Luxury Real Estate Marketing Tip: Balancing High Tech and High Touch

Luxury real estate marketing professionals are faced with the double-edged sword: the dilemma of finding the balance between high tech and high touch.  In the long run, it is high touch that will win out.  Here is how high tech is currently winning the luxury real estate game and what you can do about it.

Recently we have noticed when searching for a particular property by address, that companies such as Zillow and Trulia are outranking the agents who have the listing. 

We have also noticed right behind Zillow and Trulia are the company brands, then the agents who are promoted by Zillow and Trulia.  The probability is that the listing agent ranks # 4 or #5 in the natural search order.  When searching using keywords for an area, similar results are likely to be found.  Zillow, Trulia and the company brands have more pages indexed by Google than an individual agent or small firm could possibly accumulate. This accounts for their priority ranking.

How can a luxury real estate marketing professional compete in this high tech environment?  Shift your emphasis from high tech to high touch!

Have a great online presence. Make sure you web site is up to date and shows off your listings.  Write a blog with a follow worthy point of view.  Make it so interesting, that people want to subscribe to it, because they know you have the inside scoop, and shows off your expertise.  

Develop a high touch system.   This is something that high tech cannot do.  Although we are all digitally dazzled and connected, realize that the big fundamental secret of caring for your sellers/buyers cannot be transmitted digitally. 

One of our clients is a mortgage broker team.  They attribute their success as the #1 team in their marketplace to their high touches system.  Their referral numbers are through the roof. 

Maintain high visibility in your community.  Our clients have adopted the local elementary schools in honor of their wives who are teachers.  They are always willing to lend a hand by either funding a project or coaching the little league and soccer.  The possibilities for community involvement are endless.

In the bigger picture, high touch will always beat out high tech.  Apple is a high tech company who understood the importance of high touch by caring for their customers unlike any other tech company.  They have just displaced Coca Cola as the #1 highest valued brand in the world. 

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Luxury Real Estate Personal & Company Branding: The Complete Brand Package

Luxury real estate personal and company branding is truly an art.  At its finest, the result is something exceptional: a complete brand package that just stands out and stays in your mind long after your first impression of the brand.

To get inspired about creating a brand package for yourself or your company Look for evidence of innovation, creativity and brand packaging IQ when new companies in other arenas first launch in your area.  Here is an example of a new local brand in the Santa Barbara area that has its branding act together.

BRAND NAME:

Crazy Good Bread Company has selected a catchy brand name that is hard to forget. That is very important first step.  But, if you are going to go out on a limb and describe the quality of your services within your brand name you had better live up to your claim.  This company’s breads are indeed, amazingly good!

SLOGANS:

Catchy slogans reinforce the catchy name:

“Share the Love.  Then Spread It with Butter”

“Bliss Disguised as Bread”

DISTINCT PRODUCT LINE

Like wines, they refer to their “bread varietals”, here are some:

Lavender, Lemon or Walnut Country Loafs

Chocolate Black Pepper, Orange Chocolate

Fig Masala

Rosemary Olive

PHYSICAL PACKAGING

The company’s packages are consistent with the theme of fun and adventure with bread.  See the image above.

MAKE GOOD ON YOUR UNIQUE PROMISE OF VALUE:

Crazy Good Bread Company also has the best French Baguette and croissant in all of Santa Barbara County.  As frequent European travelers, we are very tough customers to please when it comes to these particular items.  They truly are crazy good!  A very clever feature is offering a sampler, which is three smaller loaves of different varietals baked together.

Taken all together, the brand name, the slogans, the distinct product line, the physical packaging, and also making good on their promise of value, Crazy Good Bread Company has the complete brand package.  Best of all the fun experience of shopping at the store and the excellent service provided by store manager, Lisa, demonstrates the overall integrity and the passion that the owners obviously have in their new company.  It makes you want to spread the love, so you, too, can spread the butter!

Do you have the complete brand package in your luxury real estate personal or company branding? 

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing Tip: Follow Your Passion for Architecture!

 

As a luxury real estate marketing professional, the more you understand about great architecture the more you will be able to relate to buyers and sellers of architecturally significant homes.  If you have a passion for architecture specializing in selling these types of luxury homes could be the perfect niche for you. Follow your passion for architecture!

