Social Chicago Real Estate Conference

The Social Chicago Real Estate Conference is just around the corner, on Tuesday, September 29th. The one day conference is targeted for builders, developers, marketers and job seekers in the real estate industry and will cover topics all pertaining to social media.

Those in attendance will learn how social media can build their company, product brand and professional appeal. You'll also learn the tricks and tactics on how to increase traffic to your Web site and to turn that online traffic into sales.

The day will consist of six one-hour long sessions from local and national social media experts. Among the list of speakers are Mitch Levinson, Carol Flammer, Rudy Bachraty, Sara Bonert, Kelly O'Brien, Julie Wernau and Nita Tuskan.

The show is presented by mRELEVANCE and New Home Notebook. Registration is now open, so mark your calendars and don't miss this fantastic opportunity to learn more about social media.

Chicago Real Estate News

Chicagoland Real Estate Forum is an excellent source of real estate news for the Chicago area. From new homes to townhomes to condos, the blog covers stories about Chicago neighborhoods and communities. Looking for information on Open Houses? Or HBA classes? Home Tours? or even the latest national housing news and statistics? Then, this site is for you!

You can also follow Chicagoland Real Estate Forum on Facebook! http://www.Facebook.com/ChicagolandRealEstateForum

Sell More Homes with Social Media

Social media is not just for teenagers anymore. National speakers and mRELEVANCE founders, Carol Flammer and Mitch Levinson will present "Sell More Homes with Social Media" at the 2009 Southern Building Show on June 4 from 4 to 5:30 at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta, Ga. If you decide to attend this class you will learn how home builders, developers and others in the home building industry use social media for competitive advantage. From social media to social networking, blogging and social bookmarking, see case studies of how builders, developers and new home communtiies are benefiting from social media optimization. Also find out how to incorporate a blog and sites such as Active Rain, FaceBook, My Space, Blogger and others into an effective Internet marketing program.

The Internet is rapidly evolving. Do not miss this opportunity to learn how to maximize your return on investment (ROI). Social media marketing and optimization, search engine marketing, an effective Web site, email marketing and social networking are all components of a successful Internet marketing program. Learn how to take your traditional public relations online as an integral part of reputation management.

Don't miss out on your opportunity to attend this class on all things social media. Register today to attend or exhibit at the 2009 Southern Building Show.

Levinson Elected to MIRM Board of Trustees

The National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB) Institute of Residential Marketing (IRM) recently announced the election of Mitch Levinson, MIRM, CSP, MBA to the IRM Board of Trustees. Elected to the Board for a three-year term by his peers, Levinson will provide leadership and guidance on the development, enhancement, and promotion of IRM products and services.
Levinson is managing partner of mRELEVANCE, a public relations, social media and internet marketing firm with offices in Atlanta and Chicago.
Founded in 1977, the Institute of Residential Marketing (IRM) is the educational arm of the NAHB National Sales and Marketing Council (NSMC). The Institute was created to guarantee the highest skill level of sales and marketing professionals for the housing industry. The IRM offers several prestigious educational designations, including Certified New Home Sales Professional (CSP), Master Certified New Home Sales Professional (MCSP), Certified New Home Marketing Professional (CMP), and Member, Institute of Residential Marketing (MIRM). The IRM also recognizes an elite group of members, known as Fellows, who have demonstrated exceptional dedication to promoting sales and marketing education throughout the building industry. For more information, visit www.nahb.org/IRM.

Have Questions? Contact mRELEVANCE at 770-383-3360 x30 or visit the marketing RELEVANCE website for home builder marketing tips and tools.

Mitch Levinson and Carol Flammer Speaking at IBS 2009

mRELEVANCE Managing Partners Carol Flammer, MIRM and Mitch Levinson, MIRM were selected by the National Association of Home Builders to speak on social media and Internet marketing at the 2009 International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas.

Flammer will discuss the effectiveness of social media for home builders, specifically tips for using social media sites as part of your Internet marketing strategy. Flammer has previously presented how social media can enhance SEO to home builders in Atlanta, Raleigh, N.C., and Milwaukee, Wis. With 20 years of experience as a public relations practitioner and founder of Flammer Relations, Inc., Flammer draws from her experience as publisher of Atlanta’s most popular real estate blog – AtlantaRealEstateForum.com. Her submission was one of only 24 topics chosen from more than 250 entries submitted to the National Sales and Marketing Council. Flammer’s social media panel includes other industry experts and fellow MIRMs Dina Gundersen, Marketing Director for Monte Hewett Homes in Atlanta, and Kathie McDaniel, Director of Marketing and Advertising for Highland Homes in Lakeland, Fla.

