Home > Blog > BL Company Blog

LogicClassroom: Leveraging the Sequoia Platform for Success!

Thanks to all who attended our online webinar last night, "Leveraging the Sequoia Platform for Success!". We were pleased to see such a great turnout.

Here are the slides from last night's LogicClassroom in case you missed out, or would just like a refresher on the material that was covered.

LogicClassroom - Leveraging Sequoia for Success

View more presentations from Boston Logic.

During the LogicClassroom, we took a tour of the Sequoia Dashboard, and covered some tips for users, brokers, and agents on how to make most out of the system. We also discussed the new Sidebar Widget, a recent feature launch for the Sequoia real estate website platform. Lastly, we discussed the Town Pages feature and their optimization, as well as covered some Social Media online marketing tools.

Most of the Sequoia LogicClassroom was in fact a demo on how to use our real estate website platform. If you are interested in the best-in-class Sequoia software, contact Bosoton Logic to schedule a product demo today!

LogicClassroom Announcement: Leveraging Sequoia for Success!

Have you noticed the major Sequoia feature upgrades during the past few months? Join us for our next LogicClassroom, where we'll take you on a tour of the most powerful and popular features of the system!

Boston Logic always updates its real estate web site design software to keep real estate brokerages and agents ahead of the online curve. Last December, we launched our new CRM component to track and manage leads and workflow within the Sequoia platform.

We'll take a look at some quick tips for using the CRM component, as well as some time saving, day-to-day tools for interacting with your clients. We'll also take a look at how the information uploaded to the platform could be used to get real time data about how your brokerages is performing, where your leads are coming from, and what is happening to those leads after your agents receive them.

We also launched a new feature for our Content Management System (CMS) called Sidebar Widgets. We'll show you how to use the Sidebar Widgets tool to customize your site even further, giving your users the most comfortable and enjoyable online experience possible.

Learn these handy tips for getting the most out of your Sequoia software from Boston Logic on March 8th at 5pm!

You are welcome to attend at the Boston Logic Office (view map) or participate through an online webinar at your convenience.

To attend, please contact Katrina at 617.266.9166 or by email at ksierant@bostonlogic.com. Please specify whether you will attend the class at our office or online.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Client Testimonial: Ryan Shilow

We recently launched a new site on our Sequoia real estate solution platform, www.reshilowinc.com. The broker, Ryan Shilow, provided us with a great testimonial for our product, so we thought we'd pass it along!

“I think that this website is revolutionary, and the quality of service is excellent. Upgrading to the Sequoia platform is by far one of the best investments I have ever made for my real estate business, because it is the best system while still keeping it simple. Other competitors try to cater to every real estate niche, where with Sequoia, by keeping the program simple, you allow the realtor to make the niche.

I also love how the CRM is integrated as part of your website. With Sequoia, you have a one-stop-shop, because when you are managing your clients, you are also working on your website. I considered a few other options and quotes from competitors, but I am happy with Boston Logic’s high product quality, and all-in-one package where I didn’t need to build everything from the ground up.

Lastly, my favorite feature of the platform would have to be the 100% MLS integration with my website. This allows my client to be the realtor; they can search properties and get information without the back and forth hassle with getting clients information from MLS. The whole process is more streamlined, and I can also see what my clients are doing and what properties they are looking at. This an excellent system with a great support staff working behind the scenes. Awesome product!”

- Ryan Shilow, Broker for RE Shilow Realty

Contact Boston Logic to get started on your own real estate website!

Client Praises Boston Logic: Thank You!

Boston Logic recently received a glowing letter of praise from a client, and wanted us to share their kind words with you. We're happy to oblige!

To: The Staff at Boston Logic

From: Jody Pattison, Tri-State Realty Group

I wanted to take a few minutes and let everyone know how happy I am with my website! When I came to Boston Logic a year ago; I was a little overwhelmed. I was on a budget and knew I had to watch every penny.

