RECR's Blog

I wanted to write a blog post about using photos to help market your business as a follow up to my post on Guerrilla Marketing. 

But, Monica did such a fine job on this post...Im going to reblog it!!  Awesome post!!

I was recently playing around with services that allow you to post presentations online...companies like SlideShare and Scribd.

I posted this to Scribd a few days ago...and in that time, it has climbed to about #7 on Google for some of our primary search terms!!! 

In my mind, that is AMAZING!!

Feel free to check it out...

Real Estate Client Referrals Presentation

If you would like more information on Real Estate Client Referrals, contact me at 800-977-7058 or follow me on Twitter.

Like many people, I suffer from seasonal hay fever.  And, like many people, I start stocking up on drugs, Kleenex, and eye drops in about March so I have enough on hand by May that I can survive until September.  The medicine cabinet in my house looks like the allergy aisle in Walgreens.

Allergies, as a whole, are a pain in the butt.  I have had them my entire life.  I had them so bad that, from the time I was 5 until I was 17, I had to have shots weekly to help build up my immune system enough to where walking past a horse in a field didn’t throw me into a an asthmatic fit or cause my eyes swell shut from the histamine reaction.

On a side note...I once got a horse hair in my eye.  I nearly died.  I had to be given adrenalyn to stop the reaction before my airway shut off completely.  I am still deathly allergic to horses.  Not a good combination for a kid growing up in rural western Montana!

“Sanity” and “Happiness” can be difficult to achieve when you are coughing, sneezing, sniffing, wheezing.  So, because of my severe allergies, I have had to learn all kinds of short-cuts and inexpensive changes to help eliminate my risk of having an allergy attack throughout the year, not just in summer. 

Here is a short list of things that I did in my bedroom to help me become less likely to have an allergy attack at night (which is usually when I got hit because I didn’t take medicine before bed).

When planning your bedroom, or re-designing it to make it as allergy-proof as possible, you need to:

• Use low VOC paint (VOC is short for volatile organic compound)
• Get an allergen-free mattress, box spring, and bedding
• Use pillows and comforters that are filled with fiberfill, not down or feathers.
• If you want carpet, use something with a very dense weave to it.  Better yet, skip the carpet and get hardwood floors!
• Avoid ‘stuffies’ like the plague!
• Add new weather stripping to all doors and windows.  If you can afford it, replace your old, inefficient windows with new windows.

All of these steps will help eliminate your allergy risk by measured amounts.  But, without proper maintenance, you will only be safe for a short period of time. 

So, on a regular schedule, you should:

• Wash bed linens at least once a week to help reduce dust mites and skin particles (the number one cause of dust in your home)
• Use a micro-fiber dust cloth.  Not a feather duster!!!
• When you dust, don’t forget your ceiling fans, walls, blinds, etc.
• Use natural cleaners to avoid chemical allergic risks
• Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter (HEPA is short for high-efficiency particulate air) and use it on all fabric surfaces including your mattress, curtains, and other fabric-covered furnishings.
• Keep a HEPA air filter running in your bedroom to remove dust and allergens from the air

A good night’s sleep is hard to achieve when you can’t breathe.  And, these simple steps will nearly eliminate your restless nights. 

Clint Miller is the Internet Marketing Manager for Real Estate Client Referrals.  If you would like information about RECR, please do not hesitate to contact him at 800-977-7058

Many of you know that I recently bought a home. 

And, for those of you that don’t know that I recently bought a home…I recently bought a home.  Here’s proof.  

Although we are very happy with our home we did purchase, during this process, I happened to notice that as we viewed house after house, I kept seeing the same things happen over and over.  And….not good things.  Bad things.  Bad things that were blatantly obvious to me.  Bad things that literally turned me off.  Bad things that were keeping this otherwise fine house I was standing in from selling faster.

So, as we went through the homes, I started keeping track of things that I saw that made the average buyer – ME – want to run away screaming.  Here is my “Top 10 Seller Sins”:

1. Addition Addiction – Ok…exactly what were these people thinking when they added this addtion to their home??  It isnt level.  The door frame isnt square.  And, that simulated wood-grain indoor/outdoor burber carpeting is HIDEOUS!!  Wasn’t this were the garage should be anyway??  I guess that explains the severely sun-faded paint job on the Sport Family Truckster in the driveway and the Christmas decorations piled floor-to-ceiling in the closet in the spare bedroom.  I don’t care what anyone says…Bigger is NOT always better.

