Join us as we go over the new changes to the listing detail page on your agent and office websites. We will also review lead registration settings and other features you'll want to know.
Getting Started with Boost by HomeSpotter
RE/MAX has partnered with Boost by HomeSpotter to provide five days of FREE Facebook advertising on all new listings! This program is available to all RE/MAX Michigan agents until the end of March 2019.
Watch the recorded webinar below to learn more about this valuable program.
The Boost FAQ's
Got questions? Click on one of the sections below to get the answers you need.
What is Boost? How does it work?
Boost is a service which automates online digital marketing. When you add a new listing to the MLS, Boost will create an advertisement on both Facebook and Instagram. The advertisement will run for five days at no cost to the agent.
Do I need to do anything to get started?
These ads will get created automatically once your new listing has synced with LeadStreet - no action on your part is required! That said, we do recommend that you make sure your Agent MLS ID has been entered correctly into the Profile area of LeadStreet.
I've added a new listing, but it hasn't appeared on my Boost Dashboard yet. How can I fix this?
In order for your listings to sync with Boost, you must have your MLS ID entered into the Profile section of LeadStreet. You can learn more about adding your MLS ID by watching this short video.
How long until my Boost Ad is created?
Boost ads should be created within an hour of Boost receiving the listing data. Please note that this will depend on the sync interval for your specific MLS. For example, if your MLS syncs with LeadStreet every four hours, your Boost ad should be available within one hour after this sync occurs.
Where do my ads appear?
The Boost ads will appear under the "sponsored ads" section of Facebook and Instagram.
How does Boost select the target audience for my ad?
The ad follows people based on Boost’s targeting profile. They select a target audience of potential buyers who are looking for homes for sale that are similar to your listing within the same geographic area. We do not currently have a way to modify the targeting profile.
Will the Boost Ads be created for all property types?
All property types are included in the Boost advertising campaign, with the exception of commercial, vacant land, and rentals. All active listings, regardless of type, will display in the agent's dashboard.
How do I access my Boost Dashboard?
Once you log into MAX Tech, click on the Boost by HomeSpotter tile in the Apps section.
Is there anything I need to do once my ad gets posted?
It’s recommended that you add your seller’s information to the listing using the Boost Dashboard so that the seller receives a summary of the ad results. Boost will also ensure that the seller is in the targeted ad group so they will see the listing ad in their own Facebook newsfeed.
Can I make changes to the ad?
Yes, you have the ability to edit your ads via the Boost Dashboard that is accessed through MAX Tech. You can make edits to your listing ads at anytime. Once you save your edits, it will take about 15 minutes before the changes are live on the ads that are running. You can also make edits to your ad via the listing email - simply click on the link at the bottom of the email to edit your ad.
Which phone number gets used from my MAX Tech profile?
The ads will use the office phone number, but agents can edit the phone number on each individual ad as needed.
How do I edit my Boost profile page?
All of your profile information comes directly from MAX Tech. Please review your profile in MAX Tech for accuracy and to make changes as needed.
How do I receive my Boost leads?
All lead notifications will be sent to you via MAX Tech. By default, MAX Tech is setup to notify you by email when a lead notice comes in. You can customize that in MAX Tech (see next question).
Can I turn off some of the email notifications so I don’t receive so many?
Yes, you can control how and if you are notified for each type of lead event.
In order to adjust email notifications, log into MAX Tech and go to the Connect (messaging) function. Click the small gear in the upper right corner to access Connect Settings. Scroll down to the appropriate option in the "Leads" section and adjust your notification settings for each lead case.
How do I get my Boost leads into LeadStreet?
Boost is not integrated with LeadStreet, so you will need to manually add any leads into your client database.
Where do emails from consumers go?
If a consumer clicks on the Email button on the advertisement landing page, their message will be sent to MAX Tech and then forwarded on to you by email, like all other lead notices.
Will there be a Seller's Report available?
At the end of the ad campaign, you will receive a report showing activity such as engaged, clicks, ad views, etc. If you want your seller to have a copy of this report, make sure you have entered the seller's information in your Boost Dashboard. Note that the seller will not see the lead's customer information that is available on the agent's report.
If someone clicks on the ad, where does it take them?
If a consumer clicks on your ad, they will be taken to a Boost landing page specific to that listing.
If an agent re-lists their property with a new MLS number, will Boost create a new ad for 5 days?
Properties that are removed and re-listed will not be re-Boosted.
How can I get the ad to display in my own news feeds?
When you receive your initial listing email, there will be a link that will allow you to share the ad to both your Facebook and Instagram walls.
How will I know if someone engages with my ad?
