How, When & Why to Hire An Assistant

A question that we often hear is: “When do I know it’s time to hire an assistant and when I do, how do I even go about hiring one?” As Jared’s left-hand gal, I thought it would be best if I answered it from my point of view. It’s a great question and the fact that you’re even considering hiring an assistant is a pretty good indicator that it’s time that you hired one. But it’s not that simple, right?

When do I know it’s time to hire an assistant?

First off, let's address the primary question: How do you know when it's time to hire an assistant? Well, let's check some things off a list...

1) First, are you getting up early and staying up late to tackle things that really aren't a best use of time for you? Maybe it's sending out your weekly newsletter or following up with leads from the previous day, week or month. It could be your accounting and billing needs - we all know what kind of a beast that can be. Maybe it's just something super simple like updating your CRM or setting up a basic marketing ad on Facebook. These are things that need to get done, but aren't necessarily a best use of your time.

2) Second, maybe you've got most of your business in order, but you're getting to the point where you want to grow. If that's the case, then you need someone to rely on to take over things that don't help you grow, but need to get done. Even part time, an assistant can be a great addition to help you get to the next level while you focus on growth.

You need someone to rely on to take over things that don't help you grow, but need to get done

3) Third, are you losing business? Are you so wrapped up in current clients that you aren't following up with your other leads right away? According to NAR, 24% of people who start their search online commit to an action THAT day. Imagine missing out on that much business?

Ok - so now that you've come to the conclusion that you need an assistant, we need to address a major issue that affects anyone in any industry bringing on new team members. You MUST have time to train them. If you don't, you can go ahead and expect them to fail because that's what you're setting them up to do.

Why are you hiring an assistant?

So before you draft up a job ad or start putting feelers out, create a list of responsibilities you are looking to find in an assistant and make sure you can train them on those things. Don't expect your admin to be able to do anything you can't. They might be able to, but be willing to learn along with them if they don't. It'll help both you and your business grow in the long run. Depending on whether you want to require a real estate license, an admin can cover accounting and billing issues, updating and managing your CRM, running marketing ads, planning and executing open houses, or reaching out to your Core 100 on a daily basis. The list goes on and on. This also goes back to you losing business - 

What opportunities are you missing that an admin could possibly take over or start doing?

The other benefit of creating a list of tasks is that you'll be able to decide how many hours you'll need someone. Whether it's a full time position or a part time job that starts out as one day a week and grows from there, you should have a good gauge of what you need. It might even be something a virtual assistant or an ISA can tackle. Either way - you're now prepared in how you need to move forward.

Okay, so you've got your list of tasks, you know you'll be able to make time to train them, and you've got a good feel for the hours. You can now decide if you need an administrative assistant or a buyer's agent or someone else entirely to join your team. Once you have that role narrowed down, you can dictate how pay works. It can be hourly, commission based, or a flat rate. Do what makes sense for you. There is no standard. No matter how you pay someone, they should be bringing in more business than they're costing you.

How do I hire an assistant?

Alright. You've got pay, hours, and details. Now you have to draft an ad, but what exactly do you include?

We recommend including words like "tech savvy" and "self-driven." Real Estate is an entrepreneurial business. It is not a 9 to 5, punch in, punch out job. NAR reported that 44% of buyers start their search online and Millennials now make up 66% of first time home buyers. More surprisingly, 7% of realtors do not use social media - that 7% have no idea what they're missing out on. This is where real estate is moving and being tech savvy is no longer a "nice to have."

44% of buyers start their search online and Millennials now make up 66% of first time home buyers.

If you're hiring an assistant or another agent, you're going to want someone who is detail oriented, but other than them including this as a line item on their resume, how do you really know if they are in fact detail oriented? Make them apply the skill.

For example, in the ad, include language like: Please send along a PDF version of your resume, and include "Real Estate Administrative Assistant" in the subject of the email. No cover letter necessary, instead send me a short blurb about why I should hire you in 150 words or less.

