Chris Svec's Blog

Zip Lines Through a Rain Forrest

2008-07-10T14:44:00.006-04:00

Today we went on a zip line tour from a Costa Rican rain forrest. This is a picture from a tractor taking us to the top of the mountain. In the distance is our resort and the bay/Pacific Ocean... Here we are at the top of the mountain right before the first of 15 lines we rode. Here they give directions - the most important of which I did not obey - how to slow down. I came in HOT on one of the lines and cut my knee open. It'll be a sweet scar with an awesome story.

Here is a view from one of the platforms. The view is amazing...

You essentially fly from platform to platform and the guides are great. When it is their turn to go they go upside down and do other crazy things. You just sweat while waiting your turn on every platform due to the heat and humidity between runs. They tie you down while on top of the platforms for safety. When/if you look down it is scary and you could easily fall if not carefull.

The other people on the trip were great too, one was a family of 4 teenaged girls with their mom and dad. Todd promised their dad that he'd hook them up with text books since one of the girls goes to Univ. of Florida. They exchanged e-mails and the guy was in the wine business and promised Todd some wine if he came through with the books.

Below is me coming into one of the platforms. If you are affraid of heights this is not a good trip. The lines range from about 60 yards to 100 yards in length. The 100 yard one was the worst because it was went severely downhill which made it very fast. You HAD to "brake" most of the way which did not allow you to enjoy the view. You feel the friction and heat through your gloves on that one. If you don't brake the entire time you'd come in so fast that you'd for sure injure yourself.

Below is Todd coming in to the final line. The final line comes right into the camp where we departed from.

An adrelaline rush/buzz on this trip today. When done you are totally amp'ed up. We've been going non-stop the entire trip. Now we have an entire afternoon and evening open as almost the entire group from the company left today.

We set up our travel for Saturday morning and fly out Saturday at 2pm local time. Arrive around midnight eastern.

Ali, tell Scotty K that I found a store selling Cuban cigars outside our hotel compound. I'll try to get him some prior to leaving.

Deep Sea Fishing

2008-07-09T18:21:00.007-04:00

Today we went deep sea fishing - 30 miles out 7am -4pm. Long day on the water. This picuture is of us taking a water taxi to our waiting boat. The boat we chartered all day was only 20 ft. long and I was pretty nervous as we left. The first 45 minutes were brutal and we were getting bounced around. Very rough seas on the way out. All day was fairly calm with large swells every once in a while. They said the pacific ocean is so deep just off shore that the waves are not as high.

This is Todd with the biggest catch of the day. A 40 lb mahi-mahi. It took him 30 minutes to bring in and the fish made several majestic jumps during the fight. Our guide Carlos is next to Todd. Carlos and his driver knew no English.

Here is me with the only yellow fin tuna catch of the day. The guides were most excited about this catch. We left them the fist to take to their families since we have a group dinner tonight.

Here is me with "big yellow." The was the largest mahi-mahi I caught. We caught about 15 mahi-mahi around this size all day. 1 yellow fin and a few needle fish. Brady, Mr. Bird cannot beat this.

Here is the view of an island on the way back into the bay where our hotel is. The guides dropped us off right at the beach of our hotel.
A great day but we're beat. I have fish blood all over my pants and need to take a shower before the dinner tonight.

Tomorrow we are set to ride the zip lines in the rain forest.

Sunset Dinner

2008-07-09T00:39:00.004-04:00

Tonight we had dinner at the restaurant and this was the view from our table. It was high up on a mountain overlooking the ocean. It was incredible. A thunderstorm was going on in the distance and the lightning lit up the sky often during dinner.

The food was a bust. 4 people returned their food and mine stunk too.

The one and only time you'll probably see us both in this blog...

Our agenda changed and we're going deep sea fishing tomorrow for sailfish. Leave at 6:30 and get home at 4pm. So posts will be much later tomorrow.

Tuesday Update

2008-07-08T15:05:00.007-04:00

Last night we went out to a great local seafood restaurant on the ocean - eat outdoors with waves crashing in the background during your dinner. Great atomosphere. We went with a group of 10 others. Todd ordered the best item - the surf and turf -- full lobster, tenderloin and potatoes.

This was the first time we left the compound. We asked about a cab and the concierge told us it was only a 10 minute walk- so we walked to that restaurant. Big mistake that could've turned out worse... Not only was the walk 30 minutes (in that sauna heat/humidity), it was dark and during the walk there were groups of "locals" staring at us all along the way. We were way out of place and some were yelling stuff in Spanish to us as we walked head down to avoid eye-contact. A few times I thought we were in trouble, but we got there ok - Todd is so big these guys were probably scared to do anything. As Todd said, "that was almost the first loss we took here." "I was going to get the first punch in and run if they came towards us."

This morning we played golf again with 2 other guys (Chris from Lexington, KY, and John from LA) - a lot of fun. John from LA is the first one I've ever met to give Todd back what he verbally dishes out. That guy was awesome. John's best line of the day to Todd came after Todd duffed a chip which made it barely on the front of the green (the pin was back)... "that one is safely on the green." Maybe you had to be there but this guy sparred verbally with Todd all 18 holes.

It was hotter today than yesterday and the beverage cart was nowhere to be found most of the round. At one point we had the maintenance team call someone out we were so dehydrated. That is why the scorecard is not posted today. We quit keeping score because it got bad. I did shoot a 45 on the front with an 8 on #9 (2 lost balls). Tough to play while sweating your skin off and not having liquids. I drank 2 huge 2 litre bottles of water at lunch just now.

