9 Secret Powers of ChatGPT – Beyond Text

Real estate agents are constantly seeking tools to streamline their workflows and enhance client experiences. Among the innovative solutions available, ChatGPT, a powerful language model developed by OpenAI, stands out for its multifaceted capabilities. While ChatGPT's primary function is natural language processing and conversation, its diverse skill set extends far beyond just words. Let's explore how ChatGPT can revolutionize the way real estate agents operate.

1. Generate QR codes for links or tasks:

Real estate agents require efficient tools to manage tasks and establish branding in a competitive market. ChatGPT effortlessly generates QR codes for links or tasks, simplifying sharing and enhancing brand identity.

2. Design logos or icons for branding:

In a visually-driven industry like real estate, branding is essential. ChatGPT can aid agents by designing logos or icons for branding, helping them establish a distinctive identity amidst competition.

3. Produce images or illustrations:

ChatGPT produces high-quality images or illustrations, enhancing listing presentations and captivating potential buyers effectively.

4. Encode or transcribe videos:

Engaging video content is crucial for showcasing properties. ChatGPT encodes or transcribes videos, making them more accessible and engaging for clients, thereby enhancing marketing efforts.

5. Synthesize processes into diagrams:

Real estate transactions involve intricate processes. ChatGPT simplifies these by synthesizing processes into diagrams, facilitating clearer understanding and smoother workflow management.

6. Output or troubleshoot spreadsheets:

Efficient data management is key in this industry. ChatGPT offers assistance in outputting or troubleshooting spreadsheets, ensuring accurate and streamlined data handling for agents.

7. Develop code and web scripts:

ChatGPT streamlines development tasks by aiding in code and web script development, enabling agents to leverage technology effectively.

8. Visualize data in charts and graphs:

Data visualization is essential for making informed decisions. ChatGPT assists in visualizing data through charts and graphs, enabling agents to gain insights and communicate effectively.

9. Export text into formatted documents:

Managing documents such as contracts and agreements is made easier with ChatGPT. It assists in exporting text into formatted documents, ensuring professional and efficient communication with clients.

The bottom line

ChatGPT offers you a versatile toolkit, transforming workflows, and enhancing client experiences in today's real estate market. By leveraging its capabilities, you can streamline tasks, boost productivity, and stay competitive in the industry.

Maximizing Opportunities: 3 Key Moments to Market Your Listings and Attract More

How well are you leveraging your current listings to position yourself for future opportunities? Many agents claim, “There's such low inventory and homes sell so fast, there's no time to market them.” That's a misguided approach! My philosophy is simple: When the market speeds up, your marketing should too.

Why not “live off your listings”? Use each one to its fullest potential—not only to showcase your skills but also to maximize your seller’s benefits. More marketing means more exposure, helping your sellers achieve better outcomes. This, in turn, positions you to win the next listing, and the next, and the one after that. Don’t squander what you’ve got!

Here are three video ideas that capture the “marketable moments” of your listings:

1. Post a Could-Be Coming Soon Instagram Story like @krysbenyamein.

Krys knows how to create excitement and urgency around his listings. By teasing potential buyers with a "Could-Be Coming Soon" Instagram Story, he taps into their fear of missing out. Mentioning the quick turnover of homes in the area adds a sense of exclusivity, while inviting viewers to join a VIP List makes them feel special and valued.

2. Post a Sale-Sign Celebration Instagram Reel like @The.Mangin.Team.

Shannon from The Mangin Team knows how to celebrate a successful sale in style. Her energetic and enthusiastic sale-sign installation reels not only showcase her personality but also serve as powerful social proof. Seeing her clients celebrate with her builds trust and reinforces her reputation as a trusted name in real estate.

3. Post a How We Did It! Instagram Reel like @TheBarrettTeam.

Faith Barrett and her team understand the power of showcasing success. Their "How We Did It!" Instagram reels provide valuable insights into their sales process while highlighting their impressive results. By setting a benchmark with their successful sales, they inspire future sellers to expect nothing less than top-tier results from their listing agents.

By incorporating these key moments into your marketing strategy, you can elevate your real estate game, attract more buyers, and conquer your market with confidence. Don’t make your marketing a mystery; show sellers how you can serve!

Taking Charge: 5 Ads to Generate Real Estate Leads Without Third-Party Reliance

Generating your own real estate leads puts you in the driver's seat of your business. Far too many real estate professionals are caught in the cycle of dependency on third-party leads, limiting their potential. Break free from this cycle and take control by setting up and running these 5 proven lead-generating ads.

1. Lead-form “Listing Lists” Ads: Start by creating enticing ads on Meta (Facebook/Instagram) that offer exclusive access to curated property lists. The key is to make the lists relevant – for example, "Top 10 Luxury Homes in [Area]" or "Affordable Homes Under [Price] in [Area]."

Detailed Steps:

• Ad Creation: Open Meta Ads Manager and start a new ad campaign. Select “Lead generation” as your marketing objective.

• Target Audience: Define your target audience based on geographic location and/or other relevant factors.

• Ad Placement and Budget: Choose where your ad will appear on Facebook and Instagram and set your budget.

• Ad Design: Design your ad with engaging visuals and copy that highlights the unique appeal of your property list.

• Lead Form Setup: Click on the “Lead form” section. Choose “New Form” and create a form with fields like name, email, and phone number.

• Custom Questions: Add custom questions if needed, to qualify leads further (e.g., "What is your preferred property type?").

• Privacy Policy: Ensure you have a privacy policy on your website and link it in the form. This step is mandatory for lead forms.

• Completion Steps: Set up a “Thank you” screen that appears after form submission. Include a call-to-action like “See properties,” linking to the specific property list on your website.

• Tracking and Testing: After publishing, monitor the ad’s performance and tweak targeting or creative elements as needed for optimal results.

2. "How we did it" Just-Sold Postcards: Just-sold postcards are more than announcements; they're tools for storytelling. Highlight your unique selling strategies, such as innovative marketing techniques or negotiation skills, with "how we did it" bullet points or seller testimonials.