2. The “Pet-Owner Moaner” – The over-all assumption that since the seller loves their pets more than chocolate, so does everyone else.  Here are a couple of quotes I heard directly from the sellers mouths: “Awwww, my cat must really like you to nestle into your neck like that.”; “I know he looks big, but he is really just a teddy bear.”; “We were able to clean up everything in the house except the cat room.”; “I cant remember if my son put away the ferrets or not, but feel free to look around downstairs.”
a.  Ok…first and foremost, Im allergic to cats.  I don’t mean that cats make me sneeze.  I mean that I quit breathing and require adrenallin shots to keep from dieing.  That thing is lucky I didn’t toss it out the open window that was next to me. 
b. The “teddy bear” they were referring to…Yeah, that was a 158lb Rotweiller with a googlie eye and a broken tooth on the right side.  His chain was tied to a cinder block that he happily drug around and tossed into the air during “playtime”. 
c. The “cat room”???  Oh Lord in heaven!!!
d. If you cant figure out if your son left out a pack of rodents in the dark rooms down the creaky stairs without a safety rail and a working light switch, you can be damn sure Im not going to find out for you.

3. Auditory Unawareness – If you cant hear that your refridgerator is making a clicking noise that can be heard from the front yard, Im fairly sure you cant hear the floorboards creaking, the doors squeaking, or the apparent family of raccoons living in the attic.  You also only hear what you want to hear.  Instead of “Your house is priced too high”, you hear “Your house is of a high value”.  Its not the same.  Pay attention!

4. Color Blind – Holy Lord!!  Who decorated this place??  Its like Andy Worhol threw his color pallet into a Cuisinart and hit ‘liquify’.  The fuscia flower print wallpaper needs to go.  And, I don’t carew what you say, it doesn’t do any justice to that wall with the fake woodgrain panelling it joins up to by the sunshine yellow couch.  Worse yet…the white cabinets, white-washed walls, white countertops, and white tile is just a bit much. 

5. “Take it or leave it” – Yup.  Heard that come right out of a seller’s own mouth.  We were discussing the possiblity of him making a necessary repair to a sliding glass door that lead out to a deck.  Between the glass panes was about half an inch of standing water.  Obviously, the seals on the window were compromised.  When asked if he would spend the money to get the glass replaced and the seales re-done…or just replace the entire door…that was the response I got.  Guess what…I left it.

6. Price-itis – The fear that your home wont sell for the price you are asking for it.  I put in an offer on a home that was only $5,000 under what was being asked.  The counter came back with a reduction of $1,000, but a clause to pay $4,000 in closing costs.  Now, I may be bad at math…but, isnt that the same damn thing???? 

7. Fried Food Funk – You know what Im talking about here.  If you can smell it, you won’t sell it.  Bottom line here is that fried food smells, kitty litter, a back yard filled with dog crap, a nursery reaking of dirty diapers, etc…all add up to one thing – a very short showing.  (Well, it also leads to gagging, shortness of breath, tears streaming down your face, and everyone skrunching up their nose and making that internationally known face that says, “Do you SMELL that???”)

8. Photog Fog – Everyone should take pride in their family photographs.  I do.  But, Im not trying to sell my house!  I went into one home where, I kid you not, the entire living walls…every square inch…was covered in frame pics of family.  There must have been 100 pictures in that room.  Frames mounted together like a patchwork quilt of memories and bad matting jobs.  Love the sentiment…love the family pride.  But, I was COMPLETELY distracted from seeing the actual house. 

9. “I collect them” – No kidding, really???  Nothing would have made me realize you collect dolls were it not for the fact that Im now suddenly very aware of the fact that 226 eyes are now following me through your house like Chucky with an ax to grind.  Yeah, I couldn’t tell that you collect Vegas casino ash trays since they are on every flat surface in your entire house including 4 separate 6-ft tall bookshelves, your coffee table, the top of your TV, the end-tables,  and the extra two shelves that you put up encircling the entire living room.  But, worse than that, you have them on your toilet tank, your dresser…and in an amazing twist, you have drilled holes in them and replaced half of the doorknobs in your house with them.  In case your agent hasn’t told you this….PACK THIS CRAP UP!

