Marketing
WAV Group has years of experience launching new products. We have worked with budgets from a few thousand to nearly fifty million dollars so we can adapt the marketing approach plan based on the client’s need.
Marketing Plans
WAV Group can draft a marketing plan to help build market awareness. The plan will outline quantifiable goals which can be measured and tracked. WAV Group can coordinate the development of all marketing materials or can work with our customer’s internal marketing teams. The plans may include any or all of the following marketing approaches:
Websites – WAV Group can help outline messaging, website features and content needs. The firm can also coordinate the sourcing and production, and content population of the site as needed.
Direct Marketing – WAV Group can help launch a series of direct marketing initiatives by outlining a messaging/editorial calendar. The materials can be delivered via direct mail, email, or eNewsletters.
BLOGS - Blogs are becoming one of the most effective methods for building web traffic. WAV Group can help outline the purpose/editorial content to help build brand awareness and credibility in the real estate industry.
Public Relations – WAV Group can draft White Papers or conduct research that can be publicized in leading real estate journals. We have found that studies can receive a fair amount of press if deemed relevant to the industry. We can also draft and distribute press releases of new product launches or other news.
Balancing exchange rates in listing syndication
01-29-2012
Online listing syndication presents complex strategic challenges to real estate brokerage in America today. The structure of economic trade between real estate brokers and publishers has many variables that are often misunderstood and often hard to measure. At the heart of the conversation is an unresolved understanding of the exchange rate in listing syndication. Even people with business analyst certification may be baffled. Do brokers subsidize the success of publishers by providing listings? Do publishers subsidize brokerages by providing willing homebuyers? Some of the policies Read more...
Smarter Agent throws arrow at Zillow and others
01-07-2012
Brad Bloomberg of Smarter Agent is a fighter, and I like that. He takes a position and battles from his corner of the ring. Today, he released a blog post on their company website goes nose to nose with Zillow, Trulia and REALTOR.com. Given that his company is suing them all for patent infringement (another story) – they will never be friends anyway. But this new war is one about his view of listing syndication. Post Title : Listing Aggregators like Zillow, Trulia and Realtor.com Read more...
The role of Scent Marketing in Real Estate
12-27-2011
What does your brand smell like? Perhaps there is no better time than the holiday season to remember that humans have 5 senses (at least) that are used in interacting with all things in the world. As the smell of Christmas trees and holiday cookies linger in our homes and offices, there can be no argument that smell plays a role in marketing. Home Scenting It is not just folklore. Baking cookies and other scent tactics are effective at open houses. Victorian Homes should smell Read more...
Impacts of browser Geolocation technology on real estate
12-13-2011
Real Estate brokers invest a lot of time and money into maintaining and sustaining a strong relocation business. Franchise Organizations and broker networks like Leading Real Estate Companies of the World connect brokers across the country. Advances in technology have enabled location aware Internet browsers. This allows technologists to create predictable outcomes on user visits. If you are a broker in Ohio, and a consumer visits your website from California – you can say “We welcome Californians! Leading websites like Trulia, Zillow, Realtor.com, Homes.com and Read more...
Mobile Passes Print in Consumer Engagement
12-12-2011
WAV Group joined the parade of consults declaring the death of print media in late 2006. Inman News confirmed its death during their conference in San Francisco in 2007 (one of my favorite events of all time). Believe it or not, print actually made a bit of a comeback in 2010. Nevertheless, the Internet is the place that consumers increasingly spend their media time. The new news is that people are actually spending more time on their mobile phones today than they are spending interacting Read more...
Dot MLS May Face a New Opponent
12-04-2011
The United States Senate may be a new challenger to the successful bid by a group of MLSs (MLS Domains Association) to gain approval for a Top Level Internet Domain. A top level internet domain is .com, .net, .org, .XXX, or the curent application for the new .MLS. .MLS promises salvation for many of the ills that torment consumers and real estate brokers online. Notably - it suggests a rule set for displaying listings to consumers in order to qualify to purchase a .MLS domain. By subscribing Read more...
FSBO Sites Grow as Broker and Franchises Languish
11-30-2011
One of the pleasures of working at the WAV Group is the barrage of business questions that we are tasked to answer on a regular basis. Often, the questions challenge conventional understandings about the effectiveness of strategies in real estate. A key strategy discussion among executives at large broker firms and at large franchise organizations surrounds listing syndication to FSBO websites. Syndication strategies that each firm chooses varies relative to local market competition and consumer behavior. I highlighted that last sentence because it is the most Read more...
Great Vendors Embrace Rules
11-22-2011There has been a lot of conversational concern about companies that enter into new verticals of data management and service offerings. Four such instances were announced this year. REALTORS® Property Resource contracts with LPS for data services and LPS subcontracts to Real Estate Digital. Zillow purchased an IDX vendor, Diverse Solutions. MOVE purchased Threewide, the providers of the popular Listhub syndication service. CoreLogic launched a new appraisal tool leveraging MLS data. In every case, the vendor has been virtuous and adhered to contracts and data Read more...
Nielsen credits HAR and Zillow among others
11-07-2011
When it comes to measuring marketing effectiveness, there is little argument that Nielsen is the leader. Nielsen believes that providing clients with a precise understanding of the consumer is the key to making the right decisions — decisions that can lead to profitable growth. At Nielsen, they are always innovating to keep pace with emerging market trends and the increasingly diverse, demanding and connected consumer. Joining Nielsen is the Houston Association of REALTORS, Zillow, a few dozen brokerages, and about 500 of the more than Read more...