Some pictures from today's round... An iguana in the middle of the cart path... The course is named LaLiguna.

This guy was cool. Wish I could have gotten closer. He has a yellow dot on his head and when he ducks down he is fully camoflauged among the yellow flowers in the field. He was "screaming" at me while I was taking his picture. The ponsds like this one on the course have signs warning about crocodiles and rattlesnakes.

This is a picture from the tee-box on #17. One of the best views of the bay where the resort is located on. To the left there are bunch of boats located 100 yeards or so off shore - not pictured.

This is a picture of the pool from my lounge chair. There are contantly games going on in the pool (volleyball, etc.) and it is very similar to the Marriott where we stay in HHI. Lots of pools, they are just all connected here. The beach has dark brown sand, and much of it is grass - so everyone is at the pool. There is a swim up bar too. From this picture the bay is off to the left about 300 yards. There are lots of little kids here too - 90% of the guests are American or speak English.

Tomorrow we're going on the zip line rainforrest canopy tour. The bus leaves at 10am and we'll be back around 1 or 2pm. Todd just left the room to go to a meeting - he's yet to be in the pool - where I'm going right now.

Scoreboard!

2008-07-07T14:02:00.003-04:00

Here is the proof. Despite being younger and stronger, Todd could not hold his own this morning vs. his older and wiser brother on the course. The slope rating which is difficult to read is 135.

Also, another funny story.... Everyone keeps asking us, "who is older?" And, when asked to guess, they pick Todd to be older- despite our 7 year age gap. He got pretty pissed about that last night.

Here is a better picture of the ocean. That is the pacific ocean. We are in the 'mid pacific' region of the country. It really is sunny, but I think the humidity is making the picture seem grayish.

More later...

Morning Golf

2008-07-07T13:27:00.008-04:00

We woke up early this morning (5am). Due to this country not recognizing daylight savings time, the sun shone in the room very early. We decided to be the first off the tee in the morning. We were the first group off, nobody in front or behind the entire round.

This is a picture of daybreak. Photo does not do this sunrise over the mountains justice....

This is the first hole. TIGHT like the entire course. Imagine being hung-over, no practice balls and looking down this shute of this first hole. The course is long too. The weather is HOT even though the sun is not fully up yet. The humidity is very high and after the first swing we are dripping sweat. Very difficult to hold the club. We are 10 degrees north latitude, and, Ali, it just like Singapore. You walk outside and sweat.
This is a view from a bridge over a rushing river. The drainage is intense as the rain comes down from the mountains. In the distance that is a barrier island/mountain creating the bay. The water is bright blue which you unfortunatly cannot see in this picture. There are rattlesnakes and croc's in the waters. Here is Todd taking his 8th shot on this par 5. The ground is sooo wet that it is cart path only and you don't get too much roll - if any. Greens are slow too. Those are condo's built into the side of the hill/mountain/forrest. Some of the employees on the trip are staying in those (Todd has not acheived "baller status" in this company to get that level of room yet). When you stay in the condo's you have your own private pool and they provide you a golf cart to use all week long to commute to and from the hotel areas.

Here is another view from #17. Again the pic does not do much justice, however, this is a similar shot as a picture above...

Here is another long par 4 (only because you don't get any roll) and you get an idea of how tight 80% of the holes on this course are...

This is an early picture of the sunrise over the mountains. Tough to see, however, it is very nice. The hundreds of exotic birds yell at you throughout the round. We even saw a lemur or monkey (too far away to take a picture or see exactly what it was). It was 4 legged animal running across the fairway we had just vacated.

In my next post I'll post a pic of the scorecard - ran out of space to add it on this post. Todd - 104. Todd left the course saying, "I'll happilly take that 104 on this course." I shot - 86 (44-42). Solid round for me despite the wet conditions. Long morning for Todd who went through 10+ balls straying from the tee. If/when you stray from the fairway the rough litterally "eats your ball" and it is usually difficult to find.

Even though we rode in a cart, I probably lost 10 lbs of sweating this morning.

We're planning to play again tomorrow morning which should make the course a bit easier since we'll know where we're going. Many of the greens are not visible from the tee here - making it hard for a first time player.

Up $200 in Rummy

2008-07-07T00:44:00.005-04:00

Just got back to the room (11 pm local time). 7 am tee time, it's midnight and we've had a few cocktails (oh boy). Although you can't see him, this is Todd, passed out under his covers as I type away to keep you updated...

Tonight was awesome. We had a group dinner - great food (waitresses pushing drinks on us) and met lots of fun people. Salespoeople are bringing their mom's, friends, spouses, etc. and all are partying (at least on the first night) the jury is still out if they are hard-core or not. Kind of reminds me of RL's Momentum on any first night - except at RL's everyone knows each other. Here, everyone is not as close. We did meet a couple who loves Todd and wants to go fishing with us later in the week. Supposedly they have the perfect charter already lined up.

I met a mom in her 60's (being generous) who is going on the "zip line, canopy tour" of the rainforest. I was impressed.

The party spilled out to the casino where we played "rummy" - just like Blackjack except 3 of a kind win's 3-1 and a straight (suited) win's 3-1 too. 21 pays even money. I happened to sit down and play right next to the CEO of the company and be-friended him - high 5'n during wins, etc. Great guy.

Before I figured out the game, I split 8's vs. a Jack 4 times (litterally), doubled down once and won some spending cash for the trip. Ali will be happy. Anyone who knows me knows I hate casino's and blackjack... probably why I won. Unfortunately, no Hold-Em Tables. Very small casino with a handfull of table games (1 craps, 3 rummy, 1 three card poker) and a few slots.

