Thursday, October 15, 2015

Seller 4 – ‘ I don’t want you to sell low’ 7 Days Later, 10 AM on a Tuesday or Thursday


Seller 4 – ‘ I don’t want you to sell low’ 7 Days Later, 10 AM on a Tuesday or Thursday


Our Current Stats for this email
Open Rate 28.57%
CTR 41.67%
Opt Out 3.2%
Bounce 
Title: I don’t want you to sell low, Lori
Link Goal: Landing Page
I don't want you to sell low
_____________________________________________________________ 
Hey ~Contact.FirstName~,
We’ve been talking about your house selling for about a month now. Don’t worry, we have a lot more great advice for you and are in absolutely no hurry. We are here for you when you are ready.
Pricing your home low can get past most buyer objections, but who wants to sell low? I’m sure you don’t.
Enjoy!
– Lori 
_____________________________________________________________ 
Landing Page Article: This video was made using KW Video which is a subscription based service. Tell them Lori Ballen Sent you. You could also use the library from Fast Forward Stories or create your own.

What you need to know to increase your home value…


“What you need to know to increase your home value…
It’s true. A low price will get past most buyer objections.
Here’s some tips so you DON’T HAVE TO LOWER your price.

Here’s what you should know…..

Here are a few easy and inexpensive staging tips that will make your home attractive to new home buyers and hopefully lead to a quick sale.
Thankfully the real estate market has improved over the past 12 months, those who were previously under water have hopefully recoupled some of their investment.  Many are using this time to sell their current home and invest in a new home.
If you’ve decided to sell your home and would like to do so quickly, you will have to come up with ways that will set your home apart from the others currently on the market.  One of the easiest ways to do this is to stage the home to highlight its benefits and down play any undesirable features in order to attract the most prospective buyers.  Your home should look as clean and attractive as a model home that the perspective buyer can see themselves living in for many years to come.
Here are a few easy and inexpensive staging tips that will make your home attractive to new home buyers and hopefully lead to a quick sale.

Curb Appeal

Inexpensive Tips for Staging Your Home:
Get Rid of Clutter.  The first thing you need to do to prepare your home to sell is to get rid of all the clutter and junk that you may have laying around, and that includes your garage.  Rooms with fewer pieces of furniture make the room appear larger than it is.  Professional stagers often take as much as half of the furniture out in an effort to open up the room and make it appear bigger.  You may consider renting a storage unit while your home is on the market to store items that aren’t currently needed or to store extra furnishings.
Make a Small Room Appear Larger.  One trick that stagers use for small rooms is to paint it the same color as an adjoining room.  A small kitchen and adjacent dining room will look bigger if they are the same light shade.  Using the same color drapery as the walls is another trick to make a small room appear larger.
Neutral Colors.  While we all have our own personal taste, when you’re selling a home it’s best to cover up bright and bold colored walls with a fresh coat of neutral colored paint in off white, beige and tan.  Very light blues and soft greens work well too.
Remove Personal Items.  You should de-personalize your house by removing personal items like family heirlooms and photos.  You want perspective buyers to think of your home as their home, and it’s difficult for them to imagine themselves living in your home if it’s full of your memories.
Clean, Clean, Clean.  No one wants to walk into a dirty home that smells like a wet dog that has stains on the carpet.  Remember, anyone serious about buying your home will look under kitchen and bathroom cabinets for leaks, so everything from top to bottom should be sparkling clean.  A dirty, smelly home will turn a buyer off immediately.   Have your rugs and furniture professionally cleaned and get regular cleaning service keeping your home spic-and-span throughout the time it is on the market.
Don’t Forget About Curb Appeal.  The first impression your home will make will be when the perspective buyer and their Realtor pull into the driveway.  Make sure that all children’s toys and bikes are neatly put away.  Make sure garbage cans are put behind your gate and be sure to cut the lawn.  Here in Las Vegas many of the homes don’t have grass but decorative rock instead.  If your home has rock, make sure there are no empty patches.  Have a landscaper sculpt trees and bushes and trim any cactus, to make sure that your home makes an impressive first impression.
By following these inexpensive staging ideas, you will be making you home look more like a new model home and These points are especially important to selling your Las Vegas home, especially if the sale in contingent upon you buying another property.
Looking to sell? Call us at 1-800-805-8354 or click here to request your TRUE home value estimate (not a Zillow Estimate……been there, done that, let’s get real)

