Archive for July, 2007
Filed Under ( Marketing) by admin on July-23-2007
The One “Ultimate” Tool Every Successful Agent has to Have
Portland, Oregon, STAR POWER Systems Star Rob Levy has always been at the forefront of using the latest technology to provide his clients with the highest level of service. He was even the 1st eCertified Prudential real estate agent in the world. So what device does Rob say he couldn’t imagine doing business without? The Tablet PC.
“The Tablet PC is the most incredible invention. It’s a really powerful tool,” Rob says. The Tablet PC has all the capabilities of a laptop, but also features applications like the handwriting function and voice recognition that are especially useful for real estate agents. What makes the Tablet PC so ideal for REALTORS® is that – when used in conjunction with an AirCardTMand an eFaxTM account – it enables them to be 100% mobile. And the great thing is, you don’t have to be in a WiFi area to be connected. The AirCardTM uses cellular technology, so you can be connected anywhere you get cell phone service.
Due to the nature of the real estate business – the high amount of paperwork, getting signatures from each party, traveling to and from appointments – the Tablet PC is an incomparable tool. You can literally do business from anywhere – whether you’re on vacation in Bora Bora or in your car stuck in traffic.
“The key thing is being able to sign,” Rob says. Because a Tablet PC works with a stylus, or digital pen, it allows you to write on the screen itself. This means that – without going into the office – you can type up a contract, have your clients sign it directly on the screen, and fax out the offer right then and there… without the need for paper, a printer or a fax machine! Plus, the quality of the document is high because it hasn’t been faxed, scanned and re-faxed so many times. This function alone makes the Tablet PC a worthwhile investment because it makes getting signatures and faxing contracts so much faster and easier.
Another great thing about using the digital pen is that you can mark or make notes on pictures, MLS listings or anything else that you’d like. For example, you can circle items on an MLS listing and add notes that are pertinent to that buyer before sending it to him or her. In this way, you can customize and personalize everything you send to your clients, allowing for clear communication and a higher level of personalized attention. “Clients love it,” Rob says. “They are really impressed.”
The Tablet PC also features accurate voice recognition software, enabling you to create and send messages hands free. When Rob is traveling to and from appointments, he puts his Tablet PC on the seat next to him in the car, wears a headset, and his voice is converted into text so he can send e-mails and reply to messages while driving.
Rob feels strongly that a Tablet PC absolutely makes his business more productive for him and his team, and he would advise any real estate agent to consider investing in one. And since they only cost $200-$300 more than a laptop, he says it makes absolute sense to buy a Tablet PC over a regular laptop.
Don’t be afraid to incorporate the latest technology into your business practices. It could make conducting your business easier and more productive, in turn making you even more successful.
Rob Levy and nearly 300 other top-producing real estate agents from across the country share their expertise, through STAR POWER Systems, to help success-minded agents make their dreams come true. So when you’re ready, reach for the Stars.
Click Here to sign-up for free daily real estate scripts via email, and learn the dialogues that the Stars use to get listings and close transactions.
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Keeping up with Generation Y
By Home Warranty of America
David Sobel, Vice President, Sales
Successful real estate professionals today are adapting to the tech-savvy and fearless Generation Y consumer market who are on the verge of changing the trends in the real estate market.
Generation Y, sometimes called Echo Boomers, are most commonly understood as the young, smart and brash consumers born between 1980 and 2000. New research presents Generation Y with buying power in home, car, clothing and other retail sales that surpasses all previous generations. This ethnically diverse and socially conscious consumer group comprises one quarter of the total U.S. population, representing an enormous market potential on the rise.The key to tapping Generation Y’s market potential is to understand and respond to their market needs and desires via media that appeal to the first fully digital generation to begin purchasing real estate.
The housing needs of Generation Y are proving to be very different than those of their parents. Baby Boomers tended to marry and start a family soon after college graduation whereas Echo Boomers are postponing marriage and parenthood far longer. These extra years create a “gap” period that allows Echo Boomers to carryover college life behaviors. The social interaction of Echo Boomers primarily centers around nightlife, rather than entertaining in the home as Generation X did, so they are content with smaller, substandard housing units in edgy locations in exchange for a lower rent payment.
Post-college income for Generation Y can range from modest to unpredictable, providing great and unforeseeable market potential. This young and hip group prefers to buy glass, metal, aluminum, lofts, bold colors, lots of light and open floor plans in less expensive developments. High-speed wireless Internet access is nearly required when marketing to this group. Location is also important, noting that Generation Y places more emphasis on quality of life than their predecessors and therefore places a high value on living close to work, recreation, shopping and entertainment. Echo Boomers are extremely environmentally conscious and will seek developers that support green building features.
The members of this generation are the most influential for retailers because they have higher spending power and stronger opinions at an earlier age than the Baby Boomers. Marketing real estate to Echo Boomers requires research, creativity, flexibility and specificity. You must be amenable, be where they want to be, provide services they care about and make it fun. The more informed you are with the high-speed pace of Generation Y, the better chance you have of making a sale.
Become Technologically Savvy. This age group is comprised of the most sophisticated media generation ever and thus only responds to marketing techniques that impress them. Real estate professionals need to show proficiency, creativity and humor via the use of developing technologies. Start with the Internet. Generation Y receives more of their purchasing information from the Internet than anywhere else.
Do Extensive Research on Pop Culture Trends. Agents should be aware of trends in music, entertainment, celebrities and fashion and incorporate these trends into their marketing strategies. Generation Y currently determines pop culture trends.
