Archives for April 2023

April 26, 2023 By amy snodgrass Leave a Comment

The Art of Standing Out: Creative Listing Strategies to Differentiate Yourself in Your Market

In this week’s episode of Unstoppable Real Estate Agents, Kim is joined by Amy Snodgrass, a Kim Hughes & Co. team member who specializes in listing marketing, to explore some creative approaches to listing your property that can help you stand out from the competition and capture the attention of potential buyers. We’ll delve into innovative strategies that can make your property listing unique and memorable, giving you an edge in today’s competitive real estate market.

When you go on a listing appointment you want to make sure you are prepared to discuss the current market trends for your area. Having a stellar marketing presentation is going to set you above the competition, but also having your data on the area including a Property Analysis for your potential seller is going to impress them and be ready to ask questions. Such as….

Why are you ready to sell? – This will determine if you can assist them in buying another home or refer them to an agent in the market they are looking to move to.
Ask them to share what made them buy the home?
Have them share some information on the neighborhood.
Their thoughts on the schools.
Do they have an active Facebook Group for the neighborhood and are they active on it?
Ask about improvements made to the home. Anything they have done from painting to updating appliances, floors, bathrooms, yard, etc? The slightest thing could prove to be valuable information.

Once you have gathered all the details about the home and discussed the seller’s goal then you want to take a tour of the home noting anything that you see that needs improvements or a special feature that you can use in promoting the home.

I have always found it valuable to ask the seller to write down what they love about their home and neighborhood, so doing this involves them in the marketing and they feel included.

Always take a listing agreement, your marketing strategy, and your presentation to the appointment, so if they are ready to hire you, you are prepared.

Once you have secured the listing you should review your marketing strategy to see if you need to add anything to it or remove something.

I have always found that sharing, in detail, your marketing strategy can be the deciding factor for a seller, but many agents have been hesitant to share their marketing strategy before they get the listing for fear of the seller sharing it with the competition. Don’t let this hold you back because if you’re sharing the marketing strategy and the next agent they talk to doesn’t have that strategy, then that should be a huge red flag for the seller.

You’re the best in your market, so don’t let someone copying you bother you. Focus on the seller, your business and you will be seen as the best and that is who sellers want to work with.

Here are some ways that you can show you are a trend leader in your market….

Hire a professional photographer/videographer. You want the highest resolution photos possible and the best quality videos that will showcase the home’s best features. Talk to your photographer about taking some unique photos, not just the standard canned photos. Also, make sure to get different views of the rooms so you can use them in your social media. Photos for MLS don’t always convey in good photos for social media or print marketing. You need to have some good photos taken of the main living areas and kitchen from angles that will look good on print marketing or social media. You might also consider doing a Twight photo session. This is when you take photos at dusk. Some photographers can even make a daylight photo look twilight.
Virtual tours, Videos and 3D Walkthrough Tours – A virtual tour is a sequence of panoramic digital images stitched together to create a video of a home. A video tour uses a video camera to showcase a home where the viewer is guided by the camera through each room and space, usually accompanied by music. 3D tours allow you to “stand” in the room and get a 360-degree view of a room and move through the home room by room. This is a powerful tool for out-of-town buyers.
Virtual staging – this is great to enhance a plain room or add furniture to an empty home. Box Brownie is a great company and inexpensive to use. Some photographers also offer this service.
You have to show up where the buyers go. This would be Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com. Check these listings to make sure the property information is correct. Realtor.com does allow you to make some customization to the listing.
Blog – write up an enhanced property description and add it to your website’s blog with photos and the link to the video. Use this link when promoting the property to drive traffic to your website.
Show up on social media! When you utilize the photos, videos, and content correctly the property will get noticed.TIP: If the property is on the market more than a week have a weekly strategy for promoting it. For example:
First week: Standard promotion
Second week: Choose a room of the home to promote and talk about it. This could be a kitchen in the backyard, an office, the neighborhood amenities, etc.
Third week: Again, choose a different room of the home to promote that room.

So, you get it now. The longer the home is on the market, use various photos to attract a buyer audience. Buyers may see the photos, but what grabs them is the kitchen, the backyard, etc. Now you are marketing to a larger audience.

- Make sure you use each social media platform to its fullest.
- Does your seller belong to an HOA? They could have a private Facebook group and if you ask the admin of that group to promote the property and they say yes, then you can get in front
  of another audience. Who do they know? Don’t get your hopes up on becoming a member of that group, so ask your seller to get permission first and they can load the information you
  provide to them.
- A good rule of thumb is to get to know the board of these HOA’s in the markets you want to work in.
- Use relevant hashtags. Don’t be so broad, so you want to use the city, state, neighborhood, your branding, but maybe use something like #homesforsaleindallastexas,
  #dallastexasrealestate #100acresforsaleinDallasTexas. Get creative and start making your own hashtags to use on all your listings.
- Make sure you engage with your audience on your social media. Social Media can be your best lead generation tool if you use it correctly.