Seller 3 – ‘Good Morning Lori ‘ 7 Days Later, 10 AM on a Tuesday or Thursday

Seller 3 – ‘Good Morning Lori ‘ 7 Days Later, 10 AM on a Tuesday or Thursday

Our Stats for this piece as of last update:
Open Rate59.09%
CTR26.92%
Opt Out9%
Bounce0.0%
Title: Good Morning Lori
Link Goal: Landing Page
_____________________________________________________________
Good Morning Lori,
 Since you are thinking of selling, you might wonder…
_____________________________________________________________
You can either include the article in the email and test that or do what we have done and create a page on your website (which we block from the search engines) to send the seller to.
Article:
Couple involved in a real estate transactionAssuming a mortgage is the act of taking over someone else’s mortgage debt along with his home. The process goes something like this. The buyer makes a price offer. The seller accepts that offer. But instead of paying the offer price in cash or by mortgage finance, the buyer pays only the seller’s equity and takes over liability for paying off the seller’s mortgage loan. The seller’s equity is the difference between the offer price and the amount left to pay on the seller’s mortgage.
For a buyer, assuming a mortgage has certain advantages. The buyer effectively becomes the borrower for the purpose of the mortgage loan. He inherits the seller’s repayment term, interest rate and mortgage conditions in full. If the note rate is lower than the prevailing market rate, the buyer gets a cheap loan. What’s more, he doesn’t have to pay points, appraisal fees or any other closing costs.  A seller who can advertise a home with these benefits can generate greater interest from buyers.  In theory, mortgage assumption is a win-win for both parties.
As with most things real estate, mortgage assumption doesn’t work like it should on paper. Today, very few sellers can transfer their mortgages. Here’s why.

The “Non Assumable” Clause
A mortgage is inherently assumable unless the loan documents specify that it isn’t. Today, almost all conventional mortgages block mortgage assumption. The reason is simple. If a mortgage is assumable, a creditworthy borrower could transfer his mortgage to a less-than-stellar buyer. The risk of default shoots up, and the lender could lose money on the loan.
To protect their interests, lenders insert a “non assumable” clause into their loan documents. If your mortgage contains such a clause, you cannot transfer your mortgage to a buyer without the lender’s consent.

The “Due on Sale” Clause
A mortgage that does not contain a “non assumable” clause may still block mortgage assumption through the back door. A “due on sale” clause makes the entire mortgage amount fall due as soon as the borrower transfers her property to someone else. If you transfer the loan and the lender calls in the debt, you must pay up or face serious legal and financial consequences.
Due on sale clauses became popular in the 1970s when interest rates spiked, causing homeowners to assume existing loans rather than borrowing new money from lenders at peak rates. Today, almost all mortgages contain a due on sale clause, including government-backed loans from the FHA and VA.
Due on sale clauses are complex beasts. They are complex because they are discretionary: the lender has the option of calling due the loan but it does not have to force early repayment.  Some sellers and buyers run the gauntlet. They decide that the rewards of assuming a mortgage — lower repayments and zero closing costs — are greater than the risk of the lender calling due the loan. In an economy characterized by stable interest rates, this is a fair argument. Banks are unlikely to call due a performing loan if the note rate is within a few points of the market rate. But if interest rates rise dramatically, lenders have greater incentive to enforce a due on sale clause.

