When talking about Amazon and their strengths and weaknesses for coming out on top for the looming (massive) smart home opportunity — you have to include both Echo (hardware) and Alexa (software) in the equation. While they are intertwined now, that’s not going to remain the case. The Echo is, of course, Alexa’s first customer. However, The Echo is not Alexa’s only customer. An ever increasing range of devices will utilize Alexa’s voice assistant in the future (the tools for integrations are already live). The more devices utilizing Alexa, the more data Amazon collects, and the smarter/better Alexa’s voice assistant will become. It’s the same core reason Google dominates search — their flywheel of data (teamed with investment in AI) is spinning faster than anyone else’s. Without massive consumer adoption (aka data), there’s zero chance of a competitor delivering a better search engine than Google.
Amazon’s goal with controlling connected devices in smart homes is more adoption for Alexa. In the near term, that means more Echo sales/revenue as well — but I don’t really think they care about that revenue long term. The long term goal is to become the default voice assistant for consumers globally. Part of what a voice assistant will do for consumers is help them find products and services — which is where Amazon makes their money. If those consumers are making that decision with Alexa’s help, it means Amazon doesn’t have to pay a “user acquisition tax” to Google (or anyone else).
Without further ado, let’s dig into Amazon’s positioning for smart homes…
Pros
Controls both Hardware AND software.
Distribution in homes — Amazon’s sales of Alexa-powered devices surpassed 10 million earlier this year (via GeekWire), and 15 million this month (via GeekWire). They control 76% of the smart home speaker market in the United States.
AI man power and capital: I’ll wager a guess Amazon is investing more in AI than anyone else (aside from perhaps Google).
Already responsible for a major chunk of device sales to connected devices manufacturers on Amazon.com. That means they can exert significant influence over device manufacturers (aka “nudge” them to make devices Alexa compliant).
“Open system” means faster (and cheaper) path for manufacturers to integrate.
Capital to fund in-home installations of connected devices.
Video is here, with Amazon Show (& Spot coming Dec 2017). This opens up a whole new opportunity for experiences that require images/video — such as real estate and travel.
The Echo does more than just control connected devices in the home — it plays music, provides weather, etc
Cons
Open system means less control over the home owner experience. The classic “Windows vs Apple” situation (in this case Amazon vs Apple”). Without end to end control of the user experience, the experience is likely to be inferior to a closed system.
Wifi dependent — meaning lag time
Business model isn’t dependent on making the consumer home owner experience better.
Trust. It’s not that consumers don’t “trust” Amazon with their data, but I don’t believe they have the level of consumer trust Google and Apple have. At least not yet.
Do you have an Echo? If so, do you have it controlling any lights, door locks, thermostats, etc? Do you love Alexa? In a perfect world, what would Alexa help you with in your home?
Acasa (UK), an app that allows users to manage all their household bills.
BrickVest (UK), a global financial marketplace that allows investors at all levels to invest in institutional-quality real estate globally.
Contract Wrangler Inc. (USA), a platform that turns painful contract deluge into revenue and reduced risk.
HiP Interactive Property Ltd. (UK), the first digital marketplace for commercial and residential property buyers, owners and investors, making property investment more affordable, liquid and accessible.
Kaarta (USA), a platform that easily and accurately transforms the real world into actionable 3D models.
MC Smart Controls (USA), which is introducing a variety of innovative technologies to save water, power and chemicals for residential, commercial, municipal and agricultural facilities.
PlanRadar (Austria), a digital software that facilitates project management for construction companies.
Real Atom (USA), the first online marketplace for commercial real estate debt financing.
StrideUp (UK), a platform that makes homeownership more accessible by allowing users to buy the portion they can afford and gradually increase ownership proportionate to growth in savings and income.
There’s a proposal for NAR to change IDX policy to include a link back to a listing brokerage’s website within every IDX listing display. This has been suggested and supported by Redfin’s Glenn Kelman and WAV Group’s Victor Lund.
I’m a member of the advisory board that vets these kinds of proposals and potentially moves them on to the MLS Policy committee at NAR. So, while I won’t take a position on the policy here, I want to make sure we all understand the ramifications (and delve into the “what ifs”).
How It Could Work
The proposal is said to make IDX stronger, create greater broker attribution, and improve brokers’ position in online search results.
Let’s start with the mechanics, because it’s technically much less difficult than most are stating. In the listing input, there would simply be a new field called “attribution link”. This field is picked up in the IDX feed, and each of a broker’s listings would have a single brokerage website link attributed to it. Every other company that displays an IDX feed with Broker A’s listing in it would include Broker A’s single link in the display.
(Lund/Kelman say this display rule should apply to portals first and foremost. While I agree, pragmatically that strategy is trying to swallow an elephant while a first step would be just one bite with broker IDX reciprocity. The portal question is for a bigger, later discussion.)
It’s not that complex if it’s standardized. RESO could add a field in an instant (maybe it already has one). MLSs would have to add the fields to their add/edit software platforms (not simple, but done regularly).
The onus would be on the broker to input whatever backlink it desires to be in the listing. A smart brokerage would link directly to the listing on its own website. A broker who doesn’t have that capability (don’t scoff, it would be widespread), or is more concerned with simple company attribution, might link back to the home page of its brokerage website.
