Are you Linked

Sometimes I can hear a collective groan from a group of real estate agents when I mention how great another social media tool is.

LinkedIn.com is like a Facebook for business professionals that has search capabilities.  It can be a fabulous way to build a network that is easier than going door knocking in a neighborhood in the rain.  You can just sit at you computer and you can connect with people that work at a certain employer in town, who are based in your town, or who use certain keywords in their profile.  You can also connect with those in your industry and learn the latest news and trends.

AND ... Maybe most importantly YOU can be found by prospective clients!  If you meet with a prospect that works at Amazon, for example, they may jump on LinkedIn and check out your resume, recommendations and also who else you are connected to... Maybe even at Amazon!

Go get your profile on LinkedIn and then sign up for one of my classes and make it more effective!  It is not just a time waster... It is a powerful tool that can build your business in the next year!

Looking for my motivation

Today I couldn't find my motivation.  I spent most of the day at home looking for it.  I tried searching the refrigerator which resulted in too much grazing.  It could have been buried under the bills and miscellaneous paperwork on my desk, which did lead to a few productive moments putting papers in recycle.  I thought maybe I'd find it somewhere near my piles of books and then I found myself flipping through old books looking for gems of wisdom.  Then I finally opened my computer which has an infinite number pf ways to get distracted.  Finally, I contacted three of my best friends and chatted with them and I found great advice.

There are days that we all lose our motivation.  Sometimes it's important to just spend those days looking around in your own space.  I did eat too much, but I did find some great ideas in books I had just stacked up in my den.  I did get to the point of finding the color of the top of my desk by just putting stuff in the recycle.  I did contemplate my future as I looked for motivation.

the advice from my friends...
Imagine what you want to be like as an "old lady!". The age doesn't matter... And the money or house is unimportant... What kind of person do you think others would describe you as?  I said I want to still laugh every day, use my talents, and give more.   So I need to imagine the future..l whether it is next week or in ten years.  I am moving forward... I continue to go forward even though today I feel stuck!

The next friend suggested that I should get busier as the year starts out.  We all get more done when we are busy.  Just "do things." because your motivation will come and you will be more focus if you are busy and not just contemplating.

The third friend suggested that I "create.". Just use your talents and create something from nothing... Whether it is writing a class, a blog post, a newsletter or a greeting card.  Because when we create there is motivation.

Change is Inevitable

 

The fall season is such a reminder that change is inevitable... and that changes that seem .. well, negative, can instead be a sign of a brilliant future and new growth.  The leaves on the trees are so spectacular!  But, they are a sign that the leaves are dying and the tree is preparing to go into a kind of winter hibernation.  When the weather starts getting rainy, overcast, and chilly instead of hibernating and mourning the passing of summer... we can take that time to focus in on some of the marketing efforts we were "going to get done!"  We all have that list.  

In general, we have a tendency to attract the same business and the same type of clients as we did in the past.  Maybe this year we can aim to try to change something about our marketing and business efforts to attract more and a different clientele.  For example, you might have so many clients in financial trouble that maybe on the radar for the next 6 months you can aim for more financially stable buyers and sellers.  That change has to happen in your head first!  All changes originate in that grey matter between our ears.  Try to figure out why you attract certain business.  

Your marketing in the next six months could be more focused, more internet based, or more fun and creative.  Change is ahead... make yours INTENTIONAL! 

You can go to my website to get a link to a pdf of a list of my favorite quotes on change!

 http://www.clockhours.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Quotes-on-Change-flyerpdf.pdf

Do you have a Face on Facebook?

Consider that by next year approximately 80% of all your family, friends, past clients, future prospects and neighbors will all have an account on Facebook!  For those of you still complaining about reading posts about what someone ate for lunch, you might just be missing the entire marketing trend that could be your future business and paycheck.The statistics for Facebook are staggering across the globe. No other communication has connected more people at one time ever in history. 

So, then I ear the rumble about privacy issues. It is time to notice that privacy is not what we thought it would be.  You are tracked every day from the debit card that paid for your coffee to the license on your car as you drive across a toll bridge to the sites you visit on the internet.  If you are in a public business, privacy has taken on a new meaning.

As for virus' and spamming.  there will always be other that want to break into your garage as well as your email.  Just make good decisions.You have the opportunity to communicate with almost everyone in your sphere daily.  A decade ago, the only way to interact with past clients or prospects was to send out a mailer or pick up the phone.  Junk mail is one way and gets tossed.  People just don't answer the phone at home any more.  But, they are on Facebook.

