About Me

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REALTOR® with Prudential New Jersey Properties, Moretti Division, in South Plainfield, NJ. Contact me for assistance with selling or buying properties in New Jersey! President of Robin Taylor Roth Enterprises, LLC - Training, consulting, and social media for small businesses. Living in New Jersey and loving it. Proximity to Manhattan opens the world to us.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Your Website Represents You!

As an active real estate agent, you must have a website, of course. You may have a website that is provided by your company, an independent website, or both.

Each of these websites represents you, your services, and your company. It is your virtual ambassador, in a sense. How can you ensure that your website represents you in the best possible way?

At a minimum, your website(s) should include this information:
  • About Me (your background, approach to real estate, and a little personal information, too)
  • Your Listings (all of your active listings, preferably as a feed from your MLS)
  • Your Solds (display all those for which the buyer has given you permission)
  • Contact Me (an easy way for consumers to reach you)
  • Your Marketplace (information about the marketplace you serve, including financing options, schools, recreational facilities, and so on)
  • Blog (a key way to communicate to consumers).

Make each of your websites as powerful as it can be by, first, learning as much as you can about the features and functionality of the web template. Then, maximize your use of all of the capabilities of the template you have. For example, are there special widgets that show current housing prices in your marketplace? Can you link to your MLS listings? Is there a widget that supports podcasts? Use such special features to make that website stand out in your marketplace.

Investing time to polish each of your websites will ensure that you will be proud of your virtual ambassadors!

For additional ideas on keeping your websites current, visit Robin's Ruminations.

Friday, May 1, 2009

Don't Neglect Your Professional Development!

To maintain your professional image as a knowledgeable real estate professional, you must remain current on what's happening in the real estate business - even if your state does not have CEU requirements! There are many options available to you:
  • State association workshops
  • Broker-group-sponsored rallies
  • National or regional conventions
  • Online training.
When you complete any professional development activity, be sure to write about it in your blog. Also, post formal course completions on your website, to demonstrate your expertise.

It's a good rule of thumb to plan to participate in a formal professional development program, at least twice each year.