Ann Arbor Undressed : December 2006

Change the words to Websites, blogging, postcasts, "OH MY "

I have been spending alot of the holiday pondering these things. Everyone's opinion is appreciated.

1) Do I need a custom site ? Currently under Construction, basically for lead generation. Do I drop Number 1 Expert, I've had a thought to do that for a couple of years now.

2)I bought the recorder Mary McKnight recommended and the mic and have been getting familiar with the instructions. Now do I upload podcasts to I Tunes or go to a real estate specific place like 4MYSales.com ??

3) How many blogs is enough? I currently have 3 and I write in activerain, ( which is my favorite ) and copy into the others? Is this a waste.

4) I get google alerts all day on blogs that deal with leads. How do I do that so people get alerts from what I write?

5) I read Jennifer from Atlanta's blog today and she said you can show google that people have been clicking on your site just to raise the pay per click and they will credit you back. Now that is useful information.

6) I really like the RSS pieces platform and sites. I'm mulling over if I should do that or just stick with what I'm doing? Really good stuff on there.

Before anyone asks, My goal is leads and SEO for people moving to Ann Arbor to find me, without paying a arm and a leg for pay per click.

 

 

 

In response to my blogg yesterday, I wanted to continue the discussion. Yes I was doing a Pay per Click Campaign and I was spending a lot of money, with fantastic results. I am not working with the tech guyes in Ann Arbor anymore. Long story...........I was being pressured to leave Re/Max and start a brokerage with them. " No thank you, I don't want to start a brokerage " Felt it was better we go our separate ways. Very disappointing to me but our dreams just didn't mesh. If anyone wants to contact them, email me off this site.

I have sense learned how to do the google ad word campaign and as soon as my custom site is ready and I don't come up on front page of google, I will do my own. In the intern, I am using a company out of Canada........realestatepal.com. So far good leads, but they will not make a phone number mandatory and that has been one of the keys of our success, is making the call once they come to your site. It is not a cold call, but a warm call and most people are very nice. Yes we get wrong numbers, we also get wrong email addresses;however overall we connect with people with good results.

I have been with Number1 Expert since 2001. I usually sell 7-8 homes a year from that site. I almost dropped them last year, but they promised to index my site. I still am unhappy with the leads. I also asked them to make the people registering add a phone number and they said NO, they would have to do it in the whole U.S. So my conclusion is it is time for a custom and not a template site. Also with Number 1 Expert, when I started with them there was only 4 of us for several years. When they sold the original company, they veered directions and it is diluted now with 13-14 local agents using the site.

I also do Homegain and usually sell 3 or so homes a year from them. Being a original HomeGain member, I don't have the monthly service fee.

I have a couple of questions:

1) Since I have owned MissyCaulk.com for about 10 years, should I point that to my new site so it will be considered " out of the nursery" ?

2) Has anyone started using Mary McKnights RSS pieces ? I am intrigued by that site and admire all her postings ?

In conclusion, thanks for all your comments yesterday. Have a good day, I am out to finish my Christmas shopping.

I am using the title in response to Jonathan Daltons' blog this morning on " Read My Lips I don't Pay for Leads"

I do pay for leads, it just depends on who I am paying. Since last July I have worked with two technology genuises in Ann Arbor and I have been paying for leads ( by being at the top of the search engines ) in Ann Arbor and surrounding area.

We ( my TEAM ) and I have closed 7 homes and it has more than paid for itself. My Buyer Agents are happy and we are all busy, all of November and December. I have more than paid for the investment.

Currently, I am working with a lead generation company out of Canada and having a custom web site designed that I am hoping will get me to the top of the search engines organically.

I have 900 plus leads in my que that we are following up. It would have taken me infinity and beyond to pick up that many potential buyers from OPEN houses and all the traditional ways of picking up leads.

I believe the success I have had over the years with converting buyers on the internet are two-fold: 1) if they give phone number, call immediately. This is better than a floor call and you connect in much the same way. 2) drip campaigns to stay in touch until they are ready to show their face.

