Working with Realtors throughout Northern Virginia over the past six years, I get asked a lot of questions about technology, blogging, websites and more. Having an online presence important, and there is no better way than an informative blog on your real estate website. It’s a huge tool, especially to those agents who understand why creating effective content results in online leads, clients, business, and commissions.
The real estate market correction is coming. In fact, in some markets we can see signs of it already, and not just because we are heading towards the holidays. There are many signs that correction is on the horizon, and that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Interest rates at 3.5% is not sustainable or good for the economy long-term. If it was, that’s where rates would always be, or maybe lower. There are many factors that go into a real estate market correction, and I’m not going to get too detailed. I will however talk about some of the major factors, and how a Realtor and Lender can leverage this an opportunity to win clients and business.
In this second half of the blog, I’m going to focus on how I overcame the struggles of Title Sales and emerge. Many of you reading this might be looking for answers to WHY you might be struggling in the business or that golden nugget that leads to big success. There is no golden nugget other than hard work and lots of innovation. In late August of 2005, I went for an interview at Capital Title in Phoenix Arizona. Not knowing at the time, but Capital was the largest Title Company in Phoenix with almost 30 offices and 20 Title Sales Reps. Realize that in 2005 the housing market was on fire and taking a chance on a kid with no Title Sales experience was a very low risk. The office in which I was assigned already had lots of clients and success. I honestly think back then, my main role was just to maintain all the business we had. When people can buy homes with 100% financing and no income/no asset loans, everyone was a potential buyer. Obviously, that wasn’t sustainable and the market headed south and with it the business.
If you are looking for another blog on real estate marketing or some tech secret to gain clients–this is not one of those posts. For over six years, I have spent hours and hours pumping content into this website to create an interested audience. If you are brand new to the site and reading for the first time, click around when you are done, you will find some good stuff to assist in your business needs. Now back to it–How I was able to create success in Title sales was not an easy one, in fact at one point I was completely unsure of my goals, and where my professional life would take me. I have received many questions over the years, about my background, how I built my business, and on and on. These people had no clue that someone who had smarts and talent was only an average student (at best). It started in middle school when my personal struggles with learning and development.
I recently had a top Realtor attend one of my classes. I followed up like a good Title Rep and she ignored my email, as she gets bombarded all the time (as any top producer does). I let it stir for a few days then gave her a phone call. During the conversation, she stated she liked my class and got a lot out of it…BUT she is loyal to another Title Company where there is a joint venture. I kept her on the phone asking her business questions about what she direction she was trying to go and how Stewart Title could assist. She agreed to meet. We met the next day and she was very happy with the services we offer and the relationship we bring. The JV Title Company didn’t help her with her business. As we spoke in a coffee shop about her business needs, she explained that in her third year in business, she had done 31 buyer deals and 8 listings (in the first 8 months of the year). Very impressive! Though she was happy with her business growth, she said that her largest fear in real estate was…
Let me guess…you are a Real Estate agent or Mortgage Lender in the Northern Virginia and you want to do more business? We all do right? What we really want are LEADS! We want people that reach out to us and say “hey I need to use your services…I got your marketing piece or found you online; can you help?” Yes you can!! But how do we get to this point? How do we change our traditional marketing into Real Estate Target Marketing?Let’s back up…
The Field of Dreams…remember that movie? The one with Kevin Costner in Iowa (where I am from) and he hears these voices that say “Build it and he will come”? Then Kevin Costner proceeds to destroy a chunk of his crops and everyone around him thinks he is crazy for doing such a thing! Well, you will have to watch the movie to find out how it ends but let’s just say that what Kevin Costner did, and the sacrifices he made worked out amidst the disapproval of those around him.
There are thousands and thousands of licensed Realtors in the US. Many are “solo agents,” meaning they are on their own. They show homes, market their business, lead generate, order signs, and work with buyers and sellers. Though I named several tasks they do, it is minor in comparison to ALL the responsibilities they truly have. Not that long ago, most Realtors went the way of the solo real estate agent. There was no Social Media, the Internet, YouTube and more to take into consideration when marketing your business. The ability to network, send out TONS of direct mail, door-knocking, and even have the largest advertisement in the local paper were some of the main marketing techniques. In today’s real estate climate, “Teams” seem to be taking over as the most efficient way to expand your real estate business to huge proportions. Does the solo real estate agent have a glass ceiling or are there ways to break the glass ceiling?
My name is Wade Vander Molen “DCTitleGuy” and I am a Director of Sales/Marketing for Stewart Title and Escrow in Fairfax, VA just outside of Washington DC. I have been in the Title Insurance industry since 2005 having worked for a National Title Insurance company in Phoenix, AZ. Over the past 7 years I have worked and helped the Realtor that is “one day” into their careers all the way to the top agents in Phoenix, AZ. Helping them with their marketing plans and expanding their businesses, offline and online. Then one weekend in Las Vegas back in 2010 changed (met my wife) all of that and 2 years later I am in Washington DC! That is the short and skinny of me, my background and how I came to be DCTitleGuy.
I can’t tell you how many times I hear that real estate online leads suck. With that said, I know many Realtors that spend big money each month on online leads. It’s like saying postcards get a very small return and are thrown in the trash, yet people send them out every month hoping to get that listing or buyer calls. The issue is real estate online leads don’t suck…it’s the kind of online leads they get AND the people trying to convert them to clients. Online leads are actually some of the best “leads” you can get, but the issue is where are your online leads coming from? In my opinion online leads get a bad wrap. There are many factors into WHY this is, and I want to discuss the reasons Realtors hate online leads, and what they can do to make sure the online leads they do receive are primed prospects ready to act!
