future of real estate: Ten Things to do Differently in 2010
- 01/04/10 12:52 AM
Ready to make big improvements in your business in 2010? Most of us make a list of things we currently aren’t doing – and probably still won’t in the New Year. So rather than work against ourselves – a formula for failure and disappointment – why not resolve to keep doing what you are already doing. Perhaps just a little differently!
At Matthew Ferrara & Company, we don’t believe in the “overcoming weaknesses” method of business planning. Rather, we think everyone should focus on their strengths and find ways to maximize the use of them every day. If your resolutions involve working on … (7 comments)
future of real estate: Real Estate's Best Days are Ahead
- 07/03/09 03:07 AM
“Reports of my death are greatly exaggerated,” So quipped Mark Twain after hearing his demise had been published in the New York Times. The same might be said today about the real estate industry. A lot of hullabaloo has been making its way through the web these days - the end of brands, numbered days for independent agents, consumers ready to do it on their own. Trouble is, it’s mostly punditry that supports these assertions. Certainly, real estate brokerage is under a lot of pressure to produce profits, cut costs and improve customer satisfaction these days. Even more likely is … (5 comments)
future of real estate: Ten Reasons why MLS is Dead Already
- 05/19/09 09:28 AM
Once again, as REALTORS converged last week for their MidYear meetings in Washington, D.C., the forces of stability and sameness were present, coming up with last-gasp-ways to protect the tattered vestiges of Real Estate, the Last Generation. New white-papers and shiny-Powerpoint presentations proclaimed the “we-can-renovate” mentality of Gen 2.0 MLS systems struggling to enter the 3.0 version of the industry. Much like Google and Yahoo - who refuse to admit their advertising model is crumbling in the face of social networks - MLS’s are trying one last time to burnish a brand that has already worn off the chrome. What’s … (32 comments)
future of real estate: The Future has Already Started
- 04/12/09 01:55 AM
Recently I participated on a panel where the audience could ask literally anything. After a few softball questions to get started, the pink elephant entered the room: What do you think the real estate brokerage company of the future will look like? The room was suddenly still. Everyone leaned forward in their seats. All eyes were on the panelists. And after three other great answers - about companies focused on leadership, treating customers like guests, and practicing the fine art of salesmanship - the microphone came to me. What would be my answer? What will the real estate brokerage of the … (0 comments)
future of real estate: Real Estate Renaissance: Focus on Opportunities
- 03/31/09 07:33 AM
There’s a paradox in today’s housing industry: The real estate marketplace is showing signs of potential, but the real estate business is still falling apart. Home affordability is the best in decades; mortgage rates the lowest in modern times. Sellers and buyers are starting to get it. Yet after hundreds of thousands of REALTORS have left the industry, the news continues to be about bankruptcies, layoffs and implosions at brokerages nationwide. Agents are demoralized; managers are shaken; brokers sweating. This, even at a time when online operational costs such as marketing have plummeted and technology-driven success stories are soaring. Why, … (0 comments)
future of real estate: The Other Broken Real Estate Market
- 03/25/09 08:24 AM
Everyone knows about the 90/10 rule: 90% of the business is done by about 10% of REALTORS. Translated to a consumer experience, this means that most buyers and sellers have about a 1-in-10 chance of getting the “best performing” agent to sell their home or represent them in a purchase. Even a generous assessment of the business - quartiled for the top 25% of agents who generate more than $200,000 in commissions annually - leave the underperforming-bottom 75% of the business to muck up the works. And while banks, lenders, Fannie, Freddie, Frank and Dodd all share some blame for causing … (0 comments)
future of real estate: Where the Next REALTORS will be Found
- 03/15/09 02:07 PM
A recent quote from Walter Percy Chrysler has been stuck in my head lately: Most people never get ahead in life because when opportunity knocks, they are out back looking for four leaf clovers. These days, it seems like Chrylser’s perspective is particularly appropriate to the real estate industry crisis. In addition to merely waiting around for Uncle Sam, Freddie, Fannie and even China to revive the housing industry, most brokers are busy scurrying around looking for lucky charms to help them survive the downturn.
In fact, it’s even worse than usual - beyond burying statues and rearranging furniture … (0 comments)
Months ago, we reported to you that internet marketing was dead. That was August 2008, when MySpace overtook Yahoo in display ads totals for the month. Our argument then was that people prefer to interact with other people, even online, and that the original internet age of “blindly searching” the portals was dead. They just didn’t know it then. And for another seven months the world of SEO, PPC, page ranking and site relevancy made a few valiant attempts to remain relevant themselves. Yet today, David has finally slain Goliath: Advertising Age reports that Facebook … (0 comments)
future of real estate: The Power of Anticipation
- 03/04/09 12:19 PM
For the past few years, one trend in the real estate industry has increasingly worried me. Without hesitation, most REALTORS in our workshops can tell us all about their local market: the number of homes available, listed and sold this month, the average days on market, even the top agents by inventory or revenue. They know the market share by dollar, number of agents and most yard signs. They can rattle off housing statistics like they were a search engine, organized by price, bedrooms and baths. For all appearances, REALTORS seem to know a whole lot about the marketplace. Unless you … (0 comments)
future of real estate: The End of Top Producing REALTORS
- 03/01/09 03:09 AM
What is the vision for America from its leaders? Clearly, it’s one where the meek shall inherit our money, our praise, and eventually our lives. Anyone who is capable and productive - and proud of it - will incur the wrath of government upon him. So REALTORS had better watch out - because it’s not just the media that hate capable men. Legislators, a la Connecticut, will use their power to punish anyone who proudly demands compensation for his accomplishments. Government itself now holds our most productive minds in disdain. Guilty without charge - for bank CEOs and basketball coaches - … (0 comments)
future of real estate: Ding! Dong! The Newspaper Ad is Dead!
- 12/29/08 01:32 AM
Everyone stand up and CHEER! In an industry marked by "we've always done it that way" insanity - not to mention dozens of people on Active Rain telling me recently that their calendar and magnet mailings still paid off - there is HOPE for the future! I'd like to award my first WELCOME TO THE FUTURE AWARD (I just made that up) to Shorewest Realtors of Winsconsin! First, some disclaimers: I have never worked for their company (yet!!) and I received a copy of their ad from a friend at Coldwell Banker United in North Carolina (which means top competing … (134 comments)
Ready to make big improvements in your business in 2010? Most of us make a list of things we currently aren’t doing – and probably still won’t in the New Year. So rather than work against ourselves – a formula for failure and disappointment – why not resolve to keep doing what you are already doing. Perhaps just a little differently!
;)
;)
;)
