Friday, September 9, 2011
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
DON'T MISS THESE EVENTS
Mark your calendars for two important events next week.
Sales meeting Tues 9/13 9:30 4th floor. Have lots to cover including a way to get more sales.
2. LeadStreet workshop Thur 9/15 9:30-12:30 4th floor. We have a consultant that will be conducting the hands on workshop that is considered a “LeadStreet
Guru” that will not only show you how to properly set up your profile to maximize the number of leads you get, but also how to use LeadStreet in your listing
presentations, etc. Bring your laptops.
Don’t miss either one!!
Sales meeting Tues 9/13 9:30 4th floor. Have lots to cover including a way to get more sales.
2. LeadStreet workshop Thur 9/15 9:30-12:30 4th floor. We have a consultant that will be conducting the hands on workshop that is considered a “LeadStreet
Guru” that will not only show you how to properly set up your profile to maximize the number of leads you get, but also how to use LeadStreet in your listing
presentations, etc. Bring your laptops.
Don’t miss either one!!
Thursday, July 14, 2011
General Warranty Deeds versus Limited Warranty Deeds
Morris|Hardwick|Schneider
General Warranty Deeds versus Limited Warranty Deed
REO sales are a major part of the current real estate market. Most REO sellers require that the buyer sign a REO contract addendum which overrides provisions of the GAR contract. One common change is that the seller provides a Limited Warranty Deed to the buyer at closing.
So, what is the difference between a General Warranty Deed and a Limited (or Special) Warranty Deed?
Under a General Warranty Deed, the seller warrants the title to the property from the beginning of time. If there is a defect, regardless of the cause, the buyer has the option of proceeding against the seller for any resulting damage. Under a Limited or Special Warranty Deed, the seller is only warranting the title during their ownership. They do not warrant anything that may have happened prior to the foreclosure.
As a practical matter, most buyers who find themselves in the midst of a title problem are more likely to file a claim under their owner's title insurance policy than they are to sue their seller. And if the buyer did want to sue the seller, it is almost inevitable that the seller has moved out of state, out of the county or out of radar. The cost of getting the seller into a court with proper jurisdiction may well exceed the cost of the claim.
Hopefully this will answer any questions your buyer may have on this topic. If it does not, please feel free to have them contact me directly. I look forward to serving you and your clients.
Jennifer Karel
Morris|Hardwick|Schneider
Senior Managing Attorney
JKarel@closingsource.net
East Cobb East Cobb Remax
3730 Roswell Road, Ste 25 2050 Roswell Road
Marietta, GA 30062 Marietta, GA 30062
770-565 3800 678-784-4230
General Warranty Deeds versus Limited Warranty Deed
REO sales are a major part of the current real estate market. Most REO sellers require that the buyer sign a REO contract addendum which overrides provisions of the GAR contract. One common change is that the seller provides a Limited Warranty Deed to the buyer at closing.
So, what is the difference between a General Warranty Deed and a Limited (or Special) Warranty Deed?
Under a General Warranty Deed, the seller warrants the title to the property from the beginning of time. If there is a defect, regardless of the cause, the buyer has the option of proceeding against the seller for any resulting damage. Under a Limited or Special Warranty Deed, the seller is only warranting the title during their ownership. They do not warrant anything that may have happened prior to the foreclosure.
As a practical matter, most buyers who find themselves in the midst of a title problem are more likely to file a claim under their owner's title insurance policy than they are to sue their seller. And if the buyer did want to sue the seller, it is almost inevitable that the seller has moved out of state, out of the county or out of radar. The cost of getting the seller into a court with proper jurisdiction may well exceed the cost of the claim.
Hopefully this will answer any questions your buyer may have on this topic. If it does not, please feel free to have them contact me directly. I look forward to serving you and your clients.
Jennifer Karel
Morris|Hardwick|Schneider
Senior Managing Attorney
JKarel@closingsource.net
East Cobb East Cobb Remax
3730 Roswell Road, Ste 25 2050 Roswell Road
Marietta, GA 30062 Marietta, GA 30062
770-565 3800 678-784-4230
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
U.S. Home Prices Poised to Climb as Foreclosures Wane, HUD’s Donovan Says
Home sales have increased in six out of the past nine months.
Photographer: Joshua Lott/Bloomberg
Prices for U.S. homes may climb as soon as the third quarter, ending declines as foreclosures decline make more home available for sale, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan said.
“It’s very unlikely that we will see a significant further decline,” Donovan said yesterday on CNN. “The real question is when will we start to see sustainable increases. Some think it will be as early as the end of this summer or this fall.”
Home sales have increased in six out of the past nine months and the number of property owners in default is declining, Donovan said on CNN’s “State of the Union” program. Housing prices will begin rising as the number of foreclosures declines, he said.
“In the long run, it’s a good time to buy,” Donovan said. “It’s so affordable today compared to where it’s been for generations.”
Contracts to buy previously owned U.S. homes rose 8.2 percent in May, following a revised 11 percent drop in the previous month, the National Association of Realtors said on June 29. A separate report by the Chicago-based group on June 21 showed sales of existing houses, which make up about 96 percent of the market, declined in May to a six-month low.
