Your Input on this Idea Please

As many of you know I've been struggling for years to get out of my j.o.b. The few side projects I've started have generated some nice extra cash, but not nearly enough to replace a steady income.

Last year I began transitioning into Real Estate part time, sold my own home and have closed one other deal (2 more in the works though including a contract I'm submitting today).

OK enough background, I want to saturate "farm" my neighborhood to become THE go to Realtor there. It's a very new area (in fact only about half built), so I won't get much immediate results, but I want to establish myself before someone else does in the area. The neighborhood is "Cortessa" in the far West Phoenix area, so I've created a neighborhood website for starters: http://www.cortessaonline.com
I also plan to do some direct mail to the neighborhood once I start making some $$$.

Any other ideas, or suggestions to improve the website, or to market myself in this area? I've thought of sponsoring a neighborhood block party or some type of event at some point, a monthly newsletter (that could also promote my other businesses - and sell ads...?). Mostly I want to make the website as good as I possibly can for right now.

- Todd
My Neighborhood: http://www.cortessaonline.com

Originally Posted by Todd

Any other ideas, or suggestions to improve the website, or to market myself in this area?

Hey Todd,

I've had my Realtor for about 5 years now.

The reason she's my Realtor?....

Because she came by and knocked on my door and introduced herself. She was fun and friendly and right now, the only realtor I know.

I've probably seen ads on TV and all over the place for 100 other Realtors since she stopped by 5 years ago but with her, I'm able to put a personality that I liked with it and every time I'm looking for pizza coupons, I have to dig past her refrigarator calander magnet in my junk drawer.

So, even though it was about 5 years ago that I met her, her approach still stands out over all the others I've seen.

If it were me, I'd go knock on some doors.

Jim

Aloha Todd,

In an effort to help you, I am going to be completely honest...

I don't understand the goal of your neighborhood website?

Is the goal to sell real estate?

Is the goal to create a virtual community for people in the neighborhood to visit?

Is the goal to sell satellite TV? (You have banners at the bottom of the page.)

Aloha,

Jason Cain

The goal is the virtual community - to keep as many people as possible in the neighborhood visiting regularly. Then as they become familiar with me, and as I continue to keep the local news and neighborhood info up to date, hopefully they see me as THE neighborhood Realtor.

Yes, the banner ads will hopefully make me a few bucks also, the neighborhood is brand new and people will be needing TV service, but that is a secondary goal.

I want to know if people will visit the site, and return to it. Message boards, classifieds, local news... is that enough to keep people returning?
Seeing what home values are?

I like what you had to say James. I want to become a familiar face, and will try to be around the parks and walking around as much as possible to meet people.

I guess what I want is "branding".
I want my neighbors to see the info I post online constantly, and I want to see them in person as often as possible, maybe hit them with print media, and when they need a Realtor, they will automatically think of me.

I guess my biggest question is "how can I make the website a key part of my 'branding' campaign?"

- Todd

Todd,

As per my usual Advice...

Stay on Top of the Real Estate industry by Studying and Learning from Key related resources.

You'll Find some of the Best through...
http://www.curbed.com/

If you can Catch and read Inman's Free Daily Content before it gets moved over to the Paid membership portion of their web pages you'll have Access to some Excellent information and resources...

Otherwise...
https://secure.inman.com/membership/member1.aspx

http://www.inman.com/
http://blog.inman.com/

Neighbors get to know each other as Internet goes local
StreetAdvisor, Outside.in offer content that connects via places
http://www.inman.com/inmannews.aspx?ID=62658
http://www.streetadvisor.com/
http://outside.in/Brooklyn_NY

And Seriously consider Moving things over to a Wordpress Blog and Focus on your particular Neighborhood Niche...

Phil

Hello Todd,

Congratulatuions for doing something with your idea!

I live in an active community development. Parts are well established neighborhoods, while many others are brand new developments and it thrives.

