Keith's Blog

Ahh! Whitefly -- they got me

Keith Kumler — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 12:19:12 -0500

Well, I didn't really think it would happen, you gussed it -- the famous Whitefly finally got my ficus.

My ficus is 118 linear feet around the perimeter of my front yard and 5 feet high: I believe I started noticing the attack from the Whitefly about 2 weeks ago and it destroys very quickly. I am still able to save the ficus, but you have to act fast. Today, I had a company come out to spray. They sprayed the soil and the leaves. In addition, the spray the company used has a very strong fertilizer to give them a boast in growth. Cost: If you hire them to come out three times a year, it’s $1.50 a linear ft or for onetime treatment, $3.85 a linear ft. I decided for the first option. Total cost: $177.00.

**The picture and more information about the Whitefly can be

found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitefly

Going Green: Green Lifestyle Tips

Keith Kumler — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 14:08:45 -0500

This is part three of Going Green series that Real Living created for consumers and agents to become more eco-friendly. The below is focusing on simple lifestyle changes that we can all make. Remember, this just one of the many programs offered to all our franchisees in one integrated platform.

Invest in a water filter. It’s a much greener (and cheaper!) choice than buying and discarding plastic water bottles. Just think about this next time you’re in the bottled water aisle: it takes approximately 1,000 years for water bottles to biodegrade.

Bring your own bag to the store instead of using their provided plastic bags. If you must use a plastic bag, think of a way to reuse it as a trash bag for your bathroom waste can or for collecting pet droppings from the yard.
Wash and reuse plastic plates and cups instead of buying and throwing away paper or Styrofoam every time you have a barbeque, picnic or party.
Bring your own mug every time you go get coffee. Being green is even trendier than toting around that branded cardboard cup.
Pay bills and bank online. Just think how much paper you’ll save, not to mention the money you’ll save on stamps.
Start a compost pile in your backyard. Alternate layers of garden waste and food scraps with thin layers of soil and stir every one to three weeks. One the pile turns dark and crumbly, work into your garden or lawn as a conditioner.
Carpool or use public transportation whether you’re traveling to work, school or shopping.
Utilize the sun when you want to light your home during the day. Open blinds and let the sun shine in instead of flipping on the light switch in every room of the house..
Get involved in a local club that promotes green awareness, sets up community recycling programs and interacts with government officials when it comes to environmental legislation. Not only will you do your part for the environment, but you’ll also meet new and interesting people!

Broker/Owners: HASSLE-FREE INNOVATION

Keith Kumler — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 12:44:36 -0500

One of the great qualities about Real Living is HASSLE-FREE INNOVATION. We stay on top of constantly-changing technology trends so you don't have to. And, we syndicate your listings automatically only to companies we trust—getting maximum exposure for you and your listings.

Don’t forget, Real Living also builds, hosts and manages your company Web site, with full MLS integration and Google map search options. The site will also include all your agents Web sites, profiles, and enhanced listings features. An example of a franchisee Web site is RealLivingProperties.com; RealLivingInfinity.com; RealLivingRES.com

Don't hold yourself or your business back. Reinvigorate your business with training, marketing and technology worth hundreds of thousands in value so you can stay competitive, no matter what the market conditions may be.

WANT TO EFFECTIVELY REACH 91% OF HOMEBUYERS

Keith Kumler — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 09:06:15 -0500

We thought so! Real Living is still the only national real estate franchisor who has defined and created a specific target market -- a market that makes or influences 91% of all home buying decisions. Of course, we did not stop there, we also provide every agent our exclusive 360° marketing program -- an integrated mix of traditional, digital and mobile solutions to empower agents to meet their consumers where they roam and catch the consumer’s attention while you’re there.

Nearly 40% of Real Living agents had a better 2007 than 2006 -- even in a declining market.

Call me [945-734-0149] or e-mail me [Keith.Kumler@RealLiving.com] today to learn more about our target market and agent opportunities

Ready to grow? It’s got to be real.

Going Green! Recycling Dos and Don’ts

Keith Kumler — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 14:05:13 -0500

Many consumers and communities still haven’t developed a strong “green” program, so, Real Living developed a program for our agents to promote to their clients called “Going Green.” Today’s topic is “Recycling Dos and Don’ts” to help with recycling efforts. As a Real Living franchise and/or agent, all the marketing material for this program and many other programs are provided for our agents through our integrated agent platform. If you’re ready to grow, it’s got to be Real!

