Be Cool: Xplode

These days, the best way to grow your business in the Chicago real estate market is to be cool—technologically cool, that is. New technology is coming out everyday, and you need to be in the know.

The Chicago Association of REALTORS is hosting the Xplode Conference on Friday, August 19 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Chicago in order to teach real estate professionals how to expand their businesses through the use of technology.

Learn the latest tips and get advice from 25 social media, marketing and technology pros.

Some speakers include:

-Stephen Schweickart, co-founder and CEO of VScreen, the nation’s leading video services company within the real estate industry

-Kerm Foltz, Director of Agent Sales at Market Leader, a leading provider of software and marketing solutions to the real estate industry

-Ginger Wilcox, head of industry training at Trulia.com where she focuses on developing educational programs to assist real estate agents and brokers in growing their businesses

-David Friedman, President and Founder of Boston Logic Technology Partners, Inc. where he specialized in helping professional stay competitive online

Topics discussed will cover blogging, social media, digital transactions, mobile marketing, the revolution of video and search, syndication and digital listings.

After the conference is over, you are sure to be cool!

Get more details and register at http://chicago.xplodethis.com/. Also, visit the Xplode Facebook and Xplode Twitter pages for any news leading up to the conference.

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.

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.

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

Homebuilders Blog for Competitive Online Advantage

Launch a Blog, Get More Traffic

Homebuilder, developer and real estate agent websites benefit from increased Search Engine Optimization (SEO) when these sites take advantage of blogs. Blogs increase referral traffic and organic SEO by providing fresh content on a regular basis. MLC New Home Marketing can build your blog and teach you how to use this powerful tool. Contact us to learn how blogging can help you gain and maintain a competitive advantage.

Additionally, if you are interested in launching a full scale social media campaign, MLC New Home Marketing can extend your reach into cyberspace by blogging on other sites for you. Contact us to consult on your Internet strategy and learn how to use the Internet as a tool to increase your leads and sales.