Which Square Footage Figure Should I Use?

Posted on October 24, 2016 by firsttitleandabstract

Home size is one of the key figures used in comparisons.

A decade ago, large homes were the rage. Today, there’s a movement toward tiny houses, and less space.

The figure below shows an interesting trend of larger homes over the 50 year period from 1950 to 2000. However, lately, homes are getting smaller. Perhaps the downturn of 2008 showed us that “less is more?”

Well, whether you’re marketing the sale of a mansion or a tiny house, when it comes to reporting the size of your home in a listing, you have several different measurements to choose from. As you’ll learn in this video, you can use the info from the survey provided by your builder, the valuation appraiser’s map, your property tax records, and possibly your own measurements and owner records.

Which one is right, and which one is best?

Which Square Footage Figure Should I Use?

The official figure is the one in tax records – typically, the county tax record information is right.

Any other figure must be documented by a builder’s floor plan an appraisal or an official floor plan, prepared by a company for a fee.

If your house has been remodeled and you’re planning to sell you may want to confirm that the official record matches your actual house – and update if required.

Most lenders will require an appraisal which will verify the figures you used. So be accurate and keep records to make the most of your sale.

At First Title & Abstract, Inc. we’re aware of trends in housing, and can refer you to the top agents who understand how to market homes of varying sizes.

Also, these agents can show you how to maximize your sales price, and honestly and accurately report the size of your home in listing reports.

There is one Naples and Marco Island title company whom tens of thousands of residents have come to depend upon — and that’s First Title & Abstract, Inc.

Putting you FIRST is the reason for our success!

What Details Can I Ask Brokers In Advance?

Posted on October 21, 2016 by firsttitleandabstract

What Details Can I Ask Brokers In Advance?

This video tells you what any real estate professional would tell you. Ask them:

How long do homes in my neighborhood currently stay on the market?
How would you price my home?
What data did you use to arrive at that price?
How would you market my home?
What activities would you expect of me to market my home?
How will you handle representation if one of your buyers is interested in my home?
May I speak with sellers you’ve recently represented?
How long a period would you want on a listing agreement for my house?

What Details Can I Ask Brokers In Advance?

It’s best to ask these questions, and be comfortable with your choices before signing a listing agreement.

It is also good to ask about their fiduciary obligations?

Whom do they represent in a negotiation? What is their duty to disclose information to other parties? How will they protect your privacy, and obtain the best possible advantage for you in the negotiation?

If you aren’t sure who to select to list your home, speak to many Realtors, create a checklist, ask them to prepare a seller net sheet, and inquire about their success in your neighborhood.

At First Title & Abstract, Inc. we are the title company puts you FIRST! If you’re buying or selling in Naples or Marco Island, the title company you can trust is … us!

We will guide you every step of the way.

How Is A Home Marketed?

Posted on October 18, 2016 by firsttitleandabstract

How Is A Home Marketed?

As you’ll see in the video, every home and market is a unique situation. Good marketing plans are specific to both. But every plan will include: Preparation Pricing and Marketing Activities.

Preparation takes time – typically, months. Homes must be in “show” condition all repairs and upgrades complete and all photos and video completed before the home goes on the market.

How Is A Home Marketed?

Pricing, likewise, should be planned in advance. Your broker will advise on both the best price and the best TERMS things like closing costs and seller credits to balance sales speed with sales price. Once the home is on the market it will quickly be entered in the MLS and will show up in Internet searches by agents and buyers.

Your broker will advise other marketing activities including advertising, signage, showing and open house events so make the best of your situation. Their aim is to get negotiable offers, and then take the offer you accept through the closing process.

First Title & Abstracts, Inc. is the first title company in Naples and Marco Island which agents think of when searching for a reliable title company.

How Do I Set The Price On My House?

Posted on October 12, 2016 by firsttitleandabstract

How Do I Set The Price On My House?

While this video simplifies things to help you, remember:

Your aim is to get the best price AND terms in your market during the period you’re selling.

Market conditions interest rates and competition all matter.

The price you want, and the price a buyer will pay are framed by those complex conditions

So pricing isn’t completely predictable.

But if you price it right, you’ll be handing over the keys soon to your buyer!

How Do I Set The Price On My House?

Buyer’s consider these important factors:

How your home compares to other homes for the same buyers
The inventory of homes and the level of buyer demand

Your needs also affect negotiations – for example, if you must sell quickly – but the final price will be determined by the market not by your needs.

Buyers look at the same comparables and market conditions and they want to pay as little as possible while meeting their needs.