Indexing/SEO
This is where it could get a bit messier, though that’s not a necessity. Websites can effectively mask these kinds of links so that search engines don’t give them credit. Policy could require that the links be indexable, i.e. forbid the use of “noindex” in IDX display. That would create more compliance/enforcement issues, but also ensure that SEO “juice” flows from IDX recipients to listing brokers.
So policymakers considering this measure will have to decide: Is it about attribution? Is it about easier access to listing brokers? Is it about SEO?
If this policy is just about attribution, or ease of access, it’s simply a question of whether or not it’s worth the work. It doesn’t necessarily have to be about boiling the search engine ocean. But easy answers are rarely the best entertainment…
SEO Strategy
The top-level intent is to create a network of thousands of broker/agent websites linking back to the listing broker’s “original listing”. This philosophically sounds like the “single source of truth” that Upstream folks refer to. If every agent and brokerage website says “This is where the true listing lives,” search engines will react in some measure. There’s no denying that.
The strategy empowers brokers with lots of listings. Today, 50,000 disparate IDX listing sites show a page with 123 Main St with no outbound links to the listing broker. Naturally, the listing of 123 Main St on a highly trafficked portal site outranks them all. It’s possible that with 50,000 inbound links from other brokerage sites to the original listing broker’s website, that individual page for 123 Main St might outrank the same page on a portal site.
So when Rob Hahn says “IDX policy does not affect portals”, he’s oversimplifying. It doesn’t directly, but it could indirectly. When Nike runs a Super Bowl ad, it doesn’t directly affect Reebok, but we all know that traffic shifts Nike’s way and, indirectly, away from Reebok.
No matter how many times the latest hot shot SEO says links are dead, it’s just not true—Google still loves them. 50,000 inbound links would shift search engine results. How far that shift would be is in question.
Listing brokers first
It’s been said by Kelman that Redfin would benefit less than other brokers with more listings. The company would have more outbound links to other brokers than inbound links from other brokers, because it’s not (yet) a heavy listing-side company.
In that sense, it’s an “us vs. them” in a brokers vs. portals scenario. Their picture is of a rising water level, lifting all brokerage boats on one side of the locks, while the portals in the adjacent, much higher lock sink lower and closer to their competitors. It’s a fair analogy in the current scenario.
SEO and Fear
Many have pointed out Redfin’s SEO dominance in the brokerage world. There’s no argument that the company is head and shoulders above its brokerage competitors. But it gets a bit slippery when “Redfin does SEO good” is the simplistic claim needed to stoke fear in other brokers about this proposal.
It’s a bit like saying “Century 21 has the best blazer jackets of all brokers. Non-broker entities are doing amazing new things with blazer jackets that our policy doesn’t allow. But let’s not update blazer jacket policy to help all brokers, because Century 21 will get more of a benefit than my brokerage would.”
*If* we believe that this policy would float all brokerage boats, but we take the “nobody’s getting better if that guy’s getting better” philosophy, it’s cutting off our nose to spite our face.
Long-Term Strategy
As Lund pointed out, “Redfin isn’t just being altruistic here”. The big picture strategy would strengthen IDX—to what extent? It’s difficult to say. There’s good reason Rob thinks this is outdated strategy, and we really can’t tell how much effect it would have. But wouldn’t 10 percent more traffic be beneficial to brokerages?
All-or-nothing arguments are sexy, so it’s easy to say “forget about SEO”, “IDX is dead”, “Zillow already won.” But we all know there are varying degrees of truth to these platitudes and there are companies that survive and thrive on margins—not winning, dominating, or crushing everyone in sight, but gaining 5% more market share each year.
This is where the arguments about brokerage revenue models are merely distractions. Brokers and agents who generate transactions via portal traffic/purchased leads today are realizing ever-slimming margins on closings. Sales from in-house leads often recognize a 30%-40% higher profit margin when the business doesn’t have to be purchased through an advertising portal. That’s a win in one of many small battles.
“The last war”
Every change in policy doesn’t have to be about saving brokerages or crushing the portals. Sometimes we’re just pushing the ball further down the field. Sometimes it’s a just a little more leverage, a little more profit, a little more power.
But let’s air the scenario that’s we’re being warned of, where Redfin eviscerates the brokerage world’s traffic through this kind of policy, because it’s not just “Redfin SEO=good”. This is a very specific technical change that isn’t just leverage through some SEO mojo voodoo.
These are links that pass power to brokerages who sign the listing. Redfin’s long-term growth strategy is listing growth, one it will pursue through massive spending, taking losses, and charging listing fees far lower than most other brokerages. If Redfin can grow its listing base significantly through its current 1% listing fee being advertised nationally, combined with an IDX policy that provides links back to the listing broker, it would benefit tremendously from the policy change in the long term.
Frankly, if the company can do it, good for them. Whichever brokerage earns the business of the seller should get the benefit of the listing’s exposure.
You Decide
There are very different motivations being laid out for this proposal. This could be a brokers vs. portals question in which you choose to forgo inter-brokerage rivalries. This could be a question of a tech-savvy brokerage pushing an agenda that will improve its long term strategic position vs its broker competitors. It could be a shift to better listing broker attribution and access. It could strengthen every listing broker’s online presence, traffic, and lead gen. It could have little effect on web traffic at all, long-term.