I had a few different options for websites that were cheaper but they didn't have all the extra bells and whistles that Boston Logic offers. So being a little apprehensive at first was a natural reaction for me. However, after a year of allowing the real estate website to do its job; I am now producing at least 10 legitimate leads a month.

Last weekend I was contacted randomly through the real estate website (while my office is completely shut down and under construction) I was asked to see a property in Newton. This was a randomly generated lead from the real estate website Boston Logic built. I closed the deal in 48 hours and will receive a commission of almost $10,000 for only a few hours of work. (I know I sound like a infomercial...)

If anyone that comes to you guys with doubts or is on the fence; please give them my contact information and I would be glad to meet up with them anywhere or just simply talk with them over the phone and explain exactly why they should choose your company.

Bottom Line: One deal pays for the website. Its a no-brainer...I can absolutely say that now. If someone is serious about their business; they can't be without a it. Why not go with the best?

Sincerely,

Jody Pattison
Tri-State Realty Group

Want to increase your leads and accelerate your deal flow? Contact Boston Logic today to see what we can do for you!

LogicClassroom Slides: Sequoia’s New CRM

Thanks so much to all who attended our most recent classroom on Tuesday evening on Sequoia's New CRM! If you missed the LogicClassroom, here are the presentation slides.

At the LogicClassroom, we learned that CRM stands for "Customer Relationship Manager", and how important it is for real estate agents and brokers to have a strong CRM system in place to manage their leads. We took a tour of the new CRM dashboard on Sequoia, and delved into just a few of the new components now available, including Event and Task Management. Our sales guy, Pat, demonstrated how brokers can see all leads and agent stats, which can help their brokerage running smoothly.

Logic classroom - Sequoia's New CRM

View more presentations from Boston Logic.

Along with using the CRM system itself, we also learned some important real estate website qualities that lead to CRM success. For example, did you know that websites with blogs get 88% more leads than those who do not blog? Additionally, social media presence has increasingly influenced business success - and if you aren't on Facebook, than you are missing out - real estate agents' market share is on Facebook, as over 37% of users are over the age of 35, and over 1/2 the users of Facebook are over 25. Which is just the rental and house-seeking market that is perfect for real estate agents!

Bottom Line: In order to achieve CRM success, you need to commit to the system. It may be difficult as there are those who are resistant to change, but utilizing the tools and data available to you in the Sequoia CRM system will help get all agents in the cloud and thus lead to a more successful business.

Want more information on Sequoia, or would you like to schedule your own demo of the system? Contact our sales team at sales@bostonlogic.com to get started, or give us a call at 617-266-9166.

Stay tuned to find out the topic on the next LogicClassroom, and how to sign up!

Boston Logic Attends Networking Events, October 2010

October was a busy month here at Boston Logic! We attended three large real estate conferences in October: the RE/MAX Fall Rally in Providence, the Inman Agent Reboot in Boston, and the Massachusetts Association of Realtors (MAR) Conference in Worcester.

The RE/MAX Fall Rally took place on October 6th in Providence, Rhode Island. What started as an early trip to set up at 7:00 a.m. became a great experience to reach out and talk to new client prospects. There was great discussion specifically around our Agent Sites, which are personalized web sites for individual agents on our Sequoia real estate website design platform.

We also talked about the importance of Search Engine Optimization, or SEO. We then attended the Inman Agent Reboot event which took place right in our backyard at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston. The conference was a full day event educating real estate agents on the importance of having a web presence, engaging with social media and SEO best practices. It was a great platform to discuss our offerings and specialties in real estate web design and marketing.

Our last conference this past month was the MAR Conference in Worcester, MA. Wielding sleek new company signage, Boston Logic set up for a great day of stimulating discussions on real estate and website design best practices. The trade show took place October 19th-20th, and attracted agents and brokers from all over Massachusetts. Additionally, Boston Logic President David Friedman gave a dynamic, in-depth presentation about Social Media for real estate marketing, and how you can use it to grow your business.

Interested in getting involved in the latest real estate marketing media, or are interested in strengthening your web presence with a new robust real estate website? Contact us today!

