Get Real!

I just finished 30 hours of CE

2008-07-23T16:33:49Z

Here I am down to the wire with a month to go till my real estate license needs renewed. In Ohio you need 30 hours every 3 years.

Procrastinating, dreading the task and never having taken an online class... I logged onto the Real Living Business Center, went to the Real U Training tab and bought a package ($280) of 30 hours from Hondros College.

My thoughts at this point are... "I'm going to try to pick off 3 hours at a time while watching tv every night for a month."

Boy was I in for a pleasant surprise. The format is awesome. It is similar to a PowerPoint presentation with interactive questions and you can pause and start at your own pace. Not only is it easy, it is fast too. I'm certain I did not spend 30 hours taking the class but the layout and format made it just as simple to learn the content - without having to sit through a boring instructor!

Ultimately... I am now a huge fan of online CE and Hondros has done a great job. Without the online format I don't know what I'd of done.

Do you really want to "capture" a consumer?

2008-07-22T09:25:30Z

I've attended a few seminars, meetings and read a few blogs lately where I've read about companies and agents trying to "capture" consumers. Semantically speaking, wouldn't you rather "establish a relationship" with consumers vs. capturing them?

As a consumer, I personally do not want to be captured. That term implies being caged like an animal without an ability to get free. Like I'll be receiving an overkill amount/abundance of e-mail, phone calls, snail mail, etc. until I buy. I'd love to see us an industry get to the point where we use more consumer-friendly terms and phrases in these instances.

At Real Living, since 2002, we've been using the label "customer care center" when referring to our "call center/lead capture mechanism/etc." We use the phrase "warm and inform" when referring to how customer care employees treat and communicate with consumers generated online.

Inserting more consumer-friendly terms and phrases like these into your company or team's culture will pay dividends when it comes to our primary sales purpose - generating commission income.

E-Mail vs. Phone

2008-07-17T13:06:51Z

I was in an interview with a potential marketing candidate a few days ago. One question I always ask is, "how do you communicate?" I'm looking for an answer that ensures me the candidate is not fully tied to e-mail. In real estate and franchising, I feel it is 100% necessary that the franchisors' employees are able to pick up the phone and/or talk to someone in person with just as much comfort as e-mail. Whether you are in sales or support, the phone and person-person skills are still valuable.

I come across more and more people who are hesitant (possibly afraid) and unwilling to pick up the phone and talk to someone. Their phones ring "in" but the number keys seem to be broken not allowing them the ability to call "out." Is this acceptable in business today?

As a franchisor providing support to a network, it is necessary to do both. So much gets lost in e-mail - tone, acronyms, etc. People will also send a "flaming e-mail" faster than making a "flaming phone call."

Below is a table I found within a document someone sent to me yesterday I thought I'd share. In today's world of text messaging this applies too.

This	Means This
`BCNU`	be seeing you
`BTW`	by the way
`FWIW`	for what it's worth
`FYI`	for your information
`IMHO`	in my humble opinion
`OBO`	or best offer
`ROTFL`	rolling on the floor laughing
`RTFM`	read the funny manual
`TNSTAAFL`	there's no such thing as a free lunch
`TTFN`	ta ta for now
`TTYL`	talk to you later

Did you know all of these? Have you ever written, ROTFL?

Back in Action!

2008-07-16T08:55:09Z

Last week I traveled to Costa Rica with my brother. He won a sales trip with his company and asked me to go with him. Awesome experience but now I'm back in action.

A few things to write about today...

During my trip I was impressed by the American real estate franchises in Costa Rica. All of the big dogs were present. Kudos to them. We'll be there soon, just need to conqur the US first.
Real Living had a sales meeting yesterday for the HER brand. It was well attended and I wanted to share my takeaways on AR...

An economist from the Columbus Chamber of Commerce spoke. We're definitely in the midst of a real estate depression, however, the light at the end of the tunnel is bright in his view. His main point was that in markets like central Ohio, the highs never got to high and now the lows are not too low. The market in central Ohio is (I think) #4 in stability nationally. He compared real estate in central Ohio to a bond vs. real estate in S. Florida to a stock.

