The first week of January saw an increased level of activity on the internet, almost a doubling of traffic nationwide. I am about to start driving and training in various parts of the country; I am very happy to announce a new Training I designed; The SEO of Listings - I will hold it for the first time in Charlotte NC this coming Wednesday.
Happy New Year – here is the Wrap up for the past 10 Days.
Search has become a day to day occurrence in almost every aspect of our business and personal lives; think about shopping without the ability to search and review products – nearly impossible right?
Most of us use the Google Search bar to type our search criteria phrases and then review our results – but wait; there is another layer of Search using Operators that can help you dig even deeper – in fact there hundreds of different ways of using Operators to perform Queries but I will focus on a few good ones that experts use all the time; of course I am going to share my favorite ones.
1. Search for an Exact Phrase:
I use this almost daily – if I am seeking a specific phrase from a poem, or in article I type the Search Phrase within “Quotation Marks”. Lets say I am looking for the full poem of Walt Whitman but remember one line of the poem, instead of searching for: I celebrate myself, and sing myself – I perform the same search within Quotation Marks, as in:
“I celebrate myself, and sing myself” (Searches for the specific phrase within the quotation)
Putting search phrases within double quotes get you directly to exact results and eliminates permutations you are not seeking. This is quite useful if performing technical searches, quotation searches, academic papers, testing the indexing of content, but best of all to find out if anyone is scrapping your content – copying your content without your permission.
2. Searching for information within a Specific Website:
Say you are searching for information on a specific Nikon Camera, the D80, within Amazon.com; you can do so by going to Amazon or perform the search in Google by adding the operator site:www.amazon.com as in:
Nikon D80 site:www.amazon.com (Searches for all references of Nikon D80 only within the Amazon.com website)
This is quite useful if you are seeking to find out how many pages within a website have been indexed for a specific keyword or phrase.
Searching for references of books within the Library of Congress would look like this:
Essays of Emerson site:www.loc.gov (would yield results of Emerson’s Essays only in loc.gov)
3. Defining Word and Concepts:
This one is a simple easy to use Operator for finding the definition of words, concepts, or ideas from multiple sources without having to go to a specific website.
Define: Keyword (will give you a list of various definitions for the concept Keyword)
Try it you will be amazed how much you will learn
There are more Operators you can use within your Searches, I picked these three because I like them and use them quite a bit. Remember my motto about Internet Marketing – it is storytelling; if you do not become responsible for your Market Story don’t expect your Real Estate SEO to flourish.
Happy Blogging 
As a Mathematician numbers, statistics, and results matter a lot; rarely do I advance an idea or a report without supporting Statistics. I have a dear friend, George Styron, and he and I discuss Real Estate Trends, Internet Marketing Strategies, and all kind of Real Estate Industry changes; a few days back I shared with him that I saw a major spike in traffic in Real Estate Searches on the Internet. I advised him to make sure that his colleagues were aware of it and not to be complacent; as an anecdote I told him that one of my clients had seen a major surge in their traffic by a factor of nearly two.
George is also a Mathematician and so he said: can you give me some Statistics I can review – and so I went to work…
Methodology: I reviewed the traffic, Unique Visitors, and actual Registration during the past week (December 24 through 30 inclusive or 7 days) and trended it versus the prior 3 weeks (December 3 through 23 inclusive or 21 days.) I compiled these data from 20 websites in various markets in the country large and small.
| Visitors | Searches | Leads | |
| Week 4 | 14,389 | 7,637 | 1,208 |
| 3 Weeks Prior | 31,530 | 15,952 | 2,395 |
| Weekly Average | 10,510 | 5,317 | 798 |
| % Increase | 36.91% | 43.63% | 51.38% |
Raw Traffic not being a significant measure; I focused on more important metrics: primarily Unique Visitors, the Number of Searches Performed, and the Actual number of Lead Registrations.
Analysis: Week 4 from December 24th through yesterday the 30th saw a 51% jump in Leads. Note that Christmas was during that week but the number of Unique Visitors jumped by 37%, from 10,500 on average per week to 14,489. The number of Searches performed also increased as well as the time spent on the Site.
This is the incubation period for consumers and it suggests the following actions on your part the Real Estate Professional:
1. Get Listings – Yes more people will think work with Buyers when they Statistics like this one; I think the opportunity is Listings – Think about it “Buyers buy existing Inventory that someone has listed!”