Distribute these postcards not only to neighbors around your listings but also to your personal network. This approach positions you as a trusted expert and leverages the power of social proof, essential for standing out against competitors.

3. DM Automation Ads: Utilize the “Send Message” CTA in your Meta ads to directly engage with leads. Offer them the same exclusive property lists as in your lead-form ads, but through an interactive chat.


Detailed Steps:

• Ad Setup: In Meta Ads Manager, create a new ad campaign with the objective of “Messages.”

• Choose the Messaging App: Select the messaging app where you want to engage with leads (e.g., Facebook Messenger, Instagram Direct, and/or WhatsApp).

• Ad Creation: Design your ad. Use engaging visuals and copy to entice viewers to use the “Send Message” CTA, such as offering access to exclusive property lists.

• Automation Tool Integration: Set up an account with a chat automation tool like ManyChat or ChatFuel.

• Scripting the Conversation: In your chosen automation tool, script a conversation flow. Start with a welcome message, then guide users to request the property list.

• Data Collection Setup: Include steps in your chat flow to ask for the user's contact information, like email and phone number.

• Linking to Meta: Connect your chat automation tool to your Facebook and/or Instagram account. Ensure the automated chat flow is triggered when someone clicks the “Send Message” CTA on your ad or messages a specific keyword.

• Testing: Before going live, test the chat flow to ensure it works smoothly and collects information effectively.

• Monitoring and Adjustments: After your ad is live, monitor its performance. Make necessary adjustments to the chat script or targeting based on user interactions and feedback.

By meticulously setting up your DM automation ads with a clear conversation flow and data collection strategy, you can efficiently engage leads on Meta platforms and gather valuable first-party information for follow-up and conversion.

4. YouTube Seller Streaming Ads: Create compelling in-stream ads (commercials before or during YouTube videos) to target specific groups like local homeowners, suspected in-market sellers, and real estate decision-makers.


Detailed Steps:

• YouTube Channel: Ensure you have a YouTube channel set up for your business.

• Google Ads Account: Log in to your Google Ads account. If you don’t have one, create it.

• New Video Campaign: Click on the “+ New Campaign” button. Choose “Create a campaign without a goal's guidance.”

• Campaign Type: Select “Video” as the campaign type. Choose a campaign subtype that aligns with your strategy.

• Targeting Setup: In the “People” section of campaign creation, use the Audience Segments feature. Target audiences like “Homeowners,” “Real Estate Agents,” and/or in-market audiences related to real estate purchases.

• Video Preparation: Create a high-quality, engaging video. Ensure it clearly communicates your message and includes a strong call-to-action (CTA), like visiting your website or contacting you for more information.

• Uploading to YouTube: Log in to your YouTube channel. Upload your video as an unlisted video. This ensures it's available for your ad but not publicly listed on your channel.

• Using Video in Google Ads: In your Google Ads account, when creating the ad, you will need to provide the URL of this unlisted YouTube video.

• Bidding Strategy: Choose a bidding strategy based on your campaign goals (e.g., CPV - “Cost Per View”) and follow Google Ads’ guidance/recommendations.

• Budget and Scheduling: Set your daily budget and choose how long you want your ad to run.

• Finalizing and Launching: Review all settings, then click “Create Campaign.”

5. Sign-Call Interceptor Ads: Dynamic Google search ads can intercept potential sign calls. The key is to have your IDX website's listing titles include property addresses, then use these links in your Google Ads.

Detailed Steps:

• Preparation of IDX Website Listings:

  1. Ensure your IDX website's listings include accurate property addresses in its page titles. This is crucial for matching your ads to relevant search queries.

• Creating a Targeted Property List:

  1. Conduct a search on your IDX website for properties you want to target with your ads.

  2. Select properties that align with your marketing goals, such as homes within a specific price range or in a particular area in which you sell regularly.

• Using Google Sheets for Ad Management:

  1. Open a new Google Sheet and list the URLs of the selected properties from your IDX website in column A.

  2. In column B, create custom labels for each property URL. These labels can include descriptors like the property type, neighborhood, or price range. Custom labels will help you organize and segment your ads more effectively in Google Ads.

  3. Ensure the Sheet is clearly organized and labeled, as it will be integral in managing and targeting your ads.

  Linking Google Sheets to Google Ads:

1. In your Google Ads account, go to the “Tools & Settings” menu and select “Business data” under the “Setup” section.

2. Choose to upload a data feed and select Google Sheets as the source. Connect the Sheet you prepared with your property URLs.

3. This integration not only allows Google Ads to dynamically generate ads based on the URLs in your Sheet but also offers the flexibility to add or remove listings as your ad campaign progresses. This feature is particularly useful for keeping your ads up-to-date with current property listings and adjusting your strategy in real-time.

• Setting Up Dynamic Search Ads:

1. In Google Ads, create a new campaign and select “Search” as the campaign type.

2. In the “Settings” section of your new campaign, look for the option to enable Dynamic Search Ads.

3. Choose the option to use your own data set, which will allow you to link your Google Sheet that contains the property URLs.

• Ad Creation and Customization:

1. Develop ad templates with relevant headlines and descriptions. Google will dynamically adjust these based on the search query and the content of the linked URLs.

2. Include calls-to-action that encourage potential leads to contact you or visit your website for more information.

• Budgeting and Bidding:

1. Set your budget according to your marketing plan and based on Google’s estimated performance markers.

2. Choose an appropriate bidding strategy to maximize ad visibility and effectiveness.

• Monitoring and Optimization:

1. Regularly monitor the performance of your ads.

2. Make adjustments to your Google Sheet, ad copy, or bidding strategy based on the ads' performance and conversion rates.

In summary, not relying on third-party leads is pivotal for taking control of your real estate business. The 5 methods mentioned above will empower you to carve your niche, foster growth, and redefine success through self-generated leads.

Post Like a Pro: A 6-Step Guide for Instagram Success

Instagram's algorithm scrutinizes your post's initial impact on a small, sample audience to gauge its potential. The early success of your post—its likes, comments, shares, and so forth—determines the extent of its reach on Instagram. In other words, if it’s a dud, it’s dead.