Secondly, Harley established a panel of agents most of whom had only been in the business for 2 full years and they were already doing over 25 transaction sides per year. The commonality among these individuals was their use of technology, SEO, blogging and lead capture ability on their Real Living sites. It is interesting how our agents can tap into technology offered and quickly (within 2 years) become so successful.

Finally, Ric Devore spoke. He's been with Real Living for a few years (under 5 I believe). He's quickly grown his business to around 200 sides/year and prior to Real Living was in sales with a large homebuilder. Ric's most compelling message was that when he was interviewing with brokerages, nobody except Real Living provided the tools he viewed as a necessity. With other brands he was forced to pay upwards of $600/month to recreate the tools he'd receive as a Real Living agent. He encouraged and showed everyone how he was maximizing what Real Living provided to be successful.

The meeting was outstanding and now feel like I and all agents who attended left feeling like we are back in action!

Transparency – What Do You See?

2008-06-26T11:38:23Z

Transparency is critical today in our relationships. Broker-Agent, Agent-Consumer, Broker-Consumer and Broker-Franchisor.

Here is why...

Women make 89% of the purchasing decisions in real estate and comprise the majority of our agent populations. Women are also excellent BS detectors and transparency is essential for building trust and a working relationship.

Fake and fluff don't sell and will ultimately be exposed. Keep it real - just like my blog title.

Transparency equates to trust, genuineness and being real. People do business with people they trust. When perspective franchisees visit our office, the first thing I always relay to those individuals is that our company is an open book. Any and all questions are encouraged and, most importantly, all questions will be answered - even if the answer may be negatively perceived. When prospective franchise partners visit, we interview them just as much as they are interviewing us. It is better to learn we're not a fit sooner, rather than later.

Be transparent and success will follow. If not...

Is Your Brand Talking to Itself?

2008-06-25T09:08:17Z

I speak with agents regularly and during recruiting meetings, have an opportunity to learn lots about agent perceptions. In real estate, so many of us talk to ourselves in our marketing. I'm going to not mention brand names, however, you know who they are if you step away, put your consumer hat on, and observe. It makes me think of this famous Norman Rockwell paining.

These are the companies who...

Have yet to define a target consumer and direct marketing to this demographic segment. These companies plug along and are satisfied with the status-quo marketing despite an ever changing industry landscape. These companies spend their national advertising funds where agents and ownership groups will view their brand vs. where actual home buyers/sellers will.
Have charismatic ownership and thus continue to brand with the names of these owners/founders. These companies brand themselves in this fashion more so because of agent vs. consumer perceptions. The names of founders have nothing to do with what is important to a consumer. A well constructed brand takes advantage of the opportunity to represent what consumers care about and speak directly to them in their terms.

So, I'm going to pose a loaded series of questions I typically ask in agent interviews when learning why an agent is tied to their brand. You should start asking these too if you have a brand that actually represents more than a founders' name, appeals to a target consumer audience and directs marketing efforts in mediums where said consumers congregate.

Who is your company targeting in its advertising?
How is your brand perceived by consumers?
How do they spend money from the advertising fund where you contribute?
What events do they sponsor, and who is watching said events?
Is your brand and its model appealing to the real estate industry and ignoring the consumer?

6 Steps to Effective Hiring

2008-06-24T12:22:20Z

1. Network - tap into your sphere of influence. Facebook, Linked-In, Active Rain, and other social networking outlets are easy to use, free and will likely help you find the best candidate. I interviewed a woman from a competing brokerage last month who I met on Active Rain. Personally, I dislike the cattle call of resumes received from Monster.com and the time it takes to dig through those.

2. Determine an appropriate place for an interview. Your office is best as the atmosphere, energy and culture will be evident to the candidate. Another true story... I interviewed someone a few weeks ago at a Starbucks and the broker/owner from their office walked in. Your office will avoid this discomfort and ensure mutual confidentiality. At Real Living we love to show off our culture, energy and differences through our office environments.

3. Interview - ask the right questions. The questions you ask during an interview are subliminally setting the expectations for the candidate. Through your questions you are telling them what you expect and learning how they will want to be managed.

