How to Win Home Buyers with In-Depth Community Tour Videos

What if you made a commitment to consistently creating super in-depth, high-quality community tour videos? Consider this: Buyers will naturally turn to Google and YouTube for answers to their questions and curiosities—e.g. “Should we move here or there?”—where they’ll come across your tours.

In terms of segments to include in your videos:

1. Lifestyle & Amenities: Highlight the area’s lifestyle, amenities, and activities.

2. Land Analysis: Analyze the land—the topography, geography, and what it means for residents.

3. Traffic & Transit: Share insights on traffic patterns, commutes, and transit options.

4. Real Estate Market: Discuss the real estate market: performance, trends, forecasts, and more.

5. Home Tours: Coordinate with happy residents to tour their homes, giving viewers an inside look.

6. Housing History: Highlight the community’s housing history—what was built, when, and the quality.

Imagine having a catalog of every community in your market. Think about how valuable that would be for potential buyers and how it could set you apart in the real estate world. What’s more, consider what prospective sellers would think of you—they’d see you as the expert of that area.

Crafting Connections: Instagram's Hyperlocal Blueprint for Community Engagement

Ever noticed the TikTok-like trend in your Instagram feeds, where content is curated based on your interests, not just who you follow?

This is where you can shine by focusing on hyperlocal content. Craft posts that resonate uniquely with your neighbors and potential customers. Whether it's featuring the latest community event, spotlighting beloved local spots, or sharing anecdotes that locals can instantly relate to, your goal is to create a sense of camaraderie.

But remember, it's about the big picture – a consistent stream of local posts trains the algorithm to highlight your account within your community. Infuse a touch of behind-the-scenes charm from your daily life or business for that added authenticity. This personal touch not only engages but solidifies your connection with your local audience.

So, the next time you capture a moment, think local. Share the essence of your community, and watch as your Instagram presence becomes a central gathering point for local connection and engagement.

The "Trivial" Task That Wins Listings; Mastery Lives in the Mundane!

If you're a real estate professional looking to elevate your game, you might be tempted to chase the latest tech trends or innovative marketing strategies.

But sometimes, the key to real-world success lies in the simplest of actions: "Mastery lives in the mundane."

Meet Dave Archuletta: The Man Behind the Signs

Dave Archuletta, an Orange County real estate agent and my personal coaching client, is the embodiment of this principle.

You won't find Dave sitting back and letting others do the groundwork. Every weekend, he's out there hosting multiple open houses.

But what really sets him apart? He wakes up early to personally install dozens of directional signs to guide potential buyers to his listings.

Sure, he could outsource this task, but he chooses not to. Why? Because it's during these seemingly mundane activities that Dave connects with his community.

The Unbeatable Hustle: Why Dave's Strategy Works

Dave doesn't just set up signs; he turns the activity into an engagement opportunity. He smiles and waves at every passerby, whether he knows them or not. And guess what? Many of those people later decide to sell their homes. When they do, they turn to Dave. The reason is simple: they admire his hustle and his dedication, come rain or shine.

Three Key Takeaways for Real Estate Mastery

• Consistency is Key: Your actions, repeated day in and day out, build your reputation. Be consistent in your efforts, and you'll earn trust and respect.

• Engage, Don't Just Execute: Don't merely perform tasks; use them as opportunities to engage with your community. A simple wave and a smile can go a long way.

• Personal Touch Matters: In an era where everything can be outsourced or automated, a personal touch can set you apart. Sometimes, doing things yourself can be your greatest asset.

Aristotle Knew Best: Make Excellence a Habit

So, if you're keen on stepping up your real estate game, remember that sometimes the most effective strategies aren't the flashy ones. They're the consistent, everyday actions that build your brand and reputation.

It’s what Aristotle said: "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, isn’t an act; it’s a habit."

Take it from Dave, and take it from me: Mastery lives in the mundane! It’s time for you to find your own "mundane" and turn it into your secret weapon for success.

Instagram Influence Map: Geo-Optimize Your Content to Attract Local Customers

Problem: most of your Instagram followers live in random, faraway places, which undermines the effectiveness of your social media marketing in attracting and procuring LOCAL customers📍

To find out exactly where the people you're influencing are geographically located, follow these steps:

• Open your Instagram app and navigate to your Professional Dashboard, the gray-shaded box underneath the bio section of your profile. Please note that the Professional Dashboard is available only for Professional profiles, not Personal profiles.

