Comments on: Why, Oh Why Do You Send Me Such Things?

By: Jon Griffith

Jon Griffith — Mon, 26 May 2008 20:03:13 +0000

E-mail is dead, in my opinion. The best way for me to get my information is to subscribe to it. If you intend to market through e-mail, you will, as consistently as the recipient tries to stop the mail, be looking for ways to make sure that they get it, and that’s a complete waste of time.

E-mail marketing campaigns, in order to be effective at all, need to be targeted campaigns focused on specific criteria. It also needs to be of value to the recipient. Nobody wants junk in their mail, and most people don’t have time to sift through what seems to be junk to find that diamond in the rough.

If I’m looking for a property for my client, I start with the MLS. If your property isn’t in the MLS, then perhaps you aren’t really a REALTOR, in which case, I’m not so sure I want to do business with you, unless choosing not to do so isn’t in the best interest of my client.

If I want specific information in this day and age, I go to the feed. I don’t rely on e-mail for anything more than specific, targeted communication designed to respond to the recipient’s previous request for information. If I send out any blanket e-mails, I always provide a way for the recipient to opt out.

RSS Feeds solve the problem of receiving crap in the inbox. When I want information about an area, I subscribe to the feed. When I want to know if someone posts a comment on this comment thread, I subscribe to the feed. I don’t mark the “send me an e-mail every time someone posts” checkbox on anything as long as there is a feed to monitor. That way, my feed reader can keep track of what I have and have not read, and I don’t have to fill up my mailbox with absolute useless junk.

I was recently added to some e-flyer database and I began receiving those idiotic flyers and I hadn’t initiated contact with the company to begin with. GRRRRR! No bueno.

By: Eric- New Orleans Condos and Lofts

Eric- New Orleans Condos and Lofts — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 23:49:31 +0000

I do not like getting most e-mails of properties from most realtors. However there are some very creative ones that I enjoy looking at. I do read them if its something of interest. To have no photos and decent copy is a disserive to the seller. In a way You should be glad we have some competitors like that since it means more business for us.

By: Melina Tomson

Melina Tomson — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 21:32:10 +0000

I never understand sellers that hire people like this…don’t they realize that they have choices?

I love my delete button.

By: Glenn fm Naples

Glenn fm Naples — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 22:23:14 +0000

Matt – glad you posted the questions. I don’t mind getting e-mails announcing a new listing – I could have missed it from the hot sheet.
What I do dislike is just listed email from some real agent or real estate brokerage thousands of miles from their market! Guess with the cost of e-mail lists the agents or brokerage can justify the cost of acquisition of the list by sending to everyone on the list? However, imagine the seller hearing during the listing presentation “I send an e-mail announcement of your home to 50,000 real estate agents. Now, can another real estate agent beat that type of promotion?” LOL
Unfortunately today, the accuracy of the information is not as good as it could be and often times, the very information lacking could affect the DOM.

By: John Lauber

John Lauber — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 22:08:22 +0000

I’m with you on this one Matt. Now there’s a new “service” that will blast everyone in surrounding states. I’m in PA, they’re in NJ. I guess they want my referral since I’m not licensed there? As if I wasn’t getting enough of these things already, I need to get your Sunday open house announcement from NJ.

Full disclosure, I did use one of these services once. I regretted it, knowing CAN-SPAM, etc., and knowing how I feel about receiving them. Similarly, I’m not sure how the paper fliers are worth anything either. The trash can over the weekend gets filled by agents stopping in the office. I’m not sure how this archaic practice still sells homes (if it does). If my client search finds your home, I’ll show it. If my broker tour has your house on the list, I may be stopping by to see it. I think it’s a seller thing. The listing agent can say, “Look how technology savvy I am as I can email all the agents in the area about your listing.” And then they can forward the email to their seller. The seller thinks “wow”, while the agent that actually sells the house didn’t even see the email because it went to their junk folder, but they did find it on their MLS search for their client.

Like Danilo said. Some people just don’t get it on the details and lack of photos.

By: Danilo Bogdanovic

Danilo Bogdanovic — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 18:58:24 +0000

I used to work for a team that sent out email blasts every time someone had a new listing and when there was a price adjustment on any of the listings. The thing I heard most often from other agents was “You’re on that team that spams me with emails about their listings!”

As for the missing information…I guess some people just don’t get it.

By: Nick Bostic

Nick Bostic — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 16:33:18 +0000

I’m on the email list of an agent for a development that I am seriously interested in. She sent out a PDF flyer (annoyed already) of the last house to sell. I looked it over multiple times before finally emailing her and saying “Maybe I just missed it, but I didn’t see a price, bed/bath count or square footage. Did I overlook something?” The response was “Nope, here is the info you requested.”

Is it just me or are these things no-brainers if you want to move a listing?

By: Matthew Rathbun

Matthew Rathbun — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 16:06:18 +0000

Julie – I happen to think that MLS shouldn’t allow listings in MLS without a photo, but what do I know!?!?

At a minimum agents should remember that MLS is usually a database. If I do a search for homes over 2000 square feet and your listing matches all other criteria and maybe over 3000 square feet – but if you leave that field as zero or empty, it won’t come up.

By: Julie Emery

Julie Emery — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:17:53 +0000

The percentage of properties with no or one photo, no measurements and no school info is astonishing. In a tough market it’s actually rising! I understand that agents listing REOs and short sales are often choosing to work for a lower commission to work in volume. But do the banks and the sellers of these properties understand what bad service they’re getting?!

You’d think basic professionalism would require some minimum standards of information provided!

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Thu, 24 Apr 2008 14:59:12 +0000

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