real estate advertising: "Say It Isn't So...Breaking News of the Premature Demise of the Real Estate Blog"
- 12/13/10 11:50 AM
The real estate blog is dead! Yes...you heard right. And the hand that struck the fatal blow was none other than real estate agents. Agents who insisted on blogging about things that NO ONE wanted to know about such as listings and other forms of trivial data. I was stunned! Who pronounced the verdict? Who did they talk to? The pronouncement came from the lips of an industry expert. It was delivered to during a real estate trends update report. I'm sure the news was welcome relief to some in the room who have been wishing this troublesome trend to just … (74 comments)
real estate advertising: The Convenience Factor...Would You Buy Your Next Home at the Grocery Store?
- 06/05/10 02:25 PM
Remember the first time you went grocery shopping and rolled your shopping cart right past the newest location for your local bank? Today, ATM machines and banks are a normal part of grocery shopping all around the country. But, according to the latest Realtor magazine (June 2010) in an article entitled, 'The Convenience Factor', this trend towards creating a broader shopping experience may soon be enlarged to include your neighborhood Real Estate Brokerage! According to the article: "Brokers are staking out space in supermarkets to increase their visibility and make their office more convenient for consumers" Keller Williams broker, Gerald Murphy of Keller Williams Gold … (60 comments)
real estate advertising: Who's Viewing Who... Do You Change Your Online Personality to Match Your Audience?
- 01/18/10 06:57 AM
A segment of a TV interview about online profiles arrested my attention. It was a discussion about the fact that many people now prefer to have their lives segmented into different profiles. Some even incorporate totally different personalities which they share with friends as they deem appropriate. Facebook recently modified its platform to not only enable segmentation of who sees what on your profile, but also who you choose to pay attention to. With just a few clicks, individuals can be effectively obliterated from view even if they are friends. Now, there may be some things you'd prefer that your parents not see, but … (48 comments)
real estate advertising: Second Round Real Estate...Survival Tips for Landing on Your Feet When A Transaction Goes Bust!
- 11/12/08 08:04 AM
"Time and chance happen to all of us" "I'm sorry, the buyer doesn't want to move forward." It's not the sort of call that any agent wants to get. Not after countless hours on the phone negotiating with less than cooperative loss mitigation reps and even more tracking a listing, arranging showings, getting feedback and marketing a home. And then... A simple call grinds the entire process to a halt. The buyer has decided to move on. The bank never got it's act together. And..we're on the road again. Back on the market.
Anyone who has been in real … (21 comments)
real estate advertising: 8 Great Ways to Reinvent the Old Pre-View Home Tour!
- 06/23/08 05:10 PM
Late last week, I posted a blog post about how one might re-imagine the Home Pre-View tour that has been a Tuesday Morning Tradition for agents across the Grand Rapids area for decades. I admitted that it had been over a decade since I had been on a Broker New Listing Pre-View Tour as this activity fell into disuse for a number of reasons...notably, more Independent agents working out of their homes, Virtual tours and the price of gas.
Since we have new agents in our office, they wanted to have this experience, so we arranged to tour some of our home … (47 comments)
real estate advertising: Imagine...
- 06/19/08 01:23 PM
It's been over a decade since I've participated in a real estate caravan. How about you?
So, a recent post I read 'Caravan... going, going, gone', by Margo Currie about some of her misgivings about the demise of this real estate weekly activity peaked my interest. Many companies have stopped mandating the practise of going to pre-view new home listings. Designated agency probably contributed to this trend by changing the fiduciary relationship that individual real estate agents had with clients whom they were not directly representing. There have been a number of other factors which have made this option less attractive … (16 comments)
real estate advertising: Propping Up the Numbers & Other Consequential Mutations...
