BloodhoundBlog

There’s always something to howl about.

Author: Jeff Turner (page 1 of 1)

Real Estate Marketing Executive

March 11, 2007

The Death Of Printed Newspapers: The Sooner, The Better

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Real Estate Marketing Executive

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I don’t care how printed newspapers die.

I’ve read the pundit’s opinions on why they WILL die. Some of them make sense. Some of them don’t. Laurie Manny even pointed out that the New York Times publisher is predicting the death of print. I have a few opinions of my own I could add to the mix. But I don’t care.

I only care that the printed newspaper SHOULD die, and sooner than later. Sulzberger’s five year prediction is too long for my taste. Why?

newsprint waste 2Let me throw out some numbers. 38.9% of the waste stream in the United States is paper. (1) Paper! How much of that total is newsprint? I have no idea. The newspaper industry certainly isn’t going to tell us, but let’s just consider this:

Each and ever day in the USA, American’s trash 44 Million newspapers. (1) Repeat that out loud and see how it rolls off the tongue. Does it feel good? I read that number and thought to myself, “Holy crap!” And here I thought the number of napkins wasted at In-N-Out was a problem. It pales in comparison.

In November, the latest numbers I could find, total newsprint consumption was 719,000 metric tons. Newspapers accounted for 567,000 tons of that usage. (2) The way I was taught math, that’s 73%. It’s staggering.

I’m not even going to go into the environmental impact of pulp mill production, or the energy savings that comes as a result of NOT producing the paper in the first place. If you’re interested, you can read more about it here.

I haven’t purchased a printed newspaper in more than four years. I simply don’t have a reason to. I read newspapers online. The times I have picked a “real” newspaper up – on a seat next to me at the airport, or at my door in a hotel – my thought is always the same; I’ve already read about this. I’m certainly not alone in this thought.

What an incredible waste of natural resources.

I was talking to my neighbor, Mike Whitman, about this and he said, “Well yes, that’s fine for you and me. I don’t Read more

February 12, 2007

Would You Stop Me At The Altar?

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Real Estate Marketing Executive

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Yesterday, on ActiveRain, I wrote a review of the first chapter of Marjorie Garber’s book, Sex And Real Estate. I have decided to take it one chapter at a time, to highlight the intricacies of her work on the different aspects of love and levels of emotions that consumers have around the concept of home.

This is not a new book. It has been out for several years. If you’ve not read it, you should. If you have, it’s worth revisiting, given the changes that have occurred in the real estate market since it’s original release in 2000.

I focused my attention on the “love at first sight” aspects of the house as beloved. It is said that more than 50% of home buyers experience this overwhelming desire. For that reason, I believe that a seller’s agent has a responsibility to maximize the home’s appeal to this emotion and the buyer’s agent has a responsibility to minimize it. I wrote:

“It seems to me that one of the key benefits a buyer’s agent can bring to the table is the wisdom of an objective third party perspective. They are there to protect the “suitor” from what Freud called, “the overestimation of the object.” Like a good friend who warns you to take your time with a torrid new relationship, a good buyer’s agent becomes the voice of reason, the best friend who’s not afraid to tell you the truth about your new girlfriend. “

And interesting and valid comment came from Martin Rodriguez, a mortgage specialist in Valencia, CA. The post was speaking to real estate agents, but he came at it from the loan officer’s perspective.

“You (or Marjorie Garber) bring up an interesting point that I’ve found myself answering on more than one occasion. Clients will often call and ask me for my opinion about the house they are buying. As a mortgage broker I try not to get involved with the selection or the decison making of the buyers new home. Heck, I’ve never even seen the house, so why are they asking me? However, this question Read more

February 7, 2007

Yes, Consumers Do Need To Understand You

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Real Estate Marketing Executive

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Cathy Jager wrote this in a comment, and I responded briefly, but I really think the response needs some expansion.

“I tend to disagree consumers should be expected to understand agents. Would anyone suggest that it’s important for patients and clients to “understand” doctors and lawyers?”

Cathy is correct. They don’t need to understand real estate agents in the same way real estate agents need to understand them. But they do need to fully understand why they need to use a real estate agent and it’s clear to many that they don’t.

Why don’t I have to “understand” doctors? Because I already do.

If I’m going to go to a doctor, I first have to understand what a doctor does and why going to a doctor is going to help me. It’s easy to say “I don’t have to understand doctors” in this example, because on the whole, we trust doctors. We’re taught to trust them very early on in life, by our parents. Our parents hold our hands and lead us to the family doctor and explain what the doctor does and why we need to be there. So, we understand not only what they can do for us, but that we can trust them to do it for us, and this development of trust starts very young. So, when we get sick, we go to a doctor. We don’t really have to think about it. We only have to think about which one we choose.