News from Property Panorama and Trulia
10-04-2011
Property Panorama as appointed real estate industry veteran Mike Barnet as its new CEO, and Trulia releases information about the source of inaccurate data on their website today. Property Panorama was not specific in outlining the reasons for changing their leadership, but a new captain is at the helm. Barnet joined the company as the CIO about a year ago, and has been working to lead the charge to take the popular virtual tour solution to a higher level. Property Panorama was a unique offering in the Read more...
Technology service providers should think spanish
09-20-2011
When WAV Group was learning about Immobel’s multi-language IDX search strategy earlier this year, Janet Choynowski taught us a valuable lesson. Supporting multiple languages is less about making information legible and more about demonstrating your respect for a person’s culture and heritage. It had a profound impact on us. With this notion couched in our minds, we took note when My Florida Regional MLS announced the launch of CoreLogic Data Co-op to their members, and offered two training classes in Spanish. (http://www.mfrmls.com/member-benefits/mlxchange-benefits/data-co-op). WAV Group suspects Read more...
Trulia launches Trulia Estimates
09-07-2011
Property search portal, Trulia.com announced today the beta release of Trulia Estimates in the San Francisco Bay Area. Through this new product release, consumers will have access to Trulia property valuation estimates on more than 1 million Bay area homes. WAV Group spoke to Trulia to gain a preliminary glimpse into the new product offering that launched today. The areas covered in the beta include five San Francisco Bay area counties including San Francisco County, Marin County, San Mateo County, Santa Clara County and Contra Read more...
Communication Strategy for Real Estate
08-30-2011
One of the fundamental core values of the MLS (beyond offers of compensation) is the organization and communication of property information database. The role of the MLS as a communicator is a hotly debated topic, because the communicator becomes the identity and spokesperson to a wide range of agents and consumers alike. The MLS as a communicator is largely predicated by the governance of the MLS, its bylaws, and the standards set by the MLS shareholders and board of directors. Today, most MLSs have one Read more...
Market Leader Launches New Best-in-Class Product to Provide Home Buyers and Sellers With Local Market Data
08-04-2011
KIRKLAND, WA — (MARKET WIRE) — 08/03/11 — Market Leader (NASDAQ: LEDR) (http://www.MarketLeader.com), a leader in online marketing and technology solutions for real estate professionals, today launched Market Insider, a comprehensive, powerful and innovative set of tools to brand agents as the neighborhood expert, keep prospects coming back to their website, and drive greater loyalty and sales from customers and referrals. Market Insider engages home buyers and sellers with customized, up-to-date reports of home sales, trends, demographics and side-by-side statistics on their favorite neighborhoods. This Read more...
Good Sales People Like Tension!
07-11-2011
Want to Lose a Sale? Be a Therapist! If you are a sales person, selling anything from property to technology, have you ever made this classic mistake? Your customer has entered the buying process, for whatever the product is, a house, a new MLS system, a new website, whatever, and you have a chance to sell them your product. They have reached what I will call the “threshold of activation” meaning simply that enough energy exists around an event for them to take action on Read more...
Bob Hale honored as CEO Communicator of the Year
06-30-2011
WAV Group would like to congratulate Bob Hale of the Houston Association of REALTORS® for being selected as the 2011 CEO Communicator of the Year. Hale was presented with this honor by the Public Relations Society of America through its Houston Chapter. As CEO of the Houston Association of REALTORS®, Bob Hale exhibited communications excellence by combining public relations, social media, a website, print, and outdoor advertising to successfully communicate the value of REALTORS® as the trusted resource for real estate consumers, and HAR as Read more...
NAR Announces 2011 30 under 30 Award Winners
05-31-2011
As a former winner of a “40 under 40″ award in Buffalo, New York I know what an honor it is to receive a “30 under 30″ award. It’s a great way for the industry to recognize those that go above and beyond – the up and comers – the future of our business. Today, the National Association of REALTORS® announced its 2011 list of “30 Under 30″ honorees. This group exemplifies the personal drive many Realtors® have to be the best and provide a Read more...
Real Estate CRM Company seeks venture partner
11-07-2009For the past four years, Technology Concepts, a veteran MLS provider, has been developing a Customer Relationship Management product for the real estate industry. The company has leveraged their experience serving MLSs, brokers and agents to architect and build one of the industry’s most advanced enterprise level CRM solutions. The product, named Eventus, is operational, installed and has realized outstanding results for the first tier users. Now that the product is ready for full deployment into the market place, the company is seeking a business Read more...
Job Posting - Executive Vice President - Association/MLS
10-27-2009
POSITION TITLE: Executive Vice President-Association/MLS REPORTS TO: Board of Directors ORGANIZATIONAL DESCRIPTION The Greenwich Association of REALTORS® (GAR) and Multiple Listing Service serving one of the most exceptional markets in the U.S., with average property values in the millions, is currently interviewing candidates for the position of Executive Vice President. The Greenwich Association of REALTORS® and Multiple Listing Service are driven by clear strategic goals and benchmarks designed to continually improve all member services from education to technology and data accuracy. The Association has recently Read more...
