Posts by "Nick Bastian" http://nickbastian.com Nick Bastian is with Realty Executives in Tempe, Arizona. As a 18-year veteran of the real estate industry, Nick loves his career. For the last several years, Nick has embraced all aspects of social media. You can find Nick researching and writing a fun and informative "hyper-local" blog at http://raillife.com/blog.

The third annual Phoenix Real Estate BarCamp will be held on April 8th, 2011 at Scottsdale Stadium from 8:30am – 4:30pm. RE BarCamp is a FREE event to attend and is put on by some amazing sponsors.

Yes, BarCamp is an unusual name for a conference, and no, it isn’t held at a bar (although we will have pre- and post- “networking events” for your enjoyment). BarCamp is an un-conference, a place where the agenda is set by the attendees. In the past, the sessions were typically centered around technology, social networks and the like. While there will still be a LOT of great information about technology and how it can help our business, we want to bring real estate back to the center of discussions. For instance, we hope for people to share information about short sales, MARS, prospecting, etc., etc.

Yes, it’s true, the most awesome real estate learning and networking event of the year is FREE to attend. Heck, even the lunch is FREE. All we ask is that you consider bringing a canned food (or small monetary) donation for the Desert Mission Food Bank and that you come to participate. This RE BarCamp WILL involve a LOT of open discussions.

With the great support of real estate professionals and amazing sponsors like AAR, SAAR, PAR, SEVRAR, WMAR and ARMLS, as well as some of our title partners, leading real estate brokerages and more, RE BarCamp is truly a special event.

Having an event like this in a baseball stadium is a great way to have some fun while learning and sharing information in a way most people are not used to. Making classrooms out of a press box or a clubhouse is pretty darn cool. This year, we have upped our game to add more space to the rooms to accommodate everyone. Remember, come hungry for knowledge and willing to share your expertise with others.

Please be sure to RSVP for BarCamp and join us April 8th at Scottsdale Stadium!

Complete information can be found on the RE BarCamp website at http://rebarcamp.com/phoenix/. Random thoughts and information can also be found on Twitter at @REBCPHX.

If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment below or contact me directly. I’m pretty easy to find.

Scottsdale Stadium 7408 E. Osborn Road (Northeast of Osborn and Drinkwater) Scottsdale, AZ 85251 (map)

Posts by "Nick Bastian" http://nickbastian.com Nick Bastian is with Realty Executives in Tempe, Arizona. As a 18-year veteran of the real estate industry, Nick loves his career. For the last several years, Nick has embraced all aspects of social media. You can find Nick researching and writing a fun and informative "hyper-local" blog at http://raillife.com/blog.

You know that the annual AAR Winter Conference is coming up, right?  Yes, I’m serious and, yes, I know how busy you are and I know that you have probably been meaning to “try to find the time.” Well, guess what, the time is now. As in, get your ticket and get yourself to Prescott this week.

Why?

Because you want, need and like to hang out with some of the best minds in the business.

You understand the power of knowledge.

You want to hear what’s hot, what’s happening and what’s new in our eve- changing industry.

I’ll admit, I was never a big fan of real estate conferences until just a few years ago. Heck, last year’s AAR conference was my very first one, and I am entering my 19th year selling real estate. If I was to start over, I’d have 18 of these suckers under my belt by now. Why?  Because I had a great time last year, I learned some valuable information, and built upon some great connections and relationships with some awesome people in our business.

The schedule of events for the conference shows that there is a tremendous number of great topics about many aspects of our business.

There will even be some RE BarCamp style sessions and some geeks on hand to help with technology questions ranging from BlackBerry to WordPress. ( I couldn’t think of anything that started with A or Z. ) Heck, there will even be a “Tweet Up” where we can just sit and talk to each other and learn in a fun and informal setting. What’s a Tweet Up?  It is kind of like a happy hour arraigned via Twitter. You have heard of Twitter, right?  People talk in 140 characters or less and use funny things called hash tags. If you know what Twitter is and know how to follow a hash tag, keep your eye on #aarwc. If you think I just started talking in a different language, please find me at one of the RE BarCamp sessions on Thursday, I’d love to explain.

Need more proof that this is a can’t miss event? The video below will show you how a business can be transformed by attending just one conference.

I can assure you that there is something for anyone in the real estate business at the AAR Winter Conference. Remember, this business is constantly evolving. There is no need to rely on the traditional media to keep us informed about market conditions or the benefits of recent industry changes. They tend to be a few months behind. Take control of your business, be an asset to yourself and to your clients. Learn from industry leaders.

