This document provides information and exercises for real estate agents on personal branding and developing an online presence. It discusses defining your target market, developing a headline and profile, purchasing a domain name and email address, and setting up and enhancing your profile on the HAR (Houston Association of Realtors) website. Assignments include writing a profile, selecting a domain and email, and enabling features on the HAR site to incorporate lead capture content.

1. A BRAND CALLED YOU”Discover Your Uniqueness” W O R K B O O K by the Houston Association of REALTORS®Instructor: Marilyn Maxwell2 Hours MCE CreditsCourse #: (02-00-020-4106) Table of Contents Quotes .....................................................................................Page 3Separating You From the Competition ....................................Page 4Building An Internet Presence ................................................Page 5Web Site DomainPage 7Email AddressPage 8 Your HAR.COM Web Site........................................................Page 9Your ProfilePage 8 Editing Your ProfilePage 10HAR.COM FeaturesPage 13 Find A HomePage 14 Consumer ToolsPage 14 Resource CenterPage 14 Assignments..............................................................................Page 16 Appendix .................................................................................Page 17 HAR E-Marketing Plan for AgentsPage 18 My Email AddressesPage 19 My Agent Web SitesPage 20 Domain LogPage 21 ChecklistPage 22 A Brand Called You The first step in personal branding is knowing _________________________who you are, find out what strengths your brandpossesses and how these strengths can help you _________________________From “Building a Personal Brand” by www.netreal.net.“Success means never letting the competition _________________________define you. Instead, you have to define yourselfbased on a point of view you care deeply about.” _________________________ From the book “Re-Imagine” by Tom Peters “A brand reaches out with a powerful connecting _________________________ experience. It’s an emotional connectionpoint that transcends the product…. A great _________________________ brand is a story that’s never completely told ” From the book “Re-Imagine” by Tom Peters _________________________ BRAND YOURSELF WITH A SLOGAN. Print a slogan on your business card that answersthe question “Why should I hire you? Or
What makes you different from everyone else?
From the article “10 Powerful Networking TipsUsing Business Cards” by C.E.Reid “ A brand is ultimately about nothing more __________________________ (and nothing less) than heart. It’s about passion … what you care about. It’s about ___________________________ what’s inside – what’s inside you, what’s inside your company.” ___________________________ From the book “Re-Imagine” by Tom Peters FREE BRANDING WORKBOOK”Essential Marketing for Real EstateProfessionals” at www.netreal.net by Dan R. Vella SEPARATING YOU FROM THE COMPETITION Define the types of consumers that you enjoy working with; such as buyers, sellers, 1st time homebuyers, relocation, families, etc. ______________________________________________________________________Define your specialties in a way that separates you from the competition. Examples include: golf course properties, horse properties, luxury properties, investors, homes in a certain neighborhood. ______________________________________________________________________ Qualities Buyers Preferred In A Real Estate Agent This information affects how we present ourselves to the consumer From The 2008 HAR Survey of Home Sellers and Buyers Define your strengths in a way that will separate you from the competition. Use headlines or sub-headers to draw attention to those strengths. Here are few ideas:Lifestyle is Everything Real Estate Consultant Sell a Home, Buy A Dream Monumental Service Since 1982 Experience the Lifestyle Honest, Integrity and the Personal TouchThe Name Behind the ResultsIt’s All About YouThe Smart BrokerSimply the BestJane Knows Houston Your Neighborhood ExpertExecutive Service High Tech with a Personal TouchThe Luxury Market ExpertOpening Doors for You Your Agent For LifeCommitted to Serving You BUILDING AN INTERNET PRESENCE Summary of research finding from The 2008 HAR Survey of Home Sellers and Buyers Nearly one-third of buyers surveyed learned that the home they purchased was for sale from a Realtor®. Houston-area buyers most often used Realtors® in their home search, followed by the Internet. Home books, magazines and print newspaper ads were used least frequently by buyers surveyed. Realtors® were also the most useful to buyers in their home search, with nearly 70% of those surveyed rating Realtors® as at least somewhat useful. Home books, magazines and print newspapers ads were the least useful to local buyers. Personal relationships played a major role in the selection of a Realtor® for home buyers. Two-thirds of area buyers chose their Realtor® based on a referral from someone they knew or because they knew the Realtor® personally. Most important qualities for an agent to possess were: Realtor®’s honesty and integrity Realtor®’s knowledge of the real estate market Realtor®’s responsiveness 2. Who are you branding – email addresses Do not tie your business email address to your ISP (Internet Service Provider). Consider what happens when you change ISP Consider using three different email addresses; one for business, one for friends and a third