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Data Drives MoxiWorks and Sisu to Align in Strategic Partnership
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE SILICON SLOPES, UT — Feb 13, 2018 – The real estate market is booming, and there’s never been more people competing for a slice of the profits. Smooth talking and likeability used to be the secret weapons of top producing agents and teams in the industry. Now, top producers are using tech solutions to give them the edge, all of them relying on one key component – data.
As real estate teams and agents move towards more data driven sales processes, software companies Moxi Works and Sisu have partnered up to provide brokerages, teams, and agents with massive amounts of data and analytics to create a competitive edge.
Five Steps to Ultimate Success in 2018
By Tiana Baur
It’s the first quarter of 2018, which means it’s time to #GetShitDone (did you know that’s MoxiWorks’ company motto?!). Right here and now is the time to check off all the items that will soar you into your most successful and self-fulfilling year yet. And let’s face it, the one thing on everyone’s mind in Q1, is getting listings lined up to sell in Q2. Everyone is working as diligently and quickly as humanly possible but working hard and working smart can be two very different things. Because of that, we’ve put together a list of the five steps you need to take that will pay more dividends this year than anything else.
One: Do something that makes you feel good about yourself at least once a week
Maybe it’s standing in front of the mirror each morning and giving yourself a pep talk. Maybe it’s getting your nails done to look more polished in front of your clients. Maybe it’s taking language lessons to broaden your prospect scope. Little things can make a world of difference and it’s important you feel good about yourself, because you are your business. Mental health is incredibly important, don’t let yourself slip to the bottom of the priority list.
Two: Know who you are targeting with Moxi Insights
If you don’t know who you’re targeting, you’re basically taking shots in the dark. Wouldn’t it be amazing if there was some magic tool out there that could tell you who would be likely to list soon? Well, there is! If you haven’t heard, we have a new tool called Moxi Insights that is part of our Moxi Marketing suite. It aggregates public data for your entire sphere and auto-updates it for you too. There are even badges that identify those in your sphere that are likely to list and the reasons why they are likely to list.
Check it out – you won’t regret it.
Three: Prepare for those pesky taxes with QuickBooks
The worst part about tax season is being a 1099 independent contractor. It makes everything ten times more complicated. Finding all the receipts from the entire year and trying to ballpark your mileage is enough to drive someone mad. And even then, it’s easy to forget all the other stuff you can deduct, so by the end of it, after pure exhaustion and frustration, you throw your hands up and say, “whatever.” Well, it’s time to take the stress out of your taxes!!! QuickBooks Self-Employed was created just for independent contractors like real estate agents. It simplifies everything and does most of the heavy lifting, PLUS it saves people an average of $4,340 on their taxes. What’s not to love? More on QuickBooks Self-Employed and try it for cheap here.
Four: Try something new
Einstein’s definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. If you’re not happy with your current results and the shape your business is in, it’s time to try something new. It can be scary and nerve-racking to take the first step, you’ll hit roadblocks and some things will go smoothly while others won’t. Whether it’s as simple as trying a new marketing method or hosting your first party, it’ll be worth it!
Five: Get as many eyes on your listing as possible with Advertise Your Listing
It’s a digital age and if you’re not advertising on Facebook, are you really getting the most optimal reach for your listing? The answer is no. But I do realize not everyone is a Facebook pro and not everyone has the time to create and analyze their Facebook Ads, let alone have enough time to even eat lunch. That’s why we created Advertise Your Listing. It’s all the Facebook goods and glory you need to show your clients (including automagically sent client reports *cough cough*) that you’re a marketing genius and you deserve their repeat business. Also, it only takes you five minutes to set up, and we do all the heavy lifting.
Find out more about Advertise Your Listing here.
If you do these five steps, we promise you your success will be much greater than if you hadn’t. Whether you do these because your resolutions are calling your name or you’re always looking for ways to grow, these will make you more productive and increase your repeat and referral business. Regardless of the reason, it’s a #GetShitDone kind of attitude that lights the fire within and turns the mediocre into real estate legends. What are you doing today to help yourself tomorrow?
