Source More Referrals: It Is Only Coffee!

Can you think of a single luxury real estate marketing professional who does not love getting referrals? Based on the law of reciprocity, generating referrals begets receiving them. The more you give the more you get. Yet, few agents make it their business to source referrals to non-competitive business owners or service professionals.

What if you deliberately set out to generate referrals to others as a primary brand strategy for your real estate practice?  The more people you know the more matches you can source.

Eventually you would become known as a “referral hub” someone who connects others in such a way that it leads to more business for all.  If you master the art of giving referrals you would emerge as the MVP (Most Valuable Professional to know).

Engaging the law of reciprocity begins by getting into a frame of mind of abundance.  It is a shift of focus away from scarcity and looking out only for #1. This does not mean that you need to become selfless and place the needs of others above your own.  An abundant mindset means that you simultaneously consider the needs of others AND yourself.

When you have achieved this abundant mindset you do not have to keep score about receiving referrals back from the very people to whom you have given them. Leveraging the law of reciprocity will often attract referrals “out of blue” from the most unexpected sources.

A great way to begin engaging the law of reciprocity is simply to invite more people to meet you for coffee.  The more you get out and meet people face-to-face the more opportunities you have for new business and also for building long-term high-trust relationships. We say, “whoever has the most high-trust relationships WINS!” because those that do create the most opportunities for referrals.

So, next time you find that you are hiding behind your computer or stretching out the busy work that you could easily delegate to others, pick up the phone and invite someone for coffee. Reach out, get out of the office and spread the love. Show people you care about their success.  And, they will start caring about yours. It is only coffee!

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

ABOUT:  Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry.  They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace.

Going For Gold & Fun: The Competitive Advantage of Precision Teamwork

As a luxury real estate marketing professional you have a distinct competitive advantage if you operate as a team. However, the secret to winning the game is to develop PRECISION teamwork and that requires the total alignment of purpose among all team members. Those teams who win medals in the Olympics are shining examples of precision teamwork.

Whether you are a solopreneur with a support staff, a partnership, or a group of professionals each individual member of the team has his or her own purpose. It is essential that you discover the chief aim of each person, then, communicate that explicitly and openly. Only then can you clearly see how your purposes actually can align.

In selecting a partner it is wise to find someone who has the same level of ambition as you. As a husband and wife team who has worked together in several businesses, we have truly experienced the power of precision teamwork

We have a rule that everything we pursue together must be what we call a “hell yes!” If one of us disagrees we usually drop the idea, and take no action. But, this does not represent a subordination of individuality. We are both strong individuals on our own and very effective persuaders. We often laugh at each other’s clever persuasion techniques. It is fun because we trust that our overarching purposes are identical and totally aligned.

Our mutual purpose is to individually experience the certainty of our ability to make our dreams come true. This transcends the importance of any particular goal and makes our mutual endeavors more like a game that we help each to win.

Nothing is more important than maintaining our relationship of trust as a team. With that in mind, together, we are always bigger than any obstacle that can arise.

If one of us feels particularly strong about some pursuit, we support each other by encouraging the other to trust their intuition and see how it plays out in the realm of action. We trust that the stronger willed partner will either expand our horizons or jettison the idea entirely.

In a group, however, not everyone has the same level of ambition. This does not diminish the power of each individual’s contribution to the overall aim of the team. Role players can make or break a team.

When we owned a commercial real estate firm we were a small but mighty group of five. By creating a small, high-powered team we were able to more quickly dominate our niche in high-end retail development and leasing, and also corporate relocation for the entertainment industry, in Beverly Hills and the adjacent areas.

Like a gold metal winning Olympic team, when your purposes are aligned, precision teamwork flourishes. More, importantly, from our personal perspective, you simply have more fun!

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

ABOUT:  Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry.  They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace.

Muumuu Marketing: Does One Size Fit All?

We are constantly asked about marketing strategies and advertising channels from luxury real estate marketing professional nationwide. We say, beware of muumuu** marketers who tell you that one size fits all.  Here are some of the questions:

---Should one advertise in the local paper, luxury real estate magazines, online, on social media, send postcards (how many and how big), or produce videos? 

---Should one buy a drone, a video camera, an expensive camera or leave it to the professionals? 

--What about SEO or SEM (search engine marketing) or the long tail? 

We are not being evasive, when we say no one size fits all.  It depends on the marketplace, the lifestyle, and what the target market responds to. In other words, muumuu marketing can be a colossal waste of your marketing dollars.

