Generatus – Social Media Inflatable Doll (IMHO)

Just a quick rant on Social Media Status Generators like Generatus. Brad Coy over at BHB fired up on this one…then I got some tweets about it and I knew it was time for me to chime in as well. AUTHENTICITY, people! I connect with you online to get to know YOU. Not some canned response one liner! These things are the Social Media’s version of inflatable dolls (hang on – there’s more to this analogy!)

I try to take most everything offered online and run it to its obvious conclusion. WHAT IF EVERYBODY DID IT? Can you imagine all of the canned one liners going back and forth. Would we know TRULY who anyone REALLY is? (I think not…)

So…if you use generatus to make an inflatable doll out of yourself. And I do the same with myself. How is there going to be “chemistry” between the two inflatable dolls? Will anyone FEEL ANYTHING in the relationship? Don’t think so IMHO. There will be no happy endings there. (So to speak…do ya think someone generated that analogy FOR me? grin)

If you TRULY want to build your online status and you are not imaginative… then how about just being YOURSELF online. There are a lot of people JUST like YOU out there!!! (More than you can believe!) You will build status just fine!

If you use generatus and similar stuff as a crutch, are you compensating for the fact that you are unimaginative? or it is that you are just to doggone lazy to put some authentic thoughts out there–be they witty or not.

Here’s my opinion: Tell the truth. Be Authentic. Seriously. It is the key to LASTING online relationships and marketing yourself.

My Fall Calendar – SEO, Real Estate and Autism

Between Search Engine Optimization, Real Estate and Autism…It is going to be a busy fall!

\You would have thought that with the economy slowing and school coming back into session, that the schedule around here would slow down. Actually–It is doing anything BUT slowing down! Here are some of the events that I am tentatively scheduled to be at this fall…

RealEstateWebmasters Conference – September 16 &17 in beautiful Nanaimo British Colombia.

I will be speaking on two of my favorite subjects – Real Estate and Search Engine Marketing. More importantly we will be hanging out together with some of the brightest minds in SEO, real estate and all things internet.

MAAP Autism Conference October 1st and 2nd – Indianapolis, IN – This is an Autism Conference where our family will be speaking. This was the first conference that I got to attend in helping 2 of our sons remove some of the obstacles that they have.

Bloodhound Blog Unchained – November 7th. Even though I am NOT going to NAR’s annual convention, i am tentatively scheduled to be here. It promises to be a great gathering of the Internet Savvy Real Estate crowd that is not to be missed. Here’s the latest from Greg on how things are shaping up for this conference.

NATTAP - Columbus OH – November 17th and 18th. This amazing autism conference will find the Blackwell family doing an all day pre-conference workshop. We are looking forward to it in a BIG way. The folks at OCALI are awesome.

By the time we get to Thanksgiving we will be tired, but will have a good time hanging out with family and friends LOCALLY… I personally am looking forward to EACH of these conferences and what we plan to learn and share…and most important of all, the new friends we will meet along the way!

What conferences are you going to be attending this fall?

Real Estate Webmasters Website Raffle by Team Eric

First of all, we won the Greatest Real Estate Agent in the World SEO contest. With that win came a great prize, a website and IDX created by Real Estate Webmasters and donated by Morgan Carey.

It is one of their template websites with a CORE IDX (awesome) and comes with free hosting for life. This is several thousand dollars worth of real estate site! VERY COOL.

As part of the contest, we connected with the Eco Preservation Society in Costa Rica. They are a non-profit who is concerned with conservation of the rain forest and the other wildlife rich areas of Costa Rica. Here is more about them!

Here is a video about them:

We would like to raise money for them, so here’s how we are going to do it!

It’s RAFFLE TIME!

How to ENTER:

Step 1: Donate via the Pay Pal button below $35 gets you ONE TICKET, $100 gets you FOUR TICKETS!

Here’s the button!

Step 2: The winner will be drawn on June 1, 2008 by Kevin Peterson of the Eco Preservation Society and his decision will be final, and the winner will be notified by email. THE WINNER MUST MEET THE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS!-SEE BELOW.

ELIGIBILITY:
To be eligible to receive the prize, you must be a REALTOR in good standing with the National Association of REALTORS, you must have access to a freestanding IDX data feed from your board and you understand that you are responsible for any board fees associated with getting the feed (they are usually pretty small if any, but please be clear that they are yours to pay). Finally, the contest winner is subject to the final approval of Morgan Carey and RealEstateWebmasters. If you have a question about your eligibility, PLEASE ask BEFORE buying a raffle ticket. This raffle void wherever prohibited by law.