LeadingRE Announces New Cloud Initiative
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® (LeadingRE) has announced a cloud initiative, LeadingRE Cloud, to give its members an easy way to implement a range of the technology solutions. The initiative, announced during LeadingRE Conference Week, is part of strategic relationships with DocuSign and MoxiWorks to deliver a new platform with integrated technology for agent productivity, marketing resources, back office solutions and more. The LeadingRE Cloud will offer options ranging from marketing tools—like real-time CMA (Comparative Market Analysis) presentations, virtual tours, custom print solutions and CRM (Customer Relationship Management)—to transaction management systems.
MoxiWorks to deliver LeadingRE Cloud Data Services Ahead of Big Franchises
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE In an announcement made to their membership, Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® (LeadingRE) have entered into a definitive agreement with MoxiWorks® to provide LeadingRE Cloud™ to their 565+ brokerage members. The solution is called LeadingRE Cloud.
LeadingRE Announces New Cloud Initiative
Program ensures independent brokerages have easy access to latest technologies.
CHICAGO – (February 7, 2018) – Leading Real Estate Companies of the World® announced at its Annual Conference in Las Vegas last week that it is rolling out the LeadingRE Cloud to give its 565 member brokerages in 65 countries an easy way to implement a wide range of the most innovative technology solutions available today.
The initiative is part of strategic relationships with DocuSign and MoxiWorks to deliver a new platform with integrated technology for agent productivity, marketing resources, back office solutions and more. The LeadingRE Cloud will offer options ranging from marketing tools – like real-time CMA (Comparative Market Analysis) presentations, virtual tours, custom print solutions and CRM (Customer Relationship Management) – to transaction management systems.
The LeadingRE Cloud is an open platform, allowing member brokerages to choose the service providers with whom they engage. “Our culture has always been one of choice, and that philosophy is integral to this initiative,” said LeadingRE COO Paul Boomsma. “Our members can choose the technologies that work best for their companies and within their markets, while benefiting from the power of this system to streamline implementation and day-to-day use.”
While choice will be offered in all product areas, DocuSign has been selected as the preferred eSignature and transaction management provider, based on the company’s ability to transact in 40+ languages, which complements LeadingRE’s global scope.
“We’re excited to be aligned with LeadingRE to further strategic integrations with multiple technology providers. Together, our goal is to streamline and accelerate the transaction so brokers can fully achieve the benefits of our Lead to Close vision,” said Georg Gerstenfeld, vice president and general manager of DocuSign’s Global Real Estate business. “And we’re doing it in a way that guarantees brokers maintain ownership and control of their data.”
Also integral to the LeadingRE Cloud is another long-time participant in LeadingRE’s Solutions Group program, MoxiWorks, which has already been embraced by a significant number of LeadingRE member firms and will power the LeadingRE cloud.
York Baur, CEO of MoxiWorks said, “The LeadingRE Cloud is a rare example of a network providing technology to independents. This new benefit delivers all the benefits of the MoxiCloud to LeadingRE members – more flexibility, digital lead to close, plug and play tools and services, to name a few.”
“The LeadingRE Cloud is only the latest in a series of investments we have made in technology on behalf of our members,” said LeadingRE President/CEO Pam O’Connor. “Other recent investments include Testimonial Tree, which gives our members a way to capture and share consumer reviews, and Moderne Ventures, an investment fund focused on technology companies innovating in the real estate space. We are excited about the role the LeadingRE Cloud will play in ensuring all of our members remain on the forefront with technology.”
Integration with the LeadingRE Cloud for both members and vendors will take place in the coming months.
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How to survive tax season as an independent contractor
By Maddie Jostol
As an independent contractor, you’re running your own business – and you experience all of the perks and challenges that come with that. Tax season isn’t fun for anyone, but it’s particularly frustrating as a 1099 independent contractor.
