without perfect credit to buy a home. A owner finance sale, land contract, or rent to own become great options in a situation like this. Most homes sold this way are sold higher than the market value. These homes in most cases can fetch a decent down payment. There is also the option of renting because there will be a lot more people looking for a place to live that can't buy because of the tither lending practices.

As you can see any situation can make you money, sometimes more than you could in a good market. You may have to hold the property longer than you would normally but you may get a larger profit in the long run. The real estate market has peaks and valleys and it seems that we are in one of those valleys right now. I feel that now is the time to get properties for a steal then when the peak hits you can be sitting on a large financial gain.

For more articles visit http://www.rentalrealproperty.com for information and news on investment and rental property.

Elevating the Extraordinary Within the Ordinary - Effective Home Marketing Made Simple

Recently, I attended a fabulous Birthday Party. The Celebration wove it's festive strands throughout the grounds of the lovely home. The deck & gazebo were festooned with brightly colored streamers and guests could catch the strains of the jazz band playing whimsical sets below. A large tent was the setting for the buffet stations which featured traditional favorites from Europe, North America, North & West Africa, Asia and the Caribbean.

As I meandered through the grounds, savoring the visual artistry with which items were arranged, I was struck by some playful and elegant twists. Lo Mein noodles were being served on the Asian display; the stir-fry was ladled and dispensed into miniature take-a-way containers. The dessert table featured crepes which had been prepped in advance and were seared on a skillet and then filled with a colorful bouquet garni of fresh, tropical fruits.

From the African table, the succulent scent of savory meats & fish wafted into the air. A sizzling burner nearby was deep frying a hot pastry style puff served with a delicious shrimp paste. The display featured tropical fruits and flowers against a backdrop of authentic African masks!

Now, No party would be complete without burgers...yet the twist on the traditional American burger was miniature buns and burgers served with regular sized chicken wings complimented with an assortment of dipping sauces! An artful display of fruit and cheese encircled the Brie on the European table where guests could also enjoy Polish specialities like perogies and kielbasa. All the dishes were traditional favorites but the presentation was artfully staged!

Later that evening, I had an opportunity to speak with the chef. He has recently retired after two decades of service with the Hyatt Regency and is exploring several options which include setting up his own catering business and a restaurant. I was fascinated as he described his vision...for which he used the term "FUSION"...a blending of flavors & traditional regional specialties in flavorful and interesting combinations which allows diners to experience something NEW within the context of a familiar menu item.

For instance, the Lo Mein noodles are served in Chinese restaurants every day, but most party goers don't expect to be able to watch them prepared fresh and then served to them in miniature take away containers. Creative Presentation is a skill set which has many applications in business.

Often, it's the little unexpected twist which can deliver the most bang for the buck. It can also create raving fans from a 'ho hum seen it all before audience." At a time where cynicism about the real estate transaction is at an all time high, the door is wide open to incorporate a New Twist in the ways we serve our clients. Making real estate fun and engaging is something that every professional in the industry can do with just a little effort, creativity and imagination.

A few years ago, our team went to the dollar store. We had about $250 dollars to spend. We bought laundry baskets, several yards of inexpensive gauze netting, and everything that we could think of which a new home owner might not be able to find during the first few days of their move...paper plates & cups, napkins, utensils, toilet paper, tissue, detergent, dish soap, screw driver, extension cord, pencil and paper, flashlight, cleaners, small broom set etc. We arranged these items in the laundry basket and delivered this to our client at the closing. This gift continues to give rave reviews...clients still refer to it and refer others to us because they remember it. A simple twist on what could be considered the mundane and dull aspects of moving.

Another meaningful gift that I have given over the years is a Brand New copy of a book which I've read and enjoyed. Giving someone a book in which you highlight specific areas which have been meaningful to you with a brief note in the book cover transforms this gift into a special memento. I have been surprised by how this simple gift has been so deeply appreciated. A handwritten note, a call of appreciation or encouragement...these simple touches are the elements which elevate a routine transaction into an experience that people remember and cherish. These are some of the simple ways in which you can elevate the Ordinary into the Extraordinary.

Copyright 2008 Audu Real Estate All Rights Reserved

Lola Audu is a Real Estate Broker & Trainer for Audu Real Estate in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In addition to assisting clients and consulting in the area of residential real estate, Lola writes and teaches inspirational courses to individuals and groups within the Greater Grand Rapids community.

