Monday, June 29, 2015
Thursday, May 21, 2015
Monday, April 20, 2015
Monday, April 13, 2015
Marketing Luxury Real Estate: The Drone Syndrome
In viewing a real estate site with a home page that had beautiful drone videos, one of our friends remarked that he would need a Dramamine to continue viewing the site. He would not go back to that site.Will using drone photography in a listing video be the deciding feature that will win you the listing? Who needs to be impressed, the buyer or the seller?
There is no doubt that the aerial view of a large estate, a ranch, or a waterfront property is impressive. How often, does a buyer make a decision to buy a home based on aerial views? How important is it to the seller to have his/her home photographed in this manner? Do the sellers get bragging rights when talking to their friends, that their agent used a drone?
If you are going to use drone photography hire a professional, and make sure it is legal in your area. However, do not get caught up in the drone syndrome just to appease sellers, and pass the Dramamine!
Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-
ABOUT: Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry. They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace.
Friday, April 10, 2015
The Magic of Mental De-Cluttering: The Benefit of Doubt!
The only thing that can stop you from succeeding in becoming a market leader (barring external circumstances that are truly beyond your control) is not taking consistent action toward your goal once you have identified your success formula. It may take some trial and error to develop your success formula, but that is all part of the game.
The number one enemy of consistent action is self-doubt. It is self-doubts that start the process of cluttering your mind. It is you, second-guessing yourself that precipitates immobilization.
The clutter accumulates when you allow yourself to get distracted by all kinds of people, circumstances or events. Sure, there are some people who may try to immobilize you. But, it is only when you go into agreement with them that you use them as your excuse to slow yourself down or stop yourself from succeeding.
So, what is the remedy that can keep your mind clear, uncluttered and on track? Give yourself the benefit of the doubt! Test this out for yourself and watch how fast your mind becomes uncluttered, and clear. This will erase your uncertainty and restore your confidence. It is magic!
Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-
ABOUT: Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry. They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace.
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
The Magic of Mental De-Cluttering!
I was reading Michael Jacobs post yesterday
about his progressive journey of de-cluttering the physical stuff in
his life, which led me to thinking about something both Ron and I
practice arduously on a daily basis: mental de-cluttering!
Mental
de-cluttering is taking a few moments several times in one's day to
clear all those thoughts that jump in and out of your consciousness that
cause you to get distracted! For example, it is that unpleasant
encounter with a client who arrived late that makes you want to rant and
rave to anyone who will listen, write a post about it, post on FB,
Twitter, etc.
The
clutter compounds when your well meaning friends and commenters tell
you all about the misery they suffered that morning. Or better yet they
recount a whole string of events similar to yours. This adds
momentum to your incident, as they are in agreement with you about this
client and how people today are mean, irresponsible, blah, blah, blah!
And your outrage gets even bigger, which takes up more space in your
head.
In
marketing real estate, we all know that a cluttered room limits
buyers' vision and diminishes their ability to see possibilities. The
same is true of the mind. Mental clutter means you have less
concentration and less focus available in your day.
When
your mind is clear you see opportunities and possibilities. You may be
surprised, you will find yourself working less hours and enjoying your
life more. That is the magic of mental de-cluttering.
Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-
ABOUT: Napa Consultants,
International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real
estate industry. They work exclusively with professionals who are
passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an
expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate
website design and social media marketing they help their clients become
the breakaway brand in their marketplace.Thursday, March 19, 2015
How Local Amenities Accelerate Home Buying Decisions -Part 2
We have been practicing yoga for years. Recently, a new studio opened in a quaint neighborhood in Santa Barbara that is within five minutes of our home.
It is non-obvious amenities like these that can clinch a sale, believe it or not. It made us appreciate where we live even more.
When you close your transactions ask the buyer what lifestyle amenities helped convince them to select one home over another. Pay close attention to the non-obvious ones. Then, be sure to point out these amenities to all of the buyers you represent going forward and also those who visit your listings.
Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-
ABOUT: Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry. They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace.
Monday, March 16, 2015
How to Leverage Your Strengths to the Max
Courtesy of Apple
If market leadership is your goal as a luxury real estate marketing professional, you must leverage your strengths to the max in order to dominate your niche. With the right strategy you can render your competition irrelevant.