The best ad agencies spend time on the ground researching the marketplace. They address both the demographics and the psychographics of the target market.  These agencies understand that what works in Boston may not work in South Bend, Indiana, even if the demographics are the same in each locale.  The psychographics, i.e., mindset and values, may be vastly different.

Here in Santa Barbara, where we have well over a dozen billionaires and a healthy population of ultra high net worth consumers, there are no Rolls Royce, Bentley, Maserati, or Ferrari dealerships. Why? These automotive companies apparently did their market research.  Some Santa Barbara homeowners may own them and drive them here, but they purchased them elsewhere. Conversely, the new Tesla dealership is taking orders like hotcakes for their newest model, and we see many of their luxury sedans on the road that were purchased in Santa Barbara. 

Beware of muumuu marketers! Or, you will find yourself trolling the beach with a metal detector looking for spare change instead of raking in the big bucks! 

**(Muumuu is defined as a long loose-hanging dress worn by Hawaiian women and those wanting to hide a multitude of sins.  Origin of the word "muumuu" is expand.)

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

ABOUT:  Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry.  They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace.

A Better You: Not Just Me, Myself And "I"!

In a previous post about our Mid-Year Business Check Up, we mentioned a very important paradigm shift that is now required if you are interested in achieving market leadership in your marketplace. There seemed to be a bit of confusion about this topic, so this post is intended to make this crucial point even clearer.

The paradigm shift that we are referring to is this:  The business of residential real estate is no longer a game of marketing real estate; it is a game of marketing YOU! 

Due to public access of real estate listing information via the Internet, everyone has the exact same inventory, with the exception of pocket listings.  That makes both the information and YOU a commodity.

Here is where the clarity is needed. By YOU we mean your unique brand of doing business. We have to assume that most competent agents have knowledge of their marketplace, good negotiation skills and have integrity. Can you see that even these fine qualities become commodities? In this context what makes YOU stand out?

That is why it is so important to identify what you can do better than anyone else, express your unique promise of value is just a few words, and then BRING A BETTER YOU TO THE GAME by doing the following:

1.     GET OUT THERE AND MEET MORE PEOPLE FACE-TO-FACE THAN YOUR CLOSEST COMPETITION. BE INTERESTED, NOT INTERESTING.
2.     COMMUNICATE YOUR UNIQUE PROMISE OF VALUE TO MORE PEOPLE THAN YOUR COMPETITION
3.     BE MORE VISIBLE IN YOUR COMMUNITY THAN YOUR COMPETITION
4.     CONSISTENTLY STAY IN TOUCH WITH YOUR EVER-EXPANDING REFERRAL BASE, AND DO SO BETTER THAN YOUR COMPETITION
5.     ASK MORE PEOPLE TO INTRODUCE YOU TO MORE PEOPLE

That is what we mean by marketing YOU, a BETTER YOU, not just me, myself and I.

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

ABOUT:  Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry.  They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace.

Mid-Year Business Check UP: The Next Big Thing!

One of our biggest breakthroughs in 2016 was identifying the need for a complete paradigm shift in the field of luxury real estate marketing. At mid-year we are now in the process of creating and test marketing a very exciting new service and business model, based on this fresh perspective.

The paradigm shift that we are referring to is this:  The business of residential real estate is no longer a game of marketing real estate; it is a game of marketing YOU!  If you are intent on gaining or sustaining market leadership, failing to make this shift could mean the biggest missed opportunity of your entire career! It is far, far more important than the advent of social media marketing. It is the NEXT BIG THING!

Due to public access of real estate listing information via the Internet, everyone has the exact same inventory, with the exception of pocket listings.  That makes both the information and YOU a commodity, unless you can provide an extraordinary value proposition, i.e., create added genuine value above and beyond commodities.

Some agents are better than other at cultivating referrals.  But, few are doing what it takes to exponentially expand their referral base.  That means making it your business to consistently and continuously meet more people. 

Like most small business owners, real estate agents spend more time working “In” their business, as “transaction engineers” in this case, rather than working “On” their business as marketing experts. And, in this context, we are talking about the business of marketing YOU.

There are way too many excuses, for staying in your comfy chairs in your office instead of getting out and meeting more people.  In the new paradigm you must delegate or outsource everything that you absolutely do not have to do yourself. This will help free you up to get out there! After all, the game of marketing YOU is a people sport.

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

ABOUT:  Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry.  They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace.

Branding Lessons in Beverly Hills: Parking Meter & Pavement Plaques!

