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REALTOR® Marketing Workshop

Building Your Business in Today's Market

Success Strategies for a Shifting Market

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Table of Contents Realtor Marketing Fundamentals..................................................................................................................2 Building your Business in Today’s Market ....................................................................................................2 The Old Rules in Real Estate........................................................................................................................2 Same Game, New Rules in Real Estate .......................................................................................................3 Playing by the New Rules… and Winning ....................................................................................................4 Stay Focused ................................................................................................................................................4 Differentiate Yourself.....................................................................................................................................6 Be a Problem Solver .....................................................................................................................................9 Balance your activities ................................................................................................................................10 Face to Face Contact..................................................................................................................................14 Royal LePage Tools to Help You Get Back to Basics ................................................................................17 Review.........................................................................................................................................................18 Marketing Centre Practice Session.............................................................................................................19 Web Commercials.......................................................................................................................................20 Print Newsletters (fixed text) .......................................................................................................................26 Shelter Foundation Postcards.....................................................................................................................29 Learning Services .......................................................................................................................................33

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Realtor Marketing Fundamentals

The 5 Pillars of Realtor Marketing

Prospect Marketing: Generating Leads Prospect Management: Converting Leads to Clients Buyer Marketing: Working with Buyers Listing Marketing: Working with Sellers Client Relationship Management (CRM): Building Repeat and Referral Business

Building your Business in Today’s Market How do you win in a Shifting Market?

As sales professionals and business owners, there are two main options in the face of a challenging economy:

1. Fall back: cut costs, increase discounts, and prepare for lower sales, or

2. Step up: sharpen our skills, refine our messages and take advantage of this opportunity. It’s a different market out there today from the one that many of us have known for the last several years. There’s no disputing that the current economy presents plenty of challenges, and yet, by adopting the right approach, it’s also an opportunity for REALTORS® to actually thrive. The secret to success in sales today is as simple as going back to the basics, perhaps with some new tools in your tool box. Congratulations for attending the workshop, because most, including your competition, will be doing less: Less prospecting; less willingness to maintain prices; less time harvesting from current clients and less skill development. While they are backing off, it's the perfect opportunity for you to win new business and actually grow your business!

The Old Rules in Real Estate Some of the unwritten rules that used to govern the real estate industry:

1. Paper was king

2. REALTOR® as salesperson

3. Word of mouth

4. Dealing with two to three generations

5. Job security

6. Local vs global market

7. Lower debt

8. Seller's market

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Same Game, New Rules in Real Estate

The state of today’s market has resulted in a change in how the real estate industry is conducting business. The 8 new rules are:

_________ _________,

Credit Challenges

Global Market

_____________

_____________

Uncertainty ____

Generations

____________ Networking

REALTOR® =

____________ __________

__________ & ___________

Marketing

___________ / ____________

Market

The New Rules in

Real Estate

Dealing with 4 different generations Seniors/Traditionalists – born before 1945 Boomers – after 1945 to 1965 Generation X – 1966 -1978 Generation Y – 1979 – 1995 In Canada the two biggest populations are the Baby Boomers and Generation Y they balance each other. Generation X is a small group. ** According to Stats Canada, as of July 1, 2008, the median age of Canada's population was 39 years. There are now 4.2 million Canadians age 65 and over – about 1 in 7 people. By 2026, it is estimated that it will be 1 in 5.

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Playing by the New Rules… and Winning There are things you can do to today to grow your business in this shifting market without taking more time and money; steps you can take to dramatically improve your results for the business. You can play by the new rules and still win if you follow these 5 steps:

1. Stay focused

2. Differentiate yourself

3. Be a problem solver

4. Balance your activities

5. Face to face contact

Stay Focused

In a shifting economy, the key to success is to stay focused, be proactive, and keep a steady flow of the right prospects entering your pipeline. 2009 is the year that everyone is going back to the basics.

Create a business plan: A business plan is your road map for your success. It sets the tone and direction for your business, by listing the objectives and goals you want to achieve. It and allows you to make the necessary calculations to develop an action plan for achieving those goals.

Already have a business plan? Re-visit it! It's always a good idea to do a "pulse-check."

Are you still on track for achieving your goals and objectives? Does your plan need to be adjusted to bring it in line with the current state of the market?

Note: A business plan is a living document; it can be changed based on the current market conditions.

A great strategy that you might want to consider is to create a short-term plan (90 days) that connects to your long-term business strategy. By creating a short-term (90 day) plan, the goals become more attainable. This allows you to redefine your actions and gain clarity on exactly how many calls you need to make, how many meetings with prospective clients you need to schedule, and the number of business transactions required to achieve your goals.

Your business plan should: 1. Be Clear: clearly identify the situation or your objectives you want to focus on.

2. Create possibilities: What objective would be the easiest to do? What will have the most impact on your business today and still bear fruit for future transactions?

3. Spark action: What activities can you do to obtain your objectives that you want? Create a schedule of activities that you can do during a period of time.

Stay Focused

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Measure Your Performance Be sure to measure your performance & track your results against your goals on a regular basis. This will help you ensure that you are on track.

“When performance is measured, performance improves.”

~ Dirk Zeller

Establish Your Audience Once you’ve outlined your objectives and goals, you can then determine what market(s) you should tap into to best achieve them. This is your target audience.

By choosing a market to focus on, you can target your marketing message to speak directly to them, rather than using generalizations.

A targeted marketing message has a greater impact, and it is more time and cost efficient to distribute your messaging to a specific audience.