Strategies For Thawing Out A Frozen Market

Since it seems that any potential remedies offered by the federal government to address the frozen market for home sales and mortgages could take months to have a large impact, both builders and existing homeowners stuck with unwanted inventory have, by necessity, become much more creative. From housing swaps, auctions and providing insurance against pricing declines to leveraging unused home equity with reverse mortgages or offering hard money property loans, some sellers and buyers are finding that a little ingenuity can sometimes trump a market in paralysis. For some sellers not willing to wait for the market to rebound, swapping one home for another can break the logjam starting with the most efficient of mediums, the Internet. Starting as low as $19.95, potential swappers can list their homes on one of several websites which, according to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, collectively offer 16,000 such postings. Over at classified advertising behemoth Craigslist.org, home swap listings soared to nearly 7,400 by the end of 2007. Builders are also getting jumping in - albeit gently - by offering to buy older trade-ins much like car dealers have done for years. Although that can simply mean substituting older inventory for new, by spreading out these unsold homes builders can more effectively control potential pricing declines and defend already fragile images. To protect everyone's interests, experts strongly recommend using the same escrow company which won't close the deals until all parties are in agreement, especially in those instances in which money exchanges hands.

After a hiatus during the boom years, real estate auctions have also made a comeback, but now are increasingly used by individuals just as much as developers. Now approaching a $60 billion industry, both sellers and buyers agree that auctions are an efficient and objective way to determine a property's true market price. In addition, buyers at auctions are more serious than model home 'be-backs': to even participate they usually have to arrive with cash or casher's checks of $10,000 to $20,000 and close within 30 to 45 days. Although accepting discounts of up to 40 percent or more may be hard to accept for most builders, the associated carrying costs for finished inventory over weeks or months in pursuit of a full-price sale could very well be a wash. And of course to a builder saddled with empty streets, an obviously lived-in house lit up at night pays even larger marketing dividends well after the sale.

Since many buyers continue to stubbornly await some mysterious green light to tell them it's again time to buy, some builders are offering a form of pricing insurance that protects customers during the time period between a signed contract and a closed escrow. While Ryland Homes will reportedly offer price protection to anyone who asks, KBHome is taking a more aggressive stance and planning to launch its program to 35 markets in early 2008. A high-rise condo-hotel project in Seattle is even getting into the act -- reportedly the first development of its kind to do so in that region. Still, such an idea is still in its test phase - something Lennar found out in Florida before ending its own program. But with cancellation rates remaining at record-high rates, even denting them by 10 percentage points could make a big different to the bottom line.

Builders which cater to an active adult buyer - such as Del Webb, Meritage Active Adult Communities or Shea Homes' Trilogy product line - could also conceivably benefit from a recent boom in reverse mortgages. With private lenders such as Countrywide, Wells Fargo and IndyMac's Financial Freedom now rolling out jumbo reverse mortgages that don't cap loan amounts like the FHA variety, borrowers can use the cash proceeds for any use they want - including the purchase of second homes that are used less than 50 percent of the time. Once derided as loans of last resort for poor seniors, reverse mortgages are increasingly seen as unique and useful financial planning tools that can leverage untapped home equity and can provide long-term security as well as maintain comfortable lifestyles. Best of all, the proceeds from reverse mortgages - whether in the form of a lump sum, monthly payments or credit lines - don't count as income against Social Security or Medicare benefits.

Finally, for those buyers who simply can't wait to move and with sufficient equity of their own, 'hard money' mortgages - which require collateral as high as 30% to 40% to minimize risk but charge an interest rate premium and high fees -- can lend borrowers some time until some much-needed liquidity returns to the market. Although used mostly by the wealthy, some experts believe that the disappearance of the sub-prime market could prove a boon to investors looking for a higher rate of return than can be found on Wall Street but without the risk of today's mortgage securities. After all, the markets can't thaw out until even the most creative of players are willing to act.

Patrick S. Duffy
Principal
MetroIntelligence Real Estate Advisors
http://www.metrointel.com

Author, the Housing Chronicles blog
http://www.housingchronicles.com

pduffy@metrointel.com
818-909-0776

Realtor Website - Are you Search Engine Optimized?

Realtor Websites are being used more and more by Realtors. These websites not only give you an online identity, they also help in the promotion of your real estate business. Whether you are just starting off as a Realtor or have been one for years, a website would certainly foster your business. Internet has emerged as an eminent pool of information. Its easy-accessibility for most and low cost have added to its popularity. And search engines! They are just wonderful! They make it so simple for users to find required information. Just type a keyword and you will get a list of relevant pages.

