Brilliant Marc! Then again, in an industry where the professionals are constantly told to be more personal, personal, personal and sell your personality and your family and to put a glamorous picture of yourself on your business card, door mat, dinner plates, doggie door, screensaver, refrigerator magnets, just listed cards, car doors and anything else you can stick a picture to, how could you expect them to think about anyone but themselves?
Amen. A good reminder to everyone in the real estate business. I wonder what this says about all the companies that try and sell "leads." (Ok, I don't really wonder.)
Interesting..I don't agree with everything. If one works by referral, than many people who give us referrals may not be interested in seeing listings all the time. I find it useful to be a person who can provide them with useful info on a regular basis. If we just feed them info about listings and the market, how would we distinguish ourselves from all the other realtors. Remember, for the most part, many people like to buy things from people they like. It does not necessarily mean the best and most knowledgeable Realtor.
Thanks everyone. Great comments and good vibes abound.
Geodie - I believe and this is certainly up for debate that people want the best, the brightest, the most market savvy agent they can find. The times dictate that. The times demand that. Being a good guy is yesterdays real estate.
The message today is to provide consumers what they need not necessarily what they think or what agents think they want.
Nice work. Some very important comments stood out.
- I don't mind paying 6%, just show me why.
- I want to see ALL the available listings.
- Paying you for your knowledge… not your time.
Great stuff. I think it's important for alot of people to sit back and think about each of those comments - as each one is telling you what the opportunity is.
Bingo Jessie. It's all about the opportunity. That was the entire point of the exercise. To put what many of us have been saying who believe there a better real estate business out there.
This is not an ad for 1000Watt as some suggest out there in blogland. It's just a blog post using people instead of a keyboard.
Calling someone a lead to describe the extent of your relationship with them is not, in itself, a derogatory
term.
It has alwyas been about the people. In all service-oriented industries there are good and bad. The great real estate people have always put their clients first and always will.
Following up with your clients (whether you call it a drip-campaign or mailer or contact) is a good thing, and smart business.
I am a person, and to the stereo salesman I am a lead. I can live with that.
Yes Greg, true. For the average great agent, this message reiterates what you know and do instinctively.
Follow up is good and smart but its how and when it's handled that we are bringing to the discussion.
Let's flip the coin. What if every newsletter sign up on our site was viewed as a lead and each signee where then hit up with a drip sales campaign to hire us as consultants. My guess is our brand would be negatively impacted by that experience despite the fact that in spirit you are as much of lead as I would if I filled out a form on an agents site for a Free Report.
Granted, you may be a lead. You might hire us one day. But I have a better chance of that happening if I treat you like an individual and respect why and how you want to experience this site than if I lump you into the lead bucket.
There are gentler ways of building a relationship with a consumer and reminding ourselves that people are people and not leads a better outcome could exist for all.
I believe agents know this and the majority really do want to be all they can be for their customers.
However, CEM, as a protocol, is not built into the real estate paradigm. Take agent tools. How many vendors consumer test their business tools before they're sold to agents as the next great thing? How many get tested during the products life span? Are any? Yet they make some hefty promises that inevitably sway the agent from their natural course.
Take the new Village Maker product by Real Pro systems. Interesting idea. Yet not one consumer has ever laid on a finger on it and tested. it will be sold as a lead generator. It will promise to build relationships. Build your network. Build referrals.
How? Why? This goes out to the consumer and they scratch their head thinking…I didn't ask for this. I don't need this. I don;t need to be enrolled into a social network. I just want you to answer my email the same day I send it.
CEM has not been, as far I have seen, included in any training course by real estates coaches or gurus.
At best, most agents are left with few tools and few instructions on how to train consumers, how to garner more respect for themselves and how to actually build solid, smart relationships. We see this unfold every day as agents resort to canned auto responders, template email newsletters, blog posts as their touch points and now social network sites. They are sold on the merits of these ideas as solid client retention tools when in fact, they are anything but in the hands of most agents.
