CyberhomesBlog.com

Intro to Social Media for Title Reps

Reggie — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:03:23 +0000

Recently I gave a presentation to a group of progressive title representatives and here is the training video recap. This session was one hour and covered Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Please let me know if you have any comments in this thread.

the player will be placed here

Podcast: Facebook Connect for Your Business

Reggie — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 19:13:00 +0000

Today over at Jeremiah Owyang blog I learned of a new Podcast that Aaron Stout of Powered created. He invited folks like Brian Morrissey, Susan Getgood and Jeremiah to converse around Facebook for business and specifically how Facebook connect can help with engagement, registration and traffic! The podcast is great and I suggest you take a minute to listen.

Stay compliant with AgentPro247.com & Loan247.com

Reggie — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:20:02 +0000

I’ve been hearing a lot of chatter around Commissioner Poizner and the Department of Insurance. It’s clear they have been getting serious about compliance to the SB133 legislation—which basically states that no items of value may be given to real estate professionals. Recently a few people have been fined for illegal title marketing practices.

Now I’m not going to get into what’s allowed and not allowed, but I do understand that many real estate professionals are left totally confused on where to turn! For years agents have been able to tap their title company for sophisticated property profiles including transaction history, nearby neighbors, comps and tons of other marketing tools. That all stopped in California at the beginning of this year.

The Solution
Don’t fret, the same data you’ve been getting from your title company is now available via two websites: AgentPro247.com and LoanPro247.com.

With AgentPro247.com you can pull:

1. Complete Property Profiles (50 for $20/month)

Customize with your Photo, Logo, etc.
Transaction History with Mortgage and Foreclosure data
Intelligent Sales Comparable
Foreclosure Activity Report
Aerial search and print functions

2. Foreclosure Lists

3. ARM Reset Leads – Short Sale Candidates

Initial interest rate and Change Date
Index & Margin

With Loan247.com you can pull:

1. Confirm Ownership

2. Determine Open Loans

3. Review recorded documents

4. Detect foreclosure activity

5. Complete Property Profiles

Transaction History with Mortgage and Foreclosure data
Transaction History with Mortgage and Foreclosure data
Intelligent Sales Comparable
Foreclosure Activity Report

6. Foreclosure Lists

7. ARM Reset Leads – Short Sale Candidates

Initial interest rate and Change Date
Index & Margin

Watch this video for more information

Visit the FAQ’s if you have questions like:

What does the Short Sale report look like?

What does the Rate Rider report look like?

What does the Mortgage Leads report look like?

What does the Profile look like?

Facebook Business Essentials – Webinar Recap

Reggie — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 22:19:58 +0000

This morning we had a webinar covering Facebook Business Essentials and this post is a recap. We covered a lot of ground and promised that we would compile links, slides and video for your review.

If you haven’t connected with us yet, you’ll find us here:
Cyberhomes Fan Page
Connect with Reggie
Connect with NikNik

Here are the PowerPoint slides

Here is the video recap. We had a little problem with the recording, you’ll notice it cuts in about 5 minutes after the presentation started. If you don’t see the player below, you may need to install Microsoft silverlight.

the player will be placed here

Setup Custom Username for your profile or page.

From your profile, select Settings (under status updates). Now select automatically import activity. You’ll notice you can add the various usernames from your favorite social media sites. Examples include:

Picasa
Yelp
Google Reader
Last.fm
Pandora
Flickr
Digg
Delicious
YouTube
Blog/RSS

Video Camera Recommended: Logitech 9000

Facebook Profile Application covered:

Some Facebook Fan Pages we like:

Facebook Page Applications:

Check out your Facebook Insights

Cyberhomes Market Forecast: Helping Predict Future Real Estate Trends

Reggie — Fri, 29 May 2009 16:00:59 +0000

For anyone with a vested interest in real estate, we have some exciting news about the first ever consumer report to help predict future real estate trends in a local market by analyzing key information such as credit information, loan repayment data, delinquencies and foreclosures.

