real estate marketing: Why I LOVE a Good Salesperson!
- 01/11/12 10:54 AM
Have you ever been in a class where the instructor asked the real estate agents to name what the public thinks of real estate agents? Inevitably, someone will raise their hands and say...they think we're like used car salespersons? The tone & subsequent commentary indicate that this is NOT a good thing... In a recent class setting, the instructor went further and asked everyone to raise their hands IF they LIKED salespeople. Only a few brave souls dared to raise their hands. We all felt it...it was not cool to 'like' salepersons. One brave soul actually said he enjoyed a purchase … (68 comments)
real estate marketing: Terrible Dressers & Business Casual Gone Wild...Can Your Professional Appearance Affect Your Paycheck?
- 10/24/10 08:51 AM
When I landed my first administrative job out of college, the dress code was pretty much set in stone. Jeans and flip-flops (you've got to be kidding!) Back then, you wore pantyhose and closed toe shoes even in sweltering 100 degree weather. Suits were the norm if you were going to be taken seriously, and the bared arm or mid-riff was grounds for scandelous stares. Certain things just weren't done. When I started my real estate career in the mid 90's, the dress code enforcement policy was still very much alive and well. My first company required the wearing of a … (172 comments)
real estate marketing: The Convenience Factor...Would You Buy Your Next Home at the Grocery Store?
- 06/05/10 02:25 PM
Remember the first time you went grocery shopping and rolled your shopping cart right past the newest location for your local bank? Today, ATM machines and banks are a normal part of grocery shopping all around the country. But, according to the latest Realtor magazine (June 2010) in an article entitled, 'The Convenience Factor', this trend towards creating a broader shopping experience may soon be enlarged to include your neighborhood Real Estate Brokerage! According to the article: "Brokers are staking out space in supermarkets to increase their visibility and make their office more convenient for consumers" Keller Williams broker, Gerald Murphy of Keller Williams Gold … (60 comments)
real estate marketing: The Flattened Life - the Impact of Digital Natives in a Traditional Realty World.
- 06/09/09 04:51 PM
In a perfect world, we would all know everything there was to know about everything and everybody...right? If you answered affirmatively to that statement, it's likely that you were born in the late 80's or sometime thereafter and are a part of Generation Y also referred to as the Millennial Generation. If you're a Gen Xer or Baby Boomer, you're more likely to squirm. Something about that statement feels intrusive... In "Born Digital", John Palfrey explores how Gen Y's are changing the world. The worldview of the Digital Native is impacting critical aspects of everyday life. Recently, I watched a speech Palfrey made at the Google Headquarters … (42 comments)
real estate marketing: Imagine...
- 06/19/08 01:23 PM
It's been over a decade since I've participated in a real estate caravan. How about you?
So, a recent post I read 'Caravan... going, going, gone', by Margo Currie about some of her misgivings about the demise of this real estate weekly activity peaked my interest. Many companies have stopped mandating the practise of going to pre-view new home listings. Designated agency probably contributed to this trend by changing the fiduciary relationship that individual real estate agents had with clients whom they were not directly representing. There have been a number of other factors which have made this option less attractive … (16 comments)
real estate marketing: WHY Ambush Marketing is Gobbling Up The Hottest Real Estate on The Planet!
- 04/08/08 02:48 PM
Recently, we met with a new client. As we discussed various housing options, she mentioned a home that she had found online and fallen in love with. She couldn't remember the website, but was sure that it was one of the websites advertised on TV. We started listing off sites we knew, hoping to jolt her memory. Finally we googled a term close to what she thought the website was named Imagine our surprise when she clicked a site on google and said, "Yes, this is it!" It was the website for our LOCAL REAL ESTATE BOARD; they don't advertise on TV. … (55 comments)
real estate marketing: Is Your Home Marketing Effort A Secret Engagment?
- 04/01/08 09:34 AM
The more things change...the more things stay the same. When I started my professional career as a real estate agent almost 13 years ago, there were certain things we had to get permission to do when we listed a home. These included: obtaining written consent to place a sign in the yard and a keybox on the door. The listing agreement also indicated that we had permission to market their property and advertise. There was no mention of advertising on electronic media. Nor were there disclosures required for the condition of the property or lead based paint. Index cards with listing data … (22 comments)
real estate marketing: A Different Kind of Open House...
