10 Reasons to Have a FaceBook Business Page

February 8th, 2013
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FacebooklogopicAre you using your personal FaceBook profile to “friend” business associates? This may not be the best strategy to market yourself as a real estate agent on FaceBook. Since personal accounts require “friending”, you are limiting yourself to people who want to be FaceBook friends. One of your marketing goals should be to reach new customers, and they will surely not request to be your friend. FaceBook business pages are the solution. Below are 10 reasons to have a FaceBook business page as a real estate professional.

1. Maintain a Professional Image – Your business profile picture is separate from your personal one.

2. Unlimited Followers – Personal accounts have a limitation on the number of friends. With business pages, you can have an unlimited number of followers. You obtain followers when they “like” your page.

3. No Approval Needed – With personal accounts, you must approve someone to be your friend. With business pages, you do not need to approve followers.

4. Follower Privacy – Followers do not share their personal information with you but will see what you post on your business page in their newsfeed. By allowing them to maintain their privacy, you are more likely to get followers than friends.

5. Search Engine Placement – Make your business page public so it can be crawled and ranked by search engines.

6. Grow Your Fan Base – You can promote your fan base on other websites and encourage new customers to become followers.

7. Multiple Page Admins – Your page can be managed by multiple people. This works great for a team and allows all team members to promote the same business page.

8. Business Information – Provide business-oriented info (hours of operation, company website, description, etc) in a dedicated section.

9. Multiple Pages – You can create multiple business pages, each dedicated to a particular product or service. For example, you may have a page geared towards commercial real estate and another for residential (since customers interested in one may not be interested in the other). Your posts on each page can be more targeted to each topic and therefore more relevant to your followers.

10. FaceBook Searches – Many people search on FaceBook much like they do on Google and other search engines. A business page allows you to target particular keywords and get displayed in search results.

For help creating a FaceBook business page, contact Lanergy Solutions!

Tech Tips ,

Real Estate Provisions in “Fiscal Cliff” Bill

January 2nd, 2013
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NAR Issue Brief
Real Estate Provisions in “Fiscal Cliff” Bill

On January 1, 2013 the Senate and House passed H.R. 8, legislation to avert the “fiscal cliff,” the bill will be signed by President Barack Obama on January 2, 2013.  Below are a summary of real estate related provisions in the bill.

Real Estate Tax Extenders

  • Mortgage Cancellation Relief is extended for one year to January 1, 2014
  • Deduction for Mortgage Insurance Premiums for filers making below $110,000 is extended through 2013 and made retroactive to cover 2012
  • Leasehold Improvements: the 15 year straight-line cost recovery for qualified leasehold improvements on commercial properties is extended through 2013 and made retroactive to cover 2012.
  • Energy Efficiency Tax Credit: the 10% tax credit (up to $500) for homeowners for energy efficiency improvements to existing homes is extended through 2013 and made retroactive to cover 2012.

Return of the “Pease” limitations on itemized deductions for high income filers.

Under the agreement so called “Pease Limitations” that reduce the value of itemized deductions are permanently repealed for most taxpayers but will be reinstituted for high income filers.

“Pease” limitations will only apply to individuals earning more than $250,000 and joint filers earning above $300,000. The thresholds are indexed for inflation so will rise over time.

Under the formula, filers gradually lose the value of their total itemized deductions up to a total of a 20% reduction.

First enacted in 1990, and named for the Ohio Congressman Don Pease who came up with the idea, the limitations continued throughout the Clinton years. The limitations were gradually phased out starting in 2003 and were completely eliminated in 2010-2012. NAR has never had an official position on Pease limitations. The reinstitution of these limits has far less impact on the mortgage interest deduction than a hard dollar deduction cap, percentage deduction cap, or reduction of the amount of MID that can be claimed.

Capital Gains

Capital Gains rate stays at 15% for those the top rate of $400,000 individual and $450,000 joint return. After that, any gains above those amounts will be taxed at 20%. The 250/500k exclusion for sale of principle residence remains in place.
Estate Tax

The first $5 million dollars in individual estates and $10 million for family estates are now exempted from the estate tax. After that the rate will be 40 percent, up from 35 percent. The exemption amounts are indexed for inflation.

Education, Marketing Tips, Resources

Real Estate – the process explained

December 4th, 2012
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Real Estate – the process explained

If you’ve landed here from an article, through a recommendation or by a random stroke of luck, you’re probably wondering what dotloop is all about.

That’s why we’ve taken the time to draw it out for you.

