Monday, December 28, 2009

Listing of the Day - Fargo ND

In an effort to improve the impact of the marketing of listings, I randomly choose current listings around the country in a variety of price ranges and comment on their effectiveness. No current clients of mine are used, nor do I know any sellers or buyers or have any additional information about the property.



18th St. South, Fargo ND 2 + 1 1/2 $125,000


http://www.harmonhomes.com/real-estate/homes-for-sale/North-Dakota/Fargo/detail/41234326


The first impression of this listing advertisement is not positive at all. Some of the advertising copy appears to bleed into the photo making it hard to tell whether or not that is planned. The photo itself is not visually appealing. Frankly, it looks like a photo taken from the back of the unit featuring 3 separate garages. It is nearly impossible to tell whether a small tree at the lower right corner of the home is growing into the the upstairs overhang or was being thrown out at the time of the photo.

Worse yet, this advertisement does not show an address. (I got the "18th Street South" location from the map link.) People looking on this site (and other advertising web sites) have plenty of other properties to choose from that give the exact address. Not showing this probably eliminates potential buyers seeking a particular neighborhood and/or school district. In this case, this is one of the higher priced listings for a 2 bedroom home.

Adding to the confusion is that the beginning of the description tell us this is a "twinhome". Then, the remainder of the description fails to clarify whether or not this is a shared property and whether or not the land and entire building are included within the price. This is not sufficient information to entice a potential investor either.

The first line of the description copy refers to the $4,000 price reduction. However, the price reduction shows as being from November 16, and I found this advertisement 40 days later. Sorry, but more than 10 days later it tells people who were aware of the price reduction that there still hasn't been activity on the listing, and it tells those "new" to this listing that this property has been sitting on the market.

Next, the first reference to what is inside the home tells us that it includes "windows, light fixtures, and floor covering - carpet and vinyl". To put it mildly, that description doesn't exactly make this home seem like the greatest listing ever. Especially when this listing is among the higher priced ones in the market for 2 bedroom homes!

In the next sentence we learn of the "large deck with a restive view of the backyard". Restive? Then, we learn that "Plan includes living room, kitchen/dining area with access to deck....".

Finally, the last sentence of the description says "Get ahold of us for more details". There is no such word as "ahold", but I'm probably the only person to still be reading that far.

All anybody learns from this advertisement is why this property has been on the market for so long.

GRADE: F



Note: This commentary is uncompensated and for marketing purposes only and is no reflection on the featured property. Its accuracy is not guaranteed. Neither Dave Kohl nor First In Promotions shall be held responsible for any representations.

At this time, I have openings for more realty agent/office clients to critique current and brand new listings on an hourly basis. No current or past client listings are featured on this blog.Random listings are chosen around the country.

Your comments are most welcome!

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Pumping the negatives about home sales again

You probably saw the statistics released today (Dec. 23) that "new home" sales are down for the month of November. From the first moment I learned of this and read the wire service announcement, I was already expecting and starting to read the negative references.

The first national story quotes the Chief Economist of the National Assn. of Home Builders about these "awful" numbers. The story infers that it is a reflection of the federal home buyer tax credit having been extended into April and how it means buyers don't have to "rush".

I'm feeling that by the time you are reading this, you have probably been bombarded with still more gloom and doom stories from the media about this. Hardly anybody will take the time and effort to point out these are "new home" figures. Not everybody is looking for new construction in this day and age. Yet, because of these figures, potentially millions of people will think that the real estate market is going back into the dumps.

Hours earlier, we had all kinds of positive indications. Home sales (or as we now have to say, resales) were acutally UP about 7% for that same month of November. That is a far more important statistic.

But a lot of people who are potential home buyers won't understand the difference. They will either go back to thinking that the real estate market doesn't favor them, or that they can wait until March or April to explore possibily taking advantage of the federal tax credit.

To me, this calls for crisis management. Realty agents can't have their client base thinking that right now is not a good time to buy or sell. If I were a licensed agent, I wouldn't care that this is Xmas week. I'd be calling, sending e-mail alerts, texts, or whatever I do to reach my client base, hopefully by the end of the day today. I'd be letting my database know that statistics released by the Home Builders Association are only for new construction and repeat the National Assn. of Realtors statistics about the increase in home sales for November. Followed by a reminder about the "limited time" left for the federal tax credit. The problem is that very very few of the agents will actually do this.

The key to buying or selling a property and getting the best possible deal is really based on how well (or poorly) you use statistics and information that is available. It's your call.


Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Listing of the Day - Nashville TN

In an effort to improve the impact of the marketing of listings, I randomly choose current listings around the country in a variety of price ranges and comment on their effectiveness. No current clients of mine are used, nor do I know any sellers or buyers or have any additional information about the property.



7009 Red Apple Rd. Nashville $249,900 3 + 2 1/2


http://www.homefinder.com/TN/Nashville/50033886d_7009_Red_Apple_Rd


Even though there is only one photo in support of this listing ad, the exterior photo is an excellent choice. It is easy to see the size, scope, and beauty of this home right along with the detailed landscaping.

This home appears even newer than having been built in 2003 (as shown early on the left column), and seeing that it has approximately 2,600 square feet reinforces the size we can see on the photo.

However, the description copy kills the momentum and the positive vibes for a potential buyer. The agent (or whomever wrote the description) overlooks that he is asking the buyer to invest 1/4 million dollars by giving us one sentence split apart by dashes.

The opening phrase of "Great buy in the cane ridge area" is supposed to read "Cane Ridge" (as it does further down the page). This is not a good reflection on the agent. Next it says "showings by owner". Red flag!

Do you mean to tell me that a home that photographs this well won't be shown to a potential buyer by the listing agent? As if the owner is going to be able to answer potential buyer questions about the community?

Next, the "description" copy tells us that the "mailbox is at 501 appleseed ct.". For one, it should read "Appleseed Ct." with proper use of capital letters. For another, that information has no place at the point where the copy is supposed to entice the buyer to want more information. Does this mean that the eventual buyer will have to walk to the corner every day just to get the mail?

Then, the end of the description copy, which reads "landscape lighting & irrigation- " Say what? Does that mean the ditch is lit up?

There is more. This is a large 3 bedroom home, and parking is always an important factor. Yet, further down in the facts column for Parking, all it says is "Concrete Driveway, Electric Door Opener". Besides the fact that NOW capital letters are used when not necessary (as opposed to street names), the writer of this ad has overlooked something very important.

What does the "Electric Door Opener" open? You see, I read over this entire page several times, and never did find any mention of a garage. And there is none in the photo. If there is a garage, does it hold 1 car? 2 cars? We are not given the slightest hint.

Based on this ad, if this property ever sells, the listing agent should give the "owner" the commission.


GRADE: D+


Note: This commentary is uncompensated and for marketing purposes only and is no reflection on the featured property. Its accuracy is not guaranteed. Neither Dave Kohl nor First In Promotions shall be held responsible for any representations.

At this time, I have openings for more realty agent/office clients to critique current and brand new listings on an hourly basis. No current or past client listings are featured on this blog.Random listings are chosen around the country.

Your comments are most welcome!

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Listing of the Day - Tulsa OK

In an effort to improve the impact of the marketing of listings, I randomly choose current listings around the country in a variety of price ranges and comment on their effectiveness. No current clients of mine are used, nor do I know any sellers or buyers or have any additional information about the property.



14?? S. Quincy Tulsa OK 2 + 2 $250,000



http://tulsa.re.adicio.com/properties/search/detail.php?qBackToSearch=qAction%3Dsearch%26qCity%3Dtulsa%26qState%3DOK%26qBedrooms%3D2-%26qBathrooms%3D1-%26qMinPrice%3D150%252C000%26qMaxPrice%3D250%252C000%26pagesize%3D20%26view%3Ddetailed%26qtotal%3D374%26qSortBy%3DPrice%26qSortDirection%3DDESC&qAdid=tulsa_gtarmls_921173&propertyNumber=2


This advertisement is a disaster and an embarassment to realty professionals everywhere.

First, there is no street address for this property. The one I put at the top is a guess based on the street map, and one never knows for sure with Google maps. While it is true that some listings out there, even in this market, do not have a street address either, it is especially odd in this instance.

