The Three Luxury Real Estate Marketing Keys for Personal Branding: Define. Align. Refine! Part 3

 CENTERING

This is Part #3 of a new blog series on The Three Luxury Real Estate Marketing Keys for Personal Branding. Define. Align. Refine!

Pottery, as an art form, clearly illustrates the principle of feeling centered which is the by-product of the process of self definition and personal alignment covered in previous posts. As students of pottery, we highly recommend that luxury real estate marketing professionals take a pottery class to gain a visceral, hands-on experience of centering. Like the personal alignment process pottery is also a meditative experience because you have to concentrate and focus to keep the clay centered on the wheel as you transform it into something both beautiful and useful. 

When you prepare the clay for throwing a vase using a potter’s wheel all these steps need to come into alignment in order to achieve your end result:

• You cut a piece of clay from a large block and wedge the clay. That is, you knead the clay until all the molecules are literally aligned and no air bubbles remain in it. This will add to the structural integrity of the finished bowl.
• You shape this clay into a ball and place it on the middle of the wheel
• You start the wheel, flatten the ball, and center the weight of the mass on the wheel.

If the clay is not kneaded or wedged properly air bubbles will remain. Air bubbles will create holes or cracks when you fire it in the kiln. The personal alignment process is similar to wedging clay. It is essential that you rid yourself of the air bubbles of doubt and self contradiction.

You center the clay mass on the wheel in order to open the very center of the vase and evenly pull the sides up. Suddenly, from a lump of clay you give it definition and a shape. Centering yourself through the process of self-definition and personal alignment quiets your mind, so that you can focus on shaping, crafting the vase of your unique selling proposition (which we cover in Part 4).

The last step prior to firing is called trimming. Once you have let the newly formed vase dry (partially) overnight, you bring it back on the wheel, center it again and trim away any excess clay. This trimming process is akin to what we call refining your marketing message which is covered in Part 5.

We find that so many luxury real estate marketing professional do not take the time to establish their personal alignment and get centered. They simply are unable to clearly articulate how they are distinct from their  closest competition. And, their results are usually not consistent.

Personal alignment gives you a sense of balance, confidence and a sense of being centered.. Only then can you be authentic and create a genuine personal brand..

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The Three Luxury Real Estate Marketing Keys for Personal Branding: Define. Align. Refine! Part #2

Personal Alignment

This is part #2 of our blog series on The Three Luxury Real Estate Marketing Keys for Personal Branding. Define. Align. Refine!

The second key of successful luxury real estate marketing after Self-Definition is personal alignment. Alignment as defined by Webster’s Dictionary is “the proper positioning or state of adjustment of parts in relation to each other.” What then, is personal alignment? It is the clarification and the formulation of your thoughts in such a way that you eliminate self-contradictions. It is also the convergence that occurs when these mental gears are in sync: 

•    Your values and beliefs (what matters to you the most and what you stand for)
•    Your passions and personality  (what you personally love doing the most)
•    Your unique talents and abilities (What you can do better than anyone else in your marketplace)

The process of personal alignment is taking the time to formulate and reformulate your success formula by trying out different ideas in your imagination until all these gears click into place. Only then can you send a clear, non-contradicted signal to your target market. Anything less is like tuning in a radio and hearing static.

Without alignment your target market is getting mixed signals from you or cannot even hear your broadcast. And, you wonder why all of your hard work isn’t paying off as you had hoped it would. It’s not for lack of effort on your part. It is lack of alignment!

Most professionals are too eager to rush into action before achieving personal alignment. Then they wonder why they are getting mixed results. Do not underestimate the importance of this vital step in building your luxury real estate marketing practice.  Any time you notice that you are not getting consistent results, take more time out for personal alignment or realignment.

Once you complete the process of self-definition covered in Part 1, and personal alignment  covered here, you will experience the feeling of being "centered" which we cover in Part 3. You will also be able to effortlessly define your unique selling proposition, which we cover in Part 4 and refine your marketing message, covered in part 5 of this series. 