You may feel I am skirting around the issue. This is something you need to understand before starting your own Realtor website. Search engines are the gateway of majority of the visitors a website receives. You must heed to the factors that improve the search engine ranking of your site. Starting a website is easy. It is search engine ranking that really counts. Being listed on the first page of Google or Yahoo Search can increase your website traffic greatly. The main utility of having a website is that online users reach you through your website. A Website for Realtors should be very well-designed. It is attractive to add a web-domain in the byline of your banner. But if you really want to gain from your website, you should optimize it for search engines.

Now the question comes. how to give your website a good Realtor website design and how to ensure search engine optimization?

For website designing and search engine optimization, you should hire professional Realtor Website Design services. And be sure to choose an expert to get your website designed. Don't bungle with the designing or optimization part yourself. You have more important things to do. One important thing is to choose the name of your website. Decide carefully; it is your online identity. Also, don't let unexperienced web designers tamper with the future of your real estate business. If you want to be successful in the rat race of online realtors, don't even think of skimping on the costs for building your website.

Search engine optimization depends on a number of factors, the text content being just one of them. Apart from the proper use of keywords, the positioning of images, links and forms on a website also influence its search-engine-friendliness. Factors outside the website, called off-page factors, also affect the ranking of your website. A Website for Realtors can be a major gateway of potential-clients. Create one for yourself, get it search engine optimized and watch your business flourish.

To know more about search engine optimization or other aspects of a Website for Realtors, or get a Realtor Website of your own, visit Z57.com.

Nachiketa Mishra works as a copywriting consultant for SearchFit India

Tips for Successful Real Estate Marketing

Real Estate Marketing is booming. However, with a rise in the potential real estate investors, the number of Realtors has also escalated. Today, there is a great competition among Real Estate Agents to expand their clientele. This rush has led to the development of many new Real Estate Marketing Strategies. Following are some tips that can help you to succeed in real estate business:

Research and the First Impression
As you start off, you have to research the market. Know your competitors and study the strategy they use. Also be well informed about every property you include in your listing. The more authentic knowledge you have about the real estate properties, the more trust you can instill in your client. Any marketing is about winning the client's faith. Once you accomplish this, the rest is a cakewalk.

Goodwill Does Matter
You must understand that your client wants to be dealt well, just as any other human being does. Try your best to earn his goodwill. Don't just consider him to be just another opportunity to grab. Even after he has made the purchase, keep good terms with him, helping him whenever he needs you. It is unlikely that he would buy a new home again in the same city or town, but his friends and relatives may need an agent. If he feels cheated or scorned by you, he will never refer them to you. Be good to your past customers and you can get more business, by their reference. Goodwill is actually one of the major Real Estate Marketing Strategies you stand to gain from.

A Smile Costs Nothing But Buys Everything
No matter how much stress you are in, always sport a lively smile on your face. Try being friendly to everyone; you never know, when a normal chit-chat leads to a business deal. Keep all your worries aside while communicating with your customers. It is hard to do. Success doesn't come easy!

Learn, Learn, Learn
When devising a strategy, always remember to glance at the past. Learn from your own mistakes. The more you learn from yesterday, the better you make your today. We often make a mistake and realize it later. No problem. It is never too late. Just ensure yourself that you won't repeat it. Avoiding one mistake may get you a successful deal.

Online Real Estate Marketing
Having invaded into almost every sphere of life, the Internet has also ensconced itself in the field of Real Estate Marketing. And the best thing is that, you can continue your offline office as before, along with your website. A real estate website can be a major gateway for clients, a reason for huge numbers of Realtors going for it. A steep rise in the number of online Realtors has also led to an increase in the competition between them. If you want to enter this rat race of online real estate marketing, you must enter fully prepared. The points mentioned above are also applicable when you communicate with the potential clients guided to you by your website. However, there are some other things you have to learn so that you can make the most out of your website. And believe me, it works wonders!

For more information visit the Online Real Estate Marketing education page. For getting started with your own Real Estate Marketing website, you may visit z57.com. It provides you with a website that is perfect from all angles. Good Luck!

Nachiketa Mishra is currently working as a Copywriting Consultant at SearchFit India.

Real Opportunities in Real Estate

With the realities associated with the bursting real estate bubble, tightening credit markets, stringent lending practices, unpredictable future value of property and, the fact we are in a recession, seems to paint a dim outlook for people who would like to buy residential real estate for a home or investment. Well, the truth is, if you have cash and basic understanding of how the market works, now may be a great time to swing some of the best deals you will find in a long time and, here's why:

1. Banks are not property managers--There is a ton of foreclosures on the market, which banks want to sell, and will do so cheap, even auctioning off homes at prices that are hard to beat. I mean, if you understand that banks and lenders do not like to manage a portfolio of repossessed properties, then you understand there are opportunities to buy property cheap from them, often with a great loan packages from the bank itself. How do you find these properties? Contact banks in your local or target markets and ask for the repo list, which is how you start your investigation.