We can't even tell whether or not this property has been built or completed yet. I can sometimes understand not having an address when there are circumstances such as renters in the property, multi-unit, land value, or commercial or mixed. But there doesn't appear to be any reason why this address needs to be a secret.

Next, this ad boasts a photo spread. Fine, if there were ANY real photos. All we get are drawings. Those are not photos.

Thus, before we get to the description (for anyone still interested), we already do not know an exact location or have any idea of what the unit looks like. Hardly an enticement to read on.

And it doesn't get any better. Square footage for the unit is listed in the advertisement as "N/A". So we don't know the size of the unit either. Great.

The copy reveals this is an "ultra modern condo" yet is in the "Historic" Cherry Street District. The third sentence reads "Custom cabinets, granite, qual upscale appointments". Granite what? Exactly what is a "qual upscale appointment"? Over 20 years in real estate marketing, and I have zero idea what that means.

Then, we are told interior features include a security system and smoke detector. Whoopee doo. How does that make this property unique?

But there is more. Listed under "Exterior Features" are "gutters, sidewalk, sprinkler system". Boy, does this agent know how to impress?

Just to top it off, although the agent's name and listing office are shown, we would then have to click (an additional step) just to get her contact information.

Not only are there plenty of other listings in the same area, but this is not the most or least expensive 2-bedroom home or unit, and this one (whatever it is) is priced at $250,000.

Let me get this straight. They are asking one-quarter of a million dollars for a property based on no street address, no unique features, so square footage, and we aren't even sure if it has been completed or not.

I'll bet that while you are reading this, and hopefully sharing my disgust, the listing agent is probably telling a colleague about how bad the local real estate market is and that she hopes she gets some activity soon.

This agent should be glad about only one thing. That she doesn't have a listing appointment already scheduled with me. And after seeing this, that will never happen.

GRADE: F



Note: This commentary is uncompensated and for marketing purposes only and is no reflection on the featured property. Its accuracy is not guaranteed. Neither Dave Kohl nor First In Promotions shall be held responsible for any representations.

At this time, I have openings for more realty agent/office clients to critique current and brand new listings on an hourly basis. No current or past client listings are featured on this blog.Random listings are chosen around the country.

Your comments are most welcome!

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Listing of the Day - Grand Rapids MI

In an effort to improve the impact of the marketing of listings, I randomly choose current listings around the country in a variety of price ranges and comment on their effectiveness. No current clients of mine are used, nor do I know any sellers or buyers or have any additional information about the property.


4605 Woodcreek Dr. SE, Grand Rapids MI $249,900 5 + 3



http://realestate.mlive.com/?classification=real+estate&temp_type=detail&tp=RE_mlive&property=mlive.com&finder=buy&ad_id=308517398


This listing advertisement is very much a mixed bag compared with most. The photo spread and primary photo do provide a solid first impression. Then again, the excellent landscaping and the trees filled with leaves mean that this photo was taken weeks if not months ago, and this ad appears at the start of December.

In addition, what looks like a spread with 7 different photos is really 5. The two exterior shots are really the same photo from a different angle. A closer review of the interior shots, done because 2 looked very similar, reveals that indeed the same room is featured in 2 of the photos from opposite corners of the room. For a 5 bedroom home with 2 levels, I would like to think there would be other impressive photo opportunities available instead of duplicating.

Putting all of the description copy in capital letters makes it a challenging read. Some would question the internet protocol of "yelling" by using all caps. All caps takes the 'personality' out of the copy/

Whoever wrote the description copy also assumes too much at the start of the description. While I appreciate and consider it a positive that mentioning the school district is a priority with a 5 bedroom home, the mention of "Kentwood taxes" in the very first sentence takes this down a notch. It is quite likely that home owners and home buyers in that region get the meaning of "Kentwood taxes". However, I am not from this area, so I have no idea of what the significance might be. Since this is a 5-bedroom home, there is a strong chance that the buyer of this home will come from out of the immediate area. Per my "first impression" theory of real estate marketing, the first sentence needs to contain selling points that present strong appeal to any and all potential buyers. Don't confuse even one. They can click away at any time.

Run-on sentences abound in this description as if there is so much information it won't all fit. Sometimes that is a good selling approach. However, there is fragment "with second set of stairs leading to the second floor". That fragment took up 10 words. If I were even going to include this fact as a major selling point (and that's up for debate), I could have said it as "dual staircases". Would have left me with space for 8 more words, and that would have been plenty to point out another selling point. And this comes before the "lots of closet for storage" sentence at the end of the description.

As if someone seriously looking for a 5-bedroom home needs to be told how to use the closets.

With all of the extra words instead of selling points, we, for example, are not told at any point in this advertisement how many cars fit in the attached garage. This is Michigan where it is about to be the snowy season, and one has to believe the residents of a 5-bedroom home own more than one vehicle.

Overall, this house just might sell itself. There aren't many 5-bedroom homes with 3.5 baths available in this area at this price range. Yet, the agent is NOT selling this listing due to reasons I have already mentioned. The seller should not be pleased with this advertisement.


GRADE: C-




Note: This commentary is uncompensated and for marketing purposes only and is no reflection on the featured property. Its accuracy is not guaranteed. Neither Dave Kohl nor First In Promotions shall be held responsible for any representations.

At this time, I have openings for more realty agent/office clients to critique current and brand new listings on an hourly basis. No current or past client listings are featured on this blog.Random listings are chosen around the country.

Your comments are most welcome!

Monday, November 30, 2009

Listing of the Day - North Little Rock AR

In an effort to improve the impact of the marketing of listings, I randomly choose current listings around the country in a variety of price ranges and comment on their effectiveness. No current clients of mine are used, nor do I know any sellers or buyers or have any additional information about the property.


4209 Bunker Hill Dr. North Little Rock AR 4 + 2 $239,900


http://realestate.yahoo.com/Arkansas/North_Little_Rock/4209-bunker-hill-dr:3225d5ea522746dae0aecba0b011fc8;_ylt=AkkYaheioXEiZvExWZB7ivZn47Qs


Although there is only one photo for this advertisement, this exterior shot does a good job of providing a potential buyer with a good perspective of this home. It is easy to tell this is a sprawling home, and needing a wide angle lets us see that it is on a side street surrounded by trees. The leaves being off the trees and on the ground shows this to be a recent photo. (However, if this home does not sell by the end of the year, the ad should be updated with a winter photo.)

The description of this home does an excellent job of taking the reader from one room to another, pointing out at least one (selling point) feature about each area described. For example, "Family room with a fireplace and a game room with a bar and built in cabinets" makes the room stand out from other ads that might just say "family room".

Even though the description copy ends with "A Must See", this is minimal of what I call "Realtor fluff" and does come at the end.

I like how this advertisement is tied together. Given the limitations of one photo, the photo does set the home apart, and the description copy continues along the same lines. The selling points that make this home unique are well scattered. It is obvious that time and effort went into this advertisement.

The only negative is that there are spaces for school information which is "not available". However, this is common on Yahoo and may not be the fault of the advertiser.

In another positive, clicking on the "additional information" link takes us to the office advertisement for this listing, which is also well done. In fact, there are several interior photos which after having read the description serve as a strong reinforcement to the selling points of this home.

This advertiser took into account that a potential buyer from out of the immediate area could find this home via Yahoo, and makes the presentation a strong enough one to entice a potential buyer to click to the next step. Too many agents expect a potential buyer to click further and fail to sell the property enough to entice the next step.

Here is a good example of a property which is not the most or least expensive of its type within this region, but provides enough information to shine above other listings.

GRADE: B




Note: This commentary is uncompensated and for marketing purposes only and is no reflection on the featured property. Its accuracy is not guaranteed. Neither Dave Kohl nor First In Promotions shall be held responsible for any representations.

At this time, I have openings for more realty agent/office clients to critique current and brand new listings on an hourly basis. No current or past client listings are featured on this blog.Random listings are chosen around the country.

Your comments are most welcome!

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Listing of the Day - Folsom CA

In an effort to improve the impact of the marketing of listings, I randomly choose current listings around the country in a variety of price ranges and comment on their effectiveness. No current clients of mine are used, nor do I know any sellers or buyers or have any additional information about the property.


