marketing: They just don't get it!
- 05/25/07 12:12 AM
A few weeks ago another Realtor in the Birmingham MI real estate market referred to me derogatorily as a “blogger”, somehow implying that blogging is not something that a real estate agent does to sell homes. Oh, how wrong he is. And I am OK that he does not know better. Another victim of “Old School” thinking that traps many agents into using ineffective marketing tools. Great for me. Yes, I write about real estate on miOaklandCounty.com and on ActiveRain. Is that a bad thing? I write about the local market, a bit about our business practices, and I closely track … (66 comments)
marketing: Off With Their Heads!
- 01/14/07 11:28 PM
Is your agent selling you short? Once again, I'm standing up to say that the agent you hire MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE. Sorry for the shouting. I am a little riled up about this one. A few days ago I came across a couple of listings in the MLS that I find not just irresponsible, but bordering on malpractice. I know that mistakes can be made, but big ones like these cost sellers a lot of time and money. A good Realtor is worth every penny she earns, and most days I don't see anything like this. Let me make it … (26 comments)
marketing: You Don't Have to Blog About Real Estate To Win Clients
- 01/11/07 01:13 PM
This is a story about a blogging success, and how ActiveRain helped me to improve my business through a blogger who I think of more for his 'deep thoughts' than for his product. As a matter of fact, it was Jeff Turner's blogs about life that made click through to his profile to figure out more about who he is. Like many of you, I am sure, I get really tired of solicitors calling me on my cell phone to tell me about the latest greatest product that is going to give me more business than I can handle. One of … (59 comments)
marketing: Donald Trump Visited My Blog Yesterday (Another Question For the Rainers)
- 12/20/06 12:43 AM
Yes, it does appear that The Donald made a social call on my Michigan real estate blog yesterday during the Yankee Blog Swap. (A big thanks to Mary McKnight and RSSPieces for a great idea well executed!) Though I have my doubts that it actually was the real Donald Trump, I had to capture that screen shot for posterity. If you haven't heard of MyBlogLog, check it out. It's a lot of fun to see who is visiting your site. While having The Donald visit was a hoot, it got me thinking about other things. There are many rewards to blogging. … (45 comments)
marketing: Testimonials from other agents
- 12/13/06 01:44 AM
Most of us have a nice list of client testimonials on our web page and on our ActiveRain profile sheet. Today I am going to go to the agents I worked with this year and write testimonials that they can use in their marketing. I am hopeful that they will reciprocate, if they feel I did a nice job of representing my client. I plan on using these on my site and in my listing presentation. I'm hopeful that it will further demonstrate our competence and acceptance in the local market. I also think that this could be a quick way for … (29 comments)
marketing: Call 9-1-1! I Can't Find Your Agent!
- 11/26/06 03:24 AM
Dear Mr & Mrs. Seller, I've noticed something funny lately. I happened to Google a couple of local agents' names. I was really surprised that NOTHING came up. I mean NOTHING! Not one lousy link. Not even one from their broker's site. Shhhhhhh. Don't tell them please. They are my competitors. I don't really want you to find them, if they don't want to be found. OK, OK, I don't mind if you find them, but here is my thought for the day: If you can't find any trace of your Realtor on Google, do you think your agent has a strong … (69 comments)
marketing: Mapping Shmapping--Here is a Mapping Tool We Can All Use
- 10/17/06 03:08 AM
A few months ago we organized a tour of SKBK Sotheby’s Beverly Hills listings. It was a big success. One of the things that we did was map out all the listings for our web site and flyers. At the time, the maps were a bit of a pain to do well without buying mapping software. Today I came across a new mapping tool that I think will solve this problem. We are organizing a tour of In Town Birmingham homes and mapVine will be put to use to map the tour. mapVine has only been out for a few days, … (29 comments)
marketing: Better Than Sliced Bread?
- 10/04/06 05:04 PM
I am so excited that I am sticking around to post this instead of nodding off to sleep. I spent a good part of my afternoon working on my email newsletter to my clients, with most of the content lifted straight from my Oakland County Homes blog. I recently dropped my subscription to a leading realty newsletter service because I get a far better response to my words than I do to their's. So why keep paying them for something that looks pretty generic? Bonnie Erickson, the esteemed blogger from Minnesota, just sent me an email testing a new program she is … (27 comments)
marketing: Are You Ready to Make Movies Too?
- 10/03/06 11:15 PM
Run on over to Inman to check out this very good article about using videos on your listings. Unless you are an Inman subscriber, you will only be able to read this until midnight tonight. Lots of ideas here to explore. Could video replace virtual tours? They say its easier to do since no special equipment or software is required. I am wondering if Realtor.com will support it soon so that we could add it to our enhanced lisitngs. A guy named Dan will be getting a lot of hits on his BuyDansHouse blog today because it is featured in Inman. While … (34 comments)
marketing: Laryngitis: Does Your Blog Have It?
