Comments on: Look at me ! Look at me !

By: Alistair Helm

Alistair Helm — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 01:11:18 +0000

Tania

We provide both a weekly email to your office of all data on listings, but more importantly produce exactly the same data as open2view on all listings which is permanently accessible on the site – showing the dynamic day-by-day level of viewings and origin of viewers. This is accessed by clicking the link at the “listing viewed xx times” at the top right of all listings.

This initiative was launched to the site back in May and detailed in this blog post.

We have received great positive feedback from this data visibility since then.

By: Tania Mayo

Tania Mayo — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:58:42 +0000

Open2View send me a wonderfully comprehensive email every monday morning with the past week’s activities on the properties I have available to view on their site. It shows not only the number of viewers but where in the world they are viewing from and what criteria they were searching when they viewed (ie price band, location, no of brms etc).
I know this is probably available from realestate.co as well but I don’t have time to go looking for it on a weekly basis for each listing. An automated service such as Open2View provides, that allows me to pass on so much more info to my client quickly and easily, might be a turning point in making the decision to show addresses!

By: Alistair Helm

Alistair Helm — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 23:44:47 +0000

Tania,

This is exactly what I was hoping for – the value of the blog is a respectful interchange of views and opinions.

As to your point, clearly you have a professional service to offer your client – that being the seller of the property and as such is your primary focus. You need to be able to show success (or at least feedback) – I guess what I am sharing here is a perspective that the measure of success in terms of tracking before the final sale is changing and the weighting of telephone calls as compared to website viewings and email enquiries is changing and this may be an education you need to share with sellers so that you manage their expectations of you.

As a prospective buyer – the fact that I don’t (I am of course speaking hypothetically) telephone you is not that I am disinterested – it is just that I am not yet ready or have no need to talk to you – when I am ready (when I have completed my research of the market) then I will contact you and potentially be further down the track to be able to negotiate a purchase.

As ever interested in your feedback.

By: Tania Mayo

Tania Mayo — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 23:32:14 +0000

No one seems to be asking the question “why don’t Real Estate companies show addresses?” The answer in our office, and serious thought has been given to showing addresses, is that in this market, the serious enquirer will ring to find out the address on a property. This call is our first opportunity, and may be our only opportunity to touch base with this buyer, tell them not only what they want to know but ask questions and tell them more. Our vendors also give more weight to numbers of phone enquiries than they do to number of hits on the internet sites – especially when they have been checking out their property on line every other day and adding to the number of hits!

By: Alistair Helm

Alistair Helm — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 10:00:30 +0000

Bev,

Whilst I appreciate that the data is self evident – the objectivity of having the information presented through authoritative channels hopefully adds weight to the importance of all agents acting in the best interests of their clients to present this information.

I apologise for using this blog to attempt to demonstrate to a section of the real estate industry what I think most buyers (and by default – sellers) know. However your comment and those of other who read this (and comment or not) will only go some way to help everyone – the industry to present more comprehensive, pertinent information, the sellers, whose property gets presented in the most effective manner and lastly this and other websites that grow in relevance with richer, more relevant information.

By: Alistair Helm

Alistair Helm — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 09:55:06 +0000

Andrew,

I read this today (I took a day off from reading blogs on Saturday)and have spent a fair amount of time reading other commentary from the UK especially. I have to say I think it is a salutatory piece of reporting as Bernard says he is naturally an optimist, but when it comes to this he is a little bit nervous I think.

By: Bev

Bev — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 05:37:35 +0000

It wasn’t really necessary to crunch the data. Just ask buyers what they look for in a real estate ad. The answer is the same: Price, Position, Picture. I can’t be bothered phoning agents (who are never in their office anyway)if they make the location and price such a big secret. I’m too busy looking at other agents’ ads which allow me to immediately decide whether the property is a possibility or not.

By: Andrew Burns

Andrew Burns — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 04:11:58 +0000

Have you read this?

http://www.interest.co.nz/ratesblog/index.php/2008/10/03/opinion-how-a-catastrophic-collapse-scenario-might-play-out/

Considering real estate seems to be on the brink of a major correction, and your banner reads,

Topical, informative and relevant comments and stories related to the real estate industry that hopefully will inform and provoke debate and comment.

What is your opinion on this Alistair? and on the recent discussion from Bernard Hickey and Dr. Morgon seen in the media?