You see, dotloop is a unique solution with a unique proposition. More than just aiding in the process, we’re fundamentally changing the way real estate transactions take place.

“So, you’re a transaction management system?”

Not exactly.

“An e-Signature solution?”

Not quite.

dotloop eliminates the paperwork in real estate transactions, provides a streamlined process and allows agents to spend more time better serving their clients. But it’s more than just a place to keep your transactions organized.

It’s a place to keep the documents, see the process in action and do the work.

It’s a place to fundamentally change the way you get a deal done. So no more bouncing around from system to system, no more leaving clients stranded in the process.

Just real estate, plain and simple.

At dotloop, we know that real estate technology doesn’t have to be segmented, broken and inefficient.

Watch the video above for a walk-through of the dotloop difference.

Published on December 4, 2012

Education, Marketing Tips, Resources, Tech Tips, Technology

FaceBook Page Names Can Increase Your Exposure

November 13th, 2012
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When creating a business page on FaceBook, give careful thought to the title of page. FaceBook page names can increase your exposure when done properly. Below are some tips and examples that may help.

Keywords Are Critical

You of course want your name to appear on your FaceBook business page, but think about how you spell it and any special characters that yo use. If you use an unusual spelling, you may not be easily found by customers.

Example 1: John ‘n Alex Real Estate

Customers will find you when searching for “John ‘n Alex” or “John ‘n Alex Real Estate”. However, people are not likely to put ‘n in their search, so it’s best not to use that unusual spelling. Instead, spell out “and” or use and ampersand “&”.

Example 2: John Doe & Associates

Customers may find you when searching for “John Doe” or “John Doe & Associates”. However, using this alone may not help you reach any new clients. Both examples 1 and 2 are very specific to your name or team but offers little for general search terms.

Example 3: Portsmouth NH Realtors, Jane Doe & Associates

This is a much better page name. Not only does it allow your existing clients to find you, but it also targets new customers who may search for “Portsmouth NH Realtors”. Your page name should include keywords for your industry, market area, and professional name.

FaceBook Page Names Can Increase Your Exposure

By putting some extra thought into keywords and spelling, FaceBook page names can increase your exposure. You can reach both existing clients and new ones. You can change the page name under the basic information section of the page settings. Most of the time, you can freely change the page name. However, in some rare cases, page names are restricted by FaceBook.

Social Media for Realtors

Using Google Places for Free Marketing Exposure Online

November 6th, 2012
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When customers search on Google for real estate agents in a city or town, Google often displays a list and map of agents. This function is from Google Places and gives real estate professionals that register an automatic advantage!

Using Google Places for Free Marketing Exposure Online

Not only is Google Places a free service, but it truly helps your business stand out. You can list your website, areas of practice (i.e. residential, commercial, short sales), service areas, and other useful information. Google automatically displays your location on a map. Best of all, this appears at the top of the results page above regular search results. Your real estate office may have already registered, but you can register separately as a real estate agent based on your service area.

Things to Keep In Mind

For real estate agents and other professionals working from home, you may use your home address and “hide” the actual street address from public display (by designating it as a service area). A physical address is still needed for registration, but it does not have to be made public. This is a great way to get direct exposure on Google aside from any exposure that your office may be receiving.

How to Register for Google Places

Please keep in mind that registering for Google Places will not take effect immediately. Google performs a physical address verification before displaying you in the list. This keeps people honest! Here are the overall steps:

  1. Visit www.google.com/placesforbusiness and log in with your Google username and password. If you do not have one, you can create one for free.
  2. Fill out the form with all of the required information. You will be able to specify that you work in real estate.
  3. Google will send a letter to the mailing address that you provide. The letter will include a PIN.
  4. Upon receipt of the PIN, follow instructions in the letter to verify your address and complete your registration.
  5. You will then be listed in Google Places and start appearing in search results.

Using Google Places for free marketing exposure online is a smart way to promote yourself as a real estate agent.

Marketing Tips

Reasons Why People Fail At Blogging

November 2nd, 2012
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Websites that are not frequently updated have a difficult time competing online with those that do. Having an updated and continually growing website is critical to good search engine ranking. Blogging is a way to get better search engine ranking AND continually provide value to your followers. So why are more real estate agents not doing this? First, they may not have a website that allows them to easily add content (i.e. a WordPress platform). For those that do have blogging capability, there are 5 major reasons why people fail at blogging. Read below for tips on overcoming some of those challenges.