- 10/01/06 11:59 PM
In homage to Angus Woodbury, pictured at right is my latest tech gadget (the crutches, not the model). Unlike Angus, I did not covet my new tech toy before purchasing, though I did request an upgrade in the accessory that came with: a black surgical boot. I asked if they had purple. The doctor laughed, but not too much. Black is all they carry. As a result of some 'help' from my precocious three year old, I spent most of the afternoon Sunday in the emergency room being X-rayed and diagnosed with a broken bone in my foot. "Ouch," proclaimed the … (44 comments)
marketing: The Very SAD House (Shhhhh.... They're Getting Divorced)
- 09/28/06 02:08 AM
Dear Mr. & Mrs. Seller, I am sorry your marriage didn't make it. Really, it makes me quite sad. I felt your loss when I walked through your beautiful house last night, in spite of gracious hostessing by your Realtor. Her broker open was well attended. The shrimp were delicious, by the way. But your house no longer feels like a home. I know you know. Your house feels sad.I don't know the specifics of your separation, but I imagine that you are both very interested in having the home that your family once shared sell for the highest possible price. … (28 comments)
marketing: Dear Mr. & Mrs. Seller, Here is What You NEED To Do.
- 09/17/06 10:01 AM
As I read the Sunday paper this morning my stomach started to knot up. Felt a little bit like nausea coming on. I have homes to sell in Michigan (for the clients we represent). If you are selling a home in Michigan, you know what I am talking about. I can no longer count the layoff announcements, restructuring plans and plant shut-downs. Record numbers of foreclosures and an increasing number of homes to sell without new jobs to replace the old. You don’t need a degree in economics to know that an increase in homes for sale with a decrease in … (24 comments)
marketing: How to Blog your way to success.
- 09/04/06 04:01 AM
First, let me say this. I have never met Brian Brady. I have never talked to Brian Brady. I have never done any business with Brian Brady. But I am about to point out something I REALLY like about Brian Brady. Brian is a mortgage broker. Its fairly obvious that he would like a bit of the business that that agents on ActiveRain might toss in his direction. Hey, we are all here to build our business, right? What I really like is the approach that Brian has taken to setting himself apart and offering us something of value through his blog. … (13 comments)
marketing: Site Content Idea: Top 10 Lists
- 08/26/06 12:28 PM
I built a couple of community pages on our site for the markets we serve. I've tried to keep them interesting, informative and a little fun. One of my clients gave me an idea for content on those pages. She had just moved here a year ago and she said that she wished that someone had told her where to buy and do certain things. So I asked her to help me with that list. I extended the scope of my project and had people help me with their top 10 things they liked about living in their city. It was fun … (0 comments)
marketing: Marketing Makeover: The Suburban Detroit Loft Market
- 08/24/06 12:48 AM
Marketing works. Right now the hot commodity in Detroit’s hippest suburbs (I know that sounds like an oxymoron, stop laughing!) is the loft. But suburban Detroit is not Soho, and our trendy suburbs do not have warehouse districts with artists squatting in abandoned buildings and gentrifying them. For the most part, our “lofts” are new construction condominiums with the obligatory exposed brick wall and unfinished ceiling. Other industrial decorating touches help to create the coveted loft mystique. It’s really pure marketing genius. Just don’t tell the super excited new owners that they’ve just paid an extra $50k for something everyone else … (9 comments)
marketing: Business planning is not a once a year event
- 08/22/06 05:23 PM
Market slowing down? Income not what you’d hope? Its time to revisit your business plan AND your marketing budget. We all know you have to spend money to make money. But when the market slows, you really have to revisit your priorities and take a closer look at what is producing a paycheck for you. Not getting many calls on those glossy ads in the home magazine, but your virtual tours are redirecting lots of visitors through to your site? Slow down on the print ads. Did you get a couple of calls after your last postcard campaign? Super. But something … (1 comments)
marketing: Heretical thoughts
- 08/19/06 11:46 PM
OK, I am going to say somthing now that goes against convential wisdom in our industry. And something that most of my friends won't believe came out of my mouth. ALL REALTORS DO NOT NEED TO BUY WEBSITES. Its true. Many of the agent sites that I visit have been purchased from template web site providers like Z57, homes.com, advanced access, and the like. Nothing is wrong with these companies, I use one of them myself for the preeminent site in Oakland County. OK, it might not really be the preeminent site, but I have spent quite a bit of time adding content … (15 comments)
Husband & wife, Dmitry & Maureen, specialize in residential real estate in Oakland County, Michigan.
Search for homes at Southeast Michigan MLS Search.
Visit us atmiBirmingham.comor on our new and improved
Oakland County Real Estate Blog. When you are ready to make your next move, call us at 248.961.0801.
Join ActiveRain. Dmitry and Maureen are licensed to practice real estate in the State of Michigan.
A few weeks ago another Realtor in the Birmingham MI real estate market referred to me derogatorily as a “blogger”, somehow implying that blogging is not something that a real estate agent does to sell homes. Oh, how wrong he is. And I am OK that he does not know better. Another victim of “Old School” thinking that traps many agents into using ineffective marketing tools. Great for me. 
;)
;)