Home prices fell 4 percent in April from a year earlier, the biggest drop in 17 months for the S&P/Case-Shiller index of values in 20 cities.
An estimated 1.7 million U.S. homes were in the foreclosure process and expected to be put on the market as of April, down 18 percent from the peak, as fewer loans entered delinquency and more distressed homes were sold, CoreLogic Inc. said in a report on June 22.
Shadow Inventory
The so-called shadow inventory represented a five-month supply at the current sales pace, the Santa Ana, California- based real-estate information company reported. The inventory’s size is a barometer of housing-market health because foreclosed homes sell for lower prices and falling values discourage buying, said Sam Khater, CoreLogic’s chief economist.
Donovan said lenders are adding requirements “that don’t make sense” for risky borrowers after the government, through the Federal Housing Administration, raised the minimum down payments for a house purchase.
“We can’t over correct,” Donovan said. “We can’t go so far in the other direction that we cut off homeownership for people who really can be successful homeowners.”
Encouraging home ownership should avoid giving buyers an expectation of making $1 million overnight, Donovan said. “We can get back to the place where it’s a good investment and we will be able to make money over time.”
Photographer: Joshua Lott/Bloomberg
Prices for U.S. homes may climb as soon as the third quarter, ending declines as foreclosures decline make more home available for sale, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan said.
“It’s very unlikely that we will see a significant further decline,” Donovan said yesterday on CNN. “The real question is when will we start to see sustainable increases. Some think it will be as early as the end of this summer or this fall.”
Home sales have increased in six out of the past nine months and the number of property owners in default is declining, Donovan said on CNN’s “State of the Union” program. Housing prices will begin rising as the number of foreclosures declines, he said.
“In the long run, it’s a good time to buy,” Donovan said. “It’s so affordable today compared to where it’s been for generations.”
Contracts to buy previously owned U.S. homes rose 8.2 percent in May, following a revised 11 percent drop in the previous month, the National Association of Realtors said on June 29. A separate report by the Chicago-based group on June 21 showed sales of existing houses, which make up about 96 percent of the market, declined in May to a six-month low.
Home prices fell 4 percent in April from a year earlier, the biggest drop in 17 months for the S&P/Case-Shiller index of values in 20 cities.
An estimated 1.7 million U.S. homes were in the foreclosure process and expected to be put on the market as of April, down 18 percent from the peak, as fewer loans entered delinquency and more distressed homes were sold, CoreLogic Inc. said in a report on June 22.
Shadow Inventory
The so-called shadow inventory represented a five-month supply at the current sales pace, the Santa Ana, California- based real-estate information company reported. The inventory’s size is a barometer of housing-market health because foreclosed homes sell for lower prices and falling values discourage buying, said Sam Khater, CoreLogic’s chief economist.
Donovan said lenders are adding requirements “that don’t make sense” for risky borrowers after the government, through the Federal Housing Administration, raised the minimum down payments for a house purchase.
“We can’t over correct,” Donovan said. “We can’t go so far in the other direction that we cut off homeownership for people who really can be successful homeowners.”
Encouraging home ownership should avoid giving buyers an expectation of making $1 million overnight, Donovan said. “We can get back to the place where it’s a good investment and we will be able to make money over time.”
Monday, July 11, 2011
Ways to Capitalize on National Homeownership Month!
June may have been National Homeownership Month, but there’s no reason you can’t still capitalize on that fact the other 11 months out of the year.
Touch base with your spheres and past clients via email. Mention it was recently National Homeownership Month and that this made you think of them.
Let your contacts know you’re still in the business (a fact more important than you may think in the current housing market).
Mention that it’s an active buyer’s market in metro Atlanta and that first-time buyers, in particular, are making up a large segment of the market. Nationally, first-timers represent nearly a third of home sales.
You could also remind them in the email about where mortgage interest rates currently stand. With these rates hovering around 4.5%, chances are extremely good that it will be cheaper to own a starter home than rent in today’s housing market.
And don’t forget to ask for the referral! Too many agents have gotten away from this in the down housing market. Perhaps your contacts have a friend, coworker, neighbor or relative who needs a few real estate questions answered.
Offer to be that person in your email announcing National Homeownership Month.
Continue to watch for news updates and tips for agents in future postings on this blog as we will work to update it every week with more news you can use!
Touch base with your spheres and past clients via email. Mention it was recently National Homeownership Month and that this made you think of them.
Let your contacts know you’re still in the business (a fact more important than you may think in the current housing market).
Mention that it’s an active buyer’s market in metro Atlanta and that first-time buyers, in particular, are making up a large segment of the market. Nationally, first-timers represent nearly a third of home sales.
You could also remind them in the email about where mortgage interest rates currently stand. With these rates hovering around 4.5%, chances are extremely good that it will be cheaper to own a starter home than rent in today’s housing market.
And don’t forget to ask for the referral! Too many agents have gotten away from this in the down housing market. Perhaps your contacts have a friend, coworker, neighbor or relative who needs a few real estate questions answered.
Offer to be that person in your email announcing National Homeownership Month.
Continue to watch for news updates and tips for agents in future postings on this blog as we will work to update it every week with more news you can use!
