Should You Adopt Artificial Intelligence Marketing Software? Albert Boomtrain Amplero Pega Systems Emarsys

11 Things to Look for in your AI Marketing Solution

We’re in the early adopter phase of artificial intelligence marketing software. Those who are learning how to use it are getting exciting results already.

The technology is young, growing, improving and the best is yet to come. Businesses that don’t get into AI are carving a dangerous path for themselves. This series of posts on AI marketing solutions is your first exploration into how they help make your marketing more efficient and products.

The benefits of AI Marketing solutions are compelling. And you’ll soon be checking the AI marketing solutions of companies with strange names including Albert, Boomtrain, Amplero, Pega Systems, Emarsys, and others.

Strangely, there aren’t many reviews of AI marketing software out there, and the posts you’ll find are high on the nerd scale. So I’m going to introduce you to a few of the good solutions that I am aware of expressed in layman’s terms. Bookmark this page because I will continue adding to our collective knowledge. This is BIG. Have fun exploring.

Benefits of AI Marketing Software

The AI software benefits which I describe in this series of posts might be just the tip of iceberg. I’m excited about using it. But first, we have to study its value and potential uses. And AI is invading every area of business.

Your company will need to hire what some call an AI marketing software operator. That will likely be a digital marketing specialist/strategist if you manage an SMB.

Way Beyond Marketing Automation

For at least 6 years, companies have been investigating marketing automation, and they’ve reported some satisfaction with cost efficiencies. The vote isn’t in yet on whether marketing automation is really helping where it counts in engagement and closing sales.

Marketing automation is more about the process of automating the administration of complete multichannel marketing campaigns. Makes things easier. And that integration can help keep customers interested, loyal and engaged through the complete buying cycle and manage the tedium of those campaigns.

Human marketers get bored and stressed so MA is the current solution in vogue. Yet marketing automation lacks the analytics insight, testing ability, content personalization, optimization and forecasting capabilities of new Artificial Intelligence Marketing software solutions that are available.

New AI Solutions are Arriving Weekly

We’re right on the leading edge of this new transformative technology with new, ever improving, customized solutions such as Albert, Boomtrain, and Pega. They offer some serious benefits.

Use of AI by Marketers is About to Climb

The latest Salesforce State of Marketing report says marketers use of AI will grow by 53%. That suggests implementation of artificial intelligence marketing software will be a priority and you will need someone like myself who is excited about it and wants to help you implement and execute it.

We’re in the early days of mass adoption, but at some point, you’ll need to jump on this bandwagon. Regardless of whether you manage an ecommerce site, an IT firm, staffing agency or recruitment firm, major blog, manufacturing business, AI offers some pretty serious benefits — benefits that your competitors will soon enjoy. You’re going to enjoy this pleasant journey in marketing strategy.

What Criteria Should You Consider?

Consider everything you’re doing right now and whether it could be improved using your current technology and best practices. If it’s not winning your market, it’s probably not best practices. The phrase best practices might be a good one to keep in mind as you assess your current marketing strategy. Best results = best practices.

can you personalize your email, blogs and ppc landing pages to respond best to each individual customer based on their past click behavior and their content engagement level?
do you currently conduct slow single factor testing of your content?
are your ppc campaigns ineffective and costly?
do you have good enough data to help you predict your customers buying habits in 2018?
are you confident of your current web analytics solution?
can you handle the growing complexity of digital marketing?
are you happy with your current 1 to 2% conversion rate?
do you understand why and where visitors leave your website?
if Google is weighing onsite engagement, will AI analytics improve your content and rankings?
will AI allow you to reorganize your staff for better utilization and performance?
are you testing to discover which is the right content for each customer touchpoint?

Testing Out AI Marketing Software

Testing the software out can be a little time consuming, so bring in a dedicated, talented and capable marketing strategist to test it and ramp it up. That removes a lot of risk and you’ll learn a lot.

The learning value is underplayed and that could be because some of these companies want to keep that vital knowledge to themselves. There’s huge “big data” insight for them to profit on. You need a solution that lets you learn as much as possible and not just fattens their bank account.

By testing it out, you’re going to learn a lot about your brand, target market, your content, and how to improve your integrated campaigns. We assume you use many channels in your marketing.

AI solutions will allow you to test digital marketing campaigns at a rate and depth that no human could. And the insight the software could generated could be really helpful. In many cases, you can have a very weak understanding of your typical customer persona, yet analyze just the click through and content engagement of your visitors to learn what they actually like and don’t like right there and then, so you don’t lose them.

You can test everything from media buys, to keyword choices to blog topics all the way to calls to action. The potential value of AI solutions outweighs the cost of your learning curve. AI will likely spew out value and insight that will change every area of your company. It could help you improve customer service, product design, and more.

Recently a report found that AI has even improved social influencer results. Wouldn’t it be exciting to analyze your social network and find out how to get influencers to promote your company?

AI marketing software is inevitable. Better to begin asssessing what’s available and do some trial runs.

Taking a Look at Albert AI

As an example, if you take a look at a product such as Adgorithm’s Albert AI, you’ll get a better sense of what it offers. As you can see here in this graphic, Albert provides an integrated suite of services that pack a powerful punch. I’m impressed with Albert AI’s support staff and the fact they have recently released a small business version. It’s not too expensive and the software interface is well designed.

Graphic courtesy of Alberta.ai

The Top 2 Benefits of Albert AI

Although the Albert software does a lot itself, I believe 1) Testing and Optimization and 2) Analytics and Insights services provide the key benefits. Soon, the prediction of customer behavior may be most valuable.

Manual testing and analytics isn’t very satisfying. Analysts don’t have enough data to draw insight from. If you’ve perused your own website’s Google Analytics reports, you know what I mean. It’s not the highest quality actionable data. And we can’t test fast enough to draw better insight from it. That’s frustrating and wasteful.

Albert however, can test visitor response, intent, and engagement, and do it in real time. Just think if you could test visitors and maximize insight from their individual visits right now. Then continue when they return? 99% of your visitors leave your website, so you’re taking a big loss and turning it into an asset.

If your organic and ppc team specialists can generate the traffic, you have the possibility of learning more and continually improving your content and sales funnel. Everyone is into funnel optimization these days, but how many have tools to actually do it well?

If you’re uncertain about its value, you can do a test campaign. Find someone who can be your AI marketing strategist, (someone with a psssion for it) and follow an implementation process. Albert offers assistance in setting up your account and implementing your campaign elements.

From there, it’s a process of learning and improving, and assessing your results.

If trying it out is this easy, it makes sense to invest in it. This is a win win situation where you’ll gain from anything you commit to. It’s probably time to give AI marketing software some good thought and get on this before your competitors do.

Build your brand and sales results faster and better. If you believe in growing a more successful business, this should be a fun and worthwhile experience.

Call me at 416 998 6246 if you’re ready to hire a digital marketing specialist and investigate and test AI Marketing Software.

November 20, 2017February 4, 2018

High Value Luxury Car Insurance | BMW Porsche Ferrari Audi Mercedes Benz Los Angeles Miami New York Vancouver Toronto Phoenix Houston

Luxury Car Insurance – EV, Hybrid or Gas

Across the country, you’ve likely seen more high end luxury cars on the roadway. Manufacturers are building more high priced gas powered/hybrid perforance cars and the race is on for electric powered vehicles.

You’ll be surprised at the performance and features of the new releases this year. Check out the videos below.

With luxury car buyers anticipating upcoming releases of expensive luxury cars including the Porsche Mission e EV, we might also want to review auto insurance for them. Will repairs be more costly? Are they heavier and more stable in snow/ice conditions?

