Announcements
Our most recent software release was made June 5th. This release included updates to the layout and navigation of the menu within the Online Office, specifically a name change from NLS Connections to Community. The Operations Center also received an improvement, providing the ability to close messages after reading them by clicking the 'X' to close the feed. For more information about our Software Releases, please visit our Recent Updates page.
You may have noticed the 'face' of Point2 Agent has changed slightly. We updated our own branding and gave our website a new look. We think it looks pretty sharp. See for yourself. www.Point2Agent.com
Don't forget to check out the Point2 Agent Blog, which was launched along with the new Point2 Agent website. Have fun!
Going In The Right Direction - GPS
Your time and the time of your clients is valuable. Driving from showing to showing can be time consuming but using a Global Positioning System (GPS) to help plot out your destinations can help reduce travel time and prevent any unplanned detours or wrong turns. With the number of different GPS models and manufacturers available, it can be hard to know what to look for. Here are a few tips to help you decide:
- Consider what you will need the GPS for. There are different types of GPS systems: Car Navigation GPS, Portable outdoor GPS, marine GPS, and hybrid PDA/GPS systems. Likely for your real estate business the GPS you will want is a Car Navigation GPS.
- Look for a GPS that gives you the option of having voice instructions. This is especially handy, and safer, when travelling alone so you don't have to constantly glance down at the GPS screen. You also don't want to rely on your clients to have to watch the GPS map and shout out directions. Having voice instructions makes the most sense, and is available on many GPS systems.
- Consider a GPS that includes Real Time Tracking. Real time tracking is a wireless network that processes information while you drive. It will give you the directions you need and keep track of the directions and turns you make.
- Go for a GPS that is well-known and has good consumer reviews. Remember that you are looking for a quality system that is a key part of your business. Choose a system that has a good reputation. It may cost a bit more than a cheaper GPS that may either break down on you or become outdated much sooner. View your GPS purchase as an investment in your business.
- Got a lead foot? Some GPS systems include a speed-limit monitor. This type of feature keeps you within the speed limit and avoid scaring your clients; or even more embarassing, getting a speeding ticket while they are with you!
- Consider the additional features and services available and choose only what you will use. In most cases, your GPS will come with free service with receivers. However, many GPS providers offer additional features for a fee. Make sure that you know exactly what you are getting with your GPS package and aren't paying extra for features you don't really need.
- Do you have to pull out the GPS User Manual each time you want to program your destination? If so, then this GPS is likely not for you. While there is likely a bit of a learning curve, one of the most important things is whether or not your GPS unit is easy for you to use. You may have bought the top-of-the-line GPS but if you can't work it effectively, then you've wasted your money. Getting the best GPS means getting the best one for you.
Get from point A to point B smoothly and without getting lost, using a GPS unit that suits your own personal and business needs.
by Megan Lust, Content Developer
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Featured Site of the Month
www.orlandosunrealty.com
With a custom spalsh page, updated content and use of stunning graphics, this Professional website is June's Featured Site.
You can make your website look this good. Follow our website customization series in The Point Onine, with Part 1 starting further down in this month's issue.
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Featured Listings
Check out this beautiful For Rent/Lease property in Bermuda. Lots of well-taken photos and a detailed description is appealing for any would-be renters.
Listing Agent: Johnette McNeil, W.J. Seymour Real Estate Ltd.
This unique listing showcases a historical church, now converted into a home.
Listing Agent: Joseph Van Wyk, Elite Real Estate Inc.
View this stunningly gorgeous country club home, which is highlighted with many listing photos.
Listing Agent: Sara Cramer, Realty Executives
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Customizing Your Killer Website - Part 1
Make It Your Own
Getting a website is just the start. Once you've got it created, you need to make sure that your website contains the right information to ensure that the visitors to your site are encouraged to stay, browse, and contact you. Over the next few issues of The Point Online, we will be discussing some basic guidelines that everyone should follow to get a jump start on customizing a killer website.
Point2 supplies all our newly created websites with default content. The default content serves as a generic placeholder for where your own personailized content should go. The default content allows you to begin advertising your website immediately while you work on adding your own content and information. The default content provided with all Point2 Agent websites is meant to be replaced! One of the very first steps in customizing your Point2 site should be to change out the default content and replace it with your own words, personality, and branding. Especially on the home page, use the content to let visitors on your site identify within seconds what exactly you can offer them as a real estate professional. Using great content, a personal touch, and updated professional-looking images will give your site a polished look while still being informative.