I won’t tell you which way the decision should go. I do believe that the mass introduction of integrated, *organized* brokerage website links, updating faster and more accurately than advertising portals, would have a significant strengthening effect on listing brokers’ IDX websites in terms of organic search traffic.
Maybe this is an insightful move for the brokerage world. Maybe it would be a mess. Maybe the status quo is just fine. I’d love to hear your feedback.
In order to keep yours up to speed, you’ve got to pop the hood and make sure all the smaller parts are in line to keep the engine running at maximum capacity.
Today we’re going to give your real estate lead generation engine a tune up to ensure it’s generating the best possible leads for your pipeline.
Let’s ride!
Develop Content That Connects
No matter how compelling your lead capture strategies are, they won’t measure up if you don’t have captivating content to support them.
Your real estate website should be populated with a library of diverse content specifically created with your lead personas in mind.
This is what you need:
Blog Posts
The cornerstone of your content will likely be your blogs.
If you’re a LeadSite user, you’re already used to receiving two weekly blogs from us to share with you network.
However, creating unique content specifically for your area is still a must.
Making a good impression starts with knowing the people you’re talking to.
You have as much to learn from them as they do to gain from you.
This knowledge will also greatly factor into the content you create and how you conduct yourself onsocialmedia.
To really understand your target demographic, you’ve got to do your research.
Think aboutwhoyour ideal client is.
What does this person look like? Do they work full-time? Have kids? Are they single or married? Homeowners? Renters? How much money do they make? What does this person value? What are their goals?
These are the people you want to speak to directly through your real estate blog.
eBooks
eBooks are a great value proposition for your leads.
And they’re super easy to create.
You can send them out via email, plug them behind a landing page, and use them to create an irresistible free offer on your blog posts.
The easiest way to land leads directly from your real estate blog is to include free, valuable content that your leads can get in exchange for their contact info.
A quick giveaway paired with a tactical pop-up is exactly what you need to take each post from a simple piece of content to a lead-generating magnet.
Your LeadSite comes with a pop-up editor that will make this a breeze.
Check out our Smart Popup app in this video!
Giveaways can be created in a variety of ways.
If you’re inclined toward writing, you can write one and add images in a simple word processor and just save the file as a PDF.
You can also use presentation programs like Google Slides, Power Point, and Keynote to create simple downloads that are more image-heavy (for those not inclined toward writing).
Need a more in-depth look at ebooks? Check out these posts too:
Video marketing has the potential to unlock dozens of new networks and prospects for you.
And you don’t even have to start a Youtube channel if that’s not your jam.
You can upload property and neighborhood tours, tease upcoming listings, advice-based videos, and even vlogs directly to your website.
This will set you up with a ton of unique content to share on social media.
Upload your videos directly to Facebook and link back for your website to start driving qualified leads to your content today!
Research and Market Reports
At first glance, market reports and findings may not seem like the most desirable content to include in your real estate lead generation engine, but they can be.
You can create monthly reports and even case studies to give your audience an informed and personal look into your market and community.
There are an unlimited amount of places online your prospects can visit to obtain more details about buying or selling their home, or moving to a new area.
You can make sure the content they land on is yours by providing unique content that can’t be found anywhere else.
Diversify Your Lead And Traffic Sources
The most successful companies balance their lead generation efforts across multiple channels.
We coach hundreds of real estate agents every month on how to generate leads online using LeadSites paired up with Facebook advertising.
The cool thing about social media is that it’s always growing changing and there are plenty of new ideas we can implement to grow our online presence and generate leads.
People like, comment, and engage with things on Facebook that are interesting to them!
Take a look at these two ads –
See what I mean?
Just like you’re going to be testing your giveaways and pop-up offers, the same can be done for Facebook.
Watch our complete marketing guide to get started!
In-Person
While so much of real estate marketing has gone digital, don’t overlook the value of face-to-face lead capture.
There are endless opportunities to serve your community in person and meet new qualified future clients.
Whether it’s through referrals, open houses, or community events, always be ready to show your market what you can do for them.
After you make initial contact, they can then visit your website and social media profiles to increase their confidence in proceeding with you as their new agent.
Include These 4 Elements In Your Next Lead Generation Campaign
Equally as important as your offer headline, is the call-to-action you pair with it.
You can also use Smart Popups to split test your CTAs and see which ones grab your audience’s attention.
You can and should use them anywhere that you’re marketing your offer.
Landing Page
You can take the same giveaway you’ve used on your blogs and stick it behind a perfectly optimized landing page to increase lead capture and conversion.
Just like your blogs and offers, the language on your landing page should instantly communicatevalueandurgency.
When writing headlines for a page like this, keep your target audience in mind. You can try a variety of headlines like:
Are stairs killing your knees? Get my exclusive list of single-story homes!
Empty nest? Downsize to a gorgeous, single-story home! Sign up to get an exclusive list of every single story home in Denver.
Or this one –
When writing the headline for your landing page, try a fresh take like this:
The 5 Secrets Every First-Time Home Buyer Should Know (But Don’t Usually Find Out Till After They Buy!)