Since 2004, tracking my sales and listings...........77% is referred from past clients, friends, co-workers etc. The other 33% is internet buyers and sellers that I first connected to on line.

I rarely advertise in the newspaper or Homes Magazines. Not one sale in 3 years, but I will continue to put my money where I see results and that is the internet and the leads it brings. On more thing, if I try something a couple of months and it doesn't produce, I drop it. Once I paid HouseValues 700.00 per month for listing leads.........stupid and expensive. Therefore, I'm not saying ALL lead generation systems work, but the ones that do are invaluable.

Jonathan, this was not to offend, just a friendly counter to your article AGAINST leads.

 Illinois real estate developer Joseph Freed & Associates says its three downtown Ann Arbor projects are still moving forward.

On Tuesday, the company closed on its purchase of a less-than-an-acre piece of property at the northeast corner of Washington and Division streets, where it plans to build Citi Centre Lofts. That site, just north of the Google Inc.'s future offices in McKinley Towne Centre, had been owned by Ann Arbor real estate company McKinley.

"We are absolutely 100 percent committed to completing our projects in Ann Arbor,'' said Laith Hermiz, a managing director at Joseph Freed. "We continue to actively look for other opportunities in Ann Arbor.''

In Ann Arbor, aside from Citi Centre Lofts -- a proposed 10-story condominium complex -- Joseph Freed is constructing Ashley Terrace, a 10-story building with nearly 100 residential condominium units, retail and office space at the northwest corner of Huron and Ashley streets.

Joseph Freed also has plans to develop Glen Ann Place, a mixed-used, 10-story project with more than 100 apartments planned for the west side of Glen Avenue between Ann and Catherine streets. That project is stalled as it moves through the state appeal process following a dispute with the Ann Arbor Historic District Commission.

Home builders across Michigan and the nation are being squeezed by the economy and the slowing housing market.  In Washtenaw and Livingston counties, the number of permits pulled for new single-family homes through November is down 52 percent compared to the same time in 2005, according to data from the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments.

Shaun Murray, public affairs director for the Home Builders Association of Washtenaw County, said with all the announcements concerning automotive companies like Ford Motor Co. buying out employees this year, it's hard to predict whether the tide will turn in 2007. Washtenaw County is a bright spot in the state, he said, by gaining companies like Google.

"I think right now we are staying consistent - it's not a great market,'' Murray said. "Our major developers are holding on to some property right now. I don't want to say they are inactive, but we are not as bad as the national average.

Contact Stefanie Murray at smurray@annarbornews.com or 734-994-6932 most of this information was copied and edited from her article on MLive.com

 

Did you know that being a realtor is in the top 15 occupations for stress ? I was reading a recent article and I was surprised it was actually documented. Of course we all know real estate can be stressful.

The other day my daughter and I were talking, she is a buyer agent on my TEAM and is working on a very difficult transaction. Buyers will low credit, less than forthright lender ( no not one of ours........they couldnt' get them qualified ) on top of that a bank foreclosed home and the listing agent that is handling it ONLY deals with fore-closed properties. They are a large TEAM in the Meto area and to say the least the left hand doesnt' know what the right hand it doing so Christa has faxed umpteen times the purchase agreement and other doc's.

Recently, she was on her computer, turned to me and said, "mom, this is so stressful!" Never mind she is only 26, it was a very difficult transaction.

Here are a couple of suggestions that were suggested in the article:

1) Know what you want personally. I decided 2 years ago, I would not work on foreclosed properties. Long story  but it was too frustrating trying to deal with banks when I had good offers on the properties. Now I refer them out to a realtor that is a member of the MI bar and enjoys them. Win/win for us both.

2) Train your clients how you work. This is one of Paul Starner's biggest principals. Paul is a coach in Travers City, Mi that teaches seminars in Michigan. Christa, my daughter took the classes this fall and I have seen her put this into practice. I sure wish I had learned that years ago. She meets withe her buyers and says. " Ok, here is how this is going to work "..........and it does.

