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Showing posts from August, 2017

Still not optimised for mobile? Now even Facebook will penalise you

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Mobile IS the future, there is no denying it. Countless studies can back this up - and now the most popular social network, Facebook, will penalise sites that aren’t optimised for mobile. Facebook announced a few new tweaks to its News Feed algorithm -- most notably, perhaps, was the announcement that links to sites that aren't optimized for mobile viewing. Facebook will now start taking link loading speed into account when deciding how to rank posts in the News Feed, to improve user experience for more than half of users who access the site via mobile devices. While you might think that Facebook is not that important, consider that there are 1.15 billion mobile daily active users for December 2016, an increase of 23 percent year-over-year.  (Source:  Facebook as of 2/01/17) This is hugely significant and shows the dramatic growth of mobile traffic on Facebook.  Mobile advertising revenue represented approximately 87 percent of advertising revenue for Q2. Age 25 to 34

How to write a real estate agent profile that will attract business

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It can be daunting to write a profile about yourself, especially if it has to be seen by potential clients but we take a look at a few tips that will ensure that you write the best profile to attract clients! With our Entegral Flex Agent responsive real estate websites, it has become easier (more cost-effective) than ever to have an agent website. And if you have one you’ll want to put your best foot forward. However, there’s more to writing a real estate bio than just word-smithing your resume into submission. Here are six key points to remember when you’re writing your real estate bio. First things first Start with any relevant education and work experience - also include the following: Numbers (300 homes sold) and awards (Top real estate agent in the franchise for three years running) are great too. If you’re new to real estate, you can talk about skills from other industries that give you an advantage in real estate or play up the strengths of your office or team. I

Tips to save your real estate clients from moving headaches

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As real estate agents, you have a unique insight into one of the most taxing aspects client's face when they buy a new home. Buying a home is already a stressful event and all the packing and organising can add to the stress levels. This creates a great opportunity for real estate agents to set themselves apart from the rest - help your clients solve some of the biggest headaches and you’ll be creating loyal brand advocates and clients! Firstly, before the move even starts, go right back to the beginning. Declutter the home before listing the house will not only lighten the load later but will help when taking the listing photographs and also help prospective buyers easier imagine their own possessions in a space. Here are some more tips: Shed and win! Help your clients by suggesting selling some of their unwanted things. The money raised can help cover moving costs! There are many platforms to help people sell their items - from dedicated advertising sites like Gumtree to

A new dynamic Flex real estate website for Hamptons Realty Group

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Operating in various cities across South Africa, the real estate agents from Hamptons Realty Group needed a website that not only reflected their brand but would also promote their listings - both residential and commercial - as well as their other services. http://www.hamptonsrealty.co.za/ With our industry-leading Flex real estate website solutions you are not just getting an online home for all your listings but a marketing tool with all of the latest technology backing it. The responsive design allows for the website to automatically scale itself to the screen size it is viewed on - this means that the site will never lose its functionality whether you are viewing the site on a smartphone, tablet or laptop. This counts in your favour when it comes to Google ranking and you can find out more about that here:  Responsive vs Mobile websites, which is best for your real estate agency? The Hamptons Realty Group chose our Franchise theme which boasts with all the standard Flex

Are you ready to be a neighbourhood expert?

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Becoming the go-to real estate agent in your area takes commitment and some smart marketing moves. We take a look at how you can do this with a few tips and tricks. The power of the brand Work on your personal brand - not just as a real estate agent but also as a part of the community. Share events or sponsorships that you are a part of. Not only will it get your name out there, you will also develop a brand as a neighbourhood expert. All of your marketing and communication will be branded a certain way to help your target audience distinguish you from your competitors. A solid brand will help you establish memorability and keep you at the front of your target audience’s mind. That is, a brand is your presence. And a good place to start is by having the following: logo, professional photography, a color palette, messaging and a certain style. A WRITTEN marketing strategy You might think you have it all mapped out, but if it’s in your head, it is quite possible that you are lacki

SEO and Google’s personalised search results - how to make it work for your real estate business