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The Three Luxury Real Estate Marketing Keys for Personal Branding: Define. Align. Refine! Part #1

Self-Definition

This is Part #1 of a new blog series on The Three Luxury Real Estate Marketing Keys for Personal Branding: Define. Align. Refine!

For luxury real estate marketing professionals the process of self-definition is the starting point for creating a personal brand. In subsequent posts in this series we will cover how self definition and personal alignment lead to being centered and focused which is the prerequisite for refining your competitive advantage. In order to begin creating a successful marketing strategy that effortlessly attracts your target audience, take some time to complete these self-defining exercises:

1. Define your core values and your beliefs. This is the time to be honest with you. These are not the values or beliefs you think you should have because somebody will like you better for it. You will no doubt come up with many of these; however, it is important to identify the most important ones to you. Some values and beliefs are more cherished than others. What do you stand for?

2. Define your authentic personality and your passions. This is not what others think your personality is. It is not what you think you should be or have to fix. What makes your heart sing? How can you use that passion to create an avenue to better relate to others?

3. Define your unique talents and abilities. Everyone one of us has a unique blend of talents. It is your DNA. What can you do better than anyone else in your marketplace?

This is not a process to rush through. Take your time, deliberate. Check out each answer by questioning it thoroughly. You will know the process is done when you can articulate your answers to all of the questions above in one clear paragraph that says it all.

This is also part of an ongoing series about Luxury Real Estate Marketing . Get Fluent. Get Affluent! Subscribe to The Language of Luxury by Email or RSS Feed. Comments? Please use form in left column.

Luxury Real Estate Marketing Essentials: Know Your Luxury Brands

As a luxury real estate marketing professionals you can benefit greatly by knowing your luxury brands. Continuously sharpening your focus on luxury industries beyond real estate gives you a broader perspective on the mindset of the buyers and sellers that you will representing in your practice. It gives you a tremendous competitive edge to speak the Language of Luxury. Christian Louboutin, a shoe designer in Paris has a wonderful take on what luxury means:


“Luxury is the possibility to stay close to your customers, and do things that you know they will love. It’s about subtlety and details. It’s about service. I cannot accept a place where people are badly received. I can’t imagine spending several thousand dollars on something and the salesclerk gets annoyed because you took fifteen minutes to look. Luxury is not consumerism. It is educating the eyes to see that special quality.”

Visit Christian Louboutin

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing Essentials: Discover Your Niche

Luxury Real Estate Marketing Professionals should understand the role of a niche in one’s marketplace. A niche is defined as a place, a position, a slot, a function, a role or a forte in a market place. It is important to know where you fit in. Here is a perfect example of a niche, with a slogan that embodies its position in the marketplace!

The product is Crayola crayons, which have been in existence since 1903. The company started in 1885, as a manufacturer of colorants for industrial purposes as well as slate pencils. It was Alice, a schoolteacher and the wife of the founder, Edward Binney who came up with the idea of a child friendly crayon. She also coined the word Crayola.

The Crayola slogan is “The Art of Childhood.” It defines what the company stands for and the value the end user will derive from the product regardless of their age. With this slogan, Crayola sharply defines its niche. It is one of the most recognized brands in the world. The vast majority of children know what a crayon is and they recognize the bright yellow box, even if they cannot read. In 1984, the company was purchased by Hallmark cards, another company with an exemplary slogan, “When you care enough to send the very best!” It has an emotional association as does “The Art of Childhood”.

What is your niche? How can your slogan express and promote it?

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing Essentials: To Blog or not to Blog, Part 3

Luxury real estate marketing professionals, welcome to Web 2.0, the business revolution manifesting on the World Wide Web!  At the very heart of Web 2.0 is encouraging interactivity between the client and the service provider.  It has opened a dialogue, where the consumer can make their desires known,  The concept of the blog is to open a dialogue, as well as to inform on pertinent subjects.This is part three of a three part mini-series called, To Blog or Not to Blog? 