3) Control your time and devices. This is good one for me. I am always in front of my computer if I'm not out with clients, it is acceptable to turn off the phone or forward to you assistant. I am getting better, I actually left my phone in the car when I went Christmas shopping but my mind kept wondering the whole time.

4) Systemitize your business.  One of the biggest life-savers I found was the drip campaign I use to stay in touch with internet leads.

Has anyone else got idea's on how to enjoy our career with less stress ? I know I have only touched the tip of the iceburg???

*******************************************************************

Missy Caulk & Team can be reached at 734-216-2822 or email: Missy@MissyCaulk.com

Our TEAM of 6 buyer associates are available to help you relocate to Ann Arbor, Saline, Dexter, Chelsea, Milan, Ypsilanti Township, Clinton, Manchester, Whitmore Lake, or throughout Washtenaw County, MI.

Thinking of selling your home?

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Search the Ann Arbor Area MLS.

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I'm puzzled.....what is the VALUE of FREE ?

No I'm not a deep person, just curios what you might think. Here's where I'm coming from. I manage a RE/MAX office in Ann Arbor, and the last office meeting we had in November, I encouraged all the agents to sign up for a Point2Agent web site for FREE. I have been using it as one of my 5 sites for about 2 years. Last year I upgraded to the professional because I wanted to be able to add all my listings to it, not just the 7-8 or allowed on the FREE one.

I am working with a client moving back from California in January from seeing a listing on my http://missycaulkteam.com/   Point2Agent site. It will be well worth the small amount I pay for more listing exposure.

Still no one in my office has signed up. Why ??? IT'S FREE !!

I have invited 26 people to join the Active Rain community, only 4 have accepted. Why not ? It's great fun, a new skill, meet lots of people, learning community and is it because it is FREE ?

My assistant for 9 years and I were going to do a training class at the office on Microsoft Outlook as we have been using if for years. How many signed up ? ONE

Now Zillow is going to let us put our listings on Zillow for FREE.  hummmmm I wonder how many agents will sign up for that ? 

In a slower market, I believe we do anything and everything to get our houses sold, to improve our skills.

Does anyone else have this problem ? Is the value diminished because it is FREE ?

Here is Michigan we have been in the midst of a Buyers Market since 2001. Every year the inventory increased until know we have 8000 single family homes and condo's to sell.

At first the sellers would not accept the market was changing and it was hard...........they still wanted the price their neighbors got the year before. However, the last couple of years they are more realistic.  ( Not all but most )

Actually 2 of my houses sold in 4 days, one at full price and one just a couple of thousand under. Why ? They told me to price it to sell, after looking at all the comps we went low end of market value.

I do believe the buyers are right now the hardest to satisfy. Have you ever gone to a really nice jewelry store and the jeweler picks out one at a time each piece and shows it to you ? Once I asked them why they did that and they didn't just take out the whole tray. His comment was, " If I show you everything, you will buy nothing, it decreases the value".

Right now the buyers are like that............they have so much to choose from they choose nothing. Their attitudes are  " I think it will come down more", "I think mortgage rates will come down more ". One other thing I hear mostly from other realtors presenting offers to me is " This is their first  choice, if they can't get it at the price they want they have 2 others picked out and will negotiate those."

Unfortunately I have seen people walk away over very small amounts of money. My daugher had a buyer like that from out of state. He brought 4 houses in and had decided to go one by one until he got the deal he wanted...........20% under asking price with closing costs and prepaids !

We told him no that is not how we were going to do it. We would write on offer, comp the neighborhood, negotiate strongley and if it didn't work out THEN we would go to the next house. Fortunately we were able to get them in their ( her ) favorite house.

QUESTION:

What is happening in your area?   What are your sellers doing? How are the buyers acting?

I'd really like to hear from everyone !

I seriously just like to sell houses and be a mentor for my TEAM. However, sometimes it becomes necessary to learn other things in the course of our business. So today I finally learned how to do a AD Word Campaign for one of my web sites. Everyone kept telling me it wasn't hard, so " I just didnt' want to learn another thing"

Now I have and once again............I'm glad I did. Actually Google makes it so user friendly that it was not hard to. I have a link on one of my sites for Active Rain Blog and I am patiently waiting for my points to go up.

