Like consumers in almost every industry, homebuyers often use the Internet to shop. According to some estimates, more than 80 percent of all new homebuyers begin their search online. In addition, industry statistics and surveys show that Internet leads are the best and least expensive source for new clients. Builders and Realtors should not only understand how to create a Web presence but also how to maximize that presence and turn it into a sale.
In some cases, Realtors and builders will seek help from a Web … (2 comments)
selling new homes: Confessions of a Mystery Shopper
- 08/02/09 10:08 PM
BuilderRadio interviews Mary LeBlanc, LeBlanc & Associates You’ve been shopped! Why do those words cause a panic to consume us as soon a we realize that our best customer of the day was really a professional shopper, and that we’ve been tested, scrutinized, evaluated, and graded. Oh. I guess I just answered my own question. This week we speak with Mary LeBlanc, one of the most well known shoppers and evaluators in the business. And you can listen without any fear at all. In fact, as Mary recounts some of her experiences in, you’ll be relieved that it isn’t you that … (6 comments)
selling new homes: 15 Effective Closing Techniques for Today’s Housing Market
- 07/27/09 07:01 AM
BuilderRadio interviews Robert August, S. Robert August Co.Without a doubt the most positive and contagiously enthusiastic voice in the real estate and new home community belongs to Robert August. Robert has a way of bringing everyone he talks to up to his level of energy, as you’ll hear in this week’s interview. Here, he fires off bullet after bullet on effective closing techniques that will have you taking furious notes and hitting the replay button often. Note: If you’re in the habit of reading the blog instead of listening to the podcast, now would be a good time to switch … (3 comments)
selling new homes: Housing’s Silver Lining: When the Going Gets Tough…
- 07/20/09 12:15 AM
BulderRadio interviews Melinda Brody, Melinda Brody & Co. While the housing market – and the economy in general – is still at or near the bottom of the trough, Melinda Brody has some good news to share: In some respects, things are beginning to look up. Melinda Brody & Co., Inc provides sales evaluations for builders across the country. Each year her company combines all their research and data into an annual report that she shares with her clients. Her most recent findings indicate that new home sales organizations are beginning to adjust to the new market. For the first … (1 comments)
selling new homes: Bridging the Generation Gap With New Home Buyers
- 07/12/09 10:48 PM
BuilderRadio Interveiews Gian Hasbrock, President, WOWISM Remember the advertisement a few years back that proclaimed ‘It’s not your father’s Oldsmobile?’ (C’mon, I’m not that old… am I?) That campaign was an attempt for the automaker to rebrand itself as young and exciting. It had failed to keep its product line current with a younger generation of buyers. Sales researcher, analyst and home sales trainer, Gian Hasbrook, has made a study of how different generations approach home buying. He shares his insights with us today. “One of the problems we run into is that the normal assumption is that generations progress … (0 comments)
selling new homes: Online Marketing as an Interactive Conversation
- 07/06/09 01:06 AM
BuilderRadio interviews Sundeep Kapur, The Email Yogi. “Marketing is all about knowing what other people want, and the best way to do it is to have an interactive conversation,” says Sundeep Kapur. Marketing has always been an interactive exercise: message, call to action, response. But the methods of interaction have certainly changed – and continue to change. Where the interaction used to be primarily in our models or by phone, today its more online interaction, through what Kapur refers to as the Seven Primary Channels of Online Communication: Blogs Twitter Personas Community Pictures Videos Email Why builders should post a blog.“As a … (1 comments)
selling new homes: Delivering a Superb Customer Experience
- 06/28/09 01:03 PM
BuilderRadio interviews Jane Meagher, President, Success Strategies. So you build a great home and you pride yourself on the quality you put into every house. Good for you. You should. In fact, quality should be the baseline – the ante – for every builder in today’s market. But quality can’t be your marketing message. Instead, says Jane Meagher, “what we really need to focus on is being more aligned with consumer demand, acting more like a retailer and thinking more like a consumer. We tend to lose site sometimes of what the buyer really wants and how to deliver it.” Meagher … (2 comments)
selling new homes: 5 Steps to Taking Charge with Change and Creativity
- 06/07/09 01:33 PM
BuilderRadio Interviews Bonnie Alfriend, Alfriend Sales & Marketing Solutions So, how’s your traffic? That question most likely touches a sore spot. I mean, who’s got enough traffic? But, rather than bemoan the effects of the recession or take a wait-until-the rebound attitude, Bonnie Alfriend is here to tell you to get over it and take charge. Bonnie is no stranger to recessions. She admits to having been in the housing industry long enough to experience more than one. And, like those of the past, she sees the current housing market as full of opportunity for those who know how to take … (8 comments)
selling new homes: Selling Value in a Price-Dominated Market
- 05/31/09 03:02 PM
