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Tag: Marketing (page 2 of 2)

April 11, 2009

Do something even if it’s wrong!

by

Realtor, Attorney

Author website

I love the old cliche, “Do something even if it’s wrong!” I am a broker who needs to be creative and diligent in connecting with buyers and sellers, and rather than sit around scratching my bald head, I decided to launch my own small town online newspaper. I have a huge Internet presence already with my real estate sites, but I was convinced consumers wanted a good online newspaper that was easy to navigate, had good content (without the regular diet of negative stories), offered free classifieds (that are more powerful than Craigslist), offered a free online business directory, and gave non-profits the opportunity to publish articles and news so they can connect donors and volunteers with the needs.

Of course, the exclusive rights to advertise a real estate brokerage are mine. But this site is about so much more than just connecting with potential clients. It is about community service, helping local businesses, providing a very powerful forum for readers and writers, and much more.

I got on this before the Seattle PI shut down, and before we learned they would continue with an online presence. I’d like to think they are following my example, but I’m not so arrogant. It’s more about consumer demand and preferences, but I am having a ball with this online newspaper that has taken off like a rocket.

Call me crazy if you want to, but I’m going to do something, even if it is wrong. Oh, the newspaper, if you want to see what it looks like, is at Sequim-News.com.

April 10, 2009

How India Made Me a Better Agent

by

Real Estate Renaissance Man

Author website

The following is a true story.  The names were not changed and only the mistakes were innocent.

Not too many years ago I took a month off and traveled to India (for those new to the real estate profession, there was actually a time one could take a long vacation and still be successful).  India was not so much a destination of choice as it was obligation:  I was married at the time and my wife’s family is from there.  In any case, I found myself in India.

It is common for foreigners traveling in India to become sick the first week (the malady even has a name: New Delhi belly).  When I began feeling better I wanted to go for a run.  From the tenth floor window of our hotel room I looked down upon a large, undeveloped space bounded on all sides by city streets – roughly the equivalent of a city block.  I guesstimated a lap to be just short of a half mile and headed down to get in an hour’s worth of exercise.  Seemed simple enough from the tenth floor.  Strange thing though: once on the ground the loop was not nearly as obvious and that third left turn just never appeared.  I was quickly lost:

Lesson 1: No matter how great or simple or brilliant your marketing plan, things can and will go wrong.

I decided that I would keep going, counting on the innate, natural sense of direction all males possess… (I’ll pause for a moment while the women stop laughing).  Two and half hours later I decided I was really lost.  Nothing looked familiar and I was no longer even in town.  It was also at this point that I stopped and took a good hard look at my situation: “I am lost, I don’t speak the language, I don’t have any ID with me and I’m not carrying any money.  Hmmm, this is not good.”  I decided to enlist some help; I was pretty much all-in after running for over two hours and imagined everyone back at the hotel worried sick.  Plus, there was the ‘spectacle’.  Read more

April 8, 2009

IF (…for the real estate crowd)

by

Real Estate Renaissance Man

Author website

A little Hump-Day fun.  (Apologies to Rudyard Kipling.)

If you can keep your deal when all about you
Are losing theirs and talking of failure to you;
If you can trust your client when all clients doubt you,
And understand their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired of writing offers,
Or, being lied to, don’t deal in lies,
Or, being rejected, don’t deal in scoffers,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream of clients – and not make clients your master;
If you can think of volume – and not make volume your aim;
If you can meet with REO agents and short sale specialists
And take pride in what you do just the same;
If you can bear to hear the comps you’ve spoken
Twisted by appraisers to make agents fools,
Or watch the escrow you gave your all to broken,
And start again with new marketing tools.

If you can save 10% of all your winnings
And run through a prospecting plan,
And gain nothing, and start again at your beginnings
And never make complaint or show you ran;
If you can force your assistant and lender and staging pro
To serve your turn after they want to be gone,
And so hold on to that open escrow
With nothing but the Will to say: “Hold on”;

If you can talk with banks and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Brokers – nor lose the common touch;
If neither real estate coaches nor time vampires can hurt you;
If all clients count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ of marketing done;
Yours is the farm and all the transactions in it,
And – which is more – this profession will be fun!

August 22, 2008

Aufedersein Lip Syncher!

by

Realtor, Rabble-Rouser

Author website

… and now back to our regularly scheduled program – sorry for the technical difficulties!

True Confessions:

  • I am a reality TV junkie – American Idol, Big Brother, Top Chef, Flipping Out, Million Dollar Listing and of course Project Runway – glad I have DDR – there are others – but these I won’t miss – even for a showing request – kidding – of course.
  • I eat lunch at Costco – I sample the samples.  Don’t knock it – I have seen many of my astute colleagues binging off of the sample trays too, only I openly admit it – I have no shame.
  • I love country music.
  • Being an American Idol fan, I sing Daughtry and Carrie Underwood at the top of lungs in the car – sometimes – unknowingly – with the sunroof open – windows down – stopped at traffic lights – allegedly.