SALES MEETING!!!! Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Just a reminder of sales meeting in the morning. We would appreciate everyone being there. We need your mind and your body.
Monday, June 20, 2011
RE/MAX Still On Top!
DENVER, CO - May 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) — Despite the worst housing market in recent history, two respected national surveys show RE/MAX agents continue to outperform their competitors, selling more homes, assisting more families, and leading all other national real estate companies in sales performance.
In the REAL Trends 500 survey, RE/MAX brokerages claimed an impressive 21 of the top 25 positions among the brokerages ranked by Transaction Sides per Agent. The average RE/MAX agent achieved 14.5 Transaction Sides compared with the 6.8 average of all others in the survey. In Sales Volume, RE/MAX agents averaged over $3 million, which was 62% higher than the average agent in the survey.
In the 2011 RISMedia Power Broker Report, RE/MAX brokerages held 390 of the top 1,000 positions, with RE/MAX agents averaging an impressive 14.7 transaction sides, outselling many competitors by more than two-to-one. In Sales Volume, RE/MAX agents averaged $2.9 million, 62% more than the average of all other agents in the report.
“It wouldn’t be possible for RE/MAX to achieve such overwhelming success without the support of millions of homebuyers and sellers,” said RE/MAX CEO Margaret Kelly. “There’s no question that consumers recognize quality service and they know who they can depend on to get the job done.”
In March, the company released the annual RE/MAX vs. the Industry report which demonstrated for the 13th year in a row that nobody sells more real estate than RE/MAX. In the United States, the total number of RE/MAX Transaction Sides were 24% higher than its closest competitor. And RE/MAX Agents nationwide averaged 13.1 Transaction Sides each, with the closest competitor at only 7.1.
The high level of performance consistently exhibited by RE/MAX agents is due to the quality training provided by RE/MAX University (RU). The recipient of over 150 international film/video awards, RU delivers quality education on-demand via the Internet, on television, in classrooms and to personal devices worldwide. As a result, RE/MAX agents lead the industry in professional designations.
Recently, RE/MAX also reported increased franchise sales in the first quarter of this year, following a 30% increase in sales in 2010 over 2009. Additionally, RE/MAX continues to grow internationally, adding eight countries in 2010, holding onto an international presence greater than any of its competitors.
The complete Power Broker Report can be found online at www.rismedia.com. The REAL Trends 500 survey can be found online at www.realtrends.com.
# # #
About the RE/MAX Network
RE/MAX was founded in 1973 by Dave and Gail Liniger, real estate industry visionaries who still lead the Denver-based global franchisor today. RE/MAX is recognized as one of the leading real estate franchise companies with the most productive sales force in the industry and a global reach of more than 80 countries. With a passion for the communities in which its agents live and work, RE/MAX is proud to have raised more than $100 million for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals®, Susan G. Komen for the Cure® and other charities. Nobody in the world sells more real estate than RE/MAX.
In the REAL Trends 500 survey, RE/MAX brokerages claimed an impressive 21 of the top 25 positions among the brokerages ranked by Transaction Sides per Agent. The average RE/MAX agent achieved 14.5 Transaction Sides compared with the 6.8 average of all others in the survey. In Sales Volume, RE/MAX agents averaged over $3 million, which was 62% higher than the average agent in the survey.
In the 2011 RISMedia Power Broker Report, RE/MAX brokerages held 390 of the top 1,000 positions, with RE/MAX agents averaging an impressive 14.7 transaction sides, outselling many competitors by more than two-to-one. In Sales Volume, RE/MAX agents averaged $2.9 million, 62% more than the average of all other agents in the report.
“It wouldn’t be possible for RE/MAX to achieve such overwhelming success without the support of millions of homebuyers and sellers,” said RE/MAX CEO Margaret Kelly. “There’s no question that consumers recognize quality service and they know who they can depend on to get the job done.”
In March, the company released the annual RE/MAX vs. the Industry report which demonstrated for the 13th year in a row that nobody sells more real estate than RE/MAX. In the United States, the total number of RE/MAX Transaction Sides were 24% higher than its closest competitor. And RE/MAX Agents nationwide averaged 13.1 Transaction Sides each, with the closest competitor at only 7.1.
The high level of performance consistently exhibited by RE/MAX agents is due to the quality training provided by RE/MAX University (RU). The recipient of over 150 international film/video awards, RU delivers quality education on-demand via the Internet, on television, in classrooms and to personal devices worldwide. As a result, RE/MAX agents lead the industry in professional designations.
Recently, RE/MAX also reported increased franchise sales in the first quarter of this year, following a 30% increase in sales in 2010 over 2009. Additionally, RE/MAX continues to grow internationally, adding eight countries in 2010, holding onto an international presence greater than any of its competitors.
The complete Power Broker Report can be found online at www.rismedia.com. The REAL Trends 500 survey can be found online at www.realtrends.com.
# # #
About the RE/MAX Network
RE/MAX was founded in 1973 by Dave and Gail Liniger, real estate industry visionaries who still lead the Denver-based global franchisor today. RE/MAX is recognized as one of the leading real estate franchise companies with the most productive sales force in the industry and a global reach of more than 80 countries. With a passion for the communities in which its agents live and work, RE/MAX is proud to have raised more than $100 million for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals®, Susan G. Komen for the Cure® and other charities. Nobody in the world sells more real estate than RE/MAX.
