Oakland Real Estate News

I can remember when I was younger and used to ask my mother for some information about something, and if she didn't have an answer she would direct me to the Yellow Pages to find a phone number for someone that may. Bless her heart, but in all honesty I used to kick myself for even asking her and would always find an easier way through friends and/or networking. 

There is no difference in the minds of people today, and big businesses know it, and in many cases are able to capitalize on the easy way out by charging a luxury fee of some kind that the majority of people would not pay.

I have come to believe that in real estate it is almost the exact opposite. There is technology today, that doesn't cost extra money, that buyers and sellers both can take advantage of and save tons of time. Most good real estate brokerages offer it right on their websites. There is so much information out there, and it can be overwhelming. But combined with experience good realtors are able to position the tools and information necessary on their site so it flows for the average reader and doesn't put the cart before the horse. Realtors are happy to offer information online and are honored when it is seen and read by others. Now with smart phones and social media people are able to share their own plethora's of knowledge. When I used to watch my father work as a realtor when I was younger I remember my first introductions to a computer, floppy disks, DOS and some of the first mobile phones. I thought all of it was cool, but would have never imagined it would have come as far as it has. You can literally handle just about every aspect of your real estate transaction from your cell phone or tablet today. From searching for your home to signing your contract and even more, clients with the cutting edge in technology are able to simplify their lives in ways that can actually make home buying easy. Ironically it's not just millennials that are taking advantage. With the universal input methods of iProducts and Android devices as well as there evolving ease of use, people are doing much of what we thought could only be done on the home computer or even in person, right from their iPhones or Galaxys. 

Social media plays right into the equation and is a true producer of answers, tips and tricks, how to videos etc. all while enjoying yourself at the same time. Revolutionary sites like Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Craigslist and Pinterest just to name a few have literally changed the world. You can get step by step instructions on just about anything these days right online, without having to read a complete college textbook. Instant gratification with a laugh or two along the way. Social media used to be something that businessmen and the more sophisticated would look down upon as a waste of time and a dead end to a productive work day. I must admit I was even a skeptic at one point. But now it is used in such a fashion that work isn't as dull as it used to be and in some cases more productive. The old way of sending mailers in hopes of reaching a couple thousand people (who many times trash them anyway) has become obsolete when you can now spend way less and reach double or even triple that online with rich content such as video and other presentation methods way more captivating to your fine tuned audience. With the use of back links to your website, free adwords accounts and other SEO (Search Engine Optimization) you can even get your ads on the first page of Google and other search engine searches. The possibilities are almost endless and can get expensive. But there are so many free ways of getting the word out now that you can literally cut your marketing budget in half or more. 

Online marketing and social media should be a Realtors, let alone a prospective buyer or seller's playground. Play around with Facebook or Linked In. Start a YouTube and Google+ page. You will be surprised at some of the things you can do if you are not already aware. Back to my mom. She got her first iPhone (something she absolutely refused initially like text messaging) 2 years ago and she can text with her eyes closed. She's a pro now and is already up to an iPad.

Check out some of our links here:

https://www.facebook.com/Thomas-Chambers-Company-Inc-149545198556036/
https://www.pinterest.com/hcthomasjr/
https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=251762287&trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile
https://twitter.com/TCCORealty