Robert's Blog

Okay, So the Sign's in the Yard - What Next?

Robert Rauf (REMN The Real Estate Mortgage Network) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 12:00:34 -0600

If you are not aware of Jennifer Allan you should take a look at her blog and maybe even buy her book!

I think every one could get some great info out of this blog, Enjoy!

Via Jennifer Allan, Author of Sell with Soul (Sell with Soul):

Your listing agreement is signed and you're heading out to install the lockbox and yard sign for your fabulous new listing! By this afternoon, the property will be entered into the MLS, and hopefully your fancy-schmantzy home brochures will be delivered by the end of the week.

Whew! You're done, right? Time to move onto the next listing prospect!

Well, that's up to you, but I don't recommend it.

Those first two weeks of a new listing provide a beautiful window of opportunity to knock the sox off your seller and cement your position as his or her all-time favorite real estate agent. Oh, and by knocking the sox off your new seller out of the gate, you'll buy yourself a little grace if, down the road, you unintentionally drop the ball (it happens)!

When you put a new listing on the market, strive to have contact with my seller every single day for the first week; and into the second week if possible. Remember, while listing another home may be just another day at the office for us, it's a monumental event for most home-sellers. They are watching your every move (or lack of movement) very closely - AND - commenting on those moves (or lack thereof) to their peers.

So, what can you do to knock some sox those precious first two weeks of a new listing?

Send the sellers a copy of the MLS listing and ask for their blessing

Send the sellers a draft of the home brochure and ask for their blessing

Schedule the first open house

Create and deliver your first State of the Market report

Deliver feedback from showings, if any

Send links to your online advertising (Your Virtual Tour, Craigslist, Postlets, Realtor.com, your blog, etc.).

Ask seller to distribute the virtual tour to his social network.

Drop off brochures

Do your Open House

Deliver feedback from Open House

Ask sellers how they feel the process is going so far

Preview any new competition and share your feedback

Call to check on brochures - do we need more yet?

Prepare a market report with the number of showings and virtual tour hits, along with an update on the status of the competition.

After the first two weeks, you can slow down your attention a bit, although of course, do continue to provide showing feedback and check on brochures and such. Every 2-3 weeks, send an updated market activity report, and at six weeks, prepare a full CMA and schedule a meeting with the sellers to discuss it.

If your seller feels you're being TOO attentive, he'll probably let you know, but I really doubt that will be a problem!

Any other ideas of reasons to contact a seller? Please share!

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Tips & Inspirations to Generate Business from the Very Important People Who Know You

CHILDREN ARE DYING IN HAITI - PLEASE HELP BRING THEM HOME!

Robert Rauf (REMN The Real Estate Mortgage Network) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 08:53:39 -0600

As the Death Toll Rises in Haiti, this is important information to share.

Via Mirela Monte, Your Myrtle Beach Real Estate Connection:

The earthquake that hit Haiti 6 days ago left behind it a path of destruction. According to official estimates, there are 330,000 Orphans in Haiti right now. Some of these kids are in the process of being adopted by parents from the United States and other countries.

Many of these orphanages are in dire need of food and water. Some of these babies are dying from dehydration as I’m writing these lines. The situation is desperate. These kids are dying while their adoptive parents are doing all they can to rescue them.

After several days of pleas, the US has finally granted Humanitarian Parole to some of these kids, but to my knowledge, only seven of them have made it out of Haiti so far. Soledad O’Brien has been sending out distress Tweets all day today. She is at orphanages with babies who are dying, many of whom are in the process of being adopted by American parents, but so far the airlift seems like a fantasy.

We need to get these kids out as soon as possible. We also need to get the rest of the orphans out before they perish. Please help!

With tears in my eyes, but hope in my heart, I humbly ask for your assistance. Please spread the word and contact your US Representatives about this crisis! Every hour counts…

Mirela

Here is an organization you can connnect with. They have specifics on what you can do to help:

http://www.HumanitarianParole.com

Here is information about Operation Pierre Pan.

Here is the Latest White House update on this issue.

LOL FRIDAY - My Favorite Funny Commercials:

Robert Rauf (REMN The Real Estate Mortgage Network) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 12:02:06 -0500

some of these truly made me LOL, I just had to share. Enjoy!