3 Easy Tricks To Making Your First Home Purchase Fun and Stress Free!
7 Ways To Buy Smarter!How ToAvoid the Road Bumps Almost Every First Time Home Buyer Hits
Form
The most important component of your landing page is the opt-in form you provide to capture information.
The fewer fields your form contains, the better chance you have of converting those leads.
You want to create the least work as possible for your leads.
On the other hand, the more information you collect, the more likely you are to capture high-quality leads.
What’s the solution?
Do both!
Just as you split-test pop-ups, you can create multiple landing pages to track conversions and the ultimate success of the campaign.
This becomes particularly powerful when you create a Facebook ad campaign to promote your landing page and target your lead personas.
Have you been keeping your real estate lead generation engine well-oiled?
Let us know what strategies you’re taking action on today!
There’s a proposal for NAR to change IDX policy to include a link back to a listing brokerage’s website within every IDX listing display. This has been suggested and supported by Redfin’s Glenn Kelman and WAV Group’s Victor Lund.
I’m a member of the advisory board that vets these kinds of proposals and potentially moves them on to the MLS Policy committee at NAR. So, while I won’t take a position on the policy here, I want to make sure we all understand the ramifications (and delve into the “what ifs”).
How It Could Work
The proposal is said to make IDX stronger, create greater broker attribution, and improve brokers’ position in online search results.
Let’s start with the mechanics, because it’s technically much less difficult than most are stating. In the listing input, there would simply be a new field called “attribution link”. This field is picked up in the IDX feed, and each of a broker’s listings would have a single brokerage website link attributed to it. Every other company that displays an IDX feed with Broker A’s listing in it would include Broker A’s single link in the display.
(Lund/Kelman say this display rule should apply to portals first and foremost. While I agree, pragmatically that strategy is trying to swallow an elephant while a first step would be just one bite with broker IDX reciprocity. The portal question is for a bigger, later discussion.)
It’s not that complex if it’s standardized. RESO could add a field in an instant (maybe it already has one). MLSs would have to add the fields to their add/edit software platforms (not simple, but done regularly).
The onus would be on the broker to input whatever backlink it desires to be in the listing. A smart brokerage would link directly to the listing on its own website. A broker who doesn’t have that capability (don’t scoff, it would be widespread), or is more concerned with simple company attribution, might link back to the home page of its brokerage website.
Indexing/SEO
This is where it could get a bit messier, though that’s not a necessity. Websites can effectively mask these kinds of links so that search engines don’t give them credit. Policy could require that the links be indexable, i.e. forbid the use of “noindex” in IDX display. That would create more compliance/enforcement issues, but also ensure that SEO “juice” flows from IDX recipients to listing brokers.
So policymakers considering this measure will have to decide: Is it about attribution? Is it about easier access to listing brokers? Is it about SEO?
If this policy is just about attribution, or ease of access, it’s simply a question of whether or not it’s worth the work. It doesn’t necessarily have to be about boiling the search engine ocean. But easy answers are rarely the best entertainment…
SEO Strategy
The top-level intent is to create a network of thousands of broker/agent websites linking back to the listing broker’s “original listing”. This philosophically sounds like the ‘single source of truth” that Upstream folks refer to. If every agent and brokerage website says “This is where the true listing lives”, search engines will react in some measure. There’s no denying that.
The strategy empowers brokers with lots of listings. Today, 50,000 disparate IDX listing sites show a page with 123 Main St with no outbound links to the listing broker. Naturally, the listing of 123 Main St on a highly trafficked portal site outranks them all. It’s possible that with 50,000 inbound links from other brokerage sites to the original listing broker’s website, that individual page for 123 Main St might outrank the same page on a portal site.
So when Rob Hahn says “IDX policy does not affect portals”, he’s oversimplifying. It doesn’t directly, but it could indirectly. When Nike runs a Super Bowl ad, it doesn’t directly affect Reebok, but we all know that traffic shifts Nike’s way and, indirectly, away from Reebok.
No matter how many times the latest hot shot SEO says links are dead, it’s just not true—Google still loves them. 50,000 inbound links would shift search engine results. How far that shift would be is in question.
Listing brokers first
It’s been said by Kelman that Redfin would benefit less than other brokers with more listings. The company would have more outbound links to other brokers than inbound links from other brokers, because it’s not (yet) a heavy listing-side company.
In that sense, it’s an “us vs. them” in a brokers vs. portals scenario. Their picture is of a rising water level, lifting all brokerage boats on one side of the locks, while the portals in the adjacent, much higher lock sink lower and closer to their competitors. It’s a fair analogy in the current scenario.
SEO and Fear
Many have pointed out Redfin’s SEO dominance in the brokerage world. There’s no argument that the company is head and shoulders above its brokerage competitors. But it gets a bit slippery when “Redfin does SEO good” is the simplistic claim needed to stoke fear in other brokers about this proposal.
It’s a bit like saying “Century 21 has the best blazer jackets of all brokers. Non-broker entities are doing amazing new things with blazer jackets that our policy doesn’t allow. But let’s not update blazer jacket policy to help all brokers, because Century 21 will get more of a benefit than my brokerage would.”
