Top Marketer® Marketing Tools FAQ

Top Producer Marketing Tools FAQ 1

Top Marketer® Marketing Tools FAQ

Market Snapshot Market Snapshot Pro

Newsletter Market Data

Contents General ............................................................................................................................................... 3

Which browsers are supported by Top Marketer? .................................................................................. 3 What is all the information that appears when I open Top Marketer? ..................................................... 3 What is the advantage of the Top Marketer Control Panel?.................................................................... 3 What is the Setup Wizard? ...................................................................................................................... 3 What is Social Media?............................................................................................................................. 3 How will my contacts know I am using Social Media? ............................................................................ 3

Area Management .............................................................................................................................. 4 What is the advantage of creating geographical areas? ......................................................................... 4 How do I create an Area? ....................................................................................................................... 4

Market Data Collection ...................................................................................................................... 4 What is the Market Data? ........................................................................................................................ 4 Where does this information come from? ................................................................................................ 4 How often is it updated?.......................................................................................................................... 4 How is this different from Market Snapshots? ......................................................................................... 4 What will I use this for? ........................................................................................................................... 4 Displays or graphs – what is the difference? ........................................................................................... 4

Market Data Graphs .................................................................................................................................... 4 How are the Market Data Graphs different? ............................................................................................ 4

Market Snapshots .............................................................................................................................. 7 What is the difference between the Standard Market Snapshot and Market Snapshot Pro? .................. 7

Standard Market Snapshot ........................................................................................................................ 7 What is a Standard Market Snapshot? ................................................................................................... 7

Market Snapshot Pro .................................................................................................................................. 8 What is Market Snapshot Pro? ............................................................................................................... 8 Why should I use Market Snapshot Pro? ................................................................................................ 8 How do I get it? ....................................................................................................................................... 8 Can I still use the Standard Market Snapshot if I switch to the Pro version? ......................................... 8 What happens to my customers who are already receiving Standard Market Snapshots? ..................... 8 What does a Market Snapshot Pro email look like? ................................................................................ 8

Snapshot Reports ....................................................................................................................................... 9 What does a Standard Market Snapshot report look like? ...................................................................... 9 This report looks big. Will people be upset by this huge email? .............................................................10 If it’s a link, can everyone see it? ...........................................................................................................10 How long do you keep reports? .............................................................................................................10 Can I see what the Market Snapshot looks like for my leads? ...............................................................10 How do I know if the consumer has looked at the Market Snapshot? ....................................................11 If all my leads get Market Snapshots, will I have to make an HMR or CMA for them? ...........................11


What are the benefits to having Market Snapshot turned on? ...............................................................11 What if something goes wrong when Top Marketer creates the report? ................................................11 What could go wrong? ...........................................................................................................................11 Is there a limit to how many Market Snapshots I can have running at any time? ...................................11 Why would I want to send a Market Snapshot to people who are just “looking”? ...................................11 What is the Performance Report? ..........................................................................................................12 Can I Print and Export Reports? ............................................................................................................12

Understanding the Standard Market Snapshot ............................................................................ 12 Standard Snapshot Map ............................................................................................................................12 Standard Market Snapshot Graphs ..........................................................................................................13

I see numbers for Average and Median. What’s the difference? ...........................................................16 What are those red dots on the graph? ..................................................................................................16

Standard Snapshot Scheduling................................................................................................................17 I want more details about the graphs and tables. What information is in them? ...................................18

Working with Standard Market Snapshot ..................................................................................... 19 How do I create a Market Snapshot? .....................................................................................................19 If I belong to more than one MLS, from which MLS will data be obtained for a Market Snapshot? .......20 What is an FSA? ....................................................................................................................................20 Can I search by postal code? .................................................................................................................20 Where do I get a Lead generation tool or form for my Web site? ...........................................................20 What do the form and text links look like? ..............................................................................................21 Can a consumer change how often a Market Snapshot is sent? ..........................................................23 What if I don’t want to continue sending a Market Snapshot? ................................................................23 How do I delete a Market Snapshot? .....................................................................................................23 What does the Standard Market Snapshot email look like? ...................................................................23 What is an Advanced Market Snapshot Request? .................................................................................23 Why are some of the fields in the Advanced Market Snapshot page not enabled? ...............................24 Does the Market Snapshot look like the Map/List that appears when I click Display Results? ..............24

