4 LinkedIn Groups every real estate agent should join

Back in September we explained to you why every real estate agent should be rocking LinkedIn. The demographics are more in line with the typical real estate buyer and seller than any of the other social media platforms. Today, we’ll be talking about 4 LinkedIn real estate groups you need to know about.

LinkedIn offers ways to connect with not only possible clients, but colleagues and others who might throw referrals your way (HR professionals, mortgage pros and more).

If you took our advice and set up a LinkedIn profile, it’s time to get schmoozy and join some groups. Here are four to get you started.

And while you’re at it, be sure to follow Easy Agent PRO’s LinkedIn page too!

Real Estate Professionals Referral Group

A lot of agents don’t have time to nurture a referral network, which is a shame. But, the good news is that a quick, daily stop to your LinkedIn real estate groups can net you those valuable referrals. All you need to do is be sociable and make friends.

And, there’s no better referral group to join than one that has tons of members. That would be LinkedIn’s Real Estate Professionals Referral Group, with nearly 102,000 members. As far as LinkedIn real estate groups go, this one’s the cream of the crop.

The group describes itself as a “Referral network group for real estate professionals around the country and world.”

Although foreign investment in the U.S. real estate market has declined, it’s still a pool of buyers who spend roughly $121.0 billion a year.

But it’s not only foreign investor referrals you can fish for in this LinkedIn pond; folks are ditching California, New York, Illinois, New Jersey and other states by the millions in their quest to escape the heavy tax burdens there.

The beneficiaries of stupid economic policies? Utah, Nevada, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Colorado and Arizona are the states seeing the most in-migration, so if you’re an agent in any of them, seeking out referrals should be on your list in 2019.

The group’s rules are simple: don’t post your listings, sales pitches or local information. They consider this stuff spam and if you don’t follow the rules, they’ll 86 you from the group. Bill Gassett is one of the group’s moderators and he refuses to suffer fools.

 

Inman Smart about Real Estate

The Inman Team created this group to “promote greater networking within the Real Estate industry. Our hopes are that you can use this group as a tool to expand and grow your sphere of contacts.”

Basically, it’s a bit like the previous group, but with a more relaxed set of rules. It’s “social,” which is what social media is all about, right?

The group invites members to “Feel free to post who you are, what you do, interesting articles you’ve found, ask relevant questions, etc.”

I imagine, however, that they, too, don’t want to see spammy new listing or open house posts, or vendors hawking their wares. Much like Facebook, there’s a knack to marketing yourself on LinkedIn without being “that agent”.

The group currently boasts 84,902, which sounds puny compared to the Real Estate Professionals Referral Group. Maybe if they paid attention to requests to join the group its membership would grow.

As it stands, however, don’t look for a quick response when you attempt to join.

 

Automatically post to social media and schedule future posts with Social Share – Part of your LeadSite. Learn more

Real Estate Professional’s Group

When we think of “real estate influencers,” the name that pops into our minds first is Bill Gassett.

That he has more members in his Real Estate Professional’s Group than the powerhouse publisher Inman.com is testament to the man’s influence.

He is, however, an exacting task master so if you’re one of “those agents” who feels that social media is the place to promote your listings, you’ll be booted.

“NOBODY cares about your listing, your interest rates, your “special deals”, [sic] your webinars, or anything else your’re [sic] trying to sell here other than YOU!” he commands. And, he adds that “If you don’t know how to follow these simple rules then you don’t belong here.”

You “done been” warned so go join the 97,475 members of the Real Estate Professional’s Group and have some fun.

 

Digital Marketing Group

You and I both know that “real estate agent” doesn’t even scratch the surface of what you do for a living. If you’re a listing agent especially, you are primarily a marketing wiz. At least we hope so.

Keep up-to-date on the latest in digital marketing by joining LinkedIn’s Digital Marketing Group. With nearly 1.2 million members, there must be some good stuff going on in there.

This one’s not technically one of the LinkedIn real estate groups, but it has a lot to offer for the aspiring digital marketer.

The group’s founder, John Horsley, is also the founder of DigitalDoughnut.com where you’ll find brilliant marketing information. Although not real estate-specific, you can learn about artificial intelligence and marketing, the power of digital direct mail, secrets to successful online marketing and more.

The LinkedIn group is an extension of the website and promises discussions covering “ all areas of the digital marketing landscape and include topics such as social media marketing, mobile marketing, search engine marketing, online PR, email marketing, online advertising, measurement and web analytics, best practice digital marketing and more.”

