It seems like everyone is searching for ways to make social media relevant in real estate marketing. If you’ve felt the pressure recently to build a Facebook page for your community or set up a Twitter account, you know what I mean. The real challenge is to integrate these new ways to communicate into a solid strategy that plants the seeds for future sales growth.

It all starts by determining what you’re trying to attain with the technology. Is lead generation the sole focus? Do you plan to use social marketing to stay connected with your current owners? Are you looking to broadcast special offers as quickly as possible? All of the above?

BrightDoor customer Hampton Lake has a robust Facebook presence.

As a primer to the potential of social marketing, I’ve compiled the following links to help as you build your plan. Although these articles aren’t necessarily real estate focused, they do provide some good background information on social media marketing, tips and best practices.

• From Pragmatic Marketing - Tuned in social media
• From Associated Content - Business: Three Risks and Myths of Social Networking
• From About.com – Reasons to Adopt Social Media Marketing
• From Duct Tape Marketing – Your Social Media Strategy

Once you’re off and running, like any other marketing initative, analyze the results and makes any necessary adjustments. In the digital age, change is just a few keystrokes away.

Posted via email from Deven Spear’s Posterous

The highest month-over-month percentage increase in more than a decade!

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125085108563549051.html

Posted via email from Deven Spear’s Posterous

NEW YORK (AP) – The delinquency rate on U.S. mortgage loans hit an all-time high in the second quarter, but the pace of growth for the rate slowed, a possible sign the mortgage crisis may be beginning to turn the corner. Data provided by credit reporting agency TransUnion shows the ratio of mortgage holders who are 60 days or more behind on their payments increased for the 10th straight quarter, to 5.81 percent nationwide for the three months ended June 30.

For the full story: http://www.cnbc.com/id/32450865

As part of our continued effort to better understand the real estate environment and share knowledge during these challenging times, we asked a group of trusted advisors, industry leaders and overall smart real estate folks to share their observations about what’s happening in the marketplace.

There are some notable changes from Q1:

• Lack of management experience is a big factor – lots of confusion about what to do next.
• Increased pursuit of any and all types of “efficiencies”. How can I cut cost and still do more.
• Continued financing hurdles for those that want to buy – especially on home sites.
• Buyers perception is that you can get 25% – 40% off at present.  They all want foreclosures or short sales….then it’s tough to get them financed.
• Pre-development communities are stagnant or dead.
• New development ownership and private capital on the rise.
• Interested prospects want completed communities – show me the clubhouse, let me play the golf course, what time is dinner?
• We are using the web and social networking much more. Must be targeted rather than mass media.
• Most prospects are jumpy and just won’t spend cash or go further in debt.
• On site agents have to relearn the art of selling.
• Follow-up is the key! Must be more frequent and more creative.
• Sales consultants have to be just that — consulting on financing, timing, market competition and they better be well versed in the competition too.
• A strong, trusted brand even more relevant than ever before.
• Developers lacking a positive and strong track record are dead in the water in this environment. People will not trust un-proven developers.
• Still watching for signs of positive consumer confidence – starting to see some now!

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