HousingWire Editor in Chief Sarah Wheeler sat down with John Ashley, chief information officer and chief information security officer at PRMG, to talk about what the company is building versus buying, and how regulators are ramping up privacy and security standards.
Sarah Wheeler: Tell me a little bit about your background and what you’ve done at PRMG.
John Ashley: I’ve collaborated with PRMG since late 2005 and my background was network infrastructure and security. In my career, I’ve swung between enabling technology and securing it at the same time.
Within mortgage, we’ve done everything here at PRMG: multiple lending platform LOS systems, multiple changes of those systems, multiple changes of pricing engines, marketing systems, marketing platforms, CRMs, infrastructure security systems moving to the cloud for most of our infrastructure — I’ve been behind all of that over the last 10 to 15 years.
SW: How many tech people do you guys have?
JA: Within the IT department, we have about 60. So, we’re not little, but we’re not big, like some of these companies with 500 developers. We have smaller teams, but they’re very effective.
SW: At PRMG, do you generally build or buy technology?
JA: We do both. We have a development team and so we have software developers, system analysts, business analysts, quality assurance testers, and people that manage deployments. So, we can and do build stuff, but we tend to try to find solutions just for the speed of getting things up and we find ourselves doing a lot of integration or extending systems that we have.
A great example of this is the Encompass platform, which has been around a long time. And while it’s kind of long in the tooth in many respects, ICE has done a fantastic job in building out their back-end developer, connecting their API and micro services. So now you can extend so much from the Encompass platform. And we’ve taken other products and hooked them to Encompass — we have a pretty innovative work queuing system for our fulfillment people, within operations, that’s all been enabled by using a different third-party product. We tend to lean towards buying and extending, but we do a lot of custom stuff as well.
SW: What’s been the biggest change since you started at PRMG in 2005?
JA: I was going back through some old PRMG stuff and they had “the five tenets of mortgage lending success” and it was: product, pricing, compensation, marketing, and fulfillment. Well, technology is now the sixth tenet, because you can’t do any part of the other ones without the technology and that’s where the big change has happened. People are just clamoring for technology to get an edge, especially now.
The biggest shifts are just in the last two or three years. Back in 2020 and into 2021, you could go out in the parking lot with a net and just catch loans. We put a huge amount of effort into building a fantastic CRM platform, but you couldn’t get anyone to touch it — they were all too busy simply getting loans. And then that changed fast. Now, if you’re in the wholesale business, you need to know what every broker is, what all their people are doing, what kind of loans each of them are doing, and what’s your wallet share with every lender.
Of course, if I had to go back and pick a point in time that really changed mortgage data, it was the 2008 mortgage crisis and the regulations that followed. Now every mortgage that’s recorded has a lender name and it’s got the originator’s NMLS number on every single loan. And that enables just a tremendous amount of data that’s available to be collected and used. That didn’t exist before.
That’s how I can take any lender, any broker shop anywhere in the country, and show you exactly what their mix of business is on different types of loans — purchase or refinance — and what percentage is PRMG. I actually have the data.
SW: Let’s talk about the CRM you mentioned. We know that the time to build is in a slower market, but what does that look like?
JA: Well, within the IT world, we’re just as busy now as we were before, even though the business is slower. Before, we were just trying to hang on and keep the rivets from popping out, just from everything going so fast. But now it’s all into rebuilding. So, there is a lot of work on CRM, marketing platforms, but increasingly quite a bit around compliance, especially around privacy. That’s really become a burden.
But I do agree this is a time to build new capabilities when you have this kind of an opportunity. And we’re looking at changing platforms, looking at new point of sale systems, trying on a lot of technology. I mean, I can’t tell you how many people we talk to, and how many products we look at and ideas that we’ve been getting exposed to.
SW: Is there a type of technology that you’re seeing now, that people are pitching you, that you think is new and really exciting?
JA: One good example is we changed our product and pricing engine. We’ve been using the big common one on the market, Optimal Blue, for so many years, since about 2016 when we changed from another one. We wanted to be able to get more out of our product and pricing engine, so we made a shift this year over to a new platform, which is called Polly X. A pricing engine is something no one ever really wants to have to change because the whole world is tied into that: every product, you’ve got every overlay and everything else. And we’re also looking at changes for our wholesale lending technology to help streamline that.
And when it comes to digital marketing, there’s nothing that’s off limits. I would say search engine optimization and customized websites for loan officers, those are areas where we’ve had some success.
The world of lead generation has really gotten tight, we’ve been looking at new ways to get better data there. We will get lower mortgage rates one day, right? So, we’ve been putting time into building and working on technology for call center tech, things of that sort.
And the CRM — we have our main CRM for retail and a different one for wholesale. But we were looking at actually doing some test implementations on a couple of other ones that are more interesting to really high producing loan officer teams.
And of course, lots of integrations — everywhere where you can build a connection. FinLocker is the company that we’ve been working with an integration to offer that kind of capability, they call it a financial locker for borrowers, where they keep all their data. And consumers can work and use tools to improve their credit and then one day they come back as a borrower or repeat borrower. Another company called Credit Evolve is a really legitimate credit counseling service and we try to move people there who need help.
So, we just try not to leave anything on the table. If somebody would have said two years ago, hey, we could have saved 59 loans out of the kazillion loans that we did, nobody would pay attention. But now it’s like, we could have saved 59 loans if we would have followed this process: it means something. It certainly means something in the pocket of those loan officers who can help those people get into a home.
SW: What do you see on the horizon that you think we should be paying attention to now?
JA: First, privacy is a huge area. In Europe, with GDPR, they’re pretty far ahead of us, but our government is catching up really fast. But the biggest thing is just the web of state regulations. Companies that learn how to navigate the privacy landscape are going to have a really strong competitive advantage. But it’s not an easy landscape to navigate. We wrangle with it every week.
For example, you have to have prior written consent from borrowers to do just about anything with their data. Even if you want to help them in some way — like referring them to a credit counselor or getting a homeowner’s policy — you have to have consent to do that. So, you’ve got to build that infrastructure into your system and then you can reuse that process over and over again on your different platforms.
Secondly, when you get into the security realm, that’s become very much a different world with the FTC — they’ve re-released a whole new set of safeguards, guidelines that fully took effect in June. And there are all kinds of new nationwide requirements for all mortgage lenders that are subject to that rule, things like using multifactor authentication, encrypting all of your data, a whole lot of requirements that I know a lot of smaller lenders are struggling with. We’re doing okay on it. But I know the trouble we’ve gone through to get to where we are, and I know how difficult it is, especially for lenders that maybe don’t have that experience.
SW: How does your background in security inform what you’re doing now at PRMG?
JA: I’d like to say it’s just kind of built into all my decision-making. If I was just a security officer, I would probably be more highly focused just there, but I’m also chief information officer, so we have to get things done and business has to move forward, so you have to find solutions.
There’s no perfection. I mean, if you think wow, I’m secure, all you need to do is go to a cybersecurity conference and listen to these guys get up there and tell you how you’re hosed. So there’s no perfection, there’s just best efforts and making sure that your choices are sound and you can document what you’re doing.
My background has served me well, but it’s a steady, long-term path toward building a secure company. It just doesn’t happen overnight or even in a year. It’s a multiyear plan.
SW: How do smaller companies cope with these kind of issues?
AJ: I think that’s going to be a real test now that the regulations are getting more teeth in them. Everyone’s getting into the game, every regulator, state and federal, and not just that, but all of your counterparties — your warehouse banks and the government sponsored entities, they all have their own audits and their own questionnaires. And they’re all checking the boxes and trying to ensure that everybody’s secure out there. So there is a lot of scrutiny and I think over time, smaller companies are going to remain at a disadvantage there.
SW: With your security background, what keeps you up at night?
JA: Actually, I sleep pretty good. But if I had to pick among the small things that bother me the most in the security world, I think it’s what everyone fears: these ransomware takedowns.
Everybody’s afraid of getting their systems encrypted, having someone get control of their data, and everybody has that same risk. And there are companies in the mortgage industry that have been taken down like that — I assume most of them had to pay the ransom.
And then beyond that is just any kind of large-scale data breach. I don’t see how you can really do business in this space without a strong cyber insurance policy, but I know there are companies out there that don’t have them because they can’t get them. We do. But that market is really tough and if you don’t have a good system, and good controls that you can demonstrate to the insurer, then you’re going to have a tough time getting coverage.
SW: What’s exciting about the future of technology and mortgage?
JA: There’s a lot of promise in artificial intelligence and machine learning. Just about everybody in this country is using that technology already — we have it in our cybersecurity systems. And I think the real promise in lending is what you can do to help speed the process: helping borrowers find the right product and helping underwriters in making decisions faster. I think that’s the exciting, fun part.
Collecting and trading Pokémon cards has been a popular hobby since the 1990s for both children and adults. In fact, as a kid, I was obsessed with Pokémon cards. I enjoyed opening new packs, collecting cards, and trading with my friends. And, I know I’m not alone. So many people have enjoyed Pokémon cards over…
Collecting and trading Pokémon cards has been a popular hobby since the 1990s for both children and adults.
In fact, as a kid, I was obsessed with Pokémon cards. I enjoyed opening new packs, collecting cards, and trading with my friends. And, I know I’m not alone. So many people have enjoyed Pokémon cards over the years as well.
As the value of certain cards continues to rise, finding the best places to sell your collection of Pokémon cards is more important than ever.
Whether you’re looking to make some extra cash, simply downsize your Pokémon card collection, or if you are decluttering everything you own and find a long lost box of childhood mementos, knowing where and how to sell your Pokémon cards can be important to make the most money.
In this article, I’ll discuss some of the best places to sell Pokémon cards online and locally and provide tips on how to price and present your cards in the best way.
Quick Summary
Identify and evaluate the value of your Pokémon cards before selling. Some cards are worth way more than others. For example, one card may be worth $0.10, and another may be worth over $100,000.
Look at your different selling options to see how you can get the most money.
Learn effective selling tips and strategies for presenting your cards to potential buyers.
How To Sell Pokemon Cards
Selling your Pokémon cards can be an exciting and profitable way to make money, especially if you have rare, holographic, or near-mint-condition cards in your collection.
To help you make the most profit, follow these tips to find the best places to sell your Pokémon cards. Before starting your Pokémon cards selling journey, it’s important to know your cards’ condition, rarity, and type.
Related: How I Made $40,000 In One Year Selling Items
Near-mint cards with no creases, scuffs, or whitening edges tend to have a higher value. Also, rare and holographic cards, like the famous Charizard, are highly wanted by fans, collectors, and trading card game enthusiasts, making them valuable in the Pokémon card market.
To figure out how rare your Pokémon card is, look for the symbols in the bottom right corner of your card and if you have a lot of cards, then you should become familiar with the Pokémon card rarity indicators, as well as the different sets and booster packs in which your cards were released.
For more accurate valuations, you may even look for professional grading services, such as Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA). They evaluate and grade cards based on their condition, ensuring buyers of their authenticity and quality.
If you’re selling Pokémon cards online, make sure to take clear, high-quality pictures that showcase your cards’ condition, as this will give potential buyers a better idea of what they’re purchasing.
By following these tips and tricks, you’ll be prepared to sell your Pokémon cards and get the most amount of money.
Best Places To Sell Pokemon Cards Online
There are many ways to sell Pokémon cards online. Here are some Pokémon selling sites to start with:
1. eBay
eBay is one of the most popular marketplaces for selling Pokémon cards due to its large reach of customers around the world.
I did a quick search on eBay and there are currently over 160,000 Pokémon cards for sale – so they definitely have a huge market!
You can choose to sell your cards through auctions or fixed price listings. When selling on eBay, be mindful of the seller fees and PayPal fees that will be deducted from your earnings. Shipping will also be another cost.
eBay is especially good for selling valuable cards, such as holographic cards or rare Charizard cards. To reach a wider audience and increase the chances of a successful sale, make sure you write detailed descriptions and add high-quality photos of your cards so that people are more likely to click on your listing.
