Raj Qsar on the state of the luxury market: ‘It’s on fire’

The owner and CEO of The Boutique Real Estate Group in Orange County has seen a significant shift in buyer attitudes since the onset of the pandemic

This spring has been an exceptionally tumultuous one for the luxury market — a pandemic, an initial fear of a market crash and, later, a boom of affluent buyers looking to spend big money on homes in places like Orange County and the Hamptons.

Raj Qsar

Raj Qsar, the owner and CEO of The Boutique Real Estate Group, has been at the forefront of that ride through the unknown. His brokerage, which works with homes from $2 million to upwards of $10 million in Orange County, California, has seen a direct shift in buyer attitudes — from fear and hesitation when the pandemic first hit in March to a present-day focus on finding a home that can be a long-term source of shelter and enjoyment. Money is going toward not just primary and vacation home markets but also home improvements aimed at making a home a personal haven.

“Many dual-income millennials who are making decent money have really changed their perspective,” Qsar told Inman, adding that size and amenities are the hottest trends in real estate. “You can see a definite mindset shift. They’re really coming in and not buying that tiny shack with room for one bed. They want a single-family home with a front yard and a backyard.”

We’ve interviewed Qsar about what his buyers are asking for and how that could shape the future of luxury real estate for years to come.

Inman News: What’s been happening in the Orange County luxury world during the last few weeks?

Raj Qsar: We’ve definitely seen a change in the luxury market. You could even say it’s on fire. It’s picked up a lot, at all price points — $1-$5M, $5-$10M and $10M and up. Buyers and sellers are definitely both in the market. There was a pause at the beginning of the virus just because no one knew what was going to happen. The last two weeks of March were definitely interesting but then things slowly started picking up. In the blink of an eye, the market was back. It’s now the strongest it’s ever been, really.

Is that due to pent-up demand, springtime buyer interest or a combination of both?

We keep hearing about pent-up demand from every news channel. I think there’s a little bit of truth to that but I think that people also, after going through what the country went through and spending so much time locked up inside, just want a nice place. Home offices were gone and now everyone wants a home office again. They’re working from home and want a place to be when the kids are all over. The secondary housing market is strong too because people want a place that they can escape to.

So the initial fear of the pandemic prompting a housing crash has been far from your experience?

That’s right. They’ve been saying that the market is going to crash and that we’re going to go into a recession for the last four or five years. The exact opposite is happening, actually. The market is stronger than ever, and people want to spend money on real estate. The first couple of weeks were a little bit scary, but I really do feel like people want to spend and they want to spend it on their house.

What are some other things that luxury buyers are asking you about?

Pools are back in, outdoor kitchens, outdoor barbecues — anything outdoors. People are putting money into their homes, upgrading with really nice high-end appliances, things like that. Owners want to love their house and everything about it. A lot of stuff that was being put off, like adding another bedroom or bathroom, is back. People are doing whatever they wanted to do.

You’ve observed a big change in buyer priorities?

Yes. Many dual-income millennials who are making decent money have really changed their perspective. You can see a definite mindset shift. They’re really coming in and not buying that tiny shack with room for one bed. They want a single-family home with a front yard and a backyard. All the stuff that wasn’t important has become important again.

Could these buyer preferences alter how future houses are built for years to come?

I think so. There’s definitely a shift in the whole indoor/outdoor space. People want the inside to feel like the outside and the outside to feel like the inside. Living rooms, cabanas, TVs — the stuff that we’re seeing right now is jaw-dropping. The stuff people are doing to their houses, it’s like going to a beach party in Vegas. We’re just a few months into the virus, but the aftermath of it is going to be years and years. People are always going to remember 2020 and being locked up at home. That will influence what they want in their homes.

BY VERONIKA BONDARENKO via Inman News

Yorba Linda mansion of race car driver Graham Rahal asks $8 million

The modern hilltop estate of IndyCar driver Graham Rahal has listed for $8 million in Yorba Linda. (Composite by Sandra Barrera, Southern California News Group; Inset: Getty Images file photo; House: The Boutique Real Estate Group)

IndyCar driver Graham Rahal has put his modern hilltop estate in Yorba Linda on the market for $8 million.

Perched atop one of Orange County’s highest peaks on a 3-acre lot with canyon, city and distant ocean views, the home — built in 2011 for Carlito Jocson, the corporate executive chef and vice president for Yard House restaurants — offers 8,320 square feet of living space with floor-to-ceiling windows, a restaurant-caliber kitchen and an open-concept floor plan.

A flush-mount fireplace warms the living room, which opens to the formal dining area with its multiple Edison bulb chandelier.

There’s also a breakfast room.

Other interior features include a billiards room, a 13-person home theater and a 1,200-bottle wine room.

The spacious master suite boasts his and hers walk-in closets and a spa-like bathroom with a large shower and a separate sunken tub. Floor-to-ceiling windows slide away and pocket into the walls to offer access to the zero-edge infinity swimming pool flanked by two glass-tiled fire pits in the backyard.

According to the design firm DKY Architects, the house was designed to promote “a true indoor-outdoor living and entertaining experience.”

In addition to the pool, there’s a full-size kitchen with ample bar-seating and a wood-fired pizza oven, a basketball court and a meditation garden lined with olive trees.

The drought-tolerant grounds offer plenty of room for a helipad.

A four-car garage, expansive car park and whole-home Crestron system complete the offerings.

Raj Qsar and Christina Boladian of The Boutique Real Estate Group hold the listing.

Rahal, 31, is the son of former racing champ-turned-team owner Bobby Rahal. He’s been driving since 2007. The six-time NTT IndyCar Series winner is married to former drag racing star Courtney Force.

The Rahals are asking 31.3% more than the $6.095 million they paid for the five-bedroom mansion in November 2017, the escrow statement shows.

When they bought their hilltop estate, it was the most expensive home ever sold in the city.

That title now belongs to a hilltop mansion dubbed Satsang, once the location for a shampoo commercial starring Jennifer Lopez. It sold for $9.8 million in February 2019.