Why Real Estate Agents Need a Web Presence

For those of you who haven't latched on to our amazing new real estate agent sites, you may be wondering why you even need one. After all, you've gotten this far with your successful real estate business, why need an impressive web site for real estate internet marketing purposes at all?

Unfortunately, you may be missing out on potential leads - not only is the internet a prime source for potential buyers to find real estate, according to the Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers for 2009, 94% of people looking for a home use the internet for the home-buying process. So you need a website because the internet is where your market is going to find places and people like you!

If you're not convinced yet, here are some more reasons you should push for a new real estate website and engage in real estate SE O:

1) Buyers looking to the internet. As we mentioned, a whopping 94% of buyers are turning to the internet as their first means of search. Knowing this, will they be able to find you?

2) Real Estate SEO Ranking. It's not enough to just have a website. Users will most likely conduct a search with their search engine of choice, like Google. When they perform a search in your specialty or demographic, does your name pop up? Does it pop up before page 3? The more you optimize your website and blog with fresh content, the greater chance that you have to climb the rankings of search results.

3) You have a split second to make an impression. So a buyer has located your website through a search engine: now what? Do they stay and click around, or "bounce" off of your website? A real estate website design that outlines a company or agent's credentials and has helpful modal search windows is important. Your challenge is to keep viewers engaged and clicking through your website: so make sure you have professional images, a sleek format, and dynamic website content!

4) Advertise your website online. SEO is a great way to get started with your real estate online marketing strategy, but paid advertisements can get you even more exposure to your target market. You can use Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising, where you can have great control over who sees your ad for what keyword prompts. You also only pay per each click your ad receives, which would ideally be attracting those interested in your real estate services.

5) Generate leads online. The last major selling point is that just because you have a website, does not mean that you can expect qualified leads to come to you. You can liken this to a real estate agent sitting by the phone waiting for it to ring - it just doesn't happen! You need to not only find leads, but also convince the lead that you are the agent for them. You can recruit these leads online, and using a Boston Logic's cutting edge Real Estate Website can give you great efficiency with lead management.

Easily Persuaded?

Sometimes, someone comes along and tells you that they’ve solved all of your problems. It sounds like a great solution, it sounds like a good deal. STOP! Don't jump.

Every once in a while, someone pitches one of our clients and tells them that their solution is the best thing since sliced bread. Our clients are bombarded by advertisers, software companies, real estate website providers, online marketing companies, you name it. They're calling and emailing and calling again.

Most of the clients who buy from Boston Logic take a highly measured approach. They figure out what they need, what it costs, compare solutions, and we come out on top. We're fine with this process. We're happy to go feature for feature with any platform.

Here's what stings: it's when the client gets a call from someone and doesn't do their homework. They make an impulse buy because the pitch over the phone was just that good. We're constantly amazed that business decisions are actually made this way.

Do you really have 2 completely different buying processes? For some expenses, you take weeks to figure out the right solution, document features, develop a budget, and then make an informed decision. For other purchases, you decide to spend thousands of dollars in literally minutes?

Here's a recommendation.

Consider any purchase carefully. Make decisions based on numbers, whenever possible. Real numbers. I'm talking about data. For example, If you're considering a new online marketing media, try to understand a cost/user or cost/lead. If you can't do better than where you are currently investing, don't buy it.

Also, don't get sold on one feature or even one idea. Look at a solution holistically. It's easy for a salesman to tell you about a nice feature in their website product and ask, "Does your real estate website do that?" Indeed, it may not, but there may be 20 features that your site does have that the product he's selling does not. I can't tell you how many clients have chosen other vendors only to come back to Boston Logic telling us that they made a poor decision.

If you need help developing specifications or comparing real estate web site design solutions, we're happy to help. Just contact the real estate website team of Boston Logic. Thanks.

LogicClassroom: Bounce Rate Slide Presentation

Thanks to all who attended our latest LogicClassroom on Understanding your website's Bounce Rate this past Tuesday!

