Dr. Maya Bailey’s blog post describes what Steven Covey calls “reactive” vs “proactive” responses.  Could the difference be as easy as one agent sucking energy out of her business while he is creating a “prosperity mindset”. If each reads the headlines with a cup of coffee first thing in the morning, could we expect two different business results? Yes. Two agents reacting to same headline news, but interpreting the information in extremes would certainly result in a “constriction of energy to their business”?

Dr. Bailey points out the power of committing to the “prosperity mindset”. Focusing on helping families buy homes and not what the stock market or politicians say or do allows you to define your future and prove your earning power.

Article #1 on March 28 noted a new Inman report, “10 Hot Spots for Global Homebuyers,” and cited Canadian buyers as one of the top 3 countries of origin for foreign buyers. Erica Muller, recently profiled as a FrogPond.com Rainmaker/Agent, said nearly all of her buyers are from Canada, Great Britain, Brazil and Australia.

Article #2 by Inman cited a report from real estate search company Trulia, listing the 15 nations sourcing most of its international searches, with Canada again topping the list.

So we’ve established there is business for real estate professionals who want to work with investors, especially those from outside the U.S. But how do you tap that business?

Our friend Greg Rand from OwnAmerica and I are teaming up for a free Webinar on Wed, April 4, noon Eastern Time, about this very subject – and YOU are invited!

We’ve profiled Greg, talking about his monthly Fox Business segments where he shares news about where the great real estate investment opportunities are. Greg is the real deal, and we are fortunate to be able to share his expertise to get new business. On April 4, Greg will teach you how to “Dominate the Residential Investor Market” with cutting-edge tools-of-the-trade

Do you already have too much business? If your answer is “no,” then you must say “yes” to this engaging and informative Webinar. Take one hour and learn how to tap this market, already credited for 23% of all U.S. home sales.

The Webinar registration link is https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/759650974  See you next Wednesday!

We’ve all grown up hearing that a picture is worth a thousand words. Maybe it’s meaning is more relevant than ever with so much email, texting and blogs and article writing.

Consider Twitter allowing 140 characters, wouldn’t a link to an infograph offer you an improved resource for commentary? Judge for yourself.

Mark’s message is easy to understand and follow. I’m going to report back on how easy infographs are to create, suggested usage and recommendations for quick easy to use applications. What Infograph applications would you recommend and how are you using? What kind of response are you receiving from your listeners?

If you’re like me, you go to Facebook with a positive feeling, ready to read something fun and worthwhile for your business or personal life. And then you come across a hardcore sales post and that feeling takes a dive. And so many times it’s a real estate friend, someone who thinks he/she has to post every new listing … and nothing else.

Are you guilty of being a Facebook telemarketer?

A recent blogpost from Constant Contact reminds us you can make your Facebook fans “hang up” if you make it look like you’re being social just to make a sale. In fact, it notes an ExactTarget survey found the top two reasons people stop being fans of business pages are that 1) the brand is posting too frequently and 2) it’s doing too many marketing pitches.

Instead, Constant Contact recommends you position yourself as an expert in your field, business or organization so when customers/potential buyers want to purchase, try a service or contribute, they will think of you. That is, you should share instead of sell on Facebook.

So how do you share yourself on Facebook?

      Share an experience

I’m totally enthralled with how The Corcoran Group makes New York City come alive on their Facebook page. Especially with the new Timeline for business pages with larger-format photos, the page makes me feel like I’m an integral part of the city scene – and I’m 1,600 miles away! The firm also shares videos of local restaurants, key in a market where both locals and visitors seek out unique and delectable cuisine. “Sharing helpful or entertaining content” is the way to market yourself, says Constant Contact.

And every Saturday, the page shares the story of a New Yorker. On Feb. 18, there are photos of an immigrant family living in a 350-square-foot apartment with a bathtub in the kitchen – not of a 3,500-square-foot penthouse the firm is trying to sell.

I profiled Corcoran’s social media guru, Matthew Shadbolt, in the February Pond Report about his innovative use of Foursquare, so this is just another example of his ability to use social media to build an experience.

Sharing expertise

If you want to know about Austin, Texas, you’ll find it on The GoodLife Team’s Facebook page. Yes, the firm posts the occasional listing but that’s far outnumbered by the posts on the Austin economy and housing market, the city’s walkable neighborhoods, what to plant in an Austin garden, as well as great restaurants and bars (generating lots of comments).