We all experience the same thing year over year. Tax season arrives, and it’s all you can do to pull everything together to file, let alone do it in a way that will save you money. You work through the endless forms, attempting to find all of the information you need. You get to the part where you need to fill in your Schedule C deductions… and… nothing. Another year went by and you don’t have the necessary documentation to deduct most of your business expenses. “Oh well” you think to yourself, “it’s not worth the time anyway.”
Here’s the deal: real estate agents are losing serious cash by neglecting to take advantage of available deductions.
The truth is, it’s incredibly time consuming to track your expenses, mileage, and deductions all year-round. And guess what? It isn’t as difficult as it sounds if you start early in the year. Below are a few things you can do to help yourself survive tax season as an independent contractor.
1. Know what deductions you should be looking out for.
The first step is knowing what deductions are available to you – and there are more than you might think. Things like your home office or software subscriptions are deductible expenses that you shouldn’t let slip through the cracks. Know what you should be looking out for, so you can get a system in place to track them year-round.
For a comprehensive list of deductions and information about each, click here to download our Guide to Stress-Free Taxes for Agents.
2. Track your expenses as they happen.
Receipts are every independent contractor’s worst enemy. Paper or digital, they’re a pain to keep track of and they’re difficult to organize when it comes time to file those taxes.
Consider a simple personal accounting system like QuickBooks Self-Employed. This app lets you snap a pic of a receipt from directly within the app and it automatically categorizes and stores that receipt. It then matches the receipt with the expense when it comes through as a bank charge. When it comes time to file, all of those business expenses have been tracked, categorized for your Schedule C, and documented appropriately. You can officially say goodbye to that mismanaged shoebox of receipts.
Mileage tracking is one you definitely won’t want to miss. You’re always on the go. Some days it feels like you live in your car – you’re running errands before an open house, picking up signage, meeting with clients, and having coffee with prospective clients.
When you have the QuickBooks Self-Employed app, it tracks your mileage every time you get in your car (seriously!). You can then go into your app, view your recent trips, and swipe left or swipe right to designate those trips as business or personal. Yes, it can be that easy (we didn’t believe it until we tried it either). Easier than a dating app, even.
3. Don’t do it alone.
Get a reliable system in place. As much as we’d like to do it all ourselves, the reality is it takes time and energy that we’d rather put into closing sales. At the same time, there are thousands of dollars to be saved by efficiently managing your business finances. When you get technology on your side, it takes away the weight and frustration of accounting and tax filing.
The best part of this is that you don’t need a complex, expensive system, you just need one that is designed for 1099 independent contractors. That’s the key. Use an accounting system that fits your unique needs as a realtor and helps you run your business more smoothly.
Want to give QuickBooks Self-Employed a try? We’re offering 50% off your first 12 months (that makes it just $5/month!). Click here to try it out!
What to look for in a CRM
By Maddie Jostol
First of all… yes, you need a CRM. If you haven’t onboarded a standard agent CRM for your brokerage, then 2018 is the year to do so. A CRM (customer relationship management system) is where all of your agents keep and nurture their contacts, market to their sphere, manage their sales flow, track their goals, and much more. The CRM glues everything together.
What impact could a CRM have on your business? Here are a few quick facts:
- ” 74% of businesses using a CRM report improved customer relationships (Annuitas Group).
- ” Conversion rates can improve by 300% with a CRM in place (Cloudswave).
- ” Lead cost is reduced by 23% with a CRM in place (Cloudswave).
Vetting technologies can be challenging and complicated, especially a system as robust as a CRM. So, what should you be looking for in a CRM for your agents? Below are our recommendations for what you should consider when it comes to a CRM for your brokerage.
Your CRM should ‘understand’ the real estate business.
In general, CRMs should be intuitive. The system’s sales flow, prompts, and coaching should align with your business process. The home sales process is a unique one compared to other businesses. When considering an agent CRM, make sure the system makes sense for this sales process, taking into consideration sphere marketing, a long sales cycle, GCI goals, the transaction process, etc.
It must support your sphere-selling efforts.
