Should Realtors Publish Multilingual Content Online?—Social Media, Blogs, and More

Is it worth it to publish videos in different languages? 100%, yes!

Here’s a list of the TOP FIVE spoken languages, worldwide 🌏:

1. Chinese

2. Spanish

3. English

4. Hindi

5. Arabic

I figure you’ve got a couple of options in terms of how to go about implementing a multilingual video strategy:

• You could create standalone pages and channels across social, each customized to a particular language. If you don’t actually speak that language, you could consider hiring a voice-over translation artist. No lying, it’s gonna be a lot of extra work. I should also point out that closed-captioning and subtitling tools have come along way in terms of translation capabilities.

• You could produce “some” multilingual content—like, for example, a market update video in different languages. Maybe all that content lives on your blog OR in its own Playlist on your YouTube channel, for instance.

Instagram Expands Business Search Capabilities in IG Maps for Local Discovery

Instagram’s leveling-up its “business search” capabilities. It’s definitely nowhere close to Google, but is nonetheless worth watching.

Within IG’s Explore 🔎 tab there’s a search-bar across the top that organizes its findings according to preset sections:  Top, Accounts, Audio, Tags (i.e., hashtags), and Places.

Places, for instance, lists out a bunch of pinned📍 locations — select an option and it’ll plot it on a map (plus display a bunch of info about the business/location).

From there, if one taps anywhere else on the map, IG displays the user’s city location and reveals a handful of predefined search categories, which currently includes:  Restaurants, Cafes, Sights, Hotels, Parks & Gardens, and Bars. The idea is to search for what’s around you or proximate to a point of interest. You can also zoom in/out to redo your search within the visible area of map.

I predict Instagram will eventually add additional/custom categories down the road (as in, “Real Estate Agents,” possibly).

Many agents, whether they’re using a Creator or Business profile, have modified their account category from “Real Estate Agent” to, say, “Entrepreneur,” to expand their sound-and-music options in IG’s audio library for Reels and such. However, if Instagram does indeed add more categories to its map-search feature, agents may opt to switch their category back to “Real Estate Agent” to improve their odds of ranking. Not now, necessarily—just if/when that expansion occurs.

For search engines and social networks alike, local discovery is no doubt a trend of growing importance — so keep an eye 👁 on it, friends.

BRAND Your Ground & Don’t Back Down 👊

As the real estate market continues to decelerate – my thoughts:  CHANGES CREATE CHANCES.

Fear and uncertainty has led many agents to slash marketing budgets and cost-cut their way into “feeling safe.” For example:

• The overall cost-per-lead on pay-per-click platforms like Google and Facebook has recently declined. I smell 👃an opportunity!

• Once claimed territories and zip codes offered by third-party home search portals have become suddenly available.

• Listing agents are stepping-down property marketing efforts (bad timing, if you ask me!) because they’re concerned it’ll take too long to recoup their costs.

Loads of agents are giving up their seats. So, my thinking is, you oughta go and sit down.

Fast markets, slow markets; up markets, down markets; strong markets, weak markets—no matter the circumstances, remember:  NEVER STOP MARKETING! 👊

WHEN and HOW to Ask for Online Reviews: Google, Yelp, and more. (For Realtors)

When should Realtors ASK clients for an online review🤨:  Google, Yelp, et al.

From what I’ve observed, loads of agents wait to ask until they’re at the closing table ✍️. I don’t wanna sound hypercritical or anything, but I’d argue that’s perhaps the least-optimal time to request a review because clients tend to be fairly preoccupied with the proceedings of the closing.

The best time to ask for a review, IMO, is whenever something good happens. For example:

☑️ a ratified purchase agreement

☑️ contingency removal(s)

☑️ the clear-to-close notice

☑️ post-occupancy, after the dust has settled

Build in multiple requests as part of your transaction-to-close process! As the saying goes:  “If at first you don’t succeed – try, try again!”

And it isn’t just WHEN you ask – it’s HOW you ask.

Most agents simply send out a one-off email 📧 with a link to leave a review 💬. Unfortunately, that isn’t enough! You may get some reviews but  not as many as possible (IMO). Even if it’s the best-written, warmest email ever — a lone email isn’t gonna cut it. Try, for example, accompanying that email with a text message. Something like…

“{NAME}, it’s Jason Pantana. I just sent you an email requesting a review on {PLATFORM]. It’s been truly wonderful working with you and I’d be grateful to hear your feedback about the experience. Will you take a look at that email when you get a free moment, please? Thanks in advance!”