The demand for luxury vehicle insurance (called luxury car insurance) has grown substantially. Porsche, Lamborghini, Ferari, BMW, Audi, Mercedes Benz, Bently, Rolls Royce, and other brands are producing some very interesting new electric luxury cars. That means owners may need review their auto insurance coverage.

Special Insurance for a Special Group of Drivers

Not all insurance companies are interested in providing policies for high end, luxury classic collector, or high value automobiles. Expensive cars however do represent a unique seet of liabilties and unique auto insurance coverage.

Your Porsche, Mercedes Benz, BMW, Maserati, Bentley, Lamborghini, Ferari, Rolls Royce, or Jaguar is not just another vehicle. Insurance specialty coverage gives you the peace of mind that your luxury vehicle is fully covered and that your policy will meet your needs and claims if you’ve involved in an accident. You’ll need to search for that and I have a short list of top luxury auto insurance brokers below.

Electric Luxury Cars are All the Rage

It seems like a new electric luxury model is being released every month. Attention is moving away from Tesla to new group of electric car manufacturers. Below is Jaguar’s new concept car called the I Pace SUV.

Photo courtesy of Jaguar Canada.

And how about this beauty Luxury EV from Lucid Motors? 240 mile range with 400 HP!

Fisker Electric Vehicle – 400 mile range and 161 mph.

Tesla Model S P90D – a 270 mile range for $118,000.

The Tesla Roadster – 600 mile range and founders series pricing at $250,000.

Specializing in High Value Automobiles

Listed below are some of the best high value, luxury car insurance carriers specializing in in luxury cars and high priced vintage and classic cars. These companies understand expensive automobiles and their owners and provide policies more suitable to their needs.

If you’ve read this post on which cars are most expensive to insure, you know that a cars price tag doesn’t always mean more pricey insurance rates. And when you shop around specifically for car insurance for luxury automobiles, you’ll eventually find those insurers who offer better rates. Even for luxury vehicles, it’s shop and save!

In some states, provinces and jurisdictions there is a trend to limiting auto insurance coverage. In Vancouver BC for instance, the BC government has dropped coverage for luxury cars. They stated that regular car insurance buyers were subsidizing the more costly car’s protection.

It’s left a lot of wealthy Vancouver drivers looking for coverage for their high value automobile, and they’re switching to Alberta for their policies.

The fact is, that many luxury cars don’t get driven much. They are low use, special ocassion vehicles and when usage based telematics devices are used, the luxury car driver can prove the car is being driven safely and infrequently. It’s factors like these that should help avoid the disappearance of luxury car insurance.

The key factors in which luxury car insurance provider to choose comes down to:

higher limits of collision coverage
the ability to complete repairs using genuine manufacturer’s components
access to preferred repair shops
avoiding usual ‘comparable’ vehicle replacement policies

Check out the Navigation system on the New Bentley GT

Do You Think the Mercedes GT Roadster is Looking more like a Porsche?

Here’s Forbes look at the best luxury cars arrving in 2018.

How much is auto insurance for the top mid-range priced luxury cars?

Luxury Car Insurance Insurers

Hagerty Insurance Agency, LLC
P.O. Box 1303
Traverse City, MI
49685-1303
www.hagertyagent.com

New Insurance
2855 S 4th Ave Ste 127
Yuma Az 85364
Phone : 928-792-1312
Phone : 949-791-1312
www.newsinsurance.com

Britton Gallagher
One Cleveland Center, 30th Floor
1375 East 9th St.
Cleveland, OH 44114
Local Phone: (216) 658-7100
www.brittongallagher.com

Insurance Suffolk
14 Roosevelt Avenue
Port Jefferson Station, Long Island, NY 11776
www.insurancesuffolk.com

Dempsey & Siders Agency, Inc.
6725 Miami Avenue, Suite 102
Cincinnati, Ohio
45243-3158
www.dempsey-siders.com

Swingle, Collins & Associates
13760 Noel Road, Suite 600
Dallas , TX 75240
(972) 715-8700
www.swinglecollins.com

Cheap insurance is often not a priority among luxury car owners who need customized coverage for their Porsche, Mercedes Benz, BMW, Maserati, Bentley, Lamborghini, Ferari, Rolls Royce, or Jaguar. The key is to ensure the value of the car is protected. High end luxury cars are a big investment even for wealthy owners.

Inquiry about luxury car insurance in Los Angeles, Phoenix, Vancouver, Seattle, New York, Miami, Dallas, Houston, San Diego, Toronto, San Francisco Bay Area, and Chicago.

Find the lowest insurance rates in your city: LA auto insurance, Boston auto insurance, Phoenix car insurance, San Francisco car insurance, San Diego boat insurance, Seattle truck insurance, New York car insurance, Indianapolis SUV insurance, Detroit SUV insurance, Indianapolis Car Insurance Quote online, Toronto car insurance quote, or Chicago car insurance.

November 11, 2017May 20, 2018

Houses For Sale – How to Find a Better Home for Sale ⌂ Los Angeles Phoenix New York Texas Florida Illinois

Find Houses for Sale with this Super Strategy

Shop online for groceries, car insurance, or houses for sale, you’ll get better results by searching. In the case of home shopping, you’re going to save tens of thousands of dollars and get the home you want in the neighborhood you want.

That’s the beautiful thing about the Internet — a boundless number of sites that compete for your business. There is no one single source for condos and houses for sale. They all compete but they don’t cooperate.

Below is an integrated home search strategy that will your make your house for sale search quest exciting and help you find the best property. You can still use a Realtor, but with this you’re still in charge and your Realtor will have to work to represent you.

People have so many hopes tied to acquiring a house (and dream home) yet most homes available for sale are a poor fit and a bad investment. You don’t have to setlle. When you limit your search, you ruin your chance to be happy. Google is a great help. Lots of help in finding open houses. But first, create a home search plan.

Seriously? A Home Search Plan?

Those who don’t plan, plan to fail. A bad choice has such serious consequences in money and happiness. Take your time. And some selection criteria are more important than others. List the must haves in your search and don’t deviate too far from. Here’s a few examples:

which specific zip codes or neighbourhoods are right for your family? Find zip code neighborhood ratings and eliminate those with high crime ratings, no green space, recreation, inconvenient shopping, poor roads and utilities, poor schools quality
excessive commute times? (how much can tolerate?)
what size home do you need? How many bedrooms and bathrooms do you need?
age and condition of home? (headaches and heartaches)
what price range do you qualify for? How much for house, how much for renovations to improve bathrooms or create open concept layout?
what downpayment should you have? (private financing)
what payments can you manage? (house poor and depressed?)
what will you absolutely not accept? (bad neighbors, viscious dogs, radio, swearing, drugs, drinking; and now you’ll take your time to make sure these awful things aren’t next door to you and your kids.)
how much capital gains will you need over ten years? (you’ll eventually sell this house)

Realtor Systems are for Creating Sales

You’re not a transaction, you’re a family with a future. Keep in mind that Realtor type systems aim to sell you a house fast, not to let you get picky. They might not even know about recent crime in the neighborhood or the condition and cost to upgrade the home to healthy.

You may need to go online, or use social media listening tools to learn of bad things in the neighborhood. At some point, your kids will come to face to face with them.

setup a separate, new email address for the house hunting project only
find your own home inspector
use all the home finding sources below

Check out the housing markets in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Houston, Boston, and Miami. The Florida housing forecast should be of keen interest to northern retirees and investors weighing the value of rental properties.

