Is Twitter and Social Media in Your Game Plan for Real Estate in 2010? I think so, but you be the judge. Nobody can beat the way Gary Vaynerchuk, author of “Crush It” can explain social media with such enthusiasm and passion in my opinion.

Real Estate agents, Brokers, and other ancillary businesses can increase their business, contacts and learn more about marketing in social media sites likeTwitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn than they ever will in the classroom. See you online.

“Expect the Best” Mike

Mike Bowler Sr. ePRO, CRB, GRI, SRES
Coldwell Banker Hubbell Briarwood
1020 S. Creyts Road, Lansing, MI 48917
Phone: 517-492-3400 Fax: 888-832-6203
email: Mike@MikeBowler.com 
Website for Clients: MikeBowler.com
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 It's Thanksgiving night and I am finally getting around to look at this humongous newspaper that was hanging

 out of my paper-box this morning. Maybe you experienced the same reaction I did, by saying what a waste of paper. In doing some quick investigating, I came across this report by MORI Research, that has some interesting stats.

According to a new report from the MORI Research nearly two thirds (69%) of Americans make shopping plans based on newspaper ads.

Here are some stats from the research: 

• 82% of consumers clip coupons, buy a product, visit a website or try a product based on newspaper ads

• 73% of consumers at least 'occasionally' read newspaper inserts

• 82% of consumers are pushed to act based on a newspaper ad

My question would be, how many of these people surveyed also shop online? Also, what age bracket are they? and lastly, Do the same advertisers even use the Internet to advertise? 

My 3rd question was answered when I searched Menard's, J.C.Penny, and Kmart on Google. All three had exactly the same ad that was in my newspaper, with capabilities to turn pages and shop green. 

In the real estate business brokerages advertised homes for sale in the newspaper for three reasons. #1 to pacify the home seller #2 to pacify the agent.#3 because their competition did it. (All the wrong reasons). Over the past 4-5 years most real estate companies have realized that nearly 90% of home buyers shop the Internet prior to ever contacting a real estate agent, and have dropped newspaper ads entirely. 

Will retail do this? or are they advertising because their competition is doing it? Based on the size of my newspaper, I'd say it's about competition. I guess time will tell, however, in the mean time my big stack of ads goes right in the trash. I'll Google what I'm looking for. What's your thoughts? 

"Expect the Best" Mike 

Google WAVE has been an interesting opportunity up to this point and will benefit the real estate industry. I have been fortunate enough to get chosen for the beta test and have a couple Twitter sidekicks help me muddle my way through the confusion up to this point, however, I need to find the time to learn more.

Anytime something new comes out, it takes time, experimentation, and actually using the program to get into a comfort zone and begin to get the most of the program. WAVE is certainly no exception and still has some bugs to get worked out. Will WAVE be the next email to replace the traditional email systems that are pushing 40 years old, I think so.

Here's Three key points from Google that explain what it is and how it will work plus a short video:

1. A wave is equal parts conversation and document. People can communicate and work together with richly formatted text, photos, videos, maps, and more.

2. A wave is shared. Any participant can reply anywhere in the message, edit the content and add participants at any point in the process. Then playback lets anyone rewind the wave to see who said what and when.

3. A wave is live. With live transmission as you type, participants on a wave can have faster conversations, see edits and interact with extensions in real-time.

Cheryl Johnson, has posted some great material on Active Rain about the WAVE ad how it will benefit the real estate industry and find your way around. I would suggest you check it out and applying for your chance to get it or ask someone to invite you. (Sorry, my invites are gone)

"Expect the Best" Mike

 REALTORS, Who Get It, Resent Those Who Don’t Get It!

Over the years I have heard it all, however, in today’s market our challenges, pet peeves, and complaints amongst our peers have changed.  Here’s 10 items I can think of right off the top of my head that continue to grind away at others and myself, that I communicate with on a daily basis. I’m sure you could add more
to this list, I encourage you to do so.

Please note, that this is a constructive, reasonable list of what I feel would benefit our industry if improved upon.

1. Setting up a showing and finding out it’s pending, but the agent is waiting to see if it closes. (Waste of everyone’s time, usually a short sale with bank involved)

2. Listings indicating key box, only to find out it’s a combo box (Should be outlawed, all should be electronic)

3. Receiving offers on regular homes for sale at low-ball prices (These are not bank foreclosures and short sale homes).

4. Getting offers with low deposits or that say deposit upon acceptance (not worth the paper it’s written on)

5. Listings having no pictures or just a few. (All listings should have a minimum of 12)

6. Agents not using the Doc Box - Forms on-line system because they haven’t learned how to use it yet. (Eliminates paperwork and saves time)

7. Showing instructions on line-side says text me at ##### for showings; and you don’t get a response for 2 days. (The best technology is the technology you use.)

8. You email feedback to an agent on your showing of their listing, they don’t read their email, and so they call you for feedback. (Hello, read your email)

9. You email agents to schedule showings and never hear from them. (Because they don’t read their email or get email on Blackberry or iPhone to respond quickly)

10. Getting a call from the neighbors that your listing that was shown by a co-op agent was left unlocked or lights were left on. (Usually at night, right after you have settled in for the night.)

You may be saying: this comes with the territory.  Maybe it does, and yes, people make mistakes. However, we have much work ahead of us to get everyone going in the same direction for new standards of practice and professionalism in our industry and going green. What are your thoughts?

“Expect the Best” Mike