Matthew Ferrara offers a radical idea on leads management: Only assign new leads to agents who have a track record of turning prospects into closings. Imagine that!
On Screen – a new weekly “launch” of news, commentary, resources, bloggers and other information you can use to get your week started – from Matthew Ferrara & Company.
Are social network games just for fun – or powerful sales tools. Matthew Ferrara explores the Gen X / Gen Y sales potential of Farmville and other social media fun.
Riddle me this: How is it that the industries that charge the least for their products and services seem to have more more advanced technology than those that charge the most? Some time ago, we wrote that REALTORS might want to take a look at how gas stations were using technology to market ancillary products [...]
Real estate is essentially a research industry: trouble is, most agents and brokers think the most important research is about houses, prices, square footage and such. Considering the data that sits in most MLS systems – unverified and incomplete – you’d think they would know better by now. In fact, the best research [...]
Peter Drucker said that the purpose of marketing is to make sales superfluous. That should come as welcome wisdom to the real estate industry that is comprised of so many reluctant salespeople who won’t telemarket, interact at open houses or even join Facebook (latest numbers show less than 35% of REALTORS with a [...]
For many real estate brokers and agents, the hot technology today is social networking. Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter are the “new new thing” for making friends and influencing business. There’s probably no better tools for directly prospecting your marketplace – and maintaining your referral and repeat business base. But let’s not lose sight of the [...]
Blogging is both art and tax. Good blogging means turning a steady flow of useful ideas into interesting content. Bloggers must be good writers. And developing a readership takes a lot of time each day and week. So it’s not unusual for busy salespeople to worry that they’ll never really leverage the medium, [...]
Which is harder to spot: The Loch Ness Monster or the housing industry recovery? Given the number of false sightings for both, it’s not hard to imagine that we’ll ever see either. It seems that few people can tell if they’re looking at a recovery or not: Even the “Voice of Real Estate” changes its [...]
Much time and money is wasted focusing on weaknesses we are likely never to overcome. A company’s competitive strength is always derived from their strengths, not their failings. Stop trying to do that which you perform poorly, and spend more of – all of – your time doing that at which you excel. Why struggle [...]
Martial arts masters use their opponent’s strengths against them. Today’s business innovators can do the same. Rather than imitate or go along with the market leaders, discover what makes them vulnerable. Then target your competitive activities directly at these weaknesses. For example, the company with the most listings also has the most expenses. Imagine if [...]
The computer is powerful. Email is wonderful. Social networks exciting. But remember the pen is often mightier than all. Not all activities need to be computerized. Brainstorm with a pen and paper. Send a thank you message on a note card. Draw a picture on a flip chart. Great ideas and business often happen on [...]
Much time is wasted nowadays trying to do too many things at once. Try the “off” settings for your interruptions, and focus on critical activities for extended periods of time. Don’t try to work with your phone on, email beeping, office door open. Create some space and silence; then focus on your work. You’ll get [...]
Don’t be sad that consumers aren’t attending your Sunday open houses; they aren’t even attending Sunday Church these days. So it’s time to expand their options – and your business – by offering open houses other days and times. Try lunch time during the week; Early bird open houses at 7am. Stop-by rather than fight [...]
Nowadays it’s common to see overpriced listings. But rather than fall into the same trap as others, why not try something altogether different. Stop pricing your listings at all. Instead, let the consumer determine the right price every time. Placing property in the market in “price zones” opens the property to far more buyers who [...]