2. Troll and Toad
Troll and Toad is an online store that specializes in collectible card games, such as selling Pokémon cards and they have been around for over 25 years.
They offer a buy list where you can sell your cards for cash or store credit. To sell on Troll and Toad, simply use their search bar to find the cards you want to sell, add them to your cart, checkout, and then ship your cards to them.
This is a great feature of Troll and Toad – the fact that you can see the exact cards they will accept and the exact amount that they will pay you for each Pokémon card. As you will learn below, many of the Pokémon card selling websites have this same feature, which is so helpful!
After you complete the list of cards that you plan on selling to them, you will print out an invoice that they give you, and then choose a payment method. Then, you will ship your box of Pokémon cards to them. Once they receive the package, they will verify the cards that you have sent to make sure they are in the correct condition as you stated. After that, they will pay you.
Troll and Toad also accepts Pokémon cards in bulk.
Keep in mind that they may be selective about the cards they accept, so it’s important to research and determine the value of your cards beforehand.
3. Mercari
Mercari is a site where you can quickly set up an account and start selling your used items, such as Pokémon cards. This site is not dedicated to just Pokémon cards, but they do have many listed and it is an easy option for Pokémon collectors.
There are well over 1,000 Pokémon cards listed on Mercari.
It’s important to create persuasive listings with photos and a relevant, detailed description, and include relevant keywords related to Pokémon cards. (Remember, they don’t just sell Pokémon cards, they also sell clothes and other items, so keywords are important!). Also, Mercari takes a minimum 10% fee from each sale you make on their platform.
4. TCGplayer
TCGplayer is a popular site with card game collectors in the U.S. and Europe.
People love selling on this site because they say it’s easy to use and they have great customer service.
To sell Pokémon cards on TCGplayer, simply list your cards on the TCGplayer marketplace, set your prices, and wait for potential buyers to purchase them. The marketplace handles the transactions, making the selling process easy.
Note: You will have to pay a commission fee of around 12–13% for each sale you make on TCGplayer, and you might also have shipping costs.
Here’s a quick guide on how to sell Pokémon cards on TCGplayer:
Create a seller account – You will need an account to get started selling Pokémon cards.
Set up your inventory – Once your seller account is created, you can start listing your Pokémon cards for sale. Enter details like the card’s name, set, condition, and quantity available.
Pricing your cards – Decide on the prices for your Pokémon cards. You can either manually set the prices or use TCGplayer’s automated pricing tool to match the market rates. TCGplayer has a pricing algorithm to help sellers be competitive and adjust prices based on the market demand.
Shipping options – Decide on the shipping options you will have for buyers.
Receiving payments – TCGplayer usually collects payments from buyers, processes the orders, and then deposits the money into your seller account. From there, you can withdraw your funds.
Maintain your inventory – Keep your inventory up to date. Remove sold items and add new ones to reflect the current availability of your Pokémon cards.
5. Card Cavern
Card Cavern is an online store that specializes in buying and selling Pokémon cards.
They have a straightforward buylist system where you can quickly find the cards they’re interested in and the prices they’re willing to pay.
Then, you ship your cards to them (they recommend purchasing tracking and insurance).
If you choose to sell your cards to Card Cavern, you’ll receive payment through PayPal or receive store credit, depending on your preference.
Their buy rates only apply to near-mint, English, tournament legal cards. You can send as many or as little Pokémon cards as you want to Card Cavern.
6. Dave & Adam’s
Dave & Adam’s is an online store for trading cards, including Pokémon cards, and it has been around for over 30 years.
They offer a buy list where you can see which cards they’re currently interested in purchasing. If your cards match their buy list, you can submit a sell request, ship your cards to them, and receive payment via check, PayPal, or store credit.
If you have a big collection, they will even travel to you.
7. Pokémon Facebook Groups
Pokémon Facebook Groups are communities of Pokémon card collectors and enthusiasts who use the platform to buy, sell, and trade cards. Pokémon Facebook Groups are exactly what you think – Facebook groups for Pokémon card collectors.
This can be a great place to sell your Pokémon cards because these groups are filled with people who are very interested in buying Pokémon cards.
These groups allow you to talk directly with fellow collectors and cater to various interests, such as specific regions, sets, or rarity levels.
To sell your Pokémon cards in these groups, make sure you follow group rules, post clear photos, and respond quickly to potential buyers’ inquiries.
8. CCG Castle
CCG Castle is a website that specializes in games since 2007.
They buy Pokémon cards that you no longer need and have a buy list on their site that will tell you exactly what they are accepting and how much they will pay you for it. They pay in either PayPal cash or store credit.
Best Places To Sell Pokemon Cards Near Me
If you’re looking to sell your collection or particular Pokémon cards, there are several options near you to consider. This section will cover the best local places where you can sell your cards, such as Facebook Marketplace, comic book stores, pawn shops, and Craigslist.
9. Facebook Marketplace
A popular and easy way to sell your Pokémon cards is through Facebook Marketplace. Nearly everyone has a Facebook account, so it can be easy for you to get started, and it allows you to connect with local buyers who might be interested in your cards.
Posting on Facebook Marketplace is simple, and you can include photos, descriptions, and set your price. Also, you can communicate with potential buyers through Facebook Messenger, making it easy to negotiate and set up a meeting location.
There are no listing fees when selling on Facebook Marketplace, which means that you get to keep everything you earn. But, you do have to handle everything yourself.
10. Local comic book stores
Comic book stores, particularly those that specialize in trading cards, card games, and board games, can be a great place to sell your collection.
Many local comic shops are interested in buying Pokémon cards to stock their inventory for other gamers and collectors.
You can visit stores in your local area, ask if they purchase Pokémon cards, and provide the store owner with a list or photos of your cards. They may make an offer on the spot or ask you to come back later. Remember, each comic store is different, so it’s a good idea to try a few stores near you to compare offers and don’t stop at just one.
11. Pawn shops
Another option to consider is pawn shops.
Pawn stores are known for buying various items, including sports cards and collectibles like Pokémon cards. Take your cards to a few pawn shops near you and see if they’re interested in buying your collection.
Keep in mind that pawn shops usually offer lower prices than other options (this is because selling Pokémon cards is not their sole business), but they can be a quick and convenient way to sell more popular cards.
12. Craigslist
Craigslist is a site for buying and selling various items locally – I’m sure you’ve heard of it. You can create a detailed listing for your Pokémon cards, including pictures, descriptions, and asking prices.
Interested buyers in your area can contact you, allowing you to arrange a meetup in a safe and convenient location.
Craigslist is usually a little more difficult to sell Pokémon cards on and that is because this site does not specialize solely in Pokémon cards and is very localized.
Where to Sell Pokemon Cards in Bulk
Selling your Pokémon cards in bulk may be something that you are interested in if you simply don’t have the time to look each one up.
When selling your Pokémon cards in bulk, it’s important to find the right platform. In this section, we’ll focus on three popular options: Full Grip Games, Safari Zone, and Sell2BBNovelties. With their unique offerings and easy-to-sell process, these companies can help you get the most value for your collection if you simply don’t have the time or have too many cards to sort through.
13. Full Grip Games
Full Grip Games is a local game shop in Ohio that buys bulk Pokémon cards online and in person.
At Full Grip Games, they make it easy for you to sell your bulk cards in increments of 100 or 1,000. Also, they accept rares and other card types as well. To make things simpler for you, their website has a bulk buy list that breaks down all the packs and cards they accept along with individual prices.
To get started, follow these easy steps:
Click on the “Buylist Instructions” link on their website.
Choose their full singles buylist or their bulk buylist.
Select the cards in your collection according to the buylist.
Review the pricing and total value of the cards submitted.
Once done, send the cards following their shipping instructions.
Once they receive your bulk cards, it will take them around one week to go through them. For the cards they accept, you can get paid via PayPal, store credit (you will get a 30% bonus if you choose the store credit option), or check via USPS mail.
14. Safari Zone
Safari Zone is another great option to consider for selling your Pokémon cards in bulk. They accept a wide range of cards, but they do need to be in near-mint condition.
Here’s what you should do to sell your cards on Safari Zone:
Create an account on the Safari Zone website.
Review the cards they purchase on their buy list.
Enter the card details.
After submitting the card information, you’ll receive a quote for your collection.
Ship your cards to Safari Zone, and they will process your payment after validating the cards.
Safari Zone only pays via store credit.
15. Sell2BBNovelties
Sell2BBNovelties is a website that has been around since 1999 that specializes in toys and collectibles, such as Pokémon cards.
They have an easy platform to sell your Pokémon cards in bulk and accept various card types, including rares, holographic, and common/uncommon cards.
To sell your Pokémon cards on Sell2BBNovelties, simply:
Go to their website and click on the “Buying Prices” tab.
Select the cards you’re selling according to their buying list.
When you’re ready, submit the form. You’ll receive a confirmation email with the total value of the cards and further instructions.
Ship your cards to Sell2BBNovelties, and they will process your payment upon receiving and verifying your cards.
You can receive payment for the cards they accept in either PayPal cash or store credit.
How to Make a Website to Sell Pokemon Cards
If you have the time and a lot of cards, you may even be interested in starting a website to sell your Pokémon cards.
Creating a website to sell your Pokémon cards is a great idea to reach a wider audience and have lower fees. Of course, there will be more work in this because you will be managing everything yourself.
Choose a platform and create your design – Look for an easy-to-use platform to build your website – my favorite is WordPress. You will want to pick a clean looking design that customers can look at on both computer and phone. Most platforms have a variety of premade themes that you can use. You can also personalize your website by adding your logo, choosing colors that represent your brand, and adding images.
Organize your products – Categorize your Pokémon cards by sets, rarity, or other criteria that make sense for your target audience. Clear product descriptions and high-quality images of each card will help potential buyers too.
Set up payment and shipping – Choose a payment gateway to securely process transactions. Options like PayPal, Stripe, or Square are widely used and reliable. Choose shipping options and rates based on your preferred carriers and shipping destinations.
Create valuable content – In addition to listing your Pokémon cards, consider creating helpful content such as blog posts or videos that add value to your website and attract more readers and buyers. Providing informative content will establish you as an expert in the field and help drive traffic to your site.
Promote your website – Use social media, search engine optimization (SEO), or even paid advertising to increase page views to your website.
Related: How To Start A Website Free Course
Pokemon Card Selling Tips and Strategies
Selling your Pokémon cards can be an exciting way to make extra money, but it’s important to have a little strategy so that you can make the most money and find the most buyers.
Here are some tips for selling your Pokémon cards successfully.
Determine the value of your cards. You should research how rare the card is, the origin, and the condition of your cards, as these factors will affect their worth. Keep an eye out for rare and valuable cards (such as first edition cards and illustrations), as these will attract more interest from collectors. Grading your cards can help with this process – professional grading services can rate the condition of your cards and encapsulate them in a case, increasing their value.
Consider where to sell your cards.There are numerous platforms for selling Pokémon cards online, such as eBay, where you can list your cards as single items or in an auction format. There are also more specialized Pokémon selling websites which are dedicated to trading cards. These sites often have dedicated communities of potential buyers who are very interested in Pokémon cards.
Write clear and accurate descriptions of your cards.You should always be clear and honest about your card’s condition. For example, are there any scratches or bends? Is there a tear or water damage?
Ship your cards carefully.Carefully package your Pokémon cards to protect your cards from damage during transit. You will want to keep your cards waterproof and not use rubber bands (rubber bands can damage the cards). Also, consider offering a tracking number and insurance to your buyer as an additional layer of security. Many of the Pokémon selling sites above have a very exact way they want you to ship the cards to them to prevent any damage, so be sure to see what their rules are.
By following these Pokémon card selling tips and tricks, you can increase the chances of finding the best places to sell your Pokémon cards.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to common questions about selling Pokémon cards.
How do I know if my Pokemon cards are worth money?