HERE ARE SIX ESSENTIAL TIPS TO LAUNCH YOUR POST WITH IMPACT:

1. Heart Comment Frenzy: Heart the comments on your last post a day later. Users receiving the notification will open the app, and before exiting, they’ll probably browse the feed — where Instagram is primed to display your latest post.

2. DM Story Replies: Scroll through stories and reply to a half-dozen or more using the message feature at the bottom. This approach leverages Instagram’s algorithm, which values Historical Interactions, increasing the likelihood of your next post appearing at the top of their feed.

3. Broadcast Channels: Use your Broadcast Channel (Instagram’s one-to-many messaging tools) to send updates to subscribers, thus drawing more attention to your profile, and by extension, your most recent post.

4. Focus on Favorites: Adding your top-engaged followers to your Instagram Favorites Feed makes it easy to browse their latest post and leave comments. This way, they’ll be more likely to see and engage with your content reciprocally.

5. Story Share with Care: Boost post visibility by sharing to stories, but add unique context to keep followers engaged. Remember, if you repeatedly static-share your post to your stories, you’ll condition your story viewers to skip past your stories, causing longterm harm.

6. “Collab” Cross-Promo: Try strategically coauthoring posts with fellow creators for cross promotion via Instagram Collaborations. Shared audiences can multiply engagement.

So, here's my advice: don’t just post and pray; be strategic and play the game!

Real Estate Success in 2024: Unveiling the Top Marketing Channels

In the dynamic world of real estate, staying ahead of the game requires a strategic approach to marketing. Here's a curated list of the top marketing channels to elevate your business in 2024:

1. Google Reviews

Google Reviews amplify your SEO, helping you rank higher in Google’s search results. This increases your visibility when prospects search for local real estate agents. They also improve the performance of your Google Local Services Ads. So keep on getting those reviews!

2. Email Newsletters

Ramp up your email newsletter to a weekly schedule to maintain consistent outreach. Share useful info, market insights, local happenings, and CTAs that invite readers to take next steps. When it comes to nurturing leads and contacts, email’s top of the list.

3. Community Events

Deepen local ties by leveraging community events, like photos with Santa or Easter egg hunts. Try finding sponsors to offset costs. Additionally, plan to host more mega open houses to engage with potential clients and make a memorable impact on neighbors, who might soon be sellers.

4. Mailers

Send out postcards regularly and/or a luxury-focused quarterly magazine. Pro tip: Consider sponsors to lower your costs. The average mailbox only receives two pieces of marketing mail daily, so there’s a clear runway to grab attention!

Postcard Ideas:

• Market updates and data

• Coupons to local businesses

• Relevant real estate news

• Calendar of local events

• Invitations to your events

• "Thumb-mailers" with QR codes to your videos

• Real estate tips and advice

• "Who do you know" just-listed announcement

• "How did we do it" just-sold announcement

• Map of homes you sold year-to-date

• Client testimonials and success stories

• Home maintenance tips and seasonal reminders

5. Videos/Content

Invest in producing more videos. They’re not just for your social feeds; they supply content for your emails, postcards, and ads. What’s more, try running YouTube In-Stream Ads to outline your value proposition to prospective sellers, who are looking to hire the best.

Embrace these tools, tailor them to your unique strengths, and watch as your business not only adapts to the unpredictable market but thrives!

The Four Key Roles of a Buyer's Agent: How to Showcase Your Expertise

Are You Underselling Your Role as a Buyer's Agent? Don't shortchange your services—highlight the four fundamental roles you perform as a Buyer’s Agent.

In the current climate, articulating the value of your Buyer’s Agent services is crucial. Without fully showcasing your expertise, you risk being overlooked or undervalued by potential clients. Stand out by exploring your key roles:

• Finding/Un-finding Properties: You pinpoint homes that match your clients' needs and wants. As their guide, you help clients discern when to pursue or pass on opportunities, even uncovering off-market gems.

• Decoding the Market: You dissect local trends and property specifics, identifying which areas and property types best suit your clients' needs. Your insights empower clients to navigate the market confidently.

• Mastering the Deal: Skillfully managing over 25 points of negotiation in a typical purchase agreement, your expertise tips the scales in your clients' favor.

• Fulfilling the Agreement: “It ain’t over ‘till it’s over!” With numerous contingencies to satisfy and potential pitfalls to avoid, your role is pivotal in ensuring the deal doesn't fall apart.

Communicate Your Value

In your role as a buyer's agent, how comfortably or confidently can you explain the value of your services? Without clarity, you risk falling behind in a market that waits for no one.

Personal vs. Impersonal Channels: Mastering the Art of Relationship Marketing in Real Estate

If you’ve lost touch with your personal contacts and have become hesitant to just up and call them, but know you need to… Try using impersonal marketing/communication channels to reawaken stagnant relationships.

IMPERSONAL MARKETING CHANNELS:

• Sending postcards or letters.

• Distributing newsletters (print or email).

• Sending routine emails.

• Commenting on social media.

• Messaging via DMs.

• Inviting-to and hosting webinars.

• Inviting-to and attending larger, casual events.

• Sponsoring social media ads.

With your contacts reengaged, Take your relationships to the next level by utilizing personal marketing channels.

PERSONAL MARKETING CHANNELS:

• Making phone calls.

• Sending texts.

• Visiting via pop-bys.

• Organizing coffee meetups, meal gatherings, or activity-based meetings.

• Inviting to and attending smaller, intimate events.

• Writing handwritten notes.

• Recording personalized video messages.

In real estate, relationships rule.  To be chosen, you must be known. Don't gamble with chance – be the agent-of-choice.

The Dangers of Undervaluing Your Role: How to Convey Your Value as a Listing Agent

Are you underselling your role as a Listing Agent in your marketing, at the listing appointment, and/or throughout your transactions working with clients?

If so, you're risking potential clients missing out on the full range of your expertise. And if they remain unaware of what you can do for them, you risk being overlooked, undervalued, or potentially passed-over for competitors who more precisely communicate the benefits of their services.

