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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!

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.

Tech Connect NY 18: Live Problem Solving with Raj Qsar & Laurie Davis

Watch the pros work through tech roadblocks for the Inman audience
By INMAN / Feb 22

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

Listen in as Laurie Davis (broker/owner, BHGRE Lifestyle Property Partners) and Raj Qsar (principal/owner, The Boutique Real Estate Group) answer questions like:

  • I’m becoming overwhelmed with social media. Do I hire a social media manager? And, assuming it’s a $30,000 role, how do I keep track of it?
  • What systems are best to use when managing a team?
  • I’ve never created a listing video … where do I start?

Listen in to hear the answers to these and more.

Watch more sessions from ICNY 18 here.

Raj Qsar at Inman NYC- The Boom Real Estate Podcast

Raj Qsar at Inman NYC // It’s time for Inman—it’s Inman time! In this episode, Raj Qsar is a blinding, brilliant light from heaven. He brings all of his energy and passion for video in real estate and just CRUSHES it. You’ll be inspired—just like we were—when you hear Raj talk about how he broke into the luxury market using video; the ROI of video in his business; and how much he can bench press. For real. He can bench press a lot.” -The Boom Real Estate Podcast Episode #34.

Check out the podcast here:

 

 

 

Top 5 ICNY 2018 Takeaways

via Raj Qsar / The Boutique Real Estate Group

As I landed back into LAX after yet another ICNY I am again humbled and optimistic about the future of our industry. There is just something about being around so many amazing people from all over the world. I am thankful for the opportunity not only to attend but to present on multiple subjects on the main stage. From technology problem solving, to video marketing to lead generation & conversion.
Some of the most amazing conversations happen in hallways, after parties and intimate dinner convos at amazing restaurants. This is where you get time (precious time) with people who are shaping our industry. Their thoughts, ideas, and stories simply encourage me to push forward. People who have paved the way for the next generation and people who are simply up and coming and blazing their own trail.
Every year I try and take a few things with me. Things that will not only change my mindset and pull me out of my box but also instruments I can put into motion within my workspace. With that in mind, here are my top 5 takeaways from ICNY 2018.
1. One of my favorite quotes came from Rayni Williams and she said, “you have to be obsessed with this business or else you will be just average.”  Let that sink in a bit. It really made me think of what we are doing day to day, minute to minute. Is it obsessed? From every phone call, text, email, handshake, signed contract, design, marketing, technology…. Are we obsessed with excellence?
2.  Indy Connect is such a highlight now at ICNY. Many of these “indy’s” are not so small anymore. WE are not “mom & pop” shops working out of our neighbors’ garage! We are pushing our industry and making decisions that impact everyone. We are agile, nimble, aggressive and able to compete at the highest level on a global scale. I love what Vanessa Jones Bergmark said on Day 1 at Indy Connect, “Ignore the big boys. The revolutionary war was won by a group of scrappy independents.” OMG! #TRUTH We are quality over quantity. Depth over width.
3. This years keynote was Simon Sinek who was interviewed by Andrew Flachner with RealScout. What resonated with me was when Simon was chatting about working hard & being fulfilled, “Working hard for something we do not care about is called stress; working hard for something we love is called passion.”
4. There was a nice focus this year on coaching and being coachable. I think so many agents are just scared of the word “coach.” Maybe they do not want to open up? Maybe they do not want to dive deep into their business? But having a coach is now the norm in our industry as they are able to give and provide something just a bit different than your office manager, broker or owner. One particular session was led by Alyssa Hellman from Compass South Consulting. She said, “coaches are not a crutch, they are an asset to help you reach peak performance but you have to be coachable. You need to decide if you are committed.” 
5. And rounding out my personal Top 5 for ICNY 2018 is the #womanup initiative driven by C.A.R. leader Sara Sutachan. In 2017, C.A.R. launched its Women’s Initiative. Even though the real estate industry is predominantly female, women are underrepresented in leadership positions at both the brokerage and senior management levels. The goal of C.A.R.’s Women’s Initiative is to create a community where mentors and leaders can communicate, collaborate, advocate for, and support one another. Download the white paper here. Register for the 2nd Annual Woman Up Conference Here.

 

 Since You Made It This Far it is only fair to throw a few bonus tips out!

6. Sharran Srivatsaa Top 10 Tips for Success from the nations highest performing sales teams: “Success Leaves Clues”
7. Hey Carpool Fans! Enough said. Watch here!
8. Book Review via The Notorious ROB: Disrupters, Discounters & Doubters
Connect with Raj Qsar:

Top 8 for ICNY 2018

1. Make a hit list of the people you want to meet “in real life.” Connect is an amazing time to solidify some of those online relationships and connect with people who you admire and respect and make that true emotional connection. Some of the connections I have made at Connect have become lifelong friends of mine. They are the ones I call when I need advice and encouragement. Remember this quote from GaryV“People are not addicted to social media. People are addicted to people.”  Some of my favorite folks include 👉 Vanessa Jones Bergmark, Sara Sutachan, Seth Price, Andrew Flachner, Alyssa Hellman, Lynn Johnson, Rob Hahn, Laura BradyChris Smith, Jimmy Mackin, Matthew Shadbolt, Leigh Brown, Bill Lublin, Celeste Starchild, Katie Lance, Debra Trappen, Valerie Garcia, Joe Schutt, Jay Thompson, Heather Elias, Laura Monroe, Audie Chamberlain and so many others….