So, how do you know if the Pokémon cards that you have are worth anything? Many people have Pokémon cards, probably stuffed in a box somewhere, or maybe you came across some.
Whatever your reason is, yes, your Pokémon cards may be worth something.
Knowing the value of your Pokémon cards is important before selling, and there are a few key things to think about.
First, look at the rarity symbols on your cards: a circle indicates a common card, a square represents an uncommon card, and a star denotes a rare card. These symbols help you determine the rarity of your cards and their potential worth.
The condition of your cards also plays a big role in their value. Cards in mint condition, meaning they have no visible wear or damage, are worth more than cards with minor imperfections. Holographic cards, especially in mint condition, can be more valuable.
To take it a step further, you could even get your Pokémon cards professionally valued and graded by a reputable company like PSA. Grading involves a professional inspection of your card’s condition, assigning a numerical grade based on factors such as centering, corners, edges, and surface. The higher the graded number, the better the condition and, often, the higher the value.
Keep in mind that while Pokémon cards typically have higher values, other trading card games like Yu-Gi-Oh can also be valuable. Make sure to research the prices of similar cards sold recently, and compare the condition of your cards to decide if they’re worth selling.
How do I sell Pokemon cards for cash?
To sell your Pokémon cards for cash, first organize your cards by set and look for rare ones to see what you have. Once you’ve prepared your collection, follow the selling instructions on your chosen platform.
You can sell your Pokémon cards online, locally near you, and even in bulk.
Where can I find buyers for my Pokemon cards?
You can find buyers for your Pokémon cards on online marketplaces, local card shops, and social media groups. Websites like eBay and TCGplayer are popular places for selling Pokémon cards, as well as community forums and local collector’s events.
What are some reputable websites to sell Pokemon cards?
There are many reputable sites to sell Pokémon cards as we discussed above, such as:
eBay
Troll and Toad
Mercari
TCGplayer
Card Cavern
Dave & Adam’s
Pokémon Facebook Groups
Full Grip Games
Safari Zone
Sell2BBNovelties
Where is the best place to sell Pokemon cards?
The best place to sell your Pokémon cards depends on your preferences. eBay gives you a worldwide market and you are probably already familiar with their platform.
TCGplayer and Troll and Toad specialize in trading card sales and have a lot of Pokémon cards for sale.
Pokémon Facebook Groups are a great way to connect with those interested in Pokémon cards, and there are no listing fees – but you would be dealing with people on your own and handling everything yourself.
Are there any local stores that buy Pokemon cards?
Some local stores, like comic book shops, game stores, and pawn shops, may buy Pokémon cards. You can call local stores to see if they buy cards before bringing your collection in person.
Can you sell Pokemon cards on Etsy?
Etsy is generally geared towards handmade and vintage items, so it’s not an ideal platform for selling Pokémon cards. It’s best to stick with platforms like eBay, TCGplayer, or Troll and Toad for selling trading cards.
I did a search for Pokémon cards on Etsy and it said there were 43,326 results, but I think many of these are for custom art, in that they would be turning a picture of you or your pet into a Pokémon card. So, not the same thing.
Can I sell Pokemon cards on eBay?
Yes, you can sell Pokémon cards on eBay. It is one of the most popular sites for selling Pokémon cards and it gives you control over pricing and listing options.
Can you sell Pokemon cards at GameStop?
GameStop typically does not buy or sell individual Pokémon cards.
Do pawn shops buy Pokemon cards?
Some pawn shops may buy Pokémon cards, especially if they are valuable or rare. Call your local pawn shops or visit them in person to inquire about their interest in buying Pokémon cards. Remember, they do not specialize in Pokémon cards and have a smaller market, so you may not get as much for your Pokémon cards at a pawn store.
What does TCG and CCG mean?
As you’re going through the sites above looking for one of the best places to sell your Pokémon cards, you may come across these two terms. CCG means collectible card game and TCG means trading card game.
How can I determine the value of my Pokemon cards?
Figuring out the value of your Pokémon cards involves considering factors like:
rarity
condition
age
Websites like TCGplayer and Troll and Toad provide price guides and historical sales information to help you estimate the value of your cards.
How do I check the value of my Pokemon cards?
Check the value of your Pokémon cards by researching on websites like TCGplayer, eBay, and Pokémon Price. These platforms can give you a good idea of the current market value for individual cards.
Do you need a license to sell Pokemon cards?
You generally do not need a license to sell Pokémon cards, unless you’re planning to sell them by opening an in-person store. Check your local regulations to make sure you’re following any required guidelines.
How much is Charizard Pokemon card worth?
Charizard cards vary widely in value and can be worth anywhere from $25 to over $50,000. The Charizard Pokémon card that is worth the most is typically a mint condition 1st Edition from the base set.
What Pokemon cards are worth more than $100?
Some Pokémon cards worth more than $100 include rare Pokémon cards, such as first edition holographic cards from the original sets, high-grade cards, misprints, and promotional cards like the Pokémon Illustrator card.
What is the most expensive Pokemon card?
The most expensive Pokémon card varies over time; some examples include the Pokémon Illustrator card, the 1st Edition Charizard, or unique, one-of-a-kind promo cards handed out during official Pokémon events. The rarest Pokémon cards obviously cost more money and sell for more.
According to TCGplayer, the most expensive Pokémon cards include:
Pokémon World Championships No. 2 Trainer Promo
No. 2 Trainer Toshiyuki Yamaguchi (2000)
Neo Genesis 1st Edition Lugia (2000)
Super Secret Battle No. 1 Trainer (1999)
Family Event Trophy Kangaskhan (1998)
Test Print Blastoise Gold Border (1998)
Tsunekazu Ishihara Signed Promo (2017)
Trophy Pikachu No. 3 Trainer Bronze (1997)
Commissioned Presentation Blastoise Galaxy Star Holo (1998)
First Edition Shadowless Holographic Charizard #4 (1999)
Illustrator Pikachu (1998)
These were all sold for over $100,000 each.
Best Places To Sell Pokemon Cards – Summary
I hope you enjoyed this article on the best places to sell Pokémon cards and how to sell Pokémon cards for cash.
If you have Pokémon cards that you no longer want, there are many ways you can sell them. And, they may be worth a lot of money!
To figure out the value of the Pokémon cards that you want to sell, you’ll want to look at their rarity symbols, Pokémon card condition, grading (if applicable), and market comparisons. Understanding these factors will help you decide if your cards are worth selling and where to find the best prices.
Once your cards are sorted and evaluated, it’s now time to choose the best places to sell your Pokémon cards. Here are some popular options:
eBay – This site has millions of Pokémon cards sold every year. It’s a great place to find a worldwide audience, but remember to factor in shipping costs and eBay fees.
Facebook Marketplace and Pokémon Facebook Groups – Connect with local collectors or fans without worrying about shipping fees. This option may mean that you will meet the buyer in person.
Local comic shops – These stores can be an easy place to sell your cards, especially if they specialize in Pokémon cards or trading card games.
TCGplayer – Catering specifically to trading card game fans, this site has a dedicated space for buying and selling Pokémon cards.
Other options include Troll and Toad, Card Cavern, Dave & Adam’s, Sell2BBNovelties, pawn shops, and more.
Good luck selling your Pokémon cards!
What do you think is the best place to sell Pokemon cards for cash?
Looking for jobs where you work alone? If you’re an introvert or simply want minimal human interaction, here are 40 ideas.
Looking for the best jobs where you work alone? If you’re an introvert or simply want minimal human interaction, here are 40 ideas.
With there being so many different types of jobs out there nowadays, more and more people are looking for jobs where they can be by themselves, away from the busy office or customers. They find comfort in jobs where they can do tasks on their own, letting them really concentrate and do well in what they do best.
For me, I have worked mostly alone for over a decade now, and I wouldn’t change it for the world. I enjoy the flexibility of working on my own and having less stress.
Jobs that let you work this way are usually appealing to introverted individuals, those who like a calmer setting, or people who just work better with more independence.
Knowing which jobs let you work alone is really important for those who want to find the right mix of being on their own and getting things done well.
Top Jobs Where You Work Alone
There are 40 jobs where you can work alone listed below. If you want to skip the list, here are some jobs that you may want to start learning more about first:
Benefits of Jobs Where You Work Alone
More and more people are looking for jobs where they can work alone, and I get it! I have been working mostly alone for over a decade and I really love it.
After all, a person spends so much of their time working, so you might as well like what you’re doing. If you’re an introvert, or if you like working by yourself, there are jobs where you can do just that.
Some of the positives of working alone include:
Less stress if you’re an introvert – If you’re an introvert, then you may feel stress when working with other people, such as coworkers and customers.
Getting more stuff done in less time – Working alone may mean that you can complete your tasks faster because there are fewer distractions.
Having a more flexible schedule – Some jobs where you work on your own sometimes let you choose when you want to work, as long as you get the work done.
If you’re looking for jobs where you work alone, think about what you’re good at and what you enjoy (and also think about what you don’t like!).
40 Jobs Where You Work Alone
Below are 40 jobs where you can work on your own. The jobs below range from earning a part-time to a full-time income too.
1. Proofreader
Proofreaders check and edit written content for errors and inconsistencies, and this job requires strong attention to detail and excellent grammar skills.
If you’re good at paying close attention to details, then proofreading could be an ideal work-alone job for you.
Authors, website owners, and students often hire proofreaders to improve their work. There’s a high demand for proofreaders, and you can find jobs through many different platforms.
Even the most skilled writers can make mistakes in grammar, punctuation, and spelling. That’s why hiring a proofreader can be very helpful for pretty much anyone and everyone.
If you want to find online proofreading jobs, I recommend joining this free 76-minute workshop focused on proofreading. In this workshop, you’ll learn how to begin your own freelance proofreading business.
Recommended reading: 20 Best Online Proofreading Jobs For Beginners (Earn $40,000+ A Year).
2. Virtual Assistant
One of my first side jobs was as a virtual assistant and it was a fun and flexible way to earn income. While you do have a boss when you are a VA, a lot of the tasks that you do will require you to take charge and complete them by yourself in your own home.
A virtual assistant is someone who helps people with office tasks from a distance. This could be from your home or while you’re traveling. It might include things like replying to emails, setting up appointments, and managing social media accounts.
This job can pay you more than $50,000 each year.
If you want to find part-time or full-time virtual assistant jobs, I recommend joining the free workshop called “5 Steps To Become a Virtual Assistant“.
Recommended reading: Best Ways To Find Virtual Assistant Jobs
3. Bookkeeper
Bookkeepers are people who keep track of all the money-related things for businesses such as writing down sales, keeping a record of expenses, and making financial reports.
This is a job where you can work alone and a typical salary is $40,000+ each year. Plus, you’ll mainly be dealing with numbers and not people.
You can join the free workshop that focuses on finding virtual bookkeeping jobs and how to begin your own freelance bookkeeping business by signing up for free here.
Recommended reading: How To Find Online Bookkeeping Jobs
4. Blogger
Blogging is a great way to make money while working on your own. It’s one of the reasons I really enjoy it, haha! I get to work by myself, for myself, and I can pick the projects I want to work on.
As a blogger, you write content for others to read online. You get to choose what you want to write about as well as how you want to make money blogging because there are so many different options (like affiliate marketing or displaying ads).
You can begin a successful blog about a specific topic like finance, travel, lifestyle, family, and many others.
Blogging is my main source of income, and it has completely transformed my life. I have the freedom to travel whenever I want, set my schedule, and be my boss.
Since I began Making Sense of Cents, I’ve made more than $5,000,000 from my blog. I earned this money by working with companies through sponsored partnerships, affiliate marketing, display ads, and selling online courses.
Learn more at How To Start A Blog FREE Course.
5. Delivery Driver
Delivery drivers pick up and drop off packages. And, they get to work by themself most of the time as they are in the vehicle alone.
A delivery driver may drive a car, truck, or even a bike, depending on the company they work for. They don’t usually have a boss watching them all day nor have to deal with very many customers for long periods.