Greatest Real Estate Agent in the World Attributes – Guest post by Charles Richey

EDITOR’S NOTE: Charles and his lovely wife work the real estate market of Las Vegas. It is only natural for him to think about some of the most high-rolling and passionate people in the business as the greatest. That being said, as he explains – - that alone is not enough. Here’s Charles:

To be the greatest real estate agent (or anything else for that matter), it has to be your true passion. Whether is helping people find a great deal on a home or being the greatest golfer in the world, you have to have a genuine passion for the subject. Take a look at any exceptional athlete, business man or real estate agent, and you’ll find a driving passion behind their success as well as a firm commitment to excellence and integrity.

A good example would be real estate entrepreneur Donald Trump. While a lot of controversy surrounds him, he is unequivocal in his stance that investing in real estate is one of the smartest things anyone can do. Real estate development is his passion and he has been very successful at it for the last several decades with projects in several US vacation destination cities like Las Vegas as well as other major cities around the world. That passion combined with great business acumen has turned him from a run-of-the-mill real estate mogul into a world wide recognized brand.

Could he be the greatest real estate developer in the world? If you ask “the Don”, I’m sure he’d agree. With real estate holdings all over the world, a popular television show and busy speaking schedule, he could make a strong case as one of the greatest real estate developers in the world. But being passionate about a subject isn’t enough.

Other traits commonly shared by very successful people are a vast amount of knowledge and confidence. Both are critical to be successful. Lastly there is one more important characteristic, especially in a field like real estate where your reputation is paramount. This is of course, having integrity. Having integrity in all aspects of your professional and personal life is one of the greatest assets you can have and will help you become successful.

Whether or not you become the greatest in your field is up to you!

Attributes of the Greatest Real Estate Agent in the World – guest post by Wayne Long

Editor’s Note: I love Wayne’s response to my question of what defines the Greatest Real Estate Agent in the World. In his typical way, Wayne defines it perfectly in my book. By the way, I have postdated these posts so that they appear BELOW the main piece we wrote on the main page. I want people to KNOW WHY picked the people I did to work with. They are great people. They are great at marketing on the web and they are GREAT REAL ESTATE AGENTS. I wanted them to have a chance to get their two cents in as well. Thanks Wayne for Kicking it off!

I am not sure I know who or what the Greatest Real Estate Agent in the world is or even looks like but there are some common denominators in Great Real Estate Agents.

Great Real Estate Agents do three things well:
1) Client Focused – Great REALTORS® meld a clients needs with the Agent’s expertise.
2) Expertise – Great Real Estate agents continually improve and expand their knowledge and skill sets.
3) Systems – They use systems to insure that the details are taken care of and the expectations of the client are consistently met.

In expanding on these points I found several things in common with the Great REALTORS® I have met.
Client’s needs are placed first in the relationship. One of the paradoxes of life is that when we put other people’s needs first we are ultimately fulfilled ourselves. A great Real Estate Agent realizes this and puts his clients first by providing the information they need to make good decisions, keeping them informed about the progress with their transaction, and taking the time to use his/her expertise to guide the client in the right direction. Most importantly a great REALTOR® will actively listen to his client and then match their needs with the best and most productive actions.
Great Realtors take the time to sharpen their saw thru reading, acquiring specialized designations, and otherwise attending conferences and workshops that expand their abilities and knowledge base. These agents apply this new knowledge base to the situations they face and are much better at solving problems, negotiating, and relating to their customers. Great REALTORS® are life long learners!
Finally, a great real estate agent delivers the knowledge, skills, and client focus to his clients thru a set of systems that insures each client receives the attention and quality of service they deserve. These systems are repeatable and are constantly improved to deliver an ever improving experience to their clients.
Who is the Greatest Real Estate Agent in the World? I don’t know but I bet he/she possesses these qualities!

The Greatest Real Estate Agent needs a web presence – Cal Carter guest post

Editor’s Note- I am posting Cal’s Answer to my question of my teammates. GREAT answer Cal.

The Greatest Real Estate Agent in the World provides a great internet search experience for potential buyers to do their primary research and needs analysis. Without being bothersome, the agent will send helpful notes reminding the potential buyer that he is there ready to assist in obtaining more detailed information on specific properties when the time is right for the buyer and to help the buyer negotiate the purchase of property. Through the great search appliance the agent provides, the buyer is better able to utilize his free time in the search process and better communicate to the agent exactly what he is looking for in his real estate search. This mechanism of working together makes the experience for buyer and agent much more productive, timely, and satisfying.

