Real Estate Listing Email Flyers - Valuable or SPAM?

Jeff wonders if Email Listing Fliers are thought of as SPAM or do realtors really read them?

$8000 Tax Credit

Augmented Reality Applications

Here's the link to Jeff's REmarkable Marketing blog where he discusses Augmented Reality in more detail.

203k Rehab Loan

What the Hell is Twitter Anyways?

This episode is a clip from a presentation Jeff did for a group of small business owners, mortgage brokers, and Realtors in Vancouver, Washington.  In it, Jeff discusses ways to leverage Twitter for use in marketing your business.

Below is the complete presentation:

What It Is?!? Google Chrome

Jeff answers Bryan's questions on Google Chrome and some browser compatibility issues.  For compatibility testing, check out BrowserShots.org.

Wanted: Social Media Guru

In this episode we discuss the recent job listing from Multnomah County that offered $70k a year to someone who can use twitter and facebook and how positions like this have evolved over the years.

What It Is?!? Homepath and USDA Rural Housing Loans

Bryan talks about the new Homepath program for buying REO's and his favorite loan: the USDA Rural Housing Loan (which Jeff deems the "Best Loan Ever").

What It Is?!? - DU Refi Plus

Bryan discusses the new DU Refi Plus loan for those wishing to refinance their home that has dropped in value since the purchase.

Discussing the Home Valuation Code of Conduct (HVCC)

Bryan discusses the pluses and minuses of how the newly implemented HVCC (Home Valuation Code of Conduct), which is an automated appraisal ordering system for mortgage loan originators, will affect those in the mortgage business.

Video Montage from RE BarCamp Portland

Here's a quick video montage of clips taken during RE BarCamp PDX.

Fun with Analytics: An RE BarCamp PDX Exclusive!

We attended Portland's first Real Estate BarCamp (REBCPDX ) this last week, and captured some exclusive video footage of Lorelle VanFossen giving her session on analytics.  In this quick clip she explains the importance of analyzing the key words on your website or blog.  The example she uses is hilarious!

Charles Turner of the Portland Real Estate Blog looks on.

On Social Media Classes and 2nd Graders

Here's a topic that's been bugging me for a while now:
Self proclaimed social media "gurus" teaching social media classes.

No offense to anyone because I know sometimes the best way to learn something is to teach others, but this is getting ridiculous.  Lately, its like everyone I run into is a social media guru.  Is there a qualification for that nowadays?  Could there be another set of letters to add to the growing collection on your business card? (another of my pet peeves in the R/E industry)

Anyway, the whole point is...  Having a facebook account doesn't necessarily make you qualified to teach a class on how to use facebook as a social media marketing tool.

-Jeff

Google + Twitter = Twoogle?

There has been a lot of talk the last week or so about Google looking to acquire twitter and using the real time search that twitter is now becoming known for to add to their already dominant search functionality.  Will it happen?  Who knows?

Having real time results built in to search is pretty intriguing to a lot of people and I would imagine if the rumors are true, Google is willing to pay a pretty penny for this feature of twitter.

Client Follow-Up Systems: Too Little, Too Late?

Jeff and Bryan discuss strategies for following up with clients.  When the market is jumping, a lot of Realtors and Mortgage Lenders tend to neglect their past clients.  Do you have a follow up system that you currently use, or are you one of the people that start sending newsletters 5 years after the transaction?

Mortgage Rates and Pricing Your Home Right To Sell

Bryan gives a quick overview of mortgages rates here in the Portland market, and talks about pricing your home to sell.

Economic Outlook for 2009

New Technology(?) to the Real Estate World: Microsoft Surface

Jeff discussing some of the latest technology to hit the Real Estate industry.

Coldwell Banker just recently announced their implementation of home search software that uses Microsoft Surface technology allowing users to "touch Real Estate in a whole new way".  Although the hardware and technology has been around for several years now, Coldwell Banker is the first National Real Estate chain to take advantage of it.  Watch for the MS Surface to start hitting CB events and offices through the rest of the year.

Business Networking - There's More Out There Than Facebook and LinkedIn

Bryan discussing his experiences filling in as a substitute for a friend at a BNI Leads Exchange group. From the sounds of it, if you can get connected with a good group, it can be a great source of business for everyone involved.

Even though social media marketing and networking sites can work, there is still no substitute for good old fashioned "In Real Life" networking.  Wanna connect?  Send us an email , or follow us on twitter .

Advertise on Zillow's "Featured Rates" Section?

Bryan gives us his take on advertising your rates on Zillow's "Featured Rates " section.  Apparently it can get pretty spendy.  Anyone know if you actually get business from it?

TwitterHawk: Paid Advertising for Twitter

Jeff gives us a rundown of TwitterHawk , a service that notifies you and can send an auto response message when people search for specific terms on twitter.  Check it out, and let us know what you think.  Cool tool, or 100% SPAM?

Worst Dinner Ever

Bryan explains how great our dinner was after attending RE Bar Camp in Seattle.

KeepingItReal.tv - Introductions

A little About Your Hosts: Bryan and Jeff

Jeff Bernheisel

Jeff is the Marketing Coordinator for Inman News - where Real Estate and Technology Connect. He has been in the Real Estate/mortgage marketing industry for over 10 years now. He spent 7+ years in the mortgage business and 2 in the title and escrow marketing world before landing at Inman News.

Jeff has been teaching classes on blogging and social media marketing to Realtors for going on 3 years now, and enjoys showing people how to use web 2.0 tools and technology to market and grow their businesses.  Jeff can be reached at jeff@inman.com or @jbern on twitter.

Bryan Husen

Bryan is a Mortgage Consultant with Sunset Mortgage in Portland Oregon. He has been in the Mortgage industry for nearly 6 years. Bryan has nearly 12 years of experience in construction and custom cabinetry before changing careers to work for a national retail mortgage company.  After getting his feet wet in a retail environment, Bryan moved on to become an independent broker licenced and lending in both Oregon and Washington.

Bryan is active in many networking groups, primarily focusing on web 2.0 tools, social marketing and blogging.  Bryan can be reached at bhusen@sunsetmortgageco.com or @PDXMortgage  on twitter.