That is exactly what Apple has done once again, not only in the new product category of wearable tech (Apple Watch), but also by reinvigorating the smartphone (iPhone) and notebook (MacBook) categories. With a move akin to martial arts, where you use your opponent’s force against itself, redirecting the momentum of its attack, Apple has put its competition on the defensive.
They have launched a new app software framework called ResearchKit that turns the iPhone into a powerful tool for medical and health research (with user permission only-Apple does not see your data). Gathering research in real time on a global scale is a TOTAL GAME CHANGER for the medical field!
This trivialized Samsung’s slogan, “The Next Big Thing is Here”. And, in a pre-emptive move, it beats Google (Android) at its own game by providing an open source platform for this app that can be freely used, changed, and shared by anyone.
Helping doctors and scientists gather data more frequently and more accurately creates an added value to the iPhone within the medical niche. World-class research institutions have already developed apps with ResearchKit for studies of asthma, breast cancer, cardiovascular disease and more. Can you see how this strategy will boost sales in all Apple product categories for this target market, including the iPad and MacBook?
The new MacBook is another astonishing breakthrough in engineering and design. It is the lightest and most compact Mac notebook ever! It required reimagining every element to make it not only lighter (just 2 lbs!) but also thinner, including the keyboard, the trackpad and the batteries.
Apple has leveraged its strengths including exquisite design to the max to fortify its dominance across the board in all product categories. It is now adding value way beyond just the consumer market as it takes on the niches of science, medicine and business.
How can you apply Apple’s latest strategies to leverage your strengths to the max as a luxury real estate marketing professional?
Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-
ABOUT: Napa
Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the
luxury real estate industry. They work exclusively with professionals
who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With
an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate
website design and social media marketing they help their clients
become the breakaway brand in their marketplace.
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
How Local Amenities Accelerate Home Buying Decisions – PART 1
Luxury
real estate marketing professionals often underestimate the powerful
part local amenities can play in the emotional buying decisions of high
net worth consumers. Buyers make mental maps of the location of
amenities that are in proximity to the home they are considering. Then,
there is certain point when the amenities start adding up and tip the
scale, which accelerates the buying decision.
In
this article series we will point out some of the non-obvious
amenities that can clinch a sale. You will be surprised how simple the
amenities can be.
We
were delighted to discover that the Los Angeles based Hillstone
Restaurant Group just opened one of their concept restaurants here in
Santa Barbara called The Honor Bar. One item on the menu is so good, that we plan on dining here just about once per week. It is Ding’s Crispy Chicken Sandwich
with Baby Swiss cheese, sliced tomato & vinaigrette slaw on a
homemade sesame seed bun that looks enormous, but is light as air. The
textures and spices compel you to stop whatever you are doing, close
your eyes and just savor this simple yet layered culinary experience.
And, it is plenty for two people to share.
Given
that Los Angeles is the primary feeder market (no pun intended) for
Santa Barbara homebuyers, The Honor Bar represents a sure bet for
comfort food with the same polished level of service that they have come
to expect from Hillstone’s LA restaurants (Houston’s, Bandera’s, Gulf
Stream and R&D Bar).
Can
you imagine that a great sandwich could become an emotional reason to
buy a home? We are not saying that these amenities are the major
emotional reasons to buy, just the ones that can tip the scale if there
is indecision.
As
a luxury real estate marketing professional you need to know all about
these amenities and point them out to your buyers. What are some of
the scale-tipping amenities in your marketplace? Stay tuned for more
on this topic!
Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-
ABOUT:
Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for
the luxury real estate industry. They work exclusively with
professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market
leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding,
luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help
their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace.
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
Luxury Real Estate Marketing Tip: Is Your Voice Mail Fresh Or Stale?
When was the last time you refreshed your cell phone voicemail message? Do you have a generic voice message or is it in your own voice? Does your message say the same boring things that almost every real estate agent voicemail message conveys? If so, you are missing a tremendous opportunity to make a great first impression or re-enforce your personal brand in the minds of your current referral base.
Sally changes her voicemail message every two weeks! She believes that in a 30 second message you have the opportunity to identify your unique style, your distinct brand of doing business in a very personal way.
