Take 5 – and Trust Your Email Marketing

HouseValues is your one source for exclusive buyer and seller leads plus the tools, training and coaching you need to attract more clients, make more money, and enjoy more free time!  With your custom HouseValues marketing package you’ll learn to: Increase Your Productivity, Boost Closed Sales, Win More Listing Presentations, Sell Your Listings for Top Dollar and much more!  Get started today by visiting our website or for faster service call HouseValues toll-free at 877-732-9412.

  

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1. Tell ’em what it’s about. Let people know what they can expect from your email by linking to a recent example of your newsletter on your sign-up page. Once they’ve subscribed, send a welcome email that reminds them of your newsletter frequency. Encourage them to add your email to their address book.

 

2. No means no. If a person requests to unsubscribe, immediately stop sending email. However, many wise agents use the unsubscribe to get in touch personally. Call and ask why they unsubscribed. I’ve heard stories of agents doing this—they find out that the “unsubscriber” only wanted to stop the emails temporarily while on vacation. Leverage this personal contact into an in-person meeting.

 

3. More is not always better. Yes, it’s essential to keep in touch. However, too much email contact is annoying. Email with an appropriate frequency, then send postcards and make calls from time to time.

 

4. Beware spam triggers. Certain combinations of words or layouts can trigger spam filters: “Dear friend” for example, or writing in ALL CAPS, using fonts bigger than 14 or bold and red. Avoid unusual fonts—Arial and Verdana common, safe fonts. You may get away with a few triggers, but the more triggers in your email, the more likely it will be filtered. Use a testing program before sending to check for triggers.

 

 

5. Watch trends. Establish email delivery benchmarks. Do you know the received rate and open rate for your last email? If you don’t, it’s time to find out and work to improve them. Study any complaints and unsubscribes, looking for patterns. Did you see a spike? When was it—after you sent an email that wasn’t about real estate? Are the unsubscribers new people? If so, maybe you’re not meeting the expectations you set when they signed up.

 

 

 

 

 

GE Security’s ActiveKEY

Mobile broadband will let you do business on your terms — everywhere you go.

 

is the leader in Mobile Broadband technology.

 

Dramatic improvements in speed and coverage areas make mobile broadband the productivity solution for successful real estate agents. Mobile broadband gives you internet connectivity almost anywhere you go – at a clients home signing or resigning a listing, open houses or wherever you can use it to answer the question that makes a deal possible. No need to find a Wi-Fi hotspot. You can have high-speed connectivity built in to your notebook computer, always ready and available to make your next deal happen faster, more effectively.

In the past two years, mobile broadband (also known as cellular data service) has achieved dramatic improvements in both speed and coverage area, making it an ideal choice for a REALTOR® who wants to connect from virtually anywhere without hassle.

With Mobile broadband Agents can work wherever they are with increased flexibility. The freedom and added productivity makes Agents busy lives less hectic and potentially, more profitable.

 

What is Mobile Broadband?Mobile broadband is different from Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi provides localized wireless coverage in some cafes, airports, and hotels via hotspots. In contrast, mobile broadband is offered through digital cellular networks–making it possible to connect to the Internet or check e-mail virtually anywhere you can get a cell phone signal.

By using a built-in adapter or a PC Card, plus a monthly data service plan, your notebook computer becomes networked with the click of a button. And with new third-generation (3G) technologies, mobile broadband services can provide download speeds of 400-700 Kbps or higher, which is plenty for reading e-mail, browsing the MLS, or connecting to important documents. The connection feels fast. Offered by most major carriers, and with prices starting around $60 per month, mobile broadband quickly becomes an indispensable “must-have.”

 

A Day in the Life of Mobile Broadband Just like your cell phone service, mobile broadband is available virtually anywhere you go during your business week: • In an office conference room • At a client location • At the airport • During your commute on a bus, train or ferry • In a hotel or at a friend’s house • At a family doctor appointment • In a restaurant or café • Waiting at the mall • At a kid’s soccer game (you can always turn it off) • Where you are right now?This article was written in part while sitting in a comfortable chair in a doctor’s office waiting room. Without mobile broadband, I’d be reading six-month-old magazines.

Instead of trying to track down the person who knows the Wi-Fi password at your client’s office or trying to find and sign in to yet another Wi-Fi hotspot which can cost $10 a pop, you can connect with mobile broadband easily and bypass these aggravations with the click of a button on your notebook. So don’t go on a quest for hotspots. Instead, enjoy your morning coffee or make good use of time while waiting on a showing to start – from where you are — because connectivity comes to you. Mobile broadband eliminates the boundaries, giving you a productive environment almost anywhere you are.

 

More Productive Work Time Many agents are using single-function devices and smart phones connected through cellular data networks in order to read e-mail. While these devices are great for “e-mail triage,” the small screens and tiny keypads of these devices make creating a full response or accessing attachments difficult. By bringing broadband connectivity to your notebook computer, with its larger screen and full-size keyboard, you can read these same e-mail messages, open attachments, and craft full replies that can make the difference in solving a client’s problem or moving a sale along.

