RealTown's RealTalk

Robert King said:
"As for the public I'm not convinced that outdated era marketing has
actually being ignored by the public all though I agree I find it
lacking in production. Let's get our "FACTS" straight. If the general
public is subsequently, as you put it, shopping on line for real
estate, then why is there so much hesitation on the consumers part?"
 

Hi Robert,
 

We go round and round with this, and it's really not a productive
discussion. You can point to old school methods that still work, and
I can point to agents who use the Web quite successfully.
 

I am now convinced that a lot of old-schoolers will live out their
time in this business by blissfully ignoring most Web technology,
until they retire. Their referral network allows them that luxury. I
seriously doubt that the same "ignorance is bliss" approach will work
for newer agents.
 

If I were an agent, then a dominant web presence in my local market
would be my single most important marketing priority. Maybe even
multiple sites. The ROI is astounding, when it is done right. But
again, I base that statement upon what I have seen work well for many
agents who have done exactly that.
 

If agents are unaware that the Web can work for them, then I'd lay a
lot of the blame directly at the feet their mentors and brokers, who
have a responsibility to their team to be aware of what is happening.
If Web savvy agents are the ones closing deals these days (and they
are), then ignoring that fact is tantamount to leading a team over a
cliff, due to personal bias or the refusal to acknowledge what really
works.
 

Property buyers are going to use the Web to their advantage. It's
efficient, productive, and informative, and low cost. Agents who are
positioned to capture a piece of that Web traffic, and provide
assitance, will benefit.
 

No amount of hand-wringing over how things have changed and how the
Web and IDX affects the real estate market will change anything,
going forward. Agents need to decide how they will market themselves
in the real estate market as it exists today, not the market that
existed ten years ago.
 

Robert, I agree with you that things have changed. How an agent deals
with it is up to them. I am just trying to make people aware that
there are choices, and that not all of them are dead ends.
 

Best regards,
 

Dirk Johnson
Partner - Operations
DomainDrivers LLC
djohnson@domaindrivers.com
703-406-4698
http://domaindrivers.realtown.com
We're an approved RealTalk/RealTown vendor:
http://DomainDrivers.InternetCrusade.com

"I have kind of gone off on a tangent, and I apologize if I have bored you
but the short answer to what your question actually asked is: Franchise
Brands are here to stay."

That would probably have been kind of enough! ;>)

Hans O Oscarsson LL.M., MBA, ASPR, e-PROR
An Allen F Hainge CyberStarR
REALTORR Associate/Marketing Specialist
RE/MAX Villa REALTORSR Jersey City New Jersey

Gary Nagle said:
"Things like 'You should own a laptop"; or "You should have a
website" don't cut it. How do I utilize those tools --- specifically
--- they cannot answer. How do I get Internet leads and why do I want
them, they cannot answer. How do I convert internet leads into
clients, they cannot answer. I know this: my broker was one who made
it very difficult for his agents to have an effective web presence.
We were not allowed to have our own IDX solution ..."

Gary,

Thanks for sharing that experience.

The denial of the Web's importance at the brokerage level in this
business is just astonishing, from what I see and hear. Agents who
accept that approach are going to find this business to be a very
hard one to sustain.

Agents who have decided to get themselves out from under this
brokerage fog of denial, on their own and with little guidance or
support from above, eventually realize that they are (or were)
operating in an absurd situation.

Once the agents establish a proper Web presence, and their own lead
stream from it, they realize quickly that they have independence.
Then they look for the brokerage deal that works. Why wouldn't they?
At that point, it does not really matter if their broker knows
anything about the Web. It's more about the deal that they negotiate,
in order to facilitate their own business. I've talked to many agents
who have recently changed brokers, for that reason.

Brokers who figure out how to attract these independent agents stand
a chance of substantiality. Brokers who try to use outdated contract
models that favor the broker, when the broker brings little to the
table in terms of actionable leads, are going watch their Web-savvy,
most productive agents flee the nest, for better deals.

That's already started to happen, and it will only accelerate.

Best regards,

Dirk Johnson
Partner - Operations
DomainDrivers LLC
djohnson@domaindrivers.com
703-406-4698
http://domaindrivers.realtown.com
We're an approved RealTalk/RealTown vendor:
http://DomainDrivers.InternetCrusade.com

"I know this: my broker was one who made
it very difficult for his agents to have an effective web presence.
We were not allowed to have our own IDX solution ..."