We love all aspects of branding, and we enjoy sharing them with our readers.  Our intention is that it may spark creativity in promoting your brand of doing business.  Brilliant examples inspire us, and we hope they will inspire you in marketing your luxury real estate practice.

We met Bijan the year he opened his store in Beverly Hills on famed Rodeo Drive.  What we learned is that he was a passionate men’s clothing designer.  His fame grew because of the quality and fit of his clothes, and his list of customers ranged from royalty and presidents to high and low profile business people, as well as celebrities.

He was a great marketer of his brand, and to this day his son continues his legacy.  He has expanded to include women’s fragrances, accessories and jewelry. He maintains the brand’s visibility with two billboards across the street from each other on one of the busiest thoroughfares in West Los Angeles. This street leads to Beverly Hills and is flanked with high profile office buildings.

Today with moments to spare prior to our appointment in Beverly Hills, we noticed a brilliant branding addition in front of his store.  This is a branded parking meter, and on the sidewalk two plaques marking his contribution to Rodeo Drive.

What do You think?

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

ABOUT:  Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry.  They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace.

Sharply Focused Niche Marketing: A $1 Billion Idea!

The power of focus cannot be emphasized enough if you want to dominate a luxury real estate market niche in your area.  A single strategy that is sharply focused can make you rich while all others are faced with cutthroat competition!

Five years ago Mike Dubin launched an online business through which he sells razors as a subscription service, shipped by mail. His company, Dollar Shave Club in Venice, California, has been sold to Unilever for a cool $1Billion. 

His strategy is simple:  A great shave for a few bucks a month.  His slogan is precise, stating the unique promise of value in just 4 words:  “Shave Money. Shave Time!”

Knowing his target market’s psychographics inside and out, he got away with a big fat claim, using taboo marketing: “OUR BLADES ARE F**KING GREAT!

The Dollar Shave Club rapidly gained popularity with a You Tube video that went viral. It was viewed almost 23 million times. Check it out below!

A single strategy can make you rich if you have the right niche! Hopefully, this will help to dispel your fears of choosing a niche that is too narrow, providing there is a large enough target market that can potentially satisfy your financial goals.

To learn more about niche marketing click here: Which Niche Can Make You Rich? 

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

ABOUT:  Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry.  They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace.

Do We Really Need To Watch What We Say?

Respect for diversity in humanity is something that is the responsibility of every human.  In marketing luxury real estate, we should naturally respect diversity in our clients.  The Equal Housing law requires us to see no differences and watch what we say. That should not be necessary!

On the other side of this equation, we all have learned the rules of how to practice political correctness. The very fact that one has to carefully select their words when meeting or talking to someone who is not like us exaggerates the differences and essentially forces us to focus on the differences.  In our opinion this exacerbates the problem rather than solve it. 

Friday, we read an article in the WSJ titled, “Gender Equality Comes to the World of Emoji”. It was subtitled, “Emoji for 11 new professions such as welder and scientist, will be available in male and female forms.”

On July 14th, the Unicode Consortium in which Google is a “full member with voting rights” approved these and will have 33 more professions in both genders by the end of 2016. Earlier this year the Unicode Consortium added interchangeable skin tones.  It is worth noting that the real estate profession is not represented among existing emojis.

We think that all emojis should be represented in gold, then the only thing humanity would need to practice is the golden rule, and not have to watch what we say.  

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

ABOUT:  Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry.  They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace.

Are You Marketing To Make It Rain, Or Just Selling Umbrellas?

There is a distinct difference between marketing and selling.  Selling is short-term thinking. Marketing is building a business to last.

An example of selling is the guy on the street who hawks cheap umbrellas to those who forgot theirs that morning. His business depends on the forgetful and on the weather. When the sale is complete, he does not have a long-term customer nor does he have a referral source to capitalize on.

Marketing means standing out in a sea of sameness by distinguishing yourself though the way you do business.  It is based on a plan that includes creating a loyal customer base. When you are thinking long-term, you are able to focus more on your clients than on your immediate personal need to close a quick deal.  Marketing comes from a mindset of self-confidence, rather than being driven by fear and insecurity.

Jan’s ski store in Deer Valley, Utah, is the only place we buy ski equipment. When the resort first opened, we came in with ill-fitting ski boots that we bought in Los Angeles.  They went out of their way to make our boots comfortable without charging us.  They also invited us to try their demo skis without charge.  This was long range thinking and marketing at its best.