OK to recycle:

High-quality plastics labeled with number one and two recycling symbols.

Food and beverage containers, such as milk, soda, water, salad dressings, etc.

Jars and canisters, like peanut butter jars, soap, aspirin bottles, etc.

Cleaning products and detergents, including bleach, soap, shampoo, drain cleaners, etc.

Automotive and yard care products, but make sure the containers are empty for those like antifreeze, oil, plant food and herbicide containers.

Junk or direct mail, including brochures, fliers, white/light envelopes, etc.

Aluminum, tin and steel cans, such as soda, beer, tuna, vegetable, etc.

Printed paper like newspaper, magazines, phone books, legal pads, etc.

NOT OK to Recycle:

Plastic bags

Newspaper delivery bags

Styrofoam

Lids from glass containers

Pizza boxes

Phone books

Mirrors

Aerosol cans

Paint cans

Wax paper

Food-soiled paper

Window glass

Ceramics

Light bulbs

Microwaveable food trays

Other types of plastic not labeled as CA Redemption Value or CA Cash Refund,
including, household cleaners, cough syrup, shampoo bottles, condiment bottles,
cosmetic containers, ketchup bottles, yogurt cups, deli product containers, egg cartons, disposable cups, ready-made lunch containers, etc.

Great Food! "Rendez Vous Bakery" in Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Keith Kumler — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 10:38:17 -0500

Normally I write about Real Living and something regarding our offering, however, today I had to write about my experience last evening. Bon appétit!

Last evening, for the second time I dined at a little French restaurant called Rendez vous (two words) in Oakland Park, FL (Ft. Lauderdale area). It was extremely authentic and the staff was absolutely amazing. Even if you’re not a fan of French food, their menu can satisfy any taste bud. The best part is the prices were very reasonable, the average dish costing around $12.00 - $14.00, with a large amount of food. To top off dinner, they have a huge selection of delicious desserts.

Again, I would highly recommend this restaurant for good food and something new

Rendez Vous Bakery Address: 1576 E Oakland Park Blvd, Oakland Park - (954) 563-2228

Going Green! At the office

Keith Kumler — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 09:47:04 -0500

One of the core values at Real Living is being “agent-centric with a consumer focus." About six months ago (give or take), we rolled out a program called Going Green. The program was designed to assist sellers, buyers and agents to review their carbon footprint and give them tips on being a little more eco-friendly. This is one of the other great benefits of being a Real Living Franchisee or joining one of our local offices as an agent.

This week, I wanted to add our helpful trips for the office.

Organize electronically. Stop printing out e-mails, and try to save documents on CDs or flash drives to cut down on printing and paper.

Use recycled or chlorine-free paper in printers and fax machines. Also, program these machines to print on both sides of paper when using.

Use soy-based ink in printers, instead of petroleum-based, whenever practical.

Update mailing lists often to eliminate incorrect addresses and wasted paper.

Keep a recycling bin in every office or at every workstation.

Choose vendors who use renewable energy, or urge your current vendors to do so.

Don’t use screensavers on your computer monitor. These actually use more energy than setting your computer to “sleep” after a few minutes without use.

Perform an audit of your company’s environmental practices. You can use an outside company or a university professor of environmental studies, either will offer you suggestions on how to operate more greenly.

Recycle your cans, plastic and glass.

If you have any questions about Real Living and/or our franchise/agent offering. Please feel free to contact me directly at 954-734-0149 or Keith.Kumler@RealLiving.com

Real Living welcomes Michael Nickas to its Fort Lauderdale office.

Keith Kumler — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 12:54:12 -0500

Michael Nickas who has 21 years of experience in commercial real estate investment has recently joined Real Living’s franchise office; Real Living Infinity International in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

Nickas’s has spent most of his real estate career focusing on commercial real estate sales as well as commercial property management. Since joining Real Living Infinity International, Nickas is expanding his expertise to include mastering the complicated short sale transaction with his affiliation with CleanSlate Home Foreclosure Solutions. Prior to joining Real Living, Nickas worked for Ocean View International Realty.