And unlike the very basic Web-based information services available on these smaller devices, you can use your desktop applications, a full Web browser, and other connected applications to work normally from virtually anywhere.

 

Built-in Benefits Most users will prefer the reliability, convenience and performance of a built-in mobile broadband modem compared to an external PC Card. Built-in cards stay out of your way and integrate with existing wireless antennas, which are usually integrated behind the notebook display screen. By building the antenna into the notebook, the risk of it getting bent or broken is minimized.In addition, when a notebook computer is purchased with a built-in card, all of the appropriate drivers and connection manager software come pre-installed. (You can purchase built-in cards from Dell for Cingular, Sprint, or Verizon Wireless mobile broadband services1 in the U.S. and for TELUS mobile broadband service in

Canada.) You just need to perform a one-time service activation and then click the “Connect” button. It’s that simple.

One more benefit is the improved performance of built-in cards compared to external PC Cards. By placing the antenna away from the internal components of the notebook computer, where there is the most electrical interference, performance has been shown to improve by more than 45 percent in some studies.

	Mobile Broadband	Wi-Fi
Coverage Area	Measured in miles	Measured in feet
Connect From Virtually Anywhere	Yes	No (requires Wi-Fi Hotspot)
Technologies	3G (HSDPA, EVDO)	802.11b/g
Single Plan provides broad coverage	Yes	No
Service Costs	$60 per month (with voice plan), ~$80 per month (data only)	$30 per month per service, ~$10 per day for day pass

Who Carries The Data? Mobile broadband comes from the same companies that bring you cellular voice service:

• Cingular BroadbandConnect

• Sprint Mobile Broadband

• Verizon Wireless Broadband Access

• TELUS Wireless High Speed

The data service can be purchased separately, but many carriers offer a discount if you couple the plan with an existing cellular voice service. Because of this discount, most users will opt to purchase their voice and data services from the same carrier. Although the technologies are different, all services provide fast data connectivity.

Mobile Broadband Solutions from Dell

Dell offers a full selection of mobile broadband products along with customer assistance for sign-up and activation with the mobile broadband service of your choice. Whether you are purchasing a new notebook, or upgrading an existing notebook to mobile broadband, Dell has a wide variety of options, including built-in mini-cards and external ExpressCards for Cingular, Sprint and Verizon Wireless’s mobile broadband networks.Dell has the right notebook to meet your needs. Every small business notebook computer that Dell sells can be fitted with an ExpressCard and many models support the built-in mini-card. The mini-card option is currently available on the Dell Latitude D420 ultra-portable, D620, and D820 notebooks as well as the Dell Precision™ M65 model and XPS™ M1210. Because these Dell notebooks ship with low-interference wireless antennas hidden behind the display screen, your mobile broadband performance can be up to 45 percent faster3 than other options. So when configuring a notebook computer, it’s not just the processor, memory, and hard disk choices you need to consider. If you’re a busy professional, a built-in mobile broadband card can add more productive time to your week. 

For more information on mobile broadband, visit www.dell.com/mobilebroadband

For more information on Dell Real Estate technology solutions, visit Small Business 360™

Technology is great when you have concrete strategies for putting it to work for maximum results. AVM technology can help you generate leads, create value for your clients and prospects while saving you valuable time and headaches. In this article we will share three street tested, step-by-step strategies for making AVM technology your most powerful business building tool.

 

What is AVM Technology?

The simple answer to this question: it’s like CMA only faster and easier. AVM gives you the ability to pull property values based on scientific methods in seconds with just a property address. You can literally create a customized, market value presentation in 60 seconds complete with your picture and contact information. Because of the speed, flexibility and ease-of-use, you can leverage AVM in ways you’d never think of using CMA. Here are three street-tested strategies for your implementation:

AVM technology can help you generate leads, create value for your clients and prospects while saving you valuable time and headaches.

AVM Leverage Strategy #1: Help your website bring you more business.

In the world of internet marketing the axiom, “Less is More” holds true when generating interest and leads. The less information a person needs to provide and the easier it is to do business with you, the higher your response rates.

 

Consider: when you’re on a web site and find something of interest, you’re much more inclined to opt-in, sign-up or try-before-you-buy if you input your name and email address vs. providing your name, mailing address, email address, phone number, credit card number, blood type and life history. The first example is easy, fast and perceived as relatively safe. The later takes time and is perceived as overly invasive.

 

Let’s now consider your web site from this “Less is More” perspective: Many agents offer “FREE” home valuations on their web sites. However, a prospect is required to fill in the address, number of bedrooms, bathrooms, square feet, along with all their personal information so the agent can get back in touch. The hit ratio? Relatively low.

 

Now try this: Set-up your website to require a simple street address and minimal contact data and you’ll increase you response rates. WHY? It’s easy for the prospect to do business with you and they feel safe. Use the address data to generate a custom AVM home valuation report that can be emailed in pdf format in under two minutes.

 

That’s leverage, creates value and opens more doors because of your expertise.

 

AVM Leverage Strategy #2: Touch Your Database with Value.