Social media isn’t going away anytime soon, so get yourself positioned on the two most important platforms for real estate agents, Facebook and LinkedIn, and generate some real estate leads through these LinkedIn real estate groups!

Real for a real estate website that works as hard as you do? Get started with LeadSites!

Drive more leads and listings to your site with these website hacks!

How do you get leads on LinkedIn? Here’s what we have to say about that:

 

The post 4 LinkedIn Groups every real estate agent should join appeared first on Easy Agent Pro.

from theokbrowne digest https://www.easyagentpro.com/blog/linkedin-real-estate-groups/

Get a niche: generate divorce listing leads

With divorce rates declining, it may seem as if advice about generating real estate divorce listings is a bit useless. But, keep in mind that the rates are slowing down, not stopping.

Divorce rates vary among states. A recent 24/7 Wall Street/USA Today study broke down each state’s figures to come up with the city in each with the highest rate.

If you sell real estate in Rockland, Maine or Fallon, Nevada for instance (both at 14.1 percent), you’ll have a larger pool of divorcing couples to work with than agents in Crestwood Village, New Jersey (8.5 percent) or Hudson, New York (8.7 percent).

Nobody really knows the country’s exact divorce rate, but most demographers agree that between 40 to 50 percent of American couples call it quits. So, regardless of where you practice real estate, there will be a market for your services if you target real estate divorce listings.

They sell, and often they then buy

Play your cards right with these clients and you could very well end up with three deals.

Ideal characteristics and qualities of a divorce agent

From the agents we’ve spoken with and read about, successfully working with divorcing couples requires a specific personality type. Many of them correspond with those that any agent should have or acquire to be successful.

The ability to communicate clearly is critical. While the husband and wife each have their own attorneys, they’ll have only one real estate agent. One agent to deal with two people who may have vastly different communication styles and preferences.

They’ll need to individually communicate their concerns to you and you’ll need to ensure that you communicate the solutions to each.

You may also need to communicate with the attorneys. If you’re not a good listener, and have poor communication skills, this isn’t the niche for you.

How well do you work under pressure? There may be timing problems, plenty of surprises, frustrations and disappointments along the way. Through it all, you’ll need to maintain your composure.

Impartiality is a biggie when working with divorcing couples – something not required of the traditional listing agent.

Much like a mediator, regardless of how you personally feel about the husband or wife, and regardless of how either or both of them may pressure you to choose sides, you’ll need to force yourself to remain “Switzerland” to be successful.

Remember, you are a fiduciary and you are bound by law to act in the best interest of both of them. Because one or the other may have a fear that you’ll choose sides, ease the anxiety by making this duty very clear to them.

Other important qualities include tact, empathy, diplomacy and loads of patience.

In fact, the first meeting is the time to ease them into how you’ll work with them and what value you bring to the transaction:

• You’ll help them make decisions that make the most sense for the couple and their children.
• You’ll listen to each of them and understand their wishes.
• You’ll help them find solutions to issues that may come up.

Connect to your customers with in-house CRM – Or integrate from your preferred CRM! Learn more

Tips for working with divorcing clients

OK, you have mad qualities and skills. Here’s how to put them to work with couples who are splitting up.

“I never try to force them to communicate together, which means a lot of separate and duplicate communication,” agent Scott Weeda tells NPR. This way, “neither ever has the impression that I’m trying to force the agenda of one on the other,” he says.

This may mean coordinating separate meetings for everything from signing the listing agreement to acknowledging contingency releases, presenting offers and closing.

But that is one strategy in a process full of them. If you’re serious about pursuing this niche, consider taking courses toward getting a designation, such as those offered by the Divorce Real Estate Institute.

Now go get those real estate divorce listings

Finding real estate divorce listings involves many of the same tactics used to find leads in general. Search engine ads, social media ads, direct mail . . .you get the picture.

Our own Tyler Zey offers up some very cool examples of Facebook ads to generate divorce leads. You can find them here.

Some real estate postcard companies offer divorce campaigns for you farmers in the group. Prospects Plus! for instance, has teamed up with ReboGateway to offer intuitive mailing lists to go along with the postcards.

Consider buying a list, such as those who are filing for quit claim deeds or divorce and family law attorneys.

Divorce happens and, because not many agents specialize in this niche, it could be a lucrative part of your practice.

At the risk of sounding like we’re objectifying living, breathing human beings (humans who are in emotional pain, we might add), you won’t find a more motivated home seller than someone going through a divorce. If you’re considering carving out a niche for your real estate business in 2019, consider working with real estate divorce listings.