127 Casselman St, Folsom CA $269,900 3 + 2


http://template.metrolistmls.com/sacramentobee/cgi-bin/GetOne.cfm?MLSNum=90076410&


The first impression is not as strong as it could be. The initial photo is one of only 2 exterior photos, and because of the big tree in front it shows off little more than the garage and driveway. The other exterior photo is of the back of the house. As a result, we are unable to get a true feel for the appearance of the exterior. Of course, we easily see the For Sale sign in the front. As if that would have any impact on a potential buyer. Over the years, I have seen it too many times where the For Sale sign seems to have an impact on the angle of a photo. Not a smart move.

While presenting several interior photos is usually a good thing, the empty room shots make it difficult for a potential buyer to envision how furniture or decorations would fill the room. Seeing a tag (which appears to be a price or service tag) on the dishwasher in the kitchen shot seems odd, since there is nothing in the copy to indicate any new appliances.

The description copy is too much Realtor fluff and not enough facts to entice a potential buyer. We are not told or shown why this is a "Great Location". We are told this property is "Turn-Key", but having seen that it is empty from the photos makes a potential buyer think of the work needed to fill the house with furniture. Using description copy for "Look at the pics!" is a waste of time. Being told this is "Not A Short Sale or REO" could be interpreted as this home not being available at a low or special price.

Having RV or boat parking could be a plus, although we don't know enough about the location to determine if there is a lake and/or recreation area nearby. The very last fact is "Horse prop", with no further details.

As a potential buyer, I could GUESS that the home is in or near a recreation area, could have horses and is near camping and boating. But, frankly, I have no idea. I also know this property is empty.

This home is far from the only one in this same area and within this price range. I can't even see what the actual front of the house looks like. Details and selling points are few and far between.

Use of "Response to offers immediately" within the description is not only poor grammar (which reflects on the listing agent), but indicates desparation.

In my opinion, the agent will keep going back to the seller saying "I'm not getting offers which are high enough" and blame the marketplace. The seller should blame the agent for presenting this property in such a way that there is little to no reason to make a full-price offer.

GRADE: D+




Note: This commentary is uncompensated and for marketing purposes only and is no reflection on the featured property. Its accuracy is not guaranteed. Neither Dave Kohl nor First In Promotions shall be held responsible for any representations.

At this time, I have openings for more realty agent/office clients to critique current and brand new listings on an hourly basis. No current or past client listings are featured on this blog.Random listings are chosen around the country.

Your comments are most welcome!

Monday, November 23, 2009

Austin TX could be looking even better..........

The news release from the Board of Realtors actually has some positives in it. This should not be such big news to me, but given the amazing amount of "less than positive" statistics many realty associations spew out, it is at the point of pleasant surprise.

Yet, the picture could still have been painted brighter. This is the news release they sent out:

---------------------
AUSTIN (Austin Board of Realtors) – According to the Multiple Listing Service report by the Austin Board of Realtors, the volume of home sales in the Austin market surged last month, possibly because of the tax credit for first-time homebuyers.
Last month, 1,823 homes were sold, a 38 percent increase from 1,322 in October 2008. The median price of Austin homes in October 2009 was $182,000, a 5 percent decrease from the same month the previous year.
In the early part of this year, the home sales volume in Austin was down significantly compared with 2008. However, that gap in sales volume began to close in July 2009 when the local market reached a volume similar to the same month in the year prior.
“Sales volume like this is similar to what we saw in 2005, which is an encouraging sign,” said Jay Gohil, chairman of the Austin Board of Realtors. “It’s possible some of this surge in volume was related to the original deadline for the first-time homebuyer tax credit, so it’s good for our market that the tax credit was both extended until April and expanded to include more current and prospective homeowners.”
---------------------

Again, I look at this type of news from a marketing perspective. The idea is, or should be, to make this information as positive as possible. This realty board exists to assist the dues paying realty agents and offices and to promote home and property ownership in the area.

But there is too much copy in this release that pulls this story back down. They don't know for a fact that the tax credit has any bearing on this information. The very last quote, from the Chairman of the Board, says "it's possible some of this surge.....". That is our final impression from this story - saying that there is a "possible" reason. Sorry, but facts are supposed to support statistics, not a theory.

It's not up to me, but to illustrate my point, here is how I might have released the same information they did, by doing some editing of this copy:

- - - - -
AUSTIN (Austin Board of Realtors) – According to the Multiple Listing Service report by the Austin Board of Realtors, the volume of home sales in the Austin market has surged.

Last month, 1,823 homes were sold, a 38 percent increase from 1,322 in October 2008. The median price of Austin homes in October 2009 was $182,000, a 5 percent decrease from the same month the previous year. In the early part of this year, the home sales volume in Austin was down significantly compared with 2008.

“Sales volume like this is similar to what we saw in 2005, which is an encouraging sign,” said Jay Gohil, chairman of the Austin Board of Realtors. “It’s also good for our market that the tax credit was both extended until April and expanded to include more current and prospective homeowners.”
- - - - -

Talk about addition by subtraction!


Thursday, November 19, 2009

Depends on which part of California.......

For those who wonder why I constantly gripe about how real estate is marketed, Southern California has provided still another example of the need to get it right.

The most recent home sales statistics are coming out around the country this week. Since the Southern California marketplace is not always a reflection on national trends (to put it mildly), I decided to pay special attention to news from the area.

Overall, it appears that home sales have risen and selling prices are down, at least for those who find it significant to compare against previous months and years. My opinion is that there should not be the automatic comparison that people in the industry insist on. In a challenged market, especially, the emphasis from within the industry should be on the positive.

Links are below to some of the articles I reviewed. You can see the issue here. Portions of Orange County clearly show an increase in sales, a positive statistic indeed. Yet, less than an hour drive to the south, San Diego home sales statistics are not bright.

According to the latest statistics, home sales are down while prices are up around San Diego. Granted, you can't twist the truth. But there are times when it could be hidden just a bit. My issue continues to be that realty associations and people within the industry continue to endorse publicity for these negative statistics. We have different realty associations, all with thousands of dues paying members and wanting the same things, counteracting each other by feeling the need to put out the negative along with the positive.

To put it another way, if I were a licensed realty agent in San Diego, I would be furious about the release of these statistics. The smart thing to do would be to release ONLY the positive statistics, such as the portions of Orange County and L.A. County and how the market is looking better on average throughout Southern California. Instead, a potential investor doing even mild research for Southern California is going to pass on San Diego upon seeing the information in question.

Already today, I have had a mortgage lender advertising client of mine, who services Southern California, pass on the San Diego area while still considering Orange County. Based on the research I shared, and I am not at all biased toward one area or the other. He wants the most bang for the buck in an active marketplace.

Of course, there will be regions and communities which do better than others in any real estate market and climate. We should hear about those. It helps to spur interest and attract attention to properties in those areas. But we should NOT hear about the areas that are suffering. It does not serve current home owners well at all. Which I thought local realty firms are supposed to be doing.

Here are some of the articles I explored. With so much difference between one area and the next, the positives are negated, and the negatives sour the overall impression.



http://southcoasthomes.freedomblogging.com/2009/11/18/laguna-beach-home-sales-up-619-over-last-october/

http://www.kpsplocal2.com/news/local/story/Riverside-County-Home-Sales-Prices-Fall-in-October/HJyF9VB3U02JxhZXtKUgdQ.cspx?rss=2276



http://www.10news.com/news/21641119/detail.html (San Diego)



http://www.vcstar.com/news/2009/nov/17/government-is-helping-stabilize-the-housing/?partner=yahoo_feeds

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Listing of the Day - Pittsburgh PA

In an effort to improve the impact of the marketing of listings, I randomly choose current listings around the country in a variety of price ranges and comment on their effectiveness. No current clients of mine are used, nor do I know any sellers or buyers or have any additional information about the property.



924 Rita Dr. Pittsburgh PA 4 + 2.5 $155,000

http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/949-Rita-Dr-Pittsburgh-PA-15221/2135626632_zpid/

NOTE: It is rare that we use a Zillow.com ad for this evaluation. However, this was linked to me via the Tribune-Review Newspaper site.

The first impression with the exterior photo is a positive one, showing the exterior and surrounding looking toward the front. Normally a lawn littered with leaves is not good, but in this instance it adds to the photo because it is a reasonably current photo.