address for junk mail. 4. Web Site Domain Do not market an association Web site as your main Web site. You can use your association's site as your main site, just don't market it instead of yourself. www.har.com/marilynmaxwell markets har.com. www.realtor.com/marilynmaxwell markets realtor.com www.marilynmaxwell.com or www.HomesByMarilyn.com markets Marilyn Purchase domain a marketable domain through a Web registry and forward the domain to the association Web site. Such registries include: GoDaddy.com, MyDomain.com, InternetCrusade.com, Register.com, NetworkSolutions.com. Domain ideas:_________________________ ____________________________ _________________________________ _______________________________ _________________________________ _______________________________ Write below the name of the main Web site to be the target of the forward: such as www.har.com/marilynmaxwell. If your company offers an agent Web site, you might want to consider using it as the target site. An example would be forwarding www.marilynmaxwell.com to www.abcrealty.com/marilynmaxwell. My new domain: __________________________________________________ Registered at: __________________________________________________ User name: ________________________ Password: _________________ Forwarded to: ___________________________________________________ Domain Terminology: Domain Forwarding: Direct different Web addresses to one site. This is not the same as redirect. Many registries have this as a free feature. Some charge as much as $19 a year. Domain Masking: With masking, users do not see the underlying address. For example, if the site www.har.com/marilynmaxwell.com is forwarded to marilynmaxwell.com, users will only see marilynmaxwell.com once it is masked Parked Page. This term usually means that a temporary sign such as
under Construction
or
Site Coming Soon
can appear on your site until something is built or the domain is sold. This feature is usually free. 5. Email Address If you are going to use an email address off of your domain name, you must purchase it where you got the domain. For example, if you just purchased marilynmaxwell.com from GoDaddy and now want an email address of marilyn@marilynmaxwell.com , you have to go back to GoDaddy and purchase the email off of that domain. You can forward your email address to Hotmail or Road Runner or your ISP. You just want a MARKETABLE email address that advertises you! Your business email address: ________________________________ Is it being forwarded? If, yes, where? _______________________________ Email Terminologies:Email Forwarding. Some registries offer a free email forwarding off of the new domain name. This is not the same as having an email box where the messages are stored on a server. This means you can use something@yourdomain.com and just forward it to an already existing account. Sometimes limits are imposed on the number of messages so it is usually best to purchase the least expensive email address if you are having your messages forwarded to another account. Email Address. These addresses come in different prices depending on the amount of storage space you want to use on their server. If you are forwarding this email address to another account such as Yahoo or Road Runner, then you do not need much space. Catch-All Address. A catch-all address is designed to pick up any email addressed to anything@yourdomain. All of these emails go to the main account. Webmail. This feature is a must for all real estate agents. You need access to your email anywhere, anytime of the day. Webmail means that you can send, receive and store your email anywhere you have Internet access. The amount of storage space depends on how much you purchased when you set up the account. Many accounts come with free filters and address books. SMTP Service. This service is a relay service where you can use your ISP to send outgoing messages through Outlook or other desktop email solutions. The basic services are usually limited at so many messages per day. For example, the free SMTP service at GoDaddy limits the messages to 250 outgoing relayed messages per day (per mailbox). Note: When setting up Outlook for you email account, be sure to check the box that
saves Messages on the Server
so that you will have access to your emails through the Webmail service; otherwise, all of the messages will be downloaded to your desktop computer and you will not be able to receive them at remote Internet connections. YOUR HAR.COM SITE 1. P R O F I L E Your profile should contain information that targets your skill sets that will separate you from the competition. It should contain the headliner or sub-header developed earlier in the course. Your sub-header or headline: ________________________________________ Your Slogan: ____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ Your profile should also contain information about how your skill sets and specialties will benefit the consumer. They want to know what you can do to help them find the perfect home. What do you have to offer that perhaps the others do not offer. This can be written as a paragraph, as bullets, or a combination of both. You will also want to include some action statements. You want permission to contact them again. Some examples are:FREE AUTO-NOTIFICATION! Feel free to email me if you would like to be auto-notified of homes matching your criteria.
FREE MARKET ANALYSIS OF YOUR HOME!
or
DO YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOUR HOME IS WORTH?