So, if you have see the Salmon dinner that your best friend had last week and you don't see the point, then look at the number of comments.  There is interaction.  That friend might be eating at an Seafood restaurant where your sister had her anniversary party.  It might be next door to the office of your neighbor.  The business might have been sold by a co-worker.  The recipe might be posted an available for your spouse to make for dinner! Your past client might be going salmon fishing and want you to come along.... because you commented on that photo of a salmon dinner.

Connect with your sphere.  Interact with them and engage. Comment and send messages.  Post interesting information!

If you have questions or want to learn more about facebook, I teach a 3 clockhour class for real estate agents for $30 tuition each.  If you set one up in your office... YOUR tuition is free! 

Connect with People as One of Your Priorities

Your business ultimately comes from people that know you. Though we are always juggling all our priorities, the most important aspect of our business is our clients and prospects. We have to find time to connect with them and build relationships.

The economy has taken a toll on just about everyone. We start our day wondering where our next prospect might be hiding and if our transactions on the books will ever close. And then add all the social media and technology that bombards us.

First of all, know that the search engine will not just find you another client. We all know that the agents in the business for the long haul grow their business from their sphere. Trying to find a prospect from the world wide web that will buy a house this month is like trying to win the lottery.

The challenge is how to connect with your sphere? That is where all the tools, referred to as social media, will help. Choose the ones that work for you and help you connect. Social media is here to stay in one form or another.

If you get a notice for a committee meeting, you might first think, "Can you just email me the information?" If a friend actually invites you to dinner, your first thought might be, "How can I get there in time with rush hour traffic?" If you are busy with the kids and the phone rings, you might think, "I hope they leave a message on the voice mail." We just don't get out and actually connect and talk to people as much as we used to. Technology has given us ways to make that connection and build relationships.

Choose three ways to connect with people. Don't worry about the search engines or an expensive website. Look at all your family, the clients you have had in the past, your friends, the neighbors, and club members. You need to create a better relationship with them. They need to know where you are and how to find you and whether you are still in the business! Use the free tools out there and create a conversation. Try to create a relationship and conversation that is not just based on real estate... it may not be their favorite topic right now!

Get yourself on facebook, build your connections and chat daily.
Start a couple blogs. Use free and easy templates like this one at blogspot, Wordpress.com or Tumblr. Just think of a name and get going. Then post links to your blog on facebook and at the bottom of every email.
Think of a third way... sending notes, calling, having events, sending a newsletter, tweet on twitter, have a video blog on youtube, etc.

The time it takes to start something that simple is negligible. It is probably comparable to writing an ad for a homes magazine and a classified ad.

Don't worry about what all the techies out there promote. Don't try to buy your way into social media. Don't moan and groan about the time it takes.

Even though I pride myself in knowing about most of the latest tools, I have several blogs, I am at this computer constantly, I still don't get it all done. I don't take time to learn the new tools (like Google+), I forget to write in my blogs, and I just don't talk to enough of my prospects on a regular basis. I just wish business would come to me this Monday morning. But, I have to keep on my top three ways to market my business.

Just create conversation with your sphere. People will work with you as an agent if they know you, like you, and trust you. Find ways to get yourself connected online in simple and free ways.

Box of Good fortunes

Everyone can use some good fortune! So why limit yourself to one cookie at a Chinese restaurant? So I googled "Chinese Fortunes" and found hundreds on the internet. I changed many of them. I included only positive fortunes. After cutting and pasting in Word, I made them the same font and size. For those at work, I left the logo but for others I cut it off. Then I curl them like ribbon over the edge of a pen or a butter knife. They get stuffed in a chinese take out box available at Michaels or Paperzone.
What a great gift for a housewarming, birthday, celebration, just for fun or if someone needs good fortune to come their way.
Here is a link to the dropbox public folder with the info and the fortunes!

Oh NO! I waited til the last minute... just like you!

I waited until the very last minute! I couldn't sleep. Nothing else consumed my thoughts. I knew I shouldn't have waited so long. My heart was beating so hard! I was such a fool! Why did it put it off?

On May 5th last year I finished the US Coast Guard Masters Training course. It cost over $1200 and took months. I am a boater and I took the training to learn as much as possible. Maybe my boat will be a wedding chapel.. or I'll charge for trips. Who knows? The final exam was painful because it was so difficult. To get my Captains license I had to turn it in with an application and 10 other verifications and forms. Most of them complete from First Aid Training to a copy of my passport. A current drug test and fingerprints were also required. I had one full year to get the paperwork to the US Coast Guard to get my license. When did I get it in?... You guessed it. The day it was due... the deadline date! UGH!

All I could think about is that I am just like the real estate agents that contact me daily! Because I can relate to the desperate agents, I try to respond to them right away. I am fortunate my assistant, Sarah Jean is so great at following up with your emails!

