lara okeefe: "It's not luck at all..." - 11/09/08 05:13 AM
Powerful Quote:

"I believe life is a series of near misses. A lot of what we ascribe to luck is not luck at all. It's seizing the day and accepting responsibility for your future. It's seeing what other people don't see and pursuing that vision."
~ Howard Schultz, CEO of Starbucks
As I interpret it ... YOU have to make it happen!
 
 
For more information please contact Lara O'Keefe at 972.838.9156 or visit Hunter's Creek.
(23 comments)

lara okeefe: Active Rain is #7 of Top 10 Marketing Secrets! - 11/05/08 01:44 AM
10,000 real estate professionals were surveyed in a recently published article. It seems that we are all ahead of the curve just by actively participating in Active Rain!









The purpose of the survey was to understand how Realtors are spending their marketing dollars:
•·        How much they are spending?
•·        How their marketing mix is structured?
•·        What online and offline channels they are using to contact prospects, existing clients and other pros?
 


Top 10 Marketing Secrets:
1. Direct mail, newsprint, email and online marketing are the popular marketing channels … (42 comments)

lara okeefe: Sexist Sales Approach! - 10/25/08 05:38 AM
Ladies, have you ever been honey, baby, sweetied to death during a sales presentation?
The last time you bought a car, did you hear ...
"Honey, when will your husband be here to make a decision?"
"Baby, who will be paying for this for you?"
"Sweetie, what color would you like? Don't worry about how much it is."
Well, here is a funny video poking fun at that kind of sales guy!>
For more information please visit McKinney Greens or contact Lara O'Keefe 972.529.5562
(26 comments)

lara okeefe: Smoke Your Competition! - 10/21/08 11:28 AM

Marketing is so key to driving traffic and getting new business. It is often where people cut costs and cut their own throats. It is a first impression that allows you to stand out above your competition. You invest money up front in order to make more later. The commission from one home sale can pay for an entire year of flyers. 
Spend Money to Make Money! 
It's an old adage that you must spend money in order to make money. It still rings true in this day and age. I design and pay for all of my own marketing … (33 comments)

lara okeefe: Who Moved My Cheese? - 10/03/08 03:48 AM

In these more challenging times in the housing market, we have to work harder to stay upbeat and positive.
I like to read sales and marketing books to stay motivated and get new ideas.
I ran across a great little book named, Who Moved My Cheese?  
It's a quick read and I would highly recommend it as an instant "attitude adjustment." 
Life is what you make of it! 
Happy selling! 

For more information please contact Lara O'Keefe at 972.838.9156 or visit Hunter's Creek.
(22 comments)

lara okeefe: It's Not Easy Being Cheesy! - 10/01/08 04:12 AM

Click on the links below to see hilarious videos!
Salespeople get a bad reputation sometimes. The stereotypes include pushy, aggressive, don't take no for an answer, and talk more than they listen.
Movies like Used Cars, Boiler Room, and Glengarry Glenross only perpetuate the stereotypes!
It's hard for those of us who do care about helping buyers to overcome the sleazy, cheesy, greasy sales personas out there.
Some might even say that they got "badgered" into buying something!
Well, here's a little character that fits all the stereotypes and you just have to sit back and laugh!
Help! Help!
Kapowee!

(28 comments)

lara okeefe: Guerilla Marketing - 09/28/08 10:53 AM
Guerilla marketing evokes an emotional response to gain attention!

This picture, for example, is my dog Baxter. It makes people think "awww how cute," but with the right tag line it can make you think about moving out of an apartment, getting a bigger yard, or even the American dream of 2.5 kids and a dog.
Possible tag lines for this photo:
"Need a new woof?"
"Gardening advice?"
"Sprinkler system included!"
It needs to stand out as different in order to be noticed. The text should be concise and to the point and of course include contact information.
Include a … (35 comments)

lara okeefe: Dallas Ghost Town - 09/28/08 08:56 AM
It's a beautiful and sunny fall day in Dallas Texas!
You would think that people would be out washing their cars, tending to their yards, playing with the kids, or maybe even visiting some model homes or open houses.
That is where I fit in. I'm in my well decorated model home hopefully awaiting my next visitor. I can see out the window and no cars are driving by. I run to the local sandwich shop and they are busy with stacks and stacks of large orders of sandwiches. Then I notice all the pizza delivery drivers in and out of … (10 comments)

lara okeefe: AR Squeezes Google Juice! - 09/21/08 08:10 AM

I've always wondered what all the buzz was about with "Google Juice."
I understood the importance of Realtors having name recognition in their area. I also understood just how much competition was out there in Real Estate.
My friend, Sara Braden, invited me to Active Rain about 2 months ago. I checked it out and thought that the networking opportunities were awesome.
Then I started reading and commenting on great blogs. Some were funny, others were sad; some contained excellent advice about marketing and advertising. 
Next I started to blog. It was fun to find interesting topics to write about … (43 comments)

lara okeefe: Lessons From a Toddler - 09/20/08 09:43 AM
1. Everything is new and exciting.
2. Food tastes better when eaten with your fingers.
3. Stay positive.
4. Never give up.
5. Keep trying and you will make it work.
6. You may fall, but get up, brush yourself off, and try again.
7. Using the right words gets you what you want.
8. If you show your emotions, people will help you feel better.
9. If you smile, everyone will smile back at you.
10. Don't take no for an answer.



