Hepcat Club

So tell me Daryl, what is it that you do, exactly?

Daryl Meek (Real Estate Marketing Tools, Inc.) — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 10:59:04 -0700

I've been away from Active Rain for quite a while because, to be honest, I just haven't had the time. Now that life is settling down a bit, I should have a little more free time to actively participate in this wonderful community! But as a result of my absence, this post will be quite lengthy. For those of you who take the time to read it, I thank you in advance!

On to the topic at hand.

I get this question on a regular basis from both home owners and Realtors. "Daryl, what exactly do you do? How can you help me?" As someone who works with both Realtors and Homeowners, it's important for me to let folks know exactly what I do. Usually I have the opportunity to do this face to face. But I know many Realtors who find me through here that still have questions.

While I would love for all of you to hire me, a quick look at my services will likely provide you with information that you can apply to your listings, with or without someone like me.

I am part owner of two small companies. One focuses on Real Estate (Real Estate Marketing Tools, Inc.), the other focuses on digital imaging (Digital Artscape).

So today, I'm finally taking the time to get the info out there about what I do and how I can help Realtors. The main slogan for my company is "When you need an edge, we can help!" When it comes to Realtors, I have a secondary slogan. "Helping Realtors develop themselves."

A quick look at my base services:

Professional Real Estate Photography
Virtual Tours
Print Marketing Materials (including fliers and post cards and yes, I will find the names and addresses for your target area, no matter where you are in the United States)
Property Web Sites
Realtor Selection Service

We do offer more, to be explained later in this post. My partner is a broker in Mount Pleasant, SC.

Why hire a professional Real Estate Photographer?

A professional photographer has a better feel for lighting and how best to capture a home. Not only that, but we tend to have better equipment for the job. And to top it off, it saves you, the Realtor, time.

What sets you apart from other Photographers?
This is the question I probably get asked the most. To put it simply, I'm a photographer that got his start in Real Estate. I was selling homes, before I started taking photography courses. As a result, I was able to tailor my education to my area of expertise.

It is my belief that every home has a million dollar moment. When I am hired to do a photo shoot at a home that is being listed, my job is to find that moment and make sure it is represented through my photography work.

This does mean that unlike most photographers, I like to speak with the homeowner (with their Realtor present) for a few minutes so I can find out what attracted them to their home. This is in addition to making sure I am highlighting what the Realtor wants as well. And of course, I use my own expertise for the rest.

I am not a photographer who walks into a house, takes 10 pictures and leaves. I spend a little more time, taking multiple shots of each room, to be absolutely sure the home is presented in the best possible light through the photos.

It is important to note that I absolutely refuse to alter pictures as I believe it is false advertising. I once had a Realtor ask me to remove a tree from a picture and to add bushes "outside" of a window. I politely declined, because a photo should not give a potential buyer false expectations. I believe in getting the right shot, every time. If a photo needs to be altered, I have not done my job. We guarantee your satisfaction.

Why are virtual tours important?
According to the National Association of Realtors, "Eighty one percent of home buyers say photos and detailed properties are the most important features when searching online for homes - followed closely by Featured tours. The need for Realtors to take advantage of these preferences and differentiate themselves as Internet marketing specialists has never been greater."

Real Virtual Tours offer the opportunity to view a home in one shot that otherwise can only be provided through multiple static photos. With most Multiple Listing Services limiting the number of photographs that can be included in a listing, Realtors do not have space to waste. A virtual tour allows you to show more of a home through fewer photos.

Are printed materials still important?
Absolutely! Most buyers will view many homes before making a decision to make an offer. Recently, I've heard many buyers talk about viewing 10 homes or more in a single day! Their common complaint is that after a while, memories begin to blend together and they can forget which home had which features that they really liked. Well-designed printed materials in the home will help your potential buyers remember the things they loved and make your listing stand out above the others!

It is also a great way for a Realtor to develop their own image and create their own branding. Our brochures and fliers are designed to not only market a home, but the Agent. We create a unique design utilizing your company colors that present YOU as the professional you are!

Why do I need a web site, dedicated to my listing?
Internet marketing becomes more important with each passing day. Just like it is important for you to establish a presence on the Internet, it is important for each of your listings. Where this is the most useful is newspaper/classified listings. Having a dedicated web site with a short URL allows you to keep your character space to a minimum, while still offering easily accessible, detailed information about the listing. It also allows you a photo gallery with an unlimited number of photos and unlimited character space. And of course, your picture and contact information is prominently displayed throughout the site.

What is the Realtor Selection Service? I don't like the sound of that!
Until Realtors learn about this unique service, it tends to frighten them a bit. So before I say anything else, allow me to make one thing abundantly clear: If you are a good agent, this service will only benefit you!

Today, your potential clients are working harder than ever to earn a living. They don't have the time to properly interview an agent to list their home. I hear more and more sellers complaining about their agents these days. The homeowner made an uninformed decision and listed their home with either the agent that offered the highest listing price, the lowest commission, or both.

Our Realtor Selection Service helps homeowners find the right agent for them. We start by reviewing hundreds of agent profiles that service the neighborhood. We then narrow our list to 10-20 agents and make initial contact by phone. In the end, we hand over a list of names to the homeowner. The homeowner interviews those agents in their home and makes the final decision with no further input from REMT, Inc. We do not negotiate commissions or prices. We merely act as recruiters, or head hunters, on behalf of the homeowner.

Why is this good for agents? In some ways, it levels the playing field. It gives every agent an opportunity to get their foot in the door because we spend countless hours doing research that the homeowners don't have time for. But an agent that stands out will catch our attention every time. Your personal branding, your track record and your personality is what we're looking at. We are yet to have a complaint with any of our pairings and in every single case, the homeowner has told us they would not have found the listing agent on their own.

