By Marylyn B. Schwartz
RISMEDIA, Feb. 25, 2008-Broker/owner, entrepreneur, techno-savvy geek (that’s a compliment), and all around great guy, Larry Vecchio, Better Homes Realty, New Jersey, has been ahead of the curve in real estate initiatives and trends for many years. Rather than wait for real estate to catch up with technology, he brought technology full speed ahead into his real estate company long before many others acknowledged that the Internet would revolutionize the industry.
MBS: “Larry, why do you believe that your company outperformed many of the bigger, more established companies in your market places during the toughest times of 2007?”
LV: “We understood that consumers would go to non-real estate websites to shop. We saw the trends that promised to drive more and more traffic to sites such as Yahoo and Trulia. Many sought free and unbiased information devoid of the pressure of being contacted by an agent or having to input personal information. We took our clue from the trends and developed our websites Homesin(your town name here).com. In addition, we created the site: homesofdistinction.com, which further solidified our marketing initiatives and helped us to reach out more effectively to the consumer than had been done prior.”
MBS: “That’s quite an interesting concept. You seemed to foresee a trend that wasn’t quite as clear to others. Where did you come up with the idea for homesin(yourtown).com? I know that you own that domain name in all of New Jersey as well as in other places around the country.”
LV: “I wish I could tell you that it came to me in a burst of genius, but it is far simpler than that. I was setting up a website at the Asbury Press, and I asked the young lady who was assisting me where she would look if she wanted to find a home. She said ‘I would look up homes in my town.’ That was the kernel that grew into the formidable network it is today.”
MBS: “You wanted to generate more leads for your agents, yet we know that leads are often in abundance, whereas quality leads and lead conversion eludes us. What are your thoughts relative to the importance of lead generation?”
LV: “I feel there are three levels of leads; now, someday and never. The question becomes what to do with each group. It goes without saying, ready is ready. For the someday, the effectiveness of the company’s auto e-mail system and drip campaign are key. There is no point in creating web domains everywhere if you don’t have the backup systems to control the leads. Truth is that many companies rely solely on their MLS’s tracking program. While something is better than nothing, I believe that we are responding to an ever more sophisticated consumer who expects state-of-the-art technology. We cannot rest on our laurels nor depend on outside resources to control our profitability.”
MBS: “You recently joined a franchise not known in our area but well established in California, Better Homes Realty. How did that come about?”
LV: “With the re-entrance of the Better Homes and Gardens Realty brand, having a name like Better Homes VRI New Jersey Real Estate was creating a challenge. I did not want to join the BH&G family but had a well-respected name brand to protect. I learned about this franchise in Northern California and picked up the phone and called the owners. I flew out to the west coast and we negotiated a partnership that allowed me to be the sole proprietor of the brand east of the Mississippi. It is our belief that we have a powerful opportunity here and will bring this brand to the forefront over the next couple of years. We’re focused on building an Internet Co-op of brokers in every market who will share opportunities and generate leads.”
MBS: “You have already begun that process, correct?”
LV: “Indeed. Right now, an agent elsewhere in the U.S. can join our Internet Co-op and for a modest monthly fee is able to use the Homes of Distinction web domain name and post unlimited listings. Imagine being able to offer your sellers that banner? It has cache as well as allowing the agent autonomy for creating a marketing plan in consultation with the seller. The agent is not bound by highly restrictive brand protections. We are working on a program for mortgage brokers as well. It is a Mortgage Purchase Leads Internet Co-op. We are on the cutting edge relative to helping the mortgage industry become lead generators for Realtors® rather than it always being the reverse.”
MBS: “What are the immediate challenges you see for the industry?”
LV: “Agent training is crucial. We need more skilled professionals, not just more recruits. There are opportunities for growth in acquisitions. Lots of good producers, frustrated by the flood of unskilled recruits entering the business over the past few years, went off and started their own firms. Once the market cooled, they began looking to merge with or be acquired by a company where excellence and teamwork are benchmarks. They want a company where they benefit from the Internet leads generated while being able to “do his/her own thing.” What they want is mentoring and not managing. It is my belief that if we don’t develop more effective systems to lure the consumer, the so-called “free listings” being offered by the non-real estate, third party companies will cost a fortune in lost revenue down the road. Free now equals profitability decline later.”