Qualify your leads Another time saving activity is to qualify your leads by asking the important questions up front.

Are they already working with a REALTOR®? What is their desired/required time frame for transacting? What price range are they looking for? Have they been pre-approved for a mortgage?

Royal LePage Resources available to help you stay focused:

Workshops & Designations1: • Power Planning – build your business plan with the assistance of an

experienced facilitator • Seniors Real Estate Specialist designation training • Certified Luxury Home Marketing designation training

Qualify Your Prospects Grid

“Marketing plan – it’s a moving target. I have great plans and so few of them get executed. Like most REALTORS®, I wear too many hats and am not focused long enough on one priority to see it to completion.” ~ Jennifer Rockburne, Sales Representative, Mississauga, Ontario

1 For information on bringing Workshops or designations to your area, see your Broker/Manager

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Differentiate Yourself

Start with your Unique Value Proposition (UVP) – what sets you apart from your competition? Now more than ever, you need to make everyone aware of exactly what you bring to the

table to make you the best REALTOR® to represent your prospective clients’ needs. Again, having a business plan and establishing a target audience will help you, since the

more you know about your target audience, the better you can meet their needs. Examine your assets and resources. Some of these will be givens, such as:

As part of the Royal LePage family, you’re associated with a strong brand. You have access to Platinum tools & resources (Marketing Centre and RLP Network) that

put you ahead of the competition. Our commitment to training and development means that you always have the

opportunity to increase your Skills and knowledge & earn industry-specific designations that can help you better serve your clients.

You are an expert in the real estate industry, and are therefore the best person to offer advice. In addition to this, access to industry resources allows you to analyze the market and guide your clients accordingly.

What else sets you apart from your competition?

In today’s economy REALTORS® need to identify both their UVP (Unique Value Proposition) and CPD (Compelling Points of Difference). CPD is a three-point plan:

a) “define yourself not by what you sell, but by how you help your target customers in a compelling way;

b) make a list of all the help they need in any way is related to what your business offers;

c) define how you can deliver better value than your competitors.”2 When a sales person starts engaging the top of his/her sales funnel, a different kind of conversation is required. It’s not about marketing – it’s about giving value to your target market when they aren’t in immediate need of your services. (Example: tips for increasing the value of their home, market updates, etc)

2 Canadian Professional Sales Association (CPSA, p.20-21, 2008)

Differentiate Yourself

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Unique Value Proposition

When developing and outlining your UVP, there are some important questions that you should ask yourself.

• When you answer them, don’t give one or two words. Instead, sit down and think about it so that you can get to the core of your service offering.

• The answers you give will form the basis of your marketing message.

1. _________ am I? • In the book The Champion Real Estate

Agent, Dirk Zeller talks about building value with the Buyer. In doing so, it’s important to “identify and define your points of difference”3 and this is what you need to do when answering the question of who am I?

2. What do I _____? • When answering this question, try to “identify and define your specific services.”

3. Why does it ______________ ? • When answering this question, illustrate "specific client benefits" and “define the

value of your service.”

4. What am I saying about _______________? • How does your service offering reflect upon you, and why are you the right person to

deliver your brand of service?

5. ________ am I ____________ _____ _____? • When establishing your audience, consider your ideal client. It should reflect both

the type of person you want to work with, and the sector of the market that will best help you achieve the goals and objectives you've laid out in your business plan. Be specific. Include demographic information such as age, income level, etc and personal information such as interests.

6. __________ am I saying it? • Your UVP, like the market, and like your business plan, is a living thing, and the

conditions of the market may influence both what your UVP is and how you plan to deliver it. It is something that may change and evolve over time.

7. Why should buyers and sellers do business with me over any and every option available to them? • When answering this question, include “specific examples and stories of success,”

and “share your performance record including testimonials.” Outline exactly what kind of results a client can expect when dealing with you.

3 Zeller, Dirk: The Champion Real Estate Agent

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Skills Development

Real estate gurus like Brian Buffini and Dirk Zeller are big advocates of self-development. Since these are changing times, perhaps it’s time to update our knowledge, skills and attitude to increase business. As a Platinum member you have access to resources to assist you in self-development. RLP University offers online courses that can improve your soft skills, computer skills, and even earn an industry designation.

Royal LePage Resources available to help you differentiate yourself:

RLP University – increase your knowledge base • Become an Accredited Green Agent™ or Accredited Green Broker™ with

NAGAB • Negotiating, Time Management, Microsoft courses & more

Go to: www.rlpnetwork.com > REALTORS® > Increase Your Skills > RLP University

Use the Campaign Management System (CMS tool) in the Marketing Centre to stay in touch with prospects and your Sphere of Influence • How is this a differentiator? Most REALTORS® do not stay in touch with

clients after-closing. If you are the person staying in touch and delivering valuable information on a regular basis, you will stand out from your competition.

Go to: www.rlpnetwork.com > REALTORS® > Marketing Centre > Access Marketing Centre > Campaigns

Royal LePage Shelter Foundation – by giving back to your community, you can build good will among prospects and potential sources of referral business. • 80% of consumers said it’s important even during a recession for

companies to set aside money for social purposes4 Go to: www.rlpnetwork.com > REALTORS® > Support the Shelter Foundation

4 Edelman: Global “Goodpurpose Study” conducted August – October 2008 in 10 Countries (US, UK, Brazil, Canada, France, India, China, Japan, Italy and Germany)

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Be a Problem Solver According to a recent article from CPSA.com, Painting the Big Picture: a Kinder, Gentler Breed of Sales Professional (Winter 2009), “customers … want to deal with a professional who actually listens to their issues and helps solve a problem.” Modern salespeople aren’t closers – they’re problem solvers. The Internet has made information readily available to the contemporary real estate consumer. Details that were once the sole domain of real estate professionals can now be found at the click of a mouse. So, if you are no longer the main source of real estate information, how can you bring value to today's informed consumer?

