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WHAT WE NEED NOW IS A NEW "GIZMO"....I am tired of the game "Catch Me If You Can"!!

By Paula Hathaway, REALTOR, LBA

Real Estate Agent with Douglas Elliman Real Estate 30HA0800896

December 04, 2010 02:38 PM

What we need now is a new "Gizmo"...I am tired of the game "Catch Me If You Can"!! We need something that puts us in the same place with our clients or customers so that we can actually connect---Something happens when a person is looking for information and all they have to communicate with is a huge company website that demands that they register before they can connect with a human being-- something that is quite negative, and it does not work!

We already know that does not work from the run-around of the recorded voices and the hold buttons that corporations have been using unsuccessfully for years now! First, you have to hope someone will call you back to connect...after you have made the attempt to reach someone! All of this is SO not consumer friendly!!!...to say nothing of the fact that when one does not reach someone while doing an internet search, they lose interest and go on to the next one or the next site.

WHAT IS THAT THING-A-MA-JIG?? Say we had something that is connected directly to a listing that alerts us to a search that is taking place.

In my mind's eye, I envision a big orange button on each listing that, once pushed, gets you an agent immediately. In other words, cut to the chase and get the immediacy that is required to get a buyer or a seller to open up and connect to each of us. It used to be that people could call a number and get a human being--that worked to a great degree--now we expect them to forget that kind of connection and "sign up" to play a game of "Catch Me If You Can!"....First come, first serve is what that is all about and many agents feel like they are not getting their fair share of the business.

If we had a Gizmo that has a direct line to the listing that is being looked at by a potential buyer, and we are able to answer that Gizmo's alert with something like an ipad, that let's us speak, (like a cell phone connection) and see the actual listing that the buyer is looking at (and comps) we could save a lot of time and potential deals as well.

WHAT DO YOU THINK??? I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR OTHERS IDEAS TOO AND MAYBE WE CAN COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT REALLY DOES WORK!!! DO YOU BELIEVE THAT WE NEED TO IMPROVE OUR ABILITY TO CONNECT WITH OUR CLIENTS AND CUSTOMERS???

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Brent Wells

The LivingWell Team - Prosper, TX

Dallas - Fort Worth

Paula,

Now thats a great blog post, I am already slinging some HTML code. I envision a video chat with me button on each listing.

-Brent

Dec 05, 2010 02:56 AM

Bill Gillhespy

16 Sunview Blvd - Fort Myers Beach, FL

Fort Myers Beach Realtor, Fort Myers Beach Agent - Homes & Condos

Hi Paula, Great post and comment thread ! I've seen a " Click here to speak with an agent " button but you also add comps, etc. All very doable and parts of it have been around for awhile !

Dec 05, 2010 02:56 AM

Richie Alan Naggar

people first...then business Ran Right Realty - Riverside, CA

agent & author

How about every-time you hit this "gizmo" or button, it releases a pleasant smell in the house. Everyone wins....

Dec 05, 2010 03:06 AM

Paula Hathaway, REALTOR, LBA

Douglas Elliman Real Estate - Southampton, NY

...A Local Expert in all The Hamptons

Brent: That's a great idea to add to the big orange button....the reason I was even thinking about this idea is because EVERYTHING done to date has a complexity that while techies might do well with it--the average consumer does not. In the case of my own company website---they are getting further and further away from the importance of the connection between the consumer and the agent! They (the big companies) seem to think that they are the answer to getting more leads when in fact, on the contrary, the agent is the one who captures and converts leads into deals! So--I like the chat idea too and think that may be the concept that most people woudl want...I still would persue the simplicity thing of the big fat orange button though....make it so simple NO ONE has trouble with it.

Bill: My whole approach would be to go for the simple thing--the kind of thing that no one has difficulty with. I know some people "don't want to be bothered" but those are the people who seem to be difficult to get ahold of under any circumstance. This simple mechanism would allow for the agent who wants to be reached easily and at any time, to be reached easily and at any time! (Connecting it to an ipad makes it a no brainer for the agent!) Many consumers who don't want to make the connection just don't push the big orange button!

Dec 05, 2010 03:34 AM

Paula Hathaway, REALTOR, LBA

Douglas Elliman Real Estate - Southampton, NY

...A Local Expert in all The Hamptons

Richie: Do I detect a "tongue-in cheek" suggestion here? All kidding aside--I think it can be done and I may even persue doing something with the idea...any takers in the tech world can sign on and help me so the research....