Remember that the price isn’t the entire deal – repairs, closing, points, appliances and other factors can all change the value you finally receive.

Listen to your broker, stay informed, be patient if you can and make your best reasonable, unemotional decisions.

If you need more tips on selling your home, please don’t hesitate to call us at First Title & Abstract, Inc. We’re more than just the best title company in Naples and Marco Island! We’re your trusted advisor through every step of the transaction.

At First Title & Abstract, we believe in “Putting You FIRST!”

6 Selling Mistakes

Posted on October 7, 2016 by firsttitleandabstract

6 Selling Mistakes

If you’re selling, don’t do these things – here are a few notes from the video!
1. Don’t Sell Before The House Is Ready.

If it doesn’t present well, it won’t sell well. See the tips below for ideas about what steps will most help to sell your home.

2. Don’t Over-Improve

People buy houses in neighborhoods which fit in, and are not overdone.

If yours is so “improved” that it sticks out you’re hurting your chances at selling. Also, it may be difficult to obtain the best price because their are no comparable sales in the neighborhood.

3. Don’t Hire Wrong

Choose your agent on the basis of sound business reasons.

Personal relationships matter, but experience and expertise will determine financial success in your sale, and should be given first priority.

4. Don’t Hide Anything

Covering up or ‘failing to mention’ real problems with your property will not serve you well … inspectors will find the problems, and state disclosure laws are strict. You may be sued for failing to disclose latent defects, and could be liable in after the sale for anything that should have been made clear.

6 Selling Mistakes … and 5 Easy Tips to Help you Sell Your Home

5. Don’t Rush

You should know about your mortgage, including pre-payment penalties your market conditions and trends and your options for your next home before jumping on the market.

6. Don’t Get Too Emotional

Your attachment to your house and perfectly meeting ALL your own financial needs can be a hindrance to selling your home. If you can’t set aside emotional attachment and be flexible the sale won’t go as you’d like it to.

Remember – it is your home now- but to the buyer it’s a house they must be able to imagine as THEIR home.

If you need help finding the best Realtor for your neighborhood, please call us at First Title & Abstract, Inc.

We are the title company in Naples and Marco Island whom buyers and sellers have come to trust.

Creating Facebook Ads for Real Estate

Posted on September 9, 2016 by firsttitleandabstract

by TitleTap | 2016 |

Creating Facebook ads for real estate is one of the simplest and most effective methods of online marketing and advertising.

Having a Facebook profile is one thing, but actually using it effectively is another.

Did you know Facebook Ads can actually make your company visible to people with very specific interests and demographics?

A couple things to note:

Facebook now has more active users than China’s entire population.

Also, the average American spends 40 minutes on Facebook a Day – that’s 20-30 minutes longer than most any other website.

“Facebook now has more active users than China’s entire population.”

If you don’t yet have a Facebook profile for your business, please contact us at First Title & Abstract, Inc.

We can help you get started!

There are many types of ads you can run but the most common are as follows:

Sidebar
News Feed
Remarketing

“The average American spends 40 minutes on Facebook a Day – that’s 20-30 minutes longer than most any other website.”

News Feed Ads are the focus of this article because they are the most effective way to advertise on Facebook.

News Feed Ads

News Feed Facebook ads, as you might think, are the ads that show up right in your Facebook News Feed. In fact, News Feed Facebook ads are the only ads that show on Facebook mobile and over 60% of Facebook’s revenue comes from mobile devices.

Even though news feed ads are still very popular, as of 2016 the way you get clicks has evolved as people have grown more tech savvy.

You can no longer just post a picture of your office staff and say: “use us for your real estate purchasing, selling, or legal/closing needs.” You need to prove you can solve the customer’s problem first by providing value in the form of useful information.

Social Media Content Creates Buzz and Keeps You Front of Mind!

Here is what you want in your News Feed ads:

1) Graphics with text

These work well and you can test ad variations

2) Faces/emotion work well

The best graphics often have person’s face that conveys emotion. The eyes are a gateway to the soul for a reason.

3) Short text, unless emotional

Either really short and casual posts, or really long “rants” get read most often. People don’t like average or mediocre, they want emotion.

4) Position as “helpful resource”, not an “ad”

5) Focus on the result the viewer will get by clicking

A good example of this is the “Download” button above. Viewers know what to expect when they click.

6) Pose a question

“Pizza or Ravioli? What’s your favorite? Post below.”

Facebook’s algorithm can be summarized as this: The more activity a post gets the more it is shown.

7) Create a Poll

Similar to #6, create a quick Facebook poll to get that same interaction above, that gets your post shown more often and to more people organically.