*If* we believe that this policy would float all brokerage boats, but we take the “nobody’s getting better if that guy’s getting better” philosophy, it’s cutting off our nose to spite our face.
Long-Term Strategy
As Lund pointed out, “Redfin isn’t just being altruistic here”. The big picture strategy would strengthen IDX—to what extent? It’s difficult to say. There’s good reason Rob thinks this is outdated strategy, and we really can’t tell how much effect it would have. But would 10 percent more traffic be beneficial to brokerages?
All-or-nothing arguments are sexy, so it’s easy to say “forget about SEO”, “IDX is dead”, “Zillow already won.” But we all know there are varying degrees of truth to these platitudes and there are companies that survive and thrive on margins—not winning, dominating, or crushing everyone in sight, but gaining 5% more market share each year. Billionaires live in niches.
This is where the sidetrack arguments about brokerage revenue models are merely distractions. Brokers and agents who generate transactions via portal traffic/purchased leads today are realizing ever-slimming margins on closings. Sales from in-house leads often recognize a 30%-40% higher profit margin when the business doesn’t have to be purchased through an advertising portal. That’s a win in one of many small battles.
“The last war”
Every change in policy doesn’t have to be about saving brokerages or crushing the portals. Sometimes we’re just pushing the ball further down the field. Sometimes it’s a just a little more leverage, a little more profit, a little more power.
But let’s air the scenario that’s we’re being warned of, where Redfin eviscerates the brokerage world’s traffic through this kind of policy, because it’s not just “Redfin SEO good”. This is a very specific technical change that isn’t just leverage through some SEO mojo voodoo.
These are links that pass power to brokerages who sign the listing. Redfin’s long-term growth strategy is listing growth, one it will pursue through massive spending, taking losses, and charging listing fees far lower than most other brokerages. If Redfin can grow its listing base significantly through its current 1% listing fee being advertised nationally, combined with an IDX policy that provides links back to the listing broker, it would benefit tremendously from the policy change in the long term.
Frankly, if the company can do it, good for them. Whichever brokerage earns the business of the seller should get the benefit of the listing’s exposure.
You Decide
There are very different motivations being laid out for this proposal. This could be a brokers vs. portals question in which you choose to forgo inter-brokerage rivalries. This could be a question of a tech-savvy brokerage pushing an agenda that will improve its long term strategic position vs its broker competitors. It could be a shift to better listing broker attribution and access. It could strengthen every listing broker’s online presence, traffic, and lead gen. It could have little effect on web traffic at all, long-term.
I won’t tell you which way the decision should go. I do believe that the mass introduction of integrated, *organized* brokerage website links, updating faster and more accurately than advertising portals, would have a significant strengthening effect on listing brokers’ IDX websites in terms of organic search traffic.
Maybe this is an insightful move for the brokerage world. Maybe it would be a mess. Maybe the status quo is just fine. I’d love to hear your feedback.
Have you ever heard that “Good things come in small packages”? Well, that can be true for your home too. Small homes and apartments don’t have to be boring. You don’t have to sacrifice space for style or vice versa. These design ideas for small spaces will help you maximize both your style and space. […]
from theokbrowne digest https://www.rentcafe.com/blog/home-and-garden/interior-design-design-and-decorating/5-decorating-hacks-maximize-style-grace-tiny-space/
One of the most common questions we get is, “Why should I hire a tenant representative to lease commercial real estate?” Because we want our clients to feel comfortable and confident when renting office space, retail, or warehouse space we have compiled a list of some advantages of retaining exclusive tenant representation for your company.
Advantages of Using a Tenant Rep Broker to Rent Commercial Real Estate
The most objective evaluations of buildings are obtained from tenant representatives, who have no interest in promoting one building over another
Tenant representatives offer state-of-the-art professional advice based on in-depth market knowledge and current experience, putting tenants on an equal basis with professional, full-time landlords
Client’s time is saved by not duplicating market research
Clients obtain objective evaluations of their alternatives, free from any personal bias
Costs affecting the transaction are analyzed, presented, and documented so that the final facility decisions can be approved by senior management, based on financial comparisons
Clients often win more concessions, minimize hidden costs, achieve greater lease flexibility, because of tenant representatives negotiating experience and familiarity with key buildings, landlords, listing agents, and market conditions
The groundwork for a workable future landlord-tenant relationship is established because tenant representatives act as negotiators, intermediaries, and buffers rather than as principals
Confidentiality is kept at all times so that your workforce is not aware of a pending relocation until the time is right to communicate
Tenant reps will have knowledge about and access to all available and soon to be available listings in the market via the relationships with landlord agents, paying a lot of money for the best MLS services, and because of being in the market full time.
Clients achieve buying leverage and buying power because of tenant representatives expertise and ability to create a competitive environment among candidate buildings
Landlord will be more likely to return your calls because of the tenant reps broker relationships and reputation in your metro area.
Tenant reps know what a good deal looks like because they do them every day. You will get the lowest lease rate and best terms possible
Tenant representatives can put together a professional team to carry out the move
When renting commercial real estate (office, retail, or warehouse space) landlords have certain criteria that they typically look for in a good commercial real estate tenant. Financial viability is the key issue for landlords. They want to be assured that their tenants won’t go out of business before the lease expires or jump from building to building just to get concessions.