Don't Let the Bed Bugs Bite! 3 Hrs. FREE CE
Mark your calendars for a free 3 hr. ce course being given by Northwest Exterminating on Tues. June 21st., 4th floor, 9:30-12:45. The section on bedbugs alone would be worth taking the class. A sign up sheet is at the front desk.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
How Short Sales Can Be the Top Clique in Real Estate
By Pauline Perenack Print Article
RISMedia, June 7, 2011—As time goes on, the landscape of our real estate industry is beginning to look more and more like a high school campus. We have cliques, and whichever one is on top at the time looks down on the others as inferior. However, our cliques don’t have names like “popular,” or “troubled,” or “wannabes.” Instead, we have Traditional, REO, and Short Sale.
Originally, the clique on top of our industry was Traditional sales. Traditional sales can be likened to those kids years ago who were “popular” because they were very status quo. They had few blemishes, never caused any problems, and did what was expected. Traditional held the top spot for many years, and no one ever thought they would be outnumbered.
Then came the onslaught of REOs. Suddenly, this “troubled” group had a lot of backing, and they were the clique on top. Similar to troubled youth classes, REOs were not what any society wanted to deal with, but attention was given to them and they gained notoriety because of their superior numbers.
Today, there is another clique deserving to have their day in the spotlight, and that is Short Sales. Short Sales are the “wannabes.” They are never quite as perfect as Traditional, because they always have a streak of trouble running through them. However, they are nowhere near as troubled as REOs because they are working to keep from falling to the bottom. And like the “wannabes” in high school, the thing preventing Short Sales from raising their popularity level is the lack of a helping hand. People are always willing to help those on top, because they want to be associated with the best, and they will help those most troubled because they need the most assistance. The ones in the middle get left behind because they are seen as the ones who need the least attention, but there is nothing further from the truth.
With that in mind, our industry needs to lend a helping hand to Short Sales. It’s easy to forget about them or pass them by because of how frustrating they are. You never want to continually spend time on a project where you have put the time and effort into it time and time again, only to lose the deal—whether it was because the servicer was difficult to communicate with, or because the homeowner lost interest during the long process ultimately leaving you with nothing. Why would you ever want to try that again? However, it is because of these problems that we need to give Short Sales the help they need so they can become popular, allowing our industry to become as important as it once was, and as it should be again.
In order to accomplish this goal, we need to come together and settle on one way of pushing Short Sales through the system in a quick and efficient manner. Current homeowners who are eligible for a Short Sale often avoid the process because either they hope it will go away if they ignore it, or they just don’t have the proper information about it.
And why don’t they have the information? Because we in the industry haven’t settled on one way to get the process done, and haven’t made the information readily available.
The systems are out there. There are manual versions, online versions, and versions that use several different means to complete the sale. We could look to an established company, or we could look at a company new to the industry, which has an efficient product.
It doesn’t matter which one comes out on top. All we have to do is choose one, and have everyone get on board with the process, from agents, to servicers, to the GSEs. However, the system we choose must work for all involved in the sale. It must have clear communication between all parties. Each person involved in the transaction must be able to see what is going on, and when. Everything needs to be documented, so when a task isn’t completed by its set deadline, we know who the responsible party is for holding up the sale. But most importantly, we must all support the chosen system. Short Sales will never have the chance to become important if we don’t provide a united front for them.
Homeowners can be educated—and as we all know—the more you know about a situation, the more comfortable you are with it. If we all provide the same information to everyone, and have it readily available, homeowners will feel a comfort level with the Short Sale process, which will ultimately help push Short Sales through the system and get our industry back on track.
Choosing the right system and sticking to it will be the helping hand that Short Sales need. They will finally be pulled from the shadows and can be as popular as Traditional sales once were, and REOs are now. The new clique on top of our industry can be Short Sales, but only if we as the mentors of the industry can come together to choose a united approach, and give the advice needed to put the Short Sales clique on top.
Pauline Perenack is the Marketing Manager at RES.NET, a real estate technology platform that provides an array of functional portals, each specifically designed for various aspects of the real estate industry. For more information, please visit http://www.res.net/, or email pauline.perenack@res.net.
RISMedia, June 7, 2011—As time goes on, the landscape of our real estate industry is beginning to look more and more like a high school campus. We have cliques, and whichever one is on top at the time looks down on the others as inferior. However, our cliques don’t have names like “popular,” or “troubled,” or “wannabes.” Instead, we have Traditional, REO, and Short Sale.
Originally, the clique on top of our industry was Traditional sales. Traditional sales can be likened to those kids years ago who were “popular” because they were very status quo. They had few blemishes, never caused any problems, and did what was expected. Traditional held the top spot for many years, and no one ever thought they would be outnumbered.
Then came the onslaught of REOs. Suddenly, this “troubled” group had a lot of backing, and they were the clique on top. Similar to troubled youth classes, REOs were not what any society wanted to deal with, but attention was given to them and they gained notoriety because of their superior numbers.
