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Top Ten Archaic Real Estate Practices

By
Real Estate Agent with Phil Hoover, Inc.

The real estate profession clings to many outdated business practices, but here's my nomination for the Top Ten Archaic Real Estate Practices:

10)   Office tour
9)     MLS tour
8)     Itty-bitty print ads that say “Hurry, this one won’t last!”
7)     Black and white marketing materials
6)     Full graphics on an agent’s Hummer, proclaiming that they’re #1
5)     Bus bench ads
4)     Grocery store shopping cart ads
3)     Delivering pumpkins to your neighborhood at Thanksgiving
2)     Including recipes in real estate newsletters

And, my favorite: (bada boom!)

1)     Handing out note pads and refrigerator magnets to your neighborhood!

(As a Realtor®, nothing is more fun than calculating the net proceeds for one of my sellers on another agent’s scratch pad as I glance at their refrigerator magnet on the fridge!)

New Jersey Real Estate James Boyer Morris, Essex & Union County NJ Realtor
RE/MAX Properties Unlimited, Real Estate - Morristown, NJ

I could go ether way on the note pads and magnets.  I have done the same as you, but also gotten business because of the note pads being passed on to someone outside of my marketing farm.

 

James Boyer

Realtor Associate

Keller Williams Real Estate

Summit, NJ 07901

Aug 22, 2007 03:05 AM
Joyce Heffner-Williams
Keller Williams Clients' Choice Realty - Monument, CO
Owner/Broker/EcoBroker - Monument Real Estate
Not sure where you get your info, but a few of these really work!

Oh well!  To each his/her own...
Aug 22, 2007 03:06 AM
West Hartford CT Real Estate Agent | West Hartford Realtor | www.CTMike.com
ERA Broder Group - West Hartford, CT
HAHAHA!!! Love it! This is all very true. If we stopped wasting our time and money on magnets and recipes we could focus on getting more business, although people do love a free pen!!!
Aug 22, 2007 03:06 AM
Richard Thewissen
ERA Realty Pros - Stonington, CT

Great post. do you happen to have a top 10 list of New Real Estate Practice?

I for one would love to read it :)

Aug 22, 2007 03:06 AM
Janet Guilbault
Platinum Home Mortgage Company - Walnut Creek, CA
San Francisco Bay Area Direct Mortgage Lender

A couple of others: pens with your name. Wearing a dumb badge wherever you go. If you are trying to look profession, these are not working.

I happen to like broker tours. They are a fast easy way to have a pulse on what is going on. But what do I know? I'm a mortgage broker.

Aug 22, 2007 03:09 AM
Judi Glamb
Coldwell Banker Hearthside - Hellertown, PA
Associate Broker, ABR

I agree with almost all of the except office tour.  I do think for time sake that they need to be coordinated and that an agent taking a listing out of reasonalbe driving distance should expect to be included in the office caravan (can be private when appropriate).  I think in my new office - we caravan unless the agent is planning a broker's open. 

I do laugh at "hurry, this one won't last"!.  They don't even take it out of the MLS three months after the fact!

Hmm, I like the (calendar) magnets - especially when I got them free from vista!

Aug 22, 2007 03:09 AM
Jason Romrell
Business Attorney and Success Advisor - Los Angeles, CA

Phil, 

Great post...and you're right here in Boise!!  :)  I see those things on your list regularly and most of them make me scratch my head.  I think your next post should be the top ten things that REALLY WORK!  You really nailed the archaic practices.

Aug 22, 2007 03:12 AM
Lane Bailey
Century 21 Results Realty - Suwanee, GA
Realtor & Car Guy

What about the "little house, little head" ads in the real estate flyers?

Or the "single page on the broker's website"... that looks EXACTLY like every other agent's page on that site? 

Aug 22, 2007 03:13 AM
Maureen McCabe
HER Realtors - Columbus, OH
Columbus Ohio Real Estate

YMMV Linda Davis swears by her magnets. She has a title, Queen of Refrigerator Something or other

I still like office tour, we just tour very near our office, no one is required to tour. 

Aug 22, 2007 03:15 AM
Jim Little
Ken Meade Realty - Sun City, AZ
Your Sun City Arizona Realtor
Phil, I don't agree with you on the tour question. Regarding note pads, I don't even use my competitor"s pads. I do like using their calendars when I am writing a listing contract though.
Aug 22, 2007 03:26 AM
Nathan Blair
Salt Lake City, UT
I agree with you on some of them, but I have personally seen that office tour and even magnets work.  Office tour is very productive in my office, but maybe some offices do it differently so it is not as beneficial. 
Aug 22, 2007 03:58 AM
Debbie Cook
Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc - Silver Spring, MD
Silver Spring and Takoma Park Maryland Real Estate
These have all worked for me before but that was a LONG LONG LONG LONG time ago.  I agree with your list and have let go of using everything on your list by 2005.  The only thing I still do is my refrigerator calanders - It is something that people still say they USE.
Aug 22, 2007 04:21 AM
Terry Lynch
LAR Notary and Closing Services - Saint Clair Shores, MI

Phil

Most of what you listed may be old school, but doing something is always better than doing nothing. 

Aug 22, 2007 05:16 AM