5 Ways Towards a More Perfect Panel

The old cliché “You get one chance to make a first impression” still resonates with me, particularly when I attend a real estate conference and listen to panels and presentations Each speaker, moderator and panelist has the opportunity to make a powerful impression with the audience, but to do that right; most people can’t just wing it. Nearly everyone who speaks at a conference needs to take NFL Quarterback Russell Wilson’s advice: “The separation is in the preparation.”  You need to prepare, and not on the plane on the way to the conference. The hubris of so many executives thinking [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:23:40-07:00June 25th, 2015|Main category|Comments Off on 5 Ways Towards a More Perfect Panel

Brokers & MLSs: Collaboration vs. Confrontation

The real estate industry come a long way from the fall of 2013, when The Realty Alliance’s Craig Cheatham warned a crowd of MLS executives attending CMLS in Boise, “You’ve got 10 days.” That moment in time – described by blogger Notorious Rob as “the most interesting 30 minutes in the history of real estate conferences” -- poignantly captured the mood of real estate brokerages towards the MLS industry. Fast-forward to NAR Midyear 2015, and confrontation has clearly turned into collaboration. This week, RESO or Real Estate Standards Organization, heralded the great strides the organization has made in fostering participation [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:23:44-07:00May 14th, 2015|Broker-Agent Information, Main category, MLS Insights|Comments Off on Brokers & MLSs: Collaboration vs. Confrontation

Rapattoni is First MLS System Offering Integration with ListTrac Nationwide

New Tracking Tool Shows Where Real Estate Agents Get Their Most Leads San Diego – May 8, 2015 – ListTrac, known as the “Google Analytics for real estate listings,” today announced that Rapattoni Corporation (Rapattoni), a leader in providing software and services for real estate associations and MLS organizations, is the first MLS system provider to offer ListTrac integration nationally for MLS customers who subscribe to the ListTrac analytics service. The move allows real estate agents and brokers using participating MLS systems powered by Rapattoni to track consumer engagement and measure online performance for properties listed across the Internet. With 100-plus MLS [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:23:45-07:00May 8th, 2015|Broker-Agent Information, MLS Insights|Comments Off on Rapattoni is First MLS System Offering Integration with ListTrac Nationwide

What should we look for at NAR Midyear?

Real estate’s annual May pilgrimage begins in a couple of weeks. Its formal name is “REALTORS® Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo,” but I’ve never met anyone outside of NAR that doesn’t call it NAR Midyear. Even the url for the location on realtor.org labels it “midyear” (http://www.realtor.org/midyear.nsf). For several days – this year May 11-16 – local associations as well as state and regional associations leadership descend on Washington D.C. It’s a time largely filled with policy meetings, committee confabs and a full-court press for face-to-face meetings with legislative reps. Tucked in the middle of all this is a trade [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:23:46-07:00April 23rd, 2015|Our Services|1 Comment

Fox and Roach Internal Marketing Excellence

Fox and Roach is among the largest real estate brokerages in America. They recently published an internal communications piece that is a great case study for how brokers stay connected to their agents using video, and move the needle on adoption of brokerage services. Watch this short 2 minute video https://youtu.be/cy_UUGiKcao Why I like it. First, its short. To many people try to say too much. Make your video quick, clear, and drive action. Second – its familiar – Fox and Roach does a great job of promoting people across the organization – staff, team leaders, top agents. Message – [...]

Do you love what you do?

It’s been a whirlwind past few weeks with Inman Connect and Leading RE and everything in between. And then came Valentine’s Day and I found myself writing and thinking about love: A news release on the love of our homes, a new Valentine’s video from 12-year old Sparkles Lund that captured her love of dancing, and I sat down and wrote a love letter to my wife of 22 years. So ask this question: Why do you love what you do? I asked this of a friend of mine when we both were hitting 40. He said he didn't. I [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:23:49-07:00February 25th, 2015|Main category, Marketing|1 Comment

Millennial Marketing Madness

The fervor about marketing to Millennials peaked for me during the National Association of REALTORS® Convention in New Orleans last week. Surely you’ve seen some of the recent headlines: “Millennials could hold the key to housing recovery,” “Millennials need to be wooed,” “Insights about Millennials’ path to homeownership,” etc. One of the seminars at NAR had this in its title:” “Generating Referrals from Millennial Home Buyers.” Say what? Try this headline: Millennials are broke. Yes, Millennials (a.k.a. Generation Y), those who ages range from about 19 to 38, may comprise the largest segment of the U.S. population at 86 million [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:23:55-07:00November 14th, 2014|Main category, Marketing|1 Comment

30 Days and Counting

“How do you like your new gig,?” asked Lew Sichelman, perhaps America’s most ardent and prolific consumer real estate columnist and my dear friend of nearly 30 years, by phone the other day. “Unbelievable!,” I answered, wanting to forget that I learned that automatic response from a Tommy Hopkins sales training class I took a dozen years ago. But it’s an accurate description of how it’s been to join a team that is clearly among the most revered and respected professionals in real estate. On September 23, Victor Lund and Marilyn Wilson told the world that I was joining their [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:23:56-07:00October 29th, 2014|Main category, Our Services|1 Comment

Real estate industry veteran to lead WAV Group Communications

Arroyo Grande, CA – September 23, 2014 – Real estate industry communications and marketing veteran Kevin Hawkins has been named President of WAV Group Communications, the newest division of the real estate industry’s leading consulting firm, WAV Group. Being officially introduced at the CMLS2014, the Council of Multiple Listing Services national conference that starts tomorrow, September 24-27 in Huntington Beach, California, Hawkins will expand and deepen the communications services The WAV Group provides to leading MLS firms, REALTOR® Associations, top real estate brokerages, and real estate technology firms. “We have known and worked with Kevin for a long time. He [...]

By |2018-05-03T21:23:59-07:00September 23rd, 2014|Main category, Marketing, Our Services|1 Comment