MBS: “We look forward to seeing how your innovative initiatives will help us all be more effective and competitive within the industry!”
Marylyn B. Schwartz, CSP, is an expert in real estate and corporate sales training/management and team development. She is president of Teamweavers and a trainer for Leader’s Choice.
For more information, visit www.marylynbschwartz.com, or e-mail teamweaver@aol.com.
RISMedia welcomes your questions and comments. Send your e-mail to: realestatemagazinefeedback@rismedia.com.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Saturday, February 23, 2008
SO WHO IS EUGENE SMITH
I help companies solidify a corporate image, both online and off. I tend to focus my talents on web-based branding, but I've had success using more traditional marketing strategies as well. I excel in the creative process, and have found that the earlier I am involved the better the results.
I am here to Manage your (SEM) Search Engine Marketing by shaping your web-presence. I'll bring you closer, by making you more available to your target. Then launch campaigns that will make you valuable to the exact demographic that you are seeking.
What is search engine marketing (SEM) and why is it important?
SEM is the understanding of how a target site relates to other websites. Some SEO techniques allow a site to show up for relatively low competition keywords, but as the number of sites on a given keyword becomes more competitive, SEM allows a business to coordinate hundreds, or even thousands of sites to increase the relevancy of how a search engine views it. SEM can also include pay per click (PPC) or unpaid organic results.
What is search engine optimization (SEO) and why is it important?
SEO is the process of analyzing elements on a site so the code maximizes the use of keywords contained on the site when viewed by search engines. While text elements are visible to human eye, the code within a site is also important for showing up in keyword searches: this includes structure, HTML code, directories, images and content on the site. The selection of the keywords that raise a site is HUGE to businesses, as the importance of those keywords could potentially send thousands of viewers to a site daily.
So what’s the major difference between SEO and SEM?
Search engine optimization (SEO) is primarily done with code work on a target site. It includes images, text, and information on the site.
Search engine marketing (SEM) is primarily done with work not on the site. It includes link-building, business partnerships, and other online marketing efforts.
Specialties:
Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Search Engine Marketing (SEM), Public Relations, Campaign Design, Mortgage Finance, Commercial Lending, Residential and Commercial Real Estate, Lease-Purchase, Real Estate Lic., Short-Sale, Bridge Loans, Land Development, Rehab Loans, Interior Paint Contracting
ONLINE REAL ESTATE MARKETING - THE IMPORTANCE OF WORKING WITH PROFESSIONALS
Commentary by Israel Rothman
RISMEDIA, Feb. 21, 2008-As a real estate professional, have you ever heard any of these familiar phrases?
“I can’t get in touch with my Web designer, who wants more money every time I want a simple edit; then he never gets it done.”
“My Website has disappeared because the domain was not renewed; I cannot renew the domain because my e-mail was not used to register it.”
“We don’t rank anywhere on the search engines and never get any hits; we paid $2,500 for SEO, and were ranked on Google for exactly one day.”
If any of this sounds familiar, you are not alone. The fact is that most of the best products and services on the Internet are either free, or so inexpensive that anybody can afford them. It’s the expertise to make it all come together to get results that is rare; it is a constantly changing target.
It is time for all of the do-it-yourselfers and self-proclaimed experts out there to admit that Internet marketing has become mainstream advertising. It is extremely competitive and can make or break your business. The marketplace is changing so quickly that only professionals can compete. Do-it-yourself advice will not help you; it will only waste your time and money.
The Internet marketing arena has finally matured enough to need consumer reports, rankings and ratings for the vendors, so that non-tech-savvy advertisers can determine who to believe, who can be relied upon, and who to buy from.
Standards of pricing, performance and reporting need to be established-a difficult task in a marketplace where Google changes the rules so often that the skills of the professors who teach the courses are outdated before they teach their next class.
Compounding the problem is the abundance of misinformation proliferated by amateurs and “experts” who can’t keep up.
My prediction: in the future, as in the past, it will be the reputation of the business-to-business vendor that determines who wins and loses in the new marketplace. Only a true team of professionals working together can keep up with the changes on behalf of their clientele.
Israel Rothman is CEO and founder of SocialMediaSystems.com LLC.
For more information, contact him at israel@socialmediasystems.com.
RISMEDIA, Feb. 21, 2008-As a real estate professional, have you ever heard any of these familiar phrases?