However, the only 2 other photos are also exterior shots from about the same distance, with only the angles changing. We can barely tell there is an attached garage, yet we are not told in the description whether or not it is a 1 or more car garage. That could be a "lost" sales point right there.

We have no interior photos to choose from even though the description begins with "Spacious home with a lot of character". We do not see this, and this, plus the "convenient location" comment at the end of the description are examples of what I call "Realtor fluff" in the copy. We do not see the "character" or know what this home is "convenient" to.

Out of all the features and "character", we are first told about the "plaster crown moldings" in the description. Once again, the advertisement does not target the likely potential buyer. This is hardly the biggest concern for a family looking for a 4-bedroom home.

Further into the description, there is a misprint of "&amp". That is how it shows on the advertisement. I understand with HTML code things like this can go wrong. However, this shows me (and a savvy potential buyer) that the agent or the office obviously did not check this ad.

There are several strong sales points within the description for a potential buyer who sticks around on this page long enough to see it. Amenities such as the Central AC, 2 fireplaces, zoned heat, and a laundry room are excellent points for a 4-bedroom home, especially in a city with all 4 seasons.

Information about local schools ranging from elementary to high school is included. As important as this is along with a 4-bedroom home, this is one of few listings which actually provide that.

However, the "last impression" on this page happens to be Zillow's map comparing this property at its asking price with other surrounding homes. Fine in concept. But upon further review, this map shows this home to be at least $13,000 HIGHER than any of the others included.

The map situation is not necessarily the fault of the agent or the listing office. But since it appears to me that nobody checked this ad, they probably don't realize the damage done. If I were this advertiser, I would either demand that the map be removed from this page, or I would pull this listing ad effective immediately. There is nothing in the property description to help me justify this being the most expensive property. Not to say that there are not good reasons. For example, something like "only 4-bedroom home on the block" in the description would easily explain the higher charge.

If I was the seller of this home, I would be furious about that map and strongly question the agent whose job it is to represent and sell this home.

Right information, but wrong way to present it. This is another of those listing advertisements which could EASILY be improved and get this home sold.



GRADE: C+




Note: This commentary is uncompensated and for marketing purposes only and is no reflection on the featured property. Its accuracy is not guaranteed. Neither Dave Kohl nor First In Promotions shall be held responsible for any representations.

At this time, I have openings for more realty agent/office clients to critique current and brand new listings on an hourly basis. No current or past client listings are featured on this blog.Random listings are chosen around the country.

Your comments are most welcome!

Friday, November 13, 2009

Listing of the Day - Rapid City SD

In an effort to improve the impact of the marketing of listings, I randomly choose current listings around the country in a variety of price ranges and comment on their effectiveness. No current clients of mine are used, nor do I know any sellers or buyers or have any additional information about the property.


175 Swiss Drive, Rapid City SD 2+1 $159,900



http://www.munroteam.com/listings/26742EAE-0B4A-6C66-AB7ADB8FDBDFAF2B.shtml


If I had to sum up the critique of this listing ad in one word it would be "understated". No sizzle. Not nearly enough to entice a potential buyer into seeking it out.

I found this ad via Yahoo real estate, complete with just one photo and a minimal description. As in one just one photo, one sentence, and no surrounding information even filled in. I could have stopped there and commented about how it makes little to no sense to have a property ad on Yahoo and let it sit there unattended. But there are 2 places to click for "further details", which led me to the realty firm's own site. However, even the web page about this listing comes up short.

First, the 12 photos with a slide show makes for a postive first impression. A good blend of exterior and interior photos for the most part. However, 2 of the exterior photos are only trees and a mountain view, with absolutely no perspective on the house itself. We don't know if we need to be on the deck or out on the road to see this, or if it is a view from one of the rooms. (If either one is a view from any of the rooms, it would be quite appealing to a potential buyer to know that, but instead we are left hanging. That is still another missed opportunity to reel in a potential buyer.)

While it always helps to "sell" the area or neighborhood around the house, the limited description spends way too much copy hyping the area, and nowhere near enough about the house itself. The agent overlooks that a potential buyer could drive up and walk around the trails and forest and lake at no cost, without having to own property nearby. The purpose of this ad, which represents the seller of this home, is to sell the merits of the home.

All we get in the entire descriptions of the interior is "loft, tile floors, wood stove, and main floor bedrooms". That's after an extra click on "interior". We are also told this house is "completely remodeled" but are given no idea, either by the photos or the description as to WHAT they refer to. The skeptical investor is likely wondering about the cause of a "complete" remodeling.

It is also a challenge to get a feel for this "two-story" home with "main floor bedrooms" and a loft. Makes me wonder if there is a realistic use for a second level or if it is really a one-story house with an attic or spare room above.

Since we are not even told how far from a town this home is, or the distance to schools, shopping, highway, etc., we are left to guess as to whether this is a mountain retreat.

This seems to be a house that would have appeal as a second home, summer home, or an executive retreat. Based on this, chances are the buyer of this home could be from beyond 50 miles away, as opposed to moving out of the nearby town. In concept, it would be through Yahoo that potential buyers should be attracted to this home.

Yet, the Yahoo ad, as mentioned earlier, is a throwaway on first impression. Not enough into to want to make a potential buyer link over to the company listing page, such as what I did. But even when someone does, they don't get any of the sizzle.

If this were my listing, I would be 110% certain that anyone looking on Yahoo Real Estate got the concept of a mountain retreat home with views and pounding out the amenities left and right. Potential buyers should want to know more about the AREA, not be stuck to guess about the property.

GRADE: D+





Note: This commentary is uncompensated and for marketing purposes only and is no reflection on the featured property. Its accuracy is not guaranteed. Neither Dave Kohl nor First In Promotions shall be held responsible for any representations.

At this time, I have openings for more realty agent/office clients to critique current and brand new listings on an hourly basis. No current or past client listings are featured on this blog.Random listings are chosen around the country.

Your comments are most welcome!

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Listing of the Day - Fresno CA

In an effort to improve the impact of the marketing of listings, I randomly choose current listings around the country in a variety of price ranges and comment on their effectiveness. No current clients of mine are used, nor do I know any sellers or buyers or have any additional information about the property.



9421 N. Backer, Fresno CA $239,000 3 + 2



http://www.homefinder.com/CA/Fresno/54251272d_9421_N_Backer


I randomly clicked on this listing advertisement, available through the Fresno Bee, which is the dominant local newspaper. Part of the reason I chose this property among a list of possibilities to review is that it shows for a higher price than a couple of homes in foreclosure in the same area.

My thinking was that potential buyers in this area would be more apt to check out "competing" homes in the area in foreclosure in homes of getting a bargain, and therefore this home needs to be heavily marketed.

What I found is quite the opposite. One photo, and that was taken using a camera which adds distracting lines to the roof, while showing a front lawn that is not in the best of shape. Not exactly a strong first impression.

Then, I look at the description. It says, " ". Nothing. There is no description filled in. We are told on the side that it is a 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, and 1,740 square feet. Absolutely nothing else. Not even a link to the office web site. Just a phone number to the listing agent. With zero reasons to call.

This is flat out carelessness on the part of the listing agents, which is shown to be a team. That makes it worse. A "TEAM" listing this property and not one of them has time to create an ad to actually SELL this home or even to check its advertising?

If I were the seller of this property I would be absolutely furious about this and try to cancel the listing. If I were a potential buyer, I'd be gone from that advertisement in a few seconds, maybe sticking around long enough to make a note not to work with the listing office in the future.

With the majority of these randomly selected listings, I have problems with the realty agents and offices not customizing or checking every advertising and marketing piece that leaves their desks. They are looking to represent people involved in possibly the biggest single transactions of their lives, and need to treat their effort as such. But this is an embarassment to the real estate community.

GRADE: F



Note: This commentary is uncompensated and for marketing purposes only and is no reflection on the featured property. Its accuracy is not guaranteed. Neither Dave Kohl nor First In Promotions shall be held responsible for any representations.

At this time, I have openings for more realty agent/office clients to critique current and brand new listings on an hourly basis. No current or past client listings are featured on this blog.Random listings are chosen around the country.

Your comments are most welcome!

