How do we Stack Up!

Do You YouTube? 5 Things to Consider

With all the choices out there today to market ourselves and our business, one of the most popular and successful avenues of late has been the creation short, information rich  videos.

Since we started producing these videos in 2010, our online sales leads have doubled.  As with any new undertaking, we had a learning curve, but now we have a system that helps us keep our video content fresh. 

And Google rewards us for our regular updates by boosting our placement in search results.

Below are a few keys we wanted to pass along:

Simple is better - Don't concern yourself with purchasing expensive equipment and editing software. All you need is a Flip Video Camera or similar product, a stage against a branded or colored wall, and a desk lamp shining on the set. If the lamp creates a glare, simply cover the end of the lamp with a white piece of paper. Visitors aren't expecting Hollywood-quality production; they just want the information. As viewership improves, your comfort level creating the clips will improve too.

Be relevant and focused - Focus your segments on very narrow topics, such as three tips for first-time buyers, current interest rates, or  what it means to work with an agent who has a team. The topics should be based on general Realtor knowledge, trends in your market, or client situations that agents are confronting.

Keep them short - RE/MAX QuickHits are a great model of how long viral videos should be.  Being the long-winded guy I am, some of our early clips were as long as 10 minutes. Now we understand two or three minutes is all the consumer will hang in for.

Film several clips at once - Record five or six segments at a time so that you can steadily roll out new content, which Google looks for. When only two remain in the queue, plan a new time to shoot the next half-dozen videos.

Broadcast them - On your office's YouTube channel, social media networks, blogs.  Wherever you think it would make sense.  The beauty of the multiple channels, is that the exposure can grab more consumer traffic for your videos outside your market and even internationally.

Sign Calls - Where Art Thou?

Who gets the calls on your listings?



Here we follow the three strike rule to help ensure all callers speak to the most knowledgeable agent on the property, the Listing Agent!

If the average listing generates 12 calls, how many more transactions would you close?

Just a thought.

Sales Meetings on the Go

It is not like you don't WANT to go to your office's bi-weekly or monthly sales meeting, Right? (you can lie).

In all seriousness though, there is probably some great content and relevant data presented and discussed at the sales meeting. Not to mention the opportunity to chat and kibitz with fellow agents. All great stuff for sure, but you've got this little thing called time and time management. The biggest problem with time of course, it is finite. You really want to go to the meeting (you can lie), but between getting in the car to go to the meeting, drinking the three cups of coffee at the meeting, chatting it up with the resident agents, and then departing for the day. That one hour meeting turned into a three hour event.

There has got to be a better way, right?

Buckle up, here comes the hook. Here comes the keyword of the decade, TECHNOLOGY. As in, stay at home and log-in to the meeting from wherever you are. Here at our office we have implemented the online meeting concept to rave reviews. The beauty is those agents that live close or would rather come in to the office still have that opportunity. While others, due to scheduling conflicts or what have you, can log-in on from wherever and watch and interact with all the attendees in real time.

You can maximize your learning and your time management with the implementation of little thing called Technology. Amazing I know. In fact, most of your brokers/managers probably discuss that very keyword at the sales meetings. They may wax about the importance of getting your videos uploaded to YouTube or the importance of optimizing your website. Definitely sound advice, but what are they embracing at the office to help you?

Perhaps by bringing up the idea, you can help them take the necessary steps to implement some of these concepts and help you reach your goals.

What's in Your Toolbox?

Trust me, this is not about SEO, Social Networking, Web 2.0, or any of those other catchy marketing phrases. This is about the tools available to you at the office.

The first step is to analyze the technologies available in your office and from your Broker/Manager. What are they providing that will help enhance your productivity without giving up more of that precious commodity called time.

Here are a few core technologies to consider;

• Web based software allowing you to access critical office docs, contracts, leads, etc. from any computer in the world
• Office Intranet
• Wireless at all offices for you and your clients
• Sales meetings available LIVE via the web
• On-demand training videos
• VOIP phone system


In today's day and age it is quite easy to get caught-up in the latest and greatest technological advancement. We can lose sight of how it relates to our production. Frankly, the same thing can happen to an office.

Your office and the support you get from it should be real and easily understood. You should measure the strength by what you get on a daily and monthly basis. How is it helping you reach your goals. It should include a strong commitment to today's relevant tools, a proven and real lead generation system, and the willingness to work with you personally to push your business forward.

Not for Profit?

Is your current real estate license hung at a not for profit brokerage? Chances are the answer to this question is a resounding NO. It probably seems like a silly question to even ask, but I think it is one to ponder a bit, as it absolutely can impact your career.

Remember, whether you pay a fixed fee for the year or give up a "split" on each transaction, you are in some way paying the company back for the level of service they provide you. Also remember that if you are on a split, the more your business grows, the more your costs will go up.

What I have found is too often we get busy working in our business. Living our life on whatever the net commission number is we get on each check. Never pausing to analyze the situation and understand exactly what money is going where.

It is true, the vast majority of agents (over 80% of us) pull our strengths from the emotional side of our brain. Frankly, it is the backbone of our success. It provides us the ability to connect with our clients on an emotional level so that trust is established. What this means though, is many of us might lack the strength in crushing numbers and understanding our real estate model as a whole.

Take the time to understand what fees are being paid and how are they paid. Knowing these costs and how they impact your bottom line will enable you to make better decisions for your business. It will also give you more conviction and confidence to continue working with your current brokerage or exploring other firms.

What Makes the Difference at RE/MAX Realty Group?

Here is a quick video that helps provide a little background on our philosophies and approach to assisting all of our agents in their quest to get where they want to go to.