Sending a coinciding text, DM, video message, or even a handwritten note or card with your email casts a spell of multichannel magic ✨—thereby upping the odds of request performance.

Getting online reviews is well worth the effort (IMO). REVIEWS = REPUTATION.

Facebook’s Conversions API Brings Your Pixel Back-to-Life

Apple’s release of their App Tracking Transparency Framework essentially rendered the Facebook Pixel 👾 useless back in April of 2021 — but now, it’s back! (Sort of.)

In a nutshell, Apple’s program required any/all apps distributed via the App Store (so, pretty much ALL apps — Facebook included) to be more transparent concerning user data collected for advertising purposes—which, for Facebook, is sort of what they do for a living, LOL 😂. Google’s App Store essentially followed Apple’s lead on the issue.

In simple terms, a Facebook Pixel is a unique snippet of code installed on a website (yours, for instance) used to monitor the activities of visitors on said site:  how long someone spends on a given page, what buttons they click, the forms they start or complete, and so on. What’s more, the Pixel owner is then able to run Facebook and/or Instagram ads targeting (actually, “retargeting,” technically speaking) those website visitors based on the actions they performed on said “Pixeled” website.

Welp, the tracking-transparency trend massively reduced the Pixel’s capabilities — UNTIL NOW.

Meta’s just released the “Conversions API.” Basically, it circumvents (that’s the word I’d use, anyhow) the limitations of transparency frameworks so that your Pixel is able to accurately monitor key events on your site, such as when someone visits a particular landing page or, for instance, spends a certain amount of time perusing your site. You can read more about it and review setup instructions here:  bit.ly/FB-CVR-API.

How (and Why) to Repurpose Social Media Posts on Your Blog

A post on social media (Instagram, Facebook, et al.) has approximately the lifespan of a fruit-fly. It circulates through the feeds for about a day and then abruptly keels over into content oblivion. The fact is, producing and sharing content on a consistent basis is most definitely a grind. 

But here me out:  SEO is social media afterlife 😇—it’s the difference between SEARCH vs. SCROLL.

So why not repurpose your social posts as blogs on your website?

Last year, for instance, I published an Instagram Reel that, for all intents and purposes, did well in the feeds. Nevertheless, let’s not forget it was just a fruit-fly—so it flatlined in a day or two. However, the respective blog-post is generating roughly 2,000 - 3,000 clicks per month from related Google searches ever since. Every month Google sends me its Search Console report, and there’s that fruit-fly, transformed in a dragon.🐲

What if Your Google Business Profile’s Physical Address is OUTSIDE Your Service Area?

What if your physical mailing address 📍 of your #GoogleBusinessProfile is outside the area(s) you conduct business?—will that impede your ranking position in Google Search and/or Google Maps?

Google offers what’s known as a “service-area based business.” Basically, it’s a GBP with no physical address. Instead, it specifies area(s)—like zip codes, cities, counties, etc.—in which one conducts business.

That’s a fine option IF all your competitors also operate service-area-only businesses. Unfortunately, in real estate, that’s definitely not the case.

Having (and listing) a verified address in the CITY whereby or wherefore the “Googler” is searching gives you a major algorithmic edge. What’s more, Google evaluates your address proximate to the prospective customer’s point of search – so it pays to be nearby.

Anybody can specify service areas on their GBP—whether they have a physical address or not. But doing so is effectively superficial. Service areas don’t have any direct impact on improving a profile’s discoverability across Google’s products. They do however, provide two major benefits:

1. Google will map-overlay a shaded outline that defines where you do business. So if a customer does manage pull up your profile on Google, your service areas will help to give them a sense visually about whether or not you work in their territory.

2. When it comes to ranking factors, Google DOES analyze whether or not a GBP has been totally filled out. That includes ALL informational fields, which, of course, takes service areas into account. Service areas alone don’t really give you any extra Google juice, so to speak—however, a failure to include them takes some away.

3 Ways to Get Fake Google Reviews Removed Off of a Google Business Profile

Fake reviews on Google Business Profiles are a monumental pain. Assuming they’re 1-star, scathing reviews -- fake ones usually are -- they’re harmful to your online reputation, curtail your profile’s ranking position, and are darn-near impossible to get removed.

Nevertheless, here’s what you CAN do to fight back:

1. Browse to the REVIEWS tab of your Google Business Profile Manager (business.google.com), tap the vertical ellipsis in the top right corner, and flag the review as “inappropriate.”