4. Check references. This is tedious but necessary. You'll be surprised what you will learn from these. I used to assume all references would be good and therefore not call all of them. Big mistake. I've called references before who have, through their answers, turned me another direction. Ask references pointed questions and get specific examples of the employees past accomplishments. Make sure they include individually they've reported to in the past.

5. Monitor - follow up with your employee regularly during the first few weeks of employment. Make sure they are completing tasks, motivated and remain a good fit. I personally use regular weekly meetings to monitor performance, enable the employee to ask questions/learn. During this meeting, I take notes and send a follow-up e-mail reiterating the meeting and include expectations and "to-do's" for the following week.

6. 90 Days - Typically at the end of the employees first 90 days you'll have an accurate view of their ability to perform. Communicate to the candidate up-front that their first 90 days is a probationary period and set specific goals for them to accomplish before the conclusion of that period. If they are not a fit, move on. Life is too short and business moves too fast to spend time and resources on the wrong person.

Your franchise should be able to provide you a complete hiring and recruiting package. What have you done to effectively hire that others should follow?

3 Must On-Boarding "do's" For All Managers and Owners

2008-06-12T09:52:28Z

When a new or trasferring agent come onboard with your firm, the first week is crucial. It is during the first days with your firm that a manager/owner has the opportunity to indoctrinate agents into company systems. It is also the time agents will form lasting opinions and habits (good and bad) with your company.

Needless to say, first impressions are important...

1. Familiarize the agent with your company's technology systems. Assign relevant business generating homework (using your tools/technology). Homework should include...

Import contacts into your company's contact management system.
Customizing the agent website your company provides.
Sending e-cards and/or direct mail to their SOI via your system.
Create and customize the online listing presentation using your company's brand and presentation.
Create a blog. The first post should be about their farming neighborhood/area. Ensure it links back to the agents/company site to improve SEO efforts.
Get involved with and join social media outlets like Facebook, Linked-In, MySpace, ActiveRain, etc.

2. Set expectations. You only have one opportunity to do this properly the time is now. Make sure agents know...

How and when it is appropriate to call you (the manager/owner).
Provide and review your office manual. Make sure this clearly identifies who and where to go to find help with key items Clarifying these things will save you time in the future by reducing calls. This document should also be online in your company's Business Center.
Set coaching expectations. Make sure you both are on the same page.
Set performance expectations. Create clear goals.

3. Follow up, keep promises and keep everyone (yourself included) accountable. This is critical and all homework should be completed within the timeframe set. Most of the homework items are "no-brainers" and business generating so the time frame should be short (under 1 week). As the saying goes, employees (agents) will not respect what you don't inspect.

Real Living's operation and training systems have a complete on-boarding process and training system for its partners. Above is an excerpt. To learn more, connect with me offline. If you are an agent and your manager is not and/or has not done any of the above, why?

The Svectionary

2008-06-06T15:49:54Z

I and our internal team often invent and use so many words and phrases that I thought I'd create a "Svectionary" blog. Here goes...

Scientist (noun) - One who can and does consistently share useful and intelligent knowledge with the Active Rain community. One who can open the eyes of the industry via the blogs he/she posts. In a sentence - Scott is not an English major, rather he is a Scientist who continually brings strong game on AR.

Stregerist (noun/verb) - One who has (or can be described as) the ability to formulate and direct a group in the "right" direction. In a sentence - A-Mag is a strategerist who has a team of agents and company who respects his vision.

Do Work (phrase) - Git r done is played out. A rallying call for agents and owners in the business to get their heads out of the proverbial sky and wake up. The late 90's and early 2000's were times of being able to sit at your desk and take lead calls - these days are gone. However, there is still business to be done, people are still buying and selling homes, it's simply not as easy to connect with them - now we need to "do work."

Broker in Drag (phrase/noun) - A team or rogue agent. This rogue agent/team does not look at all like their company, and when you visit their website or see any of their marketing you cannot connect them with a brand. These are short-sighted and individualistic agents who should have their own brokerage but are likely not savvy enough or too afraid of the accountability associated with such an endeavor. Because of their actions they do not capitalize on the value and brand equity of the firm they "represent." In a sentence - That agent is with (insert brand here)?? You could've fooled me, he's a broker in drag.

