In the following interview, John O’Reilly of Base Camp Realty of Richmond lets us know the winning methods behind his madness, from social media to education and time management.
John O’Reilly
Base Camp Realty of Richmond
Years in real estate: 16
Region Served: Greater Richmond, Va.
Average sales price in your market: $225,000
Average market time: 45 days
How are you operating your business more efficiently—where have you cut back and where have you invested?
We have cut back on print advertising and invested in social media and lead generation. We do a lot with Facebook and LinkedIn. But our biggest growth percentage-wise has been through Twitter. We weren’t paying attention to it and then last March, we began using it in earnest and it has been a remarkable avenue of growth for us.
How does your membership in Top 5 help generate social media ROI?
Top 5 has really helped us solidify our communications. We push the articles and the newsletters they provide us through Google+ and Twitter, and our growth has been off the charts. We are up about 900 percent. Our clients want to know what’s going on and we’re able to educate them with our Top 5 content.
How are you using social media to ramp up your marketing efforts?
We just started making YouTube commercials, which I believe will have a very positive effect on how consumers see us. These commercials show how we’re able to effectively span all worlds—how we cater to everyone from 21-year-olds to 71-year-olds…and beyond.
How do you most effectively communicate with clients?
I’m a little old school, so I still like to talk to people face to face. But I know that there is a fast-growing segment of the market that only wants to communicate digitally and I am fine with that, too. Basically, I connect with my clients however they like to be communicated with. We have clients who are 71 who like to be called on the telephone to be updated. We also have 21-year-old clients who only want to be emailed or sent text messages. We embrace it all.
How are you staying educated and informed about market conditions?
We use industry information sources like RISMedia, who provides us with great content and articles. We also stay up to date on market conditions through publications, such as National Mortgage News. Then, through our Twitter account, we get alerts all the time about the market. Lastly, I sit on local boards like the YMCA and stay tuned in that way as well.
What’s one of the current challenges in your market and how are you tackling it?
Inventory has been a challenge. But I find the harder I work, the luckier I get. If you’re a door knocker, knock on more doors asking for business.
How do you approach time management?
Being good in sales means you’re sometimes not so good at time management. So the key has been my team. I have a great team and I let them do their jobs, which makes it easier for me to do mine.
How do you stay successful and happy in real estate?
It’s all about balance. Family first, and when you work, work hard and effectively. Like the title of that great book advises, “eat the frog first.”
For more information, visit http://www.basecamprealty.com.