You will be notified immediately via email if anyone clicks onto your landing pages and request any additional information or if they "like" or "comment" on your ad. You will also receive an email summary at the end of the five days.
Can I extend the ad past the initial five days?
You can purchase additional time and/or ad exposure through the Boost dashboard.
How do Open House ads work?
Open House ads are an additional cost to the agent. Once you purchase an open house ad, it will run 3 ½ days leading up to your event. On average, these ads get between 1,000 to 1,500 views and approximately 6-12 leads.
Can I pause my ad if I need more time to work on the listing?
You can pause your ad at anytime during the five day period via the Boost Dashboard. For example, you may want to pause your ad while waiting for additional photos on your listing. You will need to take note of the Ad Time Remaining clock as you will need to resume your ad prior to the time running out. Once you resume your ad, you will still have the available time remaining from when it was paused.
What does "engaged" mean on the Boost Dashboard?
The term engaged means that a consumer has interacted with your ad. Some examples include: requesting more photos, likes, comments, requests for the property address, etc.
What is the average number of clicks and/or engagement I can expect?
On an ad that runs for five days, the average is 10-20 engagements with 5-10% of ad views turning into clicks.
Can I promote my own personal Facebook page to an ad instead of RE/MAX of Michigan?
Yes, you can purchase this via the Boost Dashboard separately from the initial five days. NOTE that this will only work on a Facebook business page.
Can I run an ad on someone else’s listing?
Not at this time.
I am a co-lister. Will the ad be available on my dashboard?
The listing will only display on the Boost Dashboard of the primary agent.
What if my listing sells before the end of the five day period?
Sold/pending ad listings will be automatically removed.
What if my ad gets removed because the listing went pending, but it goes active again if the sale doesn’t go through?
The ad will be automatically reactivated with the remaining time left as long as it goes active before the end of the initial five day period.
Getting More Help
If you need support or have further questions about Boost by HomeSpotter, you can start a live chat with a Boost representative within your Boost Dashboard. You can also contact engageRE Tech Assist for assistance.
Seller’s Report (video)
This video reviews one of engageRE's most popular features- the Seller's Reports. This is a valuable tool for your sellers and should also be a part of every listing presentation!
In early November, the platform vendor made significant changes to the Seller Report. The short video above reviews the process to create a Seller Report, highlighting the new features. Updates include:
- Agents can enter partial contact information when searching and selecting the contact(s) to receive the report.
- Agents can attach a Saved Search to determine the nearby properties as an alternative to the preset radius search. The closest ten properties will display under the new expanded Market Summary section which now includes active, pending and sold listings when available.
- The Online Seller Report Summary is now an editable text area so the agent can add a custom message.
- Agents now have the ability to set an Email Frequency specific to the individual report. The report will still go out on Monday, but you can now tailor the report frequency for each customer.
- Agents can choose to stop sending the individual report when the listing goes either Pending or Sold.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Will my existing seller reports, created under the previous version, still go out?
A: Yes, the reports will continue to out on the same schedule as before, with the new report format.
Q: Can I still send an individual report to an email address, without enrolling them in the recurring report?
A: Yes and no. You can send an individual report to all contacts who are enrolled for that report. However, each recipient must be a contact in the LeadStreet system – sending to ad hoc email addresses is no longer supported.
Q: Do the emailed reports work on a mobile device?
A: Yes and no. The emailed reports should display on all devices, however, some of the information is too detailed for effective use on a mobile device, and will need to be viewed on a tablet or laptop.
Q: Will my setting changes be automatically saved?
A: No. Auto-save is no longer supported. The Save button must be used after making changes to any settings on the report.
For more details, see Online Seller Report.
Maximize Your Listings Online (webinar)
During this webinar, we reviewed the Listings area of engageRE. Learn how to manage your listings, add a manual listing, and interpret the available reports in order to get the most benefit out of your online listings.
Ins and Outs of Listing Email Updates (Webinar)
In this recorded webinar hosted by Reliance Network, you'll learn how to set up Listing Email Updates for your clients and show them how to do it on their own.
People like to keep up with what homes are on the market in their area, and which have had changes in price or status, or had new photos added, etc. They're not just prospective buyers, either. Homeowners like to stay abreast of market values in their neighborhood, potential and active sellers definitely want this information, and others do too.
Learn how to use this valuable tool in order to keep in touch with your customers!
Related Article: Online Client Management
Maximize Your Marketing Using Manual Listings
During this recorded webinar, we discussed manual listings. Learn how to enhance your listing presentation with a Demo listing and display listings on LeadStreet before the MLS updates. Also, learn how to display your private listings on all RE/MAX sites.
Related Article: How to Create Sold Listings in engageRE