6. Book Reviewer
Book reviewers read books and share their thoughts in book reviews.
There are websites where you can get paid for sharing your thoughts about books and you may earn money through PayPal or a bank transfer, and sometimes you get to keep the book you reviewed.
They don’t just want positive reviews either, they want to know what you really think! You see, authors and publishers like to send out free copies of their books so that they can get honest opinions. Just like us, they know it’s helpful to read reviews before deciding if a book is worth the time.
Some sites that pay for book reviews include Online Book Club, Kirkus Media, and BookBrowse.
Recommended reading: 7 Best Ways To Get Paid To Read Books
7. Deliver RVs or Cars
You can earn money by traveling across the country and delivering vehicles for people and dealerships. Sometimes you’ll be towing the vehicle, and other times you’ll be driving it.
If you want a job with minimal human interaction, this can be a good one to look into as you are mostly by yourself. You simply pick up the vehicle, drive by yourself, and then drop it off.
For this job, you need to have a clean driving record. Those who do this type of work can earn around $300 to $400 (or much more!) for each vehicle they deliver. It depends on the distance they are traveling and what is being transported.
8. Digital or Graphic Designer
A graphic designer is someone who creates designs for others, such as people and businesses.
As a digital designer, you may be making things like images, printables, planners, t-shirt designs, calendars, business card designs, social media graphics, stickers, logos, and more.
Recommended reading: How To Make Money As A Digital Designer
9. Pet Sitter and Dog Walker
Pet sitters and dog walkers take care of pets while pet owners are away, such as on vacation or in the hospital. Some of the tasks include feeding, taking dogs for walks, and playing with them.
You might have pets come to your home or you can go to their owner’s place (this is something that is agreed upon beforehand). Dog walkers earn around $20 for every hour walking a dog. Looking after someone’s pet overnight can earn a person around $25-$100+ or even more each day.
I have personally paid a person to watch my dogs overnight in their home $100 a day. She was so wonderful too and my dogs loved her.
Now, with this job, you’re not working entirely alone, because you will be with pets. But, they can be great friends and companions!
Rover is a company you can sign up with and list your dog walking and pet sitting services.
10. House Cleaner
House cleaners make sure homes and businesses are nice and clean. They might work alone or with a small group. They can earn between $25 to $50 an hour for cleaning for others.
You can work for a cleaning company, but you’ll likely make more money if you have your own business.
Starting this kind of business isn’t expensive because you likely already have the cleaning supplies you need. You can advertise your services on Facebook, tell your friends and family, or make an account on Care.com.
11. Transcriptionist
An online transcriptionist’s main task is to listen to video or audio files and then type out everything that is being said, a process known as transcribing. The aim is to accurately write down what is heard, without any mistakes in spelling, grammar, or punctuation.
There are many different types of transcriptionists as well – legal, general, and medical transcriptionists.
This job requires strong typing and listening skills, and you can work from home all by yourself.
Online transcriptionists earn around $15 to $30 per hour on average, with new transcribers on the lower end of that.
A helpful free resource to take is FREE Workshop: Is a Career in Transcription Right for You? You’ll learn how to get started as a transcriptionist, how you can find transcription work, and more.
Recommended reading: 18 Best Online Transcription Jobs For Beginners To Make $2,000 Monthly
12. House Flipper
House flippers buy, renovate, and sell properties for a profit. This job involves managing renovation projects, and you can work alone or with a small crew.
House flipping is when someone buys a property at a lower price, fixes it up (like painting, redoing the kitchen, and improving the outside appearance), and then sells it for more money to make a profit. This is done to make a quick return on the investment.
Recommended reading: 10 Best Books on Flipping Houses To Make Money
13. Grocery Shopper
Grocery shoppers buy groceries for people like you and me, offering a helpful service for those who don’t have the time or can’t shop on their own. You’ll work on your own and talk to clients through an app on your phone.
One service you can easily sign up with to become a grocery shopper is Instacart. This is a popular site for people who want to make extra money by shopping for and delivering groceries.
Instacart shoppers make money from a mix of base pay, tips from customers, and sometimes bonuses or rewards (like for finishing orders during busy times).
You can sign up here to get started as a grocery shopper with Instacart.
Recommended reading: Instacart Shopper Review: How much do Instacart Shoppers earn?
14. Affiliate Marketer
Affiliate marketers share products or services with their followers for a commission. You do this by placing a referral link on your website, blog, or social media (like Instagram). When people use that link to buy something, you then get a commission.
For example, if you share a link to a book on Amazon and someone buys it through your link, you make some money. Companies like Amazon want people like you to help them sell things, so they’re happy to work with you as it helps them.
If you get someone to sign up through your special link, the company gives you a commission for telling others about their product. It’s like a little thank-you for your help!
This is one of my favorite jobs where you work alone from home, and what I do full-time!
Click here to get Affiliate Marketing Tips – Free eBook.
15. Flea Market Flipper
Flea market flippers find underpriced items at flea markets, yard sales, and thrift stores, then resell them for a profit. This job requires a good eye for valuable items and the ability to research market value.
Finding items to resell may be one of the best jobs to work alone on this list because we all have things in our house we could probably sell. Plus, there are always things that you can buy for a low price and possibly resell for a profit.
If you are looking for work-alone jobs, this is a great one to look further into.
I recommend signing up for this great webinar, Turn Your Passion For Visiting Thrift Stores, Yard Sales & Flea Markets Into A Profitable Reselling Business In As Little As 14 Days, that will help you learn how to make money by flipping items as well.
16. Sell Printables on Etsy
Creating and selling digital printables on Etsy is a great way to work independently and earn money.
Making printables can also be a pretty hands-off job since you only have to create one digital file for each product, and you can sell it as many times as you like. It’s quite affordable to start because you only need a laptop or computer and an internet connection.
Printables are digital items that customers can download and print at home. They can include things like bridal shower games, grocery shopping checklists, budget planners, invitations, printable quotes for wall art, and patterns.
I recommend signing up for Free Workshop: How To Earn Money Selling Printables. This free training will give you great ideas on what you can sell, how to get started, the costs, and how to make sales.
17. Mechanic
Mechanics diagnose and repair vehicles, working independently or in small shops. Strong problem-solving skills and knowledge of automotive systems are important.
Being a mechanic is a job where you often work on your own. While they might work in a garage with other mechanics, they often have their own tasks to do. They need to be really careful and pay close attention to make sure everything gets fixed just right.
18. Dog Treat Baker
Do you really like dogs? If you do, here’s a way to work mainly alone and make an extra $500 to $1,000 or even more each month.
You don’t need to know how to bake beforehand, because you can learn this skill. You can make special treats like cupcakes, cookies, cakes, and more, all for dogs.
You can sign up for this free training workshop that shows how to start a dog treat bakery.
You can learn more at How I Make $4,000 Per Month Baking Dog Treats (With Zero Baking Experience!).
19. Amazon Seller
Selling items on Amazon is a job where you work alone (mostly) and don’t have to deal with customers face-to-face.
Even if you’re new to selling on Amazon, you can make money by selling household goods, books, electronics, and more.
If you’re interested in learning about starting an Amazon business, you can join this free training that will teach you how to sell products on Amazon and make around $100 to $500+ each day.
20. Stock Photo Photographer
Stock photo photographers work on their own, and this job can be done without talking to anyone for the most part. Almost all of the tasks can be done with just a camera and then uploading photos on a site.
Stock image sites are some of the most popular ways for photographers to sell their pictures. These are sites where customers can buy pictures for websites, TV shows, books, social media accounts, and more. There are stock photos that I have purchased within this blog post that you can take a look at to see an example.
One great thing about stock photo sites is that they can be a great form of passive income. You can take pictures, upload them, and earn money from an older photo for months or even years in the future. There is no need to talk to anyone as everything is online and mostly automated.
Some stock photo websites include Shutterstock, iStock, DepositPhotos, and Dreamstime.
Recommended reading: 18 Ways You Can Get Paid To Take Pictures
21. Social Media Manager
Social media managers post on social media accounts for businesses and their goal is to bring in new customers and help a business grow.
Social media managers may post a picture or a video of a product or the company, join in a viral trend to get more views (such as on TikTok), answer common questions from customers, and more.
This includes social media platforms such as TikTok, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
Salary can vary, and this job can be done part-time or full-time.
22. Landscaper
A landscaper improves and maintains outdoor areas, such as by taking care of the lawn, planting flowers, or even renovating a whole outdoor area (such as to make it more enjoyable to sit outside and have company).
If you’re interested in jobs where you work alone outside, this is one to consider as you will be outdoors and working on your own a lot. Customers may talk to you occasionally, but you are mostly by yourself.
Landscapers work at houses, apartment complexes, businesses, or somewhere else.
23. Data Entry Clerk
Data entry clerks enter, update, and check information in databases or spreadsheets. They type information such as numbers and names into computers to keep things organized and recorded.
This job can sometimes be done remotely and alone, with minimal supervision or interaction with customers.
Data entry jobs typically pay around $15-$20 an hour.
24. Editor
Editors review and improve written content for clients and they usually work on their own as most of their time is spent editing content.
Their job is to read articles, blog posts, advertising, books, and more to make them better. They fix any mistakes in grammar or spelling and help the words flow smoothly.
Editors typically earn anywhere from $40-$60+ an hour.
25. Freelance Writer
Freelance writers write content for clients, such as blog posts, advertising, and more. Freelance writing jobs where you work by yourself are common as you’ll be given a topic to write about from the client, and when you are done you may be given some feedback (such as paragraphs to improve or add to). But, that is usually as much human interaction as you’ll get if you want.
You can find different writing jobs on platforms like Upwork and Fiverr, or even find clients on your own.
I was a freelance writer for many years before switching to working full-time writing here on Making Sense of Cents. It is a great career path where you can work from home mostly by yourself.
Recommended reading: 14 Places To Find Freelance Writing Jobs – (Start With No Experience!)
26. Translator
Translators convert written content from one language to another, requiring fluency in at least two languages. Freelance and remote opportunities are available.
If you know another language, you might be able to find a work-from-home job where you can earn money by reading books and translating them. Another option is to get paid for proofreading or editing translated books to ensure they read smoothly and accurately.
There are lots of places you can find translation jobs, such as UpWork, Babelcube, Today Translations, Ulatus, Fiverr, and more.
27. Computer Programmer
Computer programmers write and maintain computer software, often working alone on projects.
They use coding to tell computers what to do and create all sorts of things like apps, games, and websites.
28. Canva Template Designer
Creating and selling Canva templates online allows you to work alone.
A Canva template is like a ready-made design that you can use for things like making posters, Pinterest pins, ebooks, or presentations. It’s like having a helpful starting point if you’re not super good at designing things from scratch. Canva templates come with empty spaces where you can put in your own words and pictures and you can also change colors and fonts to make them just how you like. They’re really helpful for people who want their things to look nice without spending a lot of time on it.
Making and selling Canva templates can be a great way to earn extra money as you only need to create them once, and then you can sell them as many times as you like.
Recommended reading: How I Make $2,000+ Monthly Selling Canva Templates
29. Voice Over Actor
A voice-over actor is the person whose voice you hear but don’t see in YouTube videos, radio ads, educational videos, and more.
Voice-over actors many times work right from their own homes!
Voice actors don’t need experience for this job (eventually, it does help, yes). Instead, they need to have a voice that the company is looking for.
Recommended reading: How To Become A Voice Over Actor And Work From Anywhere
30. Truck Driver
Truck drivers are people who move things from one place to another. To do this job, truck drivers need a commercial driver’s license (CDL). This job often involves working by yourself for long hours.
The salary for a truck driver can depend on things like what kind of items they’re moving and the miles they have to drive. Usually, they can make between $45,000 and $75,000 or even more in a year.
31. UPS Driver
UPS drivers deliver packages to people’s homes and businesses. They do this mostly on their own, in their trucks by themselves.
UPS drivers make a good income and they earn about $30-$45 per hour or even more, depending on how many years they have worked at UPS and where they work.
