Tweezers, Belonging, and Entrepreneurism

June 1st, 2011

Came across a quote in the book Raising Eyebrows: a failed entrepreneur finally gets it right http://amzn.to/mAUDGG which I thought was excellent.

“This, I think, is the essential key to entrepreneur-ism.  When you really believe it sets off a chain reaction.  Your manufacturer believes.  Your employees believe.  You customers believe.  It’s a virtual orgy of belief.  It transforms us and awakens in us something greater and more profound than ourselves.  It is this exhilaration in the process of achieving collective belief that drives me to be an entrepreneur.”

In the book Buying In: what we buy and who we are http://amzn.to/lZ4idK a similar message was echoed.  We like to be individuals, but also want to belong to something that is bigger than ourselves.

Within these two quotes lies the basis of branding, marketing and sales.

 

 

 

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Nascar, Bus Driver, and Customer Service

May 28th, 2011

I was fixing the weed trimmer, which is a common occurrence, when one of the kids bus drivers pulled up. First thought was, what has one of my darling children done wrong now. The bus driver had a Nintendo DSI in his hand so I unbristled a bit. Bus driver said another child had taken my childs DSI and he thought he would bring it by. Good thing he knew were we lived.

Bus driver told story of what had happened, then looked up street with a quizical look, as if remembering something. Bus driver said used to coach one of the neighbors in the quarter league. From what I could understand, quarter league is the eqvuialent of little league Nascar racing. Names I recognized like Mario Andrettii, and Ryan Newman were spoken, I may be incorrect with the names since I am not very familar with NASCAR. Bus driver even said he introduced Andretti to Newman after running into him on an airplane. Said he even coached Ryan Newman in the quarter league.

I began to frame this chance encounter as a business transaction. I would see the bus driver in the morning picking up my child, but had never talked to this person. A real person with an incredible life story. A person who went above and beyond call of duty to to return a lost DSI.

I then formulated some conclusions on customer service.

1. You never know who a future prospective client or tennant may be. Be careful of who you may piss off and dismiss.
2. Everyone has a backstory of events that got them to this place in life that has shaped there perspective. Discovering aspects of that story, will assist in writing a new story with you and client/tennant as the plot.
3. Always go above and beyond what is expected.

Look around, it’s easy to dismiss people that you see everyday. They have a life story that is worth telling. Listen, share, and learn!

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Barbara Corcoran, Dopamine, and Advertising

May 6th, 2011

It is theorized that the brain can handle “11 million bits of information per second (11mbps) from sensory sources but conscious thought can handle no more than 40 bits per second”

To handle all this input, the brain tries to fill in known images, kind of like server caching, or a continuous Google Image search. The same analogy applies to human behavior. We are creatures of habit, and like to follow similar routines.

If you’ve stuck with me this long, this is where advertising comes into play. in the book Buying In it states that when we buy something that we consider different or unusual, we get a dopamine boost. Dopamine is the brain chemical associated with good feelings. Conversely, we also get a dopamine boost, when we buy or find something that we consider a really good deal.

It is also not unusual that purchases are made on a more emotional than rational level. In the Real Estate and property portal realm the same principal can apply. If searching for housing, when a house or rental property is found that’s considered unusual by the prospective tenant or buyer, a little boost of dopamine may be released. Advertising and the syndication of listings places the listings in many different venues allowing greater exposure for the prospective buyer to discover the listing.

Barbara Corcoran said it best in her book Shark Tales Everybody wants, what everyone else wants.

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Top 3 Trends for Student Housing in 2011

January 1st, 2011

Can’t believe it’s been over a year since our last blog post…

So for our first Post of 2011, I’m going to take a look into the future and see what trends might be occurring in  Student Housing

1. Health of the Student Housing Market.

All signs are pointing to a healthy and stable year.  The number of students enrolled in 2008 was the highest it has been in 40 years. The number of people attending college also is being bolstered by the economic downturn and people seeking job retraining.  Another interesting trend is more woman are now attending college than men. An article from late last May states that Renting in a college town can be very profitable..

2. Economic Downturn Prospects

This is a problem that is going to have long term implications,  in both tuition and housing.  The debt load that many students are carrying is very high, and tuition costs are continually climbing.  The debt load is of course higher for some professions as the entry level requirements require post graduate degrees.  Many are also seeking post graduate degrees to gain a competitive edge in a tough job market.  An interesting development is sites such as http://greennote.com/ http://http://scholarmatch.org and http://sponsormydegree.com allow for students to solicit donations.  Another cost cutting trend is people renting out rooms to help offset the cost of their mortgages.

3. The Boomer Effect

A report from NPR mentions that up to 40% of Boomers are going to continue working past age 65 allowing for more Boomers to financially assist there kids.   A trend that has grown stronger over the last 2 years has been Boomers buying houses near a college campus for there kids or a second residence for Gameday Weekends. Another reason may be college towns economically have weathered the economic downturn better than other areas.

Overall, indicators are pointing to the student housing market remaining strong in 2011.

What are your thoughts, let us know in the comments section below or on our Facebook or Twitter pages.

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Real Estate and Wine

December 19th, 2009

Recently while reading Entrepreneur Magazine, I read an article on a specific Brewery in Colorado.  There was also a photo of the Breweries Tasting Room.  This sparked the thought, how can a Real Estate listing on a web site offer an experience not unlike a Tasting Room in a Brewery in more of a digital format.

In a sense, the idea of a Digital Tasting Room is already occurring, but in many different ways on multiple web sites.  The bigger sites such as Trulia have added a mountain of information ranging fom neighborhoods to local statistical information.