The sphere-selling methodology is the way of the future. When agents strategically leverage their spheres of influence, their businesses grow in a sustainable way. In a competitive landscape, where all markets are thirsty for leads, an agent’s sphere is their power.
If you’ve invested in training and coaching to encourage your agents to leverage sphere-selling, they should be using a CRM that supports those efforts. What’s this look like? It means having your CRM integrated with your other contact databases, relevant segmentation options, and aggregated public data to keep up with the people in your sphere.
Integration will power your business.
Integration powers your business. In a sea of ad hoc tools, we’re all left attempting to remember passwords and experiencing tool fatigue. Select technology solutions for your brokerage that integrate with each other. This means that an agent can use all of their tools with a single sign-on and a cohesive flow.
Take lead generation, for example. When leads are generated – whether they’re from the agent’s website, or purchased from a lead provider, they should immediately appear in the agent’s CRM, and the agent should be prompted to follow up. This is bare minimum for a CRM. When it comes to sales enablement, guiding an agent through the necessary tasks from lead generation all the way through closing is key.
Integration goes far beyond lead generation. With Moxi Engage CRM, for example, an agents’ leads flow straight into their CRM, but they can also purchase client gifts, advertise on Facebook, execute print marketing campaigns, manage transactions, and much more, directly from their Engage account.
It must have live MLS data.
When it comes to a CRM in real estate, MLS integration is a must-have. When agents win listings, those listings automatically with their CRM, enabling them to truly manage the transaction from start to finish. It means agents never have to manually enter property data, saving time, and negating errors.
It should improve agent productivity.
When we talk about CRMs, we often talk about “tasks” and “actions” which, for some, can feel like the system is adding work. That’s just not true. The tasks that your CRM prompts should be actions that agents are already taking (and if they aren’t, then it’s even more reason to get a system in place). What the CRM does is streamline these tasks and remind the agent, so they don’t miss a beat.
Logging into your CRM and seeing everything you need to accomplish that day will change an agent’s workflow for the better. They always know what they need to do in order to reach their goals. They’ll be able to see who in their sphere they should reach out to, and be reminded to follow up with that one lead they talked to last week. They’ll be able to look back and see when they last spoke with so-and-so, and be reminded to send Mr. and Mrs. Smith a gift for their house-versary.
This increase in productivity all comes back to your business. Agents are not only able to accomplish more, closing more deals, but they also find better work/life balance, improving retention at your brokerage. Improved productivity adds up to revenue, having a nice effect on your business’ bottom line.
It’s a component of your open platform.
Your agent CRM is a (vital) piece of a larger puzzle. Your brokerage platform is the ecosystem where all of your technology tools and services live, integrate, and share data. Powering that is the CRM, hosting agent databases, consumer data, property data, and driving business results.
To learn more about the Moxi Engage CRM and the Moxi Cloud open platform, reach out to us to talk to a member of our team.
Leverage Content Marketing to Grow Your Business
By Tiana Baur
Time to take the “pitch” out of your marketing strategy. Content is the here and now, and the future of marketing as we know it. Growing your business is all about leads, and attracting said leads comes much easier when leveraging content marketing.
Chances are you’ve heard of content marketing, but maybe you aren’t exactly sure what it entails. According to the Content Marketing Institute, a resource for – you guessed it – all things content marketing, describes it like this:
“Content marketing is a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience – and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.”
The general concept behind it, is getting rid of the “pitch” aspect many marketers in the past have come to love. With this style, instead of pitching your real estate services as an agent, you are providing truly relevant and useful content for your prospects and current clients, helping them problem solve and get their wanted information. In doing so, they will keep coming back for the valuable content you’re providing them on your agent website or blog, making their decision to choose you for their next transaction an easy one.
Unfortunately, content marketing takes some work. It takes quality planning and regular distribution of content that builds your brand and your awareness in the market. There are three things you must do in order to have the content marketing foundation that will pay dividends:
1. Start with a content calendar
A content calendar is the engine that keeps your car running. It also keeps you focused, with your eyes on the road, knowing which turns to take and which roads to drive on. A little content here and there isn’t going to give you the leads and return you are looking for. Consistency is key. Building a proper content calendar that fits your schedule and style is essential. If you’re looking for a template, we suggest taking some notes from this one.