Reasons Why People Fail At Blogging

1. Trouble Starting

You may not know where to even begin with blogging. You all in-depth knowledge of the real estate industry based on your everyday experience, but getting those thoughts onto paper and in an organized form can be challenging. It is important to take it one tidbit at a time. If you want to write about the buying process, instead of creating one really long blog that includes every step, try creating shorter blogs each on just a particular step. By taking a more focused approach, it will be easier for you to gather your thoughts.

2. Challenged With Writing

Your website is a reflection of your as a real estate professional. It takes time to write a good blog that flows well, has the proper structure, and includes the right content focus. Your blog must not be too long OR too short. There are also keywords and Search Engine Optimization (SEO) to understand. You can provide great content, but if it is not written properly, then you may not get found on search engines. Think back to high school and college papers and use those concepts. Every blog should have an opening paragraph, at least one detail paragraph, and then a closing paragraph. Stay tuned for our future blog on this site for more advice on writing structure on SEO.

3. Lack of Time

If you struggle with number 1 and 2 above, then you may find blogging extremely time consuming. Anything worthwhile takes time. However, human nature leads us to naturally avoid time consuming activities. Schedule a specific amount of time each week to dedicate to blogging and focus on very specific topics (per #1 above).

4. Lack of Consistency

Like most marketing activities, you muse be consistent to reap the benefits. Many real estate agents start out strong but then lose momentum. A few blogs may not get you the exposure you desire, but a lot of blogs built up over time can gain a dedicated following and generate a lot of traffic to your website. Instead of trying to spend hours each week and tiring yourself out, try just one blog per week. If you can keep that schedule each week, you will benefit in the long run.

5. Giving Up Too Soon

It is normal to expect immediate results from anything that you do. However, all Internet marketing activities take time and consistency. The long term benefits can be great if you continue to add content to your website over time. Unfortunately, most give up too soon to reap the rewards. Start off at a pace you are comfortable with and can maintain long-term. You will find yourself less stressed out and more successful in the long run.

An Easier Way to Blog and Succeed

Blogging is a necessary marketing activity for any real estate agent wanting to reach new customers online or stay connected with past customers. If you find yourself facing the challenges above, Lanergy Solutions can help! We write blogs for real estate agents! Our system is actually quite simple. You select topics from a list and automatically receive unique, search engine optimized, and fully formatted blogs for placement on your website. It literally takes seconds. If you are looking for a topic that’s not on our list, simply request one. We can act as your ghost-writer!

Our Build-a-Blog PLUS tool can provide 4 blogs per month for just $19.99! Click here to learn more. With the services provided by Lanergy Solutions, you can overcome the reasons why people fail and blogging and create a plan for success!

Marketing Tips

2012 NHAR Annual Convention |Portsmouth NH

July 26th, 2012
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2012 NHAR Annual Convention

It’s convention time… well maybe not just yet but soon! If you haven’t signed up to attend the convention, all you need to do is click this link and spend a few minutes answering a few questions  and just like magic you’ll be registered!  Sign Up here >>>  NHAR Annual Convention On Line Registration

This years convention is being held in Portsmouth NH and will be totally awesome! Those that attended last year raved about it…so don’t be left behind this year!  Imagine having Education, Networking and Fun Events all in a wonderful historic location!

Don’t miss it! For highlights and tentative program changes please watch this brief video!

See you at convention!

Convention, Education, REALTOR Association , , , ,

Congress passes 5-year national flood insurance program extension

June 30th, 2012
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On June 29, 2012, both the Senate and House passed the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 as a part of H.R. 4348, the Surface Transportation Conference Report.  The President will sign the measure in a few days.  This is the culmination of a successful multi-year REALTOR campaign and a final push at NAR’s Midyear Legislative Rally and Meetings in May 2012.  Congress had been extending the National Flood Insurance Program a few months at a time since 2008.  Twice this led to shut downs, including one that stalled more than 40,000 home sales in June 2010 alone.  Passage of this 5-year reauthorization will bring certainty to real estate transactions in more than 21,000 communities nationwide where flood insurance is required for a mortgage.  The bill ensures the program will continue long-term for more than 5.6 million business- and homeowners who rely on it, achieves one of NAR’s top priorities for the year, and means taxpayers will spend less on federal assistance for flood disasters over the long run.  NAR will continue to monitor the legislation as it is implemented.

Education, Resources

New septic replacement law

June 29th, 2012
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Video “Crossfire” Part 3: Top 10 Things NOT to Put on a Listing Sheet or Tell a Prospective Buyer

June 25th, 2012
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