In today’s real estate market, we can see more clearly than ever that having the ability to easily tailor your website to fit the needs of your customer is an essential part of having a strong online presence. To that end, I want to bring to light a tool – or more accurately, two tools – which are going to be able to help you achieve this goal.

This service recently came to my attention when one of our customers asked about the ability to have users upload files, photos, and blueprints directly to him through his public website – a service Point2 doesn’t offer natively. Some coworkers and I pooled our collective knowledge, and out of that union we found JotForm, a powerful one-two punch which provides highly customizable forms for your website, as well as the option to upload files directly to your existing Dropbox account. (You DO have a Dropbox account, right? If not, it’s time to make one! We’ll come back to this in a second.)

This is an incredibly powerful tool, and it provides you everything from the ability to add forms and capture data from Facebook, to the ability to take payments through trusted vendors like PayPal, ClickBank, and Google Checkout. The more in-depth you wish your form to be, the more complicated it’s going to be to set up – however, that said, there is a fantastic User Guide which goes over nearly every question I could think of, which you can access through this link.

Now, moving on to the highlight of this little blog post: The ability for a client to upload files directly to your existing Dropbox account. Now, those of you who have Dropbox already and know what it is may skip over this next paragraph. For those of you who are wondering exactly what I’m talking about, Dropbox is another free service which provides you the ability to host files online, which you can then access from any computer with an active internet connection (in fact, for those of you with smart phones, you can get the app). So if you haven’t already set up an account with Dropbox… what are you waiting for?! Did I mention it was free? You can sign up for the service by clicking this link.

Once you’ve got your Dropbox account set up, the next step to getting your customers the ability to upload files through your website, is to sign up for JotForm (or if you’re already signed up, integrate your Dropbox account), by going to www.JotForm.com and following the on-screen prompts. Once this has been completed, you’re nearly set! The last step is to simply find an existing template which uses the Dropbox integration (Templates available here), or create your own from scratch.

Once you have your custom form, or your new upload page, simply copy the code provided in JotForm, and paste that into an “Advanced Content Module” within your Point2 website. The form will immediately show up on the public end of your website.

Now, one last note: as with all free services, both Dropbox and JotForm offer more space and the ability to use more forms with paid subscriptions. For most users, the free service provided will be more than you’ll need – however, if you find yourself hitting your limits, both services provide upgrades at a reasonable price for a great reward.

I really cannot say enough good things about these two tools. The fact that they integrate so well with each other, and with Point2, is really just “icing on the cake”.

We know what sniffing is, and what fishing is. But Phishing, with a ‘P’? And ‘Smishing’?

After digging a bit, yours truly also figured he didn’t even know what fishing really was, even though I’d been ‘fishing’ ever since I was a child. Not in technology terms at least.

Malicious activity chasing personal banking and other private information on someone’s computer comes in many shapes or forms. In a world going more and more mobile however, new tactics – and terms – have emerged. So take note.

Especially if you use an Android powered mobile device, hackers’ ability to trick you into allowing them to grab your information is seemingly higher than if you use an iPhone. Don’t shoot the messenger. I am simply stating some facts garnered on AARP, a technology resource favourite for many.

Android powered phones are outselling iPhones, but unlike the Apple marketing machine, which closely monitors what applications are posted in its iTunes store, Android based apps aren’t supervised as well, if at all, as this article by Steve Morgenstern claims. There are as such higher chances that you upload a malicious app on an android-powered phone or other mobile tool such as a tablet.

Here are, for starters, are a few key terms to pay attention to, in order to help keep your private information safer as you navigate through the World Wild Web.

Phishing – is when an email or message prompts you should click on a link – to update security information or any other manner of personal information. These emails could appear to be issued by your bank, for example. That’s one way for the bad guys to gain access to your username and password.

Wifi Sniffing – is when private information is accessed by tapping into an open, unsecured public Wifi network that you are logged on. These can be wireless access points offered at many coffee shops and other public facilities, as well as an unsecured Wifi access point in your home. An example of this in action is the popular FireSheep application which sniffs your passwords over-the-air.

Smishing – the latest term I have come across in Web security. It combines SMS messaging and Phishing. The approach could include dubious text messages asking you to click on a short link (a Bit.ly link for instance). While convenient, these short links make it more difficult for the non tech savvy to see where the link actually leads to.

QR Codes / tags are also being used to take you where you shouldn’t go. Once you’re on the Web page of their desire, they’d just load malware onto your phone and let technology take over, grabbing whatever information they’ve designed their system to seek. Even third party contact information, so they can work them too, even by impersonating their messages as coming from you. This is a particularly effective tactic since many QR reader applications do not show you the URL the code directs to, rather it just takes you there.

But don’t lose heart. If you tend to innocently follow links that come in through to your laptop or phone, whether they’re short links, regular links or QR Codes, you may be better off looking up some anti-virus software for mobile devices such as AVG.

It’s also easy to secure your home Wifi system with a password, although that may seem like a highly technical exercise. It’s not. Start by calling customer support at your Internet provider, or the Wifi device manufacturer – they will be able to provide you with step-by-step instructions for setting everything up.