It’s understandable that you want to get right at it, and search for a few possibilities online or just call a Realtor™. That’s not wise. It’s far better to create your own web of contacts and resources. This big machine will help you tap into the biggest pool of homes and leads. I have a collection of home search resources that will give you better results than any Realtor™. And you’ll find 16 tips on homes for sale searching below too — a pro researcher’s process to help you scan for the best homes for sale online and select the right one. We’re going to get you on the sure path to your dream home — a powerful investment and a launchpad to a happy life.

Sharing is Good for Your Social Health

Please share this huge list of amazing property listing sites that have homes for sale below with your friends and family. Help them get the best and avoid the worst. This could be life saving!

Whether as a home or as a property investment income generator, you’re smart. It’s the one investment that creates additional streams of revenue from renters to solar roof panels to tax write offs.

With these tips and resources you can search and drill down to find the best homes for sale, including those not listed on the MLS. Google alerts can help you find new property listings that appear on websites, pages that aren’t very well promoted, because the real estate agent doesn’t want to spend money on Internet marketing.

Don’t rely on lazy Realtors — take massive action to find all potential properties for sale and work with winners.

17 Tips for Home Searching – Online and Offline

visualize the type of home you want and avoid buying whatever the market has up for sale
list your home feature priorities as a guide to keep you on track (e.g.,# of bedrooms floors and washrooms, square footage, distance to school or park, price point)
research the best cities and zip codes with good schools, low crime rate, lower taxes, and lower density
check out the home price history in the city, neighborhood/zip code, comps for similar houses, and the frequency of sales in the neighborhood
do an online search of the street, neighbors, and see what comes up
get preapproved and know how much you qualify for and how you will manage paying the home loan payments for years — don’t waste time searching for homes $100k above your budget
search for the best mortgage deal online – don’t get stuck with a local mortgage agent who sweet talks you into a less than ideal solution
find a good home inspector you can rely on to give you the best insight into the home’s condition
search online for a good realtor, and do not just call one and settle — ask questions about experience, marketing skills, sales and negotiation experience, references, communication skills, and check their website out thoroughly — is this someone who is really into being a Realtor?
connect with many different Realtors since each of them have their own connections and opportunities — the more the better
search online using a variety of sources and get alerts from many Realtors and Google alerts on new properties
before you go to a showing, create a spreadsheet chart that lists each feature you must have and below some nice to have’s and give them a 1 to 3 rating each – bold the top 3 must haves.
measure your furniture and list them on a piece of paper and when you arrive at the home, sketch out the home layout and its dimensions – you can review them later when you have more time to think about everything you need in this home — don’t be impulsive but instead be critical, because if you like it, you’ll get your endorphin boost later
pretend you’re a home inspector and walk around the property and the neighborhood — get a feel for this location and whether you feel comfortable, and take note of the attitude of your neighbors — you’ll be seeing them often
take lots of photos inside the home – zoom in on the kitchen, bathroom, so you’ll have these for future reference when you’re comparing homes
ask to see the actual tax statements and utility bills
check the homeowner’s social pages and Google them thoroughly

Is the home you’re searching for Tech Friendly? Even Millennial aged buyers forget this factor when attending open houses or showings. Tech-friendly is in.

Infographic courtesy of Porch and https://www.pinterest.com/pin/569142471629698008/

Before you buy, make sure you learn more about the housing market, (e.g., Los Angeles, San Diego, New York, San Francisco, Phoenix, Dallas, Charlotte, Seattle, and Vancouver). These are exceptionally hot markets where you’ll find high priced properties. For other lower priced markets see the cities page. Learn more about cities at city-data.com.

Best Places to Search for a Home

Looking in all the wrong places? There’s a cure for that — the right places. Take your time and peruse all of these so you craft a better understanding of the home search process.

Homes for Sale in Los Angeles – Search for dream properties in LA – owners list in Dream Homes Magazine to reach the wealthy clientele.
Homes for Sale in San Diego – Dream Homes has the best coverage of San Diego.
Luxury Homes for Sale above $10 Million+ For the world’s wealthiest 1%, Mega Dream Homes is the place to visit. Find a super luxury home real estate agent.
Homes for Sale in New York – Zillow is one site you need to use more often. They operate outside of the MLS system and can help you find additional properties.
Homes for Sale Silicon Valley CA – Sothebys has its own set of luxury home listings in the lucrative market in Silicon Valley.
Homes for Sale San Francisco – Century 21 is yet one more channel to search in the scarce San Francisco market.
Luxury Homes for Sale San Jose CA – Luxury Portfolio has additional opportunties you should get connected with.
Homes for Sale Seattle – Redfin could be an aid to your search in 2017.
Find new homes for sale in Canada at Buzzbuzzhomes.
How about a new home in Phoenix via the New Home Source?
Check out Boston’s hot home market with Coldwell Banker Realty
Search for Bargains in Calgary Alberta – The Saudis are already jacking up the price of oil and guess who has oil? Calgary Home Boys know the Calgary market.
Movoto is yet another resource to help you find homes in Chicago.
Homes for Sale Salt Lake City – How about Ziprealty for a unique selection of properties.
Denver Home search – should foreclosures be a part of your search?
Condo investments in Miami – Are condos good investments?
I wouldn’t recommend Craiglist real estate to find Atlanta homes for sale right now, however in a few years, it might be a relevant source.
How about searching an FSBO site for Homes for sale in Denver?
Find a home in Houston with Better Homes and Gardens
Dallas homes searches using an auction service?
Keller Williams is yet one more search option in Philadelphia
Search the scarce listings of homes in Vancouver for sale on Point2point.
If you’re patient and want a lower initial investment point in your home investment strategy you could keep informed with distressedpropertiessale.com
Find the best bargain properties via the Times Picayune in New Orleans.
Looking for investment property in San Antonio? Asking an experienced income property investor could be helpful.

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Bookmark this page and return for further housing market forecasts, predictions, expert opinions and market data for most major US cities including Los Angeles, Phoenix, Denver, Seattle, Chicago, Boston, New York, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Austin, St Louis, Minneapolis, Green Bay, Charlotte, Tampa, Miami, Orlando, Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Ottawa, Oshawa, Hamilton, Newmarket/Aurora, Richmond Hill, Oakville, Calgary, Kelowna,Mississauga, Anaheim, Beverly Hills, Malibu, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, Fresno, Santa Clara, Sacramento, Mountainview, Palo Alto, Portland, Washington, Atlanta, Irvine, Nashville, Sunnyvale, Salt Lake City, Riverside, Rancho Cucamonga, Costa Mesa, Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Raleigh, Albuquerque, Glendale, Oceanside, Long Beach, Huntington Beach, Carlsbad, Santa Clarita, Henderson, Mesa, Temecula, Kirkland, Redmond, Kansas City, St Louis, Stockton, Scottsdale, Palm Springs, Indianapolis, Columbus, Colorado Springs, Fort Worth, Chula Vista, Escondido, Santa Monica, Miami Beach, and Honolulu.

November 11, 2017May 20, 2018

Real Estate By Zip Codes

Search Homes for Sale By Zip Codes

Real estate investors and home buyers alike are becoming a little more savvy about searching for good investments and properties in the best cities.

Searching for properties via zip codes adds variety and a new perspective to your home search or pursuit of that great income investment property. You want the real picture, and you may access new and needed information searching by zip code.

While you can search by State, County, City, neighborhood or suburb, a search for homes by zip code lets you zoom into those neighbourhoods you are most interested in, not some general category such as Denver, Seattle, Houston, LA, or New York, which is actually confusing.

