5 Marketing Ideas for Your Real Estate Business
Really, marketing ideas are endless. It's up to you to take them and run with them. So, with that in mind, here are five marketing ideas for your real estate business. 1. Use QR Codes Do you know what a QR code is? QR codes are a quick and awesome way to market and provide information via mobile smartphone. QR codes direct people to your property sites quickly and easily. It takes only seconds to scan the code and redirect users to your individual listing website, and the codes can be added to your business cards, flyers, newspaper ads, sign riders and more. 2. Make the most of flyers using PDFs Back up your online efforts with real life flyers. Email or print gorgeous color flyers highlighting each and every one of your listings. Customize the flyers by changing layouts and color schemes. Or simplify the process completely by using an automated PDF flyer builder.

Rethinking the Real Estate Business Card
In the business world, you may come across many new people on a daily basis. In the real estate industry, you may often want these people to remember you. After all, you can provide a service to them, such as selling their property, or finding that perfect fit for their family and office needs. That's where a business card comes into play. It's the little 3.5x2 inch link to a future client, partner, or opportunity. The business card has changed from just a name, phone number, and an email. With social media growing into a popular means of communication, business cards are starting to include this form of contact information. Those who are changing with the times have started adding "Follow us on Twitter" or "Like us on Facebook," "Add me on LinkedIn" and "Visit our blog" to accompany the previously existing, name, number, and email. This gives people access to many of your platforms, exposure to other people through likes and follows, and, as a result, free marketing from the people you have personally met and engaged.

Video Traffic from QR Codes In Real Estate Marketing
I just attended a really outstanding real estate technology seminar this week where I was lucky enough to learn some new trends and tips from industry leaders, Max Pigman and Steve Pacinelli. Both speakers gave great presentations on different material but one of the most interesting and relatively underutilized ideas was QR codes. Yep, I thought QR codes for real estate had run the course too but when combined with video the QR code is a quick and very direct way to get in front of your audience, which is the homebuyer and seller. The example that was discussed was simple, yet ingenious. Instead of driving the person who scans the QR code from their mobile phone to a static website, the person was driven directly to a video which is one of the most popular methods of receiving information on the Internet today, (YouTube is the 2nd largest search engine after Google). A personal video about you and your services is a great way to market yourself but think about the audience that is most likely to access this video from a mobile phone using a QR scanner. It’s going to be a younger generation and they are not interested in your designations, or if your suit costs thousands of dollars, they are interested in how tech savvy you, your real estate web visibility and how efficiently you can get their home sold or get them into the home they want.

Generate Leads with QR Codes and 'Free Popcorn'
I have been reading all of the QR code articles – and they are all very good. At the end of this article, I will list a few of my favorites. But I have a different suggestion for QR codes that is based upon a recent experience that I had at the movie theatre with my daughter. I was converted using a QR code tied to Facebook. Let me tell you how so you can think of some creative ways to use QR codes to drive conversions in your business. (I will also tell you how to get free popcorn at Regal Theatre.) Today's real estate company has a few business goals that are important feeders. A "feeder" is something that puts energy in your belly so your body can work to accomplish its goals. Leads are feeders. Facebook friends are feeders. Contact names and numbers are feeders. I think of QR codes as the sticky flypaper that attracts consumers that feed your business opportunities. However, in order for the flypaper to be attractive, it needs to smell good.

From Shopping Carts to Shopping QR’ts
This morning my Father told me that he was looking to get a new “cell phone” and said he “doesn’t need to have the internet on his phone,” to which I responded, “You don’t need it, but why wouldn’t you want to have it?” Thanks to the proliferation of mobile devices in today’s fast paced, high tech world we can do more things from more places than ever before.  As such, traditional brick and mortar businesses are able to adapt and grow in no traditional ways.  Tesco supermarkets in South Korea is a perfect example of this.

Mobile Strategy First, QR Code Second
With the national release of OneCode™ last week I had more conversations than ever before about QR Codes and their functionality.  We have discussed QR Codes here on Monday Mornings in the past, but since the level of interest in them continues to grow I thought it was worth spending some time. I must admit, people are really drawn towards QR Codes, probably for a number of reasons.  They're new, they're neat looking, and they're tech savvy.  Scan and go is all you need to know.  In addition, I have heard a lot of people with a lot of great ideas on how to use QR Codes, what they want the QR Code to link to, how they want to integrate it into their marketing material to make an impact, etc.

Three in One: QR Code, Text Marketing and IDX
Did you know you can Google “Free QR codes” and create your own QR codes?  It’s true.  This technology is not patented and therefore costs nothing to generate.  Better yet, real estate technology vendors are offering this service for free too! The next step with a marketing tool, like QR codes, is lead generation. How do you track the success of your marketing efforts?  If you can’t measure it, does it have the value or reach you expect? The good news is that QR codes can be harnessed to validate marketing efforts, providing real estate agents and brokers with and understanding of who viewed your marketing, and more importantly – your QR code will track the potential customer’s phone number. This week we were able to preview the Goomzee QR code solution (www.goomzee.com) for real estate professionals. We spoke with Mike Sparr, founder of Goomzee.  Before founding Goomzee, Sparr worked for Nokia and believes in keeping a pulse on mobile consumers to target emerging technology trends.  While Goomzee started working with QR code technology three years ago, Sparr believes the time for QR codes is just now in the beginning stages.

New Innovative Way to Market Properties: QR Codes!
Where else could QR codes be flaunted to attract the eye of homebuyers trolling neighborhoods, looking for their dream home?  For Sale signs!  Homebuyers cruising around on a Sunday afternoon pursuing attractive neighborhoods can scan a QR code from a For Sale sign from their car and view photos, property details, pricing, open house schedule and the listing agent’s contact information.  In an era of convenience and catering to the consumer, QR codes start to look for attractive in promoting real estate listings. This week we were able to preview a marketing solution by Homefinder.com that provides a QR code component for real estate professionals. We spoke with Mark Tepper, VP of Business Development and Sales, specifically with regards to QR codes.

QR Code? What is That?
Want to stay on the cutting edge of technology?  Here is a cool new technology that has just entered the real estate scene. Imagine the small black and white box to your left could be used to translate your new listing properties details, photos and take homebuyers directly to your website? Meet QR codes. Small and powerful, mobile devices can scan the small code in seconds and get access the information they seek, right from their phones. It is quick and convenient. Techies and Smartphone users are embracing this new technology in droves. In response to this new technology and the benefits it holds for the real estate industry, here are some interesting things about QR codes. What is a QR code?

Meet QR Codes
In the past I’ve mentioned the importance of being able to recognize shifts in communication and adapt quickly in order use new mediums to your advantage.  Last week proved to be a prime example of that in for me and my company.  As I walked down Fifth Avenue from 56th street to Bryant Park, a stretch which some would call the retail Mecca of the world, I noticed something in the window of a store which made me stop and think.  Right there, front and center, in the window of Best Buy was a huge poster with a QR Code on it.  As the saying goes, “if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere,” which made me believe we are going to start seeing a lot more of QR Codes in the near future. That being the case, in the midst of my curiosity I stopped and pulled out my Mobile Device.  As a Blackberry user, I know I have the ability to scan the QR Codes of other Blackberry users (for the purposes of capturing someone’s Messenger contact info), but I wasn’t sure if it would work outside of the Blackberry operating system and frankly I had never tried before.  So I held my phone to the store window scanning the QR Code in anticipation…low and behold it worked!  My device was able to read the code and instantly pop open Best Buy’s Mobile Website in seconds.