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Contest for ActiveRain Members from RealtyNow

By
Services for Real Estate Pros with Reply.com

If you've been on ActiveRain in the past month, you've probably seen our blog posts about RealtyNow, a new lead program we're offering.  In this post, we'd like to announce a contest for AR members with a $1099.95 prize. 

Here is how the RealtyNow program works:

  • $99.95 monthly membership fee gets you access to the program
  • You build the coverage area you want to target by cities, counties, zip codes, or a combination of all three
  • We send you unlimited leads in real time, which means you'll receive the lead less than 10 minutes after the consumer submits their request
  • If you close a transaction through RealtyNow with a property price of $150K or more, you'll pay a flat $1000 advertising fee
  • If you close a transaction that is less than $150K, you won't pay anything other than the monthly membership fee
  • Extremely low-risk, cancel at anytime

(To learn more about RealtyNow or to sign up, please visit www.realtynow.com or call 925-983-3400, ext. 1011.)

While many of you have expressed your reasons for not signing up, many others have shared their success stories both publicly on AR and privately in phone discussions.  To encourage RealtyNow clients to share their success stories with the rest of the AR community, Reply! is announcing a contest for our RealtyNow members who are also members of ActiveRain.

Here are the guidelines:

  • RealtyNow clients are encouraged to write a summary of their best success story about a client they worked with through the RealtyNow program (Ideas would include what made this particular transaction unique or interesting, why you were impressed with the particular client, what happened when you called the lead initially, what you specifically did to earn the client's business, and ultimately, why this client was valuable to you and what your ROI was)
  • Write as much or as little as you want to get your point across
  • Success stories do not have to be limited to one particular client, but they need to of course have originated through the RealtyNow program

What's in it for you?

At the end of the month, we will select the winning story and that agent will receive one month's worth of free service (a $99.95 value) and the $1000 advertising fee waived for that transaction.  If the particular transaction you're writing about was less than $150K, we will waive the first advertising fee that you qualify for.  The winner will be announced via this post, and we'll of course also contact that person directly.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at rudd.lippincott@reply.com

 

Happy Selling,

Rudd Lippincott
Director, Retail Operations
Reply! Inc. 

Show All Comments Sort:
Dana Devine
Charles Rutenberg Realty - Apollo Beach, FL

i am confused is the company Realty Now or Reply?

Jan 22, 2010 11:13 PM
Sally K. & David L. Hanson
EXP Realty 414-525-0563 - Brookfield, WI
WI Real Estate Agents - Luxury - Divorce

 I know there is a law in Wisconsin...you can't require payment to enter a contest...not sure where else that applies in t he whole country...best check it out...pay to win...can't be done.

Jan 22, 2010 11:27 PM
Bonnie Vaughan
Scranton, PA
CNE SFR - Buyers/Sellers - Lackawanna & Surroundin

Donna,  To reference your comment to me, there is a difference how the fee is paid.  If it is a referral fee it comes off the top of the commission before the franchise fee.  The referral gets subtracted from the gross commission, so both agent and broker contribute.  Then the franchise fee comes off followed by the broker split.  A referral fee would generate me more money.  I would net 480.00 more if it was a referral.

When you are paying the $1000 and a fee of 99.00 a month that's $1100 coming out of your proceeds only.  You absorb the entire cost of the transaction.

If your broker is willing to absorb 50% of the Advertising fee on each transaction, then the comparison with a referral fee is equal.

Jan 22, 2010 11:41 PM
Jonathan Smith
Haynes, ND

Here Here Donna,

I have the same concern - plus with a referral fee you at least get a motivated buyer.  Here, you don't know what you get and can waste a lot of time and money.

If you want more customers and to show us your program is worthy of our investment of time and money - give us a free trial period.

I get pitched this all the time and that's what I always ask for.  I give my customers a free trial of my services, lead generation providers should also since there are so many "bad" ones out there.