At the end of that ski season, we bought new boots and skis, and have remained loyal customers ever since. Recently at Jan’s, we noticed that a customer sitting next to us, who was being fitted for boots, needed to take an important phone call.  His fitter took off the boots and handed him a plush pair of slippers to wear, so that he could take the call in private.  The guy was dumbfounded and said, “Why are you are giving me slippers to wear?” The fitter responded, “Because, that is Jan’s way!”

Marketing is demonstrating your long-range thinking, which should be your distinctive brand of doing business, if you want to stand out from your competition.  Stop selling umbrellas and waiting for it to rain!  Instead, start marketing and become a rainmaker!

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

ABOUT:  Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry.  They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace.

UPV: We Will Show You Ours, If You Show Us Yours!

What is the primary secret behind the success of market leading luxury real estate professionals?  They attract clients like a magnet because they have tuned their thoughts to EXPECT SUCCESS.  But, the real secret is that many market leaders have no special talents beyond persistence and consistency. They achieved their top ranking by default because their competition has not recognized their own Unique Promise of Value (UPV).

Do you know your UPV? Can you state it in just a few words? We will show you ours if you show us yours! Here is ours:

We empower people and companies to recognize and articulate their Unique Promise of Value, and then consistently communicate it in their marketplace.

Knowing what makes you or your company unique creates the most powerful magnet of all. Clearly articulating your UPV with precision accelerates the speed of attraction because your IDEAL CLIENTS can rapidly perceive that you are the answer to their most pressing needs. And, it makes it easy for others to refer YOU.

But, once you know and clearly articulate your UPV the key is to consistently get the word out to your target market.  What most would-be challengers are reluctant to do is continuously expand their pool of referral sources by meeting new people on a regular basis and consistently communicating their UPV.

Now, we have shown you ours. Let’s see yours!

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

ABOUT:  Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry.  They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace.

The Decision: Who Is Going To Sell My Home?

When making a choice as to what agent or agency to hire to sell their homes, the majority of luxury real estate sellers ask for a recommendation from trusted friends. If their friends don’t have one, then they will look for a brand they recognize and trust.

This applies to choices we all make in general, whether it is a professional service or a product we are looking for. Here is an example:

We had heard that Chilean wines were making a name for themselves in Europe and in the United States for their excellent wines. We went to our local wine store to educate ourselves on the latest and greatest Chilean wines.

As we were looking over the Cabernet Sauvignon shelves, we noticed a stack of cases made of wood nearby. Within these wooden cases, bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon were displayed on their sides instead of upright.

Usually only the most expensive wines are packed that way. The wine label identified it as a Chilean wine from Chateau Lafite Rothschild. is a storied wine brand known for its excellence and quality wines. When we saw the care in packing and the brand name, it was a no brainer to try this wine. The price was very reasonable at $13.95. We knew we could count on the brand, the wine was outstanding, and we promptly bought more.

The moral of this story is that a brand is a trust mark more so than a trademark. Build a reputation of trust, and let your packaging tell the story of the quality your potential clients can expect when they work with YOU!

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

ABOUT:  Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry.  They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace.

Feelings Sell Homes Through Video

In marketing luxury real estate it is often the intangibles that sell the home. If you can convey what it would FEELS like to actually live in the home and also what it is like to enjoy the lifestyle in its surrounding neighborhoods you can quickly engage strong interest in the property. Feelings sell homes!

A great way to elicit an immediate positive emotional response to your listing is through high quality video that tells the lifestyle story while it informs. However, do not try to take shortcuts in video production. You will wind up boring your prospects. If you do not have the time to do it right or the budget to have it done professionally, skip the video all together.

Here is an example of one of the best marketing videos for a listing we have seen. You can really feel what it would be like to live there.  We are proud to say that our clients, and dear friends Debb Janes and Bernie Stea, produced this video. They market ViewHomes of Clark County in Washington, exclusively.

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

ABOUT:  Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry.  They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace.

Happy 240th Birthday America!

"Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it!--Mark Twain

We will all be celebrating our country's birthday today.  This is a moment to appreciate what America stands for. We love these words by William Faulkner, American Author and Nobel Prize laureate from Oxford, Mississippi,

"We must be free not because we claim freedom, but because we practice it."

Wishing you all a Wonderful 4th of July!

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

ABOUT:  Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry.  They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace.

Are You A Worrier Or A Warrior?

Being a warrior in the game of luxury real estate marketing requires that you develop a deep, rock-solid trust in yourself. Worrying erodes the very foundation of self-trust and is the ultimate cause of failure.  Are you a worrier or a warrior?