* phrase coined by Scott Hoyt, Scientist

Cliché Brokerage (noun/verb) - A real estate brokerage firm who insults consumer intelligence by branding itself with cliché images (e.g. two agents shaking hands, for sale signs, pictures of homes everywhere on their site, the word realty in their name, etc.). A typical remark an owner of a Cliché Brokerage would use would be, "how will they know you are a real estate company if you don't have (the aforementioned scenes) in my advertising/on my site?"

Internet Consumer (noun) - A real person who is online and able to find homes and request information on a website. This is opposed to how many in our industry view them - a "lead." "Lead" is a term suggesting they are number, commodity, etc. to be tracked, counted, and chased vs. warmed and informed (a Real Living Customer Care phrase). By the way, this person represents over 80% of the buyers and does not search Sunday newspaper ads for their next home.

"Get out of your own way" (phrase) - A phrase used to bring a rogue broker/agent to reality. In a sentence - Instead of advertising on benches, newspapers, and wrapping your Hummer with photo's of yourself, get out of your own way and tell the consumer how you are unique.

Fit (verb/noun) - An agent or broker who embodies your brand/company/image/culture. All of the above. If they are not a fit, hiring or franchising with this person is pointless. In a sentence - In the interview she came into my office talking about her financial problems, current office gossip, etc, vs. focusing on business - she is not a fit.

"I'm returning your license" (phrase) - A phrase while necessary is seldom used. How many brokers actually terminate agent employment with those who do not "fit," are part-time, not profitable, etc.? Not many... usually they wait for it to go the other way vs. standing up for themselves and doing what is right long term for their company.

As I think of them or invent them, I'll add more. What terms/phrases have you invented or use frequently?

Extra, Extra... Who Is Reading All About It Anymore?

2008-06-05T12:57:52Z

If you read my "Meme," you know I used to deliver the daily newspaper for several years from 1985-1989. The subscription rate among the 150 homes I was responsible for was almost 100%. Everyone got the newspaper and while I'd love to take credit for the adoption rate, back then it was one of the only reliable information sources.

I try to get a work-out in 3-4 times a week at 5:30am. I typically drive past the newspaper delivery guy in my neighborhood on my way to the gym. This morning I stopped him to ask how many papers he actually delivers in my neighborhood. He did not know the answer but said it was about 1 in 5 homes - 20%. Which matches up with my street of 6 homes where the only one on the street with a paper in the driveway every morning is a retired couple. As opposed to the 5 others who don't receive the paper and average 2.3 children and all under the age of 40.

So, it begs the question of who actually reads the newspaper anymore when there are so many more options? Let's take a walk down media memory lane...

In the 60's we had...

Television
Radio
Newspapers,
Magazines and...
Andy Magliochetti's favorite - the 8 track.

In the 80's we enjoyed...

Newspapers
Magazines
Broadcast TV
Cable TV
Newspaper
Radio
Cassette tapes (A-Mag is sad because his 8 Track player is rendered obsolete and he cannot listen to or sell his Steve Miller Band collection)
Walkman
VCR
PC
Video Games

In 2008 we have...

Newspaper
Magazines
E-mail
Broadcast TV
Cable TV
Radio
Satellite Radio
PC
Satellite TV
Internet
Mobile Phones
DVD players
Blue Ray disks
MP3
Tivo/DVR
Slingbox
I-Pods
Blogs
Online Video
Mobile Internet
Video Games
Text messaging
Mobile video games
Podcasts
IM's
Social Networking
And, I'm certain I'm missing some.

So, my question to all members of Active Rain.... With all of these venues why do brokers and agents continue to spend so much of their advertising budget with local newspapers to promote ourselves and our listings?

Meme

2008-06-04T13:23:24Z

1. Who is your favorite musical artist?

Kid Rock. I saw him a few weeks ago and it was the best performance I'd ever seen. He mixes music genres like no other and plays country, rap, every instrument on stage and even will scratch - old school style.

2. Who is your favorite artist?

My kids. I love the art they produce because I'm always in the picture. It is always so funny to see their interpretation of what they draw. The recent favorite is a stick figure Spider Man shooting me with a web.

3. Who is your favorite blogger?

Marc Davison. He's a scientist - a title I don't assign loosely.

