Real Estate 2.0 Technology

Over the past few weeks, we've been sending out emails discussing what RainCamp™ is all about and why we think you should be there. With the tickets being donation based, meaning you can pay whatever you can afford, you'd be crazy for not joining us.

I'm serious, you would be crazy!  Just yesterday, Garrick Werdmuller, a loan officer in Alameda, CA who joined us last month in San Francisco, posted to his AR Blog and said "I would have to say it was the best event I have ever attended as a mortgage professional and I have attended most of the big mortgage and real estate marketing events. If you get a chance, GO!"

What had Garrick so excited?  I'm sure it was that he learned how to get his content on the first page of Google. Or maybe it was the techniques he learned to help him actually get business because of his interactions on Facebook and Twitter. Maybe it was some of the connections he made and relationships he built with the people that surrounded him.

I'm certain those all played a part in forming his opinion of RainCamp.  But for a Real Estate technology lover like myself, who just can't get enough of staying on the cutting edge of marketing, it was a chance to immerse himself with 450 other Industry professionals with the exact same mindset and goals.

Sites like Facebook, Twitter and ActiveRain give us an incredible opportunity to exchange ideas from the comfort of our living room. Still, there is no way to replace the real life networking opportunities afforded by being in one location with 450 of your peers, all with a common goal, maximizing their online effectiveness while still connecting in real life.

Next week, I will be in New York, along with four of the most influential people in real estate: Jonathan Washburn, our CEO and Founder, Bob Stewart, AR's Chief Evangelist, Spencer Rascoff, COO of Zillow and Ben Kinney, Mega Agent from Keller Williams in Seattle. We'll be talking about a variety of strategies to improve your online presence and help you get business using the web and Social Media.

Next week at RainCamp, we will:

• Show you how we have helped thousands of our members rank at the top of the search engines for searches in their market.
• Share how Donna Harris, a RE/MAX agent from Austin, Texas used her blog to make $122,000 in commissions over the last two years doing something you can do in your own market right now.
• Reveal how a plan and some guidance can help you use blogging to impact your business and get the same results as Donna.
• Provide you with a full day of great info to take home with you and implement immediately!

At the end of the day, Real Estate is a people business, and no amount of technology will replace old fashion networking and sharing, in person.

Come Join us on Tuesday, January 12th in New York City for RainCamp to learn and build cohesive, meaningful relationships with colleagues that will carry you into 2010 and beyond. Click here to register today, we are filling up fast and the last seats will be gone before you know it. I can guaranty that you don't want to be the one that didn't take the time to learn this stuff. 

I'm excited and looking forward to seeing you and connecting in NYC.

How do you create a lead sheet, a contact form, a questionnaire, a call to action in your post?  Google Docs allows you to not only create private forms, spreadsheets, and presentations, now you can embed them into your Website or Blog.  You also have the choice to share those forms and docs with others.  You can even invite others to view or collaborate on your work.  This could be a great tool, it has the potential to take your readers from being a viewer to being a potential lead.  Here's a sample of one I did creating a suggestion box.

First, you will need a Gmail Account.  It's FREE, and this doesn't mean you have to change or even use this email address, it's just your log-in for everything Google.  (Highly Recommended even if you don't use Google Docs) Go to Google and log-in or Sign up for Gmail.

Once you have your account setup, go to Google Docs to create your forms, documents, spreadsheets and presentations on-line. You can also upload your existing creations from your computer.  If you'd like, Take a tour of Google Docs before you begin. There are 100's of Templates already created for you to choose from, or you can create your own. There's even a Help Center for those needing a little assistance and support.

To create your own lead sheet or contact form, go to Google Docs

1. SELECT NEW, THEN SELECT FORM:

2. Give your Form a title, include some supporting text (optional), Label your field or question, add field supporting text (optional), select question type and format for responses, put a check in the box to make field required or not, then click DONE.  Add additional questions by clicking on the "Add Question" button at the top.  Don't worry about the order of your questions and fields, you can "drag and drop" them and sort them later.  Repeat this process for each field or question.

3. Once your form is complete and you are satisfied, click "SAVE" in the upper right hand corner. 

Now you have some options available that can make your form a valuable tool that you can share.

You can send your form to clients and prospects via email, you can also view your responses here. Next, use the "More Actions" button to A) Create and Edit an automatic response form, and B) to "EMBED YOUR FORM INTO YOUR WEBSITE OR BLOG POST."  This is one of Google Docs best features in my opinion.

4. Click on "MORE ACTIONS" to get your code.

5. Once you place the embed code into the proper location on your Website or Blog, you're set to go:

6. To view your responses and new leads, just go to your Google Docs, and open the form.  All your results will be right there for you to follow up with.  How cool is this?

Note: Any updates or edits made to your original forms, documents and presentations on Google Docs are automatically updated in all the locations you have placed them on the Web. There's no need to go back and replace the HTML code on your Websites or Blogs, so place it in as many locations as you'd like.

Now you just have to be creative and decide how you want to use a tool like this.  Decide what questions or fields of information you need to make this a powerful tool for your on-line business and customers. 

TIP:  Don't go overboard with questions, people get overwhelmed easily in many cases, and won't take the time to fill it out if there are too many.  I hope this is easy enough for you to use and to understand.  As always, thanks for reading and taking time to visit.  It's always nice to have you swing by and say hi.

Google Docs in "Plain English" Video

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