- 03/21/08 03:16 PM
I don't know about you, but most Open Houses that I've been to in the Grand Rapids, Michigan area recently are NOT standing room only events! So, you can imagine my surprise when I drove up to a model home this past week and couldn't find a place to park. The event was organized by Redstone Group, a company which is building several unique communities around the Greater Grand Rapids area. My agents received an invitation while attending a mortgage seminar and persuaded me to attend. I'm glad I did. I always appreciate the opportunity to watch inspired vision in action. The Redstone Group held a Networking Open House. Instead … (28 comments)
real estate marketing: How "Cream Puff" Marketing is Slowly Deflating the Real Estate Industry?
- 03/11/08 04:30 PM
Puffery: as defined by (wikepdia) "Puffery as a legal term refers to promotional statements and claims that express subjective rather than objective views, such that no reasonable person would take literally. We've all seen them, created them, or used them. They're the exaggerated statements that are part and parcel of much of the personal and professional advertising within the real estate industry. Ever since the Federal Trade Commission in 1984 investigated '"deceptive advertisements" and determined that the agency would not actively pursue statements which the ordinary consumer would not take seriously, the use of Puffery in advertising homes and in the description professional skills has swelled … (45 comments)
real estate marketing: How To Show & Sell Vacant Land
- 03/08/08 05:52 AM
When most people think of the glamour and excitement of a real estate career, the prospect of showing beautiful homes is the only picture they can perceive through their rose tinted spectacles. However, there are a number of different types of properties and each one should be shown and promoted in a way that provides the highest possible benefit and exposure possible to the owner of the property. Showing and Selling a property without a structure on it requires that the agent be creative, well informed and prepared. The skill set required to show vacant property appropriately is different than showing … (23 comments)
Letting people know about your Grand Rapids, Michigan Open House is probably the most important goal to accomplish if the event is going to be successful. But once they know, the Next Huge Challenge is making them care! There is an enormous tax on people's time and energy these days. Finding a way to cut through the distractions and engage people in Creative Ways is going to be critically important for home owners who desire to benefit from Open Houses. The Internet has made options possible which were not available before. Through the Internet, we can now have virtual gatherings in which people come together on line for … (14 comments)
real estate marketing: Part 2 ~ Exploring The Pros & Cons of Corporate Blogging for Real Estate Brokers & Their Companies
- 01/15/08 01:19 AM
To Read Part 1 of the Series...Exploring The Pros & Cons of Corporate Blogging for Real Estate Brokers & Their Companies ( Are there Rules About Blogging For Corporations? This is a question which Paul Gillin explores in his new book about Social Media called the New Influencers. The legal restraints on blogging are already being tested in the court systems. Last year, I wrote a post about a case in Grand Rapids, Mi in which a major corporation is suing a group of bloggers for anonymous posts. It's clear that we navigate a treacherous slope as we explore the boundaries of Free Speech and Individual Freedoms against … (5 comments)
real estate marketing: Exploring The Pros & Cons of Corporate Blogging for Real Estate Brokers & Their Companies
- 01/14/08 01:34 PM
This past year, I had the opportunity to do several blogging seminars in Grand Rapids, Mi and talk with real estate agents and brokers about blogging in the real estate industry. Although real estate blogging is still being practised by a very small percentage of agents, (current estimates are around 4%), it is still exerting a tremendous influence on the "conversation" about real estate across the country. Remember that 4% of 2 Million is still a fairly substantial number! In the wider world of corporate business, many huge corporations are entering into the blogosphere. According to a New book, "The New Influencers...A Marketer's … (5 comments)
real estate marketing: Keeping Your Eyes on the Right Ball (Pt 3)...Engaging The Correct Play!
- 01/14/08 10:29 AM
Sports can teach us a lot of about life and business. In this short series about the game of soccer, we have examined some of the most important skills in the game. So far we have discussed Keeping Your Eyes on the Right Ball and (Part 2) The Anatomy of a Pass. In this final section of this series, we will look at Engaging the Correct Play. In high-school, I played Touch Football. It was a big deal because prior to this, girls were banned from being anything other than cheerleaders at football games. I had never watched an American football game. Living … (8 comments)
real estate marketing: Is It Really ALL About Me? Or Do YOU Matter?