Now, if they don't send you their resume in PDF form, and they put something totally wrong in the subject line, you know right off the bat you can pass on their resume. Cover letters are also becoming increasingly long and reiterate so much of what's already on a good resume. Instead encourage them to include a brief explanation of who they are and why they would benefit you.

Donna, our coaching director, was wonderful enough to let me borrow her template for what she sends to our one on one coaching students when they're looking for an assistant. You can find that template below. Please do not use this verbatim - it's not meant to be cookie cutter. Customize it to your specific needs!

Personality matching is so much more crucial than having all the skills needed for a job. When you consider bringing in this person for an interview (presuming they fit the bill) it's kind of like a first date. You should be excited at the prospect of them coming in, and when they leave, you should have these feelings confirmed and be excited to have them join your team. If that spark isn't there, it's not going to be there for them either and you'll be back to where you started. Remember, this person is going to be an extension of you. They will be the face of your company and will be interacting with your clients. You should be proud to have them on your team.

Your assistant is going to be an extension of you. 

So when you bring someone on, keep that excitement. Train them. Make them a true member of your team. Don’t micromanage them - it’s a waste of time for you both. Lastly, allow them to do things their way. Just because they’re not done YOUR way doesn’t mean they’re not done the right way.

Hiring an assistant doesn’t have to be complicated, nor does it have to be overwhelming. Focus on the needs versus the wants, and most importantly - make sure you hire someone you’re excited about, and not just because it means you’ll do less of a certain task! Good luck!

- Rachael, Personal Assistant to Jared James

How to Host a "Not so Average" Open House

Are you an agent considering hosting an open house for a property that is on the market? This may seem surprising, but you don’t have to spend a fortune to make the house feel like home. We have some simple but effective tips on how to host an event that will not be forgotten!

1. Come up with a theme

First things first, you need to come up with a theme! Brainstorm annnnnnd ………..GO!

Your goal is to make the visitors feel at home, while still providing an experience that they won’t forget.

A theme is important because it helps establish the atmosphere. Your goal is to make the visitors feel at home, while still providing an experience that they won’t forget. While you can do whatever kind of theme you would like, we suggest that you stick with something that is fun without being too corny. Think about the type of home you are showing… is it Spanish hacienda style—if so, consider serving an assortment of tapas and some fruity sangria. Are you hosting in a Tudor style home? Try serving drinks in goblets for a medieval vibe (without all the beheadings and black plague). If you are hosting in a ranch style home maybe try serving buttermilk biscuits and fried green tomatoes (with ranch dressing of course!). The point is to commit to a theme and really adhere to it; everyone loves a good theme especially when there is free food and drinks. Am I right or am I right?

2. Involve the community

A great way to take your theme and run with it, is to involve community members when hosting your open house. 

Reach out to a local business and see if they want to join, or maybe even contribute to your open house! The local baker, coffee shop, winery, or local cheese shop can solidify that sense of community for your hopeful homebuyers. This little push from the community could be just what you need to spark a memorable dialogue between yourself and the potential buyers.

If you want to have a bit of an artsier event, you could invite a local artist to show some of their pieces. Not only could you do this for relatively cheap, if not for free, but also it adds an air of sophistication and class to any event, while still involving the local community.

3. Make it an experience

Don’t just stand around and let the visitors tour the home on their own.

Who knows more about this home than the owners? Consider talking with the owners and learning the history of the home. Hear their stories of the time they spent there, and share those with the guests of your open house. Don’t just stand around and let the visitors tour the home on their own. Walk with them through the house and have a great story about each room, a story that changed the house into a HOME for the owners. Personal stories like these can help the potential homebuyers to picture themselves in the house, making memories of their own. The most important thing you can do is allowing the potential homebuyers an experience that they will not get at any other open house. It is important to help them see the house as a potential HOME for them and their family.