Today, there is another clique deserving to have their day in the spotlight, and that is Short Sales. Short Sales are the “wannabes.” They are never quite as perfect as Traditional, because they always have a streak of trouble running through them. However, they are nowhere near as troubled as REOs because they are working to keep from falling to the bottom. And like the “wannabes” in high school, the thing preventing Short Sales from raising their popularity level is the lack of a helping hand. People are always willing to help those on top, because they want to be associated with the best, and they will help those most troubled because they need the most assistance. The ones in the middle get left behind because they are seen as the ones who need the least attention, but there is nothing further from the truth.
With that in mind, our industry needs to lend a helping hand to Short Sales. It’s easy to forget about them or pass them by because of how frustrating they are. You never want to continually spend time on a project where you have put the time and effort into it time and time again, only to lose the deal—whether it was because the servicer was difficult to communicate with, or because the homeowner lost interest during the long process ultimately leaving you with nothing. Why would you ever want to try that again? However, it is because of these problems that we need to give Short Sales the help they need so they can become popular, allowing our industry to become as important as it once was, and as it should be again.
In order to accomplish this goal, we need to come together and settle on one way of pushing Short Sales through the system in a quick and efficient manner. Current homeowners who are eligible for a Short Sale often avoid the process because either they hope it will go away if they ignore it, or they just don’t have the proper information about it.
And why don’t they have the information? Because we in the industry haven’t settled on one way to get the process done, and haven’t made the information readily available.
The systems are out there. There are manual versions, online versions, and versions that use several different means to complete the sale. We could look to an established company, or we could look at a company new to the industry, which has an efficient product.
It doesn’t matter which one comes out on top. All we have to do is choose one, and have everyone get on board with the process, from agents, to servicers, to the GSEs. However, the system we choose must work for all involved in the sale. It must have clear communication between all parties. Each person involved in the transaction must be able to see what is going on, and when. Everything needs to be documented, so when a task isn’t completed by its set deadline, we know who the responsible party is for holding up the sale. But most importantly, we must all support the chosen system. Short Sales will never have the chance to become important if we don’t provide a united front for them.
Homeowners can be educated—and as we all know—the more you know about a situation, the more comfortable you are with it. If we all provide the same information to everyone, and have it readily available, homeowners will feel a comfort level with the Short Sale process, which will ultimately help push Short Sales through the system and get our industry back on track.
Choosing the right system and sticking to it will be the helping hand that Short Sales need. They will finally be pulled from the shadows and can be as popular as Traditional sales once were, and REOs are now. The new clique on top of our industry can be Short Sales, but only if we as the mentors of the industry can come together to choose a united approach, and give the advice needed to put the Short Sales clique on top.
Pauline Perenack is the Marketing Manager at RES.NET, a real estate technology platform that provides an array of functional portals, each specifically designed for various aspects of the real estate industry. For more information, please visit http://www.res.net/, or email pauline.perenack@res.net.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Welcome, Welcome, Welcome
Welcome to our newest agents that have just joined our office:
Emily and Daniel Fu come to us from the RMGA Dunwoody office.
Scott Wagley comes to us from Re/Max Unlimited.
Patrick Gilvin comes to us from the Benchmark Group.
Richard Dillard comes to us from Palmer House Properties and will be working with Veda Wood as a team member.
We are very excited to have them with us as we grow again!!
Emily and Daniel Fu come to us from the RMGA Dunwoody office.
Scott Wagley comes to us from Re/Max Unlimited.
Patrick Gilvin comes to us from the Benchmark Group.
Richard Dillard comes to us from Palmer House Properties and will be working with Veda Wood as a team member.
We are very excited to have them with us as we grow again!!
7 Ways To Market Yourself On LinkedIn
LinkedIn is one of the most powerful resources online in order to market yourself. I would even argue that it is the number one social networking site in the world to help you market yourself.
Marketing Yourself On LinkedIn
Since there are a number of goal and objectives individuals have in marketing themselves, I'm going to explain a wide variety of ways everyone can use LinkedIn. It doesn't matter if you are looking to become known as an influential person in your industry or niche, if you want to sell more products, get more leads, drive traffic to your website, find a killer job, get more clients, build your brand, sell tickets to an event, receive funding, venture capital, or sponsorship dollars, there here are seven steps you should take advantage of while marketing yourself on LinkedIn.
1. Give
This is important to do on any social networking site, not just LinkedIn, but it's particularly important to do on LinkedIn when so many people are focused on wanting to receive something for themselves or their business.
The best way to give to others would be to make recommendations. I see a lot of people asking for recommendations from people all the time, when they haven't written any for others first. The more you recommend others without asking for one in return, it will give them a refreshing feeling about you and they'll want to be helpful in return.
Making introductions is also a great way to give. If you are trying to make a name for yourself then connecting two people together who you think could help each other build their business and achieve their goals will give you two people willing to help you in return, as opposed to one.
2. Complete It 100%
Your profile. It needs to be completed 100% in order to properly market yourself.
Most people do background checks on others whenever we want to buy something from them, bring them in to speak, or do anything with them. We Google people to do our research.
