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DR Horton Marketing and what He thinks about Realtors I was shocked!

By Cindie Stewart

Real Estate Broker/Owner with Texas Sold Team Realty, LLC

July 18, 2008 03:49 AM

The comment from Head of Marketing for DRH also makes it sound like Realtors can be lead like cattle, that Realtors can't think for themselves! Either that, or I am an AWESOME trainer of Realtors! I find their response unbelievable considering that Realtors sell 80% of DRH homes nationwide.

I, think anyone that is suppose to be a marketer to Realtors and represents such a company would allow that attitude.

If that is how you feel we as Realtors will stop bringing you clients to your communities.

Our Clients look to us to give them our honest opinion about home builders. I think it is good to hear your honest opinion of us.

I seriously wonder what you and your company think of our clients and how are they treated after the sale is closed. It is a shame that you feel that way and you are allowed to continue representing the DRH company in this manor.

I am a Broker and Owner of my own company, I will share with my agents what your thoughts and feeling of us as Realtors.

This is just my way of sharing what sorrow I have for your comments towards us.

I will also share this with Randy and Kevin Horton they are personal friends of one of my agents whom works in my company, I am sure they will be very interested in your opinion.

No one is training us be cattle and followers. We really do look to this publication as an easy resource to find your communities, but it looks like we won't be needed that any more.

If you are too busy to keep up your own web sites when over 87% of the people (including Realtors) go to the Web first to look for properties shame on you.

I am sure that is also going to be interesting information for me to share with Kevin and Randy.

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Sandy Nelson

Riley Jackson Real Estate Inc. - Olympia, WA

your Olympia area Realtor

Cindie,

I'd love to read what D.R. Horton had to say about Realtors. Is there a link?

Sandy

Jul 18, 2008 03:58 AM

Sandy Nelson

Riley Jackson Real Estate Inc. - Olympia, WA

your Olympia area Realtor

Cindie,

I'd love to read what D.R. Horton had to say about Realtors. Is there a link?

Sandy

Jul 18, 2008 03:58 AM

Team Honeycutt

Allen Tate - Concord, NC

I have not seen what you are referring to but would like to .....

Jul 18, 2008 03:59 AM

Associate Broker Falmouth MA Cape Cod Heath Coker

https://teamcoker.robertpaul.com - Falmouth, MA

Heath Coker Berkshire Hathaway HS Robert Paul Prop

Interesting for you to have such a strong opinion. Is there a way to see what was said? (also, you might want to edit the type-os)

Jul 18, 2008 04:06 AM

Cindie Stewart

Texas Sold Team Realty, LLC - Keller, TX

We have a publication here that us as Realtors use to help us keep up with the home builders. This is in regards to one of the Sales Managers (not an on-site person) in the Dallas area and his comments to the person that owns publication. Some how he thought some of the agents were bugging him about doing something with them (the publication), comments were directed and told to the person who runs it.

The publication was doing the updating for them for free apparently for the past 5 years. When they stopped doing it for them (but were doing it for us Realtors as a serves, time and resources just did not allow the publication to continue to do this any further)..

We as Realtors questioned why we could not get that information in the publication anymore? So, some Realtors were making phone calls and emails to his office. This apparently made him angry and then made such comments to the publications owner. She is a doll of a person and has no professional training of Realtors that I know of? Nor, would agents just start making calls and emails to someone if they were not looking for the information as a resource to help the clients they serve.

However, I was not one that ever called or emailed him about doing anything with them or anything else.

The shame is that he does not get, that we can't find the information, nor what information we can find is not up to date.

Nor does he get we are their clients. If we are 87% of the business I suggest he look at us as clients and not like cattle.

He made such comments to the publication owner. He is not doing his company any favors we don't care if he works with the publication or not but he should watch his words.

I have more than likely hurt the persons at the publication, and that was never my intentions. However, I was outraged at the comments said about Realtors.