In regards to sellers, the Greatest Real Estate Agent in the World spends large numbers of hours compiling information about the subject property to be sold and taking pictures. The information is submitted not only to the MLS, but to multiple websites where the data is disbursed, “handshaked” on other agents sites, and syndicated to national real estate sites. But perhaps the most important thing the Greatest Real Estate Agent in the World does is spend hundreds of hours researching, writing, blogging, and optimizing web content that will bring potential buyers to the sellers property. Getting the property shown is step one, but to bring the seller a buyer, the Greatest Real Estate Agent in the World must work with the Seller in regards to properly pricing the property to sell. If the Seller chooses to price the property higher than the market will bear, it matters not what the agent does to get the property seen, it will not sell.

We are in a new era where the mechanism for discovery of properties is via electronic media on the internet. The Greatest Real Estate Agent in the World will develop skill sets to utilize to bring buyer and seller together within this web of information. Sellers must remember that even though we are in a new era of real estate information disbursement the old way of pricing properly to sell and making economic sense for the buyer to buy is first and foremost in getting your property sold whether you are working with the Greatest Real Estate Agent in the World or one that is great but with a lesser propensity for promoting your property in the web arena.

Cal Carter
REALTOR
Gulf Shores Alabama

What defines the Greatest Real Estate Agent in the World- According to Judy Orr

EDITOR’S NOTE- Judy Orr’s response to my question of what defines the Greatest Real Estate Agent in the World is one of the reasons why i like her so much and consider her a good friend. I would hire her if I was moving to her neck of the woods because she gets it. She dedicates herself to being the greatest to her clients and that is all that matters.

To me, being the Greatest Real Estate Agent in the World doesn’t necessarily have to do with selling the most properties than others but how you treat your clients. Although it is a service industry, REALTORS are dealing with what is usually the largest financial decision a buyer will ever make (until their next one).

Experience does bring knowledge, confidence and the true feeling that I am the best agent in my area that a buyer or seller can hire. For buyers I offer the knowledge of the area and can help them make the best decisions.

For sellers I offer an extensive marketing plan using techniques that work. I know the area and today’s current market conditions and can help sellers price their property correctly and give them ideas to showcase their home so they really do get top dollar and a quick sale.

I communicate with my clients and answer any of their questions. I educate them and empathize with their fears and emotions.

Some think our job as real estate agents is glamorous, others feel we’re no different than used car salesmen. It is pretty easy to get a real estate license and I believe this is what connotes any negative images of our industry.

When I start working with a potential client you better believe I think I’m the greatest agent in the world for them to help them buy and/or sell a home or other property.

But a good (or greatest) real estate agent will receive referrals and continuously get repeat business from their clients that we refer to as “raving fans.” This is the best feeling to know that I made a difference and had a positive impact on my raving fans’ lives. They entrust their friends, families and acquaintances to me because in their mind, I am the greatest real estate agent in the world!

How to be the Greatest Real Estate Agent – Guest post by Mike Dammann

In real estate, greatness is defined by your ability to execute and turn an opportunity into success. The greatest real estate lead in the world will turn into the biggest waste of time if your agent does not understand the importance of paying attention to the potential clients and determines which piece of property to show and how to present it. Even the greatest webmaster in the world will double check his strategy if he worked for only one day as a real estate agent. Real estate and internet marketing are very different from one another.

I have been a part time real estate agent in Costa Rica for about 6 months and it has been one of the greatest experiences of my life, but it is completely different from playing the numbers’ game online. When I get leads in as an agent, I am very selective on which I focus and I need to feel a connection and an understanding with and of the client.

Costa Rica is currently the hottest market on planet earth. Homes sell like hotcakes and prices are rising.
If you ever come to Costa Rica, come to my offices in Santa Teresa on the Peninsula de Nicoya.

506 Properties Costa Rica, S.A. is the greatest real estate agent company, maybe not in the world, but definitely in Central America.
Am I the greatest real estate agent in the world? Of course not, even if Property Hogs makes it up there. Eric Blackwell is, or let’s say as a team we are the greatest real estate agent team there is.

I myself would rather be the creator of the greatest web site out there. Real estate is something I just fell into, because I gave my leads to a bunch of losers who couldn’t sell and decided to try it myself taking a few clients out. Real estate and marketing go hand in hand, but it’s not like signing up people for free credit reports. It takes getting to know your visitors, making a real connection, listening to them and then make the sale. I wish everyone the best and thank you for being a part of this great real estate seo contest.

EDITOR’S Note: Thanks Mike for your hard work on behalf of the team. You are the best.

The Greatest Real Estate Agent needs experience – Ken Smith guest post

EDITOR’S NOTE: Ken Smith is a great guy, and i consider him to be a solid friend. Here he tackles the issue of how EXPERIENCE helps to make a real estate agent the greatest.

