Real Estate Marketing Blog

It’s all about them! Five ways to get and keep fans on your Facebook business page

November 11th, 2011 by RealProJulie

Let’s face it: Facebook fans can be picky and self-absorbed. It’s all about them! You want them to “Like” you, and they know it, but how do you get them to press that little blue button? You have to impress them, Intrigue them, indulge them, engage them and keep them coming back for more.

Your potential fans may be surfing the web for new homes and top notch Realtors, or they could just be scrolling through breaking news and funny LOL cat videos when your business page pops up on their radar. Boom! There you are. Are you likeable or not? Remember these five steps to get and keep the Like:

Impress them: 96% of people who visit your biz page will never return. You’ve got one chance to make a good impression. You wouldn’t show up to a first meeting with a potential client wearing your worn-out bathrobe and fuzzy slippers right? (Ok, I’m just assuming you wouldn’t, but I’m not here to judge!) Your Facebook business landing page is a big part of your brand’s persona, so wrap it up in a professionally branded package that’s consistent with the rest of your brand identity. If you don’t already have a Real Pro Systems Facebook Business Page, it’s time to get one (but you knew I was going to say that, didn’t you?)

Intrigue Them: When you ask Fans if you can market to them, they want to know what’s in it for them.  Are you interesting because you sell homes? Of course you are, but there are a lot of Realtors out there. Be memorable.

Think about what makes you interesting to a new fan. Is it your industry experience and knowledge? Your involvement in the local community? Your sense of humor? Your dog? Show us! Post pictures, videos, and links that help your fans get to know you on a personal level.

Yes, you want to keep your business page on the professional side (probably best not to post those lampshade-on-the-head pictures taken at your brother’s birthday party 10 years ago) but there’s nothing wrong with showing your fans your personality, and talking about your life, not just your work. People want to work with real people, not airbrushed headshots with perfect hair who push listings on them all day.

Engage Them: Create content, start a conversation, and get social! The more you interact with your audience, the more relevant you become, and the more they’ll remember you when it’s time to buy or sell their home, or refer a friend. Ask questions to inspire dialogue, and always like your readers’ comments, and respond to them personally. Stay current; check in several times a week. Even spending ten minutes a day on your page will make a big difference in building your Facebook fan community, and your client base.

Indulge Them: Pay attention to your fans, and make them feel special. Spend some time on their pages, liking their content, too. Go the extra mile and find interesting links that are relevant to them, and share it on their pages. Work to establish an active community on your page that supports each other. You don’t have to be everyone’s best friend, just be their best Realtor.

Keep Them Coming Back for More:

Once you’ve gained trust and credibility with your fans, keep talking! Real Pro Systems integrates your website activity into your Facebook wall feed, helping you stay current with your Facebook visitors. Updates and images from your latest blog posts and featured listings are shared automatically, keeping fans informed and up to date. Make sure all your business correspondence includes a “Join us on Facebook” button or page link, and gently remind them to “Like” you. But try not to be too needy! Friends don’t spam friends, so be mindful of how much marketing information you send or push to your fans.

Focus on building real conversations and relationships with your fans, but most importantly, just be yourself (or a slightly better version of yourself!) on Facebook. If you’re a good friend in real life, you can be a good friend online. If your fans appreciate you and remember you on Facebook, they’re more likely to turn into clients when they need help with all things real estate. And they’ll like you in real life, too.

image via www.allwelike.com 

Posted in Agent Marketing, Strategies and Tips | No Comments »

Can Lightning Strike Twice in the Same Spot?

October 25th, 2011 by Caine O'Brien

You know the old saying, “Lightning never strikes the same spot twice.” I must say, I beg to differ.

In our early years, many thought of our support department as consisting of “Kim and Kristi,” where Kim referred to Kim Light. Kim is our Director of Client Care, overseeing a fair sized group of committed professionals, and she was Kristi’s direct manager.

As we recently shared, our hearts were broken as our Client Care colleague Kristi Healy fought her cancer, a fight that she ultimately lost last Sunday. But the unimaginable occurred just about four weeks ago as Kristi’s battle entered its final stages.

Kim Light On Saturday, September 24th, Kim was out hiking in a remote area on a beautiful fall day. She lost her footing and fell down a steep slope, disappearing out of sight. By the time her hiking companion was able to reach her, she was face down, and upon hearing his voice she announced that her back was broken.