So how certain are you that prospective sellers truly grasp the immense value you bring as a listing agent?

My advice:  don't shortchange your services—highlight the THREE fundamental roles you perform as a ListingAgent:

1. Marketing & Exposure -  You're not just listing a property, you're strategically showcasing it—implementing marketing tactics that cast your listings in the best light to attract the right buyers.

2. Negotiation High-Ground -  You don't simply accept offers—you tactically navigate them. By establishing a strong negotiation foothold, you work to secure the best possible price and terms that favor your clients.

3. Deal “Life-Support” - You're not just an observer—you're the linchpin ensuring a smooth transaction from contract-to-close. As many sales fall apart, your steadfast guidance and process helps hold deals together.

Flip the Script: 6 Marketing Channels to Get Clients Calling You!

Looking to flip the script and have clients ringing you up 📲 for a change?

Lead generation and conversion usually teeter between a game of “chase” and “attract.” You need a bit of both, in my opinion.

But hey, isn't it tiring when you're always the one doing the chasing, hustling to follow-up and convert?

Why not switch gears a bit by ALSO investing in marketing channels that draw leads in?—where they're the ones contacting you!

If that sounds like a solid idea, here are 6 dynamic marketing channels that’ll help you shift from chasing to attracting and have those leads ringing you up instead.

1. Client/Contact Database 📇 - Take care of your connections! Your repeat clients and their referrals are gold mines. Don't forget, good business grows on the tree of trust.

2. Google Business Profile📍- Get Google on your side! An optimized Google Business Profile is like a magnet for high-quality leads. Time to let them come to you.

3. Search Engine Optimization 🔎 - Show-off online with SEO! Standout in search via services-page on your website (e.g. “buying a home,” “selling a home,” et al.), YouTube videos, blogs, etc. Optimize to get found online.

4. Google Local Services Ads - Appear at the tippy-top of Google! Be the first agent local customers see and let them reach you with just a click. LSAs are easy to setup and only charge you for legit leads.

5. Social Media Marketing 💬 -  Join the social club! Publish value-add content, dive into your DMs, engage in the comments, and connect with your audience.

6. Geographic Farming 🏘 - Build a brand in your backyard! Direct mail, signage, social media marketing, and more—there's a whole community waiting to become loyal clients.

Scroll-Stopping Secrets: 5 Proven Techniques to Increase Viewer Watch-Time

The success of your next video is heavily influenced by the amount of time viewers spend watching it. In the world of social media platforms like Instagram, watch-time plays a crucial role in determining the reach and visibility of your content. The longer viewers engage with your video, the more appealing it becomes to these platforms, leading to wider distribution and exposure to a larger audience.

Understanding the significance of watch-time is essential in developing strategies to increase viewer engagement. By implementing techniques that captivate and retain viewers' attention, you can maximize the watch-time and improve the overall performance of your videos.

Here are 5 tips to increase viewer watch-time:

1. Strong opening hook 🪝 - Grab attention, set the tone, and establish clear expectations to entice viewers to watch through till the end. Start with a question, a promise, or a perspective.

2. Optimize runtime ⏱ - Analyze your average watch-time and create videos that match in length to encourage “ watch completions.” If your recent videos averaged 10-15 seconds of watch time and you're posting 60-second videos, consider making your future videos shorter.

3. Captions & comments 💬 - Compose a quality caption that invites viewers to engage in the comments. The more comments, the more thread for viewers to scroll, thereby increasing your time-spent-on-post.

4. Better audio/visual 🎛 - Enhance viewer experience with relevant graphics, sounds, and subtitles; ensure a reasonable audio and video quality. Use Instagram’s built-in caption tool or apps like CapCut or Splice.

5. Prevent “scroll holes”🕳 - Minimize pauses, gaps, tangents, and irrelevant points that may cause viewers to lose interest and scroll away. Warning: when presenting a list, like "3 ways to ___,” each additional point decreases viewership, as they offer clear chances to exit.

The 3 “Endgames” of Social Media Marketing: Setting objectives, expectations, and measuring performance

Are you tired of putting effort into your social media marketing without knowing whether it's actually working? Lots of businesses and creators struggle with this challenge, wondering if a lack of engagement or leads means their efforts are totally in vain. But don't assume that a lack of direct messages from potential clients, for instance, indicates failure.

There are numerous ways to measure the success of your social media marketing beyond just lead generation. By focusing on the key areas below – the three “endgames” of social media – you’ll gain a better understanding of how your efforts are impacting your reputation, your community, and your bottom line.

1. CREDIBILITY - It's like "brand back-up." Your social presence can make-or-break the impression prospective customers have of you. Leads, referrals, and prospects are going to look you up and form a view of who you are, what you do, and how you do it. Don't let your social media unsell you.


2. COMMUNITY - It's likely your followers consist of past clients, friends/family, etc.—i.e., your database. Understanding that half to two-thirds of sales come from repeat or referral business, nurturing this audience becomes vital. So leverage social to foster meaningful conversations & deeper connections.


3. CUSTOMERS - Share valuable and relevant content on social media to attract prospective customers. Posting content that's tailored to the needs and interests of buyers and sellers can prompt them to engage with you and potentially inquire about your services. Remember: you get what your content attracts.

Leveraging the Domino Effect: How to Use Other Listings to Attract More Listing Opportunities

When one property goes on the market, others often follow suit – a domino effect of “For Sale” signs that can trigger a sense of urgency among homeowners.

And the effect can extend beyond just nearby neighbors noticing yard-signs; it can be amplified through various channels, such as social media, postcards, emails, and other means, reaching a wider audience and potentially attracting more listings. That’s the game! Simply seeing other properties for sale can serve as a catalyst for hesitant homeowners, nudging them to take the leap and list their own homes.

In today's highly competitive real estate market, listing inventory is extraordinarily scarce. As a result, it's critical to promote your listings in a way that sparks interest and generates buzz, thereby leveraging each listing to attract even more opportunities.