Ready to learn more about the hardest working website in real estate?

What do the top real estate websites know that you don’t? Take a look.

Want more traffic on your website? Here’s how you do it:

 

 

The post Get a niche: generate divorce listing leads appeared first on Easy Agent Pro.

from theokbrowne digest https://www.easyagentpro.com/blog/real-estate-divorce-listings/

Meet the Real Estate Tech Exec: Prem Khatri at Chetu

In our latest real estate tech executive interview, we’re speaking with Prem Khatri at Chetu.

Without further ado…

What do you do?

Chetu is a custom software development company, servicing a myriad of industries across the IT spectrum for the past 18 years. These industries range from real estate to gaming, with things like payments, healthcare, and retail falling in between. The solutions we provide are as diverse as the industries we tend to.

The operations team is very much the engine of the company, propelling this company in new directions, challenging our current boundaries, while maintaining the reliability our customers have come to expect.

As Vice President of Operations, I ensure this engine is running harmoniously, taking all the steps necessary to keep the machine well-oiled and healthy. At the moment, this undertaking includes a staff of 1,400, each of whom is an indispensable part of the whole.

As for me, my role requires me to zoom in on day-to-day, moment-to-moment exchanges, while zooming out to understand how the micro plays to the macro. This is how we formulate strategies and instrument benchmarks to judge our progress by; when there is disconnect between the micro and the macro settings, I know it’s time to pivot and evolve our processes.

We believe process propagates success, and where you find success you replicate the process. At Chetu, we have developed processes for nearly every department within our ecosystem, establishing a heightened standard for the entire team to meet.

And for us, it has been widely successful, instigating exponential company growth year over year.

What problem does your product/service solve?

I could in fewer words articulate the problems Chetu has not solved. Our clients come to us with their technical hurdles and we solve them, and therefore it’s difficult to boil it down to just one or two problem areas we tackle (impossible actually). Generally, we accommodate staffing needs, allowing clients to segment a project between us and their internal team. Anything from custom software development, integrations, implementations, and taking a partner software and rounding the edges a bit to make it fit perfectly within the client’s ecosystem.

In terms of the real estate and lending fields, we have historically focused on facilities management, HOA management, IDX, MLS, property management, RETS, real estate valuation engines, and on top of the real estate niche services, we have had many clients come to us for web portal development, a platform to display their listings from and a repository for active and inactive properties.

Chetu’s selling point is our industry expertise. Although we have software engineers who preform application maintenance, backup and disaster recoveries, custom app development, infrastructure support, quality assurance, system integrations, we have engineers who carry out these services for a particular vertical. Each vertical contains its own set of software engineers fluent in the latest coding trends and industry compliance standards.

If we were to backtrack, and address this question head-on, I would say Chetu is the bridge between where clients are and where they would like to be, the bridge consisting of a scalable, intuitive solution that stretches if the gap were ever to widen. Chetu’s solutions evolve alongside our clients.

What are you most excited about right now?

Blockchain. To think that less than a year ago we were limiting blockchain to digital coinage, and now it has bled into industries across the board—I am eager to watch blockchain dismantle the silos it was initially bound within to leave its mark in unconventional ways. This decentralized ledger has the capacity to revolutionize exchanges of all kinds, even within the real estate industry.

Smart contracts will truly change how players within the real estate community negotiate by eliminating the need for immediataries. Blockchain provides a common, transparent platform for offers to take place, an environment highly sought after in a time of growing interconnectivity. I think moving forward, any technology that gives way to a heightened level of data integrity will be progressively disruptive to the operational structures we are beginning to outgrow.

Under the same umbrella of next generation technologies, I am extremely excited to see where automation takes us, RPA in particular. These past ten years have been all about big data, and we are certainly excavating data at an alarming rate, as system dialogues forged through the internet of things open new data streams. Our next major roadblock will be finding the means to apply data funneling in at such high volumes. This is where RPA comes in, formulating outputs through a predefined narrative of input/output relationships.

We have many blockchain and RPA projects in the works already, and we are receiving new inquiries about these technologies everyday. I’m sure we will see a far greater adoption rate in the next few years as next generation technologies transition into a marketplace imperative.

What’s next for you?

Chetu has had international clients for over a decade, but this year we are working to penetrate our Latin America market, catering to native-Spanish speakers by distributing all of our sales and marketing collateral in Spanish as well.