You need to create your direct marketing pieces. Flyer/brochures, Just Listed/Sold Postcards etc. Get creative with this. Create a package with photos, descriptions, the seller’s story about what they love about the home and neighborhood, the amenities, etc.
Purchase the property address domain and point it to your website page on the property. A great program to look into is AgencyLogic.com, I have used them for many years and have been impressed with their program. You get your own property website that gives you some amazing tools to work with. Make sure to include this in your marketing package that you share with the homeowner.
If you are hosting an Open House, make sure you have all the tools to make it a successful one. Make sure to have a mortgage broker, insurance agent on-site available.
Get creative…. have an ice cream truck at the event, etc. You can get really creative, but make sure what you do is good with the neighbors. I always recommend talking to the homeowners surrounding the home sharing what you’re doing and inviting them to come over and enjoy the event.
Influencers! Yep, this is a new one and it could have a huge impact on bringing buyers to the table that you would never meet. Research your influencers in the area, how many followers do they have, are they in line with your vision and values? Remember, influencers are global, so your buyer could come from another state or country.
Make sure you have taken the time to write your description. Romance the listing and talk about the details of home. Maybe do a video of you in the backyard sitting at the patio table sipping some tea. In the kitchen talking about the home. This is more of an intro to the property. You don’t want to walk around the home talking, leave this up to the videographer.
If you are marketing a land, ranch, farm, etc., then get aerial photography taken. This would also be good if you are in a homeowner’s association with a large amenity center or your home backs up to a greenbelt or private space.
If the home is in an area with a lot of amenities, then use google maps to take a screenshot. You can then label the photo by pinpointing the home and then label with arrows pointing to area attractions, schools or community amenities in close proximity.
Pinterest – You can create a Pinterest board for a single property that, in addition, to property photos, highlights features and benefits of the area. Pinterest is the #2 search engine so make sure you utilize everything Pinterest offers.
Eblast the property flyer to your database and include it in your monthly newsletter.
Showing feedback: If you are not getting a response to feedback from agents then call them, text them for the feedback so you can share with your sellers. And make sure you offer feedback when you are showing homes to buyers.

So, let’s recap:

Have a stellar listing presentation.
Share your awesome marketing strategy.
Know the property – review the comps, the property, the neighborhood so you can answer questions or share information with your seller.
Hire the best people who are there to give ideas, etc.
Have your photographer take unique photos of each room.
Stand out on social media.
Ask the seller about the neighborhood Facebook Group (or the Nextdoor app) and the rules to post property for sale.
Create unique hashtags and use them as well as keywords in your property description.
Write a blog and upload it to your website making sure to use the blog link to promote to drive traffic to your website.
Create impressive marketing pieces.
Collaborate with influencers.
Give it your best!

Now that you have some fresh ideas on how to market a listing go back to your current listings and review them to see if you can use some of these tips to enhance them and make them stand out.

Episode Resources:

Free Download: Marketing Checklist
Episode 29: 5 AI Tools Every Real Estate Agent Should Know About

Listen to this week’s episode on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio or do a search for Unstoppable Real Estate Agents in your favorite podcast directory.

Connect with Kim:

KimHughes.com
The Ultimate Expired Listing System
Social Media Success Tools
Kim Hughes’s Amazon Store

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kim_hughes_consulting/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm4T_I5-Imrx_uOsMImKnvw
Facebook: http://facebook.com/KimHughesRealEstateProductivityExpert
Twitter: http://www.Twitter.com/KimHughes
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimhughescoaching
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/kim_hughes/pins/

______________________________________________________

Are you struggling to set up systems and processes for your business? Let’s talk about how I can help you build a solid foundation with the right systems in place.

April 20, 2023 By amy snodgrass Leave a Comment

Boost Your Online Presence: Tips for Better Client Visibility

It’s important for real estate agents to have a strong online presence and make it easy for potential clients to find them. As an agent you should ensure that your website is easily accessible and that your social media accounts are clearly linked. The following are some things to consider when reviewing your online image and making sure your clients can easily connect with you.

First, start by reviewing your email signature. As a real estate agent, when creating a signature line for your email, it’s important to include your name, brokerage, website, email address, and phone number. Also, consider adding a link to search for homes and linking all your social media platforms to it. This will save people the frustration of having to search for you. One of the biggest annoyances in the business world is people having to search for information on someone because they didn’t give it to you. So, making it easy for people to reach you is important.