We walked the resort compound today too. The hotel sits on a "bay" surrounded by mountains. I'll get a great picture of it to share. The "beach" is different, and mostly grass vs. sand. The pool is amazing and full of waterfalls, a swim-up bar, tunnels, etc. Pics tomorrow when it's light. As we walked we were "dive-bombed" by bats who flew around as it was right before dark.

Costa Rica is in the Central time zone but does not do daylight savings time. So, we are 2 hrs. behind C-Bus. It gets dark here around 6pm vs. 9 this time of year because of the lack of daylight savings time respect.

More pics tomorrow. I'm brining my camera to the golf course where we're supposed to be able to see monkey's and exotic birds - right from the fairways and greens. I'll be posting again around 1pm my time 3pm est.

We lugged our clubs so it better be worth while. Due to the rain , I guess a lot of drives will "plug" but the greens are lightening quick. Golfers reading this will think this does not add up but we'll see tomorrow - It didn't add up to me either when the guy was explaining it.

Been a long day since getting up at 5am --- going to bed...

We arrive in Costa Rica

2008-07-06T19:02:00.009-04:00

We arrive in Costa Rica and Todd somehow gets through immigration (that's him in the blue shirt)...

We board on a bus at the airport and the first negative is that there is a bus next to us loading luggage on the roof with a tarp. We then find out that this is the rainy season here....

The best picture I can take from the bus looks like this.... Pouring rain...

This is a picture of what the shops, bars and restaurants looked like during the bus trip... 2.5 hours of winding roads through rain, tight turns, climbing high mountains and motorcycles. The highlight was a schoolyard of kids playing soccer with awesome skills.

This is a river full of crocodiles. People watching from the bridge.

We finally arrive at the hotel and this is the view. Amazing after traveling 2.5 hours through what seemed like a very poverty stricken area. A group of natives "sporting skins" waved at the bus as we entered the compound. They love tourists and they coin people probably drop here.

There is a Fitness Center and Casino on the grounds. I tried to check it out and set an alarm off. Hope they have poker.

The meeting schedule for Todd changed to give him the morning free vs. afternoon because I guess it rains all afternoon here during this time of year.

Overall the scenery is gorgeous and I wish I'd of been able to take pictures of the landscapes during the drive. Rainforests, mountains, waterfalls and more were the highlights.

The golf course looks amazing too (and empty - nobody playing). We're shooting for a 7am tee time tomorrow (Monday).

More tomorrow!

Partners in Miami

2008-03-13T12:06:00.003-04:00

I’ve yet to blog about our newest “partner model,” which is experiencing great success in Raleigh, NC and Cincinnati, OH.

This week I’m in Miami, Florida with Tom Grimshaw and Jennifer McCloskey, owners of Real Living Properties. We are conducting meetings with top producing agents in the Miami area who we’ve carefully selected to become partners in the office/LLC we are forming in the greater Miami area. These are agents who not only produce enough to meet our qualifications but are the right “fit,” to the organization.

The last two days have exceeded my expectations. We’ve met with agents from top companies in south Florida including EWM, Coldwell Banker among others.

Here is what agents are telling us…
- “Real Living’s brand is so fresh and unique. It is exactly what south Florida needs.”
- “I love how I can earn over 100% commission with this model.”
- “This is the first time anyone has showed me how to capture revenue from mortgage and title and I actualy believe you when you say it is RESPA compliant.”

Real Living is dedicating a lot of attention to developing this innovative model in Miami. In the coming weeks, Scott Hoyt, VP of Strategy and Harley Rouda Jr., our CEO have plans to be in the market to assist in selecting the right partners. Scott and Harley are the key "developers" of the model and Scott implemented it first in Raleigh in June, 2007.

To learn more about these opportunities connect with me personally. Or give Tom or Jennifer a call directly.

A Real Speaker

2008-03-11T15:41:00.002-04:00

Due to the successful launch or Real You Incorporated, 8 Essentials for Women Entrepreneurs, author and president of Real Living, Kaira Rouda is speaking everywhere. She is on the news, radio, newspaper and cable and broadcast television. Her message is simple, teach people to be real and succeed in business while telling the Real Living story.

Check out this video highlighting Kaira’s speaking engagements.

Real Living is a company that practices what Real You book preaches. We pride ourselves on keeping it real and genuine in business. We are the franchise who understands the consumer and who communicates with them in a manner and tone that resonates.

To learn more about Real Living and our franchise opportunities, give me a call or e-mail me directly at chris.svec@realliving.com.

Who's First.... Real Living Is

2008-03-06T11:36:00.013-05:00

Real Living is a progressive company and a brokerage striving to be FIRST. I’ve had the fortune of witnessing this effort first hand over the past 11 years of my career and thought this would be a great opportunity to air my viewpoint and stake our claim as “the first” in these categories. I’ll go through these starting in 1997, the year I started with the company.

1997 – Real Living, then HER Realtors, created the first help desk for agents and consumers to utilize for home related services and discounts. It was known as HOME (Home Ownership Made Easy) and eventually evolved into the first utility connection company to be known as JumpHome.com. Unfortunately, JumpHome is no longer available – a victim of .com venture capital funds drying up in 2002/3.

1999 – Real Living, then HER Realtors, created the first agent Intranet, which we now refer to as our Business Center. This was huge and ahead of its time. We delivered all of the tools agents were buying off the shelf from vendors at real estate trade shows (forms, CMA’s, direct mail, CRM software, etc.) and put it online for agents. The applications were made technology easy and because of the ease of use, our agents actually buy into and use these tools. Quite a testament being that the average age of our agent at that time was 55 years old – traditionally a technology averse demographic.