There you have it! Make sure to have a theme, involve the community, and above all else be sure to provide an experience so that everyone who walks through the door can’t forget your open house! Oh yeah… and have fun! If you enjoy yourself, your guests will too!

- Brittany, Marketing and Customer Support Associate

Keeping up With the Terms

In a world where we work to make everything faster and more efficient, we have also begun to shorten our vocabulary. We use more slang terms and acronyms in our texts, emails, and especially on social media. If you feel like you’ve fallen behind, don’t worry – we’re here to help you keep up. Here are the 10 social media acronyms and hip terms that we think you should know.

1. DM vs. PM

In the world of Twitter, DM’s are “direct messages” that are shared between two users who follow each other. On other platforms, these messages are called PM’s, or “private messages”.

2. GIF

Aside from the controversial topic of how this term is pronounced, GIF stands for “graphic interchange format”. A GIF is an image (usually enticing a laugh) that moves as an animation and is used to add emotion and emphasis to your thoughts.

3. Meme

A meme is a concept, catchphrase, idea, or piece of media that spreads like wildfire across social media channels. The purpose of memes is typically to spread humor from person to person on various subjects by adding texts to comical images. If you are active on social media (which we highly suggest) it is likely that you have seen various memes spread across your social feeds.

4. RT

There is a plethora of information on social media. Twitter for example is a strong platform for things such as news and even just random intellectual thoughts. See something you agree with? Repost that users tweet, or rather “retweet” (RT) it.

5. TBT

Otherwise known as “Throwback Thursday”, people utilize this day to show off their best childhood glamour shots, or the lunch they ate last week. It helps other users relate to you, and encourages them to post a TBT as well!

6. SEO

Is your goal to get more people to your website? “Search engine optimization” is the best way to get there. SEO refers the key words a business chooses to use in their content that will rank them higher in search engines. Take some time to think about keywords you should be using, and get more action on your site!

7. CTA

If you are an active marketer, it is likely that you have a website, or have run some type of advertising campaign in your career. A CTA is a “call to action” that entices people on the web to either purchase your product, click on your ad, or request more information about your services. Popular CTA phrases include “Learn More”, “Sign up Free”, “Get Started”, and more. Do any of these ring a bell? They were likely the phrases that convinced you to sign up for that free 30-day trial of a new program. Start utilizing these CTA’s and start gaining more business!

Popular CTA phrases include “Learn More”, “Sign up Free”, “Get Started”, and more.

8. CPC

Another important term for a marketer is CPC. Defined as the “cost per click”, this term will tell you how much you are spending each time a user clicks on an advertisement that you are running. Whether on Facebook, Google, or other advertising platforms, the cost per click will tell you how relevant your advertisement is to your audience. The lower the cost per click, the more clicks you can receive with your given ad budget. Take a look at this number the next time you are in your Facebook ads manager, to see if you should be making changes to your ads.

9. ROI

Anytime you run an advertisement or purchase something to help grow your business, you are likely hoping to make some sales in return. ROI, or “return on investment” is the monetary value that you gain in relation to the money you spent to make it. In other words, this number will tell you if that investment you made last year really paid off.

10. UGC

People trust people. UGC is “user generated content” – essentially posts, reviews, videos, etc. created by consumers. It has been shown that 70% of people trust images taken from ‘people like them’ over brand created images according to Reevoo. Take this tip and create a contest, or promotional idea and get your consumers involved. Repost their content and see how other consumers relate to it!

70% of people trust images taken from ‘people like them’ over brand created images.

If you felt out of the loop with your social lingo, we hope this cheat sheet helped. Let us know if you learned something, or have another term that you think should be in the top 10. We love hearing from you! Like we said, UGC is important, and we’d love to share yours!

- Alicia, Marketing Assistant 

Creating a Creative Workspace

Take a minute to think about your last creative project. What was your work setting like? Did you feel motivated to complete the project? If not, think about a place where you feel the most creative. It impacts your work more than you think!