Hey, don’t put it off any more. I hope to meet you in Prescott at #aarwc.

Posts by "Nick Bastian" http://nickbastian.com Nick Bastian is with Realty Executives in Tempe, Arizona. As a 18-year veteran of the real estate industry, Nick loves his career. For the last several years, Nick has embraced all aspects of social media. You can find Nick researching and writing a fun and informative "hyper-local" blog at http://raillife.com/blog.

Remember when a phone was just a phone and people actually used phones to talk to people? You might have to think back a few years, but there really was such a time. It was a time before listing agents had comments in the remarks section that say, “Do NOT call me. Send a text or email only to 602-IM 2 COOL.”

While the agent-to-agent thing is one pet peeve of mine, this is just one of several examples of how “un-cool” it can be to talk on the phone these days. I’ll admit, I am kind of a geek. In fact, many of my friends are hard-core geeks. Often, we will send MANY text messages or Twitter DMs (direct messages) instead of talking on the phone. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE having the ability to text and DM people for quick questions and certain conversations. For example: Someone sends a text, I respond. But when this is followed by a dozen or so text messages, a simple two-second conversation would have been much more efficient.

The thing is, I am still kind of “old school” when it comes to communicating with people. I really have no problem racking up a few thousand minutes in a month on a cell phone. But today, many people “prefer” not to be “bothered” by a phone call. Heck, you see this photo of a phone below? It has a CORD, and it sits on my desk. I even USE it once in a while. I can hear the grumblings from some of the geeks now. You still use a corded phone? Really?

The fact is, there has been a shift in communication for many people over the past several years. My friend Jay has two teenagers; they can send 80,000 text messages in a given month. Hey, I probably text more than the average (old) guy, but I seriously doubt I’ll ever come close to those kids.

As real estate agents, we need to learn to adapt to however our clients want to communicate. If we don’t, it is very easy for them to find someone who will. Phone calls, text messages, Twitter, Facebook, email or carrier pigeon, I really don’t care how people prefer to communicate, I just want to know how to best help them, and I think that should be our focus. I prefer to let someone lead in the beginning. Heck, I know several people that I don’t even have their number or email address in my phone, but we can carry on conversations via messaging. It works for me, does that work for you?

I do a LOT of talking while driving. ( Thankfully, that is still legal in Arizona. ) The drill goes something like this. I get in a car, I immediately have someone on the phone. It’s just the way I am wired. I “try” not to text and drive, but sometimes I will sneak in one or two at a stop light. While I am driving, I hate to “waste” time that I could be following up or reaching out – it’s what works for me.

I’m curious to see what agents think of communicating with customers or clients today. Do you force them to communicate in a way that is quick, easy and convenient for you, or do you still pick up a phone once in a while?

I have a lot of opinions about this stuff. If you want to chat about it, “just call Nick.” I’d love to hear your $.02.

Oh, if you don’t like to talk, you can always leave a comment below. We geeks think that’s really cool, ya’ know.

Posts by "Nick Bastian" http://nickbastian.com Nick Bastian is with Realty Executives in Tempe, Arizona. As a 18-year veteran of the real estate industry, Nick loves his career. For the last several years, Nick has embraced all aspects of social media. You can find Nick researching and writing a fun and informative "hyper-local" blog at http://raillife.com/blog.

Image courtesy of Flickr user Intersection Consulting

You have heard the buzz, right? Social media is the “next big thing” in the real estate business. Class after class is being taught by social media gurus, experts and specialists that sometimes have the combined social media presence of many non-experts. I am not really sure what it takes to be a social media guru or expert, but I am pretty sure of this: Many of them are trying to sell you a magic bullet, a sure-fire way to connect with markets that you are not currently serving, a get-rich-quick snake oil that does not exist.

We all bought into the “website thing” many years ago. You know, the one where you put up your high school photo, talk about how cute your dog is, “allow” people to contact you, and be sure to tell them how many homes you sell and which designations you have received. How’s that workin’ out for ya’ these days?

Today’s internet-focused homebuyer is probably looking for instant information, the kind of things that let them know what is for sale and tells them why they would want to live in that area. Research and information begins online – being the source of that information is what can bring them to YOU.  The downside to this is the fact that it is a LOT of really hard work to rank for certain keywords, to provide useful and relevant content, and to be the go-to guy (or gal ) for the area these potential clients are seeking.