Via Mirela Monte, Your Myrtle Beach Real Estate Connection:

Another Sailing Blog

Robert Rauf (REMN The Real Estate Mortgage Network) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 13:26:53 -0500

Mirela requested this... so blame her for the redundancy!

this post is more "me"... VS the calm sunset post from this morning. I think this will show my true passion for sailing..

here is one of my favorite boats to sail, it is a J24... this is J24 USA 4306.. "Disturbed" the boat I race

The above picture is just as we crossed the finish line,

Speed with a sail boat is all relative, at this point we were probably sailing at about 6-7 knots. But on this boat, I can feel everything, and we will often say... "we feel fast" or "we feel slow... whats wrong" you really sail by the seat of your pants and by feel... (at least when you are racing) And you do have to control the boat, and set things up differently depending on wind conditions. halard tension, Stay tension and sail trim are just a few of the basics to make the boat go fast.. we even will adjust the mast for certain conditions.

here is a great upwind shot in a pretty stiff breeze:

You may be thinking, they look a little close... That's one of the reasons I prefer one design racing... it gets VERY close... It can be a game of inches.

Just to be sure every one understands that sailing for me is not the Calm martini sipping afternoon, the next two shots are of a boat in our fleet wiping out.. This fun maneuver is called a "Death Roll" Lucky for us there was some one with a camera out on the course, and doubly lucky is it is not us wiping out.. (we did the same thing on that leg... you get a little to aggressive and BAM! you pay for it!)

That's step 1 in a death roll, Partially the skippers fault (its always the skippers fault!) for steering to far down wind when its blowing, and partially the guy trimming the chute... He let that clue go past the forestay and mother nature takes over.

Step 2:

At this point you can probably see the keel of the boat.. NEVER a good thing! The rudder comes out of the water and the boat spins out of control and tries to flip to windward... Hopefully everyone is still on the boat, and you did not shred a sail or do any other damage and you recover after everyone passes you!

Mirela, You had to make me do this??? now I really am missing sailing!!

here is another fun shot, Winter sailing... on HARD water. now we are talking about speed.. 50+mph inches from the ice. Can you pick me out in the photo?

That's the Metedeconk River in Brick NJ ... Same place with the sunset photos from last night. We had great ice that year... unfortunately I don't have any good action shots of the Ice boats... But WOW what a rush, the fastest you will ever go with out a motor, other than jumping out of a plane...

You asked... (one of the secrets to life... Ask and ye shall receive!)

I hope you enjoyed the quick photo journey

Rob

Robert Rauf

More sailing pictures

Robert Rauf (REMN The Real Estate Mortgage Network) — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 15:01:58 -0500

OK, everyone always asks for more photos, I was just reading a newsletter and found another picture of sailing that I stole out of the news letter!

this is an "A CAT" it is unique to the Barnegat Bay.

they were very popular in the 1920's and a few of the originals were sailing up until recent years. Now there has been a lot of growth in the fleet and I think there are about 15 of them racing on the bay.. Still traditionally made, all wood Lots of Varnish... 28' pieces of furniture that we go out and sail and beat up! The boats name is RAVEN... (thats me, third person from the left)

This is just an occasional boat that I sail on, if you look at my previous posts on sailing you will see the pictures of the J24 that I sail most. Keep you fingers crossed for me, I am going sailing (racing) tonight for the first time in close to 2 months, I am tired of nursing an injury and miss it too much... If it hurts too much tomorrow I will only have myself to blame... Against Dr's orders!

Have a great week

Rob

Robert Rauf

www.RobertRaufHomeLoans.com

TOE ATTACK! Laughter is the BEST Medicine

Robert Rauf (REMN The Real Estate Mortgage Network) — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 11:49:21 -0500

Do you ever wonder why we have camera phones? I did... At least until they finally put a camera into a blackberry. Now I actually take pictures since I don't have to find my camera, I never forget my phone (I feel naked with out it!) but I have forgotten a camera too many times to count.

The other day My phone makes its little pix message chime... I open it and it is from my daughter. The Queen of Texting.. (15,370 texts last month alone!)

Humor... the best reason for the camera phone. I had to share this picture of my kids on the couch. A priceless moment captured because of a camera phone!

I guess that was worth the big phone bill last month!

enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Rob

Robert Rauf

REMN - Real Estate Mortgage Network

Instead of a New Year's Resolution... How about a New Year's Theme?

Robert Rauf (REMN The Real Estate Mortgage Network) — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 14:51:18 -0600

I just loved the idea of this... A theme for the new year.... It could be a business theme, personal theme, or a combination of the two. Either way, "tiz the season" and if it is not a resoulution of sorts, you should at least have a few bullet points of a business plan ready to dust off and hit the ground running with for 2009. One year gone and a new one is just begining!

