Over the years, I’ve perfected my formula for how I sell and market real estate in Southern California. I’ve been through a lot, and have experienced all of the ups, downs and mistakes that have helped shape me into who I am today.
Although I am only 34 years old, keep in mind… I have been doing this since I was a teenager. I was licensed at 19 years old just out of high school and I started apprenticing when I was a little under 18 years old.
I’ve Learned What Works and What Doesn’t
I’ve spent a ton of money and a lot of time doing things which I later learned were either a waste of money or a waste of time. I know I’m not the only one who hates to put time into something that is unproductive.
So I’ve spent the last few years really maximizing the value that I provide in marketing houses, and I’ve been getting amazing results. With the advent of social media, my strategy has enhanced to the point where I feel confident that every time I list a home, it will get incredible traction.
Each Home is a Product
I personally believe in building the story and the brand around each home that I list as a potential property. You wouldn’t buy designer clothes on Rodeo Drive and look through a dusty catalog of high end clothes!
Instead, the stores create an experience. They are expertly arranged so that each clothing item is strategically placed to attract the most sales. It keeps the products on brand.
Each house is a product. After being on Bravo for ten years, I also use my personal brand to leverage the sale of each home that I sell, which increases it’s exposure tenfold.
So how do I make the most of each listing?
The Most Important Thing Is Getting the Price Right
First, I do something that a lot of agents are reluctant to do. I work with my clients to price their homes appropriately.
You can market a house with all the ad spend in the world, but it won’t make a difference unless you are pricing the home correctly.
This is what a lot of agents are reluctant to do. Pricing at the correct amount instead of trying to appeal to the seller’s inflated numbers is what I do best. I’m blunt, direct, and honest.
The more accurately the property is priced, the faster it will sell.
Once we’ve got a price set then I do the obvious and list it on the MLS.
Then, I work with the seller to create a bidding war, which after years of practice I know that having a property priced too high, means no one will give it their attention. However, having your property priced appropriately, means that multiple people will be interested, which results in rising prices as buyer’s compete.
How I Market Homes
The way I market homes is like marketing products.
I get prospects to fall in love with your property on the smartphone screens first which creates the desire for people to see it in person.
By creating a demand for each house as its own unique property, I make the desire for the house irresistible. As people see the listings appear on social media they see that the open house is like a social event that entices them to want to go socialize and potentially get the house of their dreams.
Each house is marketed individually, and this ensures that it will stand out, and that you will get the most possible chances to sell your home.
I've Mastered Direct Mail
A lot of people (including me) feel that direct mail is a waste of time for most agents, however I’ve mastered it over the past decade.
The key to direct mail is repetition.
The problem is that most agents don’t have the spending power to compete with someone in my position. I don’t just send a mailer each time I sell a home, I send them repeatedly to the same locations. In fact, my mailers go from the beach all the way to Los Feliz, twice per month.
That means that all of these households are seeing your property and will be aware that it is on the market. They may be looking to sell and upgrade, or downsize into something smaller.
This strategy has worked really well for me throughout my career.
I Have an Established Presence in the LA Times
A lot of my clients enjoy the physical process of reading the paper. A morning cup of coffee and a fresh copy of the LA Times start their days like clockwork. Since this is still true (even in 2018) I place a lot of ads, which have a high success rate.
I differ from most people advertising in the LA Times in that I make the most of each ad.
I get the double page, full-color ad, which is 99% of the time the most visually attractive thing in the paper. People’s eyes naturally fall on that page, and that insures that my ads get seen!
The Million Dollar Listing Show
Some of the homes I film for the show become a stage for me to perform on, showcasing them in the best light.
Getting a house on network television isn’t what sells homes, because they are most often sold before the episode even airs. However, the fact that my face and my client’s homes are seen by millions of people around the world, gives me a huge leg up in finding serious buyers quickly and consistently.
Virtual Video Tours/Social Media/ Digital Technology
Not every show can feature a client’s house. So in order to make the most of each listing, I create exciting virtual tours for properties, that I share on major platforms like Instagram, Facebook and Youtube. I even have my own Flaggship Studio where we have high quality equipment and talented creatives to help produce videos. Then, we then share them all over the Internet and get them in front of the ideal buyer for the property.
Social Media Advertising
One of the biggest sources for traction is through sophisticated ad platforms on Facebook and Instagram. Showing off these pristine houses gets a lot of attention to casual social media users.
I also have a highly dedicated and talented team that work with me to target ads to people with behaviors and interests that are in alignment with the types of clientele who can afford premium properties in places such as Beverly Hills.
We create fun videos, capture email addresses of buyers and then follow up with them to schedule in-person tours to view your property.
I spend thousands of dollars in marketing for each property, which ensures that each home is seen.
This also extends into our email marketing campaigns, which are highly effective at marketing the homes that I’m listing.
Email Marketing
One of the most important things for any business to focus on is growing his or her email list. It makes it so much easier to reach out and connect with thousands of people in just a few minutes a day. I’ve learned some of the savviest marketing techniques from the best online marketers in the world.
In fact, I have over 50,000 emails of clients, partners, developers, and luxury real estate agents around the world. So when I have a listing, I work hard to make sure that people will see it.
Blogging
In addition to being able to blast an email out to 50,000 people, I also regularly blog. While I most likely won’t be blogging about your home specifically, I use my blog as a source for driving traction, and getting more eyeballs on my website. Additionally, I have a dedicated following of readers who read my blogs every time that I post.
I share content that educates prospects all over the world -----this helps people understand my perspectives, strategies,and gets them excited to work with me (and buy from me).
My Luxury Website
My website gets hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. Especially, during the times when the show is on air, my name and website get Googled at very high rates. This is great for exposure for your home, because it means that thousands of people will see the homes, and can recommend them to affluent family members and friends. I showcase your property on various sections on my website, so as buyers are “shopping” they see your property. I show your property in the best light, so prospects can engage with it.
Additionally, my website is state-of-the-art, which increases the amount of time that people spend on the site, which is always a selling point that I share with my clients. Especially, if their listing has been on the site for a few weeks, I can reassure them that it will get seen because of the advanced capabilities of my site.
I use only the best resources and tools to track where people click, what pages they spend the most time on, and how they interact with the site itself. I have a team of excellent marketers behind me that can tweak my copywriting, website design, and site usability to make sure that I’m optimizing my conversions.
All of this combined makes my website an ideal place for buyers to find your property.
Seeing Ahead of the Curve
One of the most important aspects of working with any Real Estate Agent is that (to quote Bob Dylan) “Times They Are A-Changin’.”
No matter who you choose to hire they will have to be competitive in a rapidly changing industry.
Sure, you can hire an agent who has a track record of success, but does he or she know what directions the industry is headed?
I’ve done everything within my power to make sure that I’m ahead of the curve. Through my work on television, online advertising, and even sharing my thoughts and stories through my blog, I’m working hard to remain relevant so that my clients can get their homes sold as quickly as possible, for the best price.
I can’t tell you for certain where the industry is headed, with sites such as Zillow creating some new ways to get your home sold. However, what I can say with 100% surety is that no other Real Estate Agent in Los Angeles will work as hard as I will to get you the best exposure possible.
That is my one guarantee!