After delicately helping her regain a more comfortable position, he hiked up the steep grade, back to the car, and started driving to seek help. After 15 miles he was able to get a cell phone signal and call Life Flight who were engaged on another mission, and would not be able to arrive for over two hours. Leveraging personal connections, he was able to get a National Guard crew to arrive at the site. They lowered a triage team on a line from the hovering helicopter, as there was no possibility of landing on the rugged and steep terrain. The team loaded her onto a stretcher, connected it to a line from the helicopter, and hoisted her up. The helicopter immediately headed for the best hospital in the area.

Kim had indeed broken her back. After surgery to repair the broken vertebrae the next day, she has been very gradually regaining strength, but it has been a very rough road. She is experiencing substantial paralysis, and after four weeks since the accident she is still in the Intensive Care Unit. We expect that some time in the next week or so she will move to a private room.

All of us at Real Pro Systems continue to hope and pray and send our best wishes to Kim for a speedy and full recovery. We are encouraged that she survived a nearly fatal accident and is fully alert and talking. Her injuries are very serious, but no longer life-threatening.

While Kristi’s critical illness was a blow to us, Kim’s accident really felt like the proverbial second lightning strike. What are the odds of two people in the same department being in life-threatening situations at the same time?

Kim is a one-person fighting force if there ever was one, and her absence has left a huge hole. The RPS team has stepped in to do a herculean job making sure nothing falls in the cracks and in that everything keeps moving just as if she and Kristi were with us. But Client Care without Kim or Kristi seems like a non-sequitor at Real Pro Systems.

From her ICU bed, when Kim was only able to whisper her thoughts, she asked the nurse in the ICU to give her ten goals to achieve and write them on a whiteboard within her view. All of us thought upon hearing that, “that’s Kim.” An organizer, a fighter, a doer, determined. To borrow a line from a movie, “Don’t shoot her, you’ll just make her mad.”

Given the severity of Kim’s injuries, no one knows what mobility she will be able to recover as the process will take months. But if anyone has the grit and determination to overcome the odds, it’s Kim. And as a 7+ year veteran with Real Pro Systems, she has all of us pulling for her in every way we can; we have no choice but to assume she will fully recover and rejoin us.

At the recent Real Estate Masters Guild Mastery Workshop in Reno, NV, Sanjeev Aneja spoke about ways to find peace in the midst of turmoil. His first lesson was to start and end each day with gratitude by expressing thanks for five minutes.

We all take so much for granted, including our health, our safety, our food, clothing and shelter. There’s nothing like a couple of lightning bolts to remind us how grateful we should be for all that we enjoy.

Posted in Uncategorized | 5 Comments »

Loss of an RPS Family Member

October 18th, 2011 by Caine O'Brien

In the 8-1/2 year of history of Real Pro Systems, we have never had to collectively deal with the death of a team member.  In general, our employees are a young and vibrant group of people; death seemed beyond us all.  It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Kristi Healy, our beloved Client Care Representative, at the tender age of 37.

Kristi joined Real Pro Systems in July of 2006.  She brought a sunny disposition, a positive attitude, and a willingness to consistently go the extra mile for our clients.  Kristi thrived on solving problems, bending over backward to satisfy even the most unreasonable demands.  She was beloved by her fellow workers as well as the countless REALTORS who loved working with her.  Real Pro Systems consistently received kudos from her clients.

This past spring, Kristi was diagnosed with leukemia and lymphoma.  While often curable, at the time of her diagnosis her disease was already advanced.  Not one to ever give up or utter a discouraging word, Kristi bore the challenge gracefully and as cheerfully as anyone could possibly do.  Despite access to the best care available and the most elaborate procedures known, Kristi’s body succumbed to the overwhelming toll exacted upon it on Sunday, October 16th.  We are in shock, in that we thought she was winning the battle.

We trust that Kristi has found relief from the ravages she endured.  But our sense of disbelief, our sense of loss is profound.  Many of you who worked with Kristi will share in these feelings.  Our employees are carrying on as you would expect them to do, but you can see the pain in the eyes of all.  We didn’t lose a co-worker, we lost a family member.  Kristi, we miss you already; this place just won’t be the same without you.

Our hearts and prayers go out to her husband, two children, and her extended family.

The RPS team is doing all it can to assist Kristi’s family in a time of great need.  If Kristi touched your life and you feel so inclined, donations to help her family may be made here:


Posted in Real Pro Systems News | 30 Comments »

Win Two Free Registrations to Real Estate Masters Guild Mastery Workshop!

