Author: Charlotte C.

People go to Instagram to see beautiful things. You know this. That’s why you’re already advertising your beautiful property listings there. 

According to research by Smartly.io, a staggering 50% of marketing teams spend half of their marketing budgets on social ads. But not everyone can afford to spend the big-bucks on Insta marketing. So, how can you navigate through the social media minefield and generate actual leads, on a bootstrapped budget?

We’ve put together a list of Six Sizzling Hacks that will level-up your Instagram marketing, at no extra cost.

Continue reading “Instagram Marketing Hacks For Estate Agents”

Picture this. It’s 2020. It’s the height the lockdown. You’re stuck at home in the small hours of the night. You’re longing to escape the boredom. There’s only one thing for it. Flip open your laptop and indulge in a guilty pleasure: Property Porn. The habit of obsessively scrolling through property listings.

Continue reading “Zillow’s $300m House-Flip Flop”

Everyone loves to secretly chuckle at some old-fashioned, cringe-worthy Dad jokes. 

Just to clarify – if you want to hear the punchline, but you’re simultaneously cringing with embarrassment at the person telling them, then congratulations, you’re in the presence of a Dad joke.

Let’s enjoy a little light-hearted real estate humour with some of our worst real estate dad jokes…

Continue reading “The Worst Real Estate Dad Jokes”

For years now, Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies have been a hot topic in finance. But they’ve recently hit the headlines within the real estate industry.

The first property to be bought with Bitcoin in the UK was back in 2017. A trickle of transactions took place afterwards in pioneering markets like Dubai. However, since the COVID crisis, Crypto-commoditised property transactions have begun increasing sharply, on a global scale. 

Job redundancies triggered by the pandemic, saw many people turn to crypto trading as a source of income. Now we’re seeing these investors shift their profits into one of the world’s safest assets; real estate.

The escalating value of cryptocurrencies has also created a greater willingness by property vendors to accept Bitcoin and its ilk as a form of transaction currency. This in turn has unlocked the opportunity for crypto-investors to crystallise their profits, trading out of the volatile asset class, and into stable property assets.

Young Guns

The allure of this new swathe of property buyers has in turn attracted a new breed of seller. Those who want to keep their options open and get in on the action, are increasingly using the “Accepting bitcoin” USP, and broadening their investment appeal.

So, as crypto-buying property becomes more common, let’s dive into some buyer pros and cons…

The Pros…

…and The Cons

Let The Music Play 🎵

It’s safe to say that the cryptos are becoming mainstream, with more and more people joining the conversation about their suitability and appeal. This potentially giant disruptor in the real estate industry is, for many, an exciting development. But let’s not forget how famously volatile they are.

We’ve all seen their values skyrocket from an Elon Musk tweet, and similarly plummet from a central banker’s statement. They are not underwritten by any fundamental asset, and for this reason they could just as easily be worth triple today’s value in a year from now, or worth nothing at all.

There is little wonder that there are many sceptics, and rightly so. In addition to regulatory challenges like China’s recent blanket ban, tax issues and price volatility, there is the notorious affiliation that cryptos have with with criminal activity, in particular money laundering.

In the end, it comes down to each individual’s knowledge and risk-appetite. For my part, I’m long enough in the tooth to know that opportunities always come around. I’m not phased by FOMO. I’m happy to wait and watch until cryptos are more mainstream, and I have more information to base my decisions on. Until then, let the music play.

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Ayman Alashkar is the Founder and CEO of overwrite.ai, with 20 years’ experience working in real estate, banking and artificial intelligence. An AI Implementation Strategist accredited by the prestigious MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Ayman also has a Bachelors Degree in Mathematics from the world-renowned Queen Mary College, University of London, and a Masters in Real Estate Investment and Development from the University of Reading (UK).

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OVERWRITE.ai is a world first, user-friendly marketing solution that allows estate agents to instantly autowrite unique, search-optimised property marketing content, taking the boring out of the daily grind. 

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For informative and light-hearted news and views on the world of real estate, follow OVERWRITE.ai on Instagram and LinkedIn, and keep up-to-date with our weekly NewsBites blog.

The post-covid property boom has seen a tidal wave of new estate agents joining the industry, looking for a slice of the pie. But for those who are new to the game, learning the ropes can be a minefield.

A mentor is great. A supportive agency with a sound training scheme is even better. Getting a grip, early on, of real estate principles, finance and law will undoubtedly create a solid foundation for success. Nevertheless, investing time in learning the practical aspects of being a “real life” estate agent, can mean the difference between success and failure.

You’ll be surprised at just how many simple “tips and tricks” will have you saving time, avoiding tyre kickers, winning bidding wars, or knowing when to spot a deal breaker.

And this week, we’ve done what we do best at OVERWRITE.ai HQ – the leg work, so that you don’t have to.

We’re bringing you the top 5 books for aspiring real estate agents, all of which provide an insider’s perspective on becoming a successful real estate agent.

#1 The Miracle Morning for Real Estate Agents

There’s something to be said about starting every day on the right foot and Hal Elrod is all about this. The Miracle Morning for Real Estate Agents will talk you through the exact morning routines of the industry’s top players. Certain habits may seem trivial, but carried out consistency over time will reap rewards.

#2 The Millionaire Real Estate Agent

Gary Keller’s The Millionaire Real Estate Agent is about taking your real estate career to the next level. But it’s an important read early in your real estate career because it forces you to see the big picture and think long-term.

