Elizabeth Byrne, Author at Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Be Better Blog

Friday Blog Scan: Things We Liked from the Week That Was

Anthony Tjan, CEO, Founder and Managing partner at VC firm Cue Ball believes that businesses rely to heavily on demographics to understand their customers when instead they ought to be focusing more on their psychographics. But now, with new technologies such as OpenID single sign-on service, gleaning that data could change all that. Read more over at Harvard Business Publishing in his post titled Want to Understand Your Customers? Go Psycho.

Talent Attraction

The Future of Attracting Talent

Recently I had the opportunity to attend Kennedy Information’s Recruiting 2009 Conference and Expo, The Pillars of Recruiting. The audience consisted mainly of people reasonable for attracting talent at a corporate level for companies in various industries. At first glance you might think a corporate recruiters job is pretty easy these days. With almost 14 million unemployed, there certainly are a lot of people looking for work. However, I quickly learned that there are many downsides and challenges facing the corporate recruiting industry.

Friday Blog Scan: Things We Liked from the Week That Was

Marketing used to be simple. A flyer. A postcard distributed to your farm. A newspaper ad in what once was a robust real estate section filled with listings. Today, simplicity has not be replaced, just relocated to the Internet where social networking websites are providing small business great new opportunities to market their services and wares. Rhonda Abrams digs into the top 5 and how small business can make best use them in her post titled Strategies: Which social networking site is best for your small business?

Are You Deterred or Determined?

Not much surprises me. I’m a Jersey girl, born and bred. No one has to convince me the Paterson Waterfalls should be a National Landmark and “How you doin?” rolls off my tongue naturally. I did witness something recently though that literally stopped me in my tracks.

My normal driving route to the gym takes me along a strip of the Passaic River in the pre-dawn hours. The mist was heavy over the murky waters this chilly morning and I noticed movement through the fog. I slowed my car and watched a figure take shape. First, the reflective vest outlined a silhouette, then a vessel came into view. A lone canoeist gliding across the water in the pre-dawn hours is not commonplace by any stretch of the imagination. I pulled to the side of the road and watched.

The Secret to Providing Exceptional Customer Service

Have you ever stayed at a Ritz Carlton Hotel? Bought a pair of shoes, or returned them at Zappos? These two companies immediately come to mind when you think about exceptional customer service. While the two companies couldn’t appear to be more different, when you drill down, they are very much alike in their core values and business and leadership principles.

Providing exceptional service begins with understanding the customer. In case you haven’t noticed, the needs of the customer have changed a lot in the past few years, and will continue to evolve. Creating an exceptional customer experience doesn’t mean you have to be twice as good as your competitor, just be a little better. That’s easy if you have the right culture in place.

Friday Blog Scan: Things We Liked from the Week That Was

U.S. home prices are their most affordable in at least 18 years, according to a report released Monday published on CNNMoney that offers insight into

Newspaper vs. Internet

In real estate we have already seen the value of newspapers virtually disappear in terms their power to attract buyers. The following chart is one that I recommend every agent have on hand during a listing appointment. It clearly shows where buyers are finding the homes they buy, and it’s not the newspaper.

Top 5 Pet Peeves on MLS Listing Alert Emails

I bought a home back on December 10th of 2008. That is almost exactly 5 months to the day and I am still receiving those automated MLS listing alerts from the first agent I ever spoke to about buying a new home. Being in real estate now for almost a year I find them sort of fascinating because I am curious if I actually bought at the bottom of the market in my town. Turns out I didn’t, but that isn’t the point. The information (listings) contained in these emails can be very powerful motivators to get an active buyer or someone on the fence to engage an agent. The most important reason is that the information contained within is the most accurate and trusted source for new listings and listing status changes (price drops and under contract). With such a powerful vehicle for information, I wonder why it misses the mark on so many levels for the average home buyer.

Friday Blog Scan: Things We Liked from the Week That Was

To fail or not to fail. Just as real estate is finally contending with the reality that newspapers really don’t deliver value and that their demise might open up mew opportunities, Washington steps in and talks bailout. Is this a good idea? The Business Insider Silicon Alley had some thoughts on that this week.

Lynda Gratton is a professor at London Business School. She often writes smart/feel good articles. Learn to Glow is one such example that offers us insight into how to become invaluable at work.

Can you over Twitter? Yup. And when you do, you run the risk of loosing followers. Check this video by RodneyB from Reachd.

One Size Will Not Fit All in the Future

In the early days of the economic downturn, many broker owners took a “wait and see” position, hopeful that the market would turn around quickly. As the bad news continued, survival mode kicked in and brokers found themselves playing catch up and making tough decisions they never thought they would have to make such as closing offices, downsizing staff, merging with competitors. The focus was primarily on doing the things in the present that would help guarantee a place in the future. Times such as these do not allow most of us the luxury of thinking ahead and planning for what the future will look like in this industry.

What Happens when Your Identity is Confused with Others?

Unless you have a very unusual name, chances are there are several other people in the world that share your first and last name. This is kinda neat, but what if your name twin doesn’t do the honor justice?

Before the Internet, you may have never known. Now a simple Google search can lead to all kinds of misunderstandings. What if a client runs a Google search and instead of you turning up, your name twin does?

Hanging with Eagles Like Larry Kendall

Yesterday, Steve Murray kicked off his annual Gathering of Eagles conference in Dallas. First up on the speaker list was Larry Kendall from The Group Inc. based in northern Colorado. He is well known for his Ninja Selling program.

If you know Larry, have heard him speak or are aware of him by reputation you’ll know he is a unique person. He has a calm assertive energy that you can’t help but be attracted to. Plus, he’s quite brilliant and understands this industry and real estate professionals in a distinct way.

Be Better Blog

Elizabeth Byrne

The Future of Attracting Talent

Are You Deterred or Determined?

The Secret to Providing Exceptional Customer Service

Newspaper vs. Internet

Top 5 Pet Peeves on MLS Listing Alert Emails

What Happens when Your Identity is Confused with Others?

Hanging with Eagles Like Larry Kendall

About Us

Contact Us

Get the latest news in your inbox!