I have always loved Jennifer's blogs, THANK YOU JENNIFER!

Have a Happy, safe, healthy and prosperous new year!

Rob

Robert Rauf

(732)223-1630 x102

Real Estate Mortgage Network

NJ Mortgages, New Jersey Mortgages, Mortgages in NJ

Via Jennifer Allan, Author of Sell with Soul (Sell with Soul):

I SO wish I could take credit for this idea... But alas... someone else beat me to it and I suppose it's the soulful thing to do to acknowledge her brilliance...

I read an article in one of my local neighborhood newspapers (the North Denver News) written by a Denver wedding officiant named Maureen Thomson (www.memorableceremonies.com).

Here's the introduction to the article:

"Several years ago, I eschewed the traditional New Year's Resolution (which I failed to maintain 100% of the time anyway) in favor of a theme for the year. As opposed to a list of "will do's" that the resolutions stipulated, the theme was a gentler way of turning my attention toward the areas in my life that were most in need of attention.

I had no idea what I was in for when I started this tradition. My themes have turned into manifestations that are beyond coincidence. My theme for 2005 was "Unthinkably Good Things Can Happen" and that was the year that I met my future husband, Jeremy. This was followed by my 2006 theme of "Build the Dream" which was the year my business took off, growing into a multi-state operation. And we mustn't forget 2007's theme of "Do the Never" whereby I did all kinds of things I swore I'd never do - not the least of which was to marry again.

But nothing prepared me for the events surrounding my theme of this year: "Simplicity." Even its one-word title was a deviation for me. Back the beginning of the year, I had no idea how much this theme would change me..." Read the Rest...

I love this idea of identifying a big picture goal for your year and letting nature takes its course. I'm tossing around ideas for my 2009... and I keep coming back to "The Year I Found Peace." Whaddya' think?

How ‘bout you? What might your theme be for 2009? Please share...

www.SellwithSoul.com

Seaside Heights Sun and Fun, Video Link

Robert Rauf (REMN The Real Estate Mortgage Network) — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 17:10:04 -0500

I stumbled across this 1960 Promotional video on You Tube that showcases Seaside Heights NJ

Click here to see the video

It is close to 50 years old and is presented with a "Disney Like" narration. The most amazing thing is how accurate it still is for today. It talks about what Seaside Heights and the surrounding areas have to offer to visitors.

Nostalgia at its finest. It is long, but I think you will find it to be enjoyable, especially if you are familiar with the area.

We live in a great area with more to offer than most people know, and that most of the locals do not take advantage of.

Thank you for the trip down memory lane!

Rob

Robert Rauf

www.RobertRaufHomeLoans.com

Why You SHOULD NOT Make a Low Ball Offer

Robert Rauf (REMN The Real Estate Mortgage Network) — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 10:55:41 -0500

I was reading Scott's blog this morning and a light bulb went off. In this Media driven economy we have experienced for about 2 years our clients all seem to take what is written as gold, even though in most cases the Media pulls the most negative piece of information to report rather than reporting any good news. Below I have put together some information for you to be sure you understand the process, to help assure you are moving towards your goals and also explaining why a Low Ball Offer is probably not a good idea.

As a buyer you want to be assured that you are getting the best possible deal when you buy a home. I agree with this 100%, NO ONE wants to feel cheated.

How can you be assured you are getting a good deal? Here are a few ideas:

Find a good Realtor, and STICK with them. A referral from a friend of family member is probably the best bet to find an agent. But personality is important as well, the two of you need to be compatible. I Would just add here that you are probably better off (in most cases) with a full time agent that considers their job as a Realtor to be a Career.
You found a good professional Realtor (that you like)... REMEMBER, STICK WITH THEM! (I know, redundant, but important)
Get qualified, and make sure that you are working in YOUR comfort zone... It is more important that you have a comfortable monthly payment than anything else. Many people will qualify for a much higher payment than they will be comfortable with, so be sure your Mortgage guy/gal has the "comfort zone" conversation with you.
NOW you can shop.... a good agent will ask you questions to ascertain your needs in a home and come up with a list of homes in the area that will fit your needs that are in your price range. Keep in mind that you may have some give and take here since it is impossible to get EVERYTHING in a home that you may want.

