Kim Hughes

Providing solid solutions since 1999 specifically tailored for today’s real estate professional.

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First Night In Your New Home Infographic

Just bought a new home? Don’t forget you’ll need some essential items for the first night in your house. Consider this great infographic checklist of items you will want to have. It’s got you covered from first aid items to pet toys.

First Night In Your New Home Infographic

P.S. Imagine you were offered the opportunity to be coached both on-site and virtually – by the leading expert in the real estate assistant industry through the 10 most important areas of a real estate agent’s business. Introducing The Real Estate Assistant Playbook. Designed for both real estate assistants and agents, The Playbook offers the training you need to excel in the business of real estate today! Visit TheRealEstateAssistantPlaybook.com for more information.

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2015 Housing Market Forecast

In reading today about how the FHA will cut the Insurance Premium and how it will impact the housing industry is worthy of Housing Forecastmentioning even though there is not a date set, but The Housing and Urban Development Secretary is saying it should be implemented by the end of the month.   Is this going to make an impact on the housing industry and benefit today’s buyers and sellers?  Time will tell, but it is something worth watching and making sure you, the real estate agent, stays on top of the latest information so you can discuss this information with your clients.

The reason for this real estate blog is because I wanted to make sure you saw this video from NAR’s REALTOR(R) Magazine, which is worth watching and paying close attention to since it impacts how you will market to real estate clients for 2015.  The beginning of the video shares information we all in real estate already know, but stay with the video, it really gets interesting about 3 minutes in.

The information you are getting from this real estate video market forecast for 2015 is information you can use to update your marketing presentations for both buys and sellers, use in your social media, put the video on your website, send an eblast, use in your real estate newsletter.  The more your informed of the changes the more trusted you are in your real estate market.

Need help updating your presentations? Or, maybe you need a newsletter, social media strategy, or just need to get a plan in place for your marketing in 2015.  If so, then contact Kim Hughes, a professional real estate virtual assistant who understands today’s technology and business practices to get you on target, focused and committed to reaching your goals.

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3 Top Fundamentals To Consider with Social Media Marketing

As you sit and think about your goals for 2015 I’m pretty sure one goal is how to creatively build a relationship with a larger audience.  For most of you real estate agents out there the mention of social media New_iStock_000031725970_Doublemarketing is like taking a spoonful of medicine that has a terrible taste.

Then there are those agents who feel that posting a photo of a home with a few words about it is enough or to LIKE someone’s post is about as far as you want to go with social media.  But, then you complain that it is not working for you.

So, let’s make this easy….Repeat after me…..

Social Media Marketing is a must and if you do it right you will enjoy it, give yourself some brand recognition and along the way build a great following, which results in sales. 

Sounds good huh?

When you sit down to put a strategy in place you are probably getting stuck.  This is because no matter how much you Google for information there is not a lot of information on how a Realtor® should create a social media marketing strategy.

When working on this part of your business you do not want to create this world-wide brand, but what you do want to do is build a brand that is known in your market.  And, if that becomes a world-wide brand that is just a plus.

You need to focus on your target audience.  Once you have that figured out then you need to understand what they need from you.  Here are some ideas…

1. Just Listed properties – price, community/neighborhood
2. Open Houses – dates, times, details
3. Real Estate Market Statistics
4. Community updates
5. Just Sold’s – unique situations

What does your audience need from you to trust you to help them buy or sell real estate?

Here are my top 3 fundamentals when it comes to creating your strategy for social media.

The power of content is your foundation, which will help you increase your audience, give your brand  exposure.  This results in better clients when it comes to buying and selling real estate.

1. Know what your audience is craving

Everyone is interested in what is going on in real estate, because they will eventually buy or sell property at some point in their life.  The key is to capture their attention before they need you so that you can build a relationship with them.  Show them you are the authority in their real estate market and you have all the knowledge of the area to help them, whether they are buying or selling.

2. Focusing on Being the Leader in your Community

There is more to being a real estate agent than just helping your clients buy or sell real estate.  You should know your market, your neighbors, your businesses, your schools, and the best place to get everything done in your town.  Your buyer or seller will rely on you for this information.  Take advantage of your position in the community to share this information so you can create a strong relationship with your audience.   When you are the authority in your community, you are building a strong brand that offers a higher success rate to be the preferred agent in your market.

3. Quantity vs Quality

When social networks first came on the scene everyone was connecting with everyone.  It was about the numbers of connections we had, no one really thought about who they were connecting with. At the time we thought it was great to connect with someone in another part of the country and to brag about our numbers.  Well, those days are gone.  Social Media Marketing is now a part of your business and you must understand that the numbers are just that – numbers.  You need to focus on the quality of your connections now.  The connections you have on each and every social network means something different and you need to understand what each network offers.  Once you figure that out then you need to determine which social networks work for you and your audience.  Not all markets gravitate to the same network.   You have to determine what they want and if you can meet their expectations.