Next, let’s talk about your website. If all you have is an agent profile on your brokerage’s website, that is not a website, it is just a landing page. If you’re relying solely on that page, potential clients may get distracted by other agents on the site. It’s important to have your own website to showcase your information and make it easy for clients to reach out to you. There are many affordable websites available to you. They may not have all the features you desire at first, but having your own website allows you to establish your unique identity and avoid direct competition with other agents in your office.

Another important consideration is inconsistent information about you found online. To address this, it’s crucial to update your details across all platforms, beginning with the search engines. Conduct a Google search on yourself and verify that the links displayed lead to your current website. Look for any inaccurate information such as websites still reflecting your previous brokerage, despite having switched to a new one. By doing this, you can avoid misrepresenting yourself and creating confusion for prospective clients.

You also need to review all your social media profiles. Verify that your Google business profile and MLS information are up to date. The National Board of Realtors and your local board should also have your updated information. Remember to update your email signature line if you move. Finally, check your website to ensure all information is correct.

Maintaining an up-to-date online presence is crucial for improving your business and expanding your audience. Your profiles will be viewed by past and potential clients, individuals comparing you to other agents, real estate professionals in other regions who may offer referrals, and recruiters interested in having you join their team or company.

The most important thing you should ensure is that your accounts are accurate. After you get your profiles updated with fresh information, keep them that way. You don’t have to review them monthly but at a minimum once a year, spend a day to make sure they are still accurate and reflect the most current and appealing information about you and your business.

Your online appearance can either benefit or hurt you. It’s crucial to maintain accurate accounts by updating them regularly with fresh information. While it’s not necessary to review them monthly, it’s recommended to spend at least one day per year to ensure that they still reflect the most current information about you and your business.

Listen to this week’s episode on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio or do a search for Unstoppable Real Estate Agents in your favorite podcast directory.

Connect with Kim:

KimHughes.com
The Ultimate Expired Listing System
Social Media Success Tools
Kim Hughes’s Amazon Store

______________________________________________________

Are you struggling to set up systems and processes for your business? Let’s talk about how I can help you build a solid foundation with the right systems in place.

April 12, 2023 By amy snodgrass Leave a Comment

5 AI Tools Every Real Estate Agent Should Know About

I am super excited to be sharing some great tools for you to use in your real estate business.

Let’s get ready to ultimately boost productivity by using AI (artificial intelligence), which refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think and learn like humans. AI has numerous applications across various industries.

To use AI, you need to have a clear understanding of the problem you want to solve and the data you have available. Then, you can choose the appropriate AI technique that you would like to apply. But be careful, AI is just that, Artificial Intelligence, so you still have to put your own words to your content, research, etc.

AI offers some pretty impactful features. It can be best personalized with home recommendations to generating floor plans from panoramic photos, etc. So, when you are listing a property, you might want to ask the seller if they have tapped into AI for their home and if so, make sure to point out these features to the buyers.

When working with buyers ask if they are interested in how AI can help them have a smarter home.

Be the first talking about AI in your community and become the expert on how AI works and the benefits as well as the down side to having AI. If you’re wondering how AI can help you, think about the following and how you can implement this in your business.

Chatbots: Chatbots can help real estate agents to automate their customer service, providing quick responses to frequently asked questions and helping to free up time for more important tasks. But be careful and remember when you are on a website and that chat box pops up and you put in your question the answer is not always the right one, so to use a Chatbot make sure you are giving your client the answers they need.
Image Recognition: Image recognition tools can help real estate agents to quickly identify and categorize property images, making it easier to manage and market properties. Think of Google Lens.
Natural Language Processing (NLP): NLP tools can help real estate agents to quickly analyze and understand large amounts of text data, such as property descriptions and customer feedback, allowing them to make more informed decisions about their business.
Automated Valuation Models (AVMs): These AI tools use data analysis and machine learning algorithms to provide real estate agents with accurate property valuations, helping them to make informed decisions on pricing and marketing strategies.
Predictive Analytics: Predictive analytics software can help real estate agents to identify trends and patterns in the market, allowing them to make better decisions about buying and selling properties.

Here are 5 AI tools that might help you in your business.