Newsletters ...................................................................................................................................... 24

What is in a newsletter? ........................................................................................................................24 How do I choose what I want in the newsletter? ....................................................................................24 How does the newsletter select the information for my MLS? ................................................................24 How do I select an Area to target? .........................................................................................................24 Can I review the newsletter? ................................................................................................................24 What is the best way to get this newsletter to my contacts? ..................................................................24 What are subscribers? ...........................................................................................................................24 How do I get subscribers? ......................................................................................................................25 How do the subscribers see the newsletter? ..........................................................................................25 How do I know who has received a newsletter? ....................................................................................25 Won’t it be too big to email? ...................................................................................................................25 What if I need to refer to an old newsletter? ...........................................................................................25


General

Which browsers are supported by Top Marketer?

A On a PC, Top Marketer supports Firefox and Internet Explorer.

On a Mac, we support Firefox and Safari. On iPad, we support Safari.

What is all the information that appears when I open Top Marketer?

A When you open Top Marketer, the Control Panel opens and displays a Progress Report. This contains summary reports of the recent activities on your account. This includes notices, new inquiries, recent Market Snapshots that have been viewed, not been viewed, or failed. For more information see Summary Reports in the Online Help.

What is the advantage of the Top Marketer Control Panel?

A You can gain quick access to the following Snapshot tasks:

View and update your Snapshot information from the Market Snapshot menu.

Set up your Market Snapshot from the Setup menu, which uses the setup wizard.

What is the Setup Wizard?

A The setup wizard appears when you still have setup tasks to complete. It guides you through all the steps to enter your credentials and preferences in order to use Top Marketer. This includes setting up, and in some cases, customizing:

Agent Profile Information

MLS credentials

Market Snapshot

Email Text

Inquiry Capture (link to Inquiry Capture Setup).

Area Management –customize zip/postal codes and create geographical areas.

You can return to the wizard at any time from the Setup menu on the control panel, to update your information and settings. See details about using the Setup Wizard in the Online Help.

What is Social Media?

Examples of Social Media are Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. These media enable you to stay in close touch with your clients. You can set up your own social media to work in Top Marketer and 8i. See Social Media in the Online Help.

How will my contacts know I am using Social Media?

A When you enter your social media credentials, links or icons will be added to your market Snapshot contact details, emails and confirmation pages so that consumers can easily contact you by clicking the icon or link. For more details, see Social Media in the Online Help

Example of Social Media Icons

https://www.topproducer.com/campus/helpfiles/tm/a_Tasks/TMK_Summary_Reports.htm

https://www.topproducer.com/campus/helpfiles/tm/a_Concepts/About_Setup_Wizard.htm

https://www.topproducer.com/campus/helpfiles/tm/a_Tasks/SetUp_Social_Media.htm

https://www.topproducer.com/campus/helpfiles/tm/a_Tasks/SetUp_Social_Media.htm


Area Management

What is the advantage of creating geographical areas?

A With multiple geographical areas, you have the flexibility of targeting an audience who is interested in specific locations. For example, a new transit station being built can potentially increase property values in the vicinity in future, and be an incentive for buyers to purchase in that area.

How do I create an Area?

A On the Area Management page, you create a name for the new Area, and then select a zip/postal code that you want to be in that Area. You can have multiple codes in an Area, as long as they are adjacent to each other. For the steps to do this, see Area Management in the Online Help.

Market Data Collection

What is the Market Data?

A Top Marketer analyzes data going back over a two year period from participating MLSs and other sources. The analyzed information can be used in various outputs:

Place on a page on your Web site, or on other Web pages.

Post an image on Facebook or a blog.

Include in a Newsletter.

Where does this information come from?

A Data from the past two years is retrieved from participating MLS databases, and analyzed. The results are stored in our database, and the MLS data is discarded. Lean more at About Market Data in the Online Help.

How often is it updated?

A Initially, data for the past 2 years is collected from participating MLSs, and for each month ongoing. The collected data is analyzed, and our database is updated with the results. The original data is discarded.

How is this different from Market Snapshots?