The more traffic you can generate for your blog the more leads you can generate for your business. At the very minimum,  you must promote it everywhere you promote your current website. It must be prominently featured in all of your collateral material. Your blog is the new local media in your field and you are the new syndicated columnist. That means you need to maximize the use of local publicity as well as internet publicity, especially if you are in a second homhe market.

Best of all, if your content is truly original and cobmpelling it will generate word-of-mouth marketing. For some of your referral sources it is easier for them to forward a clever or informative blog post via email than it is to recommend your services directly.

Getting your blog to sync up with the search engines, e.g., Google, Yahoo and MSN, in order to achieve the highest rankings is paramount. This is where all of the hoopla is coming from on the subject of blogging. The search engines are continuously looking for new content so that their user’s search results continue to be relevant to the search query. If the content of your blog posts can consistently answer the question that searchers are typing, the chances of your blog being found first increases dramatically.

Be sure to submit your blog to the best blog registries. One example is Real Estate Blogs . It is a directory of real estate blogs and blog sites of industries affiliated with and serving the real estate industry.

Your search engine ranking for your website itself can steadily improve by blogging. Blogging allows you to add new content on a regular basis that is picked up by the search engines, versus the static content on your website. The more visible you become to the search engines the more you will be recognized as a website (and as a personality) worthy of a high ranking at the top on the search engines. This can take time.

To blog or not to blog? Do your due diligence before you decide. If your answer is yes, make the commitment to publish the best, market leading blog in your area. And, be sure to seek professional Search Engine Optimization (SEO) services. This is critical to your success. Good luck blogging for leads and for dollars!

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing: To Blog or Not to Blog Part 2

First, let’s demystify the blog by separating the medium from the message (or the content of your blog). As a medium, a blog is an interactive website that allows you to instantly self-publish (or post) time-stamped content such as text, photos, audio clips, videos and links to external content on the internet.

Your blog also allows visitors to post comments and forward your blog to their friends. Other blogs can be linked to your blog so your posts can appear in many places at once like a syndicated newspaper columnist. This interactivity is what makes blogs a social media versus printed newspapers, magazines or TV. There is a plenitude of free blogging platforms. It only takes minutes to set up your blog and publish your first post. It is that easy to become a self-publisher.

The shift in power that is taking place in the world of traditional publishing represents an unprecedented opportunity to become a popular source of real estate news in your marketplace through self-publication. Can you begin to see why the current market leading agents are vulnerable? A competitor can readily seize this opportunity to become the local expert, the go-to columnist that is repeatedly quoted in other publications and other people’s blogs.

Becoming a Syndicated Columnist

Now, let’s take a look at the message side of the blog equation. Have you ever watched Andy Rooney’s spot that is aired at the end of every 60 Minutes TV program? He usually gives a two or three minute commentary on something that interests him. His inimitable style is charming, humorous and witty. A very distinct personality is exactly what your blog needs if you want to stand out in a sea of blogs. Your blog needs a unique slant to build readership/viewership. Most importantly, it must be authentic.

A successful blog should be like a thoroughly engaging editorial or news column in your local newspaper that is somehow tied into the subject of real estate. The theme of your column must be centered on something that you are personally enthusiastic or even passionate about in order to sustain your own interest over time as a publisher/columnist. If the message is not newsworthy, entertaining, informative or a solution to their problems your readers will quickly lose interest, too.

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing Essentials:: To Blog or not to Blog- Part 1

To blog or not to blog? That is a very important question if you are a luxury real estate marketing professional and you are serious about surpassing your closest competitor. A blog can be a significant lead generation tool, which is the biggest reason so many agents are jumping on the band wagon and launching their own blogs.

Here are the pros and cons about blogging in a nutshell:

The Pros:

1) Competently executed, blogging can help you create the perception, in the minds of your target market, that you are the leading authority in your field;

2) Blogging can significantly improve your search engine ranking, and;

3) Blogging can even help you gain celebrity status.

The Cons:

1) Done incompetently, publishing a blog can be like eating crawfish: a lot of work for very little meat;

2) If you do not like to write or do not have anything interesting, helpful or newsworthy to say about your marketplace (even with the assistance of a ghost writer) do not bother to blog, and;

3) You can bore potential readers and waste your valuable time that could be put to much better use.

