Ever Think about Your Online Reputation?

Hey, it’s a tough market out there. And not all transactions can or will go smoothly. But these days there is a relatively new wrinkle on the consumer side that you have to keep in mind and take seriously. I am referring to the power of both positive and negative reviews of your performance posted by buyers and sellers on the Internet. Should you even pay attention to this? Consider these facts from a recent 2011 study done by the Cone Online Influence Trend Tracker:

• Four out of five consumers have changed  their minds about a recommended purchase or service based solely on negative information they found on the Internet.
• 87% of consumers agree that a favorable review has confirmed their decision to purchase
• 89% of consumers find Internet channels trustworthy sources

So, what can you do? Well, first you can do your best to monitor what people are saying about you by using Google Alerts. Google Alerts is a FREE service that will send you an email update based on a topic or search criteria such as anything about YOU. Your purpose is to be alerted when someone posts something about you, your web site or any other online service you provide. Do this:

1. Go to Google Alerts at http://www.google.com/alerts
2. Before doing anything else go to the bottom of this page and click the link labeled “Google Alters Help”. Take the time to read about Google Alerts and how best to take advantage of it.
3. After reading all that you need in Google Alerts Help, create your alert(s) and adjust the frequency of the email notifications.
4. If someone does post something negative about you, do your best to contact them to inquire about it. There may be nothing you can do but your interaction may have positive results. Either way it’s good to know so that you can counteract it if and when you can.

Read a good recent article on your online reputation here. 

Review a valuable slide show presentation entitled “Online Reputation Management for Real Estate Professionals” here.

QRMs (Qualified Residential Mortgages)

“Antennas Up – Realtors:  You have heard about the QRMs (Qualified Residential Mortgages) in our industry publications.  I came across these charts in the Keeping Matters Current website and thought they were VERY interesting.  Proposals are that the QRMs would require a 20% down payment.  On the 1^st chart see how long it would take the average family to save 20% – 14 years!!!

 Also part of the QRM is a  28/36 ratio for qualifying.  For those of us selling two decades ago or more this is not new; but, look at the 2^nd chart.  Almost half the folks attempting to qualify would not be able to get a loan if the 36% back end ratio were to come back into the marketplace.

 I mention this information so that when NAR gives us a call to action on the QRMs you will know the impact to our business and respond.”

 

 

 

These Agent’s Know About The Opportunities at Long& Foster Annandale

Long and Foster’s Core Services are committed to making buying, selling and owning easier!

Ease of the Transaction is Important in Today’s Fast-Paced World

 
Long & Foster’s Core Services are committed to making buying, selling and owning easier for the consumer, and increasing closing confidence for agents
 
Many of the goals we set at Long & Foster center around the common theme of finding ways to make our agents’ lives simpler. We’re focused on giving our sales associates the tools, technology and services they need to achieve personal success and provide consumers with industry-leading real estate service.
 
The Long & Foster affiliate companies—which include Prosperity Mortgage, Long & Foster Settlement Services (made up of our title partners RGS Title, Sage Title Group, Long and Foster Settlement Services LLC and Mid-States Title of Southwest Va.), Long & Foster Insurance, Home Service Connections and Platinum Group Services—have taken to heart this challenge to make our agents’ lives easier, and have sought out ways to take companywide cooperation and coordination to an impressive new level.
 
The companies came together in recent months under the banner of the Long & Foster Core Services companies. With new methods of intra-company communication and participation in team-building events, the Core Services teams aim to deliver as efficiently as possible one-stop shopping with competitive pricing and unparalleled service.
 
Shifting from “affiliate” thinking to “core services” thinking signifies just how important these functions are to our agents, consumers and to the success of our company as a whole.
 
This is more than just calling our affiliate companies by a different name. The shift in the collective thinking toward “core services” means all of the Long & Foster companies work together to ensure that our clients’ homeownership goals are reached as efficiently as possible.
 
We know for certain that when the Long & Foster Core Services companies are involved in a transaction, our sales professionals can deliver on their promises to clients that the deal is far more likely to close on time with less hassle. We all have the same collaborative goal—to exceed the needs of Long & Foster consumers—and this is a level of commitment you may not find outside our family of companies.
 
The Long & Foster Core Services companies offer:
Financing
Insurance
Settlement
Home improvement
Short sale transaction management
Property management
And more
 
What does this shift to “core services” thinking mean to you and your clients?
 
With our family of companies working together to complete your clients’ transactions, you can rest easy knowing we share a desire to deliver your important customers an experience that exceeds both your expectations and theirs.
 
Your clients’ transactions are more convenient and manageable for you because the involved service providers are communicating well with each other and working toward a common goal.
 
As a Long & Foster sales associate, you can serve as your single point-of-contact in the home buying or selling process, from start to finish. You become the one-stop-shop, offering your clients everything they need to complete their transaction.
 
Our companies have a long history of working together and know how to align to get your clients’ transactions completed on time.
 
Working with a single family of companies means your clients’ personal information is contained, minimizing the likelihood that their security is compromised.
 

When consumers come to you as a real estate advisor, having the Long & Foster Core Services companies standing behind you brings value to your clients that they won’t find elsewhere. Every step of the way, the Long & Foster Core Services companies become your partner, working to make your life easier and deliver the service and value you expect for your buyers and sellers.
 
Everything we do begins with a real estate transaction and a professional Sales Associate and we recognize and celebrate that fact.

Written by Jeff Detwiler, President and Chief Operating Officer, Long and Foster Realtors