It goes without saying that you should double-check the spelling, grammar, and punctuation for your freshly-added content. When inserting images into your content, make sure to adjust the image alignment correctly and ensure there is adequate spacing between the image and text. Also, make sure you upload a professional photo of yourself in the User Photo area and your company logo under the Logo area. These images are used throughout the website and on your listings so it is important to have those added at the outset.
Keep in mind that your Point2 site is meant to be your professional business website. While you want to give some information about yourself and what you can do to help, it's probably not a good idea to use the home page to show pictures of all your pets or grandkids. If you really want to include this type of information, do so on a less prominent page.
POINTERS:
- change the default content as soon as possible
- update the images on the site to ones that suit you
- upload your own personal photo and logo in the appropriate area
In our next issue, we will discuss the importance of adding information to attract website visitors. Stay tuned!
by Megan Lust, Content Developer
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Exposure Engine™ Partner of the Month - Video Homes
Videohomes.com has developed a Network of GEO Vertical Search Portals that intuitively brings consumers to geographic specific real estate destinations. The VideoHomes Network provides a benefit to both Consumers and Real Estate Professionals by creating media-rich local atmospheres. It is through these unique VideoHomes vertical search portals that Buyers and Sellers easily find and visit the websites of premier local Real Estate Professionals from that specific region.
View what a listing looks like on VideoHomes
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Point2 Academy Coaching Highlight
With most markets currently experiencing tough economic situations, there are things that can be done to focus on the activities that will provide the biggest return on the investment of your time and energy.
The Coaching Archive of the month focuses on just that: determining those "dollar-productive" activities that will help yield more revenue for you, and help you feel more productive. Listen to Bob Corcoran of Corcoran Coaching and Consulting now. (January 11, 2008 archive)
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Thoughts from Point2 Academy
William Shakespeare, in his infinite wisdom, once penned: "Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind". Let's explore this for a moment, with a practical example.
Everyone, at some point in time, has shopped for a new brand of laundry soap. You stand there in the aisle, looking at the multitude of options before you, wondering which one will actually meet your standards for laundry care. There are brightly-coloured bottles that catch your eye, but, in noticing the brand name, you move on, searching for a name you can recollect, in packaging, scents, and options that would realistically meet your needs. You finally choose one, and although it costs a bit more than the other bottles on the shelf, you feel confident in your purchase, as it appears that it will achieve the results you desire. Going through this process, you have supported Shakespeare's statement, as it was your mind that chose the soap based on the practicality of it, how it would help you reach your goals and standards, and less about what was pleasing to the eye.
Real estate buyers are much the same.
In this case, though, houses and, more importantly, neighborhoods, are our deciding points. Right now, think of a neighborhood in your community that you would never, under any circumstances, live. Now, suppose that your 'dream home' was suddenly available within that neighborhood. Would you buy it? Likely not, due to whatever negative associations that neighborhood holds for you. Now, think of a neighborhood where you would love to live. How many concessions would you be willing to make to find a home within that neighborhood? For most people, there are quite a few. That big jacuzzi tub is not a necessity; that shed is something that could be added later; appliances can always be purchased separately; an office can be made in the corner of the den, rather than having that extra bedroom for it.
People buy into neighborhoods in their mind before they even look at a house. If in love with the neighborhood, the houses will look that much nicer psychologically. In neighborhoods where they are unsure or uncomfortable, a gem of a house for a great price is not worth it to them, as the perceptions of  the surroundings of that home is negative. Remember the soap example? People are willing to pay more for what they think will meet their needs and satisfy them, rather than anything else. To really understand what buyers are looking for, it is not only about asking them questions to determine the house they want, but also questions about the type of neighborhood they desire. What value do they place on having nearby parks, schools, shopping ammenities? What intensity of traffic, noise, people, crime, or weather is acceptable to them? What community values are important to them?
In discovering this information, and knowing as much as you possibly can about the neighborhoods you service, it will be easier to determine which houses will make them the happiest, not only with their purchase, but also with you, their real estate professional.
by Tanya Spilchak, Education Specialist
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Using 3rd Party Applications to Improve Your Website
Blue Block, Red Block, Content Block, HTML Block...