1999 – In conjunction with the agent Business Center creation, Real Living also delivered the first agent websites. Imagine the forethought this took, when, at that time, the typical brokerage was afraid and intimidated by the Internet and less than 5% of consumers were starting their search there. Some brokers are still intimidated. Despite this fact, Real Living gave each agent their own website, the ability to buy yourname.com and point it to their site, and integrated the MLS into the site. A move that was revolutionary for its time.

1999 – The first fully integrated platform for agents, owners and consumers. The Business Center, agent sites, broker sites, MLS are all fully integrated within Real Living. Every component works together to maximize agent efficiency. Prior to the Business Center, brokers relied on agents to attend trade shows and buy these products for their business benefit which did not work together. Today, they rely on their broker and this integrated platform.

2002 – The first female facing brand is created and launched. Real Living is launched as a result of a merger between Realty One in Northeastern Ohio and HER Realtors in Central Ohio. The brand is the first brand created for a defined consumer – upscale female buyers/sellers. 89% of real estate decisions are made by women – they are not a niche, they are THE audience. Most all other brands still spends millions talking to themselves in their marketing.

2003 – The first “guest password” to the Real Living Business Center. The goal – to provide owners and managers a virtual way to show off the Business Center to recruits and get them engaged in our tools and systems prior to joining.

2003 – The first real estate 2.0 application is created. In conjunction with the target audience definition, Real Living understands that the female consumer is not only online, she wants to be engaged further when investigating her real estate needs. MyRealLiving.com is created as an online portal to empower the consumer with the following features…
- save searches
- have listings pushed to them within their criteria
- share their favorite listings with friends, family, agent
- schedule activities with their agent
- select their agent – elimination of all IDX information
- receive key documents from their agent
- track page views of their home in real time
Today, Real Living receives over 3,000 new registrations for MyRealLiving.com per month.

2003 – The first environmental branding package for franchise brokers is created. The goal being to have a consistent office look and feel network wide.

2004 – The first fully integrated brand management platform is created for agents and franchisees. Real Living began offering Brand Wizard via the Business Center with a goal of making it easy to tap into Real Living’s creative. No longer do agents and franchisees need a full-time marketing person or designer.

2006 – The first “perfect match” system for managers, owners and agents to use to create better communication between themselves and consumers. The system identifies a personality type into REAL --- Relater, Enthusiast, Analyst and Leader categories.

2007 – The first 360 degree marketing platform for agents. The goal of the platform is to educate agents on traditional, mobile and digital marketing and to create their individual marketing plans with the 360 degree wheel in mind. Real Living delivers many of the tools/services on the wheel via the Business Center.

2008 – Real You Incorporated, is launched as the first book speaking directly to real estate entrepreneurs in a way that helps them define their personal brand. The primary role of the book is to…
- assist agents in creating their “real you” brand for use in marketing
- provide Real Living managers and owners a tool to help recruit and system to help agents market themselves effectively
- educate and introduce the Real Living brand to a national audience

Who knows what the next 11 years will bring. However, I can assure you Real Living will continue to be first and improve and innovate the current list outlined above.

If you have questions about Real Living, our brand or franchise opportunities with our innovative company, give me a call at 614-203-0801 or e-mail me at chris.svec@realliving.com.

A Real Living Book – Available This Week

2008-02-07T12:57:00.000-05:00

Real Living president, Kaira Sturdivant Rouda, authored a book entitled Real You Incorporated, 8 Essentials for Women Entrepreneurs published by Wiley. The book highlights several women entrepreneurs and focuses on branding and the Real Living story.

I’ve personally worked with Kaira since June of 1995 and can tell you, without bias, that the book is phenomenal. She is the most creative person I’ve ever worked with and her enthusiasm and experiences are the focal point of the book's message. It is a must read for any entrepreneur (Realtors, broker/owners, small business owners within any industry) as it makes the reader really think about creating his or her brand and differentiating from others in the market. The book leaves every reader with a defined direction.

Additionally, Real You Incorporated is an easy read. Kaira’s writing style is smart, real, down to earth, and most importantly, fun.

If you are a male, don’t shy away. The content transcends gender.

Read it and post your feedback.

Quick and Nimble

2007-12-13T14:09:00.000-05:00

Over the past months I’ve been traveling to events including NAR in Vegas and Triple Play in Atlantic City.

At these shows I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to speak with hundreds of brokers, agents and franchisees from across the US. The number one take away/observation that I wanted to share in my blog revolve around the market conditions favoring the quick and nimble companies.

The companies (large or small) in any given market who have invested their capital into overhead expenses like office square footage, rents, administrative staff, etc. – and in the process ignored technology… are screwed. These companies are scrambling to cut this overhead to improve their losses and disappointing agents in the process.

So, my advice to brokers… a quick and nimble company with a technology edge is “it” in this environment. These companies are able to adapt and will come out the other end of this rough period like superhero’s. They will be tomorrow’s winners in the brokerage community.

To learn more about Real Living, our culture, franchise opportunities, technology and strategies to keep your company plowing forward in today’s market and ready for the “next” market, e-mail me directly. Chris.Svec@realliving.com.

Marketing to Women? Real Living's Been There For Years

2007-10-23T11:50:00.000-04:00

Realogy, one of our top competitors and the parent company of Century 21, ERA, Coldwell Banker, Sotheby’s etc., recently announced their licensing abilities for the Better Homes and Gardens brand from Meredith Corporation. A historical point of reference here is that the name Realogy was born around 2005/2006. Yes, that’s REALogy.