With our recent growth, we were running out of space in our old office which led us to look for a new office space. This would give us to the opportunity to redesign a workspace based on not only our needs but more importantly, our wants! Being that our work environment is very collaborative and warrants conversations amongst the group, it was a given that our new space would need to be a more communal work space versus the traditional cubicle life. We even put that in our job postings: “NO Cube Life”.

We wanted to create a space that truly is a tool to solidify our culture while balancing our passion and ability to get things done. Our space is distinctly different from any other office in our current complex; that was done on purpose. We want our employees to feel comfortable in a work space so they can be engaging and productive which will benefit the entire company. This is why our physical space gives our employees the ability to move between standing height tables, traditional desks and lounge settings which all support the fast exchange of ideas, strategy and action items. 

People want the freedom to work “their way,” just like we live our lives.

Very few of us spend the day tethered to a desktop computer anymore. Giving an employee an alternative atmosphere to settle into a comfy bean bag chair or perch on a stool at the counter encourages self-expression and authenticity.

Does it sound too good to be true? While our office entices a fun atmosphere, it isn’t the sole reason our employees show up to work. Even with ping pong tables and unlimited access to food and drinks, our team still strives to do their best work, and are more so motivated to complete tasks when they are creatively inspired.

Lastly, we need to think of these spaces as places to attract talented millennials. A recent study showed that 80% of respondents recognize that physical space play a direct role in fostering a vibrant culture. 32% of 18-34 year olds would prefer to work in a lounge setting filled with ottomans, stools and other causal options vs. the “cube life”. Speaking from personal experience, when deciding between two job offers, I decided on the company which had an office space which was like nothing I’d ever seen before versus the traditional cubicle office.

Your employees want a space they are proud to show off and be involved in.

Even though it may seem like a small factor, a unique office environment can be enough of a factor to sway someone to take a job over another that is full of gray cubicles and an setting that lacks creativity and a modern feel.

This company is run with heart and transparency, fueling a special kind of culture that has become the envy of established organizations searching for that same energy and vibe. Providing your employees with a flexible, authentic environment that engages them, allows them to experience a sense of meaning and belonging. Your space can be a tool to help build that culture. Try it out for yourself. Work from a new space today, or rearrange your desk space to get more creative. Let us know how you get inspired!

- Anthony, Marketing Manager

3 Ways to Dominate Your E-mail Campaigns

If you aren’t utilizing e-mails or e-mail drip campaigns, you’re missing out on a huge marketing opportunity! E-mail is an excellent tool to be using especially because they can be automated- which means you’ll have more time to focus to other areas of business.

Before you start setting up automated e-mails there’s a few things you should and should not be doing that can make or break your e-mail open rates, click through rates, and percentage of people who unsubscribe. Let’s break some things down.

1.  Treat Your First E-mail Like Your First Date

Just like a first date, your first e-mail is potentially the beginning to a beautiful relationship. And first impressions matter!

It is going to be worth spending the extra time to polish the first e-mail your subscribers will read. Make the welcome e-mail: fun, structured, easy to read, and make sure your reader understands what they are getting themselves into- what can they expect moving forward?  Who knows -maybe you’ll get that 2nd date!

2.  Your Subject Lines

This is arguably the most important part to any e-mail you will ever write. Why? It’s the first thing people read when they get an e-mail! Most business owners don’t devote enough energy into writing a good subject line- don’t procrastinate this step!

Here’s the thing- if someone doesn’t make it past your subject line, they never have the chance to make it to the content, offer, etc. that you are providing in the body.

So what kind of advice do we have to offer you?

-Keep it short (10 characters or less have a 58% open rate)
-Drive urgency (use words like Urgent/Important/Limited Time)
-Stay Casual (Emojis are your friend!)

3.  Get Personal

You may be shocked to hear that customers and clients want to hear from you most often by e-mail. What is more shocking is that 80% of consumers also expect those e-mail communications to be personalized according to MarketingSherpa.

