Monthly Archives: January 2004

Thoughts on Prospecting and Search Engine Marketing

There were a couple of good articles posted on the Realty Times website this week.
The first involved The Seven Deadly Sins Of Real Estate Prospecting. Author, Jim Gillespie, does a great job of listing what you should be looking for when prospecting - such as making a good impression, making multiple contacts through […]

Internet Marketing, Prospecting, Search Marketing

Real Estate Jobs Not looking good in 2004

Sales and Marketing Management published a story on the job outlook for a number of industries in their Feb 2004 edition. Their outlook for the Real Estate industry looks pretty cool in comparison to other industries surveyed:

Industry

Commentary on Stats and Trends

Perhaps you’re wondering why I’ve been listing so many stats and trends in my recent postings. I see so many organizations that use lots of marketing tactics, but have no strategic focus. They send mail or advertise at random - particularly when they need business or when they see a competitor doing so. […]

Industry

More 2003 Stats

These are from NAR
There were a total of 6,100,000 existing-home sales in 2003, up 9.6 percent from the previous record of 5,566,000 in 2002. NAR began tracking the sales series in 1968.
Existing-home sales increased 6.9 percent in December to a seasonally adjusted annual rate* of 6.47 million units from a level of 6.05 million units […]

Industry

How Often Should You Mail to Prospects?

In a recent article, author Jim Gillespie poses the question Is Your Mailing Campaign On The Right Frequency?. In the article, he argues that frequency is more important than content, so it is better to send out short text on a more frequent basis than preparing a longer newsletter that you mail out quarterly. […]

Lead Generation, Prospecting

Buyer and seller needs

Here’s an interesting article from Realtor magazine that clearly lays out basic needs of buyers and sellers, and how Realtors often find themselves playing psychologist when it comes to closing. Understanding when people are motivated by safety or security needs - such as those facing foreclosure or divorce - and those motivated by psychological […]

Client Service

Major Life Change is the Motivation for New Home Purchases

Here’s an interesting study on why people purchase homes - and it’s not the super low mortgage rates of the last several years. This should give you some ideas of the best times to reach prospects and what you might include in your info kits.

Industry, Real Estate Niches

Predicted 2004 Trends

Real Estate News has published an article on 2004 trends. To summarize some of the trends, while 2004 is still looking good for the real estate industry, Realtors are facing more and more competition, not only from the increasing number of Realtors (approaching 1 million in the US this year) but also from discount […]

Industry

Internet Stats from the California Association of Realtors

If you’re still unconvinced that the internet can be a great lead generating marketing tool, here are some stats that demonstrate the growing popularity of the web. Of course, generating leads requires that your website be professional and up-to-date with new content added frequently!

Industry

Some trends to look for in 2004

December’s issue of Real Estate News listed a couple of trends to look for in 2004. Some interesting stats and comments include:
Attracting the growing numbers of first-time home buyers will mean differentiating your approach for this different consumer base. According to recent NAR research, there are significant differences between first-time home buyers and repeat […]

Industry