Look Who’s Talking - 2008 NYC Inman Real Estate Bloggers Connect

January 8th, 2008 | 1 Comment

Let the Blogging Begin

This Wednesday, I am speaking on the first panel of the 2008 NYC Inman Real Estate Bloggers Connect. I will join a distinguished group of real estate bloggers and tackle one of the greatest questions bloggers and future bloggers ask: How do I decide what to blog about and what happens when I get stumped?

Panel Details

Wednesday, January 9, 9:00 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.

Avoid the Content Brick Wall: Ideas for Fresh and Frequent Blogging
Don’t waste valuable time writing blog entries just to fill space. Learn how blogging can become a de facto customer relationship management tool and how to gauge what topics will keep them coming back for more.

Moderator: Jessica Swesey, Vice President of Content, Inman News

Panelists:
Rudy Bachraty, Co-Founder, Sellsius & Founder, Kiosk Realty
Kris Berg, Broker Associate, Prudential California Realty
Jeff Corbett, Author, The XBroker Blog
Dan Green, Chief Blogging Officer, Bring the Blog

Source: Panel details via Real Estate Connect blog

2007 Video Flashback

Here is a fun video I recently put together of some of the extracurricular activities experienced from the last Inman real estate conference that I spoke at in San Francisco last summer. The footage is part of the Blog Tour USA Real Estate Documentary. If you’re a buyer or a seller, this particular video clip may not be very interesting to you - I’ll try harder next time. However, if you’re in the industry, you may get a chuckle out of it.

Blog Tour USA - INMAN Real Estate Connect from rudy bachraty on Vimeo

Is the Conference Worth it?

Yes! If you are a real estate agent in New York City, attending a conference such as this will open your eyes to a whole new world of information that can help you grow your business. A better informed and knowledgeable agent is what today’s buyers and sellers are looking for. The conference is technology rich with lots of vendors pitching their products. Walking through the show floor may be a tad overwhelming - it’s always been that way for me anyways. Take it slow and have fun.

The best part of the conference for me are the conversations I have with some of the greatest thought leaders in the business. The knowledge I gain is priceless. I am honored to be a part of it. Thanks for the invite Brad!

Posted by Rudolph D. Bachraty III | Filed Under Marketing

I am a Person, Not a Lead

January 4th, 2008 | 2 Comments

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Source: 1000WattConsulting

I am a Person, not a Lead

Now this is a good Mantra. As a real estate broker, be empathetic to the consumers needs. Place yourself in the consumers shoes and ask yourself how you would want to be treated. It’s really not that difficult.

Back in 2006, I wrote two simple posts on Active Rain that described what I felt both the real estate buyer and seller wanted.

I am the Buyer GodDammit!

As a Buyer, I want:

1. To view the freshest listings available.
2. To search efficiently - I not do want to look for a “needle in a haystack”
3. To view listings without giving anyone my personal information.
4. The listings to have the most information about the property as possible.
5. To see as many pictures of the property as possible.
6. To know the recent comparable sales.
7. To know how many days it has been on the market.
8. To see the property on a map.
9. To learn more information about the neighborhood and school district.
10. To know who the listing agent is.
11. To know my rights up front so I can make an informed decision on how to proceed.
12. To know how much I realistically qualify for.
13. To know what price range I should focus on so I will not become house rich and cash poor.
14. To talk with a mortgage broker who can help me find the best loan package that’s in my best interest.
15. To Save Time!
16. To find a local knowledgeable and experienced agent that will work in my best interest and will help me find what I’m looking for faster.
17. Choices!

To be Happy!

I am the Seller Goddammit!

As a Seller, I want:

1. To sell my Real Estate.
2. To sell it for the highest price possible.
3. It to sell in the shortest amount of time.
4. The transaction to go as smoothly as possible.
5. My listing to be exposed to the widest audience.
6. No restrictions on how or where my listing is advertised.
7. To easily find the best real estate agent to represent my best interests.
8. To correctly set my listing price from the beginning.
9. To know my rights and options from the beginning so I can make informed decisions.
10. To sell my real estate on my own if I want to.
11. Choices!

To Be Happy!

It’s about Me Silly

This video by the 1000 Watt guys illustrates what consumers - Mr. and Mrs. Smith - want on the most basic level. To be treated as people. It really is all about them, not us. We are brokers, not farmers, so lets stop calling our sphere of influence a farm. We are not plumbers, so why do some still conduct unsolicited drip campaigns? We are not detectives so ditch the term lead. Alphabet soup is so old school - did those classes really teach you anything the real world didn’t? What other respected profession has their face plastered on their business cards? It’s not a fashion show.

What Have You Done for Me Lately?

Source: Eddie Murphy Raw

Being a real estate agent is not just about closing the deal. It’s about relationships. Solving the Mr. and Mrs. Smith’s problems. Answering their questions. Being available after the deal to help them with other home related issues. Sometimes friendships blossom. Other times, not so much. Regardless, it’s about Mr. and Mrs. Smith, not us. Gotta run now, Mr. and Mrs. Smith are calling me.

H/T Loren Nason - The Future of Real Estate Technology

Posted by Rudolph D. Bachraty III | Filed Under Marketing

Real Estate Bloggers Join the Conversation

November 10th, 2007 | Leave a Comment

I just received my Barnes & Noble book order. One of my new books is called Join the Conversation by Joseph Jaffe. The cover is a great montage of face avatars, sort of like the MyBlogLog widget or even like the faces we had on Blog Tour USA. Pretty cool. As I looked closer, I recognized someone - my friend Dave Smith from the Real Estate Blog Lab. Fantastic! He’s on the cover of a new book to be seen by millions. Then I looked closer. Holy book cover Batman! I see more real estate bloggers on the cover…

Larry Cragun - Real Estate Undressed
Pat Kitano - Transparent RE
Jonathan Dalton - DaltonsAZHomes
Andrew Maury - Maury Properties
Drew Meyers - Zillow
Christine Forgione - NY Houses 4 Sale
Maureen Francis and Dmitry Koublitsky - MIOaklandCounty (Maureen is on twice)

Jim Cronin - Real Estate Tomato
Jeff Turner - Real Estate Shows
Tobie and Sadie - Sadies Take on Delaware Ohio
Deborah Burns - Rain City Guide
Norm Fisher - Saskatoon Online
Marlow Harris - 360 Digest

Did I miss anyone?

In true community spirit, Jaffe held a book cover contest on his wiki. The winning cover is based on the 2,000 blogger project. He even dedicated an entire chapter of his book to user generated content which was provided by his loyal readers. The conversation which started online, has now spread offline. Chances are, that if you find your face on the cover, you’ll be bragging to all your friends and family. Ah, the power of the conversation.

Real estate bloggers Join the Conversation

For well over the last 20 months, real estate bloggers from around the nation have been feeding the Google monster with delicious original content. We have blogged about everything from home buying and selling tips, how to advice, true stories, marketing ideas, advertising do’s and dont’s, neighborhood information, recent sales, current market conditions and even some fun posts. In return, Google has sent real estate bloggers some great free organic traffic which in many cases, has resulted in real business. Thanks big G.

Before blogs, we were handcuffed with dead static websites that were in most instances eyesores, but even worse, one way sources of information. Once in a while, buyers and sellers would stumble upon our sites. The problem from a consumer point of view was that the information was stale - not dynamic and current. What a huge turn off.

Blogging has given real estate professionals an opportunity to provide real estate buyers and sellers relevant up to the minute local information - all without the need of an expensive webmaster. More importantly, blogs enable a two way conversation. Sure, many of you already know this but for those of you who are newbies - there you have it - Join the Conversation.