By SANDRA BARRERA | sbarrera@scng.com | Los Angeles Daily News

Original link to article: https://www.ocregister.com/2020/04/14/yorba-linda-mansion-of-racecar-driver-graham-rahal-asks-8-million/

Top 100 Real Estate Slogans In 2018

We were recently recognized as #14 of Property Spark’s top 100 Real Estate Slogans in 2018!

Top 100 Real Estate Slogans In 2018

These remarkably talented real estate agents and brokerages have summed up their real estate value in a few words. Here are the best real estate slogans for 2018.

A good real estate slogan is important for professional or personal branding and creates an emotional connection with potential clients. It can help you stand out in a crowd and set you apart from everyone else. We have gathered the best real estate slogans from the top professionals in the industry. Below, we present to you the Top 100 Real Estate Slogans In 2018!

Via https://propertyspark.com/top-100-real-estate-slogans/

 

Top 100 Real Estate Slogans In 2018

#100: Illustrated Properties

“Our Roots Run Deep”


#99: Hawai’i Life Real Estate Brokers

“Hawai’i Real Estate Lives Here.”


#98: Team Koki

“Koki is the Key, Your Key to Real Estate”


#97: Jennifer Saavedra

“List. Rent. Invest…with us!”


#96: The Jamie Hering Team

“Just Ask Jamie”


#95: Andrew Scherl

“HaveYouSeenAndrew”


#94: Luna Ge

“If you talk about it, it’s a dream. If you envision it, it’s possible, but if you schedule it, it’s real.”


#93: Darren Wilford

“Your Real Estate Wealth Strategist. When your wealth matters, your strategy counts!”


#92: Wendi Cornell

“Ready to Sell? Call Team Cornell!”


#91: Anita Sharma Turner

“#findyourwayhome”


#90: Jeanne Johnston-Sanders

“Solution Minded, Positive Results!”


#89: Katrina Lewis

“Raise your standards, Exceptional service, Unprecedented Luxury Living, Closing Deals in Heels..Katrina Lewis”


#88: Bernadette Metts

“We are Red Hot and Cutting Edge!!”


#87: Ben Caballero

“Realtor Marketing for Homebuilders Made Easy”


#86: Brett Jennings

“Go BIG or go homeless”


#85: Gilbert Gallegos

“Dream. Search. Live”


#84: Chen Liang

“Home is a place where you can be you.”


#83: Vincent & Lisa Archibeque

“The Archibeque Group – where clients are like family – come join our family.”


#82: Colin Whitenack

“Live where you love”


#81: Dolly Rivero

“Professionalism and trust, Hire Elite KY Homes to bring you results”


#80: Emily Kozloski Foebar

“Real Estate with an Equestrian Perspective…”


#79: Chris Duke

“Turning transactions into relationships”


#78: Jeff Scislow

“The Name You Know”


#77: Nathan Galloway

“More than a Realtor”


#76: The Stanco-Misiti Team

“The Next Generation of Real Estate”


#75: The Noble Black

“Extraordinary Reach. Extraordinary Results”


#74: Mike Murphy

“Delivering the Very Best in All Facets of Real Estate, Because you Deserve No Less”


#73: Melanie Piche

“No BS. No fridge magnets. No broken promises.”


#72: Brenda Barajas

“Results that will move you.”


#71: Eric Rollo

“Authentic Local Experience. Authentic Global Results.”


#70: Lauri Lansdale

“Have a Smooth Sale with Lauri Lansdale”


#69: Carrie McCormick

“Live where you are Inspired”


#68: Chelsea Holden

“Your Laid-Back Realtor”


#67: Melissa Vasic & Tawnya McVicker

“Integrity, service, commitment. Your trust is the heart of our business”


#66: Mike Nichols

“Downtown, In Town, Around Town.”


#65: Heidi Harris

“We do the hustle so you don’t have the hassle”


#64: Chase Olsen

“Better Service | Better Marketing | Better Results”


#63: Harry Page

“Team Aggressive specializes in helping families”


#62: Vikram Deol

“Speed to lead. The winner in this game gets to all their leads before the competition.”


#61: Michael Hickman

“Lifestyle is Where it Begins”


#60: Carol Staab

“Pick the broker who will tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear!”


#59: Maxim Shtraus

“Selling A Lifestyle, Not Just Real Estate”


#58: Fernando Branco

“Working by referral. Let me help you find a home too!!”


#57: The Meldrum Knybel Real Estate Group

“The Meldrum Knybel Real Estate Group, We Sell Homes!”


#56: Olga Ribardo

“Service as unique as the properties I sell”


#55: Podley Properties

“Your Next Chapter Starts Here”


#54: Zak Bushey

“Is Yours Next?”


 

#53: Judi A. Desiderio

“The Power of Deep Roots”


#52: Carrie Nenonen

“Selling St. Louis since 2001!”


#51: Katia Samson

“We Sell The Sud-Ouest✨”


#50: Roosevelt Mompremier

“We’ve got you covered!”


#49: Kristine Cuddy

“Keeping the Real in Real Estate”


#48: Shannon Milligan

“We Take Care of Everything”


#47: Wes Stoyanov

“Our Expertise Your Lifestyle”


#46: Real

“Your Success is Real’s Mission”


#45: Jordanna Moskal

“Let’s Make It Happen!”


#44: Gina Tufano

“Unlock the possibilities”


#43: Jared Anthony

“Serving Real Estate Realness”


#42: Gabe Mendez

“I’m That Realtor They Told You To Ask For”


#41: Harrison Beacher

“Negotiation in real estate transaction is all about leverage, Understand who has it and who knows they have it.”


#40: Nur Koseoglu

“Don’t trust your online home value estimates, your home is worth more! Find out how”


#39: Joshua Baris

“Bar is Raised for Real Estate!®”


#38: James Silver

“We never stop work for you!”