Blogging is a tool that can be a great addition to a real estate agent’s business, but you need to understand a few things about this tool that some call the hub of an online presence. It is HARD work. It takes consistency, planning, determination and skill to pay any real dividends. Many agents dive right into social media and say they will have their assistant run it, their college kids or siblings do it.  They “know” it is important, but they “don’t have time” to “mess with that stuff” because they are “too busy.”

For many successful agents, I do believe social media can be a distraction. It can be a complete waste of time. I doubt Walt Danley worries too much about Twitter. I also believe there are many successful agents that make a VERY good living being their own social network. They meet people in coffee shops, send newsletters, rely on “belly to belly” relationships with past clients and continue to do what has always worked well. If that is you, awesome, keep on doing your thing! For me, it is a combination of the two. For many of my friends, it is one or the other.

Adding social media to your business plan should be just that–part of your plan. While setting up your profiles and getting started is good, it is probably going to take much more effort to gain any real business. Learn as much as you can by attending things like Real Estate Blog World in Las Vegas, going to Real Estate BarCamps in many cities or by “chaining” yourself in a room listening to self-proclaimed, “best in the world” types teach about becoming the epitome of an online expert.

While I have established a social media presence, what I have found to be the hub of my business hasn’t really changed in the last 17 years. Treat people well, be honest and work hard. If you can do that, you don’t need some guru to tell you where your next client is coming from…

Posts by "Nick Bastian" http://nickbastian.com Nick Bastian is with Realty Executives in Tempe, Arizona. As a 18-year veteran of the real estate industry, Nick loves his career. For the last several years, Nick has embraced all aspects of social media. You can find Nick researching and writing a fun and informative "hyper-local" blog at http://raillife.com/blog.

By now, nearly 700 of our peers have RSVP’d for RE BarCamp Phoenix 2010 this Friday, April 9, at Scottsdale Stadium. If you haven’t done so, I hope you hurry and RSVP, too!

For those of you that don’t know what a real estate BarCamp is, I sincerely hope you will come and check it out.

If you are reading this blog, you have probably heard of social media, and you might be wondering if it is a good fit for your business. If that’s the case, a BarCamp is a perfect way for you to make some informed decisions about the what, why, when and where of social media marketing. Of course, there is a LOT more than social media at BarCamp. From the BarCamp site, we find the following information concerning potential topics:

* Search Engine Optimization
* Blogging Basics (how to build a blog, how to market your blog, etc.)
* Strategies of Blogging for Business in Real Estate
* Free Online Tools to Tweak Your Biz
* Twitter Tips for Real Estate
* Facebook Marketing
* LinkedIn Business & Referral Strategies
* YouTube as a Business Builder
* Leveraging the Power of Social Networks like Flickr and Twitter
* Using Trulia to Grow Your Business
* Tricks of Marketing on Zillow
* Driving Traffic to Your Website
* Lead Generation
* Building an Online Community
* Video Like a Pro

Please note, this isn’t the entire list. We can discuss pretty much whatever YOU want to learn!

* Why should I care about geo-location-based applications like Foursquare?

So now that you KNOW that you NEED to be at RE BarCamp, I want to challenge you to come and get kind of geeky with a bunch of others. In addition to blogging and Facebook and Twitter – things that just about everyone is familiar with – some of us might be talking about Foursquare. No, it is not the game you played in grade school. Foursquare is a location-based social network.

Many real estate agents don’t get why any of this makes sense, and that’s okay because – as I have said many times – not all of this stuff fits into everyone’s business plan. But, since you have now decided to attend RE BarCamp, you might as well play along – even if it is just for the day. Without a doubt, many people will be “checking in” via Foursquare at Scottsdale Stadium that day, but we want to allow people to be rewarded for doing so. If you have a smart phone with web access ( as you probably should), we can show you how to start using Foursquare.  When we have opening remarks in the morning, a couple of the event organizers will give instructions to people as to how we are going to try and unlock the “Swarm Badge” for the day. I’ll even be talking to some people this week to see how we can get Foursquare to make an RE BarCamp badge for all of the other events around the country.

Location-based technology is a hot topic right now, I hope you will come to RE BarCamp to learn more about the things changing the way some agents choose to do business.

Wear your new swarm badge proudly as a symbol of your new found geekdom…

Posts by "Nick Bastian" http://nickbastian.com Nick Bastian is with Realty Executives in Tempe, Arizona. As a 18-year veteran of the real estate industry, Nick loves his career. For the last several years, Nick has embraced all aspects of social media. You can find Nick researching and writing a fun and informative "hyper-local" blog at http://raillife.com/blog.