LinkedIn is usually one of the top five search results that pops up for anyone's name. First impressions leave lasting perceptions about people, and you don't want someone to come to your profile and realize that you make spelling mistakes, you don't have a picture, no one has recommended you, there is no personal story in your summary, and so on. You need to make sure you complete it 100% and have your profile make you look like a rock star. Doing so will ensure your maximizing your marketing opportunities.
3. Connect With Everyone
It pains me to see when people only have less than 100 connections and they think that having a "small trusted network" is the way to go. That's a joke, and those with that mindset are going to be asking themselves why their message isn't spreading to the world and why they haven't achieved their marketing goals.
Connect with everyone on LinkedIn.
You never know where an opportunity, or big breakthrough can come from. If you only share ideas with those you know and don't branch out to connect with new people, then you will only know about a limited amount of opportunities, and the same people that you talk to on a daily basis will be helping you connect with the same limited network. It's a never ending circle of limitations, and it's time you break through that mindset if you haven't already.
The best way to start connecting with everyone is to import your entire contact list and ask them all to connect with you, start adding your personal LinkedIn link to your email signature, on other social networking sites, on your business cards, and anywhere else you think would help inspire others to connect with you. Once you start receiving 10-20 inbound invitations to connect on a daily basis, then you know your doing a good job marketing yourself.
4. Make It Personal
In general, people love human interaction. We don't want to connect with a business, we want to have relationships with others who we know, like, and trust.
Every time you send an invitation to connect with someone, make it personal. Take out anything generic and make it as personal as possible.
Your profile should also include a personal element. Instead of making it look like a boring resume with a bunch of bullet point achievements, share your personal voice. Tell people who you are, who you help, and how you help them throughout your headline, summary and the rest of your profile. Adding this will make others want to connect with you instead of put them to sleep with your boring resume.
5. Start Your Own Community
I like to make things easy, don't you? Wouldn't it be fun if you could lead a community of the exact people you wanted to market yourself to? That would be pretty sweet, huh?
That's what I did a while back when I wanted to market myself and my sports business blog. To achieve accelerated marketing success I started the "Sports Industry Network" group on LinkedIn. When people join the group they see my name as the creator of the group, and my website as the primary website.
There is a built in discussion forum, job opportunity section, and you can send a message to all of the members of the group once a week. My group currently has over 30,000 of the top sports professionals from every major sports company in the world. It's the largest sports related group on LinkedIn and on any other major social networking site. This gives me a platform to market myself and share valuable content with the network. Creating a LinkedIn group may be one of the best ways to get your message out there and the most powerful way to leverage LinkedIn for a number of reasons.
6. Create A Call To ActionPeople need to be lead in the right direction. You can't just expect people to come to your LinkedIn profile, learn about some of things you do and how you help people without telling them what to do next. If you don't create a call to action, then you are guaranteed to get less than what you desire.
You can create a call to action by customizing your website links. LinkedIn lets you post three links, and instead of having them say "my blog", make it say "Contact Me Here" or " Download My Free Report". The more direct you can be the better.
Also, in your summary, after you tell people who you are, who you help, and how you can help them, tell them how they can and should get in touch with you or what they should do next. If you want more leads and sales then tell people to email you, or call your personal number. Whatever you desire, just tell them to contact you or do something in a way that best meets your needs.
7. Use Advanced Applications
The advanced applications are designed to help you market yourself better. You an author? If so, there is an Amazon app that you can put on your profile and showcase a picture of your own book. When people click on the book, it's takes them to Amazon where they can buy it.
Simple as that.
Do you have a blog? If so, the wordpress or blog app allows you to showcase your most recent article on your profile to help you drive traffic back to your site. There are other applications to help you showcase your creative design work, your slide show presentations, white papers, Tweets, and you can even have a video of yourself auto play when someone lands on your profile using the slideshare or google document application.
If you are looking to promote an event, then use the events application to help you spread your event in a viral way throughout the entire LinkedIn community. There are a number of applications you can use to help you market yourself, just start trying them out and see what fits your needs best.
LinkedIn Marketing Tips
I'm only scratching the surface here with these seven points on how to market yourself on LinkedIn. Once you start to maximize each point, you will start to realize how powerful LinkedIn really is and how big your personal brand will take off once you use it aggressively. It was the launchpad for me to build a large network and get my message out there to the world, and if you follow my steps the right way it could be yours as well.
Marketing Yourself On LinkedIn
Since there are a number of goal and objectives individuals have in marketing themselves, I'm going to explain a wide variety of ways everyone can use LinkedIn. It doesn't matter if you are looking to become known as an influential person in your industry or niche, if you want to sell more products, get more leads, drive traffic to your website, find a killer job, get more clients, build your brand, sell tickets to an event, receive funding, venture capital, or sponsorship dollars, there here are seven steps you should take advantage of while marketing yourself on LinkedIn.
1. Give
This is important to do on any social networking site, not just LinkedIn, but it's particularly important to do on LinkedIn when so many people are focused on wanting to receive something for themselves or their business.
The best way to give to others would be to make recommendations. I see a lot of people asking for recommendations from people all the time, when they haven't written any for others first. The more you recommend others without asking for one in return, it will give them a refreshing feeling about you and they'll want to be helpful in return.