A Market Snapshots provide information about individual property activities in your MLS area or zip/postal code, over a three month period.

Market Data provides graphs and accompanying explanatory text analyzing trends in an area over a two year period.

What will I use this for?

A You can create displays and graphs to place on your Web page or your social media accounts. For examples of these, see Market Data Output Options in the Online Help.

Displays or graphs – what is the difference?

A A display is the graph plus explanatory text. You might want to use the graph by itself in some instances and add your own comment. You make this choice when you are creating the output.

Market Data Graphs

How are the Market Data Graphs different?

A These graphs show trends over a two year period, rather than information about specific properties. The following sample graphs can be placed in a variety of outputs.

https://www.topproducer.com/campus/helpfiles/tm/a_Tasks/MS_Area_Management.htm

https://www.topproducer.com/campus/helpfiles/tm/a_Concepts/MD_About_Market_Data.htm

https://www.topproducer.com/campus/helpfiles/tm/a_Concepts/MD_Outputs.htm


Asking Prices vs Sold Prices

Days on Market


Asking and Selling Prices

Inventory


Market Snapshots

What is the difference between the Standard Market Snapshot and Market Snapshot Pro?

A To understand the differences between the Standard Market Snapshot and Market Snapshot Pro, see the two following questions.

Note: Market Snapshot Pro is optionally available to participating MLSs.

Options on the Standard Market Snapshot Setup Page

Additional Options using Market Snapshot Pro

Note: With MS Pro you have the option to select additional pins to appear on your maps.

Standard Market Snapshot

What is a Standard Market Snapshot?

A The Standard Market Snapshot offers graphs that summarize the market conditions in a selected neighborhood over the last three months, for a specific property type (for example, a 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom single family home in zip code 12345).

A link to the Market Snapshot is sent in an email to you and the consumer. You can access it from the email sent to you, through the Top Marketer Control Panel, or through Top Producer 8i. You can choose to see the information from the last 3 months, the last 30 days or the last 7 days.

For more information, see Understanding the Standard Market Snapshot in this document .


Market Snapshot Pro

What is Market Snapshot Pro?

A Market Snapshot Pro adds explanatory text to the Standard Market Data graphs.

In addition Market Snapshot Pro offers:

Two new data graphs (making a total of six). Links to these are included in automatic follow-up emails to contacts.

Additional map pins to indicate if a property is ‘Pending’ or “Expired/Withdrawn’.

Why should I use Market Snapshot Pro?

A Enhancements include more graphs, each accompanied by some explanatory text. Learn more in About Market Snapshot Pro in the Online Help.

How do I get it?

A If you belong to a participating MLS, you can simply opt to use MS Pro on the Market Snapshot Setup page.

Can I still use the Standard Market Snapshot if I switch to the Pro version?

A No. You must use one or the other—when you switch to Market Snapshot Pro, all your Standard Market Snapshot customers will receive the Market Snapshot Pro version the next time you send an update email. However, you can switch back to Standard Market Snapshot at any time.

What happens to my customers who are already receiving Standard Market Snapshots?

A They will automatically be switched to Market Snapshot Pro the next time they are sent an update.

What does a Market Snapshot Pro email look like?

A Market Snapshot Pro uses text—including dynamic text—that allows content specific to the data type to be automatically inserted in the initial and update emails to the consumer. The email reflects if the

recipient is a buyer or seller and indicates the type of graph and the area it covers.

https://www.topproducer.com/campus/helpfiles/tm/a_Concepts/MSP_About_Pro.htm


Sample of initial Market Snapshot Pro email

Snapshot Reports

What does a Standard Market Snapshot report look like?

A You can see an example at:

http://www.topmarketer.net/reports?sample=1

For an explanation, see Understanding the Market Snapshot Report in this document .

You can click the different sections of the report. If you don’t have Internet access, here is a sample image of the Market Snapshot:

http://www.topmarketer.net/reports?sample=1


Sample of Standard Market Snapshot displaying Asking and Sold Prices Graph

This report looks big. Will people be upset by this huge email?

A No, because they don’t get the report itself. They just get a link in the email that takes them to the report. No huge downloads to clog up someone’s inbox. As for the updates of the Snapshot, they will appear in the same location, so even later updates of the snapshot will always use the same link.