Scientist (Noun) - A title for one who can drop knowledge and state facts about the real estate industry. Must be able to open the eyes of those who have been doing it so long their eyes are closed and have resigned themselves to simply going through the motions.

4. What did you want to be when you grew up?

A teacher. It was all I knew. My mom was a teacher and my dad a principal.

5. If you could meet anyone (alive or dead) who would it be and what is the most interesting thing about them?

Tiger Woods - And, since we're dreaming, I'd play 36 holes with him that day too.

6. What is the most interesting piece of trivia you know?

I'm not a trivia fan.

7. If you could live in any point in history what would it be and why?
Prior to the industrial revolution. To pioneer a "green" effort back then which hopefully would have made a significant impact today.

8. What is the most interesting job you have ever held? Paying or non - paying?

Newspaper delivery. I delivered The Cleveland Plain Dealer for 5 or 6 years. 5am wake-up call every morning - no break. I especially loved collecting and watching the drama of grown adults scrambling for the money they owed and make excuses for not paying. You may not think so today, but delivering the newspaper was a power position back then. The newspaper was one of just a few news sources.

If a customer did not pay, it would only be few days for Cleveland weather to bring rain or snow and I'd leave that paper outside in a puddle or burry it under the snow. The next time - I'd get paid. Waste my time after I get out of bed at 5am to deliver your paper on time !?%?$!&*

I'll tag...

Linda Altomare

Linda Whiting

Caitlin Murray

Kaira Rouda

Keith Kumler

Spy on Your Competition - The Easy Way

2008-06-04T11:07:37Z

I'm not talking 007 style, but I can't imagine NOT having a Google alert set on yourself today. I have one and it is awesome to learn every time my name is mentioned. Google always catches it. Even with my seemingly obscure last name you'll also be surprised to lean how many others across the world share your name. There is a teen-aged track star in Michigan who I'm alerted of fairly regularly.

Google alerts are also a great way to keep up with your competition. I have an alert set for every major franchise competitor we have. Through this feature I learn where they are going as soon as they announce so I can relay this information to my team and prospects.

Knowing how to stay in the know just got a whole lot easier. See, technology really is your friend when trying to keep up with your competition. How would you have kept up in the past? Google makes it too easy today.

If you are an owner of a company or manager, do you have Google alerts on your competitors?

Lemonade... $5

2008-06-03T13:01:19Z

This weekend is our HUGE, EVERYTHING MUST GO, neighborhood garage sale. Making me think of the picture above and the entrepreurs in our company. And, yes, my little people (ages 3 and 6) are planning to have a lemonade stand on the street, and, despite their ages already have it all figured out. It was humours listening to their conversation in the car yesterday negotiating the key facts like who is going to get the water, stir, pour, "advertise" (e.g. yell for people to come to the stand), and most importantly how much they are going to charge ($5/glass in their case). I'm anxious to watch how long the lesson in supply/demand/pricing strategy/competition takes.

Nevertheless, I'm always asked, "who is Real Living's target franchisee?"

My typical answer usually drifts into the owners understanding and ability to implement the Real Living brand in their market, or technology. However, after considering the question further, I'm changing my answer. That is ok, right?

When I look at the common denominator of all of our franchisees, I arrive at "passionate entrepreneurs." Real Living's broker owners in the network today can all be described in this fashion.

Take Lincoln Crum, our owner in the greater Louisville area. He exudes passion not only for Real Living but his company, customers and agents. Just talking to him can get you excited about whatever topic he is speaking about.

Take Tom Grimshaw and Jennifer McCloskey in Coral Gables, FL. Spend 2 minutes with Tom and Jennifer and you'll know they get it.

Or, Tripti Kasal in Lincoln Park, IL (Chicago). Tripti's energy about her business is infectious and her business acumen is second to none.

I can only hope that this weeks lemonade stand experience sparks the entrepreneurial fire in my kids and they grow up to be like those I have the opportunity to meet and work with daily. So, when asked about the composition of our franchisees (current and future), I think I'll change my answer - Passionate Entrepreneurs.

Ever Feel Like Butthead?

2008-05-29T14:50:17Z

I've been feeling like him for the last three weeks. True stories below...