On our recent trip to the Acropolis in Athens, Greece we had the privilege of visiting one the most spectacular museums in the world:  The Acropolis Museum. It is an architectural masterpiece!

The unique constraints
 and circumstances of the site provide an extraordinary architectural opportunity, “offering a simple and precise museum with the mathematical and conceptual clarity of ancient Greece”, according to Bernard Tschumi, Architect.

An abundance of natural light is a major factor that contributes to the enjoyment of the exhibits, as a visitor.  This is possible due to the fact that the majority of the objects displayed in the museum are sculptures (vs. paintings, photographs or drawings).  Through large high-tech glass windows that protect the structure from over-heating, you also have a magnificent, direct view of the Acropolis itself.

The visitors’ route through the museum forms a clear three-dimensional loop. The base (ground floor) of the museum floats over the existing archaeological excavations on columns that protect and sanctify the site.  The ground floor is primarily made of clear glass allowing over 10,000 visitors per day to view and literally walk over the ruins. From the very top of the museum, through an open atrium, you can actually see all the way down to the excavations.

Perhaps the most amazing aspect of the architectural design is the exterior of the building. Viewing the museum from one angle it appears that there are metal columns that mirror the ancient columns of the Parthenon. But, as you continue to walk around the structure it becomes clear that these are just the rounded edges of massive striated overlapping steel walls.  Absolutely brilliant design!  


Study great architecture at every opportunity.  It will pay off for you in your luxury real estate marketing career. Follow your passion for architecture!

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Marketing Luxury Real Estate: Capture Attention with Motion Graphics

Capturing the attention of luxury homebuyers is often the first step toward success as a luxury real estate marketing professional.  But, how does one accomplish this in a time-starved world, where competition for attention is fierce?   Many luxury brands use motion graphics to lure customers into their stores and on to their web sites. Perhaps, there are some clues here for you or your company. 

On the top luxury retail streets in the world, rent is expensive and space is often scarce. Not all stores have massive window displays. Therefore, maximizing the impact of small store fronts has become an art. Getting customers to climb to a second story in a luxury retail store can also be a challenge.  In the video below see how Louis Vuitton lures customers to the second floor of their Via Condotti store in Rome and also how an emerging luxury brand grabs customers off the street on Via Babuino with a stunning storefront motion graphic display.  

When designing your luxury real estate website think of your site as it will appear on small screens. Mobile devices (including the latest smart watches) will increasingly play an important role as a marketing channel. How can you use motion graphics to capture attention online? If your company occupies a retail location on a highly trafficked street, how can motion graphics help to capture attention for your “store”? 

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Marketing Luxury Real Estate: Luxury Neighborhoods are Like Luxury Brands

In marketing luxury real estate, location can play a big role in pricing a home for sale. The most exclusive luxury neighborhoods stand out in the buyers mind like popular luxury brands. Homes in neighborhoods that come to mind first often command the highest prices. 

Some neighborhoods are more expensive because of intrinsic value such as proximity to amenities or to landmarks. Others are more desirable due to the presence of highly regarded people or simply offer the intangibles of prestige and bragging rights that cannot be duplicated even by homes one street beyond.   

An interesting phenomenon is how a prestigious neighborhood can become its own brand. When individuals or a families relocate to a new city it is not uncommon for them to request showings in the well-known neighborhoods first.  The rules of top-of-mind status thus apply to neighborhoods as well as personal or company branding. 

We noticed that a certain retail street in Rome actually created a logo for the association of stores on the street to stand out in the minds of tourists and locals alike. Via del Babuino is located between the iconic Spanish Steps in Piazza di Spagna and Piazza del Popolo. Tiffany’s, Moschino and Chanel are located here.  In 2004, Via Babuino was named as the "twin" to Madison Avenue (like a sister city).  It may not yet be as famous as Via Condotti, home of the likes of Salvatore Ferragamo and Gucci, Botega Veneta, Louis Vuitton and Hermes.  But, whoever decided to brand Via del Babuinio was definitely on the right track to attract upscale shoppers. 

