resourceful marketing for realtors®
DESCRIPTION
Broad concepts in marketing, communicating, and branding for real estate in an increasingly online landscape, with an emphasis on saving money while you're trying new things.TRANSCRIPT
Resourceful Marketingfor REALTORS®
By G. SaxCommunications Manager
Minneapolis Area Association of REALTORS®
The Impetus
Marketing . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59.6%
Technology . . . . . . . . . . . . 54.7%Business Development . . . 51.1%
“I ain’t got time for all that.”
I need to be selling, like, NOW!
How much is this sh*t gonna cost me?
The last thing you think about.
Marketing
The first thing to go.
Design / Designer
Print / Printer
Photography / Photographer
Copy / Copywriter
Software
Color Printer
Scanner
Film
Paper
Ink
Mailing lists
Memberships
Car / Gas
$pend, $pend, $pend!Postage
Ad Space
Domain Name / Emails
Server Space for Website
Web Design
Staging
Promotional Products
Closing Gifts
Annual Customer Party
Cards for Special Events
Meals with Clients/Contacts
Tickets to Events
Clothing
Signs and Riders
Continuing Education
Professional Development
Lockbox Fees
Association Dues
Not to Mention...
Ad Rates
Not Tens or Hundreds,
But Thousandsof Dollars
Real Estateis Local
Guiding Principle
Visuals Matter
Guiding Principle
VISUALS + DETAILS
Guiding Principle
Today in the Market
Reacting to the Now
Hyperlocality
AvailabilityDistribute.Distribute.Distribute.
Guiding Principle
Client Consultation
Blogs and Websites
Social Networking
We Give, You Interpret
Stay Current, Relevant
Ways to Use
Example of Fast Sharing
Spelling matters!
Good phonemanner.
Be pleasant andclear in voice.
“ummm...”
Your email has
a voice, too.
Communication
The Tools of Communication“Mobile devices”
Text
Website
e-newsletters
Photos
Blog
Video
Status updates
Tweets
Networking
Brand
Swanepoel’sTREND 7
Info Hwy Congestion
“I don’t need a million answers.I just want the good ones.”
– WebMD Ad
Clear the Congestion
Embrace the Basics
93% of all home buyers in Minnesota used the Internet to search for homes (87% nationally).
The typical first-time home buyer was 28 years old. The median age of all home buyers was 34 years old.
2008 National Association of REALTORS®Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers
MINNESOTA REPORT
The Interweb is #1!
Embrace Free
BLOGTypepad | Wordpress
E-NEWSLETTERMad Mimi | Constant Contact | MailChimp
YOUR ASSOCIATIONMAAR | NMRA | SPAAR | MNAR | NAR
Embrace “Free”
Embrace Fun
Embrace New (be picky)Issuu.com self-publish magazines
ViralHeat.com monitor your reputation on social media
Drop.io share files that are too large to e-mail
Jimdo.com build and host a Web site at no cost
ScreenToaster.com record videos of your screen activity free
99designs.com bid out graphics projects to multiple artists
awayfind.com important emails by text
goldmail.com simple video email; voiceover ppt
getdropbox.com send large photos and files free (up to 2 GB)
Embrace Flash Drives
Embrace Simple
a simple text editor goes a
long way
Embrace “Good Enough”
craigslist
Flip
netbook
Google Docs
microblogging
apps
mp3
web-based
Your WebsiteShould minimally have...
Property photos and descriptions
Searchable listings
Current and working links
Solid organizational structure
Consistency across the board
Quickness of navigation
REALTOR® Magazine Online
Your WebsiteDon't rely on a flat website.
Tell personal stories that turn your visitors into clients.
Be yourself.
Don't be trite. (Same for Facebook)
Don't "sell." Be cool.
Real Estate 2.0
Social MediaIt’s just a tool.
It takes a strategy.
It takes active participation.
It can be whatever you want it to be.
It can be nothing at all if you want, but...
On average, companies with high levels of social media activity experienced an 18% increase in revenue in the last year.
