Comments on: Day Two – Realtor Mid-Year http://raincityguide.com/2006/05/18/day-two-realtor-mid-year/ Seattle's Leading Resource for Real Estate Information Sun, 08 Nov 2009 01:47:42 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Heather Riggio http://raincityguide.com/2006/05/18/day-two-realtor-mid-year/#comment-332554 Heather Riggio Wed, 21 Jan 2009 02:34:09 +0000 http://raincityguide.com/2006/05/18/day-two-realtor-mid-year/#comment-332554 Wow. It was really refreshing to hear something nice about Realtor.com. I would like to thank you for that. I do love the featured CMA program, and so do my clients. And it was awful, to see that a HouseValues rep would say something like that. I hope all my clients know how much I appreciate them. Can I say that here? Wow. It was really refreshing to hear something nice about Realtor.com. I would like to thank you for that. I do love the featured CMA program, and so do my clients. And it was awful, to see that a HouseValues rep would say something like that. I hope all my clients know how much I appreciate them. Can I say that here?

]]> By: VC Ratings http://raincityguide.com/2006/05/18/day-two-realtor-mid-year/#comment-7884 VC Ratings Tue, 30 May 2006 15:04:46 +0000 http://raincityguide.com/2006/05/18/day-two-realtor-mid-year/#comment-7884 <strong>Trulia, HousingMaps.com, Google Base still haven't perfected real estate search...</strong> To get the highest price possible for my home, I want as many prospective home buyers as possible to know that it's being offered for sale. To this end, my real estate broker held an opening Thursday for other brokers in the hope that they would see ... Trulia, HousingMaps.com, Google Base still haven’t perfected real estate search…

To get the highest price possible for my home, I want as many prospective home buyers as possible to know that it’s being offered for sale. To this end, my real estate broker held an opening Thursday for other brokers in the hope that they would see …

]]> By: RealtyObjectives » Blog Archive » “Should” http://raincityguide.com/2006/05/18/day-two-realtor-mid-year/#comment-7376 RealtyObjectives » Blog Archive » “Should” Tue, 23 May 2006 00:51:19 +0000 http://raincityguide.com/2006/05/18/day-two-realtor-mid-year/#comment-7376 [...] p.s.  I published some updates on my trip to the NAR Mid-Year at RainCityGuide.  Day One and Day Two. [...] [...] p.s.  I published some updates on my trip to the NAR Mid-Year at RainCityGuide.  Day One and Day Two. [...]

]]> By: Real Central VA - Tracking the Charlottesville and Central VA real estate market and more » Who is Realtor.com’s customer? http://raincityguide.com/2006/05/18/day-two-realtor-mid-year/#comment-6895 Real Central VA - Tracking the Charlottesville and Central VA real estate market and more » Who is Realtor.com’s customer? Sat, 20 May 2006 10:50:00 +0000 http://raincityguide.com/2006/05/18/day-two-realtor-mid-year/#comment-6895 [...] Am I off base? Russ at RCG has a report from the NAR convention. [...] [...] Am I off base? Russ at RCG has a report from the NAR convention. [...]

]]> By: ARDELL http://raincityguide.com/2006/05/18/day-two-realtor-mid-year/#comment-6774 ARDELL Fri, 19 May 2006 17:05:21 +0000 http://raincityguide.com/2006/05/18/day-two-realtor-mid-year/#comment-6774 Galen, For the most part I use a reverse pattern, in that I interview them to see if we are a good match vs. their interviewing me. For instance, I can meet 20 buyers, and choose none of them. Sellers have a higher ratio of "acceptance" because the selection process is based more on "the product" than the client, though some client selection issues are in the mix. But not to the same extent as buyer client selection, since "the product" is an unknown factor at time of client acceptance. Galen, For the most part I use a reverse pattern, in that I interview them to see if we are a good match vs. their interviewing me. For instance, I can meet 20 buyers, and choose none of them. Sellers have a higher ratio of “acceptance” because the selection process is based more on “the product” than the client, though some client selection issues are in the mix. But not to the same extent as buyer client selection, since “the product” is an unknown factor at time of client acceptance.

]]> By: Galen http://raincityguide.com/2006/05/18/day-two-realtor-mid-year/#comment-6770 Galen Fri, 19 May 2006 15:33:07 +0000 http://raincityguide.com/2006/05/18/day-two-realtor-mid-year/#comment-6770 Ardell, that really is a crummy message. Its funny that they totally embrace and promote that concept - that you as an agent are a commodity and have nothing to offer but being there at the right time. I'm guessing that a lot of people interview a highly recommended agent first - one they can be confident is good - but that doesn't fit with house values' you-are-a-commodity proposition, so they don't point that out. In fact, I bet that 74% of your customers interview only one agent, Ardell, because most of them know from this blog or word of mouth that you're a good agent who is worth every dime. Not to knock on all agents that use HouseValues (I have met a few who seem great), but some of them must believe that pitch, right? "Don't be good, be first!" Ardell, that really is a crummy message. Its funny that they totally embrace and promote that concept – that you as an agent are a commodity and have nothing to offer but being there at the right time. I’m guessing that a lot of people interview a highly recommended agent first – one they can be confident is good – but that doesn’t fit with house values’ you-are-a-commodity proposition, so they don’t point that out. In fact, I bet that 74% of your customers interview only one agent, Ardell, because most of them know from this blog or word of mouth that you’re a good agent who is worth every dime.

