Monthly Archives: February 2013

C21, Re/Max and Coldwell Banker most recognized brands | Bedford Corners Real Estate

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Century 21, Re/Max and Coldwell Banker are the most recognized real estate brand names used by brokerages, according to an online survey of U.S. homebuyers and sellers commissioned by Century 21 and conducted by Millward Brown, a global brand research company.

The multiple-choice survey, which polled 1,204 randomly selected U.S. adults who have either bought or sold a home in the past two years or plan to buy or sell a home in the next two years during two separate two-week periods in 2012, showed that 96 percent of respondents had “seen or heard of” Century 21.

Re/Max, Coldwell Banker and Prudential rounded out the top four with 91 percent, 86 percent and 70 percent of respondents, respectively, indicating that they had ever “seen or heard of” the brands.

A similar survey by Millward Brown last year showed Century 21, Re/Max and Coldwell Banker retaining similar leadership positions in brand awareness.

Other brands in the poll, which was conducted Feb. 5-19, 2012, and Aug. 12-26, 2012, were Keller Williams, ERA, Real Living, Realty Executives and Weichert, Realtors.

BrandPercentage who “have ever seen or heard of” the brand
Century 2196%
Re/Max91%
Coldwell Banker86%
Prudential70%
Keller Williams44%
ERA42%
Real Living24%
Weichert, Realtors20%
Realty Executives16%

Source: Millward Brown 2012 real estate brand research study

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This year’s survey marked the first time respondents were asked to identify the “most respected” brand in the real estate industry. Century 21, Re/Max and Coldwell Banker also topped this list.

BrandPercentage who selected the brand as “the most respected in the industry”
Century 2122%
Re/Max17%
Coldwell Banker16%
Prudential12%
Keller Williams11%
Weichert, Realtors8%
Realty Executives8%
Real Living7%
ERA5%

Source: Millward Brown 2012 real estate brand research study

Respondents were also asked how likely they were to recommend one of the leading brands to someone else. Century 21 revealed only whether more or less than 25 percent of respondents would recommend a brand.

Less than 25 percent said they would recommend Coldwell Banker, ERA, Keller Williams, Prudential, Realty Executives or Weichert. More than 25 percent of respondents said they would recommend Century 21 or Re/Max.

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via inman.com

 

Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers: Reasons to Buy | Bedford NY Real Estate

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  • Although the demographics of home buyers often shift to reflect changes in the market, the motivations to make a home purchase are largely constant from year to year. The primary reason to purchase a home remains the desire to own a home of one’s own.
  • Nearly a third of all home buyers cited this as their reason to purchase a home in 2012, and 60 percent of first-time home buyers cited this as their primary reason to buy.
  • Repeat buyers are less likely to be motivated by the desire to simply own their own home and more likely to make a purchase as a result of changing circumstances: both the desire for a larger home and the need to relocate for a job or move were reasons cited most often.
  • Other popular reasons to buy included the desire to be closer to family and friends, as well as a change in family situation.
  • Among age groups of home buyers, there was a clear tendency for younger buyers to be more inclined to buy because of the desire to own a home, while older buyers (those in the 65 and older category) cited the desire to be closer to family and friends and retirement as the primary reasons to buy.

Click chart to view larger version.

 

 

 

via economistsoutlook.blogs.realtor.org

 

First-time Buyers to Pay for FHA’s Financial Crisis | Cross River Realtor

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Facing a financial crisis, FHA is asking first-time buyers to pay for the sins of borrowers who came before them. Increases in FHA mortgage insurance premiums and new, tougher underwriting standards that take effect April 1 will cost new borrowers significantly more than refinancing borrowers who have had an FHA loan four years or longer.

On April 1, FHA ill raise the annual mortgage insurance premium paid by borrowers on most new FHA loans by 10 basis points, or 0.1 percent, which the agency expects will add $13 a month to the average borrower’s monthly payments. FHA will also increase premiums on jumbo mortgages (those $625,500 or bigger) by 5 basis points or 0.05 percent, to 155 basis points — the maximum currently allowed by law. Certain streamline refinance transactions will be excluded from the premium increases, the agency said.

The agency is saddled with as much as $16.3 billion in debt due to defaults on loans it insured as the housing market crashed and is facing the grim possibility of asking Congress for a bail out in the midst of the rancorous debate over the budget deficit.

via realestateeconomywatch.com

Unlocking the Secrets to Finding Great Writers to Produce Your Content | Bedford Realtor

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In an age where content is the new gold standard of web-related and social media marketing; it’s time to start producing great content or find someone who can.Unlocking the secrets to finding great writers to produce your content

Content marketing is part art and part science. It needs to touch hearts and minds.

Anyone can write, the real feat comes not from putting words on paper, but from producing artistically crafted and genuinely interesting pieces of content that evoke a desired emotion from your readers. In Internet marketing, that’s done by creating something informative that leads your customers to a desired action.

Just because anyone has the ability to put words on paper, doesn’t mean they can deliver your message in a concise and convincing manner. Everyone has the ability to write, but that doesn’t mean everyone is a good writer. Quite the contrary, actually. If you’re someone who isn’t confident in your writing ability, it’s time to look for outside help.

But what exactly are you looking for when it comes to hiring a content production specialist?

I get asked this question all the time, so I wanted to take a second to explain exactly what I’m looking for when I’m seeking writing help.

Timeliness

Deadlines are nearly as important as the actual content the writer produces. If you can’t be on time, then you’re just causing more work for me and I can’t have that. I don’t have time to chase you down looking for content that I assigned a week ago and I’m sure most business owners feel the same way.

Voice

A good writer has a definitive voice. In short, you can typically tell they wrote something by their style and delivery. I tend to avoid generic content writers as they are a dime a dozen. I’m looking for something distinctive in a writer’s delivery and ability to tell a story. This writer stands out from the pack by being creative, unique and a cut above the rest.

It’s a hard characteristic to describe, but you’ll know it when you see it.

Adaptability

Writing academic papers might require a more fact-driven and dry approach than producing blog content. A good writer knows how to differentiate the two. Good writers are able to adapt their voice and style based on where the content is being published. Bad writers carry the same style across all formats and this doesn’t really lend itself to producing content across multiple channels. They might be great at blogging, but you’ll need a second writer to produce whitepapers, e-books or research papers.

I typically like writers who are adaptable enough to create content across multiple channels as well as in different formats.

Research

The best content uses statistics or facts to drive home the point the writer is trying to convey. Does your writer use numbers or facts in his writing? If it looks like the writer could open up Word and write the article without referencing anything, the content generally isn’t up to the standard we’re looking for. We want someone who can research any topic in order to produce a great piece of content.

Obviously they aren’t going to be experts at everything, but you won’t be able to tell based on their writing alone.

Availability

I don’t want a writer who is booked solid weeks in advance. I need someone that has the flexibility to deliver content when I need it. We’re not talking about placing unreasonable demands on time, but a 500-word blog post isn’t something I want to wait a week for. If the writer can’t turn around most short projects within 48 hours or so, I tend to move on to those who can. This is one of the most profound arguments for hiring professional, full-time writers rather than hobbyists and those that use content as a means to derive a second form of income.

Finding writers isn’t easy, and finding good writers is exponentially harder. It’s much easier to retain a good writer once you have him, than it is to find another one once he moves on to greener pastures. Find yourself a writer that produces above average content and do whatever it takes to keep him happy. In the age of content marketing, it’s a writer’s world; we’re just living in it.

Guest Author : Chris Warden, CEO of Spread Effect, a leading content marketing and publishing house company.

 

 

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via jeffbullas.com