Learn More…

If it’s not Jeremy, it’s Alicia or Rob, or Jennifer. Everyone sells homes and they spend thousands each year repeating that message over and over in their advertising. You see that message on bus benches, local papers, postcards and business cards. The problem is, home sellers already know that. In the mind of a consumer, every real estate agent sells homes. It’s what they do for a living.

How do you differentiate yourself in your marketplace? What is the unique promise that the market should associate you with and that is going to make customers call you instead of the next agent? What is your most powerful strength as you see it and as told by past customers? Is it negotiating skills, is it speed of sales, is it your local network. 

Even if you happen to be the number one sales person in your franchise this year, building your advertising with that being the main proposition can leave you scrambling next year unless you retain the top spot again. Meanwhile the opportunity to build a sustainable promise would have been pushed out an entire year, with an extra year’s budget to go along.

Advertising works best when the promise it delivers i) hits a hot button, i.e. delivers a relevant, compelling benefit, ii) is something you can deliver on better than anyone else and can show for it, and, iii) it is consistent so that the association of the promise with you and your brand builds in your audience’s mind over time and eventually becomes synonymous with you and your service.

One of the hardest parts in creating a compelling selling promise is going about it methodically. It takes time, patience, consistency and a very objective mind. And when years later people think of you first whenever the subject of a top negotiator comes up, you would have hit the advertising home run.

Competitors would be hard pressed to try and compete with you in the same context. If they try, they’ll be seen as a ‘me too,’ and lose credibility

Find your ‘unique’ strength, make sure ‘you can deliver on it’ and push that message ‘relentlessly’.

For more on the subject, here are two articles we published over the past year about unique value proposition.

No guess work here. Load up your website up with listings and you would have covered one of the top two things on a home buyer’s list of most valued information on a REALTOR®’s website. 83 percent of buyers who used the Internet last year to research properties said that detailed information about homes for sale are ‘Very Useful,’ according to the National Association of REALTORS®’ (NAR) 2010 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers report.

And given that 21 percent of sales agents reported generating between 11 and over 100 inquiries from their website, 3 percent pulling between 51 – 100 inquiries and 4 percent more than 100 inquiries, your online store has the potential to be more than just a pretty place. The reason I say this is that there are still 31 percent of agents out there whose websites bring in no inquiries at all! That’s a huge opportunity.

Established REALTORS® seem to be well set then, if they typically carry good inventory. Provided they do most other things right of course. We covered some of those things or ideas, in Parts 1-3 of this series.

Undoubtedly though, even the best sellers’ agents can benefit from additional listings, to attract even more visitors and generate more return visits to their websites. For those who have no listings or just few, this particular challenge can be daunting. Here are three surefire ways to add more listings to your site. As in, many more.

1)    Expand your personal network – This is an on-going exercise that requires time. If you want instant gratification, skip this step and go to points 2 and 3. But in the long run, this step will be key to success and business resilience especially in tough markets.

Here are some facts, also from NAR’s report. The most important thing people look for in an agent is honesty and trustworthiness, and nearly half of all buyers find their real estate agent through a referral from a friend, neighbor or relative, especially first time home buyers.

The more experience and transactions you facilitate, and the larger you grow and foster a supporting network of friends and contacts, the more business and listings you’ll get. Join and participate in local societies and groups, join one or more charities, volunteer time on a not-for-profit board and attend school events if you have kids. A note to self: ‘I won’t spend all my time at such events with people I know. I will reinforce those relationships and make it a point to meet several more people and exchange more business cards or phone numbers. And, my networking does not mean spending lots of time in online chat rooms with other agents.’

2)    Build IDX into your website – This can be as easy as cutting and pasting some code onto your website. IDX or, Internet Data Exchange, is a solution that allows visitors on your website to search approved Multiple Listing Service (MLS) properties in your area. The service is subscription-based and for the value it adds, many would concur is worth every penny.

There are several great IDX service providers in the marketplace today, so here are some things to look for:

-       Easy to plug (technical jargon: frame) into your website.
-       A solution that seamlessly integrates (funnels) leads into your prospect management system.
-       Don’t get held up by a long term contract. You should have the right to get out at any time.
-       Double check on the IDX service provider’s ‘uptime.’ You want a service that is ‘on’ all the time.
-       Affordable. You can usually secure a top name IDX directly or through your website service provider at a reasonable price.

3)      Handshake™ with other REALTORS® in your market – This idea applies only to Point2 Agent users. Handshake™ is proprietary technology that allows you to publish other REALTOR® listings on your Point2 Agent website, and the other way around. The idea is to automatically and immediately give you credibility but importantly, a large inventory to market. Especially for new agents, this advantage can make a significant difference. The more local co-marketing relationships you initiate and approve through your Point2 Agent site, the more listings you’ll get. You can test this technology for free here.

Public speaking ranks at the highest levels of all things feared by humans, period. Whether presenting on stage to a thousand people, at the office to your team or management, or offering your services to a prospective client, certain success denominators if mastered can make a big difference in your results.

This subject is deep and far reaching. My aim from this article series is to impart some of the more fundamentally important tips that you as a real estate professional can start to apply right away and that can make a significant difference in your performance.