The "Real Deal"

Keith Kumler — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 13:08:51 -0500

One my favorite events in my position is when I get the opportunity to take a franchise prospect to Columbus, Ohio [our corporate offices] for a “Real Deal” presentation. The meeting starts out with a tour of our offices and introductions to key players that will assist our broker/owners in growing their Real Living franchise. It also gives the prospect an opportunity to see, feel and experience our innovative work environment. From there, each director from our key departments (i.e. finance, marketing, training, IT and etc) meet with the prospect to present and “prove” the “real” touch and services we provide for our franchisees. It also gives the prospect an opportunity to ask any questions on their mind about our offering. Then day wraps up and the final contract negations will end within 30 – 60 days.

So, I am happy to say on Wednesday, August 27^th,I was able to host a franchise prospect from the Marco Island area and it went extremely well. If you interested in learning more about franchise or agent opportunities, please contact me at 954-734-0149 or email me at Keith.Kumler@RealLiving.com

Testing technorati

Keith Kumler — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 12:17:46 -0500

Technorati Profile

The People of Real Living - Creative Services!

Keith Kumler — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 12:48:51 -0500

Chris wrote a great blog highlighting our branding and strong talent to ensure our brand is always fresh and innovative. Also, I wanted everyone to take note on our new Brand Builder. Agents & Brokers can customize anything marketing related (i.e. ads, brochures, business cards, etc). It is also has full MLS integration to enable agents to pull photos and property descriptions right into their preferred marketing piece.

Via Chris Svec:

This is going to be my first of many installments of a "meet the people/personalities" of Real Living series.

Erin Corrigan, Vice President Creative Services...

Erin is a bright and talented design professional and one who is instrumental in the management and maintenance of Real Living's brand. We affectionately refer to her as the "brand Nazi," but she prefers "brand steward." As you can see she even wears RED all of the time to embody our brand. One of the common characteristics among franchisees who join our firm is that they always compliment us on how "well managed" our brand is as opposed to our competition.

Consistency is key in successful marketing and Erin and her team are tasked with continually providing marketing materials, services and an overall branding platform for our entire network utilize-consistently. But don't let the consistency fool you-there are hundreds of items to choose from, so each broker or agent can have a unique voice and still be identified with the Real Living brand.

One of the most important and most utilized tools in Real Living's arsenal is our Brand Builder tool on the agent/broker Business Center. This tool enables brokers and agents to tap into and customize anything marketing related. From simple items like business cards and letterhead to listing ads, television/radio spots, on-hold music, and banner ads - Erin's team manufactures all of these professionally designed and written materials so our brokers do not need to. Via this robust tool, our brand is portrayed in a professional, consistent, consumer-friendly manner nationally-no matter which market you visit.

Additionally, Brand Builder is integrated with the MLS, making it easy for an agent to plug in an MLS number and have the technology pull photos and property descriptions right into an ad. Any item requiring a listing and listing information can be created and customized within minutes due to this technology-work smarter, not harder!

Finally, Erin is responsible for our environmental branding package. Her team has designed rural, urban and suburban office branding packages to meet the needs of franchisee offices. Again, consistency is the theme-but network partners are encouraged to incorporate some local flavor as well, making their guests-potential clients and recruiting-feel right at home, and recognize the look, feel and most importantly, service level delivered from Real Living offices nationally.

To meet Erin and her team, connect with me for our Real Deal. We'd love to host you!

Office Tour: Environmental Branding

Keith Kumler — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 14:35:27 -0500

I am back! After a brief vacation while playing catch-up and battling a nasty cold, it’s time to blog. Over the last two weeks, I have been working with franchise prospects and one of their hot topics has been environmental branding topic. Due to the down nationwide real estate market, many brokers are elevating their companies by finally taking notice to branding, technology and specific consumer target markets; Real Living is still the only real estate franchise who has established a defined target market. I thought it would be fun to share some pictures of Real Living franchise offices in Florida.

Real Living Properties, Coral Gables, Florida

Real Living Real Estate Solutions, Orlando, Florida

Unknown caller, do you answer?

Keith Kumler — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 12:47:16 -0500

I think many people outside the real estate business would say they don’t answer their phone if they don’t recognize the phone number. However, in the real estate business, how many Realtors will do the same? It’s really hard to estimate or count, but to me, within the last two weeks it seems every Realtor I have called (many who don’t have my phone number) didn’t answer my call. Granted, I take in account most Realtors won’t answer their phone if they are with a client. I have to think, with the slow market in Florida – you wouldn’t want to miss a potential new client.