2. Blog, Blog, and Blog some more – focus your Internet marketing in your localized area and start sharing your expertise market knowledge.
3. Focus and never give up on your Leads – Look to offer them additional solutions. Financing is difficult for many so partner with the right people to offer meaningful solutions.
The Statistics above are just numbers but there are real people behind them; they are looking to work with true Real Estate Professionals; Keep focusing on all aspects of your business and make sure you add Internet Marketing and Real Estate SEO Strategies to your business. I wish you all a Happy New Year filled with love, joy, and prosperity.
Happy Blogging 
In this first blog of the year I will state five (5) ideas that some may view as counter intuitive towards a successful Strategy with your Organic Visibility and SEO. Most Real Estate Professionals have come to embrace that the Internet is an important aspect of their business growth and success, and many keep buying product after product to seemingly try to gain an edge. We have become a gadgetry society and move from website vendor to website vendor. Yes, some vendors are terrible and you must find better solutions, but to focus on this aspect alone is not enough; it is only the beginning of a proper Internet Marketing Strategy.
By the way, did you know that most Real Estate Agents don’t know how to define the term Marketing, let alone Internet Marketing. I place part of the blame on them, but more of it on institutional trainers who are supposedly molding the next crop of Real Estate Professionals with pseudo-classes teaching concepts they don’t understand.
And so, In order to create discomfort and reflection I will state these five (5) ideas without commenting on them. I figure it is the first of the year and reflection and thinking can do us all good; so please ponder these ideas and feel free to comment:
Five Counter-intuitive SEO Ideas:
1. Your attitude and outlook matter more than your technical knowledge.
2. Your habits are more effective than your HTML knowledge.
3. Keywords don’t matter as much as your ability to tell stories.
4. Your website is only a small part of your SEO strategy.
5. Listing Syndication and IDX have hurt you more than helped you.
PS: SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization a common concept that describes organic placement in Search Engines.
I wish all of you a Happy New Year full of prosperity, love, and giving!
Happy Blogging 
When you think about it carefully “Time Management” is an oxymoron; I mean how can you manage time…??? if fact it manages us, it is like a river that flows as we float in its embrace. But many professionals suffer from this real affliction; the desire to complete all of the tasks on their agenda within an allotted time; and this desire keeps going unfulfilled daily.
Real Estate Professionals are more prone to this than say Office Workers because, by nature, their job is talk and help clients. If they tried to box those conversations within a time frame they would fail to take care of their clients; in fact consumers expect instant communication or they will go find someone else – so what is the agent to do to bring some sanity to their lives… I will also add, at the end of this blog, a few reflections of this topic and Internet Marketing.
Let’s Start with Simple Powerful Ideas:
1. Sleep: Oh yeah this is rarely spoken of in Time management Books, but when you are rested your mind is clear; you are able to tackle your day with more vigor, creativity, and alertness.
2. Go to bed early and Wake up early: The heavy lifting of conversations with your clients hits around 10am and drags to about 4pm for the most part. if you time shift your day towards your tasks very early in the morning when you mind is fresh you will perform most of these tasks in half the time. Remember: what keeps you from finishing your to-do list are the necessary conversations with your clients. Try to start your workday at 7:30 or 8am – your business will be transformed.
3. Eat Healthy and drink Water: You are probably dehydrated most of the day… Carry water and do your best to eat healthy.
4. Take 10 minutes to Be: Before your day start “Do Nothing!” – Yes this sound contradictory but these 10 minutes of reflection will focus your mind on the most important Tasks you must accomplish today. (Remember: your daily tasks are driven by your Weekly Goals, which fit with your Monthly Goals, which fit within your Annual Business Plan.)
5. Delegate: Pay another person a fair wage to do repeatable tasks if you start noticing that you cannot get to them on time; or do them yourself – but for God Sake stop complaining that you don’t have enough time to do everything.
6. Read: Yes this one also sound counter intuitive as well but if you do not nourish your mind it will turn to mush… Educate yourself on Business Concepts, Success Stories, etc.… You can do this; you can find 15 minutes a day to read.