Landlords also look at the type of tenant. Will this tenant help to create a mix that will, in turn, attract other good tenants? Banks, large law firms, and major accounting firms, for example, fall into this category.
At the same time, landlords are sensitive to the size of the tenancy proposed. They may not want one tenant to dominate the building. Advertising and public relations companies, for example (often the first to be faced with downsizing during economic downturns), are risky as predominant tenants in a building.
Although landlords would prefer to deal solely with tenants that have the best credit, they also recognize that sometimes they must accept risk. In these instances, they may want to minimize the risk by spreading a concession such as free rent over the life of the lease rather than giving it all in the first part of the lease.
Financial information is critical and they WILL ask to see your company financials. Psychology plays a role too. Landlords also want to know the reasons why prospective tenants are planning to move, and what motivates them.
Even in a soft market, property owners must be sold on prospective tenants, and even existing tenants.
Factors Landlords Consider When Rating Prospective Commercial Tenants
Financial conditions
Amount of space needed
Occupancy date without lease assumptions
Parking demands
Potential for growth
Potential of attracting other tag along tenants
Potential use of amenities such as fitness center, deli, and banks
Degree of reusable tenant improvements
History in the commercial rental community
Reasonable flexibility of desired placement within the property
Timing of the lease acceptance
Whether the property was the first or second choice
Etc, Etc
As you look at commercial properties for rent and are comparing buildings and landlords, keep in mind that they are evaluating you as a potential tenant also. You want to make sure that you understand what landlords look for in a good commercial tenant so that you can prepare your company to meet the financial and other criteria that landlords have.
Everyone’s talking about Lemonade! And this time it’s not just Beyonce!
That’s right. The Rental Girl has joined the ranks, and is officially on the Lemonade Stand-wagon.
This is exciting news! The Rental Girl has partnered with an innovative insurance company, Lemonade. Their renter’s insurance starts at $5/month, and will automatically switch you over if you have other insurance. Click here to get a policy quote in 90 seconds. [Lemonade.]
The buzz is quickly spreading about Lemonade and its simple approach to insurance: sign up with a few clicks, a few bucks a month, and you are covered.
In honor of their one year anniversary, they have launched a revolutionary new policy upgrade that questions some of the fundamental concepts of traditional insurance. It’s called Zero Everything. For the first time ever, there are no deductibles or price increases when filing claims! If you have ever had to file an insurance claim, you know it’s easier said than done! It should be a reassuring process – one where you feel covered and taken care of. Have you ever had something valuable stolen that does not meet your deductible requirements? If so, then you know the headache with traditional renter’s insurance: pray that your Advil stash wasn’t taken – and if it was, you better hope you meet your deductible.
Furthermore, if you actually do meet the deductible, you’re susceptible to rate hikes, leaving the insured unsure; about whether they should make the claim or even why you have insurance to begin with. Well, with Lemonade you can leave your uncertainty at the door. Sign up for Lemonade, and know that your door isn’t the only thing keeping your valuables secure. Lemonade’s got you covered. I could reference a roof, but I’ve taken the puns too far.
Head to Lemonade and start now! You can switch from any insurance plan! And with one click upon signing up, you can add the Zero Everything upgrade and never have to stress about deductibles or rate hikes again! That’s right. Just kick back, relax, and enjoy some Lemonade, served to you kindly by The Rental Girl.
Key takeaways: At $1,991, Denver’s 80206 is the #1 most expensive ZIP code for Colorado renters Rents in 44 of Colorado’s most expensive ZIPs are above the $1,350 national average Apartment construction is strong, with 13,142 new units expected in Metro Denver in 2017 Of the state’s top 50 priciest ZIP codes, 80538 in Loveland […]
A real estate funnel is the system that guides your visitors in becoming leads, being nurtured into legitimate prospects, and eventually becoming clients.
Real estate marketing can be highly competitive.
In order to generate quality leads and stand out in your market, you’ve got to build well-oiled funnels.
Unless you’re dealing with direct referrals, most all of your prospects start out as anonymous visitors on your website.
If you develop your real estate funnel right, that traffic will convert to qualified leads.
Each real estate funnel needs to be carefully filled with expert, actionable tools that will take you from lead capture to conversion.
Today we’re going to walk you through the exact steps you need to follow to capture quality seller leads and close the deal.
Let’s get to it!
The #1 Critical Mistake Agents Make
By far, the most common mistake we see agents make when developing their real estate marketing funnels is trying to use them before they’re fully built.
In other words, agents bite off more than they can chew.
Now, instead of carefully executing on each layer of the funnel, you have a clogged up pipe that few leads will be able to drip through.
Up front you need to know that you will constantly be adding new lead generation sources into your real estate funnel.
However, there’s no point in layering on the next strategy until you’ve mastered the one before that, and the one before that.
What good is running an ad if you haven’t even completely filled out your profile?
And what is the destination of your Facebook ad?
If it doesn’t lead to a specific page on your website that was designed specifically for lead capture, you’ve wasted your time.
We’ve seen many agents create a list of 10-20 lead sources and attempt to go after them all simultaneously and then complain about their lack of success with the strategy.
