This Little Light of Mine. . .
March 30, 2007 | 7 Comments
I saw a post on the Inman blog that covered the debate about requiring registration for access to real estate web sites. I found the post to be quite relevant for two reasons. 1) My wife and I recently rolled out our new website (no registration required); and 2) I recently discussed this exact issue with another agent from another market. It seems to me that it is worth continuing the discussion here.
Personally, I am against requiring registration for access to real estate websites. I guess that is pretty obvious, given my own site. Sure, my website has lead generation forms, but only for people who WANT to fill them out. Obviously, I want to work with people who want to work with me. For those who don’t, I’m certainly not going to try and extort information from them.
I see the benefit of not requiring registration to be two-fold. First, I know that everyone that registers on my site is doing so because they want to do so. They like the site, and they like the information it provides, and they would like more of that information. The second benefit is an extension of the first, these people have qualified themselves. I don’t have to email every John or Jane Doe that registers in order to determine their level of interest. I don’t have to waste time and effort on people who are simply trying to browse. For the consumers, they don’t have to waste their time and inbox space with emails that they didn’t want in the first place.
I know that personally, when I go to a website that requires registration for routine information, I usually move on. The registration had better offer me a unique benefit that simply isn’t available anywhere else. This isn’t true of most real estate websites. And if it is true of a site, if the site is really offering unique and valuable information, why would anyone want to hide that information behind a wall?
My goal is to build a site that offers the highest-quality information in the most effective way in order to give the consumer the greatest possible benefit. The more people that have access to this site, the better. It makes my life easier, and more importantly, it makes their lives better.
This little real estate light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine. . .
[tags] real estate, realtor, charlottesville, virginia, web 2.0, re.net, real estate webmasters, marketing, real estate marketing [/tags]
ZebraTalk Gets Delayed Just a Bit
March 28, 2007 | Leave a Comment
If you remember, tomorrow was supposed to be the debut of my talk show on BlogTalkRadio.com. I am going to have to push back the debut date until April 12th, it appears. I ran into an unexpected scheduling conflict that I can’t work around. So, if you can restrain your excitement for 2 more weeks and tune in during April, it will be much appreciated.
[tags] real estate, realtor, charlottesville, virginia, blogtalkradio.com [/tags]
Should Commercial Agents Have a Separate License?
March 27, 2007 | 3 Comments
I spent much of my day today at the Virginia Association of REALTORS headquarters attending a meeting of the VAR Commercial Alliance. The Alliance is a committee comprised of commercial REALTORS from around the commonwealth who serve the function of addressing the unique needs of commercial REALTORS within the organization.
In case you are wondering what I am doing on the Alliance, I have been working towards gaining a knowledge and understanding of the practice of commercial real estate so that I may one day incorporate it into my personal practice. My geographical area is one that is relatively under-served when it comes to commercial real estate, and it is something that has always interested me. As a result of the commercial real estate education classes I have taken through CCIM, VAR contacted me and asked if I would like to be part of the Alliance. They thought that having a member of the Alliance who is just beginning a commercial real estate career would be valuable. I was flattered. Obviously, I agreed.
Much of the meeting today centered around the possibility of creating a separate Virginia license for commercial practitioners. Currently, there is no state in the country that has separate licenses for commercial and residential licensees. The idea is that because commercial real estate and residential real estate require very different skill sets, the licensing laws should reflect this. The other issue at play is Article 11 of the National Association of REALTORS Code of Ethics, which states that, “REALTORS shall not undertake to provide specialized professional services concerning a type of property or service that is outside their field of competence [. . .]“ Some interpret this to mean that a residential REALTOR who undertakes representing someone in a commercial real estate transaction (or vice-versa), may actually be violating the Code of Ethics. The argument is that creating two licenses would help rectify this issue by helping to ensure that everyone has at least a basic level of training in the field in which they practice, either residential or commercial.
There are obviously a lot of issues with creating a separate license for commercial practitioners. Without even getting to those issues, the first question that must be answered is, “is this really necessary?” Personally, I can understand the need for ensuring that the people practicing real estate, either commercial or residential, should know what they are doing. I still believe, however, that the impetus for change must come from the individual licensees, and not from the government. There are plenty of great ways for agents to learn about the practice of commercial real estate. I’m not convinced that government intervention is truly necessary. That doesn’t mean I couldn’t be convinced of the argument, but as of right now, I think that the creation of a separate commercial real estate license falls under the same category as increasing any licensing standards.
But, hey, that’s just my opinion. I want to know what you think, especially what other agents think. Is it really necessary to have separate licenses for commercial and residential practitioners? Let me know!
[tags] real estate, realtor, charlottesville, virginia, commercial real estate, ccim, var, [/tags]
The Real Estate Industry Shouldn’t Make It Harder to Participate
March 21, 2007 | 4 Comments
There is a constant background conversation in the real estate industry that has to do with increasing the standards for real estate licensing as a means of improving the quality of licensees and public perception of the industry as a whole. Agents all over the country engage in this conversation every year, and talk has become louder and louder as the overall number of real estate licensees has increased.