This is part of an ongoing series about Luxury Real Estate Marketing . Get Fluent. Get Affluent! Subscribe to The Language of Luxury by Email or RSS Feed. Comments? Please use form in left column.

Luxury Real Estate Marketing Essentials: The Tiffany Standard

In luxury real estate marketing, your aim is for your personal brand to become a household name, like Tiffany. The New York Times Weekend Arts section featured the headline “On the Beach, Under a Tiffany-Blue Sky.” The article was about books to read on the beach. The Tiffany blue color is trademarked and was first seen in an 1891 New York Times advertisement. Whether or not skies are actually the color of Tiffany-blue is irrelevant. It is the associations with the brand that sets an emotional tone for the article.
 

The reference to Tiffany illustrates the potential power of the brand. As a jewelry store, Tiffany is the best known brand across America. It has a prestigious heritage. Tiffany jewels have been worn by famous US families, such as the Vanderbilt’s, the Astor’s, and also the J.P. Morgans. According to the company’s history “a Tiffany’s gemologist was instrumental in the international adoption of the metric carat as a weight standard for gems. Tiffany’s standard for sterling and platinum has been adopted as United States Standards.”

The 1961 film “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” starred Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard. This love story brought more fame to the brand. Audrey Hepburn’s character, Holly Golightly, walks into Tiffany because it is "the best place in the world, where nothing bad can take place." What a glorious association for a brand.

In 2002, Tiffany promoted to a new generation of consumers in “Sweet Home Alabama”. This time, Reese Whiterspoon’s character, Melanie, goes into Tiffany’s during off hours with her boyfriend to pick out engagement rings. This was a brilliant example of product placement in a film. Driving to Tiffany’s in a limousine and gaining access to the store for a private shopping spree evoked a wonderful romantic notion that dreams can come true (especially if they come in blue boxes).

The Tiffany mount has become a classic standard for engagement rings according to DeBeers, the largest commercial supplier of diamonds in the world. It is simply comprised of four or six prongs securely holding the diamond around it girdle (the largest part of the stone), elevating it above a plain band. The prongs are spaced equally around the stone, mimicking the symmetry of the diamond’s cut.

Tiffany lamps, with their stained glass shades, were designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany, the founder’s son. Like the Tiffany diamond mount, Tiffany lamps have defined a standard for a certain type of lamp. The handmade shades are comprised of pieces of patented Favrile stained glass that are soldered together with copper foil. Even when one sees a replica it is still referred to as a Tiffany lamp.

When a brand transcends its own category of product or service, or is used as a standard within the same industry, it reaches the pinnacle of its power in our culture. “The Rolls Royce of watches” would be an example. When a brand becomes a common noun like “Kleenex” to describe a facial tissue, or a verb, such as “to Xerox” or “to Google” it also falls into this elite category.

This is part of an ongoing series about Luxury Real Estate Marketing . Get Fluent. Get Affluent! Subscribe to The Language of Luxury by Email or RSS Feed. Comments? Please use form in left column.

Luxury Real Estate Website Marketing Tip: Be Original!

In the play Master Class, the famous opera diva, Maria Callas tells her students, “If you want to be an opera star, your voice  may not be enough. You have to have a ‘look’. Get a Look!” We say, as a luxury real estate marketing professional you not only need a look, you need a brand that conveys the essence of who you are, what you stand for and also the extraordinary value you have to offer. Your personal brand must have impact. It must enable you to sharply stand out from your competition.

In the new competitive landscape of Web 2.0, if you want to have a dominant share of the marketplace, your website must have a distinctive look, too. The real shift that is occurring today in the luxury real estate profession is the transition from being a salesperson to becoming a marketing expert. When personal marketing is done right, it is the process of attracting and maintaining ideal clients. When marketing a luxury home it is the process of attracting the perfect client to the right home. In both cases, your website is now the most important marketing tool you have. You need to become a master of the internet! Or, at least your assistants do.