One BIG ‘Don’t’ that, in my personal opinion, warrants we open the series with are ‘Non Words,’ also known as ‘Fillers.’ Non Words fall into what is technically described as Speech Disfluencies.

From Wikipedia: “Speech disfluencies are any of various breaks, irregularities, or non-lexical vocables that occur within the flow of otherwise fluent speech. These include false starts, i.e. words and sentences that are cut off mid-utterance, phrases that are restarted or repeated and repeated syllables, fillers i.e. grunts or non-lexical utterances such as “uh”, “erm” and “well”, and repaired utterances, i.e. instances of speakers correcting their own slips of the tongue or mispronunciations (before anyone else gets a chance to).”

Did you know that a whopping 20 percent of the words many people use in a sentence are Non Words and Fillers? That is shocking.

You have great tools at your disposal. For example, you click a button or two in Point2 Agent and out comes a gorgeous listing presentation and you rush out the door for your new client meeting. You now look phenomenal on paper. But how much would some more power and confidence in your speech and personal presentation skills go to get you the deal? How about your impact in a video recording for posting on YouTube or your blog? Wouldn’t you want to come across as more professional and assertive.

Many of us may have picked up the ‘Filler’ habit as kids at school, or at the office from some rising hot shot, thinking that must be one of the reflections of success. You’ve surely heard kids – and adult professionals – spray around words and Non Words like ‘um’ ‘uh’ ‘like’ ‘oh my God’ ‘sooooo’ or ‘you know’, like there was no tomorrow.

How about those who can tag several fillers to each other, literally saying an entire short sentence without communicating anything. Try this for size: ‘let’s seeeeee, uuuuuh, now, wait a minute, ehhhh, yes, it’s like …

The bottom line is that if someone pitched their services to you and packed one or two eh’s and um’s in between every few real words, they have an obstacle they just don’t know about. As a buyer, your perception is affected. With that, while not the only parameter in your consideration, your decision.

Fillers are distracting. They diminish your impact and show hesitancy and uncertainty. They annoy listeners and directly affect their perception of you and their decision about your services or products.

Remember this. Fillers are Killers. They hit your credibility and potential right in the heart no matter your domain and level of expertise, or your message. As delivery and presentation makes up around 90 percent of a presenter’s impact on an audience, Non Words simply do not belong. As an exercise, try to listen to your own voice in your next conversation. How many unnecessary words can you count?

For those who may think fillers give them the right to the next speaking spot (uuuuuhhh don’t interrupt me I’m not done speaking yet), think again. Especially on the phone, your listener might also think you keep getting distracted by other things like people, text messages or email. Tells them they are not the most important thing on your mind right now. Not very professional.

One of the keys to getting rid of Fillers is focus. Focus on your audience and your message. Use pauses between sentences to catch your next thought (or for effect). The silence, which may seem to last a lifetime when you’re on stage, or when trying to rush an idea past someone, seems only that long to you. To your audience, the pause emphasizes the importance of the message. It gives them time to assimilate the point and take better notes, and you come across as more confident, more assertive and more knowledgeable.

While attitude has a lot to do with success, there are many tangible ideas and tools virtually anyone can take advantage of. As you will quickly realize, hardly any of those ‘revealed’ in this article are secrets or mysteries. The real secret lies in the ability to take action and apply the ideas, rather than in the knowledge itself. Here are three ideas.

Top Agents Are Easily Found on the Web – With a third of all home buyers starting their search online, and a whopping 90 percent using the Internet in the buying process, the winning agents are those found more easily where buyers lurk. There are consumer real estate portals, search engines, auction sites and classified ad sites. The Point2 listing syndication service available for free through nearly 250 MLSs and associations in the United States is a great way to achieve high exposure with virtually no effort.

Another way to be found is through Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Today you can automate SEO, with the new Site Builder website product by Point2, launched this past June. Just select the city you operate in and a website with great initial SEO is generated for you, meta tags and all!

They Take Time to Add Rich Content to their Websites – This mystery does not pertain to a technology tool, but a discipline. One agent we know of and that we wrote about in a separate story gets 80 percent of his business from his website! That is a number worth paying attention to. He does it by engaging visitors with rich content.

“If I had to pick one aspect that works… well, actually there are several. I believe the ability to display a large number of photographs, room for plenty of information and the creation of a virtual tour environment is very much appreciated by my clients and potential clients. These three features not only serve to market the property well but also reflect on the client’s perception of my professionalism.”

They are Good at Converting Leads into Revenue – You might be surprised at how many leads are left to rot in agent inboxes. As the majority of prospects will go with the first agent who responds to them, having the right tools in place to help you be first out of the gate is key. Check if your website incorporates a lead management system that captures inquiries coming in from your listing syndication efforts and if it routes leads to your cell phone. This is extremely important to beat the 30 minute patience guideline of online prospects. This strategy is a winner!

Perhaps one of the greatest myths out there is that knowledge is power. It is not. Knowledge without action is nearly useless. Power, as Tony Robbins, one of my favorite life and motivational coaches says, is the ability to take consistent action towards a specific goal. That’s when luck also seems to kick in!