Making introductions is also a great way to give. If you are trying to make a name for yourself then connecting two people together who you think could help each other build their business and achieve their goals will give you two people willing to help you in return, as opposed to one.
2. Complete It 100%
Your profile. It needs to be completed 100% in order to properly market yourself.
Most people do background checks on others whenever we want to buy something from them, bring them in to speak, or do anything with them. We Google people to do our research.
LinkedIn is usually one of the top five search results that pops up for anyone's name. First impressions leave lasting perceptions about people, and you don't want someone to come to your profile and realize that you make spelling mistakes, you don't have a picture, no one has recommended you, there is no personal story in your summary, and so on. You need to make sure you complete it 100% and have your profile make you look like a rock star. Doing so will ensure your maximizing your marketing opportunities.
3. Connect With Everyone
It pains me to see when people only have less than 100 connections and they think that having a "small trusted network" is the way to go. That's a joke, and those with that mindset are going to be asking themselves why their message isn't spreading to the world and why they haven't achieved their marketing goals.
Connect with everyone on LinkedIn.
You never know where an opportunity, or big breakthrough can come from. If you only share ideas with those you know and don't branch out to connect with new people, then you will only know about a limited amount of opportunities, and the same people that you talk to on a daily basis will be helping you connect with the same limited network. It's a never ending circle of limitations, and it's time you break through that mindset if you haven't already.
The best way to start connecting with everyone is to import your entire contact list and ask them all to connect with you, start adding your personal LinkedIn link to your email signature, on other social networking sites, on your business cards, and anywhere else you think would help inspire others to connect with you. Once you start receiving 10-20 inbound invitations to connect on a daily basis, then you know your doing a good job marketing yourself.
4. Make It Personal
In general, people love human interaction. We don't want to connect with a business, we want to have relationships with others who we know, like, and trust.
Every time you send an invitation to connect with someone, make it personal. Take out anything generic and make it as personal as possible.
Your profile should also include a personal element. Instead of making it look like a boring resume with a bunch of bullet point achievements, share your personal voice. Tell people who you are, who you help, and how you help them throughout your headline, summary and the rest of your profile. Adding this will make others want to connect with you instead of put them to sleep with your boring resume.
5. Start Your Own Community
I like to make things easy, don't you? Wouldn't it be fun if you could lead a community of the exact people you wanted to market yourself to? That would be pretty sweet, huh?
That's what I did a while back when I wanted to market myself and my sports business blog. To achieve accelerated marketing success I started the "Sports Industry Network" group on LinkedIn. When people join the group they see my name as the creator of the group, and my website as the primary website.
There is a built in discussion forum, job opportunity section, and you can send a message to all of the members of the group once a week. My group currently has over 30,000 of the top sports professionals from every major sports company in the world. It's the largest sports related group on LinkedIn and on any other major social networking site. This gives me a platform to market myself and share valuable content with the network. Creating a LinkedIn group may be one of the best ways to get your message out there and the most powerful way to leverage LinkedIn for a number of reasons.
6. Create A Call To ActionPeople need to be lead in the right direction. You can't just expect people to come to your LinkedIn profile, learn about some of things you do and how you help people without telling them what to do next. If you don't create a call to action, then you are guaranteed to get less than what you desire.
You can create a call to action by customizing your website links. LinkedIn lets you post three links, and instead of having them say "my blog", make it say "Contact Me Here" or " Download My Free Report". The more direct you can be the better.
Also, in your summary, after you tell people who you are, who you help, and how you can help them, tell them how they can and should get in touch with you or what they should do next. If you want more leads and sales then tell people to email you, or call your personal number. Whatever you desire, just tell them to contact you or do something in a way that best meets your needs.
7. Use Advanced Applications
The advanced applications are designed to help you market yourself better. You an author? If so, there is an Amazon app that you can put on your profile and showcase a picture of your own book. When people click on the book, it's takes them to Amazon where they can buy it.
Simple as that.
Do you have a blog? If so, the wordpress or blog app allows you to showcase your most recent article on your profile to help you drive traffic back to your site. There are other applications to help you showcase your creative design work, your slide show presentations, white papers, Tweets, and you can even have a video of yourself auto play when someone lands on your profile using the slideshare or google document application.
If you are looking to promote an event, then use the events application to help you spread your event in a viral way throughout the entire LinkedIn community. There are a number of applications you can use to help you market yourself, just start trying them out and see what fits your needs best.
LinkedIn Marketing Tips
I'm only scratching the surface here with these seven points on how to market yourself on LinkedIn. Once you start to maximize each point, you will start to realize how powerful LinkedIn really is and how big your personal brand will take off once you use it aggressively. It was the launchpad for me to build a large network and get my message out there to the world, and if you follow my steps the right way it could be yours as well.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
CAR General Meeting Thursday May 19, 2011 9:30am-10:30am
It Gets Even Better! Hot From The Chamber of Commerce AND Lannar Homes Will Be Giving Away A Cruise!
For JUST $5.00 - Be In "The Know" straight from the source! Cobb County budget,
business and jobs!
(And don't forget the cruise)
May 19th 2011 - Only 3 days left so register NOW! See below...