Getting potential clients to visit your website is only a fraction of what it takes to master the internet. You only have a nano second to make your first impression before they click away. Your luxury real estate website has to be on par with that of any luxury brand. You have to have the look, the feel, and the depth that Gucci has, for instance. You must have an original story, your own story. You must connect with the individuals who comprise your target market.

Gucci is not meant here to be the standard, it is just an example. Whatever luxury brand you identify with, model it, but don’t copy it. Although, some people maintain that imitation is the best form of flattery, forget it! Be your own brand. Get a look. But, most importantly, be original!

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing Essentials: Men’s Kitchen Designed by Porsche

Luxury real estate marketing professionals understand the importance of an outstanding kitchen in marketing luxury homes. You would be the first to advise your sellers to remodel or upgrade a kitchen in order to get maximum value for a home. Here is the latest in kitchen innovation design, which you can suggest to a prospective buyer/seller/developer for an ultra luxurious bachelor pad. It is created for those who are in love with the minimal geometric style.

Porsche designers teamed up with Poggenpohl, the avant garde German luxury kitchen designer, to create a kitchen for men, the P7340. In this $75,000 kitchen for men, they have thought of everything: cabinets that open with a light push with an electronic sensor activating a motorized system that pulls the doors shut, essential appliances-convection, microwave, steam ovens, glass-top stove, automatic coffee and espresso machines, and a state of the art TV, LCD-based multimedia center. For added convenience the video display can be integrated into the back splash area. Since all this engineering is cutting edge, Poggenpohl will send out an engineer to make sure every aspect of the kitchen is installed perfectly. Click here for further information .    

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing Essentials: The Luxury of Reading a Book

Most successful luxury real estate marketing professionals are so busy, that they don’t take the time to broaden their knowledge base beyond the subject of real estate. The source of this dilemma is a lack of what we refer to as "life support systems". We encourage our clients to delegate everything they possibly can to others. More specifically, we feel it is absolutely essential to delegate everything and anything that you do not absolutely love doing. Otherwise, you are sacrificing the life giving joy of enriching your life. One of the best ways to broaden your knowledge is escaping by reading a fun novel. It is a source of currency and a wonderful subject of conversation.

One of my favorite authors is Alexander McCall Smith. Born in Zimbabwe (which later went back to its old name of Rhodesia) he studied and lived near the Botswana Border, eventually moving to Scotland. He loves Southern Africa and taught law at the University of Botswana.

He came to notice in America with his The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency. As his critics noted, “His descriptions leave one as if standing in the Botswanan landscape. This is art that conceals art. I haven’t read anything with such unalloyed pleasure for a long time.” I couldn’t have said it better.

From reading this series, I appreciated the African landscape, understood the vastness of the Kalahari Desert, and was inspired to drink a cup of red bush tea, which the main character in the book is constantly brewing.

By Alexandra Seigel, Partner - Napa Consultants, International

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing Essentials: More Champagne Currency

Social currency is fun and interesting facts that can be exchanged with others to break the ice, add value to a conversation, engender conviviality, and also build rapport. Luxury real estate marketing professionals should seek out social currency as an ongoing professional development practice. Knowing about some of the best luxury Champagne brands is a must! Here is a luxury Champagne brand with a great story that is worth knowing about and sharing with others, as currency. We call social currency in the social realm "luxetera, etc.".

Most Champagne is bottled in a green bottle with a bell shaped bottom. The bell shaped bottom has a purpose: to withstand the pressure created by the sparkling wine.

Originally, Louis Roederer’s Champagne was bottled in green bottles. His wine was a favorite at the court of Russia. In the reign of Alexander II of Russia, the political situation was becoming unstable, as the populace wanted reforms, which to his credit the tsar instituted albeit in an autocratic manner. Having thwarted several assassination attempts, he asked Louis Roederer to create a clear bottle with a flat bottom so that a bomb could not be hidden in the bottle or in the bell part. Taking care of his best customer, Louis Roederer asked a Flemish glass maker to form a flat bottle to resist the pressure. The solution was to use clear lead crystal instead of ordinary glass. These bottles were only available to the Tsar.