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Take The Long Way Home.......

While some people within the real estate industry are pleased about the tax credit extension, I am still not sure this was really the best way to go in terms of the impact on the economy. Or the market.

First, the deadline factor has been blown forever. The government stepped in to the auto industry with the “cash for clunkers” program and it was considered a success. That deadline came and went. Those that procrastinated and then held off clearly lost an opportunity. The $8,000 first-time buyer tax credit was a government move designed to get more consumers into home ownership. But in this case, the deadline has already been extended. So much for sellers and realty agents putting pressure on potential buyers now. A potential buyer can take his/her sweet time about it now, and there is no rush for those who were going to try for a “last minute” bargain.

This “extension” seems to have been pushed through as a result of pressure instead of on market impact. I was looking at some statistics about home sales for 2009. Because of this “extension” already being in place, we are not likely to see any sort of spurt in first-time buyer sales for the remainder of November. (That is one bad side effect right there!) In keeping with the home sale statistics thus far, it will very likely mean that less than 40% of home sales for the first 11 months of this year will have involved the tax credit. In other words, the majority, to the tune of over 60%, of home sales this year will have had nothing to do with the tax credit. While the result of this program has indeed sparked some first-time buyers, this has hardly been at a dominating pace.

While this thought is not a statistic, my hunch is that consumers saw that the car “cash for clunkers” deadline was NOT extended and this motivated them to proceed as first-time home buyers. Therefore, I do not foresee a significant increase in activity now that the deadline has been extended. Once we get into first quarter of 2010, the $8,000 tax credit wouldn’t go “in pocket” of the participants until 2011. Not that it won’t help, but hardly an immediate boom to the economy.

It is true that this extension also offers benefits to existing home owners, based on income and length of time owning the current home. However, this part of the tax advantage does not necessarily spur additional home sales.

From a marketing standpoint, I have another concern. Thousands of realty agents and brokers have been promoting this tax credit to potential first-time buyers (or should have been!), hoping to use the “act now!” approach because of the November 30, 2009 deadline. So what do they do now?

They can’t put any urgency into the same program, when it was already extended before the originally scheduled deadline. If home prices continue to drop in many areas, these potential first-time buyers will have benefitted by waiting! They would get a lower price for the “same” home, and then the tax credit to boot, compared with if they had listened to the agent in recent weeks. If home prices rise instead, then the tax credit does not make the same home any more affordable at the time of possible purchase. It would still be a matter of homes not being affordable. This could come off as another marketing blunder by real estate agents and brokers.

Why do I blame them? Because I also saw the information that Realtors reportedly spent, get this, more than $12,000,000 lobbying for extension of this tax credit. That’s right. Over $12 million dollars. Money that could have been spent advertising and marketing properties available for first-time buyers. For that matter, also for long time home owners looking to move on up or downsize. Or, money that didn’t have to be spent. Maybe this is where the real tax breaks are going!

Friday, November 6, 2009

Listing of the Day - Charlotte NC

In an effort to improve the impact of the marketing of listings, I randomly choose current listings around the country in a variety of price ranges and comment on their effectiveness. No current clients of mine are used, nor do I know any sellers or buyers or have any additional information about the property.


8760 Robinson Forest Dr. 2 + 2.50 $159,900 Allen Tate Realtors



http://realestate.yahoo.com/North_Carolina/Charlotte/8760-robinson-forest-dr:31bc28b8a4af54da5f647e861fab52a8


The Yahoo advertisement for this listing is the one on which this review is based.

First, the only photo for this listing is somewhat blurred, even though the photo angle is excellent for this exterior shot. Since there is no photo spread here, the appearance of the one photo that is there becomes even more important. Obviously, a blurry photo gets in the way of a solid first impression.

The sentence in the description that reads "Livng Room and Dining Room lead into Kitchen and 2-Story Family Room w/ Gas Fireplace and High Ceiling Fan." leaves something to be desired. Does this mean that one room is 2 stories? Some could take that to mean that there is an entire room with unused and not useable air space. If so, I'm not clear on why that would be a strong selling point. And if that is not the case, it means this description is not clear.

Then, the very next sentence in this description refers to the "Powder Rooom". Yes - the word 'room' is not spelled correctly. While it is true that an error of this nature may not be the fault of the agent (or the person that created this ad), I continue to blame the agent or the realty office for not double checking every advertisement and/or marketing piece that goes out. Even one person thinking their agent can't spell the word 'room' correctly is way too many.

This description doesn't always make sense. A "Powder Roooom w/Large Coat Closet"? When people think of a powder room, they think of it in terms of a partial bathroom with privacy rather than a space for coats that several people would have access to. We are also told that "Staircase to upstairs loft overlooking family room". Sorry, but what you can see from a staircase is not going to entice very many people to want more information about the property.

Underneath the description copy is the place for "Neighborhood and school information" on the ad. However, every category shows as "Not available".

We are being presented for the first time with a townhome listed at just under $160,000. And greeted with a single blurry photo, an unclear description of one of the featured rooms, a spelling error, and information about what we can see while on the staircase. With no information about local schools or the neighborhood. Not exactly a solid gold first impression.

Yet, if a "second impression" actually sold real estate, this ad would be a huge success. You see, if one were to click on the "more property detail" link near the photo, they are redirected to the company's web site which presents an in-depth photo spread and a much better and more thorough description which addresses these and other questions.

However, the majority of potential buyers are not enticed to click any further. With so little valuable information within a few seconds, the tendency is to click back and keep looking for other properties in this price range in the same area.

If this were my client, they would have the selling points showing and a much better photo for a solid first impression. More importantly, the description would tell them how they can see more photos and descriptions of the rooms including some key points.

The agent and office overlook that chances are more people will be driven to the lesser ad on Yahoo than the better one on their office web site. The seller deserves better.

GRADE: C




Note: This commentary is uncompensated and for marketing purposes only and is no reflection on the featured property. Its accuracy is not guaranteed. Neither Dave Kohl nor First In Promotions shall be held responsible for any representations.

At this time, I have openings for more realty agent/office clients to critique current and brand new listings on an hourly basis. No current or past client listings are featured on this blog.Random listings are chosen around the country.

Your comments are most welcome!

The affordable college towns

I always try and point out what I find to be positive research as it relates to real estate since there doesn't seem to be enough in this turbulent market.

Now Coldwell Banker has released some of its data researching housing prices in college towns across the country. I'd bet the ranch that you would not have guessed that Akron OH came up as the most affordable college town. I never would have, either.

And while this is a good thing for the agents who will be sharp enough to use this in the higher ranked cities, I give a writer in Austin TX credit for incorporating amazing public relations skills into this.


http://austin.bizjournals.com/austin/stories/2009/11/02/daily22.html


You see, Austin did not finish in the top 10 most affordable college towns in the country according to the research it reviews. Or the top 20. Or the top 30. For that matter, Austin didn't even finish in the top 50. To me, and I'm sure to a lot of others, not finishing in the top 50 of a national list is nothing to crow about, with the possible exception being a significant rise from a previous year or earlier research. Yet, there are no comparisons to past research in this article either.

The fact is that Austin came in 59th on this national list. Yet, this article provides a glowing report on the city of Austin, the University of Texas, and the local real estate market. As they say in the P.R. industry, this is a textbook case of "turning a negative into a positive".

Yet, this is not to toot the horn of the writer or the publication doing the spin. It is to make realty agents and offices aware of the need for positive publicity. Over the past couple of years, it seems like the only other real estate statistics coming out of the Austin market have been to show the drop in home sales in comparison with past years. Instead of simply reporting that "x,xxx homes sold last month" and leaving it at that, we always seem to get the comparison. Once the people hear that the total is, for example, 842 homes fewer than sold in the same month last year, it practically negates the value of the information.

Instead of sitting and repeating the negative statistics about the current market compared with one year ago, we should be turning this market into a positive. It's a start.

Friday, October 30, 2009

Listing of the Day - Huntington WV

In an effort to improve the impact of the marketing of listings, I randomly choose current listings around the country in a variety of price ranges and comment on their effectiveness. No current clients of mine are used, nor do I know any sellers or buyers or have any additional information about the property.