Communication is our number-one priority, employing a transparent, open lines of communication between developers, directors, sales team members, and clients at all times. Hence, our website will be accessible in various languages to accommodate a broader market as well as bringing on multi-lingual operations and sales personnel.

Offering our services in languages apart from English will certainly take our communication model to the next level.

What’s a cause you’re passionate about and why?

Chetu is remarkable in that most of the individuals in the highest positions, has incredibly humble beginnings—we’ve all begun as developers and built ourselves from the ground up, so I’m passionate about guiding others through a similar journey and encouraging young minds to think outside their current circumstances, toward a bigger picture.

I believe we need to cultivate this entrepreneurial spirit from the very beginning, instilling a go-getter attitude, and this begins in the classroom. Along with several other members at Chetu, we have begun STEM outreach, partnering with our local school system in Florida to inspire children to reach beyond themselves toward something greater.

So I guess you can say I’m passionate about two things: education and the progression of technology. Fortunately, I’ve had the opportunity to marry the two into an awesome program for our community that gives schoolchildren who have already expressed an interest in technological entrepreneurialism a glimpse into the future.

Thanks to Prem for sharing his story. If you’d like to connect, find him on LinkedIn here.

We’re constantly looking for great real estate tech entrepreneurs to feature. If that’s you, please read this post — then drop me a line (drew @ geekestatelabs dot com).

The post Meet the Real Estate Tech Exec: Prem Khatri at Chetu appeared first on GeekEstate Blog.

from theokbrowne digest https://geekestateblog.com/meet-the-real-estate-tech-exec-prem-khatri-at-chetu/

TIC UNIT FOR SALE | 1224 N Hoover Street | $525,000

Beautifully Renovated Silver Lake Residences

http://1224nhoover.com/

This Spanish residence has been beautifully remodeled, with new hardwood and tile floors, brilliant light and architectural details throughout. The open layout feels spacious and bright with high ceilings and freshly painted walls.  The open and bright kitchen has been updated with butcher block countertops, Spanish tile, fixtures, custom wood shelves and new hardware.  With original built-ins and 5 panel doors with period hardware, this home merges the old with the new and feels effortless and simple.  Amenities include a laundry room at the rear of the unit, assigned off-street parking and newly landscaped front lawns with olive trees.  This incredible location is central to Silver Lake Junction and Los Feliz Village and a block from The Kitchen, Dinosaur Coffee, Ma’am Sir and more.  Easy access to the Metro, the 2 and 101 freeways.

This is a new TIC community in Silver Lake! TIC communities are rapidly emerging in LA. For more information on TIC ownership, see www.andysirkin.com. TIC units are a great option for 1st time homeowners or entry-level buyers. Financing available – with as little as 10% down thru Sterling Bank. Contact listing agent more more information. Intimate 4-unit community with low HOA dues. All 4 units in the community are available for sale.

1224 N. Hoover Street, Silver Lake

TIC sale with financing available – with as little as 10% down thru Sterling Bank, Henry Jeanes, HJeanes@sterlingbank.com.

 

 

Details:

• 1224 N Hoover Street
• 2 BED/ 1 BATH
• SQUARE FEET:  865 SQ/FT
• LIST PRICE: $525,000
• Off Street Parking
• HOA Dues $200/month

For more information, contact Listing Agent:

Liz McDonald, Broker
TRG Realty Company, Inc.
The Rental Girl Sales
323-313-5780 Cell
liz@therentalgirl.com
BRE #: 01449897

MORE FROM THE RENTAL GIRL ON TIC OWNERSHIP:

• Read more about TIC ownership HERE
• View all our current TIC offerings HERE
• View The Rental Girl’s current properties for sale HERE
• Visit Andy Sirkin’s website for more research on TIC sales HERE
  (Andy is the TIC attorney who pioneered TIC sales in the early 80’s in San Fran. His website has a wealth of info on TIC ownership).
• Interesting in purchasing a TIC? Contact an experienced TIC Realtor®

Elizabeth McDonald, Broker & TIC Specialist
liz@therentalgirl.com
TRG Realty Company, Inc.
The Rental Girl
323-313-5780 / Cell
BRE Lic #: 01449897 

ABOUT THE RENTAL GIRL & HOW WE GOT INVOLVED WITH TIC: 


The Rental Girl (therentalgirl.com) is a full service Real Estate brokerage specializing in residential leasing and sales. We have been serving renters and landlords since 2004. We work with thousands of Los Angeles renters each year, and many of these renters are qualified to buy, but can’t afford or find a home in a neighborhood they want to live. In 2016, a client of ours introduced us to TIC ownership and we saw immediately how many renters and entry level buyers in LA could benefit from a TIC market here. We met with Sterling Bank, who was working actively to pioneer a TIC market in LA, and other San Francisco vendors. And so began our research on TICs. Since then, we have helped bring many TIC units to the market, and we have many new TIC communities coming soon. With every new TIC building that hits the market, more renters, landlords and realtors are discovering TIC sales and the TIC movement is growing rapidly. We love to share our accumulated knowledge, and support our real estate colleagues, landlords and renters and the TIC community. 