– American Marketing Association
Social Media
National Associaton of REALTORS® – 2009 REALTOR® Technology Report
Social Media
Facebook's Growing Demographic
– more people to find
– aren't out as much
– love to show off kids and grandkids
In a "face" industry,why wouldn't you be here?
The example with the ring.
The example with the beer.
The example with the IRL.
* Tweet *
Ummm.....wow
In August 2009, Twitter drew 25 million unique visitors, up from 2 million in August 2008.
– Nielsen
The technical barrier is down.
Big PotentialMagazines and newspapers talk at you
Websites talk at you electronically
Blogs talk at you electronically, you talk back
Facebook – organized, interactive group talk
Twitter – all of the above in 140 characters or less.
Engage
Expand your network.
Learn from others.
Quickly and all the time.
Twitterverse
@aplusk (yawwwnnn)
@Oprah | @MarthaStewart | @TheEllenShow
@Swanepoel | @tcar | @tboard | @gsax
Twitterverse
@tboard
Saint Paul Real Estate Blog
Blogger
Writer
Photographer
REALTOR®
And I am here
Twitterverse
@tcar
NAR Director of Social Media
He changed relationship status to single
He sprained his ankle
He cut his hand opening a blister pack
He ate Cheetos
Twitterverse
@respres
I Don’t Know What He Does
But he is deeply involved in real estate
He is interesting, engaging, and nice
He is ahead of the pack on most things
He is eloquent as hell
* Tweet *
www.mytechopinion.com/twitter-for-real-estate-twits
Social Cewebrity
Susan Boyle: 113 million impressions...and counting
Social Cewebrity
JK Wedding Entrance Dance:36 million impressions...and counting
Case Study – Jimmy Fallon
@jimmyfallonForget Leno & Letterman. They’re old.
Even Conan’s a Twitter hater. I’m old.
Social RealityChamber of Commerce Events
Community Involvement
Tweet Ups, Networking Events
Association Involvement
YOU STILL HAVE TOGET OUT THERE
Social EvolutionHorses
Radio
TV
We Change the WayWe Use These Things
Computers
Internet
Blogs
Tweets
Social Evolution
Millennial (Gen Y, Echo Boomer)Born after 1980.Already outnumber Gen X.By 2010, will outnumber Boomers.
Do not discount their choices.
Overheard
“Visibility is more
important than ability.
Secret agents don’t do
a lot of business.”
“Touch” now means...
Email style, availability
Text style, availability
Twitter, Facebook update frequency
Quality and weight of paper stock
Your business cards
Communication Touch
one or two sides?
gloss or no gloss?
need for email, web, other?
designations?
imagery?
photos?
Business Cards
Business Photos
must be truthful and accurate
company name in all marketing
teams: only “group” or “team”
company name larger than team
individual name can be larger
Communication Ethics
company website in marketing
no rules for listed phone numbers
must include name of state
listed price only price you can use
Communication Ethics
That’s all well and good, but...
Postcards & Info Boxes
Open Houses
Bus Benches, Billboards
Print, Fax...Dead?
Learn, Try, Do
Be Creative, Have Fun
Beyond the Business Card
Be consistent.
(Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography And Marketing Act of 2003)
CAN-SPAM
You must allow for opt-out.
You must provide a legitimate address.
Subject headers must be about the content.
10 days to take care of opt-out requests.
Communication Smell TestIf you smell like spam,
you're better off working for Hormel.
Take initiative
Pitch to the right people
Be factual
Tell a good story
Keep in contact
Be available
Say “I don’t know”
Attracting AttentionREALTOR® Magazine
Mariwyn Evans | August 2008
PR – Hey, It’s Like Sales!
PRContact: Greg Sax, Communications ManagerMinneapolis Area Association of REALTORS®[email protected], 952.988.3123
Number of lender-mediated homes for sale dropsQ3 2009 Update to "Foreclosures and Short Sales" report released by MAAR
Minneapolis, Minnesota (November 6, 2009) – After four years of exponential growth, the number of lender-mediated properties for sale dropped by more than 1,200 units from February 1 to April 1 of 2009. The decline is even more impressive considering that the spring market typically sees an increase in the number of homes for sale.