1. Last night I spoke to a friend of mine who just went "in-contract" on his home. The sale price is $230,000 and the outstanding balance on the loan is $255,000. Yes, he has to go to closing with $25,000 leaving him very little cash to put down on a new property. That interest only loan does not look as good as it originally did, huh? Prior to selling he was considering the possibility of walking away and accepting a foreclosure on his credit report.

2. Then, the prior week I spoke to a friend who is in owns his own company building condos. I've known him for years and he never has anything good to say about Realtors. You know, "that guy" who refers to Realtors negatively and uses every negative analogy thinkable when speaking of us. Last week he asked me if I knew a good Real Living agent in a market where he has a large inventory of properties not moving. Now the dilemma, point out the hypocrisy, refer it to our office and hope his attitude has changed, or refer it to a competitor. I've still not replied to him.

3. Finally, I spoke to a prospective franchisee who called into our office interested in a Real Living franchise. As usual, before discussing the program, spent a while on the phone interviewing her. Through this process found out that the woman is planning to file bankruptcy and leave her current franchise (with an outstanding balance) and start a new one. The startling part of the conversation was how, "matter of fact" she was when discussing the bankruptcy situation - like it was not a big deal. With knowledge of the bankruptcy and other info I politely referred her to some other brands.

Beavis? What will this week have in store? Anyone need an application for Burger World?

Three Reasons To Change

2008-05-28T08:35:55Z

We receive the question from franchise prospects, "the market is struggling, why should I franchise now vs. waiting for it to improve?" The reality is that today's market is prime for someone to re-brand or open a franchise office.

When times are tough, agents get antsy and begin to scrutinize the level of support they are (or aren't) currently receiving from their brokerage and the marketing strategies and tactics they've been employing. As a broker and recruiter in this environment, this is opportunity. But, before you run out and start your company you first need a compelling story to tell perspective agents. The story, in order, needs to encompass...

1. A brand appealing to today's buyers. 80% of today's buyers are women - does the brand relate to her?

2. Support. Technology, tools, etc. Are you providing these or hoping your agents invest in these on their own? When agents do this, they are very portable.

3. Marketing that will improve the consumer experience. What makes you different? How does this relate to the consumer? Do you provide a 360 degree marketing system enabling agents to reach consumers via traditional, digital and mobile means?

If your current franchise/brokerage does not have all of the above, look around for one who does. They are out there.

If agents/brokerages continue doing what they have been doing, they'll get the same results. And, what a great excuse for agents/brokerages to touch current customers with exciting news of change that will improve their experience. Conversely, change provides a great opportunity to re-connect with recruits who need brand, support and up-branded marketing.

How Bout This T-Shirt

2008-05-22T13:01:01Z

I'm a huge T-Shirt fan! Who isn't, right? This is the shirt design ActiveRain needs to make for those exceeding a pre-determined point amount - I'm going to suggest 10,000 points (selfishly as I just got here). It is a take-off on my pal Hoyt's... "I'm famous in Flint" design.

People with "silly" points like Maureen McCabe should be grandfathered in. I'm buying one regardless. At the risk of feeling like Jerry Maguire... who is with me???

Broke the 10,000 Point Barrier...

2008-05-21T15:11:32Z

I've been in Active Rain for under two months and accumulated 10,000 points. Not anywhere near Maureen (Active Rain Queen- as I call her), but figure I'll never catch her - even if she changed industries.

LeBron surpassed 10,000 points during the Cavs loss to Boston the other night - he has nothing to show for it now.

I travel a lot and am a member of Hilton Honors where I get points towards a stay. Typically 10,000-20,000 will get you a free night.

I think Maureen blogged about this a while ago when I really didn't care about points at that time since I had none.

What does Active Rain give me? We should at least get a t-shirt for surpassing this milestone - right?

Same Time... Same Sandbox

2008-05-20T15:15:44Z

Ever watch the cartoon, The Jetson's? One of my personal favorites. Elroy was the best... He coined the phrase, "same time, same sandbox," every time he was summoned home for dinner and dragged away by his trusty robot, Rosie.

