Hot pretzel vendors are strewn across NYC street corners.
Each is equipped with the same push cart.
Their pretzels are provided by the same pretzel distributor.
They all offer the same soft drinks.
The only difference between them are their locations and the person manning the cart.
None are any more alluring than the other. To the masses they are just "pretzel guys" trying to make a buck.
Pretzels carts serve snacks. Quick fixes. They aren’t destinations for a serious meal.
Real estate is filled with Pretzel carts.
Millions of them strewn across the web.
Identical listings.
Identical content.
None more alluring than the next.
Real estate does have its fine dining experiences.
Hand picked destinations.
Zillow. Trulia. NYTimes.com. Washingtonpost.com. Coldwellbanker.com.
The traffic to these establishments speaks volumes.
People go there when they are serious.
They serve fresh apps.
Fresh content.
You don’t need to be big to offer something different.
Think like a Bistro.
If it can be done in the food industry, it can be done in real estate.
- Davison
Local, Mobile, Social and the future of real estate
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Marc, you have a remarkable talent for distilling things down to the fundamentals. The difference between the pretzel cart who makes the sale and that doesn't probably comes down to 3 things:
1. Being "Found"… which side of the street do I happen to be walking on.
2. Content… it has the stuff I want in the manner I want it.
3. Service… I am not buying a pretzel from a guy with dirty fingernails.
Brian Wilson
http://www.zolve.com
People go to Zillow when they are serious… and do what? I'm not following this analogy. Many people go to Zillow or Trulia just to browse. If they are serious, Zillow and Trulia don't sell, so they have to go somewhere else. Do they click on whatever agent ad banner is displayed at that time? Seems unlikely. Do you shop by clicking ad banners?
As much as agents wish there was a way to find people who are "serious" about buying or selling (mostly selling), there is no proven method for finding them and getting in front of them at that moment. The best methods are traditional methods of staying in front of a group of people all of the time so that when they get "serious" they turn to you. New technology is great, but it should be applied using the same time tested principles and it should be integrated with other marketing activity rather than standing alone.
I get nervous when I read "People go there when they are serious. They serve fresh apps." because it sounds like yet another silver bullet shill. People go there more often, period, which improves the chances that they will be there when they are serious. Unlike a fine dining experience, Zillow and Trulia have zero opportunity cost to the consumer, so this analogy needs to be kept in proper perspective.
Yes, don't be like everyone else hoping to catch a client at random by being in the right place at the right time, but don't think having killer apps will replace time tested marketing methods. A website is a useful tool, but it works better in tandem with traditional farming and marketing. Sphere of influence differentiation (being yourself and using your interests and activities to draw prospects) is the heart of the "bistro" analogy, not overrated "killer apps."
Let them browse at Trulia or Zillow. Those sites can't buy or sell houses. When they do get "serious", they will call you if they know you and trust you.
I see your point so let me explain Frank.
People go to these sites for a distinct purpose. Zillow for a Zestimate. NYT, Washington Post for gobs of data and tons of unique content. Coldwell Banker because of brand awareness. Because of their service seller guarantee.
I term this "serious" because they take their visitors seriously. They take their sites seriously. They take their brand seriously.
When consumer seriously decides to conduct a home value estimate or reach for unbiased clear and distinctive content, these are the sites they go to.
No different than when I want a great steak. I know where to go. Flemmings if I'm in Tampa. Peter Luga in Brooklyn. Clear, distinctive. When I don't know what I want or where to go, that when the toss up between templatewebsite.com agent A, templatewebsite.com agent Z and all the template.com agents in between fall short of serious. It's just a pot shot as many surveys indicate, the agent chosen is a result who responds first.
I see your point so let me explain Frank.
People go to these sites for a distinct purpose. Zillow for a Zestimate. NYT, Washington Post for gobs of data and tons of unique content. Coldwell Banker because of brand awareness. Because of their service seller guarantee.
I term this "serious" because they take their visitors seriously. They take their sites seriously. They take their brand seriously.
When consumer seriously decides to conduct a home value estimate or reach for unbiased clear and distinctive content, these are the sites they go to.
No different than when I want a great steak. I know where to go. Flemmings if I'm in Tampa. Peter Luga in Brooklyn. Clear, distinctive. When I don't know what I want or where to go, that when the toss up between templatewebsite.com agent A, templatewebsite.com agent Z and all the template.com agents in between fall short of serious. It's just a pot shot as many surveys indicate, the agent chosen is a result who responds first.