Here are 4 channels you can use to market your listings that’ll attract more listing opportunities:

1. VIDEO:
   Video is a powerful tool for real estate agents to showcase their listings and their skills in showing and selling properties. To position yourself as a listing agent, consider creating a variety of videos, such as selfie-style property tours, short clips highlighting distinctive features, and/or pro-quality listing films. Share your videos across various online platforms, including your website, social media channels, and paid media, to reach both potential buyers and sellers. Videos can be a great way to make your listings stand out in a crowded market and generate interest in your services as a listing agent.

2. POSTAGE:
Direct mail is another effective channel for promoting your listings and attracting more opportunities. Consider using a mix of postcards, flyers, door hangers, and/or pamphlets to target neighbors and other potential sellers through multiple touch points. Depending on your budget, you may want to promote your listing with every change of status - active, pending, closed - to increase visibility and generate buzz. Mix up your postage and time your touch points strategically to garner the consideration of prospective sellers in your target market. Direct mail can be a great way to make a memorable connection with potential clients and demonstrate your expertise in the hyperlocal area.

3. SOCIAL:
Social media is a crucial channel for real estate agents to reach potential buyers and sellers. However, it's important to stand out in a sea of "coming-soon," "just-listed," "under-contract," and "just-sold" posts. To make your social media efforts more effective, liven up your posts with case-study commentary in the caption text, run ads targeting locals, share in relevant Facebook Groups, and even post in Facebook Marketplace to increase your exposure to actively-searching buyers and prospective sellers. The game is to up your exposure to potential clients and showcase yourself as a busy and successful listing agent.

4. EMAIL:
Email marketing is a powerful tool for real estate agents to stay top-of-mind with potential clients and promote their listings. However, it's important to provide value to your existing contact list rather than just "blasting" them with listing updates. To make your email marketing efforts more effective, send value-packed emails to your database and sprinkle in your listings to showcase yourself as an active, working listing agent. This could include market updates, local news, home-buying and selling tips, and more. The goal is to build trust and credibility with your contacts and stay top-of-mind when they're ready to buy or sell.

Video Production Hacks: 3 Quick and Easy Ways to Create More Content with Less Effort

Social media platforms like Instagram and others constantly demand new content, especially in the form of video. But creating a large volume of video content can be overwhelming and lead to burnout. If you want to keep up and avoid getting left behind, you need to level up your video process and find ways to create more content with less effort. That being said, here are three quick-and-easy ideas to help you do just that.

1. BATCHING: Filming one video at a time is inefficient. My advice:  record in bulk! -- it’ll help you stay in the flow of content creation, ultimately leading to higher-quality videos. Some creators prep scripts and read the teleprompter whereas others simply tap record and riff to various topics. It all gets cleaned up in post-production. So whatever’s your MO, get in the zone and let the process guide you.

2. CHOPPING: Don’t let your long-form videos go to waste. Repurpose podcast and/or webinar content, for instance, into bite-sized, vertical clips and post ‘em as Reels, TikToks, and Youtube Shorts. Use the “chops” to drive top-of-funnel viewership to your full episodes. Lots of creators hire freelance editors to (low-cost) slice-and-dice all-the-day long. You’ve probably got A LOT more content than you think!

3. SAMPLING: Coming up with new ideas for content can be draining. But it’s like Picasso said:  “Good artists borrow…” That being said -- consider making use of green-screen background effects in your vertical videos (i.e., Reels, TikToks, and YouTube Shorts) to “REACT” to relevant news articles or even remix/duet other creators’ videos. Take existing content and add your own unique spin! (Obviously, go about this collaboratively—as intended by the platforms—not unethically.)

To get the biggest return from your social media and content marketing efforts, it’s important to streamline your video creation process—that is, to make more videos in less time without sacrificing quality. Batching allows you to get into a flow state and produce higher-quality videos by recording multiple videos at once. Chopping enables you to repurpose your long-form content into bite-sized clips, which can drive traffic to your full episodes. Reacting lets you take existing content and add your own unique spin to it, creating something new and engaging.

The Ultimate Guide to Instagram Posting: When and How to Reach Your Followers

If you’re looking to improve the performance of your content on Instagram, then timing your posts is a critical factor to consider.

Put simply, Instagram's algorithm analyzes the performance of your respective posts to determine which ones to show to more people. It’ll start with showing your post to a small(ish) group of users to see how they react to the content:  hearts, comments, saves, shares, swipes, time-spent, etc. Then, based on that test, it’ll conduct larger tests and so on. Thus, the opening minutes and hour(s) of a given post are of extreme importance because, within that time-period, Instagram’s algorithm will effectively render judgment as to how far it will go to distribute your post through its feeds.

And since your followers are likely more inclined to engage with your content (i.e., hearts, comments, and so on), it’s important to post when they’re active on the platform.

Here’s how to determine when your followers are most active on Instagram and how to use that information to increase the reach and engagement of your posts.

Step 1: Access your Professional Dashboard

To begin, you'll need to access the Professional Dashboard on your Instagram profile. To do this, you need to have a Creator or Business profile. If you have a personal profile, you'll need to switch to a Creator or Business profile. If you're currently using a Personal Profile on Instagram or aren't sure which type of profile you have, here are the steps to switch to a Professional Profile:

1. Go to your profile and tap on the three horizontal lines in the top right corner.

2. Tap on "Settings" at the bottom of the menu.

3. Tap on "Account."

4. Tap on "Switch to Professional Account."

5. Choose your account type (Creator or Business) and select a category that best describes your account. For instance, you may choose "Real Estate Agent," but keep in mind that different categories may come with varying access to features like licensed music and sounds. For example, "Entrepreneur" may have more access than "Real Estate Agent."

Once you've done that, tap on your profile picture and then tap on the three lines in the top right corner. Select “Professional Dashboard” from the menu.

Step 2: Select Your Timeframe

Once you're in the Professional Dashboard, tap on the “Select All” button or just tap anywhere on the bar chart to view your audience insights. Next, select your desired timeframe from the drop-down menu, and then tap on “Total Followers.”