As children, or as parents, I'm sure that most of us have had at least some exposure to Lego®, the ubiquitous brightly-colored building blocks that have provided youngsters and adults hours of entertainment since 1934. This product owes its success to the simplicity of its design; anyone can pick up the building blocks and, using their framework, utilize them as a means to create whatever their imagination desires, be it a house or something a tad more complex. Also, there is a standardized set of connections between all the pieces, which means you do not have to worry about developing complex systems in order to get two pieces to fit together - it just works!
Now if you think about the effort and thought that goes into creating a website, with its myriad of (often incompatible) systems & languages, don't you wish the creation and maintenance process worked a little more like Lego? Wouldn't it be nice to simply integrate other web applications or services like you snap together pieces in a Lego set?
Thanks to the newest generation of web tools, this is increasingly becoming a reality for anyone who deals with constructing or maintaining websites. Makers of web apps have realized that in order for end users to get the most use out of their products they should no longer lock users into a specific site in order to use their services, rather they should create a "open application," which is an application that is constructed to be standardized and portable so the owner of the data can easily embed & present the application how they choose, usually with nothing more than simple HTML. This evolution of thought has led to what is commonly referred to "Web 2.0", or according to Wikipedia:
"...the trend in the use of World Wide Web technology and web design that aims to enhance creativity, information sharing, and, most notably, collaboration among users."
To illustrate this concept, imagine that you are a blogger and wanted to upload a video of your recent vacation to your blog. In the past you would most likely have to find a video host and then create a link so that your readers would have to leave your website in order to view your video, driving traffic to the destination site rather than your own. However, nowadays if you want to accomplish this you can upload the video to a filehost such as YouTube and then use the appropriate HTML to simply embed the video player in your site.
This way your users can view your video without ever having to leave your website, as well as comment on it or share other videos. The impact that this has from a marketing perspective is clear; when you add rich content (and the ability to communicate and collaborate) to your website you bridge the gap between yourself and your audience, which is fundamental in establishing relationships and driving sales.
Obviously the prevalence of this trend has affected the direction that Point2 Agent has taken when it comes to the offerings we give our customers in order to help them position & market themselves online. Some examples are our Listings 2 Go service, which gives our agents the ability to embed a continuously-updated property listing display into any website using standard HTML, or our Agent Handshake™ system which fosters collaboration and information sharing between our members to help them get their listings the exposure they deserve. Not to mention our industry-leading Exposure Engine syndication platform, which automatically advertises agents' listing information on all 28 of our real estate marketing partners' marketplaces.
However, perhaps the most prominent tool Point2 Agent offers its members in order to take advantage of open applications is the Custom Content creator. This tool, which gives agents the ability to place HTML in their web pages, effectively allows them to create unique and engaging content that will get them noticed by prospects, in addition to pulling in third party applications that can help their website stand out from the crowd.
In order to get those creative juices flowing, here is a rundown of some exciting applications you can add to your website, with explanations on how they can help enhance your website, as well as examples of them in action. Finally, you can also find all of these applications and many more great ideas at Widget Box.
- MeeboMe - This widget gives website creators the ability to place an embeddable IM widget on their web pages which allows users to chat with creators instantly when they have an inquiry and allows creators to proactively message any user on the site to provide exceptional customer service and effectively bridges the divide between you and a prospect. This application is run through the Meebo service which links all of users' different IM platforms (such as MSN, AOL, Yahoo, and ICQ) into one manageable service. To try out the application for yourself, and perhaps even strike up a conversation, you can visit Point2 member Stacy Magid's website.
- AltosCharts- In order for marketing materials to be useful to your clients, best business practices dictate they should be "timely, accurate, and complete". If you are looking for materials that captures all three of these elements look no further than Altos Research's "AltosCharts"; a real-time market data feed for your website which allows users to view a variety of detailed analytics such as median price or average days on the market for 170 different selling areas across North America. Sound like something that interests you? Check out some examples of this tool in action, as well as implementation instructions here.
- Twitter- Blogs are a great tool to help build your brand and enhance SEO, but who has the time to write and read them when you are constantly on the go? That is where Twitter comes in. A self-styled "micro-blog" this application gives agents the ability to create a consistently-updated feed of their latest "tweets" (or miniature blog posts) that can be read on their site like a conventional blog or on the go via mobile phone. This platform helps concentrate your message and spread it to as many prospects as possible. To see this application in action check out Point2 member Jay Thompson's recent blog entitled "Marketing on Twitter".