Zip Codes are a Great Way to Search for Homes

drill down into the neighbourhoods that matter
find additional information is available only in relation to zip codes (census and marketing data)
zip codes let you see community boundaries easier
breakdown of important features via zip code
lots of deep demographic info available on zip codes because shoppers give their zip code when buying locally at retail stores
gives you different search results

Zip codes give us additional cues or signals about homes for sale, neighborhoods, potential, forecasts, and home price trends in the areas we’d like to invest. Zip codes are used by car insurance companies when quoting rates, and Facebook uses zip codes to target ads just to you.

Nielsen Research has a demographic profiling service which marketers use, based on zip code. It provides lifestyle, income, age and other info on the residents in those zips.

In this previous post, you learned the top 80 best cities to invest in income properties. Great info for investors who want the best zip codes across the US for a return on investment. There are over 32,000 zip codes in the country, and according to research from realtor.com, there are hot zip codes to pay attention to.

Of course you may not be an investor, and instead are looking for homes for sale in specific communities (zip codes) and you can search with the search box below. Begin with a city and then drill down into the specific zip code you’re interested in. Then all you need to do is find the best time to buy a home in your city.

Any sharp real estate investor knows to look beyond their own city or town to look outward to other cities where property values are rising, where the local economies are strong, and where further positive growth factors exist.

Yes, you’re more interested in the houses and condos, but don’t forget that homes are about lifestyles, neighborhoods, local shopping, schools, medical services, transit, safety, green space, and the economy. A bad neighborhood can ruin a good home.

Searching aimlessly for homes? Frustrated, demoralized, confused? You need to get focused and avoid wasting your valuable time.

Homes for Sale – The Ultimate Home Search Source

Share the Home Finding Machine — the ultimate source for searching for Homes for Sale anywhere in the US or Canada. Help your friends find their dream home.

7 Factors that make the Best Zip Codes so Attractive for Investors

1. home prices are projected to rise faster than other areas
2. positive outlook for employment
3. local economy is predicted to be better than other areas
4. more of the right properties are available
5. there is a strong housing shortage in that area
6. there is a strong commitment to neighborhood improvement
7. there are good schools nearby

Best Real Estate for Investors – By Zip Codes

Realtor.com conducted some research recently to find the best zip codes in the country. They chose a stat you might think is insufficient as a guide to invest — solely on demand. Their list is based on a) the time it took properties to sell, and b) how frequently homes are viewed in each ZIP code.

There are other factors that go beyond current demand such as overall housing forecasts, specific features, crime rates, commuting time, types of properties, and more which will impact whoever rents your property or buys it.

Here’s a cool graphic from homesnacks.net that you’ve probably never seen before. It maps out all the zip codes according to these factors:

Population Density
College Degree Holders
Unemployment Rates
Household Incomes
Short Commute Times
Home Values

Looks like they give the thumbs up to Seattle, Southern California, Wisconsin, New England, and the core of Texas.

That’s a different ranking of zip codes, and it may help decide on, or avoid investing in properties in specific regions.

Realtor.com’s top 50 Real Estate Zip Codes:

Rank	ZIP Code	Community, State
1	76148	Watauga, TX
2	94523	Pleasant Hill, CA
3	80233	Northglenn, CO
4	80916	Colorado Springs, CO
5	78247	San Antonio, TX
6	94954	Petaluma, CA
7	2176	Melrose, MA
8	63126	Crestwood, MO
9	97222	Milwaukie, OR
10	92104	North Park, CA
11	40242	Louisville, KY
12	66204	Overland Park, KS
13	48072	Berkley, MI
14	95123	San Jose, CA
15	37214	Nashville, TN
16	78749	Austin, TX
17	94585	Suisun City, CA
18	14625	Rochester, NY
19	49508	Kentwood, MI
20	58103	Fargo, ND
21	46804	Fort Wayne, IN
22	95678	Roseville, CA
23	43214	Columbus, OH
24	95376	Tracy, CA
25	98105	Seattle WA
26	83705	Boise, ID
27	68144	Omaha, NE
28	27511	Cary, NC
29	90230	Culver City, CA
30	93906	Salinas, CA
31	59102	Billings, MT
32	93004	Ventura, CA
33	67209	Wichita, KS
34	80603	Brighton, CO
35	95062	Santa Cruz, CA
36	32707	Casselberry, FL
37	95368	Salida, CA
38	93720	Fresno, CA
39	50010	Ames, IA
40	14150	Tonawanda, NY
41	28273	Charlotte, NC
42	30269	Peachtree City, GA
43	55423	Minneapolis, MN
44	53005	Brookfield, WI
45	23226	Richmond, VA
46	66617	Topeka, KS
47	75495	Van Alstyne, TX
48	33624	Tampa, FL
49	7066	Clark, NJ
50	80501	Longmont, CO

Zip Codes with the Lowest DOM

According to Realtor.com, it takes 53 days less to sell a home in the top 20 markets. That means these zip codes are in much greater demand. Will this demand continue through the next 10 years? The answer to that tough question might be found in state and region migration trends, demographics, types of industries, and other economic data, such as I discussed in the San Diego and Los Angeles and San Francisco real estate forecasts.

Investors might be very focused on where millennial aged buyers/renters might be living and where they’re likely to move to. Places like Longmont, Colorado might be head scratchers, however these might be very attractive locations for younger buyers.

For example, the migration away from Silicon Valley in California is one such trend that could last 10 years. The San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Clara region has all the earmarks of overheating such as in-migration, positive economic outlook, and a lack of residential land.

Any towns such as Pleasant Hill (#2) and Petaluma (#6) and others in between Sacramento and San Francisco could have huge potential for price growth.

For those interested in sunny California, take a look at Realtor.com’s hottest markets index in this graphic below. Look deeper for specific zip codes and neighborhoods that have the best potential. Think 5 years ahead.

California’s Best Zip Codes

Once you’ve found the best zip codes to buy real estate in, you’ll need some guidance in how to actually carry out that investment. You might want to look for property investment experts who have the insight into all the nitty gritty stuff you’ll be encountering.

Search for a Home Via Zip Code

Major real estate web sites are still behind the times when it comes to zip codes.

Please do Share this post on Facebook, Twitter, or Linkedin with your friends and family

Gord Collins — Digital Marketing Specialist

November 2, 2017May 20, 2018

Real Estate Video for Power Home Selling

Homebuyers Are Watching More Video Than Ever

Real Estate Video is a selling machine. As you’ll see in a few of the videos below is how video can present properties for sale in a more compelling, engaging way. The end result is more engaged viewers, more interested buyers and ultimately a higher selling price.

This post you’re reading is one of my most engaging posts with an amazing engagement time of 15 minutes. Why? Because it’s helpful, on a topic people know is important, and it’s entertaining. This is what good content looks like.

You’ll find 18 reasons why you must use Real Estate Videos to sell homes in 2018. And you’ll be enjoying some astonishing videos and infographics too. Change your approach and change your results.

If you’re a home owner, you’ll want video as part of a complete digital marketing sales system working for you. That will combine with Facebook and Google Adwords ad campaigns, compelling marketing pieces such as blogs and downloadable guides, along with a superior digital sales strategy.

Video adoption is still lagging online yet consumption of video is increasing. Both Realtors and homeowners may not be convinced, but in reality the cost of producing video has dropped. Hundreds and hundreds of new high quality real estate video production companies have spawned in the last couple of years.

Video Is Growing in Use Online

Video on your webiste and Facebook is great, but it’s also important in advertising. Having your own video within your Facebook video ads, lead ads, or Google Adwords ads is very powerful.

Viewer engagement numbers are very high.