In my case, it is the MLS and the big companies that keep the agents from
having a good IDX. I have been searching for a good IDX, but just as I
think I have one, I am told hat MARIS in St. Louis does not allow agents to
have IDX unless it is through their company! Very annoying. I have worked
for years to build good websites and can get a fair number of buyer leads
when I have IDX on my site. I've even developed a lot of methods for
working with these leads. Luckily, the company I am with now (The Best
Seller GMAC Real Estate) let me link to their IDX search and then forward
the form buyers fill out (not really required) before they get forwarded,
so the secretary knows what leads came from me. It's not the best
solution, but is working. It is so annoying that an MLS or a company,
thinks that because some agents don't know much about working with on-line
buyer leads, that all of us don't! The reality is that many of us here
know more than the MLS or company!!!

Linda Grissette, JIM, GRI, LTG, ePRO Certified
The Best Seller GMAC Real Estate Mailto:Linda@Grissette.com
http://www.FindStLouisAreaRealEstate.com
Special pricing for RealTalk and e-PRO Talk members:
http://www.RealEstateMarketingHelp.com/Special.htm

Dirk, although not down in the trenches with the productive, has a few words to mince

Dirk states:
"We go round and round with this, and it's really not a productive
discussion. You can point to old school methods that still work, and
I can point to agents who use the Web quite successfully".
 

Dirk, we will always go round and round with this issue because of the LACK of PRODUCTION!  That's the whole point in this Internet Discussion Group .  Intelligent people discussing what is going on and why it is going on.  All I'm asking for is some common since and examination of the FACTS!  PRODUCTION is not what it's suppose to be.  Can we at least agree on that?  You can deny it all you want but the FACTS still remain, since the introduction of IDX and the FREE dissemination of Listing Information has only made the selling of real estate more difficult.  If you don't believe ME at least look at the record!  Duh!  

The people who have been buying for the past 3 years are people who THINK they got a great deal.  If that were true, then why is the real estate you buy today at any price worth less tomorrow?  Remember the market is declining not appreciating!   As long as the market is declining then the real estate you buy today at any price will always be worth less tomorrow.  That's why nobody is buying.   

People understand, there are certain unspoken laws that can never be broken, bent from time to time, but eventually these laws remains enforce and keep the rich rich and the not so rich NOT SO RICH.  I'm talking about the laws of appreciation and depreciation.  The laws of appreciation means the assets you have today will be worth more tomorrow!  That is good.  The laws of depreciation means the assets you have today will be worth-less tomorrow, that can be good and bad, depending on your tax bracket.  The middle class has to be very careful when they find themselves influenced by the laws of depreciation.  The Internet never addresses this issue.  Why?  Because everybody has been dumbed down into believing that everything is relative.  If that is true then there are NO ABSOLUTES so if there are NO ABSOLUTES then just hold on to what you got and eventually the subliminal laws of relativity will kick in and all this plight we are experiencing will blow over and everything will be absolutely OK.  

It's real simple, seller's pay listing agents to pay representatives of the buyers to bring an acceptable offer.  Listing agents post their listings in the MLS and by doing so disseminate MOST of that information to the buying public via IDX over the Internet.  Not only does the buyer's agent get the information but so does the buyer!  The listing agents sell the concept to the seller by way of EXPOSURE!  The seller is of the opinion that EXPOSURE sells faster and for higher prices, that's why they list with an MLS Realtor.  Unfortunately the evidence PROVES that homes do not sell faster or for more because of EXPOSURE!  Actually the evidence is overwhelmingly the OPPOSITE!.  What we have here, is a Marketing Tool that we are not in control of.  The Consumers (sellers/buyers) are confused.  The only thing they see is 6% coming out of Somebodies Pocket.  And we all know, "that somebody" is the buyer!  Without buyers there are no commissions.  Without acceptable offers nothing sells.  We have a fundamental problem, who actually is representing WHO?  All the Internet provides is (((((information))))).  Information is all that we have to go on.  Now we have an over-supply of property and nobody willing to take the plunge.  Why?  I think it's ((((((free-miss-information))))) .

I wonder what other people think?

Linda Grissette wrote,

"I know this: my broker was one who made
it very difficult for his agents to have an effective web presence.
We were not allowed to have our own IDX solution ..."



It make me really sick to hear these stories about brokers, who want to control their environment.
They are very short minded. Do not they understand, that the Realtors are bringing the business and not the office name.
When you have to work with that kind of mentality you can do two things. Find another job or become your own broker.
I have never thought of these problems and I am glad I can do what I want within the code of ethics.