#37: Faith Hope Consolo

“You Need Faith”


#36: Rich Jackson

“Real Estate Rich, helping people establish a foundation to wealth through real estate”


#35: Mike McCann

“Mike McCann ‘The Real Estate Man’”


#34: Cristina Grossu

“It Only Takes ONE”


#33: Mike Bottaro

“Before You Schedule to Show, Call Bo”


#32: Gea Elika

“The better way to buy real estate”


#31: Cecilia Sherrard

“Loving What I Do Since 2002! Thinking Of Buying Or Selling A Home? Think: YouShouldOwn!”


#30: Greef Properties Christie’s

“Where it Counts”


#29: Chris & Stephanie Somers

“Real Dreams – Real People – Real Estate”


#28: Quinn Lawrence

“Where you live is my business.”


#27: Dolly Lenz

“Client Focused. Results Driven.™”


#26: Kate Bradway Rahn

“#UniqueDenverProperties”


#25: Dusty Baker

“Santa Barbara’s Premier Real Estate Professional”


#24: Leigh Brown

“#MoreThanHouses”


#23: Pacific Union

“Local Real Estate / Marketed Internationally”


#22: Exit Realty

“A Smart Move!”


#21: Stribling & Associates

“The Right Broker Makes all the Difference”


#20: ERA Real Estate

“Always There for You”


#19: New Story

“A home changes everything”


#18: Halton Pardee + Partners

“We Are Life Changers”


#17: eXp Realty

“The Agent Owned Cloud Brokerage”


#16: Austin Frangoules

“The Realtor who goes above and beyond for all”


#15: Jeffrey S. Detwiler

“Defined by Service & Expertise”


#14: Raj Qsar

“Our Passion is People What’s Yours?”


#13: Saunders & Associates

“A Higher Form of Realty”


#12: Rodeo Realty

“Local Expertise, Global Presence”


#11: Bond Real Estate

“Move/Forward”


#10: The Altman Brothers

“The Difference”


#9: Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

“Good to Know”


#8: Sothebey’s International Realty

“Luxury Real Estate: Redefined”


#7: Compass

“Let us Guide You Home”


#6: Douglas Elliman

“Ask Elliman”


#5: Corcoran Group

“Live Who You Are”


#4: RE/MAX

“Above the Crowd”


#3: Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate

“Expect Better”


#2: Coldwell Banker

“Where Dreams Come Home”


#1: Century21

“Real Estate for Your World”

2018’s Best Real Estate Slogans & Taglines

When it comes to personal or team branding, a great real estate slogan can help set you apart from the crowd. Sure, your logo was designed by a pro, your website looks amazing, and you toiled over your latest business card. Can you sum up your real estate value in 4 words or less?

The amazingly talented agents, teams, and brokerages on this list have…

That’s why we chose them as having the best real estate slogans and taglines for 2018.

 

The Boutique Real Estate

1.“Our Passion is People, What’s Yours?”

The Boutique Real Estate Group

Another Los Angeles startup, Raj Qsar’s the Boutique has competitors that might make lesser brokers run for the hills. (Just not the Beverly Hills).

In order to help his brokerage stand out, Raj focused on branding that is friendly, and accessible, but still ticks all the boxes that well heeled homeowner’s and buyers need from their agents.

Their slogan manages to convey their dedication to service, but also highlights their focus on relationships rather than deals. An attractive proposition for people who may be less than excited to work with your typical stuffy luxury brokerage.

 

Town and Country Real Estate The Hamptons

2. “The Power of Deep Roots”

Town and Country Real Estate The Hamptons

Let’s face it. Local knowledge is important to be successful in any region of the country, but in places like New York’s Hamptons, it’s absolutely crucial.

That’s why with 65 years of combined East End real estate experience, Town and Country Real Estate Hamptons highlighted their local roots in their tagline. It just works.

On other hand, as deep as the upper crust roots of the Hamptons go, it’s still ostensibly a relaxed beach town. Albeit one with a Gucci store… That means a softer edge than the hard charging Manhattan real estate cliche makes perfect sense here.

That’s why I love T&C’s other tagline: ‘The Hamptons Are Our Boardroom”. It manages to bring together business acumen and the laid back vibe a beach town offers vacationers.

Halstead

3. “Move to What Moves You”

Halstead
Along with their new (and amazing) rebranding, Halstead has some creative and effective real estate slogans. From the ‘Our Agent of Change Will Move You” tagline in our featured image to ‘Move What Moves You” it’s abundantly clear that Halstead too the time, energy, and money to build a brand that will last as long as Halstead has.

With their new branding, Halstead is walking the same fine line between timeless luxury and up-to-the-second instagram worthy cool that characterizes so many great brands today.

Halton Pardee+ Partners

4. ‘We Are Life Changers”

Halton Pardee+ Partners

Having risen from a humble background to become the number one sales team in Los Angeles, and number two team in California, Halton Pardee founder Tami Pardee knows a thing or two about changing lives.

That’s why I love that they’re using this tagline for their branding efforts online. What better way to help change someone’s life then counsel them on getting a great new place to live?

New Story

5. “A home changes everything”

New Story 
Founded by Y Combinator Alum Brett Hagler, New Story builds homes for those in need around the globe. Amazingly, New Story promises that every penny of your donation will be used to build homes.

With support from Docusign, Sotheby’s International, and Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, New Story has enough real estate bonafides to go along with their slogan to make this list.

Since you all witness the joy that a new home brings you clients, imagine how much joy a new home might bring to someone without adequate shelter…

Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate

6. “Expect Better”

Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate

Sadly when it comes to real estate the bar for customer service quality is set very low. In many cities, the number of mediocre or even dishonest agents and brokerages sometimes outnumbers the good ones.

“Expect Better” speaks to that issue, and even adds an aspirational element for people who had just okay experiences with other brokerages. What if your real estate experience could have been ever better?