Babuino "Baboon" Fountain

When you are showing homes to luxury real estate home buyers, pay attention to their need (or lack thereof) to impress others based on the selection of neighborhoods. Brand consciousness definitely applies to neighborhood selection and it will save you time to understand this as a buyer’s representative.  

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Luxury Real Estate Personal & Company Branding: If the Shoe Fits

Luxury goods and services companies who tie their brand to popularity of celebrities as ambassadors of their brand as a luxury brand strategy, run the risk of the celebrity falling out of good graces with their target market, But some iconic personal celebrity brands endure over time and sometimes outlive the person who is actually branded. Judy Garland and Marilyn Monroe are two cases in point. 

Salvatore Ferragamo became a famous name in fine footwear and other leather goods such as handbags as a result of courting internationally known celebrities.  One-of-a-kind shoe styles designed expressly for certain celebrities and royals can be viewed in the museum of their flagship store in Florence, Italy on Via Turnabone. 

But, great global luxury brands like Ferragamo understands the importance of staying current, reinventing themselves and not resting on their laurels.  This is evidenced by their exclusive line of Ferragamo Creations, which are reproductions of shoes and handbags from their museum, sold in limited editions.   

 The first image is the famous “Rainbow” shoe designed for Judy Garland and the next is the shoe designed exclusively for Marilyn Monroe. To make this offering “au current” Ferragamo also created a miniature of the shoe as a “charm” that can be worn around the neck.  When you pull apart the charm you discover that it is actually a computer flash drive.  Brilliant idea—a conversation piece that is truly buzz worthy! 


It is not for everyone and Ferragamo (and certain customers) want it that way.  Si, if these shoes fits, wear them! 

Staying current and reinventing yourself is an intricate component to personal and company branding if you want to sustain market leadership over time.  What are you or your company doing to stay relevant, to re-invent yourself?

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing Tip: Celebrate Cultural Diversity/When in Rome

When marketing luxury real estate to an international clientele, the more you understand about their culture the faster you will be able to gain their trust.  The key is to not feel like your own culture is superior-just different.  Appreciating diversity in cultures is an essential attribute of a market leader in the luxury real estate realm.

When we arrived at the airport in Rome for a recent business trip we were amazed at the apparent disorganized manner in which customs was handled compared to Paris or the USA, for example.  Then, we realized that it was actually "organized chaos" that functioned just fine.   We just relaxed, went with the flow and all was fine once we remembered the phrase, "When in Rome do as the Romans do!" 

La Traviata was playing at the opera house near the Spanish Steps in central Rome. Purchasing tickets was another example of organized chaos. You buy tickets for a general section of the theatre, but not specific seats.  When you get to the theatre (a bit early to get the best seats), they let you in after waiting in line and you choose your seats once you are inside. 

After the fist act they served pasta to the entire audience during the 20-minute intermission.  We almost died laughing while consuming pasta in anticipation of Violetta, the main character, dying of “consumption” (now known as tuberculosis) during the finale in Act 3. 

To success in marketing luxury real estate internationally, you truly need to celebrate cultural diversity.  Seek it out and embrace it or be left behind because your competitors will have the edge, otherwise. So remember, "When in Rome..."

Ciao for now from Rome, Ron & Alexandra Seigel

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing: Make A Scene/Luxury Brand Personalitty

 

 

Marketing Luxury Real Estate: Levitating for Euros or Selling a Dream?

Taking a walk after an excellent lunch near the Trevi Fountain, we came upon this levitating meditating duo...And they had a basket where the believers could drop their Euro donations, and they did!  

As Ron was explaing the trick to me, another gentleman was explainng in Italian to his little girl how this worked.  I was translating it to Ron.  

Can you figure it out?  Sometimes, marketing luxury real estate is selling the dream, it takes a little magic!

 

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing Brand Strategy: How to Erase Your Unwanted Online Tracks

Identifying an under served market niche that you can service better than anyone else in your marketplace is a surefire luxury real estate marketing brand strategy that can help you achieve to top-of-mind status, fast. Here is an example of this principle from a company in the UK that addressed a pressing need of web users worldwide.  

Taking charge of your online privacy has become a big challenge because most companies want to keep your personal data on file. But, what if you want to completely erase your account? 