* cleansing breath*

That was so cathartic – and so much better than kneeling behind a curtain in a small, dark box filled with the distinct aroma of peppermint schnapps.

Yesterday, one of my esteemed colleagues made the mistake of confirming my delusional rock star status.  I have one of eleven listings in a high rise on the famed Lake Shore Drive – great unit, smartly updated I might add.  Glorious views and a terrific value – yet in a building that can be a challenge in which to sell.  Traffic up until now has been sporadic if non-existent.

Two weeks ago, in an attempt to generate buyer traffic, I decided to coordinate a joint building open house.  Not an uncommon marketing tactic – contact all of the other listing agents, get them all to agree to a time and a date – encourage everyone to market the open house independently and VOILA! Buyers!

I put together a joint marketing piece highlighting the fact that there would be nine units open, committed to an ad in The Tribune.  I’d do it for my client anyway, so why not for the other units?  Hopefully we can generate greater power in numbers.  Well – needless to say, buyers did come.  I had 20 visitors – Read more

March 5, 2008

Does the RE.net mean Real Estate or Resist Everything?

by

Rust Belt Realtor

Author website

In a recent post, Brian Brady said he’s been talking to me and that’s kinda sorta true. What’s really going on is that he’s been doing the talking while I’ve been doing the whining, just like a lot of us in real estate. What he didn’t tell you is that he gave me a much needed swift kick in the arse. He gave me some great practical advice on networking, and he challenged me to create a bigger Twitter channel than he. I’m up for the challenge- how can I lose? So what if Brian gets more channels than I, what did I lose? I now have more connections and contacts than I did before. Tell me again what I lost?

From Brian to me, from me to you: Bad market? Okay fine. So what are you going to do about it? I’m still pretty new to all this, Dayton isn’t the easiest place to be selling homes right now- so what? I’ve still got a job to do, I need to do it.

How can you spend anytime reading in the real estate blogiverse and not be inspired? Jazzed? Excited? Twitterpated? Are you really that stubborn? I was going to say pig headed, but I don’t want to offend anyone.

Five great ideas: Brian, Greg, James, Teresa, Todd– within a week? Are you kidding me? Who am I missing? Who else has offered up inspiration the last few days or months? Where are you getting inspiration? Have you tried any of these ideas or are you simply showing up to whine about them? Are you waiting for someone else to make it work, then you will monkey-see, monkey-do, or are you engaging your brain- coming up with your own twist to ensure that something does work for you? 

I remember, back in the day, when Greg wrote about blogging about listings, but I sat on my ass hands and did little about it. I remember when Jeff wrote about hyperlocal blogging and getting out there and door knocking, again I sat on that information. Brian’s been using SMM for how long now? I did take that idea to Twitter– that’s beginning to pay Read more

February 15, 2008

The training of the shrewd

by

Rust Belt Realtor

Author website

Wearing an outrageous Cosby sweater and sitting at a space age desk. Hand gestures that would appear to be practiced from the Floyd Wickman How-to series. I cringed when I saw the video. Andy Kaufman blogged about it, looking for the RE.net responses, my first thought was “Are you kiddin’ me?” Is the information dated? Is it relevant? Does it have a place in real estate today?

I think the truth is not what I want it to be.

Like it or not, I think Saul’s basic message is still relevant for many in the real estate world. A basic, gentle message about basic marketing, given by someone in a sweater similar to one of TV’s most beloved dads, well, that’s a comfort to many. I think Saul may understand his market better than I first gave him credit for.

A top producing agent in my office has listings because of the little boxes of mints with her picture and contact info printed on the box. Really. A top producing agent in a neighboring county wears a Carhartt jacket, a John Deere cap, jeans, and steel toed work boots on listing appointments. He lists and sells farms.

Where are you spending your time and money? Is it reaching the people you want to reach? Spending time online without really understanding why you are there is as effective as showing up to list a pig farm in your Jimmy Choos. Honey, those shoes are real purty, now how you gonna slog through the pig slop?

I learned a lot by watching Saul’s video. I learned that there is still a place for it. I learned that whatever you do, you have be smart about it, think about it, consider who you are marketing to and what is the most effective way to reach them. Maybe Saul is doing just that. So who are you marketing to? Anyone who reads the message? Do you carefully select your market and tailor the message to them, or do they select you, and once you’ve been selected, do you adjust the message to whoever keeps showing up in your Google analytics? Are you looking to dominate one market, or to get a piece of any market Read more

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