The argument that people make for increasing licensing standards usually goes something like this, “it is too easy to get a real estate license. If we made it harder, then we could increase the overall quality of real estate licensees and real estate agents would have a better reputation as a whole.” People then go on to suggest increased standards such as requiring a college degree, increasing the amount of pre-licensing education, making the required tests more difficult, etc. To me, all of these suggestions and the argument put forth to support them are complete bunk. Here’s why. . .
More extensive barriers to entry do not automatically create better agents. As just about anyone with a real estate license will tell you, the education that you get prior to being licensed does very little to ensure your success in business, other than informing you of the legal requirements and obligations that, when followed, will allow you to keep your license. The things that make for good agents are not covered in any licensing class. They are learned after the agent begins working. They are learned through broker training classes, or through mentoring, or through the time-tested technique of trail and error. The idea that making it harder to earn a license will increase the quality of the agents is preposterous because it ignores this fact.
There is another factor at play here as well, the human factor. For the most part, people are who they are. Their individual practice of their profession will reflect this. Bad people are going to do bad things whether they are practicing real estate, medicine, law, or automobile repair. Making the required eduction longer, or requiring an advanced degree isn’t going to turn these people good. In fact, many of the people that I have come in contact with whom I would describe as “bad apples” possess college degrees.
If people truly want to make the profession better, and increase its overall public perception, the most impact can be made once people earn a license. It is at this point that an agent is most vulnerable to influence from external sources. A new licensee is (hopefully) going to absorb just about everything that comes his way. He will learn mainly from the examples set by the agents around him. If those are good, ethical agents, then the new agent’s opportunity for success is greatly increased.
Brokers play perhaps the most important role in the success and failure of new agents. Brokers are charged with protecting and enhancing the reputation of not only themselves and their companies, but also the reputation of the industry as a whole. This is done through their actions, and by leading through positive examples of what should be done. Sure, you could increase the licensing standards, but if those already licensed are practicing unethically or illegally, all is for naught.
If the goal of those who advocate the increasing of licensing standards is truly the reputation of the profession, then they should turn to themselves and seek out the new agents around them and act as a mentor or at least a positive example of the real estate professional. That will have a far greater impact on the profession than any increase in education requirements.
[tags] real estate, realtor, charlottesville, virginia, real estate license [/tags]
I Was Not Alone. . .
March 20, 2007 | Leave a Comment
My internet is now back to full functionality (whew!). It would appear that I was not alone. . .
34th Edition of the CoRE
March 20, 2007 | Leave a Comment
The 34th installment of the Carnival of Real Estate is up at Mike’s Corner. Mike did a great job hosting, and the Zebra got a mention. Be sure to check out all the great posts.
Can’t wait for the podcast. . .
[tags] real estate, realtor, charlottesville, carnival of real estate, Michael Price, mlpodcast [/tags]
My Poor, Crippled Internet
March 20, 2007 | Leave a Comment
I was having trouble this weekend with my internet, but I thought it was the usual in-house stuff. Come to find out this morning that Embarq, my lovely ISP, is having major issues with its service throughout Virginia and North Carolina. According to the message on their customer service line, some websites will be unavailable to some customers. I didn’t think this was such a big deal until I discovered that one of the websites unavailable to me is our personal real estate site at CvilleAreaRealEstate.com. I had a whole bunch of additions and revisions I wanted to make today, and now I am sunk until further notice. On the plus side, I have checked with a few people in other areas who are still able to get onto the site, so it isn’t as big of a disaster as it could be.
Then I discovered that another of the unavailable sites is Mike’s Corner, who is hosting this week’s Carnival of Real Estate. I would love to read this week’s posts (and find out how mine fared), but alas, all I receive is a blasted Firefox error message. I am sure that as time goes on, I will discover other sites that are unavailable. I just hope that Embarq gets their act together before I find too many more. . .
UPDATE:
Add Inman.com to my list of victims. Now this is getting really annoying. . .
[tags] internet service providers, embarq, [/tags]
When You Are Being Judged By Your Actions, Act Accordingly
March 16, 2007 | 1 Comment
I wrote a few months back about how marketing isn’t just about pretty ads and effective copy. Sometimes, marketing yourself is about what you are communicating through your actions as well. Both referees and real estate agents are judged largely by their actions. Two recent events remind me of this point, one from the basketball floor, and one from the real estate trenches.
A few weeks ago, I was watching a local high school basketball game. I had arrived early, and it was before the game had started, so the officiating crew was out on the floor observing the players during warm-ups. The coaching staff for one of the teams had congregated near their bench, while the other coaching staff was talking amongst themselves at the exit from the locker-rooms, which was on the opposite side of the court from their bench. As these coaches began to walk to their bench, they had to come across the floor in front of the officiating crew. The head coach from the team approached the crew and began conversing with them, shaking hands, smiling, and being generally friendly. I immediately knew the impact from this small, seemingly benign interaction.