Be a wealth of the right information. Educate and remind prospective buyers and sellers of the positives during this time.

Lately, the media has been painting a dismal picture of the economy and our industry. Real estate professionals need to be the voice of reason and understanding. Your job is to deliver value by evaluating and analyzing the information to help your prospects see and act upon the facts, not the media hype.

Some information you can provide to assist prospective clients: • Information about Government grants to homeowners and home buyers • Resources and advice on financing for prospective buyers • Tips to increase the value of their home –home improvements can give homeowners

a competitive edge with a smaller pool of prospective buyers • Links to details about the new federal home renovation tax credit (HRTC)

Solidify your database: find out more about the needs of your SOI – What are their current challenges and what issues are they facing? Help them achieve their goals and objectives, and they will remember you for it.

Here’s a wonderful example to illustrate how one Royal LePage REALTOR® found her niche and became a problem solver. Samantha Hewit was featured in the Globe and Mail in Jan 2009. The full article is included in the resource kit for your reference, below is an excerpt.

Globe and Mail Article – Jan 23, 2009 From Buddies to Buyers Twenty something urbanites who don't want to wait to start building equity team up with friends to purchase their first homes … …Samantha Hewit of Royal LePage Signature Realty has helped several pairs of friends buy houses together. Ms. Hewit, who is also in her 20s, observes that the phenomenon seems unique to her generation. . Her own mother, she laughs, probably finds the idea "completely ridiculous."

Be a Problem Solver

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Balance your activities

Balance is the key…

Marketing is most effective when it’s targeted, but that doesn’t mean you should be putting all of your eggs in one basket. A solid marketing strategy includes a number of marketing activities, using a variety of media (online, print, word of mouth, etc). A winning marketing strategy includes a balanced mix.

Lead Generation sources One of the biggest sources of leads in any market is your database, or your Sphere of Influence.

In 2008 63% of buyers and 71% of sellers either found agent through referral or they were a repeat client5

This means CRM activities are crucial – these leads are yours to lose

BUT… Looking at this statistic another way, that means that 37% of buyers and 29% of sellers

are still up for grabs Prospecting is still a necessity – we don’t want to let any leads slip through our fingers

Dirk Zeller explains that REALTORS® should have 3 different prospecting and lead generation sources in order to maximize your lead generation potential.6 So, if your Sphere of Influence is one of the 3 sources, what other sources can you tap into in finding prospects? The following pages outline some options for both online and offline lead generation sources.

5 National Association of REALTORS®, 2008 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers 6 Zeller, Dirk: The Champion Real Estate Agent

Balance Your Activities

1. Sphere of Influence

3. 2.

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Online Marketing

In 2008, ______% of buyers used the Internet to search for homes – this is a lead generation source that is much too large to overlook. Online marketing has become a standard part of doing business these days, to the point where online sources such as your websites and MLS can now be called ‘traditional’ sources, and are an integral part of our online marketing mix.

Even online lead generation services like those offered by House Values, HomeGain or our very own GetHomes.ca have become household words for many REALTORS®.

But, in a changing world, we also need to look for different and innovative ways to market ourselves and our inventory online.

Social Networking Sites The explosion of Social Networking has changed the way the younger consumers (Generation X & Y) are conducting business. Social network contacts can be a new source for prospecting.

LinkedIn A great online social networking site for professionals. Share ideas, ask questions, and make connections with professionals from numerous industries, including real estate.

Facebook & MySpace

What started as sites geared mainly toward teens have now been embraced by people of all ages. Many REALTORS® have created professional profiles and have used these sites to stay in touch with and expand their SOI. Tip: If you use these sites for both professional and personal reasons, it’s always a good idea to keep 2 separate profiles - one personal with privacy settings high enough to prevent anyone not on your friends list from seeing your personal details and memories, and one professional profile visible to everyone.

Twitter Another social networking source which allows you to post short updates frequently. You can use this to notify everyone of listings as they become available or provide real estate related tips, statistics, etc on the fly.

YouTube Many REALTORS® have used YouTube to post virtual tours of their listings, some have created promotional videos or amateur commercial spots to promote their services, some make community videos for their farm areas, etc

Online Classified Sites

CraigsList, Kijiji, LiveDeal & Google Base

These sites offer a free place to view and submit listings. REALTORS® who use this service are finding is that it’s a great way to catch potential inquiries on their listings that above and beyond MLS.ca, rlp.ca and their own individual or office website.

eBay We’ve even seen some innovative REALTORS® who list homes on eBay – they advertise it with a reserve bid equal to the listing price.

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Blogs Blogs are a great place to generate and capture inquiries online and establish yourself as

an industry expert. Blogging is easy and it’s a fantastic way to provide new information that keeps people coming back to your website.

The key to effectively using a blog is to use relevant information, and to update regularly. Remember that blogging takes time and if you aren't consistent with the timing of your posts, you will lose readers.

.

