Comments on: International Lessons on Real Estate http://www.matthewferrara.com/featured/globalrealestate/ Building Real Estate, The Next Generation Wed, 17 Mar 2010 16:31:45 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Matthew Ferrara http://www.matthewferrara.com/featured/globalrealestate/comment-page-1/#comment-1283 Matthew Ferrara Fri, 17 Oct 2008 12:26:44 +0000 http://www.matthewferrara.com/?p=405#comment-1283 Frank: Thanks for your comments. From what I have seen in the last year of growth with our company's business overseas, the approach to sales in countries like you mention is much more "systematic" in nature. Not only are the sales and marketing tools more rigorously employed, but the degree of management and coaching is significantly more systematic as well. Ironically, even those countries with "built-in" shorter days (ie., siestas) seem to have higher per-person productivity levels. My recent trip to Italy seemed to clinch it for me: Less agents seemed to work more vigorously and their management was able to deliver better services and mentoring to them more consistently. Could we have the magic formula here - contrary to the "recruit until you drop" American mentality? Only time will tell. Be well! Matthew Frank:
Thanks for your comments. From what I have seen in the last year of growth with our company’s business overseas, the approach to sales in countries like you mention is much more “systematic” in nature. Not only are the sales and marketing tools more rigorously employed, but the degree of management and coaching is significantly more systematic as well. Ironically, even those countries with “built-in” shorter days (ie., siestas) seem to have higher per-person productivity levels.

My recent trip to Italy seemed to clinch it for me: Less agents seemed to work more vigorously and their management was able to deliver better services and mentoring to them more consistently. Could we have the magic formula here – contrary to the “recruit until you drop” American mentality?

Only time will tell.

Be well!
Matthew

]]> By: Frank Cluck http://www.matthewferrara.com/featured/globalrealestate/comment-page-1/#comment-1274 Frank Cluck Fri, 17 Oct 2008 02:42:43 +0000 http://www.matthewferrara.com/?p=405#comment-1274 Thanks Matthew, for your tip of the hat to the International markets, I've spent over 21 years in France, Belgium and elsewhere in Europe building a franchise network of over 1,100 agencies. I can tell you that we are proud of our work and our agents. In France, the average agent does 2.5 sides a month after the initial training period. In Belgium the score is even higher. Even just to live, the UK agent must do 7 to 10 listings a month and convert half of that. They work on 1.0 to 1.5% commissions ! Everything you say is right on target. From the European perspective, it is very difficult to comprehend the low productivity of agents in the States where, everyone agrees, the tools, systems, technology and business structures all make doing business so much easier. Thanks again for the perspective, Frank Thanks Matthew,
for your tip of the hat to the International markets,
I’ve spent over 21 years in France, Belgium and elsewhere in Europe building a franchise network of over 1,100 agencies. I can tell you that we are proud of our work and our agents. In France, the average agent does 2.5 sides a month after the initial training period. In Belgium the score is even higher.
Even just to live, the UK agent must do 7 to 10 listings a month and convert half of that. They work on 1.0 to 1.5% commissions !
Everything you say is right on target. From the European perspective, it is very difficult to comprehend the low productivity of agents in the States where, everyone agrees, the tools, systems, technology and business structures all make doing business so much easier.
Thanks again for the perspective,
Frank

]]> By: Benedetta Vigan http://www.matthewferrara.com/featured/globalrealestate/comment-page-1/#comment-1068 Benedetta Vigan Fri, 03 Oct 2008 09:12:16 +0000 http://www.matthewferrara.com/?p=405#comment-1068 Hi Matthew great article!! Hope to see you soon at the next Leading RE conference Ciao Benedetta Hi Matthew
great article!! Hope to see you soon at the next Leading RE conference
Ciao Benedetta

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