10. Livin in the past – I don’t care what you think, the pea soup green shag carpeting is not coming back in style.  And, regardless of how many memories are associated with it, the nine-foot long, hunter orange, faux-leather couch on the wooden legs with the sleigh-style arms on the each end is FREAKING UGLY!!  Regardless of whether or not they still work, the matching avocado green stove, fridge, and counter tops are ugly…and they are ugly 24/7/365.  If you want to move this house…replace this ferocious eyesore.  Better yet…HIRE A HOME STAGER!

Yeah, selling a house is hard.  Selling a house in the market is harder.  Selling one of THESE houses with a seller that sins like this…nearly impossible.  Sellers, if you are reading this…listen to your agents.  Agents, if you are reading this…make sure your sellers understand that buyers – like me – will look at these like neither of you know what you are doing and act accordingly.  Probably by running away quick.

If you would like more information about Real Estate Client Referrals and how we can send you more clients to work with, please contact Clint Miller at 800-977-7058.  Or, follow me on twitter www.twitter.com/TheRealClint.

"Dont tie your shoe laces together and expect to get very far."

Seems like excellent advice, doesnt it?  My dad taught me that statement many years ago.  I never really knew what he was talking about until I was old enough to figure it out.  And, I think it makes more sense now that I'm in a commission-based sales position than it ever has in my entire life.

See...It amazes me on a daily basis how many agents that I deal with actually set themselves up for failure by making simple, yet deadly, mistakes in their business.  Some of these mistakes seem to be so simple to overcome.  Yet, time and time again, they repeat the same thing expecting a different result.  That is the definition of insanity. 

So, in the hopes that I can in some small way help YOU avoid making these mistakes, I wanted to summarize an article I found in BrokerAgentPro that lists several of the things agents do that hinder their own efforts...and ways to avoid getting caught in these commission killing traps.

Getting ‘Busy Work' confused with actual ‘Work' - Many agents across the country suffer from not having a consistent game plan for their daily activities.  There are several things that you should do daily.  These include: Lead generation; Contacting prospects that are potential clients; Work and sort out the motivations of existing clients; Negotiate contracts on pending deals; Present findings to your clients.  All 5 of those things MUST be done on a daily basis to maintain a consistent level of effort on all aspects of your business.  If you are not getting any one of these done, you are attempting to build a business on a weak foundation and you will fail. 

Not working a set schedule - Lack of motivation is the biggest cause of not working a set schedule.  "I don't feel like it today."  Guess what...no one *feels* like it.  But, they do it.  Successful agents work a set schedule every day whether they ‘feel like it' or not.  What do you do on days you don't feel like working?  See #1 above.

"It's a numbers game" - Well, sort of.  But, no, not really.  Yes, you need to track your numbers.  Yes, those numbers are important.  But, in no way will those numbers lead you to making any money!  This is a PEOPLE game!  If you are not out helping people with or talking to people about real estate, you are doomed to fail.  Focus on what you have to offer - your talents and abilities to assist people in buying or selling a house.  The more you do that, the more the numbers will fall in line with what you expect.

Lacking multiple lead streams - That's right.  If you do not have multiple streams of leads, you will fail.  If your only source of leads is making cold calls, asking for referrals from clients, calling expired listings, etc...You are limiting your ability to get new clients.  If you take a day off, you don't make ANY progress.  None.  What if you lose your phone for a day?  What if you lose your voice for a day?  No progress.  So, having several good lead generation sources is a must in order to keep bringing in new potential clients.  Just remember, not every lead will close.  But, every lead needs worked.  That's what you do!

"Its all about the Benjamins, baby!" - This philosophy will ultimately be your demise in real estate.  You should never put earning a commission above your ability to be of service to your client.  If you are not out there to help your clients, you will fail.  If you don't know how to help your clients, LEARN!  The ‘rules' have changed.  Make an effort to adapt to those changes and *help* your clients.  The money will follow. 