Dolly lenz

7.“Client Focused. Results Driven.™”

Dolly lenz 
In the world of New York City real estate, Dolly lenz stands alone. Sure, there are a ton of “million dollar” brokers strutting down Park Avenue staring at their iphones, but Dolly Lenz has been doing it longer and better than all of them.

As you might imagine, here real estate slogan is about as good as they get. She manages to convey both her team’s dedication to clients, as well as their passion for closing. No easy feat, especially in 4 short words.

Ben Cabellero homesusa.com

8.“Realtor Marketing for Homebuilders Made Easy”

Ben Cabellero homesusa.com

When your market is multi billion home builders like Toll Brothers, your taglines need to spell out what benefits you’re providing them. In Ben’s case, he boiled it down to what every single corporate bigwig wants more than anything else: simplicity.

Massive companies are almost always bogged down by complexity, so coming right out and offering them an incredibly valuable service, that’s easy is an offer almost too good to resist.

This might be part of the reason Ben Cabellero was recently named the Realtor to be added to the Guinness book of world records for most homes sold in one year; and astonishing 3,556 homes closed last year!

 

View Original Article Here

Top 30 Real Estate Brokerages On Social Media in 2018

Top 30 Real Estate Brokerages On Social Media in 2018
 Via propertyspark.com

These real estate brokerages are reaching thousands of people by using the power of social media.

Before, going into the list, we would like to say that these real estate brokerages do not have to be our clients, subscribers or followers.

Furthermore, we did not solicit any real estate brokerages before the research or writing of the lists.

Here’s how the Real Estate Brokerages are selected:

Initial Research on Real Estate Brokerages

We looked at hundreds of popular Real Estate Brokerages across North America. We found these real estate brokerages through different mediums including:

• Google
• Bing
• Facebook Search
• Instagram Search
• Twitter Search

Inclusions and Ranking (Objective Data)

Once we had our list of popular real estate brokerages. We looked at objective data regarding the real estate brokerages’ social media presence, including the following:

Followers:
• Facebook Page Likes
• Instagram Followers
• Twitter Followers

Engagement:
• Facebook Post likes, comments, shares and views (for videos)
• Instagram Post likes and comments
• Twitter favorites and retweets

Inclusions and Ranking (Subjective Data)

Finally, we make sure that all the real estate brokerages who made the final 30 have a great social media presence based on subjective variables, including the following:

• Brand image (quality of graphic design, pictures, videos)
• Value of content (how useful the content is to followers)
• Content mix (the mix of different types of posts)

With that being said, let’s get into the top list! Enjoy!

#30: SelectRE Boston – Real Estate Brokerage Firm

Do you want a brokerage that’s a 100% honest with you, who knows the ins and outs of the Boston real estate, and someone who instantly responds back to your inquiries? Well, look no further and say hello to SelectRE Boston. One thing we admire about them is their Facebook page. They update it each day with articles or new listings. If you like what you see, don’t be hesitant to contact them!

#29: The Keyes Company

The Keyes Company is a real estate company that possesses a sea of information based on real estate. They believe that their business is more than just about real estate and treat all of their clients like their family. Their goal is to meet all of their clients’ real estate wants and needs and to make sure to do just that for each one of them! Check out their social media pages and you won’t regret it!

#28: Hatch Realty

Hatch Realty is a real estate brokerage you should check out, especially if you live in North Dakota. For the people who have used Hatch Realty’s services, they have been nothing less than pleased, and this shows on their Facebook page, which has 146 5-star ratings out of 149 total reviews. Check out Hatch Realty on all of their social media accounts now!

#27: Nexus Realty International

Providing quality representation in residential and commercial real estate, Nexus Realty International is known for their great customer service team and sales team all over the globe. They actively update their pages with new posts/content. Who knows, maybe you’ll find your dream home with them.

#26: Gad Realty NYC – A New York Real Estate Brokerage

Gad Realty NYC is not only a top real estate brokerage but a unique brokerage as well. Gad Realty operates in New York City and is multilingual with its agents being fluent in Chinese, English, French, Hebrew, Italian, and Spanish. They also offer career advice and tips, along with blogs on their website and decor services for apartments. Check out Gad Realty NYC!

#25: Cityscape

From Toronto, Ontario in Canada, Cityscape is a top brokerage on social media. Cityscape has over 50 years of experience in the business and you should check out their social media for promos, blogs and other resources which can also be accessed from their mobile app.

#24: Pacific Union Real Estate

Pacific Union Real Estate is an established brokerage that believes in providing their clients with international reach. They have over 1,700 real estate agents service clients everywhere. If you want to see some aesthetically pleasing photos of homes, check out their social media pages!

#23: Howard Hanna New York

Being around since 1957, Howard Hanna New York has grown exponentially even being listed as one of the largest real estate brokerages back in 2015. Being an established real estate firm for almost 60 years, they have been able to quickly grasp how to market effectively using social media. They’ve accumulated a total following of over 180,00 people on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Judging by this, they aren’t newbies to social media.

#22: City Living Detroit

Whether you’re looking to buy or sell a home, City Living Detroit has the experience and expertise to handle all of your real estate wants and needs. Their mission is to utilize the skills and knowledge possessed by their team of real estate professionals to the best of their ability and to assist other in the process. They are a great team to work with and you can see this on their social media pages!

#21: EWM Realty International

EWM Realty International was founded in 1964 and has been selling some of Florida’s most gorgeous real estate properties. Their team consists of true professionals who understand the real estate trends in Florida like no other. Professionalism, excellence and integrity are just some of the amazing qualities which they are recognized for, as well as their social media presence!

#20: Royal LePage Canada

Royal LePage Canada is one of, if not Canada’s most popular real estate brokerage with an organization of over 17,000 real estate agents. They have a very resourceful website that contains real estate news, reports, surveys and more to keep you updated with real estate business in Canada. Check out Royal LePage on social media if you’re interested in purchasing or selling a home in Canada.

#19: ERA Real Estate

Go check out ERA Real Estate’s Facebook! They update us with constant content about everything from videos, blogs, photos and more. You will surely be inspired to purchase in New Jersey after visiting their social media pages.

