Category Archives: How & Why

Great Feedback from a Longtime Participant

“Every agent is looking for leads and prospects.  My name still comes up at the top of a Google search due to posts I made on Agent Insight years ago,” says Glee Barnhill of RE/MAX Orange Beach in Orange Beach, AL. “Because my collection of insights isn’t ever erased, they constantly help my name pop up on the internet, especially for the developments I show.”

Glee has participated with Agent Insight for four years, submitting 140 posts that cover eight towns and 55 developments.  She says she loves the “portability” of making posts. Just snap a quick photo with your mobile device, write a quick caption, and hit send.

“I shoot pictures and get ideas for written insights all through the day, wherever and whatever I’m doing. I can be in the car showing properties or on a boat or on the beach,” she says. “If something catches my eye, it will likely catch someone else’s.” Glee has made many submissions about condos and houses, but she shows plenty of variety such as art festivals, restaurants, businesses, schools, and, of course, the natural beauty of the Alabama coastline.

“This is a resort area with lots of retirees moving from northern states. Agent Insight is such a benefit because I can show out-of-town clients so much of our beautiful Gulf communities online,” she said. “Other real estate sites show listings, but I can present so much more on Agent Insight. With so many buyers choosing their new homes sight-unseen, this is a great service.”

Glee makes full use of the technology at her fingertips by posting her Agent Insight photos on Facebook and Instagram. “I consider this my alternative to blogging,” she said. “I can show off the area while entertaining and educating my current and potential clients.”

The positive experience Glee has had with Agent Insight should inspire you to use this excellent marketing tool in 2021. Consider making a New Year’s Resolution to start using Agent Insight if you are new to RE/MAX or to get back into the routine of submitting insights if you haven’t posted anything for a while. We have some great training tools available to help you get started! Here are a few photos from Glee’s collection.

This whimsical seahorse is part of the bayfront art in Elberta
Come see the beautiful winter beach in Orange Beach
Love the beautiful landscaping at Heritage Motor Homes
You can have the beach to yourself in the fall

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TIPS FOR WINTER  POSTS

Winter scenes make great photos. You can even reshoot the same subjects you’ve already covered because they’ll appear completely different surrounded by snow. We look forward to your ingenuity with pictures and written insights related to the season.

Be Creative Writing Your Agent Insight Profile

Every agent who participates in LeadStreet has their own Agent Insight profile page which includes space for an agent photo, social media icons, featured properties, contact information, and a biography. Initially, there will be a short bio that has some generic information about RE/MAX agents, which is a good placeholder until you find time to personalize it.

Since this is another place where you will be branded on the internet, why not juice things up a bit? Be creative telling about your knowledge of the areas you cover, and include your particular specialities. A few words about your hobbies and a little bit about your family or pets can help potential clients identify with you.

Hundreds of Agent Insight participants have already customized their bios to be “on-brand” with their other marketing tools. Excerpts from three examples are shown below.  (Click on the agents’ photos to read their complete bios.) You’ll see that some chose to write in first person, others in third person. Both are effective. Take a look, and make a few notes about the information you want to include in your bio.

Tell your clients about your professional background and how it helped build the skill set you bring to real estate. Tonya Taibi, RE/MAX Revolution in Kansas City, MO, has a well written bio that describes her design and marketing expertise, as well as the real estate areas that are her specialities.

Tonya Taibi

I started my career in marketing as a graphic designer, photo stylist, and art director. With my eye for architectural design, I can visualize the potential in any property….I use my passion and experience in marketing and graphic design to help my clients with more than just negotiations and contracts. I am able to assist with the creative marketing needed to sell your home, and the attention to detail to help you buy your dream home. I specialize in new construction, first-time home buyers, downsizing, FHA, conventional, USDA, VA, and investments.  

Show your enthusiasm about your profession and community! People can trust agents who truly love their job and the places where they help clients buy and sell property. The example here from Jeff Easter, RE/MAX Advantage North in Gardendale, AL, is a good example.