• Next, tap on "See All" to access your account's insights, where you'll find vital information about your audience.

• Look for the sections labeled "Accounts reached" and "Total followers.” Specifically, take a close look at the "Top cities" data, which will reveal the top locations of your followers as well as the accounts you reached.

Those top cities aren’t just random locations; they represent where the people you're influencing reside.

If you're running a local business, that’s crucial intel because social media is becoming less social and less local. That said, you can turn the tide by implementing the following techniques:

1. Specify your physical whereabouts via the Location tag when you post: e.g. your city or locations in/around it. This’ll help to train the algorithm to recognize that your content is relevant to a specific geographic area.

2. Research and use local hashtags in your posts. By incorporating popular hashtags related to your city or region, you can increase your visibility among local Instagram users.

3. Post hyperlocal content that appeals specifically to locals. Share information, events, or stories that only people from your area would find interesting and relatable; effectively force the algorithm to distribute your content to the right audience!

4. Consider boosting your content to target your town or city. By utilizing Instagram's advertising tools, you can reach a wider local audience and increase your brand's visibility.

If you're leveraging social media for your business, it's essential to ensure that your efforts are finely tuned to attract the right audience in the right locations.

Build an SEO Fortress Around Your Local Business: rank higher when customers search for what your business does in the areas it does it

In real estate, the mantra is all about location: LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION! But when it comes to SEO, keywords reign supreme. So… make sure to optimize your website with the right SEO juice.

With that in mind, publish web pages chalked full of keywords that highlight your ability to assist individuals in, at minimum, buying and selling real estate, for instance. Beyond that though, create web pages that talk about relocation, moving, downsizing, new construction sales, custom builds, commercial real estate, residential development, and so on. Why not publish a page for every service you offer!?—especially now, with tools like Chat GPT to do the heavy lifting writing-wise.

What’s more, create community pages on your website that showcase the areas where you operate. Depending on where you do business, maybe consider zip-code specific pages, or neighborhoods, towns, counties, or perhaps designated market area terms, like “tri state” or other comparable titles. The point is, if it’s an area where you work, make it count by creating an optimized page on your website.

Here’s why all this carries weight. The better optimized your website is, the higher Google’s gonna rank your Google Business Profile when customers search for a business that does what yours does in the areas it does it.

Ranking Higher in Google’s Local Search Results: How Local Justifications Can Help Your Google Business

Local justifications are clues that explain why Google displays one Google Business Profile over another in local search results. These clues appear as short text snippets located below the top-ranking Google Business Profiles in the map pack. Sidebar:  a map pack is a collection of the top three ranking Google Business Profiles that are displayed together on the first page of local search results, often accompanied by a square- or rectangular-shaped bit of map.

Local justifications include verbatim (or related) keyword matches from the search query, and are often taken from reviews, the business profile's website (i.e., your domain), or the "Services" section of the business profile. Reviews are the most common source for local justifications. Bearing that in mind, businesses should focus on getting customers to use target words and phrases when they post reviews.

Google Ad to Promote Your Google Business Profile at the Top of the Local-Pack

Wanna run a Google Ad that promotes your Google Business Profile in the highly coveted “Map-Pack” section of Google’s search results page? Say “YES!” if you’re marketing a local business!

The Map-Pack (AKA the “Local-Pack”) is a section in Google’s search results that lists the top three Google Business Profiles adjacent to a square-shaped map whenever someone searches for a type of local service. If someone runs a search like, “Best REALTOR in Charlotte,” for instance, Google will display a Map-Pack.

The money—in terms of getting FOUND by prospective customers—is in the Map-Pack because customers are generally inclined to search for a type of business versus one in particular. If a customer looks up your business by name, for instance, they’re obviously not discovering you for the first time.

Up until recently, the only way to rank in the coveted Map-Pack was to have done so organically. However, Google seems to be testing a new ad placement top-of-list in the Map-Pack.

It’s called a “Local Search Ad,” which, technically, can appear in Google Search or Google Maps. It’s different from a traditional Google Search Ad in that it directs traffic to your Google Business Profile versus your website.

