Text Message Marketing is the Future in Real Estate and Beyond

The ability to spot trends has always been a valuable asset in any real estate agent's arsenal. In fact, trendspotting serves most people well in just about any industry. Sometimes, you get that "ah ha!" moment when it finally hits you and you say to yourself "this could be big!".

That is exactly what happened to me when I first discovered the power of text message marketing months back. I saw it as a way to communicate instantly with potential clients in an environment with a 95% read rate. Think about it... who doesn't read their text messages? I've been successfully text message advertising since then.

But I wanted to create a brand that I could bring to the forefront of the market to allow others to easily use this technology as well. I've literally spent the last 5 months developing a text message platform for retail use, and this morning (9/9/09) at 9:09am, we launched the product at http://www.GottaGoText.com.

Hence, we're very proud to bring you the most sophisticated text message marketing system available today - AND making it affordable for small business use. (especially for real estate agents!)

No more empty "Take One" sheets at houses that are for sale. Instead, have a sign asking the potential buyer to text a certain keyword (HOUSE) to our shortcode (69302) for instant information on the house they're looking at. (Plus you help save the planet without the use of tradition paper that ends up somewhere on the street most of the time).

Now you've captured that prospect's contact info where you can alert them to your new listings, open houses, special deals, foreclosure opportunities, or just about anything you can imagine at a simple click of the button for immediate feedback. Gotta Go Text is browser based, so you can create, send, and manage your contacts and text messages from anywhere in the world at any time. I'm sure you can see how you can develop a strong contact database in a very short period of time by text message marketing with G2G.

In short, texting facilitates sales. And if you think it's all overwhelming, I'm here to help you out every step of the way regarding how to use the system, create keywords, manage your database, and send out messages.

For the time being, I'm offering a FREE trial of this product at our website at http://www.GottaGoText.com. I'm also looking for affiliates to help me bring this brand to the forefront of the industry. Signup for the trial, create an account and give it a test drive. Then, if you like it, the basic cost is $50/month along with 7 cents charge per outgoing text message. There are no contracts to sign and you can cancel without penalty at any time.

This is not just for real estate agents - bars, restaurants, promoters, churches, schools, musicians, etc... all can find a unique use for text message marketing.

Download the promotional flyer here - and remember: When you want to skyrocket your response rates and grow your business, ya Gotta Go Text!

Using G2G will show you EXACTLY how powerful mobile marketing really is!!!

Investment Real Estate Webinar Almost a Sell-Out - Learn How to Pay No Taxes for 2009

Disillusioned with the Las Vegas high rise condo market? Fed up with Las Vegas real estate in general? Looking for cash flowing real estate with tremendous tax benefits? I'm sure the answer to that question is a resounding yes!

Many of you who follow and/or subscribe to this blog know I've been a proponent of GO Zone investing since the IRS sponsored program came out in 2005. Our latest buying event was a huge success as the entire Tara Brooke development project just about sold out as a result.

Many of the buyers on the call will now Legally be Paying NO Federal Income Tax in 2009! If you missed it and you'd like to learn more about why GO Zone investing blows away anything Las Vegas ever had, you can listen to a recording of the conference call by clicking here. You can also reserve a unit on that webpage using the Discount Code: "COSTA"

Time is absolutely of the essence here, because in order to have the home completed by the end of the year to qualify for the GO-Zone tax benefits, you need to reserve right away. There is only a fleeing moment of time while this tax benefit still exists and then it will be gone forever.

There still are a few units left, so listen to the archived conference call and reserve your unit today

Jewelry hub won’t adorn Symphony Park soon

From today's Las Vegas Sun:

Plans to build a key world jewelry industry hub in downtown’s Symphony Park will take years longer than originally planned. At today’s Las Vegas City Council meeting, the city and the World Jewelry Center’s Beverly Hills-based developer are set to amend their agreement to give the center six more years to fulfill its original plans — including the option to scale them back.

If this project ever happens, what a much-needed boom this would be to Las Vegas in general, and downtown in particular.

Article on Las Vegas High Rise Condos Says It Best - Maybe

The Las Vegas Review Journal recently published an article regarding the status of the high rise condo market here in Las Vegas. You can read the article here.

I've heard all the jokes: What does the Las Vegas high rise market and Michael Jackson have in common? - they're both dead. And other jokes along those lines. What are your feelings regarding Las Vegas real estate today on August 4th, 2009? Is there any hope?

I was wondering if you could take time out of your day, read the article, then "Tweet" any comments you may have on my newly created Twitter account. What do you think is the future of this market? I'd be interested in your responses. Thanks!