32. Security Guard
Security guards protect property and/or people, and they usually work alone.
A security guard’s salary depends on things like where they work, how long they’ve been doing the job, and what exactly they have to do. Usually, they can make between $25,000 and $35,000 in a year.
33. Self-Storage Facility Owner
Self-storage facilities are where people store their belongings, like boxes of their mementos, vehicles, RVs, and more.
Owning a self-storage business can be a way to make money and run a business with low expenses, plus they typically only have a couple of employees.
Many of the times when I’ve been to a self-storage lot, it’s been just the owner or an employee of theirs working. There are almost no customers either.
Recommended reading: How To Invest In Self-Storage For Beginners
34. Laundromat Owner
Similar to a self-storage business, a laundromat typically does not have very many employees.
Running a laundromat can be a way to make money, with low costs, as most things are automated (the washer and dryer machines do all of the washing).
Recommended reading: Are Laundromats Profitable? How Much Do Laundromats Make?
35. Get Paid To Text
When getting paid to text, you will many times be talking to someone else, but it is all done through text messages.
Some jobs may include:
Text Therapy or Coach
Answering questions, such as if you are a mechanic, doctor, lawyer, veterinarian, home expert, appraiser, computer expert
Customer support
Recommended reading: 28 Ways To Get Paid To Text And Make Money
36. Survey Taker
Taking online surveys and answering questions for focus groups is not a full-time job, but it can be a way to make some extra money.
You share your thoughts and answer straightforward questions, and in return, you can receive cash or rewards such as Amazon gift cards.
The survey companies I recommend signing up for and the best-paying survey sites include:
American Consumer Opinion
Survey Junkie
Swagbucks
InboxDollars
Branded Surveys
Pinecone Research
Prize Rebel
User Interviews – These are the highest paying surveys with the average being around $60.
Recommended reading: 18 Best Paid Survey Sites To Make $100+ Per Month
37. Twitch Streamer
Twitch is a site where you can make money playing video games, talking online in a live stream, and more. A streamer may be able to make money from their own home and all alone. Yes, they do need to be live recording their life, but they are their own boss.
There are many ways to make money on Twitch such as with paid subscriptions, display ads, selling merchandise (like t-shirts and mugs), and more.
Some of the most successful Twitch streamers make hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars each year, but, it’s important to know that most don’t earn much at all.
Recommended reading: How Much Do Twitch Streamers Make?
38. Litter Cleanup Worker
If you own a business, it’s important to keep your place clean and tidy. Nobody likes to see trash lying around, right?
That’s why some business owners are happy to pay for someone to clean up before their business opens for the day. A clean area makes the place look nice and welcoming for customers.
This business can be started all alone and earnings on average are about $30 to $50 for every hour you work. It’s pretty simple too. You’ll just need a broom, a dustpan, and some tools to help you pick up litter easily. It’s almost like taking a stroll while you work! Plus, you can choose when you want to do it, so it can fit nicely into your schedule.
Recommended reading: How I Started A $650,000 Per Year Litter Cleanup Business
39. Google Rater
A Search Engine Evaluator, also known as a Google Rater, is a person who looks at websites and blogs and gives them a score based on how good and helpful they are for Google.
You don’t need to be a tech expert or have a fancy background for this job. Google actually wants regular people, just like you, to rate websites. Plus, you can do this in your own language. Google works in lots of different countries, so you can help out right from where you are.
Recommended reading: How To Become a Search Engine Evaluator
40. Actuary
An actuary is a financial expert who helps businesses figure out and manage their money-related risks, such as for insurance, pensions, and investments.
They use mathematics and statistics to forecast what might happen and help companies make smarter financial decisions.
Actuaries can earn a good salary, and as they get more experience and pass more exams, they can make even more money. Depending on where they work and how experienced they are, actuaries earn average salaries of anywhere between $70,000 to well over $100,000 each year.
Frequently Asked Questions About Jobs Where You Work Alone
Here are answers to common questions about finding jobs where you work alone.
What are jobs with no interaction?What jobs allow me to work by myself?
Yes, there are jobs where you don’t need to talk to people a lot. For example, being a night shift security guard, a transcriptionist, or a stock photo photographer.
How can I work alone from home?
There are jobs where you can work alone at home such as being a blogger, a transcriptionist, or a computer programmer.
What are jobs where you work alone with no degree?
Many jobs don’t require bachelor’s or master’s degrees (a high school diploma will work for many on the list above) and offer the opportunity to work independently. Mowing lawns, painting houses, repairing cars, or walking dogs often don’t require formal education and focus more on skills and experience.
Which part-time jobs are best suited for solitary workers?
Many of the jobs in this blog post can be done part-time, such as any of the freelance jobs, house cleaning, dog walking, and taking surveys. That is one of the joys of many of the jobs above – you can choose your schedule.
What trade jobs can one perform independently?
Trade jobs that you can perform independently include carpentry, welding, or plumbing. These professions usually require specific skills or certifications but may offer opportunities to work alone.
Are there any tech jobs ideal for people who prefer to work alone?
Yes, there are tech jobs that can work well for people who want to work on their own such as web developers, software engineers, or data analysts. These roles usually involve solving problems and working independently, though there might be some instances where collaboration is needed from time to time.
What jobs can be done in isolation with no experience required?
Jobs such as house cleaning, taking surveys, and flea market flipping can be good places to start for entry-level jobs.
How can I find work-alone job opportunities near me?
To find work-alone job opportunities near you, try perusing local job boards, classified ads, or online sites like Indeed or LinkedIn. You can also network with people in your community or join online forums related to your interests to find jobs.
Jobs Where You Work Alone – Summary
I hope you enjoyed this article on jobs where you work alone.
These jobs are like a safe space for people who like being by themselves. It’s a place where you can really concentrate and do your own thing with low social interaction. Jobs where you work alone often appeal to introverts and individuals who require fewer distractions.
Jobs like writing, coding, and freelancing let you work on your own. Not everyone may like working alone, but for those who do, it can be a lot less stressful and overwhelming.
I have been working mostly on my own for years now, and I really love it!
This article is part of a series put together by the Total Mortgage marketing team that provides loan officers and other sales professionals with a crash course in marketing and self-promotion. To read other articles in this series, click here.
Driving traffic to your site can be a challenge, and one of the most difficult aspects of that challenge is getting Google and the other major search engines to trust your site and consequently increase its ranking position for high-value keywords. Though there are hundreds, possibly even thousands, of components that factor into Google’s ranking algorithm, inbound links (links from another site to your own site) are one of the most important.
To help make the process as painless as possible, we’ve put together the following guide. It will help highlight the importance of inbound links and explain some of the best ways to generate high-value links to your site.
Why you want inbound links
Inbound links do two main things:
1. Drive traffic to your site
Ever clicked on a link and wound up at a website you otherwise would never have found? That’s the power of inbound links. They bring you users who would not have gotten there otherwise.
2. Increase search engine ranking
Search engines want to give users the best results. If a site has many links from other sites, that’s usually a good sign that it has worthwhile content on it, and its search ranking will go up.
Want those things to happen? Of course you do.
Quick Tips
It’s no easy feat to generate inbound links, but here are some tips to get the ball rolling:
Link to other blogs
When someone smiles at you, thanks to mirror neurons, it’s likely that you’ll instinctively smile back. It might be a little different from a biological point of view, but when other bloggers see that you’ve linked to their site, they’re more likely to reciprocate and link to your site.
So when you write blogs (if you’re not doing that already, you should be), add some links to other blogs. With so much fantastic content on the web, it shouldn’t be hard to find resources that naturally fit into your posts.
Guest blog for other sites
Creating quality content is tough, which means most sites welcome the opportunity for a guest post on their blog. So set aside a few posts and reach out to various outlets to see if they’re interested. It’s common courtesy to allow at least one inbound link to your site per post. Don’t be surprised if they contact you in the future wondering if they can do the same on your site.
Create infographics
We live in a largely visual world. If you have information that you can craft, or have someone craft, into a compelling infographic, people will share that image and link back to you as the source. You might think to yourself, “I’m a loan officer; I can’t create infographics…”
Not so. You don’t have to be schooled in design, you just have to know some of the basics. There are many tutorials online that take as little as an hour to run through what you need to know to get started.
Considering your site will be around for a while, it could be worth it to learn how to design an infographic. Who knows? Maybe you’ll enjoy it.
Do something funny
Laughing is fun. Humor is one of the most desirable traits in a significant other for a reason. The mortgage industry isn’t known for its jokes, but that doesn’t mean you can’t try your hand at some comedic relief.
The key here is to know your audience—the last thing you want to do is offend someone. So make sure you bounce your joke off several different people before sending it out into the internet. And if for some reason you aren’t sure how your idea will come across, don’t do it.
Influencer (Social Media) Marketing
When it comes down to it, you’re going to have to reach out and promote yourself if you want to generate inbound links. That means talking to social media influencers. They are seen as authorities of their industry, and therefore, links from them have a lot of weight. And as a bonus, they have followers that are ready to devour any content that’s fed to them. If you build up a good relationship with several influencers, you can find yourself with a steady stream of inbound links.
Who are your targets?
It’s important to properly identify your targets. You need to figure out who the biggest influencers are in the mortgage and real estate industries, and whittle down what relationships will be the most productive. There are a few different ways to go about doing this.
1. Analytics sites
There are several sites that have software that crawl social media sites to gather data which then goes through an algorithm, resulting in a score. The most popular are Klout, Kred, and PeerIndex.
Klout is kind of the de facto authority for ranking social media influencers. It’s fairly straightforward, the algorithm comes up with a score between 1-100, where 1 is the worst and 100 is the best. Klout is particularly notable in that it takes into account blog influence.
PeerIndex shares a lot of similarities with Klout. It does get into a little more detail with its reporting, but that’s about it.
Kred doesn’t just rate individuals based on influence, it adds in an outreach score that lets you know how often someone engages with other people.
2. Messing around on social media
It might sound crazy, but doing your own direct searches on Facebook, Twitter, and any other social media platform can help you discover new influencers. It’s a lot less low-tech than the algorithms, but it has its merits. If you’re wondering where to start, take a look at our article on maintaining your social media presence.
3. Search engines
You use google when you want to find out about nearly anything on the internet, so it only makes sense that you would use it when trying to find social media influencers. A good place to start is by googling different mortgage related topics to find out who the big names are in the mortgage blog world.
How will you reach out?
Twitter? Facebook? Email? Once you know who your targets are, you have to figure out how you will reach out to them. There are many ways to go about this. Will you have to offer a cold pitch or will you need to build a relationship with them first?
Having a standing relationship definitely makes the process easier, but that doesn’t mean you should be afraid to pitch an idea to someone you’ve never talked to before. If the idea is good enough and you sell it to them in the right way, it’s not out of the question that they’ll go for. In the end, don’t overthink it. The important part is that you make the effort and contact them.
Content Outreach and Promotion Tips
Keep the conversation going
Influencers are people, and people generally don’t like it when you only talk to them when you want something. That means reaching out to influencers only when you have a new post you want them to share is poor etiquette, and unlikely to help you build lasting relationships.
The solution? Engage when you can.
Make sure you’re following them on whatever social media platform they use and keep an eye out for their posts. Commenting on their posts shows that you aren’t just in it for the links. As you’ll see, there are other benefits to commenting on blogs.
Comment on other blogs
There’s a certain element of skill to this one. You can’t just say, “Nice post! Thanks for sharing. www.yourloanofficerwebsite.com.” Not only does that look like spam and will most likely get deleted before anyone sees, it looks desperate and doesn’t give a user any reason to follow your link.
You have to thoughtfully engage and respond with a comment that brings something to the table. That way people know that you are capable of bringing them value and will be more apt to click the link to see what else you have to say.
Bigger Outlets
Breaking into a popular media outlet like the NY Times or Wall St. Journal can be challenging. They most likely don’t know who you are, and sending the editor an article to read is basically guaranteed to get ignored. Editors are busy, and they only look at material from unknown writers who get vouched by someone they know. That’s why you should reach out to a writer on their staff.