This video is speaking to real estate as a whole. Vendors included. Coaches included. Let's change the vernacular. Let's make better products. Let's include the consumer into the conversation.
Does the insensitivity with clients(contacts, marks, prospects, etc) begin with the way Brokerages treat their agents? An agent is just a piece of meat until they produce. Then, they become tradeable for more commission to the highest bidder….like a piece of meat. Agents, then, treat clients like that same piece of meat. also, note, agents treat each other like a piece of meat..only more useless. Anybody ever heard the real estate business is dog-eat-dog? It's time for a new model…stay tuned!
I can only offer an opinion here as I have nothing substantial in the way of proof but I believe the culprit is the belief that real estate is about sales not about service or relationships. This may come from the broker or it could come from a trainer/coach, etc., or it could come from the agents own view of who they are and what they do.
While real estate talks about building "relationships" and offering "service" I am hard pressed to find courses offered to agents on how to build and manage great customer experiences. Almost all verbiage, all coaching, all training seems to focus on extracting contact information rather than trying to learn what is it consumers want.
This is a very sales oriented behavior and if you think about it, it's not a very good one either.
I believe that this shallow, ineffective approach does often lead many to treating others, each other and themselves in a less that respectful manner.
What a job well done, guys! It certainly jump started my day.
I think the video speaks to the greater point that no one wants to be "sold" anything; be it a home, car, appliances…anything. But, buyers do want to buy!
I have 21 years of sales experience in another industry and I am now applying that to the Real Estate business. Yes, our clients and customers are not to be taken for granted they are people. Of course it's all about them as long as their is mutual respect and a sense of loyalty on some level. We are not to be used or abused or shunted whenever a buyer or seller feels we have served their needs.
What matters is that we as professionals are "Of Service" and fufill our obligations.
Real Estate is my future and "My Word is My Bond." I am willing to earn my business one individual at a time.
I think people "should" pay real estate agents for their time. What are they tallking about? They think agents should work for free? I think people out there abuse agents if you ask me,not the other way around.
I think people "should" pay real estate agents for their time. What are they tallking about? They think agents should work for free? I think people out there abuse agents if you ask me,not the other way around.
What's more amazing to me is treating this video like some great revelation or epiphany. I agree with the content, bit of an attitude on everyone's part, perhaps the director's bias, but we get it. Realtors, belive it or not, have readily accepted technology. Our surveys demonstrate working with an Internet lead is a quicker, less costly way to an escrow as the client has usually eliminated all properties, honed down their area, pickd out their schools and now need assistance in showing, writing the most competent offer, gaining local knowledge, trends and techniques to get the best deal possible. What? You folks don't think every major company is not analyzing the consumer, the experience, the interaction of our Agents to the client? I think I'll make the opposite of this video but have Realtors with the attitudes explaining to consumers OUR point of view! But I DO grow weary of Realtors with their animals!
I agree with Mike and would be happy to be a part of his video! (We'll leave Kat and the puppy out of the video)I think our greatest challenge is how we gain customer loyalty when they are intentionally being anonymos,and we rspond within minutes of being contacted and they are pissed that you would pick up the phone to simply introduce yourself and offer your services to help them,by asking just a few questions!! "Customer Service" is clearly being redefined-if not automated.
I don't really see the irony in rallying Realtors to don bad attitudes and make videos exclaiming their point of view. How will that win anyone business?
Besides, there are 1000 blog posts, comments and a host of Realtor destinations where consumers can go and immerse themselves in that feeble mindset.
This video, is about the individual opportunities that are being suggested by the consumers through each of their statements.
"What are all those letters after your name?"
Sandrew, you might think this is some woman making fun of your designations when actually, what she is asking you is what do they mean? What is SRES? How does that pertain to anything? How can you build your brand, your cred around this educational milestone?
Mike, what's amazing to me is how people are so ready to pan the video or combat it when it's purpose is to point how where real estate misses the boat of opportunity.
