Real Estate Views from St Pete

We definitely do.  It's hard to walk past a real estate publication and not pick it up to see what the local market is like.  I guess it's in our blood :)

I do. I get good ideas from looking at other's from out of state or even out of my area. You are not alone.

I do not ever read the print articles in my hometown. I did however take time to visit an Open House on a recent visit to San Francisco. I wish I would have had time to visit a few more. This gives you a much better insite into the prices and the agents.

I drive through neighborhoods pulling fliers.  I also try to find some agents that are dominating an area and pull some of their marketing materials.  Sometime I'll even call on houses just to hear different phone technique.

I love to do that! Everywhere I go I want to know! I also think it is so interesting to see the different architecture in different parts of the country. It also helps to understand a bit so when you get referrals from other areas you can know where they are coming from. It also makes them feel good that you know and understand. Katerina

I do, And if any of you are ever in Branson you Should! Then go ahead and buy some, you won't be sorry!

Yes, I read the local real estate ads when I travel -- great to see what's going on in other parts as well as to scour for examples of creative advertising that might not be in your own market.  Even better is to take 1/2 a day looking at homes for possible investment.

Oh yeah sharon, I think its an addiction! LOL

Jim and Maria - just curious - do you ever "mark" an agent for future referrals to that area?

Jeannette - yes, it's sometimes a good source of ideas or tweaks for our own advertising.

Eric - open houses often tempt me, too, but I rarely have time to do that - or else I'm with people who aren't interested.

Brian - I'd never thought of calling to learn new phone techniques. Thanks for sharing that idea.

Nestor and Katerina - excellent! that's a great way to better serve our clients.

Kris - that's great that you keep the bottom line - sales - in mind. Do you remind your clients that when they're looking at a real estate magazine or ad somewhere else that they call you so you can refer them to that agent?

Brian - investing in other parts of the country is good diversification and a hedge against putting everything in one market. I think I'd be inclined to choose my destination based on ones that have described good investments on Active Rain or other networks and have the agent that talked about those opportunities show me some properties.

Katrina - you're probably right. Now when my family members travel they bring me back real estate magazines - even some of my clients do that. 

YUP!  I have a feeling that we are the only ones picking up those mags too!

I do this all the time and always find it so interesting what the prices are, how people advertise differently and what they do the same as well. 

Renee - when I looked at return on investment, I discontinued all the local real estate magazines.

Steve - agreed. Though I stopped advertising there, I do pick them up when I travel. 

Sharon,  I always pick up RE magazines when I travel.  I like to see how prices compare, but also review the marketing techniques in other areas.

Carol - it IS interesting to compare marketing tehniques. I also tend to pick up flyers for the same reasons.