Assuming a Mortgage With the Lender’s Consent
Sellers can always seek the lender’s permission to transfer their mortgage to a buyer. Many lenders will at least consider the request; several will give you a mortgage assumption package that spells out the hurdles you must jump to gain the lender’s permission. Generally speaking, the buyer will have to qualify for the loan. The lender will analyze the buyer’s credit report, debt load, salary and expenses, and will call for her tax returns, employment references and other paperwork before deciding whether the buyer can make the monthly payments. Buyers assuming a FHA loan may find the qualification process easier than those assuming a conventional loan, as FHA underwriting criteria are typically more lenient. However, the decision ultimately rests with the lender.
If you are contemplating as mortgage assumption, the only safe way to proceed is with the lender’s consent. Concealing a mortgage transfer in violation of a due on sale clause might open you up to civil penalties. More immediately, the original borrower remains liable for the loan repayments unless the lender specifically releases him from the loan. Without a legal release, the seller could be called upon to make good the buyer’s default, and late payments and foreclosures will appear as blemishes on the seller’s credit report.

Seller 2 – ‘There’s 6’ – 7 Days Later, 10 AM on a Tuesday or Thursday

Seller 2 – ‘There’s 6’ – 7 Days Later, 10 AM on a Tuesday or Thursday

This email is either email 1 or 2 in our campaigns. If the user requested a home valuation, this is piece 2 as they would have received the “Your estimate may not be right” email. If they registered for another offer or called in or expressed interest in selling or subscribed some other way, they get this piece as week 1. That’s why the bounce rates are higher.
Our Stats for this piece as of last update:
Open Rate30.30%
CTR46.67%
Opt Out2.02%
Bounce4.0%
Title: There’s six, Lori
Link Goal: Landing Page 

Seller Campaign 2
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Hi Lori, 
Before you do decide to sell, there’s 6 questions to ask yourself. 
– Lori

_________________________________________________________________________________________
The Landing Page (Where they are directed after the click) – Video is not permitted to use in it’s current form and is branded to our team. Please get your subscription for Fast Forward Stories. If not in your budget, consider creating your own informational video even if it’s simply you talking into a camera. Your other choice is to not use a video at all.
“6 Questions to Ask Yourself When Selling a House…
Ask yourself, and then ask A Realtor®

Here’s what you should ask…..

If you’ve been thinking about selling your home, chances are that you’re excited about the possibility of moving and starting a new chapter of your life. Simply deciding to sell your home isn’t enough, though. The process of putting your home on the market can be overwhelming and time-consuming, so before you try to sell yourproperty, you need to ask yourself a few questions. Being honest with yourself and with the people around you will help you have a more positive selling experience when you’re ready to move. Questions to Ask When Selling a House
  1. Why are you moving?
Be honest with yourself. Why do you want to move? Are the neighbors terrible? Do you not like the kitchen? Are there major plumbing issues? What is it about your home that makes you feel like selling it? Your answer might be simple. After all, maybe your family is growing and you need more space. It is possible though, that your answer is more complex. Maybe you’ve been having problems with your Home Owner’s Association or you simply don’t like the area.

  1. Are there any serious problems with the house?
Potential buyers will have the house inspected before they purchase your home. What will the inspector find? Are there any serious problems with the home? If there are, realize that you need to disclose this to potential buyers. Major problems will also impact the price of your house. If your home has a lot of issues, consider fixing them before you put your home on the market in order to get the best possible price.
  1. What are other houses in the neighborhood selling for?
Are other homes in your area selling well? If they are selling, how much are they going for? If your neighbors’ houses are selling for well above the market average, chances are that you’ll be able to sell your home at a similar price. If the market in your area is poor, though, you may want to wait awhile to put your house up for sale so that you can get a better price.
  1. Should you use a real estate agent?
Before you start advertising that your home is for sale, consider whether or not you want to use a real estate agent. Some families choose to do their own marketing, promoting, and selling, but others like that a real estate will help drive buyers to your home. If you don’t have a background in real estate or home buying, an agent could be a valuable asset. Not only will she help you promote your house, but she’ll also help you make minor adjustments to your home that could help it sell faster.
  1. What should potential buyers know about?
Finally, ask yourself what potential buyers need to know before they buy your home. If there is anything that you would want to know before you purchased a home, make sure you give your buyers the same consideration. For example, if your neighborhood has problems with noise or vandalism, make sure that you disclose this to your buyers. Never try to hide serious problems in order to make a sale. Instead, be up front and forthcoming about anything you feel is cause for concern.

