For many, the new year brings about an opportunity to cut out old habits and introduce new ones. Plenty of people enter January with a new gym membership, less caffeine, or even a new mindset to keep themselves motivated. But what about new practices to better the success and growth of your business? Keep reading to find some great resolutions that you can apply to improve your business! 

ENGAGING CONTENT

Jump into the new year with a new and improved social media strategy! Try to create posts that will capture the attention of your followers and award you with lots of engagement. To start, you can look back at your posts and see which ones got the most likes, comments, shares, views, and so on. Then, try to see if there are any common denominators between the posts with lots of engagement. This could include types of content, topics, text, and more. If you’re still unsure of where to start, work to create content that’s appropriate for the specific platform you’re using. For example, Facebook is a great place to post videos or a small album of photos that highlight you and your business. Instagram is an excellent place to post aesthetically pleasing photos and utilize Stories. Play around on the social media platform and see which forms of content can get you the most engagement on! 

NETWORKING GROUPS

Although the start of 2021 looks a bit different than years prior, it’s still a good idea to try and expand your circle by meeting new people and joining new groups! Look for opportunities to attend networking events or try out some new groups. If in-person meetings are not possible for you, try getting into some online spheres using Zoom calls or Facebook groups. This will allow you to continue meeting people without leaving the comfort of your home! Whenever possible, work towards getting into new communities and making connections wherever you can! This may help your business to further develop and grow throughout the course of the year. 

WHAT ISN’T WORKING?

Although we’ve mentioned some new habits you can incorporate into your business, it’s also important to acknowledge the possibility of cutting out old habits. Take a step back and examine the way you’ve operated your business over the last year. The more honest and unbiased you can be, there more areas you’ll be able to identify as “mendable.” Are there particular practices that just aren’t working anymore? If the answer is yes, don’t worry! The start of a new year is the perfect time to make adjustments and try new things. Come up with some ways to modify your past plan to better suit your current business needs. Or, throw the old plan out entirely and come up with a brand new one! If you need to come up with a new social media strategy, start looking up new ones! If you want to be better at organizing your files, designate a time or day to get it done! Don’t be afraid to make changes and try something new. If it doesn’t end up working for you, you can always try something else later on.

Resolutions are excellent for remotivating yourself and making changes to the way you operate. If you want to revolutionize your business and set some exciting new goals, take the new year as an opportunity to do it now! 

Happy New Year!

Online shopping is huge this time of year. Now more than ever, many buyers are turning towards the online realm to begin the search for a home. Photography is a great tool for real estate agents to share their listings and highlight a home’s features. Your listing pictures and social media pages are the perfect places to put your real estate-focused pictures. However, many real estate pictures could use some slight adjustments to truly bring out the best parts of the photo. Try the tips below to get the most out of your listing and social media pictures! 

FLATTERING LIGHTING 

Lighting has the power to make or break a picture. A properly illuminated subject will provide a clear, professional looking photo. Artificial overhead lights can cast harsh shadows or change the color of your subject. The best way to combat this is by using natural lighting. Try opening windows and turning off the overhead lights to let natural light illuminate your subject. In some cases, you may need to plan your photo-taking session ahead of time in order to capture the most amount of natural light possible. Try taking photos with different light sources and see what flatters your subject the most! 

CLEAR OF CLUTTER

Remove any clutter or distractions from your image to keep all attention on your subject. A clean house gives buyers the opportunity to imagine themselves in the home. Clutter acts as a reminder that other people already live in the home, which can turn the buyers off from pursuing the listing further. Additionally, clutter distracts people from the main subject of the picture. Any impressive listing features can be quickly drowned out by distracting clutter. Make sure all surfaces in the home are clear and clean. Whenever possible, remove family photos or personal items to keep the image simple and clean. 

MORE OF YOU!

Try to include yourself in your business photos as much as possible! Although it may not be appropriate to include yourself in listing photos, take a couple of extra shots of you in the home to use for social media posts in the future. Posting pictures of yourself provides a face for people to recognize and lets people get to know you better. Some of the best content to post on social media for both your personal and business pages is pictures of you. Personalized content should be the primary kind of posts you put on your social media pages. Personalized “business” photos are the perfect mix of content for you to drip in between your normal posts. Try taking some more pictures of yourself to put on your social media pages! 

Do you notice anything missing from your real estate pictures? Try any of these tips to add a little something more to your images! 

Many real estate agents like to work in particular neighborhoods. Considering how competitive the real estate business can be, it’s not surprising that so many agents struggle to become the known “expert” of a neighborhood. Are you hoping to secure that title of your desired neighborhood? Keep reading to learn about some of our tips for becoming the neighborhood expert!

MARKETING TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD

A great way to get your foot in the door with a neighborhood is by sending residents marketing material. Products like pens, pencils, calendars, mugs, flyers, magnets, and so on are perfect examples of marketing material you can use. By including your branding, contact information, and even an image of yourself on the products, residents will become more familiar with your business. The more people from the area see your name and branding, the better chance you have of being the first real estate agent that comes to their mind when it comes time to sell. Additionally, local residents will be able to refer you to friends and family who are looking to get into the same neighborhood. Associate yourself with the neighborhood as much as possible and get your name out there! 

FAMILIARITY WITH THE AREA

Another way to become a neighborhood expert is by familiarizing yourself with the area. Visit local restaurants, businesses, and outdoor locations to become acquainted with the neighborhood. This will help you conversate with local residents or potential buyers. It will also help you to inform clients about the area and secure your title as the expert. This will help you answer questions and help make clients feel at home in the area. Be sure to know the best places to grab a late-night bite, watch the sunset, and buy local-made products!  