80% of consumers also expect those e-mail communications to be personalized

Here is the thing- you don’t need a crazy amount of data to send a personalized email. Their first name, zip code, birthday, and home purchased anniversary date are all enough to get their attention!

Birthday emails are 235% more likely to be opened and also have 300% higher click-through rates than typical promotional e-mails according to Experian white paper. Too bad you can only send those once a year!

Another simple way to stay personalized while using their first name is to use this merge field in the body of your e-mail in addition to the greeting.

Most people tend to read the beginning and end blocks of e-mails, so go ahead and close your e-mail out with their name once last time.

Going back to what I mentioned in the beginning- if you aren’t using e-mail campaigns you’re missing out on a super simple way to keep in touch with your clients! And if you are using e-mail campaigns, you now have 3 new pieces of information to apply to your campaigns! Keep making good impressions so people look forward to seeing your e-mails in their inboxes!

- Michelle, Sales and Marketing Assistant

5 Ways to Stay Ahead of the Competition

If you’re a realtor, you’ve probably asked yourself, “how can I become a more successful real estate agent?” The real estate industry is constantly changing, so it’s up to you to go that extra mile in order to stay current and ahead of the competition. If you are interested in making some ground in the real estate industry, I encourage you to keep reading.

Below are five basic and essential steps to keep you ahead of your game-

     1. Find Your Niche

Regardless of how you pronounce it, find one! Being a “specialist” helps you build trust, create a reputation and keeps you focused. Clients want the third most stressful time in their lives to be special, so be that special someone. For example, if helping someone find their first home excites you, then make first time homebuyers your niche.

     2. Be Available

You might be working with five clients at one time, but if you are unable to give your undivided attention to each person, you can kiss your profit and future referral goodbye. Of course, there will be times when you are really unable to get to your phone on time; but chances are, they have a simple problem that has a simple solution. Take five minutes to help them out and you’ll become a hero.

     3. Set Goals

Did you know that 83% of the population doesn’t set goals? Additionally, of the people who do set goals, only 3% have those goals written down somewhere. However, if you do take the time to physically write down your goals, you will be 79% more likely to achieve them. With a statistic like that, there is no reason you shouldn’t add goal setting to your daily routine.

     4. Know Your Market

This seems obvious, but it gets ignored when there’s no time for research. It’s the small details that separate you from the competition (back to tip 1) and a great agent takes their market information, translates it, and provides their clients with useful insights.

     5. Communicate Better

Anyone, can share anything, with everyone, at a moments notice. This is a blessing and a curse and sharing for the sake of sharing is not a strategy. Blog better, share content to humanize yourself, tout your neighborhood know-how and offer helpful tips. Email smarter, use drip campaigns and mass email to make your life easier, but tailor your campaigns to your audience and their needs. And lastly, text more! According to a SAP study, 64% of consumers think businesses should use SMS more often. It’s an easy way to make contact that’s convenient and simple for your prospects, and more likely to get a response.

Use the above steps as a guide for your own business and you’ll be well on your way to becoming a more successful real estate agent.

Do you have systems and processes in place that help your business thrive? If so, feel free to share a few of the ways you stay ahead of the competition below.

- Anthony, Marketing Manager

The Predictions for the Future

Before your bellies are full of turkey and pie, please have a seat and take this blog for a ride (see what I did there!? OK let’s move on)

Over the next few days you will likely been rehashing funny family stories, sharing the history of your families with new generations, and scrolling through your social media feeds to see spreads of holiday food and dinner table selfies. What you are likely not doing is reminiscing on the past year of social media changes and preparing for 2018 - that’s where I’ll come in.

At the beginning of 2017, Forbes made a few predictions about the changes that would take place in the world of social media. While not all of us can confidently say we can predict the future, I’ll give Forbes credit for doing a pretty great job.