There's a reason why it's been viewed over 7,000 times. Readers come here and take away something of value. You can certainly go and make your video and get Sandrew to consumers where you are at but maybe, the smarter approach is make a video about what SRES means. Or anything else that you have that is special. Then distribute that to your marketplace. You might just find that a Aesop tale unfold for you.
Perhaps I have been around too long, but one of the first things I learned when I entered real estate was this … everybody’s favourite station is WIFM; What's In it For Me?
This is precisely how my partner and I have approached our job in the past. And this is what we are trying to do in our blog.
Our goal is quite mighty: to offer information that is not canned, that the reader can truly use and that she is not able to find anywhere else.
Post by post we believe we are accomplishing this. Great video!
Looks like I've stumbled upon this conversation quite late! Enjoyed the video and generally agree with the sentiment. The Actors did indeed come off a bit angry, not sure if that was your intention Marc?
Matt, you make a legitimate point, it is a two way street, and we both need to be educated about the other direction so we can cooperate in stead of crashing head-on
Great Video! So many realtors sites, blog entries, and videos are just ego massages!! I have only one video on my site that is about me and its just to introduce myself. Everything else is about my listings and about real estate as it should be.
This is a terrific example of consumers speaking about being treated like "meat." They don't want to be captured. They want service, they want trusted sources. Bravo!
I must say that the agents do there job for earning money they will not gonna do any thing for free because they also have kids and family, and i must say that they are sold on the merits of these ideas as solid client retention tools when in fact, they are anything but in the hands of most agents
I have been enjoying your blog and tweets for some time, but this video is fantastic. Would you mind sharing the YouTube link so I can use on my website! Thanks again for so much great content! Jeff
[...] out this great video by the guys over at 1000Watt Consulting. It pretty much sums up my philosophy. It is all about YOU - now go search your heart out! I am [...]
I’ve been scouring your website for a way to improve my business. Yeah, I’m in this to make money. I want to make lots of money, but I want to earn it.
I believe we provide a valuable service, we always put our client’s interests first, often at a loss to us, but I’m not a marketing executive.
I don’t know how to convey this to potential clients, so I search the internet and see what others are doing and what I think works to convey the message.
When my budget will grow I’ll put in more money to convey the message even better.
I want to provide better service, a better website, more information and superb results and we do it.
How do I let people know I take 40+ professional photos…etc, that’s the hard part. How to show potential clients that we’ll do a better job then someone who has a 3 page spread in a local newspaper but, puts only 6 photos on the MLS, without breaking the bank.
How to convey we’re not a commodity, but it takes a commitment from both sides the Realtors and the clients.
[...] and not the engagement of them. As 1000watt Consulting so brilliantly pointed out in their video, “I Am Not A Lead”, we refer to our circle of influence as leads, contacts, and databases. We capture them, drip on [...]
As Virgin America points out on their site, sometimes to make a difference, you need to attend to the simple things. The questions you need to ask yourself are what simple things can you do the make a difference between you and other agents. Virgin changed their seats. And the lighting in their plane. Really simple things. Things that make people feel good and appreciated.
Start there. Look at your service proposition. What you you do during and specifically after the closing. What have you done today to let some who bought a home from you a year ago feel special.
This is one easy way you can attack improvements in your business.
By 
Top Ten Real Estate Brokerage Websites in America
20 Tools, Technologies and Ideas for a Productive 2009
MLS: A View from Mars
Spot On!
Now we need to get every Realtor/agent/broker/etc…. do understand this
Great video - I'll be sharing with my real estate clients.
Brilliant Marc! Then again, in an industry where the professionals are constantly told to be more personal, personal, personal and sell your personality and your family and to put a glamorous picture of yourself on your business card, door mat, dinner plates, doggie door, screensaver, refrigerator magnets, just listed cards, car doors and anything else you can stick a picture to, how could you expect them to think about anyone but themselves?
The days of the Aunt Bea REALTORS are numbered.