Using the proprietary data and analytics from LPS Applied Analytics, Cyberhomes Market Forecast is available for millions of properties and thousands of neighborhoods around the United States. Users can simply search for a property address or neighborhood on Cyberhomes, and we will show them whether their market is expected to increase in value, decline in value or remain neutral over the next year, based on the data used.

Anyone looking to delve deeper into the results can purchase a summary report for a special introductory price of only $3.99. For those seeking professional-level, rich analysis, a full-scale report showing all of the details will be available for an introductory price of $9.99. Here is what the reports include:

The Cyberhomes Market Forecast Summary:

Overview of the local market direction
Historical and future projections of distressed, foreclosure and REO properties in the area
Estimated change in value for the neighborhood and the subject property over 12 months
Detailed loan and assessment information, including assessor market value, the loan-to-value ratio, tax delinquency status and more

The complete Cyberhomes Market Forecast Report:

A 24-month value forecast
Local foreclosure trends and timelines
Mortgage delinquency and loan deterioration trends
Historical median sales price vs. volume trends
Neighborhood lending and sales statistics
Average area credit scores
Local percentages of distressed homes compared to state and national levels
Average local discounts on bank-owned properties
Risk from exotic loan types in the neighborhood and more

Cyberhomes Announces New Foreclosures Report

Reggie — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 13:53:03 +0000

Today we’re announcing the release of our new Foreclosure Report, aimed at providing detailed explanation to the Foreclosure process while also sharing local resources, listings and actionable advice.

These articles and expert resources have never been more imperative. According to the Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago, nearly half of delinquent borrowers didn’t contact their lender because they didn’t know the lender might be helpful. About a third feared the lender would foreclose faster. This misinformation is extremely concerning, and demonstrates the need for a concrete source of information and advice.

Also included in the report is a section for real estate investors, focused on highlighting the many hurdles involved in buying a distressed or foreclosed property.

Listen to this my interview with Janine Sieja, Editor for Cyberhomes.com

Other highlights of the Foreclosure Report include:

A foreclosure timeline detailing each step of the foreclosure process, and what action is recommended for each particular stage going forward.
Real life stories from distressed homeowners who have saved their properties, and those who are currently in the foreclosure process.
Compelling galleries of markets and neighborhoods that have been hit hardest by the surge and special reports on those areas that are thriving.
An interactive map to find local foreclosure assistance.
Advice to homeowners on the right loan modification to consider and how to avoid mortgage rescue scams.
A glossary of foreclosure terms and definitions to help make sense of what consumers may be reading online, hearing from their lenders or receiving in the mail.
Nationwide database of for-sale listings of foreclosed homes, searchable by zip code or neighborhood.

If you would like to join with Cyberhomes to help Americans confront foreclosure, add this badge to your website. Together we can make a difference!

Foreclosure Help from Cyberhomes

Copy this embed code. It’s works just like YouTube or any other embed code.

Foreclosure Help from Cyberhomes

Facebook Marketing Resources

Reggie — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 20:55:22 +0000

Below you’ll find the video recording and PowerPoint from yesterday’s webinar. With the homepage design changes that were applied shortly after the webinar, some screens have changed dramatically. I’ll post a follow up resource to address those changes.

Introduction to Real Estate Marketing in Facebook

Seven Steps to Highly Effective Marketing – Video Recap

Reggie — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 15:38:06 +0000

If you missed last weeks Webinair on Seven Steps to Highly Effective Marketing, we’ve added the video below for your convenience.

3 Real Estate Mantras to Live by for 2009

Reggie — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 21:20:13 +0000

2009 brings with it a number of potential marketing challenges starting with the economy, but also including the evolving online consumer. Will you continue marketing the same way as years past, or will you be applying a new approach? The correct answer is probably a hybrid of the two. Here are 3 mantras for 2009:

Know Your Clients, Know Your Clients, Know Your Clients…

If you understand the type of client you want to attract, creating marketing activities to reach them will prove much easier! Learn specifics like how and when they like to communicate, and more general things like common challenges and topic interests. Also understand that we are all getting better at spotting a marketer, your challenge will be not over selling yourself…without missing an opportunity.