If it’s a link, can everyone see it?

A No, it is kept on a private site for you and that consumer alone. The link that is sent in the email is unique for each consumer. Even the link that you use to view the Market Snapshot is different from the consumer’s so we can tell when you or the consumers are looking at the Snapshot. This also means that we can tell when the consumer viewed the Snapshot and display that information for you.

How long do you keep reports?

A Three months. Even for scheduled updates to the Snapshot, only the last three months are available. If three months has passed with no updates, the Snapshot is removed and the consumer needs to contact you to get a new one.

Can I see what the Market Snapshot looks like for my leads?

A Every time Top Marketer sends a Market Snapshot to one of your leads, you can opt to receive an email with the link to the Snapshot so you can see exactly what each of your leads is seeing. You can also view the Market Snapshot from the “Market Snapshot Status Report” and from the 8i contact or lead details if you have an 8i account.


How do I know if the consumer has looked at the Market Snapshot?

A The Market Snapshot Status Report will show the date and time the consumer last viewed the Snapshot and how many times they looked at this report. If you just want to see if they viewed it, you can see it in the Market Snapshot Status Report as well as the Lead History Report.

If all my leads get Market Snapshots, will I have to make an HMR or CMA for them?

A This depends. This is just a quick response to the consumer about general market information to impress him or her with your response speed, level of knowledge and access to the latest property information. The Market Snapshot gives the consumer an overview of their neighborhood, but they still need the expert analysis of a real estate professional to get an accurate idea of the value of their home if they are planning to sell. You can contact the lead and determine if an HMR or a CMA is required.

What are the benefits to having Market Snapshot turned on?

A The Market Snapshot is on all the time, even when you are sleeping. The consumer gets a timely response with information they can’t get on any other public site. The consumer is left with a favorable impression of you, your expertise and your service. There is no downside to having the Market Snapshot turned on.

What if something goes wrong when Top Marketer creates the report?

A An email will be sent to the consumer letting them know you are working on the report and that you will be contacting them soon with the information they requested. You will also get an email letting you know that the Market Snapshot could not be automatically sent.

What could go wrong?

A A couple of things could go wrong. The consumer’s property may be so unique that there are no similar properties anywhere in the area. The MLS board may be down for maintenance when the consumer enters their request. Any reason that stops Top Marketer from getting enough property information in the consumer’s area will stop the snapshot. If anything goes wrong while generating the Market Snapshot, you will still be notified that you received a lead.

Is there a limit to how many Market Snapshots I can have running at any time?

A No. Use as many as you want or need.

Why would I want to send a Market Snapshot to people who are just “looking”?

A The Market Snapshot is a first response to consumers at all stages of their property search. The Market Snapshot will create:

1. A Favorable First Impression

Communicate with Internet consumers early in the cycle in the manner they prefer: transparent sharing of free information in order to win them as clients over time. The response is fast, uncommonly accurate, and presented with the necessary mapping and interactive graphics that consumers have come to expect. The openness of the service facilitates contact with early stage sellers prospecting for housing information online.

2. A More Personal Dialog with Consumers

Shape consumer expectations by highlighting the exceptions not captured in the free public data; the Snapshot naturally frames questions in the mind of consumers, increasing the opportunity for direct personal dialog – such questions as:

a. Which properties were recently sold and at what price?

b. How fast are properties selling?

c. How much inventory exists for homes like mine?

d. How long will it take to sell?

e. How can I sell for more?

The service reinforces your proposal by systematically explaining how the local market expert can interpret the many intangibles that do not show up in raw data.

3. Pointed Follow-Up with Less Effort and Cost


Reduce the burden of fulfillment for all consumer prospects by setting the Market Snapshot on automatic mode—providing consumers the initial report and subsequent updates automatically. Because of the difficulty of separating the casual ‘explorer’ from the more driven researcher, the Snapshot allows you to cost-effectively deliver reports to ALL consumers. Furthermore, the ability for consumers to receive regular agent-branded updates of valuable MLS market data extinguishes any perception of email spam typically associated with drip marketing systems.