6032 Baker Rd. Huntington WV 4 + 2.5 $189,900


http://www.homefinder.com/WV/Huntington/53291356d_6032_Baker_Rd




The photo spread brings a very positive first impression. The angle of the primary photo provides a good feel for the scope of the home. The remainder of the photo spread is well sorted among both exterior and interior photos. Exterior shots show how the small trees fit with the nice landscaping and look of the property from all sides. The interior shots give a potential buyer a very good idea of how the furniture and look of the various rooms can add to the appeal of the property.

However, the description follows by not supporting the photo spread. Selling points such as the shiny hardwood floors, deck, porch, and the 2-car attached garage are not mentioned early. Instead, the creator of this advertisement takes the approach that the potential buyer is already "sold" on considering this property. Pointing out when the roof, tile, and flooring were last updated is an important consideration to a potential buyer. Yet, my feeling from a marketing standpoint is that this is too soon of a time to present those details.

They are counting on keeping the readers' interest to the point of THEN finding out about the features of the interior and exterior, along with details such as all 4 bedrooms being a different size. Yet, after reading the entire page, we still do not know how many of the bedrooms are upstairs or downstairs. These days, 4-bedroom or larger houses are not always for families with children. It could be for a group of roommates or generations of family. In that event, this advertisement does not provide enough information to entice them to follow up. Yet, this could actually be an ideal property for that purpose.

Had the features I describe appeared within the description, and the detail in the description been held out or given later on, this would be a superb advertisement.

GRADE: C+




Note: This commentary is uncompensated and for marketing purposes only and is no reflection on the featured property. Its accuracy is not guaranteed. Neither Dave Kohl nor First In Promotions shall be held responsible for any representations.

At this time, I have openings for more realty agent/office clients to critique current and brand new listings on an hourly basis. No current or past client listings are featured on this blog.Random listings are chosen around the country.

Your comments are most welcome!

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Listing of the Day - Louisville KY

In an effort to improve the impact of the marketing of listings, I randomly choose current listings around the country in a variety of price ranges and comment on their effectiveness. No current clients of mine are used, nor do I know any sellers or buyers or have any additional information about the property.



7818 Alyssum Dr. Louisville KY $189,900 3 + 2.5


http://www.homefinder.com/KY/Louisville/54457906d_7818_Alyssum_Dr



The first impression based on the primary photo and the appearance of the web page is somewhat positive. However, it stops there.

I can see that there is a series of more exterior and interior photos just under the primary photo. However, after clicking on each picture more than once and the arrow at the end of the line, I could not get any of them to come up. In other words, a technical glitch. Sure, these things happen. But this was my only visit to this page, so I don't know if this just started to happen or if this ad has always been this way. Regardless, it is a negative for a potential buyer who can click on to the next property in the area.

Upon further review of the one photo we can see in detail, this was not taken from the best angle. We see the electrical boxes sticking up fron the ground in the forefront, and the not-matching white fence is more prominent than it needs to be at the lower left of the house. This could have been eliminated by taking the photo from the driveway side. Would have come across as a much more attractive house to start out with.

Next, the description starts with "Better than new 4 yrs old". From there the description fails to prove how it is "better". A simple "Only 4 years old" would have done better. So much for the first impression on the description.

The rest of the description is well written when compared with many other listing descriptions. It is not filled with abbreviations and what I call "Realtor fluff" such as "must see". It does a solid job of presenting the selling points of the interior.

While I understand the intent of putting it in the copy, the "owner says great neighbors" comment comes across like a job resume where the applicant uses his or her parents as a reference. Straight out of the "What would you expect them to say?" category, instead of more copy that sells a specific feature.

I also like the mention of "Basement family room with office area or possible 4th bedroom". This provides a potential buyer with a chance to let his/her imagination run wild and think of what they could do with an extra room. Excellent addition to this copy.

The "Additional Details" section is basically ignored in parts. Sorry, but "2 floor(s)" and no other copy as an "Additional Detail" doesn't cut it. Especially when there is another chance to reinforce the "extra room" aspect. Instead, it gives a final impression to a potential buyer that there isn't anything additional of note to present. Not good at a time when a possible buyer is about to decide whether to pursue this property and contact the agent or move on to look at another listing. It is points like this that detract from the obvious time and effort spent on the mostly positive description copy.


GRADE: C



Note: This commentary is uncompensated and for marketing purposes only and is no reflection on the featured property. Its accuracy is not guaranteed. Neither Dave Kohl nor First In Promotions shall be held responsible for any representations.

At this time, I have openings for more realty agent/office clients to critique current and brand new listings on an hourly basis. No current or past client listings are featured on this blog.Random listings are chosen around the country.

Your comments are most welcome!



Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Generations living together - here we come

Here is another idea for coping with the current state of the economy.

One story early in this article says a lot:


http://www.allbusiness.com/government/government-bodies-offices-us-federal-government/13300462-1.html




The part about the couple getting one of the moms to sell and then they all combined their take and bought a wonderful place together.

A better standard of living in this market. True, a lot of people will tell you never to go in on a real estate or big ticket item with friends or family members. But those people also said that long before the economy tanked last year.

As I look around the country at home listings being advertised both on behalf of my clients and for my "Listing of the Day" marketing critiques, I am amazed at the large inventory of 3, 4, and even 5 bedroom homes out there. It doesn't always need a family with a lot of children to put those places to use.

After reading the above-linked article, I realize even more that the benefits of many of these larger houses make them appealing to generations of families.

If I am a seller of a 3 or more bedroom home, I would drop what I'm doing and walk around the house with a notepad. I would explore the possibilities for privacy and/or separation of bedrooms as well as a den or bonus room. If I have, say two bedrooms upstairs and 2 on the main level, it opens up "new" possibilities.

Just maybe there is a family with in-laws that would want a main level bedroom for easy access, while the middle generation uses the upstairs for themselves and for their kids. Gives the parents a built-in sitter, and the older generation the security of having people around them, protection, and a sense of belonging.

If I am a potential buyer of a house, I might want to consider the linked to story and examine the situation of parents or close relatives. Instead of, for example, $250,000 to spend, maybe another $150,000 could be added to the mix. The "in-laws" and us wind up with a much better house in a better area, yet we really save on the mortgage by pooling our resources.

If I am a realty agent, I would be touring my listed properties, whether in person or in my mind, and looking for angles as to how an extended family could be a buyer for a large property.

True, this situation is not for everyone. A couple with good credit won't want to take on an uncle with bad credit and increase risk. I get it.

But in a challenged real estate market, even a few hundred families out of millions could make a difference in the marketplace.



Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Listing of the Day - Reno NV

In an effort to improve the impact of the marketing of listings, I randomly choose current listings around the country in a variety of price ranges and comment on their effectiveness. No current clients of mine are used, nor do I know any sellers or buyers or have any additional information about the property.



17185 Waxwing St., Reno NV $180,000 4 + 2.5


http://realestate.yahoo.com/Nevada/Reno/17185-waxwing-st:58e2c8802f9947d76778d29d628a5dd1



The "first impression" fails to keep my interest. There is only one photo available, which is a wide exterior shot. However, this is late October, and I see a small tree without leaves and snow on the ground. Right away, this makes me think that either this property has been on the market since last winter (or the winter before that?), or that there is some extreme weather in the area, which could also be a turnoff. Either way, that doesn't make me want to look further.

Not only does the description copy fails to address this issue, but it says "completely landscaped with auto sprinklers" as the only reference to the exterior. Yet, the photo shows a worn looking and partially snow covered lawn. A picture is worth a thousand words.

Even though this is a 4 bedroom and 2 1/2 bath home, all we are told in the description is "one bedroom downstairs". Nothing about where the other 3 bedrooms are, whether or not they are different in size, and the placement of any of the bathrooms. Learning there arre "custom hickory cabinets" is nice, but frankly not an immediate concern for a potential buyer seeking a 4-bedroom property.

Worse yet, the information portals for "Neighborhood" and schools are left as "Not available". A chance to sell that is wasted, unless the neighborhood is not good and there are no schools close by.

At least there is phone contact information on the page, even if there aren't any reasons to use it. I mention this because I linked to the "more details" icon, and on the next page there is a space where phone contact information is left blank. My guess is that they don't expect anyone to click on it.