Some companies like Facebook, Skype, Craigslist and Ticketmaster make it difficult to delete accounts that you no longer want to use. Others, like Google’s Picasa, Netflix, Pinterest and Starbucks make it impossible to delete accounts online. 

By far the quickest way to extricate yourself from unwanted online accounts is JustDelete.Me.  This brand new, free service has received massive amounts of international press coverage, almost overnight, because they found a simple way to save you time and aggravation while solving the problem of your online privacy. Essentially, JustDelete.Me is a list of links to the precise page on numerous websites where you can delete your account. 

The topic of online privacy struck a nerve for us and we have been sharing our finding with our Language of Luxury audience all summer. If you have not already read our posts on this topic here is a set of links to the articles. We hope you find them helpful. 

How to Stop Companies from Tracking You Online

How to Find out What Google Knows About You

Is Privacy the New Luxury Expenditure? Part 3

 Is Privacy the New Luxury Expenditure? Part 2

 Is Privacy the New Luxury Expenditure?

 The Luxury of Freedom: New Rage or Outrage?

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing: The Many Faces of Luxury

As a luxury real estate marketing professional, it is important to understand the many faces and accompanying personalities that define a luxury brand.  The above Beverly Hills camouflage is on Rodeo Drive which is "the" street for the big brands, and now for the soon  to open Tory Burch store. This particular store front camouflage billboard shows the color of the brand and the image of the brand.  We would refer to it as sophisticated luxury, as are the next door neighbors, Cartier and Roberto Cavalli.  In luxury real estate marketing materials, this type of look translates well to metropolitan and urban areas.

This next camouflage facade is located on Beverly Drive, which is one street beyond Rodeo Drive. Beverly Drive retail differs a different experience from Rodeo Drive.  We would refer to it as casual hip relaxed luxury.  It makes sense that Lucky Brand chose to locate there, right next to Nate N Al delicatessen, which has been a Beverly Hills icon for over 65 years.  The other side of the site is Z Gallerie, a  contemporary furniture and home accessories shop.  In marketing materials, this type of look would translate well to the mid luxury range which differs in each marketplace.

In future posts, we will point out more luxury faces and brand personalities.

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing: Luxury is Attention to Details!

As a luxury real estate marketing professional, it is important to pay attention to details.  Attention to details is what give an item or a marketing piece that luxurious feel...

Whenever a store is remodeled in Beverly Hills, the business creates a beautiful structure to camouflage the constructing inside.  Here is the Hermes version on Rodeo Drive which is one of the famous luxury retail streets in the Beverly Hills triangle.

Hermes is one of the finest luxury brands known for their uncompromising craftsmanship. They started as a saddle shop in Paris in 1837.  Because of their exquisite work and their royal clientele, they became known as the “saddle makers of kings.”   Since then they have expanded into fashion, lifestyle and home products.

One of their specialties is silk  scarves.  The scarves have hand rolled edges and the same intensity of color on both sides, their attention to detail is unparalleled. They often issue a limited number for a special celebration or country, and their most recent scarf celebrates the Indian look of the maharajahs.  

This barricade is a large scarf, three stories high with palm trees which celebrate the look and feel of Rodeo Drive.  Note how the palm trees on the scarves blend in with the real palm trees and create a harmonious look of painting and reality.

The brilliance of erecting an aesthetically pleasing camouflage is that it creates visibility and anticipation for the new store.  At the same time it markets the Hermes brand in a way that clearly defines their luxury brand strategy! The picture above is from November 9, 2012.

Here is the pre-grand opening shot.  The windows are detailed to look like they are frames to accent their beautiful products. The attention to details says it all.  Next month, we will follow up with the big reveal when they are ready for their close up!

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing Tip: The Courage of Kindness

“Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see” Mark Twain

Whenever we are asked to define what it takes to be a great luxury real estate marketing professional, our answer is: “Cultivate the courage of kindness”.  Kindness (and a good sense of humor, of course), is the ultimate luxury.

Courage is defined in the dictionary as: “The state or quality of mind or spirit that enables one to face danger, fear, or vicissitudes with self-possession, confidence, and resolution; bravery.”  Kindness is defined as: “the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate.”