2. Submit a Review Removal Request form. Make sure to peruse Google’s “prohibited and restricted content” policies first though—that way you’re able to reference the offended violation. Presumably, if a 𝗳𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 goes against Google’s directives, it put’s Google on your side.

3. Contact Google Small Business Support. Open up the page, scroll to the bottom, tap the “Contact Us” button, and follow its prompts. If you don’t receive a satisfactory reply, perhaps consider tweeting or messaging @GoogleSmallBiz on Twitter.

4. Brace yourself:  there’s a good chance Google’s canned “auto-reply” nonsense is gonna say that the review doesn’t violate their policies 🙄. It’s frustrating, but it is what it is. It’s mission-critical therefore to establish a process of continually adding new, positive reviews. By doing so, you effectively dilute the bad ones.

Fact is, Google’s got a problem. Consider that 46% of Google’s 8.5-billion daily searches are conducted with local intent. What’s more, 93% of those searches trigger Google’s Map Pack, which means the searcher is actually looking up local businesses. That approximates 3.64B local-biz searches on Google per day🤯

Reviews are simply a HUGE part of the equation for Google! Notwithstanding, Google holds the highest percentage of “inauthentic reviews” on the web—more than Yelp, TripAdvisor, or Facebook. The point being, they’ve gotta do something about it.

So… When it comes to fighting-off review trolls 😈, my thinking is… throw everything at ‘em but the kitchen sink!

TikTok Ditches its Discover Tab for New Friends Feed

TikTok, evidently taking a queue from Instagram, has ditched the “Discovery” tab in lieu of a new, “Friends” feed. One could argue that TikTok isn’t actually a social network, per se – it’s more of an entertainment platform.

Unlike Instagram‘s main feed, TikTok’s default feed (dubbed, the “For You,” feed) doesn’t necessarily show you posts from the accounts you follow. Instead,; it’s based almost entirely off of your perceived/inferred interests. It’s been suggested that TikTok‘s algorithm can practically read your mood.

TikTok also features a “Following” feed, which only displays posts from the accounts you follow. The “Discover” tab was a spot to explore and widen your interests: hashtags, audio/sounds, and trending content. Welp, it’s been demoted to a less prominent location within the app and replaced by the “Friends” tab. The “Friends” tab is actually a third, distinct feed that only shows you posts of accounts you follow who also follow you—i.e., your friends.

All that to say, it looks like TikTok is trying to create a bit more community-like stickiness between its users

In a Shifting Real Estate Market, Agents Must Be (or Become) Local-Market Experts

It’s time to BRAND your ground, friends! Every time you share a video, post on social, or send an email that confers value—it’s building your agent-brand.

Fact is, the market has shifted and will continue doing so. On top of that, recent headlines, to borrow a line from @keepingcurrentmatters, tend to “do more to terrify than to clarify”—speculating ad nauseam of corrections, collapses, and crashes.

Consequently, many consumers have or are contemplating a withdrawal from the market.

And, because of all that, it appears buyers/sellers won’t so readily listen to, heed the advice of, or opt to work with just “any” agent—things being how they are now. To the contrary, they’ll look to the Knowledge Broker.

So, my advice: be (or become) the agent-authority! Or don’t—but don’t expect buyers/sellers to come running either.

Do This When Your Videos Aren't Performing

If you’re posting videos consistently and it’s not working… let’s talk!

In particular, I want to explore TWO scenarios:

A. Your videos were performing but now they’re not. If you’ve noticed a steady decline in the reach, views, and engagement of your videos, it’s likely an indicator that it’s time to revise your approach – and/or devise a new one altogether.

B. Your videos have yet to perform. If you’ve been posting videos consistently and you know for certain you’re publishing quality content, my advice is to stay the course.

Obviously, ensure you’re optimizing your content properly: e.g. hashtags, caption text, location tags, cover images, working your comments thread, utilizing trending audio/sounds, and all the stops. Beyond that, however, keep in mind that it’s the algorithm’s job to assess your content and recommend it to users whose interests align. Granted, I’m oversimplifying here—but the point stands to reason.

Your ideal audience is out there. So just keep posting videos—keep feeding the machine—and eventually, that recommendation engine will ignite.

Instagram’s Newest Features: 90-Second Reels, Interactive Stickers, Reel Transitions, Grid Pins, and more!

Instagram has just released a bunch of new features and updates!—mostly related to Instagram Reels.

