The road to killer
The Davison Files
By Marc Davison, Tuesday, July 15, 2008.
Author's note: This year, as in the past, I'm moderating several sessions at Real Estate Connect. If you've not yet registered, take the time to do so -- it's going to be a great show. One session is titled "Building a killer brokerage in a Web 2.0 world." I'm devoting this article to what that means to me.
Register for Connect SF '08 Now!
What is a 'Web 2.0 world'?
We've all read the O'Reilly manifesto. It's deep, comprehensive and defines how millions of people interact online. Most have no sense of what folksonomy, long tail, open source, and Ajax on Rails are or mean. Nevertheless, these things have changed the way they interact with each other forever.
Perhaps it is simple curiosity that propels most people into social engagement on the Web. Or the challenge of figuring out something new. Or maybe it's a desire to be part of a phenomenon.
Real estate people, on the other hand, are more practical. And at times stubborn. Maybe a bit too much for their own good.
But let's face it. Some of what's popular about Web 2.0, while arguably cool, is a bit silly. I get Facebook. But then again, I've never written on someone's wall. What's the point in that? And the notion that I have more than 500 friends is a tad dishonest. And Twitter. Yes, I have an account. But the volume of utter nonsense that streams into it is deafening. And for most agents, Twitter's a game that has no measure of return on it.
So what is it about this quirky Web 2.0 that so many are drawn to? What, if any parts of it, can real estate use to build that "killer brokerage"? We're going to dig into this in my session next week, but for now let's get started on …
The road to killer
I've isolated five elements of Web 2.0 that pertain to this endeavor. Nail these and you're good to go.
Design: Think curb appeal. Picture that carefully manicured front lawn. And the unencumbered path that points guests to the front door. That's your home page.
Web 2.0 design is an aesthetic that instinctively creates purpose. It distills a sense of invitation to the site. Specific colors transmit activity. Connectivity. Empowerment. Those oranges, greens and blues throw off a ray of fun. Excitement. Youth. It's an appeal that invites and welcomes.
Real estate, however, still clings to a Reagan-era palette tied to logos developed before there was such a thing as research and marketing.
Web 2.0 design is something that can take your worn-out broker brand and pop it with freshness. If you think your marketplace will be confused by a logo and design redo … ask Lennox Scott if it affected his company when he did it 20 years ago. Better yet, I'll do it for you. He's on the panel.
Navigation: You may understand terms like "MLS." And "exclusive properties." The user, however, does not. What does "exclusive" mean anyway? Does it mean I need to be special to view it?
Web 2.0 navigation is simple. Like one entry point to search. Not 10.
Like "Contact Me" offering a dozen ways to make contact. Not one form where I get to tell you how to reach me but you still don't tell me how to reach you. A killer navigator guides people down a clean and simple path. A killer brokerage is one that does that online as well as offline.
Copy: This is also simple in the Web 2.0 world. Unencumbered by saccharine odes to the home and ham-handed hucksterism. It's not long and winding, whistling its own Dixie. And it never tries to take ownership of what it can't guarantee. You don't get to tell me you're my "Realtor for life." You don't own that right, just like Apple doesn't own the right to sell connectivity even though most of its products are built to create it. They cannot guarantee connectivity. But they own "Twice as Fast -- Half the Price."
Killer copy. It's short. To the point. And tells it like it is without sap. And it takes ownership of only those things you can own.
Content: Web 2.0 content is original. Meaningful. Opinionated. Fresh. And topical. If your copy is written by others, and cloned over and over on hundreds of sites … well that's simply not killer. I'm sorry but I don't believe that a "Home Buyer's Guide" should be the same for a site in Santa Barbara and for one in Stockton.
Killer is real content. Written by the people in your company. It taps the brains of your agents who know the community better than any technology ever can. And it leverages that knowledge. A killer brokerage deals with issues. And isn't afraid to publish content that is truthful. Like telling sellers they will never sell their home if they price it too high. That's killer.
Conversation: Lets face it: Few of us are mired in endless debate over the merits of Euripides and his progressive portrayal of the intelligent woman versus those of Aeschylus and Sophocles, his counterparts who together made up the trilogy of great tragedians of classical Athens.