I don't know why we procrastinate. We know we have to get something done by a certain date. It seems so basic that we can finish it within the time frame. But, it does seem to be human nature.

I had a couple speed bumps. I had to find the first aid card from the class I took. The lab sent my drug test results to someone else. My fingerprints were just impossible to document! Then I let those get in the way of finishing my paperwork.

But, this is no different than agents that lose their certificates or have to have fingerprints redone. (Evidently, about 30% of the real estate agents who get fingerprints have to have them retaken.)

So, I will continue to understand when you contact me needing your certificates right away because your license has to be renewed ASAP!

Share what you are up to! Do you blog? Volunteer? Keep in touch!

I hope your summer is full of sun!

Real Estate BarCamp Seattle March 3rd

It's hard to keep up with all that is happening in social media, the latest tech tools, the largest real estate issues and where to focus our time. This one day FREE... note FREE... conference is a fantastic opportunity to meet with other agents in round table type discussions on the most current topics. The break out sessions are created by "YOU" the participant! You tell us at the beginning what sessions you would like and the conference is created by those requests! You might even end up leading a discussion on a topic you are passionate about.
Register today.. join the over 300 real estate agents already registered... a month before it starts.
http://rebarcamp.com/seattle/

See a video I made about the conference at my website!!!!
http://www.clockhours.com
I am among the few volunteers that make it happen and I am a sponsor!

The iPad is a remarkable tool!

Take a bite out of the Apple and get an iPad. When I hold this new sleek took I lusted after, I feel like I am touching the future of computing!!!

• It doesn't come with a book of instructions. A child can figure it out.
• There is virtually no time to load, power up, or search.
• The colors are vibrant
• Books are easy to read and bookmarked. Why would we need text books in the future?
• Movies play instantly and are clearer than life... they almost look 3D
• There are apps that let you do everything you can do on your laptop
• There are apps that let you do things you wish you could do with your laptop
• There isn't software to load, pay for, or register.
• It is fun to use!
• The keyboard on the touch screen is silent, reacts with touch as light as a feather
• It is so visual....
• There is no mouse... just touch and click...
• Can go from one app to another instantaneously
• Everyone around me at the Apple store was younger than 30, it seemed.
• It is hard to put it down.
• Some of the apps,... like Flipboard that makes Facebook like a magazine... are fascinating.

Oh I could go on...
But, why get one for your business?
Because you can browse for homes so easy. A listing presentation could be made so easily. Your contacts and emails open with just a click. With apps like Dropbox you can store anything like a contract or flyer or photo on one computer that is online and almost instantly it is accessible on the iPad. Because you can read books to learn more. Because you can blog anytime on it. Because it is easier to carry and lighter than your desktop (do you still have one) or your laptop. Because videos load so easily. Because apps are added every single day that will make it an even better tool.

Because the iPad is the future and that IS where your business is going.

Purge the "policy"

There is nothing that irritates me more than a company policy that makes it difficult to be a consumer. The other day I paid a bill early... in anticipation of receiving it... and the check was returned. It was their "policy" to not accept payment before due. What a stupid policy. There are just so many policies that feel like brick walls. Policies are just rules someone created to make it easier on the company and not for their own customers. Practically every policy I have come up against is just plain stupid and can be reversed with a nod from the "boss."
Have you hit up against a policy that irked you? Do you have your own policies that cause your customers to say "ugh?"

We assume the earth is always pointing north

Whenever we see a globe or photo of the planet earth, north is always on the top. Yes, in relationship to the sun, the earth spins on its own axis and we dance with the sun. But, in terms of the entire universe... we could actually be upside down. Or, is there an up and down in the universe. We are but a mere speck in the cosmos. Technically, couldn't the globe be upside down and be just as accurate. Do we assume north is "better" than south? hmmm...

Dipping your paws in ink for fingerprints

Most of us would remember if we were convicted of a crime... if we had the mug shot, the fingerprints, the court appearance. Now, I can't say ALL of us would remember... but I'm rather sure most of us!
The real estate Department of Licensing will be requiring all real estate agents current and new to be fingerprinted over the next six years.
This past month I had fingerprints taken as part of my application to get a Coast Guard Captains 50 ton Masters License. I had to get a TWIC card (transportation workers id card). I pressed my little paws onto the fingerprint pad over and over... took so many tries... evidently IO have weak prints. But, I can tel you, even though I am pretty sure I don't have a criminal record that the FBI might find... it still is a bit creepy. Kind of the "Big Brother" government tracking me thing.
And so I wait for ... how long?... to find out that I am cleared.
The fingerprints and FBI check for your real estate license might give you the same creepy feeling. But, you are required nonetheless to have them taken. It's like when you get your license tabs for your car... every so often you have to have an emissions test. The Department of Licensing will notify you on your renewal form if you have to go dip your paws in ink. N0 stress!