It takes courage not to react when someone is disagreeable, or to automatically assess someone as being less than you, incompetent or one of “those” people.  Our minds are constantly labeling and pigeonholing people and situations into categories.

For instance, while driving. someone honks at you or tries to cut you off. It is natural to react by honking back and letting out a stream of expletives, etc. 

How can you stop your mind from doing that?  Perhaps, you could entertain the thought that the reason they are going crazy is that they may be having the worst day of their life.  It does take courage to for you to let them pass you, instead.

Here is an example of the courage of kindness in luxury real estate.

One of our clients sold a lovely estate to a couple.  The couple was very happy.  Several months later our client received a call from the wife saying the house was haunted! The ghost was telling her, in the middle of the night, “Get out of my house, or else!”  She wanted our client to put the house on the market, immediately. Her husband did not want to sell; nor did he hear the ghost.  

Our client knew that selling the home would be a colossal mistake.  Instead of trying to talk her out of the sale, she came up with a brilliant solution.   Knowing the wife was a devout Catholic she sought the help of the local priest. With the client’s permission, the priest came over to bless the house.  After he did that, the ghost disappeared. 

This instance of courageous kindness developed its own momentum.  Our client regularly gets referrals from the couple, as well as from the priest, even though she is not a member of his church.

Taking a moment to practice kindness by overriding the mind’s automatic evaluations, takes courage.  In the long run if we all did that we would be better people for it. We would also become outstanding luxury real estate marketing professionals.

“There is no need for temples, no need for complicated philosophies.  My brain and my heart are my temples; my philosophy is kindness.” Dalai Lama

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing: Do You Have a Local Brand Strategy?

In presenting your luxury real estate marketing plan to your sellers, you should emphasize your strategy for marketing locally as well as globally.  Do you have a local brand strategy?

We have found, in working with luxury real estate marketing professionals, that even in the most desirable luxury real estate markets, the global buyers represent a miniscule percentage when compared to local buyers.  There is no question that there is an increase in global buyers especially in Hawaii, Florida and some major US cities.  But, the global buyer statistics are not commensurate with the emphasis that much of the luxury real estate media is touting.

To win big in luxury real estate marketing, concentrate on building your local brand!  Aim for achieving top-of-mind status.

You may have heard of the Central California wine brand, Firestone.  It was made famous when the son of the winery owner was on the TV show, The Bachelor.  Firestone originally produced only beer, and then branched out into wine. Recently, they sold the winery, but created a new local beer brand, “805” which is the telephone area code for the three adjacent counties that include Santa Barbara.

Focusing, with laser sharp precision on the local market, 805 signs are starting to be proudly displayed in local restaurants, in the local Trader Joes markets and on local billboards.  Achieving brand recognition at an accelerated pace is what great brand strategy is all about.  The entire exercise is geared to catapult a brand with zero brand recognition to top-of-mind status, fast!

How can you accelerate the pace at which your local brand achieves top-of-mind status?

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing: Even Beans Have Brands

In marketing luxury real estate and working with luxury real estate marketing professionals, we constantly look for opportunities to illustrate what a brand is.   Several dozens of books are  annually written explaining branding, because,it is one of those obvious things that are not noticed and therefore hidden from our consciousness.

This past Saturday, we were drawn to these beautiful cranberry beans.  It is one of the many variety of beans.  What you are seeing in the photo is their outer shell and the inside bean is white with deep red specks.  They are mild tasting and may be compared to chestnuts.  When they are in this fresh state, they are wonderful cooked slowly in liquid, and seasoned with garlic, lemon and anchovies.   

So, in defining your brand and your brand preferences, stop a moment and look how nature shows her brands...and your reaction to it.  It should give you clues on defining your own brand.

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing: The Power of Top of Mind Status Part 2

As we stated in part 1, those  luxury real estate marketing professionals who are bent on gaining or sustaining market leadership, achieving top-of-mind status is the ultimate goal.  The first brand name that comes to mind commands the lion’s share of the business in a brand category within a given marketplace or niche therein.  But, dominating a brand category requires the consistent execution of brand strategy.