67% of REALTORS® are part of an online social network.7

Offline Marketing

Going back to the concept of not putting all your eggs in one basket, we don’t want to ignore offline activities and tools when devising our marketing mix. Some people shy away from offline marketing because these activities generally tend to cost us money.

BUT If we target our marketing to an audience that can help us achieve the goals and

objectives set out in our business plan, then we can also take a focused approach to our marketing and spend our marketing dollars efficiently.

It’s okay to spend money if you’re doing it wisely and it helps you meet your long term goals.

Some offline marketing activities and tools Newspaper advertising Word of Mouth – in person networking Newsletters – stay in touch with your SOI Personal Notes/Greeting Cards – build and maintain relationships Open Houses Feature Sheets Kiosks in Malls Personal Brochures – outline your UVP Lawn Signs – leverage sign riders

If we balance our activities between leveraging our Sphere of Influence, trying new online approaches to generating leads and taking a targeted approach to the offline marketing we use, we can build our business regardless of the state of the market, and without breaking our marketing budgets.

7 Real Trends, Nov 2008

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Marketing Mix – Quick Guide

Online Offline Your website – online listings Newsletters

MLS Personal Notes/Greeting Cards

Social networking & media sites: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, MySpace

Newspaper advertising

Online classified sites: Craigslist, LiveDeal.ca, Google Base, Ebay

Kiosks

Blogs – create your own and become the local real estate expert

Lawn signs

Royal LePage Resources available to help you balance your activities:

Buffini 100 Days to Greatness training Work your database and build the referral side of your business – see your broker/manager for details See your broker/manager for details

BYOB – Build Your Own Brand campaign Advertising tools to help you create an integrated multimedia marketing campaign. Includes: customizable print, web, radio, and television components Also included: Brand Quick Tips and some best practices to help you market yourself better. Go to: www.rlpnetwork.com > REALTORS® > Advertising

Press Releases Royal LePage is “The Voice of Canadian Real Estate” – include this fact as part of your UVP! The information in our press releases can help you establish credibility with prospects and also makes great copy for your newsletters and ongoing communication with your SOI. Go to: www.royallepage.ca > Press Releases

Get Homes An online lead generation service available exclusively to Royal LePage REALTORS®. Due to the need to ensure that enough leads can be generated to sustain the number of REALTORS® on the program, GetHomes is available in select locations. Go to: www.rlpnetwork.com > REALTORS® > Get Homes

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Face to Face Contact Question: When following up with a buyer lead, what is the objective of your phone call?

Answer: Face to Face Contact. In order to bring someone on board as a client, you first need to make an appointment with them. We are in a people business – face to face contact will always be our best approach. Where is the best place to have this contact occur? What is the ideal location for your appointment?

1. _____ __________ _________________ – this gives you ‘home field’ advantage and is the ideal location for first face-to-face contact. Your prospects know what the advantage of this location is to you, but what you need to do is communicate the benefits to them of meeting at this location so that they'll agree to do so.

Benefits: ___________________________________________

___________________________________________

___________________________________________

___________________________________________ If you can’t get them to agree to that location, what’s the next best option?

2. ______ ____ _______________ __________ If they won’t agree to a neutral location, what’s the next best option?

3. ______ _________ _________________ ___________ If they prefer not to meet at that location, what is the next best option?

4. ______ __________ __________________ ___________________ – The downside to this option is that the buyer tends to associate you with the property. In their eyes, you are selling that property, when what you are actually selling is your services.

As Dirk Zeller says you sell Representation Services8. By agreeing to meet them at the listed property, without first trying to get them to agree to one of the other 3 options, you could be missing out on an opportunity to get buy-in on your service offering. So, how do you avoid this trap? The answer is simple. Always ASK for what you want, rather than letting the prospect lead the conversation.

8 Zeller, Dirk: The Champion Real Estate Agent

Face to Face Contact

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Royal LePage Resources available for use in Face to Face appointments:

Royal LePage customizable PowerPoint presentations FSBO System (Presentation and Marketing Materials) Buyer Presentation Listing Presentation Carriage Trade Presentation

Go to: www.rlpnetwork.com > REALTORS® > Sales Tools

Royal LePage Marketing Centre – create marketing pieces to leave behind with your prospects when you meet them. Two great pieces to bring to an appointment with a prospective buyer are:

Prospect Management Campaign for buyers Personal Brochures

Go to: www.rlpnetwork.com > REALTORS® > Marketing Centre > Access Marketing Centre > Design Gallery

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Royal LePage Tools to Help You Get Back to Basics

Royal LePage Marketing Centre Tools

Web Commercials

Use multimedia to outline your UVP using one of our professionally designed templates which incorporate Flash animation and music. Ideas: “5 Ways I can Help You Find the Right Home” or “6 Things to Look For when Viewing Homes”

Login to www.rlpnetwork.com > REALTORS® > Marketing Centre > Access Marketing Centre > Design Centre > Design Gallery > English > Web Commercials

Newsletters

Provide valuable information with the Fixed-text newsletter that is updated with fresh content quarterly and consistently features articles with market updates, home improvement, home décor, etc, OR Use the Create-text (customizable) print or e-Newsletters to create monthly communications. Available in print or e-Newsletter format.

Login to www.rlpnetwork.com > REALTORS®> Marketing Centre > Access Marketing Centre > Design Centre > Design Gallery > English > Newsletters

Shelter Foundation

Let prospective clients know about your commitment to the community with marketing templates specific to the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation. We currently have Postcards, Greeting Cards and eCards available for your use.