7. Weekly Review: You need to wrap up your week, every week, or they will all get jumbled up and months will pass without clarity. This means Goal Assessment, Successes and Failures, Inventory Review, Client Review, and then adjusting for the weeks to come. This is when you find out if it is time to start delegating more tasks. (You may seek the advise of your Broker or of a paid Coach to get your habits aligned with your vision.)
8. Accept that you Have Bad habits: We all have them and that is that. Time Management will not help you stay away from Facebook, or watch 2 hours of TV instead of 6 daily. Acceptance means Serenity; which will hopefully will lead to Moderation.
Let’s Talk Time Management, SEO, and Internet Marketing:
1. Internet Marketing is your job: Most Real Estate Professionals see it a chore; It’s your job. When you take a listing it is your fiduciary duty to create the largest visibility in the marketplace for it. Stop thinking you get paid to place it in the MLS.
2. Internet Marketing has benefits: Those who offer the best marketing of properties get more listings; more Sales, and More Buyers.
3. Review your MLS Stats Weekly: You are in Charge of your Story – Internet Marketing is about Inbound Marketing; this is fundamental to all your Google Visibility.
4. Landing Pages: Create Landing Pages Weekly focusing on your Niche Markets – you must know everything there is to know about your local communities.
5. Blog, Blog, and Blog Some More: I am baffled when I hear agents tell me: “What should I blog about?” – Really, are you kidding me? The New Breed of Internet Marketers understand that it is their job to claim their territory one parcel at the time, one blog at the time, one neighborhood story at the time, one Internet Solution at the time.
Time Management is NOT a Powerful Concept: those who complaint a lot about Time Management are under the illusion that it is their job is to complete everything, which is a fallacy… Passion and Drive trump everything – wouldn’t be fun to end your day with more energy than you started; it is not Time that you must conquer, it is you that you must come to know.
Happy Blogging 
What? Are you Serious?
I sure am… Queen Latifah gave an in interview in Parade Magazine and her ideas and Spirit truly live up to the spirit of succeeding on the Internet. I will attempt to translate that spirit into your Search Engine Visibility and Real Estate SEO. As I read the article I saw so many parallels with her bullet ideas and felt inspired to share them with all of you (translated of course).
. Pre-Resolutions to forward your Vision: Start early and be yourself; by the time everyone agrees with the changes on the internet they are behind… Lead by truly exploring yourself.
. Your Eggs may break: “ My mom raised me not to put all my eggs in one basket.” says Latifah… Internet Marketing is about channel management – are all your blogs in one venue or are you smart enough to Blog Roll?
. Your Success Needs your Hustle: Some call it hard work, some call it Determination… In order to succeed organically with your Real Estate Strategy you must focus on your Niche market and work hard to share the stories of your communities.
. Skepticism in proper doses is healthy: in Other words Ask Questions and learn the fundamentals of Internet Marketing. Some Questions are: Is the person training you on such topics a person with experience? Have they build websites that are organically on Page 1 of Google? are they teaching you substance of Marketing Mirage? Are you Learning SEO, Blogging, Internet Marketing from those in the field or those who read books? Are you mirroring your success from other successful Colleagues? etc…
. Know when you are over your head: If something isn’t working and you have tried it for years you may need to review it. Many latch on to a Web Solutions and try to force it to work for them when deep down they know it’s time to move on… Find an expert and pay for their advise; Let’s call it a check up; and yes get a second opinion… if your website has not worked for you for years you may want to have an honest review.
. Learn to Listen: At times listening can be very powerful; and the best kind is listening to yourself… in those quiet moments that you have to yourself you can start looking at the big picture and do your best planning.
. Be a Pioneer: Don’t be afraid to take chances and forge a new path with your website… you don’t have to do it like everyone else; review websites outside your industry and learn from them and try some of their techniques.
. Love where you are from: Focus on your local market like a laser beam – your motto is: “If it has to do with Real Estate in my Neighborhood, City or Town, it will be in my website.”
. There is Joy in your Backyard: Your Real Estate Sellers are your neighbors and they live in your own backyard – make them happy. Those who commit themselves to help sellers end up getting more buyers; in fact our Sellers need us now more than ever.