Send them an email telling them how you really love their writing and point toward an article you’ve recently read (if you don’t already, start reading their work and find a piece that you can really engage with).
Flattery is all well and good, but what will really set you apart is if you can offer some sort of constructive criticism. Tell them that you think their readers would appreciate it if you added in so and so. You want to emphasize that you aren’t trying to be negative, you just want to keep seeing them producing high-quality content.
If your feedback has validity, they will probably be grateful that you reached out to them, and will respond. After a few emails back and forth, you can ask them how you would be able to get to their level and write for them.
There are no guarantees, but getting your work into more prominent media outlets will certainly increase your exposure, making the reward worth the effort.
How to Create Quality Content
Without quality content, no matter how suave of a networker you are, no one is going to link to your site. That means posting quality content on a consistent basis is of the utmost importance. How do you figure out how to do that? As part of our loan officer marketing series, we’ve already created a blog on Creating and Curating Content.
Bottom Line
Generating inbound links is one of the most important steps on the path to a thriving website. It also takes time, so don’t get discouraged if you don’t have a million links after a few weeks. Just keep on hacking away at it and eventually the links will come.
You can learn more about what the Total Mortgage marketing team does for our loan officers by checking out other articles in this series, or by visiting our career portal.
Carter Wessman
Carter Wessman is originally from the charming town of Norfolk, Massachusetts. When he isn’t busy writing about mortgage related topics, you can find him playing table tennis, or jamming on his bass guitar.
Marketing is an expense, but it can also be considered an investment in the success of your small business. When done correctly, it can build your brand, draw prospective customers to your website or store, and ultimately drive revenue.
To make the most of your marketing dollars and successfully promote your small business, you’ll want to avoid the following mistakes.
1. Not making market research a priority
Market research, one of the first stages in the marketing process, is used to confirm demand for your business’s product or service, identify its target market and assess competitors.
“If we think of marketing, it’s not only the promotion of services, the promotion only of products. It’s the creation of products. It’s the creation of services. It’s connecting with people,” says Islam Gouda, a marketing scholar and author. “As a small business, I want to understand how my customers are thinking about different aspects in terms of their wants or their needs.”
When researching your target market, consider the platforms and channels they frequent and market your business there.
”Make sure that you’re really focusing on how people are going to find you,” says Jennifer Fortney, president of Cascade Communication, a PR and marketing communications company based in Chicago. Beyond the largest, most popular platforms, Fortney suggests also looking into niche publications and local magazines.
2. Brand inconsistency
“Always have consistent branding across all your channels: your social media, your LinkedIn profile, your website, your brochures, your fliers, whatever it is,” says Vanessa Castillo Bell, a consultant for the Arizona Minority Business Development Agency. “Once you have consistent branding all across your channels, your customers will recognize your brand.”
Establish brand guidelines for the logos, colors, images and text you’ll use across your marketing materials. Consistent branding creates a brand identity that looks professional and can offer benefits such as increased customer trust and loyalty — which can all lead to higher revenue for your business.
3. Not having a clear website strategy
There are many platforms on which to market your business, but your website is especially important. “Businesses own their website. That’s their online home,” Castillo Bell says. Therefore, you have complete control over what information you provide and how.
Castillo Bell recommends learning search engine optimization (SEO) techniques and identifying keywords that your customers would use to search for your products and business. Including those keywords in blogs, newsletters, white papers, videos and other types of content marketing can help your website appear on search engine results pages and gain traffic. Optimizing your website for mobile — since many consumers search online using their phones — is another key step, Castillo Bell says.
You’ll also want to make important details about your business easily accessible to website visitors. “If you’re a local business, be very specific about your location, what areas you serve, and put all of that information on your website,” Fortney says.
Building an effective marketing strategy requires patience; however, a mistake many businesses make is that “they are looking for a quick process,” Gouda says. “They are looking to generate revenue on the spot. They do not wait for return on investment,” he says. Ultimately, “they confuse marketing and sales.”
In reality, the results from your marketing strategy may not be noticeable for months. Researching your target audience, creating consistent messaging in all your marketing materials and exploring free marketing ideas can all help you stay the course.
From Facebook and YouTube to Instagram, TikTok and many more platforms, social media is a great place to market your business. However, trying to build an online presence on multiple channels doesn’t guarantee success.
“Just because a social media outlet or a social media platform exists doesn’t mean you have to use it. If you stretch yourself too thin, you’ll do none of it well,” Fortney says. “Own one. Pick one that’s the best for your business and your product or service, own it.”
After you’ve become successful in managing one platform, consider whether you want to add another social channel to your marketing strategy.
6. Not utilizing free resources
Before paying consultants to help with your marketing strategy, “one resource you should take advantage of is your free agencies,” Castillo Bell says.
The U.S. Small Business Administration, Small Business Development Centers, Minority Business Development Agencies and community development financial institutions, as well as nonprofit organizations for women, minorities and veteran small-business owners, can all be good options when you need free or low-cost help with your marketing plan.
This article is part of a series put together by the Total Mortgage marketing team that provides sales professionals with a crash course in marketing and self-promotion. To read other articles in this series, click here.
Video marketing is kind of having a moment right now.
In the past, using video to market to consumers was the m.o. of big companies with a lot of money and manpower to throw around. That is, not really in reach for your average loan officer or realtor. Now, however, it’s easier than ever to create simple videos and get them in front of potential customers on your own.
Why add video to your marketing strategy?
Interest in video is growing fast, and it won’t stop any time soon. Last year, Facebook’s video viewership doubled from 4 billion a day to 8 billion—in just 7 months. The experts at Syndacast, meanwhile, predict that a whopping 74% of internet traffic will be video by 2017. Basically, all signs say that the next big trend in digital marketing is video. Combine that with the potential to increase conversions by up to 30%, and it’s a trend you want to be a part of.
SEO (search engine optimization) benefits are another point to consider. Put simply, Google likes to feed people the best content they can. When their search algorithm sees a multimedia page, like an informative blog with an accompanying video, they’re much more likely to recommend your page to searchers.
Think you’re on board with video? Great. In this guide, we’re going to assume you’re working on some kind of short informative video, but that isn’t the only option available to you.
Types of marketing videos
Filming without pinning down a format can set you up for a lot of wasted time in front of the camera. These are a few of the most common kinds of videos you’ll see.
FAQs address specific problems or questions a viewer might have, and are usually short, semi-scripted, and informative. You can also use a similar format to highlight certain products or give a demonstration.
Interviews involve a conversation, either between multiple people on camera or between one person speaking to another off camera. They work best when you have access to someone with a skill set or experience level that entices your audience.
Testimonials put your customers on screen to advocate for you. These sometimes have an interview-like format, though they may require more scripting.
Culture videos put you (and your company) front and center, giving customers a taste for who you are and why you do what you do with the help of dynamic music, candid footage, and smart voice-overs, interviews, or graphics.
Ads require a tight focus, careful scripting, and a clear beginning, middle, and end. They often cost more than other video options and will probably require the help of an outside production company.
Marketing video basics
Whether your video team is just a neighbor with a camera or a whole marketing department, it helps to have a firm handle on what goes into making a marketing video. While it can be a complex process, ultimately, you really only need a few basic things to get started:
A decent camera and microphone
Someone knowledgeable to man the camera for you
Access to video editing software
Good lighting
A quiet, non-distracting place to film
Of course, there are plenty of ways to step up your game. That can mean getting better equipment, springing for a green screen, or shooting b-roll (that is, relevant secondary footage you can cut in to demonstrate ideas or give viewers a break from primary footage).
If you’re just starting out and don’t have a large budget for video, keep it simple. There are plenty of services that help you make the most of the devices you already have and integrate easily with email. Bombbomb and Talk Fusion are two good places to start.
Where to use your video
Before you even start putting together a script, you need to decide where this video is going and how you plan to showcase it. That’s because what you put around the video needs to have some impact on the content of it—and vice versa—if you want to engage people.
Here are some common areas where companies use video (a few of which we’re already using at Total Mortgage):
Email. If you have any sort of email campaign in place, be it an extensive drip campaign set in motion by first contact or simple check-ins as a customer hits milestones, adding relevant and helpful videos can make your emails go farther. A lot farther. Video can increase email click-through-rate by up to 300%.
Home page. If your home page is lacking personality, a video can help add a human touch. Typically, these take the form of about us or product highlight videos, but don’t let that limit you. Just keep in mind one thing: your home page is prime real estate. It’s what potential clients and others interested in your business will see first. Whatever you choose to put here should be well-done and relevant.
Testimonial pages. If you have a great relationship with a satisfied borrower who has an interesting story to tell, a customer story video can be a helpful addition to your testimonial page.
Social media. If your video is informative, funny, or short and ad-like, you would do well to add sharing it on social media to any other plans you have for it. And that doesn’t mean throwing your video up on YouTube just in case. As we’ve already mentioned, Facebook is making moves to become a major player in the video content game, and with all that targeting data at their fingertips, it’s not hard to see why. Other social options, like Snapchat and Twitter can also help boost your signal.
Ad campaigns. If your business in on the larger side and you’ve already dipped your toes into the video pool with good results, it might be time to consider going bigger. You can use an ad pretty much anywhere–on your homepage, your about us, your social pages. If the quality is high enough, you can even look into advertising online or on tv.
Writing your script
To film a video right, it really helps to know in advance what the whole thing is about. That’s where a script comes in. Scripts help you plan out the dialogue of your video. They are also important for blocking out a video and deciding where your cuts and footage would make the most sense. Often, you’ll need to go through several drafts to find one you’re happy with. Here are a few more tips to help you get it right:
Start with your audience. You may have an idea for a great video, but unless someone wants to watch it, you’re out of luck. Before you settle on one idea, make sure you know who your audience will be. If you’re in the housing industry, this can mean anything from hesitant first-time buyers to satisfied past buyers willing to refer others.
Similarly, don’t try to appeal to everyone. This is fairly standard marketing advice, but it’s something you should still keep in mind when you’re coming up with a video concept. Even though the whole point of video may seem to be racking up that view count, you’re more likely to get leads from a small but targeted audience. So instead, tailor your video to fit a specific demographic.
Personality is important. If you’re going to go through the effort of putting yourself on camera, a vital part of doing the job right means giving viewers a feel for who are. Make sure you write the same way you speak with clients in person.
Getting in and out is the hardest part. Think about some of the low budget, small business videos you’ve seen over the last few years. Where do you always end up cringing the most? Yep, the beginning and the end, where awkward intros and abrupt fades-to-black reign. It’s easy to spend most of your time polishing the meaty parts of your video, but to avoid ruining an otherwise strong video, don’t forget about the transitions.
Keep your videos short. No matter how much footage you take, remember that viewers have short attention spans. Depending on the video, you should aim for between 30 seconds to 2 minutes—but shorter is always better.
Don’t worry too much about what you put on paper. Scripts change all the time. Sometimes what you have written down just doesn’t end up fitting. In some types of videos, like a Q&A session or a short interview, you’re probably going to want to skip the script all together and stick to some pre-chosen questions. This is especially true if you think you’re going to have difficulty speaking naturally on camera.
Tips for filming day
If you’re new to this whole video thing, you may not realize how much work goes into the filming alone. Here are a few tips you’ll want to keep in mind before you get in front of the camera.
Wear a solid-colored, non-green shirt. Patterns can be distracting on camera, and green may interfere with editing later on if you’re using a green screen.
Practice reading your script aloud before you start filming. As we’ve already mentioned, you want to sound as natural as possible in front of the camera. A read-through will help you pick out the places that trip you up and get used to speaking conversationally—that is, not too fast or too stilted.
Decide where you’re looking. Generally you’ll want to look directly at the lens, but depending on the video, you may need to look at an interviewer or something on screen.
Relax. The tenser you are, the more it’s going to show up in your voice and face. Try to pretend the camera is a person and talk to it, not at it.