Combine that with remarketing ads and you have persistent high quality exposure to your audience. And Realtors, if you have a list of prospects emails and names, you can target custom audiences and target only those people. This maximizes your impact and minimizes waste.

Take a look at some numbers here from Hubspot.

With drones and 4K video technology, you’re able to present your buyers with an exceptional sales piece complete with elegant music and key selling features to help get buyers focused on buying your home. It really is about focus, and that is created through effective videos.

Forget what you’ve heard and expect about video. Speak to a video producer and let them explain what is possible and persuasive. Open your mind about how video can represent you and your property.

Video doesn’t preclude in-depth blog posts, viewable mls listings, and material that builds trust. Video adds an additional visual element that is engaging. You really do need it. There are few realtors below who understand the power of video. If it’s done with good taste, sincerity and good production values, a video can be a powerful lead generator. And let’s not forget how sharable a Facebook or Youtube video is.

Using a real estate presentation video may have more selling power than you realize as you’ll see in these amazing realty videos below. You can get more offers, sell higher, and get offers faster. Let’s launch a bidding war. If your realtor isn’t using video, you’re missing out on leveraging engaging content that will impact, engage and persuade.

According to an Australian Real Estate Group, real estate listings that include a video receive 403% more inquiries than those without

If You’re Going to Sell Your Home – Get Big Exposure and a Beautiful Video

Let’s explore the world of video real estate marketing and how it might benefit your online reach, impact and sales. Video’s such a fun medium, you’ll have a fun time exploring and evaluating it.

Mobile and Video really growing: Smartphone traffic will exceed PC traffic by 2020. Ultra-high-definition (UHD) will be 20.7 percent of IP video-on-demand (VoD) traffic in 2020, up from 1.6 percent in 2015.

tubularinsights — This study by Tubular Insights showed a remarkable improvement with photography and video on estimated value of the property. So much for market assessment!

I’ve got 18 compelling reasons why video should be part of your home selling and marketing mix. Which of the 18 are most important is up for debate, but perhaps the top reason is that consumers online are watching more video than ever.

Some are forecasting that most internet traffic in a few years ahead will be video viewing on mobile phones. Reading isn’t a whole lot of fun on a smartphone and it makes sense that consumers will expect content and information in a non-readable format. It’s not that they don’t want to think, it’s that they will lean to information that’s easy to experience and absorb. Video has a big advantage over text here (however, let’s not forget that Google ranks your pages using the text!)

The power of real estate videos is in three dimensions: 1) technology and functional compatibility, 2) emotional engagement and retention, and 3) enhanced reach into the marketplace. If you can achieve all of these rather difficult challenges, you’re on your way to top sales. For the homeowner selling a house, property, or condo, it can generate multiple offers leading to a sold over asking price result you most certainly want.

2017 Forecasts: Interested in knowing more about the US housing market, San Francisco Rental Income Market, Los Angeles real estate market, or Toronto real estate market through 2017?

Agent Introduction and Update Videos

Here’s Austin Realtor Jill Leberknight with her agent introduction video. She’s an exceptional pro:

The Best Real Estate Listing Videos

To whet your appetite, view this video from Sureshot and you’ll not how elegant it is and how it well it reveals the features of the home. Is this more powerful than the MLS listing data?

Unit 7, 26 Paton Street, Kangaroo Point, Brisbane from Sure Shot Film on Vimeo.

And in this real estate video, we see how seamlessly and comfortably the drone aerial footage is fused to the indoor shots. How much more would your home or condo sell for with a video like this?

And the shots and vistas in this video are compelling.

So much creative styling, motion, color, sound and visual content can be used in a real estate video. This is a ranch style home in beautiful Canmore, Alberta Canada.

Now if you have a professional film crew handy, you might take the video home viewing to new cinematic heights. Get blown away by this land/sea/air excursion into an incredible mansion in Del Mar California, just north of San Diego.

Real Estate Video in 4K – The next Generation is Here

Oh yes, our adventure isn’t complete without sampling an amazing 4K video of a home for sale in Utah.

Have to admit it, those Drones do have their purpose in real estate video marketing.

18 Reasons to Use Real Estate Videos

Videos keep visitors on the site and not leaving – the average user spends 88% more time on a website with video with many viewers watching the same video several times.
Videos often rank well in Google search results on their own
Video engagement is watched by Google thus your page looks like it is of more interest to searchers and your Google rankings will rise
Homeowners prefer realtors who use video on their websites
Video attracts 3 times as many links to your site compared to other types of content
video increases email engagement and sales response rates
Video creates better impact and memory retention/recall for better branding
Video is more emotionally engaging and when you’re selling, it’s all about emotion when buyers are making the decision to buy – when buyers see rooms in motion they’re more likely to think about how their kids would use the home — important prepurchase behavior
Videos build buying intent, activate impulse, and make buyer prospects feel more confident – Enjoyment of video ads increase purchase intent by 97% and brand association by 139% according to Unruly.
Video presents and reveals top home features more convincingly
Youtube is very popular still and reaches a lot of consumers
Video is still leading edge and prestigious – it greatly enhances a realtor’s credibility and professional brand image
Homebuyers want and expect real estate videos — come on, they’re buying their dream home!
Neighbourhood video tours are fun – and you can brand your videos anyway you want
MLS stats alone leave buyers feeling cold – they’re not statisticians, they’re flesh and blood, emotionally buyers who want to feel continuously good about their intention to buy a home
People love sharing videos with friends on Facebook and other social media – friends and family provide positive feedback to them
Personalizes video is one way a local realtor can beat the big real estate brands and websites — their Achilles heel is a lack of personalization and emotional connection
By doing a short cameo appearance in your video, you’re introducing yourself in the most way — relative to a pleasant tour of the property – which moves them a step toward negotiations

When visitors see only an mls listing, it is a bland piece of content that unfortunately you can emotionally associated with. What happens in branding terms, is that you become a commodity because this exact same mls info is found on hundreds of other realtor websites

How do You Make a Great Real Estate Video?

What makes a great real estate video?

excellent well defined videography with great lighting that makes everything visible and transparent
smooth sweeping motions that provide a comfortable viewing experience
a few visual surprises
the right music for the target buyer
4K high definition video and ultra high quality audio
a personal introduction from you
aerial views of property and neighborhood
home is nicely and professionally staged

Here’s Australian videographer Dave Dwyer explaining how real estate videos are produced: davedwyer.com.au

What better way to learn some real estate video tips than via a video?

Real Estate Videos statistics. See the great collection compiled by Virtuets. http://www.virtuets.com/45-video-marketing-statistics/

There you have the ultimate Guide to Real Estate Video. Take a broader look at your homemarketing plans for 2018 and 2019 and integrate video in it. The value of increased audience engagement and social media engagement shouldn’t be understated. It’s tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars difference depending on your needs.

Gord Collins — I generate leads for realtors in Los Angeles, Phoenix, Denver, Seattle, Chicago, Boston, New York, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Austin, St Louis, Minneapolis, Green Bay, Charlotte, Tampa, Miami, Orlando, Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, Ottawa, Oshawa, Hamilton, Newmarket, Richmond Hill, Oakville, Calgary, Kelowna, Mississauga, Anaheim, Beverly Hills, Malibu, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose, Fresno, Santa Clara, Sacramento, Mountainview, Palo Alto, Portland, Washington, Atlanta, Irvine, Nashville, Sunnyvale, Salt Lake City, Riverside, Rancho Cucamonga, Costa Mesa, Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Raleigh, Albuquerque, Glendale, Oceanside, Long Beach, Huntington Beach, Carlsbad, Santa Clarita, Henderson, Mesa, Temecula, Kirkland, Redmond, Kansas City, St Louis, Stockton, Scottsdale, Palm Springs, Indianapolis, Columbus, Colorado Springs, Fort Worth, Chula Vista, Escondido, Santa Monica, Miami Beach, and Honolulu. Find a Los Angeles Real Estate Agent who will actually work for you.