4. Front and Center with your Brand

The Service ensures that your brand remains ‘front and center’ with consumers as they conduct their lengthy research, ensuring that you are both visible and well-considered when they make their decision to choose a specific agent.

5. ‘Direct from Industry Expert’ Positioning

The Service guarantees the most up-to-the-minute sold data, active listings, inventory and days on market counts. Because this data is unavailable on any other similar Web sites, the Snapshot repeatedly messages to the consumer that such a valuable report can come only from a real estate professional. Acknowledging your local market expertise, the service does not purport to provide automatic home valuation or true comparative analysis on-the-fly. This distinguishes Top Marketer from the other services providing online real estate data. The focus of Top Marketer is the industry added-value and your branding.

What is the Performance Report?

A This report, accessed in Top Marketer Control Panel > Inquiries, contains information about new

leads, the source zip codes of leads, and new and viewed Snapshots. You can select the date range you want to view. For more information see the Performance Report in the Online Help.

Can I Print and Export Reports?

You can print out your Inquiry Report, Market Snapshot Report, and the Performance Report, or export any one of them to a spreadsheet in CSV format. Just set up the search and filter criteria to display what you want and click the Print or Export icon at the top right.

Understanding the Standard Market Snapshot

The Standard Market Snapshot report is divided into these main areas:

Snapshot Map: On the right is a map that is generated from the address or partial address that you entered

when creating the Market Snapshot. For more information, see Standard Snapshot Map below.

Snapshot Graphs: Statistical graphs display various market trends. For more information, see The Snapshot Graphs below.

Snapshot Scheduling: In the bottom left, information about the next scheduled Market Snapshot appears.

For more information, see Snapshot Scheduling below

Standard Snapshot Map

This section relates to Standard Market Snapshot only.

You can choose to see Market Info, Community Info or School info on the map.

The map example below shows Market Info about the consumer’s home, with some similar properties in the area that are for sale or recently sold. To the left of the map is a table that shows up to100 listings matching the properties on the map.

Point to a property on the map to display information about it in a pop-up window. Display more details by clicking View Details in that window.

https://www.topproducer.com/campus/helpfiles/tm/a_Tasks/Inquiries_Performance_Report.htm


Sample Standard Market Snapshot Map

Standard Market Snapshot Graphs

When you are in the Market Info view, four graphs are available:

Average Days on Market: Indicates how long it may take a prospective seller to sell their home.

Selling vs Asking Price: Compares asking price to the actual selling price to determine how close the asking price is to current market value.

Average Selling Price: Charts the price trends—whether prices are rising or falling by comparing high, low and median values for list price and sold price.

Number of Homes for Sale: The number of homes on market indicates if the market is growing or shrinking, making it a Buyer’s, Seller’s or a neutral market.

Average Days on Market Graph

Click to display the Average Days on Market graph, which gives an idea of how fast the market is moving. The

blue lines are the extremes in days on the market. The green line is the average and the red dots represent sold properties. When a sold property is selected on the map, a red pin appears on the graph to show when it sold and how long it was on the market before selling.


When a property that has been on the market for a long time eventually sells, the top blue line will drop closer to the average. If a sold property from the map or list is selected, a pin will appear to show which red dot represents it, as well as showing how many days it took to sell. If there are continually new properties coming on the market, the bottom blue line will stay close to 1.

Asking vs Selling Price Graph

Click to display the Asking vs Selling graph, which shows the difference between the listing price and the

selling price so the consumer can see if it is a seller’s market or a buyer’s market. For the homes that sold during the time period, one bar shows the average list price and the other shows the average sold price. When a sold property is selected on the map, a red pin appears on the bar graph to show when it was sold.


Asking vs Selling Price graph

The table beneath the graph describes the asking and selling price relationship of all the sold properties during the time period.

Average Selling Price Graph

Click to display the Asking and Sold Price graph, which gives the consumer a general idea of whether prices

are rising, falling, or staying stable for similar properties in his or her area. It also displays the extremes in the price ranges. The graph displays lines for the highest and lowest listing prices, and the average listing price.

Red dots indicate the price of properties sold during the requested time period. When a specific listed property is selected on the map, a dotted blue line displays on the graph to show its list price compared with the average list price.