I am very passionate about my career and feel if you have a bad attitude towards us come walk in our shoes. It is not an easy career field, if it was we would not have the fall out we do.

I did not mean to post till I corrections were made so sorry about all the typos in my first posting, they have been repaired.

Jul 18, 2008 04:35 AM

Renée Donohue~Home Photography

Savvy Home Pix - Allegan, MI

Western Michigan Real Estate Photographer

If I ever have a client wanting to view a DR Horton home, I tell them they are on their own.

That is the sad truth with my experience with them.

Jul 18, 2008 04:39 AM

Linda M. Cataldo

Dock Street Realty - Myrtle Beach, SC

Beach Destinations Realty Myrtle Beach

Can you send a link to DR's Blog? We have DR here in Myrtle Beach, but they are awesome to work with...

Jul 18, 2008 05:11 AM

Associate Broker Falmouth MA Cape Cod Heath Coker

https://teamcoker.robertpaul.com - Falmouth, MA

Heath Coker Berkshire Hathaway HS Robert Paul Prop

It sounds like you may have a business opportunity - if you stay on top of their "deals" yourself, you won't have as many other agents with the same info.

Jul 24, 2008 06:22 AM

Anonymous

Richard Craft - D.R. Horton

Cindie:

I'm the horrible marketing guy from D.R. Horton that you spoke about on a national forum.

Since we haven't spoken directly...I'd be interested to know what it is that I supposedly said about Realtors.

Can you fill me in, so I can at least respond?

80% of our deals are with Realtors and our website is updated every day...as well as MLS, New Home Guide, New Home Journal, Homes and Land, Realtor.com, Hot On! Homes and other sources.

In a recent conference with top Relo agents in D/FW, D.R. Horton was specifically sited as having the most up to date inventory on the web...above all other national builders.

We email our Realtor Partners with our specials every week and host events, dinners, lunches and last week held a seminar where Realtors got 6 hours of continuing education for FREE.

I personally host a round-table discussion with our top producers every quarter, where they tell me how to place our marketing promotions to help them attract clients.

So...I'm a little disadvantaged here....can you fill me in on what is going on?...and why we have to choose "attack mode" first?...in a national forum?...when we're in the same town?

I'm a neighbor in Colleyville and would love to work this out personally.

Can you clue me in?

I look forward to hearing from you personally?

Richard Craft
racraft@drhorton.com
Cell: 817.726.9187

PS: I have personally contacted everyone who has posted to your blog...and have a unanimously positive and supportive response.

And...who is "Kevin"?

Jul 24, 2008 07:26 AM

Rich Jacobson

Fathom Realty West Sound - Poulsbo, WA

Your Kitsap County WA Real Estate Broker

Cindie: If you're going to take someone to task in a public forum, you need to provide credible, factual information to back up your concerns/claims. Othewise, it's simply "He said, She said."....

Richard: Thanks for jumping in and being part of the conversation. Hopefully, we can work out any issues....

Jul 24, 2008 10:46 AM

Cindie Stewart

Texas Sold Team Realty, LLC - Keller, TX

I am truly sorry, it has been awhile but I have been extemely business and with some health issue. I have to say that DRH response has been a bit rough at first but to be honest they did jump and listen and offered help. The fact that they took action was a huge plus in my book.

The problem is I think is that people take things for granitic and forget how to be respectful. I am guilty of it on occasions myself. We are human. I am happy to report that DRH has taken action to help us as Realtors stay informed and up to date on their inventory.

I never mentioned names and to point directly to a person etc and I am sorry they felt the need to point themselves out. I don't toss out or even blog much as you can see so it hit a nerve or I would not have taken such an action.

Great Job DRH on the self correction. We as Realtors want to sell your homes and do it with pride knowing our clients are getting a good product and that we as agents are respected for the hard work we do too. That is all I wanted from the time this all started. I appreciate the phone calls to offer to meet with me and to discuss the issues. Thank you!

Cindie Stewart

Oct 29, 2008 03:11 AM