As you shop there will be homes that you wont even consider, and there will be homes that jump out and say "buy me". Why is that? It is something I call a 'subconscious appraisal'. As you shop you are looking for the best value, so when one home yells "buy me" it is because it is probably priced right. The homes that you would not even consider were probably priced too high.

So: If a home is priced right, why would you consider a low ball offer? The chances of your offer even being considered are slim. The house that is priced right will sell, and there are probably other potential buyers looking at it as well. If you want to make a low ball offer, do it on an over priced listing, not the one that is priced correctly.

The only way you will be sure is to do a little home work looking at listings and what is available (you do not necessarily have to physically see every listing, you need to narrow things down prior to going out on the road with an agent)

Here is a quick DON'T DO list to help be sure that you are getting a good deal:

I would advise against making an offer on the first house you see. You do not have enough information at this point for that 'subconscious appraisal'. Not to mention, you will never sleep at night if you did not do some due diligence ...
FSBO. (that's For Sale By Owner) In the 20+ years I have been in the mortgage business, The vast majority of Under Appraisals I have seen have been FSBOs. Why? Probably because they were over priced listings that expired. Possibly because there was never a market analysis done by a professional Realtor. Possibly because the buyers thought they were getting a good deal by not using a Realtor. (or any combo of the above) Just be cautious here... There is much more info on a listed property and a good agent will typically not even show you a ridiculously over priced home.

The vast majority of the time your 'gut' talks to you. As you progress through the educational phase of buying a home you will gain some knowledge without even trying and your gut will begin to talk to you. When it does, Listen to it! If you do not trust your gut, ask your agent to run a few Comps on recent sales (homes that have sold in the past few months that are similar) prior to making an offer. This will give you some extra information to be sure you are making a reasonable offer for both you and the seller. Your Seller has ALREADY seen the comps. That is how the home was priced initially. They already have a pretty good idea of what a true value of their home is!

I hope this is a useful tool for you while you are out shopping for a home!

Rob

Robert Rauf

Real Estate Mortgage Network

www.RobertRaufHomeLoans.com

FHA announcement New Loan Limit for 2009

Robert Rauf (REMN The Real Estate Mortgage Network) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 11:31:22 -0600

Surprisingly we have Conventional and FHA limits being announced with in a few days of each other. HUD announced in it's mortgagee letter 2008-36 the new FHA limits for 2009.

12 counties in NJ fall into the "High Cost" limit for FHA included would be Monmouth and Ocean counties.

One-Unit: $625,500
Two-Unit: $800,775
Three-Unit: $967,950
Four-Unit: $1,202,925

If you notice, the High cost limits match the Fannie limits released on Friday. The question that is still left unanswered is: How will interest rates be determined for the higher limits?

Currently Base high cost limit on an FHA loan is about $362,800. Above that number the rate is considerably higher, and the limit is $729,000. We are anticipating that the pricing on FHA loans will not have the add-on to interest rates until a loan exceeds$417,000, but we will not know that for sure until we start to see what the GNMA markets will stomach for this new Mortgagee letter.

So we still have an "FHA Jumbo" for 2009. And quite possibly an improved interest rate for our clients that are borrowing between $362k and $417k.

If you are curious about what your county limit is you can comment here with the county and state or send me an email and I can get you that information. It is a bit much to post all the counties in all 50 states in one blog!

have a great week

Rob

Robert Rauf

RRauf@REMN.com

Real Estate Mortgage Network

Battleship New Jersey, cutting staff, may close

Robert Rauf (REMN The Real Estate Mortgage Network) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:39:00 -0500

When I first heard that the Battleship NJ was coming to NJ as a museum I was excited and looked forward to visiting it. Since it has been docked in Camden I have gone twice. One time with the family, and one time I actually got to sleep on it with my sons Boy Scout Troop.

Unfortunately I don't have any idea where "my" pictures of the NJ are, here is one I took from the website: The site has many photos of the ship including some shots of it firing its 16" guns

I am writing this post because of an article in the paper the other day. "Battleship New Jersey loses aid, cuts staff". The article discusses the budget cuts and the fact that the state aid is going to be 1/2 what it was for this coming year. In response the museum has laid off 8 staff members. (20% of the work force) and they are considering closing the ship to the public this winter. This would be a shame, the vast majority of the visits and overnights I am sure come from school groups and Scouting groups, which are most apt to visit the ship in the winter months.

