On this week’s WarriorTalk podcast, I speak with Dave Jenks, the co-author of the Millionaire Real Estate Agent and Millionaire Real Estate Investor, on the power of lead generation… and why it’s SO important to grow your business!

Listen to the episode on the WarriorTalk player here: http://tinyurl.com/fewshows

It’s no secret that most real estate agents seem to always be behind the times when it comes to technology.

If you don’t believe me, ask the real estate agent I tried to send a referral to last year whose response to me after asking for her email address was “oh I don’t do email, I don’t have time, just fax me the info.”

Fax.

F%$*!#@ fax.

It seems every few years there’s a new toy or new technology that is about 1-2 years old that the industry picks up as the latest and greatest thing.  It’s the big buzz word around offices and tour.  No one seems to understand it or why it can help, but they want it anyway.

So it isn’t a shock that so many real estate agents STILL think that taking the same 10 photos of a property they put in the MLS and have them move in different directions to really bad royalty-free music in a video is a fantastic and fancy virtual tour that will bring the buyers.

*rolls eyes*

Do you really expect THAT will entice a potential buyer to take a look at the home?  How does moving the same photos with fancy old school slogans like “welcoming foyer,” “open kitchen,” “cozy, neutral family room” entice a potential buyer to pick up the phone, drive to the house and take time to look at it?

Most people are savvy enough to realize it’s the same pictures you have up on the site.

Sure it’s cost effective.  There’s a service out there that is only $100 a year for unlimited virtual tours that look just like that.  I won’t name names since I don’t believe in that product in any way, shape or form.

More importantly, how much of a disservice is it to use ancient and cheesy tool to market a home?  If a seller is paying 6% or MORE for an agent to sell it, isn’t it pathetic that an agent can’t even give their client something they can be proud of?

Some agents out there get it.

Take Renee Fishman.

I had a great, productive conversation with Renee this week, who is an agent with Halsted Property in New York City.

Renee and her gang get it.

I mentioned to her my thoughts on virtual tours, and see said something that surprised me.  “I’m over virtual tours.  I’ve moved on.”  She told me to check out what she is doing video-wise.

Look at one great example…

People buy more than just that one single house.  They don’t buy just the walls, the foundation, the electrical system.  They buy the neighborhood, they buy the community.  They buy the people.  They buy the feeling that comes with their new hometown.  They buy what they can do on a Saturday afternoon.  They buy what they can walk out their door or drive down the street and do.

And Renee shows it so well.  So well done!

The days of doing business the old way are long gone.  It’s time for you to get with the times.

So how can YOU get started in making your properties stand out?

You don’t need a full blown production company with Sony HD cameras, producers and a host.  (albeit if you want to do that, call me… I want to talk to you!)

But here’s what you CAN do.

Right now, you can jump in your car and run to a local big box store.  For $150, you can pick up a Flip cam, a very easy to use all inclusive video recorder.  You can go to your listing, hit record and give me the same tour you would give a potential buyer right there on the spot.  Upload it on YouTube and put the URL with your listing in the MLS.

And just like that, you’re doing something that NO ONE ELSE in your market is doing.

Buyers are savvy.  They have so many options right now when they’re looking at houses.  How are you going to stand out?  How are you going to put the old sales tactics of years past away and build a relationship with a future buyer online?

Let me know.  I’d love to hear what you’re doing.

Onward!

Since the local auto repair shop chain doesn’t have wifi (I’d rather have wifi than old copies of newspapers, Men’s Health, nasty coffee and a 13″ TV showing reruns of Judge Judy), I walked down the street to a coffee house to get some work done while the auto is serviced.

On the counter of this nice little coffee shop sits 4 different piles of business cards from 4 real estate agents. Each agent is from a different company, representing a nice selection of what’s available professionally in this Northeast Ohio community.

Out of curiosity, I decide to do a little research quickly.

If I were buying a home today and had to choose these 4 agents purely on what I can find on their website, who would I choose?

Let’s start the fun…

Agent #1 from ERA: No website listed. But this agent is nice enough to give me 4 different phone numbers, including a home number, as well as an email address. I don’t want to talk to you yet, I want to search for homes. There even isn’t any information about the agent, but their headshot is huge! If only you could turn the ego off and give me info. I am greedy, I want info and I want it now. Cya. *throws card away*

Agent #2 from Coldwell Banker: She’s cute!! Okay, okay, back to the professional side. She only gives me 3 phone numbers and an email address, and once again NO WEBSITE LISTED! But oh wait, she’s a member of the “Coldwell Banker Chairman’s Club”… whatever the hell that means. Maybe we can get coffee and I can learn about what she loves to do on a Friday night and if she’d like to go on a nice romantic dinner on a boat on Lake Erie, watch the sunset and talk about short sales and their effects on the foreclosure rate in Cuyahoga County, but I wouldn’t buy a house from her. *throws card away*

Agent #3 from Keller Williams Realty: Oh good, a KW agent! They’re smart! I’m biased since I host, write and produce a podcast with the company’s former VP of Research and Development and a market center owner. Very nice card… and a team too! One phone number for each person… which is good, I don’t want to have to hunt you down on the phone. Wooohooo, there’s a website listed!!! Once I reach the website, THERE ISN’T A PLACE FOR ME TO SEARCH FOR HOMES IN THE MULTIPLE LISTING SERVICE!!! Sure I can see their ‘featured properties’ but I’m a greedy mofo, I want it all and I want it NOW! Oh so big fail. No info, no business. *throws card out*

Agent #4 from a local family owned company: What is it with agents giving me 20,000 phone numbers?! I’m not going to hunt you down people and I don’t want to talk to voicemail… that’s so 1998. I’m already turned off from the fact that she attempts to be cute in her slogan using her last name, Kidd. “I’m not KIDDing around! For a serious REALTOR, call..” UGHHHHH!!!!! I want info, not bad humor. Okay, she lists two different websites. One is her company’s website, which would make me wonder why you would want me to step away from your personal brand and go to the company brand, but whatever. The other domain listed is hers connected with her company. It directs me to her personal website. Oh good, I can finally search for a home!!! Albeit I’m already turned off by the slogan, but at least I have the info I need.

I’m a 27 year old small business owner that does business all over the world. Contrary to what my ex-girlfriends may say, I ain’t dumb. I don’t want catchy slogans or home phone numbers. You’re not going to win me over because your company spent $200 on a plaque that says “you sold alot, congrats, now go sell more, we need to keep the lights on.” I want to be able to take your card, get info about you and find homes online anytime, anywhere. If you won’t give it to me, I guarantee there are agents out there that will.

Is this a sign that the industry is that behind on the times? Haven’t agents learned yet that catchy slogans, big headshots, awards/memberships in clubs and 40,000 phone numbers will NOT win me over business? You may be the biggest real estate expert in the area, but I sure can’t tell by the little card you left on the counter. It’s NOT going to win my business.

Save your business cards. Don’t bother.

Thoughts?