And as an Inman-awarded innovative firm, The GoodLife Team also posts technology news such as a recent Evernote seminar, in addition to and broker Krisstina Wise’s Coffee Chats on team-building, management skills and more.

Of course, Wise and her team also post their videos highlighting tools that assist sellers and buyers, such as staging and 10 commandments for buyers. In addition, they spotlight the Austin Modern Home Tour, born in their own office out of their love of modern architecture.

Wise and The GoodLife Team have become a resource for the buyers and sellers in the Austin area as well as for real estate agents and brokers across the country, leading to listings, sales and referrals in an organic way.

Sharing a cause

In April 2010, a family’s beloved dog escaped from its back yard. While Bella showed no aggression and was surrounded by neighbors and children who knew her as a harmless pet, because she was a pit bull, she was shot by an animal control officer. And despite having a chip implanted, Bella was cremated without her family being notified.

This heartbreaking story has spread from North Carolina all across the country due to the power of outrage and love for animals – and the Justice for Bella Facebook page. In less than two years, the page has grown to more than 24,000 fans.

How? It has expanded its geographic reach by partnering with “no kill” movements and highlighting animal-related injustice nationwide. As Constant Contact said, “Nonprofits have a cause that people are already interested in. [They] can become the go-to place for fans just by helping them stay in touch with the latest developments and resources.”

At the same time, the page’s love for all dogs comes through loud and clear, as evidenced by this recent photo.

Facebook is still very personal

“Share, Don’t Sell” reminds us that Facebook is not a traditional marketing space. Use photos, headlines, videos and helpful links to connect with your fans – be real. Here are some more insights on how to act like a person on your Facebook page.

Think about it … are you selling or are you sharing? Here’s hoping your Facebook page is engaging and fun for your fans!

Flickr photo by Nina Matthews Photography)

Yes, It IS the Right Time to Buy a House!  Whenever I think about this housing market, the expression “buyers sitting on a fence” comes to mind. In my mind I walk behind the folks with the dangling feet and … reach up, give them a hug and tell them it’s time to get off the fence and buy a home!

Right now is the perfect intersection of historically low prices and historically low mortgage rates. Add in the wide availability of homes ranging from bank-owned foreclosures to well-priced, seller-owned resales and the message to buyers is, “you can afford more home than ever.” But are potential buyers hearing this message or do they figure it’s just another Realtor® puff piece they heard for years before the meltdown?

It’s not for lack of WANTING to buy a home: a study by John Burns Real Estate Consulting released on Jan. 30 says 60 percent of consumers agree, “I do not want to rent the rest of my life,” and 59 percent say, “Ownership is what I strive for.” Our fence-sitters know that rental rates are soaring in many markets, so the prospect of paying a landlord forever is not attractive to them.

They also know mortgage interest payments are deductible on their income taxes. (However, they may think they must now pay 20 percent down to get into a home. You must educate them on that.)

No, buyers are clinging to the fence top because they fear losing their jobs … and then their homes. They’ve seen millions of homeowners thrown out on the street and they don’t want to commit to that path.

So while the Wall Street Journal is publishing great articles such as “Is Now the Right Time to Buy a House?”, you will still have to craft messages aimed both at buyers’ heads – and hearts – to coax them off that fence.

What to do?

First, if you are not already a subscriber to the Housing Trends eNewsletter, then sign up right now. It’s free, it’s branded and customizable, and it’s full of the facts today’s younger adults need to make a baby step toward homebuying. Send it to your e-mail list and post the link on your Facebook page. Make sure you utilize the Messages section to focus on your very-local market. And be real. They don’t care you’re a “Top Producer.”(Certainly, that matters, but remember, it’s “what’s in it for me”, that matters most for consumers.) They want to connect with you as a person who can help them with a decision that will change their life. Your message needs to be filled with “You”, “Yours”, and more “You”, not me, me, me…

Second, realize these younger potential buyers will need a step-by-step plan. Think of this as putting a mattress next to the fence so they can land safely! Understand they need a realistic appraisal of their job security and ALL the expenses it takes to buy – and keep – a home. If you are totally honest, you may have to tell them to wait. But your payoff will be huge: they will tell their friends you are honest, and that “street cred” is hard to get. Tara-Nicholle Nelson recently wrote a column for Inman News, “4 steps to buying a house in 2012.” Start with that information and add what you know these buyers need to know.

Most importantly, understand it will take more than your selling expertise to help these folks. It will take love and a lot of extra effort. They do not want to be “leads”; they do not want to be “sold”; they want to be your partners in this process.