Take a look at your takes as you finish each one. You’ll be able to see what you need to tweak in your next take.
If you’re working with a videographer, talk to them the day before. It’s likely they have some other tips and requirements that are more specific to the material you’re filming.
Next steps: editing your marketing video
Once you have all your footage, it’s time to edit.
Ideally, you’d have the help of whoever manned the camera, be they hobbyist neighbor or full-time videographer, but that’s not always an option. If you’re planning on editing your video yourself, this Hubspot post offers a breakdown on several free options for video editing software. This blog post from Wordstream also has some helpful knitty-gritty tips when it comes to things like lighting, editing, and music on the cheap.
Want more?
You can learn more about what the Total Mortgage marketing team does for our loan officers by checking out other articles in this series. If you’re in the housing industry, stop by our career portal to learn more about us as a company.
Chase is offering 65,000 Hyatt points after $5,000 in spend within the first three months when you open a new World of Hyatt Business card and an additional 15,000 bonus points after you spend $12,000 within the first 6 months
Card Details
$199 annual fee (fee is NOT waived the first year)
Card earns at the following rates:
Earn 4x points per dollar at Hyatt properties
Earn 2x points per dollar on your top three categories, from a selection of the following eight categories (they call this “Adaptive accelerator”):
Dining
Shipping
Airline tickets when purchased directly with the airline
Local transit & commuting
Social media & search engine Advertising
Car rental agencies
Gas stations
Internet, cable & phone services
Earn 2 points per dollar on fitness club and gym memberships
Earn 1 point per dollar on all other spend
Spend $50,000 or more on the card in a calendar year and receive 10% of redeemed points back as Bonus Points for the remainder of the calendar year (maximum of 20,000 Bonus Points per calendar year)
Earn $100 in Hyatt credit each anniversary year: Spend $50 or more at any Hyatt property and earn $50 in statement credits up to two times each anniversary year
Automatic Discoverist status in World of Hyatt (typically requires 10 Tier-Qualifying Nights or 25,000 Base Points)
Gift up to 5 Discoverist statuses to their company employees (they do not have to be cardholders)
5 Tier-qualifying night credits with each $10,000 in spend on the card in a calendar year
With World of Hyatt’s 2021 reduced elite status criteria, World of Hyatt Business Credit cardmembers can earn top tier Globalist status with $60,000 in spend on the card now through Dec. 31, 2021.
Access to Hyatt Leverage, Hyatt’s global business travel program that offers special rates to qualifying small and mid-sized enterprises at participating Hyatt hotels worldwide
No foreign transaction fees
No fee for employee business cards
Primary rental car collision damage waiver
Our Verdict
This is the same bonus that the card launched with and an all time high (actually not as good as that only required $5,000 total spend). Hopefully it becomes available as a referral bonus as well. Could definitely be worth it for some people, especially as Chase business cards don’t count towards your 5/24 status (you still need to be under 5/24 to get approved though). We will add this to our list of the best credit card bonuses.
When it comes to marketing your real estate business, video is king. Global statistics from 2023 show that people watch videos for an average of 100 minutes a day, with millennials — the largest share of home buyers in the U.S. — spending 10 to 20 hours a week watching videos.
From short Instagram reels to long videos on YouTube, video is here to stay. Here are 13 video marketing best practices for your real estate business.
1. Understand your audience
Your video marketing strategy starts with your audience.
You wouldn’t show the same scary movie to a 5-year-old as you would a 25-year-old. Videos for your real estate business are no different.
Watch videos on YouTube aimed at luxury home buyers and compare it with ones tailored to first-time home buyers. Chances are good the script, the angles and the highlighted features will be very different.
Ask yourself:
Who am I selling to?
What are their priorities?
What do they need to know?
How can I meet their needs?
Create your videos accordingly.
2. Tell a story
It’s easy to click away from a boring video that rambles on and on without a point. To capture a viewer’s attention, you need to tell a story about the property you’re showing. The story might highlight the historical features of the home or explain how a starter home helped buyers build their lives together.
Whatever it is, tell a tale that keeps them on your page. Just like an in-person walkthrough, viewers need to see themselves in the home to imagine how they will make it their own.
3. Use better technology
If you are marketing a home with expansive grounds, beautiful architectural details or gorgeous scenery, invest in a drone and learn how to use it properly. Drones capture details that regular photos cannot. They also reveal the scope of a large property and illustrate clearly where outbuildings and other landmarks lie in relation to the main house and the homes around it.
4. Add virtual walkthroughs
Record and post virtual walkthroughs for potential buyers. Your written listing is easier to visualize if it’s accompanied by a narrated walkthrough, especially if the viewer can move and turn in each room. Virtual tours can also highlight the exterior of the home, plus neighborhood features and amenities.
5. Spend time in production
There’s a time and a place for a quick Instagram reel, but in some cases, you’ll need a beautifully produced video. Invest in good video equipment and spend time editing your footage. If it’s in your budget, then hire a professional videographer or purchase quality editing software.
6. Choose an appropriate length
Whether you’re posting drone tours, virtual walkthroughs or TikTok videos, size matters. In many cases, home buyers want to see short clips, not a 15-minute video. If each room in a listing deserves 15 minutes of fame, break it up into shorter clips. Aim for two-minute clips, especially on Instagram and TikTok. Try not to exceed five minutes.
7. Utilize SEO
Search engine optimization, which determines where a website appears on the search results page, is critical in the age of video. Most organic search results list the top three links as videos, and you want to be as close to the top of that list as possible.
On YouTube, this means:
Adding keywords in the description of the video
Naming your video with keywords
Tagging topics relevant to your video
Customizing a thumbnail
Captioning videos on Instagram and TikTok is also helpful, as is using relevant hashtags in the optimized comment section of the video.
8. Optimize for mobile
Because 99% of homeowners begin their search online, your videos must be viewable on a variety of devices. This means optimizing for mobile. Optimizing for mobile streamlines the content so it isn’t cluttered or hard to navigate on a smaller screen. Optimized videos won’t have lags, skips or take forever to load either.
9. Don’t forget a call to action
When a potential home buyer finishes watching your video, what do you want them to do? Most viewers wait for instructions, and if you don’t provide a call to action, they’ll keep scrolling. Consider directing viewers to contact information or asking a question and requesting answers in the comment section.
10. Share across platforms
Millennials loves YouTube, and Gen Z scrolls TikTok, but both are potential homeowners you want to reach. Market to different generations by sharing videos across platforms, where possible. For example, the same company owns Facebook and Instagram, meaning one simple click posts in both places.
You might need to tweak the description or add tags for different platforms, but sharing across the big three — YouTube, Facebook and Instagram — casts a suitably wide net for potential clients. Don’t forget to share videos with your email list, too.
11. Engage with viewers
Good or bad, the comment section of any video can be illuminating, heartbreaking and infuriating. Don’t ignore it. Engage in a professional way with the people who reach out to you. Many home buyers want to see how a real estate agent handles conflict and roadblocks. Engagement builds relationships and trust — exactly what you need to build your business.
12. Analyze and improve
Don’t post a video, answer a few comments and walk away. Use simple analytics tools to determine how your video is performing in reach, views and conversions.
Specifically look at:
How many people have seen the video
How many people have clicked links or visited your profile
How many people have contacted you via direct message or email
If your numbers are low, your description or tags may need work. You won’t know until you look carefully at what’s working and what needs to change.
13. Keep posting
If the first video doesn’t get a lot of traction, keep going. There is a lot of noise on the internet, and it can take time to build a following. Just like it takes multiple home showings to find the right buyer, it can take a series of videos before potential clients reach out. Keep posting high-quality videos, and your efforts will pay off.
[Editor’s note: We’re trying something new–collaborative thought pieces written by the Geek Estate Mastermind community. The goal is to make the absolute best argument possible, derived from the collective expertise of members. The first two articles are bull and bear arguments for industry search and IDX, a topic initiated by Greg Fischer over a year ago.
Bull: The industry must not cede search to the portals. Meeting buyer expectations and owned, perpetual lead generation are table stakes to agency.
Bear: The portals have already won the minds of buyers. Search is an undifferentiated lost cause. If you can’t “win,” why play at all? Read the full argument here.
Without further ado, here we go with the bull argument…]
By: Ted Adler
One of the great fallacies of real estate digital marketing is that Zillow cannot be beat.
Yes, Zillow has put itself between the real estate broker and the consumer when it comes to the search experience: The word “Zillow” has replaced “real estate“ as the most likely additional phrase for people looking to find a home for sale. The millions of monthly visitors it attracts dwarfs that of any ad-free industry player, by a landslide. Take out Redfin from the equation, and it’s a complete romping.
Traditional property search (but not visual search) has been commoditized online, yet it is still a fundamental component to a real estate business. Consumer expectations are high and there’s a sense of entitlement, so if a potential buyer client arrives to an agent/broker website (however they get there) and is not given the option to search listings, the user experience is 100% compromised. That’s not to say they won’t work with an agent, but brand equity takes a hit and that buyer will have to be reached again some other way.
Search can yield true insight around when and why to communicate with a consumer, improving that experience and building a relationship. For most local brokerages, it’s a tool to convert traffic from multiple channels, not to win a web ranking contest.
Continued investment is essential as a way to serve buyers, generate leads, and avoid irrelevance. It’s true: Portals have the minds of buyers. But they have not won their hearts; that’s only something a person can do.
PERPETUAL LEAD GENERATION MACHINE
Brokers are in the business of helping people own the most important asset: their home. Yet when it comes to their primary marketing tool (their website) in the dominant marketing media (the internet), they seem willing to rent their leads. These names, emails, and sometimes phone numbers–which are sprayed out to an array of brokers–run in the ballpark of $150/each. When you stop paying that rent, you’re evicted from this lead pool.
The alternative of developing a strong website with a solid technical SEO foundation that can capture long-tail searches in a perpetual lead generation machine is a far better strategy. Beyond generating online leads to power the broker’s business annually, it serves as a quantifiable asset that can be monetized in a transaction.
The biggest issue is not the website, but what is done after the website goes live. Long gone are the days of the internet as a “field of dreams.” If you build it, they won’t come. Billboards in the basement are seen by no one. Ranking well takes time, resources, and know how. In an era when reading is hard (and watching a video is easy), who really wants to spend time creating content and doing technical search engine optimization–much less the hard part, organic link building? Only those brokers who understand the digital landscape and want to win. Keep in mind: The longer you wait, the more expensive it becomes.
The Bears (which include the portals themselves) have convinced many brokers competing for traffic is not worth the required time or capital. In the aggregate, there is merit to that argument that no site (agent/broker websites, BPP, consumer MLS portals, Upstream, etc) will displace Zillow in 2020, or even 2025 for that matter.
However, what real estate agent or brokerage cares about buyers nationwide? None of them. They care about hyperlocal. Competing for search phrases in an agent/broker’s “farm” is all that is required to make an IDX & SEO investment worthwhile.
As brokers are not technical by nature (a common college major for brokers is psychology), convincing them to invest in other areas isn’t hard. When it comes to their vehicle lease, brokers will throw down $700/month for an Audi Q7 and then debate the value of a website platform at $79, $149, or $199 a month. One will drive a handful of their clients around on a monthly basis. The other will be the first drive everyone they know (and many people they do not know) will take with their brand. The former is irrelevant without the latter.
HYPER LOCAL SPECIALIZATION
The last mile of real estate search–property addresses and long-tail search queries pertinent to buyers further down the purchase funnel–accounts for 92.42% of queries according to ahrefs. When it comes to hyper local, Zillow can be beat. I know this as fact because we help clients do it every day.
Ranking number one for a specific property address is the ultimate “local” of digital marketing. Appearing number one for your own listings is a highly valuable result, which could lead to impressing sellers in the research phase (a listing presentation asset) and converting buyers to conversations.
Strategies/tactics for ranking well for hyper local:
It’s not a coincidence that all of this is part of Redfin’s repertoire of differentiation.