Remember that throwing it against the wall and hoping it sticks does not work.  You have to have amazing topics, fabulous content, and a lot of patience.  Building a social media marketing strategy is always a work in progress, you will tweak it constantly to find what works for your audiences. Putting in your due diligence will pay off and when it does, you will find that you have a very unique group of followers who will like, share and refer you to their connections.  As you find your audience growing, you will find the search engines will also grow organically with you, which allows more recognition for you online.

If you are struggling with your social media strategy then you need to call and schedule a strategy session with Kim Hughes & Company.  Kim will listen to your struggles and frustration to offer a solution to help you create the strategy that fits your personality as well as your market’s expectations.  We can work with you to create the strategy, implement it, as well as manage it!

Call or email today and let’s schedule your complimentary session and get you started off in 2015 with a plan.

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5 Tips to Teaming with a Real Estate Virtual Assistant

You love the idea of finding a virtual assistant who specializes in real estate, but you are just not sure where to begin finding the right one for you.

Over the years I have found that any real estate agent, real estate coach or the entrepreneur wants is to have someone to assist them in organizing, maintaining and creatively assisting in building their business with them. Someone who will have an interest your success. One thing about a virtual assistant is they are a business owner and they are successful only when their clients are successful.

So, when you are ready to find the right real estate virtual assistant to assist you keep these 5 tips in mind.

1. Decide what you need a virtual assistant to help you with. What skills and abilities do you want your VA to have? What projects/tasks do you want to delegate to them? Do they have the knowledge and experience you need? Visit their websites, view client testimonials, view the services they offer and get to know them through their profile.

2. Jack-of-all-trades. Although VAs primarily offer administrative support, many are now specializing in specific industries/niches. If you’re looking for someone who offers listing coordination, lead management, website assistance, copywriting, blogging, marketing, social networking and/or transaction management look for a VA that specializes in these areas. Most real estate virtual assistants offer these unique real estate services, but it is important that they have the knowledge and experience.

3. Cheaper isn’t always better. Even though you are on a budget that does not mean to find the VA who has the lowest fees. I know it is tempting, but in the long run it could cost you more. Why… if a VA is charging less than the average rate, think about how many clients are they going to contract with before the break even in their business. The last thing you want to do is not have the deadlines met, too busy to call you and give you personal attention, mistakes because they are rushing. This will leave you with a bad experience. Remember, you get what you pay for and in most cases the higher the fee the more experience the VA will have and in the long run will save you money.

4. Virtual Assistants are Business Owners. The virtual assistant is a business owner and should run their business like a business. They may work all hours of the day and night, but they have a business and should run their business like any other successful business. Virtual assistants are organized professionals and they have systems in place to ensure their business runs smoothly so they can take care of their clients. When contacting a VA keep this in mind. This is to your advantage. They have a process of scheduling appointments for client consultations and will offer to try to meet your timeline, but may not always be able to, so work together on this. They are giving you their time for free to consult with you and to discuss your specific needs. Each client is different and will require at least an hour to determine if there is a good fit to work together, making sure they can accommodate your needs, etc. You should never work with a VA until you have spoken to them and confirmed they can handle your tasks and projects. This is the most important part of the process when working with a VA and if the VA determines they cannot meet your needs they will be happy to recommend someone who can. Everyone wants to have a positive experience and it is important to remember that the VA has your best interest.

5. Sign the dotted line. Once you and the VA decide to move forward with your working relationship they will send you an agreement, which you will be required to sign. Make sure to read it. It is important to know and agree to exactly what is expected of each other. The agreement will include information about the fees, terms & conditions etc.

And remember to schedule weekly, bi-weekly or monthly conference calls to stay on target and comfortable with the relationship.

Having a real estate virtual assistant on your team is a great asset and the return on investment in priceless. They can help you to become more organized, help you focus on what is important and allowing you to have the time you need for your business or personal life.

Your Virtual Assistant will help you plan, strategize and achieve the goals you have set for yourself. And if you have worked with a virtual assistant and had a bad experience don’t let that leave a bad taste in your mouth. Find another one. I guarantee if you work together and communicate the possibilities are endless.

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The #1 Question Asked By Today’s Homeowner


In the real estate industry the #1 question is…. What is my home worth in today’s market? Now you can get the latest quarterly median home price for your market, and its percentage change from the previous quarter by clicking here.

Real Estate Virtual Assistants offer you the tools you need to succeed in today’s economy. Real Estate Virtual Assistants are creating ideas for you to use in your business so you do not spend valuable time in research. I have been offering virtual assistance to real estate professionals for 10 years now and if you are interested in the services of a REVA, but not sure how you would use the skills of one, then ask another agent that actually uses one or better yet ask a real estate virtual assistant how they can assist you.

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