GetMunch is an all-in-one platform that will automate editing. It has machine learning capabilities, designed to keep the important components at the center of each video. It also helps you capture the latest social media trends. Let’s say you have a 30-minute to 1-hour video. It has the capability to create multiple clips from that video. Then, you take those clips and use them on your website, social media, newsletter, text messages, etc.
Chat GPT: A lot of people have heard about it, but how are you using it? This AI chatbot can hold conversational text interactions with users by employing artificial intelligence, and these exchanges can feel as natural as if you were having a chat with a real person. It will literally create, write and answer questions just like a human.When you give it a topic it will give you a great foundation. To start with I highly recommend you never copy and paste exactly what it gives you. Remember, AI uses existing sources and copying content can lead to copyright issues. Instead, use it as an inspiration to get the juices flowing and enhance what it gives you.AI tools are never going to give you everything that you need, so keep that in mind and do some research on how to best use it for you.
CapCut is an all-in-one video editor. It specializes in video editing designed for the Internet. CapCut will convert text to audio. It also offers some templates to choose from to create your video or you can use stock photos which you can turn into cool videos. It does offer a free version.Overall, the app is an excellent choice for doing quick video editing for a user at a level of beginner or average.What it’s really getting known for right now, because of how trendy it is, is the word by word captions that you see highlighted on videos.
Captions app: This one also offers the captions, but the AI feature is very cool. You can create a video script right inside the app, as well as create a teleprompter inside of it. So, once you write your video script, you can actually put it on top of the screen so you can record it or if you want to record it outside, for example…. on Instagram or Tik Tok it will actually create a notification.Another really cool thing Captions App offers is for those who are always catching themselves looking down look it allows you to adjust the video to where you’re looking at your audience. It’s kind of freaking awesome. It’s always making eye contact, even if you’re reading from somewhere else. Yes, this is a game changer.
YouTube Summary with ChatGPT: This is a chrome extension that can take any YouTube video and summarize it with the press a button, using ChatGPT, regardless of whether it’s a 5-minute video or a three-hour video.

Well, there you go. This new world of AI is fascinating and if used the right way can help you automate and systemize your business.

Remember, AI is pretty neat, and it can become extremely useful to you in your business, but what it cannot do is replace you. It does not offer that human touch of caring and listening to your clients, so keep this in mind. It is not a replacement, just an enhancement to your business.

Do your research on these tools and if you have an AI tool to share with us, please post in the comments below or email me.

Listen to this week’s episode on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio or do a search for Unstoppable Real Estate Agents in your favorite podcast directory.

Connect with Kim:

KimHughes.com
The Ultimate Expired Listing System
Social Media Success Tools
Kim Hughes’s Amazon Store

______________________________________________________

Are you struggling to set up systems and processes for your business? Let’s talk about how I can help you build a solid foundation with the right systems in place.

April 5, 2023 By amy snodgrass Leave a Comment

Spring Clean Your Way to Success: 9 Tips on How to Boost Productivity and Efficiency in Your Business

Spring cleaning your business can be a great way to refresh and revitalize your operations. It’s a good time to review your goals, assess your finances, and declutter your workspace.

Additionally, consider evaluating your team’s performance and making any necessary changes to improve productivity and efficiency.

Here are 3 areas to get your business cleaned up and how to stay organized once you have completed the spring-cleaning process. Spring cleaning your business involves decluttering and revitalizing your:

Workspace
Systems and Processes
Strategies

This can include organizing physical clutter, reviewing and refreshing your business plan, evaluating and updating your marketing strategies, and streamlining your operations procedure.

When you focus a couple of hours to spring cleaning your business you can improve

Efficiency
Increase productivity
Set your business up for success for the next season.

How To Organize Business Systems

To organize your business systems, you should start by identifying the processes that are critical to the operations of your business.

Now that we are entering a new quarter you should have:

Monthly Systems
Quarterly Systems
Yearly Systems

Once you have identified these systems/processes, document them and create clear guidelines and procedures. You can then implement tools such as:

Project management software (PMS)
Customer relationship management (CRM) systems
Accounting software to streamline your processes and increase efficiency.

Make it a priority to review at least every quarter to see what is working and what isn’t will help ensure they remain effective and efficient.

Put this reminder in your phone right now!

Make sure your project management software, customer relationship program and your accounting program are also available in an app so you can follow these tasks and deadlines on your laptop and app.

Trello is a good project management tool.
Asana is another project management tool that is a popular one.

Create a system for file organization and cloud storage.

Google Workspace
Dropbox
One Drive

Again, make sure you can access by laptop and phone.

Workflow

Develop an efficient workflow process, including automation tools when possible. By implementing business automation tools, you are bringing value to your business and freeing up your time.

Tallyfly works great with Gmail, Outlook, Slack and more. This program automates all your workflow, forms, tasks, etc. Take a look at it to see if it works for you.

Regularly review and evaluate your online organization strategies to identify areas for improvement or if you have a Real Estate Business Manager then this person will keep your business tools and systems running smoothly on the operations end so you can focus on nurturing your clients and growing the business.