Step 3: View Your Audience Insights

Now scroll to the bottom of the screen to view your followers’ most active times on the platform. You'll see a graph that shows the days of the week and the hours of the day when your followers are most active on the platform. Take note that all times are published in the Pacific Standard time zone.

As you review the graph 📊 of your followers' peak active times, observe the rise and fall of the curve. To maximize engagement, aim to post when the curve is on the rapid upward slope, so you can ride the wave of interaction and engagement for as long as possible.

Furthermore, to improve your chances of ranking at the top of the feed during user session times, consider posting your content at "off times," such as 10:07 AM instead of 10:00 AM. According to a report by SimilarWeb, the average visit duration on Instagram in the United States is around 6.75 minutes. With users spending only a few minutes at a time on the platform, posting at an unconventional time could mean less competition in the feed and potentially increase your reach and engagement. This is because most posts are scheduled on the hour or half-hour marks, making "off times" a strategic option for gaining visibility.

Timing your posts on Instagram is a simple and effective way to increase your reach and engagement on the platform and to improve the performance of your Instagram content and grow your presence on the platform.

Get the Most Out of Your Posts: How to Streamline Your Social Media and Content Marketing Efforts

Making Content: a high-effort, high-reward activity!

As a content creator, you know the drill: researching topics, recording videos, crafting captions, and distributing across platforms is a demanding and time-consuming process. But despite the effort, the benefits of a strong online presence are undeniable. The fact is, social media is a one-of-a-kind medium that offers unparalleled access to consumers in a way no other marketing channel can complete.

However, with so many platforms to choose from and so much competition, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. That’s why I’ve assembled a list of six tips to help you streamline your content strategy and get more “play out of your posts.”

1. Crosspost: Utilize the power of multiple platforms by distributing your content natively across top social media networks.

2. SEO-Afterlife: Ensure your content has a longer lifespan by blogging any posts you consider valuable and optimizing them for search engines.

3. Replicate: Keep your content in front of your followers by re-posting relevant content from time-to-time.

4. Repurpose: Use parts of past posts to inspire new content and make the most out of your efforts.

5. Consolidate: Identify your top-performing content and double down on it to maximize your reach.

6. Promote: Give your organic content a boost by promoting it to targeted audiences through paid media.

Don't let the constant need to produce content cloud your purpose and impact. Take the time to evaluate and streamline your strategy so that each post serves a clear and meaningful goal. With the right approach, you'll not only save time and energy, but also see a greater return on your content investment.

From Blog Posts to Video Scripts: 6 ways ChatGPT can help business owners create better content, optimize text, and more

ChatGPT is a state-of-the-art language software—a supercharged chatbot, for lack of a more descriptive term—developed by OpenAI.

It's trained on a massive amount of text data and can generate human-like text in response to a given prompt or "seed text." It runs off a complex neural network, which is a type of computer program that can learn by itself by finding patterns in data.

All this makes it an incredibly powerful tool for content creation and language-based tasks.

As a business owner (or just a human conducting your everyday affairs), you're likely always looking for ways to streamline your workflow and make your marketing efforts more efficient. This is where ChatGPT comes in extra handy.

Here are six innovative ways to use ChatGTP to assist with your operational tasks and marketing efforts:

1. Content Ideation:  Take advantage of ChatGPT's ability to generate written content for various formats like blog posts, video scripts, presentations or speeches, social media captions, titles, text messages, image descriptions, chat sequences, and email scripts.
   
   Provide it with an input (or “seed,” if you will) such as a video transcript, an existing social media caption, a list of items or talking points, or a specific topic or subject matter and watch it generate the content with ease.
   
   Unleash the potential of the written word with ChatGPT.


2. Text Optimization:  Fine-tune ChatGPT’s text output to suit your exact needs by additional instructions. For example, tell it to use more persuasive or compelling language, set a word- or character-count limit, switch between first-person or third-person perspectives, rewrite the text to sound more instructive or opinionated and less explanatory, to integrate keywords like or related to “______,” to match the style of the text (e.g. tone, diction, voice, etc.) to a provided sample of writing, like something you’ve written in the past, or even to modify the text to follow a specific rhyme scheme, if you wanted. Take control of the writing process by guiding ChatGPT collaboratively.


3. Script Scrambling:  Create customized video scripts using ChatGPT and then generate unique versions by providing instructions for variations, so each team member or agent can record a personalized video.
   
   For instance, tell ChatGPT to change or remove humor, replace a certain percentage of the words, or modify the writing style. The potential is truly exponential.


4. Topic Summarization:  Use ChatGPT to generate concise summaries of wordy documents or to explain complex concepts or matters.
   
   Get cliff-notes of books or copy/paste a news article—or even a contract, at your own legal discretion—and then ask ChatGPT questions that need answering.

5. Tone Tweaks:  Use ChatGPT to help you write tricky text messages or email replies to avoid certain tones or phrasing that may come across as nervy or placating or excuse-making, for instance.

   
   Simply explain the situation, the relationships between the parties, your objectives, and your concerns (i.e., “I don’t want it to sound like I’m trying to ______,” for instance) and ChatGPT will help you articulate your thoughts and guide your words. It will even explain its rationale.


6. Technical Assistance:  Use ChatGPT to script or fix spreadsheet formulas, share advice on schedule optimization, debug or code CSS, HTML, or any another software language, write, update, or rework your biography, generate and format keywords and copy for ad campaigns, translate any text to any language (real or imagined), write property or job descriptions, formulate interview questions, reply to online reviews, brainstorm ideas, organize a plan, compose video thumbnail text, optimize your SEO - titles, keywords, tags, meta-descriptions and so much more. We’re just getting started, friends!

Bottom line, ChatGPT is a powerful software that can help you streamline your workflow and make your marketing efforts more efficient. As a business owner, it’s critical to identify ways to make your operations run more smoothly—tasks like the ones listed above. By understanding the capabilities of ChatGPT, you’ll be in a spot to get more out of it.

6 Overlooked Places to Include Calls-to-Action (CTAs) to Boost Conversion Rates

If you want more business, sometimes it’s simply a matter of presenting customers with an offer.