The Cobb Association of Realtors is VERY fortunate to have the Cobb County Chamber of Commerce provide the information you need to know!
Understand the Cobb County Budget
Be among the first to know what companies are coming to Cobb
Get the edge on how many jobs are anticipated in Cobb
The Chamber wants your input on economic development
Be informed and stay on top so you can be the best at what you do!
___________________
When: May 19th 2011
Where: MUST Ministries 1407 Cobb Pkwy N, Marietta 30062(This is NOT the shelter - it is the NEW administrative building) Click here for directions
Time: 9:00-9:30 Networking + coffee/light breakfast
9:30-10:30 Program
10:30-10:45 Q & A
Cost: ONLY $5.00 members $10.00 non members
Click here to reserve your spot now! or email Angela: angela@cobbrealtor.com
_________
Updates...
Press releases were sent to the MDJ and AJC - let us know if you see it!
We were on Capitol Hill last week representing our membership to your Congressmen (and women). We are letting them know the following:
We need to keep Fannie and Freddie (GSE's) or have something comparable to replace them.
We need to preserve the Mortgage Interest Deduction (MID). House Resolution 25 (HR 25) has been introduced and as of May 11th 91 Congressional leaders have signed on to sponsor it. In Cobb County, Congressman Phil Gingrey was one of the first to sign on to sponsor however Congressman Tom Price has not yet done so. Congressman Price can be reached at: http://tomprice.house.gov/contact please email him and/or call him and let him know we need him to sign on and sponsor HR25
Flood insurance extension. We want Congress to extend flood insurance for at least 5 yrs. instead of 2 months at a time.
Access to money for consumers
Qualified Residential Mortgages (QRMs). The money regulators are trying to sell Congress on a 20% downpayment requirement for mortgages. It would take the average person 10-15 years to save enough money to put 20% down on an average home, not to mention closing costs, escrows, etc.
Short sale issues
Be sure to check out our blog.... http://www.cornoffthecobb.com/
Thank you for being a member of the Cobb Association of REALTORS®. Our members are the foundation of our Association! Please invite someone who is not part of our Association to become part of who we are.
We are always available for you. Carol can be reached on her cell phone at 678-414-0760 or please feel free to contact Donna Heavener, CEO at 770-422-3900 or donnaheaveaner@cobbrealtor.com
For JUST $5.00 - Be In "The Know" straight from the source! Cobb County budget,
business and jobs!
(And don't forget the cruise)
May 19th 2011 - Only 3 days left so register NOW! See below...
The Cobb Association of Realtors is VERY fortunate to have the Cobb County Chamber of Commerce provide the information you need to know!
Understand the Cobb County Budget
Be among the first to know what companies are coming to Cobb
Get the edge on how many jobs are anticipated in Cobb
The Chamber wants your input on economic development
Be informed and stay on top so you can be the best at what you do!
___________________
When: May 19th 2011
Where: MUST Ministries 1407 Cobb Pkwy N, Marietta 30062(This is NOT the shelter - it is the NEW administrative building) Click here for directions
Time: 9:00-9:30 Networking + coffee/light breakfast
9:30-10:30 Program
10:30-10:45 Q & A
Cost: ONLY $5.00 members $10.00 non members
Click here to reserve your spot now! or email Angela: angela@cobbrealtor.com
_________
Updates...
Press releases were sent to the MDJ and AJC - let us know if you see it!
We were on Capitol Hill last week representing our membership to your Congressmen (and women). We are letting them know the following:
We need to keep Fannie and Freddie (GSE's) or have something comparable to replace them.
We need to preserve the Mortgage Interest Deduction (MID). House Resolution 25 (HR 25) has been introduced and as of May 11th 91 Congressional leaders have signed on to sponsor it. In Cobb County, Congressman Phil Gingrey was one of the first to sign on to sponsor however Congressman Tom Price has not yet done so. Congressman Price can be reached at: http://tomprice.house.gov/contact please email him and/or call him and let him know we need him to sign on and sponsor HR25
Flood insurance extension. We want Congress to extend flood insurance for at least 5 yrs. instead of 2 months at a time.
Access to money for consumers
Qualified Residential Mortgages (QRMs). The money regulators are trying to sell Congress on a 20% downpayment requirement for mortgages. It would take the average person 10-15 years to save enough money to put 20% down on an average home, not to mention closing costs, escrows, etc.
Short sale issues
Be sure to check out our blog.... http://www.cornoffthecobb.com/
Thank you for being a member of the Cobb Association of REALTORS®. Our members are the foundation of our Association! Please invite someone who is not part of our Association to become part of who we are.
We are always available for you. Carol can be reached on her cell phone at 678-414-0760 or please feel free to contact Donna Heavener, CEO at 770-422-3900 or donnaheaveaner@cobbrealtor.com
Monday, May 9, 2011
FREE FormsPro Training Class
FormsPro is HERE!
FormsPro Training Class
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
10:00 - 11:30 a.m.
RE/MAX Greater Atlanta-Cobb
2050 Roswell Road
Marietta, GA 30062
4th Floor Training Room
with FMLS-Karen Reynolds
Don’t get caught in a jam. Space is limited.
Call (770) 973-9700
& reserve your spot today!!
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