That’s unsurprising, considering more than 675-million of Instagram’s 2-billion users worldwide are actively utilizing Reels. The reach and performance of Reels is truly staggering. So—sidebar—if you’re not making ‘em, IMO, they’re a must in your content mix.

Here’s a breakdown of the newest IG updates:

1. Reels Runtime: in keeping pace with TikTok, which recently upped its video length limit to 10 minutes, Instagram has extended its 60-second limit to an ever-so generous 90-seconds. We’ll take what we can get, I suppose.
   
   I’d expect that they’ll keep adding more-and-more time in order to keep up with TikTok. What’s more, it’s worth pointing out that the divide between short-form VS. long-form video is getting ever more blurred.

2. Interactive Stickers (for Reels!): IG has long enabled users to embed “interactive” stickers in Story posts whereby viewers can input questions, respond to polls, take quizzes, swipe meters, etc. Welp, that features’s been activated within Instagram Reels.
   
   This is a HUGE feature update because it marks the first time in IG history users can, quote-unquote, interact with actual media in the main feeds—beyond likes, comments, and so forth. Seeing as how IG’s algorithm is pretty much predicated on engagement/interaction, don’t miss out on this new feature!

3. Grid Pinning: in an earlier video I said this feature was coming and now it’s here. Navigate to your profile, tap on the post you’d like to pin, hit the “•••” in the top right corner, and select to pin it! Presto!
   
   My advice, though, is that you feature your absolute best, most welcoming content AND/OR posts that purposefully outline your product(s)/service(s).

3 Fundamental Ways to Generate Business in Real Estate

Tom Ferry said it best: “There’s not a wrong way to make an income”. In other words, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all, sales/marketing methodology for how to conduct your real estate business. On the contrary, it’s whatever YOU make of it.

That being said – broadly speaking – there are essentially THREE fundamental ways to go about generating business: marketing, networking, or prospecting. In my experience, I’ve found that most agents will naturally excel in a particular area, manage sufficiently in another, and they’ll deliberately avoid the one remaining.

Each approach has advantages and disadvantages—and, of course, developing self-confidence/competence in all three is a plus. After all, markets shift, circumstances change—and so, consequently, it pays to be diversified in your strategies and tactics.

But, keep in mind—there’s no wrong way to make an income! I say – whatever comes naturally – lean into it! Now, I’m certainly not suggesting you shouldn’t challenge yourself, expand your horizons, develop new skills, or push the boundaries.

I’m just saying to get objective about who you are, what you’re doing, and how to do it most optimally. Build and execute YOUR plan, not someone else’s.

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it’ll live its whole life believing that it is stupid.” (Einstein)

Why Your Instagram Follower Growth and/or Engagement Rate Has Become Stagnant

If the growth of your Instagram followers is sluggish or stagnant OR if your posts are garnering LOW-TO-NO engagement (e.g. views, likes, comments, etc.) – then hear me out.

When it comes to social media… what you FOCUS on e-x-p-a-n-d-s.

Any and every social algorithm out there—Instagram or whatever—looks to establish patterns of interaction. So by commenting, liking, and messaging with others, it’s actually priming the algorithm to prioritize your posts in their feeds. Call it the law of reciprocity!

Show What You Know

Your expertise is dynamic and distinctive; it’s uniquely yours. My advice is to go public with it: blog it, film it, stream it, and/or post it EVERYWHERE. Be the knowledge-broker.

The fact is, real estate is a know-you, like-you, trust-you form of business -- that’s the winning combination with consumers.

What’s more – thanks to the web and social media – there’s never been a time like NOW whereby you can, to put it bluntly, “show what you know”—through videos, emails, blogs, social posts, and more.

Year-over-year, consumers conduct more research to inform their buying/hiring decisions ONLINE: search & social. That being the case, it’s mission-critical to position your agent-brand where the consumer is actively present. IMO: information is influence.

How to Manage Missing, Removed, and/or Filtered Google Reviews

#GoogleReviews gone missing or hidden⁉️ Turns out, Google reportedly—per a recent Uberall study—reigns supreme in terms of having the highest percentage of “unauthentic” reviews. Revel in your glory, Google 🫠

Here’s the breakdown:

• Google:  10.7% of reviews are fake

• Yelp:  7.1% of reviews are phony

• TripAdvisor:  5.2% of reviews are artificial

• Facebook:  4.9% of reviews are bogus

Consequently, Google’s intensified the, quote-unquote, “strictness” of its automated review filter.