If you have not been there I would recommend a visit. the sheer size of the ship is amazing. The thickness of the steel is hard to believe. How does so much weight float??? I think the turrets are 17" thick, and the bridge is like a bank vault about the same thickness. It is an impressive hunk of floating metal to visit! The NJ saw a lot of action through World War II right up to the more modern era, It is left in its retired state with cruise missle launchers and most of the old WWII anti aircraft guns removed. The NJ was never hit by a kamakazee plane since it had the ability to protect itself so well with ample weaponry. If you are a history buff at all, this should be on your to-do list!

You can make a day trip with the family and visit the Camden Aquarium just next door, or run across the bridge to Philly and visit a few ships on the other side, one of them a ww2 Submarine.

And while you are there, Buy some NJ Stuff to support OUR Battleship!

Have a great weekend

Rob

Robert Rauf

Real Estate Mortgage Network

Back from Camping, 18 Degrees... with a lot of Photos of the fun...

Robert Rauf (REMN The Real Estate Mortgage Network) — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 14:42:05 -0600

This is a follow up my blog last week: "How cold is too cold for camping"

Weather.com was pretty accurate, we had clear skies, but it was actually colder than than the forecast. I think the forecast said 24 or 25 as an overnight low on Friday night, and 25 or 26 for Sunday night.

I don't think it ever got above freezing all day Saturday.

We got up Saturday morning and our Senior boys made us breakfast, the actually were up before we were and had coffee going for us. (it was not a good pot of coffee, but it was warm!) We had Breakfast Burritos, fresh pepper and Sausage and eggs in a wrap... MMM!

We had 2 other patrols that made pankes, as many times as they screw that up, they still continue to try. It makes a big mess, never turns out well and seems to take twice the time it should.

The boys spent the morning making shelters

The one on the left is the winning shelter, The second one got off to a great start, using lashings, but was never finished.

For lunch we had Meatball subs. Hot meal when it is below freezing all day was great! In the afternoon the patrols had competitions with knots and compass work, I have photos of that too, but the next photos are the ones that you will probably enjoy the most
Dinner: Feasted again! We made Pizza starting with home made (camp made) dough. We had to put it by the fire to rise (and so it wouldnt freeze). For desert: Apple & Cherry Cobbler made in a dutch oven in the fire.

I could tell it was cold when I went to put the fire out and our bucket of water that had been sitting next to the fire was frozen on top. Frozen enough that it made it difficult to pour! Off to bed, hoping to stay warm!

How do you stay warm in a tent when it is below freezing? First thing: you need insulation underneath you. Big rookie mistake is to sleep on an air mattress... That is DEATH in the cold! Your best bet is a folded blanket underneath you, along with a pad, on the ground and a sleeping bag on top of that. Next, and this is hard to do, Strip out of all of the clothing from the day and put on a fresh layer and socks prior to jumping into your bag. I also throw a hand warmer at the foot of my bag to keep my feet from freezing. The bag it self is important, a rectangular bag just doesn't cut it, you need a mummy bag.

I awoke Sunday morning with a text from home: 18.7 degrees at home just 30 miles away... and My tent was all frosty inside

I took a few photos inside of the tent, but it was hard to do while all bundled up in my bag, and some did not come out well, There was ice on my sleeping bag, and in the photo below I tried to capture that, but unfortunately I must have fogged up the camera

Here I am in my Bag, about to get out... Which is a chore, there are 4 separate drawstrings on the bag, in addition to the zipper and 2 Velcro closures to ensure you keep the heat in and the cold out. While sleeping I look like Kenny from South Park.

We had to break down fairly quickly Sunday morning. The firehouse where we have our meetings was having a pancake breakfast and we always go to serve at it and support them (Pleasant Plains Volunteer Fire House). as I broke down my tent there was more ice...

It wasn't exactly frost, it was ice crystals that came off of the fly when I took it off, in this next photo, you can see the frost that fell down in a pile by one of the stakes. one was actually frozen in..

The ice in my tent was NOTHING compared to the tents the boys were in, 2 bodies produce more moisture I guess! By time we got everything packed up and were ready to drive away... (trying to get teens out of their warm sleeping bags is NOT an easy thing, so this took longer than I wanted!) the temperature had climbed up a bit, here is a picture of the thermometer in the car

I dropped my son off at the Firehouse to serve, ran home for a quick shower to get rid of my 36 hour "Hat Head" hair style, and back for some pancakes... The Breakfast was great!

So that was my scouting saga, adventure for this trip, complete with photographic evidence of my chilly experience! Remember to support your local Scout Troop!