Levinson's Internet Marketing topic will demonstrate how to effectively evaluate website tracking reports and use this knowledge for competitive advantage and increased sales. His course is sponsored by NextBuild, the technology-focused track of the International Builders’ Show curriculum. With over 18 years of direct experience selling and marketing new homes, combined with an MBA in Computer Information Systems and e-Commerce, Levinson has used this unique combination to teach similar classes in Chicago, Atlanta, Milwaukee, Wis., and Des Moines, IA. Levinson is founder of Mitch Levinson Consulting, MLC New Home Marketing and MLC FlatFee Realty, and has offices in Chicago and Atlanta. Highland Homes’ Kathie McDaniel will present with Levinson.

Turnberry Homes Turns to Public Relations

Nashville homebuilder Turnberry Homes has selected mRELEVANCE as its Internet marketing, public relations and social media firm of record. The real estate focused agency has launched integrated public relations and Internet marketing strategies for the homebuilder.

“mRELEVANCE uses multiple channels to tell the Turnberry story to consumers and the media,” said Ron Benkert, Chief Operating Officer of Turnberry Homes. “Their expert use of Internet marketing and new media combined with their traditional public relations expertise spreads the word through a wide range of outlets to reach a variety of consumers who are ready to purchase a home.”

Tennessee’s largest homebuilder in its price point, Turnberry Homes presents finely crafted homes in the most distinctive sections of Nashville and Williamson County, Tenn., including the Brentwood, Cool Springs, Franklin and Nolensville communities. Focused on creating a rewarding experience and a custom home for each client, Turnberry employs a professional staff of structural and interior designers to lead buyers through the process of tailoring their homes to their lifestyles.

As Turnberry has discovered, delivering relevant messages about process and quality to relevant audiences through relevant media is imperative in today’s market. mRELEVANCE thoughtfully analyzes Internet traffic and traditional media messages to target marketing and public relations dollars for maximum results.

Turnberry Homes was founded in 1997 by Richard Bell, whose 30 years of experience in the Southeast include building homes for celebrities in Palm Beach, Fla. Now Turnberry Homes continues a tradition of making every homebuyer feel like a star with beautiful, livable homes from the $300,000s to over $2 million. For more information, visit www.TurnberryHomes.com or call 615-376-7001.

mRELEVANCE, LLC, is a real estate focused marketing firm designed to meet builder and developer needs in a changing marketplace. Moving beyond the previous advertising model, mRELEVANCE reaches buyers through the media they experience with the primary messages that motivate them to take action. Through the combined talents and resources of public relations and social media firm Flammer Relations, Inc., and the power of Internet marketing services at MLC New Home Marketing, mRELEVANCE implements a combination of traditional PR services and up-to-date Web 2.0 tools (e-mail marketing, search engine optimization, social media and others) to create results for clients. With a staff of 14, mRELEVANCE has offices in Atlanta and Chicago. For more information on how you can connect to buyers and build relevant relationships, visit www.mRELEVANCE.com or call 770-383-3360 or 847-259-7312.

Have You Embraced Web 2.0?

Have you fully embraced Web 2.0? Do you add fresh content to your website monthly, weekly or daily? Do you have a way to add news to your current website? Is your site search engine friendly?

As Social Media and Web 2.0 become mainstream and more new home builders and developers embrace this SEO friendly technology, you will need to answer these questions and formulate a plan for incorporating these tactics into your marketing mix. Otherwise you will become harder to find on the Internet and further "behind" your competitors.

Many “websites” are now built as blogs or incorporate a blog as the site's news feed. You don't have to launch a stand alone blog to take advantage of this communications tool. More than 100,000 blogs are launched each day. Not only can blogs help to give you a competitive advantage in attracting online shoppers, but many blogs are emerging as credible news sources which means a story on your site could catch a reporter’s eye and end up in a print publication.

See what others are saying about blogging about real estate trends and topics.

“If You’re Thinking About Blogging about Real Estate”
Real Central Virginia.com

“Write like a Blogger”
Seth Godin’s blog

“The New World of Web 2.0”
Realty Times.com