Did you know that the renowned Internet search engine Google^TM started around the same time as EXIT Realty? Imagine, a new company with an innovative idea and a different name wanting to revolutionize their industry? Can you picture the conversations that went on behind the scenes and the competition saying, "They will never make it," "What were they thinking?" and "The audacity of a new venture wanting to provide what the client is looking for."

If you follow what top business advisors and economists are saying today's businesses require for staying power, it becomes clear that employees want a vested interest.  They want a plan to get passionate about, that they can contribute to, where they are part of the organization.

EXIT Realty Corp. International started with Founder and CEO, Steve Morris looking for solutions to the many problems that real estate professionals throughout the industry were facing. Everything from the passing down of wisdom between associates, to quality of life, was kept top of mind when EXIT Realty was created. The best surprise has been how much all of our people have worked together to help each other and always be a part of the solution.

EXIT Realty Corp. International celebrated its 12-year anniversary on September 3^rd, and the amount we have accomplished every year, not to mention the speed in which it is accomplished is incredible! With the current climate in the marketplace, it certainly makes it easier to do our job when we know we are making giant strides in the right direction. We have become one of the major contenders in an industry where the majority of larger players have been in business for 35 years or more!

When I look at different successful companies from other industries, it's the passionate people involved that make or break an organization. Here at EXIT Realty so many of you are exceeding our expectations and for that very reason we are in very good company indeed.

This commentary originally appeared in the EXIT Recruiter Newspaper.  For more information, please contact us. 

Embarking on a social networking strategy can be a scary task for some real estate agents.  To blog or not to blog?  How can you effectively market yourself and your listings?  Does anyone ever see real results from their efforts?  Yes, but the key is to take that initial step and maximize your efforts.

Several EXIT Realty agents use Active Rain, but does it work?  Do agents actually realize a concrete benefit from this activity? 

Andrew Perkins, a Sales Representative with EXIT Realty Metro in the Halifax, Nova Scotia area says, "I have been blogging on Active Rain for about 6 months now.  I have to admit I am no literary genius for sure but I figured if I kept at it I would only get better.  For the first few months nothing was happening but I keep posting blogs.  I like to post on market stats, this way I keep informed of what is happening in our market.

"About a month ago I had a client contact me through the Active Rain contact form.  He invited me to his house to present my marketing plan to get his income property sold.  I was not up against any other agents and signed the paperwork that night and the listing was on the market the next day.  Within 2 weeks I brought a buyer to the property and he wrote an offer.  Just yesterday the deal went firm.  I double ended the property all from the lead form on Active Rain.  I also am working with another lead that is looking to purchase a condo.  Not bad for blogging a couple a days a week.  If anyone thinks that blogging doesn't work I am proof that it does."  

Okay, so some agents are depositing real money in the bank as a result of their social networking efforts.  So now let's take it up a notch and combine two great technologies to maximize your efforts. 

Recently Tom Emmendorfer, Co-Founder of the company behind EXIT e-Listings, Frank D'Angelo, Broker/Owner of EXIT Realty Executives in MN and I co-hosted a webinar showing EXIT agents how, in just a few minutes a week, you can easily ramp up your electronic marketing efforts and learn how to marry the cutting-edge technology of EXIT e-Listings with the power of social networking.

EXIT e-Listings creates a suite of marketing tools including narrated internet tours, listing websites, call capture lead generation, webcasting and several other multi-media products with just one online entry. One of these tools is an embeddable flyer. By copying the code for this flyer from EXIT e-Listings and pasting it into the HTML editor of your Active Rain blog you can automatically increase exposure for your listings!  Photos, narrated virtual tour, and more are all instantly available online, and most importantly for buyers searching for properties, regularly indexed by Google® and other search engines by simply copying and pasting.  Here's an example.  EXIT agents can view the recorded webinar and find out more about EXIT e-Listings by clicking here and logging into the EXIT Resource Center. 

After attending the webinar, EXIT On Time Realty Broker/Owner Rondi Lambeth, commented, "I attended the class yesterday and  I applied what Frank taught. This morning my [EXIT] e-Listing viewings have gone up. I had more viewings yesterday than the entire previous month!  [Also] I went into Active Rain where I was ranked 1387 out of 4133 and after one hour of [EXIT] e-Listings blogging I was ranked 113. I then spent a few more minutes putting the rest of my listings into Active Rain as a blog and now I am ranked 88!"

So if stepping into the social networking arena is on your to-do list, take this small step and utilize the tools already at your finger tips.  If you do, you'll find that social networking doesn't have to be scary after all. 

Weekly Market Activity Report
From the North Metro Realtors Association

Select the link above or the image at the right to see the latest Weekly Real Estate Market Activity for the Minneapolis Saint Paul Twin Cities area.  This Weekly Market Activity Report was created by the Minneapolis Area Association of REALTORS®. The North Metro REALTORS® Association uses it under license.

As prices and interest rate drop, homes become more affordable and obtainable to those who have at least a small down payment and a stable income.