In our recent travels, we noticed how people are willing to wait in line for a particular brand or service.  The first shot was taken at the Louis Vuitton store in Paris on a Sunday afternoon.  This was the second time we had seen lines there.  No other luxury brand had a line. The Louis Vuitton brand is the #1 brand in the world.  Buying a Louis Vuitton product in Paris (the origin) means even more to the people standing line, than buying it in their hometown, even though Louis Vuitton had stores worldwide including one in Outer Mongolia.

This shot was taken on Rue des Rosiers at “The Ace of Falafels” whose slogan translate as ”always imitated, never equaled”.  We had read in several guidebooks about this restaurant and rave reviews abound.  Just to make sure of the accuracy of these reviews, we asked one of the local merchants, and she was equally enthusiastic about this place.  So, we got in line and had one of the best Middle Eastern lunches.  Waiting in line was worth it.  Right across the street was another falafel place, and no one was waiting there.

Lines create buzz.  It makes one want to find out what all the fuss is about.  When Krispy Kreme was at its peak, and went public, we reported that people were lined up outside at their stores, and prior to the opening of the store in Australia for 48 hours.  Those lines are gone now.  Was it a fad? Or, Was it a lack of consistently executing brand strategy?  What do you think?

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing: The Power of Top of Mind Status

As a luxury real estate marketing professional bent on gaining or sustaining market leadership, achieving top-of-mind status is the ultimate goal.  The first brand name that comes to mind commands the lion’s share of the business in a brand category within a given marketplace or niche therein.  But, dominating a brand category requires the consistent execution of brand strategy.

In the California Central Coast wine country (Santa Barbara to Monterey) one winery, Palmina, stands out as a category leader.  The category is Italian varietals.  Palmina applied the winning branding formula to achieve market leadership:  They selected an undeserved, potentially lucrative market niche about which that they are very passionate and knew that they could serve their target market better than anyone else.

Recently, we took off for an adventure to the Central Coast wine country to visit a town called Lompoc (45 minutes up the coast, north of Santa Barbara). You may know Lompoc as the home of Vanderberg Air Force Base where a space shuttle landed a few years back. 

In search of the best restaurant in town for lunch, we decided to stop by one of the local wineries, thinking that they would likely be “foodies” too and have a suggestion for us.  Driving along the “Wine Trail” we spotted Palmina, a brand we know and trust.  The choice was clear. We did not need to look further. And, we were right; they recommended Floriano’s, which had absolutely fabulous fresh Mexican food.

Delighted with our meal we returned to Palmina for their wine tasting which was excellent. The man who poured our wine was very passionate and knowledgeable about his wines and Italian varietals in general.  He told us the entire Palmina brand story, which is rich with local lore.

We left with three bottles of outstanding wines that we look forward to paring with the types of meals he recommended.  Now, we are “brand ambassadors” who are eager to share our experience of this fine winery. 

In a sea of wine brands, one name stands for the category of Central Coast Italian varietals, in our minds. Now that we have visited the winery, Palmina also stands for remarkable hospitality simply based on our personal experience at the winery itself. And, that is the power of achieving top-of-mind status.

Who are Your Brand Ambassadors?

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing Tips: The Value of Unexpected Appreciation

Many successful luxury real estate marketing professionals have a core referral base.  It is important to acknowledge these individuals often and thank them for their patronage and support.

Here is a case in point:

Yesterday, at our front door, we found two packages, addressed to each one of us, from Fed Ex.  We were delighted to each receive a books specifically selected for each of us.  The books were a gift from the service professional that we work with. The accompanying note, written on beautiful linen stationary read:

“I am pleased to share with you one of (the company’s) favorite traditions, the Summer Reading List.  This year’s selection represents some of the most compelling titles of the past year ranging from art, learning to lead, finding success and latest trends, as well as stories of giving back, rising to the top and survival. The books were chosen from hundreds of submissions from our colleagues around the world, and as I looked through the list, I thought you (Alexandra) would enjoy Lean In, by Sheryl Sandberg”. Ron’s note read, “ I thought you would enjoy The Soundtrack of My Life, by Clive Davis”.