- 05/26/08 02:09 PM
The first time I ran across it, I was really surprised. There it was, an absolute fabrication on the local MLS. I was sure that it must have been a mistake. But I was staring at the evidence in black & white; documentation indicating that real estate agent XYZ had Sold a listing which they had NOT. They had listed the property, but I had Sold it. The only reason I had checked this previous sale was because the client (my buyer) had contacted me to put their home back on the market. I had pulled up the old listing for my listing … (14 comments)
real estate advertising: Misty Advertising vs. Old Style Marketing In Clear Mode...(Part 2)
- 04/23/08 01:07 PM
The Question That Messed Up My Old Marketing Strategy! (Part 1 of series) WHO is clicking on my blog? Figuring out the answer to this illusive question is a curiously stubborn challenge in the realm of online marketing. Many of us have wondered why the millions of hits which our listings and blogs generate seem to drivel into a surprisingly small number of call conversions. In no scenario is the quantity vs. quality debate more relevant than in the Web 2.0 World. Within the online community the tradition has been to correlate a subscriber list with a ratings popularity index. But are clicks really a measure of relevance or are online relationships … (20 comments)
real estate advertising: The Question That Messed Up My Old Marketing Strategy!
- 04/20/08 08:51 AM
The room was pregnant with anticipation. The animation amongst this group of successful real estate agents was palpable. A question had been tossed on the docket by the speaker. It hung suspended in the air... provoking a response. "So, how many names do each of you have in your database?" For a group of over-achievers, this was like throwing bloody red meat to a hound dog. One gentleman raised up his hand and confessed to 2,500 entries. There was an audible gasp. The bar was raised high...a challenge to conquer. Another individual threw out an even larger number. I was out of my league and knew it. My list … (75 comments)
real estate advertising: WHY Ambush Marketing is Gobbling Up The Hottest Real Estate on The Planet!
- 04/08/08 02:48 PM
Recently, we met with a new client. As we discussed various housing options, she mentioned a home that she had found online and fallen in love with. She couldn't remember the website, but was sure that it was one of the websites advertised on TV. We started listing off sites we knew, hoping to jolt her memory. Finally we googled a term close to what she thought the website was named Imagine our surprise when she clicked a site on google and said, "Yes, this is it!" It was the website for our LOCAL REAL ESTATE BOARD; they don't advertise on TV. … (55 comments)
real estate advertising: Is Your Home Marketing Effort A Secret Engagment?
- 04/01/08 09:34 AM
The more things change...the more things stay the same. When I started my professional career as a real estate agent almost 13 years ago, there were certain things we had to get permission to do when we listed a home. These included: obtaining written consent to place a sign in the yard and a keybox on the door. The listing agreement also indicated that we had permission to market their property and advertise. There was no mention of advertising on electronic media. Nor were there disclosures required for the condition of the property or lead based paint. Index cards with listing data … (22 comments)
real estate advertising: A Different Kind of Open House...
- 03/21/08 03:16 PM
I don't know about you, but most Open Houses that I've been to in the Grand Rapids, Michigan area recently are NOT standing room only events! So, you can imagine my surprise when I drove up to a model home this past week and couldn't find a place to park. The event was organized by Redstone Group, a company which is building several unique communities around the Greater Grand Rapids area. My agents received an invitation while attending a mortgage seminar and persuaded me to attend. I'm glad I did. I always appreciate the opportunity to watch inspired vision in action. The Redstone Group held a Networking Open House. Instead … (28 comments)
real estate advertising: How "Cream Puff" Marketing is Slowly Deflating the Real Estate Industry?
- 03/11/08 04:30 PM
Puffery: as defined by (wikepdia) "Puffery as a legal term refers to promotional statements and claims that express subjective rather than objective views, such that no reasonable person would take literally. We've all seen them, created them, or used them. They're the exaggerated statements that are part and parcel of much of the personal and professional advertising within the real estate industry. Ever since the Federal Trade Commission in 1984 investigated '"deceptive advertisements" and determined that the agency would not actively pursue statements which the ordinary consumer would not take seriously, the use of Puffery in advertising homes and in the description professional skills has swelled … (45 comments)
real estate advertising: Part 2 ~ Exploring The Pros & Cons of Corporate Blogging for Real Estate Brokers & Their Companies
- 01/15/08 01:19 AM
To Read Part 1 of the Series...Exploring The Pros & Cons of Corporate Blogging for Real Estate Brokers & Their Companies ( Are there Rules About Blogging For Corporations? This is a question which Paul Gillin explores in his new book about Social Media called the New Influencers. The legal restraints on blogging are already being tested in the court systems. Last year, I wrote a post about a case in Grand Rapids, Mi in which a major corporation is suing a group of bloggers for anonymous posts. It's clear that we navigate a treacherous slope as we explore the boundaries of Free Speech and Individual Freedoms against … (5 comments)
real estate advertising: Exploring The Pros & Cons of Corporate Blogging for Real Estate Brokers & Their Companies
- 01/14/08 01:34 PM
This past year, I had the opportunity to do several blogging seminars in Grand Rapids, Mi and talk with real estate agents and brokers about blogging in the real estate industry. Although real estate blogging is still being practised by a very small percentage of agents, (current estimates are around 4%), it is still exerting a tremendous influence on the "conversation" about real estate across the country. Remember that 4% of 2 Million is still a fairly substantial number! In the wider world of corporate business, many huge corporations are entering into the blogosphere. According to a New book, "The New Influencers...A Marketer's … (5 comments)
real estate advertising: Microtrends...Why SMALL is Becoming the New Big For Real Estate in 2008 & Beyond!
