Megan Carver

3 POSTS 0 COMMENTS

Megan is a graduate of the University of South Florida and deeply engraved in the real estate market. Both a brand ambassador and marketing expert, Megan keeps agents updated with the latest industry news and trends.

Best Camera Type for REALTORS® | 360 VS 3D

Mar 28, 2018

We recently linked up with one of Miami’s top Real Estate Agents, Nick “Tiger” Quay.

Nick was nice enough to share his expertise on the latest camera trends and how they’ve become essential to his success. Check out his thoughts on two camera types that have gotten some serious buzz over the past few years.

I run a real estate team in Miami within a highly competitive market. Offering 3D Virtual Tours gives me an edge for sure. As a 4 year owner and avid user of 3D cameras for 3D user controlled virtual tours, I feel they are much more immersive than 360 cameras.

I have closed several deals sight unseen with buyers using 3D, my sellers love it because they know the other listings they are fighting against aren’t getting even half of the actual buyer exposure they are receiving.

“Time is money and this has helped my ROI on listings exceed my own expectations many times.”

I was an early adopter in 360 technology as well and received my first camera long before they were available in stores. The differences in the technology are that 3D cameras like the ones I use take thousands of different images and string them together in a seamless environment that enables users to literally walk around a space as if they were there.

“Like many things it’s only as good as the camera operator and editing”.

Most 360 cameras that you’ll see used by agents or hobbyists have 1 or 2 lenses that shoot in a fish eye type format then get stitched together automatically by the cameras software or software on a smartphone.

There are some that start around $2,000 that use 4 lenses which can shoot in gorgeous 4k however they require a much higher skill set to be edited and stitched. 360 cameras can also shoot video so it adds a motion and sound component not available with 3D VR applications.

360 cameras are by far easier to use and much cheaper to get into.

Although 360 videos are a blast, remember they do require some time to edit as well as specialized equipment if you plan to do anything other than shoot and share. I use them for my “quick and dirty” marketing on social media.

360 is fun and a great way to share a new space with others. I use it quickly to share things that I know my sphere of influence engages with. It’s a lot of fun and everyone loves the novelty of it as well as feeling included in group photos and activities.

Many of my clients are major techies so showing them things they have seen before, but from a different perspective keeps them interested.

To sum it up, for social media 360 wins and for sales and marketing 3D VR is my go to. It’s really about being creative, loving what you do, and sharing cool things and experiences with others.

As an agent it’s really important to find your niche and know “who” you are. From passions, to experiences, to tech; it’s all relevant and equally as important if you’re truly savvy.

Both 3D VR and 360 tech are major parts of my business and two things that have absolutely contributed to my success.

Make sure to follow Nick on Instagram and Facebook to keep up with the latest real estate tech trends.

4 Strategies for a Stronger Sphere of Influence…

Agent Tools

Feb 12, 2018

Building Blocks for a Hitting Your Goals

Top agents know that the key to longevity in this business is to build a better book of business. Referrals are their stock and trade, but to keep them coming IN– they know they need to constantly be reaching OUT. Let’s take a look at some powerful and productive ways to do that WITHOUT a lot of stress or hassle.

Strategy #1
Commit to The List

Whatever database system you’re using, inputting your customer information is step one. Even if you don’t have EVERYTHING you need , or all the information you want, start somewhere. I’ve talked to agents who never get around to marketing at all because they feel like they have to do everything at once. If it seems overwhelming – start SOMEWHERE.

Pick 50 or 100 people to add and knock it out in a couple hours – even if you’re simply using excel to add name, address, phone, email. Then pick another day and do the same thing so you can get your list to the 200 mark. (Virtual assistants these days are very affordable as well – so that may be an option for some of you. College students are always looking for some extra money too – so ask around!

Strategy #2
Opt-Ins & Social

We’ve got some powerful tools in our resource section. Terrific free reports that are a perfect addition to your website as an opt-in piece. Here’s a creative multi-use way to use these tools to help you build your list, feed your social media stream and entice your customers and prospects to continually return to your site for more resources!

You’ll become the go-to agent for information! Simply click here to go to our resource section and download the free reports that will work best for you and your market. Go ahead and download as many as you like and bookmark this page because we add new ones all the time.