Most conversation is simple. Sometimes even trivial. Regardless, people have a dire need to converse. A killer brokerage gets itself in the center of that conversation -- especially if it's about the community. Brokerages have scripted a tragedy of their own these past 10 years by distancing themselves from the conversation by virtue of Web 1.0. The consumer went somewhere else. But they are still conversing. Trulia Voices proves that. A killer brokerage should own the voices of its own community.
A killer brokerage in a Web 2.0 world
A killer brokerage is one that inspires oneness. Internally with its independent agents and externally with its customers. It's a culture.
Picture the Yankees. A team of independent free agents. But when they put on the pinstripes and step out onto the field they become one. Better than many other teams. That's what I mean by killer.
I will be moderating this panel of killer people that includes: Guy Wolcott of Sawbuck Realty; Henry Shao of Movoto Real Estate; Lennox Scott of John L. Scott Real Estate ;and Matt Fagioli of Diamond Dwellings.
Come join me. Take part in the conversation. Tell me who your favorite ancient Greek playwright was. And get on the road to killer.
Marc Davison is a partner at 1000watt Consulting. He can be reached at marc@1000wattconsulting.com.
***
What's your opinion? Leave your comments below or send a letter to the editor. To contact the writer, click the byline at the top of the story.
All rights reserved. This article may not be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever, in part or in whole, without written permission of Inman News. Use of this article without permission is a violation of federal copyright law.
Bookmarking Sites
Add A Comment
You must login or register to post a comment.
Submitted by Matt Fagioli on July 15, 2008 - 12:56pm.
Marc,
Can't wait for SF Connect.
Your commentary always puts certain elements into words that make great sense. Most of these ideas are things we're actually doing -- yet the ability to articulate them often escapes me!
You really have a gift.
Matt Fagioli
Diamond Dwellings Realty
http://www.diamonddwellings.com
678.279.4707
Submitted by Jeff Manson on July 15, 2008 - 2:17pm.
Marc,
You make some great points! We are in the process of redesigning a couple sites and have implemented allot of what wrote about.
Jeff Manson
American Dream Realty
46 Hoolai St.
Kailua, Hawaii 96734
808-792-7040
Personal: Hawaii real estate agent
Company: Hawaii real estate search
Submitted by Catherine Read on July 15, 2008 - 2:19pm.
I second Matt's recognition of your gift of articulation. Keep saying it every way you can think of to say it. One of the difficulties in discussing ideas, especially new ideas, is giving people a vocabulary to use so they can be part of the conversation. Your clarity of thought and your ability to convey a concept are tremendous assets in your writing that benefit your readers. You will be a great moderator for SF Connect!
Submitted by John Rowles on July 15, 2008 - 2:32pm.
You nailed it: A lot of it is silly, but that's not an excuse to stick your head in the sand and ignore the more powerful forces driving Web 2.0.
I also like what you said about changing the culture, which is at the heart of my frustration with getting brokers to drive through the organization the changes in attitude and habits that is required, in addition to the technology, to make Web 2.0 work in Real Estate.
Have fun in SF. I wish I could be there.
John Rowles
Managing Director
MainRhode - Google-powered IDX Search
www.mainrhode.com
Submitted by RK Ruthman on July 15, 2008 - 2:35pm.
Just an observation:
Lately, "the killer instict" of some real estate professionals has gotten almost Polar Bearish (pun intended for this market). Like the Polar Bear, many real estate professionals careers are on thin ice due to the mortgage meltdowns, and the hot-topic of foreclosures. This being said, memberships to the NAR has decreased in number.
Some agents do not have it in them to take "the road to killer" because it is easier to to take "the path" wishing the competition would just drop dead".
Submitted by Scott LeForce on July 15, 2008 - 3:40pm.
When the student is ready, the teacher will appear. As usual, great job Marc. See you there.
Submitted by Marc Davison on July 15, 2008 - 3:53pm.
Thanks guys for the kind comments.
I want to add here that there is much I omitted from this article that requires consideration and discussion. For instance, building a killer brokerage also involves making profit which not automatically associated with one's immediate sense of what web 2.0 is about.
Some of things that warrant conversation are what elements of Web 1.0 that are critical to real estate can be brought into a 2.0 model that serves a brokerages most important need - acquiring customers. You knows, things such as lead generation. Where and how and does it that play in this new world?