Google has also added many excellent features to it’s mapping capabilities. It has recently added better aerial images and a capability to rotate the aerial image.

An article from the December 6, 2009 edition of the Chicago Tribune mentioned Laura Reedy Stukel, a Realtor who has put a lot of work into a blog and web site to feature a single house. Stukel also created a blog for the house that covers details such as kitchen features, energy efficient windows, and links to building product manufacturers. The energy efficiency and “Green” aspects of the house were also featured.

Maybe one day virtual walkthroughs will be common in a manner similar to Second Life. Open Houses, and Showings still cannot be duplicated in a digital environment, yet.

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Social Media and Technology – How to keep up

November 22nd, 2009

At a recent Real Estate Bar Camp in Indianapolis and a Virtual Real Estate Bar Camp many of the topics for sessions centered around Social Media, Video, and technology oriented subjects.

So, how do you stay on top of cutting edge technology and social media without feeling irrelevant.

1. Think of technology as a tool not a means to an end.

Technology does not do the networking, it is only the infrastructure in which it is done.  Social media does make it easier to connect in greater numbers, but it is does not provide the humanity behind the message.

Social media is undoubtedly, an excellent way to connect, but how to start.  Find a friend, a co-worker, family member who uses it and see how they are using it.  Dive-in and experiment, it doesn’t take long to develop your own social media voice and style.

2. Everyone else is doing it.

The tried and true shouldn’t be discarded off-hand.  Business cards are still being used even though they are paper-based.  Social media and technology are simply new ways in which to connect.

3. What are ways to keep up technologically

One of the simplest ways is to simply play.  Mobile computing is becoming a big platform for internet usage.  Start playing around with texting, surfing the mobile web, and using location based tools such as shopping.  Many fascinating applications are being developed for the iPhone  such as this augmented search application..  Pointing the iPhone in any direction shows information on apartments within a specified distance.

Exploring every new cutting edge technology is very difficult, time consuming, and impossible to do.  Exploring web sites such as the ones below every few days helps to keep up on cutting edge technology.  The secret to staying up to date is not exploring every new technology, but knowing the capabilities of some of the new technologies and exploring the select ones that look interesting for your specific needs.

- TechCrunch

- Mashable

- KillerStartups

- DownloadSquad

- Slashdot

The best way to deal with technology and social media, is play, try it out, and make use of the specific technology that works for you.

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Grand Opening

November 19th, 2009

Whenever I think of the premier of an event or show I always think of the theme song to Bugs Bunny.

Bugs Bunny Overture

Overture, curtains, lights
This is it, the night of nights
No more rehearsing and nursing a part
We know every part by heart
Overture, curtains, lights
This is it, you’ll hit the heights
And oh what heights we’ll hit
On with the show this is it

Tonight what heights we’ll hit
On with the show this is it

So it is without any more delay that we announce the “Grand Opening” of CampusHomesOnline.com

All Campuses. One Site. Housing U.

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Real Estate and the Mobile Web

October 4th, 2009

A recent Nielsen Report indicated that mobile web usage was up 34% over July 2008. In comparison teens usage of texting was at 84% with picture sharing at 55%.

Many Real Estate listing web sites have either developed mobile web sites or have iPhone Applications such as Redfin and Trulia .

In an article from the Arizona Daily Star on September 20, 2009, discussed a new subscription based mobile service that allows users to “search listings, pre-qualify for loans, call up title reports and even submit offers, all by cell phone”. The service is currently only available in Las Vegas and Phoenix.

Through Twitter I have observed Realtors such as @mayaREguru use a mobile platform to post information about her open house’s and use a photo sharing site to share photos of the listing.

When looking at listings, a cell phone could be used to take photos of the listing and upload the pictures to a photo sharing site for viewing by friends and family. Text messaging, and social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook could also be used in a similar manner to share information about the listing.

It is apparent that the mobile web is a powerful tool for Realtors to use.

How do you use the mobile web…let us know in the comments below or comment on our Facebook Page.

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What Amenities are Most Importat

September 19th, 2009

What amenities do people look for when they hunt for rental housing?

An article from the September 17,  2009 Chicago Tribune ( http://twurl.nl/zgj6es ) mentioned that some colleges and universities are building or new apartments being built near campuses with luxury amenities to attract undergrads.  Some of the perks mentioned are maid service, 47 inch flat screen TV’s, and an internet based notification system when your laundry is fully dried.

An article from the Wall Street Journal ( http://twurl.nl/lyhvxb ) dated September 15, 2009, indicated that undergrads enjoyed perks like tanning beds, even in schools located in a sunny climates.

The South Bend Tribune on August 16, 2009, did a story on how Notre Dame students were favoring the new apartments which offered flat screen TV’s, fitness centers, with some even having fireplaces.

Does the trend of  luxurious amenities continue into adulthood?  Based on the last six months of searches at http://www.apartments.com the top amenities being searched for were:

  1. Washer and Dryer in Unit
  2. Pets (alllowed)
  3. Air Conditioning

What amenities are you or your clients seeking when searching for rental housing?

Let us know in the comments below…

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Game Day Rental Interest Increases

September 7th, 2009

More and more people are making tighter decisions with their money. If we can save some money while still having fun, that’s a huge bonus! Around Notre Dame, businesses are seeing in increase in game day rentals, instead of opting for a hotel room. Read the full story at WNDU

http://www.wndu.com/localnews/headlines/56391492.html

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