Every holiday is an opportunity to spread good will with a fresh message. Sally’s Valentines message was quite endearing. She advises that you should never get stale or predictable. Even her long-term friends and family look forward to hearing her latest installment, if they cannot reach her on the spot.
Keep your personal brand fresh in the minds of your target market and referral sources. Refresh your voicemail message regularly.
Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-
ABOUT: Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry. They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace
Friday, February 20, 2015
Staying On The Leading Edge of Luxury
Apple store on 5th Avenue in New York. Photo by© Phakimata
It is tempting to dilute your position as a leader in luxury real estate marketing by taking on whatever properties come your way in various price ranges. The temptation comes either from greed, fearing that you will miss out on other opportunities, or from losing confidence that your chosen niche has the capacity to fulfill your financial goals.
A great case in point is the reversal of fortunes of Samsung in the smartphone market. After an outright assault on Apple, Samsung surpassed Apple in overall smartphone sales. Their tactic was to create phones in all price ranges and go for sheer volume.
Apple stayed focused on the top-tier where the margins are high and regained supremacy after selling over 75 million phones in their last quarter. A significant percentage of 2014 sales were in China where competition for lower price range phones is fierce and margins are slim.
Last year Apple unseated all of the iconic European luxury fashion and jewelry brands as the number one luxury brand in China. With the Apple Watch soon to launch, Senior VP of Design, Jony Ive, and the new head of retail, Angela Ahrendts (who was credited for turning around luxury retailer Burberrys) are in the process of revamping the design of its stores. Apple is doubling down on luxury to strengthen its dominance in this arena.
Continuously refining your marketing message and luxury real estate brand esthetics is an important part of staying on the leading edge. It is essential if you want to stay ahead of your competition in the long run.
Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-
ABOUT: Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry. They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Expressing Your Brand: Finding Your Perfect Pitch
In the art world there are forgeries that only trained experts can discern. But, when it comes to authenticity in your personal luxury real estate brand most people can spot a fake from a mile away. Authenticity is the key to longevity in your business.
If you are a lover of pop music you certainly can appreciate the originality and authentic voice of singer-songwriter Adele. She has sold over 40 million albums worldwide and has won numerous awards including a Grammy, Golden Globe and Academy Award for “Skyfall”, from the James Bond film with the same name.
This year a new talent emerged to take the top awards, Sam Smith. His golden voice is pitch-perfect. When you hear Sam, it is clear that you are experiencing the depth of his soul. You hear his truth.
What you are striving for with your personal brand is authenticity in every communication you have with current and past clients, prospects and also with your entire potential referral base. The clients you want are those who can discern the real deal, the genuine article. You do not want the ones who can easily be fooled by a false front, a mask, or a people-pleasing façade.
The message from a personal brand that is phony will sound and feel discordant to those who value authenticity. It takes guts to put your authentic self on the front line. But, in the long run you will strike the right chord with your ideal clients.
Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-
ABOUT: Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry. They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Setting The Angel Free: Finding Authenticity In The Branding Journey
We are reminded of one of Michelangelo’s quotes, “Every block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it, I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free”.
Recent events in the world of celebrity, sports, and news figures have revealed the shortcomings of some high profile individuals. They fell prey to the hype of their unauthentic personal brands, driven by the desire to maintain their visibility and marketability.
Sooner or later, they find that they cannot maintain this false image, and are hugely relieved when the truth comes out. Yearning to be set free from the imprisonment of an inacurate brand identity, it is as if they orchestrated their own downfall.
For us branding is not about creating a spin, or something that will please the target market. It is a journey of rediscovering and re-affirming our client’s authenticity, and then, developing a brand strategy together that fits like a glove.
When a luxury real estate professional or a company is the genuine article and recognized as such, trust is gained rapidly and referrals abound. An angel set free has no limitations.
Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-
ABOUT: Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry. They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace.
Friday, February 6, 2015
Beyonce’s Personal Brand Extension: Will You Bite?
Many celebrities have launched
and endorsed their own businesses to leverage and extend their personal
brands. Beyonce just launched a home delivery Vegan food service based
on her 22 Days Vegan Challenge. Will you bite?
In our previous post
we discussed the importance of researching and anticipating the needs
of your target market in your luxury real estate practice. Beyonce
definitely spotted multiple trends that converged in her new business
model: the vegan trend, the non-GMO trend and also the trend of home
delivery of groceries and prepared meals that can be ordered via the
Internet. In selecting this business she is “riding the horse in the direction it is going”.