New listings and pending sales are both down, even more than normal for Minnesota in the winter.  Inventories are easing somewhat, and active listings are down.  There is a slight improvement in the days on market with homes averaging right about 150 days before sale with the percent of list price actually obtained is right around 90%.

It is still a buyers market with homes becoming more affordable and the supply/demand ration projected to be 8.36 for January of 2009.  That means that for every buyer, there are 8.36 houses on the market.   That number was over 12 in November 2008.    

Today's average interest rate fell to 5.17% for a 30 year fixed loan according to bankrate.com

Buyers: Receive a CASH BONUS of 2% of the sale price up to a maximum of $10,000.00 after closing when you purchase a home through me.
To find out more, call Patti Ann Kasper  at 763-548-1418 today!
Sellers: Your home SOLD in 39 days or less GUARANTEED, or I'll pay you up to $10,000 after closing!
*National Real Estate Stimulus Program* Participant

To view my interactive on-line real estate magazine with listings, select the banner below:

Touch the banner below to send this information to your friends or family!


Patti Ann Kasper, Your Minnesota, North Metro Twin Cities, and Lino Lakes Real Estate Expert!
© Copyright Patti Ann Kasper 2008 All Right Reserved.

 

 Be careful out there in Twitterspace!!!  It’s a jungle out there where “Survival of the Fittest” rules.

Just finished checking my Twitter Account  and found I had 2 Direct Messages waiting for me. What could these be???  I excitedly went to check it out.

One was from an old friend on AR the other was from a new Twitter acquaintance, also an AR member.  (Names omitted to protect the innocent)
The First Tweet said: "Hey look at this funny blog!" Getting ready to be tickled by a good laugh, I excitedly clicked the Link:

http://rosalierebyb.bl

(link altered to protect you)

No funny blog came up, but a serious message:

:

My Firefox Browser had blocked this site from automatically opening.

Why was this site blocked????

Because Firefox recognized it as a reported as a WEB FORGERY, Phishing or Malwares site.

At this point I get really suspicious because the second Tweet also had the same link! I thought I don't think my AR friend or this other "Tweeter", whom I don't even know would be sending me a Direct Message link, those are usually reserved for something important or private, I suspect somehow their accounts were compromised?

 

• What is a Web Forgery? What is Phishing?

• What is an Attack Site? What is Malware?

 

If  you are not totally familiar with these dangers, please take the time to READ MORE about these threats, and how the Firefox Browser can protect you from these "surfing accidents!"

 

Also for SUPER protection  for  your PC get yourself a TOP Anti-Malware program such as Malwarebytes  or Kaspersky.  

These two programs are tried and true and attested to by Industry Techies as the best.

Warning: BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT Your Choice of  "ANTI-MALWARE", "ANTI-VIRUS" PROGRAMS YOU DOWNLOAD!!!!! Some even will try to fool you with copycat sounding names! 

 

MANY OF THESE SO CALLED "SPYWARE" PROGRAMS ARE REALLY MALWARE IN DISGUISE!!!!! 

Did you hear me???  MANY OF THESE CAN REALLY BE Rogue MALWARE IN DISGUISE!!!! 

So what should you do now to do to check if you may be infected and not know it? (Even if you are currently using a legitimate anti-spyware program some are less thorough at detecting malicious infections, which can mutate and fool many applications searching for it)

 

Do These Few Steps for a Safer Browsing Experience:

 

1) Download free version of Malwarebytes from Malwarebytes.org 

Run quick scan, when finished view log, if any infections select and remove

2) After any infections are removed, if you aren't using Firefox: Download Firefox Browser

3) Change ALL your passwords if infections were found. It's a good idea to change passwords on social media sites regularly.

4) Come back here and comment if any infections were found!

5) REBLOG this to get the word out!

6) NOTE: Malwarebytes anti-spyware anti-malware program was recommended to me by High Tech geeks from DELL after my former paid 50 bucks a year Spyware did not detect Malware/virus on my PC which ended up completely shutting me down. Believe me this is a nightmare you don't want to happen!!! Hours of reformatting my PC, and endless days of reinstalling everything!!! The Virus even wiped out my external hardrive!

 

The free version will scan for you, but for REAL TIME Protection you will need the full version which unlocks realtime protection, scheduled scanning, and scheduled updating

 

The full version of Malwarebytes ALSO updates itself continually to keep ahead of these Rogue virus and Malware that are constantly "mutating." Malwarebytes is known for finding infections that will escape other programs!! This has saved me a few times in the last month!

 

You can Download Malwarebytes full version here:  this costs only a ONE TIME fee of 24.95 for a LIFETIME of protection.

Kaspersky full version is another option at 79.95 per year.

 

 

*********THIS JUST IN: Twitter Under Phishing Attack!!!!!************

 

LIKE  I SAID IT IS A JUNGLE OUT THERE!!!! MAKE SURE YOUR PC IS WEARING ITS PROTECTIVE GEAR! AND WATCH WHERE YOU WANDER!!!

                           

                                 Happy & Safe Surfing Friends~
                                     Ginger

 

©Ginger Sala Wilmington NC Real Estate & Relocation