Seller Drip Email 1

Seller 1 – ‘Your Estimate May Not Be Right’

This email is sent as the first email in a drip that responds to a home value request. If your campaign is not responding to a home value request, you’ll want to start your campaign at the next email. Otherwise, you could test this one by simply changing the title to say “About the online estimate” or something of that nature. Ours directly implies that we sent them an instant home valuation.
Our Stats for this piece as of last update:
Open Rate 39% 
Click Through Rate 11% 
Opt Out 1% 
Bounce 4.35%
Title: “Your Estimate May Not Be Right
Link Goal: (Landing Page)
If you don’t have the ability to create a landing page, you can link to a blog post you created or a webpage on your site. You could also include the content and then use your link goal to go to a home valuation page or another article. Remember, anything you change will affect your click through rates and you must test and measure for results. You won’t get the same results we do when you change anything. Your qualified mail list also can make a difference. How you capture your leads or add to your mail list compared to ours can create a different result.
Your Estimate May Not Be Right Email
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Email:
Dear Lori,
Did you get the house value estimate you requested?
We emailed it to you although it might not be exactly right.

  
Didn’t get your home value estimate?
Call us at 1-800-805-8354 and let’s see what happened.

– Lori
________________________________________________________________________________________
Content from the Landing Page. (You could take this content and add it to a page on your site if you don’t have landing page ability. We use LeadPages to create the landing pages.)
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Seriously.
Zillow is pulling in local sold data on homes that might not be in the same community as yours which can significantly change the value.
Zillow hasn’t seen your home, or your upgrades, or the updates you’ve made.
Allow one of our agents to come see your home so we can properly evaluate..
  • Size of the home
  • Condition
  • Updates and Upgrades
  • Features
  • Neighborhood
  • Lifestyle
  • And any other factors that could affect the value.
The truth is that your home will only sell for what the market calls for regardless. Zillow doesn’t set the price, and neither does your agent. The true value of your home is what someone will pay for it.
Let’s get as close to that price as possible. Ballen agents get their sellers 103.8% of their asking price on average.
_________________________________________________________________________________________

Thursday, August 6, 2015

43 Lessons You Wish You Would Have Learned In Real Estate School

43 Lessons You Wish You Would Have Learned In Real Estate School

In real estate school, they teach you how to get your real estate license. They don’t teach you how to do real estate. That, my friend, you will have to learn in the field and through great teachers, coaches, and mentors in the industry. I was an agent like you, just starting in 2007 (yes, as the real estate market crashed), and I did a lot of floundering out there. My husband and I started in real estate at the same time, so it was the blind leading the blind. Luckily for you, people have gone before you to blaze a trail. I’ve taken the liberty of writing down a list of things I wish I had known when starting in real estate. Enjoy! I hope this helps you in your ventures. This list is in no particular order. I added them as they came up in my mind’s dialog.

Tuesday, May 26, 2015

The 2015 SEO Report, What it takes to dominate SEARCH in 2015

The 2015 SEO Report – Getting Your Website to Appear High On The Search Engines In a Very Competitive World


Stop by the shop:   http://bit.ly/1FJQE1b


First, let’s answer the question, Why does SEO Matter?

What is SEO and why does it matter

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization as a strategy used to bring in visitors to your website through high ranking search pages on major search engines such as Google. Organic rankings, or unpaid rankings are a gift that keeps on giving. When done well, web pages, blog posts, and websites can rank high in the search engines bringing in unpaid traffic every day. Seven out of eight clicks are not on paid results. They are on the organic results.
In this report, we will focus on natural or organic rankings through best practices in SEO.
Having your web page or web site show at the top of the search engines, benefits you in many ways.
  • It brings more attention to your brand. In 2015, brand searches are proving to be strong factors in search engine rankings.
  • It brings in traffic from visitors who probably want what you are selling. Especially true on Google, who is fighting desperately to keep market share, search algorithms are tough focusing on providing quality results that match the searchers desires.
  • Strong SEO will bring shoppers! This will increase your revenue of course.

