Dominate your local RE market!

Today, I am at the Louisville Manufactured Housing Show. The Louisville Show is sponsored by the Midwest Manufactured Housing Federation and is one of the premier manufactured housing trade shows in the country.

What am I doing here?

Well, in addition to my business as an Internet Marketing Consultant, I hold a Manufactured Housing Installer Manager’s license in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and act as the staff Installer Manager for Affordable Home Sales in Danville and Campbellsville, KY.

We attend this show to keep up with the latest developments in the manufactured housing industry.

What does all this have to do with marketing on the Internet?

One of the problems faced by the manufactured housing industry is a perception if their product as a “mobile home.” The term “mobile home” actually only applies to what are known as “pre HUD Code” homes, those manufactured prior to 1974. In 1974, the first HUD Code was introduced. As a performance code, it greatly improved the quality of the homes, which now meet or exceed the quality of site built homes.

Manufactured housing is the most affordable high quality housing available in America today. But to reach it’s potential, the industry needs to shake off it’s old “mobile home” image.

And there is no better place to do that than the Internet. The Internet provides the opportunity for the industry to tell it’s side of the story. I’ve bought, owned and sold manufactured homes, both single- and multi-section. I know their side of the story and it is worth telling.

I’ve been present at the installation of many of these homes and have managed repairs and rehabilitation of several older ones. These homes are sturdy and built to last. And they cost much less than comparable site-built homes.

Despite the tireless efforts of loyal boosters, in my opinion the manufactured housing industry hasn’t done enough to get the word out. They need to use every tool in the new media toolbox. Social sites, video and more. Pull out all the Web 2.0 stops. And don’t give up until they dominate the affordable housing market.

The manufactured housing product fits the dream of of America as a nation of homeowners like a glove. Homes people can afford without resorting to toxic mortgage packages.

As Americans scale back their expectations to meet the realities of the new real estate marketplace, manufactured housing will be there to provide quality housing at an affordable price. They just have to get the word out.

And that’s why I’m at the Louisville Show.

Resources:

Kentucky Manufactured Housing Institute

Manufactured Housing Institute

HUD Manufactured Home Consumer Guide

Manufactured Housing Global Network

We’re not out to put you behind the 8-ball here, but 8 is about to become a significant number. You see, a Realtor® in the MidWest managed to sell 83 homes in 8 months using a “secret method” that is neither secret nor rocket science. And he did it in this “slow market.” You’ve may have gotten an email from him and I want to tell you that if you are a real “do-it-yourself” internet marketer, you’ll want to grab his e-book.

But if you’re not, we’re going to show you how you can accomplish the same thing and get your AREIP monthly dues reduced to ZERO (that’s nothing, nada, zip, zilch). …and get ALL the benefits of AREIP membership.

You’ve heard all of the hype about blogs. Self-hosted, WordPress blogs at your own domain to be more precise.

Google L-O-V-E-S WordPress blogs. Why?

The folks at WordPress have given us a spectacularly well thought-out piece of software. WordPress, unlike many other Content Management Systems (CMS) are capable of producing search-engine-friendly (SEF) URLs right out of the box. Now that’s a lot of jargon, but what it means it that after making one change to WordPress settings, you have a SEF website application ready to go.

By it’s nature, a blog is easy to update. And search engines love fresh content in a website. It takes a little bit of effort to keep your blog up-to-date, but the rewards are well worth the investment.

WordPress uses a modular architecture. That means you can extend it by adding plugins to make it do things it couldn’t do in it’s “out-of-the-box” state. So you can add only the features you need and are essential to your mission.

We’ve assembled a whole system of plugins for those in the Real Estate business. Plugins that let you promote yourself, your business, the properties you have for sale and the reasons for listing with you.

WordPress has become an indispensible tool for those seriously interested in marketing a Real Estate business online. And that brings me to an important point. Many Real Estate professionals believe that they are selling homes. But the home is really the product. What you are really selling is your ability to effectively market a property. In other words, you are selling yourself.

You are the brand and a blog is the perfect branding tool. We have a few secrets up our sleeves to help you turn your WordPress blog into a Real Estate selling machine.

If you are in the short sale business, you need leads. WordPress is also a perfect lead-generation application. We are putting the finishing touches on a cool new benefit that will dovetail seamlessly into your new marketing system and help bring leads to you at no additional cost to you.

AREIP.org works with OrangeCat Productions to bring you a complete marketing package consisting of a custom-hosted WordPress blog, the essential plugins, compete installation and configuration, web and email hosting at your domain, AREIP Membership, inclusion in the AREIP online Directory, use of the AREIP Membership Logo and ongoing support.

Whoa! That’s a lot of mojo!

We work with a limited number of Real Estate professionals - Realtors® and investors - every month. I’m not being cute and this isn’t a “take away” strategy - I only have so much time and I like to work with new clients myself.

To qualify for your own WordPress blog, call Bob at 859.854.3243 or email me to get started today. We’ll need to schedule a phone conference to create your custom solution, so call now.

You’ll sell your house faster – and for more money – if you avoid these common pitfalls.