Funny how now the sandbox we call the real estate industry has changed. New times, new sandbox, increased opportunities. Today's sandbox is complicated for some, but Elroy would be all about it. Today we enjoy everything from text messaging, PDA phones, web 2.0, podcasts, Flip video cameras which download directly to YouTube, talk to me now buttons on listing details pages, and other technology conveniences that are here to help consumers and agents connect. These products are our friends and we need to embrace what is coming next vs. dreading the reality of learning the newest tools.

The office sandbox has changed too. I see our agents today not even using landline phones. In many offices, the landline phone brokers pay $400+ per unit for, serves only one purpose - forwarding to a mobile device. Who would pick that up and dial it - it is tied down and unlimited mobile plans are inexpensive. Reducing a phone number on a business card creates the opportunity to add more designations or a bigger headshot. Kidding - that is another discussion.

Now a broker can open an office without the need for a $15,000 phone system and work just fine. Cha ching - right to the bottom line baby!

It is 2008 - with all of these options for convenience, it is amazing to me how many agents are still resisting. Where would Elroy be without his "homework helper" machine - with less time to play in his sandbox!

Get with it and get with a brokerage/brand who does - the Elroy's of the world are here and will surpass those who don't.

9 Free Things Every New Agent Should Do

2008-05-19T12:59:12Z

Many agents continue to enter the real estate business. One of our owners, Tom Stravecky in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida told me a few months ago that he appreciated new agents in the business more than ever. They watch the news, know it is not as easy as it once was, and despite those two facts, see opportunity. What a way to view new agents in today's market.

With that said, every new agent that joins your office should partake in these free, on-boarding activities during their first 2 weeks in your office.

Here they are...

Customize the agent website you provide.
Build a contact database via the contact management system you provide.
Send an electronic mail campaign to a sphere of influence via the system and e-cards you provide.
Establish Web 2.0 accounts on your company site for a select portion (those who may be interested in moving soon) of your sphere of influence and e-mail them the username and password. The agent should select him/herself as the customer's agent. Once logged into the application these consumers will be able to search for homes and all IDX information will be hidden.
Reach out to builders in the area and establish a relationship where they list their properties, floor plans, etc. on your company and agent site. This portal should drive consumer traffic directly to the agent who establishes this partnership.
Select farming areas and create a blog for said areas. Become the expert in that market by blogging about it daily. www.blogger.com is a free. Link your blog to your agent website.
Join and blog on Active Rain.
Join and become engaged in social networking sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn.
Read Real You Incorporated, and build your brand board. This practice will help you market YOU more effectively.

At Real Living we are making these steps and more standard practice. What is your company doing? How are you handling new agents today?

Ding, Ding -- Step Right Up...

2008-05-15T13:34:18Z

Three chances for a dollar.

I'm not attending the Mid Year NAR conference this week however, I'll certainly miss the carnival/circus that is the conference's trade show. Everyone has been there... Agents are wooed by the newest and greatest products that promise to elevate the purchaser's game. Advertising to wireless phones and everything in between. When I walk the aisle I often get confused and begin looking for the opportunity to throw a dart or softball to win an oversized Spidey doll for my kids.

Many of the booths are great, and I learn a lot, however many are there filling the gaps between what the agent needs and the broker does not provide. For fun, I looked at the listing of booths by category. The highlights include...

20 direct mail vendors
19 website vendors
75 software vendors

If agents need to buy these things off the shelf for success, what value are brokers providing for their split/desk fee? Between software companies offering CRM and CMA products, website vendors offering agent and broker sites, and direct mail companies, where did brokers miss the boat in providing these as part of service and consistency for the brand?

I speak to a lot of agents and it is humorous to me that the same agents who love their broker/brand are the same ones in line at the booths filling these vendor's pockets. Most importantly, the tools never work together (integration) as they do if/when the broker/brand provides them.

Maybe they are just trying to win an oversized Spiderman.

If you are an agent in line at these booths, here is the million dollar question... Why would you buy these products off the shelf vs. relying on your broker/brand for an integrated offering as part of the service you expect?

Who Invited These Guys To The Party??

2008-05-13T10:00:17Z

Trulia, Zillow, Cyberhomes, Frontdoor, and more, are now pretty firmly planted in our space. Who let this happen and invited them? We did. Welcome... I think.