Here is a quick recap of the social media trends they predicted for 2017:

• Social messaging: This one puts the focus on social networking vs. social networks. Think apps like Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Viber, etc.

• The fight against “fake news”: Remember the debacle concerning fake information spreading during the 2016 Presidential election? Sites like Facebook have become major news sources for people and the fight to maintain truth on the platform will continue.  

• Authentic content: Lights, camera, action. Live video was predicted to continue growing throughout 2017 with platforms such as Twitter and Instagram launching their own versions of live streaming.

• Augmented reality: 2016 brought us the phenomenon that was and is Pokemon Go, and there’s more where that came from.

• Chatbots: Robots aren’t only in movies anymore. Chatbots were predicted to take over as communication methods between companies and customers.

By taking a look at that list, we can already see how these 5 trends were predicted to take over 2017, and definitely did. Facebook ads began to bring you directly to a brands page, opening a chat box to begin the conversation. Sites like Facebook began cracking down on “fake news” by banning certain inaccurate news platforms from posting on their site. Live video has now become on the most important and successful branding strategies for all industries.

People love to see personalities come to life and get behind the scenes looks at how businesses really run.

Augmented reality has taken off with video games, virtual reality headsets, and the iPhone X which offers facial recognition technology and more. And last but not least, chatbots have changed the game. It has been found that 53% of consumers prefer to use email, chat, text etc. over phone communication for customer support. In terms of CRMs *wink wink Jarja Media* you can communicate with your contacts quickly and not leave them waiting for a busy customer service rep.

It’s important to reflect back on the year we just had and look at all of the social media trends and experiences that came to life. On the other hand however, it is also valuable to look out for what’s to come in 2018 - or as much as we can predict that is. Take a look at the list that Entrepreneur created for us to keep our eyes on. Let us know in the comments which trends you would like to see come to life!

• Augmented reality: It took off in 2017 and is expected to do nothing but grow.

• Instagram stories: After only being around for about a year, Instagram stories have about 50 million more viewers than Snapchat.

• Influencer marketing: Putting a big face in front of your brand gets it in the eyes or new users every day.

• Generation Z: Cue young children, teenagers and those in their early 20’s. This generation doesn’t know life without cellphones, wifi and social media. Tailoring to their needs will be a new challenge for 2018.

• Social messaging: Forming better communication skills via social media, rather than solely focusing on marketing with social posts.

• Live streaming: Video sells. Facebook Live videos are watched 3x longer than videos that are not live.

• Twitter: You might think this platform has died out, but rumors are that Twitter plans to revamp its business plan. Stay tuned.

• Digital hangout: Group hangouts go live.

• Facebook Space: No, not outer space. Facebook is planning to launch the first Virtual Reality social media product, allowing friends to hangout in augmented reality.

• Social media policies: No bullies allowed. Platforms will be looking into ways to stop brands from being criticized on their sites, as well as preventing inaccurate information from posting.

Have anymore predictions? Comment below or send us a message on any of our social platforms on www.connectwithjarja.com.

- Alicia, Marketing Assistant

Work-Life Balance During the Holidays?

Is it the most wonderful time of the year, like the song says?  Sure, the holidays bring out something different in everyone - for better or worse, but with the season approaching, the stress around managing a work schedule is not far behind. Keeping track of who’s on vacation, what work has to get done before the end of the year, or how you will juggle family and that final push before the New Year, can become extremely stressful.

There is one thing you can do to reduce the stress that you feel building right now as you read this: PLAN! You may not be able to avoid working late while you are preparing the turkey for your 20 guest on Thanksgiving. Here are a few things you can do to achieve “work-life balance” during the holidays:

1) Communicate

Team members want to spend time with their families and enjoy the holidays just like you. Get together with your team, create an out of office schedule, determine office closings, and prioritize “must do” versus “like to do” items.