If you’re immediately spreading your time and resources into a large array of outlets before you’ve found one to be even remotely successful then you will not find the success you’re looking for.
If you’ve followed us for a while, you may be familiar with the term Tyler coined to describe this kind of real estate funnel sabotage.
Setup a home valuation squeeze page to target sellers
Created a Facebook ad campaign to send prospects to it
You’ve got their attention and now it’s time to make sure you keep it!
The middle of the real estate funnel for sellers is all about nurturing those leads and giving them as much value as possible.
Use the Texty app to send your leads an automated followup message and open up a quick line of communication.
You can also set this up directly in the squeeze page you just created with a custom message to all who opt-in there.
Here are 3 more seller-specific text scripts you can use.
#1 Hey there, I’ll have your home valuation ready ASAP. What’s the best way to send it to you?
#2 Hi there, I’ll have your home valuation ready ASAP. How long have you owned your property?
#3 Hey there, I’ll have your home valuation ready ASAP. Really quick – how soon are you looking to sell?
You can also follow-up with your new leads with this introductory email script:
Subject: Your goal?
Hi <<first name>>,
Glad you signed up.
Over the coming days I’ll be sending you some things that will really help you make sure you sell your home fast and for more.
But first, will you do me a favor?
Send me an email back letting me know what your #1 concern is in selling your home.
When would you like to have the home sold by?
Sincerely,
Jane Agent
And this Value Email script as well.
Subject: Get more. Faster.
Hi <<First Name>>,
All of the fears and concerns about selling your house usually come down to 2 things:
Will I get the price I want?
Will it sell quickly?
The good news is, there are certain things you can do to help your house sell faster and for more.
Wanna know what they are?
That’s what today’s blog post is all about. Check it out:
[How To Sell Faster And For More] (LINK)
Jane Agent
Notice there’s a link to a blog post at the bottom.
You’ll want to focus on populating your website and supporting social channels with lots of highly-readable content for sellers.
And with the Smart Popups app, you can give your leads even more opportunities to opt-in right on your blog!
This really is incredibly powerful. If you focus on sellers, you can create seller-focused blog posts, offer a free giveaway, and explode the number of leads you’re capturing for free with organic traffic.
Use these free, customizable eBooks we put together to get started with awesome free giveaways!
Once you’ve got your leads in the funnel, you’ve got to continue nurturing them.
Reinforce the value of your new-found relationship by sharing relevant content with them through email, social media and, of course, your website.
Your clients and leads want personal attention and support.
This is how you’re going to get more testimonials, referrals and qualified leads.
Seller leads can easily turn into buyer leads as well and introduce you to a network of their friends and community who can be worked into your real estate funnels.
A private community of creatives making real estate, financial independence, & home ownership more accessible using technology.
What exactly are we doing?
Vision: The community is dedicated to improving the real estate & home ownership process and experience using technology.
Mission: Connect those creatives doing amazing work in our industry, facilitate business development & knowledge sharing, provide strategic product innovation feedback, and act as a support network of like minded real estate technologists and thought leaders.
The focus of the community is two fold:
Curate the most incredible and diverse membership of the real estate creatives, doers, and creators in the world.
Make our members wildly successful in their careers building real estate products and companies.
Why join?
Founders & executives: Access to a network of advisors, strategic product advice, and investors. Brokers: Be on the cutting edge of technology, connections to the best vendors, consultants, and developers in the industry. Build relationships with other tech savvy brokers/agents who think strategically about digital, marketing, and company building. Consultants & thought leaders: Business development opportunities, keep your finger on the pulse of real estate tech, high quality industry discussion with no trolls or noise.
We’re seeking 50 founding members to help us shape the future direction of the community. The 1st 25 founding members are being offering insanely discounted pricing (for the LIFE of your Membership). The 2nd 25 founding members will still receive discounted pricing, but less so than the 1st 25 members. After we select our 50 founding members, any new members beyond that will pay the regular price of $97 billed every 3 months.
We’ve already received payment from more half of the first 25 founding members (thank you to those who fall in that category). The clock is ticking on discounted pricing…first come, first serve. Once 25 slots are filled, the next pricing tier kicks in.
One of the most common questions I get asked is whether a business should sign a long term commercial real estate lease or a short term lease. For a small business or startup that is renting office, retail, or warehouse space getting this right is important as the success or failure of the business could be determined by the decision. Unfortunately there is no wrong or right answer as every company has different needs. Short and long term commercial leases both have certain advantages and disadvantages that you should analyze and discuss with your commercial real estate agent before you begin negotiations with a potential landlord.
Advantages of a Long-Term Commercial Real Estate Lease
More Leverage in Negotiations – You have the ability to negotiate better concessions such as a lower initial rental rate, lower annual rental increases, more money for tenant improvements, free rent, renewal options, and expansion options such as right of first refusal/offer. The longer the landlord has to recoup their initial rental costs the more concessions they typically will concede to. Concessions are possible with short term leases however harder to negotiate.
Predictable Rental Costs – You will be able to lock in rates and forecast rent costs since you will know exactly what your rents will be from year to year during the lease term regardless of existing market conditions. With shorter lease terms you will likely be paying premium rents and higher yearly increases.