INDUSTRY SEARCH SOLUTIONS
IDX is marketing magic. Using IDX content opens up a swiss army knife of marketing and sales capabilities.
Any cooperating member participant (agent or brokerage) of any size who opts into IDX policy may access and display a very comprehensive set of on- and off-market properties. Typically, that inventory is as or more comprehensive than any portal. It is vital to attract buyers who have had their first course of portal listings–or listings displayed in the window of agency’s in year’s past–and are ready to get serious with the actual local MLS database on a broker site.
Historically, IDX has served three primary purposes:
Power a buyer experience with all inventory (in real-time).
Allow the agent/broker to engage, track, capture, and convert traffic (ultimate goal of a website).
Enhance the brand of the brokerage as a go-to place for information about the local market.
In addition to engaging and converting traffic, IDX should be part of a larger strategy to:
Increase time on website.
Reduce bounce rate.
Gain insight on client’s search activity and track search behavior. (Ie, “They said their budget is $400K and yet they keep going back and looking at properties in the $480K range.”)
Lend credibility to agent. Portals rely on 3rd party data so often inaccurate and out of date.
Offer a personalized consumer experience (as opposed to a mass portal experience).
Meet consumer expectations.
A world without IDX, would:
cripple buyer-agency, as many buyer leads would only be distributed inter-brokerage. All pocket listings, all the time.
lead to agents/brokers selectively sharing listing info with portals over local competition.
cause SMB sized brokerages to get squeezed out or rolled up by incumbents who possess listing inventory control.
Nearly 20 years after IDX was made available, today it’s more relevant than ever. Gone are the days of the vanilla ‘boxed in’ (i.e. framed / I-framed) MLS search box. “Disassembling” IDX wouldn’t abandon a ghost town. To the contrary, it would cripple a utility that is required to maintain a sense of agency with buyers. Afterall, if professionals aren’t even facilitating the most basic online home discovery process, what are they doing at all?
THE AGGREGATION THEORY
Consumer MLS websites and the Broker Public Portal have the same goals as IDX: a comprehensive search experience, free from ads from competing agents. And not having to pay for leads. The difference is they add marketing muscle in the form of many agents promoting the same website.
Consumer-driven traffic is just one part of the equation. Agent-driven traffic is a very different animal with a much higher correlation to closings. Don’t ignore the potential of MLS-wide adoption of an agent-to-consumer mobile search tool.
Broker Public Portal, the joint venture with Homesnap, is aggregating consumers by leveraging agents on a nationwide scale. While they aren’t at the top of the traffic charts yet, it takes time. With continued efforts, they will crack the top five most trafficked real estate search portals.
HamptonsRE.com is a new portal to combat Zillow’s acquisition of Hamptons Real Estate Online (re-branded to Out East). HAR.com is the gold standard of what a consumer MLS portal can be. Granted, it was started years before any other MLS was considering how to combat the online portals existence. But, it is clear proof consumer MLS portals can gain an audience if cards are played correctly.
DON’T GIVE UP
While search is an undifferentiated cause, it’s not “lost”–it is simply evolved table stakes where general feature parity with national portals should be maintained.
Without IDX, you can be certain that it will be more difficult for consumers to make an educated decision around buying a house. An anti-competitive landscape is not one the industry wants.
Agents and brokers shouldn’t cede search to the portals without a fight (especially since Zillow is now a competitor not a partner). Left unchecked, Zillow will go from buyer traffic domination to annihilation. It will have all the leverage in the world without someone to challenge it.
The industry’s investment in search must continue–real estate agency as we know it depends on it. Without a role in the top of the funnel, agents and brokers will fall into the abyss of irrelevance.
Wrap-Up
Thanks to the other contributors to the thinking behind this bull argument:
If you’re interested in learning more about membership in the Geek Estate Mastermind, which I usually describe as a think-tank for real estate tech, have a read here.
This article is part of a series put together by the Total Mortgage marketing team that provides loan officers and other sales professionals with a crash course in marketing and self-promotion. To read other articles in this series, click here.
When we talk about on-page optimization, we’re talking about factors that can influence how a page on your site will perform in a search result.
Everyone wants their site to come up at the top of the search engine results page (SERP), so there’s some serious competition. To increase your chances of claiming the coveted first position, you’ll want to make sure your page is optimized.
Fortunately for you, this blog will give you the ins and outs of on-page optimization.
Structuring Your Content
When a user comes to your site, you want your content to be structured in a way that makes it easy to understand. That means using a variety of headers and other organizational tools.
Title Tags
Tittle tags help search engines figure out what your page is about. They consist of the text that is placed in between the title tags in your HTML document. To anyone who isn’t a developer, you’ll think of title tags as what the results that up in blue in search engines.
Title tag = Title Tags: How to Improve CTR by 20%+ – Siege Media
Here are some quick tips for title tags:
Include your keywords: The first place someone will look is at your title tag. Make sure your targeted keywords are in the title tag, preferably at the beginning. Don’t go overboard trying to jam as many keywords as you can in your title tag. Not only will “keyword stuffing” get you penalized by search engines, but it doesn’t read well.
Optimize the length: You want your title tag to be between 50-60 characters.
Descriptive: For obvious reasons, you want your title tag to clearly reflect what your post is about.
Headers
After your title, the headers will be the next thing that a user sees. It’s important that the headers guide them to the information that they’re seeking. Internet users don’t have a lot of patience and aren’t interested in reading unnecessary words.
Often times, they’ll get to a site and scroll down, only reading the headers. If they don’t find what they’re looking for, they quickly bounce back to the SERP. Just like your title tag, it’s crucial for you to include keywords in your headers. We’ll talk later on about the different options you have with keyword use.
Sub-Headers
You might think that a simple header would do, but you’d be wrong. Dialing down into sub-headers makes it that much easier for users to follow the flow of your content. It’s not always necessary, but you have to think about what will funnel the readers attention down to the granular sections of your page.
Anything that helps the reader navigate your page will help on-site optimization. It might take a few posts to get a good grasp of when to include a sub-header, but stick with it. Feedback from friends or colleagues is invaluable.
Bullets vs. Paragraphs
Bullet points are nice and neat and are therefore easier to read than wordy paragraphs. That doesn’t mean you should go overboard, but if the time comes, don’t feel like it’s poor taste to use them. Readability is key when it comes to getting likes and shares, and will help keep your readers coming back for more.
One way to make intimidating paragraphs more approachable is to break them up. Since most readers scan through blogs, as opposed to reading them start to finish, you’re better off with smaller paragraphs.
Think about it. If you have a large block of text, the reader certainly isn’t going to jump in at the middle of the paragraph and start reading, and it’s entirely possible that they’ll skip over the whole thing. But if you break that paragraph into three smaller paragraphs, the chances greatly increase that they will read any one of them.
Images/Multimedia
If you’re trying to craft masterful blogs, you’re going to want to include images and videos. There is a lot of data that shows users are more likely to stick around and engage with your site if you have images and videos.
With text, bots can crawl your site and easily figure out what your post is about, but bots rely on your help in order to figure out what images and videos are about. That’s where the file name and alt-text come in.
File name
Search engines love when you feed them clues about your page. Often times, the file name of an image will be some random combination of numbers and letters. That’s not a very good clue. If you help search engines out by using descriptive file names, it will have a positive effect on your on-page optimization.
Alt-text
Alternative text (alt-text) is another place for you to drop a hint to search engines. As the name suggest, they are a text alternative for browsers in the event that they can’t be properly rendered. The same guidelines that apply to file name apply here. You want a clear description of your image.
Meta-Description
The meta-description is the text that appears underneath the title tag in the SERP. Its main goal is to get users to click the link and enter their site. The best way to do that is by combining informative text with a strong call to action. The user won’t know if they want to enter your site until they have an idea of what’s on that page.
One way to help them out is by using keywords. If you have the keyword they searched for in your title tag and meta-description, the odds are good that your page is relevant to their query. Also, when you type a keyword into Google, it appears in bold text if it’s in a meta-description. In the example below you can see the keyword I typed into google—quesadillas—is in bold. It makes it stand out more and draws the user into reading your meta-description, which makes it more likely that they will click through to your page.
Ideal Word Count
Search Engines Prefer Long Posts
Studies show that longer content outperforms shorter content by a substantial amount. What’s the magic number? Well, that depends on who you ask. Different studies have shown that the average word count of top ranked searches is 2,416, 1,890, 2,250-2,500, 2,000+.
They might disagree on the exact number, but they all share one thing in common: long-form content usually outperforms short content.
Why is this the case?
It’s a simple concept. You know a lot, so you write a lot. If there are two blogs on FHA Loans and one of them has 1,000 more words than the other, odds are, that blog is more informative. People think this way, and from what the data says, search engines do to.
Every Post is Different
The content of your page will also play a large factor in determining the ideal word count. Not every topic needs a 2,000+ word post about it. After all, the purpose of a post is to relay information to a curious reader, and if you can satisfy that need in under 1,000 words, then so be it. You want your posts to be readable and shareable, and excessive wording will most likely detract from both of those efforts.
Taking a look at some of the blog posts here at Total Mortgage, these findings ring true. For our mortgage rates blog, there is definitely a correlation between the length of the post and the number of views. There is always some degree of variation depending on market conditions and current events, but overall, longer content does better.
We’ve also noticed that nothing beats a good topic. It’s not something you can always count on, but if you strike gold, you might not have to write a novel to reel in a high amount of traffic. One of our top performing evergreen blogs is under 600 words, but that’s enough for it to rank #1 in google for our targeted keyword.
Which brings us to…
Keyword Density
Keywords are words used to classify or organize digital content, or to facilitate an online search for information. They are what people type into search engines, and they’re incredibly important.
The general theory used to be that the more you mention a keyword in a post, the more likely it is that your article will rank for that keyword. Now, it’s true that the more you use a keyword the easier it is for search engines like Google to figure out what your page is about, but it’s hardly true that there is a direct correlation between the times used and search ranking.
Rand Fishkin, Founder of the highly respected inbound marketing company Moz, says that you should definitely include the keyword in your headlines and a couple times in the body of your post, but other than that, you really don’t have to stress repetition.
Readers want to be reassured that the page they’re on has the information they’re looking for, and seeing keywords in the headers will not only keep them from leaving, but get them to read the copy below it.
As for keyword density metrics, Rand says, stay away.
The long and short of it is that there is no ideal keyword density. You should strive to write posts that naturally have the keyword in it. After all, no one wants to read a clunky keyword stuffed post.
Semantically related keywords
Search engines are always refining and expanding their methods. One of the most important advancements they’ve made in recent years is the ability to recognize semantically related keywords. The best way to explain this is with an example. Say your keyword is “how to buy a house.” If you type that into google and scroll down to related searches, you’ll find semantically related keywords.
Google knows that someone searching for “how to buy a house” could very likely wind up wondering about any of these keywords. As stated earlier, you don’t want to keyword stuff. However, if you use various semantically related keywords throughout your post, the copy doesn’t get clunky and you’ve made it much clearer to Google what your post is about, which will help you rank in the SERP.
Selecting the right topics
No matter how well your page is optimized, if your topic selection is terrible, you’re not going to get viewers to read any of your posts. Fortunately, we created a blog post entirely devoted to Creating and Curating Content.
Experience Matters
On-page optimization sets you up for success. If your posts aren’t fully optimized, you’re missing out on users, conversions, and new clients. It’s not unusual for someone who is new to all of these concepts to feel a little overwhelmed. One benefit that loan officers at Total Mortgage have is the ability to engage with a seasoned marketing department. We’ve been blogging for almost a decade, and know all the ins and outs of on-page SEO.
Whether you don’t want to deal with on-page optimization, or you would want us to show you the ropes—we’ve got you covered.
Carter Wessman
Carter Wessman is originally from the charming town of Norfolk, Massachusetts. When he isn’t busy writing about mortgage related topics, you can find him playing table tennis, or jamming on his bass guitar.