Why am I blogging about this? To give the real story.

As the VP of new market development for Real Living, I found each of the three points below to be very interesting and each holds significance as they relate to my role of leading our franchise growth initiatives. As I’ll point out, the BHG purchase shows Real Living is not only on Realogy’s radar, but also in its cross hairs.

First – the very fact Realogy purchased the BHG brand holds significance as it seems that they, possibly due to our success, are finally recognizing that females account for 90% of the purchasing decisions. A woman’s buying power is huge, and other firms are missing out by not recognizing this fact. As I’ve discussed in recent blog posts, I find it funny that in the past, Realogy brands have not recognized the female consumer as a key decision maker. A prime example is that Century 21 is the title sponsor of Major League Baseball’s Home Run Derby – a program dominated by a male audience. Hmm. By the way, note the "red" logo on the home run derby link - isn't C21 gold?

Second -- I hear 1000Watt Consulting, a firm Real Living employed to assist with our franchise marketing, is in discussions with Realogy to assist with the roll-out and implementation of the BHG brand. This, while possibly just a rumor, is significant since 1000Watt is very familiar with Real Living’s brand.

Finally -- the very name Realogy coming into existence circa 2005/2006 is interesting. It seems to me that this is an effort to “get REAL” as we’ve been since our inception in 2002.

Maybe all of the above is just coincidence. Yeah, right.

As they say, imitation is the highest form of flattery. As someone who’s been with Real Living for 11 years and witnessed first hand our company moving into 21 states and grow from 400 to 4000 agents, I’m flattered that other companies are trying to emulate our successful brand. While Realogy certainly has the size and capital to effectively compete, I’m confident our leadership, creativity and enthusiasm will keep us one step ahead. Real Living will continue to take pride in staying years ahead of everyone when it comes to the coveted female consumer.

If you are interested in learning more about Real Living, our brand, systems and culture, please e-mail me chris.svec@realliving.com, call me direct 614-203-0801 or visit www.reallivingfranchise.com

Real Living at NAR

2007-10-09T13:52:00.000-04:00

In November, Real Living will be an exhibitor at the National Association of Realtors Convention. Real Living will accomplish 4 goals during the convention…

1. Introduce our franchise offering as “national.” We continually field the question, “are you available in ____ (insert city here)? The answer by the way is, YES!! Our systems, tools, technology is scalable to be inserted into any brokerage, no matter the location.

2. Roll-out our 360 degree marketing system. I’ve blogged about this in greater detail in the past, however, our 360 degree system is designed to provide our agents mobile, digital and traditional tools to reach today’s consumer.

3. Enable perspective franchisees to meet our team and franchisees. Our entire field sales staff will be attending the event and available for personal meetings as arranged. Additionally, key members of our corporate staff and some of our franchisee successes, like Lincoln Crum will be attending. Lincoln has been with Real Living for a year and has grown to 30 agents in just 12 months!!

4. Give attendees a taste of our office and environmental branding packages. As I’ve blogged about in greater detail in the past, a big part of what Real Living’s franchise offering includes is interior and environmental branding. This provides consistency throughout our network and immerses agents in the branding every day they work from their office.

We look forward to seeing you in Vegas. Stop by our booth 2456 to visit us. If you are unable to attend, please call me directly at 614-203-0801 or e-mail chris.svec@realliving.com.

Today's Real Estate Office

2007-10-03T11:31:00.000-04:00

At Real Living we’ve been hosting 1-2 companies per week in our offices for our Real Deal Presentations. It is during these presentations where our team shows prospective franchisees all of the tools, services and overall value of a Real Living franchise.

During these visits and in my travels a common question arises for companies interested in start-up opportunities. “What kind of office space should I have/do I need?”

At Real Living’s owned stores in Columbus and Cleveland we’ve taken the “old-school” approach to offices – mainly because we’ve been around since the 50’s and have over 3000 agents. Our offices are large, 5,000-8,000 square feet, mega offices hosting private and “plug and play,” areas. When visiting these spaces, often occupied by 70-150 agents, there are typically under 10-15 agents actually working in the office at any given time.

Today’s agents are mobile. They can tap into Real Living’s web-based system anywhere they can get online (Starbucks, home, Verizon Wireless Cards, and other "hot-spots" all over town).

With this mobile trend becoming the norm, we are seeing and encouraging our franchise partners (and even our own offices) to strategically place office(s) in their area with smaller square footage. Start-ups will have one 800-2,000 feet to start and eventually grow to more offices of similar square footage – typically in prime and visible areas. The environments are well branded and offer the primary items today’s agent require – conference room, casual meeting spaces, areas to plug their laptops into, etc.

If a brokerage can grow using this model they will save tremendously in their P&L. Brick and mortar is among the leading expenses brokerages incur and this model saves significant dollars to invest elsewhere.

Additionally, we are encouraging our franchise partners to save money via reducing dollars spent on phone systems, fax machines, and the like. I mentioned the mobile nature of agents today. Agents are using expensive phone systems and the physical phones (which can cost up to $400/phone) for the simple purpose of forwarding their calls to their mobile phone. With that said, why purchase a high-end phone system with capabilities a plenty when you can enable agents to publicize and exclusively utilize their personal, mobile phone? Fax machines are another expense that can be eliminated with a $5-$7/month e-fax account. I cannot tell you the last time I actually faxed something via the dinosaur fax in our offices – faxing can inexpensively be accomplished online.