When I looked towards the coaching staff of the other team, you could see the head coach pointing at the congregation of opposing coaches and officials, and talking to his staff in what can best be described as a frustrated, and animated manner. It was obvious to me that the coach was offended by the action of the officials and opposing coaches. The game had not yet started, and the officiating crew had already put themselves in a dangerous position with one of the coaches just by that simple action. While they didn’t intend anything by it, that didn’t matter. Marketing isn’t always about intent, but it is definitely about effect, good or bad.
Fast forward to this past weekend. My wife and I both showed homes to clients, and our listing clients had showings as well. One of our listing clients had the unfortunate experience of having and agent call to show the house, and then that agent never showed up. This is something that occurs more frequently than it should. It has become a sad, unfortunate fact of selling a home.
In this case, not only did the agent not show up, but the agent never called to let our client know that plans had changed, and that she wasn’t going to show the home. Our client was upset because he made plans to have the house ready for the showings, which includes tidying up the house and getting together the rest of the family so that they can be out of the house for the showings. Unbeknown to the other agent, our client now has a less than glowing opinion of her due to the fact that she not only didn’t show up, but knowing she wasn’t going to show up, did not call the seller to let her know she wasn’t going to show up or call afterwards to apologize for not showing up. Our client simply expected the courtesy of some type of communication from the other agent; one which I think is deserved, frankly.
What you do and the way in which you do it says a lot about you to other people. In fact, unless they have the time to really get to know you, your actions are the only way you will be judged by most people. In both of the cases above, a very simple action has the potential to cause very big problems. For the officials, their credibility is called into question without ever having made a single call. For the agent who didn’t show up, a simple phone call would have been enough to avoid hurt feelings and a tarnished reputation. There are those that might say that these types of tarnishes are slight, and hardly worth worrying about. When it is something that is completely avoidable and well within your control, however, any amount of tarnish is too much.
Is it too much to expect officials to say, “good evening coach, I can’t talk right now, I have to be with my crew,” or for agents to call and say, “I’m sorry, our plans have changed, and I won’t be able to show the house”? I don’t think so. In fact, these two simple sentences could have made all the difference. Sometimes, the devil truly is in the details. If your not careful, that little devil has the power to reek havoc on your reputation.
[real estate, realtor, charlottesville, virginia, reputation, officiating [/tags]
Dynamite Listings Deserve Dynamite Pictures
March 14, 2007 | 5 Comments
If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the pictures I was taking of our listings were only worth about 700 or so. I mentioned before that I invested in a new digital camera in order to spruce-up the presentation of our listings. I had no idea how much of an improvement it would make. Granted, the camera wasn’t cheap, but it has been worth every penny. Along with the monetary investment, I spent some time learning the camera, scouring the internet for good articles about real estate photography. I even received help from a client of ours who happens to be a professional photographer.
I have had the chance to take pictures of a few homes since purchasing the camera. I have been astonished by the results. I consider myself a pretty good learner, and I would like to think that these pictures are a result of my photographic aptitude, but I know that is only partly true. One thing is for sure, the camera is incredible. Take a look:
The pictures look good on their own, but if you could have been inside these homes when they were taken, you might be as amazed as I was. I wish I had taken the same pictures with my old camera to show the difference, but I didn’t think of that.
My favorite picture thus far is the one below. The picture is of a ground-level one bedroom apartment. The room has one window, which actually doesn’t go outside, but goes into a entry way. Needless to say, the lighting was less then ideal. The picture, however, shows just how great the space is. It really brings out the beauty of the room. Had I used my old camera for this picture, it simply would not have done the room justice.
I have learned a lot about photography in just a few weeks, and I feel like I have just scratched the surface. I discovered very quickly that in order to even have a chance at getting good pictures, a tripod is an absolute MUST. My head has spun a times with terms like ISO Speed, aperture, depth-of-field, exposure, and f-stop. While I know that I still have a lot to learn, I am willing. If what I still have yet to discover helps as much as what I have learned already, I know our clients will be thrilled. I even have plans to retake many of our old listing pictures.
After all, dynamite listings clients deserve dynamite pictures.
[tags] real estate, realtor, charlottesville, virginia, photography, real estate photography, marketing [/tags]
33rd Carnival Is Up
March 12, 2007 | Leave a Comment
The 33rd Edition of the Carnival of Real Estate is up at Phoenix Real Estate Guy. Jay did a great job this week, giving the carnival a poker theme. My post, Do Inspired Work, made the cut, coming in as “Three of a Kind.” Great work, Jay; and great work by all of the bloggers. Check it out.
[tags] real estate, realtor, charlottesville, virginia, carnival of real estate, phoenix real estate guy [/tags]
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Disclaimer
My name is Daniel Rothamel. I am a licensed real estate agent in the Commonwealth of Virginia and a member of the National Association of REALTORS. As such, I adhere to a strict code of ethics and all laws with regard to equal housing, which is reflected in the content of this blog. My broker is Strong Team REALTORS, 86 Joshua Lane, Palmyra, VA 22963; (434) 589-5800. My VA Real Estate License number is 0225 077325. All of the opinions in this blog are mine, unless otherwise noted.