One of the really cool features Real Living offers our agents and their listings is the ability to have a prospect/client send a “text message” directly to the listing Real Living agent from the listing page on ALL our Websites (i.e. Real Living Website, Broker/Franchise Website and Agent Website). Please reference the picture below. This isn’t the entire listing page; I cropped it for this purpose.

I am curious about your thoughts on answering your phone.

Brokers: Don't worry about technology, we'll do it for you!

Keith Kumler — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 07:34:35 -0500

Yesterday, I was speaking with a prospect about opening a Real Living office in Southeast, Florida market. Of course, he has researched all the major franchisors and Real Living was placed at the top of his list.

He discussed the importance of technology and the ability to provide every agent in his office with the best technology and online presence agents need to “establish a relationship” (referring Chris Svec’s Blog) with today’s consumers.

One of the many comments he also made was his unsuccsful attempt to create a company Website that meets his standard -- realizing the difficulty to create a consumer friendly and functional Website. Again, with Real Living, we will build, host and maintain your company Website with full MLS integration (click here or see picture). We will also provide every agent in your office with his or her own fully functional Website, linked to your company Website automatically. We then link up that information to RealLiving.com to promote your agents and their listings nationwide.

From my discussions with brokers and agents everyday, I finally believe that as an industry we are beginning (certainly not everyone) to realized the importance of the Web and changing the way we do business to establish strong relationships with consumers of today.

SoFl Short Sales: 99% Acceptance Rate on Bank Packages

Keith Kumler — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 11:05:58 -0500

There has been a lot of talk about the “good guys” verses the “bad guys” in the foreclosure/short sale markets -- I wanted to promote one of the good guys who is having tremendous success in the South Florida area. The company is called CleanSlate Home Foreclosure Solutions. They are currently working on 70 short sales and 99% of all their packages have been accepted by the bank.

How?

CleanSlate speaks about how so many Realtors are claiming to be short sale experts but have no idea how complicated the process is. That is why any Realtor working on behalf of CleanSlate must complete a robust training. The Realtor must understand CleanSlate’s strict guidelines and follow the defined process they have created to ensure a complete package to the bank. CleanSlate also trains their contracted agent’s to change gears on how they view this transaction -- it is not a real estate transaction, but a financial one that requires the experience and relationships with banks that CleanSlate has developed.

Which brings me to the next point -- many Realtors and their clients are turned off by the timeframe it takes to close a short sale deal. CleanSlate is generally able to significantly reduce that time due to their experience and skills.

Then there is the other side of the transaction, the Realtor representing the buyer. One of the defined processes that CleanSlate has is to ensure the buyer and his/her Realtor is also briefed on the process of a short sale and expectations (i.e. timeframe) they should have.

All of this is why I feel CleanSlate is one of the “good guys” and finding great success in helping people in South Florida.

Welcome Marx Jackson! Real Living's Lauderdale Office

Keith Kumler — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:12:09 -0500

I would like to personally welcome Marx Jackson to our Ft. Lauderdale franchise office, Real Living Infinity International. In the past, Marx has specialized in residential real estate sales, along with residential and commercial property management. He will be assisting clients in Fort Lauderdale, Lauderdale By The Sea, Oakland Park, Wilton Manors and other South Florida communities. I am excited to have him onboard with the Real Living family.

Help! Email notification for new blogs? Anyone know?

Keith Kumler — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 10:42:13 -0500

I am a subscriber to a few blogs. Does anyone know if I can receive an email notification as soon as a new blog is posted? Thanks!

Agent Business Planning

Keith Kumler — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:41:52 -0500

I thought this was interesting, so, I am blogging. At Real Living, we offer our agents a few business planning tools / spreadsheets to assist our agents in creating a full business plan for each year. Two of our Florida franchisees, one in Ft. Lauderdale and the other in Orlando are instructing their agents to complete a customized business plan, then the office managers are meeting with their agents quarterly to ensure they are on target and then to provide assistance in reaching their business goals.

One agent we are recruiting in Ft. Lauderdale was shocked we provided that level of service to an agent. The point is, we truly care about growth and want our agents to be successful.

As I mentioned in my last blog, it’s about having value and assisting in growing our agent’s business.

High Splits vs Value

Keith Kumler — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:05:54 -0500

This week I feel like we are gaining more momentum in agent recruiting. Other then the 70 short sales we have pending, our agent recruitment meetings are beginning to pick-up in our Ft. Lauderdale office. Agents are taking notice that our office is still maintaining/growing and that there are more benefits to a Real Living franchise brokerage then just a high commission split.

