Real estate is a continuously growing business. There are millions of real estate agents in the U.S. and more are becoming certified every day. How can you stand out among the other agents in such a significant business? Keep reading to find out!

BRANDED MATERIALS

Many people like to represent the brands they support. This could mean following the business page on social media, referring friends and family to the business, or continuing to pursue the business’ products. Real estate agents can encourage clients to do this by creating physical branded materials. Use your logo, team name, and/or branded colors on physical materials. You can also include contact information like a phone number, email address, or website. Examples of physical materials include coozies, stickers, magnets, calendars, pens, and so on. There are many websites for agents to use when creating custom and personalized materials. Custom Ink has an extensive variety of options for users to choose from. Although this option is not cost-free, it’s a great way to increase your reach and establish a relationship with your clients. 

ONLINE ACTIVITY

Another way to stand out among the other real estate agents is by cultivating an online presence. In our current day of age, many clients are turning towards social media for their business needs. This means real estate agents need to be active on social media in order to increase their reach. For some, social media is less intimidating and has less of a commitment compared to a phone call or in-person meeting. Plus, people with busy schedules will often have more flexibility concerning online communication. For this reason, real estate agents should make sure that they are available on major social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. However, this doesn’t mean agents have to post online every day. Instead, try to post a couple times a month on Facebook and Instagram to show searching clients that you’re still active in the real estate business. Then, make sure your notifications for both platforms are turned on so you can see when a client reaches out. And if possible, interact with your clients on the platform to let them know that they are more than just a transaction. A personal touch can make a huge difference in your business. 

THE LOCAL COMMUNITY 

How active are you in your local community? Do you have a networking group that you’re continuously involved with? It’s important to associate with the people in your local area and to build connections within the community you’re working in. Real estate professionals who are not working actively in the local community are losing countless opportunities to meet potential clients and increase their reach. If you don’t have a group you are already involved with, try to attend online or in-person events and communicate with people you don’t know. You can also attend outreach and community service events to contribute to the improvement of your community and show people that you understand the needs of the local area. Whenever possible, look for opportunities to build relationships and make personal connections with others. A real estate agent’s time is valuable; how impressive would it be to see a successful agent helping the community with the limited time they have?

The pattern in each of these recommendations is personalization. Look for ways to bring a personal aspect to every aspect of your business. Whether you’re communicating with past or potential clients, navigating the online realm, or handing out personalized materials to your sphere, continuously consider ways to go above and beyond to stand out in the vast business that is real estate. 

Congratulations to RE/MAX for ranking No. 1 in the real estate franchise brand for the ‘Franchise Times Top 200’ for the 12th consecutive year! 

“This recognition reflects the quality of RE/MAX brokers and agents, who are delivering excellent consumer experiences to real estate buyers and sellers every single day,” says RE/MAX CEO Adam Contos. “It also confirms the ongoing appeal of our brand and network. Entrepreneurs are buying RE/MAX franchises all over the world right now in very unusual circumstances – it’s a testament to the foundation laid by nearly 50 years of building the RE/MAX brand and achieving significant brand awareness and visibility.”

The Franchise Times Top 200 is an annual ranking of the 500 largest franchise systems in the United States by global systemwide sales, based on the previous year’s performance. Systemwide sales is defined as the total sales for both franchise and company units. Coming in at No. 16, RE/MAX joins household names such as McDonald’s, 7-Eleven and Taco Bell at the top of the widely respected list.

Earlier this year, RE/MAX also ranked as the No. 1 real estate brokerage franchise in Entrepreneur’s 2020 Franchise 500® survey. More than 1,100 franchisors applied to be included in this year’s Franchise 500 and RE/MAX was selected as the top real estate brokerage franchisor based on various factors including unit growth, financial strength, stability, and brand power.

Click HERE to learn more about the RE/MAX team! 

What if there was a magic pill to transform your business overnight? Sadly, science hasn’t advanced that far yet… but we do have three great ingredients to get you and your business moving in the right direction! Keep reading to learn all about the three ingredients to the ‘magic pill’ and how it can help you build and maintain a successful business. 

Consistency 

The first ingredient to the ‘magic pill’ is consistency. Consistency is the most important principle in marketing, networking, lead generation, and every other aspect of business. It takes commitment to set time aside and plan ahead for all the moving pieces – but the end result can revolutionize the way others see your business. The best way to get started with consistency for your work is by building out a schedule. One of RE/MAX Metro’s most helpful tools is Booj: ‘Be original. Or jealous.” Booj empowers agents with the tools necessary to help them stay competitive and consistent within their local markets. This program helps agents create schedules and events to keep them on track with putting out content and connecting with others on a regular business. For those outside of RE/MAX Metro, agents can use programs like Google Calendars, Asana, Monday, or even sticky notes to keep track of schedules. In the end, any step towards creating a consistent schedule can be considered a win. To get started, pick a day of the week for something, like making a Facebook post, and try to stick with that weekly post. The volume isn’t what matters; it’s all about consistency! 