. Opportunity may be found in Crisis: You will face business challenges in Real Estate and a lot of competition; but don’t dismay. Use your Internet Marketing and SEO to grow your online visibility and commit yourself to getting to Page One of Google; yes others have already claimed that mantle and you may feel behind right now; but I am here to tell you that I have coached many to find their path and they are now there. So; Educate yourself from the best; define your plan of action; implement your plan; and be patient and resilient.
. Be Honest: Find a group of business colleagues with whom you can share your Challenges and Successes; Commit yourself to giving more than taking – you will be amazed how much you will learn.
. Finally – Be You!!! (No comment from me on this one.)
Yes Internet Marketing and Real Estate SEO are topics mired by many charlatans and wannabes – they have perfected the language of deception and the double speak and lingo of confusion; make sure you don’t fall for that. You can do this by putting together a Plan of Action that is methodical and precise; and stop thinking that you must do it for free – nothing worthwhile is free. Go on a journey of discovery and latch on to the best in the industry and you will start getting the results you seek.
Happy Blogging 
Real Estate Sales are unlike any other field of Sales – the Real Estate Professional must not only manage and close the contracts he or she are working on but also generate the necessary leads to grow their business. Think about it: a Successful Real Estate Professional must focus daily on:
1. Generating Leads
2. Working on existing Leads to turn into potential Contracts
3. Working on the Contracts on hand to turn into closings
4. Managing an array of colleagues, Lawyers, Financing agencies, Regulations, etc…
5. and only make money when all of these line up properly – ouch…
No wonder so many are stressed and develop bad habits… The 5 points above are only a few of all the demands that Agents face day in day out.
The article I am sharing with you has to do with your Brain and your Habits – it is illuminating and so I will share a few bullet points that will help you reduce stress and generate good habits; I would like to read the article when you get a chance – it will really help you get to know yourself a little bit better.
Some Important takeaways:
1. Once you latch on to a good habit Repeat, repeat, repeat the new behavior; try to set a special time for that habit and perform it at the same time.
2. In order to feel good you must raise your dopamine – exercise does that.
3. Don’t always punish yourself – Reward yourself once a week.
4. The Biggest trigger of Bad habits is Stress – give yourself time to breathe…
In all my endeavors one common theme always emerges – those who develop good habits get closer to achieving their goals; and the fields of Internet Marketing and Real Estate SEO are no different.
Happy Blogging 
Full Article By LAURAN NEERGAARD
Uh-oh, the new year’s just begun and already you’re finding it hard to keep those resolutions to junk the junk food, get off the couch or kick smoking. There’s a biological reason a lot of our bad habits are so hard to break — they get wired into our brains.
That’s not an excuse to give up. Understanding how unhealthy behaviors become ingrained has scientists learning some tricks that may help good habits replace the bad.
“Why are bad habits stronger? You’re fighting against the power of an immediate reward,” says Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse and an authority on the brain’s pleasure pathway.
It’s the fudge vs. broccoli choice: Chocolate’s yum factor tends to beat out the knowledge that sticking with veggies brings an eventual reward of lost pounds.
“We all as creatures are hard-wired that way, to give greater value to an immediate reward as opposed to something that’s delayed,” Volkow says.
Just how that bit of happiness turns into a habit involves a pleasure-sensing chemical named dopamine. It conditions the brain to want that reward again and again — reinforcing the connection each time — especially when it gets the right cue from your environment.
People tend to overestimate their ability to resist temptations around them, thus undermining attempts to shed bad habits, says experimental psychologist Loran Nordgren, an assistant professor at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
“People have this self-control hubris, this belief they can handle more than they can,” says Nordgren, who studies the tug-of-war between willpower and temptation.
In one experiment, he measured whether heavy smokers could watch a film that romanticizes the habit — called “Coffee and Cigarettes” — without taking a puff. Upping the ante, they’d be paid according to their level of temptation: Could they hold an unlit cigarette while watching? Keep the pack on the table? Or did they need to leave the pack in another room?
Smokers who’d predicted they could resist a lot of temptation tended to hold the unlit cigarette — and were more likely to light up than those who knew better than to hang onto the pack, says Nordgren. He now is beginning to study how recovering drug addicts deal with real-world temptations.
But temptation can be more insidious than how close at hand the cigarettes are.