 

Ann Arbor is ranked # 1 as " Best Place to Live in Michigan" by CNNMoney.com 2006

Ann Arbor is ranked # 25 in "Best Place to Live in the U.S"

Ann Arbor ranks in Top 5 Best Places To Retire" by Good Morning America in 2005.

I mainly list homes, my TEAM of 3 Buyer Specialists are experts in the home-buying process and are available to work with you in your time frame. We all have the philosophy that we don't " sell" people or homes. We introduce them to homes and if it is a "fit" they will purchase.

In this day and age, anyone can find a home on the internet. It takes a professional to negotiate the contract from start to finish, know the market, hook you up with the right inspectors, repair men, lenders, title companies etc to get the job done as smooth and hassle free as possible.

I like to tell my clients you aren't paying me to stick a yard sign in, run a ad in the paper and all the 100's of details needed to sell your home, however; you are paying me to bring you up to the minute knowledge of the housing market, what your homes should be priced at, how long it will take to sell, ( based on comparable sales ) and the networking and technology required to get the job done.

In order to facilitate where the buyers and sellers are, I maintain 4 web sites for maximum exposures. Spending over 2000.00 each month in technology to make sure your house in seen on the web everywhere.

WIIFM ( What's In It For Me ??) So we ask our clients, " What is important to you? "What can we do to make this a positive experience for you?" "Is it important to get the right price or to move quickly"?

Most people aren't that interested in who a realtor is, we all say we're honest, we all stick our degrees in front of them, we all show them which "Club" we're in, we all say we're professional, blah, blah, blah. They just want their house sold in a timely manner and to be given the respect of keeping them in the loop of what is going on, (like feedback after a showing) and if the house isn't selling (even more feedback).

You would be surprised to hear how many houses, I list after people work with other realtors and the house didn't sell.......... # 1 complaint, "He/She didn't listen to us, we had no idea what was going on". Not that the house, didn't sell, surprised ?

For years I worked with buyers, I really didn't like listing. Then I hired a coach. They explored that with me. Interesting enough...........I talked to my buyers almost everyday. The listing clients, I didn't know what to say. It's pretty hard to make a call, to tell people, well, your house had NOT ONE showing today. Ugh...........negative. Then I came to realize, I just need to call. Didn't have to be about the house all, they just want to hear from you. They want to hear what is going on around them, in their neighborhood. Are other houses selling.

In another post, I will print my whole marketing plan. "Or how the MissyCaulk TEAM will get your house SOLD"!

P.S. The market in Ann Arbor is not as bad as the media would have you believe. It is a fantastic time to buy a home, rates low and lots to choose from. Our TEAM has been involved in 7 transactions in November.

 

http://www.pictureplan.info/mi/4090miller/player.pl

This is a great house in Ann Arbor, with Scio Township Taxes on 2 AC.
Two out-buildings, one was a former Chicken coup and is now a study with sky-lights, and vaulted ceiling.
The other out-building is a pole barn with 1/4 of it finished for a high-tech home office.

Originally built in 1904, it was totally remodeled and an addition added in 1998. So it maintains all the original charm but with conveniences we have all come to love.

Last night the four of us, Carol, Debi, Kris and myself went to see Grady Burnett from GOOGLE at the Ann Arbor Public Library. Standing room only.........we went to learn more about the Ad Words and most of the interest there was about their google books. That was very interesting and cleared up alot of the rumors I've been hearing about copyright etc... So here is the skinny...........there are 3 ways to classify all books 1) is Public Domain, which is 20% of all books before 1023, 2) Copyrighted, which is 5% of all books and 3) are book that are in a grey area called unclean copyright. Those books make up the largest majority and google is only using snippets of information unless they get permission.

Also found out google has a foundation for non-profits and they help non profits out by giving them free ad words to help in their fundraising. That is really cool !!