In the following interview, Tim Singer, senior sales associate and team leader at Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate in Sarasota, Fla., discusses the industry, marketing strategies, and more.
Region Served: South Florida, from Palm Beach to South Beach
Years in Real Estate: 31
Number of Offices: 1
Number of Agents: 180 (12 on my team)
How do you stay flexible and relevant in today’s real estate landscape?
Every day I look at the business news and the real estate news, as well as the most recent pending and sold listings that post in our MLS. I make it a point to stop by as many open houses as I can to learn the inventory and chat with other professionals about the market. It’s amazing what you can learn in five minutes.
How do you stay in touch with your clients?
My team and I do a few events throughout the year, some of which are charity fundraisers or community events in which we participate, while others are to launch a notable listing or a new, big construction project. We invite our past and present clients to these. While many will not come, it’s a means to show them we’re still active in the business and to touch base.
What is the most significant trend positively impacting your business today?
This isn’t a new trend, but the continuation of an old one. While real estate consumers like having a huge amount of real estate information they can access via their handheld devices, they still want a relationship with a real person. It’s important for agents to have voice conversations, and, when possible, face-to-face communication with their customers. They need to know how much we care.
Where do you see yourself and your business five years down the road?
The best aspect of the real estate business is that no two days are the same. My team has an excellent level of enthusiasm, and none of us show any sign of slowing down. It’ll be great fun to see what develops as our industry evolves and our city grows around us.
You utilize Homes & Land as part of an integrated marketing strategy that includes print publications. How does this benefit you?
Homes & Land is recognized by much of my client base as a go-to magazine and website. They know it from most regions in the country and have become very comfortable with its format. We’re pleased with the distribution in our market area and can trace a number of sales to this book.
Final Question…
What’s your top strategy for helping buyers relocating to the area?
Before we talk about prices, we spend much of the first conversation talking about their lives, their children, if any, and the home they now live in. And when we meet for our first tour, I set their expectations by calling it an orientation tour.
For more information, please visit www.homesandland.com/benefits.
Jameson Doris is RISMedia’s blog and social media editor. Email him your real estate news ideas at jdoris@rismedia.com.