When a sold property is selected on the map, a red pin appears on the graph to show the date and price when it was sold.


Asking and Sold Prices Graph for 3 month period

The table beneath the graph describes the recently sold homes as well as those still on the market.

I see numbers for Average and Median. What’s the difference?

A Average and Median are ways to judge the center value of a number of different values. For the average, add up all the values and divide the total by the number of values. For example, ((1 + 2 + 3 +

4 + 5 + 6 + 7) / 7) = 3.28.

For the median, all values are sorted and the middle one is chosen. In other words, for the values: 1, 2,

3, 4, 5, 6, 7, the median is 4.

Why do we have two ways to measure the same number? In the above examples, the median and average are roughly the same because the numbers are around the same value. But if we have an extreme value (like a very expensive home) added to the numbers, the median and average become very different. For example, if the values are 2, 2, 2, 2, and 100, the average is (108 / 5) or 21.6 but the median is 2. For a truly “average” property, the median is a better number to look at.

What are those red dots on the graph?

A Those represent sold properties and indicate the selling price.

If you select a sold property on the map or in the listing adjacent to the map, a red pin will be displayed on the graph to indicate the red dot that is for that property. If you select an active property, a blue line appears showing the listing price of the property.


Number of Homes for Sale Graph

Click to display the Number of Homes graph, which lists comparable homes on the market in the selected time

period.

Total active listings are in green, new listings are in blue and sold are in red. This graph displays the number of active properties and you can get an idea of how many were sold in the different time periods.

Standard Snapshot Scheduling

The bottom left displays information about the next scheduled update to the Market Snapshot.

Note: The Change this option is not available if the account is inactive or Snapshot has been stopped.

The consumer can click Change this to change the schedule of the Market Snapshot.


The default update schedule is every 4 weeks, but consumers can select another option from the drop-down list. If they select 2 weeks, and 2 weeks has passed since the last report, a new report is automatically generated, and sent to you and the consumer. The next update will be 2 weeks from that time.

If consumers want to cancel the Market Snapshot, they select Never from the Change Schedule list.

I want more details about the graphs and tables. What information is in them?

A From the listings retrieved from the MLS, the following numbers are calculated and displayed in tables:

1. Total number of properties that were listed at any time within the date range of the Market Snapshot

2. Average list price of the listed properties as of the date of the Market Snapshot

3. Total number of properties sold in the last 3 months

4. Average sold price

From the listings retrieved from the MLS and based on a date range of “This Week”, the “Last 30 days” and the “Last 3 months”, the following numbers are calculated and displayed in tables on the “Asking and Sold Prices” and “Asking vs Selling Price” graphs:

1. Total number of sold homes

2. Date of last sale of a home

3. Highest and lowest sale prices

4. Average and median sale prices

5. Number of homes currently for sale at the moment of the Market Snapshot creation (it is called average because properties may become listed or de-listed after the Market Snapshot has been sent)

6. Listing date of the latest listing

7. Highest and lowest listing prices

8. Average and median listing prices

9. Number of sales below listing price

10. Number of sales at listing price

11. Number of sales above listing price

12. Average percentage of asking price received for recently sold homes

From the listings retrieved from the MLS and based on a date range of “This Week”, the “Last 30 days” and the “Last 3 months”, the following numbers are calculated and displayed in tables on the “Time on Market” and “Number of Homes for Sale” graphs:

1. Average number of days for a home to sell

2. Total number of sold homes

3. Date of last sale of a home

4. Shortest and longest time to sell a home

5. Average days on market for homes currently for sale

6. Number of homes currently for sale

7. Listing date of the latest listing

8. Highest and lowest number of days on market for homes currently for sale


9. Number of sales

10. Number new listings

11. Average number of sales per day

Working with Standard Market Snapshot

How do I create a Market Snapshot?

A There are several ways in which a Snapshot can be requested (See below) .

When a request is received, your username and password are used to search your MLS for properties matching the consumer’s property, that were listed or sold in the last three months.

Up to 100 sold and listed properties that are nearest to the consumer’s property are displayed on the Seller’s Market Snapshot map. Up to 100 listed properties are displayed on the Buyer’s Market Snapshot map.

Listed or sold property data is only used for calculations and for building the graphs. This data is later discarded.