2) Work from home

Consider working from home, rather than using vacation days. Whether you’re dialing into a conference call in your reindeer pajamas or putting the finishing touches on a report with a cup of hot chocolate in your hand, the work is still getting done.

3) Add one more workout to your week

Exercise reduces levels of the body’s stress hormones, adrenaline and cortisol. It also stimulates the production of endorphins, chemicals in the brain that are the body’s natural painkillers and mood elevators. You have enough stress from your in-laws coming over for the next few days, take a break from them for an hour and destress with a quick sweat break.

4) Put in a few extra hours

Before the wave of holidays approach, do a little planning and add one hour of work to your day, each day leading up to the end of the year. This will allow you to get more work done and hopefully put you ahead, allowing you to relax once the holidays arrive.

5) Say NO

Before you get too carried away with ignoring e-mails, declining phone calls, or skipping out on that family ice skating venture- let us explain what we are really telling you here! You are the only person who is going to know what is and is not manageable during the holidays. The practice we are trying to teach is balance- and sometimes that involves politely declining the invitation to your 5th cookie swap party. Telling someone no or that you can’t get to it that day every now and then is perfectly okay - remember this is all about balance!

Finding the balance between work and family time is often difficult, but extremely important. However, never forget that the holidays only roll around once a year! Make sure to embrace them and the time spent with your family, and try new things. By understanding that the holidays are a busy time and working with your team, you’ll be rewarded with employees who are more productive year round. The more creative and open-minded you can be, the better the chance that you’ll sail through this time of the year without incident or lack of productivity.

- Anthony, Marketing Manager

It's Time to Slow Down

Have you ever heard the phrase “time flies when you’re having fun”? Of course you have, and you yourself have probably said it many times. It is one of the most frequently used sayings after we check our watches and realize we’re 20 minutes late for a meeting or realize that we’ve been out to dinner for 4 hours when it’s really only felt like 2. Time flies when we’re having fun.

Growing up, we have heard the phrase over and over again. Perhaps it’s cliché and overused, or perhaps time really was and is passing quickly. A deeper reasoning behind this was presented to me as I stumbled upon an Inc. article telling me that time passes by us more quickly as we grow older, but don’t worry- there is a way that we can slow it down.

I’ll let you think about this for a moment.

via GIPHY

Jeff Haden, the author of the Inc. article, mentions that the “clock” inside of your brain begins to run slower as we age, making the pace of life seem much quicker. He also presents research showing that our bodies release dopamine much more slowly when we perceive something new later in life. This also makes time appear to pass by more quickly. It’s no secret that time “flies”, but you’re probably still wondering the secret to slowing it down. Read on.

“Time passes faster when we are in a set routine, when we aren't learning anything new, when we stay stuck in a life pattern.”  - Harlan Coben

They say the secret to slowing down time is to break up your routine and try something new. Have a new experience, teach yourself something new, and break out the repetition that you have created in your day-to-day life. When is the last time that you did something and felt that the experience passed by too quickly? Chances it was because you were having fun or doing something different. However, if you stop to think about the time you spent engaging in that activity, it is likely that the time passed even slower than you remembered. We complain that the time “flew by” because we were having fun, experiencing something new and enjoying the moment we were in.

The moral of the story here is that we are only given so much time in life. It is important to use this time wisely and to be active in learning new things and stepping outside of our usual routines. It is never too late in your life to experience a new “first”. Make this year the year that you try rock climbing or scuba diving for the first time. Perhaps there is a work conference that you have never attended - make this year the first year that you go. Whether in your personal life of your business, challenge yourself, try something new, and you’ll be surprised how much slower your life will pass you by.

- Alicia, Marketing Assistant

Instagram for Real Estate Agents

If you are reading this, you’ve probably found yourself thinking, “everybody seems to be on Instagram, how can my real estate business benefit from it?”. If you haven’t thought that, WHY NOT? If it is because you prefer to use Facebook, or twitter, that is fine. Just know you are missing out on an opportunity your competition is already taking advantage of.

If you’re still hesitant to jump on the Instagram bandwagon, maybe these statistic will change your mind:

1. 600 Million users MONTHLY

2. 300 Million users DAILY

3. 4.2 Billion “likes” per DAY

4. 216,000 photos posted every MINUTE

5. 10X more engagement than Facebook

6. On average, Instagram users are a more affluent demographic compared to other platform users

7. You can rank quicker with a hashtag than with traditional SEO

8. Your recent posts can get to the top of user’s search results easily

9. You can message anyone on Instagram directly

10. You can edit your photo right on the app and post stunning photos in seconds

Have you changed your mind yet? There’s no wonder why all of the top producing agents are using Instagram to promote their real estate business. Getting the hang of Instagram can take some practice, but we’re here to shorten the learning curve and help you see the light! I’m not going to take you through how to set up an Instagram account but more so how to leverage your Instagram profile to gain more business.

While stats don’t lie, as you get started with Instagram it may be challenging to come up with creative content to post. Take a look at the list below for some ideas of who you can be targeting with your photos and let it spark your creativity!

1. Local homeowners looking to sell

2. Local buyers looking for homes in your area

3. Out of town realtors looking for referral agents in your area

4. Out of town buyers looking for homes in your area

5. Past clients who keep up with you online

6. New clients who discover your profile

7. Referral clients who were tagged (formerly known as referred) by mutual connections

Now that we’ve convinced you to get started on Instagram (hopefully) and promote things related to your business, you need to make the commitment to get MORE personal. Not in the sense of sharing what you had for lunch, but giving your followers a “behind the scenes” look inside your real estate business and even your personal life. You want your followers to have a connection with you; like they know you without ever having met you.

To do this, here are some tips on how to connect with your followers:

1. Quality over Quantity

Publish interesting and relevant content that appeals to your audience while not flooding their feed multiple times/day.

2. A picture is worth a thousand words but a video is worth even more

By 2020, video will account for 82 percent of all consumer internet traffic. Use this to showcase your team, meetings, open houses, behind the scenes, sneak peeks, etc to engage your audience.

3. #Hashtags aren’t for young people

Posts with at least one hashtag have 12.6% more engagement than those without. The optimum number of hashtags is 11.

4. Think local

If you search by location, a list of local public accounts will appear. We suggest you to like, comment, or tag people on their posts. Make it a goal to comment on at least 3 local posts a day – or more if you have the time. Just be sure to write genuine comments, because anything else will seem inauthentic.

Farming on Instagram looks a little different than farming with postcard mailers – In this case, some of your Instagram stories should be of locals, not your listings. To farm on Instagram, feature and tag local businesses, hangouts, events, activities, and more! This is what people want to know and these are the types of posts that will make you the “digital mayor” of your town – and of course, the go-to agent.

5. What does your name say about you?

Add 1-2 keywords in your name on Instagram in order to make your profile more searchable (i.e. Ken_Milford_Realtor).

Be sure to write a brief bio that says how you help people and how to contact you.

6. Be human

No one is going to feel a personal connection to a listing photo or business logo. Post a current headshot as your profile image that is professional, but also vibrant, stylish, and friendly. It will give people a glimpse of who you really are as a person.

7. Clean up

If you already have an account and are going to leverage that for your real estate business, go through your previous photos and delete any of the posts that aren’t attracting the right people. You can now “archive” these posts on your profile so they don’t appear to the public. Remember, by focusing your photos on relevant topics, you’ll be attracting more of the right people (i.e. potential clients)!

Of course, there’s so much more to Instagram than this blog, but this was more for you to realize just how easy it can be to use Instagram to bring a whole new of set of real estate leads to your business. What changes are you going to make to your Instagram profile? How are you using Instagram to drive traffic back to your website? What are your favorite Instagram accounts to follow for inspiration? We’re listening, let us know!

- Anthony, Marketing Manager