Jeff Easter

Sweet Home Alabama! I was born and raised here, and I’m passionate about it. Some of the most gorgeous real estate on earth is right here in Alabama! Some of the best people on the planet are right here in Alabama!…I entered the Birmingham business community, working some 20 years in marketing, sales, and customer service. This experience proved invaluable in paving the way to my career in real estate.

Include job-related awards you have won. Potential clients are looking for an agent with a proven track record and will be encouraged to contact you when they see your professional awards. Jacob Ainsworth from Diamondhead, MS, joined RE/MAX Coast Delta Realty in 2016. His bio includes several of his awards, as well as his appreciation for the Gulf Coast and the skills he brings to clients.

Jacob Ainsworth

Jacob is a native Texan turned Mississippian with a love for the Gulf Coast and everything the brackish waters of Southern Mississippi have to offer….He earned the “RE/MAX Rookie of the Year” award in 2017 for being the “youngest” multi-million dollar sales agent for his first year….Jacob has been recognized by RE/MAX as a three-time 100% Club Award Winner and is trending for a fourth designation this year.

Think about what potential clients might want to know about you when they are searching for a real estate agent. Write an informative Agent Insight bio for your agent profile page, and make sure that your LeadStreet profile has a good photo. Then, direct your clients to your page so they can read about you and view all the submissions you have included.

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Here Come the Holidays!

Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, and all the other holidays between now and January 1st are great opportunities for taking photos and writing insights. Show and tell your clients about all the festive events, decorations, and beauty of the season. We look forward to receiving your submissions. Happy Holidays!

Highlight Local Businesses for Labor Day

As Labor Day weekend kicks off the fall season, you can draw inspiration from that theme by featuring local workers and businesses in your Agent Insight posts. Remember that Agent Insight is a prospecting tool which allows you to present every aspect of your community. Try focusing on retail stores, restaurants, and other local businesses for your next few submissions.

Make a list of your favorite stores, specialty shops, and professional offices.  Include home-related services such as lawn care, plumbing, painting, or house cleaning companies. Choose any business that would be of interest to your clients including services and shops that can help them as they settle into their new homes.

Presenting local businesses can be a two-way street. Tell the proprietors that you are showcasing them in Agent Insight, your online marketing tool for finding new clients. Explain that you are using your post to highlight their business for potential new home buyers in their community.  Give them your business card, and perhaps someday one of the proprietors will send a lead your way!

Many agents have been submitting posts about local businesses for years. Here are excerpts from a few really good posts (credits noted below). Note that several of these posts also have links to videos about the subject.

St Laurent Brothers Sell Fine Quality Nuts and Chocolates
Come one, come all to one of the finest places for chocolate, candy and nuts in Michigan. What a great place to pick up last second gifts for your significant other….

Kansas City’s River Market Hosts a Variety of Fun Events
From concerts, to great places to eat and shop, to the Super Bowl Parade, the River Market is a great place to be. There’s a lot of benefits to living in or around the River Market….

Great Service at Royal Pets Grooming Spa
I love the staff at Royal Pets! They are friendly and great with all the fur babies they work with. I am always confident that my fur baby is in good hands when I bring him to get groomed…..

Go to “A Cleaner Place” to Buy a Vacuum or Repair an Old One
If you are ever in need of purchasing a new vacuum, you must come to this locally owned business. I have been here at least three times for repair on my vacuum so I don’t have to purchase a new one and it has been worth it every single time….

Visit the Narrows Yacht Club for Boat and Vacation Rentals
This is a little business that offers big service, as the name implies. Whether you’re looking for watercraft rentals, a vacation rental, or just happen to be passing by on your own boat, this place can help you out….

Use your photo submissions to show aspects of your subjects, inside and out. Remember to pack as much information as possible into the 14 to 16 word caption. Both of the pictures below show interesting views and give good details in the captions.

You can find for something unique and special in the excellent Inventory at Jennifer’s on Main St.,Cedar Falls
A behind the scenes look at the Sea Coast Echo Newspaper’s big blue presses in Bay Saint Louis

The goals of Agent Insight are to grow the RE/MAX brand presence in your area, elevate your personal online brand, and to generate more client opportunities for you. Your Labor Day themed posts can help you meet all these goals. Enjoy the upcoming holiday!

