Are you sharing all the tax credit info?

Let's face it...you're not sure you understand all the details of the tax credit extension that was signed by President Obama earlier this week. I know I find myself fumbling over the details of the changes when I talk to folks.

Take advantage of the easy resources available to you - the ones placed online by Coldwell Banker and the ones available from the White House itself.



This is a video available on YouTube that you can send as a link to prospects who ask or you can imbed into your social media. Jim is a great presenter and he does a good job (maybe it's his midwest roots or his school teacher pedigree) making the information seem less complicated than it is.

Also be sure to share the data provided on the Coldwell Banker Learn Center.

The "On Location" Contest Continues

Hopefully by now you have all read the info I posted on the video contest we have going. If not, here it is again

Just to show you we are good sports, Stefanie and I created a video of our own. While it is not an area video, it shows you how easy it is to put a two-minute piece together.

Click here to watch the video

Some "behind the scenes" on this video...it took all of three hours to script, shoot and edit. If I can find that much time, you can find it too. Just grab a sheet of paper, draw some boxes and stick figures and plan what each "shot" in your movie will display. Then go shoot the shot just like you drew it up. Download the stuff into your computer, touch it up and get it online. This is not the Godfather we are making here...it can be rough around the edges (as we have just demonstrated).

Some additional "behind the scenes" on this video...we used a camera that cost less than $100. Don't hide behind the need for fancy equipment.

OK, plenty more on this to come. Trust me when I tell you though that everyone is shooting video. I actually saw an agent who competes with us launch a video today showing listings in a neighborhood one of our agents thinks he "dominates". When sellers see this movie, our agent may not "dominate" anymore.

I'm GaGa for GOOG!

I remember when I was a college student there was this guy who had a special mug he carried around at parties. This mug was HUGE...really....and of course he liked it because it held enough to get him where he wanted to be pretty quickly.

I have that mug now and it is filled with Google kool-aid. Let me tell you, it is pretty yummy stuff.

If you haven't already, check out Stefanie Hahn's post on the NAR YPN blog titled "Google-tastic Goodness" where she defines the different programs Google has created for the general public and for agents who use them. There is so much that Google has created that people don't even know exists - so much that can make agents more productive.

But I knew these things existed, so why today am I so crazy for Google? Honestly, it was my new phone. On Friday our friends at Verizon Wireless introduced the Droid, a new phone that runs on the (Google) Android operating system. I bought one. When I did it became apparent that I was going to move all my mail to GMail in order to maximize the impact of my new phone. Doing so was so easy, and now (for the first time in a decade) I only look in one place for all my email, for my calendar, and for my contacts.

If you are reading this, I want you to start thinking about creating a Google account. I'm going to be writing more down the road (especially about my new phone) and I am already looking at ways we can enhance our own company email systems with the help of the Google crew.

Did we see the start of the National MLS?

I am a pretty religious reader of the work done by Brian Boero, Mark Davidson and the crew at 1000Watt Consulting. If you're planning to stay in the business a few years their blog should definitely be one to add to your RSS Reader.

In one of their most recent posts, Brian highlighted the move Google made to start including real estate information on their Google Maps service. I don't think it really surprised anyone that Google made the move, they've been collecting real estate data (including all of yours) through their GoogleBase service for years now.

So now a consumer can go to a Google Map and by searching for "real estate" they will not only get results but will also get them placed on the map. This is a big deal. Consumers will love it. Realtor.com will hate it. Agents who get on board now will benefit - especially when Google takes the next logical step and ties the listing to the property's YouTube video. Wow.

The question has arose (arisen?) whether this makes MLS services unnecessary. I don't think we are there just yet (although there is plenty of evidence on both sides of the argument) but it does prove to me that anything is possible.

Agents - pay attention to what is on Google. Learn how to maximize what is on Google. At the end of the day it may become your MLS.

Operation "Deep Sky" is definitely in effect

Not sure how many of you saw it, but for the last few days the Brand has allowed a sneak peak of the next generation of the national web site. If you have no idea what I am talking about go to CBWorks and read the article on "Deep Sky".

Trust me, I spent a lot of time there while I could. While I had been introduced to the Deep Sky project a few times before, this was the first time I could get in and get my hands dirty. While it was a beta test, it did teach me plenty about where things are going.

Why am I telling you all this? Because it is important to you too. The next generation of the site will be based on the idea that customers want video. Let me say that again - customers want video. The reason YouTube is the 2nd most-often used search engine is because people want to watch their internet these days, not read it.

My advice to you is to learn video, get comfortable with video, fall in love with video. Just like you had to move away from print photographs and fall in love with digital photos you are going to have to fall in love with video as a way to present your clients' homes.

Don't worry, Stefanie and I both realize that moving to video is a big step. We are here to help. I am teaching classes now, she is planning to teach even more starting in January, and we are all going to get there together.

What does your email do for you?

I've once again been remiss in writing more frequently, but I heard this story the other day and I felt the need to share it with someone - namely any of you who read this blog.

One of our agents (unnamed of course) chose to use their non-CBH email address to send information to a client. Now this client, who is not very sophisticated when it comes to the internet or email communication gets the message from the agent, reads it and then notices at the bottom something that says (paraphrasing here) "have a 500-600 credit score...there is help"

Now this client comes unglued, thinking the agent has written something about the buyer of his property having a 600 credit score, and gets ready to blow up the deal. Can you imagine what would have happened had the agent not been able to explain the problem away? A big commission check would be sitting in the toilet while some 3rd party email company was making their money selling ads in messages.

The moral of the story - PLEASE use your CBHearthside email when you communicate with clients. Not only does it portray a better message (like maybe that you work for a real estate company not named AOL) it also is free from dumb ads and garbage that cloud the message you are trying to deliver.

Anywhere you can get your 3rd party mail you can get your Hearthside mail. Trust me. If you want it on your blackberry, we can put it on your blackberry. If you want it in your outlook, we can put it in your outlook. It is very simple and much more professional.

Maybe it is just me, but this is pretty cool....

Check out what Coldwell Banker introduced today via its "On Location" YouTube channel. I think it is an awesome way to position the brand as a tech savvy leader in the new era of real estate - but you tell me what you think.




Sorry if you can't see the whole number - the text number is 30241