October 28, 2017March 25, 2018

Housing Bubble 2018 – Will the Housing Market Crash in 2018?

Housing Bubble 2018? Will the Real Estate Market Crash This Year?

Home buyers, mortgage holders, and investors are asking more lately, “Will the housing market crash in 2018/2019?” The US Housing Market is strong, so if this is a housing bubble, it’s a big one.

Remember the worst financial mismanagement and calamity of our era? Subprime mortgages. 7.8 million foreclosures occurred during the 2008 housing crash and the country sunk into a severe recession.

Are we in a residential housing bubble? While the Trump administration has brought unprecedented growth in the US job market, a preoccupation with ideological issues such as immigration and nuclear war along with cancelled trade deals point to a recession.

Take another look at the US housing market factors and fundamentals.

With job and wage growth now rising, the situation might be more one of inflation, rising interest rates, and strong housing starts. That suggests a recesson won’t be for a few years. If the jobs and industry repatriation continues, then growth could continue for many years. Industry can’t be repatriated to the US in a short time. It took China decades to gain its monopoly on manufacturing.

What is a ‘Housing Bubble’

According to investopia, A housing bubble is a run-up in housing prices fueled by demand, speculation and exuberance. Housing bubbles grow with an increase in housing demand, pressured by limited supply. Then speculators enter the market to capitalize on capital gains and rental income property opportunities.

Supposedly, lessons were learned with controls on lending practices. Yet, could housing plunge for different reasons this time? Is a bubble a certain sign of a housing market crash? Experts think so.

12 Reasons for a Housing Crash

excessively high home prices from a price bubble
sudden underwater mortgages
rising interest mortgage rates
slowing economy and sudden rises in unemployment
wage growth not keeping up with home prices
geo-political shifts
trade deals
a stock market bubble and volatility
level of consumer debt
cost of living rises
risky low rate mortgages for new home buyers
high oil and energy prices

Homeowners are wise to be wary. The last crash cost many their homes and savings. Billions wiped out. There were plenty of expert predictions about a crash in 2016 and 2017, but that didn’t happen. That’s because the US economy is too strong and frankly, it doesn’t look to be letting up for many years.

Money manager James Stack, 66, ($1.3 billion fund) predicted the last housing crash in 2005, just before prices peaked says his “Housing Bubble Bellwether Barometer” of homebuilder and mortgage company stocks is warning of another crash.

Stack’s emphasis on financial companies is interesting. He must feel that it’s this over-leveraged group, the ones we forgot about, that could be the weak link. If the Fed goes crazy with rises, it makes sense that homeowners would begin defaulting on their mortgages leading to finance company failures again.

The recent tax changes are powering up the economy fast but they’re cooling demand which could keep it from peaking further. But prices have raged forming one half of the bubble.

If we avoid a national housing crash, could individual markets in New York, Boston, San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles, Seattle, Miami or Houston crash?

Should you sell your house in 2018? or should you buy a house in 2018?

The problem comes when the bubble bursts and losses of 30%, 40% or more pile up quickly. Investors tell themselves they’ll be smart enough to get out in time, but that’s not true.” from a post on Bubble Dynamics by Jim Rickards.

With all the political strife in the US, there’s those who might think a housing market collapse is inevitable and could launch a stock market crash. Maybe a few will take pleasure from it. Wars, government incompetence, political interference, weak banking system, and a weakening economy brought everything down in 2008.

Some experts warn the conditions also exist for a crash in 2018/2019. Is this just anti-Trump lobby fear mongering or is there a factual basis for a housing crash? They point to heated up markets like Washington DC, Dallas, New York, Seattle and Denver and talk about bubbles.

They point to Presidential impeachment, trashed trade deals, global economic slides, and high consumer debt as sure signs the housing market bubble will burst.

But hold on, the stock markets are still strong with plenty of demand for housing. Houston, Miami, Los Angeles, Seattle, Denver, New York, and Boston are still showing strength during traditional weak seasons.

So is there really a US housing bubble and a tumble as early as 2018? Or will the year of the natural disaster be followed by a unusual good year for housing?

International economies play a big role now so perhaps domestic issues might not be enough to set off a housing landslide. But let’s take a closer look at all the fundamentals below.

The Last Housing Crash

Can history be a reliable guide to the 2018 to 2020 period? Looking back at the last housing crash 10 years ago, experts blamed it on everything from easy low mortgage rates to greed, house fippers, unregulated banks and lenders, mortgage underwriters and sub prime loans.

And when mortgage holders believe they will owe endlessly on a worthless high priced property, they’ll begin defaulting on their mortgages. If mortgage rates jump and they aren’t locked in at a low rate, that’s a factor.

If trade wars do begin, it could kill jobs, wage levels, and investment, resulting in a slide. The economy is the number one factor. And if foreign buyers want to sell because of currency worries, prices would fall.

It’s these worries that keep property investors up at night and a lot of people from buying.

Boston, Seattle, Denver, Atlanta, Portland, San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles and New York are cited as having the most likely conditions for a housing crash.

Those housing experts point to a number of things that exist now and could transpire in 2018 or 2019. So if the housing market was to burst, would that affect how much you should pay for a house? If you’re a seller, should you sell your house now?

If you’d like to put up your house for sale as the market is peaking, you might want to read these homeselling tips.

The US Economic Bubble

The US housing market has ridden the longest economic rally in US history. Is this an economic bubble too?

There is an economic bubble. We’re in it. It’s a period of intense optimism with lots of disposable income to throw at home purchases. And places like California is where the tech industry has done so well, bidding has been most intense. Yet, it’s not completely out of control (although anyone in the Bay Area would argue) as the points below suggest.

Graphic courtesy of Zillow.com

What happens if China calls in that debt? Interest rates would rise, layoffs would grow, mortgages would begin to default, and prices would plummet faster than they went up.

Lowest Mortgage Rates

Is there Excessive Risk Taking in the Housing and Investment Market?

Experts say excessive risk isn’t present in the markets. They suggest few are overleveraged, financially stressed, and not threatened by increased interest rates.

Is Demand for Housing in the US exhausted?

It appears demand for housing is still strong and considerable building is taking place. However not enough housing is being built to satisfy current demand.

Is Debt a Problem?

US credit card debt is the highest in history and the US national debt is $20 Trillion. The US annual trade deficit is also in the trillions. The average US home buyers puts 5% down on a home whereas in the past it was 20%. There’s not a lot of new mortgage debt:

In 2016, new first lien mortgages topped $2 trillion for the first time since the end of the housing crisis, but mortgage originations were still 25 percent lower than their pre-recession average — from Magnify Money.

Average debt to income ratio is rising yet is way below what it was before the last housing bubble.

However, Equity is High

Homeownership is at its lowest level ever in the last 30 years. Most Americans make low wages and can’t afford to buy. And those who do own, have a lot of home equity.

Unofficial Conclusion: No Housing Bubble for the Foreseeable Future

It doesn’t look like the statistics support a housing bubble or a burst. The markets appear to be stable and those who are at risk of an economic downturn are renting and don’t hold mortgages.

We can say for sure that it is a good time for wealthy Americans and large multinational corporations. Record profits that they don’t appear to be willing to share with American workers. Without excessive demand from the working class, a housing bubble would have to happen from investors taking flight.