The post TIC UNIT FOR SALE | 1224 N Hoover Street | $525,000 appeared first on The Rental Girl Blog.

from theokbrowne digest https://rentinginla.com/tic-unit-for-sale-silver-lake-hoover-street/

TIC UNIT FOR SALE | 1017 1/2 Bonnie Brae St | $449,000

Mid Century Modern Redesigned in Echo Park

1017halfbonniebrae.com

Located one block from Echo Park Lake and all the happenings on Sunset Blvd, this traditional with Mid-Century and industrial influences features innovative design with concrete floors, crisp, bright white cabinetry and walls, voluminous light and warm wood tones throughout.   Come home to your inspired and beautifully designed Echo Park abode. The spacious remodeled open layout kitchen features a sitting area framed by a glass paneled door and window which give a sense of openness and light. Outdoor access via sliding glass doors through both bedrooms that open to your own cozy patio for seamless indoor/outdoor flow.  Amenities include assigned off-street parking, appliances and mini split HVAC.

Just minutes from famous Sunset Junction, bustling Echo Park and Echo Park Lake. Quintessential Echo Park at the tip of your fingers, moments from Ostrich Farm, Honey Hi, Sawyer and all on Sunset Blvd. Property features landscaped grounds with multiple patios and gardens.

TIC sale with financing available – with as little as 10% down thru Sterling Bank, Henry Jeanes, HJeanes@sterlingbank.com.

 

 

Details

• 1017 1/2 Bonnie Brae Street
• 2 BED/ 1 BATH
• SQUARE FEET:  706 SQ/FT
• LIST PRICE: $449,000
• Off Street Parking
• HVAC
• Multiple Outdoor Spaces/Garden
• Private Patio
• HOA Dues $225/month

For more information, contact Listing Agent:

Liz McDonald, Broker
TRG Realty Company, Inc.
The Rental Girl Sales
323-313-5780 Cell
liz@therentalgirl.com
BRE #: 01449897

Co-Listed with Marcus McInerney of Reservoir Partners, CalDRE#: 01848675

MORE FROM THE RENTAL GIRL ON TIC OWNERSHIP:

• Read more about TIC ownership HERE
• View all our current TIC offerings HERE
• View The Rental Girl’s current properties for sale HERE
• Visit Andy Sirkin’s website for more research on TIC sales HERE
  (Andy is the TIC attorney who pioneered TIC sales in the early 80’s in San Fran. His website has a wealth of info on TIC ownership).
• Interesting in purchasing a TIC? Contact an experienced TIC Realtor®

Elizabeth McDonald, Broker & TIC Specialist
liz@therentalgirl.com
TRG Realty Company, Inc.
The Rental Girl
323-313-5780 / Cell
BRE Lic #: 01449897 

ABOUT THE RENTAL GIRL & HOW WE GOT INVOLVED WITH TIC: 


The Rental Girl (therentalgirl.com) is a full service Real Estate brokerage specializing in residential leasing and sales. We have been serving renters and landlords since 2004. We work with thousands of Los Angeles renters each year, and many of these renters are qualified to buy, but can’t afford or find a home in a neighborhood they want to live. In 2016, a client of ours introduced us to TIC ownership and we saw immediately how many renters and entry level buyers in LA could benefit from a TIC market here. We met with Sterling Bank, who was working actively to pioneer a TIC market in LA, and other San Francisco vendors. And so began our research on TICs. Since then, we have helped bring many TIC units to the market, and we have many new TIC communities coming soon. With every new TIC building that hits the market, more renters, landlords and realtors are discovering TIC sales and the TIC movement is growing rapidly. We love to share our accumulated knowledge, and support our real estate colleagues, landlords and renters and the TIC community. 


The post TIC UNIT FOR SALE | 1017 1/2 Bonnie Brae St | $449,000 appeared first on The Rental Girl Blog.

from theokbrowne digest https://rentinginla.com/10171-2bonniebrae/