Can you do it? Sure you can! Start with a hug …

Here are some really interesting findings:

33 percent of the international traffic searching for homes was directed to Florida listings
15.15 percent was focused on Arizona house listings
Canadians made up 91.89 percent of all international traffic on Arizona searches, 75.9 percent of Hawaiian traffic, 73.92 percent of Michigan traffic, 70.55 percent of Nevada activity and 65.05 percent of California’s
Nevada accounted for 8.22 percent of all searches
Canada accounted for the most visitors followed by the U.K. and Mexico

The top 10 cities searched in the US were:
1. Las Vegas, Nevada
2. Orlando, Florida
3. Kissimmee, Florida
4. Detroit, Michigan
5. Pompano Beach, Florida
6. Miami, Florida
7. Mesa, Arizona
8. Davenport, Florida
9. Phoenix, Arizona
10. Indio, California

The top ten states searched by foreigners were:
1. Florida
2. Arizona
3. Nevada
4. California
5. Puerto Rico (yes—I know, not a state….)
6. Texas
7. Michigan
8. Hawaii
9. Georgia
10. New York

FrogPond noticed international traffic coming from agents sending their branded Housing Trends eNewsletter to prospective investors. If you are adding hyper local neighborhood information in the “Messages” section of the enewsletter, you attract prospects seeking advice from the neighborhood expert. One such agent  is in Seattle. I know because I was tracking the traffic from Russia.

If one way to attract international investors to your listings is publishing local housing data, another is providing local community newsfeeds. Pat Kitano and myself host a Tuesday morning Webinar series about new business models. Here is link to one of the Webinars: “Tactical use of dlvr.it to Create a Local Media Stream for Community and Real Estate News”.

Supporting article from Realtor.com:  http://www.realtor.com/blogs/2011/03/01/international-buyers-bullish-on-u-s-real-estate/

…Not the infighting, the negativity, the jealousy, the getting into your car in the wet, cold mornings to find the street heaving heavy traffic…you get the picture.

It was easy. I wasn’t afraid. I had myself! All I needed was a computer, phone, dial-up connectivity, printer, stationery, stamps, 800#, business cards, a desk with a draw for pencils, a chair and a trash can. Oops! Almost forgot the coffee and mug with my logo.

WOW! Life was good and I knew it! Today’s even better. High speed wireless allows me to sit anywhere, go anywhere, like Starbucks if I want the noise, really great coffee and colleagues. I’m not restricted to any place or thing. Ideas have no boundaries, no negativity. My productivity soars.

Life and work are good by design. I enjoy my quiet office with a grand window over-looking the bayou.  Interruptions to my peaceful quiet are inbound calls or the sightings of blue birds or cranes walking along the edge of the water; sometimes I watch two alligators sunning on the sandy banks. My binoculars sitting on my desk at arms’ reach.

I can be dressed up for a conference Skype call or very casual in my flip flops and shorts. What matters most  is how my environment lends itself so beautifully to my success. I accomplish my daily goals; my attention is keenly focused on what needs to be accomplished.  I’m available to callers; I can react gracefully to any situation or need.

I work with my tech team, my programmers and designers in Pakistan, at first light each morning. Some go to the gym. I have my coffee in one hand and the other is typing out Chats; I share my screen; I work collaboratively.

It’s perfect! It’s paradise! It’s how I like it! It’s today!

I just read an article, “7 Steps to a Drama-Free Office” by Kaley Klemp and Jim Warner.  Kaley and Jim aroused a deep concern. It got me thinking how much time is wasted by energy-draining behaviors in the brick and mortar offices. I worry how much negativity becomes an influencer embedding disbelief in our friends and co-workers. I’m curious how much of the “drama” accounts for lack of productivity; declining sales.

I worry about the brokers. Are they aware of the “drama”? Are they seeking an antidote to keep the disease at bay? Far away; out of their offices?

What steps are being taken to fortify the office culture against this dangerous strain of lethargy; inactivity?

Are the brokers exploring ways to eliminate energy-draining behaviors and create an environment of fun and productivity? Are the brokers blaming loss revenues only on difficult economic times? Do they see this crazed threat?

I know I don’t have answers to why these dysfunctional office environments hold human potential from gaining traction. I ask, “How to isolate the discord and let it die?”

Kaley Klemp and Jim Warner‘s article, “7 Steps to a Drama Free Office” provides a glimpse of the problem and a guide to survival.