When thinking of opening your first or another office, think twice and call Real Living. We’ve been in the business for over 50 years which has taught us a lot. We have ideas to save and increase your profitability. Visit www.reallivingfranchise.com, call me directly 614-203-0801 or e-mail chris.svec@realliving.com.

Real Living Host Relevant Summit

2007-09-21T15:18:00.000-04:00

This week Real Living hosted a bi-annual summit in Columbus, Ohio attended by brokers/owners and manager from across the United States. The agenda was focused on recruiting and retention of real estate agents and the speakers, insight and participation from the group was outstanding.

One key element I wanted to share via this forum is a statistic one of the guest speakers shared with the group. Dr. Cabot Jafee, from Alignmark stated that 58% of current real estate agents would be retiring and of retirement age by the year 2010. I have three thoughts about this statistic.

Wow. NAR tells us there are 1.3 million Realtors chasing buyers and sellers for commissions today. If these agents do retire, it’d leave 546,000 agents and much more business for the remainder. All things being equal, everyone would get over a 100% pay increase! As I’ll allude to next, I don’t think this is going to be the realistic outcome, however, a shocking statistic to share.

Those I know in the “boomer” generation are not retiring. Another speaker at our event was Bill Evans, President of Real Living HER in Columbus. Bill spoke about recruiting through the generations and sited characteristics about the “Boomer” generation including the fact that they, “live to work.” This characteristic is quite different than the “Gen X’ers,” who “work to live.” Over the past two weeks I’ve spoken with a few Real Living mangers, both into their 60’s and point blank asked them when they were going to retire. Both managers replied saying, retirement is not in their vision and that work kept them alive – echoing what Bill Evans stated.

The one thing I know to be true is that if and when these “boomers” stick around, they’ll need to adapt! This leads me to point #3.

Today’s consumer and today’s Realtor are literally generations apart. 80% of which are Gen X and Gen Y. Take into account the following “stereotypes from each of the following generations…

Boomers
- Live to work
- Technology averse

Gen X
- Work to live,
- Adaptive to technology

Gen Y
- Live first, work later
- Do not know a world without technology

With this said, there is obviously a huge clash taking place within our industry as you read this. I struggle to see how those in the Boomer generation who choose to continue doing business as they always have will survive. Boomers and a whole new generation of real estate agent have tremendous opportunity that can be seized when implementing all the tools, marketing, technology, and branding to compete.

If your company or franchise does not provide the technology, branding, and everything else today’s buyers seek, call Real Living. Also, if your company or franchise is not delivering relevant seminars like the one Real Living hosted the past few days, call us. We’re competing in the real world and can show you how to build a foundation and prepare for an explosion when the market improves!

Chris.Svec@RealLiving.com or call 614-203-0801.

Brand Consistency – Even in Your Office

2007-09-10T16:33:00.000-04:00

In my role it is great to see so many new Real Living franchisees take the Real Living office concept and implement in their respective markets. As an employee of Real Living for going on 11 years, being able to witness owners sign their franchise agreement and eagerly return home to Realivingize their office is rewarding.

As the next big national franchise, Real Living strives for consistency beyond service, it even extends to our office décor, layout, and functionality. I hate to use McDonalds as an example but when you select McDonalds for your dining pleasure you know what to expect. Fast, service, consistent menu, in a family friendly environment. You also recognize the golden arches and building style no matter where you travel.

At Real Living we are striving to create a consistent experience for consumers – like McDonalds. Our websites have all the tools a buyer or seller needs no matter where they reside. Our agents posses all the 360 degree marketing tools they need to attract today’s consumer and market homes. And, our offices have a consistent look and feel which differ based on urban, rural and suburban location.

I’ve been harping on the importance of a well managed brand and if your franchisor is not talking about this, why not? Consistency within your network is beneficial – and needs to extend to your office space.

To give a taste of a Real Living office, here are a series of pictures of our grand opening in Orlando, Florida. Real Living Real Estate Solutions is owned by Tony Marino a former top producing Watson Real Estate agent who was ready to explore ownership of his own office and today is on his way to great success in Orlando. Look at the pictures and the number of agents attending the linked event. Other office pictures can be seen on our franchise site.

Office structure, layout and decoration advice is just another benefit to joining the Real Living network. We’ll help you design your office and implement key elements like our coffee bar, banners, Real Living room with fireplace (depending on your market) and children’s play room – to quiet the kids down while Agreements are getting signed.

We also recognize the fact that with Real Living’s mobile tools and today’s mobile agents, office space can be maximized. You no longer need 200-300 square feet per agent. By creating comfortable common spaces for agent and consumer to sit meet and sufficient conference room space, owners can save money on this expensive piece of a P&L. I see this maximization affording Real Living owners the opportunity to add locations in their markets which provides more visibility and strategic placement. Depending on the market, two 1500 square foot locations can work harder than one 3000 foot location.

To learn more about Real Living’s office concepts and how to Realivingize yours, call me at 614-203-0801, or e-mail chris.svec@realliving.com. Visit www.reallivingfranchise.com too!!

Agent Retention - In A Slow Market

2007-09-07T12:55:00.000-04:00

Many brokerages seem so focused on recruiting, recruiting, recruiting, that they lose sight of keeping and maintaining the agent partnerships they have today. With the market being “slow,” there is an enormous opportunity to train agents on the systems and tools provided via your franchise relationship to increase their business, which, I believe, will lead to keeping that agent through the bad times and into the good ones (they will come again).

So, here are three quick items to focus your agents...

1. Contact Management
Real Living provides its agents a contact management solution and makes it easy for the agent to market to their database when populated. Agents need to, to quote a leader in our company, “see the people, see the people, see the people,’ which will create contacts. Encourage agents to add 10-20 contacts to their database weekly. A good book to refer agents to is, Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi. This book has changed the way I view relationships.