#18: Beycome

Beycome is a real estate company in Miami, Florida. They make it possible to list homes on the same sites real estate agents use, even if you are selling privately. They are great at updating their followers about their improvements and accomplishments frequently on social media. They really expand your outreach when selling your own home.

#17: The Canadian Real Estate Association

Although not a brokerage but an association, The Canadian Real Estate Association represents more than 100,000 real estate agents across Canada. CREA is an important organization that connects real estate agents from coast to coast and connects agents with clients from all across the country. They are leaders in the social media world as they have over 47,000 followers in total. This is the way to go!

#16: Cushman & Wakefield

The Cushman & Wakefield team is a team of dedicated and passionate real estate agents that strive to create a positive impact in their clients’ lives by providing them with an amazing and unforgettable real estate experience. They aim to be a responsible partner to their clients. Their experience, devotion and love for their career makes them an awesome candidate for when you’re looking to purchase real estate.

#15: Houlihan Lawrence

With gorgeous photos of residential properties, Houlihan Lawrence’s social media accounts should definitely be on your following list. We are sure once you start following them, you won’t be able to get your eyes off the beautiful home interior photos they have on their Facebook feed!

#14: BOND New York Real Estate

BOND New York Real Estate is one of the largest real estate companies in New York. Their Facebook feed consists of intriguing real estate related blogs and Instagram feed offers absolutely beautiful pictures of homes and condos in New York. They’re social media pages are definitely pages you don’t want to miss out on. So, what are you waiting for?

#13: La Rosa Realty

With nearly 100,000 followers on social media and being one of the top 75 Residential Real Estate firms in the United States, La Rosa Realty must be doing something right! Their social media pages are all about highlighting their agents, giving you an inside look at what happens in the company and inspirational posts, which are guaranteed to get you inspired.

#12: HUD Homes USA

With thousands of followers on social media, you know HUD Homes USA are social media experts. Based in the gorgeous Agoura Hills, California, their feed is quite patriotic to say the least!

#11: William Raveis Real Estate, Mortgage & Insurance

What’s unique about William Raveis is their detailed property listings that include all the information you would need about a property. Their listings are not only detailed, but also absolutely breathtaking. That’s why their social media pages should certainly be checked out.

#10: Cervera Real Estate

Cervera Real Estate is a Florida based family owned and operated real estate company. Their real estate agents are professional, knowledgeable and hard working! They are known for selling some of the most stunning real estate in South Florida and have also managed to sell over 50,000 units. If that’s not amazing then we don’t know what is! Check their social media pages out!

#9: The Boutique Real Estate Group

The Boutique Real Estate Group have thousands of followers on social media, and their feed is filled with ethereal and unreal photos of properties in California. They promise to give the best service to all of their clients and have won a number of awards as real estate influencers, and we totally admire that!

#8: RE/MAX

With over 276,000 followers, RE/MAX is an extremely popular real estate brokerage and if you haven’t already visited their social media pages, you’re missing out. RE/MAX operates worldwide and has been one of the top brokerages in the US and Canada since 1999 and also serves internationally. Check out RE/MAX’s website for more information!

#7: Keller Williams Realty

Keller Williams Realty is a popular and well known real estate real estate company that works towards providing clients with easy and stress free real estate experiences. The company began in 1983, so they definitely know what they’re doing when it comes to real estate. They also have a popular social media page which is followed by over 100,000 followers!

#6: Coldwell Banker Real Estate

The legendary brokerage Coldwell Banker is over 100 years old and is one of the top brokerages with over 385,000 followers on social media. Coldwell Banker’s services have been excellent and several top real estate agents from our previous blogs have in fact been a part of this brokerage. Coldwell Banker also has well designed websites for their main page, and their luxury real estate page which you should check out for listings and glamorous properties.

#5: Magnolia Realty

Magnolia Realty delivers stunning professional photos, directing you to dream like properties. These homes in Waco, Texas are jaw-dropping, from massive pools to lavish kitchens. Take a look at what Magnolia Realty has to offer today!

#4: The Agency

The Agency is a full-service, luxury real estate brokerage company that represents clients worldwide. They are both well known and well liked by many. Their mission is to revamp and advance the experience of buying and selling real estate through collaboration, innovation, and integrity. Their team is professional and hardworking which is why they are so great at what they do!

#3: Douglas Elliman

Douglas Elliman is the fourth largest real estate company in the United States. This company has a huge following on their Instagram and Facebook pages with posts of stunning property listings, blogs and company accomplishments. Their social media pages are definitely worth checking out!

#2: Redfin

Whether you’re buying or selling a house, Redfin is the smart way to go. They incorporate great features for users buying a house, making the buyer’s life easy with listings being update every 10 minutes. If you prefer a one on one experience with a real estate agent, that’s possible too. Having an enormous following on social media, you can definitely say they are the experts you’ve been looking for!

#1: Century 21

Century 21 is a global real estate company that owns approximately 7,100 franchised broker offices worldwide. They’re actively working to improve and increase their presence in the market to make themselves prominent worldwide. The company is dedicated to provide clients with the highest quality services and always make sure to satisfy. They have over 560,000 followers on social media, which crowns them the #1 spot as the top brokerage on social media!


We hope you enjoyed our list of the Top 30 Real Estate Brokerages On Social Media in 2018!

The Parker Principles- A Real Estate Manifesto

In the spring of 2018 in Palm Springs, California, a diverse collection of real estate innovators, leaders and influencers gathered to hammer out a manifesto for changing the real estate industry. They were guided by the mandate of creating a better and more certain consumer real estate experience.

1. Transform our industry from a sales profession to a service business
Incentivize real estate agents to focus on quality and service over volume and sales by obsessing over the needs of the consumer to drive innovation and best practices.