- Scribd- Everyone has a lot of documents sitting around on their computers that only they can read. Wouldn't it be nice it you could present this information to your customers so you can provide them with timely and valuable information to help them through the process of buying or selling? That is exactly the aim of Scribd, an embeddable application that lets users upload a variety of unconventional file types (such as PowerPoint, Excel, PDF, and TIFF) into a viewer which users can view and print just like they would be viewing them on their own computer. To see this application in action, check out the awesome listing brochures that Point2 Agent Connie Watts has added to her website (on the bottom right).
What is important to remember is that these examples barely scratch the surface of what you can do when it comes to enhancing your website with 3rd party content. There are numerous applications being built every day that you can use in conjunction with one another to create an engaging web presence for your visitors; just as you would cobble together Lego pieces to create your masterpiece.
As Vitorino Ramos, an artificial intelligence researcher, once said, "People should learn how to play Lego with their minds. Concepts are building bricks."
by Chris De Jong, Marketing Coordinator
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The Buzz Around the Point2 Community
A thread on the Message Board contains many suggestions for additional 3rd party tools you can add to your website, and experiences of other members implementing them with their own Point2 sites. Visit the Message Board for the full scoop.
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SEO Tidbits from Point2 Agent Support
In the Support department here at Point2 we are often asked about Search Engine Optimization, and how you can make your site #1 on Google (fun side note: No one ever asks how to be #1 on MSN or Yahoo, or any other search engine). There are millions of references for "SEO" on Google (try Googling "SEO" there are 255,000,000 results), some are full of good advice, and some are full of terrible advice. This article will help to inform you, the real estate agent striving to reach #1 (or at least the first page) on Google, more about search engine optimization..
To start, let's answer a few questions.
What is SEO? Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the volume and quality of traffic to a web site from search engines via search results for targeted keywords.
What SEO isn't: Search Engine Optimization isn't a magic wand that will guarantee you the #1 spot on Google. No one can guarantee this because search engines are constantly updating the algorithm that they use to rank pages.
Why should I care? If your site isn't search engine friendly, you could be losing a lot of traffic, and for real estate agents, losing traffic=losing money. Now, do you really want to lose money? I didn't think so.
Now that we have that out of the way, let's go over a few DO's and DONT's.
DO use keywords effectively. I am not just talking about Meta keywords. While those ARE important, they are not nearly as important as using keywords in the content of your pages, as well as in your website title and module headings.
Effectively using keywords in your website content is very important since search engines now focus more on the content of individual pages rather than just the META information.
EXAMPLE - If you are wanting to optimize your website for the term "Saskatoon Real Estate" then you should have "Saskatoon Real Estate" in your website title, as well as within the content on the page. It also wouldn't hurt to have it, or part of it (ex. Saskatoon) in the heading of one of the content modules that you are using.
DON'T overdo it when it comes to keywords. When it comes to keywords, you should use them but don't overdo it. Most search engines will penalize you if they think that you are keyword stuffing (when a web page is loaded with keywords in the meta tags or in content).
Also, don't try to outsmart the search engines by "hiding text" on your page. Hiding text, or making keywords the same color as the background (white text on a white background), is highly frowned upon by search engines across the board.
DO include links on your web page. Whether internal (links to other pages on your web site) or external (to pages on another web site), links are good!
DON'T say "Click Here" for every link. I would be willing to bet that you have been to at least 3 websites today that have more than one "Click here...." link. This is only a good practice if you are trying to be ranked #1 on search engines when someone searches for the term "Click here." Use good descriptions when creating links such as "Have you read my blog lately?" when linking to your blog, or "Check out the latest listings in Saskatoon!" when linking to a listings page.
DO use pictures! People LOVE pictures. A recent study showed that the more pictures you had for your listings, the more views they got. More views=More potential buyers=Quicker sales!
Don't forget the ALT attribute. One thing that I see quite a bit when helping agents is that most don't enter anything in the ALT field when adding pictures. This can be a big mistake. Search engines can't see pictures, but they can see the ALT description! A good example of a good ALT description for a picture of a home might be "Beautiful Craftsman House on .5 acres". ALT attributes aren't meant to be very long, so be short and sweet when filling them out. When in doubt: KISS - Keep It Super Simple!