2. Continue Marketing
If agents do not continue to invest in themselves during the down-times when money is tighter, consumers may assume they’ve went away. There always seems to be a news story telling consumers how difficult the real estate market is - which could plant the seed in their minds that the agent has cut-and-run from real estate. At Real Living we provide agents free and inexpensive opportunities to market themselves including e-cards (an online Hallmark store – free), e-newsletters (goes out monthly – free), direct mail ($.35-$.60/card), agent websites (marketing opportunities nationally – free), and opportunities to tap into blogging systems (minimal cost).

3. Blog
Slow markets create more time and some of this time can be used to establish a blogging presence. This presence will enhance SEO and improve your visibility in the market. It can also, if used properly begin to position an agent as an “expert” in a given area. One of our franchisees from Real Living Southern Homes, Calum MacKenzie is a great example.

Ultimately, take the time the slow market has afforded you and your agents to re-engage with your company’s systems and tools. You want them positioned for the market up-swing that WILL come. Agents will appreciate your dedication and caring for their careers and thank you with their success later.

If your brokerage or franchise does not provide tools and systems for agents, or if you are interested in partnering with a company who provides the systems highlighted above (and more), call me at 614-203-0801 or e-mail chris.svec@realliving.com.

When You Are Sick...

2007-08-30T09:54:00.000-04:00

Go to the doctor. I see a lot of illness and pain in the real estate market. There are many brokerages who are sick, hurting and in need of a doctor.

In franchising today, we at Real Living are attracting companies who want to think big and have a long-term view of the industry investigating our franchise model.

These are companies seeing the industry change at a pace so fast they cannot afford to keep up - mentally and financially. These firms are in need of systems, tools, technologies, etc., etc. to attract agents, keep agents and most importantly make them productive. They see listing syndication, website enhancements, technology products - too many to list, SEO, SEM, etc, etc. and are confused. It is hard to believe but I spoke with a broker of a 50 agent company from major market this week who was interested in driving people to his site to generate leads. When I asked him his strategy, what his Alexa ranking is, and his plans for SEO… He replied, “What are you talking about??” As if I was speaking a foreign language.

Today, with the down-turn in the market, many small brokerages have finally had the opportunity to pull their head out of the listing and selling race for enough time to realize they are sick and need help.

If any of the above rings true for you and your company, let’s talk. Real Living will open your eyes to what you are missing and not only catch you up, we'll put you ahead of even the largest competitors in your area. We can save you from the vendors, buzz-words, and fluff you’ll encounter researching solutions necessary for your company to survive and thrive in today's ever-changing marketplace.

To learn more about Real Living, schedule a consultative visit, and see how we can help, give me a call at 614-203-0801 or e-mail chris.svec@realliving.com. We not only have the medicine for what ails you, we’ll put you at ease.

National vs. "Next" Real Estate Brands

2007-08-29T09:58:00.000-04:00

When discussing Real Living with broker/owners throughout the country a common dialogue typically centers on “who is Real Living? I’ve never heard of you.” Or, “we are going to franchise, but why would I franchise with a new, unfamiliar brand in my market?” So, when evaluating a decision to franchise, there are three major items to consider…

1. Are there stigmas or negativity associated with these other brands in your markets or elsewhere?

Chances are there are agents/companies from any national brand, primarily due to their size, who have made a negative impression on the market. Remember the NAR boasts 1.3 million Realtors running around out there. This stigma and image (negative or positive) will automatically be associated with you when you join these franchise systems. Don’t think you can change the world, these networks are too large and their impact is national. When affiliating with the next big thing, the image is fresh, new, and with Real Living, unique.

2. What is provided by national brand?

Franchisors through the fat and happy times of the past 10 years have become lazy and very focused on selling their name. In doing so, many have lost touch with providing their franchise partners a tangible offering agents and brokers can actually tap into to increase productivity, profits and awareness in the market. Real Living provides a wealth of tools, services and the best part is that they are tangible which means they save agents and brokers real money in development and or purchasing of “off the shelf tools” such as Top Producer for contact management or Point 2 Agent for web sites. The fact that Real Living provides these two items and much, much more not only saves money but also makes its tools easier to use and integrated. Every tool Real Living provides is fully interactive with each other from MLS feeds, to our 2.0 application, to contact management.

3. Who gets it?

This may be the most critical component. When evaluating brands, pay close attention to how they market and use your franchise service fees. Ask the following questions of these national brands…
- Do they have a defined target customer? If so, do you agree?
- Does the brand appeal to this target audience?
- Do they spend the service fees you spend to market effectively to this group?

At Real Living, our answers are as follows…
- Our target consumer is women 25-54 residing in a household earning an above average income. This demographic makes 90% of the decisions in the home-buying/selling process.
- The Real Living brand was developed to primarily appeal to this audience.
- Our national marketing dollars are 100% devoted to the female demographic defined above.

Many of the large nationals don’t get it. Take Re/Max for example. One of their national sponsorships is the Long Drive Championship – a golf event. How many women do you think are watching a group of meatheads on ESPN try to hit a golf ball 400 yards?

Century 21 another large national brand is the sponsor of Major League Baseball's Home Run Derby. How many women do you think are watching this event? I can assure you my wife is not viewing either of these programs and instead opting for programming on HGTV, Lifetime or Food Network.

When women make 90% of the home buying/selling decisions, are sponsorships in these types of events the highest and best use of your franchise service fees?