Carbon Monoxide Alarms... when required.

During the December 2006 storm in Western Washington over 1000 people were treated at emergency rooms and 8 people died because of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning. It is an invisible, odorless and tasteless gas that is caused by all combustion. People did bring charcoal burners into properties. But, if your neighbor does that you could be poisoned by the gas seeping through walls.
The Washington State legislature passed a law in April 2009 requiring CO alarms. The statute requires building code council to adopt rules to require them in all new residential properties.
The statute also says that all owner occupied single family residences legally occupied before this act are exempt.
However, for any owner occupied single family residence that is sold on or after the effective date of this act (July 2009) the seller must equip the residence with CO alarms in accordance with the requirement of the state building code before a buyer can occupy the residence. RCW 19.27.530 (1)b.
In April 2010, there was a proposed change in the law as passed. The change as discussed in HB 2886 which is in committee "removes the statutory requirement for the installation of a carbon monoxide alarm when an owner-occupied, single family residence is sold."
The Bill also extends the date to January 2013 that all existing multi family residential occupancies must have a CO alarm.
It also requires the building council to adopt rules that are consistent with the smoke detectors, when applying for building permit.
But, the proposed change did NOT go through the legislature... maybe the CO alarm companies had a big lobby... because as the way the law is right now over 10,800 alarms will have to be installed per WEEK in Washington state to meet the deadline of July 2011!

So that is the latest on that issue.

Classes in Pierce County this week!

Get yourself into social marketing with classes this week in Pierce County.

Wednesday, Jan 20 at 10 am Get Connected on the Internet at
Home Team NW in Puyallup

Thursday Jan 21 at 9 am Blogging and 1 pm Twitter at
Keller Williams on Tacoma Mall Blvd..


Email Natalie or just show up for any of these classes! You are welcome to come! Get yourself online and connecting this new year! Don't wait.. NOW!
Natalie
clockhoursatgmail.com

There's so much to learn ... I can barely keep up!

This social media revolution is like raising kids. They grow... regardless of what you do they get bigger and change. As a parent I was always trying to catch up with the new lingo, the new toys, the new activities, the new teachers, the new fads. I always felt a little behind the 8 ball. But the more I kept informed, the better relationship I had with my kids.

Its the same for social media. You will never know it all. The guru's that I try to be close to on a regular basis are also learning every day. I think... "Gads, you are brilliant! Look how much you know! You have it.. you can do it all! " .... and then the next time I see them they have taken another leap into some other aspect of the social media world.

So I try to make sure I do something every day. I keep myself on Facebook all the time. Really, I am amazed how many people I communicate with about work! I made appointments, scheduled classes, helped a couple agents with clockhours etc!
I go on Twitter every day. If I do anything I just send a tweet but also make sure I am responding to anything someone tweets about or to me!
I try to write in my blogs or post photos.
I make sure that I tell at least 10 people about my website, a blog or my YouTube channel.

Every day I make an effort to learn something. Today I watched a video about how Steve Jobs is a magnificent presenter. Do I zap my audience with enough visuals and an "ah ha" moment? I saw a 4 minute video on TED talks where a guy explained the power of the internet connections using example of naming the Greenpeace whale "Mister Splashy Pants." (amazing example!) Then, I read Seth Godin's blog and went to links about iPhone apps. He has an app which I need to download that on my iPhone! Then I jumped to Anil Dashes blog about his take on being on the Twitter.com Suggested User List. I learned so much about noise on Twitter and the effect or non effect millions of anonymous followers can have and how important it is to go for your target. Then I followed real estate agent, Rich Jacobson's tweet about how Kitsap Peninsulas sales have climbed a bit. I registered for a Biznik event featuring the author of "Drive" about what motivates us. I clicked on a blog with a photographer takes one photo a day in Seattle... where did he go yesterday? And I either commented or shared what I learned with someone else via email or blog or facebook!

So learn something new online every day... every single day. And then do something every day to connect with people. Because, this keyboard in front of me is my connection to the world like no other tool ever! A television is one way communication. But, the internet and social media tools let me connect back!

But the seller EXPECTS me to put ads in the paper!

I remember in the past century when I would sit at my desk with a pen in hand creatively describing a split level home for an ad in the homes type magazine or the Sunday classifieds. The ad would no show up for days or weeks depending on the medium. Sometimes the office would have a space in the full page ad and I'd throw my listing in at the last minute. The budget for every listing had to include a substantial sum for all the print advertising. I would provide the seller with a nice copy of the ads.