Always snack in front of your favorite TV show? A dopamine-rich part of the brain named the striatum memorizes rituals and routines that are linked to getting a particular reward, explains NIDA’s Volkow. Eventually, those environmental cues trigger the striatum to make some behaviors almost automatic.
Even scientists who recognize it can fall prey.
“I don’t like popcorn. But every time I go to the cinema, I have to eat it,” Volkow says. “It’s fascinating.”
Much of what scientists know about dopamine’s role in habit formation comes from the study of alcohol and drug addiction, but it’s a key player in more common habits, too, especially overeating.
In fact, for anything that links an action and a reward, “dopamine is indispensable for the formation of these habits,” Volkow says.
A movement to pay people for behavior changes may exploit that connection, as some companies offer employees outright payments or insurance rebates for adopting better habits.
It’s not clear yet just how well a financial incentive substitutes as a reward. In one experiment, paying smokers at General Electric up to $750 to kick the habit nearly tripled the number who did, says Dr. Kevin Volpp, who directs the Center for Health Incentives at the University of Pennsylvania.
A similar study that dangled dollars for weight loss found no difference — and environmental temptation might help explain the differing results.
It’s getting hard to smoke in public but “every time you walk down the street, there’s lots of sources of high-calorie, tasty, low-cost food,” Volpp says.
However paying for behavior plays out, researchers say there are some steps that may help counter your brain’s hold on bad habits:
_Repeat, repeat, repeat the new behavior — the same routine at the same time of day. Resolved to exercise? Doing it at the same time of the morning, rather than fitting it in haphazardly, makes the striatum recognize the habit so eventually, “if you don’t do it, you feel awful,” says Volkow the neuroscientist, who’s also a passionate runner.
_Exercise itself raises dopamine levels, so eventually your brain will get a feel-good hit even if your muscles protest.
_Reward yourself with something you really desire, Volkow stresses. You exercised all week? Stuck to your diet? Buy a book, a great pair of jeans, or try a fancy restaurant — safer perhaps than a box of cookies because the price inhibits the quantity.
_Stress can reactivate the bad-habit circuitry. “You see people immediately eating in the airport when their flight is canceled,” Volkow points out.
_And cut out the rituals linked to your bad habits. No eating in front of the TV, ever.
“What you want to be thinking about is, `What is it in my environment that is triggering this behavior?’” says Nordgren. “You have to guard yourself against it.”
The blog today will be short but also useful – many who have had a website for many years and a deep Search Engine Index like to know what are their most powerful pages. Wouldn’t be also nice to know which of your indexed pages have the highest visibility for a specific keyword or search phrase?
The Geeks of this world use tools like Google Webmaster Tools and conjure such statistics, but let’s be practical it is cumbersome for most Real Estate Agents; so why not learn a couple of tricks that can help you get some insights:
The way you are going to view these results is by first going to Google.com and typing the Operators I will share with you into the Search Bar and pressing Enter.
[Note: replace the word yourdomain.com with of course your own domain. (it sounds obvious but sometime people forget.]
1. Find your Website Most Powerful Pages: www site:yourdomain.com
Example: if Mike Grumbles wanted to see his region’s website most powerful pages he would go to Google and in the search bar type: www site:withexit.com – the index will reveal something like 430 indexed pages ordered by the currently most powerful pages do appear in the index.
Example: if Steve Manley wanted to do the same thing he would type: www site:mysearchforhomes.com – you get the idea.
2. Find your website Most Powerful Pages related of a specific Keyword: site:yourdomain.com keyword
Example: Let’s take Craig Summerall and let’s say he wanted to find the post powerful pages related to the keyword “Lexington SC Real Estate” in his website; he would type in the Google Search bar: site:lexingtonscrealestateguide.com Lexington sc Real Estate
This could be quite a useful tool if say you wish to find out if Google has indexed you for a specific concept; if Shelia Bennett was trying to find the pages that contain the concept “St Helena Island Homes” in her website she would type: site:exitbeaufort.com St Helena Island Homes
PS: another way of finding exact phrases within your website is to add quotation marks as in: site:withexit.com “Real Estate SEO” – this will show you all the pages that contain the exact phrase “Real Estate SEO” in the website withexit.com and ordered by the most powerful pages.