Lead Generation 

The second ingredient is lead generation. This often looks different for every agent, but lead generation is a vital part of maintaining a successful business. Some agents may rely heavily on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. Some achieve this success with online ads or a large audience to connect with. For others, cold-calls is where they thrive. Regardless of how you generate leads, it’s necessary to keep up with lead generation in order to keep your business rolling. A great way to stay organized with your lead-gen plan is by considering these two things: What do you do for the people you know, and what do you do for the people you don’t know? Categorize your lead generation for the “known” and “unknown” people to maximize your efforts. Then, make your lead generation plans for each category and, as previously suggested, be consistent with it! After the initial effort has been made, follow up with your sphere as much as possible. Lead generation often takes eight touches before becoming a legitimate prospect. 

And …Consistency! 

The third ingredient to the ‘magic pill’ is consistency – again! It’s so important that we had to count it twice. Be persistent in your actions and stick with your efforts. The best way to find out if something works is by maintaining it until you’ve explored every aspect. 

If the ‘magic pill’ isn’t for you, keep trying different ingredients to get the perfect combination! A great tool for agents to learn more about building a successful business is the “Millionaire Real Estate Agent” book by Gary Keller. This book explores different methods that every kind of agent can try to reach the highest level of success possible. In the end, no agent functions the same. Try different things and see what works best for you and your business! 

Zoom has become a huge part of day-to-day business operations over the last few months. Many people have had to transfer from doing all business in the office to their homes. How do you keep your maintain the tone for your meetings from the comfort of home? Keep reading below to learn more about Zoom backgrounds! 

Why Use Zoom Backgrounds?

Using Zoom backgrounds is an effective way to limit distractions. If you’re set up in a room with children playing in the background or an excitable pet, it might be a good idea to turn on a background. Hopefully, this would force the camera to focus only on you and not what’s going on in the background. Zoom backgrounds also help you keep your area ‘clean,’ even if it really isn’t. A kitchen full of dirty dishes or an unmade bed might not be what you want to show off in your Zoom meeting. This is when you could either select a default background or upload your own! However, not all computers are compatible with Zoom Backgrounds. If this is the case, try to eliminate distractions in the background before jumping in your call! 

What is a Good Zoom Background? 

Different backgrounds are may or may not be appropriate depending on the kind of meeting you join. For example, an image of a skateboarding dog might not be acceptable for a formal, professional business meeting. However, that same background could serve as an icebreaker in an informal meeting! It’s important to understand the setting of the meeting before you select a background. For real estate agents, professional backgrounds could include luxury home interiors, minimalistic decor, splashes of color, or other subtle images. Casual meetings have much more room to play with. Beach shots, animals, and even stills from your favorite movie could be used in informal Zoom meetings. Use discretion before selecting your image!  

Sample Zoom Backgrounds 

Here are some visual examples of backgrounds to use in your Zoom meetings:

Looking for something unique to add to your business? Amazon is one of the biggest e-commerce sites in the world. The platform is home to thousands of retailers and has countless items available to shoppers. Items like mugs and bumper stickers can be catered to real estate agents, but there are other products you can use to your advantage in your business. Keep reading for a quick look into some budget Amazon musts for real estate agents! 

PORTABLE BLUETOOTH SPEAKER

A great way to step up your open houses or client meetings is with some light background music. But after you put your playlist together, you’ll need a way to play it loud enough to fill up the whole room. A simple solution is to purchase a Bluetooth portable speaker. Bluetooth speakers can connect to most smartphones and are controlled through either the phone or buttons on the speaker. The OontZ Angle 3 is listed on Amazon for under $30 and has a lifetime battery of up to 14 hours! Amazon does have other options for size and price, so shop around to find the perfect one if the OontZ doesn’t meet your needs! 

‘SOLD’ PHOTO PROP

Another way to step up your game is with photo props. After helping your clients close on the perfect home, celebrate with a fun picture to go on your social media! You may have seen other real estate agents posing in a picture with their clients holding a ‘Just Sold’ sign. The Testimonial Photo Prop Signs come with two different signs in the shape of a key and are priced at $24.99. They read, “Found the One,” and, “Home Sweet Home.” These signs are perfect for both pictures and testimonials. But if the key doesn’t fit, keep searching for a more suitable prop for your photos. 

PHONE TRIPOD

Video is becoming more and more prevalent on social media and in business. As a result, real estate agents are almost expected to be able to make videos about their business. Whether you’re recording a virtual tour or talking about something that matters to you, try to go the extra mile to create a high-quality video. A simple way to do this is by using a tripod for your phone. For $20, you can get the Xenvo LobsterPod Tripod, adjustable for almost any kind of cellphone. This product allows you to take a steady, level video several feet away from the camera. Such a seemingly small thing really can make a difference in your video! 

Of course, there are more than three products that can help you step up your business. Explore Amazon and think outside the box to get something that will really make a difference in the way you present yourself and conduct work! 