Amen. A good reminder to everyone in the real estate business. I wonder what this says about all the companies that try and sell "leads." (Ok, I don't really wonder.)
Interesting..I don't agree with everything. If one works by referral, than many people who give us referrals may not be interested in seeing listings all the time. I find it useful to be a person who can provide them with useful info on a regular basis. If we just feed them info about listings and the market, how would we distinguish ourselves from all the other realtors. Remember, for the most part, many people like to buy things from people they like. It does not necessarily mean the best and most knowledgeable Realtor.
Bingo.
(Aunt Bea Realtors, I love that.)
well done guys.
Great video, guys. Very well done.
Thanks everyone. Great comments and good vibes abound.
Geodie - I believe and this is certainly up for debate that people want the best, the brightest, the most market savvy agent they can find. The times dictate that. The times demand that. Being a good guy is yesterdays real estate.
The message today is to provide consumers what they need not necessarily what they think or what agents think they want.
There is too much at stake these days not too.
Great Video!I would like to put it on my blog but I use wordpress. Do you have the video on Youtube yet?
I emailed you the embedded youtube link.
Nice work. Some very important comments stood out.
- I don't mind paying 6%, just show me why.
- I want to see ALL the available listings.
- Paying you for your knowledge… not your time.
Great stuff. I think it's important for alot of people to sit back and think about each of those comments - as each one is telling you what the opportunity is.
Bingo Jessie. It's all about the opportunity. That was the entire point of the exercise. To put what many of us have been saying who believe there a better real estate business out there.
This is not an ad for 1000Watt as some suggest out there in blogland. It's just a blog post using people instead of a keyboard.
Well done.
Calling someone a lead to describe the extent of your relationship with them is not, in itself, a derogatory
term.
It has alwyas been about the people. In all service-oriented industries there are good and bad. The great real estate people have always put their clients first and always will.
Following up with your clients (whether you call it a drip-campaign or mailer or contact) is a good thing, and smart business.
I am a person, and to the stereo salesman I am a lead. I can live with that.
Yes Greg, true. For the average great agent, this message reiterates what you know and do instinctively.
Follow up is good and smart but its how and when it's handled that we are bringing to the discussion.
Let's flip the coin. What if every newsletter sign up on our site was viewed as a lead and each signee where then hit up with a drip sales campaign to hire us as consultants. My guess is our brand would be negatively impacted by that experience despite the fact that in spirit you are as much of lead as I would if I filled out a form on an agents site for a Free Report.
Granted, you may be a lead. You might hire us one day. But I have a better chance of that happening if I treat you like an individual and respect why and how you want to experience this site than if I lump you into the lead bucket.
There are gentler ways of building a relationship with a consumer and reminding ourselves that people are people and not leads a better outcome could exist for all.
This video says so much. I wish I would have thought of it. Good job and Congratulations on saying what most people feel.
This should be posted on every real estate brokerage intranet and launched everytime an agent or broker logs in.
It's all about the consumer. This should be the focus of the real estate business. When will REALTORS figure that out.
Derek,
I believe agents know this and the majority really do want to be all they can be for their customers.
However, CEM, as a protocol, is not built into the real estate paradigm. Take agent tools. How many vendors consumer test their business tools before they're sold to agents as the next great thing? How many get tested during the products life span? Are any? Yet they make some hefty promises that inevitably sway the agent from their natural course.
Take the new Village Maker product by Real Pro systems. Interesting idea. Yet not one consumer has ever laid on a finger on it and tested. it will be sold as a lead generator. It will promise to build relationships. Build your network. Build referrals.
How? Why? This goes out to the consumer and they scratch their head thinking…I didn't ask for this. I don't need this. I don;t need to be enrolled into a social network. I just want you to answer my email the same day I send it.
CEM has not been, as far I have seen, included in any training course by real estates coaches or gurus.
