Own your present. Empower your future.

Real Estate is a high-touch, relationship-based business. But when you’re juggling a busy career and family life, it’s easy to lose track of things. What if there was a technology that could help you find more leads, make more follow-ups, deliver more personalized service, and ultimately, close more sales? Want to know more? Read on! What is a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) System? CRMs were developed to manage a company’s interaction with current and potential customers using data analysis about customers’ history, focusing on customer retention, and driving sales growth. At a very basic level, CRM systems can help you organize data and track leads. As they get more sophisticated, you’ll encounter more features that deliver sales insights, automate marketing efforts, and integrate with other aspects of your business such as email and web presence. They are all geared…

Although many conferences are postponed this year, we still wanted to help prepare you for when things are back up to speed. Since this is the marketing issue, we thought it would be fitting to give you some tips and tricks on how to market yourself while attending a conference whether it’s an in-person conference or a virtual one. While conferences alone have a lot to offer you, you also have a lot you can offer the conference! Conferences allow you to take advantage of a huge networking opportunity. Enhance your next conference experience by taking some or all the steps below. Connect with the Speakers You will typically find a list of speakers on the website for whatever conference you’re attending. Be sure to follow the speakers and connect with them on social media before the event. This…

It’s safe to say none of us could have predicted what 2020 would bring. We all know the COVID-19 pandemic has brought with it challenges never seen before. It’s important to also note the good that has come out of these circumstances. These challenging times have revealed the true resiliency and character of YOU – our members. MAR has been advocating and will continue to advocate on behalf of our REALTOR® members and their needs during this time. Throughout this pandemic, several forms have been added to our library to help you navigate through and address transactional issues directly related to COVID-19. These forms can be accessed on www.MARCOVID19.com Additionally, the MAR legal team developed three addendums for your use during these changing times. We understand things are always changing, and that is why we are working hard to…

Leslie Mayer is the Director of Member Engagement and Marketing for MAR. She joined the organization in January, 2020 and is responsible for leading the initiative to deeper member engagement through projects such as the new MAR website, branding and database.  She leads the MAR marketing team in the areas of digital, content, events and strategy. Leslie comes to the organization with over 20 years of experience in membership marketing, client service, branding, media and event planning. She lives in Rhode Island and when not working, enjoys vacationing to tropical destinations, re-finishing furniture and being a dance mom to her 16-year-old daughter. 1.  How did you first get into marketing? I had an internship at a small ad agency in Providence, RI in the mid 90’s which turned into a permanent job when I graduated.  During my 5 years there…

When I was installed as President of the REALTORS® Commercial Alliance of Massachusetts (RCAMA) in December, I outlined an ambitious list of objectives for myself, the leadership team, and our membership. None of the objectives included dealing with and responding to the challenges presented by the Covid-19 virus because I, like most other people, had no idea that it even existed. The hurdles presented by Covid-19 to Massachusetts local real estate boards as well as the Massachusetts Association of REALTORS® (MAR) have been challenging to say the least as we all have previously conducted association business face to face or by conference calls. No more. At least not for the foreseeable future. At RCAMA we are retooling using Zoom meetings and preparing to offer continuing education courses online. We, like the other local boards, MAR, and the National Association…

It’s an agent’s worst nightmare. You’ve procured the listing, successfully executed your marketing plan, and closed on the sale to a demanding buyer. And then, months or even years later, you find out that in some important respect the property was allegedly not as advertised. You learn of this in the most unpleasant way imaginable, by receiving a Chapter 93A letter from the buyer’s attorney demanding extortionate amounts of money. Your brokerage firm receives an identical Chapter 93A letter. As every real estate licensee is taught, M.G.L. c. 93A, section 9, permits a consumer to recover damages and attorneys’ fees for harm caused by “unfair or deceptive conduct” perpetrated by a business, including a real estate agent. Before going to court the aggrieved individual must make a written demand for relief that identifies the allegedly unfair or deceptive conduct and…

At the 35th Annual Margaret C Carlson REALTOR® Day on Beacon Hill this past June, REALTORS® met remotely with their state legislators to discuss MAR’s 2019-2020 legislative priorities. It is important for you to know what MAR supports and opposes so you’re able to discuss it with your clients, neighbors, and friends. REALTORS® Support An Act to promote housing choices (H.4263) – MAR supports this bill as part of a diverse coalition of real estate interest groups. The bill promotes community-supported development, aligning Massachusetts with national norms as we are one of only ten states that require a supermajority to change local zoning rules. H.4263 changes local voting requirements from a 2/3rds supermajority to a simple majority for 10 zoning changes that promote best practices for housing growth. Examples of the 10 zoning changes include: • Increasing housing production…

Greetings, REALTOR® Family, This issue we focus on marketing…a favorite topic of mine since my early career which then inspired me to earn an MBA with a specialization in marketing. Connecting ideas and people together is the way that we can all collaborate to bring success, whether it is through finding a future home or new policy initiatives, if we aren’t communicating with others there is no way to bring a successful outcome. MAR is currently in the process of changing the way we communicate with our members, industry partners, and consumers. We are in the process of changing our CRM to make it easier for you to connect with MAR and help us learn more about your concerns, needs, and resources that could help you in your business. MAR is currently working on a new website, where you…

Marketing your real estate business can feel like a full-time job in itself. You have to maintain your social media accounts, your website, your email newsletter, among other things. With so much to juggle, digital marketing can quickly become overwhelming. Luckily, there’s one easy way to reduce the stress: Repurpose your content. Repurposing content allows you to maximize the time you spend on digital marketing. Instead of constantly creating more and more content, you’ll create less content that’s more valuable. Then you’ll break that piece of content down into five, 10, or even 15 other pieces of content. When you repurpose your content – whether into a different format or on a different channel – you’ll not only save a lot of time, but you will also get more eyes on your content. Here are three steps to follow…

Real estate agents are the jack of all trades; not only are you the CEO of your own business, but you’re also in charge of accounting, customer service, transaction management, negotiation, and so much more. It’s no wonder that adding marketing to your toolbelt can seem so daunting. And yet, time and time again, you hear how important and essential it is for your business’ success. So, how do you keep up with it all? The best way to begin is to stay ahead of the curve and take note of the top marketing techniques in the industry. To give you a head start, here are three top marketing trends for 2020 that you can implement in your business plan this year. Voice-Activated Searches First, let’s talk about something new and different: voice-activated searches. Most of us have an…