FREE! Sign up today if you would like to receive a monthly update of the Houston Housing Market! __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ If you are new to real estate, you might include such phrases as: Member of the National, State and Local Associations orMember of National Association of Realtors/Texas Association of Realtors/Houston Association of RealtorsDedicated, full-time professional RealtorHobbies include tennis and golfActive in local professional and community groupsAccredited Buyer Representation – Certified to represent buyers in the real estate transaction Editing Your HAR.COM ProfileTo access editing your profile, log into har.com. From the left menu, select Your Member Web Site. Click on Profile When entering bullets, enter one bullet at a time and then save it. Notice that you can rearrange your profile entries and move them up or down on the list.You can enter HTML code into your profile. If you are bilingual you might want to duplicate your profile in the other language. For example, if you speak Spanish, you might feature your profile both in English and Spanish.Be sure to complete the bi-lingual information on har.com. If you are familiar with other cultures, be sure to mark that on your Web site also as consumers can search for HAR Realtors by language and/or by culture. Other “Lead Capture Content” to include on your website: Video, video, video! Reports/Statistics eNewsletter link or “badge” link to your other website(s) YOUR PROFILE: 2. HAR.COM FeaturesThree-quarters of buyers who used the Internet said that when they searched online, they were looking specifically for what properties were for sale.From The 2008 HAR Survey of Home Sellers and Buyers Value of Online Features It is important that agents enhance their listings in Tempo so that they will show up on www.HAR.com. Display maximum number of photos Include remarks on each photo Include details of the property in the description Include a Virtual Tour when possible N A V I G A T I O N M E N U Log into HARClick on Member Web SiteClick on Navigation Menu Make sure the items that you want are selected1. FIND A HOME View My ListingsIf you have listings, make sure this feature is enables. If you do not have listings, do not check this feature. When you get a listing, you can come back and check the correct Property Types. View All MLS ListingsBe sure this features is enabled and that the consumer has the ability to search all MLS property types. IDX stands for Internet Data Exchange. Send consumers to your Web site to look for properties! A BRAND CALLED YOU2. CONSUMER TOOLS Subdivision Price Trends Home Value FinderTexas is a non-disclosure state. School Finder (Searches all public schools in Texas) Golf Finder Highrise Finder Home Value CMA Report 3. RESOURCE CENTER Real Estate Dictionary Affordable Housing (A list of Web sites referencing different housing programs). Consumer Resource Center Information source for mortgage info, lenders, refinancing etc) Housing Report (Displays MLS Monthly news release). Real Estate NewsASSIGNMENTS – A BRAND CALLED YOU 1. Define your target market Define your headline/slogan 3. Write a profile for your Web site incorporating #1 and #2 4. Purchase a marketable domain and forward it to your HAR site 5. Select a marketable email address and begin using it Enable desired features on HAR site Incorporate lead capture phrases into HAR.COM profile Optional: Add email signature with link to Web Site APPENDIX Helpful Forms E-Marketing Checklist My Email Addresses My Agent Web Sites My Domain Log My Advertising Checklist My E-Marketing Checklist HAR.COMSet up free HAR.COM agent Web site including adding profile and enabling IDX solution.Enhance ListingsIf you have listings, be sure to enhance them in Tempo/HAR.COM by adding descriptions with the maximum number of photos.Your ProfileMake sure your HAR profile markets you and your specialties and includes lead capture phrasesYour DomainPurchase a domain to market yourself and forward that domain to your HAR Web site.If your company offers a free agent Web site, you might forward the domain to that siteEmail address(or use your company email address)Make sure you are using a marketable email address and that you are NOT promoting your ISP or a free Webmail such as Hotmail or Yahoo. Brand you!Email SignatureInsert a signature in your email and include a hyperlink to your Web site so that every email you send will market your Web site.Contact Management Outlook and/or Top ProducerMaximize contact management solutions. Learn how to create distribution lists and set up rules to manage your leads. Manage contacts, tasks, emails and schedules.Expanding Internet Web presenceReview models of listing aggregators such as realtor.com and homes.com. Explore possibilities of using 3rd party lead generator companies such as HomeGain and House Values to drive traffic to you..3rd Party Web SitesGet the look and feel you want for your site by opting to go with a 3rd party Web site company. Be sure to enable your free HAR IDX solution and point your domain to the new site.Auto-respondersUse alias and multiple boxes to create auto-responders for email addresses.Search EnginesGet registered with search engines and review pay-per-click solutions if desired. My Email Addresses It is important that you keep track of the different email addresses that you have. If you have an ISP (Internet Service Provider) at home, then you have been given a free e-mail with them. Your company may have provided you with an email address. You also may have some free personal addresses that you wish to make note of. Keep in mind that when you change your email address, you will need to change it on all of your marketing pieces as well as your Web sites. AccountEmail AddressPasswordISPCompanyBusiness (Main) OtherPersonal Accounts Note: Make notes of any addresses you have forwarded to other accounts My Agent Web Sites In the spaces provided below, fill in the Web sites that you own, pay for, or get free. These are sites that have their own Web address (URL) that you can advertise and promote yourself. My own domains: __________________ _________________ __________________ _________________ __________________ _________________ Sites with my company: __________________________ __________________________ Sites with my Association: __________________________(yourassociation.com/yourname)Sites with other .coms: ___________________________(realtor.com, homes.comhomeadvisor.com etc)___________________________ ______________________________________________________ My Domain LogThis page is to keep a record of the domains you have registered. You might want to note if there are other companies taking care of Web sites associated with the domains. 1. Domain ______________________________________________ Registered with: _________________ Date: _______________ Account Number: _________________ Expires:______________ Username: ______________________ Password: ____________ Your Contact E-mail address: _______________________________ Their contact information: ________________________________ Notes: _______________________________________________ _____________________________________________________ 2. Domain ______________________________________________ Registered with: _________________ Date: _______________ Account Number: _________________ Expires:_______________ Username: ______________________ Password: _____________ Your Contact E-mail address:________________________________ Their contact information:__________________________________ Notes: _______________________________________________ My AdvertisingWeb Site and E-mail Checklist This page is to help you keep track of the email addresses advertised on your Web sites and other marketing media. If you ever change your email address, you will need to update it in all of these places. E-mail Address1. Business Cards2. Yard Sign/Car sign3. Publications: Newspaper Ads Magazines4. Other print advertising 5. Web Sites6. Other Note: When making an email change, don't forget to update your software programs and e-mail signatures with the new address.