As an online estate agent, we regularly analyse all of our housing stock to make sure that they are marketed in the best light to maximise the chance of selling. There are various factors in particular that we look at. In this article, I’m going to focus on these in further detail.Are you advertising in the right places?Over 80% of house hunters find their property online with most of those visiting the main five property portals. Find out which websites your agent advertises on, if you are not on all five then your property is not receiving the exposure that it deserves. An online estate agent should list your property on many websites. If you are on these websites but still not receiving the number of leads that you expect then the first thing you should check is the Click Through Rate.Click Through RateThe Click Through Rate is the number of times a home-hunter chooses to click through from seeing a property’s summary details on the search results page of a website, to view more information about the property on its own details page. Basically the higher the Click Through Rate then the more people viewing the property then the greater the chance of leads. Ask your agent what your CTR is, if it falls below 5% then something is wrong either with your asking price or the presentation of the property.PresentationThe presentation of a property is the best way of attracting leads. On the summary page it is important to offer the best reasons possible for a prospective buyer to click through to your property. The main photograph is critical; it needs to show the property in the best light. It is also advisable to change the image to an internal photo or simply use a front shot from a different angle. Research shows that houses hunters regularly trawl websites and by swapping and updating the property images you are more likely to be noticed.PriceIf improving and changing the property presentation doesn’t improve the click through rate then the only answer will be to reduce your asking price. Your estate agent should be able to provide you with valuation reports which will show you how much similar houses in your area are being marketed for.

The warm climate and endless selection of tourist attractions makes Orlando, Florida an ideal location for conventions, conferences, and trade shows. In fact, Orlando hosts literally hundreds of national and international meetings every day of the year.  As your attendees attention will often be drawn away from your convention to the theme parks and nightlife in Orlando, it is important to provide extra live entertainment and activity incentives at your event. Whether your event is at the Orange County Convention Center or Walt Disney World, this article will give you helpful tips for hiring live entertainment for your Orlando meeting.The first step is to decide what convention activities you would like to have live entertainment at. Be creative in your scheduling, because adding a little unexpected fun throughout the convention will help keep your attendees energized and positive. Everyone expects a show after the gala dinner, but what about before a morning session to wake everyone up or during a break of one of a long afternoon meeting. Thinking outside the box with your entertainment will help make your convention a stand-out event.Once you know where you want the entertainment, then you can begin focusing on what type of entertainment you want. Nowadays, corporate entertainment options are virtually limitless. You could choose to entertain your guests with costumed stilt walkers, magicians, comedians, hypnotists, fire eaters, bands, headline singers, fortune tellers, or acrobats. If your event has a theme then you might want to try to fit that theme. The theme of The Magic of Customer Service fits hand in hand with a magic show. A Mardi Gras event may benefit from fortune tellers, jugglers, and other street entertainers. If you are opening up a session with some entertainment, perhaps you want to consider a comedian or a comedy actor who could present a fake motivational speech to get everyone laughing. Don’t be afraid to break away from tradition. If you always have a stand-up comedian at your dinner, try a comedy hypnotist or corporate game show to give your guests something fresh and new.When you have narrowed down your selection to one or two types of acts, then you need to begin your search for specific entertainers. You can make your search easier by first deciding on the criteria for what you want in your entertainment. Do you want a national act or a local act? Does the act have to be squeaky clean or is a little PG-13 or R rated material appropriate for your group? Do you want a show that is interactive and involves members of the audience? How long of a show do you want? (Planning hint: Most after dinner shows run between 45-60 minutes, any longer and you risk your audience getting restless). Does the performer have to work with any special performance restrictions (is the show outside, is space limited, etc)? All of these items on your list should be used to screen potential entertainment choices.You can start your search for entertainers online. There is no shortage of entertainers with websites. If you find a site of an entertainer that interests you, contact the entertainer to find out their fees, availability, and to see if they are able to meet your list of criteria. If they are not on the web site, be sure to ask for references or letters of recommendation from past clients. If the performer is a true corporate entertainer, they will have already performed for a client in the same industry as your company. Also, be sure to convey any special requests or potentially unique situations about your event with the booking manager before signing any contracts. Conversely, it is also important to ask what the entertainer is going to need you to supply for the performance. This will allow you to budget for any audio visual or staging rental needs, and avoid any unpleasant last minute surprises.When you are searching online for an entertainer, beware of directory sites such as Gigmasters, who list thousands of entertainers who have paid to advertise on the site. Many of these websites will take your contact information and send them to dozens of their entertainers, and you will be barraged with emails and calls from entertainers you are not even interested in.The Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resorts both have live entertainment departments that organize entertainment for the theme parks as well as for conventions held on resort property. If you are holding your event at a hotel or venue on one of these theme park properties, you can ask your site contact about entertainment options available.The positive side of booking theme park entertainers is that it allows you to bring a little bit of the theme park magic to your convention guests. The drawback is that you will be paying a premium for entertainment that your guests could often see for free while visiting the parks.

Understanding investmentInvestment can seem like an attractive option for increasing return on your capital, especially when interest rates on savings accounts are so low.Whether you are looking to invest yourself, or for someone to invest your cash on your behalf, there are several factors you should consider before you begin.How much can you afford to invest? It is important to recognise that when you begin investing your money you will introduce an element of risk to your capital. Generally the higher the potential for return the higher the risk to your capital, so don’t be sucked in by high rates but consider carefully how the investment would sit with your attitude to risk.Before you start investing you should ensure that you finances are in order and that you are not investing with money that you can afford to risk losing. For example, will you be able to pay all your debts easily? Do you have a buffer of savings to fall back on? Many experts recommend that you have the equivalent of at least three months wages to fall back on in case of hard times.Why are you investing?Before deciding on the right investment option for you, you should have some sort of financial goal in mind. Are you looking to generate an income from your investment, or simply to increase your capital?Set a time frame within which you can realistically achieve your financial goals, and decide on how long you are willing to commit your capital in order to achieve your desired returns. This will help you to find the right kind of investment for you. If you have goals in mind, you can easily tell when they do not live up to or exceed your expectations.What type of investment?There are four main investment options available-1) Stocks and shares2) Investment funds (including Unit trusts, OEICs and tracker funds)3) Investment trusts4) BondsThe right one for you will depend on you attitude to risk. For example bonds tend to be a safer option than investing in stocks and shares, but you will be likely to see lower returns. which option is most suitable for you will also depend on whether you are looking to make a lump sum investment or if you want to invest more regularly in smaller amounts.DiversificationInvestment almost inevitably comes with an element of risk, however by diversifying your investments you can reduce risk. Investing in areas of assets that have little in common means that if one area fail it won’t take your full investment down with it. You can diversify your investments by putting money into different companies, markets, assets or types of investment.Understanding investment can be complex, and you may want to seek professional advice.