Monday, May 4, 2015

Hi, and welcome to 'Ballen Family'






Hi, and welcome to 'Ballen Family'


I am Lori Ballen, author of The Ballen Method to internet lead generation. 

I wanted to take just a moment and say hello and welcome you officially to Ballen Brands! I'm a marketer, business woman, and trainer and am so happy to network with you and help you along your business journey. 

Here is what you can expect from me and my team… 


I'm obsessed with value. Every blog I write or ebook I create is written with you in mind. Although I focus on many small business topics, real estate and internet marketing are my specialties.  

When I post a blog, or host an interview, or create a video, or write an ebook that I believe would be of interest to you, I'll send it along in an email. If it interests you, please share it on your social networks and with your friends. If it doesn't, we hope rather than unsubscribing, you will simply ignore that message and wait for the next that will appeal to you. 


You will also be alerted about our upcoming trainings including live events and webinars. This will give you the advantage of taking up training that specifically appeals to you when you want it. I suggest signing up your administrative team for our internet marketing classes whenever possible. 


And you'll be the FIRST to get my FREEBIES.
I give away more than I sell, that's a promise.

Sounds pretty good, right?

FANTASTIC :-)

Let's get you started… 


STEP 1: Make sure you are receiving our emails! Make sure we get in your inbox!  Add us to your address book, safe sender list or whitelist

Whitelist and prioritize all emails from theballenmethod.com, Loriballen.com and me, Lori Ballen. 

This is important! 


STEP 2: I provide the best content on Social…

Let's get connected on social! I share the best content I find and create. Find me on Facebook and Twitter. Below, you'll find my most active and valuable Facebook Groups.


Lori Ballen's Marketing Mastermind:            


So I got My Real Estate License, Now What:           https://www.facebook.com/groups/soigotmyrealestatelicensenowwhat/

Here are a few more you might like to connect with me on so you don't miss great value! 

YouTube:          https://www.youtube.com/user/loriballen


Suggestion: If you need to get ahold of me directly, Facebook is usually the fastest way or email me lori@loriballen.com. My team is always on hand and you can click the chat on our website, or email sabrina@theballenmethod.com.


Thank You for joining the Ballen Brands Family. You can also find all of my real estate teams at www.ballennetwork.com currently serving the West Coast with home base in Las Vegas. If you are a real estate agent looking for opportunities, reach out to us as we expand across the nation.

Yours in Growth,
Lori Ballen

P.S. – If you haven't already done so, check out the system I created for you to learn internet marketing at www.TheBallenMethod.com


Lori Ballen
Digital Marketing Strategist 
Vision Masters LLC, a Ballen Brand 





Friday, March 20, 2015

Creating a compelling Classified Ad for Real Estate Services by Lori Ballen



6 Steps to Writing Real Estate Copy That Sells

Screen Shot 2015-03-20 at 8.49.51 AMHOW DO I PURCHASE?
Simply click the button below!
arrowGet Your Bundle!