This book will give you a millionaire agent mindset. First you’ll learn how to think like a millionaire. Then you’ll learn how to become one through real estate sales.

#3 The Book of Yes

No one likes to cold call. But if you’ve ever had to make these, you’ll probably know that it helps to have a script in mind. Author and multi-million dollar real estate agent, Kevin Ward swears by the belief that real estate sales is largely about scripts. He’s spent his career perfecting them.

The Book of YES: The Ultimate Real Estate Agent Conversation Guide will teach you exactly what to say in order to nail that ice-cold sales call.

#4 The Honest Real Estate Agent

Mario Jannatpour’s The Honest Real Estate Agent is a perfect introduction to the real estate industry. From topics like networking, negotiations, time management, basic marketing and professional integrity, this title covers a lot of ground in attempting to explain what the real estate profession is all about.

The Honest Real Estate Agent explains what’s required to be successful in the industry. And you can use that information to confirm that real estate is the right career move for you.

#5 The Million Dollar Listing Social Media

Many of today’s new agents are surprised at just how much business is done online via social media. Whilst you needn’t be a “social media expert” it is fast becoming part of the job description for real estate agents. Buyers and sellers are online. So you need an online presence that will engage them.

Check out Sebastian Acosta’s The Million Dollar Listing Social Media: The Ultimate Social Media Marketing Guide for Real Estate Professionals. It’s probably the most comprehensive book on the topic but there’s no harm in getting comfortable with this minefield, even before you’re officially licensed.

More To Life…

Let’s be honest, this is merely the tip of the literary iceberg. There’s hundreds of best-selling books that can help estate agents hone their skills.

And you’ll be surprised – many of these habits, designed to make agents better at their jobs, will actually set you up for success in every area of your life. Because even for agents, life is about more than just real estate.

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OVERWRITE.ai is a world first, user-friendly marketing solution that allows estate agents to instantly autowrite unique, search-optimised property descriptions, taking the boring out of the daily grind. 

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For informative and light-hearted news and views on the world of real estate, follow OVERWRITE.ai on Instagram and LinkedIn, and keep up-to-date with our weekly NewsBites blog.

Everyone makes typos. Even the best writers can do it. And plenty of us suffer dyslexia. But when real estate agents are entrusted to sell properties worth millions of dollars, there really is no excuse for not paying attention to the smallest detail. Especially with the range of technologies out there that can help.

Some blunders you simply can’t ignore. The ones that cause clients to doubt an agent’s professionalism, and reflect poorly on the agency they represent. These typos are very awkward because they are so very public.

One place where these awkward misprints are usually found is in a property’s public listing description.

Continue reading “The Ten Most Common and Cringe-worthy Real Estate Typos 😖”

Dubai Expo 2020 has begun. And with over 190 countries represented, there’s something for everyone.

We’re proud that OVERWRITE.ai is a Dubai born start-up. A point we like to make as often as possible. That pride was reinforced with the opening of an event that promises to be a portal through which we can experience humanity’s future.

If you’re a tech geek like us, you’ll be pleased to hear about the incredible technologies that will be showcased at Expo 2020 for the next six months!

Continue reading “What’s in store for Techies at Expo 2020?”

Locationlocationlocation.com – now that’s one real estate brand name that packs a punch, but no prizes for guessing that the domain name is already taken. In fact, it was registered over 30 years ago. You’re probably looking at the cost of a small house to buy it. If it is ever released for sale.

So where do you start when it comes to picking a name? Whether you’re a realtor setting up a personal brand, or establishing a new estate agency, it’s undeniably one of the trickiest things to get right.

For anyone who’s tried, you’ll agree the struggle is real. Very often you’ll think you’ve hit the jackpot. You’ve come up with the most perfect name ever, only to find that all worthy domain names associated with it, are taken.

So to make things a little easier, we’ve listed some tips and tricks to help you navigate your branding journey towards finding a name, and domain, that’s engaging and rolls-off-the-tongue.

Continue reading “How to pick the best real estate name for your website or social media page”

The social network faces more accusations of favouring images based on certain races, genders, religions and ages. Are these machine learning biases intentional, or an accidental bi-product of skewed training data?

Serious flaws found in Twitter’s automated image-cropping programme, which favoured white people over those with darker skin colour, sent ripples across the internet last year.

Further evidence reveals that its algorithm is not only “racist”. It also apparently favours younger people, non-Muslims, and the able-bodied.

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again. Artificial intelligence is there to augment human capabilities. Intelligent automation speeds up functionalities and improves efficiency. But in many instances, such as Twitter’s photo-editing system, there can be a wider social impact.

Continue reading “Twitter’s ‘racist’ algorithm bias under fresh fire”

We’ve all done it. We see a person and in seconds we immediately start to profile them based on what they’re wearing. Wrinkled shirt. Bound to be sloppy. Open toe shoe. Unprofessional.

Of course appearance isn’t everything. But first impressions most certainly count. In fact, your dress code can speak volumes before you even introduce yourself as a real estate agent

In the highly competitive estate agency industry, agents should use every possible opportunity to attract potential leads. A real estate agent’s dress code is one of the most effective tools available to make the right first impression.

To save you from hassle, we’ve put together some basic tips on what to wear to be professional and make sure you look the part.

Continue reading “Dress Code Rules for Real Estate Agents”