Dec 05, 2010 03:36 AM

Cindy Marchant

Keller Williams Indy NE 317-290-7775 www.marchantteam.com - Carmel, IN

"Cindy in Indy" , Realtor, Fishers Real Estate

Great idea, but I think the reality is people searching on the websites don't want to communicate...website leads are usually pretty far out from actually being ready to buy. I have done everything from no registration to you can't see a single listing until you register, and I have it working pretty well now.

I do like the concept though!

Cindy in Indy

Dec 05, 2010 03:40 AM

Paula Hathaway, REALTOR, LBA

Douglas Elliman Real Estate - Southampton, NY

...A Local Expert in all The Hamptons

Cindy: The problem with registration is that it is worse than the barage of recorded messages that corporations put you through to get to the real human being---I am not saying EVERYBODY wants to connect, but if there are 2-3 people a day out there who DO want to connect with an agent, we act like they don't matter...those are the ones I'm talking about. Even one lead a week that is a serious one is great!

Dec 05, 2010 03:49 AM

Melissa Zavala

Broadpoint Properties - Escondido, CA

Broker, Escondido Real Estate, San Diego County

Well, if you use a caller hotline, you kind of have that for your riders. But, for the internet, I guess the login mechanism for the property search is the closest thing we have.

Dec 05, 2010 05:57 AM

Thomas Tom Carpenter

VanDyk Mortgage Corporation - Grand Rapids, MI

This is a cool idea for a salesperson, but I think buyers like to stay stealth now days. We live in a world of information and that is just want buyers want is information. They really do not want to talk with anyone, or be exposed to any kind of sales pressure. I think there is way to much electronic noise out there and people are using it to there advantage. Caller ID alone lets one screan out everyone. Try to make cold sales calls today or better yet try to collect money from someone who doesn't have it or doesn't want to pay. One almost needs to sit infront of their home in an unmarked car and wait for then to come home.

Dec 05, 2010 06:25 AM

Paula Hathaway, REALTOR, LBA

Douglas Elliman Real Estate - Southampton, NY

...A Local Expert in all The Hamptons

Melissa: That's it! And I don't think it would be that hard to put the controls directly in our hands instead of in the hands of company that owns the site--we are after all the deal makers, right?

Thomas: This is a gizmo for the consumer to reach a human being---not the other way around. I am not talking about people who don't want to connect--I am talking about that ones that DO!

Dec 05, 2010 06:34 AM

Bill Hills, CMPS®

MSI (Mortgage Services III, LLC) - Chicago, IL

Luxury Mortgage Banker

Have you guys seen this product.... http://www.epropertysites.com/ ?

I have nothing to do with this company - my company offers something completely different. Paula's blog post just caused me to think of this product which I came across a couple weeks back. Maybe most of you have already seen it.

If I was a realtor, I think I would be all over this to help market my listings. It seems so convenient for prospective buyers checking out a neighborhood...while very efficient and powerful for the listing agents. Seems like a good way to get both sides of the deal...or at least a prosepective buyer for a different property.

Bill

Dec 05, 2010 07:41 AM

Paula Hathaway, REALTOR, LBA

Douglas Elliman Real Estate - Southampton, NY

...A Local Expert in all The Hamptons

Hi Bill:I just went to the site and it looks interesting--trouble is it looks like all the other mechanisms out there right now that make it so complicated to participate---my "Gizmo" would be simple and so easy to use that the person looking at the listing does nothing more than push the orange button and the agent just needs an ipad to see the listing and comps and some voice or cell phone device on that ipad to speak to the consumer. Simplicity is key---every other thing out there to connect directly to a consumer is very complicated and not very effective--for instance it gives the agent an "out" if they don't want to take the call; thus an unhappy consumer.---This deal would be a very direct device that keeps an agent in the loop and cuts down on the chances of losing the customer if the agent wants the connection..If the agent does not want to use it, the button is dis-engaged and the customer goes to the next agent.