Now that we have those covered, you all have a good start on Optimizing your web sites! Keep in mind, that this is nowhere near an exhaustive list of that you can do to improve your rankings!
by Chris Powell, Customer Service Representative
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Blog It!
Would you like to further market yourself and your listings? The Point2 Professional and Premium memberships allow you to post your thoughts and your listings on a blog. By using a blog you can not only keep your visitors up-to-date and informed, but you can also develop strong relationships with existing and potential clients, motivating them to comment and send feedback through your site. For more information on Point2 Blogs please visit our User Manual or watch the Training Video.
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Finding Your Niche
Finding Your Niche in a Diverse Real Estate Market
Depending on where you are throughout North America, real estate trends can be quite diverse. Regardless of what the market conditions are like in different areas, agents and brokers will no doubt agree that for the most part finding new clients and business can be very difficult. It seems that everywhere you look, the race is on to attract buyers and close a deal with them first.
A largely successful way many agents are doing this is by marketing to a specific target audience, otherwise known as a niche.
So what could be considered a niche? In real estate, there are generally 7 areas that are said to be the 'top niche markets'. Each area is targeted and not all niche markets will work for every agent in every area.
- For Sale By Owners - Target home owners who haven't sold their home privately within 30-60 days. At this point, many become frustrated and decide to list with an agent.
- Seniors/Retirement - Work with senior citizens and retirees who are looking to relocate or downsize. Provide specialized attention and assistance in finding the perfect condo, retirement community, townhouse, or senior complex.
- Luxury Homes - Assist those who are buying and selling large properties, ranches, luxury estates and golf or country club properties. This niche is especially effective if you have contacts within the same circles as those selling and buying these types of real estate, as they will tend to trust you with their large transaction more readily.
- First-time Home Buyers - The first-time home buyer is unique as they are inexperienced and likely require from you more patience, information, and time. They may also be more hesitant to make decisions about properties being looked at and value your input.
- Women - More and more single women are jumping into the real estate market as a way to build up equity for the future. In many cases, these clients are also first-time home buyers.
- Vacation/Resort Properties - Depending on where you live, tourism and vacation properties can contribute to your very own niche market. Specialize in finding homes on golf courses, near the ocean, beaches, or ski resorts.
- Condos - With the growth in the building of condominiums in the past few years, providing client service specifically with condos can be very lucrative. Extensive knowledge with strata rules or guidelines is key.
Another niche that is becoming more important is servicing of diverse clients, such as those from another country, who speak a different language or have other unique needs.
In order to break-out into a specific niche you first need to identify the niche that would be successful in your area. It not only has to have potential to be financially sustainable but also something you are comfortable working with. You must be confident in working with this niche as this is likely where the majority of your business will be focused now and over the years to come.
With confidence comes the ability to show prospective clients the benefits of buying or selling through you. Create a compelling case for why clients should use you which you can present easily in all your marketing efforts. Take the time to consider the various angles in working with each specific niche you are interested in, before deciding on the one you want to spend the majority of your focus. If you are a baby-boomer then you will have a similar experience as the baby-boomers who are looking to downsize, so perhaps working in the Senior/Retirement niche is right for you. Are you a single woman? Then helping other women to complete their first real estate transaction may be the best fit for you.
In any business decision, you want to make sure that what you do ends up being satisfying and rewarding work for you. Making the right decisions about where you want to focus will help to ensure that your new niche business is a success.
by Megan Lust, Content Developer
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Tell Us What You Think
We really want to know what our members think. Tell us your opinions and testimonials about Point2 software, features, people, customer service, resources, basically anything really! Submit your feedback and testimonials to us at: testimonials@point2.com
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Your Resources
As a Point2 member, there are a number of resources that are at your disposal at any given time:
 User Manual - contains textual instructions as to how to use, manage, and update components of your website and accompanying marketing aspects. Find it online at http://agent.point2.com/help
 Training Videos - visually goes through the instructions and information that is found in the User Manual, as many of us learn visually. Find the corresponding video on each page of the User Manual, or view the entire list
 Message Board - ask questions, provide responses, review information from moderators and others in the Point2 community. Find the Message Board here.
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The Point Online