In our current day and age, technology is a necessity. It’s important to not only use these materials, but to get the most out of them for your benefit. An example of this is taking good video for your listings. Where can you start to ensure the best video tour possible? Keep reading to learn about our simple suggestions!

SET THE SCENE

Before you hit the record button, take a look around the listing and see what can be tidied up. Remove clutter, reorganize pillows, and clear surfaces to set the scene. The goal is to make the home look clean, yet welcoming and livable. Also, try to remove controversial pieces like sports memorabilia or political pieces. The people watching your video should be able to envision themselves living in the home. 

MAKE A GAME PLAN

After clearing up the clutter, plan out how you want to navigate your video. Walk through the listing and figure out the flow of each room. Then, treat your video tour like an actual tour! How would you show clients a new listing? Think about where you want to go and if you want to say anything. Whether you’re speaking in the video or not, it’s important to touch on the key components in order for potential buys to get a good idea of the home.  

FOCUS ON HIGHLIGHTS

Every listing has a number of notable elements for you to highlight. Show off appliances in your video so that clients get a good idea of what they’re buying into. Don’t forget to accentuate features like pools, garages, balconies, fireplaces, and so on. For some, these attributes could be what motivates a client to buy! 

Make sure to think about each of these suggestions before recording to ensure your video tour goes smoothly. Even implementing one of these changes could be the difference in helping you make the sale!

One of the biggest struggles of social media is getting people to engage with your content. Although there aren’t set rules on how to encourage interactions from your audience, there are many different methods to try. Keep reading to learn about three simple options! 

ENCOURAGE A RESPONSE

A great way to get your audience to interact with you is by asking them to! On YouTube, creators will often tell their viewers to like the video and subscribe. As a social media user, you can follow the same technique to keep getting engagement. Whether you’re speaking in a video or writing up a caption, try asking your followers to like, comment, share, and so on. A more subtle way to stimulate a response is by asking your followers specific questions. “What color cabinets would look best in this kitchen,” or, “Would you live in this house?” are great examples of questions to ask! 

ALWAYS REPLY

Positive reinforcement can go a long way with an online following. Whenever someone comments or shares a post, make sure to thank them for their efforts! Respond to their actions with a thank you or further conversation by asking additional questions. The best way to establish continuous engagement is by creating a legitimate relationship. If someone comments on or shares one of your posts, look for opportunities to build a connection with them. 

GO BEYOND BUSINESS 

As real estate agents, there’s a necessity for real estate talk on your social media pages. However, you’re also a real person with a life outside of work! Don’t be afraid to talk about your personal interest and help your followers get to know you better. As stated before, a great way to encourage engagement is through building relationships. And just as your followers should be able to get to know you better, try to do the same for them! See what people are already engaging with and try to find a pattern. Once you find out what your following responds best to, you can keep putting out similar content to keep engagement up. 

In order to get maximum engagement on your posts, some trial and error will be necessary. Keep trying different things until you see growth on your social media and be patient! With genuine content and a desire to build relationships, you will find some level of improvement with your online efforts. 

The only consistency in social media is that there will always be changes. As a user of social media platforms, part of your job is staying on top of those changes in order to keep a successful account running. One of the best ways to achieve this is by implementing core practices ahead of time. Sound stressful? Don’t worry! Keep reading to learn about three simple ways to change your social media account without spending too much time or money! 

TRY NEW THINGS

Experiment with new forms of content on different social media platforms and see which ones work best accordingly. For example, Facebook is a huge advocate for video content. If you aren’t already, try creating more video content for your Facebook accounts in order to appeal to the algorithm. Another example is Instagram Stories. Make an effort to put out more Stories on Instagram to prove you know how to use the platform. By using social media platforms the way they are intended to be used, your account will get secret ‘brownie’ points. AI will put your posts at the top of the newsfeed and will suggest your account to new people. If you get used to these things sooner rather than later, you’ll be well prepared for whatever changes come your way! 

WATCH YOUR ENGAGEMENTS 

A good way to better your social media accounts is to see how your audience responds to your content. Whether you’re trying something new or putting out the same kind of content you always have, it’s a good idea to monitor your engagements. Look at how many likes, comments, shares, views, etc. each post gets. This will let you know exactly what your audience thinks of what you put out. Once you start to get a good idea of the engagement each kind of post gets, you’ll be able to create content that follows those patterns. Your social media pages will then be stacked full of good, engaging content that your audience loves! 

SEEK RELATIONSHIPS OVER FOLLOWERS

The necessity of having a large following on your social media accounts can be debated. However, it is infinitely better to have 100 followers who continuously engage with your content than 100,000 followers that ignore you. While navigating through your social media accounts, try to go a bit beyond just posting every few days. Respond to comments and start conversations with people to build genuine relationships. By showing your interest in others, you prove yourself to be a real, caring person. The favor is much more likely to be returned if you make the first move! 

A lot of good could come from implementing even one or two of the ideas listed above. Give each of them a try and see what works best for you!