2. Create unique, highly shareable content
A content calendar means nothing if the content you’re putting out is total crap, so play to your strengths and your specializations. You can’t know everything about every topic; pick three or four main umbrella topics and build out your content from there. Maybe it’s DIY projects, fixer-uppers, or interior design. Maybe it’s deep market analytics and investment properties. You know you best and you want to be able to talk intelligently about the topics when you meet these potential clients in person.
3. Provide value
This can mean different things depending on your unique audience. Think about who you want to target. Is it the neighborhood you do the most business in? Or first-time home buyers? Whatever your ideal client looks like, focus on them.
At the end of the day, you get out of marketing what you put into it. Content marketing can take more planning, creating, and time in general. However, it is a prime example of quality over quantity and your audience will thank you for it. This is what gives prospects that little extra motivation to do the one thing you want them to: pick up the phone and dial your number.
If you want more info on content marketing, see Content Marketing Institute’s getting started guide.
Find (and Keep) Your Talent
By Jillian Igarashi
It’s that time of year again – time for us to renew our gym memberships, swear off holiday desserts forever (or at least until next December), and set lofty, life-changing goals for ourselves. You may love or hate New Year’s resolutions, but no one can deny the importance of setting goals. Ask any brokerage owner what their goals are and sitting comfortably in the top five, year after year, is recruiting and retention. Setting the goal is half the battle. The rest is execution.
According to NAR, 84% of brokerages with four or more offices are actively recruiting. Large brokerages are under pressure to continue their growth, and everyone else must keep up. Therein lies the greatest challenge: execution under that pressure. How can an office manager recruit new agents while they’re juggling everything from helping close a million-dollar sale or unjamming a printer or negotiating to keep top talent? At the end of the day, an office manager may only have the time and energy to hit the button on a blast of traditional mass mailers to an Excel spreadsheet of candidates and pray something hits.
Introducing Moxi Talent
With that, MoxiWorks is excited to present the newest member to the platform: Moxi Talent. Moxi Talent is designed to help office managers and recruiters execute on this year’s resolutions through goal-setting, automation, and a consistent methodology to attract and hire agents. It is built on the core of Moxi Engage, the CRM and productivity tool that increases agent production by an average of 38%. Using Moxi Engage’s focus on goals and its integration with email contacts and calendar events, Moxi Talent is in a unique position to bring the same change in productivity to office managers’ recruiting pipeline and, eventually, retention efforts.
Moxi Talent requires managers and recruiters to set their goals before taking any other action. The goals are used by the system to keep managers focused on a disciplined methodology, despite the noise of daily office life. Best practices in the form of tasks help managers take the right action at the right time, such as posting to the agent’s LinkedIn profile, swinging by the agent’s broker open, or using Moxi Present as a vehicle for marketing materials, a strategy many of our clients are already using today.
Let Technology be Your Wingman
It doesn’t stop there. We’ll continue to expand the feature throughout this year, enabling managers to tell Moxi Talent the profile of their ideal recruit based on volume and the geography of the agent’s listings, which the tool will use to suggest the best candidate for the manager. Say goodbye to mind-numbing spreadsheets of data and hello to intelligent, automated recruiting leads.
Nothing makes us at Moxi happier than to grow with our brokerage clients, and we’re thrilled to take the next step in that continual growth with Moxi Talent, so brokerage owners and managers can make good on this year’s resolutions, unlike my unused gym membership.
Moxi Talent is currently in Beta. Find out more by clicking here.
Moxi Works secures outside investment
CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE The real estate technology startup Moxi Works has secured an unspecified investment stake from Hanna Holdings of Pittsburgh. Moxi Works has created an open-platform system, called Moxi Cloud, for large residential real estate brokerages, which serves over 100,000 agents and 50 brokerages nationwide.