The real estate activity is very active and competitive.

In spite of all that competition, there are two brokers, who are partners and when you think of selling your home, their names are right on top.

But, they do things that no other brokers do.

A week prior to July 4th, they arrange for small American flags delivered to the lawns of each and every home - actually 2 and 3 flags are set up on each lawn with little tags expressing "compliments of Dave and Bill from Windemere Realty".

The residents like this.

Around Halloween, they arrange for small pumpkins at the edge of every lawn, again with the "compliments of....."

Little monthly newsletters are delivered to each door. They contain what properties have been sold - when and for how much type info.

Prior to start of football season, refrigerator magnets with the entire Seahawks playing schedule (and photos of the two realtors) is delivered to each door.

Now, these marketing activities are not cheap and I've seen the trucks loaded with pumpkins and vans loaded with flags and small armies of kids doing the hand distributions.

The two realtors are NOT members of the chamber of commerce for this city. - they don't need to be, since through their actvities, they are the #1 go-to-guys for selling your home in this very popular community with lots of realtor competition.

Of course, they've been at this for many years!

I agree with Jim Anthony's idea for you.

I, too, would go door to door on the weekends. Have some gifts with you like refrig magnets containing useful info like convenient phone numbers for area parks, movie theaters, public service venues and other easy to access numbers and also your name, photo and contact info.

..............."Hi, I'm Todd, with ABC Realty and just dropped by to say "HI, and welcome to your new home and I'd like to give this little magnet for your refrigerator with convenient tips and numbers for..........."

Just be friendly and casual with basic..."so, where did you folks move from" type of friendly chat. Find out about the local scools so you can inform parents of those and be knowledgeable about any community things that they may want to know about.

The refrig magnet could also have tips about personal and home safety, lawn care, better gas mileage tips, etc... along with your website address and give a business card too.

Also consider the monthly newsletter idea mentioned above. Local residents are always interested in what nearby properites are selling for.

As for your website, I think you're on the right track, but I would make it more photgraphic and colorful.

And, as long as you're at it, offer to sell space to local businesses like restaurants, auto repair, professional services like chiropractors and dentists, health clubs, hair, nail and tanning salons, cleaners, carpet cleaners, landscaping, lawn care -- etc, etc, etc.

These businesses would love to reach new residents in a new, closeby community!

Just get out there and be friendly. This should be no probblem since you're not trying to sell anything at the door, so there will be no rejection to worry about!

Lawrence

Two quick afterthoughts.........

The two realtors mentioned would not go through all that marketing activity - year after year - if it did not produce for them!

Your monthly newsletter (hand delivered to each door) would also be a reminder for people to visit your "growing" website. That, in itself, is a good selling point to local businesses when they ask how your site gets traffic.

Lawrence

Back when I was about 10, my dad was a new Realtor looking for ways to get his name known in our neighborhood.

I'll never forget one Sunday morning on the way home from church, we were driving by a farm that had a big stand out front with corn for sale cheap.

We drove right past it and about 1/4 mile down the street, my dad slammed on the brakes and whiped the car around, saying "I've got a GREAT idea!"

A few munutes later, he had worked out some great deal with the farmer and the family packed our station wagon FULL of corn.

My dad wrote out a nice letter and had a bunch of copies made and drove me and my little brother all around the neighborhood where we would stick 4 ears of corn in each bag along with his letter and set it by everyones front door.

We did this on HUNDREDS of homes and he never got a single call from it.

It's kind of a running joke in our family because his letter started out with "I know this may be a corny approach....." and we now use that whenever someone comes up with a really dumb idea.

But honestly, I still think it was a cool idea and I'd probably try something similar in the same situation.

Jim

you might consider publishing a garage sale flyer ( or a free classified flyer to be precise since you could include autos & boats, etc.).

FREE to advertise & distributed by the people holding the sales, posted at their jobs, etc.

you would reserve the back for your graphics and real estate businesses.