- 01/01/08 12:37 PM
You may have heard these words...indeed used them yourself. Are you a DIY Doctor? Do you know Extreme Commuters or have friends who are Stay-at-Home Workers? Perhaps you work WITH one half of a Commuter Couple or work FOR a High School Mogul! Second-Home Buyers and International Home Buyers may be more familiar to those of us in the real estate crowd, but whether we're aware of it or not, the Bourgeois and Bankrupt as well as Social Geeks are terms real estate agents need to know. They are our Future Customers! In his ground-breaking New Book entitled Microtrends, Mark Penn with E. Kinney Zalesne … (17 comments)
real estate advertising: Creating Multiple Streams of Income by Dominating Your Local Niche!
- 11/14/07 04:10 PM
Earlier this month, an insightful discussion occurred within the comments of a blog post entitled "A Sure Fire Method to Rapidly Increase Your Income." The post opened with this statement about the reality which many in the real estate community are facing as we enter into the holiday season... "As the holiday season approaches, many in the real estate community have two head bangers to deal with. The prospect of having to buy gifts and other holiday fare at a time when there's traditionally a slow down in home sales AND the spectre of looming tax bills around the corner just after the holiday … (22 comments)
real estate advertising: Marketing To Create Multiple Streams of Income Through the Holidays & Beyond!
- 11/07/07 06:11 PM
We continue our series inspired by an insightful discussion which occurred in response to a blog post entitled "A Sure Fire Method to Rapidly Increase Your Income." The post opened with this statement about the reality which many in the real estate community are facing as we enter into the holiday season... "As the holiday season approaches, many in the real estate community have two head bangers to deal with. The prospect of having to buy gifts and other holiday fare at a time when there's traditionally a slow down in home sales AND the spectre of looming tax bills around the corner just … (64 comments)
A recent story in the Grand Rapids press, (Saturday, October 13,2007) caught my attention. The title of the article by Chris Knape was "Amway Sues Bloggers" with a subtitle that said..."company alleges fired distributor is behind negative web posts, videos." The paper reports that the suit has been filed by Quixtar, the on line version of Amway also known as Alticor Corporation. Quixtar is asking the court for an injunction and $25,000 in damages against 30 alleged anonymous bloggers classified in court documents as John Doe's. In addition, the corporation is asking the court to approve subpoenas for IP address from companies … (57 comments)
real estate advertising: Elevating the Extraordinary Within The Ordinary...Another Look At Creative Marketing
- 10/02/07 12:49 AM
Recently, I attended a fabulous Birthday Party. The Celebration wove it's festive strands throughout the grounds of the lovely home. The deck & gazebo were festooned with brightly colored streamers and guests could catch the strains of the jazz band playing whimsical sets below. A large tent was the setting for the buffet stations which featured traditional favorites from Europe, North America, North & West Africa, Asia and the Caribbean. As I meandered through the grounds, savoring the visual artistry with which items were arranged, I was struck by some playful and elegant twists. Lo Mein noodles were being served on the Asian display; the stir-fry was ladled and dispensed … (48 comments)
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The real estate blog is dead! Yes...you heard right. And the hand that struck the fatal blow was none other than real estate agents. Agents who insisted on blogging about things that NO ONE wanted to know about such as listings and other forms of trivial data.
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