JoAnna's Real Estate Thoughts

Internet Marketing Really Works!  For me AND my sellers!  

I received a call last week from a prospective Seller letting me know he was interviewing agents to list his Marlboro NJ home, which had recently expired.  He invited me over to hear my presentation.

When I got there, I asked how he got connected to me and he said "How could I not?  You're EVERYWHERE!"  Everywhere meaning... ALL over the Internet!

He starting by Googling "Manalapan Realtor" and found many links to me and my listings, many on the first page! I'm sure glad I've been getting lots of Google Juice!

He connected to me:

• On my website (JoTheRealtor.com)
• My enhanced listings on Realtor.com
• Testimonials and a Realtor Interview on Incredible Agents
• My Featured Listings on Homes.com
• Answering questions on Trulia.com
• My Active Rain Profile; and, of course,
• He'd even read a few of my recent blog posts!  (Being Proactive, Isn't anyone reasonable?, Getting Linked to Marlboro New Jersey)
  
• For all you anti-MeMe's, he liked getting to know Me in my MeMe.  It made for good conversation... and I thought I marked it Member's Only!  Oops!

It didn't take long for me to demonstrate and make the connection that if he found me so easily, prospective buyers would find me just as easily and ultimately find HIS home! Perhaps featured on my website?

Exposing his home to the greatest pool of buyers would greatly increase the odds of finding his best buyer - the person willing to pay the most money for his home!

Isn't it fabulous when you start with a vision and end up with a reality?

"To accomplish great things we must first dream, then visualize, then plan... believe... act!" - Alfred A. Montapert

PS - Once we went through my internet marketing plan, there wasn't much more he needed to hear.

I got the listing!

Jo

JoAnna Siminerio
Weichert, Realtors - Manalapan/Marlboro

I started responding to Randy's post about Email Etiquette (see his post here) and found I had enough to say to warrant a post of my own.

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There is a little "boy who cried wolf" mentality going on in my inbox these days.

I receive daily (sometimes twice a day) emails from agents about their fabulous, unbelievable new listing or their great price reduction or why their property is the best in the neighborhood.

I see so many that very few actually catch my attention anymore.  When I used to get only a few a day, I would look at them.  Every now and then I'd see one that really was a fabulous price!  Most often I find those emails to be an agent letting me know they are selling an overpriced dog!

It used to be I only received emails relevant to my buyer clients when the reverse prospecting system on my MLS would let the listing agents know I have a buyer with criteria that matches their listing. 

Now I get emails about beach front property (wish I had a beach front buyer) or condominiums that are a hop skip and jump from Manhattan (definitately not an area I service).

My inbox is crowded with irrelevant information and unfortunately the one email that could be impactful to me is lost in the shuffle.

I check my hotsheet throughout the day.  I know about ALL the new activity in my town.  I do not need to receive redundant information.

What do I want to receive?

Updates on properties I've shown or previewed!  This is critical.  That would include price changes, promotional changes (bonuses) or even seller's motivation.  Also, sometimes there are nuances to our listings that we can't depict on the MLS.  I wouldn't mind getting an email alert about this as well.

What can YOU do about it?  Be more diligent about only emailing information that is relevant to the receiver!  STOP SPAMMING!  That is what it is when you send mass emails to people who have little interest in what you are saying.

I am NOT trying to limit the electronic communication between agents.  In fact, I encourage and welcome it!  I just want us to act responsibly when choosing who to send our information to!  Same way I feel bloggers should exercise good judgment when choosing where to submit their blogs.  It makes the most sense to put your post in the correct channel or group so that it is exposed to the largest amount of "interested" readers!