If you would like more information on increasing your inbound referrals, please contact Clint Miller of www.recr.com.  You can call at 800-977-7058 or follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TheRealClint

I often look for motivation and inspiration in as many places as I can.  One of the best I have found is the 212 movie.  www.212movie.com

(I mentioned in the comments that I have a book by this same company...and I highly recommend that anyone that likes inspirational material get a copy.)

But, aside from that, I truly believe it is impossible to watch this video and not get inspired to do more...to be more.

I have a confession to make.  I hate to do dishes.  And, I don’t mean that I just don’t like doing them…I freaking HATE to do dishes.  And, up until about 3 months ago, I had no choice but to do them.  By hand.  In the sink. 

Nothing caused more seething hatred within my very soul than scraping dried Sugar-Frosted Cocoa Bombs off of the bottom of a cereal bowl in scalding hot water and caustic grease-removing chemicals surrounded by mountains of plates and silverware and glasses all chortling at me secretly while I fry the outer layers of my skin off.

And, I don’t care how many dish soap commercials you see with those beautiful hand models that make this chore seemingly luxurious and enjoyable, it’s not.  Period. 

So…I did what any consumption-driven, hard working, model American citizen would do…I bought a dishwasher. 

JOY!!  Rapture!!  This thing is awesome!  It is a full-size roll-away style with a countertop and digital controls.  Top of the line.  I love it like a family member at this point.  I’ve had it for 3 months now…and nothing I own gives me more enjoyment than this thing at this point.  Then, a funny thing happened earlier this month. 

I bought a house.  Well, buying the house isn’t the funny part, actually.  The funny part is that inside my new house is a dishwasher – built-in!  I suddenly no longer need my fancy-shmancy dishwasher. 

So, I decided to sell it.  What is even more ironic, I sold it to the agent that I used to buy my house.  It was a perfect fit…she wanted one, I had one.  We both knew each other and obviously had worked together already and trusted one another.  So, as any good sales person would do, I took full advantage of that and offered it to her before attempting to list it anywhere and attempt to sell it to anyone else. 

Now, one could say that I took advantage of the fact that we knew one another and I had inside information about what she wanted.  And, I used that information to get her to buy this dishwasher from me.  And, if one were to say that…one would be exactly right.

See…it’s human nature to take advantage of whatever leverage is given to us in order to achieve a particular goal.  I used what I knew to trip a trigger in her head to get her to buy that dishwasher from me. 

We do it all the time.  I’m guilty of it.  And, if you are honest, so are you!

Whether you want to admit it or not, you are using something to your advantage to get someone to buy from you.  You do it all the time.  Sales people are the kings and queens of taking advantage of the things we call “buying signals” and applying leverage in whatever way we can in order to get a deal done.  You way think that you don’t, but you do.  

I am talking about the fact that we, as salespeople, take advantage of the emotional triggers that every single human uses when making a decision.  There are seven of these triggers in total.  And, regardless of whether or not you have been aware of this list in the past, you are keenly aware of how to use them to your advantage.  These emotional triggers are the very things that everyone uses in order to make a decision.  They include:

The Friendship Trigger – This trigger activates both trust and agreement through bonding on a social level. Essentially, this is the trigger that you apply directly to your sphere of influence.  You use this on your friends, family, close acquantances, etc, that most sales people rely on as their base clientele.  They can also include past clients that you speak with on a regular basis.  The application of this trigger is specifically designed to leverage your friendship with them in the hopes that, when needed, they call upon you because you are friends.  Social networking to build business fits into this category also.

The Authority Trigger – This trigger activates acceptance through expertise.  A perfect example of this is agents that specialize in REO property or in high-end luxury property.  That specific specialization makes them an "authority" and those that need this type of specialized help would instinctively choose them as a result.  Another example of this is the multiple designations that an agent can get and list behind their name in an attempt to seemingly appear to have more authority or training than another agent by comparison.  This trigger is specifically designed to cause someone to choose to work with you because you have the knowledge to be able to help them.

The Consistency Trigger – This trigger motivates potential customers by causing them to recognize consistency with your past actions and repeat contacts.  In other words, this is your follow up skills hard at work.  (As a smart person once said, it's the squeaky wheel that gets the oil.)  You leverage this trigger every time you follow up with a lead or schedule appointments (and keep them!) with potential customers.  You want your potential customers to recognize that you are consistent in your efforts to earn their business and you will be there when they decide to move forward based on your previous attempts to earn their business. 

The Reciprocity Trigger – In short, you give, you receive. This trigger is based on the idea that you use the services and businesses that your clients own or work at and they will do the same for you.  For example, if you use the services of a mechanic locally, when he needs help with buying a home, he contacts you.  This is also the “you scratch my back, I scratch yours” trigger, if you will.  If you have a client that needs a roofer, you know who you will recommend because they are good at what they do…AND you know that person will recommend people that they hear about to you when they need your service or expertise. 

The Contrast Trigger – This trigger is the one that is used any time you do a side-by-side comparison of options to show that one is more attractive than the other.  Any time that you list the pros and cons of given options, you are leveraging this trigger. 

The Reason Why Trigger – This trigger is specifically used to invoke emotional reasons to make decisions.  Buying is an emotional thing. So, we keep coming up with emotional reasons to say yes.  This trigger is based on ‘thinking with your heart’ and not your head.  When your clients see things inside a home you are showing that ‘they just love’, this trigger has been tripped.  Instictivly, you will remember that and remind them of that, if needed, at a later date in order to leverage this memory to assist in a decision.

The Hope Trigger – This trigger is specifically designed to instill positive expectations to help persuade one side of an argument.  In other words, this is the application of positivity.  In order to effectively leverage this trigger, you have to get your client to “see the bright side”, as it were. 

Whether you know it or not, you are using one of these to your advantage to get someone to buy from you.  Chances are, you are using more than one of them at any given time with any one of your potential or current clients.  In fact, in some instances, you have probably used all of them in order to get a deal done.  

If you would like more information on Real Estate Client Referrals, please contact Clint at 800-977-7058.  Or, hit me up on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TheRealClint.

Also, for more information on these seven triggers, you can check out www.seventriggers.com.

Regardless of how often Brokers or Sales Managers say not to do it, there are certain phrases that continually pop up during the course of a presentation/phone call/appointment that simply take a client's confidence and shake it to the very core.  Sometimes even to the point of losing your listing to another agent...losing that big sale...or even driving away an existing customer.

Having said that, I ran across a blog written by Brad Trnavsky, a sales and management blogger and all around guru on the subject (and if you don't believe me, go to his blog at www.salesmanagement20.com), that listed the top 10 things that sales people should never say.  So, I thought I would take that list...and go through it line by line and show you exactly what the client thinks when they hear it come out of your mouth.

"I was just in the area and thought I would stop by..." 
SERIOUSLY????  You mean to tell me that the ‘professional' I just hired to assist me with (insert issue here) has absolutely nothing in the world better to do than to just cruise by my house and ‘drop by' unannounced??  Why did I hire this idgit in the first place??  Why are they here...and how fast can I get rid of them??

"Have you got a minute?"
NO!  In fact, I don't have a minute...or 10...or the 30 that you may plan on taking.  I'm busy...in fact, I can think of 100 things I would rather do with my minute than sit here and discuss this with you right now.  (I think it would be far better for you to actually engage the customer in some meaningful conversation than to just simply give them a way out.  Yes or no questions are simply a way for them to cut you off and bail...thus, slitting your own wrists.  Skip this question and just start your pitch.  If they are really and truly too busy to talk to you, they will let you know.)

"I'll try."
I don't care if you try to do it or not.  What I want to know is...CAN you do it.  If you can, great...do it.  If you can't...tell me.  Don't zoop my head up with a bunch of hopefulness knowing you may not be able to get this done.  I would much rather hear you tell me that you need time in order to determine if this is possible then to give me a sense of false hope.

"I'm really not sure."
You don't know the answer????  Isn't this your job?  Shouldn't you be prepared enough to be able to answer all of my questions when I ask them?  And, if you are not prepared, why am I not important enough to not be worth preparing for????  (Again, I think this would be far better answered by asking for time to determine the correct answer...If you don't know the answer...be honest about it.  But, do it in a way that makes them feel like they are worth taking the time to get it right.)