Dec 05, 2010 08:08 AM

Laurie Mindnich

Centennial, CO

Paula, you have put together a lovely site, and what you need (what we ALL need) are loads of properties on it, DIRECTLY on it, that allow buyers to contact YOU. Right from your site. The "magic button" is an IDX feed, or other legal listing system feed, whereby ALL of the properties are right there, on the site that generated the initial interest, with the person that generated the interest (YOU!).

Our site is mine- but, it's with alarm (I'd always assumed that all companies allowed agents their own site, and their own property feed, and I'm finding that to be untrue) that there seems to be a trend toward only allowing full property searches through a company portal. Your magic button is to get your broker to allow you property feeds (and, to get all companies on board with inputting listings) so that that magic, huge orange button simply reads: homes for sale in Southampton- and voila! there they all are, with your contact info, and a small acknowledgement of the listing company at the bottom. But...YOUR contact info/photo at the forefront- much prettier than an orange button.

I've taken five buyer calls today- three on a newly entered listing we have, one on an existing listing, and one on a listing provided via the IDX feed- and the calls came to ME, as I manned the phone.

It's just us, but if I worked for any brokerage, I'd demand that.

You deserve it- and my guess is that you'll find a way to accomplish the big orange button whereby, with your direct contact info on ALL listed properties (your direct info), the call will be met with the right person (you) who will then find them a house.

Dec 05, 2010 08:54 AM

Paula Hathaway, REALTOR, LBA

Douglas Elliman Real Estate - Southampton, NY

...A Local Expert in all The Hamptons

Erica: I think it would change things so dramatically that we would never look back--i is very confusing right now to even see how we are doing business with leads...alot o them just fall through the cracks!

Laurie: Thanks for the encouraging words! I can always count on you to do that! My site is really nice isn't it? Did you see how the host has "wrapped" the Prudential website into my "Search Properties" on the left side of my site??? I am very happy that they were able to do that--it gives me the opportunity now to get all contacts as long as they are on my site! We will see if that becomes an issue with my company or not....

Dec 05, 2010 09:09 AM

Tod Hunt

Hunt For Homes, LLC - Medford, OR

Your real estate advocate

My "gizmo" is sign call capture technology. The buyer prospect calls the 800# on the sign rider and inputs the 4-digit code assigned the listing and receives a thorough desciption of the listing's features except for a list price. The technology captures their phone number and often their city and name and address. I then call them on their phone and ask them if I can provide them with additional information (usually they want the price) and usually end up acquiring another buyer, unless they are already working with an agent. Most of my new business the past two years has come from this technology. Great gizmo!

Tod Hunt, Broker The Atlas Group, Medford, OR

Dec 05, 2010 11:23 AM

Paula Hathaway, REALTOR, LBA

Douglas Elliman Real Estate - Southampton, NY

...A Local Expert in all The Hamptons

Tod: Sounds great for signs---I am looking to put an "easy" button on the listings I have because what is going on is a skimming off the top of all listings from the "e-team" who then has the choice of all leads coming in--even on MY own listings. I would like to avoid all of that sort of thing including the connections that end up falling through the cracks with out any contact.

Dec 05, 2010 11:33 AM

John Novak

Keller Williams Realty The Marketplace - Las Vegas, NV

Henderson, Las Vegas and Summerlin Real Estate

I don't subscribe to the notion of 24/7 availability, so while Gizmo is a neat idea, I think it's best left to be a character in Gremlins.

Dec 05, 2010 02:37 PM

Paula Hathaway, REALTOR, LBA

Douglas Elliman Real Estate - Southampton, NY

...A Local Expert in all The Hamptons

John: I have always been available to anyone who calls on my listings at any time of the day or night, usually by email, so I just believe it could be more efficient---most people will not call at 2:00 in the AM but will text or email---thats just fine with me and a lot of agents.

Dec 05, 2010 10:10 PM

Brian Doubleday

Brian Doubleday - IML RealEstate - Orange County, CA Broker - Ladera Ranch, CA

Ladera Ranch, Foothill Ranch, Lake Forest, Mission Viejo

Great post, congrats on the feature, you really opened up a great discussion...I love the comment about the easy button on steroids

Dec 07, 2010 08:09 AM

Paula Hathaway, REALTOR, LBA

Douglas Elliman Real Estate - Southampton, NY

...A Local Expert in all The Hamptons

Brian:Me too! Wouldn't it be nice if we had an "EASY" button for our listings???

Dec 07, 2010 08:29 AM