Memes entertain and inform and are readily passed on … from the Greek “mimēma” ‘that which is imitated’

8) Memes or Quotes

Memes are simply quotes or captions on funny pictures. The easiest way to find them is on Google Images or Pinterest.

9) Video

Did you find a useful video that helps your customers or prospects? Share it!

The same is true for most non-advertisement posts on Social Media as well. Use these “shareable” posts and experiment what works well for you.

Who do I advertise to?

Building an audience: There are several ways to build an audience to display your ads to but here are my favorites for Realtors, Title Agents, Lawyers, and Mortgage brokers.

1) Job title (i.e. Realtor, Mortgage Broker)

2) Interests (i.e. People who have liked The National Association of Realtors)

3) Location radius (Select a city and radius)

4) Lookalike Audience (Have a database of customers? Upload the list of email addresses to find other Facebook users with similar interests to your customer list. This one is really cool and powerful.)

5) Facebook Groups (Advanced Strategy – See below)

6) Retargeting (Advanced Strategy – see next article)

One thing to keep in mind with Facebook Ads…more people doesn’t mean that the ad is better. In fact focusing on having “more people” can both hurt your conversion and cost you dollars; Facebook will charge you more per click for being general.

A far better approach is smaller targeted ad audiences like “Dog lovers” instead of “Pet lovers,” or in real estate, I might start by focusing on specific communities within a city and make the audience larger as I test.

As a general rule of thumb I like to start with an audience size of around 5,000 and no more than around a few hundred thousand.

Create a Group

If you are planning on doing lots of Facebook advertising and want to save a ton of money on cost per click I’d highly recommend creating a Facebook Group.

So I’ll first explain what to do and then why you’d want to do it in the first place.

Step 1: Create a Facebook Group

The first thing you want to do is create a group to benefit your target market. For example, if you are targeting first-time homebuyers in Austin, Texas, you may want to call your group “First-Time Home Buyers in Austin.”

Or if you really want to appeal to Realtors in Nevada, your group might be “Nevada Realtors Marketing Mastermind.”

Do not create a group that is “Fans of Title Co X” but instead think “Realtors in X City (local market)”

Get creative but find something useful where group members would be willing to share on (remember Facebook is social).

Step 2: Post to the Group

Next, visit your favorite industry publication sites like Title News and The Title Report then make a few posts in the group. The only purpose here is making sure the group is not empty.

Step 3: Invite friends and family to join and like the group

This makes it so that the group is not empty when you invite strangers to join. Assure your friends and family that they can always leave the group in a few weeks if they are not interested in the topic, you just need some warm bodies in there.

Step 4: Advertise the Group

Next, use the steps in this article to create an ad to join or like the group. This ad might show up in someone’s news feed as “Realtors in Austin Texas Group…Like this” and you’ll get many people to do so which will grow your group audience.

Note: make sure the group has nothing to do with your company but instead for the benefit of the members.

Why spend money to advertise a free group?

I’m glad you asked! Here is a cool trick that few know about:

Reason 1:

Facebook CPC (Cost Per Click) is typically cheaper when your Call-To-Action (CTA) is a page on Facebook itself and not on an external site. Score!

Reason 2:

Here is where the magic is. Not only do you save money to get someone to “Like” or join your group as opposed to going to your website, but once they have you can now run other direct promotion ads to the people of the group that you own – often times lowering the CPC to mere pennies!

For example, an ad to visit my website might cost $1.25 per click, and one to like my company Facebook page might cost $0.75 per click. Whereas an ad to my own group audience advertising my services where I am the owner of the group and the people in the group are highly targeted might only cost $0.05 per click.

This is why I recommend customers that are in Facebook for the long term perform these extra steps.

Budget

Lastly, always start your Facebook ads at a low cost per day budget that you bump up slowly as you start gaining traction. Not doing so will cause you to waste a lot of money. For example, I always start mine at $5 a day until I have one performing as I like with a 5-10% click through rating (CTR) and then bump it up to $10.

That’s it! Create your ads and let them run. If you found this useful please let me know in the comments so I can share more tips on Facebook ads.

Also if you think this was cool, read the next article in the series, it is 100% on remarketing, what it is exactly, how to do it quickly, easily and cheaply!

We Can Help!

First Title & Abstract, Inc. distinguishes itself from the competition by being a consultative value-added strategic partner.

We succeed when you succeed, and that’s what makes us different! We know what works, and can show you how to build your business and sell more properties!

Contact any of us at our Naples or Marco Island offices, and ask for the marketing department handling social media.

We’re eager to be partners in your success!