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Lessons Learned in NARlando

By
Services for Real Estate Pros with Applied Real Estate Technology

Last week at this time, I was still at NARlando, packing up the Expo and getting ready to head home. The opportunity to talk with hundreds of folks about their business and their ideas was incredible.

However. It wasn’t completely without frustration.

I am still completely flummoxed by the number of people who have an MLS search on their site and yet don’t generate business from it. There were people who stopped by the booth who were paying astronomical amounts of money per month for an IDX, that couldn’t trace a single piece of business back to it. Why would you ever pay for something that never gets you business? As a working agent, this makes no sense to me.

I had a long discussion with a gentleman from Denver, and we agreed on a basic premise. People on our websites want one of two things: information or listings. The vast majority aren’t looking for an agent, they’re looking to consume our knowledge and they’re looking for the local inventory.

So if I can make that user happy by blending those two things well, in a manner that makes sense, by showing them the right information and the right opportunities at the right time, then the chances of that person becoming my client just got better. I’ll be exploring that idea a bit further here, I think. It’s not difficult if you have the right tools.

Kristal Kraft
Novella Real Estate - Denver, CO
Selling Metro Denver Real Estate - 303-589-2022

LOL you are so right on!  I think we get wrapped up in having all the "things" we are expected to have as agents and forget about the ROI.  Tight times will put a focus on the money, hopefully we'll all get leaner and smarter.

kk

 

Nov 16, 2008 10:58 AM
Susie Blackmon
Ocala, FL
Ocala, Horses, Western Wear, Horse Farms, Marketing

When you are doing your own blog, as well as AR, and trying to have what you need, the price you pay for your lessons can be expensive. Not sure how in the heck you can actually know what is really right! Fill me in! I didn't visit when I was at NAR...

Nov 16, 2008 07:15 PM
William Collins
ERA Queen City Realty - Scotch Plains, NJ
Property and Asset Management

kelley,

Thanks for the post. Very important always to be able to identify sources of business. Equally as important to know what is not working.

Nov 16, 2008 09:51 PM
Missy Caulk
Missy Caulk TEAM - Ann Arbor, MI
Savvy Realtor - Ann Arbor Real Estate

Kelly, are we twins, separated at birth?

My AG post sceduled for today hits on this point.

Nov 17, 2008 01:09 AM
Mana Tulberg
805 County Real Estate - Camarillo, CA
Real Estate Agent - Camarillo CA

Kelly, Great point. To be honest I had no idea there were IDX out there that did not provide information about your site's visitors!

Nov 17, 2008 02:37 AM
ARE-TEC IDX Solutions
Applied Real Estate Technology - Tucson, AZ

KK - leaner and smarter.  I can get behind that goal!

 

Susie - With all of that, plus actually DOING the business, it's hard to make time for a hard look at what's really working sometimes.  IMHO, it's all about blending information and listings.  You can always get to one from the other, easily, obviously, quickly.

 

Missy - Ha!  Looking forward to reading it.

 

Mana - there are all nature of services out there, it's crazy.  There are amazing fabulous ones, and incredibly terrible ones, and everything inbetween.

Nov 17, 2008 05:43 AM
Fernando Herboso - Associate Broker MD, & VA
Maxus Realty Group of Samson Properties - Clarksburg, MD
301-246-0001 Serving Maryland, DC and Northern VA

I need some MAJOR IDX make-up for my website. . . I'm going to use the holidays to make a decision to cahnge it out. . sorry wolfnet

Nov 25, 2008 11:48 PM