Know the Popular Brands. Many corporations and designers are beginning to partner with residential developing companies to create an appealing package for Generation Y’s home buyers. This cross-marketing technique is meant to peak creative interest in the buyer and to create more appealing brands.
Include Generation X. The entrepreneurial Baby Boomers have invested in hedge funds and successfully prepared for their retirement. Many of these wealthy parents are likely to invest in homes for their children.
Location. Location. Location. Unlike the Baby Boomers, Generation Y are not looking for a home in the suburbs as soon as they can afford one. Instead they opt for urban infill locations in culturally and ethnically diverse communities where they don’t have to mow a lawn. They also value public transportation and being able to walk to their frequented destinations.
Get Creative. This generation values multifunctional rooms and spaces, along with bright, open spaces and ample windows.
Your role as the real estate professional is to offer your buyer a lucrative deal he will be happy with for years to come. Use anecdotes to explain how the real estate buying process works, provide as much detail as possible, offer online resources for personal research and assemble visuals. Generation Y are smart, aware and fair-minded but they often think they know more than the seller so it’s important to be clear, concise and thorough with them.
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Filed Under ( Marketing) by admin on July-23-2007
Make Contact with Maximum Impact!
It’s a fact: Consumers are most likely to deal with those they know, like, and trust. You want to be that known, liked, and trusted real estate professional that gets the call when services are needed. To do this, it’s essential to maintain contact with and exposure to your intended market. Consistent client exposure can be expensive. Choosing your contact tools involves evaluating your budget and your target market. Magnetic promotional products, like magnetic calendars or sports schedules, are potent contact tools that are light on the wallet. Your future success in real estate is built on the relationships and contacts you cultivate now. So get out your tools and let the cultivating begin!
Your aim is not just to make contact. Your aim is to create contact with a long-term, memorable impact. The Promotional Products Association International, reports that 77% of people that receive promotional products, like refrigerator magnets or magnetic memo boards, use them everyday. Sending out 100 magnets is the equivalent of bumping into 77 clients each day! More than just a reminder for recipients, promotional magnets keep your business information on display long-term. Over half of recipients will keep your magnetic gift for more than a year.
Serving utilitarian purposes like holding up kids’ artwork or important notes, magnets are typically displayed in association with important information. The focal point of the American home, the kitchen fridge, is the most popular display area. In planning your marketing campaign using magnets, think creative. A plain magnet may get display area on the fridge but won’t garner the level of contact that gets the phone ringing. Aside from just the facts, (name, phone number, website and email address) include a witty tagline or statement of your experience and/or accomplishments. Designations create a more trustworthy and positive professional image. Include a photo of yourself, your office, or standing in front of your sold sign to help build a visual connection.
Think of magnets as time-released marketing. Over time, consistent exposure from constant use yields a higher return on investment than most other forms of advertising. This is the perfect time of year to get started on school calendars, fall sports schedules, or your holiday calendar mailing. Plan ahead, order early, and save big!
Contact Magnets USA for more information on how to effectively implement magnets into your customer care plan. 2008 Magnetic Calendar sale is going on now! Call us at 800.869.7562 or click to visit our website at www.MagnetsUSA.com
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Filed Under ( Marketing) by admin on July-23-2007
Emerging Marketing Trends: Moving Trucks as a Moving Billboard
Moving trucks are emerging as the industry standard for the successful realtor. Top Producers know it. Offering moving trucks as a service to clients and the community provides:
- invaluable exposure,
- credibility, and
- builds brand awareness.
In conjunction with other marketing trends, the power of the internet for example, the effect of a high profile moving billboard, only enhances image and community visibility.
We all know the power of signage. But, one of the biggest problems in many markets is the architectural signage ordinances. There are many communities with design guidelines which limit your visibility: non-flashing, non-illuminated signs, color restrictions, time limits for temporary signs, to state a few. But the visual impact of a mobile billboard, advertises brand and image like nothing else, and without the hindrance of ordinances and design guidelines.
Make it work. The more the truck is driven the greater the visibility. It’s not just for clients, but for the entire community. School functions, church functions, toy and food drives. People are drawn to the word “FREE”. “Buy From Me… Use this truck for FREE”. “FREE for Community and Charitable organizations”. There are no limits to the promotional opportunities moving trucks provide and the visibility created by the millions of impressions presented with each mile driven. The best part, no personal liability. Whether you lease or purchase a moving truck, a $5 million liability insurance coverage plan is available nationwide.
Be the best. To think that just a few years ago all we needed was a Yellow Page ad, and a lifetime membership to the Chamber of Commerce. But the pool of Realtors has increased dramatically over the past few years, and the shift in supply and demand has led to marketing and advertising needs which have to be visually stimulating and unique. Websites have to FLASH! Graphics have to POP! So what is the next generation in signage? Taking the tiny sign on the side of the car door, and creating a true mobile billboard that can be seen from far away… and is seen everywhere by the use of superior graphics!
The real estate industry is tough. In order to survive the slumps we have to stand apart. We have to promote ourselves, and we have to be seen. We need to establish that not only do we sell to the community; we are a part of the community. We are not simply real estate agents, we are Realtors! "Use my truck. Use my truck for free." And put me out there–everywhere.
Interested? Elizabeth Sawyer, Marketing Director
On The Move, Inc. 800-645-9949 Elizabeth@onthemovetrucks.com www.OntheMoveTrucks.com
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