Upon clicking on the "more details" link, it still only offers the same single exterior photo and the exact same copy in the initial description. However, beyond that comes the details which contains several strong sales points not yet mentioned.

After all this, then we come to learn that there is a storage shed, covered patio, laundry room, and some nice features pertaining to the master bedroom. The very things that should have been first on the list. And now on the page that doesn't even have information on how to contact the agent.

If I was the seller, I would be disappointed at how the best selling points are buried until the end, at a point at which most people would likely have clicked to the next property available.

If I was a potential buyer, I wouldn't have stayed around anywhere near long enough to see the selling points that could have attracted my interest.

If I was the agent, I would have checked both of these ad pages long ago and made sure that the important sales points were addressed much sooner, that the photo(s) were current and appealing, and that I could easily be contacted.

GRADE: D+



Note: This commentary is uncompensated and for marketing purposes only and is no reflection on the featured property. Its accuracy is not guaranteed. Neither Dave Kohl nor First In Promotions shall be held responsible for any representations.

At this time, I have openings for more realty agent/office clients to critique current and brand new listings on an hourly basis. No current or past client listings are featured on this blog.Random listings are chosen around the country.

Your comments are most welcome!

Friday, October 16, 2009

A parking lot - or homes for the neighborhood?

A parking lot or homes in the neighborhood?

This is one of those arguments where both sides have some valid points. A popular restaurant and bar in a Milwaukee, WI suburb needs more room for its patrons to park. Area homeowners wants their streets and parking spaces back and don’t care about the restaurant. Local media coverage includes showing which City Council members voted which way by giving names.


http://www.wauwatosanow.com/news/63679912.html



While I can see both sides of the story, I find that from both a personal and professional standpoint I have the same opinion on this one.

I agree that this restaurant should be able to provide the additional parking and facilities to accommodate all of the customers it possibly can. If potential customers have the “but it’s hard to find parking” thought in the back of their mind, that restaurant is going to lose out on revenue. It would be one thing for someone to have to park ½ block or more away in warm weather, but Milwaukee is a cold weather city. People won’t go where they have to park further away. The area is not exactly a public transportation mecca.

The restaurant is correct in not wanting to have people who have had a few drinks walking down a neighborhood street, especially late at night. I would bet that some homeowners have been awakened by “conversation” in the night from people walking to their cars. Worse yet, I’m sure some have started a morning by noticing a section of lawn that has acted as a bathroom.

Yet, these same homeowners benefit by having the successful restaurant and bar right there in the community. It benefits the local economy and draws attention from people who might not otherwise come and spend in the area.

This vote is about razing 2 houses adjacent to the restaurant. My opinion is that given the choices a potential home buyer has in this market, living right next to a crowded restaurant and bar is not at the top of the list of preferences. Yet, living “down the block” from a thriving business but having peace and quiet and plenty of guest parking on the street would seem more appealing to a potential local buyer than the current situation.

If the real estate market were such that homes were in such demand, I might think differently on this.

One other personal comment. I’ll admit I would like to see this establishment succeed because it is willing to take on the responsibility of providing free parking and services for a large customer base. I take issue with having to pay to park to do business. I shouldn’t have to pay to be “outside” while I pay to do business inside an establishment. People are way too tolerant of paying to park, especially at downtown prices in most cities.

So, yes, knock down the 2 houses, give the restaurant the space it needs to do it right. Give the neighborhood some quiet, and let the economy flourish.

Would you do the same?

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Past president of Wisconsin Realtors Assn. files for bankruptcy

I made sure that many of my clients were made aware of this story - about how a former president of the Wisconsin Assn. of Realtors just filed for bankruptcy.

Yet, I don't have a client base in Wisconsin (as of now).



http://www.jsonline.com/business/64304382.html


Since this is still more negative publicity coming from the real estate industry, I'm betting that this story will get some national media play. And more consumers will see this and become more hesitant and/or skeptical about doing anything in the real estate market.

I'll pass along the same advice here as I am to my clients. This is a good time to softly let it be known that your company is on solid financial ground (provided it truly is) right now. Make a current and even potential client feel safe about contacting your office. Let consumers feel like this story is isolated and not a reflection of the marketplace.

There are still plenty of investors out there looking to make decisions by the end of the year. Those same investors saw the "sudden" rise in the stock market on the same day this real estate story broke.

More negative publicity for realty agents and home sellers to deal with. But it should be dealt with and not left out there to do any more P R damage. Right?

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Re/Max provides valuable research for home owners

Admittedly I haven't been very kind to realty firms lately, based on the Listing of the Day marketing reviews and the rash of negative market publicity often fueled by realty associations.

But I must give a ton of credit to Re/Max of Northern Illinois for revealing some very interesting research within the past few days.

They quietly produced research about home sales and home prices in Chicago area suburbs in proximity to the region's commuter train line. And the results allow for a positive spin.

Again this year, their study measured home sales and home prices in selected suburbs and communities served by Metra trains. This year, the results showed that 19.2% fewer homes changed hands within the "Metra towns", along with price declines at levels 2% less than declines shown for all suburbs. The study included both attached and detached homes.

I agree with the speculation that this is due to the high cost of gas everywhere and for parking in Chicago. Even monthly parking "specials" are running upwards of $250 - $300 or more per month. Even parking meters have risen to $3.00 or more per hour. Factor in big city traffic, and a lot of the workforce sees the advantage of having proximity to a train that saves them time sitting in traffic, gas costs, and exhorbitant parking fees.

What this means for home owners in these areas (and near commuter train lines) is that they have gained a significant selling point to attract potential buyers if and when they are ready. And a reason to ask for a better price compared with an area which might be just a few miles further away.

Sellers in a "Metra town" can certainly gain from this. A potential buyer has a good reason to consider the location if they could ride the train to and from work or school every business day.

This is the type of story that realty agents should be all over. If I were a licensed agent but not with a Re/Max office, I would still alert my client "owners" in these areas to this study, and let them know that I can help them just the same as the company that released this information. And I would get a mailer or some sort of alert out to homes and condos within my farm area pronto. If I were a licensed agent with a Re/Max office, I would probably out knocking on doors personally to hand deliver this study within a couple miles of every Metra station I could get to.

And if I were a licensed realty agent in an area other than Chicago, I'd have dropped whatever I was doing to research commuter train usage within my farm area. Today.

This information certainly beats the usual "sales are down compared with last year, whoa is me" stories the realty associations churn out.

Let's see if the agents and home owners can take this news to the bank. By train, of course.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Listing of the Day - Milwaukee WI

In an effort to improve the impact of the marketing of listings, I randomly choose current listings around the country in a variety of price ranges and comment on their effectiveness. No current clients of mine are used, nor do I know any sellers or buyers or have any additional information about the property.



3002 N. Prospect Ave., Milwaukee WI 5 + 2 $259,000


http://realestate.jsonline.com/properties/search/detail.php?qBackToSearch=qCity%3Dmilwaukee%26qState%3DWI%26propertyType%255B0%255D%3DSingle%2BFamily%26qMinPrice%3D175%252C000%26qMaxPrice%3D275%252C000%26qBedrooms%3D2-%26qBathrooms%3D1-%26qAction%3Dsearch%26qTerms%3Dsell%26qSearchTab%3Dsell%26propertySearchFormsubmit.x%3D44%26propertySearchFormsubmit.y%3D36%26pagesize%3D20%26view%3Ddetailed%26qtotal%3D117%26qSortBy%3DPrice%26qSortDirection%3DDESC&qAdid=10893060069001a6e67&propertyNumber=10



This listing advertisement review could be summed up in 3 words - Not enough information.

It appears there are several selling points for this home, yet they are either not presented or not reinforced.

The description begins by pointing out this is a "3 story classic restored to its original style - exquisite character....". Yet, all we are shown is one, count 'em, one photo. A photo which shows a tree with no leaves in front, while it is angled so that one can't easily determine if this is the front or back of the home. We don't see an entrance, where the home is relation to the street, whether or not there is a driveway, garage, or a yard. Keep in mind this is a FIVE bedroom home. The third floor looks very small from this angle, more like an add-on, guest room, or attic. There is no way to get a feel for the "exquisite character" when all we have is one poor photo.