Collectively, we as brokers, agents, owners empowered these firms to climb to the top of consumer minds and search engines and create real estate portals that are everything 90% of the broker sites were not. While we experienced the real estate boom from the late 90's to mid 2000's, and realized increased profits, brokers failed to reinvest into their sites. So, today, these new sites/companies offer tools, enhanced searching, reports, blogs, valuations and everything consumers desire. Where we created a void, these guys filled it and the venture capitalists were (and still are) happy to write checks to these companies who have never listed and/or sold a property. Wild, huh?

This morning I did a search on our company site in a central Ohio community. Found three listings by Real Living agents. NOTE: At Real Living we provide the agent/consumer a unique property address URL for each listing to our agents for marketing purposes.

When I plugged in an address of these Real Living listings into a Google search - the first two-three results were Trulia and/or Zillow. Real Living's result fell short in every test case. Real Living feeds its listings to Trulia and each of the aforementioned companies I've listed - so, I'll say, "you are welcome," for the party invitation and content necessary to build traffic and leapfrog our sites on engines like Google.

While we continue to (hopefully) spend less and less in newspaper, these companies are likely going to fill newspapers' void in our budgets. So, in addition to using our listing data to jump us in Google, now, Trulia wants us to spend $30/agent/month to enhance our listings on their site, and Cyberhomes wants us to spend $40-$120/month for banner advertising. I'm not familiar with the other offerings to post them but these costs/numbers will likely grow as we empower these companies further.

I don't proclaim to have the answers, and hope nobody takes this as an "aggregator bashing" session (I've actually befriended some of the salespeople who represent these companies), but these guys seem to be here to stay and will continue to build presence with our listings - because we let them.

Are these sites getting too strong and building too much momentum? When or should we be entertaining the discussion within the brokerage community about pulling the plug on the feeds we provide to these companies?

Steve Friedman - Video - Momentum 08

2008-05-09T13:27:26Z

This is an interview with Steve Friedman. Steve hosted a 3 hour break-out session for recruiting today at Momentum. In this interview, Steve discusses the session, and thoughts about Real Living. He's been working with us for about 5 months and we're starting to see results at all levels of our company. His new nickname is Mr. Recruiting

Check it out!

Note- some of our Momentum video is "raw" - in the interest of time all video goes right to YOU on Active Rain!

Catch'n Up With A-Mag - #2

2008-05-09T12:57:38Z

This is video interview #2 with our Chicago friend A-Mag aka Andrew Magliochetti. He is joined by one of his managers and top agents, Jim Buczynski. Jim's volume has increased exponentially in 2007 vs. 2006 - in a "down" market.
Jim discusses the what to do to improve and how he did it in Chicago, one of the most competitive real estate markets in the United States.

Steve Friedman - Recruit, Recruit, Recruit

2008-05-09T11:52:13Z

The highlight of the morning sessions was Steve Friedman. He dropped knowledge on how to recruit and manage offices effectively. He challenged conventional thought and encouraged the room full of owners, and managers to view recruiting differently. He discussed everything from prospecting to on-boarding/coaching/business planning.

Additionally, Steve stressed the importance of Generation X and building your office around Gen X and Gen X "minded" agents. 60% of all transactions have an X and Y Generation agent at the closing table. We need to communicate effectively with these generations which means using technology to do deals with these agents.

Real Living currently employ Steve to educate our New Market Development team and franchisees/managers network wide. We are in the middle of Steve's 12 month program.

Real Living President, Kaira Rouda - Video

2008-05-09T09:54:24Z

Kaira Sturdivant Rouda spoke this morning to the group. I was able to catch up to her right after her speech for this interview. In her speech, Kaira discussed the female consumer and the power of women. Women make 89% of the purchase decisions in the real estate process and increase their spending 200% directly before, during and after their home purchase. Real Living has been marketing to this consumer since 2002 when Real Living launched!
Kaira also spoke to an international conference in Chicago this week called "Marketing to Women" (http://www.m2w.biz/) in Chicago. Check out the link - Real Living's logo is on the front page.
Here is Kaira interviewing me/me interviewing her! You'll get the point...