2. Simplify the process of buying and selling a home

We must make the transaction smoother and simpler throughout the process. Create more transparent transaction management tools to give consumers a better and more certain experience.
3. Create a transparent chain of industry accountability to benefit the consumer
From associations/MLSs to brokers, brokers to agents, and brokers and agents to consumers, we
must hold the industry to a higher standard of service, transparency and responsibility. The core of accountability is transparency across the industry.
4. Strictly enforce ethical standards to increase professionalism
We as a profession owe it to the consumer to
establish — and maintain and enforce — the highest standards of ethical behavior. We must invest in mid-level real estate manager training; refocus culture and policies toward quality and service above recruiting and retention in the brokerage; and establish better peer-based enforcement mechanisms to weed out bad apples.
5. Raise the quality of real estate services to create a delightful and more certain consumer experience
We must take ownership of competency. Create better and more experiential educational systems such as apprenticeships that allow unproductive agents to learn from peers, as well as higher and more meaningful standards in licensing/accreditation. Ensure more transparent information to consumers to allow them to evaluate real estate professionals and be more selective in choosing an agent.
6. Demand real estate associations be more transparent and impactful 
We should create a culture and process that ensures every association member has an equal opportunity to be fully informed of key issues and to lead the organization. Focus money and effort on creating a healthy real estate market. Simplify the association’s role to a focus on creating opportunities for agents to sell more real estate. Encourage agents to take a more active role in their communities to make a difference in housing costs and community quality of life.
7. Free up property data feeds and remove barriers for innovators 
We should create a world where property data can be used, reused and broadly distributed. Remove artificial and overly protective barriers to property data access and utilization via a universal licensing agreement. Remove artificial barriers to new ideas, inventions and business models that improve the real estate experience.
8. Insist on diversity in real estate leadership
We must create an industry proudly known for
inclusion and diversity. In the boardrooms, in the executive suite, on stages and in strategy gatherings, the industry at the top must reflect the overall
diversity of business. A new generation of leaders are ready to take over and they should be celebrated and empowered to do so.
9.Fight for more “available” housing
We must bring key stakeholders to the table including builders, policymakers, associations and real estate professionals to build more entry-level units and
mixed-housing projects to create more balanced, affordable markets and bring relief to the many Americans on the verge of homelessness.
10. Make our communities better places to live and work
We should use our influence as real estate leaders to give back and advocate for and support education (even if it means higher taxes), marginalized
communities and policy that will promote affordable housing and access to homeownership in the long term.
11. Selflessly give back to the world through service 
We must recognize the importance of building service into our companies, organizations and our brand to authentically give back to the world beyond our own community.
12. Stand up to climate change and prepare for natural disasters 
The industry must stand up for sustainability and commit to disaster preparedness. The industry should equip their clients with the knowledge to be responsible in using natural resources wisely and
supporting a sustainable community. We must make sure that our teams and their clients have taken the steps to be resilient in the face of extreme weather events and emergencies. We must be transparent with clients about the threats of nature, fully disclosing changes in the environment.

Instagram Tips for 2018

Written by Raj Qsar

I have been spending a ton of time on Instagram, watching videos, tutorials and just “stage 5 stalking” some super creative accounts! Insta is NOT going away and I really feel like we need to master this ever-changing platform to be successful in 2018 and beyond.

Here are a few Insta Tips to keep in mind for 2018:

1. #Hashtags 📲 They are not going away. Posts with more than 11 hashtags do better than posts with less than 11. Instagram allows 30 hashtags per post. We think posting the hashtags in the first comment is the best & most aesthetic place to put them and not in the post description.

2. Post daily to your feed and use 10-20 stories/day. This should keep you in the newsfeed and the story feed all day long.

3. You can now follow hashtags! How cool is that? Ours is #tbreg

👉This can give you some major insight into who is using the same hashtags as you but can also gain more of a hyperlocal following or even search for hashtags in another language. 🇨🇳🇪🇸🇷🇺

4. Geotagging & tagging major/viral accounts also is a huge way to drive traffic to your account and collaborate with other grammers.

5. One of my favorites is the DM feature on Instagram. You can share your latest post with other Influential Instagram accounts and ask them to like, comment and share or repost with their followers.

6. Please please please make sure your profile is completely filled out!

7. A few cool apps to help you manage your page include VSCO (great filtering app), PLANN (great for watching analytics and keep up with hashtags & best times to post) and Photoshop Fix (for sizing and filtering your photos).

8. Stories, stories, stories…Instagram has added GIF’s, new fonts, filters, backgrounds and the ability to resize your photos. Its a ton of fun and a great way to learn & master the app and stay engaged.

9. Words matter. Be creative. Have a theme. And be consistent with Insta. Its a much more intimate platform and deserves your attention. Long caption? Short caption? Whatever you decide let it be you!

10. Who is stalking your account? Shoot me an email and I will show you who!! 😜

 

 

 

 

Connect with Raj here:

7 Web Design Tricks for Realtors to Get More Leads in 2018

by  | Feb 6, 2018

Via The Close

If you’ve had your website up and running for more than a few months, you’ve probably noticed something curious. You’re getting some traffic, but almost none of that traffic converts into actual leads…

What gives?

Well, to some extent this is the nature of online marketing; only a small fraction of the people who visit your site will convert. C’est la vie right?

Wrong. In 2018 there is an entire industry dedicated to using design and functionality to increase the number of conversions on your site. It’s called Conversion Rate Optimization. Or CRO for short. CRO uses data and analytics to determine design, copy, and layout changes.

Today we’re going to look at 7 clever ways to apply CRO oriented design to your personal website, landing pages, or single property sites.

1. Leverage Hick’s Law to Encourage Your Visitors to Engage

Named for British Psychologist William Edmund Hick, this law states that the more choices a consumer has, the longer it will take them to make a decision.

In a study on decision making in supermarkets, Hick set up two sample displays of jam. One had 24 flavors, and the other had only six flavors of jam.

The results showed that 60% of people stopped and sampled jam from the table with 24 flavors. However, only 6% ended up purchasing a jar of jam.

