Here's a great article about how real estate marketing has evolved. Be sure to read:

If you are a real estate agent, you must know how vital marketing is for your business. With the shift of homebuyers’ behavior, real estate marketing is not just about newspaper ads, fliers, postcards, letters, or what not anymore. The battle has taken a new platform—the internet.

Online marketing, social media marketing, you’ve probably heard about them. Well if you haven’t, you just have to do some Googling.

Most agents have gone online because homebuyers are online. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), 75 % of homebuyers in 2006 started their search online. That is up from only 41 % in 2001. Moreover, online buyers are found to be more knowledgeable and informed, have shorter purchasing cycles, and purchase more expensive properties (California Association of Realtors.)

If you don’t have presence online, chances are you are not sold to the idea of internet marketing, you know nothing about it, or you’re inclined to give it a try, but somehow, you just don’t know where to start.

If you don’t have presence online, you are losing a lot of good leads that could have been clients. And it isn’t just about good leads, talk about saving money.

A website can advertise your listings, as well as you, your achievements, and what you can do for your clients. Furthermore, you’re not limited to a local audience. You are connected to the whole world. You are able to showcase your listings to people seeking relocation from other states or other parts of the globe, much to the delight of your sellers.

And if buyers don’t find you online, chances are, they will find another.

But how do you drive people on your website? Agents, who are not that computer savvy, may be burdened by this. But here are three basic things that you should remember.

1. Know thy audience – What do homebuyers need? Put yourself in their shoes and try to see what they want. Your website must be able to address these needs. If not, your website will just be tossed aside.
2. Invest time in SEO – Search Engine Optimization. Get your website noticed by search engines. This is not a one-shot deal though. This may take time, but it’s worth the investment.
3. Expand your social network – At least online. Facebook, Twitter, Digg, these are just some of the few social networking sites you can utilize.
4. Lead Management – What are that website traffic for if you’re not able to get clients? Don’t let them go stale.

If you’re still not online, maybe it’s time to ponder about doing so, don’t you think?

February, 2010 - America's Best Assistants, with its real estate virtual assistance program, teams up with America’s Best Agents (ABA) in providing valuable administrative and technical support to the best real estate agents in a virtual setting.

With the two companies’ closely knit goals of advancing the quality of virtual assistance into a whole new level, and of helping real estate agents be the top agents in their respective areas, real estate agents will now be able to obtain a reliable support for a fraction of the cost of what they pay for a full time personal assistant.

As homebuyers’ behavior shift, real estate marketing taking the Internet as the new platform, and market recovery still vague, agents faces immense competition more than ever. For that reason, real estate virtual assistance is now a flourishing industry.

Spending time on activities that really help make a living by outsourcing other time-consuming but equally important tasks to a virtual assistant is one key to an agent’s success. With  the partnership, finding a trained, well-rounded, and flexible VA’s with solid background on real estate processes and systems is as easy as ABC.

“They are best virtual assistants I have ever had. As a matter of fact they are the best assistants period. They are always there to help me with everything. They take care of most of my blogging and always have great ideas for helping me be more successful.  I would highly recommend them to anyone”, said Ginny Lee Founder of America’s Best Agents.



About America’s Best Assistants

They part of a company that is a  recognized Top 100 Global Outsourcing Services company for its "Leadership, Innovation and Outstanding Performance…" (CMP Media global survey). They help reduce cost, improve organizational flexibility, accelerate time-to-market, and deliver cost-effective world-class quality services.

Have You Ever Searched Your Name On Google?

Do You Want To Be #1 On The #1 Search Engine?

Now more then ever the Internet is the place to go to find out anything you want to know about anyone or anything.

Just for fun go to www.google.com and put your name in and see who or what comes up. I bet you will be surprised. I was. There was a Ginny Lee café and there is a banker in Alabama and a clothes outlet called Ginny. Try it and see what you find. I know some people searched Google and found some bad stuff and had it removed. It is important for you to protect your reputation especially if you are in business and you are definitely in business for yourself when you sell real estate.

Sure there are lots of websites that offer free spaces for your listings, it get's even better if it's branded as one of America's Best Properties!

We allot ample space on our website for our agents listings to be featured on. It's not just any other ordinary listing page. In our website, we make sure that each listing is one of America's Best Properties.
So what can this bring to you?

If you light a lamp for somebody, it will also brighten your path.

- Buddhist saying

You may be great at talking and presenting, keeping buyers and sellers interested, or you may be phenomenal with the art of persuasion. But without the right tools to aid you in your profession, it's going to be hard to stand out.

That is why here in America's Best Agents, not only do we value each agents' inate talents, but we also keep in mind that those talents can be amplified by the right tools to help us get to the top. Our tools are proven to give results.

Let me share to you a few of the tools that we find truly useful.

I guess Youtube doesn't need any introductions here. I mean, who does not know Youtube?

Here in America's Best Agents, we recognize the value that video sites like Youtube can offer to real estate. One cannot afford to overlook Youtube if you are engaging in internet marketing for one plain reason: you'll get noticed.

So how do our agents utilize this great tool in helping them be one of the BEST?

How does it feel to work with people who excel and stand out from the rest? Great isn't it? Wouldn't you like to one of them?

Of course all of us do! That's why Ginny Lee founded America's Best Agents.

Ginny thought of creating America's Best Agents to be a venue for all of the best Realtors in America to network. You ask, what do I get from this kind of network. I tell you there are a lot, and let me enumerate some for you.

Your home is not only where your heart is, it's one of the biggest investments you'll ever make. Our Real Estate Companies AND AGENTS are some of the best in their communities and cities and they offer some of the best real estate services and marketing tools.

Buying or selling a home is one of the most important, taxing, stressing decisions a family could make. Along with it, selecting the best  real estate agent to work with is vital. There are lots of agents out there, but not all have the ability to give you excellent service, understand your needs and preferences, and be someone you can trust.

Don't take our word for it! Read below what our members (and our owner!) have to say about their success with America's Best Real Estate Center.

Are you the best of the best? Do you want to stay ahead of your competition?

Then, there is nothing else to do but join America's Best Agents. Brand yourself as AMERICA'S BEST and reap the rewards. There are over 2 million real estate agents in the country. How are you suppose to get at the forefront? Remember, buyer's nowadays are greatly knowledgeable, and they would like to work only with the experienced, the excellent, and the BEST. Not only the buyers, sellers too!