To run one, just search your business name in Google to load your Google Business Profile control panel, tap the “Advertise” button, and click-through the steps in Google Ads’ guided wizard. (If you don’t see a guided wizard, then your Google Ads account is probably set to “Expert Mode,” not “Express Mode.”)

When you come to the step that asks for “Keyword Themes,” choose terms applicable to buyers and sellers who are searching for agents, not houses, for instance.

Chances are, it’ll automatically incorporate themes like “ Houses for Sale,” et al. My advise:  remove those and add in themes like “Listing Agent,” “Real Estate Broker,” and so on. The point is for your ad to place in the Map-Pack, which appears when someone searches for a type of local business, not houses for sale.

WHO does GOOGLE say you (Real-estate Agent) are?

Lately I’ve noticed an uptick in SEO-driven, inbound/organic lead generation for numerous agents who are part of our Tom Ferry coaching community. For example, sellers who call an agent after reading his/her Google reviews or YouTube viewers who navigate to the contact page of an agent’s website after discovering his/her videos.

What I’m getting at is that you oughta consider redoubling your SEO efforts.

1. Go all-in on Google My Business: reviews, photos, videos, posts, questions/answers, products, and more!

2. Get back to blogging on your website. Remember, every webpage published expands your SEO. If you’re producing long-form articles, fantastic! At minimum, though, you oughta be at least repurposing your social content as blogs. (I do it and, believe it or not, some of those blogs are now ranking on Google Search 🔎)

3. Upload search-optimized YouTube videos: neighborhood tours, how-to’s, Q&As, and educational content of different shapes and sizes. Bear in mind that YouTube is the second-most popular search engine on the planet 🌎, runner-up to its parent site, Google. You’ll want to look at incorporating a tool like @TubeBuddy to assist you (𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗞 𝗜𝗡 𝗕𝗜𝗢). PRO TIP: Add “Chapters” to your YouTube uploads to enhance each video for Google Search (YouTube, too). For instance, have you ever seen the “Suggested Clips” box in the Results Page of a Google search? Those clips are the Chapters of a YouTube video. To add them simply insert timestamps and titles into your video description. Like this: 00:00 - Introduction Section of the Vid 01:32 - Whatever I Wanna Call This Chapter 03:54 - And My Final Chapter

4. Audit your presence across the web: your SOCIAL MEDIA PROFILES (e.g. Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, et al.), BUSINESS LISTINGS (like Yelp, for instance), and AGENT DIRECTORY SITES (e.g. Homelight, UpNest, et al.).

When was the last time you Googled yourself? Try it! Simply open up an (incognito) tab on your web browser and search your name to see what others see: links, photos, videos, and more. Google’s just the messenger; you’re the message!

How to Boost Google Maps and Google Search Rankings

Wanna boost your 𝙂𝙤𝙤𝙜𝙡𝙚 𝙈𝙖𝙥𝙨 and 𝙂𝙤𝙤𝙜𝙡𝙚 𝙎𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙘𝙝 rankings!? It could boil down to the"𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐘" of your Google My Business (GMB) listing.

For instance, if you’re GMB listing isn’t readily appearing when you search its name verbatim (e.g. “John Doe Realty”) or even when your search phrase includes a location identifier (e.g. “John Doe Realty, Nashville, TN”), it could be a product of poor location authority.

To test yours, conduct a search (Google Maps and/or Google Search) while physically standing inside the listing’s verified location (with location-tracking enabled on your search device). If it’ll populate your GMB listing there but nowhere else, chances are, it’s the result of lousy “location authority.”

Here’s how to improve your Google My Business location authority:

1. Claim/Verify your business listing. Here’s details on how: bit.ly/Claim-GMB
2. Never-stop getting reviews!
(TIP ☑ : whenever possible, focus on seller testimonials. Google searches in which the user is seeks out the real estate agent tend to be associated w/ “seller intent,” so it’d look good for there to be lots of past sellers bragging on you.)
3. Match-up your back-linked business citations across the web. In other words, make sure the name of your GMB listing, its address, its phone number, its URL, etc. are exactly the same (character for character) as on other popular websites, such as Yelp, Zillow, Facebook, and so on. The name part may be tough if usernames on social sites are unavailable, so just do your best.
4. Add photos galore: pics of you, your listings, your team, behind-the-scenes, etc.
(TIP ☑ : check out tools like geoimgr.com which allows you to geo-tag your images before uploading to GMB. That way, as Google scans the contents of your business listing, trying to decipher whether it’s relevant to the searcher’s intent, it may see photos at tagged locations

Custom Door Hangers (to Attract Listings)

Custom Door🚪Hangers (to 𝐀𝐭𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬)

Want more listings⁉️ (Of course you do 😜)

In this video, you’ll hear (and see 👀) about 2️⃣ (two) different tactics Sean Ryan (@buyinwithryan) is deploying with his team in the Sarnia/Lambton, Ontario market to generate new listings.