Written insights submitted credits:   Wade & Annie Eckenrod, RE/MAX Results, Bay City, MI; Wes Graves, RE/MAX Revolution, Kansas City, MO; Heather Jackson, RE/MAX Select, Hammond, LA; Sheila Gibbs, RE/MAX at Home, Edmond, OK; Lisa Rossi, RE/MAX Bayshore, Traverse City, MI. Photo credits:   Deanna Wheeler, RE/MAX Home Group, Cedar Falls, IA; Jacob Ainsworth, RE/MAX Coast Delta Realty, Diamondhead, MS.

 

Heat Up Your Insights with Summer’s Sizzle

Summer is hot and so is the real estate market throughout much of the country.  Interest rates are exceptionally low, and the market is booming.  Given our strange circumstances due to COVID-19, a huge percentage of house hunting is being conducted online. Use Agent Insight to show home buyers what they will find in your community during the warm weather months. Use written insights and photos to give your prospective clients an idea of your area’s summertime fun and beauty.

Although the coronavirus has limited many of the usual activities, you can still find plenty of opportunities to showcase summertime in your city. Photos of outside dining at your favorite restaurants or a socially distanced crowd watching July 4th fireworks may already be in your camera. Flowers are everywhere, shops have water bowls out front for thirsty pets, and there are long lines at ice cream stands. Find the places where people are still participating in their favorite summer pastimes. (As always, remember that we can’t use images showing recognizable faces.)

Carnival at the Capital Mall on a summer night in Jefferson City, MO
Yoga in the park – Bartlesville’s Unity Square at the Price Tower

All things water make great summer shots. Fountains, lakes, boating, neighborhood pools, creeks, and beaches are all ideal candidates. Water pictures are often the most photogenic and appealing.

Ready to sail from Betsie Bay City Marina in Frankfort, MS
A slippery water slide means summer fun for this little guy in Skiatook, OK
Amazing colors with a great view of the Straits of Mackinac on Lake Michigan
Tubing on a hot summer day at the Lake of the Ozarks is a great way to beat the heat

Describe what you see in your community with written insights, too. This is a unique summer so you will find many subjects to discuss that have been influenced by social distancing and masking. Craig Lively, RE/MAX Lighthouse in Petoskey, MI, states in a touching article that despite unforeseen changes, the natural beauty of his area remains constant. Here’s an excerpt:

A Different Summer
The past couple of months have been challenging and extraordinary for sure, but if there is a ray of hope in these times, it is the beauty of Northern Michigan. While a lot of things have changed, the consistency of the beauty of our surroundings has not been phased….sunrises, sunsets, and seasonal changes remind us that life is too short to go without the beauty and bounty of God’s creation.

Tasha Smith, RE/MAX Truman Lake in Clinton, MO, posted an excellent article on hiking the Katy Trail. The wildlife and vistas seen along the trail come to life with her first-person description. Click on the headline below to read the entire insight.

Exploring the Wonderful Katy Trail
I would be a very rich woman if I had a nickel for every time one of our kids said, “Mom, I’m bored! There’s nothing to do.” Here is one of my favorite go-to responses: “Let’s go for a walk on the Katy Trail.” You never know what you will find – birds, snakes, squirrels, flowers, insects, travelers, and more! As wild as it sounds, my husband and I once met a team training their sled-dogs for the Iditarod right there on the Katy Trail.

All these examples should inspire you, whether you choose to post insights about summer activities impacted by COVID-19 or just the regular sunny season pleasures of your community. Agent Insight is likely the easiest and most fun  piece of your marketing plan.

Photo credits:  Jennifer Winkelman, RE/MAX Jefferson City, MO; Robert Phillips, RE/MAX Results, Bartlesville, OK; Julie Williams, RE/MAX Bayshore, Frankfort, MI;  Gabrielle O’Hearn, RE/MAX Platinum, Fenton, MI; Signature Realty Group, RE/MAX Lake of the Ozarks, Osage Beach, MO.