In addition, the description copy is not geared toward who could live there, important since this is a 5 bedroom home. I understand that you cannot gear an ad toward a specific category or group of potential buyers, but this copy has nothing to make a guess about.

For example, there is zero mention of the area this home is in. Upon my checking the map link (and assuming the Google map is accurate this time around), this home is very near the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. That would cause me to speculate that a 5 bedroom home could be shared among students and/or be used as an income property. Putting in "1 block from UWM" would make that point obvious without actually saying it. If it is intended more for a large family, then the information about the home being restored to its original character has little to no bearing for a family looking for something affordable in this area.

Furthermore, the room dimensions below only include 4 bedrooms, and this is supposed to be a FIVE bedroom home. Worse yet, all 4 bedrooms which are shown have different dimensions, so we don't know if they left out a smaller or a larger bedroom.

Much of the description copy is shown with abbreviations. Not everyone knows automatically that "HWF" means hardwood floors. There is not even a period at the end of the last sentence, so we don't know if this ad was supposed to end there, or if copy was cut off. An advertisement seeking more than one-quarter million dollars from a buyer merits full sentences and a proper description.

This appears to be the listing agent merely copying the description from the MLS form which goes to other agents and slapped in any old photo, whose job it is to know the abbreviations.

Yet there is more. This ad is among those on this site showing the "original price" and "current price", which in this instance is the same amount. This tells a potential buyer (if still around to read it) that there is no price reduction (yet) for this home. Unless there has been a price reduction, this category should not be included. The advertiser should have the say. (If it is newspaper policy to always show this, then I would advertise new listings elsewhere to not scare away potential buyers.) To top it all off, there is not even a phone number to call the listing agent. (Maybe he knows nobody is going to bother based on the rest of this ad, but still.........)

Yet, this is what appears on the web site of the dominant newspaper in the marketplace.

If I was a potential buyer, I probably would not have kept looking after seeing that photo. If I had, I would have bailed after the description copy since it gives no idea about the area or hints about who should buy it.

If I was the seller, I would be furious that there are no additional photos and nowhere near enough information to entice a potential buyer. I would be upset that the agent I am trying to pay a commission to took what appears to be about 30 seconds to prepare this ad.

Including the few selling points helped raise my original grade just a bit.

GRADE: D-


Note: This commentary is uncompensated and for marketing purposes only and is no reflection on the featured property. Its accuracy is not guaranteed. Neither Dave Kohl nor First In Promotions shall be held responsible for any representations.

At this time, I have openings for more realty agent/office clients to critique current and brand new listings on an hourly basis. No current or past client listings are featured on this blog.Random listings are chosen around the country.

Your comments are most welcome!

Friday, October 9, 2009

Listing of the Day - Omaha NE

In an effort to improve the impact of the marketing of listings, I randomly choose current listings around the country in a variety of price ranges and comment on their effectiveness. No current clients of mine are used, nor do I know any sellers or buyers or have any additional information about the property.




15965 Madison Street, Omaha NE $245,000 4 + 3



http://homes.omaha.com/properties/search/detail.php?qBackToSearch=qAction%3Dsearch%26page%3D1%26qTerms%3Dsell%26mode%3Dsell%26qSearchTab%3Dsell%26propertyType%255B0%255D%3DHomes%26qBedrooms%3D2-%26qBathrooms%3D1-%26qLotSizeUnits%3DsmallUnits%26imp_propertyType_sell%3DHomes%26qMinPrice%3D150%252C000%26qMaxPrice%3D250%252C000%26imp_qBedrooms%3D2-%26imp_qBathrooms%3D1-%26qKeywords%3Domaha%26pagesize%3D20%26view%3Ddetailed%26qtotal%3D30%26qSortBy%3DPrice%26qSortDirection%3DDESC&qAdid=omaha_deebRE_2091767600000009c006f&propertyNumber=5



This ad reflects the real estate agent mindset of 15 years ago before the internet came into prominence. Not enough information. Potential buyers no longer have to place phone calls and wait for a return call after they have put away the newspaper or finished driving around.

For a job search, the purpose of the cover letter is to interest the employer into viewing the resume. The purpose of the resume is to get the interview. The purpose of the interview is to get the job. And so on.

In this instance, the ad has a very strong photo spread that brings out potential selling points of this home, even though the exterior shot was taken on a cloudy and dreary day. (It is advertising a quarter-million dollar home. Have the photo re-shot on a sunny day!) The use of a high percentage of interior photos is strong. There is enough furniture and fixtures on display to show a potential buyer how nice the various rooms can look.

However, it stops there. There is NO description copy. All we get are photos and some facts.

For "information" on this advertisement, all we get is the logo of the realty company and places to click to REQUEST more information.

Sorry, but considering that I can click "NEXT" and see details about other properties in the same area and price range, I see no reason to be on the internet and still have to wait until (or unless) someone follows up with me.

This home is not being "sold" in the ad. No sizzle and we see a little bit of the steak. It is far from being the only property available. Why should a potential buyer consider this property instead of others? I still don't know.

This agent did little or nothing more than place this ad without addressing the need for a sales pitch for the property. On the web site of the dominant newspaper in town. No thanks.

GRADE - D -



Note: This commentary is uncompensated and for marketing purposes only and is no reflection on the featured property and is its accuracy is not guaranteed. Neither Dave Kohl nor First In Promotions shall be held responsible for any representations.

At this time, I have openings for more realty agent/office clients to critique current and brand new listings on an hourly basis. No current or past client listings are featured on this blog.Random listings are chosen around the country.

Your comments are most welcome!

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Listing of the Day - Orlando FL

In an effort to improve the impact of the marketing of listings, I randomly choose current listings around the country in a variety of price ranges and comment on their effectiveness. No current clients of mine are used, nor do I know any sellers or buyers or have any additional information about the property.


Appleton St., Orlando FL 4 + 3 $349,900

http://www.homefinder.com/FL/Orlando/47698267d


Frankly, this is one of those examples I would use in the first day of a marketing class. An example of why there is such a need for improvement when it comes to the advertising and marketing of properties.

First of all, there is no address shown for this property. It could be on Appleton Street, but this is actually a guess since this is where the Google map included shows it to be. Yet, we have no way to verify that it is in, as the ad reads, "one of orlando's premier neighborhoods". (Not to mention that I quote the ad directly which has the city of Orlando not capitalized.)

When I first randomly chose this ad on October 7th, it still showed that "will be Open House on October 4th". Later in the day when I went back to the page to complete this review, that had been removed. I can't overlook how I first saw an ad for a home with an Open House but no address. Ouch.

The photo spread is excellent with a nice blend of impressive interior photos combined with exterior shots which do a superb job of showcasing this property.

However, the description is inconsistent, especially for a home of this magnitude. Not only does it jump from outside to inside and all around, but a sentence consisting of "Home repiped" has absolutely no business being placed ahead of "Large fenced yard with great porches.". Actually, "Home repiped" has no business being anywhere in a description which is supposed to entice a potential buyer to want to know more.

Many of the selling points in the description are solid, even if not in reasonable order. Other selling points, based on seeing the photo spread, are not reinforced in the copy.

After reading the fragmented sentences, the name of the city not in capital letters, and about a home with no street address showing, I decided to check the realty firm's web site to try and find the street address. After looking through the upcoming weekend's open house profiles, I did not find this property there. I went to the list of agents in this office, yet could not find the name of the agent listed on this ad on the company web site.

To recap, I found this ad initially promoting an outdated Open House even though there is no address shown. The description is not fundamentally sound even with several good selling points. I could not find the address on either the supposed map page or on the company web site, then I could not find the supposed listing agent information.

Yet, the seller would pay a commission to this agent to help cover the cost of it being advertised via the web site of the Orlando Sentinel. It should be the responsibility of this agent (and any agent advertising a property) to check and double check every advertisement and representation that goes out there. Obviously, this one isn't.

GRADE: D+


Note: This commentary is uncompensated and for marketing purposes only and is no reflection on the featured property and is its accuracy is not guaranteed. Neither Dave Kohl nor First In Promotions shall be held responsible for any representations.

At this time, I have openings for more realty agent/office clients to critique current and brand new listings on an hourly basis. No current or past client listings are featured on this blog.Random listings are chosen around the country.

Your comments are most welcome!