Warriors may have an initial reaction to sudden, dismal external conditions, but they quickly regain their balance and adjust their approach. LeBron James made basketball history, winning the NBA Championship by coming back from a 3-1 deficit.  He said that he looked within and adjusted his “blue-print” for success.

And, that is exactly what luxury real estate marketing professionals need to do when they encounter volatility in global markets like Brexit.  Worriers cannot see the opportunities that a condition may cause, because they are too busy assessing the negatives.  Warriors look for the opportunities and adjust their inner blue prints.

On the real estate front, Knight Frank, global residential and commercial real estate consultants are focused on the silver lining. They view is that the housing market will not be seriously impacted. The UK has 60 million wealthy individuals, and a highly skilled labor force.  High skilled labor is always in demand.

British second home buying in Europe and in the US may slow down.  Real estate will continue to be viewed as a long-term stable investment.  Some of the ultra high end may languish on the market. 

It is worth noting that Starbucks is going to continue its expansion plans in the United Kingdom.  Since the United Kingdom is one of the largest consumers of French Champagne, Taitttinger called its UK distributors to assure them that they will make up the losses caused by the devaluation of the Pound Sterling.  The legal profession is no doubt rejoicing based on all the work generated by the Brexit vote. 

If you are concerned about market conditions, readjust your inner blueprint for success.  Are you going to worry or be a warrior? 

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

ABOUT:  Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry.  They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace.

How To Be The Brightest Bulb In Your Marketplace

To win the competition for the attention of your target market, you need to consistently demonstrate that you are the brightest bulb with the most outstanding value proposition. One of the best ways to accomplish this is through laser-sharp messaging in your blog posts that quickly capture and hold their attention.

Practicing the discipline of concise blog post writing can help you to sharpen your communication skills in general. It requires that you assess the best way to get your points across with an economy of words.  This also frees you up to listen more to your clients and listen less to yourself

Capture attention by providing a photo that conveys your primary message or your punch line. It allows your readers to hold the overarching idea of your post in mind while they fill in the details by reading more.

Your title and your opening paragraph must peak your reader’s interest and tell them why your topic is important to THEM.  It should contain a single sentence with your central idea expressed with utmost brevity. Your last paragraph should restate your main idea.

Be the brightest bulb in your marketplace!  Practice laser-sharp communication by writing concise blog posts that convey your extraordinary promise of value.

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

ABOUT:  Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry.  They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace.

Don’t Shoot Yourself In The Foot: Use Communication Bridges

As a luxury real estate marketing professional you can stand out from your competition simply by having superior communication skills.  Being a good listener is the most important communication skill, however, the communication bridge can be your strongest differentiator. 

Recently we received two referrals (potential clients) for our strategic brand consulting practice.  The first person expressed great interest in working with us and asked us to call him back the following day at a specific time.  When we followed through, he was not there.  We left a voice message, and the following day, we sent a text message. We still have not heard a reply.

When we called the second referral, we left a voice mail, and received a text message from her indicating a time when she would be available.  That is an example of a communication bridge.  It gave us certainty and an immediate appreciation of this individual, because she respected our time.

When we called the second person back at the specific time, she was not available.  We left a voice message, and within a matter of hours, we received a text message that her father had passed away.  Regardless of whether or not we work with this second person on developing her brand strategy, we would not hesitate to recommend her based on her outstanding ability to bridge communication.

Although, we are always willing to give the benefit of the doubt, the first person could have left a much stronger impression simply by saying, I decided this is something I don’t want to pursue. Given the ease of all the communication channels we have at our disposal, there is no excuse for the lack of a communication bridge.  If you are too busy to handle the volume of communication, you need an assistant to help you. 

The difference between engendering doubt or certainty can mean the difference between getting, and not getting the listing, referral, or an opportunity to compete for the listing.  There is just no excuse for leaving someone in doubt.  It reflects poorly on that person and their communication skills.

What poor communicators do not realize is that good communicators will give negative feedback to those who referred them in the first place. In one gesture, this person shot himself in the foot losing two potential sources of referral.

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

ABOUT:  Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry.  They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace.

Is Your Brand Name Memorable Like Toast, Butter and Jam?

A great brand name for luxury real estate marketing, or any business endeavor, is one that is simple, memorable and ideally, instantly communicates its extraordinary promise of value. If your brand name is remarkable it will spark buzz, facilitates word-of-mouth advertising and sharply differentiate YOU from your competition.

In the crowded field of wines, wine brands have just a nano-second to capture your attention as you peruse the shelves and displays. If they do not capture your attention, the likelihood of your trying something new is somewhere between slim and none. Here is an example of  a wine brand that instantly grabbed our attention because of its cleverness and simplicity.