Login to www.rlpnetwork.com > REALTORS® > Marketing Centre > Access Marketing Centre > Design Centre > Design Gallery > English > Shelter Foundation

NAGAB

Take advantage of “Green” real estate oriented templates in the Marketing Centre to advertise your Accredited Greenagent™ or Greenbroker™ status, or to let people know that you are a member of NAGAB – The National Association of Green Agents and Brokers Login to www.rlpnetwork.com > REALTORS® > Marketing Centre > Access Marketing Centre > Design Centre > Design Gallery > English > NAGAB

Personal Brochures

Create a brochure outlining your services and your UVP using one of two professionally designed templates. You have your choice of bi-fold or tri-fold format.

Login to www.rlpnetwork.com > REALTORS® > Marketing Centre > Access Marketing Centre > Design Centre > Design Gallery > English > Personal Brochures

Prospect Management Campaigns

A full-colour series of 6 ‘checklists’ that walk through the buying/selling process from start to finish. A great drip marketing tool for incubating buyer leads.

Login to www.rlpnetwork.com > REALTORS® > Marketing Centre > Access Marketing Centre > Design Centre > Design Gallery > English > Campaigns > Prospect Management

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RLP Network Tools

The Red Market

The Red Market is dedicated to providing you with the best Royal LePage branded products to help you market, prospect and manage your business.

Royal LePage branded clothing Print Materials Gifts for pop-bys or closings Etc.

Login to www.rlpnetwork.com > Suppliers > The Red Market > Access the Red Market

RLP TV

Professionally produced short online TV clips that offer useful information about buying, selling and home ownership. Share the videos with prospects or SOI by emailing the link or embedding the videos into your personal website. RLP TV is a great way to take advantage of the latest technology at no cost to you.

Login to www.rlpnetwork.com > REALTORS® > Advertising > RLP TV

Magazine Series

Style at Home, Canadian Gardening & Canadian Home Workshop Keep your name top of mind throughout the year by sending out personalized magazine subscriptions to your clients, prospects, partners or contacts.

Login to www.rlpnetwork.com > Suppliers > Magazine Subscriptions

Review Today, we examined 5 simple steps that you can take to build your business and remain successful even in a shifting market. They are:

1. Stay focused

2. Differentiate yourself

3. Be a problem solver

4. Balance your activities

5. Face to face contact

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Marketing Centre Practice Session

Access the Marketing Centre

1. Go to www.rlpnetwork.com and enter your username and password.

2. Click the Realtors tab in the top navigation.

3. Click Marketing Centre (left hand side navigation).

4. Click (link at bottom of main content window.

5. The Marketing Centre will open up in a new window – maximize the window by clicking the button next to the X at the top, right-hand side of your window.

Check your Marketing Centre Profile

1. Click Profile.

2. Click the link below Contact Information and edit the fields. a) Add your Title (i.e. "Sales Representative" – check with your board regulations) b) Add/format your Phone Numbers. Note: the way it appears in the box is the way it

appears in print, so include formatting such as ( ) and - (519) 123-4567 c) Click Save (bottom right)

3. Click the link below Office Information and edit the fields. a) Enter your individual or office Website Address (e.g. www.ISellHomes.com) b) Click Save (bottom right)

4. Click the link below Photo. a) If your photo is there, great! b) If not, you will have to upload your photo when you return to your office or home

Getting help along the way

User guides are available in the RLP Network > Help > User Guides or on the Marketing Centre home page

The Royal LePage Customer Care Centre can be reached Monday to Friday, 9AM to 6PM EST at 1-877-757-4545 or [email protected].

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Note: In this user guide, any text appearing in Courier Font represents text that you can/should be typing in to your project.

Web Commercials

Step One: Choose the design you want to build.

1. Click Design Centre in the main navigation menu at the top left of the Marketing Centre.

2. Click Design Gallery to access all the available templates/designs.

3. Click the English folder to see the English language designs.

4. Click the Web Commercial folder.

5. Click the Select link (under the template of your choice) to begin building the Web Commercial.

Note: Each Web Commercial can hold 3, 5 or 6 pages depending on the template you pick.

3 Pages 6 Pages 5 Pages

For today's training session, please select THIS template.

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Step Two: Name and organize your Project.

1. Click the Project Name field, then type a name for your Web Commercial (e.g. “Web Comm-Helping You…Buy”).

2. Skip the Project Description field. It does not appear in your project and is usually only used to make notes about your project for your reference.

3. In the Select Subject Folder box, click <New Subject Folder>.

4. Click the Subject Folder Name field and type "Web Commercials." • Note: Once you have created a folder, you must click on it's name in the Select

Subject Folder field, rather than typing it in the Subject Folder Name field.

5. Click Save. At any time during the creation process click Preview to see the content and photo layout.

Page One – User Contact Information

1. Enter/verify your contact information in the boxes provided.

2. Click Next.

Page Two – Agent Photo

1. If you see your photo in place and you are happy with its appearance, click Next. 2. If you do not see your photo or wish to replace it with another one, click Upload Image.

3. Click Browse and locate your photo (in .jpg, .gif, .png format) on your computer.

4. Click the photo name > Open.

5. Click Send File.

6. If your photo does not have the proper width-height ratio, a cropping tool will open for you. a) Hover your mouse over the corners/edges of the cropping/re-sizing frame, then click

and drag the frame edges so that the frame encloses the part of your photo you wish to display on your marketing piece.

b) Click Crop > Save.

