So then you might say that you have a great IDX plugin where potential clients can search to their hearts content? Well, ok. but a key component of IDX is how interactive you can get with potential clients and how easily they can share info amongst those they care for. IDX IS important but never make a client feel like they are working for themselves.

What to do?

BLOG!

Maybe that is the solution? Short answer. Again, no. But you're headed in the right direction! You should be writing about things that matter to you and your potential clients in your market. Topics should avoid being overly generic or watered down and have a call to action.

Speaking of calls to action. In some circles, that means culling personal information from people who visit your blog, website or other media. What it should really mean is giving people a compelling reason to contact you versus someone else. What makes you the go to person? What makes you different?

Mail Marketing!

You might say that you'll cover your target market in pamphlets, flyers, cards, brochures and the like. Snail mail has dropped significantly in use over the years. You will see some top brokers using it but again it is a part of a larger scheme or campaign. So, by itself, not enough.

Are you starting to get a sense of where I am headed with this? 🙂

3rd Party Social Media Marketing

So, now you are thinking to yourself. Ah Ha! I'll market myself through companies that target what I am looking for and or a specific demographic. You are headed in the right direction and getting warmer, but you're still not there yet "young grass hopper". Being nuanced and targeting specific parts of a market is great. But, be clear on why you are targeting them. Make sure that your message is clear. Here is where the concept of A/B testing comes into play. That's fancy talk for if one message doesn't resonate, change it and test to see which is getting to your target audience. It's the results that matter.

Social Media Influencer

So then you say, I'll become a social media "influencer" and drive people to me from my amazing videos and still photography! Ok, wonderful thought but that is a percentage of a percentage of the overall social media market. The good news, this is definitely part of the right direction to head in, but you don't need to be a social media star to accomplish your goals.

The abbreviated answer to succeeding with a real estate website is: ALL OF THE ABOVE.

Yup. Look at successful realtors that do not have a specific network or started fresh in a market and you'll find all of the above methods and systems being employed with lots of personal tweaks and flare. And don't forget the old fashioned get to know your neighbors by physically meeting people. I know. Crazy! Meeting people physically in this day and age of digital nirvana is unheard of... At any given moment you will find someone somewhere, phone in hand, walking into a wall, pole or another person also on their electronic device while lost in their text, snapchat, etc. These folks need homes as well in "meatspace".

If this seems like a lot of things to handle or if you are not familiar with all this jargon, don't fret. If you are sincerely interested in being successful, then these are things you need to consider and or become familiar with. For some people, the best route is to team up.

This can take many forms but the main concept is finding a like minded person(s) with whom you can divide up the tasks and delegate those you can't stay ahead of. Ideally, you would want a brokerage that understands these things and can give you assistance. A brokerage firm that understands and can assist you in these endeavors is extremely valuable and important to your success. If you are a realtor in South Florida, contact us we might be your right fit! And there, gentle reader, is a shameless plug of my own real estate brokerage firm. We can make the real estate website process easier!

Combining the skills and knowledge of a proactive real estate brokerage with you and or your teams desire to succeed, and the likelihood of success starts to go up really fast. Remember, even though you are a business unto yourself, you don't need to go it alone.

So take that real estate website of yours and combine it with the above tools and you will have a hub and spoke system geared toward longterm success. Just remember, YOU ARE THE HUB. One tool by itself is usually not enough. Combining them and being flexible and true to your voice is the way to go.

Finally, there is no need to feel overwhelmed. Planning, organization and perseverance are your closest friends and allies. Effectively, you are turning yourself into a walking retail brand that people will recognize as relevant and worth contacting if you do things right. One of the things we as a brokerage do (or any brokerage should be doing), is to help you establish your brand. The end game is for you to become a point of contact that engages interested people looking for the help of a qualified Realtor.

To learn more contact us HERE

If space traveling the universe had a scenic route, this would be it. It’s a 3D fly-through of the nebula Gum 29 with the stunning star cluster Westerlund 2 in the middle and it’s absolutely gorgeous. The image was taken by the Hubble and shown off for its 25th anniversary. It’s the stuff of dreams.

Source: The most amazing Hubble Space Telescope fly-through yet defies belief[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]

Info Graphics that Poke Fun at every things in our lives

From the creators of WUMO come these fantastic info graphics that chronicle some of the more frustrating but simply irrefutable truth facts about daily living.

I love the graphic of what it's like to live in suburbia. I have clients who live in great luxury apartments around Brickell and Coconut Grove and the topic of why they want to move comes up. If I don't hear a good reason I usually just relate the grass is always greener story or the saying "better the devil you know then the devil you don't"... Again, I am among friends so I have some leeway with my thoughts.

With this suburbia info graphic I can with one image, explain to both my residential and condo clients what they might encounter. In the case of the condo clients I would have to pretend that rather than a subdivision they would be looking at a stacking plan of a building and imagine the neighbors above below and to their sides.

Some other great truth facts to check out is how content and advertising have evolved of the years. So true... And, of course, there's the truth fact that pokes fun at salaries relative to the amount of fun had at each successive rung up the corporate ladder.

Below is a slideshow 13 of what are many great slides and cartoons from WUMO.

ENJOY!

As much modern art as home, Villa Kogelhof has won numerous international design awards not only for it's uncompromising aesthetic, but also for it's ability to put together ultra luxury with self sufficient (energy neutral) design principals. This is going "off the grid" in true luxurious style.

Nestled in an ecological preserve in the Netherlands the home is comprised of a lower or underground area which serves as garage, workspaces and storage. The living areas are above in the floating glass box housing the main living areas which overlook a pond that was integrated into the property.

What also makes this villa unique is that currently it appears as barren land but the design anticipates the future of the area which is to be a forested region.

To learn more and visit the architects site please click HERE:

Why my fascination with this? I can think of a handful of fantastic luxury waterfront real estate properties along the bay and ocean here in South Florida that would give an incredible back drop and setting for an real estate design of this caliber.

We put a lot of effort and energy into spreading the word about our luxury real estate offerings. But what makes an amazingly unique residence are the finishing touches and thoughtful details that add value while imbuing a level of sophistication and chic exclusivity. These three pieces from around the globe accomplish just that in quite whimsical and very coveted ways.

The first one is a company called Fletcher Tables It is an expanding table that is completely hand made but when you watch the video above you will notice the incredible precision, detail, care and quality of finish that these one off custom tables receive. Beside the incredible craftsmanship, this luxury furniture is just simply captivating to watch in action. As much at home on land as on a mega yacht this London based company is sure to be making a handful of very affluent and lucky customers exceedingly happy.

This next product is as much art as beautifull luxury furniture for your garden or backyard. This Obelisk design from what I believe to be a German - Italian design house takes the storage of their product to a whole new aesthetic level. It's almost equally pleasant to leave these stacked as it would to just be lounging around your pool.

The last item is quite ingenious. This comes from Japan and takes luxury furniture and turns it into functional and extremely unique wall art. From YoY-Idea comes what would appear to be screen print of furniture on white canvas frames that would add beauty to any wall. Where things get very interesting is that you can take these pieces of high end wall art and turn them into chic luxury furniture that is actually quite functional. In both chair, love seat sizes, these are true conversation pieces of a very limited

Check the images and videos above and go to the links of these very unique products. Drop us a line below of luxury furniture that is truly one of kind.