JaM (named for owners John and Michele) Cellars has just 3 offerings. They are all about “Easy to love everyday wines”, which is their value proposition distilled into only 5 words.   They named their Cabernet Sauvignon, JaM “dark berries and plum flavors”, the Chardonnay- Butter “lovely lingering finish” and Toast for their sparkling wine, “aromas of honeydew, white peach, and orange blossom."

There is no guesswork when it comes to picking out these wines.  The brand instantly tells you its identity, and it differentiates it from the pack!  Does your brand name sharply differentiate YOU?

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

ABOUT:  Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry.  They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace.

How To Get More Listings And Have A Great Time!

Several of our luxury real estate clients are natural athletes. Their strategies to get more listings involve sports. One of them was a ski instructor, and it was an ideal way to meet new people. Many of the students had season passes, which often meant they already had a second home in the area. It was not usual for them to want to up-size as their families grew. This was also an opportunity to sell them the larger home. This client now has an annual ski event to which all clients are invited.

Another client is involved in competitive skiing events such as slalom and mogul races. This individual also participates in bicycle races that are part of the lifestyle in their community.

Playing tennis and belonging to the tennis club in the community where our client is the market leader is an effective strategy. The membership dues are negligible, because the return on investment is substantial.   Another one of our clients surfs, and enters bicycle races.

One does it all and does it all well. This client’s athletic abilities are legendary.  Golf, surfing, paddle boarding, triathlons, and yoga are on the daily to do list.

Sports are a great way to meet people, connect and have a common interest. If you are a good sportsman or sportswoman you can really develop your "list to last" practice, and have a great time.

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

ABOUT:  Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry.  They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace.

Are You Marketing You With A Cookie Cutter Approach?

In marketing luxury real estate, a cookie cutter approach, in describing your extraordinary promise of value, will not cut it!  An emphasis on the emotional reasons to engage your services vs. logical ones will make the difference.

Luxury consumers use logical reasons to justify their emotional reasons and not the other way around.  Therefore, it is best to engage luxury consumers with an emotional/experiential story about YOU and/or your company. 

Take a lesson from luxury car ad companies.  When they are selling a Porsche, they talk about the “driving pleasure--experiencing the thrills of the road.”  Mercedes’ recent tag line is “the best or nothing!” 

The same type thinking has to be part of your messaging when promoting your services.  Your audience thinks in terms of the unique value experience and appreciates the inherent value of service. 

One of the top producers we have worked with tells her story simply.  She was a single mother working at a wig factory gluing hair at $8.00 an hour.  Within three years in real estate, she earned a high six-figure income and her son was going to private school.  Would you not want to work with someone of this caliber?

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Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

ABOUT:  Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry.  They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace.

Making More DOUGH With Passion And A Well-Bread Strategy

Are you passionate about the luxury real estate niche you have chosen? If not, find a niche that you can become passionate about, because passion is what it takes to follow your dreams to fruition.

You may have heard the expression, “If you build it they will come”, from the movie, Field of Dreams. That is exactly what Bob Oswaks, marketing executive-turned baker did. He discovered his passion and calling to open a high quality, artisan bakery/restaurant and he had the guts to change careers and follow his bliss.

We recently drove north of Santa Barbara to the tiny, remote, Wine Country town of Los Alamos just to have breakfast at Bob’s Well Bread because the buzz was irresistible. We had heard exuberant, unsolicited recommendations from two friends on separate occasions; both were practically drooling when they described Bob’s hand-made, old-world style breads, croissants and other baked goods. And, the place was packed when we arrived!

Was it worth the one-hour drive?  Absolutely!  Bob’s almond croissant was spectacular; it had the perfect balance of crispy-crunchy crust on the outside and tender elasticity on the inside, and it also had just the right amount of sweetness. Our only disappointment was that we did not have room for the chocolate almond croissant. But, alas, this bakery is etched in our memory and a return trip is inevitable [i.e., soon].

Although it is best to eat your bread at the peak of freshness, according to Bob,  “From our natural fermentation, to our high-hydration doughs, Bob’s Well Bread is artisan bread that will last for many days (if you don’t eat it all!).”

Our hats are off to Bob for building his dream bakery, for changing careers and pursuing an uncontested market niche in California’s Central Coast Wine Country. The moral of Bob’s story: If you want to make more “dough", find a luxury real estate market niche that you can be passionate about!

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

ABOUT:  Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry.  They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace.