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The Ghost of 2008. A Cautionary Tale For Newer Real Estate Agents

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real estate marketing strategyIt’s 2005. The Arizona School of Real Estate & Business has a waiting list. The real estate markets in much of the United States are going crazy. Phoenix is one of the top 2 hottest housing markets. Everywhere you look, everywhere you go, everyone it seems is talking about real estate.

The loan officers postcard, flyer or door hanger “Why rent when you can buy?“.  The co-worker bragging about the cash out refi to buy an investment property. The neighborhood for-sale signs that pop up and disappear in days. The mom and pop investors. The lotteries at new home communities.

I remember it, hell I lived it.

In 2005 I was a sales executive for one of the largest title insurance companies in the valley. I remember how crazy it was. I remember brand new real estate agents bringing me contracts 2-3 times a week, an unbelievable feat given the average agent sold less than 8 homes a year at that time.

I remember the wrapped Hummers some real estate agents had. The Cadillac Escalades (w/the Spinners), the CheeseCake Factory ads. The California and institutional investors and hedge funds that flooded the market with cash, buying homes sight unseen. The native Phoenicians on the news frustrated they couldn’t afford to buy a home in the neighborhoods they grew up in.

Everywhere you looked, everyone was talking about real estate – good and bad.

I heard a team leader at Keller Williams sum it up perfectly back then- “a blind poodle could sell real estate right now”.  And he was 100% right.

In 2005, there were too many buyers and sellers and believe it or not, not enough real estate agents. It was the wild west, loan officers were largely unregulated and unlicensed. A real estate agent could sell you a home with a loan they helped generate. Real estate agents accustomed to chasing leads were being chased themselves. Flagged down as they drove through neighborhoods with brokerage magnets on their cars. Writing contracts in 120 degree heat on the hoods of their cars was the norm.

Crazy was an understatement. “Drive until you quality” (for a home) was the old adage back then, which helped build the towns and cities of Maricopa, Queen Creek, San Tan Valley, Casa Grande and Buckeye.

I also remember 2008 when it all came crashing down. Many lost everything. “Jingle Mail” was a thing, a reference to homeowners mailing their keys to the bank and walking away. Short Sales and Foreclosures everywhere.

Homes being sold on the open market in days in 05 were now being sold at auction in minutes in 08. In May 2008 there were 45,243 active real estate licensees that made up the Arizona Regional Multiple Listing Service. According to The Cromford Report, real estate licenses in Maricopa County have risen to 88,616 in 2020. Up from 87,983 In fiscal year 2019.

In 2005, you only needed to fog a mirror to buy a home, the same test to become a real estate agent – a successful one at that. But when the market changed, the ones without systems, tools, without plans couldn’t and didn’t survive. The top agents survived, the others went back to their jobs at intel, Honeywell and believe it or not – CVS.

You may be asking, why am I writing about a time many of us want to forget in 2008? Because history repeats itself, we’re living it all again right now in 2020. Yes, its a different market, one being fed by low interest rates, COVID and the mass exodus from California. A healthier market no doubt. A sustainable market. But the lack of investment in systems and tools by many newer real estate agents is back and with a vengeance.

Many don’t have a database, a CRM, and many more don’t have a value proposition (or understand why they would even need one) other than to lower their commission rates.  I’ll tell you now, if you’re reading this in a real estate office and you look to your left and to your right, one, maybe two of you won’t be here in the event of significant market downturn, scratch that – when a market downturn happens (and it always does).

Learn from the past. Know that change does and will happen. Markets change, sometimes over night. It is possible for you to go from 10 buyers or sellers in your pipeline – to ZERO. Knowing this… what will you do today to guarantee you will be here tomorrow?

Meet with one of the valleys best title sales executives and/or loan officers – one well versed in today’s tech (Insta, FB, LinkedIn & YouTube). One that can help you create a CRM, communicate with it effectively and efficiently,  help with online ads, messaging and more. Invest in coaching, Tom Ferry, Mike Ferry, Buffini & Company, Craig Proctor, Metrix etc

Get a website, fill it with content that educates and informs to help your future customers find you online. Fill it with video testimonials that speak to how you are better and different than your competition. Create content on a regular basis (preferably video as it’s what that consumer prefers) about the communities and subdivisions you market to. Answer questions  in your blog and on YouTube a consumer would type into a search engine to help them find you. Send it to your database as additional touches through your CRM.

The content you create today is the digital bread crumbs to help the consumer find you tomorrow. As midivil farmers used to say “Make hay while the sun shines……”

 

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Thank you for your interest in HMC. We provide the highest quality business, commercial, event video productions, classes and services. We look forward to meeting you. Please fill out the form below or call 480.223.8113

Real Estate Content Ideas | Ditch The Boring Newsletter

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real estate content ideas

It seems like almost every day I receive a canned, stale, boring, irrelevant newsletter from a real estate agent. To make matters worse, because we work with hundreds of real estate agents in the valley, it’s not uncommon for us to receive the exact. same. newsletter from multiple agents, sometimes as many as 20 at a time. Real estate content ideas don’t need to be this boring.

I commend the real estate agents on sending out something, when you look at the numbers of real estate agents that actually keep in contact with past clients the numbers are dismal at best, (according to NAR 91% never contact the buyer or seller again after closing) but real estate content doesn’t need to be duplicate, irrelevant or canned either.

How to clean your windows, make homemade popsicles or increase curb appeal isn’t new and certainly not unique. Staying in contact with valuable, relevant content can change your real estate business and reap long term referrals and business as only 25% of consumers use the same agent again, probably because only 9% stay in contact after closing.

There is a better way to create real estate content ideas, and if you follow our suggestions you won’t need to pay for those canned newsletters any longer. Good, relevant real estate content is valuable, now more than ever because the consumer is looking to you, the real estate agent, their trusted advisor, for not only your expertise but also your observations as they both directly affect the consumer.

If you are keeping in contact with your clients right now (hopefully you are given the height of anxiety related to COVID-19) your clients are asking you questions, questions that you happily answer maybe on the phone or in person, via email, messenger or text, answers that are valuable not just for that particular client but for your database, social networks, and sphere of influence as well. This is great real estate content that is just as valuable to consumers that you don’t even know, potential future buyers ad sellers that are asking the same questions, looking for the same information, only they are asking search engines like Google and/or YouTube.

The next time someone asks you a question or makes a statement that you know could be of value for not just that client but others as well, turn that question into a story and make that your daily weekly or monthly newsletter. You can choose to write it in text like this, or even better you can turn it into a video and text or email it out to your existing clients via BombBomb, Constant Contact, MailChimp, as well as add it to your real estate website to be indexed by search engines like Google and YouTube (this is how you get targeted traffic to your website).

Unfortunately many consumers believe all real estate agents are the same, (and they validate that belief by receiving the same exact content or irrelevant content  from multiple real estate agents). Whether you realize it or not, you have immense value, it is your expertise and your observations communicated effectively and consistently that will not only set you apart from your competition but increase your value and help you get found online as well.

Now I know you’re probably wondering what kind of real estate content? Well let me ask you this, are homes still selling right now in the face of COVID-19? Why is that, and how is that? Has the housing inventory gone up or down because of the Coronavirus? And if that inventory did go up how does it affect buyers? If it went down how does it affect sellers?

Is this a normal market? While were at it, what is a normal market? What about loans, is it easier to qualify right now or harder? Why? What about down payments, are they higher? Lower? The same? Are there new loan programs that today’s buyer may be able to qualify for?

What about deferments? Will that affect a borrower’s ability to buy a home later or refinance? What about showing homes? What steps or technologies are you or your brokerage leveraging right now, today, to show homes and sell homes in this post COVID-19 housing market?

These real estate content ideas are based upon the last 60 days, there are literally thousands if not tens of thousands of real estate content topics that you could be talking about, emailing, texting, writing about that would not only keep you top of mind with those you know, but when uploaded to YouTube, shared on social networks and your website, would help you get found online by those you don’t.  Good real estate content increases your brand awareness and clearly establishes you as a thought leader and expert in your space, and that is exactly who the consumer wants to work with.

Contact Us

Thank you for your interest in HMC. We provide the highest quality business, commercial, event video productions, classes and services. We look forward to meeting you. Please fill out the form below or call 480.223.8113

Hub Media Green Screen Day Is 2nd Wednesday of Each Month

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Are you ready to take your video productions to the next level? Then Green Screen day at Hub Media Company is for you. Watch the short video below and book your spot for our next green screen day on the 2nd Wednesday of each month!

 

 

Space is booked in 1 hour slots at a cost of $250 per hour  basic editing is included. Most agents can do 2-4 videos during their 1 hour reservation. Simply write your script and email it to Stephen@hubmediacompany.com, and we will be waiting for you! Lights. Camera. Green Screen!

Green Screen Day

Please fill out the from below. An HMC representative will get back to to discuss availability and overall scope of your photography request. Thank You.
    First of all, we want you to know that YOU own your media when working with Hub Media Company. We will never charge you additional licensing fees to use your video or photography products where you see fit - your website, facebook, instagram, blogs, magazines etc. However we do reserve the right to use the media in our own marketing. Now on to the legal stuff.... 1) Introduction. A contract is formed between a customer (referred to as the “customer”) and HUB Media Company (referred to as "HMC") when an order is received from the customer. An order may be in written, verbal or electronic form. The product or service shall mean any product or service that is provided by HMC to the customer. 2) As Is. Hub Media Company's {HMC} listing video's and photography products, while customized, are designed for 36 - 48 hour turnaround and therefore are considered "as is" products, available under our flat rate structure. All other products through HMC, subdivision and community videos, green screen, testimonials, seller story, commercial projects are custom projects, and require a separate proposal of services. 3) Supply. HMC agrees to supply the product(s) or service(s) to the customer as detailed in the order and according to the terms and conditions of this contract. 4) Payment. HMC shall issue an invoice to the customer in respect of products or services supplied, or to be supplied, the payment terms for which will be stipulated on the invoice. HMC reserves the right to charge interest on overdue amounts at an annual rate of 5% above the Lloyds TSB Bank base rate ruling on the date payment is due. 5) Liability. HMC accepts no liability for any loss or damage that may arise from the supply of the product(s) or service(s). In the unlikely event of HMC being unable to supply the product(s) or service(s) as specified in the order, liability shall be limited to the total invoice value – or monies already paid by the customer 6) Copyright. Unless otherwise specified in writing you own your media however HMC retains the right to use this material in its original and edited form as they see fit, unless otherwise agreed in the order. The customer must ensure that permission is sought for the inclusion of any copyright material they supply to HMC to enable them to deliver the product(s) or service(s). The customer must also ensure that permission is sought for the inclusion of any performers or performances, trademarks and locations. The customer agrees to indemnify HMC in the event of any breach of copyright claims being brought against HMC in respect of material supplied by the customer. 7) Care and Damage to Client Property. While every care is taken in the handling of the customer’s property, HMC accepts no responsibility whatsoever for any loss or damage, however caused, or any other loss by unforeseen circumstances while they are in the custody of HMC. Liability for such loss or damage will be limited to the replacement cost of the materials or media and in no circumstances will any liability attach to any claim for the value of the content. 8) Right of Assignment HMC retains the right to assign the supply and/or production of the product(s) or service(s) to the customer to another suitable company should they be unable to complete these terms and conditions. 9) Confidentiality. Unless otherwise agreed HMC will treat any information gained during the supply of the product(s) or service(s) as being private and confidential. Likewise, the customer shall keep confidential any methodologies and technology used by HMC to supply of the product(s) or service(s).

YouTube Real Estate Marketing | Leveraging YouTube To Grow Your Real Estate Business

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youtube real estate marketingFact: Facebook is where consumers find content by accident. Fact: Google and YouTube are where consumers go when they are intentional. Hi, I’m Stephen Garner with HUB Media Company.

Imagine: You have a listing in the same community as another agent. But BEFORE their seller or anyone can watch their video on YouTube, they have to watch your 5-30 second YouTube Pre-Roll video about your listing or about who you are, what you do, how you are better and different, your marketing strategy etc.

Imagine consumers finding your videos online when they ask Google or YouTube a question. It’s happening for the savvy real estate agents that understand how YouTube real estate marketing can help them stand out from their competition, establish authority, professionalism and get found online.

In the video below I will take you step by step through everything you need to know about YouTube real estate marketing and about YouTube – the world’s 2nd largest search engine, and 3rd largest website. Setting up your YouTube channel, YouTube optimization, YouTube’s ranking factors, YouTube related search, driving traffic with YouTube and much much much more.

You’ll also learn how to create content for your ideal client, what kinds of videos you should be making, how to find real estate content, Keyword research, video optimization, video syndication, transcription, setting up YouTube ads, YouTube’s ranking factors and much more.

Contact Us

Thank you for your interest in HMC. We provide the highest quality business, commercial, event video productions, classes and services. We look forward to meeting you. Please fill out the form below or call 480.223.8113

Real Estate Video Marketing | How To Leverage Video In Your Real Estate Business

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real estate video marketingIf leveraging video in your real estate business is your achilles heel you’re going to love this real estate video marketing class. Hi, I’m Stephen Garner with Hub Media Company. Video changed my business. I started using video 10 years ago as a sales executive for multiple title companies here in the valley. Video was my differentiator, my value proposition and my unique selling proposition. It helped new clients just like you find me online, establish my expertise and authority. 6 years ago I left title and started Hub Media Company one of the valley’s leaders in real estate media; photo, video, aerial, green screen etc.

There are so many benefits to real estate video marketing. Video is fast, video is believable, video is emotional, video conveys more information, video is indexed faster by search engines and video is what the consumer is demanding.