Be Visible, Be Visible, Be Visible…

Offline
Let’s start with offline marketing first; focus your message on what the consumer wants to hear about. Given the current turmoil with the US housing market most homeowners are paying close attention to their home value and other key market indicators. As a result, many “Cyberhomes Neighborhood Expert” members have started sending our dynamically generated direct mail pieces to their sphere. These postcard and flyers include the homeowners estimated value trend or a local market statistics table.

It may also prove useful to create an offline educational event. This would give you a chance to invite members from your community into a staged atmosphere. In regards to format, it can be a presentation from you, from a panel or to increase participation try a roundtable.

Online
In regards to the online space, visibility can be much harder. I’m going to break this out into CATEGORIES:

Website/Blog: To start you MUST have a home base! A place for you to hang your bio/contact info, the IDX search, and all those other resources you share.
Social Media: Rather than having an account at every social network and rarely using any of them, I would suggest that you create accounts on the best traffic networks for your typical client and then actively participate. If you’re not sure where to jump in, take a look at Robert Scoble’s Social Media Starfish for some examples.
National Search: Many consumers start searching on national sites because access to the data is so robust. Why not put your brand in front of consumer searching your area. Neighborhood Expert members display a 728 x 90 banner add at the top of Cyberhomes in the zip code of their choice.
Guest Blog: Take advantage of other complementary communities. Try guest posting, but remember add value via your post. What I mean is don’t create a post about yourself or your business and hope others will share it! Instead create a post that tackles a real issue or talks about something the blog audience cares about.

Be Consistent, Be Consistent, Be Consistent…

Today’s visibility can be gone tomorrow if you’re not constant with your activities. For example, if you’re mailing postcards, look forward over the year. Does the size of your distribution list make sense given your yearly print marketing budget?

With respect to your online activities, it will likely become a time issue. The online world really seems to suck the time away. I recommend a staggered approach in which you allocate a little time each day to keep up with your online networks.

5 Social New Years Resolutions

Reggie — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 21:33:14 +0000

With the end of 2008 quickly approaching, I’m reminded it’s time for making New Year’s resolutions. Each year we have an opportunity to look back and at our lives and see what, if anything, we would do different in the coming year. I have a hunch that many real estate professionals may be thinking about the changing marketplace; and how to adapt their business accordingly. With that in mind, I thought I’d share 5 “Social” New Year’s resolution suggestions:

1. Include Social Media In Your Marketing Plan
Hopefully each year you take the time to create a marketing plan for your business…in 2009 try adding a social media spin! Develop new ideas using new mediums…track the results and see what works. This isn’t going to be the same for everyone, and you should always start with your goals and interests in mind. Some real estate agents will use social media to monitor their brand, others to connect with past customers.

2. Don’t Use the Hard Sell Online
New users of social media may be overtaken by the frequent access to new contacts. Even mistaking a new social network friend as a sales lead. Instead focus on providing value, possibly offering solutions to the problems your audience is facing. But remember it’s important to be the same person you are online that you are offline. You will be judged by your actions and friends, just like in the offline world.

3. Build Your Online Community
Both Open Social and Facebook Connect now allow users to make their profiles portable which means next year will be huge for niche communities. You can create or expand your own online community by integrating with either option-then connect with your visitors on a new level.

4. Bring Your Community Offline
Learn new ways to bridge the gap between your online and offline communities. Host a seminar, round table, or photo walk, and then use your blog and sites like Meetup, Facebook or Flickr to manage and communicate with your community.

5. Low Maintenance Syndication Strategy
Listing syndication was a hot topic in 2008 and will continue in 2009. Although I can’t help but notice that a few of the syndication strategies I’ve seen are way too complicated. Instead create relationships with the vendors that can get your listing the proper exposure–in an automated fashion. For example, by partnering with Cyberhomes each of your listings can have increased exposure on Cyberhomes.com directly from its original source…the MLS. The listing can also be automatically displayed on the AOL Real Estate, Google and Yahoo.