3 tips to organize your social media calendar:

Here are three tips for organizing your social media calendar:

Plan ahead: Set up a content calendar that outlines what you want to post and when. This will help you stay consistent and avoid last-minute scrambling.
Use a scheduling tool: Tools like Hootsuite, Buffer, or Later can help you schedule posts in advance, so you don’t have to worry about posting in real-time.
Mix up your content: Don’t just post the same type of content over and over. Mix it up with a variety of posts, including photos, videos, and links to relevant articles or blog posts. This will keep your followers engaged and interested in what you have to say and by inviting them to your website to read blogs, preview listings, videos, etc you are increasing the SEO for your website. WIN-WIN!

Client Onboard Process:

What is your process for onboarding a new client?
Do you have a Welcome Kit for them?
Are all your materials up to date?

Don’t have a New Client Welcome Package? Let’s discuss what your package should include and not include. Schedule a call with me today.

Website:

Hire the right person to help you. Again, this could be your Real Estate Online Business Manager.

This is your online business card and is crucial to your success.
If you haven’t listened to my podcast on websites you can find it here as well as in the episode resources below.

By having the following you will make a killer first impression:

Community Information
Link to your newsletter
Link to your social media platforms
SEO
Blogs
Testimonials
Seller information
Buyer information
Investor, Renter, etc.
Check your links – correct broken
Awards, quoted, etc.
Facebook and Google Code
Bio – update
Brokerage – update
Contact Information

Branding

This should be on your tasks for every year

New head shots – couple of different outfits
New poses
Review Branding

3 Tips to Cleaning Up Your Social Media:

Audit your online presence: Go through your social media profiles and delete any posts, photos, or comments that could be seen as inappropriate or offensive.
Update your platform cover and all the profile information.
Be mindful of future posts: Before you post anything online, ask yourself if it aligns with your personal and professional brand. If in doubt, it’s best to err on the side of caution and not post it.

If you missed my podcast on how to have a stellar social media presence, you can find it here as well as in the episode resources below.

Media List Audit

Create a list of where you are showing up:

TV
Podcast
Webinars
Conventions
Awards
Volunteer
Community Boards

Finances:

We all avoid the F word, but you must know how you’re doing with your finances. Listen to Episode 9: 5 Bookkeeping Tips to Finish Out Your Year.

You need to review what expenses are:

Monthly, quarterly, yearly
Subscriptions – if you are not using or not beneficial close it. Even if it is $5.00 a month. If you are not benefitting from the subscription close it and save $100.00 a year!

Are you profitable?
Look for ways to free up revenue.
What is your finance system?
How do you pay yourself?
Set aside your quarterly payments so you don’t get penalized.
This is another area your Real Estate Business Manager can help you.

You will be amazed at how much head space you will free up when you have your finances in order and you now where your money is going and where to save.

Car Maintenance

Car maintenance is essential to keep your vehicle running smoothly and to prevent breakdowns. Regular maintenance tasks, including proper maintenance, can also improve fuel efficiency and extend the life of your car.

Oil Change
Overall Service
Tires checked
Check the brakes
Windshield wiper fluid
Windshield Wipers
Your Mobile Office – replenish supplies and remove what you are not using
Keep the car clean from the inside and out.

This is your other office and it must be a place you and your clients enjoy hanging out.

If you would like to learn more about How to Create a Mobile Office, I have included in the Show Notes a link to that podcast.

By taking the time now to spring clean your business and implement efficient systems, you can have peace of mind and significantly improve how your business operates. You can access all the links mentioned in this episode in the resources below, and if you need further assistance, there is a link at the bottom to schedule a call with me as well.

Episode Resources:

Episode 9: 5 Bookkeeping Tips: https://www.kimhughes.com/5-real-estate-bookkeeping-tips-to-finish-out-the-year/

Episode 12: How to Create a Mobile Office: https://www.kimhughes.com/how-to-create-a-mobile-office/

Episode 15: Goal Setting Roadmap: Social Media: https://www.kimhughes.com/goal-setting-roadmap-part-1/

Episode 20: Websites 101: Understanding Some Basics About Your Website: https://www.kimhughes.com/websites-101-understanding-some-basics-about-your-website/

Listen to this week’s episode on Apple Podcast, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio or do a search for Unstoppable Real Estate Agents in your favorite podcast directory.

Connect with Kim:

KimHughes.com
The Ultimate Expired Listing System
Social Media Success Tools
Kim Hughes’s Amazon Store

______________________________________________________

Are you struggling to set up systems and processes for your business? Let’s talk about how I can help you build a solid foundation with the right systems in place.