A call-to-action (CTA) is a statement or button that prompts a prospective customer to take a specific action, like visiting a certain web page, downloading a PDF, or filling out a contact-form.

Some calls-to-action are “lead-generating” in nature and some are “lead-converting.”

• Lead-generating:  e.g. home valuation offers, a custom home search, downloading a buyer- or seller-guide, or sign-up for a newsletter.

• Lead-convertring:  e.g. schedule a buyer or listing consultation, making a referral, or placing an inbound call, text, message, or email.

Loads of businesses overlook the importance of calls-to-action in their marketing usually because they aren’t clear on the customer’s journey and, thus, don’t know which offers will or won’t move customers forward. My advice:  define your CTAs and incorporate them all throughout your marketing. 

Including calls-to-action throughout your marketing can help to clarify the desired action for your audience, track the effectiveness of your marketing efforts, and ultimately, yield more business.

6️⃣ Overlooked Placements to “Nest” Your Calls-to-Action:

1. Email Signature:  Your everyday emails have nearly a perfect open rate. What’s more, the average professional sends 40+ emails a day. All that said, your email signature is a prime spot to incorporate your business’s calls-to-action. Keep it non-excessive, though—too many CTAs will water-down your results.

2. Google-Business-Profile Products:  Use the Products section of your Google Business Profile to link-up your calls-to-action. For example:

• Search for homes

• Request a home valuation

• Schedule a property tour

• Download buyer/seller guide

• Join the team

3. Social Profile Link-in-Bio:  Profiles on platforms like Instagram and TikTok apportion users one clickable link in their profiles. What’s more, these sites don’t permit links to be included in posts. Thus, the "link-in-bio" functions as “link dispatch,” of sorts. Use tools like Linktr.ee or Liinks.co to direct traffic to your content and CTAs.

4. YouTube Default Text:  In your YouTube Studio, tap Settings and then Upload Defaults to compose pre-set text in the Description field that’ll appear automatically with every next video you upload. Formulate text that'll drive viewers to your calls-to-action:  e.g. social media links, key landing pages, your sign-ups, and so on.

5. Pinned Posts:  Use the "Pinned Post" feature of platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok to feature select posts. For instance, pin a post that’s the most exemplary of your content in terms of what new followers can expect of you and/or pin a video that outlines what you do and how customers can opt to do business with you.

6. Messenger Chatbots:  Messenger bots (like ManyChat) are activated by direct-message keywords. In your Instagram bio, for instance, instruct users to message you terms like “Buy” or “Sell” to activate automated chat sequences tailored to your CTAs—like a home search, home valuation, or a different type of offer. Construct custom dialogues to your liking.

3 "Easy to Produce" Vertical Videos (for Real Estate Agents)

VIDEO is VERTICAL – that’s the trend to embrace:  Instagram + Facebook Reels, TikToks, and YouTube Shorts.

Trouble is, making and sharing videos is a significant undertaking. Top social platforms like Instagram and TikTok, for instance, have practically insatiable appetites for more and more content—video content, in particular.

You’ve gotta work smarter 🤨 when it comes to video-marketing nowadays.

Bearing that in mind… here’s a list and instructions for three “easy to produce” video shows to step-up your vertical ↕️ video game now and into next year:

3 (Easy-to-Make) Vertical Video for Realtors

1. Talking Heads 🗣 - (Not the band 🤣) Close-up, camera-facing videos in which you provide real estate market commentary, share tips and advice, or explain nuances/intricacies about real estate.

I’d recommend batch-filming to record videos in bulk. You may opt to shoot in the field or at a set location, with your smartphone🤳 or perhaps a DSLR/mirrorless camera 🎥. That bit’s up to you.

Be sure to prep your points in advance, maybe bring a few changes of clothes, and I’d definitely advise outsourcing the editing.

• Here’s an example: Sarah Roy - Farr Group NW

2. Gimbal Tours🏡 - We all know people like watching home-tours. (Ever heard of HGTV⁉️) Nonetheless, some myths that might be holding you back from making more of these videos:

MYTH 1:  The subject property has to be your listing.

That’s not the case so long as you obtain proper consent. In fact, the properties don’t even have to be, quote-unquote, “for sale,” just as long as you don’t misrepresent/mislead otherwise.

MYTH 2:  You can only produce polished videos or it’ll present the home improperly.

Before I get into this, let me be clear: I have no qualms with pro-quality listing videos. (Far from it, actually.) However, because social algorithms are burning through content so rapidly, the odds of ALL the right people seeing any one post is mathematically improbable.

If you’re bottlenecking your output of content because each video, for instance, is overly time- and labor-intensive, a pivot to your approach may be in order.

TRY THIS:  get a gimbal (i.e., a handheld mechanical stabilizer to help you shoot smoother video) for your iPhone (e.g. DJI Osmo) and shoot a selfie-styled video that begins with you introducing the property. For example:

“Wanna see what $500,000 can get you in South Nashville…”

Then, with your gimbal, rotate the camera to forward-facing and begin touring the property. Step to the corner of each room and pan from left to right to give viewers a full view of its interior spaces. Film in 4K, 60 frames-per-second (fps), and at the 0.5 magnification setting to get that wide-angle lens look.

When you’re done, load your video into an editing app like Splice. Pop-in a few transitions, speed-up or slow-down the footage to your liking (that’s called “speed ramping”), and edit your video in like two minutes flat—done and dusted!

• Here’s an example: Ray Ellen - Pixel Properties

3. Selfie Spotlights🤳 - Using similar filming techniques as the selfie-gimbal video aforementioned, hit the town to document its hotspots and amenities. Try using the voiceover (VO) functionality that’s built into Reels, for instance. That way, you can just film to your phone’s camera roll while you’re out-and-about the town and then add your footage into a Reel/TikTok/Short after-the-fact.

• Here’s an example: The One Team

If you plan to conduct interviews with locals, for instance—and wanna record quality-sounding audio—consider investing in a LAV or condenser/cardioid microphone.