“I can’t get in touch with my Web designer, who wants more money every time I want a simple edit; then he never gets it done.”
“My Website has disappeared because the domain was not renewed; I cannot renew the domain because my e-mail was not used to register it.”
“We don’t rank anywhere on the search engines and never get any hits; we paid $2,500 for SEO, and were ranked on Google for exactly one day.”
If any of this sounds familiar, you are not alone. The fact is that most of the best products and services on the Internet are either free, or so inexpensive that anybody can afford them. It’s the expertise to make it all come together to get results that is rare; it is a constantly changing target.
It is time for all of the do-it-yourselfers and self-proclaimed experts out there to admit that Internet marketing has become mainstream advertising. It is extremely competitive and can make or break your business. The marketplace is changing so quickly that only professionals can compete. Do-it-yourself advice will not help you; it will only waste your time and money.
The Internet marketing arena has finally matured enough to need consumer reports, rankings and ratings for the vendors, so that non-tech-savvy advertisers can determine who to believe, who can be relied upon, and who to buy from.
Standards of pricing, performance and reporting need to be established-a difficult task in a marketplace where Google changes the rules so often that the skills of the professors who teach the courses are outdated before they teach their next class.
Compounding the problem is the abundance of misinformation proliferated by amateurs and “experts” who can’t keep up.
My prediction: in the future, as in the past, it will be the reputation of the business-to-business vendor that determines who wins and loses in the new marketplace. Only a true team of professionals working together can keep up with the changes on behalf of their clientele.
Israel Rothman is CEO and founder of SocialMediaSystems.com LLC.
For more information, contact him at israel@socialmediasystems.com.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
SELF-MARKETING -8 STEPS TO MAKE AN EFFECTIVE PLAN
By Brian Wildermuth
RISMEDIA, Feb. 20, 2008-Effective and consistent communication is essential in building a successful real estate business. In fact, many highly successful real estate agents actually say they are in the “communication and information business,” yet for most agents, marketing and self-promotion is an afterthought–something that is done on impulse or with no consistent purpose.
An agent, upon hearing a story from one of their colleagues that they acquired a listing after sending out the latest sports schedule, might rush out and send a sports schedule to their farm or sphere and expect the same results. The typical result of an unplanned approach to marketing is one of great disappointment and potential abandonment of any future marketing at all.
What is missing is a plan. Most agents shy away from marketing, because they lack any formal training or know-how.
Here are a few steps to building an effective, hassle-free marketing plan:
1. Define your offering. There are nearly 1.2 million licensed Realtors in the country. You need to let your clients and prospects know what makes you unique. Start by writing down everything you would want your past clients to say about you when referring you to another potential client. This will help you define your service promise.
2. Know your audience. Whether you are farming a local neighborhood or staying in touch with your sphere, it is important to gain as much information about your clients and prospects as possible. At a minimum, you should know the basic demographics of your target audience - the average age, income, and family composition. Knowing this will help you deliver the correct message.
3. Design a theme and/or message. Once you know what you are offering and who you are offering it to, you can develop a consistent message that will help you keep your name top-of-mind with your target audience.
4. Decide on a budget. Most agents spend less than 10% of their annual revenue on marketing. Statistics show that in order to make any kind of meaningful impact on your target audience, you should be spending 25-30%. Either way, a pre-determined budget will help you allocate the funds necessary to carry out your message.
5. Determine the frequency of communication. Experts suggest that more than 3 times per month is too much, and less than 4 times per year is pointless. Whether you communicate once per quarter or twice per month, the key is to stay consistent.
6. Select your pieces. Selecting your marketing pieces in advance will save you a lot of stress and strain throughout the year. There are multitudes of options out there from catalogues to online marketing centers. The key is to ensure that your look is consistent with your message.
7. Choose the proper media. A balanced approach is your best bet to getting your message across. Mix up your delivery between direct-mail, e-mail, personal visits, and your website.
8. Implement and measure. Develop a marketing calendar spreadsheet that includes the following information: the specific marketing piece, the date and method of delivery, the projected cost, and a column for recording client responses. This will keep you on track and provide you with a basic yardstick for how well your plan is working.
©2008 SharperAgent
Brian Wildermuth is the co-founder and president of SharperAgent, and a national speaker in the field of real estate marketing.
For more information, visit www.sharperagent.com.