Cristal was made available to the public in 1945. Since then, it has stood out from other Champagnes by its distinctive gold label and colorless bottle wrapped in cellophane. Some experts feel it was the first to have a prestige cuvée (the first pressing of the grapes) . The rosé Cristal is also highly revered. Answering the need of the customer created, for Louis Roederer, a brand differentiator. On the Champagne shelves, his bottles stand out as distinct from the all rest.

Luxury Real Estate Marketing Essentials: The Importance of Internet Marketing

Internet Route Map

Recent technological advances have forever changed the landscape of luxury real estate marketing. Many companies and vendors have joined the fray. They understand the web’s power in attracting bona fide leads. Daily, there are new players enticing agents to advertise on their sites, use search engine optimization, and distribute listings to every imaginable corner of the globe.

Another set of new players are super web-savvy agents who understand internet marketing from previous job experience. Some are former executives from the leading internet companies such as Yahoo, MSN and others who have set up their web sites with the latest and greatest technology. Furthermore, they are using recognizable initials after their names identifying their level of education beyond real estate. M.B.As and C.P.A.s are entering the field of luxury real estate because of the income potential and also the freedom that comes with being an independent contractor. As a result they are challenging the credibility of the long established expert luxury real estate agents.

If you are one of these established agents your sure bet is to make the internet your best friend. Although, it seems like another time vampire, it is well worth it. Here is a starting point:

1)  Narrow your focus. Clearly identify your niche in your luxury market arena. Know your niche better than anyone else in the field. Have your website reflect your superior expertise in this niche

2)  Meet all of the movers and shakers in your niche. Become the Google of your marketplace, the first to come to mind, a celebrity agent, the big fish in this pond.

3)  Be more knowledgeable about your niche than any of your competitors.

This is part of an ongoing series about Luxury Real Estate Marketing . Get Fluent. Get Affluent! Subscribe to The Language of Luxury by Email or RSS Feed. Comments? Please use form in left column.

Luxury Marketing Essentials: Champagne Currency

Luxury real estate marketing professionals can gain currency with their clients by becoming familiar with some of the best luxury brands of the world, and their anecdotal stories.

If you were to ask someone, what is the best champagne to celebrate with; chances are they will tell you it is Dom Perignon. There is further evidence of that fact. Costco is the largest reseller of Dom Perignon in the world. It first appeared on the market in 1936, vintage year 1921. Vintage means that only the best harvest years qualify and all the grapes used to make the wine were harvested in that year. How did Dom Perignon achieve the status as an icon of luxury and celebration? Here are the strategies.

1. It was the world’s first commercially available prestige cuvée. In Champagne, the cuvée is the first 2,050 liters of grape juice from 4,000 kg of grapes (a marc). Dom Perignon insists that every grape is perfect in the bunch.

2. Product placement is the second strategy. In both James Bond films, Dr. No and Thunderball, a bottle of Dom Perignon plays a role. In Dr. No, James Bond grabs a bottle of Dom as a weapon. Dr. No tells Bond, “That’s a Dom Perignon ‘55; it would be a pity to break it.” Bond answers, “ I prefer the ’53 myself.” Bond changes his mind in the subsequent film Thunderball and orders a ’55 with caviar. This placement added to the Dom Perignon perception of prestige.

3. The concept of scarcity is a great way to emphasize luxury. The idea that is made only in certain years and in small batches furthers the perception of its greatness.

Luxury Real Estate Marketing Essentials: Be the Rolls Royce of Your Marketplace

If you want to stay on top of your game as a luxury real estate professional in the Web 2.0 era, you must shift the emphasis of your practice from sales to marketing. Rolls Royce has built such a strong brand over the years that the very name has become genericized. “The Rolls Royce of stereo equipment” is an example of the brand’s name being used in a generic way. Those who have their eyes on owning a Rolls Royce do not need to be sold on the brand. They are pre-sold. That’s great marketing and branding!