To learn more about Real Living, our tangible systems, well-managed brand and how to potentially be the first to launch the brand in your market, let’s talk. We’ll open your eyes. E-mail me at chris.svec@realliving.com, or call 614-203-0801.

The Importance of a Well Managed Brand

2007-08-21T09:41:00.000-04:00

How important is a well managed real estate brand? If you ask me, it is everything.

In my travels I regularly see brands mistreated and disrespected daily creating confusion and separation with the consumer – a no win situation. Unfortunately, you can pick up any Sunday newspaper, or go to any grocery store for a real estate guide like Open House Magazine, Homes and Land, etc. to spot them. There are easy to find. There are the cliché pictures of agent on the phone, those with their pets, and, my personal favorite… the unrecognizable glamour photo from 10 years ago.

Additionally, we see agents create sites like this one from a Coldwell Banker agent - www.duckin.com. You’ll see this agent branding himself in yellow and with a duck peddling real estate in Seattle. Isn’t Coldwell Banker blue? He’s even received recognition for his efforts in Broker Agent, Realtor Profile and Real Estate Executive, magazines which he prominently highlights on his site. Creative yes, consistent with the brand, no.

Agents being independent contractors have enjoyed, and in some cases taken advantage of the freedoms and liberties provided to them by their brokers. By enabling your agents to create sites like these, you are diluting your brand, messaging and image in your market.

Attn Brokers: Consider not turning the other cheek when you see agents take your brand and tarnish it with these poor attempts to build a personal brand. Take control of your brand. It’s possible – we’ve done it at Real Living, you can too. Here are some tips…

- Provide them branded web-sites with all the tools consumers need so they don’t have to build sites like those I selected above.
- Provide branded marketing tools and make it easy for them to tap into.
- Provide templates and standards to follow to ensure consistency.

If you don’t have the resources, time, money or energy to provide these, perhaps you would consider talking to us. We provide all of the above and more.

To learn more about the Real Living brand and how we manage it for the benefit of our network, call me 614-203-0801 or e-mail chris.svec@realliving.com, or visit our franchise site.

New Franchisees Join Real Living

2007-08-15T17:13:00.000-04:00

Real Living is growing. I’m proud to announce that we’ve just added three new franchises! The newest markets consist of Chandler, Arizona (our first in the state), Vail, Colorado, and The Woodlands, Texas (Houston area). And that’s not all. Get ready for four franchises next month.

If you reside in any of these areas, you’ll be seeing Real Living red signs popping up – hopefully in your front yard. You’ll also start taking notice of Real Living agents marketing homes deploying our innovative 360-degree system© designed to attract consumers using digital, mobile and traditional marketing vehicles.

To learn how to become a Real Living franchise partner, and activate Real Living’s unique and well-managed brand and our 360-degree system© in your market, give me a call at 614-203-0801 or e-mail me at chris.svec@realliving.com.

2007-08-14T15:35:00.000-04:00

Recruit, Recruit, Recruit - Even in a Down Market

2007-08-13T16:46:00.001-04:00

Recently I’ve received calls and inquiries from brokers regarding recruiting and have heard the following comment redundantly… “the market is so bad, we are having trouble recruiting agents” BALLONEY!! As stated in my recent post, not only is it a good time to franchise, it is a GREAT time to recruit. Additionally, the “ripest” agents to recruit are the good ones too – the sub-par agents who’ve been surviving on floor time, and the markets success are being forced to look for salaried jobs right now.

Here are some recruiting tips – which are geared towards Real Living broker/owners and the tools, systems, training, etc. that Real Living provides its franchisees nationally.

Prospect, prospect, prospect.
Use e-cards. Use the phone and attend networking events. Most importantly, keep in touch - the person who will not meet today will be ready sometime. It is only a matter of time until something upsets an agent enough to take a look around.

Find the "sweet spot."
Typically there are a group of agents producing from $1.5M/yr to $7M/yr volume (depending on the market) who are stuck, ready to move to the next level and more receptive to your calls/prospecting.

Interview the agent vs. selling them on your company and allowing them to interview you.
This will ensure you are getting the right fit for your office, culture, etc.
Devise and prepare questions to ask and go through the list taking notes during yoru meeting. My favorites include…
- What is important to you in a brokerage? (Chances are you have it with Real Living and will show it later when presenting the Real Living platform)
- What does your current brokerage do well? (Find out what you are competing against)
- What challenges is your current brokerage facing? (Find out their pain and provide a solution your presentation - spin your presentation to this pain)
- Where do you see your career going in the next 1, 2, 5 years? (Are they a fit? Are they worth your investment? Remember, you are making an investment in your agents – office space, phones, brand, etc.)
- What is holding you back from taking your real estate career to the next level?
- What would prompt you to leave your current company, besides commission which we'll discuss later? (Find out what exactly would make them switch and don't let it be commission only).
- Devise questions to ask after the presentation...
- How do you see yourself fitting in here at Real Living?
- As you mentioned, your current company is challenged by ___, With Real Living would our (insert tool, service, etc. here) support you better than you are being supported today?
- Do you see value in what we provide our agents here at Real Living?

Ask for their license.
From our discussion I believe we may be a fit (assuming they are). You see value in our product, company, etc. What would prevent you from joining our team today?

I hate to be cliché, however, you never get what you don’t ask for.

If you are interested in more recruiting help with real systems, real tools and real solutions to help agents produce (even in a down market), give me a call at 614-203-0801 (mobile), or e-mail me at chris.svec@realliving.com. You also can visit www.reallivingfranchise.com for more information regarding franchising opportunities within Real Living.