Meanwhile, only 40% of people stopped to sample jam from the table with six flavors, but an astonishing 30% ended up purchasing jam.

Applying Hick’s Law to Your Site Design

7 Clever CRO Web Design Tricks

Image via Hotjar

The takeaway here should be obvious. By narrowing the number of choices your visitors have, you can dramatically increase your conversion rate.

In order to do this effectively, you need to take the time to figure out exactly what it is you want your visitors to do on each page of your site. For a landing page this might be obvious. You want them to fill out a form and give you their contact info.

For other pages on your site, the answer might not be so obvious. For example, what is the main thing you want visitors to do on your homepage? Do you want them to read the latest from your blog? Check out your brand new listings? Schedule a listing appointment?

In order to get you thinking about this, it makes sense to check out the sites of some top producing Realtors for inspiration. To get you started, here is the main page for Los Angeles luxury brokers Williams & Williams:

7 Clever CRO Web Design Tricks
Okay, I know. This is an extreme example from a team that has dozens of jaw dropping eight figure listings in Beverly Hills… Of course they’re going to encourage people to look at their listings first!

Let’s look at a site on the opposite end of the spectrum that still uses Hick’s Law. Check out the homepage for Placester’s free NAR websites:

7 Clever CRO Web Design Tricks
The main choices here seem to be home search, and testimonials. Since these sites are all about generating buyer leads, this makes perfect sense.

For landing pages or home value sites, Hick’s Law is even clearer. In most cases you don’t even have the option to do anything besides enter your address and contact info.

7 Clever CRO Web Design Tricks
To learn more about applying Hick’s Law to your website design, check out Usabilla’s excellent write up here.

2. Use Heatmaps to Find Out What Your Visitors Really Want

7 Clever CRO Web Design Tricks
One of the trickiest things to do when designing your website or landing page is figuring out where your visitors are looking for information. Even if your layout and navigation seems obvious to you, it may not be obvious to all your visitors.

Luckily, there is a clever solution to this problem. Using heatmap software, you can track exactly where your site visitors are clicking and navigating. Here’s how it works:

Sign up for a service like Crazy Egg or Hotjar and add pages from your site that you want to track. After a month or so, the software will create a heatmap showing an average of where all users navigated and clicked.

How Heatmap Software works: Heatmaps

Areas where users click or navigate to often are represented in red, while areas they click or navigate less are in yellow, green, and finally blue.

Using this data, you can tweak your layout, copy, and site colors to both improve efficient navigation, and subtly encourage your visitors to take a specific action. Depending on what you’ve decided that action is, this can mean signing up for an email list, entering their address, or browsing properties.

Here are a few common mistakes that heatmap software might uncover, and how you can fix them:

Problem 
Your visitors are clicking on images or text that are not linked to anything

Solution 
Consider moving your navigation, or CTA to the area they are clicking, or link the images or text in that area to a landing page or other relevant page on your site.

7 Clever CRO Web Design Tricks
Image via Hotjar

Problem 
Visitors are navigating and clicking on too many areas of your page and ignoring what you want them to focus on

Solution 
Keep Hick’s Law in mind and simplify your page’s layout to encourage them to click where you want them to

7 Clever CRO Web Design Tricks
Image via Hotjar

How Heatmap Software Works: Scroll Depth

Another useful metric that heatmap software can measure for you is scroll depth. This is the average “depth” a visitor scrolls down your page.

The same color codes used with heatmaps are used for scroll depth. Red areas are where the majority of users scroll down to. Going from red to orange, to yellow, and finally to blue where almost no visitor scrolls to.

Here’s what a scroll depth chart looks like using Hotjar:

7 Clever CRO Web Design Tricks

As you can see, the percentage of site visitors who scroll down past “the fold” (the area of your website that is visible without scrolling) goes down dramatically toward the bottom of your site.

Scroll depth heatmaps can be a sobering wake up call for just how much of your website is never seen by your visitors. For example, on many pages, less than 10%(!!) of site visitors scroll down to the bottom of the page.

How to Use Scroll Depth data to Increase Conversions

The most common use for scroll depth data is for your blog posts. For example, if you have a post that’s more than say, 1,000 words, and less than 10% of your audience is getting to the end of the article, you need to make tweaks to get more people to finish the article.

Since longer articles do far better in search results than shorter articles, cutting down the length of your blog posts is not an ideal solution. Instead, break up the content of the article with images, graphs, and subheadings so people can skim the article.

People are busy and attention spans short. Letting your visitors skim an article and only read the subheading relevant to them will increase conversions.

3. Learn the “F” Pattern: Take Advantage of How People Scan Web Pages

According to eye tracking research by Nielsen Norman Group, people scan web pages and phone screens in an ‘F” pattern; they start at the top left then scan right, then down, then to the right again, then to the bottom of the article.

It ends up looking something like this on a heatmap:

7 Clever CRO Web Design Tricks

Image via Instapage

While the “F” pattern is not the only way people scan article or webpages, it is the most common.

Here’s what a real estate homepage that utilizes the “F” pattern in its layout:

7 Clever CRO Web Design Tricks

Screenshot: thebotiquere.com

Here’s another:

7 Clever CRO Web Design Tricks

Screenshot: pearsonsmithrealty.com

…and another:

7 Clever CRO Web Design Tricks

Image via: labs.hawaiilife.com

Here’s how you can take advantage of the “F” pattern on a blog post. Note where they’re placing the “Watch Live” button.

7 Clever CRO Web Design Tricks

Screenshot via: inman.com

4. Make Sure Buttons and Text Boxes Are Easy to Use on Mobile

Is your website mobile friendly? If it’s not, there is a 100% chance you’re losing potential leads. According NAR’s 2017 Real Estate in a Digital Age Report 72% of home buyers used a mobile or tablet website or app in their home search. That’s a lot of lost leads…

Besides making sure the WordPress theme you’re using is responsive (aka works well on desktop and mobile) you need to pay special attention to buttons and text boxes.