Real estate agents are still doing that today! Instead of using all the free sites available on the web, agents are crafting ads for printed medium. The sellers may have come to "expect" this as marketing for their property, but it is up to the real estate agent to educate sellers about how the market has changed.

This past summer a representative from a homes type magazine sent me information about the advantages of print over online advertising. The full color flyers were artfully done with graphs and pie charts. But, every statistic was from a survey that was more than 3 years old. Back in the year 2006, they have been applicable. But, in that short period websites, blogs, and online classifieds have grown astronomically. Print newspapers and magazines are in trouble because income from reduced readership and advertising does not support the cost of printing.

The most powerful marketing tool a real estate agent has to sell a property is the multiple listing service. We all know that when we look for a property for a buyer that we don't pick up a newspaper or even go to CraigsList.com or Realtor.com. Most properties sell because of the buyer's agent finding the property on the MLS.

But, that is not to say that marketing a property isn't effective. It brings attention to it from prospective buyers and also brings the real estate agent and company brand recognition.

Get that listing posted on as many sites as possible. Many agents use a service that does that or their office takes care of it. Take photos of the listing and even videos. Think outside the box. What can you do to encourage people to look at your photo tour that would make it different from the others? What if you took a photo of your bicycle in front of the house and wrote, "This is my bicycle and, by the way, the house behind it is on the bike trail and listed for $0000!" Be a bit creative so people pass info on your listing to others!

Mos importantly.. FIND you own listings on as many sites as possible. Often agents don't search on sites like CraigsList.com and Zillow.com and see their own listing just as a prospective might. You may need to "claim" it as your listing and post a profile.

Then, print the listing out and show it to your sellers. In many cases, sending the sellers a link is effective if they are connected online.
Go to clockhours.com for more information about real estate classes in Washington state!

How Will your Past Clients Find You?

So let's say that one of your past clients wants to list their home. You sold them the house 5 years ago. Because of a job transfer they want to sell the property. You have moved to another real estate company. They have received a calendar and some postcards from you over the past few years. What is the first thing that they would do to find you? Would they look for that calendar? Did they save the postcards? Do they remember what company you work for?

Yes, you guessed it! They would "google" you. Either on their laptop or cell phone, the past clients would look for you on a search engine.

When was the last time you "googled" yourself? Did you show up on the front page of the search? How can you make sure that you have a presence on the internet? How can you do that without spending money on a geek?

Take Natalie's Clockhour class "Get Connected on the Internet!" She is teaching it all over town... Check out her website www.clockhours.com for the dates of her next class.

If it looks like a fish, smells like a fish.. it's a FISH... same for fraud!

For over a half dozen years I have taught classes on Real Estate Scams and Fraud. Agents would fill the classes but there were many that would argue that the "fraud" I was talking about was perfectly legal and being done every day. In one real estate office in Pierce County every agent in class at the time was involved in some aspect of a fraudulent real estate transaction! Not only that, but I went to a class from the Washington State Association of REALTORS and an attorney teaching was condoning all the types of fraud I was warning about! She asked if anyone in class had taken a Fraud Class from my school? Then the attorney proceeded to tell everyone how the information was wrong and that you CAN inflate the sales price on a transation as long as the information is on the blank addendum. I sat there AGAST! There I was almost daily teaching about fraudulent mortgage and real estate transactions while attorneys, loan officers, banks, the news, real estate brokers etc.. were all deciding they didn't want to be left behind when they could make some quick cash... Because... "everybody is doing it!!!"

I spoke at the Washington State Department of Licensing Real Estate Commission meeting back just after the new milennium began about the surge of fraud and they even dismissed it. One broker on the commission said there was "no fraud in his office!" And, I knew actual transactions that were happening with his agents that were totally fraudulent. I did get a section added in the first Core Curriculum on Predatory Lending!

I had no idea that the mortgage industry would take such a drastic tumble... that the real estate market bubble wouldn't pop it would EXPLODE!

I wish that there were more people that contributed to the fraud were prosecuted and sentenced. Today the Seattle Times reported about one case but it is just like what everyone was doing. Why aren't they reporting about dozens of cases being taken to court. Where is all the money that these people made in this "fake" market that was created?

Now, the scams out there surrounding Short Sales are multiplying. They are hurting the banking industry even worse. And, yet, agents tell me... "but at least my listing SOLD!"

Follow your gutt... if it looks like a fish, feels like a fish, smells like a fish... it is a fish.. no matter how hard you try to convince yourself it isn't a fish! The same goes for FRAUD!