A Market Snapshot can be generated in the following ways:

Directly enter the request

Go to Top Marketer > Market Snapshot > Create New Snapshot and enter the consumer’s information into the Market Snapshot Request form:

Respond Automatically to a New Lead

If you have opted to automatically send a Market Snapshot to new leads (Auto Send MS) in your

Market Snapshot Setup, and have a valid MLS account, a Market Snapshot is automatically generated to leads from the following:

a lead generation tool

your Web site

a text link in an email

a lead email sent from a supported source

The lead is also sent to your Top Producer 8i account if you have one.

Information about the Market Snapshot will be stored with the lead.


Select a contact from your Top Producer 8i database

From 8i, request a Market Snapshot to be generated based on the contact’s address and property details. To do this: from the Contacts menu, click Leads Summary, click a name to open the Contact Details, click Summary and then click the Create New Snapshot link at the bottom right of the page.

Before generating the snapshot, you can edit the property details or the contact’s email address. You can also select a lead or a currently running Market Snapshot and modify and regenerate the Market Snapshot with new property information for the consumer.

A lead received by Top Producer from our sites.

These leads are passed free to agents who have put their interested zip codes or postal codes in the Area Management page. These leads will also generate Market Snapshots.

If I belong to more than one MLS, from which MLS will data be obtained for a Market Snapshot?

A If you belong to more than one MLS, you can specify which MLS should be used to generate a Market Snapshot. In the Top Marketer > Setup > Area Management page, enter the areas (zip/postal codes) that you specialize in and assign an MLS to it. When a customer requests a Market Snapshot for a zip code, Top Marketer searches for that zip code in the list and detects the MLS assigned to it. If this zip code is not on the list, Top Marketer will use the default MLS as specified in the Market Snapshot Setup page.

Area Management Page

Note: You can use a wildcard in a zip code, and the forward sortation area (FSA) for a Canadian postal

code.

What is an FSA?

A Used in Canada, this stands for Forward Sortation Area . See next question.

Can I search by postal code?

A Canadian MLS users can search for listings using the Forward Sortation Area (FSA) which is the first 3 characters of the postal code. You can create a Market Snapshot that includes only the FSAs that you want. For instructions about this, see Creating a new Market Snapshot in the Online Help.

Where do I get a Lead generation tool or form for my Web site?

A From the Top Marketer Control Panel > Setup menu, you can access two separate pages to set up the Inquiry Capture or Community Inquiry Capture forms. Use these forms to define the title, subheading, look and feel of the form, and the questions you want to ask the consumer.

You are given the code to put into your Web site for the form. For the text link, you are given the URL to put in the email or on your Web site. This URL takes the consumer to a form to request a Market Snapshot.

https://www.topproducer.com/campus/helpfiles/tm/a_Tasks/MS_Create_new_snapshot.htm


Inquiry Capture Setup Page

What do the form and text links look like?

A With 10 colors and 2 designs to choose from, you can make your output match your Web site. Here is an example of two designs. The small form is on the right and the larger form brought up by the text link is on the left:


Sample blue curve design

Sample green box design


Can a consumer change how often a Market Snapshot is sent?

A When a Market Snapshot is successfully generated, an email containing a link to the Snapshot is sent to the consumer and another one is sent to you. Updates to the Market Snapshot are regularly scheduled every 4 weeks, but the consumer can change the updates to occur more frequently, less frequently, or not at all.

What if I don’t want to continue sending a Market Snapshot?

A Using your Market Snapshot account, you can stop the Market Snapshot if it is no longer needed. After 3 months, instances of the Market Snapshots are purged from the system and can no longer be viewed by either the consumer or you. If a scheduled update has occurred, then the later versions can still be seen. If the consumer has not looked at the last 6 updates of the Market Snapshot, it will automatically be identified as a “Cold Prospect” and the Market Snapshot will be stopped.

Stopping Market Snapshots does not delete them. They remain until the system purges them.

How do I delete a Market Snapshot?

A You can delete an instance of a Market Snapshot from the Control Panel > Market Snapshot > Market Snapshot Status Report. Click the trash icon on the right side of the report beside the instance you

wish to delete.