RISMedia welcomes your questions and comments. Send your e-mail to: realestatemagazinefeedback@rismedia.com.
For more ways to optimize your best practices, see:
RISMEDIA, Feb. 20, 2008-Effective and consistent communication is essential in building a successful real estate business. In fact, many highly successful real estate agents actually say they are in the “communication and information business,” yet for most agents, marketing and self-promotion is an afterthought–something that is done on impulse or with no consistent purpose.
An agent, upon hearing a story from one of their colleagues that they acquired a listing after sending out the latest sports schedule, might rush out and send a sports schedule to their farm or sphere and expect the same results. The typical result of an unplanned approach to marketing is one of great disappointment and potential abandonment of any future marketing at all.
What is missing is a plan. Most agents shy away from marketing, because they lack any formal training or know-how.
Here are a few steps to building an effective, hassle-free marketing plan:
1. Define your offering. There are nearly 1.2 million licensed Realtors in the country. You need to let your clients and prospects know what makes you unique. Start by writing down everything you would want your past clients to say about you when referring you to another potential client. This will help you define your service promise.
2. Know your audience. Whether you are farming a local neighborhood or staying in touch with your sphere, it is important to gain as much information about your clients and prospects as possible. At a minimum, you should know the basic demographics of your target audience - the average age, income, and family composition. Knowing this will help you deliver the correct message.
3. Design a theme and/or message. Once you know what you are offering and who you are offering it to, you can develop a consistent message that will help you keep your name top-of-mind with your target audience.
4. Decide on a budget. Most agents spend less than 10% of their annual revenue on marketing. Statistics show that in order to make any kind of meaningful impact on your target audience, you should be spending 25-30%. Either way, a pre-determined budget will help you allocate the funds necessary to carry out your message.
5. Determine the frequency of communication. Experts suggest that more than 3 times per month is too much, and less than 4 times per year is pointless. Whether you communicate once per quarter or twice per month, the key is to stay consistent.
6. Select your pieces. Selecting your marketing pieces in advance will save you a lot of stress and strain throughout the year. There are multitudes of options out there from catalogues to online marketing centers. The key is to ensure that your look is consistent with your message.
7. Choose the proper media. A balanced approach is your best bet to getting your message across. Mix up your delivery between direct-mail, e-mail, personal visits, and your website.
8. Implement and measure. Develop a marketing calendar spreadsheet that includes the following information: the specific marketing piece, the date and method of delivery, the projected cost, and a column for recording client responses. This will keep you on track and provide you with a basic yardstick for how well your plan is working.
©2008 SharperAgent
Brian Wildermuth is the co-founder and president of SharperAgent, and a national speaker in the field of real estate marketing.
For more information, visit www.sharperagent.com.
RISMedia welcomes your questions and comments. Send your e-mail to: realestatemagazinefeedback@rismedia.com.
For more ways to optimize your best practices, see:
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
A VIEW ON REAL ESTATE INVESTING
John Hayes, president of HomeVestors of America, had an interesting
To learn more about prudent real estate investment
pratices visit the websites listed below:
www.quitworksomeday.com
www.learntobuyhomes.com
www.gigisteam.com
www.beatanagent.com
"letter to the editor" carried recently in USA Today. He was comparing the benefits of real estate investments with stock investments.
"The reason people invest in real estate is because they can take advantage of many benefits beyond asset appreciation," he said. "Real property investors benefit from rent income, depreciation tax benefits, tax-free access to accumulated equity, and the underlying stability of the value. Real estate doesn't lose 50 percent of its value in a few hours or days. Investors have the ability to substantially magnify returns by using leverage."
To learn more about prudent real estate investment
pratices visit the websites listed below:
www.quitworksomeday.com
www.learntobuyhomes.com
www.gigisteam.com
www.beatanagent.com
Thursday, February 07, 2008
ARE YOU READY? PREPPING YOUR COMPANY FOR VIDEO
Commentary by Renwick Congdon
RISMEDIA, Feb. 7, 2008-Video has moved online in a big way. Estimates indicate that in 2007 over half of all Internet users watched video online, and that number is increasing every day. So why should you care?
Because video can make a big impact on your marketing program, and of course, the Internet is where the buyers are. A big advantage of video over fixed content is that video involves more of the senses; it sells you and your service using sight, sound and emotion. When you communicate with your prospects through more of their senses, they become more engaged, and therefore, more likely to understand your message.