Could any agent be “The Greatest Real Estate Agent in the World“? While there are many great agents I seriously doubt any of them could with a straight face try to claim to be the “greatest in the world”. The main reason is every great agent knows at some point in time they make mistakes.

While making mistakes is part of life the important thing is what we learn from those mistakes. This is why an experienced real estate agent will be more likely to be the best choice for a buyer or seller.

For those that don’t know getting your real estate license amounts to taking some classes and learning about real estate law. Things that have nothing to do with selling real estate like what year the fair housing act was passed. While a very important bill, the year it passed doesn’t effect real estate sales today. The only thing that matter is what the law says and the spirit of the law. There are hundreds of worthless facts you quickly “learn” and just as quickly forget to be able to receive your real estate license that have nothing to do with being a great agent.

After receiving their license the real estate agent then needs to find a broker, which sadly is even easier then getting the license. When brand new every broker I interviewed with offered me a position. They even offered me small perks to get me to sign up with them. Disappointing, but true, very few had anything remotely close to an organized way of training their new agents.

The school of hard knocks really is how most agents learn about this business. A mistake must be made with one client to learn never to make the same mistake again. Agents have to learn after multiple mistakes how to best serve their clients and to learn what is best for one client may not be best for the next.

While experience is very important the agents ability learn and adapt based on their past experiences is even more important. Some lessons in life are very easy to learn, for example how many times did you have to touch a hot stove to learn not to? Most people only make that mistake once because the action has a clear (and painful) result. Unfortunately most actions that real estate agents make don’t have clearly defined results.

When a deal falls apart it is very hard to pinpoint what action caused this to happen. When a buyer ends up with “buyers remorse” or unhappy with an agents service how can they pinpoint the exact action that caused this result. A seller that feels their agent isn’t working hard enough for them or in the end decides that it’s the agent fault the home didn’t sell, what action caused this?

Without clearly defined results from individual actions how is an agent to figure out what went wrong? The agent must have systems in place and be willing to track everything. The agent must also be willing to take a hard look at their own performance when something goes wrong, not place blame on others, and find the flaw in the system. Once the flaw is identified the real estate agent must adapt their systems to make sure no future client has the same bad experience.

So in the end if there ever was to be a “Greatest Real Estate Agent in the World” they would be experienced, adaptable, flexible, systematized, and willing to accept responsibility for any and all problems that arise during a transaction.

I’ve been MEME’d! My response…

I just noticed last night that I had been MEME’d by Lydia Taylor (a REALTOR from Savannah Ga) to post 7 interesting things about myself and then send on the challenge to 7 other unsuspecting souls…

So (if that’s how it works-grin), here goes…

Things that you might find interesting about me…

#1) My wife Jen and I have been married almost 19 years. We met in Korea, where we were both serving as missionaries – even though we are both American.

#2) My wife and I never dated before getting engaged (HUH?) Actually that is true. We became close friends as missionaries and I returned to the United States about 1 year before Jen finished her missionary work. We corresponded during that time and I knew she was the one for me…4 days after she came home I propsed. I didn’t want anyone else to have a chance (grin)…with good reason. Best decision I ever made.

#3) I am an identical twin.

#4) I used to work as a field rep for Diamond Walnut and probably know more useless facts about walnuts than most folks. (Test me…go ahead!)

#5) Jen and I have 4 kids, two of whom deal with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (one with Aspergers Syndrome and one with Autism). Our family speaks nationally on how to have a great perspective about Autism and the infinite potential of each person.

#6) I am a foodie and one of my favorite pastimes is watching Ace of Cakes (Food Network) and building amazing cakes with my son Craig. We have done dragons, cars, submarines, and even a bowl of chili cake that was EERILY realistic.

#7) Hmmm… what else…OK…we have two dogs..Boston and Cheyenne…my kids now want dogs for the other 48 capitals of the US…Ain’t gonna happen! (a dog called Sacramento or Indianapolis–don’t think so!)

OK…there’s my 7. Since Lydia shot down some of my posse with Ryan, Dave, Wayne, and Bramlett…I will have to opt for some other fun blogging friends! Greg, Kris Berg, Russell Shaw, all from the Bloodhound Blog…what do you say?

Two of my local real estate favorites Jon Karlen and Anne Mayhugh…are you up for it?

With my final two picks to tag people, I would like to try some elusive, but very helpful folks to REALTORS, Morgan Carey from REW-the world wants to know 7 interesting things about you! and finally Christopher (cK) Chung (who is not a REALTOR, but an outstanding Search Engine consultant and online marketer).

OK folks 7 interesting things about you and 7 other victims (grin). Thanks in advance if you participate (I hope you all do…)

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