7. Some templates have 2 user photos. If you appear again in the second photo position, click Delete Image to remove the duplicate (or repeat steps 2-6 to replace the second instance of your photo with the second agent’s photo.)

8. Click Next.

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Page Three – Text

1. Click View Layout to see a preview of the Web Commercial with all fields labelled. This allows you to see where your comments will appear based on what field you type them in. The following items will appear: • Introduction 1: Type: "Helping you is what we do." • Introduction 2: Type: "Helping you buy the right home." • Closing Quote 1: Type: "Get a qualified professional working for

you! Call today."

• Disclaimer 1 - If you are located in Ontario, and it's not already in the Company Name field in your profile, type “Brokerage.” If you are in Quebec, type, “Courtier immobilier agréé.” All other provinces can leave the field blank.

2. To enter your comments, you can choose from two different methods depending on your situation. a) You can type in your desired comments in the blank field. This option is always

available to you. b) You can use the Phrase Assistant, which stores your previously used terms and

expressions as well as some suggested Generic Phrases. To use this option, click the “P” icon beside the blank field you want to enter your comments into and choose from the available options and click Save to close the phrase assistant and return to the Text page.

3. Note that the “ABC” button is a spell-checker.

4. Note the character count and maximum characters allowed at the bottom of each text box.

5. When you have entered all your information, click Next.

Page Four, Onward– View 1, 2, 3, etc.

There are two ways you can add pictures to a project in the Marketing Centre: by uploading your own photos, or using the Image Assistant to access one of approximately 1000 stock photos available for your use.

To access the stock photos from the Image Assistant:

1. Click the Image Asst. button beside the Photo 1 field. The Image Assistant window will open up. It may take a few moments to load.

2. Click on the Stock Images folder. You will see a number of sub-folders. The library of stock photos is divided into a number of categories.

3. Navigate through the sub-folders to find the images that you wish to add to your project. To insert the image, click the Select link below the thumbnail of the image.

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5. Enter text in the Highlight 1 field, by either typing it in, or by clicking the “P” icon to use the Phrase Assistant. Below are examples of what you can type into each field for a Web Commercial outlining how you can help a prospective buyer.

View 1, Highlight 1: What can I offer you as a Royal LePage REALTOR® to help you buy your new home?

View 2, Highlight 1: You'll have the expertise of Canada's leading Real Estate Company working on your behalf.

View 3, Highlight 1: As a Royal LePage REALTOR®, I am provided with on-going training in negotiation.

View 4, Highlight 1: I, and the entire team at my office, are committed to the highest possible standards.

View 5, Highlight 1: I can leverage the latest technology to help you find the right home.

6. Click Next and repeat the previous steps until you have entered all your photos and comments. Then click Save.

Alternate text ideas: For a web commercial about the latest Federal Tax Credit.

Remark 1 (located on Page 3 – Text): Helping you take advantage of the new Federal Home Renovation Tax Credit

View 1, Highlight 1: Thinking of doing renovations this year? You can take advantage of the NEW tax credit of up to $1350 from the federal government.

View 2, Highlight 1: Is it time for a bathroom renovation? The tax credit is applicable.

View 3, Highlight 1: It's applicable for installing a new addition or simply adding new insulation to be more energy efficient.

View 4, Highlight 1: Building a new deck? Yes, it's applicable.

View 5, Highlight 1: Updating the look of the kitchen? Kitchen renovations are also eligible for the tax credit.

Our sample was created using THIS template

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To add your own images to your project, using the Upload Images button:

1. Click the Upload Image button beside the Photo 1 field.

2. Click Browse… and locate your photo (in .jpg, .gif, .png format), then click the photo name.

3. Click Open, then click Send File.




5. Enter text in the Highlight 1 field, by either typing it in, or by clicking the “P” icon to use the Phrase Assistant.

6. Click Next and repeat the previous steps until you have entered all your photos and comments. Then click Save.

Note: You can upload several images at the same time by first zipping the images together. For information on how to do this, see the user guide titled: Uploading Photos and the Image Assistant, available on the Marketing Centre home page.

Preview Your Web Commercial

1. Click the Preview button on the Project Overview page to view your completed Web Commercial.

2. When you’re done checking your project, close the preview window.

3. If you wish to make changes to your Web Commercial click Edit and make your changes.

Host Your Web Commercial

Once you have built your Web Commercial, you can host it. Hosting a Web Commercial will create a link that others can click on to view the web commercial.

Use to embed the commercial on your own website, or email it to your contacts. Some savvy REALTORS® even add an extra line to their email signature with a link to a

Web Commercial marketing their services. This way anyone who gets an email from you can click to find out more about what you can do for them.

To host your Web Commercial: 1. Click the Host button on the Project Overview page. It may take a few

2. Scroll to the bottom of the page, where your Hosting tab should be open. You will see a red hyperlink to your Web Commercial (e.g. http://client.rlp.imprev.net/21/476/476.swf)

3. To copy the link for pasting on to a website or into an email, right-click the link and select Copy Location from the menu that appears.

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About Hosting

Hosting Tab:

The Hosting tab displays information about web and email hosting as well as hosting space usage information on a project-specific basis. Under Hosting, there are 3 sub-tabs: Web, Email, and Hosting Space.

The Web sub-tab (depicted above) displays the hosted URL, file size, and data hosted. There are 3 buttons within the Web sub-tab: Preview, Remove, & Statistics.