🚨𝗦𝗣𝗢𝗜𝗟𝗘𝗥 𝗔𝗟𝗘𝗥𝗧🚨

He’s printed custom door-hangers that he and his team are door-dropping whenever listings sell in his Geographic Farm — regardless of whether or not it was his sale 😲. 𝙳𝚒𝚜𝚌𝚕𝚊𝚒𝚖𝚎𝚛: he’s in no way, shape, or form insinuating that it was his sale or taking credit for someone else’s production. He’s just reporting the news.

Also in this video, Sean talks about a concept called 𝑺𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒓 𝑹𝒆𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒔,” whereby he coordinates w/ local short-term rental properties to put his sellers up for a night (or three) when their home first hits the market and is experiencing nonstop showings.

What’s working in your market to generate listing opportunities? Please comment below and/or tag your peers to get their input.

3 Tactics to BOOST Your Google My Business (For Real Estate Agents)

Your #googlemybusiness listing (GMB) serves a greater purpose than just collecting and displaying customer testimonials. Granted, that’s super important! But beyond that, GMB is a key component of your local SEO strategy, which extends far beyond reviews alone. When someone Google’s your name, your GMB appears on-screen. If they’re conducting a search looking for local agents, depending on the strength of your profile, you may rank in a list of results. Your profile populates on Google Maps and it can even present via a Google-based voice search. I guarantee it—you’re undervaluing the power of your GMB listing.

If this is all new to you, you can setup or claim yours at business.google.com/create. Happy ranking, friends!

Facebook Ad Script

Facebook Ads pretty much serve one of two purposes: 🅰️ Content Promotion. 🅱️ Lead Generation. This post is focused on the latter (i.e., Lead Generation). Just swipe through the images for a bunch of Facebook Ad scripts, bearing in mind that some are buyer-focused (“Home-Search”) and some are seller-focused (“Home-Equity”). Remember, to run Facebook ads, you MUST have a Facebook Business Page. Okay… follow these steps and that’ll do it!

1. Navigate to Facebook.com/AdsManager in your web browser
2. Click the “Create” button to start a new ad campaign
3. Ensure you’re in the “Guided Creation” campaign builder, not “Quick Creation”
4. At the Campaign level, if in North America, specify “Housing” under the Special Ad Category menu
5. Select the “Traffic” campaign objective.
**If you’ve got a Facebook Pixel installed, consider setting up a Custom Conversion Event and choosing “Conversions” instead of “Traffic”**

6. Press “continue” to exit the Campaign level and enter the Ad Set level
7. Specify your audience targeting and budget preferences, then press “continue” once more to proceed to the Ad Creative level
8. Choose the “Single Image or Video” ad format
9. In the Media box, upload a photo or video
10. In the Primary Text field, enter your script. Add multiple variations by selecting, “Add Another Option”
11. In the Headline field, enter your chosen headline. Add multiple variations by selecting, “Add Another Option.”

**Reference the list of sample headlines, which is included in this caption**

12. Insert your desired URL. Ensure it aligns with the stated objective of your chosen script(s).

HOME-SEARCH HEADLINES:
* 𝙔𝙊𝙐𝙍 (NEW) 𝗛𝗢𝗠𝗘 𝙄𝙎 𝙃𝙀𝙍𝙀!
* 𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗗 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝘿𝙍𝙀𝘼𝙈 𝙃𝙊𝙈𝙀
* Customized Home Search
* #[CITY] HOME SEARCH
* Precision Home Search

HOME-EQUITY HEADLINES:
* Calculate Your Home Equity
* INSTANT HOME VALUATION
* Instant Home-Price Estimate
* (Fast/Free) Home Valuation
* #[CITY] Home-Price Estimate

P.S. If this is useful, please let me know in a comment! Also, please tag a friend/peer who may benefit to see this post. Thanks in advance!