2. Motivated sellers-with the conditions and competition in the market right now, home sellers will sell property cheap to avoid foreclosure. These sellers, known as "don't wanters," will go a long way to accommodate a buyer who is qualified to remove the burden from their shoulders, often at prices far below market value. One of the keys to buyers finding excellent deals through agents; is learning how to write purchase offers that motivate both the agents and sellers who are desperate to do a deal. These desperate sellers are often willing to help buyers with creative financing including; significantly dropping the price of the property, carrying back a second mortgage, selling on land contract and, depending on your credit limits, using credit cards to do deals, etc. The key to finding these sellers and reeling in the deals is your understanding that agents MUST deliver ANY purchase offer to a seller. Again, the key is in knowing how to write power offers that compel people to sell cheap.

There are opportunities out there for you if you are in a position to purchase a property, but you want to make sure you have the right knowledge under your belt before doing a deal that may cause you legal and financial pain. However, for those of you who are thinking about getting into the market, the next year or two will be prime time to get educated and get moving!

All the best!

Jim Hart

Be Smart, Visit SBS - http://www.smart67.com

Real Estate Leads Tools

Real estate lead tools are extremely useful for those planning to purchase mortgages online. Lead generation companies offer mortgage leads to lending companies. Reverse tools are a successful industry in which people are buying and selling property as bullet speed every day in the market. That's the best way to make money.

These lead tools are details about approaching clients made available to reverse real estate agencies. The most convenient way for a reverse mortgage firm to secure reverse mortgage leads is by getting information from any of the various mortgage lead-generation services available. The information obtained often directs the agencies to the most worthwhile customers.

Excellent and efficient services add value and reliability to the firms providing leads. These tools can be achieved from the Internet and other mediums, such as telemarketing and call centers. Real estate lead tools are also provided by individuals who work in the field as freelancers. The leads are sold to several companies at very antagonistic and reasonable prices. The right reverse tools can facilitate business for a estate.

While looking for these lead tools, it will be worth while to check at least three different lead-generating companies or firms. As the amount and charges may differ with different companies, it is better to rely on one of the firms after getting through knowledge. These providers work patiently to formulate a database of prospective real estate customers. Ready made real estate lead tool help minimize the time and effort actually needed to be put in by real estate companies. These leads also help the companies spend more time in actual business dealings than in qualifying and finding prospective borrowers or customers.

The agent Ravont provides Real Estate website design, you can see our portfolio and services.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Arslan_Rauf

Real Estate Agent Marketing

The real estate agent represents somebody in the business. The main point is - "Who does the mediator represent?" The North Real Estate Commission has shaped an instructive brochure meant to protect patrons. The "Working with Real Estate Agents Brochure" explains who’s a seller's agent, dual agent, and buyer's agent represent in the business. Every real estate agent is required by the North Real Estate expenses to present and explain the catalog with those seeking the services of a real estate agent.

A real estate agent and a real estate broker are essentially a pedestal rather an interactive media via which the entire transaction process takes place. In some places, a real estate agent is acknowledged differently as compared to a real estate broker. They are the licensed professionals working in the same field but their functional areas differ to a certain extent.

When you will have to buy and sale a home, you need to know the real estate agency representation to which you are agreeing to.

An agent who’s working at a new home manufacture site is general working for and representing only the seller. Their loyalty belongs to the seller. That agent is compelled to gather as much information as possible about you in order to assist the seller in profiting from the transaction.

If you contact a real estate agent listed on a "For Sale" sign, they too represent and serve the seller. That real estate agent will make every effort to capture as large a profit as possible for the seller.

These real estate agents prior to showing you any property or home are required by North Carolina Real Estate Law to discuss and explain the "Working with Real Estate Agents Brochure".

Become a real estate broker:

After in advance quite a number of years of experience in real estate sales, a seller may decide to slope up and be approved as a real estate broker. For one to become a full-pledged broker, more course work and a state approved on real estate rule must first be passed. When a person obtains a broker's license, a real estate agent may continue to work for another broker in a similar capacity as before, usually referred to as a broker associate or associate broker, or open up his/her own brokerage and hire other salespersons.

The agent Ravont provide Real Estate website design, you can see our portfolio and services