At best, most agents are left with few tools and few instructions on how to train consumers, how to garner more respect for themselves and how to actually build solid, smart relationships. We see this unfold every day as agents resort to canned auto responders, template email newsletters, blog posts as their touch points and now social network sites. They are sold on the merits of these ideas as solid client retention tools when in fact, they are anything but in the hands of most agents.
This video is speaking to real estate as a whole. Vendors included. Coaches included. Let's change the vernacular. Let's make better products. Let's include the consumer into the conversation.
Does the insensitivity with clients(contacts, marks, prospects, etc) begin with the way Brokerages treat their agents? An agent is just a piece of meat until they produce. Then, they become tradeable for more commission to the highest bidder….like a piece of meat. Agents, then, treat clients like that same piece of meat. also, note, agents treat each other like a piece of meat..only more useless. Anybody ever heard the real estate business is dog-eat-dog? It's time for a new model…stay tuned!
I can only offer an opinion here as I have nothing substantial in the way of proof but I believe the culprit is the belief that real estate is about sales not about service or relationships. This may come from the broker or it could come from a trainer/coach, etc., or it could come from the agents own view of who they are and what they do.
While real estate talks about building "relationships" and offering "service" I am hard pressed to find courses offered to agents on how to build and manage great customer experiences. Almost all verbiage, all coaching, all training seems to focus on extracting contact information rather than trying to learn what is it consumers want.
This is a very sales oriented behavior and if you think about it, it's not a very good one either.
I believe that this shallow, ineffective approach does often lead many to treating others, each other and themselves in a less that respectful manner.
What a job well done, guys! It certainly jump started my day.
I think the video speaks to the greater point that no one wants to be "sold" anything; be it a home, car, appliances…anything. But, buyers do want to buy!
I am an instant fan of 1000watt Blog.
I have 21 years of sales experience in another industry and I am now applying that to the Real Estate business. Yes, our clients and customers are not to be taken for granted they are people. Of course it's all about them as long as their is mutual respect and a sense of loyalty on some level. We are not to be used or abused or shunted whenever a buyer or seller feels we have served their needs.
What matters is that we as professionals are "Of Service" and fufill our obligations.
Real Estate is my future and "My Word is My Bond." I am willing to earn my business one individual at a time.
Nice…
Spot on… killer… way to go. The future of Real Estate is now.
I think people "should" pay real estate agents for their time. What are they tallking about? They think agents should work for free? I think people out there abuse agents if you ask me,not the other way around.
I think people "should" pay real estate agents for their time. What are they tallking about? They think agents should work for free? I think people out there abuse agents if you ask me,not the other way around.
What's more amazing to me is treating this video like some great revelation or epiphany. I agree with the content, bit of an attitude on everyone's part, perhaps the director's bias, but we get it. Realtors, belive it or not, have readily accepted technology. Our surveys demonstrate working with an Internet lead is a quicker, less costly way to an escrow as the client has usually eliminated all properties, honed down their area, pickd out their schools and now need assistance in showing, writing the most competent offer, gaining local knowledge, trends and techniques to get the best deal possible. What? You folks don't think every major company is not analyzing the consumer, the experience, the interaction of our Agents to the client? I think I'll make the opposite of this video but have Realtors with the attitudes explaining to consumers OUR point of view! But I DO grow weary of Realtors with their animals!
I agree with Mike and would be happy to be a part of his video! (We'll leave Kat and the puppy out of the video)I think our greatest challenge is how we gain customer loyalty when they are intentionally being anonymos,and we rspond within minutes of being contacted and they are pissed that you would pick up the phone to simply introduce yourself and offer your services to help them,by asking just a few questions!! "Customer Service" is clearly being redefined-if not automated.
I don't really see the irony in rallying Realtors to don bad attitudes and make videos exclaiming their point of view. How will that win anyone business?
Besides, there are 1000 blog posts, comments and a host of Realtor destinations where consumers can go and immerse themselves in that feeble mindset.
This video, is about the individual opportunities that are being suggested by the consumers through each of their statements.
"What are all those letters after your name?"