In this webinar, we learned all about your website's bounce rate, and how it relates to your real estate website design. We also came to understand the difference between your bounce rate and exit rate: a website's bounce rate is the percentage of visitors who leave your website without clicking through any additional pages, while your web page's exit rate shows the last page that a user looked at before using your site.

Logic classroom bounce rate

View more presentations from Boston Logic.

There were also some helpful numbers given for a real estate website's typical bounce rate: a 30%-50% bounce rate is normal, less than 20% is optimal. However, if your website has a 60% or greater bounce rate, it may be time to take a look at your website more thoroughly to understand where you are losing visitors.

Remember that web design matters for your website, and the goal of your landing page is to be sticky: that is, make sure that visitors will want to be engaged with your website, and that they can find what they are looking for intuitively.

Boston Logic offers comprehensive real estate website design services, and you can contact us at any time to inquire about how we can help you with your website!

Our next free, 1/2 hour LogicClassroom webinar will take September 14th. Check back often for the topic announcement!

What Makes Real Estate Companies Grow

When you get to the bottom of it all, real estate companies can grow one of two ways.

First, they can raise their head count. If we assume an average number of deals/agents - then the more real estate agents on your roster, the more real estate sales your real estate company will be a part of and the more commissions the company will receive. You can raise your head count by hiring more real estate agents or by buying other real estate companies. Sounds simple enough. Revenue is pegged to headcount.

Alternatively, a company can work to make ALL of their agents more effective. Remember that average number of deals per agent. Well, let's assume that the company doesn't want to hire more agents, just have their agents do more deals. The goal would be to raise that average. If your agents are doing 10 deals/year, on average, and you raise the average to 12, all else being equal, the office will make more money. By the way, so will the agents!

This somewhat assumes that the office is working on a classic split model - or does it?

Let me propose something radical. The best way to hire more agents is to have successful agents at your office. If your company has a reputation of making agents successful, then agents will want to work for you! Then it doesn't matter if you're on a desk fee model or a split.

Broker/owners, just imagine - instead of having 25 agents who do $50MM in transactions/year. You only have 10 - and they do the same sales volume! Sounds easier to manage, doesn't it. Or even better. Imaging you had 25 agents, 10 of them did $50MM and get a better split, the other 15 do another $50MM. You win either way.

So, how do you get your agents to produce more. Well, this isn't rocket science. First, they need leads. They need buyers and sellers reaching out to them. The office needs to be noticed. You have to stand out from the other guys in town. Next, you need to give your agents the tools they need to close deals with those leads. I'm talking about lead management, I'm talking about online marketing, I'm talking about social media and a great real estate website to serve as the foundation for it all.

If all you do is work on hiring agents and you don't give them the tools to succeed, they will come and go. They will under perform. Agents thirst for support, they want leads, and they want a company that gives them both. Real Estate agents will stand by a company that helps them succeed. If the agent was making $50,000/year at their last company and is making $60,000/year at your company, they're likely to stick around.

Also, the agents in town will take notice. They'll see your brand and your agents involved in lots of sales, on dozens and hundreds of yard signs. The agents will want to work for your company because you have the best website and your site has the best search engine placement.

Our clients see it all the time. Agents today want to work with a company that gives them what they need. They want a brokerage that provides leads and promotes their services.

The result is simple. The broker wins, the agents win, everybody wins.

LogicClassroom: Leveraging the Sequoia Platform for Success!

Related Links:

LogicClassroom Announcement: Leveraging Sequoia for Success!

Related Links:

Client Testimonial: Ryan Shilow

Related Links:

Client Praises Boston Logic: Thank You!

Related Links:

LogicClassroom Slides: Sequoia’s New CRM

Related Links:

Boston Logic Attends Networking Events, October 2010

Related Links:

Why Real Estate Agents Need a Web Presence

Related Links:

Easily Persuaded?

Related Links:

LogicClassroom: Bounce Rate Slide Presentation

Related Links:

What Makes Real Estate Companies Grow

Related Links:

Search

Archives

What is the Sequoia System

Recently Written

Categories