Here are the 3 Goals of Marketing:

The first goal of marketing is to build and maintain a preference for your brand within your target market.

The second goal is to recruit new clients, (buyers/sellers) also known as customer acquisition. It is accomplished through the visibility of your message, brand position (avant garde vs. traditional), and brand differentiation.

The third goal is the retention and development of relationships with existing clients, through referrals. It involves building relationships because it is beneficial to both parties.

Peter Drucker, known as the father of modern management, made it clear: “Business has only two functions-marketing and innovation. Marketing and innovation produce results; all the rest are costs. The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well, that the product or service fits him or her perfectly and sells itself. When done right, marketing makes sales irrelevant”. Are you the Rolls Royce of luxury real estate in your market place?

This is part of an ongoing series about Luxury Real Estate Marketing . Get Fluent. Get Affluent! Subscribe to The Language of Luxury by Email or RSS Feed. Comments? Please use form in left column.

Luxury Marketing Essentials: Brand Consistency

As a luxury real estate marketing professional your brand is the lifeline of your business; it is the land on which you build your house, and it is the look of your house. Your brand is also the foundation, the well spring of your marketing plan. It stays constant throughout your plan. Consistency is the hallmark of good branding. I.M Pei, the famous Chinese born architect exemplifies consistency in style. So should you!

When I.M. Pei, also known as the last master of modernism architecture, proposed an inverted glass pyramid as an iconic symbol for the Louvre in Paris, he was adding a modernist touch to a national heritage. The construction for the Louvre began in medieval times and was subsequently added to in the Renaissance period. The lesson here is that modernism can co-exist with  traditional style. Pei did not have to alter his brand identity or conform in order to gain acceptance.

Pei’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (pictured above) borders Lake Erie in Ohio. It is a demonstration of his distinctive style and his brand. Working with abstract forms using stone, concrete, glass and steel is his trademark. What is yours?

This is part of an ongoing series about Luxury Real Estate Marketing . Get Fluent. Get Affluent! Subscribe to The Language of Luxury by Email or RSS Feed. Comments? Please use form in left column.

REAL ESTATE MARKETING ESSENTIALS: Become the Frank Gehry of Your Marketplace

Photo by Carol Highsmith

If market leadership is your quest, as a luxury real estate marketing professional, your goal is to be the first luxury real estate agent to come to mind in your marketplace. You actually want to become a celebrity in your local area. Think of a famous living, modern, avant garde, architect. Who comes to mind, first? Chances are, if you are interested in modern architecture, you answer will be Frank Gehry. Now, he is an outstanding example of a one man brand.

The picture above is Disney Hall, in downtown Los Angeles. It illustrates the innovative brand of architecture which characterizes a Frank Gehry building. Like Gehry and his work, your personal brand, your unique way of doing business has to have a look, an experience that is unmistakably yours.

If you want an avant-garde building and you can pay the price, Frank Gehry is the go-to architect. His buildings are always distinctive, the stand-outs in the skyline. They make a statement. They become landmarks. He experiments with all types of building materials and he strives to make the impossible possible. This is his brand, his niche, and his legacy.

Marketing is a deliberate strategy in which the unique signal of a brand, which summarizes the entire experience of interacting with a person, product or service, is broadcast to the precise audience who is a match to that brand or signal. Without a well defined brand and the awareness of the target audience who is looking for that brand, signals will get crossed.

In the absence of a clearly articulated signal, marketing is reduced to generalities and can be a waste of time, energy and money for you and your potential clients.  It is the like asking someone for a referral for an architect without stating what style you prefer. If done right marketing presorts the potential audience. Those looking for a traditional style would simply not be interested in Gehry. And, Gehry (or his organization), doesn’t have the time to field inquiries made by those seeking a conservative look.

Take note of the market leaders in other professions like Frank Gehry, to get clues for your own luxury real estate marketing practice. Clearly define your market niche (avant garde architecture) and your unique brand of doing business. Send out a clear signal to your specific target market and you will see for yourself that marketing completely factors out sales in the equation of acquiring new clients, because they will be pre-sold!