My name is Kieran and I just turned one year old. You can probably tell from … (20 comments)

lara okeefe: DFW: A Singular Sensation - 09/05/08 09:17 AM

NEW YORK (Forbes) - When it comes to living single, Dallas-Fort Worth is tops in Texas. At least, that's what Forbes says.
For its seventh annual "Best Cities for Singles" report, the magazine looked at 40 of the largest urbanized areas in the country and judged them on culture, nightlife, job growth, the cost of living alone, online dating, the number of other singles and, of course, their cool quotients.
The Metroplex ranked ninth and was the only Texas city in the top ten.
Landing at first was Atlanta.
 
For more information please contact Lara O'Keefe at 972.838.9156 or visit … (4 comments)

lara okeefe: Crape Myrtle Trails-McKinney, TX - 09/05/08 05:14 AM
I have a beautiful and scenic drive to work every day!
I drive a convertible and really get to enjoy all of the brilliant colors of the Crape Myrtle Trails in McKinney.
The colors range from deep red, bright white, soft lavender, exotic purple, and delicate pink.
Much like the Cherry Blossoms in Washington DC and the Roses of Tyler, the Crape Myrtle Trails is a project adopted by the city in 2006 to make McKinney a beautiful tourist destination.
These exotic looking trees flower from May to September and are very drought tolerant.
So far McKinney boasts more than … (0 comments)

lara okeefe: Big D's Big Job Growth - 08/30/08 04:03 AM

DALLAS (Dallas Morning News) - Three Texas cities were among the strongest job markets in the country over the past year, according to preliminary data released Wednesday by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Between July 2007 and July 2008, the Dallas-Fort Worth area added 68,000 nonfarm jobs, growing 2.3 percent - the highest growth rate among the nation's 12 largest metropolitan areas.
Right behind DFW were Houston and San Antonio. Both cities posted job growth of 2.2 percent.
Meanwhile, the nation as a whole lost 174,000 jobs, not seasonally adjusted, during the 12-month period.

For more information please contact Lara … (4 comments)

lara okeefe: Money Frog! - 08/29/08 11:07 AM
This looks like an ugly 3 legged toad, but he is believed to bring wealth and prosperity!
In Feng Shui tradition, you place him facing your door to bring money in.
I received my money frog as a gift when I first started selling new homes. I have had a lot of success and wealth in the time since I have had him.
I know that the real reason I am successful is dedication and hard work, but a little luck never hurts.
I have given many of these little guys as gifts to people in the business.
If nothing else, he makes … (18 comments)

lara okeefe: Doggie Bag! - 08/26/08 12:49 PM

This is a picture of Baxter when he was about ten weeks old.
He had been sneaking into the closet, looking for trouble, and he found this gift bag. I saved it from being chewed to shreds, but thought it would make a cute picture. It took many, many tries to keep this energetic litlle devil in the bag!
I have been wanting to use this picture in my marketing to Realtors (usually spec home related.)
Does anyone have a clever tag line that I could use with this picture?

 

For more information please contact Lara O'Keefe at … (45 comments)

lara okeefe: McKinney Texas-Unique By Nature - 08/26/08 09:50 AM
McKinney, Texas is close to Dallas, but so different from it.
Located just 30 miles north of Dallas, McKinney's rolling hills, tree-lined neighborhoods, historic downtown and beautiful parks give the city a quaint, small town feel. It's quite different from the DFW Metroplex's urban sprawl.
The friendly charm and comfortable pace makes for a great place to live and raise a family. In fact McKinney, with a population of approximately 119,000 people, is one of the fastest-growing cities in America.
Spend Some Time in McKinney Visitors with an eye for history will enjoy touring the City's historic neighborhoods, with beautifully restored … (10 comments)

lara okeefe: McKinney Texas-Dining Out - 08/26/08 08:58 AM
 
For more information please contact Lara O'Keefe at 972.838.9156 or visit Hunter's Creek.
(2 comments)

lara okeefe: Dog Day Afternoon - 08/25/08 04:52 AM

Here is a picture of my dogs, Bailey and Baxter, after a long day of swimming at my parents house. I saw the picture of the dog sleeping on the bed which was hanging over the bed and thought that it offered nice symmetry.
My mother was not nearly as pleased as I was with the results. She couldn't believe that I had let two damp dogs on her clean, white bed spread.
It was all in the name of art :-)

For more information please contact Lara O'Keefe at 972.838.9156 or visit Hunter's Creek.
(29 comments)

lara okeefe: Do your dogs sleep on your bed? - 08/24/08 01:26 PM

I think that you know my answer from the picture!
Our first dog, Bailey, was sweet and quiet and adjusted well to crate training at night and when we were not home. We just had to do it for the first couple of "puppy brain" years.
He was so good that we got a second "child." We picked Baxter because he was sweet and quiet. That is until we got some food in him and this dog barked for everything! Needless to say, crate training did not go nearly as well. Baxter barked and whined and cried some more! The second … (112 comments)

lara okeefe: Best Places to Live-McKinney Texas #14! - 08/23/08 04:35 AM
(0 comments)

 
Lara O'Keefe (North Texas Home Finders)

Lara O'Keefe

McKinney, TX

More about me…

North Texas Home Finders

Address: 3604 Braewood Dr, McKinney, TX, 75070

Mobile: (214) 228-7994



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