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Personalised search has been around since 2005 and there are a number of factors that influence a user’s search engine results page. We take a look at some factors that influence them and how you can make it work for your real estate agency. Factors Country: As with real estate, location is a major factor. Users from different countries will see different results. Think about the search term “football” for example - in the US you will get search results for American Football while in the U.K your results will all relate to what we call soccer.  Locality: Digging deeper, Google goes much further than just country . Results are tailored using city level. This is all made easier with mobile technology and that most people use their smart devices for browsing the internet. Therefore, typing in ‘real estate agents near me’ will deliver the closest agency on a city level instead of country level.  Web History: The goal of Google’s personalized search results is to provide users w

Real estate marketing trends that you should be using

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With more than half of the year already in the rearview mirror, we take a look at some of the marketing trends that have dominated in the real estate industry this year and how you can take advantage of it before the end of 2017. Lights, camera, action! Live streaming and video marketing continue to make headway into every industry and real estate is no different. By adding real estate video marketing to your digital marketing strategy, you are making your site a valuable commodity for those looking to buy or sell property which will keep them coming back for more and even refer leads to you. If you are into live-streaming then have a look at Facebook and Instagram’s live-streaming offerings. Read more about video marketing at the links below. Video marketing for real estate - here is what you need to know   |  5 Little-known Instagram features you should be using for your real estate brand  Content is King (but you knew that) Content marketing has always been importan

Are real estate websites a one-time investment?

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Many business-owners believe that the first website they invest in will stand the test of time, and that is simply not how it works. It has been said that a website can become almost obsolete after approximately three years. When was the last time you updated your website? Think about your top website from three years ago - does it still look the same? Chances are that unless they have undergone changes and updates, it is no longer the website it once was. The reasoning behind website updates should be obvious, however so many real estate agents and agencies continue to hang on to outdated sites. As technological innovations dictate trends, websites have to evolve to keep up with users’ demands. Things such as SEO is a continuous evolution and minor tweaks to searchability are always at the forefront of our development work, this is to ensure that minor tweaks do not become major redesigns. However, things like interface design may simply become outdated over time. For in

Renew, Refresh, and Recycle Content for Bigger Reach

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In a social media landscape that’s constantly changing, building a solid foundation of evergreen content that can be shared and shared again should be a key part of your social media strategy. While fresh content is always best, we don’t always have time to write new posts. Evergreen content is always a great solution for time-strapped real estate agents - and resharing your evergreen content is not a spammy tactic when it is done responsibly. We’ll get to how to do that in a minute. Resharing does two things for you - firstly it gets your content in front of the readers that need the info you are supplying, and secondly, it helps free-up your time to either follow-up on leads or answers those social interactions that you don’t always have time for. However, the most important part of resharing your content (when done right!) is that it is good for your SEO. Truth is that the more interactions you have on content from social media, the better your real estate website looks to

Our best local marketing tips for real estate agents

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To help you maximize your local visibility, we’ll be looking at some local marketing tips. Some are highly specific while others serve as more of a generalized guide, but if you’re trying to reach new customers in your area, grab a coffee and read on. Create locally focused content We all know that Content is Good, but it’s amazing how few locally focused real estate agencies don’t bother with content as a marketing strategy. It’s understandable but for those who put in the extra work, it could really pay off. Creating locally focused content is an excellent way to both increase your visibility to prospective customers and establish your agency as a trusted voice in the community. When it comes to deciding upon which types of content you should produce, think about it from the perspective of your clients. What are their most common questions? Are there opportunities for seasonal content? Take advantage of AdWords’ geo-targeting options One of the most powerful tools at mark

Employee advocacy - the missing marketing link

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Most of your marketing efforts are focused on external messages - but your real estate agency’s biggest brand builders are in fact the people inside of the business. We take a look at how you can turn your agents into brand ambassadors. Make the brand identity clear and simple A 2012 Gallup survey found that 41% of employees don’t know what their company stands for and don’t know what differentiates their own company from its competitors. How can people represent – or fully support – something they don’t understand? This is more than just having a mission and vision statement - agents need to feel a shared identity with their colleagues. To make employees brand ambassadors a brand should make them proud of the agency and what they do. Good news should be shared and the employees should be included, it should be easy to share content and professional visuals on social media will ensure that agents won’t feel embarrassed about sharing a post. Team members that feel valued wi