October 13th, 2011 by RealProJulie

Make a video and Bring-A-Buddy to Jacksonville!

When you come to Florida for the Real Estate Masters Guild Workshop April 26-28, 2012  bring a buddy! If you could bring a friend for free, who would it be? Tell us in a 1-minute YouTube video and you could win free registration for you and your buddy!  The video with the most Facebook Likes by November 30th will win two free passes to the REMG Jacksonville event.

Your video can be funny, sweet, serious or silly. Get creative, use props, or simply state why you think you and your buddy would benefit from attending this inspiring event.  At REMG Jacksonville, we’re  featuring some of the top real estate producers and mentors in the industry. Your buddy will thank you!  We’ll post all the videos through our social media channels, to help spread the word, and your brand. Here’s a sample to get you started:

I’d Like to Bring Brad Pitt to Jacksonville!

If you need help with your video, please email us at marketing@realprosystems.com and we’ll do our best to talk you through any technical questions about filming or posting to YouTube.

Here’s the fine print: The deadline for submissions is November 15, 2011, and a winner will be selected on November 30, 2011. Winners will receive two tickets to the REMG workshop (worth $997 each) but are responsible for their own transportation to the event and lodging.

Remember to say your name and your company’s name in the video so we can help you promote your business. Keep it clean! We know you will, but we have to reserve the right to say “no thanks” to cross- promoting inappropriate content.

Should you come to REMG Mastery Workshop?  It’s an unparalleled event where you can connect, learn and grow with like-minded agents and brokers.   Our goal is to help you achieve your personal and professional goals in a collaborative environment.  We teach and mentor new and established agents to increase business profitability and personal fulfillment.

The small group setting of REMG Workshops encourages agents to share personal stories of success and failure in a safe, trusted environment.  In addition to the conference sessions, the Workshop includes one-on-one mentoring and the invaluable accountability of a Mastermind group that meets in the months following the conference.

We look forward to seeing you and your buddy in Jacksonville!

Posted in Real Pro Systems News, Travels, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Find Your Place –A Real Estate Conference like No Other

September 12th, 2011 by Tara Sybrant

Real Estate Masters Guild Mastery Workshops are unlike any real estate conference you’ve ever attended- that’s not marketing speak, it is simply the truth.   This semi-annual event brings real estate leaders together in one place to share best practices in real estate and technology, foster accountability through individual mentoring sessions, and create actionable strategies.

The next event, Mastery Workshop V, is right around the corner, October 6-8th, 2011 at the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino in Reno, NV.   Space is limited to 150 seats, by design.  Bigger isn’t always better, and by limiting the size of the Mastery Workshop, the focus is on the attendee, not the conference.  This intimate setting will give you the opportunity to connect with the mentors, presenters and your fellow attendees in a meaningful way.

Don’t take our word for it…

“As much as I loved other conferences, Masters Guild has helped me more in two sessions than all the years I attended the others combined. You are to be commended for putting this great group together.” – Jeanette Holland, Realty World First Coast Realty, Beaufort, NC

“I go to conferences a lot and participate on panels. Your Mastery Workshop was awesome! I got so much out of it and renewed my goals and desire to excel at my business again after a really tough road over the past 2 years in this down market.” -Linda Hall, Fort Mill, SC

Tremendous Value

A typical real estate conference places the onus on the attendee for what they get out of the event, by presenting content from a stage, projecting it on to an audience and whatever they get, they get.  That is usually the end of the story- not at Real Estate Masters Guild Mastery Workshops.  The sessions are interactive and hands-on, and that is just the very beginning.  Each attendee receives a private, one-on-one mentoring session for 30 minutes with the mentor of their choice.  This session alone is a $250 value.

What happens when you go home?  You’re excited about everything you learned and on the plane ride home you’re plotting and planning.  You return to the office and work and life get in the way and things go back to the way they were before your conference.  They don’t have to.  With Real Estate Masters Guild Mastery Workshops you have a post-conference program, meeting monthly for six months by teleconference with your small mastermind group from the event to hold you accountable and ensure your success.

For Mastery Workshop V there is a powerful line-up of speakers including Jana Caudill, Linda Hall, David Burke, Ira Serkes, Linda McLean, Sam Miller, John Morley and many more.   For a full list of speakers & mentors, the agenda and more information on this incredible event, visit www.realestatemastersguild.com.

Register Today!!

 

Posted in Real Pro Systems News | No Comments »

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