Have a great week

Rob

Robert Rauf

(732)223-1630 x102

Real Estate Mortgage Network

How Cold is Too Cold For Camping?

Robert Rauf (REMN The Real Estate Mortgage Network) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 12:06:37 -0600

Question: How cold is too cold to go camping?

Answer: It is NEVER too cold!... (at least for the Boy Scouts). My sons troop is camping this weekend, and since I am one of the Scout Masters. I will be as well. (BSA Troop 30 in Toms River NJ)

It has been warm most of this month so far, but I woke up this morning to snow, no accumulations but white stuff was coming down... Skies are bright and blue right now.... The problem with a clear sky this time of year? It means COLD! So I checked with the weather man. The good news is they say 0% chance of precipitation, The bad news: The next two nights have over night lows in the low 20s.

Did I mention we will be in tents? Not cozy wimpy cabins... But tents..

So when you are snuggled up in your bed this weekend, you can laugh at the thought of me zipped up on a mummy bag trying to stay warm.

It actually is not as bad as it may sound, if you have the right gear for the weather. The big probem is keeping the coffee pot from freezing. One year we had to defrost the solid block of ice in the coffee pot to make coffee, That's the first thing on the agenda in the morning! Oh, the things we do for our kids!

Have a great weekend, and when you get the opportunity, Please Support your local Scout troop!

UPDATE: here is a link to the blog with photos of the actual trip http://activerain.com/blogsview/806048/Back-from-Camping-18-Degrees-with-a-lot-of-Photos-of-the-fun

Rob

Robert Rauf

(732)223-1630 x102

Real Estate Mortgage Network

Real Estate Market Trends: Toms River, NJ

Robert Rauf (REMN The Real Estate Mortgage Network) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 15:36:53 -0600

Real Estate Market Trends in Toms River

According to the latest Zillow Real Estate Market Reports, home values in Toms River decreased -8.02% in the third quarter of 2008, compared to the third quarter of 2007. Nationally, home values decreased -9.7% during this same period. (from www.Zillow.com)

At first glance that looks like bad news, but considering that many areas have dropped 1%/month for the past 12+ months, that is great news. if you grab a calculator and do the math, That 1.68% difference is almost 21%. So Toms River, NJ is doing 21% better than the average of the country.

A big piece of this is that the foreclosure stats are much lower in Ocean County than they are in the rest of the country as well, While there are more foreclosures than any of us are accustomed to, there are far fewer here than other parts of the country

Have a great week!

Rob

Robert Rauf

(732)223-1630 x102

Real Estate Mortgage Network

Marketing a Commercial Real Estate Book

Robert Rauf (REMN The Real Estate Mortgage Network) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 14:24:31 -0600

Via Josef Katz - Trump University {Marketing Maestro}:

If you look at the post I reblogged yesterday you can see we launched a new book. C Tann-Starr took the initiative to share the info with the AR community (thanks again). Today (and I probably should have done this a few days ago...) I wanted to share some of the behind the scenes info on our book marketing effort and ask for your help.

I have participated in a number of book launches over the years. But this one is shaping up to be different. When we checked the Amazon ranking for Commercial Real Estate 101a week or two ago the book was ranked #335,105 overall. Not very high but the book was not available for shipping. Today is a different story thanks to our marketing efforts.

Our goal is to get the book to #1 overall but at a minimum to #1 in Business and Investing and the Real Estate categories. The second goal has since been accomplished.

So how are we going to hit #1 without spending any money on media?

There are two main efforts. The first is a very direct approach to our clients and customers offering them bonus material for helping us out. Feel free to check out the promotion for Commercial Real Estate if you have an interest.

The second is to try and maintain our rankings and sales volumes by utilizing PR, social media, and networking.

So what does this all mean to you? Why should I care?

OK I'll get to the point. We are looking for some people to help spread the word via social media and networking. If you are interested in helping us out and learning more about our marketing efforts or you are just interested in having some fun then we can talk about the following:

Inside scoop on our marketing plan

Content for a blog post

A gift from Trump U. (to be discussed offline - sorry I can't give everything away...)

Bragging rights to say you worked with me… (OK Trump University)

and most importantly my/our gratitude for your help…

If you are interested in playing along leave me a comment or send me an email.

I will be Twittering sales rank info during the day and week to keep folks updated on our progress. Feel free to follow or join us and tag your postings #CRE101 so we can find you in our searches. I will share some results once the effort is completed.

So do you want to help us out?