Look at your own behavior. You do a google search you get 10 links, 9 text and one video. You choose the….. YES. Video. So does the consumer.

Nationally, less than 2% of real estate agents are using real estate video marketing and I can tell you from experience, many of them are using video in their real estate business incorrectly. There is a right way and a wrong way to use real estate video marketing. Pitching your own greatness, like so many real estate agents do is the WRONG way. The video below will tell or rather SHOW you the power of real estate video marketing and how you can use it to add value, educate and inform your ideal client, get found online, be seen as an authority in your space, do more deals and make more money.

Contact Us

Thank you for your interest in HMC. We provide the highest quality business, commercial, event video productions, classes and services. We look forward to meeting you. Please fill out the form below or call 480.223.8113

Real Estate Video Marketing | #1 Mistake Realtors Make When Marketing Their Videos

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While many savvy real estate professionals have been using video in their real estate business for some time, using video in real estate is something still relatively new to many real estate agents. So it’s understandable that most are paving the way as they go. But what they don’t realize is how this one mistake is costing them web traffic, leads and ultimately more money. Zillow, Trulia and Realtor dot com are now the top destinations for consumers whether buying or selling, but this fact doesn’t mean real estate agents can’t clearly establish their value in the eyes of the consumer by creating high quality, unique and valuable content consumers are searching for online.

 

Facebook Is the logical place to put your videos when marketing properties for sale but there is a problem: facebook is a horrible search engine, it’s hard enough for you to find a post you did on your own page a few weeks ago so imagine how challenging it can be for others to find your best content. Facebook is a place where consumers discover content by accident where as other platforms like Google and Youtube are on purpose. Watch the short video below to see where your videos should be uploaded first (before facebook) as well as what order we recommend to get the most out of your video marketing.

Contact Us

Thank you for your interest in HMC. We provide the highest quality business, commercial, event video productions, classes and services. We look forward to meeting you. Please fill out the form below or call 480.223.8113

7 Videos Every Real Estate Agent Should Have and WHY

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Video, once reserved for the most savvy real estate agents is now seemingly everywhere. Most real estate agents are using some variety of video in their real estate business whether that be Facebook live, professional cinematic home tours or even the Zillow walk throughs.  Video is very effective when used properly to educate and inform consumers, market properties for sale, build brands and much more. Whether you are a savvy video pro or just getting your toes wet, there are some videos that are, in our opinion, essential for every real estate professional.

7 Videos Every Real Estate Agent Should Have

The Home Page /About Us Video

This is the video that is on the front of your website, ya know your store front. And that is exactly what a good website is. The web is where consumers are going to learn more about you, what you do, where you do it, what others say about you and how you can help.  This video should clearly identify what makes you better and different that your competition. Not braggadocios though – most people don’t respond well to this, but presented in away where you are clearly the choice. People do business with people they like and trust. This style video shows the personal side of you and if you are comfortable with it, your family. Where are you from? What did you do in your past life? Why were drawn to real estate? Why do you like helping people and how do you feel when you are able to help them? When done right this video style will humanize you, bringing consumers closer. This video not only lives on your website home page but also in your email signature, business cards, social media – everywhere.


 

Tips and How To Videos

How do I….. Where should I…. What is……. There are millions of consumers typing these very words into search engines like Google and YouTube every day. They are making themselves smarter. Every real estate agent should be creating regular content for platforms like YouTube. YouTube is the 2nd largest search engine in the world behind Google, which owns Youtube.  What are your best tips for buying a home? Where are the best places to visit? What about getting a home ready for sale? Should I go with the bank that has my checking account or would a mortgage broker be a better idea and why? What are some of the best areas to buy a home right now and why is that? Making these style videos will not only help consumers find you online, but will also show your expertise and experience without resorting to that braggadocios marketing we referenced above.

The Community Video

Who makes the purchase decision when it comes to real estate? Women! Correct. And did you know most women know what community they want to live in next? It’s true, ask them. Ask someone in the Phoenix area where they live and they probably won’t say Alma School and Ocotillo, the will say “Ocotillo”, not Val Vista and Baseline but “Val Vista Lakes”, not Mountain View and Via Linda but “Scottsdale Ranch”. This is because we identify with the communities we call home, they say something about us or who we think we are. Community videos are not only great to show your expertise on a community but also to help you get found online. When my mom found out we were doing one for Fulton Ranch she couldn’t wait to send it to all her friends back in Upstate New York – turns out the people that live in these communities share them as well.