This year’s annual AAR Winter Conference in Prescott was a great place to network with people and to learn a lot of really great industry-related information.

One of the many cool announcements to come from the conference was the fact that our friends at the Phoenix Association of REALTORS® (PAR) will be making space available for RETT.

What the heck is RETT? The term is Real Estate Tech Tank, and it was recently thought up by a handful of real estate “geeks.” Here’s one of the first articles written about RETT: “#RETT Opens its Doors to Anyone & Everyone.” A tech tank is a place where people can come together in a “co-working” environment where people are free to come and go as they please. The idea has taken off here in the Valley and has started to gain steam in other parts of the country, as well.

Of course, when you have something new and unconventional, people often wonder if it will work. If you fall into that camp, see this blog post by mortgage commentator Justin McHood:  #RETT: 10 Reasons RETT Works. Or WILL Work.

In the video below, I talk with PAR CEO Diane Scherer and PAR President Kerry Melcher about bringing RETT to central Phoenix. They have graciously offered up space at the PAR office in conference room 121. PAR is located at 5033 N. 19th Ave, right by the Camelback & 19th Avenue light rail station. Beginning Monday, March 15, 2010 at 10:00am, RETT adds another collaboration location!

Learn more and follow updates about RETT on Facebook and Twitter:
http://www.facebook.com/RealEstateTechTank
http://twitter.com/RETechTank

Posts by "Nick Bastian" http://nickbastian.com Nick Bastian is with Realty Executives in Tempe, Arizona. As a 18-year veteran of the real estate industry, Nick loves his career. For the last several years, Nick has embraced all aspects of social media. You can find Nick researching and writing a fun and informative "hyper-local" blog at http://raillife.com/blog.

Bloggers often talk about “finding your voice.” It is a way to say that each of us will probably have our own style, our own way to communicate with our audience. While this blog may, in fact, be a great way for real estate agents to find resources or to view a particular writing style, I want to talk about an entirely different type of voice.

Google Voice.

If you haven’t heard of Google Voice, I hope you will take some time to check it out. While I was admittedly slow to realize just how powerful this application can be to the real estate industry, once I started “playing” with it, I quickly understood that some of the features are GREAT for agents to use in their everyday communication. For agents on the go, Google Voice can be quite useful. Some of these cool features are available at very low or NO cost to you. (You can also visit this YouTube page of Google Voice videos.)

Transcribed voicemail: Your voicemail can be sent to you via email or text message.

Think about it. How cool would it be to have a way to easily save and search voicemails? Ever had a client, a business associate or even a teenage child that left you a message that you wish you could print out or save for future reference? Many cell phones make it difficult to store a large number of messages for later use. The scenarios are endless.

One number: A single phone number that rings all your phones.

I didn’t realize how cool this feature was until I started playing with it. Imagine being able to route your calls to different places at different times. Going out of town? Send your calls to your assistant or to another agent covering for you while you are gone. OR, maybe you want to send them to your cabin or hotel room?

Record calls: Record phone calls and store them online.

This feature is really cool. If you are having a conversation with someone and want to recall the conversation for another time, just record it and Google will save it for you. Again, many uses for this feature.

Free SMS: Send, receive and store text messages online.

What else can I say? Free is good!

Custom Greetings: Imagine a different message for different callers.

OK, this one has some serious power behind it. Think about different messages for different people. Now that you realize how cool that can be, think about taking it a step further. How about a different voice message for each listing you take? Why not? Have you ever built a “single property web site” or a specific landing page for a listing on your web site or blog? How about making a web page about a subdivision or a part of town? On that page, enter a customized voicemail thanking the caller for inquiring about 123 Main Street or for calling about the coolest neighborhood in the area. Each caller can be given specifics about the area or the property, and each caller will KNOW that YOU are the expert when it comes to that particular property or area.

How about using this as a listing tool? You might tell Mr. or Mrs. Seller that each caller will have detailed information, and at the same time, you will have a way to capture their name, number and information. Once the voicemail is left, you can forward the text of the message to the seller as feedback, etc.

Serious, folks. The real estate uses for Google Voice are endless. A “widget” can be placed on most websites or blogs and can be customized to your liking:

Google Voice has MANY more features than what I have listed above. Give it a try and please feel free to leave a comment here telling us your thoughts.