These are going to now become part of the campaign you’re about to kick off! Now, take one per week or one per month and break the contents down into bite sized pieces to share on your social media and on the backs of your postcards.

I’ll give you an example: Take the How to Save for a Down Payment free report. It has seven tips for saving for a down payment. A fun strategy would be to kick off your Facebook posts on a Monday with a post something along these lines:

As a professional Realtor, it’s a privilege to help people invest in their future and find the home of their dreams. Often times, it is the down payment that can be a sticking point. This week I’ll share with you seven powerful ways you can save!

Tip #1: 1. Get in the know. Like any good budget or savings plan, the first place to start is to determine where you are NOW in relation to your credit score, your monthly bills and assets. Contact me or a trusted mortgage professional to see how much home you qualify for and how much you’ll need to save to purchase your home. We can help you take a look at things like credit scores, loan requirements and interest rates now so you can be simultaneously doing ALL the things right during this savings period to ensure the most favorable rate and terms.

Say you made this your “Free report for August” in your business plan. When setting up your postcard campaign on Prospectsplus.com – choose the alternate back and add a little verbiage to that fact. Here is an example:

As a professional Realtor who specializes in helping people find the home of their dreams, I’m always eager to share resources that can help consumers just like you make the best financial decisions for their family! Please visit my site today at www.yoursitehere.com and download a copy of my new free report: How to Save for a Down Payment. No cost or obligation and please share with friends! Call me if you have questions at xxx-xxx-xxxx!

Then do the same for month two and three of your campaign. This way your social media and your postcard marketing are all working in tandem. Keep copies of each report on hand so you can mail or email them out easily. (I would make a file on your desktop specifically to house all these reports to make finding them easier!)

Strategy #3
Commit To a Campaign

Even if you’re not sure which campaign is right for you – choose one to use for at least three months. Breaking projects down into bite-size pieces makes the process less stressful and more manageable for most people. I love the idea of a three month campaign because you can add your list, choose your card campaign and let that run for three months.

Then make whatever revisions are necessary to your list once a quarter such change an address, add a new customer or referral, change an email, etc. This makes your database management less time-consuming as well. By breaking your campaigns down into quarterly increments – you also have the flexibility to try a new campaign on for size.

Some sphere of influence favorites are:

Listing Inventory Series
Holiday Series
Recipe Series
Call to Action Series
Neighborhood Update Series
Customer Appreciation Series

Strategy #4
Add a niche

One of the fastest ways to grow your sphere is to take what you’re passionate about, the people you like working with the MOST and create a niche for yourself. I’ve always said it’s tough to be #1 in a geographic market – but not in a smaller niche that you are excited about.

From traditional (first time home buyers, fsbo’s, expireds) to out of the box (Health and wellness seekers, boaters, fishermen) – find something you love, then get out there and meet THOSE people and start putting them into your list.

The secret ingredient in a sphere of influence is INFLUENCE. Taking people from being “on a list” to knowing, trusting and liking you enough to want to do business with you. That process happens fastest when you’re working with a group of people that you like and know about in return! Not sure where to start? Take a look at our Lifestyle Interest Series which helps agent match their messages to their favorite marketing segments such as boaters and golfers.

Now you’re ready to get STARTED!

Get Your Free 2018 Real Estate Business Plan

Treat your business like a business it is vital to long-term success in this industry. Some agents may put together elaborate business plans, yet there’s something powerful about keeping it simple. Check out our one page Online Real Estate Business Plan – Click Here

Done-For-You Strategic Marketing Plan

The Real Estate Marketing Planner is a powerful 12-Month-Guide that strategically defines what marketing to do when. Four key market segments are included, Niche Marketing, Listing Inventory, Geographic Farming, and Sphere of Influence – Click Here

Also…check these out 🙂

Three Click Postcards – Snap, tap, send from your phone

MLS Mailings – Automated Just Listed, Just Sold Postcards

Market Dominator System – Become a neighborhood brand

Don’t forget – our inside account management team is here to help you make some of these decisions and walk you through the processes.

You can reach them at 866.405.3638 during normal business hours.