• Preview: From here you can to preview the hosted project for proofreading and confirmation purposes.

• Remove: If you no longer wish to host the project you can remove the file from the hosting environment. This will free up more of your available hosting space.

Statistics: Displays Traffic Analysis Statistics for that particular project. Data available includes traffic analysis (total, daily, and hourly hits and volume), location analysis (hits by city), hits by referring web sites, hits by search engine, and hits by browser type. If no statistics are available, there is a link to sample data so you can see what type of data will be available within a day after the hosted project has been viewed. Statistics are updated nightly.

The Email sub-tab displays the hosted URL, the file size, and data hosted. It has preview and remove functions.

The Hosting Space sub-tab displays a summary of your hosting allowance, including total space allowed, space used, and space available. • All Royal LePage Marketing Centre accounts have 250MB hosting capacity. This

allows you to host a large number of projects, but remember that each project you wish to email or link from other websites requires hosting space. Be aware of your limit and manage your hosting accordingly by removing old projects from the hosting space.

• If you find you are running out of hosting space, click the Hosting Overview link in your Portfolio and remove any old projects that no longer need to be hosted from the hosting environment.

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Print Newsletters (fixed text)



2. Click Design Gallery to access all the available marketing designs/templates.

3. Click the English folder to see the English language templates.

4. Click the Newsletters folder.

5. Click the Print Newsletters subfolder.

6. Click the Fixed Text subfolder.

7. Click the Select link to begin building the seasonal print newsletter.


1. Give your project a name by typing it in the Project Name field. (e.g. “2009 Spring Newsletter”)



4. Click the Subject Folder Name field and type "Print Newsletters." • Note: Once you have created a folder, you must click on it's name in the Select


5. Click Save.



2. Click Next.

Page Two – User Photo(s)




5. Click Send File.

6. If your photo does not have the proper width-height ratio, a cropping tool will open for you.

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a) Hover your mouse over the corners/edges of the cropping/re-sizing frame, then click and drag the frame edges so that the frame encloses the part of your photo you wish to display on your marketing piece.



8. Click Next.

Page Three – Text

1. Click the View Layout button to see a preview of the Print Newsletter that indicates where your comments will appear based on what field you type them in. The following items will appear: • Headline 1 • Remark 1 • Disclaimer 1 - If you are located in Ontario, and it's not already in the Company

Name field in your profile, type “Brokerage.” If you are in Quebec, type, “Courtier immobilier agréé.” All other provinces can leave the field blank.

2. To enter your comments, you can choose from two different methods depending on your situation. a) You can type in your desired comments in the blank field. This option is always

available to you. b) You can use the Phrase Assistant, which stores your own personal commonly used

terms and expressions as well as some suggested Generic Phrases. To use this option, click the “P” icon beside the blank field you want to enter your comments into and choose from the available options and click Save to close the phrase assistant and return to the Text page.



5. When you have entered all your information, click Next.

Preview Your Newsletter

1. Click the Preview button on the Project Overview page to view your completed Newsletter.


3. If you wish to make changes to your Newsletter, click Edit and make your changes.

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Print Your Newsletter

Click Print Options and choose from one of the two options:

Download: Lets you download a high quality PDF file version of your marketing piece that you can either print yourself, e-mail to your office for them to print, or e-mail to a local printer in town. There are three choices within the Download Options page: Standard Print Options, Advanced Print Options, and Save for WWW/Email. Only the first 2 choices relate to printing.

Standard Print Option: The Standard Print Option provides the ability to download and save a PDF of any print. Advanced Print Options: These options include one-up, full-bleed, and crop marks.

One-up printing: Forces a single copy of the document per piece of paper even if it is possible to fit more than one copy on the same piece of paper. (For example, a postcard which normally prints 2 per page.)

Full-bleed printing: Distributes ink all the way to the edges of the paper. There are options for no bleed, ¼” bleed, and ½” bleed.

Crop marks: Prints cross-hairs on the four corners of a document to indicate where to trim the bleed.

Colour Tech; Building better business through experience. As Canada’s preferred supplier for Real Estate needs, Colour Tech Marketing Inc. provides high-quality digital colour printing service. Helping you reach your clients effectively, efficiently and professionally. Colour Tech offers: Quick turnaround, one and two sided full colour printing, card and paper stocks available by product, minimum quantities as low as 25 & direct, first-class mailing service available for your uploaded contact list.

1. Click the Continue with Print Job button.

2. Select a paper stock using the radio buttons.

3. Type the # representing your desired quantity.

4. Click Preview Your Order to see the price and confirm your general and shipping information.

5. Click Confirm Order and Proceed to Payment. 6. Review the final bill, then enter your billing address and credit card

information and click Finalize Order.

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Shelter Foundation Postcards



2. Click Design Gallery to access all the available marketing designs/templates.

3. Click the English folder to see the English language templates.

4. Click the Shelter Foundation folder.

5. Click the Campaigns subfolder.

6. Click the Postcards subfolder.

7. Click the Create Text subfolder to choose the customizable postcard.

8. Click the Select link to begin building the Shelter Foundation postcard.


1. Give your project a name by typing it in the Project Name field. (e.g. “Shelter Postcard Spring 2009”)



4. Click the Subject Folder Name field and type "Shelter Foundation." • Note: Once you have created a folder, you must click on it's name in the Select


5. Click Save.



2. Click Next.

Page Two – User Photo(s)




5. Click Send File.

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8. Click Next.