What does the Standard Market Snapshot email look like?

A A sample of the email you send out contains a link to the Market Snapshot. A similar email is sent to the subscribing Agent for their reference at a later date.

Sample email text containing Standard Market Snapshot link

What is an Advanced Market Snapshot Request?

A The Advanced Market Snapshot Request page enables you to limit or expand your search criteria to include only specific properties in your Market Snapshot.

Access this page, from the Top Marketer Control Panel > Market Snapshot > Create a Snapshot. Click the Advanced button located at the bottom of the page. For details, see Creating an Advanced Market Snapshot in the Online Help.

https://www.topproducer.com/campus/helpfiles/tm/a_Tasks/MS_Create_Advanced_MS.htm

https://www.topproducer.com/campus/helpfiles/tm/a_Tasks/MS_Create_Advanced_MS.htm


Why are some of the fields in the Advanced Market Snapshot page not enabled?

A Only the fields that are searchable in your MLS are enabled. Note that if your MLS removed a field that was previously saved for a Market Snapshot or if it added a new required field, then the Market Snapshot will be not be generated. You need to modify the search criteria to include (or exclude) the field before you can regenerate the Market Snapshot.

Does the Market Snapshot look like the Map/List that appears when I click Display Results?

A No. The page is neither a partial display of the Market Snapshot nor does it represent the actual look of the Market Snapshot. Its purpose is for you to confirm that the results meet your advanced search criteria.

Newsletters

What is in a newsletter?

A A monthly electronic newsletter contains graphs depicting market trends and statistics based on the market data collection. You create Areas you want to target.

You select up to 4 graphs you want to include, and in addition can include two articles from a selection.

You are notified when a new newsletter is ready for you to approve by following the link in the email.

Learn more in About Market Newsletter in the Online Help.

How do I choose what I want in the newsletter?

A From the Top Marketer Control Panel > Setup menu, select Newsletter Setup and follow the instructions to define the area to target and the contents for the newsletter.

How does the newsletter select the information for my MLS?

A Graphs and supporting text used in newsletters are from the Market Data Collection.

When you set up your newsletter, you make the following customizations:

Select the target Area for the newsletter

Set the color theme and background header image

Enter some heading and introductory text—or use the default message

Select up to four graphs to include

Select one or two articles.

How do I select an Area to target?

A See Area Management in this document.

Can I review the newsletter?

A Yes, you are sent a link to the new newsletter, so you can review the content and edit the settings before it is published. For the steps to do this, see Approving a Newsletter in the Online Help.

What is the best way to get this newsletter to my contacts?

A You can import addresses from your own contact list. Imported addresses must be in .csv format and conform to the requirements specified in Import Newsletter Subscribers in the Online Help.

You can also add any of your existing contacts from your Inquiry Report.

What are subscribers?

A Contacts who sign up to receive the newsletter through links in an email from you, on your Web page or your Social Media accounts. They can also unsubscribe.

https://www.topproducer.com/campus/helpfiles/tm/a_Concepts/News_About.htm

https://www.topproducer.com/campus/helpfiles/tm/a_Tasks/News_Approve.htm

https://www.topproducer.com/campus/helpfiles/tm/a_Tasks/News_Import_Subscribers.htm


How do I get subscribers?

A You can place a form or link in a Web site or in your social media accounts, inviting contacts to subscribe.

From the Top Marketer Control Panel > Setup menu, select Inquiry Capture. On that page, set the Inquiry Type to Newsletter Subscriber Setup and complete the information as directed.

How do the subscribers see the newsletter?

A The newsletter resides on the Top Marketer database and is accessed by you and by your consumers via a link in the notification email.

How do I know who has received a newsletter?

A Each time a recipient views the newsletter, Top Marketer tracks the date and time it was viewed. This information is included in the Newsletter Detailed Report.

Won’t it be too big to email?

A Don’t worry about emailing a large document because you are emailing a link to the online newsletter, rather than the newsletter itself.

What if I need to refer to an old newsletter?

A You can view a previous version of any newsletter via the Newsletter Status Report under Newsletter

in the Control Panel.

Top Marketer® Marketing Tools FAQ

Documents

Transcript of Top Marketer® Marketing Tools FAQ