Not to knock on all agents that use HouseValues (I have met a few who seem great), but some of them must believe that pitch, right?

“Don’t be good, be first!”

]]> By: ARDELL http://raincityguide.com/2006/05/18/day-two-realtor-mid-year/#comment-6731 ARDELL Fri, 19 May 2006 14:31:44 +0000 http://raincityguide.com/2006/05/18/day-two-realtor-mid-year/#comment-6731 Galen, Here's an email I received from HouseValues. Doesn't it nauseate you to hear someone telling agents they don't have to be good anymore, they just have to be FIRST?! "Hi Ardell, What we have learned from the NAR in a recent study is that 77% of home buyers and sellers are STARTING their search online and over 74% of those same consumers will ONLY interview ONE agent! In other words, they pick the first agent that contacts them...wow! It's a tough realization that as an agent, you don't have to be good anymore...you just HAVE TO BE FIRST! Knowing this helps to understand the system we have created to help agents make more money in a lot less time! Here's a brief overview of the HouseValues system our agents receive." A whole system based on the fact that "you don't have to be good" anymore, as in don't waste your time and effort on skill and knowledge. What a marketing campaign. But they are right about one thing. It IS a "tough realization" for this agent, and I'm not buying it (pun intended). Galen, Here’s an email I received from HouseValues. Doesn’t it nauseate you to hear someone telling agents they don’t have to be good anymore, they just have to be FIRST?!

“Hi Ardell, What we have learned from the NAR in a recent study is that 77% of home buyers and sellers are STARTING their search online and over 74% of those same consumers will ONLY interview ONE agent! In other words, they pick the first agent that contacts them…wow! It’s a tough realization that as an agent, you don’t have to be good anymore…you just HAVE TO BE FIRST! Knowing this helps to understand the system we have created to help agents make more money in a lot less time! Here’s a brief overview of the HouseValues system our agents receive.”

A whole system based on the fact that “you don’t have to be good” anymore, as in don’t waste your time and effort on skill and knowledge.

What a marketing campaign. But they are right about one thing. It IS a “tough realization” for this agent, and I’m not buying it (pun intended).

]]> By: Tim http://raincityguide.com/2006/05/18/day-two-realtor-mid-year/#comment-6661 Tim Fri, 19 May 2006 06:40:03 +0000 http://raincityguide.com/2006/05/18/day-two-realtor-mid-year/#comment-6661 oops, sorry, bad link. Try <a href="http://www.theclosingtable.blogspot.com" rel="nofollow">The Closing Table Blog</a> oops, sorry, bad link.

Try The Closing Table Blog

]]> By: Tim http://raincityguide.com/2006/05/18/day-two-realtor-mid-year/#comment-6660 Tim Fri, 19 May 2006 06:38:01 +0000 http://raincityguide.com/2006/05/18/day-two-realtor-mid-year/#comment-6660 Speaking of "eyeballs" and obtaining clients, <a href="http://www.RealBlogging.com" rel="nofollow">Real Blogging</a> has this about Internet leads up yet satisfaction down. And for our Realtor friends who dread the 9pm phone call, here's a homeowner's problem and the phone call we took a short time ago. Visit our <a href="http://www.legacyescrow.net/101996.ihtml" rel="nofollow">The Closing Table</a> For those who are curious, we are routinely doing business after our normal banking hours. Agents are not alone in working crazy long hours. Speaking of “eyeballs” and obtaining clients, Real Blogging has this about Internet leads up yet satisfaction down.

And for our Realtor friends who dread the 9pm phone call, here’s a homeowner’s problem and the phone call we took a short time ago. Visit our The Closing Table

For those who are curious, we are routinely doing business after our normal banking hours. Agents are not alone in working crazy long hours.

]]> By: Galen http://raincityguide.com/2006/05/18/day-two-realtor-mid-year/#comment-6659 Galen Fri, 19 May 2006 06:11:20 +0000 http://raincityguide.com/2006/05/18/day-two-realtor-mid-year/#comment-6659 Thanks for the reports, Russ! That Realtor.com things sounds like the identical twin of HouseValues' HomePages site, but I'm guessing that Realtor.com won't have to spend the advertising bucks that HouseValues spends on each customer. That model still seems a little wacky to me - do people really want to be assigned an agent at random? Do agents really want to chase leads at random? Thanks for the reports, Russ! That Realtor.com things sounds like the identical twin of HouseValues’ HomePages site, but I’m guessing that Realtor.com won’t have to spend the advertising bucks that HouseValues spends on each customer. That model still seems a little wacky to me – do people really want to be assigned an agent at random? Do agents really want to chase leads at random?

]]>