These two seemingly cryptic ideas will start revealing to you your website construct and effectiveness; of course your website on its own is not enough – it is how it fits in the Google-Sphere that matters the most. When you are working on your Real Estate SEO remember to be deliberate and focused; blog once a week; and continue to learn the fundamentals.
Happy Blogging 
It can be argued that Search Engine Optimization has been the bastion of those lured by easy money and promises or riches beyond the grasp of reality. Yet those who truly understand this field see it differently – it is an avenue that connects Marketing and Search in a holistic way. Many do chase it at the beginning to follow the Mighty Dollar (nothing wrong with that) but a new breed of Marketers are steering it towards building TRUST.
Real Estate Transactions and TRUST are more important now than ever before – the consumer is skittish and less trusting. They are scared to talk to us and we deserve some of the blame! What is worse the Real Estate Industry has been leaning heavily on Buyers when it comes to the Internet – Sellers are for the most part forgotten; We MUST change that…
Let’s learn to build TRUST – Not a Sale; Let’s go for TRUST!!!
One of my Mentors and Inspirational Writers is John C. Maxwell and I read him often; let’s look at a few of his ideas on Trust:
1. Real Estate is a Personal Endeavor – Customers MUST Trust you if you are to have a long career.
2. When you are Trusted people are saying the following about you: You are Accountable, Predictable, and Reliable.
3. You build Trust daily; One activity at the Time; One person at the Time.
4. Trust is eroded when: Promises are broken; Gossip Flourishes; Information is Withheld; and plain Lying becomes a way of doing business.
Let’s look how you can use TRUST within your Real Estate SEO Strategy:
Time: Take the Time to Listen to your customers and tailor your website to their needs – do include your Sellers; in fact they are at times more important – aren’t they after all our neighbors.
Respect: Stop the trickery of requiring users to register before they can search your IDX feed; Delayed Registration is ok but required registration to download information is passé. The SEO part of this is simple – if consumers are blocked by a registration form – so are Web Crawlers… Think about it.
Undeterred Commitment: Your day to day approach to Trust with Customers is focused and unyielding; Offer Content regularly to your website; Blog, Blog, Blog…
Sensitivity: Humanize your Website with Videos not for the sake of SEO but so others can know who you are and your values.
Touch: Encourage those around you to do better; they will in turn encourage you to reach another level… Add personal touch of thoughtful 1-click Searches that help both your Buyers and Sellers to understand their communities. (SEO is about 1-Click Searches…)
My final thought is simple – Never worry about SEO or Internet Marketing to generate leads, focus on Trust and Authenticity and your business will flourish.
Happy Blogging 
Those of you who follow this ongoing Blog Discussion know that we are focused on how to create the right habits, circumstances, and tools to create Internet Visibility that is both Organic and Leads Conversion Friendly. This important Marketing Exercise has been reduced to the term SEO or Search Engine Optimization – and is paralleled with the desire to be on Google without having to pay for it; a Silly Concept few understand. A Proper Internet Marketing Strategy is not about saving money – it is about helping your Consumers reach their Goals.
Reducing your Internet Strategy to creating Leads is always short term, expensive, and lacking of vision… it must be driven by Passion, Solutions, and the desire to help Real Estate Sellers… Let’s look at the Biggest Mistake Real Estate Brokers and Agents commit when pursuing SEO.
Targeting Too Many Keywords
Let me be frank I hate the word “Keyword”; I know what it means but it has been used to confused more than help. There are underground marketers who keep tailoring their websites and SEO to attract the latest sucker by promising how to make money on the internet; You are not in that businesses so get rid of that mindset. Your business is Real Estate and if you work in Franklin Tennessee – your Top Keywords are simple: Franklin TN Real Estate; Franklin TN Homes for Sale, etc… Your Secondary Keywords are Franklin TN Land for Sale; Franklin TN Foreclosures; Franklin TN Condos for Sale; etc… you get the picture.
I meet lots of agents who are nowhere to be seen on the internet, they read a book on Search Engine Optimization, start understanding the ramifications of Internet Marketing and their Business; and then decide to pursue every Key word under the Sun… So, so wrong…
The moment you use SEO to try to get Everything – you get Nothing!!!
So what is a thoughtful Real Estate Agent to do:
1. Focus on your Niche Markets – Neighborhoods, Communities, and Subdivisions.
2. Eat the Elephant of SEO one bite at the time – don’t go for all the keywords at once; get to page 1 for your most localized market and then build on that.
