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Would You Let Me Tell You Where To Spend Your Marketing Dollars...Back Off!

What If Someone Told You Where You Had To Spend Marketing Dollars?

We all look for a special niche in this business because we all work for ourselves. At my company the other day, they want all of us to start paying $20 extra a month to my office for Realtor.com enhanced....while this may be a great marketing tool, I have always been happy enough with the standard Realtor.com exposure that I get for free from my other marketing sites and I don't want to encur this extra cost thought up from some agents who aren't happy paying that individual enhanced fee for their own marketing plan...

My argument is that I don't think I should subsidize anyone else's cost just because they have chosen to have their listings be enhanced on Realtor.com, I think people with very few listings would think that and I really do not want to tend to another website right now...I have a happy number of listings but I pay for 3 sites of marketing as it is now...ONES I HAVE CHOSEN...not everyone starts a search on Realtor.com anymore...My Marketing Dollars, My Marketing Decisions...

So, my complaint...would you want to be forced to pay for a site you did not want to include on your own marketing dollars? I spend alot of time and money on my other sites, and I get the hits I am happy with off of them...I don't need to be told I have to pay for a site that is not currently in my marketing budget...

What Do You Think?

Melissa Polce mjpolce@kw.com 704-450-4335

www.MyRelocation2Charlotte.com www.ExclusiveHomesofCharlotte.com

www.TheShortSaleAgents.com

"Lake to Land, I've Got It Covered"

Posted by Melissa Polce on 10/13/2009 09:24 AM

Comments (14)

Advertising, Real Estate, Facebook, Networking, Sales in the ActiveRain Channel

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14 Comments on Would You Let Me Tell You Where To Spend Your Marketing Dollars...Back Off!

OCT

If I'm paying, then I'm saying where I spend my money. Seems categorically unfair to me.

I had the same thing happen at my old office. I had to pay $12 a month for enhanced listings, yet almost all the brokers in the area were paying the same, so if everyone is enhanced, how is that setting yourself apart. It was only $12, but over a 3 year period, not a single lead ever came of it and I questioned it quite a bit. The broker couldn't get enough people to want to terminate, so I paid the $12 each month.

You know, if you have 45 listings and thats where you want to spend dollars, great, but..how is everyone from 1 office going to benefit when the potential customer will probably pick the agent with the most listings to contact anyhow...glad I helped that person...THUMBS DOWN

Melissa, I agree with Susan. I would like to spend money where I see results. Good luck to you.

This one is clear...no one has the right to stick their hand into my wallet because they have a "good idea"

How about suggesting they have folks opt-in to their plan and then just split the cost that way...

If it helps my broker furnishes this feature without cost to our office

I asked about an opt-in, opt-out kind of thing, the "person in charge" of this said it's an all-in thing or nothing, as per Realtor.com, the majority of our office was never given the opportunity to accept or reject this deal...it was just told to us... Love the support guys!

I agree with you Melissa. As an independent contractor I would be reluctant to accept a forced expense. I am under contract with a local office/corporate franchise. We are provided the enhanced Realtor.com.

Brokers/office owners/sales managers have good intentions when they try to "strong-arm" their Realtors to accept an additional tool to help the business. The Realtor must always remember that his or her business plan is the number one priority. If the marketing budget is maxed out additional paid marketing tools should not be initiated. Good luck.

put your foot down and let them know who's the boss

Not a good way to run an office.....that's a dictatorship!!! There should at least be a vote, and if the majority rule, let them pay.

Melissa,

You are surely right that not everyone starts their search on Realtor.com, and creating and maintaining your own independent web presence is obviously far more beneficial in the long run than just having one page lost among a crowd of others. It sounds like you're in a bit of a sticky spot though. If you're not given a choice, I would certainly take as much advantage of the new feature as possible and bring up your objections to the broker before more of your marketing dollars are spent for you.

Get this girl - I will be DOUBLE PAYING. I already have an expanded Realtor.com account, paid through next June. Now I get to pay through the office for what I ALREADY HAVE.

I know, It Is Just Not Right!

Power to the People!

Unhappy employees make for cancers in the office!

Fight the Power!

Dont let the man keep you down! etc................................................................

I agree that you should be able to spend your money when and where you choose. Keep up the good fight.

I hear the office is in an UPROAR over this now...only 16 people out of 125+ use Realtor.com anyhow...surely I should help them make money right?

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