Time will tell whether office “drama” will cause some to close their doors; some to seek solitude. There’s not a better time to take Klemp and Warner’s assessment survey to determine if “drama” has sucked the “S” out of “Success” in your office. Think of it as a House Call!

Chase and BofA inherited huge portfolios of these loans from Washington Mutual and Countrywide Financial.  The article explains how restructuring these loan balances by 50% by forgiving debt will allow hundreds of thousands to stay in their homes.  Thank you Chase and BoA!

What the article doesn’t point out is the NEW opportunity for the REALTOR®.  With 50% debt forgiveness, sellers are now able to list their properties at appraised values presenting the REALTOR® with a viable new market.  The article says that economist, Sam Khater agrees that “Reducing negative equity would spark a housing recovery”.

As demonstrated in the article, a Miami condo owner, Ms. Giosmas, had an Option ARM loan balance of $300,000.  She was able to make her payments, didn’t see herself as “at risk” and was surprised to receive a letter in the mail announcing her good fortune.  After reducing her loan balance to $150,000, she was able to sell her condo for $170,000.  Not only could she sell her condo, but Ms. Giosmas made a small profit. Let me repeat…PROFIT!!!

If I was a broker or REALTOR®, I’d be checking into these Option ARM loans.  I’d speak with Chase and BofA.  I’d speak with appraisers. I’d advertise in my local community.  I’d host seminars on Option ARM loans.  I’d discover an untapped source of salable listings.  I’d be at the top of my game!

(If you are looking for information on how to become the Hyper Local Neighborhood Expert, I invite you to a series of FREE Webinars hosted by FrogPond.)

Watch the video embedded in Breaking News Network to get a brief understanding and then sign up for Webinars for details.

Please join me for a free series of ground-breaking Webinars on new trends in marketing, “The Newest Trends in Social Media and Social Discovery”.

I think you’re in for a treat for this summer. We’ve developed a summer series of webinars to discuss news marketing concepts you will never hear anywhere else. Register once below and participate in all five webinars.

You may have attended previous webinars with me and my friend Pat Kitano of the Domus Consulting Group. I invite you to a new series of Webinar with Pat Kitano who will explain the newest trends in social media marketing and social commerce that I guarantee you will not hear anywhere else.

July 7 – 9:00am PDT / 12 noon EDT: The Groupon of 2011 – Airbnb. How Airbnb disrupts real estate revenue models and creates new opportunities to Realtors. Link for reference: bit.ly/AirbnB
July 21 – 9:00am PDT / 12 noon EDT: How to promote your local business community completely free and create tangible marketing and financial value for them. Then, how do you leverage your “value” relationships into leads and transactions. Example: bit.ly/kevinsthyme

August 4 – 9:00am PDT / 12 noon EDT: All about Daily Deals. How to create them, how to market them, and most important, how to automate them so you promote your community without lifting a finger (while also receiving income from them)

August 17 (Wednesday! due to a schedule conflict) – 9:00am PDT / 12 noon EDT: How to use Housing Trends eNewsletter, IDX and other real estate information resources to reach 100% of your community before they even contemplate a decision on real estate. (It’s too late to reach them if they don’t know you).

September 1 – 9:00am PDT / 12:00 noon EDT: New social discovery applications. Social media marketing by itself is inherently inefficient. Learn how to pull active buyers and sellers out of the woodwork by getting them to “discover” your services. This webinar will tie everything you will learn from the summer series.

Register once, and you’ll be on the invite list for the complete series, which we slate to run every two weeks.

The Webinars are held on the following dates:
Jul 7, 2011 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM PDT
Jul 21, 2011 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM PDT
Aug 4, 2011 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM PDT
Aug 17, 2011 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM PDT
Sep 1, 2011 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM PDT

Register Now at:
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/261994618

Once registered you will receive an email confirming your registration with information you need to join the Webinar.

System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server

Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.5 or newer

Hugs, The Frog
Susie Hale

Micro Local Marketing is “What’s in it for me” on steroids. Consumers are smarter than ever, but want someone who can interpret what the data means to them.  Micro Local information is the what and why in the consumers community, neighborhood, and street.

Give them the housing numbers, the information on new shopping centers, little community theater auditions, where commencement’s being held, what new road is being expanded, new corporation headquartering in their community, remind them of flood insurance and routes out of town for immediate evacuation, and all things relevant…give them the knowledge to select you as their trusted adviser, housing consultant, REALTOR.

Gettin’ Off the Highway and Into Their Driveway(tm)” engages the consumer, builds relationships and results in happiness.