Have home values changed in your area? Looking for a way to make a value-added contact with past clients or your current target market? Then generate personalized, custom home valuation flyers using individual addresses. Try this: Pick Ten of your former clients and run an AVM report with their home data. Print out the report and send it via snail mail or email the pdf flyer. You’ll put your name in front of former clients while offering information they will find interesting and valuable. Time needed: ten to fifteen minutes if you’re slow.

 

You can apply the same strategy to individual homes in your farm area. A professional flyer with their unique home value and your contact information will build a positive impression. And, I’m willing to bet you’ll be the only one doing this…what a perfect way to differentiate yourself from all the other agents vying for attention.

 

AVM Leverage Strategy #3: Never be Nervous to Sell Outside Your Area Again!

 

You know your neighborhood—the prices, comps, values. However, travel outside your area of expertise and the value game gets harder. But not with AVM technology! If you have access to a computer and a home address, you can pull home valuations from across the country in minutes. You can be the expert and speak with authority from any city in the

U.S. when you leverage AVM technology.

 

Are you working with relocation clients? Here’s the perfect solution for finding home values in San Diego, New York City or Bald Knob,

Arkansas. Custom Pdf flyers with your personal contact information can be sent anywhere in the world in a matter of moments.

 

Technology continues to transform the world of real estate sales and AVM is one of those technologies that will soon be one of your most effective business building tools.

 

Interested in giving AVM a test-drive and applying the strategies in this article? Visit: www.AgentAVM.com/yri for a FREE trial. It will transform the way you do business.

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AgentAVM is the leader in helping real estate sales professionals leverage AVM Technology. Visit their website: www.AgentAVM.com/yri for a FREE test-drive and discover how AVM technology can help you grow your business.

 

AVM technology can help you generate leads, create value for your clients and prospects while saving you valuable time and headaches.

 

The CMA and AVM have come together in the form of AgentAVM. These hybrid reports are customized and delivered with a personal touch. For a FREE Trial click here.

with Mark Rosenberger
GE Security – Supra just previewed its new lockbox technology product, ActiveKEY (TM ) at the NAR Mid-Year convention in Washington DC. The Supra ActiveKEY(TM) lockbox will be available beginning in July this year through various realtor associations nationwide.
This breakthrough wireless technology product opens a new era in agent productivity with its keyless lockbox technology advancements. The time savings and productivity made possible with ActiveKEY™ technology improves active real estate agents lives dramatically.
“Feel The Freedom” is the headline GE uses to describe this breakthrough product. It genuinely offers agents the simplest method ever to access and control real estate listing lockbox’s. General Manager of GE Security - Supra, Stan Earnshaw describes the new ActiveKEY(tm) product as one offering immediate productivity benefits to agents. He couldn’t be more right.
“Agents love products that save time and make their hectic life easier,” said Stan. “With ActiveKEY wireless technology, life really will be simplified for agents. No more cradle and without it, their hectic lives will have one less daily task
Here are some of the benefits of the Supra ActiveKEY™ technology that Stan described to us at the show in detail.

1. There is no need cradle the Supra ActiveKEY ™ lock. ActiveKEY provides updates wirelessly, directly to the ActiveKEY device using cellular technology.
2. The Supra ActiveKEY ™ sends immediate notification of home showings wirelessly to listing agents. You can know immediately when a home is being visited. Not days or even weeks later as with other lockbox products
3. The Supra ActiveKEY™ keeps records of showing data that agents can share with their clients.

And if these technological improvements aren’t enough to make you want ActiveKEY available right away, GE Security Supra also engineered the ActiveKEY™ device with a built in flashlight, a backlit display and a keypad – all for easily navigating those nighttime dark pathways that lead to the front door of some of your best sales opportunities. It’s rechargeable too.
The bottom line on the Supra ActiveKEY™ for agents … if you want to be more productive, you just have to have it. The Supra ActiveKEY™ technology makes life much simpler and much better for busy agents to do without. Mobile real estate professionals – that’s all of us, deserve the very best and with GE Security Supra’s,ActiveKEY™ its “ Four Ounces of Freedom “ is just that.

Here’s How It Works:
ActiveKEY ™ can be used in two, easy and innovative ways. With GE Security – Supra’s dedicated ActiveKEY™ or your existing wireless device, PDA or cell phone Smartphone.

1. GE Security Supra provides agents a small handheld dedicated wireless device, the Supra ActiveKEY™. Smaller than a typical cell phone and wirelessly updated.
2. Existing PDA or smart phone. Agents can use their existing wireless devises to communicate with the lockbox. Over 30 different handheld devices are already approved for use as an eKEY™.

When available order service from your association. And whatever method you choose, the ActiveKEY™, or the PDA/Smart phone option, daily key updates are a thing of the past. They will take place wirelessly, automatically. And, with GE security – Supra’s FREE unlimited hotline support seven days a week from early morning till late evening, you will never be locked out of an opportunity again

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Want more details before the July release date? Check out this website for more details:
www.SupraeKey.com
GE Security – Supra is the industry leader in lock box technology with a long history of serving the real estate industry. Their new and innovative ActiveKEY™ technology and product improvements were clearly the most important product news released at this year’s NAR Mid-Year event.