Perhaps the best way to prevent a housing bubble from happening and an economic catastrophy is to not allow half of Americans to participate in the housing markets. This is why the property rental market is piping hot. There may not be an end to demand for rentals.

Have a good look at the student housing investment opportunities. It seems students are starved for accommodation and new REITs are serving the market.

October 5, 2017March 25, 2018

11 Better Ways to Generate Real Estate Leads

I know, you get all your leads from word of mouth and all the rest “don’t do nothin” for me. What you may not be recognizing is that all channels power up your personal referral network and build word of mouth referrals from anywhere.

Staying old school agent and procrastinating on using all methods to grow your word of mouth referral network is unwise. 90% of agents avoid digital marketing. I hope you’re not one of them, because the top realtors I know all talk about how online is their growth area.

What is random and slow can be accelerated and improved. You can build your audience and continuously engage them and avoid leaving your local neighborhood markets to your competition. Weave these 11 tactics below into a powerful overall strategy that is self-supporting.

Header graphic above is a Business vector created by Freepik

How Impressed Will Clients Be if They See You Have it All Together?

It’s not this or that tactic or, it’s using all of them to win. Smart professionals who take the future seriously know they need to combine tactics like these and stick with them. Persistence is paramount.

And social media? Well, that has a special place in the engagement of your inner circle and their connections. Each of these 11 tactics below will feed the others. Look at them as an army that will bring it all together for you. Have faith that this inexpensive effort will pay big dividends.

Most Realtors lack an overall strategy and they resort to hacking tactics to scrape out leads. Wouldn’t it be better to put together a multichannel strategy that helps you dominate local presence? These tactics below should help you step it up in lead gen.

Feed the Team!

If you’re a Realtor team leader, it’s not just about you. Teams are where the success is, yet your team members need leads and to feel they have reach into the market. and supporting them generates big returns for you and a healthier sustainable agency. If you’re not doing it, your agents know it and begin jumping ship.

Let’s revisit the whole lead gen thing quickly with the 11 Best lead generation tactics.

The essence of excellent lead generation is wide scope visibility to the buyer and seller market and creating a clear emotion to choose you. Sounds so simple and maybe it is?

Create topics, events and beliefs that bring you and prospects together. If they fish, play golf and tennis, travel, like fixing old cars, build furniture, grow flowers, watch HGTV, or eat health foods, then shouldn’t you be into these things too? This is more than blog and FB posting. It’s a way of getting invited into their lives.
Create a visually welcoming website: a new website is fresh, easy to read and navigate, and has pics, videos, text and interesting headlines to draw them in. They’ll come back again and again because it’s fun, helpful and interesting. You may need to hire a good creative content person to get this accomplished. No, it isn’t easy but if you have the goal of a great website in mind, you will get your wish.
Promote through social media, print flyer and local radio ads: A multichannel approach helps to focus the impact of your promotion. One channel by itself may not be engaging enough for your audience. Your offline promotions should bring them to your website and FB page, and get them on your email list. How well are you doing that now?
Create a highly visual brand image and use it on your website, lawn signs and vehicle wrap: bright and ugly is what one very successful agent did, it really worked and made him stand out from the rest. Differentiation is the key. Don’t be boring.
Leverage the new RETS industry standard MLS IDX system: RETS IDX gives you more flexibility and success in using your local MLS listings. These are the assets that your prospects crave.
Use a new CRM system: with advanced lead scoring and engagement/conversion analytics, and the ability to send to a friend thus getting your circle to promote for you. Are your Google leads looking for bungalows, condos, or 4 bdrm houses near schools? Let your analytics tell you what they want and then give it to them.
Hire an SEO / Content Strategist: 90% of buyers and sellers go online as part of their sales process. To create high Google rankings along with epic, lead converting content that gets shared social you need someone who loves doing this stuff. Plenty of strategically generated, amazing content optimized for Google really can generate huge traffic and leads. Don’t stick your head in the sand about online traffic — it’s the future of real estate and it’s your future.
Build social media connections, interact with them, make them feel good: because people buy when all their miseries fade away and they’re left with one clear state of feeling good. You make people feel good when you rid them of their troubles. One agent I know of relies totally on Facebook and uses it as a central lead conversion center (he revealed some of his secrets to me). You can only have 5000 connections but that’s a big farm to grow sales. The points is that homeowners are avid FB users and you can go from stranger to friend.
Travel, meet people, study industry news and be more interesting: dull and uninteresting kills so build interesting material for your blog and FB page. That’s engagement. All that activity inspires others. Show your travels, celebrations, achievements, learning, and other people’s good stuff too. Celebrate everything and show them life is a fun blast and they need to buy or sell and start living themselves. Who wants a dull life? Yes, travel is expensive. I wish I could travel because it can take your business to a whole new level and revitalize your personally. You need an “experience strategy.”
Start a charity that helps homeless people, unemployed people, physically challenged and other forgotten people: show genuine caring by doing something them to suffer less and feel more hopeful: generosity does work so give away things for free and don’t favor any recipient. Be fair and helpful. You’ll get respect and admiration with your own local charity.
Advertise on Google and Facebook: Can’t ignore his quick direct connection to prospects. It isn’t because you can’t afford it, it’s because you can’t convert the leads with just a phone number. This comes back to your CRM and lead conversion system, and the quality of the value offer prospects are seeing in your web content. Some agents win solely with PPC ads because with local targeting on FB, Google and remarketing. These give you an economical, continuous presence. Don’t use the lead gen companies. You can do it yourself.

There’s plenty more lead generating ideas, but these 11 give you the best bang for your buck. Check out these top skills for luxury real estate agents.

Search Engine Marketing Services

I provide packaged services for successful agents, yet I am fully open to helping agents at a lower price point. Take another good look at your website and ask yourself what’s missing. Does your website and digital promotion really hit to the heart of what buyers and sellers like? Are you making them feel really good?

Call me anytime at 416 998 6246. I’m looking forward to working with a progressive and success minded realtor.

October 3, 2017March 25, 2018

Best Home Renovations to Help Sell Your House Now or in 2018

What are the Best Home Renovations for Maximum ROI?

Home prices may be plateauing but we’re far from a housing crash or stock market crash in 2018. If you think selling your home is the prudent decision, then it’s time to create a plan that includes dressing it up for market.

You can sell your house for more with a blitz marketing strategy and by doing some renovation. You don’t have to advertise it of course. Let buyers be amazed with your upgraded home.

Below are the Top 10 House Renos and links to other helpful resources to assist in your reno decision and sell it for the highest price. You’ll find it does make a difference in your sales results.

Which are the renovations that will bring the biggest return in 2018? You might be intrigued by the numbers from Metrostudy’s renovation index and report for the last quarter. Homeowners and sellers are spending 5% more on renos and they’re likely spending it in bathroom and kitchen upgrades or overhauls.

If you’re strategic, you might be able to get more professional results over several rooms, instead of use one room.

We’ve got the help of Houzz and the HGTV home renovation empire to help us stay on top of trends with a list of your best bets below.

With the real estate markets in some cities cooling (except Vancouver) and with a slight chance of a housing crash in cities such as the SF Bay Area, Toronto, Dallas, Denver and so on, homeowners are having to dress up their property to get a great price. If you can get the financing, and you choose the right renos that buyers like today, and it should be money well spent.

If your house is up for sale, you’ll need to do more in 2018. And why wouldn’t you go for the best return on your investment if you can? If you need some more motivation take a look at what they did to this cottage in Atlanta.

What is the Average Cost of a Home Reno?

