Gang - here is a great post from the people at dakno marketing and Bobby Carol. Check it out before you go and spend big money to make a real estate video.
http://www.dakno.com/blog/real-estate-video-tips/
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Friday, May 8, 2009
You are further ahead than you think!
I know many of you think my favorite passtime is to humiliate your technical experience, your knowledge, your understanding of Social Media and the new consumer. Many of you have come to me in the past, tail tucked between your proverbial legs, to ask a question about twitter or LinkedIn or craigslist, and are convinced I am going to laugh as soon as the last word leaves your mouth.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Well, almost nothing. I do occasionally share a story of a question with Stefanie in a semi-chuckling way but I do it as much because I want her to know what to teach as because I want her to enjoy the laugh.
But when a reporter from one of our local newspapers contacted me the other day, I knew just how far ahead of the curve many of you really are. This reporter was tasked with writing a piece about Web 2.0 and the real estate business - and had supposedly already done most of the work before she contacted me. Unfortunately, the research work wasn't very well done.
The first thing that got my attention was when she asked me what "Generation Y" was, and whether they were the ones using social media. Sheesh. That is the only obvious fact in this situation - Generation Y invented social media...they are certainly the ones using it (in fact, the latest study shows that 97% of Generation Y are online).
When the interviewer asked me about "tweeter" I knew it was going to be a long day. For those of you not certain, the program is called "Twitter" and the updates you post there are called "tweets". Not a big concern if you are Joe-public, but if you supposedly have researched Web 2.0 for an article you are writing the difference is pretty large.
So the next time you fire up your facebook or add another connection to LinkedIn, know that doing so puts you much further up the ladder of knowledge than you think...pat yourself on the back and know that I am proud of you.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Well, almost nothing. I do occasionally share a story of a question with Stefanie in a semi-chuckling way but I do it as much because I want her to know what to teach as because I want her to enjoy the laugh.
But when a reporter from one of our local newspapers contacted me the other day, I knew just how far ahead of the curve many of you really are. This reporter was tasked with writing a piece about Web 2.0 and the real estate business - and had supposedly already done most of the work before she contacted me. Unfortunately, the research work wasn't very well done.
The first thing that got my attention was when she asked me what "Generation Y" was, and whether they were the ones using social media. Sheesh. That is the only obvious fact in this situation - Generation Y invented social media...they are certainly the ones using it (in fact, the latest study shows that 97% of Generation Y are online).
When the interviewer asked me about "tweeter" I knew it was going to be a long day. For those of you not certain, the program is called "Twitter" and the updates you post there are called "tweets". Not a big concern if you are Joe-public, but if you supposedly have researched Web 2.0 for an article you are writing the difference is pretty large.
So the next time you fire up your facebook or add another connection to LinkedIn, know that doing so puts you much further up the ladder of knowledge than you think...pat yourself on the back and know that I am proud of you.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
5 Steps for Selling Homes Online - RIS Media
Another post from another source - I promise I will start writing my own stuff again soon. This article is from RIS Meda and outlines the basics of what agents should know about marketing and selling on the internet. A good read - especially if you are overwhelmed by all this technology.
http://rismedia.com/2009-05-06/think-selling-homes-online-is-out-of-reach-5-practices-all-successful-internet-marketers-have-in-common/
http://rismedia.com/2009-05-06/think-selling-homes-online-is-out-of-reach-5-practices-all-successful-internet-marketers-have-in-common/
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
You're not interns...but all this still applies
I just saw this great post about social media tasks for interns. I figured out these apply to Realtors, too.
http://disruptology.com/10-social-media-tasks-for-summer-interns/
http://disruptology.com/10-social-media-tasks-for-summer-interns/
Thursday, April 30, 2009
The Honda Service Story - and how it compares to floor duty
I was about to get on the highway a few days ago for one of a billion trips back and forth to my alma mater. I had stopped for gas and ended up at a full service station (who knew they still existed in PA?) where someone else had put my gas cap back on. Just imagine my frustration when the "replace gas cap" light started flashing in my car. So I pulled over, checked the gas cap (which was just fine) and started back on my way. Light still flashing. Not wanting to get stranded on the interstate, I call my dealership and ask for the service area. After waiting a few minutes on hold I get the service receptionist who tells me the technician can't take my call. Fair enough, right? After all they are dealing with cars who actually scheduled appointments. She then asks me what the problem with my car is - and I tell her about the flashing light and my impending 125 mile trip. Confidently she tells me - "oh, sometimes that takes a few days to go away...don't worry about it". So I kept driving (and the light kept flashing). Let me tell you it was rather annoying.