Testimonial Videos

Most real estate agents tout themselves in their marketing which can come off as egotistical or braggadocios as we said earlier. Testimonial videos are the 21 century version of the written testimonial from years past, ya know the “I highly recommend Pat or Bill, he was great!“, only on steroids. A good testimonial video will tell other consumers how you saved your clients time and money, how you helped them realize their home goals, whether that be buying or selling. And the best part- it’s the agents client that is telling the world about the agent, not the agent themselves. Video testimonials are the ultimate form of social proof which humans are easily influenced by.

Cinematic Property Tour Video

Did you know 80% of consumers, when given the choice between photos and video of a property will choose video? Yup it’s true. Fortunately for you less than 3% of real estate agents are using video to market their properties for sale. A good cinematic property video will create emotion, a necessity in selling big ticket items – like real estate. This style video will help the consumer mentally move in to the property, they can see where their furniture will go, which child will get which room and the marble, onyx and granite countertops accented by the stainless appliances. And because the real estate agent is in the video introducing the property it is priceless face time at the exact moment the consumer cares most about what you have to say and they want their property marketed like this! The cinematic tour video goes on YouTube, social media, the agents website and used in facebook and instagram ads.


 

Facebook Live Videos

When it comes to marketing your product needs to be where the eyeballs are, YOU are the product, and the eyeballs – they are on Facebook. Facebook is where we accidentally discover content. Facebook live videos, when done effectively, can create engagement and help you build a community.

Video Email

Video email can help you personally connect with potential prospects and customers. Did you know people are 80% more likely to do business with people they can see compared to only speaking on the phone or through email? Yup. Agents can use video email per customer or per project. Real estate agents can use video email for thank you’s,  communicating with your sphere of influence, following up with cold leads, new clients and so much more. The key with video email is to keep your message short and to the point. Always make your video emails as valuable as possible. I know I said 5 videos but next one is a bonus…

Some of The 7 Videos Every Real Estate Agent Should Have can be done with an iPhone and some good lighting but others would be best done by a professional. At Hub Media Company over 90% of what we do is in the real estate space. If anyone can help you create your story and tell it to the world it’s us. Please fill out the form below to chat about how we can help.

Contact Us

Thank you for your interest in HMC. We provide the highest quality business, commercial, event video productions, classes and services. We look forward to meeting you. Please fill out the form below or call 480.223.8113

 

 

Want Your Listings To Really Shine? | Lighting for Residential Properties

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Light is one of the, if not the most important aspects of photography and videography. Great light makes people and things look beautiful. Trust me, those actors and models on TV, in movies and print publications look NOTHING like that IRL (In Real Life – for those of us over 40) – because they are properly lit.

One of the things that drives the photographers, filmmakers and editors at HUB Media Company crazy is mixed lighting. Not only is it harder to balance later in editing, it’s not visually appealing to your potential buyers.

What’s mixed lighting? Great question!😊

Mixed lighting is when some rooms are using daylight balanced bulbs (blue or cool) and others are using soft white or cool white (yellow-ish or or white – warm). “Oh yeah, I hate that too” you are currently saying 💪. As if this isn’t bad enough, the train wreck is multiple light fixtures that have a mix of both cool and warm lights 😱.

At HUB we recommend soft white 2,700 – 3,000K or cool white bulbs 3,500 – 4,100K in residential properties. “K” is for “Kelvin” as displayed on the bulbs and packaging. The higher the degrees of Kelvin, the whiter the color temperature.

To illustrate, the bulb at the top is soft white (warm – 2700k – 3,000k) the bulb in the middle is cool white (3,500 – 4,100 K) and the bulb at the bottom is daylight (cool – 5000k – 6,500k). See the difference? Now imagine a whole room or even house with mixed lighting or the wrong lighting entirely 🤓

So before you have your professional photos or video created, we encourage you to take a look around the property and take note of the lighting. In the initial listing presentation, suggest the seller replace the cool or blue lights with soft white (yellow or yellow – ish) or cool white (white)

Not only will the property look much better in your marketing photos and videos, but the seller will be blown away with your attention to detail and commitment to present their property in the best possible “light”. (See what I did there) “Light”, I used it in a funny way, ok well I digress… 💪💪🎥🎬

Now, this only applies to real estate agents using professional photo and video. If you are an agent still taking photos or your listings with your iPhone, (and I know you are not because you are receiving this email – meaning you are a #baller)…. disregard the above as there is nothing the correct lighting can do to fix the nuclear bomb you’re about to post online 👮‍♀️

 

Contact Us

Thank you for your interest in HMC. We provide the highest quality business, commercial, event video productions, classes and services. We look forward to meeting you. Please fill out the form below or call 480.223.8113