Homeadvisor.com conducted a survey of almost 4,000 members of house renovation costs:

And How About that Beach House Reno?

Are you selling your oceanside or country cottage? With the prices Airbnb are charging for vacation rentals, make sure your prospective cottage buyers understand the full possibilities. Build the features that draw buyers and renters into a frenzy.

Photo by kelley gardner – Search exterior home pictures

What Chip and Joanna, and Drew and Jonathan Know

Final Season for Fixer Upper. We’ll miss Chip and Joanna.

The returns house flippers are getting on some houses (40%) suggests it is well worth it. And if the house is earning rental income returns, then it’s a no brainer if you can get the funding to proceed. Apart from tear downs, HGTV has shown that renos can elevate the price of normal homes considerably and help get the house sold fast.

The added beauty of your renovated house will help your Realtor to build a multiple offer, over asking buying frenzy. And that’s still happening now in the fall of 2017.

HGTV’s recent post on the best renovations to help sell a house sell includes these 10 possibilities:

Light Bathroom Reno: 98% ROI: Why only 98? Because a light reno may not remove the stagnancy of a bygone era nor the odor or wood rot! But it does get rid of the worst flooring and fixture issues.

2. Landscaping: 100% ROI: Why? Because value is about perception, especially public perception so anything to do with the exterior and curb appeal is evaluated strongly.

3. Light Kitchen Remodel: 98% ROI. Why? If the layout’s okay and it’s done right, it’s a great way to make the house look new, clean, functional, and inviting. Replace the flooring and fixtures and refinish the cabinets and it might do the trick. Buyers may overrate the importance of the kitchen these days. Something to consider.

4. Exterior Improvement: 95% ROI. Why? New siding adds energy efficiency and gives the house amazing curb appeal. Stone facades are very attractive but expensive. Siding still gets good reviews. Take a good look at the exteriors of new homes and adopt some ideas from them.

5. Attic Bedroom Conversion: 93.5% ROI. Why? An additional bedroom puts your house into a whole class of price, so any addition to code can help. The attic is popular with kids and offers great outside views.

Photo by Bright Common Architecture & Design – Discover bedroom design ideas

6. Major Bathroom Reno: 93% ROI. Why? Prestige. The new bathrooms usually have the latest in glass walls, high tech fixtures, soaking tubs, ceramic floors, recessed lighting, and big picture windows to make buyers believe they have their own soothing spa. Stress is a big negative in people’s lives.

Photo by Bubbles Bathrooms – Look for bathroom design inspiration

7. Major kitchen remodel: 91% ROI. Why? When Chip and Joanna, or the Property Brothers show the completed new kitchen reno, it’s modern, open concept, and gives buyers exactly what they want. Not just a kitchen, it’s more like a lifestyle command center with the best appliances and Chi possible.

Photo by Bloomsbury Kitchens and Fine Cabinetry – Look for kitchen design inspiration

8. Deck, Patio or Porch Addition: 90% ROI. Why? Well, you’ve watched enough Disaster Deck shows to know they create a whole new living space which makes the buyer think they’re getting a big bonus with a great view.

Photo by Greene & Grey Design – Look for deck pictures

9. Basement Remodel: 90% ROI. Why? This one’s a little dicey. Basements are typically not well used even when they’re halfway above ground. If a house has limited room upstairs then the basement reno makes a lot of sense and that’s where the return will be high.

Photo by Meadowlark Design+Build – Browse basement photos

10. Replacement Windows. 89% ROI. Why? If the old windows are shoddy and leaky, then you have no choice. Big picture windows, and casement windows that swing open for air movement are very functional. Can’t compare to a kitchen or bathroom reno, but with lower value houses, it could be the upgrade to go with.

Photo by – Browse exterior home ideas

Should you reno one room at a time?

How will costs factor into your reno decision?

5 Best design software tools to visualize your renovation.

Home design Trends from Architectural Digest.

Property Brothers discuss top 10 home renovation errors.

September 27, 2017May 20, 2018

Houses for Sale in Boston MA – Detached Homes Townhouses Zip Codes

Houses for Sale in Boston

Finding houses for sale in the Boston area could be lot easier with a great home search strategy. If you’re lucky and you find a competent Boston Realtor, then filtering through the best houses out there might be a little easier. But don’t count on it.

You should remember that Realtors like to keep their search within the MLS or from their own pocket listings. That can reduce your effectiveness and result in less home for your money or a weak investment.

If you’d like to get access to the best pocket home listings from Boston Realtors, you’ll need to get in touch with some Realtors who cover the specific communities in the Boston are Real Estate Market you’re targeting in Brookline, Back Bay, Charlestown, South Boston, Roxbury, Mission Hill, Dorchester, and Brighton for example.

There are at least 13000 homes for sale in Boston listed on realtor.com alone.

You might see a better result overall in finding great Boston area homes if you try my homes for sale search strategy. Whether you’re looking in Boston for a detached house, condo, townhouse, or rental property, a thorough plan for your home search is a must. Without it, you’re cheating yourself out of the very houses you’re hoping to get. With the number of listings available in Massachusetts and across the country limited, you need a better way to search for homes. Before you buy, ensure you’re up on all the factors related to the current and forecasted prices of houses for sale.

There are 3 sources of non mls listed homes in Boston — Craigslist, ForSaleByOwner, and Zillow.

September 16, 2017February 21, 2018

Boston New Business Development – Growth Opportunities in Massachusetts

Developing New Business in Boston

I’ve worked with many clients in the Boston MA area and I would be thrilled to work with Massachusetts companies again. Boston businesses are spread out over the greater Boston area into a variety of cities.

The layout and the culture of business in Boston is very unique and a thrill to experience. It’s almost imperative that we visit the waterfront and go to a Red Sox game.

Boston is a lucrative market yet the cost of doing business here is high. And Boston real estate continues its relentless rise In the most recent report, wages have risen 24% in the last year. And babyboomers are retiring. That makes it imperative for Boston firms to work with a service provider from a lower cost market.

The other benefits for Boston companies are fresh, innovative ideas and working with companies with an outward, progressive approach. That helps them reach new markets and that’s what it’s all about today.

From this quote in the The BPDA Research Division’s annual economy report, we can see Boston is humming right along again.

Economic growth: Boston’s economy grew by 3.6 percent between 2014 and 2015 as measured by Gross City Product (GCP). This builds on 3.8 percent growth the prior year, running a point ahead of the growth rate of the overall U.S. economy.

Job and wage growth: Boston outperformed both Massachusetts and the nation with annual job growth of 2.7 percent between 2014 and 2015.

Boston’s growth in the 2nd quarter of 2017 was even more impressive –4.0%

Boston is a large metropolis with businesses in every conceivable sector. Whatever you sell, you can sell it here, whether food, bio-medical products, software or SaaS services, or travel products.

Screen Capture Courtesy of the The BPDA Research Division’s annual economy report

In a report from North Eastern University, Johathon Smoke, Chief Economist at Realtor.com cited strong consumer confidence – buoyed by low unemployment – as one of the factors contributing to a strong 2017. Unemployment in the Bay State is down to 3.3%, well below the national average of 4.9%, and it’s likely to continue says Northeatern University economist Clayton Matthews.

Big Business and Big Income

Graphic Courtesy of SHRM.org – Income in Boston area

There are no limits to what you can sell in the state of Massachusetts and the economic might of the New England area is no small matter. Boston businesses need competent service/product providers and they have plenty of budget to bring you in.

All you need is reach, relevance, and boots on the ground in Boston. After they find you online, they will call you in. That’s how it worked with me, and that’s how it will work for you.

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