Archive for the 'Marketing' Category
Homeowners Do Their Homework . . . and it’s paying off!
Posted by Erica Vautier Liodice | Currently 2 Comments »
Dramatic advancements in online tools means more real estate resources are available to more people than ever before. Armed with a plethora of new tools, buyers are doing their homework. They can search for homes, tour neighborhoods, and get expert advice from the convenience of their personal laptop.
A recent survey by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) shows that more than 77% of consumers now start the real estate process online. On sites like Realtor.com, buyers can specify what type of home they are interested in and have a list of properties that meet their criteria appear in seconds.
Good real estate sites let visitors save searches, send automatic notices when new listings enter the market, and provide extensive information on the property. Advanced sites will even provide foreclosure lists and help locate great real estate buys.
It’s no wonder that more than 3 out of 4 respondents to the NAR survey said they use search engines to browse through properties. While internet buyers spend a longer period of time looking for a home online than traditional buyers, they spend less time searching with their agent and have to view fewer properties in person.
A 2007 California Association of Realtors (CAR) survey showed that next to searching for homes, buyers spend most of their time online surveying neighborhoods. They look at comparable sales, watch local videos and map out the area.
User-generated videos on YouTube provide unique insight into many San Diego cities; a search for “La Jolla, San Diego” yields more than 1,100 results! Some reports suggest that buyers are beginning to prefer these amateur tours to the store-bought variety, which can come off as manufactured.
To further examine neighborhoods, buyers use interactive mapping tools like Google Maps. Simply type in an address and Google Maps displays: satellite images of the location; charts of the terrain; real-time traffic reports and drive times; and frighteningly accurate, panoramic street views. Online maps allow visitors to take a virtual stroll down their future block without ever leaving home.
As buyers migrate toward the internet, so are many real estate agents. Through industry blogs like Active Rain and personal blog sites, real estate agents are sharing their knowledge and experience with the world.
Most buyers are tired of the pre-canned information that populates most real estate sites and are instead choosing to read more organic blog entries.
On our company blog, Picture Perfect San Diego, Exclusive Properties agents write about the community, home sales, area activities, market trends, financing options and so much more. It’s a great forum for buyers to meet our agents, read first hand accounts of what is going on in the real estate market, ask questions and leave feedback.
The abundance of research tools available online has made today’s buyer more educated than ever before. They can search for homes, tour neighborhoods, and get expert advice online.
There is a lot of information out there, have you done your homework?
If you need help getting started on your homework, these links may help:
- Read More Articles by Erica Vautier about the Technology and Marketing Available to Homeowners and Agents
- Contact me about working for Exclusive Properties and gaining access to these tools
- Contact me about becoming a VIP Member of our site and gaining access to great technology search tools for homeowners
- Leave Feedback and let us know what you’d like to learn more about
Related Posts: Buyers, Education, Exclusive Properties, Exclusive Properties Agents, Foreclosures, Free Foreclosure Lists, Homeowners, Marketing, Picture Perfect San Diego, Technology
We Give Agents the Best Technology & They Pass it on to Homeowners
Posted by Erica Vautier Liodice | Leave A Comment »
The world of real estate is changing.
New technologies and the extraordinary increase of internet use have transformed the way people search for houses.
Savvy real estate agents know that to keep up with an evolving industry, they need to surround themselves with the latest technology and the best support.
At Exclusive Properties, we are committed to providing our agents with the tools and the training they need to stay ahead.
Our agents enjoy the most advanced real estate technology available in the industry.
We provide tools that distribute Exclusive Properties listings to high traffic home search sites – and even pay to have our agents’ listings enhanced on many of the sites. We have an Online Resource Center filled with valuable downloads, an interactive calendar, a forum for company announcements and industry news.
Our four San Diego offices have wireless internet and large plasma screens in the conference rooms for agents to use in presentations.
Whether you are the most tech-savvy agent in San Diego, or completely new to the digital world, Exclusive Properties has the tools and the training that can dramatically improve your business. Our company calendar features MANY training sessions each month that teach our agents how to stay ahead of the curve.
If you are an agent, ask yourself these questions:
- Do you want your listings to automatically appear on more than 50 high traffic sites?
- Would you like someone to help you master Tempo 5?
- Would you want to learn how to build Virtual Slideshows for your property at no cost?
- Do you think it would be helpful to have all the forms, files, logos and materials you use available to you online?
- Do you want to work in a company that values education and will train you to use today’s best tools?
Related Posts: Agent Services, Exclusive Properties Agents, Exclusive Properties Offices, Join Exclusive Properties, Marketing, Picture Perfect San Diego, Technology, Training
Make the Right First Impression & Sell Your House Quickly!
Posted by Erica Vautier Liodice | Currently 2 Comments »
Experience shows that taking time to prepare your home before a viewing can give it the marketing "edge" it needs to sell. Buyers may look at dozens of houses, so it is important that you make a good first impression.
Many agents suggest having a home professionally staged before putting it up for sale. Others give their clients a checklist of minor home improvements to complete. While both approaches will initially cost you money, in the end you will make out better.