Page Three – Text

1. Click the View Layout button to see a preview of the Postcard that indicates where your comments will appear on the finished product. The following fields are available • Remark 1 – enter text to appear on the back of your postcard for your recipients to

read. For example:

Tired of clutter? Want to do some spring cleaning? Need a way to get rid of old CDs, outgrown toys, or your porcelain doll collection? The Royal LePage Shelter Foundation "National Garage Sale for Shelter" is coming to your neighbourhood, May 23. Watch your inbox for information on how to donate.

• Disclaimer 1 - If you are located in Ontario, and it's not already in the Company

Name field in your profile, type “Brokerage.” If you are in Quebec, type, “Courtier immobilier agréé.” All other provinces can leave the field blank.

2. You can also choose to use the Phrase Assistant, which stores your own personal commonly used terms and expressions as well as some suggested Generic Phrases. To use this option, click the “P” icon beside the blank field you want to enter your comments into and choose from the available options and click Save to close the phrase assistant and return to the Text page.



5. When you have entered all your information, click Save.

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Preview Your Postcard

1. Click the Preview button on the Project Overview page to view your completed Postcard.


3. If you wish to make changes to your Postcard, click Edit and make your changes

Email Your Postcard

To email your project, click the Email button from the Project Overview page. When you click the Email button, you will have 3 options: EZ-Mail, EZ-Mail Pro, and ROI Pro.

EZ-Mail: This option lets you quickly send the project to your own email address for forwarding to contacts in your own email client software. The project will be sent to the email address in your user profile. EZ-Mail does not have an option to send the project to any email address other than your own. The email is sent immediately without confirmation.

1. Click the Email button.

2. Select the first option: EZ-Mail and click Next. 3. Click Email, then click Done. You should receive your email within a few minutes

(maximum 30).

EZ-Mail Pro: This option enables you to send the project to up to 50 people, whether or not their email address has been added to your Marketing Centre Address Book.


2. Select the second option: EZ-Mail Pro and click Next. Note: You must first complete your Marketing Centre Profile, in order to use this feature.

3. If this is your first time using this feature, read the Supplemental Terms of Use, select Yes and click Continue.

4. Enter an email Subject Line: e.g. "National Garage Sale For Shelter."

5. Specify Recipients. You can type, or paste addresses directly into the Recipients field,

or you can click the Address Book icon to add contacts from your Address Book.

6. Click Email, then click Done. You should receive your email within a few minutes (maximum 30).

7. EZ-Mail Pro requires you to approve a confirmation email before it will send your project to the recipients listed. This is sent to you within minutes of submitting the email.

ROI Pro: This option enables you to send the project to up to 1000 individual contacts and/or groups in your Marketing Centre Address Book. You cannot use ROI Pro to send to people who are not in your address book, however you can add contacts to your address book while in the process

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of sending an ROI Pro mailing without having to exit your project. ROI Pro also enables you track delivered emails including views, hard bounces and soft bounces.


2. Select the third option: ROI Pro and click Next. Note: You must first complete your Marketing Centre Profile, in order to use this feature.

3. If this is your first time using this feature, read the Supplemental Terms of Use, select Yes and click Continue.

4. Enter an email Subject Line: e.g. "National Garage Sale For Shelter."

5. The default send date is Now. To select a different send date, select Later, then choose

a Date and a Time for the email to be sent. (You can click on the icon to access a calendar for the date.) In the Confirm field, choose the date that you would like the delivery confirmation email sent to you. (Note: The time is always 1 hour earlier than the time of delivery, regardless of the date you choose.)

6. On the Select Group Recipients page select any groups you'd like to send your postcard to and click Next.

7. On the Select Contact Recipients page select any individual contacts you'd like to send your postcard to and click Next. (Note: If you select an individual contact who is already part of a selected group, he/she will only receive the mailing once.)

8. Click Email, then click Done. You should receive your email within a few minutes (maximum 30).

9. ROI Pro requires you to approve a confirmation email before it will send your project to the recipients listed. This is sent to you within minutes of submitting the email.

Confirming the Message Send for EZ-Mail Pro and ROI Pro 1. When you receive the confirmation email in your Inbox, open it and click the link to

confirm the dispatch/mailing.

2. On next screen, check the box and click Confirm.

3. Return to the Marketing Centre and click the Email tab at the bottom of the Project Overview page.

4. Hover your mouse over the project name under the Subject column (in this example: "July Newsletter from…") and you will see an info box pop up on your screen. (as illustrated above.) This box contains info to let you track delivery and views of your message.

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Learning Services Utilize and leverage new technologies that set you apart from your competitors.

Visit Learning Services’ home on the RLP Network for information and resources to help you to get started, stay current or accelerate your performance.

Go to: www.rlpnetwork.com > REALTORS® > Increase Your Skills

Training Survey

Please take a few moments to complete our training survey. This is your opportunity to provide feedback on our Workshops as well as the tools and services offered by Royal LePage, and help us ensure that our programs remain relevant.

To Access the Training Survey: Go to: www.rlpnetwork.com > REALTORS® > Increase Your Skills > Staying Current. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click the Training Survey link.

Certificate of Completion

If you would like to receive a certificate for completing today's REALTOR® Marketing Workshop, please email [email protected]. In your email, include the following:

The correct spelling of your name The location and date of the workshop you attended

realtor® marketing workshopdocs.rlpnetwork.com/rlpn/realtors/iys/workbookspring2009_en.pdfless...

Documents