BuilderRadio Interviews Bill Webb, Wm. N. Webb & Co. Sometimes our biggest competition comes from ourselves. We look at the market and let our own fears limit what we think can be done. “One of the biggest problems that I encounter in my work is the belief that nothing can be done to make anything better. That is an attitude problem that becomes self-fulfilling,” says this week’s guest, Bill Webb. Bill has worked with builders from around the country, and has seen this pattern time and time again. But, he’s also helped sales organizations break that cycle and achieve outstanding results, … (1 comments)
selling new homes: Living Large on a Smaller Budget: Designing Homes for the New Economy
- 05/31/09 02:36 PM
BuilderRadio Interviews Doris Pearlman and Doug Van Lerberghe. The Realtor that lives up the street from me has been driving Ford Expeditions since they first came out, trading every couple of years for a new one. Last week she waved as she passed by in her new Ford Escape hybrid. It’s true: Standards change with the times. What has happened to Detroit metal is carrying through into the housing industry. Survival will mean adjusting our product to fit a new economy, emerging trends, and changing lifestyles. “Everybody has had to confront how to live differently in a challenging economic time. … (1 comments)
selling new homes: New First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit
- 03/29/09 05:03 AM
Looking to learn more about the new first time homebuyer tax credit? Here is a link to a free audio webinar that explains some of the details of the program. www.BuilderRadio.com/NewTaxCredit … (0 comments)
selling new homes: Website Sales & Marketing - Facts & Tips
- 02/21/09 12:39 PM
Facts: § It’s a proven fact that the majority of American consumers are spending time on-line. § Over 80% of all new homebuyers begin their search on-line or while shopping for a new home, will go on-line to see what is available. § We also know that Internet leads are the best and least expensive lead source. § Web based marketing can cost 30% less than traditional marketing. If this is the case, why don’t we put more emphasis on developing our website? The Internet is the best marketing tool available at our disposal. In order to improve our … (9 comments)
selling new homes: 18 Place to List Your Homes On the Internet
- 02/21/09 12:09 PM
If you are looking to expand your reach and post your new homes or existing homes for sale, check out some of these websites. 1. New York Times — The No. 1 newspaper website in the US, reach approximately 36 million unique visitors per month. 2. Google Base —Use Google Base to upload your listings 3. Zillow — Zillow.com 4. Yahoo Real Estate — Most trafficked Internet destinations worldwide. Visit Yahoo! Real Estate 5 . Ebay —For real estate, eBay offers the posting of fixed price classifieds ads. 6. Craigslist — Craigslist is a centralized network of online urban communities, featuring … (8 comments)
selling new homes: Developing a Sales & Marketing Plan that Creates Action
- 02/21/09 11:43 AM
If you keep doing the same thing year after year, you can expect to get the same results. How about changing the way you do things and develop a plan that will increase sales and improve your bottom line? So often, we tend to over complicate our business approach and make it harder than it really is. When all is said and done, nothing happens until someone sells something. Establishing your objectives The first thing that needs to be done in any business plan is to establish your goals. Keep in mind that whatever goal you set, it must be realistic, … (3 comments)
selling new homes: Using Social Networking to Expand Your Business
- 02/21/09 11:29 AM
Social networking and blogs are new buzzwords that we are starting to hear about, a lot more often. The big question that many companies ask is “How does this apply to the housing industry”. As I meet and talk with housing companies and sales people, I am finding that many of the companies that are proactive in today’s changing market and maintaining their business growth, are the same companies that are staying on top of the new technologies.
The way consumers shop and buy is changing very rapidly. Internet search, web shopping, e-mail marketing, blogs and the social networking sites, … (2 comments)
selling new homes: Where Are the Sales? It’s Not My Fault!
- 10/07/08 12:10 PM
Have your heard this before from your sales or marketing department? Whose fault is it, that sales are slow now? Is it the ecomony, the marketing department, your PR firm or sales? Who should you blame? If you are like most people, you want to pass the buck to someone else. Take your pick, throw your dart at one of the other departments and build your case. Here is my take. The Ecomony? Read all the articles you want, listen to the newscasts, look for all the “For Sale” signs and you’ll most likely say, that’s it! If the market … (1 comments)
selling new homes: Housing Media Deception
- 08/19/08 03:24 AM
Now is the best time to build or buy a home. Stop listening to the media and everyone else. Are they giving you the complete picture and telling you all the facts?
Secrets that the media is not telling you · Have you read any articles that say that the population is decreasing and the demand for housing will go down? · Have you seen articles that say that owning a home is no longer the dream of American consumers? · Have you read articles on how 94 to 96% of the population is still gainfully employed? · Have your … (3 comments)
Having an online presence isn't enough — customers and closings must follow
;)
;)
;)