Those agents got a shot at a listing that they would not have had otherwise. I've had agents tell me that they don't feel it's fair. They work hard to market themselves and stand out from the crowd, only to lose a listing because of this service. If they have really worked that hard, odds are good they've made it onto our list of suggested Realtors that goes to the homeowner. If they don't get the listing after being interviewed by the homeowner, the listing would not have been theirs, with or without our involvement.

If you get a call from REMT, Inc. about a potential listing, don't ignore it! We only call when we've been contracted to find a homeowner an agent.

What else do you do?
My partner and I are both experienced in the world of real estate investment and foreclosures. We understand value and we understand risk. Our expertise and research help Realtors and homeowners make informed decisions when placing an offer on a home. This is particularly useful when dealing with foreclosures, short sales, or bank owned homes. It is so important to understand the difference between what someone needs vs. what they want. Knowing what they need is much more important than what they want. This information is what allows your buyer to get the best possible deal on a property.

What is Digital Artscape?
Digital Artscape is our digital imaging company, which includes production of unique closing gifts for Realtors. Our two most popular products are canvas prints and memory books. The canvas print is popular for buyers - we create a framed print of their home, printed on actual canvas and made to look like an oil painting. Agents love this because the homeowners hang it on the wall and it reminds them of the Realtor that presented it to them each time the homeowner looks at it. The gift is not presented at closing - instead, a personalized card is given to the buyer and the print is delivered 2-4 weeks later. While the print can be made ready for closing, this is gives the Realtor the ideal reason to follow up with the homeowner 30 days after closing.

The memory book is ideal for sellers, especially if they have been in their home for many years. We produce a professionally printed book that includes any photos of your choosing (up to 30 images) that will be cherished for years to come. Even better, a personalized note from the Realtor is printed inside of the front cover. When your seller wants to recommend you to a friend, they can easily find your contact info inside the memory book.

We also offer film to digital conversion of photographs, photo restoration, photo tapestries and blankets, among other things. All of which make unique and memorable gifts for not only special occasions and holidays, but excellent closing gifts, as well!

Obviously, this post contains a significant amount of self-promotion. But I hope that the information here helps anyone who reads this understand how important the steps we take are for anyone involved in real estate.

Thanks for your time!

Tales of Jane (or Bad Realtor Behavior) part 1

Daryl Meek (Real Estate Marketing Tools, Inc.) — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 22:41:37 -0800

Recently, one of my customers asked me a simple question:

"Daryl, what's wrong with Realtors today?"

Wow, what a loaded question. As someone who left Real Estate sales to pursue other opportunities, I could have had a lot to say. As someone who has come back and started a company that caters to the industry, I could have had even more to say.

But as someone who works with Realtors daily, I decided I had very little to say. That is, until I started hearing the stories. Each of the Tales of Jane happened to one homeowner! Don't worry though, I did not speak ill of Realtors. Instead, I opted to listen. Now, we can all learn from the missteps of these agents.

A little background:
My customer, who we will call Jane, is a long-time friend of my family. I have known Jane since I was a pre-teen. The first car I ever rebuilt was a 1977 Datsun 280Z given to me by Jane.

Jane has been in her current home since the late 70's. Outside of being on a "double yellow road" the location of her home is ideal. It is very convenient to several major business areas in NJ. She has a beautiful piece of property that is fully landscaped. The home is a nine room, four bedroom, two bath Cape. Obviously, I've named two potential negatives, since some people will not buy on a "double yellow road" and some people won't even look at a Cape. Other than those two things, there are no other "real" negatives. The home is updated and the main bath looks like something right out of a magazine. Jane has continued to perform minor upgrades to the home as she moves towards listing. She had her carpeting removed and the hardwood floors underneath refinished. The home has been professionally painted inside and out, with a local color expert making the color selections. The home has fantastic curb appeal which has only improved with the recent paint job.

When Jane first began this process, she contacted a few local Realtors and explained to each of them she was beginning the process of interviewing Realtors. Those last two words are key, I believe. Many Realtors seem to think the market of the past six or seven years is still happening. Many can't understand why a homeowner would want to interview them, instead of just listing the property with the first Realtor to answer the phone.

This mindset is what brings us to the first in a series of what we'll call the Tales of Jane (or Bad Realtor Behavior):

Realtor Number One (We'll call her Sally)
Sally was the first Realtor Jane contacted. Sally is the top listing agent in her office and one of the top in her area. She has a solid marketing plan, lists lots of homes, but doesn't usually sell them herself. She does get the job done though. She prices them right and they sell.

Jane's first call to Sally found her leaving Sally a voicemail explaining that she was interviewing agents to list her home. Two weeks went by with no returned call from Sally. In the middle of the third week, Sally finally reached out to Jane. Sally left Jane a three minute message explaining that she had some family issues, what they were, all about how rough her life had been for three weeks. No apology for not returning the call sooner.

For obvious reasons, Jane wasn't feeling very positive about Sally. But since Sally has such a great reputation, Jane gave her the benefit of the doubt and called Sally again. And again, Jane wound up leaving a message.

This time, it was one week before Sally returned the call. Jane was out of town, so Sally again left a return message.

It was another three minute message, sharing a sob story very similar to the first, including a reference to committing her son to rehab. But again, no apology for the delay in returning the call.

This time, Jane did not return the call. Sally will not get this listing.

A simple apology in a short message would have gone a long way. Sally would have still had a shot at the listing if she'd kept it short and sweet. Instead, her unprofessional manner left Jane with a terrible impression. She never even got her foot in the door.

Sally is also a great example of why all voicemail systems should stop recording after a minute or two!