This is part of an ongoing series about Luxury Real Estate Marketing . Get Fluent. Get Affluent! Subscribe to The Language of Luxury by Email or RSS Feed. Comments? Please use form in left column.

Luxury Real Estate Marketing Essentials:Best in Class BBQ Ribs

Lake Cachuma, Santa Ynez Valley, California

Continuously refining your tastes and preferences is an ongoing job for the successful luxury real estate marketing professional. You can count on high net worth clients continuously pursuing the quest for the best. This is part of learning the Language of Luxury.

When we are very busy, we make a point of getting out of town for a few hours somewhere close by. Recently we decided to drive to Buellton’s famed restaurant The Hitching Post for dinner. The Hitching Post caught national attention when it was featured in the movie Sideways, an Oscar winner for Best Screenplay. We chose it, because friends had recommended it, and the scenery is magnificent. The San Marcos Pass traverses the steep Santa Ynez Mountains. The pass connects Los Olivos and the Santa Ynez with Santa Barbara. On the way is Lake Cachuma, a manmade lake with a surface area of 2100 acres. The view of the lake as you descend from the mountains is breathtaking.

As we pulled in to the almost full parking lot, the scent of barbeque filled our senses. The place is old fashioned in décor. The entrees come complete with starters such as shrimp cocktail, salad, garlic bread, soup, etc. The service is friendly and knowledgeable. They make their own wines, and smoke their ribs. These ribs have n o sticky sauce; just the satisfying flavor of oak & the Magic Dust (spice rub). They are also one of the only restaurants making their own wine which gives a new twist to the concept of house wines. Everything was delicious.We decided that the baby back ribs are best in class, as were the triple fried French Fries. You be the judge! Check out their website.

This is part of an ongoing series about Luxury Real Estate Marketing . Get Fluent. Get Affluent! Subscribe to The Language of Luxury by Email or RSS Feed. Comments? Please use form in left column.

Real Estate Luxury Marketing Essentials: A Great Way to Contribute to the Community

The Ritz Carlton chain of hotels has found a novel way to contribute to the communities where their hotels are located. On designated days, guests and hotel staff contribute a half a day to a local community experience in a humanitarian or environmental project. Unique to each destination “the program is designed to make a lasting contribution and enduring impression” . All profits are donated to the participating organization.

For the guests, it is a wonderful opportunity to join the locals and enhance their experience of the cities they are traveling to. What a wonderful way to meet people and create new friendships! This is actual social networking without computers. This is playing a part in the global village, and the best way to spread culture and good will.

The venues are varied and interesting. You can plant trees in Beijing, preserve monuments and memorials in Washington D.C., or participate in music therapy for children in Istanbul.Here are two examples from the hotel's web site.

You will be briefed by Jean-Michel Cousteau, naturalist, on the plight of the 25-pound “blue dragons” and collect fresh food necessary for preparing them for release into the wild. A breath away from extinction, the Grand Cayman Blue Iguana relies on a breeding program to maintain its claim as the island’s largest native land animal. You will partake in a critical project to ensure their survival, preparing them for release into the wild. Later at the Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park, you will feed iguanas from babies to breeding pairs and serve as a spotter in the park to map the location of roaming blues using binoculars and GPS tracking.

Help give a voice to children struggling with autism and other communications disabilities as a volunteer at the R.I.A. Centre in Bahrain. Their miraculous holistic approach gives these extraordinary youngsters the tools to interact with the world around them, bringing newfound hope to them and their families. You will be taken on a tour of the facilities, and then join the teachers and children for skill-building activities including planting trees in the garden, baking cookies and cakes, and beach activities. This will be an enriching experience you will always remember.

Ritz Carlton is a luxury brand actively involved in their community in a grand way, and giving its guests the opportunity to do the same. As a luxury real estate marketing expert, come up with something that can get your community and your sphere of clients involved. It feels wonderful.

This is part of an ongoing series about Luxury Real Estate Marketing . Get Fluent. Get Affluent! Subscribe to The Language of Luxury by Email or RSS Feed. Comments? Please use form in left column.