Classified Ad for Real Estate

Creating a compelling Classified Ad for Real Estate Services by Lori Ballen

Here are some suggested sites to place your ad (besides your own site of course)
www.ClassifiedAds.com
www.Backpage.com
www.MerchantCircle.com
www.Craigslist.com (rules,rules,rules)
www.ebayclassifiedads.com
www.OLX.com
www.oodle.com
www.ForSaleByYou.com
www.Activerain.com (blog, but you can promote listings the same)
www.Blogger.com
Writing listing copy is a part of every real estate agent’s job, but it’s often the hardest part. It might not seem difficult to write down the specifications and details about a house, and if that’s all there was to it the process might be simple. But in order to write copy that sells your real estate descriptions have to go much farther. Fortunately, there are some tips you can keep in mind to ensure your listing descriptions engage your audience and sell your listed properties faster.
Specificity Matters
It’s not enough to simply write that there are top of the line appliances. Home buyers know exactly what they want, so you have to take the extra step and list the specifics. What are the brand names? What specific styles were used? What color paint was the home just painted in? As many details as you know should be included in the description.
Show, Don’t Tell
Saying a living room is large tells the buyer information, and listing the exact dimensions is even better. But to really sell your buyer you need to tell a story. It’s not just a large living room, it’s the perfect space to entertain your friends, or large enough to host the entire family for the holidays. Now you’re starting to tell them a story, bring them into the home, and show them how they could utilize the space. That’s what will ultimately sell your home.
Avoid Overused Words
Another thing to consider when creating real estate content is the type of wording you use. There are several words that are used far too often in real estate content and are more than likely to warrant an eye roll instead of interest. Some of these words include “stunning”, “contemporary”, “immaculate”, “oversized”, “luxury”, and the like. Also, never use terms like “motivated seller” because all your buyer hears is “desperate”.
Local Matters
Always be sure to tie the home you’re writing about back to its community. You may be surprised how often real estate agents forget to add things like proximity to local schools, dining, attractions, parks, and other important local information in their real estate listings. Be sure you give your buyers a feel for where they’ll be living by not only allowing them to imagine what the house feels like but what the community feels like, as well.
Do Your Research on What Works
Do research on the things that are already working for real estate agents as far as sales copy and descriptions go. For instance, studies have shown that words like “gorgeous”, “beautiful”, and “landscaping” are influential in selling homes. Ask people who have recently purchased homes what caught their eye about the description of their home, and survey them about the things they were looking for in the real estate content they viewed. The more you can see your content through the eyes of your buyer the better off you’ll be and the more homes you’ll sell.
Don’t Forget to Revise
If writing is a struggle for you it might be tempting to hit “publish” as soon as your content is complete. However, if you truly want to develop content that sells be sure you revise and edit your content at least twice. Read it over after you’ve put it aside for awhile. Does it say what you want it to say? Try to read it as though you were a buyer. Or better yet, have someone you know and trust read it for you and give you some constructive feedback.
Writing content for your listings will take time and effort, but sub-par content will decrease your chance of making a sale. Putting in the effort to create the highest quality descriptions and content you possibly can will pay off in the long run by drawing in interested prospects who are more likely to purchase the homes you’re selling thanks to your accurate and thoughtful writing.
These tips are great for writing the copy, but make sure you also consider SEO and Social Marketing there as well! Promote! Promote! Promote!

Use Facebook to Comment on this Post

About Lori Ballen, Digital Marketing Strategist, Specializing in Search and Social

TO BOOK, CALL 702.917.0755 or email coo@ballenbrands.com - Lori Ballen has an award winning real estate team in Las Vegas called The Ballen Group at Keller Williams Realty Las Vegas. Lori and her husband Richard Ballen have owned multiple successful businesses based on her marketing strategy which is now called “The Ballen Method“. Lori and Richard now travel and train other business professionals on her methods which include Identifying a Niche, Finding a Target Audience, Creating a Message and a Product and then using Blogging, Press Releases, Social Media, Classified Ads, Video and Fresh, Relevant web site content with Disciplined Consistency in order to dominate the search engines for desired searched keyword strings. Lori Ballen has become known for her “Keeping it Real” style and approach to Social Media. What you see is what you get with Lori. Passion, Enthusiasm and Energy are what she’s about. Lori is an open book with her experiences, lead generation skills, and business building knowledge. She has no secrets and loves to educate, inspire, and train others. Her recent class include a fully packed house in Orlando with over 1000 attendees where she shared her “Ballen Method” to Lead Generation including her “Ballen Blast” method to Blogs and Classified Ads for page one search engine results.
     
164FLARES Twitter 0Facebook 160Google+ 2
Reddit 0Pin It Share 0LinkedIn 2Share2StumbleUpon 0Email --Email to a friendBuffer0