TOP 5 IN REAL ESTATE, January 2010—Bill Caci
Bill Caci and Laurie Randazzo – The Caci/Randazzo Team
RE/MAX Leading Edge
Years in real estate: Bill – 46 years; Laurie- 5
Region Served: Suburban Boston, Winchester MA
How has the business changed in the last 4 years?
Bill Caci: Buyers are beginning their search more and more on the Internet. Every time we go out to a listing presentation, I ask for the phone number and Laurie asks for the e-mail address. That’s the way the younger generation does business today—by e-mail. We also focus on social networking. We are on Facebook and Twitter and blogging works very well to bring in leads for new buyers.
Laurie Randazzo: We have put a lot of content onto our blog. We have been blogging since the beginning of 2008.
What new strategies are you adopting to build business?
BC: We have been using direct mail 4 – 8 times a year and that’s expensive. So we are now trying to stay in touch the same number of times through e-mail. This is not possible in all cases but when we can, we switch the mailing to e-mail.
How does having a team help in this market?
BC: Laurie is very tech savvy and she does everything on the Internet, including the blogging. Each of our listings has its own website. Although Laurie handles all of the technology, we are client-centric in terms of the work split. Having a team helps us have full-time coverage and someone is always able to help the client.
Having a team also helps when we list the property, there are more opportunities to relate. Typically you are working with a couple—two sellers or two buyers. There is a rapport that happens depending on who is in charge. So when we go to listing appointments we take the cue from the clients.
LR: We bring different strengths to the table. I target younger folks who tend to be more tech savvy and Bill has a (SRES) senior specialist designation, seniors are an important target market for us as our area has an older demographic. With the senior segment, we are dealing with people moving down, size-wise. At the same time, we have a lot of young buyers interested in moving into these houses. So we are a perfect team as we can service the entire market, from young to more mature.
Where do you get the biggest bang for your marketing dollars?
BC: Mailings. We do our own and they work well for us. Print media, specifically classified ads, are unproductive today. We put our efforts into creating our own target marketing pieces.
Why did you become a Member of Top 5?
BC: The concept of Top 5 is more easily understood among the public. Our numerous professional designations do not mean anything to the consumer. Being a member of Top 5 has an immediate recognition. We also really like the new marketing ideas, the brochures, and frankly Allan (Dalton) himself. I like his approach, which is client-centric rather than ego-centric.
How are you/will you utilize the Top 5 program to help build your business?
LR: Top 5’s viral e-mail program makes coming up with content easy for us. That’s the biggest plus for us…along with the consumer brochures.
Is the market turning around in your area?
BC: Inventory is down and activity is up. Our market is really exceptional as we are in an area that is not burdened with short sales and foreclosures. Less than half of one percent is the short sale statistic here. That’s because we are in a high-end market and we deal with high-end property. The market is picking up pace and I suspect the market will come back and be more active in the spring, so much so that I expect 2010 to be one of the best years we have ever had.
How do you differentiate yourselves from other agents in the market?
LR: We are high tech, high touch. We do both. We try not to conquer the world. We are very focused on being the local experts in our small geographic area. And we offer expertise and a very high level of service. Our clients love us!
