Mizan's Blog

Top two NAR reasons prospects select an agent to work with...

Mizan Goldman (Realasponse.com) — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 01:16:07 -0500

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When Branding Goes Bad... (part 2)

Mizan Goldman (Realasponse.com) — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 17:57:06 -0500

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1) Your "best friend" is not your prospect's "best friend"...

First off, you are NOT Paris Hilton. I love dogs, trust me I do, but this has got to stop. Some agents think it’s cute or that perhaps they’ll connect with pet lovers when offering their services. Check this out…go out and ask any prospect who owns a pet whether they have this “secret connection” with you just because you own a pet or whether your skills are more important. In fact, according a NAR's homebuyer and seller profile "knowledge of neighborhood and market" ranked second as the most important factor when selecting an agent. Remember, YOU are your prospects best friend.

2) Key Dangling Debacle

Oh great! You found my keys!!  ...oh wait…no, it’s another agent offering me keys to my “dream home” via another overused image: The notorious Key Dangle. You’ve seen them, I’ve seen them and so have just about every prospect. The key dangle was the original “call-to-action” image that worked for buyers anxious to jump into a home some years ago and is still being abused. However, here’s the problem I have: In the aftermath of a subprime lending fiasco, where mortgage companies used teasing images of the like, you have to be mindful not send the wrong messages of “getting a home super easy”. You run the risk of being mislabeled. It’s more so a balancing act, nonetheless, key dangling is walking a tight rope.

3) Cartoon Network meets Real Estate

I do admit…the artwork is great and wins a laugh here and there; and perhaps when the market was performing smoother it was nothing of concern. However, here’s what concerns me: According to NAR’s profile on buyers and seller, 57% of buyers and 41% of sellers rank reputation as the most important factor when selecting an agent to work with. Caricatures, though cute, cloud a prospects ability to measure your reputation given its light hearted nature. It may do fine for a follow-up piece but for first impressions it’s a gamble…and today’s market is no place to take chances.

4) Attack of the Blurry Picture

Blurry or pixilated pictures are the worst! I’ve seen a number of agents, for whatever reason, content with pictures that are out of focus and distorted. How could they miss over this? Usually, it’s one of two things: (1) The agent used a “web” photo for a “print” ad and doesn’t know the difference between the two worlds (2) Doesn't know much about using a digital camera. Here’s a link to a video that will help you: Take amazing shots. Remember, the prospect is going to be building a relationship with you and should not have a hurdle to jump over when learning about you.

5) Depression hits motivational postcards

The “Tony Robbins-in –a-postcard” approach is so ten years ago and so broken! Listen, don’t get me wrong, it’s certainly great to share words of encouragement with anyone you hope to do business with, however, that’s once you’ve shown yourself as one worth listening to. The problem with motivational postcards are that they attempt toward aiming for deeper meaning that oftimes is too intangible for prospects to make sense of. In other words, the prospect has to work with metaphors in order to translate your real message. One question, why have them work for your message if you represent convenience? The company pushing this particular postcards states, “Inspire your clients to call you…” Give me a break, since when has revelation ever hit a prospect, looking at a seagull or bee, all of a sudden compelled them to pick up a phone and call you.

Oh, and one more thing... I thought the birds and the bees meant something else entirely different.

Mizan Goldman | www.realasponse.com

When Branding Goes Bad...(part1)

Mizan Goldman (Realasponse.com) — Mon, 03 Sep 2007 11:11:34 -0500

I think we’ve all heard a hundred times how important it is to stand out and create a memorable brand… however, there are limits on what’s considered effective and what’s downright cheesy and tired. Here are 5 of the most common branding mistakes I’ve seen agents make over the years…and for some, even cost them their business.

1) Home holding needs to be dropped

Wait…let me think on what’s being said here, “My home is in good hands with you?”, “You build model homes?” or better yet, “You passed GO, collected $200, and want to place a house on Boardwalk.” No, but seriously, the home holding images are one of the most overused images to date in real estate. Prospects are numb to its meaning and it carries to “pop value”. To prospects, it’s just another quick give way sign of a “real estate person trying to sell me something.” Brand building is not built on commonality…it has to have pop.

2) Trash the recycled messages

I’ve seen them, you’ve seen them…you may have even used them. The “card board-cutout” messages of five and ten years back. Sorry, but they don’t work in today’s market. A free consultation is NOT an offer, it’s expected. Asking someone to call you if thinking about “buying or selling”.......
One question?

WHY SHOULD THEY CALL? You’ve told them nothing.

Branding is NOT blending in.

3) Branding without borders

Kids cover your eyes!!! And yes, this is a real postcard. What are we saying here?! “I’ll present your open house half nude and bring Bruiser with me?” There are standards in NAR, remember?. If you care to show yourself down-to-earth and adventurous you can, however, marketing is for the prospect, NOT your ego. Most prospects care about the bottom line, “What can you offer ME that others aren’t?”

4) Out dated photos are out of style

Ok, so you put on a few pounds over the years or managed to pick up a wrinkle here or there. It’s natural. But don’t resort to using your high school photo to cover your shame. Over the years I’ve seen agents use photos that clearly misrepresent what they look like. The problem here is that some prospects, after seeing you in person, may feel a sense of disappointment and equate your slightly dishonest representation with the type of service they might come to receive as a client. You might find yourself asking, “ What happened…everything seemed to be going good by all signs?”.

Get a nice photo that represents today’s YOU and get it retouched if you care to. Remember, honesty builds repoire.

5) Recipe marketing gets cooked

They say the way to some peoples heart is “through their stomach”, however when did this apply to real estate? The common misplaced belief when marketing with recipe postcards is that “perhaps the prospect will remember me by offering something useful.” Come on, do you really think people would make one of the most important financial decisions of their life by referring to a recipe? Also bad, is its natural ability to eliminate possible business by discrimination. Look, I love Sloppy Joe, however, my mother doesn’t…and she’s not alone, vegetarians don’t like it either. Get the point?

Mizan Goldman |

Mizan Goldman | www.realasponse.com