Two weeks ago, we started recruiting talks with a Re/Max agent who in today’s market is a 5m producer and is on the freedom plan, 95/5 split. This agent, a very tech savvy individual understands the power of technology and the importance of online marketing. However, he had no clue where to begin and how to create a streamline program. Although we were unable to provide him with a 95/5 split, we are able to provide him with over $25,000 (yearly estimated cost) in a personal and customized technology solution. Starting with a fully functional Website with full MLS integration, providing him a 360-degree marketing integration plan, along with assisting him create a business plan that he will be held accountable for. That’s just the start…

The second factor is branding. We have created a brand that targets 89% of the decision maker in the real estate process. Not only that, we provide our agents with all the marketing outlets/collateral to target today’s consumer.

With this agent, he understands that although his commission split isn’t as high as one of our competitors, the value in Real Living’s branding, service, tools and the dedication to grow his business will only increase his productivity and bottom line.

Oh, did I mention the leads?

Agents, will your clients pick you or your brand?

Keith Kumler — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 11:47:28 -0500

Who holds the relationship with your clients -- you [the agent] or your brand? What attracted me to Real Living was their agent-centric philosophy in assisting agents to build a richer relationship with the agent’s clients by providing robust tools, marketing and resources to every agent within their network -- resulting in first-class service and agents having clients for life. To take it a step further, they have a brand that has a define target market. Again, ensuring their agents are speaking to the right consumers and presenting the right message that resonates with today’s consumers.

So, the question of the week I want to know -- would you [the agent] rather be with a company that provides you the tools, marketing and branding that will ensure you’re able to build a better relationship with your clients, along with having a brand that you’re able to attract 80% of today’s consumers or would you rather affiliate with a brand that is nationally known, but doesn’t provide you with the tools and targeted branding to build better relationships with your current and future clients.

Can’t wait to hear what everyone thinks…

Real Living's book is ranked 19 out of 25 top business books!

Keith Kumler — Wed, 14 May 2008 14:21:28 -0500

Real You Incorporated, a book about Real Living, has been ranked number 19 out of the top 25 business books in the U.S!!

http://rismedia.com/wp/2008-05-12/the-top-25-books-corporate-america-is-reading/

Hear what our brokers and agents are saying...

Keith Kumler — Wed, 14 May 2008 14:19:29 -0500

Watch this quick three-minute video with our Chicago broker/owner of Real Living Helios, A-Mag aka Andrew Magliochetti along with one of his managers and top agents Jim Buczynski. Buczynski’s volume increased exponentially in 2007 vs. 2006 - in a "sluggish" market. He discusses what to do to improve and how he did it in Chicago, one of the most competitive real estate markets.

Real Living’s help with recruiting agents!

Keith Kumler — Wed, 14 May 2008 14:11:50 -0500

Once again Real Living is helping our broker/owners stay ahead of the competition by bringing in a world renown trainer for recruiting agents. Watch this quick 2-minute video of Steve Friedman talking about Real Living and agent recruiting. Ready to grow? It’s got to be Real Living.

*This video was produced at Real Living’s 2008 company convention (Momentum) in the middle of May.

39.6% of all Real Living Agents increased their business in 2007

Keith Kumler — Thu, 08 May 2008 16:29:11 -0500

"39.6% of all Real Living Agents increased their business in 2007 vs. 2006." WOW...amazing numbers. This is the power the Real Living brand and technology we offer our agents & franchise owners!!! Call me today. 954-734-0149

The statistic was presented by Harley E. Rouda, Jr., CEO and Managaing Partner of Real Living, Inc at Real Living's 2008 company convention (aka Momentum).

Real Value and Real Business…It's Real Living

Keith Kumler — Wed, 07 May 2008 12:25:29 -0500

Even in our harsh real estate market, Real Living has still been able to push forward and find buyers through our innovate brand. The female consumer makes 80% of the buying decisions in the real estate process. We provide the marketing tools to target these buyers and sellers, increasing productivity for our agents.

Does your company have a defined target market that works? Does your company provide you with over $28,000 per year in technology? Do your company provide you with training and business planning to ensure your success? Do you have a great commission plan to fit your needs in today's market? If you answered "no" to any of these questions, we need to chat! Call me today! 954-734-0149

Ready to grow? It's got to be Real.