In 2017, that means making your text boxes and buttons large enough even for people who are all thumbs to press. If you don’t, your leads may spend a few seconds trying in vain to get in touch with you then just give up.

Here are some of the buttons and text boxes you should pay special attention to on mobile:

  • Call now buttons
  • “Submit” buttons
  • Personal information text boxes
  • Page navigation buttons
  • Drop down menus for property searches

5. Pay Special Attention to the Color, Shape, & Copy on Your CTA Buttons

Believe it or not, even the buttons you use on your CTA’s can have a huge impact on your conversion rate. Subtle changes in color, shape, and copy on your buttons can mean more leads and more closed deals.

The only problem is that the digital marketing community just can’t seem to agree on what changes exactly lead to increased conversions. That said, there are still a few rules that most marketing and CRO experts can agree on:

  1. Orange, green, and blue buttons seem to convert the highest
  2. Buttons whose color contrasts well with the background color convert well
  3. They are actual buttons, not just text links!
  4. They use specific action words in their copy- “Get My Home Value” or “Download My Free PDF” will work better than “submit” or the dreaded “click here”
  5. They’re in a strategic place on the page- Think headline, short copy, text box, button. Also keep the “F” pattern in mind, as well as data from your heatmaps.

Here are some CTA button examples from Unbounce and Instapage that follow these principles well.

7 Clever CRO Web Design Tricks

Image via: Instapage
7 Clever CRO Web Design Tricks

Image via: Instapage
7 Clever CRO Web Design Tricks

Image via: Unbounce
7 Clever CRO Web Design Tricks

Image via: Unbounce

6. Use A/B Testing to Find the Perfect Layout, Copy, & CTA for Conversion

7 Clever CRO Web Design Tricks

Okay, now that you’ve got some new CRO inspired design ideas for your website, the next step is to test them on you site. After all, there is no secret formula for conversion. Some changes or combinations of changes may work better or worse depending on a huge number of variables.

In order to find out which changes lead to better conversion rates, you need to use what the industry calls A/B testing (also known as Split Testing). Here’s how it works.

Whenever you make an edit to your layout, buttons, CTA’s or any copy, record your conversion rate and compare it to your previous conversion rate. In order to get a more accurate measurement, it helps to switch back and forth between changes more than once.

Once You’ve identified a change that leads to a higher conversion rate, then keep it and make another small change to the site and runt the same A/B testing. After a few iterations of this, your site should be fully optimized for conversion.

A/B Testing Landing Pages

If you’re trying to optimize your landing pages, then A/B testing is pretty easy. Most landing page software (Unbounce, Instapage etc) have built in A/B testing functionality.

The best thing about A/B testing with landing page software is that they serve up different versions of your landing page to different users. This is important to rule out factors like the day of the week or season that might affect conversion rates.

A/B Testing Other Pages on Your Website

If you’re not using landing page software like Unbounce, A/B testing your website is a little trickier. If you’re using WordPress, you can simply run one version of your page, record your conversion rate, then run the second version and compare the two.

Crazy Egg also offers an A/B testing platform, but you’ll have to shell out for their software to use it. With plans starting at $29 per month, it probably won’t break the bank, but manual A/B testing using WordPress edits is free. You just have to be careful about the time periods you test.

7. Use Live Chat Buttons for Visitors Who Want Instant Answers

7 Clever CRO Web Design Tricks

There’s a funny paradox when it comes to lead generation. Some leads want to talk to you right away, but they don’t want to call you, and they don’t want to email… Short of sending a smoke signal, what else is there?

Enter the live chat button. Live chat buttons are small buttons that sit in the corner of your website and beckon your visitors to have their questions answered instantly. Of course some visitors will just waste your time, but some won’t…

While there are a lot of options on the market, the best live chat software will ping your phone and allow you to respond to live chat via text message. This way you can answer questions and ideally get them to call you while you’re on the go.

Real Estate Live Chat Options for 2018

Luckily, if you’re considering adding live chat to your website there are a ton of options on the market. ZendeskLiveChatPure Chat, and Ready Chat are all solid options.

AI Chat Bots

Amazingly, some companies even offer programmable AI chat bots to interact with your site visitors and answer basic questions. Personally, I would avoid these solutions for now, as many of your visitors will be offended that you pawned them off on a robot…

The Bottom Line

If there’s one thing you do to your website in 2018, using CRO strategies to optimize for better lead conversion should be it. Pay attention to Hick’s Law, use heatmap software to track visitors, make sure buttons are easy to use on mobile, design them well, use live chat, and remember to A/B test your changes.

40 Real Estate Social Media Accounts You Need To Follow in 2018

March 7, 2018

“Social media has been a powerful tool for the real estate industry. Real estate social media accounts have sprouted up everywhere! Brokerages, publications, investment firms and real estate agents are all on social media.” – Property Spark

The Boutique Real Estate Group

It’s safe to say that you could follow The Boutique Real Estate Group on any of their social media accounts. But, with over 30,000 likes on their Facebook page, we saw it fit to include them in this section! However, it’s not just about likes, they also get hundreds of likes, loves and wows on every post!

 

Raj Qsar // Indie Broker Summit NY 18: Live Problem Solving II

Watch the Pros Work Through Roadblocks for the Inman Audience

By Inman

Feb 27

 

 

One of the many beneficial sessions at Inman Connect New York is “Live problem solving” at Indie Broker Summit, where the pros discuss audience issues and answer tech queries live onstage.

Listen in as Michelle Walker (broker-owner, STL Buy & Sell Realtors) Raj Qsar (principal/owner, The Boutique Real Estate Group) and Sarah Richardson (president, Tru Realty) lead the second indie broker live problem-solving session and answer questions like:

  • I’m giving agents all the tools they need, but they still can’t get it right. How can I get agents to adopt and take advantage of resources that are clearly beneficial to them?
  • If my agents are not using the tools we provide, should we take them off the table completely?

Listen in to hear the answers to these and more.

Watch more sessions from ICNY 18 here.