Sandrew, you might think this is some woman making fun of your designations when actually, what she is asking you is what do they mean? What is SRES? How does that pertain to anything? How can you build your brand, your cred around this educational milestone?
Mike, what's amazing to me is how people are so ready to pan the video or combat it when it's purpose is to point how where real estate misses the boat of opportunity.
There's a reason why it's been viewed over 7,000 times. Readers come here and take away something of value. You can certainly go and make your video and get Sandrew to consumers where you are at but maybe, the smarter approach is make a video about what SRES means. Or anything else that you have that is special. Then distribute that to your marketplace. You might just find that a Aesop tale unfold for you.
Perhaps I have been around too long, but one of the first things I learned when I entered real estate was this … everybody’s favourite station is WIFM; What's In it For Me?
This is precisely how my partner and I have approached our job in the past. And this is what we are trying to do in our blog.
Our goal is quite mighty: to offer information that is not canned, that the reader can truly use and that she is not able to find anywhere else.
Post by post we believe we are accomplishing this. Great video!
Looks like I've stumbled upon this conversation quite late! Enjoyed the video and generally agree with the sentiment. The Actors did indeed come off a bit angry, not sure if that was your intention Marc?
Matt, you make a legitimate point, it is a two way street, and we both need to be educated about the other direction so we can cooperate in stead of crashing head-on
Great Video! So many realtors sites, blog entries, and videos are just ego massages!! I have only one video on my site that is about me and its just to introduce myself. Everything else is about my listings and about real estate as it should be.
Great Vid!
This is a terrific example of consumers speaking about being treated like "meat." They don't want to be captured. They want service, they want trusted sources. Bravo!
No more dogs… or pictures of you on the phone! Hallelujah!
What a concept to make business cards using the word "You" where the picture should be… "because you are my business."
I must say that the agents do there job for earning money they will not gonna do any thing for free because they also have kids and family, and i must say that they are sold on the merits of these ideas as solid client retention tools when in fact, they are anything but in the hands of most agents
[...] We spotted this video over at Marc’s 1000 watt consulting blog. [...]
Dear Marc,
I have been enjoying your blog and tweets for some time, but this video is fantastic. Would you mind sharing the YouTube link so I can use on my website! Thanks again for so much great content! Jeff
[...] out this great video by the guys over at 1000Watt Consulting. It pretty much sums up my philosophy. It is all about YOU - now go search your heart out! I am [...]
I’ve been scouring your website for a way to improve my business. Yeah, I’m in this to make money. I want to make lots of money, but I want to earn it.
I believe we provide a valuable service, we always put our client’s interests first, often at a loss to us, but I’m not a marketing executive.
I don’t know how to convey this to potential clients, so I search the internet and see what others are doing and what I think works to convey the message.
When my budget will grow I’ll put in more money to convey the message even better.
I want to provide better service, a better website, more information and superb results and we do it.
How do I let people know I take 40+ professional photos…etc, that’s the hard part. How to show potential clients that we’ll do a better job then someone who has a 3 page spread in a local newspaper but, puts only 6 photos on the MLS, without breaking the bank.
How to convey we’re not a commodity, but it takes a commitment from both sides the Realtors and the clients.
[...] and not the engagement of them. As 1000watt Consulting so brilliantly pointed out in their video, “I Am Not A Lead”, we refer to our circle of influence as leads, contacts, and databases. We capture them, drip on [...]
@Artur,
As Virgin America points out on their site, sometimes to make a difference, you need to attend to the simple things. The questions you need to ask yourself are what simple things can you do the make a difference between you and other agents. Virgin changed their seats. And the lighting in their plane. Really simple things. Things that make people feel good and appreciated.
Start there. Look at your service proposition. What you you do during and specifically after the closing. What have you done today to let some who bought a home from you a year ago feel special.
This is one easy way you can attack improvements in your business.
I’ve recently started a blog, the information you provide on this site has helped me tremendously. Thank you for all of your time & work.