"It's not my fault..."
Whether you like it or not, it is your fault.  And, the reason it is your fault is because YOU are my only contact with this company that YOU represent.  Therefore, the entire situation is YOUR fault.  In fact, everything that goes wrong with this deal is YOUR fault.  Even if it isn't directly your fault...its YOUR issue to fix.  Why?  Because YOU are the person I speak with with regards to this deal.  That makes it YOUR problem.  (To deal with this, I recommend a sincere apology and an immediate re-direction in your course of action to remedy this problem for your client right away.  And, tell me what you are going to do to fix it.  That way, I gain trust you again.)

"What do I have to do to get you started today?"
OMG!  SLIMY SALESPERSON!  RUN AWAY!  (Any rapport that you have attempted to develop with me at this point has just flown right out the window.  You would have been far better off asking me if I had any other issues or concerns that were stopping me from moving forward.  At least that way, you appear to care about ME rather than the money you will make off of me.  If I have more, address those.  If not, then tell me what the next step is that we need to do to move forward.)

"We are the lowest price in town."
Really.  Is this really how you want to try to compete for my business?  Don't you have anything of any merit better than this??  (It doesn't take much effort to come up with a better presentation than price.  So, apply yourself and go another direction.  Aside from that, if your clients does in deed find a cheaper price for your service - and there is always some snake-oil salesperson willing to do something for less money - then you are a liar...and any trust you have built up to this point is shot.)

"Always" and "Never"
There is an exception to every rule.  But, I surely hope you don't prove this correct for me...because I won't trust you as far as I could throw you afterward.  (Unless you have it in an iron-clad contract that can be upheld in court, avoid using absolute statements like this.  All they are going to do is paint you into a corner if you are caught by the ‘Always-n-Never Snafu'.

"What you need is...."
What I NEED???  Who are you to tell me what I NEED??  What I need is to know what my options (both good and bad ) are and you to back the hell off and let me decide what I want to do...and then help me once I make that choice.  I am the decision maker here.  I will choose my option based on the facts that you presented.  But, by no means are you qualified to tell me what I NEED.  In fact, YOU need to respect that or I will find someone that does.

"Trust me."
The mere fact that you feel the need to say this makes me want to run away screaming.  At this point, I'm starting to wonder why in the world I have listened to you this long in the first place.  I also will probably not trust you in the long run.  And, I'm simply going to assume that anyone that works with you or looks like you is suspect.  (I love what Bob had to say in his blog about this.  "Trust is like love.  It is built over time and the only way one can gain it is to earn it.")

I hope this lists helps those of you that took the time to read it.  I'm certain that you all have things you hear in daily conversations that make your gears grind...and I would love to discuss those with you as well.  So, please feel free to comment on this list...or add to it. 

If you would like to more information about www.recr.com and how we can help you make more money, please contact Clint Miller at 800-977-7058.  Or, follow him on Twitter by going to www.twitter.com/TheRealClint

Sex has helped me use Twitter.

Yes...I said sex has helped me use Twitter. 

(Do I have your attention yet?)  Ok...good.

For those of you that understand Twitter, use it properly, and have seen it as a benefit in your business...you can pretty much stop reading right now because this is going to simply regurgitate everything you already know (unless you just want a refresher course with a bit of snark).

But, for those of you that have no clue what Twitter can do, have not understood Twitter, are afraid of Twitter, don't know how to effectively use Twitter, or see it as a time-sucking vacuum designed for nothing more than "chit-chatting" with other people that have nothing but time on their hands, you need to keep reading.  (BTW - I'm not going to attempt to explain what Twitter is...the fact of the matter is that unless you live under a rock, you have seen something about it somewhere.  I will call you out if you say anything to the contrary.  Just sayin...)

I will start by telling you that I starting using Twitter roughly a year ago.  And, in that time, I have developed a following of over 1,200 of the most amazing agents and real estate people on the planet and I add 4 or 5 new contacts on a daily basis.  Many of these people I consider friends...even close friends.  But, this didn't happen overnight.  I worked to get to this point.  If you think this is a ‘magic bullet' to instant fame and fortune, you are seriously mistaken.  But, I've made money using Twitter.  And, I continue to do so.

What I have found that has led me to the greatest success on Twitter is sex. 

Well...not actual "sex".  More like S.E.X.X.X.

What? Did you think that I meant...(No, you wouldn't think that.)

S.E.X.X.X.

Socialization
Engagement
eXamination
eXperimentation
eXcitement

So, now that you know what S.E.X.X.X. is, let's break it down.