3. Don’t Stop prospecting thinking that the internet will do it for you; use the internet to enhance your prospecting.
4. Know your Niche Marketing Inventory and blog about the trends in that “Niche” market.
5. Blog and focus your Blog on only one (1) Niche Market until you become the top go-to Realtor in it; then open up other Niche Markets.
PS: Make sure your localized Niche Markets have activity – this may sound silly but if you were to focus on “Land for Sale” in a state like North Carolina with little turnover and little financing you may end up getting 100% of Zero Transactions – which is the same as getting Nothing.
Real Estate SEO and Internet Marketing are not hard to comprehend if you are able to set aside your ego, and your needs… Stay Focused, Offer unmatched Service, and work hard to earn your Reputation!
Happy Blogging 
The idea that a Real Estate Agent will make more money with one Franchise versus another is at best misguided… In fact any agent who is seduced by it is looking at the beauty of the brand Skin Deep… You must go to the core of the Brand or Real Estate Agency and conjure its values and Business Processes.
This blog is not about whether a particular brand is better than any other; the nature of the competitive landscape of Real Estate gets them closer to one another when it comes to compensation or so-called Split; the question I ask: “Is the bottom line for the Full Time Professional Compensation?” – I argue Not.
New Agents make the mistake of chasing the highest split and forget the potential for access to Transactions; Expertise, and Market Presence…
So how does an established REALTOR chase the best deal for her career? (I offer a few thoughts…)
[If you are new agent find an established shop in your town and soak up the experience – once a real estate professional closes 40 to 50 transactions they truly start seeing the Business with new set of eyes… ]
1. The most important investigation a Real Estate Agent must make before moving from a brand to another is to know themselves. Know your Strengths and know your Weaknesses. You want the prospective brand to enhance your Strengths through Market Visibility, Proven Tools and Training, and added Transactions.
2. No brand can make your weaknesses disappear – if you have bad habits you will have them wherever you go; don’t be seduced by those who promise to make them go away. In fact don’t even worry about them; these chronic bad habits or weaknesses are there because you tolerate them; so in a sense you want them to stick around. Only you can make a difference in that realm…
in Other Words: The Brand you wish to work for must enhance your Strengths NOT eliminate your Weaknesses.
3. Look for Environment more than Split. Success is driven by those we associate with and from an inner drive that transcends all challenges. Getting a high compensation is a logical step for you – but those who focus on it exclusively miss the forest for the trees.
4. Look for Vision and Commitment. These are in fact very easy concept to conjure – talk to other agents within the prospective company and listen to them; its not the testimonials they share that matter; it is the intangibles of day to day inner working that illuminate.
5. This last one is controversial for most agents – instead of looking for what is best for you; look how your addition to a prospective brokerage will be a contribution to them; ask yourself: Can I help this Brokerage be more successful? What can I bring to the team that will enhance the customer experience? what is a fair split to me and to my brokerage? I recognize that many brokers will think that these questions are never asked by agents; they see them as selfish always worried and #1 (Me, Myself, and I.)
I believe that there is a new breed of connected professionals who understand these ideas; they wish to not only make a career of Real Estate but be a contribution to Society. We must build brokerages that invite them into the fold and pay them a fair compensation- one that benefits them, but mostly benefits the communities we live in.
Book Recommendation: “Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us” – by Daniel Pink
Happy Blogging 
Key Same Recents Posts on KeySeoBlog.com:
- Look beyond the Split – Forge a Career
- The SEO of Listings and How to build your Real Estate Inventory using the Internet in Charlotte NC
- Top Mistake Real Estate Agents Commit with their SEO
- Use SEO and Internet Marketing to Build Trust
- Finding your Pages SEO Mojo
- You are wired for Good Habits
- Queen Latifah can teach you the habits of SEO
- Time Management and Internet Marketing
- Five Counter Intuitive SEO Ideas
- Real Estate Internet Traffic Surges in the last week of December
- Google fun Search Operators
Real Estate Internet Marketing, Real Estate SEO, Google Marketing Trainings, Real Estate Websites, Real Estate Trainings, Real Estate Websites
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– Key Yessaad
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