My Projects
View the Agents
Here is our latest steps towards being the transparent brokerage. We love working on our WP/IDX map and this is maybe our favorite project ever!. We are combining RMLS listings, agent blog posts and the homes agents actually go inside to view.
How it works…
Agent geo-coded posts. All of our agents have their own custom branded WP sites and are posting about the real estate market and community on their sites (example Marisa - pdxmetroproperties.com ). We built our WPMU network to draw the posts from the agents sites into the main M Brokerage site mportlandhomes.com.
Marisa WP Blog
M Realty corporate blog
Homes Viewed by Agents Looking at homes is vital to being a good agent connected to the inventory and market. We think seeing what the agents are looking at is a really good idea. The data is pulled from the electronic key card system then our system turns a listing viewed to an orange icon. See Marisa Swenson’s activity
Active homes for sale. the site has a direct feed from the MLS that is updated every 20 minutes. The listing are processed to ensure correct placement on our map. Agent activity is integrated into the property search so you can which agents are active in the neighborhood and can reach out to the agent directly. for example Marisa Stevens lives and works in Montavilla check out the homes for sale and see Marisa at the same time.
Vision - Strategy - Tactics
Tactics are what you employ to carry out your strategy to realize your vision. It is our vision to be a new breed of real estate brokerage that gains dominant market share nationally. We have laid out a strategy that we think has merit and are employing the tactics that follow. This post is a tactical activity.
The vision acts as a common and reliable focal point. It is what you are moving toward. the strategies can and should be somewhat mailable and the tactics or action items directly serve the strategy. One strategy that serves our vision is to dominate online property search in our market. We have multiple tactics to accomplish this and some have worked well and some have not. we may alter our tactics but the basic strategy remains in place.
Blogging and blog sites are tactical. What you write about, the emphasis you place on search vs content, the platform utilized, etc all should be part of the strategy.
A good understanding of this concept results in reliable action with enough flexibility to exploit opportunity and/or avoid disaster. It does not have to be a big elaborate plan but some real thought should go into the vision, strategy and tactics.
iPhone Pano
Click the image to view in Panoramic viewerThis image was take with an iPhone I constructed a panoramic head to rotate the phone precisely. I will be adding a second axis of rotation to capture more vertically.
RMLS Tech Fair
This post is a test of our Panoramic viewer. Click the images below to view pano and regular images. Click here to view post in “Map” mode. In Map mode click the images and the lightbox should cover the map area and leave post image active for navagation.
Great day at the tech fair. I have been on my feet for hours. Great to see so many friends each year. This is one of the best days of the years for us at HQ
Become an Expert
There is a lot to learn as a real estate agent. One great way to gain expertise and keep up on what’s new is to blog. It forces you to investigate, organize and convey information to others. Start with what you know. If you work inner SE Portland, try writing a post per week on the listing activity and sales trends. You will quickly become an expert and your visitors will see it. Or write a post every time you attend a home inspection about one item that you found interesting. Sewer line issues, dry rot, roof layers, missing downspouts, fans exhausting into attic space, radon, oil tanks, the list is endless. These are issues we deal with all the time and blogging can increase the depth of your knowledge. If you do this consistently you will become an expert and people will know it!
Thank you Ron Ares… (super blogger and expert) for the post idea. May your post on party sewer lines live forever.
Setting the Appointment
You have spent the time and effort to build good traffic to your site. People like what you have to say and they are obviously interested in Real estate because they are searching for homes, saving homes and sometimes even requesting showings. Congratulations!! Now the big question…are you doing any business?
If the answer is no or not much, there is a conversion problem. The first step to conversion is identifying motivated people, the second is asking for an appointment Yet many agents I see don’t take this step. Your conditioned knee jerk reaction to someone saying “I am interested in Real Estate” should be great “Would you be open to getting together for a cup of coffee to see if we are a good fit to work together.” Or something to that effect.
Of course many times the prospect does not come right out and say “I am interested in real estate please help me”. However, if you are consistently paying attention to the communication you will see “I am interested” conveyed in many ways. The key is to listen and ask questions this is a skill and some people have it naturally and some of us have to learn it.
Listen for any sign of “I am interested in real estate” then ask “would you be open to getting together to see if we are a good fit.” That’s the simple take away message.
DO NOT follow with. great let me run back to the office and send you tons of crap about me and the market to prove to you that I am a great agent and know what I am talking about…oh and I always put my clients interest first and some shit about my personal mission statements;…oh and here is a picture of me on the top of Everest with my shaman….oh and did you know I am not like all those other agents (who are Idiots) I always call back…oh and the ten thousand other things you could say.
Just meet with them to see if you would be a good fit to work together…then take it form there.
Operation vs Innovation
This dovetails with the production vs development idea. As you look carefully at your strengths and weakness it is very important to understand whether you like to create things or run things. Would you rather design your own sandwich shop with all the fixtures and new innovative topping and toasting methods OR would you rather buy a Subway franchise and run it efficiently like a cash machine.
If you are in the wrong place it will drive you crazy. I manage an active real estate team. I meet with agents every week at M Realty to work on business planning and action items. I created the software application Homequest and the company around it. I am the lead product developer for Homequest. I am responsible for the management of the software company. I am not saying this to puff I just want to give some background on what shapes my thoughts. For our companies to thrive we must simultaneously innovate and opperate, if we don’t we will die!
It is a very large amount of work and it is a big mix of creating things and operating things. I have learned alot about myself and a lot about what must happen to create and operate while keeping an eye on the bottom line. I do not claim to have it all figured out by any stretch of the imagination. But we have real knowledge that only comes from doing.
From this base we are looking at how to create an environment that helps agents find the right mix of operating reliable systems while innovating and creating. One size does not fit all each of us have unique strengths but there are consistent methods, strategies and tactics to both create and operate.
One of the understandings that must be in place for a successful long term real estate practice is the assessment of the agents as it relates to this question of operation vs creative strength. They can both succeed at a high level but they require a different structure to be built.
BTW it is way easier to be an oppertor and succeeed in real estate than to be a creator and succeed. You have to operate well to suceed but you don’t have to innovate to succeeed. Innovation without operation accomplishes nothing. Innovation with operation can change the world.
Sphere 2.0
Staying in touch with your sphere is the cornerstone of Realty 101. The old way was to put everyone you know into a database management system (Top Producer, act, etc). The new way is connecting your database with your social networks and blog sites. It allows your to move your ideas and activities out into the open for all your sphere to see. It also allows other connected with your sphere to discover you. Set up the structure then be an interesting participant.