It was an unexpected appreciation for the value we bring to this person and his company.   We did not need a gift to continue to treasure this relationship, however, this gesture was a reflection of the value we bring to each other’s lives.  We loved the fact that he took the time to make an individualized selection.   Receiving a hard cover book in the day of e-books made it a stand out.

What can you do that is an unexpected appreciation those who comprise your core referral base?

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing Tip: Let Them Eat Cake, And…

We are often asked for creative luxury real estate marketing tips.  One of the ways to get new listings or buyers is to create an event.  Among the many emails we received this morning was this one from Williams-Sonoma.  Here is an excerpt:

Happy Birthday, Julia

Join us in celebrating Julia Child’s 101st birthday, August 15th, with all-day tastings of Beef Bourguignone and birthday cake!  The legendary chef was a frequent visitor of Williams Sonoma store and a good friend to our founder, Chuck Williams.

Julia Child is an iconic figure in the culinary and foodie world.  Many credit her for bringing French cuisine to America.  

“Her first cooking show on television in 1963, was called, The French Chef on WGBH.  The show ran nationally for ten years and won Peabody and Emmy Awards, including the first Emmy award for an educational program.  It was also the first show captioned for the deaf.” Wikipedia

Here is great example of a fine luxury real estate marketing event  that generates great results for one of our clients.  One of our wine country clients has a regular wine and food event in their office.  Local chefs and wineries are invited to create a hors d’oeuvres party, and pair wines with those morsels.  Even if your marketplace is not in the wine country, this type of event can produce great results providing your clientele enjoys wine and fine cooking.

What will you do for your next event?

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

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Luxury Real Estate Marketing: Do You Know Your Core Value Proposition?

If you are a luxury real estate marketing professional who is intent on gaining or sustaining market leadership ask yourself this important question:  “What can I do better than anyone else in my marketplace?” Tap into your core value proposition and you will discover how to out-smart your competition.

Facebook’s stock recently jumped 30% because they are getting their mobile advertising act together. Ad revenue jumped 75% over the previous quarter.  Google has seized market dominance with their Android operating system with over 70% market share. This enables the company to put more ads on more screens, which is their core value proposition.

Smart phones enable advertisers to find you based on your present location. Geo-positioning makes smart phones the perfect vehicle to deliver local ads (and special offers for goods and services available locally). We think Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, is concerned about that!  And, that is why he is willing to personally spend $250 million on the Washington Post.

Mr. Bezos must have asked himself the key question about the strengths of Amazon in relationship to Facebook and Google when it comes to local commerce via mobile devices because both of those companies have the potential to siphon off Amazon’s core business—ecommerce.  Billions of dollars are at stake here!

Traditionally, the bread-and-butter revenue of newspapers has been classified ads.  Intermediaries, like Craig’s List, demonstrated that they could get consumers to go directly to their brand of classified ads FIRST.  With a singular focus, Craig’s List became synonymous with classified ads and was catapulted to top-of-mind status in that advertising category.  

NAR conducted a study years ago that demonstrated that homebuyers are more likely to work the first agent they contact when they were ready to buy a home.  That is why Trulia and Zillow want to be the FIRST place home buyers go to search properties rather than on YOUR website. Agents pay these companies to get these leads before you do.

What if Mr. Bezos could convince local merchants to set up stores on Amazon’s affordable Webstore platform (Amazon’s no long-term obligation, robust, eCommerce technology and fulfillment services) and monetize the journalistic content of the Washington Post with transaction-based advertising? A profit sharing model between Amazon and the Post would drive revenues for the newspaper.

Already built into Webstore’s platform are available features for consumers to opt-in to special offer alerts, coupons, etc. Amazon’s peer rating system allows consumers to know which local merchants to trust and ranks merchants based on best current prices on a particular item.  Consumers who already have Amazon accounts could go shopping locally with one click or create a new Amazon account.

What if the newspaper's act of championing the "Shop Local" cause attracted all of the top local merchants? What if the Washington Post e-commerce/mobile commerce/local commerce model proved to be a fiscal winner in the long run? Wouldn’t other local newspapers around the world beat a path to Amazon’s door?

Contemplating your core value proposition and focusing on what you do best as a luxury real estate marketing professional can give you the competitive advantage. Your market leadership is at stake, here!

Do you know your core value proposition?

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

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