Lender-mediated home values are dropping quickly, while traditional homes are fairing better. The median sales price of lender-mediated homes in Q1 2009 was $122,900, a decrease of 21.7 percent from the same time last year. The median sales price for traditional homes was $212,000, a drop of a quieter 3.6 percent.
For Q1 2009, 36.1 percent of new listings and 58.8 percent of closed sales were lender-mediated. Declining activity in both supply and demand in the traditional, non-lender-mediated market, means that foreclosures and short sales will continue to hold a heavy market share throughout 2009.
The five-page "Foreclosures and Short Sales" report for Q1 2009 can be found on the Minneapolis Area Association of REALTORS®website at www.mplsrealtor.com and includes more analysis and an explanation of the research methodology.
Established in 1887, the Minneapolis Area Association of REALTORS® (MAAR) is the leading regional advocate and provider of information services, research and education on the real estate industry for brokers, real estate professionals and the public. With more than 8,500 members, MAAR is one of the 25 largest local REALTOR® associations in the nation and serves the Twin Cities 13-county metro area and western Wisconsin.
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For interviews, contact Greg SaxCommunications Manager, 10K [email protected], 952.988.3123
The “F” Word Loses PluckQ3 2009 Update to "Foreclosures and Short Sales" report out now
Minneapolis, Minnesota (September 16, 2009) – After four years of exponential growth, the number of lender-mediated properties for sale dropped by more than 1,200 units from July 1 to August 1 of 2009. The decline is even more impressive considering that the spring market typically sees an increase in the number of homes for sale.
Lender-mediated home values are dropping quickly, while traditional homes are fairing better. The median sales price of lender-mediated homes in Q1 2009 was $122,900, a decrease of 21.7 percent from the same time last year. The median sales price for traditional homes was $212,000, a drop of a quieter 3.6 percent.
For Q1 2009, 36.1 percent of new listings and 58.8 percent of closed sales were lender-mediated. Declining activity in both supply and demand in the traditional, non-lender-mediated market, means that foreclosures and short sales will continue to hold a heavy market share throughout 2009.
The five-page "Foreclosures and Short Sales" report for Q3 2009 is online. Google “10K Research.”
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Attracting Media1. Be professional
2. Have pizazz
3. Be reliable and reachable
4. Have a catchy draw-in
5. One page news release (max)6. Work with your association
BrandBrand Consistency
Brand Identity
Brand Ubiquity
Brand Rethink
Brand Perception
Advil | Ibuprofen
Tylenol | Acetaminophen
REALTOR® | For Sale by Owner
Brand Personality
Brand Personalitythe you in a suitthe you in the neighborhoodthe you in the community
the online photos of youthe Googled youthe Facebook youthe LinkedIn youthe blog youthe Twitter youthe rated you
AND NOW...
Focus: The Rated YouYelp! – restaurants & more
Redfin – agents
IncredibleAgents – REALTOR® created
United Airlines
Brand: Integration
YOUYOUR BROKER
Brand: Case Studies
Plus Other Examples
Brand Safety
No alluring or provocative photography
Limit shared personal information
Concentrate on professional proficiency
Maintain care with new clients
Real Estate Safety Council’s “Safety Guide”City of Mesa, AZ, Realtytimes.com
Nevada County Board of REALTORS®
Bad PR?
“This is not a joke. Before I ever got into real estate, I had very little respect for the profession.
Give me a call and I'll tell you all about it.”
Ask me about the PHX example.
Bad PR?
Is now a good time to buy a home in Phoenix?
I don't know. Maybe, maybe not.
Is now a good time to sell a home in Phoenix?
I'll give you a hint —
maybe, maybe not.
Thank You for Your Time!
By G. SaxCommunications Manager
Minneapolis Area Association of REALTORS®