Television commercials (a form of video marketing) provide many examples of tapping into the senses in very effective ways. Consider all they do in just 30 seconds: they make you feel that GE really does bring good things to life; they bring a tear to your eye over the reuniting of family members, thanks to AT&T; they get you to pick up the phone and buy Ginsu knives. A well-done marketing video can do the same for you.
With video, you can make your “first impression” perfect every time. The quality of first impression, and therefore, the viewer’s perception of your business, will be judged by the quality of the video. So, it makes sense to consider using a professional production company.
While more expensive than doing it yourself, a professionally produced video will go a long way toward establishing yourself as a professional in the mind of your prospect. Companies specializing in video production for real estate include Lenzworks Productions (www.lenzworks.com), Turn Here (www.turnhere.com), Luxury WalkThru (www.luxurywalkthru.com), and Spot Runner (www.spotrunner.com). Lenzworks also produces television shows, and they have the Emmys to support their client’s claim of outstanding quality. Spot Runner has a slick self-serve application for buying airtime on local television, and Turn Here has an impressive network of contract videographers. Any of these companies are a great place to start.
A marketing video has many advantages (beyond cost) over television commercials-the most important may be that the audience actively chooses to watch the marketing video, while the TV commercial interrupts what they were doing. Customers are motivated to learn more about your service or they wouldn’t have asked to see the video. Also, with an online marketing video you can track how many times it has been viewed, where the views came form, how long they watched it, and even make it easy for the viewer to continue the conversation with you by providing links to e-mail, websites, blogs, or even phone numbers.
Since widespread use of online video is relatively recent, a video introducing your business can be a differentiator that will build trust and create a strong brand impression-the basis for future business. Renwick Congdon is the president and CEO of Imprev.
For more information, visit www.imprev.com.
RISMedia welcomes your questions and comments. Send your e-mail to: realestatemagazinefeedback@rismedia.com.
RISMEDIA, Feb. 7, 2008-Video has moved online in a big way. Estimates indicate that in 2007 over half of all Internet users watched video online, and that number is increasing every day. So why should you care?
Because video can make a big impact on your marketing program, and of course, the Internet is where the buyers are. A big advantage of video over fixed content is that video involves more of the senses; it sells you and your service using sight, sound and emotion. When you communicate with your prospects through more of their senses, they become more engaged, and therefore, more likely to understand your message.
Television commercials (a form of video marketing) provide many examples of tapping into the senses in very effective ways. Consider all they do in just 30 seconds: they make you feel that GE really does bring good things to life; they bring a tear to your eye over the reuniting of family members, thanks to AT&T; they get you to pick up the phone and buy Ginsu knives. A well-done marketing video can do the same for you.
With video, you can make your “first impression” perfect every time. The quality of first impression, and therefore, the viewer’s perception of your business, will be judged by the quality of the video. So, it makes sense to consider using a professional production company.
While more expensive than doing it yourself, a professionally produced video will go a long way toward establishing yourself as a professional in the mind of your prospect. Companies specializing in video production for real estate include Lenzworks Productions (www.lenzworks.com), Turn Here (www.turnhere.com), Luxury WalkThru (www.luxurywalkthru.com), and Spot Runner (www.spotrunner.com). Lenzworks also produces television shows, and they have the Emmys to support their client’s claim of outstanding quality. Spot Runner has a slick self-serve application for buying airtime on local television, and Turn Here has an impressive network of contract videographers. Any of these companies are a great place to start.
A marketing video has many advantages (beyond cost) over television commercials-the most important may be that the audience actively chooses to watch the marketing video, while the TV commercial interrupts what they were doing. Customers are motivated to learn more about your service or they wouldn’t have asked to see the video. Also, with an online marketing video you can track how many times it has been viewed, where the views came form, how long they watched it, and even make it easy for the viewer to continue the conversation with you by providing links to e-mail, websites, blogs, or even phone numbers.
Since widespread use of online video is relatively recent, a video introducing your business can be a differentiator that will build trust and create a strong brand impression-the basis for future business. Renwick Congdon is the president and CEO of Imprev.
For more information, visit www.imprev.com.
RISMedia welcomes your questions and comments. Send your e-mail to: realestatemagazinefeedback@rismedia.com.
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