While home grocery delivery has
attracted millions of venture capital dollars, the space is becoming
extremely crowded. Why would anyone enter this highly competitive field
at this stage in the game?
Beyonce’s brand extension (beyond singing and acting) exemplifies our approach to this question: identify an uncontested and/or under served NICHE (within this larger category) that you can dominate.
She also has an “unfair” competitive advantage: her personal brand is
very well known and she apparently “walks her talk”, i.e., she is a
vegan and she looks stunning!
Often, when we work with
incumbent market leaders in luxury real estate, we are asked, “How can I
expand beyond my current niche that I already dominate?” The same
approach applies. Once you dominate one niche, your strong
reputation as a market leader precedes you if you want to extend your
brand into another niche.
By leveraging your strengths you can more readily conquer your next challenge. Your credibility makes it easier for your new target market to “bite”.
Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-
ABOUT: Napa Consultants,
International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real
estate industry. They work exclusively with professionals who are
passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an
expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate
website design and social media marketing they help their clients become
the breakaway brand in their marketplace.
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
Brand Surgery Or Brain Surgery: It Is Not As Simple As Buying A Logo
Refreshing your brand is a very
important task if you want to maintain your position as a market
leader. Staying sharp, relevant and up-to-date technologically is
imperative! But, take it from us; get some expert help! Performing your
own “brand surgery” is like performing your own brain surgery.
We are just now completing our own brand
surgery. It was a grueling experience for many reasons. The process of
further distilling your own extraordinary promise of value to its bare
essence and then communicating it with even fewer words and images is a
daunting task.
This challenge is exacerbated by the new
constraints of contemporary website design that has to work not only on
desktop computers but also on all mobile devices (both in landscape
orientation and portrait). We are excited about the results. And, we
will share the new Napa Consultants, Int’l website with our readers by
the end of the month.
Refreshing your brand is not like
shopping for a logo. Sure, you can update your look. But, a look is not
necessarily a brand. Your brand needs to empower your entire current
and future referral base to spread the good word about you. It needs to
be remarkable to spark word-of-mouth advertising.
Your website needs to become your silent
salesperson. It needs to be a polished presentation that communicates
who you are and how you are different from your competition with an
economy of words.
Do not attempt brand surgery on your
own. It is hit or miss at best. It took us six months to figure out our
own rebranding. Think of how many homes you could sell in six months.
It is not as simple as buying a logo, get some expert help!
ABOUT: Napa Consultants, International
is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry.
They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about
gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal
branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and
social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway
brand in their marketplace.
-WATCH VIDEOS-
GET FLUENT. GET AFFLUENT! - JOIN THE LOL COMMUNITY
Monday, January 5, 2015
Luxury Real Estate Marketing: Buzz and Ants!
Word-of-mouth is, by far, your best form
of advertising. But, very few luxury real estate marketing
professionals seize the opportunity to spark word-of-mouth advertising
(buzz) ON PURPOSE.
If you want to accelerate the pace at
which you achieve top-of-mind status in your marketplace, or within your
niche, the art of deliberately triggering buzz should definitely become
part of your skillset. If you can leverage social media channels such
as You Tube or Twitter you could score a grand slam in publicity!
During the Holidays Disney released a trailer for its upcoming feature film, Ant-Man.
The screen size was tiny, so you could not actually view the trailer.
But, it said that the “human” size trailer could be viewed if you watch Agent Carter,
the new ABC TV series starting on January 6th. The clever trailer went
“viral” with over 2 millions views on You Tube. Both Ant-Man and Agent
Carter are based on Marvel characters, a company owned by Disney. Ant-Man premieres in July.
To capitalize on the buzz, Disney
released a teaser of the full-length human sized trailer. Huffington
Post for one wrote an article on this and featured the teaser.
How can you leverage buzz to spark word-of-mouth advertising for your luxury real estate marketing practice, on purpose?
ABOUT: Napa Consultants, International
is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry.
They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about
gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal
branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and
social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway
brand in their marketplace.
-WATCH VIDEOS-
GET FLUENT. GET AFFLUENT! - JOIN THE LOL COMMUNITY
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)