I'm going to try something different- says one agent.
November 29th, 2008 by Don Eagle
This week we had one of our Realtor’s put in their notice to stop being the Neighborhood expert on their community’s site. Of course we are always concerned when that happens because we truly want this to work for everyone. So we try and find out why, rather than try and talk them out of it.
We started as usual at how they have presented themselves when visitors come into the real estate section. As we normally see, no effort had been made to present themselves as a knowledgeable and successful REALTOR. We compare this to sending in a blank page when it is time to send in your ad to your real estate magazine or a display ad in the local paper. In fact it takes less time to lay it out on the site and reaches your target market more effectively day after day. Not just the day of the ad.
But it was the conversation we had with them that puzzled us the most.
They: ” I’ve decided to cut expenses this coming year.”
We: “We completely understand it is difficult this year. Are you going to leave real estate?”
They: “Oh, no.”
We: “Then may we ask what you are going to do to advertise your homes for sale this coming year?”
They: ” Advertise in the paper like everyone else.”
We: “Doesn’t one Sunday ad run over $200.00 for you?”
They: “I guess it does.”
We: “So what are you going to do to reach buyers. Especially in a market that there are less of them?’
They: ”Nothing.”
I’m not going to go on about the conversation any more than that. To do so would only point out the obvious. Without thinking it out they would have been faced with newspaper ads that cost more than being positioned as the Neighborhood REALTOR on the neighborhood site. They would not have had a way to get others to pay for it as co-sponsors or neighborhood merchants AND they had no plan to become visible to the buyers that were in the market now and be there when buyers returned.
Our dilemma when we have an exit interview such as this is that we do not try and talk them out of what they want to do. But aren’t we failing them if we don’t point out what they have not thought of?
December 30th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
It is amazing how much people do NOT think through cutting expenses. When you continue trying the same thing that you have always done and still get the same results, it is essentially throwing money down the drain. When you put an ad in the local newspaper, you are lost in amongst pages and pages of other classified ads. It is very easy to get lost there as a lot of people get discouraged with the numbers of ads.
December 31st, 2008 at 12:46 pm
I’m so tired of pay for listings in the paper, just not effective enough for the money. I’m always looking for new and unique ideas to reach buyers an sellers, and that is why I love this concept… A website where my local community (the people i want to market to) come to view news, announcements and events, create free classifieds, create free merchant listings, participate in community discussions, participate in local contests and even LOOK FOR REAL ESTATE! ….and then you tell me I get to be the one and only Realtor on my community website? SCORE!! I’m so excited, I may never put a listing in the paper again.
December 31st, 2008 at 3:13 pm
Jerry, I have to agree completely. I don’t believe the papers are the way to go now-a-days. Granted, you may get a few leads, maybe a sale or two from them (over a year or more) but you just aren’t separating yourself from the thousands of other realtors out there. This site takes your little needle out of the realtor haystack and turns it into into a giant flashing billboard that says “Here is your neighborhood expert!”