- 01/04/08 01:05 PM
I just finished watching a video that Missy Caulk posted on her blog which is taking the on line world by storm right now. There's an interesting discussion going on all over the blogosphere about service. The video seems particularly aimed at the perceived "lack of service" in the real estate community. According to the video...Consumers are loudly proclaiming..."It's ALL About Me! Well, I beg to differ. Is it ever really that simple in the real world? In our increasingly avid desire to be listened to pampered, engaged and entertained, we seem to be ignoring all manner of major and minor irritations which we ALL … (32 comments)
real estate marketing: Microtrends...Why SMALL is Becoming the New Big For Real Estate in 2008 & Beyond!
- 01/01/08 12:37 PM
You may have heard these words...indeed used them yourself. Are you a DIY Doctor? Do you know Extreme Commuters or have friends who are Stay-at-Home Workers? Perhaps you work WITH one half of a Commuter Couple or work FOR a High School Mogul! Second-Home Buyers and International Home Buyers may be more familiar to those of us in the real estate crowd, but whether we're aware of it or not, the Bourgeois and Bankrupt as well as Social Geeks are terms real estate agents need to know. They are our Future Customers! In his ground-breaking New Book entitled Microtrends, Mark Penn with E. Kinney Zalesne … (17 comments)
real estate marketing: Creating Multiple Streams of Income by Dominating Your Local Niche!
- 11/14/07 04:10 PM
Earlier this month, an insightful discussion occurred within the comments of a blog post entitled "A Sure Fire Method to Rapidly Increase Your Income." The post opened with this statement about the reality which many in the real estate community are facing as we enter into the holiday season... "As the holiday season approaches, many in the real estate community have two head bangers to deal with. The prospect of having to buy gifts and other holiday fare at a time when there's traditionally a slow down in home sales AND the spectre of looming tax bills around the corner just after the holiday … (22 comments)
real estate marketing: Marketing To Create Multiple Streams of Income Through the Holidays & Beyond!
- 11/07/07 06:11 PM
We continue our series inspired by an insightful discussion which occurred in response to a blog post entitled "A Sure Fire Method to Rapidly Increase Your Income." The post opened with this statement about the reality which many in the real estate community are facing as we enter into the holiday season... "As the holiday season approaches, many in the real estate community have two head bangers to deal with. The prospect of having to buy gifts and other holiday fare at a time when there's traditionally a slow down in home sales AND the spectre of looming tax bills around the corner just … (64 comments)
A recent story in the Grand Rapids press, (Saturday, October 13,2007) caught my attention. The title of the article by Chris Knape was "Amway Sues Bloggers" with a subtitle that said..."company alleges fired distributor is behind negative web posts, videos." The paper reports that the suit has been filed by Quixtar, the on line version of Amway also known as Alticor Corporation. Quixtar is asking the court for an injunction and $25,000 in damages against 30 alleged anonymous bloggers classified in court documents as John Doe's. In addition, the corporation is asking the court to approve subpoenas for IP address from companies … (57 comments)
real estate marketing: Elevating the Extraordinary Within The Ordinary...Another Look At Creative Marketing
- 10/02/07 12:49 AM
Recently, I attended a fabulous Birthday Party. The Celebration wove it's festive strands throughout the grounds of the lovely home. The deck & gazebo were festooned with brightly colored streamers and guests could catch the strains of the jazz band playing whimsical sets below. A large tent was the setting for the buffet stations which featured traditional favorites from Europe, North America, North & West Africa, Asia and the Caribbean. As I meandered through the grounds, savoring the visual artistry with which items were arranged, I was struck by some playful and elegant twists. Lo Mein noodles were being served on the Asian display; the stir-fry was ladled and dispensed … (48 comments)
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Have you ever been in a class where the instructor asked the real estate agents to name what the public thinks of real estate agents? Inevitably, someone will raise their hands and say...they think we're like used car salespersons? The tone & subsequent commentary indicate that this is NOT a good thing...
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