• RODE Wireless GO ii

• Deity Pocket Wireless Mobile Kit

• Deity V-Mic D4 Duo Microphone

• Rode VideoMic GO Lightweight On-Camera Microphone

The simple fact is, social algorithms are greedy — they want more content than ever (especially, vertical videos). If your videos are overly difficult to produce in bulk, then you oughta explore new methods/concepts to streamline your process.

4 Tips to Prevent Your Instagram Account Getting Hacked

It seems, lately, that Instagram has been under attack with accounts getting hacked, impersonators springing up all over, and scams galore.

Don’t get me wrong, these issues are prevalent on pretty much all mainstream social platforms. Nonetheless, it’s estimated 30,000 Instagram accounts get hacked daily. Yikes 😱

The good news is, there are measures you can put in place to help mitigate your exposure.

Granted, there’s no perfect defense or 100%-effective safeguard -- however, the tactics herein are certainly smart ideas.

1. Third-Party Logins: Lots of sites/apps allow you to link your Instagram account: e.g. social publishing tools or reporting platforms. The risk is—in the event one of those platforms’ user-data becomes comprised—so does your IG login. To check and see which apps/sites are “connected,” tap the menu button (☰), hit Settings, press Security, and then tap Apps and websites. The fewer, the better.

2. Two-Factor Authentication:  On Instagram (or anywhere you’re logged in) it’s vital to have two-factor authentication enabled whereby you're sent a one-time code to authenticate any attempted login. Instagram, for instance, allows you to authenticate via text-message, WhatsApp, or by means of a third-party authenticator app. The third-party app is generally the most secure option. 

3. Email/DM Malicious URLs: Cybercriminals notoriously make use of malicious URLs to loot your login info. That means they’ll DM or email you a link that doesn’t do what you think it does. This is an especially common tactic used by impersonators or hackers peddling exclusive perks—like Blue-Checks offers, for instance. Scroll through the next few cards to review common deceptions.

   • Phony “Copyright” Infringement Scams: Watch out for phony “copyright infringement” messages. Instagram won’t DM you—they’ll either display an in-app notification or email you. However, hackers could also email you, imitating an official-looking correspondence. If you get an email you’re not sure is safe, you can check in the Insta app. Tap the menu button (☰), then Settings, hit Security, and finally, select “Emails from Instagram.”

   • Fake “Suspicious Activity” Alerts: Fake suspicious/unusual activity warnings are go-to hacker tactics. Slow down and think before you click the link! Remember, you can double-check any Instagram email in the app to certify its authenticity. What’s more, Insta only emails from its @mail.instagram.com address. And don’t forget… Instagram won’t DM you these sort of notices.

   • “Lookalike” Impersonator DMs:  Hackers create bogus accounts with (almost-matching) usernames, scrape an creators’ content (e.g. posts, profile name, bio, etc.) to make you think it’s them, buy followers to appear credible, block the actual creator to tie their hands, so to speak, and then message that creator's followers as if it's really them—only, it’ll eventually turn into a crypto pitch. If you ever get a DM like this, double-check that you actually follow the account. When you open the message, beneath their (stolen) profile pic, it’ll specify if you follow them. That said, perhaps you followed them unknowingly. If that's the case, be sure to look closely at the username to see whether or not it’s genuine. And if they try to sell you crypto—well, that’s a pretty good clue too.

4. Data-Leaked Passwords: Passwords are a pain to manage. Nonetheless, be wary of using the same password across the web. If there’s a data leak, for instance, your password could be getting "passed around" the dark web. Hackers may retrieve portions of your IG login credentials and obtain leaked PW datasets to try and break into your account. Also make sure your two-factor authentication is turned on! 

5 Database Marketing and Nurturing Tactics (for REALTORS)

Your database of past clients and center-of-influence contacts is, in all likelihood, your BEST source of business. Question is, are you“working it” sufficiently?

Per the Nat’l Association of REALTORS®, 68% of sellers and 60% of buyers identify an agent for hire via REPEAT/REFERRAL. 🤯

Fact is, if you’re not fully-leveraging your database—no doubt—it’s costing you. 💸

Here’s a quick list of marketing ideas to more effectively nurture your database:

1. Weekly Email Round-Up.  Email marketing is WAY underrated—and I know why. It’s because far too many agents are sending out canned, pre-written emails that  don’t work. My advice: start to view email as a channel for distributing your content. As you publish blogs, videos, and more, assemble and send out a weekly email digest. It’ll improve your performance metrics and, more importantly, it’ll nurture your database.

2. Google Display Network Ads.  Position your brand across the web via the Google Display Network—i.e., the banner ads you see scattered across sites and apps in side-bars, pop-ups, footer-bars, and elsewhere. They'll help keep you top-of-mind with your database. Head over to Ads.Google.com to setup a new ad campaign and upload your database contacts for retargeting. Type in this URL to watch my tutorial:  bit.ly.JP-GDN

3. Handwritten Notes/Cards.  Let’s face it:  some marketing channels give off a phony vibe. Like, I don’t feel warm and fuzzy when I get a mass text message that reads:  “Reply STOP to unsubscribe." But handwritten notes, I've gotta confess, are pretty-darn touching. Trouble is, they’re high-effort!—or, at least, they were. Look at bulk-sending plat-forms like Audience.co or AddressableMail to nurture your database with personalized, handwritten notes and cards.

4. Educational Webinars.  I'm not talking about your run-of-the-mill "first-time homebuyer" or basic "seller" seminars/webinars. I'm talking about offering webinars on much more nuanced, relevant topics. Imagine inviting your database contacts  to monthly webinars in which you tackled the most relevant topics of the day—especially now, as the market is highly volatile. My advice:  be the knowledge broker!

Home Equity Updates. Homes value is STILL a topic of tremendous interest amongst homeowners. So what’s your process to keep your database contacts in the know? Perhaps try sending out quarterly “Equity Updates” to them. After all, they’re your database contacts and so it’s on you to keep them informed of market conditions. Use an automated tool or run your own comps—either way, it's about sharing the data.