The same can’t be said for real estate agents.

Our parents don’t drag us to a real estate office when we’re a child to meet the family real estate agent. They don’t lead us by the hand and walk us through an understanding of what they do, and why we need them. Value has to be explained and trust must be earned. The consumer isn’t just thinking about which real estate agent to choose, they’re wondering if they should choose one at all.

Consumers are obviously confused. For whatever reason, consumers don’t trust real estate agents. Cathy covered this topic very well herself. In the Harris Interactive Poll Read more

February 5, 2007

“Well, you can’t talk…”

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Real Estate Marketing Executive

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Last month we started a new “tradition” in our house. Now that the four boys are old enough to sit still, every night we read a chapter from a “chapter book.” When we’re finished with the book, we rent the movie and watch it. We started with Because Of Winn Dixie. It was a great experience.

Last night I read chapter five of Charlotte’s Web. I enjoy doing it. It’s a great time with the boys and it takes my mind off work and blogs. At least it did, until I got to this part of the story.

“It’s a miserable inheritance,” said Wilbur, gloomily”. He was sad, because his new friend was so bloodthirsty.

“Yes, it is,” agreed Charlotte. “But I can’t help it. I don’t know how the first spider in the early days of the world happened to think up this fancy way of spinning a web, but she did, and it was clever of her too. And since then, all of us spiders have had to work the same trick. It’s not a bad pitch on the whole.”

“It’s cruel,” replied Wilbur, who did not intend to be argued out of his position.

“Well, you can’t talk,” said Charlotte. “You have your meals brought to you in a pail. Nobody feeds me. I have to get my own living. I live by my wits. I have to be sharp and clever, lest I go hungry. I have to think things out, catch what I can, take what comes.” (White, 1952, pp. 39-40)

It shouldn’t be a stretch to see where my head went, but I’ll explain anyway.

The past few days have been Read more

February 2, 2007

Let Ideas Kill Themselves

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Real Estate Marketing Executive

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The last 36 hours have been interesting to watch, both on ActiveRain and here on BloodhoundBlog. Perhaps there’s something in the water, but there have been a slew of posts about REALTOR? commissions and what is the “fair price” to pay for their services.

Here are a few:

Are you being short changed? Not by me! (recycled and edited): Bryant Tutus

Perception = Reality: Real Estate Agents Suck: Mariana Wagner

How I Defend My Pay … A Posted Reply to Mariana Wagner: Sarah Cooper

A Different Perspective on the Value of Realtors: Michael Cook

If there is no Realtor monopoly — then what explains the commission structure?: Michael Cook

Whatever it takes: A determined Realtor is a bargain . . .: Greg Swann

Overcharging? A dedicated Realtor is a bargain . . .: Greg Swann

$68,745.00 Paid to Rain City Guide Readers: Ardell DellaLoggia

The opinions and ideas shared in the posts have been enjoyable to read, but the comments are what have been most interesting. It’s clear that some ideas are unwelcome. In many cases, it appears that the reaction to any idea that is outside the commonly held perception of reality, is to attempt to kill the discussion around the idea as quickly as possible, either by ignoring it or covering it with comments that defend the status quo or simply cast the current reality in a different light.

It’s unfortunate.

This is not a problem reserved to REALTORS? or the real estate community. The vast majority of all people in this world have a hard time leaving their comfort zone to conceptualize an idea, even if just for the sake of argument, that is contrary to their personal experience. This is especially if their assumption of the result of the idea may harm them in some way. It’s natural. They are simply unable to suspend judgment long enough to see where the exploration of The New will take them. The forest is too close to see the trees. And that’s unfortunate, Read more

January 30, 2007

Transparency And The Wizard Of Oz

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Real Estate Marketing Executive

Author website

OZ’S VOICE: Do not arouse the wrath of the Great and Powerful Oz! I said — come back tomorrow!

I bought my first house in 1984 when I was 22 years old. It was in Speedway, IN. I do not remember much about the detail of the transaction, but I do remember sifting through the classifieds of the newspaper, trying to get a feel for what I might be able to afford. I remember feeling lost. I didn’t know anyone in the real estate industry or where to begin, so I began calling around for someone to assist me. I had no clue what to look for. If someone had said, “come back tomorrow,” if I wanted the information, I would have had to come back tomorrow. How else was I going to get what I wanted?