Latest Economic Indices Not Painting a Rosy Picture

Here's the most recent data according to R. Keith Schwer of the The Center for Business and Economic Research regarding the Southern Nevada Index of Leading Economic Indicators:

The Index rose a modest 0.6 percent for June, essentially standing still on a month-to-month basis. The sharp decline of the past year or so has at least hit a pause, however. Visitor volume, down a modest 2.89 percent for the same month a year ago, contributed the most to the strength of the index. All in all, we may be starting to get around the corner. We remain cautiously optimistic that a turn up in the index is forming -- giving us some hope that a recovery may start in the next six months or so.

CBER Clark County Business-Activity Index:

The Business-Activity Index continues its downward trajectory, reversing last month’s one-time rise -- a one-month change that was only a desert mirage. The index offers a perspective of the stage of the business cycle we are in. In short, a recession is from peak to trough and a recovery from trough to peak. Taken as a whole, we have strong evidence that the recession we are in continues.

CBER Clark County Tourism Index:

The Tourism Index improved for the third month in a row, though up a modest 0.79 percent over last month. The rise in visitor volume explains this strength. Aggressive advertising of value opportunities seems to be working. To be sure, this improvement is modest and has yet to gain enough momentum to curtail the recession, but clearly this is a glimmer of hope for better things to come.

CBER Clark County Construction Index:

The roller-coaster decline in construction that started from 2006 has pushed the
index below the values when the index starts in 1995. The index shows a one-month rise of 2.17 percent. Still, the index is near and all-time low. Moreover, the prospects for improvement remain weak. We lost about 15,000 construction jobs over the past year. With excess residential, commercial, and industrial space, further contraction seems inevitable at this time.

Are you on Twitter? Follow Me!

I finally gave in - after months (and literally MONTHS) of everyone I know trying to get me to put a presence on Twitter, I finally caved in and did it. Here's my Twitter page:

http://www.twitter.com/highriser

In the short time I've been online with this, I have to admit I am totally addicted to it. It's great - and it's skyrocketed my video and text business to the point where I'm so mad at myself for not doing this sooner.

Granted, you have to work at it. You have to post valuable info (called "tweets") so people will be more inclined to "follow you". The viral marketing concept that you can create with this platform is mind-boggling.

So take it from me. Get on Twitter today and start Tweeting. If Shaquille O'Neal can do it, so can you. And it's actually kind of fun as well.

Learn to Build Your Real Estate Business Sending Video Emails

Do you know what the most effective form of internet marketing is? it's email. Email works - and that's why you get so much spam in your inbox each day. As real estate agents, we're all looking for the next best thing so if you're in the business, I need you to read the next line carefully:

Adding campaign video to your marketing arsenal has the potential to skyrocket response rates and in turn, result in more income for your real estate business.

I use video email almost exclusively now and I love it. In fact, I created a website to showcase the Attain Response platform at the following link:

http://www.videoemailresults.com

We are having an informational meeting tomorrow morning (Friday, June 4thth at 11:30am) to explain how this platform can help you with your real estate career. This is NOT a webinar, seminar, or anythingelse-ar. This is a live meeting which you can attend in person.

The event is by invitation only. Sorry for the short notice, but if you'd like an invite (and will DEFINITELY attend), please respond by email or call me direct at 702-336-5554. If you're serious about succeeding in your career in a down market, 1 hour out of your day is a small price to pay.

Uncle Jay Explains the Deficit

Can it be any clearer? Check out this video which may explain the mess we're all in with the real estate, banking, and stock markets.

Now why didn't I think of that?

Inspirational Messages Directly to Your Cell Phone

In this down economy and doom and gloom all over the place, it's probably a good idea to get some positive reinforcement every once in a while.

I recently signed up to receive daily insights and inspirational text messages right to my cell phone on a daily basis. check it out for yourself at this link

If it helps us all whether the Las Vegas high rise condo market and real estate industry in general until things get better, I'm all for it. Hope this brightens someone's day!

When you see "Short Sale", Move On ...

Whether you're looking to purchase a Las Vegas high rise condo, or just any type of Las Vegas property, save yourself some time and pass on the "Short Sale" deal. Short Sales are sexy... they're alluring.. and they're a total waste of time.

Most buyers will see "short sale" and put in a low-ball offer to see what happens. Well, what happens is the bank sees tons of these offers, and they don't like any of them. So they counter with "highest and best". Then they'll take what they consider the best offer and wait under the guise of determining whether or not to allow the sale.

What they're doing in real life is waiting for an even better offer to come to the table. Short sale buyers may wait months for their deal to move forward, and even then the bank can kill the deal anywhere in the process. Meanwhile, real deals and real bargains out there are taken by other investors and home buyers.

It happens with houses, it happens with condos, it happens with high rises. Here's my advice: foreclosures, YES... short sales, PASS.