 

Jan 23, 2010 02:28 AM
Donna Harris
Donna Homes, powered by JPAR - TexasRealEstateMediationServices.com - Austin, TX
Realtor,Mediator,Ombudsman,Property Tax Arbitrator

Bonnie, Again I think you need to look into another company as what you described makes absolutely no sense.

Marc, $100 a month for potentially 100+ leads... $1 a lead, and you want a free trial period?  That basically is free, but that's just my opinion.  I pay more for my PPC leads on my websites.

Jan 23, 2010 04:49 AM
Greg Nino
RE/MAX Compass - Houston, TX
Houston, Texas

For what you pay, it's the best system I've ever run across. Even if my avg deal was over 150k, it's still works out in my favor financially.

Like I've said before, $1,000 is much less than the typical 25% referral fee. I really don't understand why so many people are put off by the price. If your broker is eating 1/2 your commission, that's way to damn much. The broker should absorb 1/2 the 1,000 fee in my opinion, plus the pay half the $99 per month. They are both costs of doing business. Like Donna said, you may need a new broker! Join a stronger organization that doesn't eat half your check in exchange for free Internet, lock boxes and signs. Unreal what people pay for.

Jan 23, 2010 06:21 AM
Tere Rottink
CoastalVa Realty Inc - Virginia Beach, VA
2 Featured Posts Outside Blog

A system like this have to by worked by a system.  It is a numbers game.  I don't have the patience to work  somthing like this.  I learned it the hard way.  Good for everyone who can make it work.

Jan 23, 2010 02:36 PM
Lisa Schlitz
Home Run Real Estate, Inc. - Wellington, FL
Realtor - Wellington, Florida Homes 561-214-3216

I get plenty of leads from my broker but I wish you luck with your contest!

Jan 24, 2010 09:26 PM
Ann-Marie Clements
Candidate for an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership - Saint John, NB
Ed.D. candidate, Innovative Proactive Principa

Hi Rudd,  It sounds good!!!  How many referrals do you get in Atlantic Canada or Saint John, New Brunswick (NB) Canada?   We are snuggled between Maine & Nova Scotia.  Let me know and THANKS!!!  ;>))

Jan 25, 2010 01:07 AM
Ann-Marie Clements
Candidate for an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership - Saint John, NB
Ed.D. candidate, Innovative Proactive Principa

Hi Rudd,

I'm assuming this program isn't available in Canada, since I tried to register or sign-up and it would only take "States"...  Keep in mind:  Many Americans move to Canada and many Canadians move to the U.S. especially for the winter months.  Let me know if this program is available in O, Canada....  ;>))

Jan 25, 2010 01:13 AM
Katerina Gasset
The Gasset Group & Get It Done For Me Virtual Services - Provo, UT
Amplify Your Real Estate & Life Dreams!

Rudd- Next, you should run a contest for those who are not members yet and give a membership away:) It could be, why i want leads from reply! 

I am very interested in your program and I know that Greg has gotten a few listings, but I have found that most lead generators are for buyers not listings. Do you have any data on this? 

Jan 25, 2010 02:35 AM
Kristi DeFazio
RE/MAX Advantage - Colorado Springs, CO
Colorado Springs Rea lEstate 719-459-5468

I am not quite ready to jump in on this but it does sound like it could be a good program if the leads are decent ones.

Jan 25, 2010 03:03 AM
Reply.com Marketing
Reply.com - San Ramon, CA

Cathy - thank you.

Gita Bantwal - thank you as well.

i am confused is the company Realty Now or Reply?  Dana, Reply! Inc. is the company and RealtyNow is one of the real estate programs we offer. 

 I know there is a law in Wisconsin...you can't require payment to enter a contest...not sure where else that applies in t he whole country...best check it out...pay to win...can't be done.  Feel free to submit your story about a prospect you closed through an internet lead program, and I'll gladly consider your entry in the contest.

A system like this have to by worked by a system.  It is a numbers game.  I could not agree more.

I'm curious as to what sites you get your leads from.  The main sites that we generate leads through are www.connnectwithlife.com, local.reply.com, and www.icastle.com.