So, of course, the natural solution is to punish the innocent by un-publishing perfectly legit reviews. Right!? Meanwhile, prank reviews or fake-account haters continue to operate seemingly unchecked. 

Although, in fairness, Google appears to be aware of this issue and has offered assurance that they’re “working on it.”

Notwithstanding, here are a couple of checks to hopefully reduce the odds of your customers’ reviews getting removed:

1. Don’t designate that your business offers free Wi-Fi on your Google Business Profile. It seems Google is able to detect whether the IP address of the machine you access to manage your business listing matches-up with that of your customers’ devices when they submitted their reviews. The thought is that it could make any outside networks (i.e, IPs) looks spammy—or, more likely—that it appears as though you’ve basically setup a “review-collecting booth” on site at your business, which is a policy violation.

2. Be wary of soliciting for out-of-area reviews. If a reviewer’s recent locations, for instance, doesn’t reflect that they’ve visited anywhere proximate to your business address, it could raise a flag. Moreover, if their detected location at the time of leaving the review is WAY out of range of your business, that also looks rather suspect—so try to avoid it.

If a legitimate review fails to publish or get’s filtered from your Google Business Profile (formerly dubbed, Google My Business), your best recourse for the time being is to submit a claim ticket.

• Google’s review policies

• Google support contact

How to Define a Value Proposition that Consists of LOTS of Different Elements (for REALTORS)

From listing to close, search to sale — the differentiation of your services is in the details!

The question is, which details? My advice:  make a list of the defining attributes, processes, and solutions that characteristically describe your services — and try doing so from a client’s POV.

For instance, according to research conducted by Bain & Co., consumers perceive value across a spectrum of precisely 30 different ways and means, divided into 4 categories:  functional value, emotional value, life-changing value, and transformational value. (Google the “30 Elements of Value” to read up on it and review the different elements.)

My point here is – what’s your value proposition(s)? Define it and it’ll radiate into EVERYTHING you do:  sales, marketing, ops, and beyond!

And remember… it probably isn’t one BIG thing you do especially well; it’s all the little things added up. So start making that list, friends 👊

The Most Important Question About Your Real Estate Business

What do you sell?

That may sound like an overly simplified question, but it’s foundational to EVERYTHING you do: sales activities, marketing efforts, and the total operating scope of your business.

I can tell you this: you don’t sell homes (per se)—or, at least, that’s not what consumers, quote-unquote, “buy from you.” Fundamentally, you’re hired on the grounds of your expertise-- and the means by which you impart your expertise.

And, the thing is, expertise is dynamic and undefined—it’s merely a label used to describe competence. So perhaps you’re the economics guru, the lifestyle guru, or the investment guru in your local marketplace. Whatever and/or whoever you are, one thing I know for sure: nobody does you better than Y-O-U.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – your AGENT-BRAND is:

• your Voice

• your Mind

• your Heart

• your Face

Top Instagram Profile Mistakes to Avoid in 2022

One of the top-weighted interactions Instagram looks for is when users TAP to visit your profile. The question is, however—once there—do they follow or flee?

Here’s a list of the Top Instagram Profile Mistakes to Avoid:

1. Using a, quote-unquote, “faraway-photo” as your profile image

2. Failing to include keywords in your profile display name

3. Deficient bio — make sure to include keywords, kudos, and calls-to-action

4. Unused or irrelevant story highlights

Your Everyday Email Signature Can Outperform the Clickthrough Performance of Your Mass Emails 😲

The average professional sends out 40+ emails per day with approximately a 100% open rate. Through the lens of email-marketing performance benchmarks, that’s epically impressive 🤯.

Don’t get me wrong—I’m all for mass/bulk email marketing. However, there’s a strong case to be made that we should all conduct an audit of our everyday email signatures to ensure they’re properly optimized.

And think about it this way:  the clickthrough performance of calls-to-action (CTAs) in your email signature will likely be just as good or better than those included in your mass email campaigns. My point is, it’s low-hanging fruit.

Your email signature should incorporate the following CTAs:

• Postscript:  something like… “P.S. Should you hear of anyone looking to Buy, Sell or Invest in real estate, would you please connect us? It would be my great privilege to serve as their REALTOR®.”

• Contact:  include your cell phone, email address, social links, website, and more – every time! Don’t be the person whose signature is only included in the first email of a thread, whereby a recipient has to go digging to find your number.

• Deliverables:  perhaps you have a Home Valuation landing page, or an IDX-powered home search site, or downloadable PDFs like a buyer or seller guide). If you do, link to them!