In fact, a HomeGain survey of more than 2000 Realtors showed that sellers who spent $1000 staging their home actually recovered 200% of their investment in the cost of their home sale. Moreover, homes that are staged are known to sell in half the time.
Here are some QUICK and EASY ways you can INSTANTLY improve your home’s Curb Appeal for a potential buyer:
- Turn on all of the lights in your home, even during the day
- At night, turn on the outside lights
- Turn on soft music
- Keep the heat at 68 degrees
- Keep pets in a separate area; change the litter daily
- Put money and other valuables out of site
- Keep draperies and shades open
- Open all the doors inside the home, except for closets
If you have an agent showing your home, here are some more things to keep in mind:
- A buyer will be more likely to spend more time viewing your home if you are not around
- If you can’t leave the home, group children around a television with the volume on low or have them play in a specially designated area
- Do NOT precede or follow buyer through your home
- Let the agent show and sell your home
For a printer friendly copy of these tips, just click here .
Want more information? How about a Guide to preparing your home for sale? Click here for a printer friendly version of a market preparation guide.
Be sure to let us know if you need any more help in how to prepare your home for sale.
Related Posts: Home Improvement, Homeowners, Marketing, Sellers
New Technologies or Old School Communication – What’s Better?
Posted by Erica Vautier Liodice | Currently 2 Comments »
When talking about tennis shoes or day planners, the popular New Years mantra “out with the old, in with the new” is great advice. But when it comes to marketing a home, an integration of new technologies and old techniques is the most effective.
Faced with a softening market and price appreciation slowing, real estate agents and home owners must work harder to sell properties that would have been snapped up in past years. In response, numerous companies have come up with a “better mouse trap” promising to increase exposure and sell homes faster.
Sellers now have a plethora of real estate marketing tools at their finger tips and it can be easy to get lost in good intentions.
To decide what technologies to allow into our lives, sellers need to step outside their routines and explore new options. Ironically, the best way to learn about new ways to communicate is to simply talk to our friends, family and coworkers.
Find someone who is actively using the iPhone or writing a web site blog and solicit their advice. A friend will warn you about the shortcomings of new gadgets before a salesperson will. You may wonder how you ever lived without emails coming directly to your phone, or decide that starting your own blog is too time-consuming.
To sell a home in today’s cautious environment undoubtedly requires marketing creativity, but technology for the sake of technology is self-defeating. The goal is to determine which new tools will actually help sell your property, and then work with an agent to integrate those tools into your marketing plan.
Web sites are now the primary source of exposure for homes for sale and properties that feature virtual tours appear higher up on lists of homes. Still, with an estimated 25,000 homes available in San Diego alone, it is important to work with an agent who has strong contacts in the community and follow-up systems in place. Let technology add to your home’s exposure, but choose an agent who understands the value of personal communication.
Whatever marketing tool you and your agent decide to test drive, don’t forget to evaluate its effectiveness. Your agent should ask people who comes to see your house to fill out a source card so you know where they heard about you. The most successful agents use precise tracking systems to learn about potential buyers and expedite the sales process.
To the most technologically advanced sellers, I suggest the occasional reality check. Despite the undeniable appeal of email and text messaging, there is no replacement for face-to-face contact with prospective buyers. For sellers determined to stay grounded in the grassroots ways, I recommend adopting an open mind. Change is inevitable, so find a way to make it work for you and your home. The key is to combine the best of new technologies and traditional real estate practices.
Related Posts: Education, Exclusive Properties, Exclusive Properties Agents, Marketing, San Diego, Sellers, Technology
Get CASH for your Home, courtesy of The Cole Group
Posted by Erica Vautier Liodice | Leave A Comment »
In July 2007 Jeff Cole and his team at Exclusive Properties started a new program called “Buy Your Home for Cash” that utilizes the purchasing of homes to facilitate the sales of their current listings.
“It gives buyers that have a home to sell another option and sellers another avenue to market their property,” said team leader Jeff Cole. This innovative program has helped them have the best two months in their real estate history.
“Our phone hasn’t stopped ringing,” said Cole. “Since starting this program we have had immediate interest and have already put one home in contract using this promotion.” The “Buy Your Home for Cash” program not only brings new buyers to the table, it also reaffirms the Cole group’s belief that there is no time like the present to buy into this market.
“With current prices and interest rates at the levels they are, we believe the overall affordability and value in today’s market is good,” said Cole, who has remained among the Top 5 producers at Exclusive Properties since joining the company.
Cole is truly a master of marketing and knows what it takes to get homes sold. He also knows to surround himself with competent and reliable team members and support staff. Still, Cole is personally responsible for each listing he takes and loves to market and show his properties. “Though my support staff is unmatched in professionalism and ability I know when someone hires me to sell their home they want me and I want to be available to them,” said Cole. With the success of their new program, his buyers no longer have to write a contingent offer, putting them in a stronger negotiating position, which can help secure a better purchase price. For more information about the “Buy Your Home for Cash” program, contact Jeff Cole directly at 760-525-7787.
Related Posts: Buyers, Exclusive Properties, Exclusive Properties Agents, Home Loans, Marketing