A consumer see's that error message and research proves that most just walk away from there, that makes me a little uncomfortable about placing my marketing dollars with you. Prove me otherwise and I may consider it.  I can't replicate the error message you were getting.  The sites are working fine to my knowledge.  If you get the same message again, please be so kind as to send me an email with a screenshot of the error to rudd.lippincott@reply.com or call me at 925-983-3427 and I'll try to help you out. 

I'm assuming this program isn't available in Canada, since I tried to register or sign-up and it would only take "States"...  Ann-Marie Clements - sorry, we do not service Canada right now.

Rudd- Next, you should run a contest for those who are not members yet and give a membership away:) It could be, why i want leads from reply!  I will give this some consideration.  Do you have suggestions on what the contest would be? 

 

Jan 26, 2010 07:38 AM
Reply.com Marketing
Reply.com - San Ramon, CA

Colette - I'm sorry, I'm not able to replicate the error in FireFox either.  Can you send the link of the page you are on before you get the error message?  rudd.lippincott@reply.com

Jan 26, 2010 10:59 AM
Ron Parise
LocateHomes.com - Cape Coral, FL

Rudd

 

not exactly what you were looking for (not even close)...but its all Ive got for now

Internet Leads...a success story

Jan 31, 2010 12:00 PM
Reply.com Marketing
Reply.com - San Ramon, CA

AR Bloggers,

Thank you for all the positive comments left on this thread.  After careful consideration, we have nominated Mr. Greg Nino as the winner of this contest.  While Greg's success story was not limited to one particular client, his testimony struck a chord with us.  Greg's story echoes a point that I consistently try to communicate with all real estate agents; obviously the quality of the leads you are buying will play a role in your success, the process you apply is arguably more important than the leads themselves.  Whether you buy leads from a company like Reply! or generate them from your own website, the leads are only as strong as the follow up process being applied.

Congrats to Greg - we look forward to contributing to your success in 2010 and many years to come.  Your February 2010 membership fee of $99.95 will be waived, as well as your first advertising fee.  An extra special thanks to everyone else who posted. 

I'd like to encourage AR bloggers to continue to use this particular thread to communicate success stories and best practices.

Thank you for reading.

Regards,

Rudd Lippincott

rudd.lippincott@reply.com

925-983-3427

Director, Retail Operations

Reply.com

Feb 17, 2010 05:51 AM
Misty King
AmeriMade Realty - Bryan, OH

Rudd,

Thanks for taking the time to talk to me about the issues I was having with Reply.com.  It doesn't work for everybody but I'm glad that so many people are having great success with it.  Sometimes, as Realtors, we need all the help we can get in a business that is often inundated with multiple Real Estate Agents in one small area. 

I hope somehow my struggles have given you some ideas about where to make improvements that might offer a win-win for EVERY agent!!

Best wishes to you and to those who are using your service.  Happy Sales in 2010!

Misty King 

Feb 18, 2010 03:26 AM
Reply.com Marketing
Reply.com - San Ramon, CA

Misty - thank you for the time you spent with me on the phone today.  I really appreciate all the feedback, and I hope we can find an opportunity to work together again in the future.

Please do not hesitate to reach out to me if there is anything else I can do for you.     

Regards,

Rudd

Feb 18, 2010 03:37 AM
Elva Branson-Lee
Best Atlanta - Atlanta, GA
Marketing Specialist, Atlanta Short Sale Pr

I missed this. Sure would be interesting to blog a post about the real results people got. I'd like to know.

Mar 18, 2010 12:36 PM
Fernando Herboso - Associate Broker MD, & VA
Maxus Realty Group of Samson Properties - Clarksburg, MD
301-246-0001 Serving Maryland, DC and Northern VA

Rudd:

I'm trying to unsubscribe for these services and I'm unable to. . when I send a message to the only email provided in my account. .support@realtynow.com  my message of notice of cancellation bounces back to me as undeliverable . .and there is no customer support telephone number . 

Can you hep me with this?

Nov 14, 2011 03:21 AM