Better Able to Plan for Future – Longer term commercial lease ensures you will be able to stay in one location for a set time period. It doesn’t matter if the building is sold you will have the peace of mind of not having to deal with office space stuff for a few years.
Cons of Long Term Commercial Leases
Takes Longer to Negotiate – Longer leases can be more complex and cause negotiations to last a bit longer
Less Flexible – Unless you negotiate to have some solid expansion or renewal options if you end up growing too quickly there may not be any space available for you to expand into. This means your only option will be to sublease the space and relocate. If you go out of business you will be stuck with trying to get out of the lease.
Advantages of a Short-Term Commercial Real Estate Lease
Flexibility – For startup companies or business that are growing quickly you never know if and when you will need more or less space. If you decide you don’t like a particular location or space or you get that big deal and need to hire 30 more people you can easily pick up and relocate with a short term lease.
Contingency – It’s a know fact that most companies fail within the first 12-24 months of being in business. Having a short term lease will give you the ability to cut your losses and not have to pay the landlord a large sum of money to cancel the lease.
Cons of Short Term Commercial Leases
Future Plans Less Predictable – When you are in a short term lease you typically are not able to negotiate renewal or expansion options which means the landlord can lease the space to someone else after your lease expires.
Rents Typically Higher – The landlord may charge a premium on rent with a short term lease especially in a hot market.
Less Negotiation Leverage – You won’t have as much leverage to negotiate rental concessions such as free rent, tenant improvement allowances, etc.
Hard to Find Space – In a hot market many landlords will not do short term lease deals which makes finding short term office space very difficult.
As you can see there are many Pros and Cons to signing short term and long term commercial leases. It’s hard to do however it’s important that you think of your business needs 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 years down the road. If you are not sure you want to remain in the same location or expect future growth, or are just uncertain about the future of the company then a short term lease might be the best option. If your business is more established, financially stable, and not expecting to expand rapidly then you are better suited for a longer term commercial real estate lease.
September 27th, 2017 is officially the first annual Austin Coworking Day thanks to Mayor Steve Adler and other community leaders. Out of the 40 locally owned and operated coworking facilities in the Austin Metro area 18 of them have agreed to open their doors for a FREE day of coworking. Also, to give people a taste of what coworking spaces have to offer there will be events, coaching, and special workshops. For your reference here is a complete list of coworking spaces in Austin.
Austin coworking spaces give members the ability to work, connect and collaborate with others rather than working in isolation at home. Each location in Austin has its own vibe and unique look so to find the one that best suits you you might consider visiting a few of them if you have the time.
If you are interested in learning more about coworking just go to the Eventbrite invitation here and claim your free ticket.
Below is a map of the participating coworking spaces in Austin
There’s a few real estate tech sessions on the schedule:
AI in Real Estate (http://sched.co/CMEY) on Monday at 9 am: Panel with Devyn Cairns (CTO of CityBldr), Sam DeBord (SeattleHomes.com & a regular here at Geek Estate), and Bridget Frey (Redfin CTO). Moderated by Gabriel Jones.
The Future of Home Buying (http://sched.co/CMFO) on Tuesday at 1:30: Panel with Tushar Garg (co-founder of FlyHomes), Andrey Nokhrin (founder Flipt), and Yifan Zhang (co-founder of Lithium. Moderated by Jay Weeldreyer.
Values-Based Leadership: A Fireside Chat with Glenn Kelman, CEO of Redfin on Wednesday at 12 (http://sched.co/C5pN). Moderated by Jenny Zenner.
Commercial Real Estate Tech (http://sched.co/CMTg) on Thursday at 1:30: Panel with Dan Greenshields (JetClosing CEO), Bryan Copley (CityBldr CEO), and Russ Johnson (NavigatorSRVS CEO).
AR/VR in Real Estate (http://sched.co/CMUl) on Friday at 2: Panel with Jeff Rayner (MyPad3D and MXTReality co-founder) & Greg Howes (IDEAbuilder CEO). Moderated by Bryan Copley (CityBldr CEO).
Attending any of these? Drop me a line (drew at geekestatelabs dot com).
One of the most common questions we get is, “Why should I hire a tenant representative to lease commercial real estate?” Because we want our clients to feel comfortable and confident when renting office space, retail, or warehouse space we have compiled a list of some advantages of retaining 
I won’t say “I told you so”, but…there’s a bit of news on the “AirBnB and rentals” topic out of Florida. 
When 
One of the most common questions I get asked is whether a business should sign a long term commercial real estate lease or a short term lease. For a small business or startup that is renting office, retail, or warehouse space getting this right is important as the success or failure of the business could be determined by the decision. Unfortunately there is no wrong or right answer as every company has different needs. Short and long term commercial leases both have certain advantages and disadvantages that you should analyze and discuss with 
September 27th, 2017 is officially the first annual Austin Coworking Day thanks to Mayor Steve Adler and other community leaders. Out of the 40 locally owned and operated coworking facilities in the Austin Metro area 18 of them have agreed to open their doors for a FREE day of coworking. Also, to give people a taste of what coworking spaces have to offer there will be events, coaching, and special workshops. For your reference here is a 