SEO content is a thing of the past

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Believe us when we say, Content is still very much King. However, content as purely SEO is definitely dead. Today, SEO means creating content for users. The idea that SEO should be created for users and not search engines seems counter productive but it isn't. A decade ago, SEO content was about keyword density and not entirely about the quality of your content or user intent. However, times have changed and many search engine marketers no longer refer to it as search engine optimisation but search experience optimisation. What does this mean? Before we dive into the technical side we have to look at why SEO is no longer the SEO that we remember. These days a search query, such as ‘property for sale in cape town,’ is often the starting point of a journey. In this case, the user might type in the phrase, find a real estate website, find a house they like, then they need to find out as much as they can about buying a house, then maybe a bond originator...and so forth..wha

Your online reputation can make or break your real estate business

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The real estate game has always been about building lasting business relationships and in the digital age, this has become not only an in-person reality but also a digital actuality. Word-of-mouth marketing has (and still is) one of the most important tools a real estate agent has to gain new clients and in the digital landscape, word-of-mouth marketing presents itself as recommendations and testimonials. So how do you get your online reputation to match your offline reputation? We take a look at a few ways you build a formidable online reputation. Make it easy for people to give reviews Facebook remains one of the biggest social networks and also the easiest way for your clients to review and recommend your services. Therefore it is vital for you to have a Facebook business page for your agency and to display your social media icons on your website. Your Entegral responsive Flex website makes it easy for you to display your social media icons to ensure visitors can find

Innovative Flex website for Bloemfontein real estate professionals, Kirstall Properties

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If you need a website that can not only showcase your property stock but also provide vital information or helpful calculators to potential home buyers than our Flex responsive website solutions are just what you need. www.kristall.properties For Kristall Properties, their Vision-themed Flex website is a one-stop solution for all their business needs. Not only are they able to advertise their stock in areas such as Woodland Hills, Somerton Estate and Wild Olive Estate they can also provide vital information in their property news section, and help potential clients work out their affordability or bond repayments with easy to use calculators. They also boast with an interactive suburb map search to further enhance the way people search for properties. Backed by countless hours of development, their Flex powered website can do all of this no matter what device you are browsing on. This means that they do not need an extra mobile website and that the website will adapt to the d

Writing compelling real estate listing descriptions

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We give you the ultimate guide on how to write compelling real estate listing descriptions by exploring the power of words, the language pitfalls to avoid and how to maintain the perfect professional balance. Redfin and online language writing-enhancement platform Grammarly, revealed in a 2014 study that nearly 45% of the 1 300 people surveyed would be much less inclined to tour a home if a listing description was riddled with spelling and grammatical errors. While photos remained much more important than text, 87% of the survey participants said that descriptions were ‘extremely important or very important.’ Understandably writing the perfect listing description is not at the top of the to-do list of busy agents, however, it is important to at least have concise and clear listing descriptions on your properties for various reasons. Proof and then proof again Before we get into the thick of it, the first rule of Grammar Club is proof once, proof twice. Making sure that you

Make the impact your listing deserves with Full HD photos

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We know that in real estate, listing photos are worth more than a 1000 words and that is why we have tweaked the OMS to support Full HD photos. The OMS will now be able to support full HD resolution photos , in pixel terms that mean a whopping 1920 x 1080 pixels! That is an impressive 87% larger than our previous format. Now if you thought that was the best part, you’d be wrong because all of this is free of charge to our clients, and the larger size doesn’t mean that you will be limited either! You will still be able to upload an unlimited amount of photos to a listing! Your beautiful full HD photos will be displayed on your Entegral Flex responsive website and all other portals that support full HD format photos in all its glory!

5 Little-known Instagram features you should be using for your real estate brand

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Enhance your reach and engage better with your followers on Instagram with these little-known Instagram features. 1. Archive your old posts Stay on-brand with Instagram’s new archive feature. This will allow you to archive old posts that are no longer relevant to your brand or simply just outdated. Archive lets you move posts from your profile page into a private tab. If you change your mind and want to reshare an Archived post, it will appear in its original chronological spot. How to archive posts: Tap three dots at the top of the post you want to archive. Choose Archive. The image or video will move into Archive tab. To repost an archived post on your profile, tap Show on Profile. 2. Save posts to private collections You can now save other users’ posts to a private collection without alerting anyone. You can also organize these albums by different names, so if you’re tracking competitors, inspirational posts, or customer interactions, you can easily store and a