Consistency is the key to success in meeting the demands of today’s market. That’s the top tip from Rob Zwemmer, President of Zwemmer Realty Group with Keller Williams Realty. Read on for more essential insight.
Years in real estate: 9
Region served: Southern California Inland Empire
Average market time: 104 days
What is your approach for succeeding in the luxury market?
There is so much competition in this segment of the market that we must do all of the things that everyone does—excellent photography, excellent copy and excellent staging—and do those things even better. So with the ad copy, we try to tell a story. For that, I have a copywriter on staff full time. To make sure my photography is superb, I may hire the best photographer to use a drone both inside and outside of the house. Then, realizing that most home sales begin online today, our challenge is to be the first to attract a buyer’s attention and drive him or her to our website and our listings.
What strategies have been successful in driving real estate consumers to your website?
To meet the online demands of today’s market, you must be consistent; therefore, I have on staff a social media manager who does nothing but post material on Instagram, Facebook and Tumblr three times a day. The content may have nothing to do with real estate, but it appeals to anyone online. Recently we had a posting about male versus female, which drew thousands of hits. Ultimately, those hits translate to impressions on our website, where it is estimated you only have six seconds to make a good impression. Our aim, of course, is to be on the top of the food chain, so we have an excellent “Hero Shot” of the listing paired with excellent copy. It is expensive, but we sell property in record time for record prices, so we make money and get other listings.
Are you using print media?
Yes. We actually do a lot of print media, including sending farm cards out to local areas. While we are very tech-savvy, and I have turned my listing presentation into a full-blown video, we don’t forget about the baby boomers and seniors who don’t want to use social media. For that audience, we have a beautiful embossed listing package, which is leather-bound.
What is the one piece of technology that you and your team can’t live without?
My smartphone—and Docusign is a game changer.
What’s your best advice for time management?
Pig-headed discipline. I focus on the 80-20 rule. That means I focus on the 20 percent that is going to bring 80 percent of the business. I get up at 5:30 in the morning, meditate, have breakfast and am at the gym by 6:30. I arrive at the office at 8:30 where I concentrate on lead generation until 11:00 and then follow-up until noon.
In your opinion, what’s the key to succeeding in real estate?
No question about it—having a team is key. No one can succeed in real estate alone. I work very hard at recruiting an excellent team. Today we are 11 strong and I am very proud of the team I have assembled. And then just as important, I give back to the community. I came to this country with $800 in my pocket. Today, I consider myself very successful, and for all of it, I am extremely grateful.
For more information, visit www.desertonline.com.