NETWORKING

In addition to knowing local locations to visit, try to get to know the business owners and residents of the area. Getting plugged into the community will help you establish your roots in the neighborhood and become better-known as the neighborhood expert. This way, locals can point others to you when it comes time to look for or sell their home! Take this a step further by attending local events where you can meet more of the local community. Park picnics, holiday parties, and other community events allow for great opportunities to get to know people in the area and establish connections. 

Becoming the neighborhood expert will likely take some time. Continue your efforts and try different things to become the known expert of the area! 

When someone is vetting your Instagram account, your profile’s biography is one of the first things they’ll see. A bio can include anything from hobbies, your hometown, a website, and so on. For a real estate agent, your social media bio has the potential to express yourself as both a person and an agent, which could draw in clients! For that reason, it’s essential to construct a bio that accurately reflects you and your character. Unsure on where to start? Read below to find out how you can write the perfect Instagram bio! 

Usernames

Your Instagram bio displays both your username and your actual name. Other Instagram users can find your account by searching for either one of these. In order to be easily identified and located, you should select a username that people can quickly recognize as yours. For example, a real estate agent that loves puppies should probably avoid a username like, “puppylover777.” Instead, that agent may want to create the username, “RealtorJohnSmith” and put “Dog Lover” in their bio. As for your name on Instagram, we encourage you to use your first and last name. This will increase the chances of a potential client finding your account easily. Accessibility is a big part of social media – try to make it as simple as possible for people to find you online! 

Primary Content

In truth, the majority of your bio can consist of whatever you think most accurately represents you. You can add as much or as little information as you want. However, it’s important to remember that your bio is the first thing someone sees when looking at your profile. It’s a good idea to include information in your bio that shows people who you are. The text box portion of your bio is where you get full creative freedom! Many real estate agents with successful Instagram pages will often include things like their hometown, their profession, a hobby, contact information, website links, and so on. If you’re having a hard time knowing what to include on your own bio, try looking at some other successful pages for inspiration. Also, think about what you like to see on other users’ pages. Then, add your own information and a unique touch to draw people in and establish yourself as a knowledgeable Instagram user! 

Emojis

Emojis are an excellent way to add a fun flair to your bio. They bring an element of color and personalization to your bio that not every user would think to use. Emojis can be used as a way to break up thoughts or points, as seen in the included example. Instagram users may also use emojis as a way to illustrate their topics. For example, a real estate agent may include a house emoji next to “Real Estate Agent” in their bio. Another example is using a location pin next to, “St. Petersburg, Florida.” Emojis are a great option for additional creativity and customization. Look through the emoji options and see which ones will work best for your bio! 

In short, the bio of your Instagram profile is the place for you to summarize yourself. Although it may seem daunting, remember the purpose of your social media account: for other users to connect with and celebrate you. Get creative and try out different things on your bio!

How has low inventory affected your business? In this video, Tracey Strube, Managing Broker for RE/MAX Metro, and Ryan Harris, head of Media Solutions, chat about how the current inventory changes have impacted real estate agents. Real estate is constantly fluctuating in terms of business and finalizing transactions. Currently, there have been very few changes concerning the status of the real estate market. There has been 36% less inventory in September 2020 compared to September 2019. How can you stay afloat during this low inventory time? Tracey and Ryan discuss some ways agents can maintain their business and stay productive – with or without an excess of business! Click the video below to learn about some methods to keep your business moving forward in this unique market! 

An open house is kind of like a party. Food, music, and fun conversation are common ingredients for a successful open house. But what does an open house look like on Halloween? Halloween + New Listing = A ‘hauntingly’ good time! Keep reading to learn about some frighteningly good ideas to spook up your Halloween open house! 

FESTIVE DECOR

Many open houses have some level of decor to spice up the home. For Halloween, agents have many different options for how they can decorate to match the season! Halloween decorations like pumpkins, simple table decor, and sparingly-used (fake) cobwebs are perfect for a spirited open house. Additionally, festive music can act as a wonderful tool to lighten the mood and add a little flare to the event. Agents can also opt for a fall theme with red, orange, forest green, and neutral colors and some scented candles. However you chose to decorate, make sure to do so in reason. The home should remain clutter-free and easy to see. Too many decorations could make it difficult for potential buyers to appreciate the home in full! 

COSTUMES

It’s Halloween – costumes are a must. However, make sure to look approachable. Try not to wear anything too controversial or frightening. Your job as a real estate agent is to communicate with clients. Don’t let a distasteful costume scare off the buyers! Some examples of simple, inexpensive costumes for real estate agents are a superhero, secret agent, cowboy/girl, rockstar, etc. You can also encourage your visitors to dress up as well! If possible, you can even set up an area for people to take “photo booth” type photos with props and a fun backdrop! Tape Halloween-themed wrapping paper to a blank wall to achieve this. This is a wonderful opportunity to get some fun pictures with your clients or of the open house to post on social media. 

TRICK OR TREAT?

No Halloween open house is complete without treats! Display some candy, pens, stickers, and so on for your visitors to take away from the event. If possible, try to put your branding and/or contact information on each of the items! If you can’t fit it all on the goodie, print out your information on a ribbon and tie it to the item. This is a great way to personalize your treats and encourage a follow-up from your visitors later on. Also, make sure you have enough goodies to hand out to the trick-or-treaters that might stop by throughout the night! You can even attach your information to those items for the kids to pass along to their parents. Think of this as some free marketing for future use!

Are you ready to try out a holiday open house? Take on the challenge and enjoy the unique and exciting event with your potential buyers! 

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!