Socialization - That's right.  Twitter is a SOCIAL tool.  So, in order to use it effectively, you must socialize.  I've said many times that Twitter is like a cocktail party.  When you are at a cocktail party, you might not know everyone there.  You also might not talk to everyone there.  You might not know what everyone there is talking about.  But, you include yourself in discussions that you enjoy...usually with people you enjoy.  Twitter is exactly the same thing...ehhhhh...without the annoying drunkard spilling his martini on your shoes because his finger is pickled from stirring his drink with it.  (But, that's another blog...)

Socialization will lead to MONITIZATION! (If you stick with it!)  The more your socialize with the people that you meet on Twitter, the more you will find agents that need someone to refer clients to in your area; the more you will find that clients in the area need an agent's help; the more you will find that you can use this social tool to put your name and face out to people in ways that money can't buy.  If you would like examples of this, simply hit me up on Twitter at www.twitter.com/recr and I will be happy to send you to people all over this country that are doing this.

Engagement - This is really a good way of putting everything I just said above.  Engage with people.  Don't use Twitter to continually post links to your ActiveRain blog over and over and over.  (Although, I use it for that also...it has increased my readership probably 10 fold.)  But, use it to engage with people.  Speak to them person to person.  Enter into a conversation with someone.  Ask a question and you will be amazed at who will know the answers.  Find interesting people that you have common interests with and talk to them.  Engage.  Don't know how to find people?  There are hundreds of sites you can find them on...or, do like I did...ask!  Without that engagement, you are missing out entirely and Twitter will not help you grow your business in any way.

eXamination - Examine how others are using Twitter.  Find and follow a group of people that you have a specific common interest in and see what they do.  Chances are you are in real estate. So, I would recommend finding other agents and RE.net people and follow them.  As with anything, investigate how others are using it to success and then try to duplicate that success with your own efforts.  (If you are reading this on ActiveRain, I would suggest any of the following:
@respres
@jasoncrouch
@SarahStelmok
@craig42K
@BrokerSaunders
@Ines
@nik_nik
@RealEstateZebra
@thekencook
@rerockstar
@myrtlebeachblog
And I can include probably 1,200 more, if you want.)

eXperimentation - Experiment with it.  Find your niche.  Figure out how you can use it comfortably and go with that.  Twitter is nothing more than an extension of yourself through a different portal.  So, be as much of yourself as possible.  The ‘buzz word' that is thrown around all the time about this aspect of Twitter is "transparency".  You want to remain as transparent (or as true to who you are) as possible.  Don't create an alter-ego.  Don't make yourself appear to be someone you are not.  Believe me when I say that Twitter is real life conversations with real life people.  The relationships you will develop here are just as real as any you have anywhere else in your life. 

(Pausing for the argument that usually is inserted here by the non-believers...) 

Despite what you may think...Yes, they are real relationships.  Don't get caught up in the lack of "Face-to-Face" contact with the people and comparing that type of meeting to those that you meet on Twitter.  Yes, in some cases that ability to shake a hand is lacking.  But, the relationships you will develop are real.  Just because you have not met them in person does not mean that what you can build between the two of you isn't real.  So, I hate to coin a phrase here, but "keep it real".  Be true to yourself...and respect the wishes of others and you will be fine.

eXcitement - I decided to include this at the last minute because I have a hard time relating to boring people.  Part of using Twitter properly is to express yourself.  And you should do so willingly and wantingly.  Show some love for the things that you believe in...be excited about it.  Don't just post links to blogs.  Talk to people.  Be interesting.  Be intriguing.  Be engaging.  Be excited.  If you can do that and stick with it, you will amass a following that will astound you. 

Hopefully, you can now see why this acronym has helped me build my following on Twitter...and I truly believe it can help you also.

But, if you still don't believe anything that I have said here, click on this link http://www.mytechopinion.com/twitter-for-real-estate-twits and download this ebook on how to use Twitter effectively as a real estate agent. (Yes, there really is an ebook for everything.) And, when you get done with it and are on Twitter, give my good friend @Nik_Nik a shout out for her good work. 

If you would like any information on getting additional clients from Real Estate Client Referrals, please contact Clint at 800-977-7058 or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/recr.