About 20 minutes later I decided I was going to push the button next to the flashing light, just to see what would happen. Imagine that....light went out. What about the "takes a few days answer?" apparently it was just a polite guess from someone stuck on the phone who needed to take the next call.
Does this sound like your last floor shift? Did you get a sign call from someone who wanted to know something about a property you hadn't seen on caravan? Worse yet, had that impatient caller chimed in just as you had picked up the phone to call another client or the co-op you needed to reach to put a different deal together?
The point of this story is that we often guess at real estate questions when we don't know the answer. Don't. I would have been far happier if hte woman would have just told me she didn't know (or needed time to find out) and called me with the answer. I would have even been OK if she had told me she had put me back on hold, managed the other call, and then come back to my request. In today's real estate market, customers believe they have the right to get all the data nowadays - they don't mind being told you don't know the answer and will wait for a call back (or better yet, an email) with the answer.
About 20 minutes later I decided I was going to push the button next to the flashing light, just to see what would happen. Imagine that....light went out. What about the "takes a few days answer?" apparently it was just a polite guess from someone stuck on the phone who needed to take the next call.
Does this sound like your last floor shift? Did you get a sign call from someone who wanted to know something about a property you hadn't seen on caravan? Worse yet, had that impatient caller chimed in just as you had picked up the phone to call another client or the co-op you needed to reach to put a different deal together?
The point of this story is that we often guess at real estate questions when we don't know the answer. Don't. I would have been far happier if hte woman would have just told me she didn't know (or needed time to find out) and called me with the answer. I would have even been OK if she had told me she had put me back on hold, managed the other call, and then come back to my request. In today's real estate market, customers believe they have the right to get all the data nowadays - they don't mind being told you don't know the answer and will wait for a call back (or better yet, an email) with the answer.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
So why do we learn all this technology?
Here is a great survey from Business Week that shows the interest GenY (people aged 18-30) have in real estate right now:
http://is.gd/s9G2
Trust me, these guys aren't reading the newspaper or care about how big your picture is in Gallery.
http://is.gd/s9G2
Trust me, these guys aren't reading the newspaper or care about how big your picture is in Gallery.
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Some of Jim's Numbers from the Awards
Many of you have asked about Jim's speech at the Awards Breakfast.
http://www.viddler.com/explore/martinmillner/videos/1/
If you want to see it - Marty Millner captured it with his FlipCam - click the link above to watch the whole video.
If you are just interested in some of the bullet points, here they are:
Coldwell Banker and its parent company, Realogy, are not in the sort of financial trouble that has been reported in some misleading press reports. In fact, Realogy's EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Ammoritization) was $411 Million. Free cash flow is $109 Million. Those both show that Coldwell Banker has the money it needs to do business.
If that wasn't enough, Jim shared that Apollo Management (the company that owns Realogy) has provided Realogy a credit line of $750 Millon. This means the "rainy day fund" is still in place should the company ever need it.
http://www.viddler.com/explore/martinmillner/videos/1/
If you want to see it - Marty Millner captured it with his FlipCam - click the link above to watch the whole video.
If you are just interested in some of the bullet points, here they are:
Coldwell Banker and its parent company, Realogy, are not in the sort of financial trouble that has been reported in some misleading press reports. In fact, Realogy's EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Ammoritization) was $411 Million. Free cash flow is $109 Million. Those both show that Coldwell Banker has the money it needs to do business.
If that wasn't enough, Jim shared that Apollo Management (the company that owns Realogy) has provided Realogy a credit line of $750 Millon. This means the "rainy day fund" is still in place should the company ever need it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)