When I look back, I’m amazed at how little control we as consumers had over what we were shown. I don’t remember giving it a second thought at the time. The real estate agent was like the Great and Powerful Oz. I was just happy to have a sitting.

DOROTHY: If you were really great and powerful, you’d keep your promises!

OZ’S VOICE: Do you presume to criticize the Great Oz?

[Toto pulls back the curtain to reveal the Wizard at the controls. The Wizard is unaware]

OZ’S VOICE: You ungrateful creatures! Think yourselves lucky that I’m giving you audience tomorrow, instead of twenty years from now!

[He turns, looks and sees that the curtain is gone — reacts and turns back to the controls]

OZ’S VOICE: Oh — oh oh! The Great Oz has spoken! Oh — Oh…

[The Wizard pulls back the curtain]

I get it. The Wizard had a great gig. Who’d want to give up being the Great and Powerful Oz? I know why he’d want to pull back the curtain. I know why he’d try to pretend no one saw him. Wouldn’t you do the same thing?

And I can understand why real estate agents were reluctant to move boldly to the Internet, to give up the information. I mean, for goodness sakes, they were Read more

January 28, 2007

Disintermediation? Not For Me. Not Yet.

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Real Estate Marketing Executive

Author website

I hated my last REALTOR?. Well, hate is a strong word. I don’t really know him well enough to hate him. But I’m sure if the sale had taken just one week longer, I would have known him just long enough to wish him all manner of ill will. I KNOW I hated the work he did. I hated even more the work he didn’t do. The story of my last home sale is a rant all in itself. (Yes, ARDELL, I will write about it one day.) But that day is not today.

Remember, I’m not a REALTOR? or a real estate agent. And before I got into the business I’m in now, I could NOT have told you the difference. I freely admit that I don’t know 1/100th of what the other writers on this blog know about real estate or title or lending. I probably know more than your average consumer, at least you’d hope so, but I’m still a consumer.

I just finished reading some of the writing on this blog and others about disintermediation. Greg Swann’s “Disintermediaton where? Oh, yeah…” set me on a bit of a reading tear. Thanks, Greg. Just when I thought I’d get to bed early.

Given how bad my last transaction was, you’d think I’d be the first to jump at the opportunity to sell my house on my own without the use of a “middleman” and use all the latest available technology to let me do that. You know, seller connecting directly with buyer. You’d be wrong.

Of course I’d be tempted. In many moments of passion, I’ve even said out loud that I would. But if I needed to sell my house tomorrow, I’d still call one of the extremely good REALTORS? or real estate agents I’ve met in the last three years and I’d have them do it for me. Why? Because I don’t know how to sell real estate? No. I would be willing to bet all the equity in the house that I could get as many buyers to visit my home as just about any real estate professionals I Read more

January 24, 2007

Lessons Learned While Watching American Idol

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Real Estate Marketing Executive

Author website

Teresa Boardman helped me understand why I sit through all of the excruciatingly bad performances on the first few episodes of American Idol.

My wife and I watch American Idol religiously. It’s one of our guilty pleasures. I know we’re probably going to hell for it, but we’re obviously not alone in our sin. We’ll have some company. The ratings for the Idol are ridiculous. The premiere episode drew 37.4 million viewers last week, a 15.8 rating/36 share in the adults 18-49 demo. The second night was just as big for Fox. But if you’re a saint and don’t watch American Idol, then you have no point of reference for what I’m about to say. So, I’ll explain briefly.

The first episodes feature a laughable string of truly pathetic “performers” trying to make it big in an industry that they are clearly NOT cut out for. Some of the performances are so hideous I literally have to cover my eyes. I want to watch, but it’s just too painful. At one point this evening, my wife said to me, “No! Uncover your eyes. This one is dancing.” OK? No! See, this isn’t “So You Think You Can Dance.”

This is American Idol. It’s a singing competition. If you have to dance, then you probably can’t sing. In fact, if you have to dance, you probably can’t dance either. This is proven over and over again in the first few episodes, before the chosen few “make it to Hollywood.” And one thing is fact – if you have to tell me how great you are… you aren’t.

I don’t watch these first few episodes of American Idol because I like watching people make complete fools of themselves on national television. While I admit there is that morbid fascination, the real joy comes from being able to guess, purely from their self-styled introductions, if a performer is going to be a singer that truly has that special something that distinguishes those who really belong in Hollywood from those who can only tell me that they should be.

Now, here’s where Teresa Boardman comes in. Teresa invited me Read more

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