Marc
1000Watt Consulting
Turn On!
Submitted by REALonomics .net on July 15, 2008 - 4:58pm.
Marc - The "quirky" and "aesthetic" world of 2.0, while leading many of us down exciting paths of business model exploration "offline" and "online," clearly contains some "silly" stuff that might be serving as a deterrent to real world brokerage modeling...one with sustained profit, predictable ROI and streamlined consumer-centric delivery models...all without slight of hand or maintenance nightmares.
How many of us actually have time to nurse our LinkedIn, Twitter, FaceBook, Zillow and YouTube accounts and the host of other pseudo 2.0 tools that are supposedly connecting us? I don't know about you, but I'm worn out and dizzy.
You're right! The "Killer" brokerage is one that can truly deliver value-centered solutions to people in language you have called "simple" and "trivial." Trivial simplicity is just keenly directed and meaningful exchanges that actually present value propositions to participants and ultimatel lead to business transactions in an open world.
What a great opportunity we have in front of us as Web 2.0 preps and tutors us in the new language of openess! Once we get past newness and being cool, there is a wealth of business modeling we can use to renovate the industry, starting with our own companies.
That "Killer Panel" should deliver some interesting and even frightening content for us all to ponder. Looking forward to your post RE Connect reports.
NICE WORK!!!
www.REALonomics.net
Submitted by Richard Soto on July 15, 2008 - 6:00pm.
"Design: Think curb appeal." Love that!
Thanks for the very informative article, its hard work to stay cutting edge and ahead of the competition.
Site: Dallas real estate agent
Blog: Texas real estate Blog
Submitted by Daniel Rothamel, Inman Community Manager on July 15, 2008 - 6:52pm.
This is a great opening salvo in the battle to revolutionize the industry.
One aspect that I think deserves mention (and it won't surprise anyone that it comes from me) is the notion of community.
IMHO, the killer brokerage of the future will have built a very strong community around its brand. It will have a community of raving fans that recommend its services and agents to everyone they meet, and cringe at the thought of using another brokerage. It will bring together its clients and customers in a way that is meaningful not just to the brokerage, but to the people it serves.
You mentioned the Yankees. I'm talking about Red Sox Nation or the Green Bay Cheeseheads.
http://www.RealEstateZebra.com
Submitted by Marc Davison on July 15, 2008 - 10:02pm.
On that great note Daniel, I cite brands like Apple that have built a relationship so strong with its customers it borders on being a cult. This is the final frontier for real estate and a difficult one for a brokerage especially tenured ones with many independent agents. One can argue that this might be an impossible hurdle.
However, what is exciting is watching the newcomers to see if they can pull it off. I am especially interested in BH&GRE because these guys are talking the brand talk like no one else and unlike anyone else they have a chance to pull this off by starting from scratch - no baggage and the added bonus of the BH&G torch that is so well entrenched in the consumers mind.
These are interesting and exciting times.
Marc
1000Watt Consulting
Turn On!
Submitted by Hanh Brown on July 16, 2008 - 4:27am.
Hanh Dang Brown
http://www.investorsloungeonline.com/
How exciting to be in the millennium and be given the opportunity to embrace tools, technologies, interaction, opportunities; all of which can define your own brand/identity and yet share a common forum/blogs across with other agents/bloggers.
Submitted by Steve Simon on July 16, 2008 - 7:59am.
The newest folk on the planet do not operate in the same fashion as the older inhabitants. My nephew, the English Lit. Prof. at St. Leo College in Florida, tells me his paper for his PHD was on the very different new folk. he says, my nephew Lee, that the new folk have an attention span one fourth the length of my generation's span. Further, the length of written material of any nature will continue to decrease because of this shortened attention span. Distraction will continue to rise, information will be more on an opt in delivery rather than force fed, and (but by now the younger folk have stopped reading this as they get bored very quickly so what I write no longer matter :)
If the answer to a complex problem is very simple, it is usually incomplete...
Steve Simon is the lead instructor at the Steve Simon School of Real Estate www.stevesimon.us
Submitted by Marc Davison on July 16, 2008 - 1:42pm.
In this regard, I believe a killer brokerage can own their space by supply the simple backed by a comprehensive brokerage of service providers to handle the deep thinking for the consumer.
Marc
1000Watt Consulting
Turn On!