2.  Attend as many sessions as you can possibly attend! DO NOT MISS ANYTHING. Specifically look for the sessions that pull you out of your comfort zone and will challenge you on a personal & professional level. See the full schedule here and meet the speakers here. This year…OMG 😳… Simon Sinek will be the Keynote and will be kicking off the festivities on the main stage at 8:55 am on Wednesday, January 24th. One of my favorite quotes from Simon Sinek that is totally in line with ICNY is, “Always plan for the fact that no plan ever goes according to plan.” Bonus: Please please please do not miss CAR’s #womanup on main stage on Wednesday at 11:45am moderated by Sara Sutachan.

3. Have you joined the Inman Coast to Coast Facebook Group? If not join here for all the latest posts, connections and updates.

4.  The Party after the Party! Do I need to say anymore? We all know the real fun starts after 10 pm! So just ask around, jump in an Uber (download app here) or Lyft (download app here) and find out where the action is. Check your email for last minute invites to all the happening VIP parties and events. If you still can not find the party make sure to DM Chalmers or Carp (they will steer you in the right direction, I promise). If you are looking for the 🎤 top-secret karaoke party then there is only one name you should know 👉 Notorious.

5. Lobbycon! You have heard all the rumors and it is true! You will find everyone in The Broadway Lounge & Bar on the 8th floor of the Marriott and this is the spot where you will meet the CEO’s, Founders, Presidents, movers & shakers all just “hanging out.” Bring your selfie stick & business cards and make sure to say hi. BTW, when is the next time you will be in the same hotel as Brad Inman, Sherry Chris, Sharran Shrivatsaa, Joel Singer, Leslie Appleton Young & Elizabeth Mendenhall.

6.  Get out into the city! New York is an amazingly gorgeous city with sights, sounds, history and killer food! And since our team at The Boutique Real Estate Group are total foodies check out this list of 100 Best Restaurants in New York City via Zagat. Or if you love to fly and want to get up in the air check out FlyNYON for a helicopter tour of the city. Hamilton! Enough said!

7. Stay fit! You will be eating, drinking & sitting in a lot of sessions. Make sure to stay fit at one of these locations: Peleton NYC, Soul Cycle, SOLACE Cross Fit, Core Power Yoga and Orange Theory are all amazing ways to keep the burn going while at ICNY.

8. Ambassadors. These are the ones who will lead us through ICNY. Joe Schutt & Laure Weston Davis have been “in charge” of this program for years now and if you have a question about anything ICNY these are the folks to ask. Have you met them? If not connect with them here.

If you made it this far and are headed to ICNY please find me in one of the sessions, lobbycon or at one of the after parties. I am currently slotted to speak at three sessions at ICNY this year so it would be amazing to connect with you!

@rajqsar

@TheBoutiqueRE

@SeriouslyOC

@CounterclockwiseSwirl

How to Create a Tech-Enhanced Brokerage that Wins

By Raj Qsar, Principal | Owner The Boutique Real Estate Group

The real estate industry is changing.  Hand-written offers, filing cabinets and printers are a thing of the past.  Mobile offices, instantaneous responses, and data analytics are here to stay.  For a brokerage to survive in this new digital age, their agents need to be equipped with state of the art tools at their fingertips.

Now that the days of drowning in paper are over, it seems like a new real estate technology pops up every day and it can be easy to get overwhelmed and lost in all the options.  So how do you differentiate the useful from the useless and figure out which tools are right for you and your brokerage?

I spent a lot of time thinking about this very question for my team at The Boutique Real Estate Group.  I started this brokerage with the primary objective of providing a world class experience for our clients.  I have known from day one that in order to deliver on this goal my agents would need the right tech tools to do high quality work and provide a seamless experience to their clients.

I invest in technology that will improve the agent experience and the customer experience.  I have developed these 5 “rules” for picking the right technology to develop a tech-centric brokerage:

1. Set a vision for your brokerage

Spend the time to brainstorm and define what kind of brokerage you want to be.  What is important to you?  What does your brokerage stand for?  And how will technology help you achieve this?  Clearly define it.  Write it down.  Memorize it.  Now every time you look at a potential tool ask yourself if it fits into your tech framework and if not – pass!

2. Culture is everything

You’ve defined your vision, but how do you bring it to life? The answer is – culture.  Don’t underestimate the power of culture to get everyone in your office to achieve your vision. It is up to you and your leadership team to develop a culture that embraces technology and values change.

3. Mobile first

Any technology that you consider for your brokerage MUST be mobile and tablet friendly.  Agents, brokers and the modern customer need location independence – the freedom to work and sign on the fly.  In the high speed world we live in nothing kills a deal like time.

4. Integrating gives you magic powers

The real secret to the getting the most out of your technology investment is integrations. When data is seamlessly shared from platform to platform, your agents or transactions coordinators don’t need to waste time on tedious data entry. This can improve accuracy and allow your agents to focus on their clients.

5. Pick a partner

In the end, when you select the technology provider – you are selecting a partner that will be with you for a long time.  Make sure to pick a company that shares your values, that will answer the phone when you call and that is working to build the same future for real estate that you are.  Don’t necessarily pick a company just for your needs today, but for your needs in 5, 10, 15 years…

With these rules in mind, I have built a tech-enhanced brokerage that is leading the way into real estate’s digital future and is fully armed to deliver high quality service.  Now that I’ve shared my secrets, please add your own in the comments section below.

Congratulations!  You’ve already taken the first step to properly preparing your brokerage for success in the digital age. Next up: navigating the hundreds of options out there – good luck!

Raj Qsar, Principal and Owner of The Boutique Real Estate Group, was named The Real Estate Influencer of the Year 2017 by Inman News. He has cracked the code for creating a tech-enhanced brokerage and The Boutique was named Most Innovative Brokerage. Find out more about what the Boutique Real Estate Group is doing by connecting with Raj on TwitterFacebookLinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.

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