Where Real Estate Gets Its Dirt

Inman Real Estate Connect Preview

Next week is Inman Real Estate Connect in SF, also known as “The Brad Inman Fund Raiser”…. I kid..I kid.

I’m looking forward to the conference and being in San Francisco.

Looks like Brad and his team have put together another great agenda. I’m stoked to see Merlin Mann I enjoy his blog and look forward to hearing what he has to say. The Blogger’s Connect agenda looks promising too.

Also what struck me as interesting is Sherry Chris’s new BH&G franchise is “officially” launching. I’ve been following their blog and you can sense the great spirit of starting something new. Something I am totally in tune with as well. This industry needs new and aggressive companies to lead the charge. Good Luck to Sherry and her team!

There are a bunch of parties going on all over the city. If you’ve got something to announce feel free to post a comment or send me an email at vendor.alley@gmail.com and I’ll put up a post.

Follow us at www.twitter.com/vendoralley to get the latest of all after parties and events going on in the city.

See you there!

I love this industry…

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I don’t care what anybody says, nobody rocks the gold jacket like Elvis!!

Century 21® System teams up with Fashion Futurist Geoffrey Beene to Reintroduce Signature Gold Jacket
PARSIPPANY, N.J., 03-04-2008 —

Century 21 Real Estate LLC today announced its partnership with the legendary fashion house Geoffrey Beene, Inc. to reintroduce its signature Gold Jacket. With more than 35 years of history, the Gold Jacket has long served to provide consumers with a promise of top notch service and reliability in the complex world of real estate.

“The Gold Jacket has been redesigned and is a fresh take on an iconic real estate identifier,” said Bev Thorne, senior vice president, marketing for Century 21 Real Estate LLC. “We are excited to work closely with Geoffrey Beene as they weave their focus on simple originality, innovative use of fabrics and luxurious comfort into our CENTURY 21 Gold Jackets.”

For agents, the Gold Jacket is better than a business card and demonstrates a source of pride not only in the United States, but around the world. The new Gold Jacket mirrors the contemporary spirit and up-to-date knowledge that gives CENTURY 21® agents the ability to help people realize their dream of home ownership.

The new jacket is custom-designed by Geoffrey Beene and produced in partnership with Lanier Clothes exclusively for the CENTURY 21 System, the world’s largest residential real estate sales organization. Fitted for both men and women, the new Gold Jacket is made with a high-performance, wrinkle-resistant poly viscose fabric. The new Gold Jacket was officially unveiled to agents and brokers in late February 2008 when Century 21 Real Estate LLC hosted its annual International Convention in Orlando, Fla.

Philanthropic Program
For every Gold Jacket sold, the CENTURY 21 System will donate $5 to Easter Seals in the name of the purchasing agent or broker, its affiliated office and the CENTURY 21 System. Since 1979, the CENTURY 21 System has raised more than $95 million to support local Easter Seals chapters, making it the largest all-time corporate contributor to the organization. For more than 28 years, CENTURY 21 offices from coast to coast have supported Easter Seals, a non-profit organization that helps adults and children with disabilities lead more independent lives.

“One of the reasons we respect and are pleased to work with CENTURY 21 System is the organization’s shared commitment to philanthropy,” said Russell Nardozza, chief operating officer for Geoffrey Beene, Inc. “Mr. Beene was a dedicated philanthropist and we are proud to continue his vision today through GBGB – Geoffrey Beene Gives Back™ and the CENTURY 21 Gold Jacket project.”

About Geoffrey Beene, Inc.
Geoffrey Beene (www.geoffreybeene.com), an American fashion icon and design pioneer with a leading designer’s menswear collection, is also in the philanthropic forefront with Geoffrey Beene Gives Back™. All net profits from the Geoffrey Beene products are donated to critical causes. Ranked in the top “Slate 60” for philanthropy, Geoffrey Beene has committed approximately $80 million to charities, including over $46 million to cancer research. Other charitable causes include Alzheimer’s, educational scholarships, programs for women and children and animal welfare.

About Century 21 Real Estate LLC
Century 21 Real Estate LLC (www.century21.com) is the franchisor of the world’s largest residential real estate sales organization, providing comprehensive training, management, administrative and marketing support for the CENTURY 21 System. The System is comprised of more than 8,300 independently owned and operated franchised broker offices in 58 countries and territories worldwide. Century 21 Real Estate LLC is a subsidiary of Realogy Corporation, a global provider of real estate and relocation services.

® 2008 Century 21 Real Estate LLC, A Realogy Company. CENTURY 21 ® Is A Registered Trademark Licensed To Century 21 Real Estate LLC. An Equal Opportunity Company. Equal Housing Opportunity. Each CENTURY 21 Office Is Independently Owned and Operated.

RE/MAX International Convention- LIVE Coverage Wrap-Up.

free-ice-cream.jpgWell, we didn’t get much time to report from the show, it is Vegas after all. So we’ll just hit you with a wrap up.

RE/MAX International put on a good show at its 35th anniversary convention in Las Vegas this year. Dave Liniger dropped from the ceiling in a basket with Las Vegas showgirls at the convention’s general session. Attendance reports were mixed. We heard they had close to 6,000 attend. This was much better attendance than all other franchise shows, so the “Vegas factor” was in full effect.

Once surprising stat I heard at the show was that a full third of RE/MAX attendees were “international”. Meaning if your product was in English and only worked in the U.S. then you didn’t do too well. So, you do the math.

One of the many great things about RE/MAX is how they treat their vendors. This event is no different, whether its access to agents, reasonsable booth policies or free ice cream they really go out of their way to make sure everyone feels welcome.

RE/MAX International Convention -Las Vegas LIVE COVERAGE!

lasvegassign.jpgWe’re here covering all the sites and sounds of thousands of RE/MAX agents decending upon Las Vegas. It’s a big show so check here for regular updates.

eNeighborhoods to provide IDX services for Realogy

winboxer1.jpgThis deal was just announced today. If you’re keeping track eNeighborhoods now handles IDX for remax.com, Century21.com, ColdwellBanker.com, and ERA.com. The big question is what’s left??

This is a HUGE win for eNeighborhoods! Congrats to Andy Woolley and his team for bringing this one home.

eNeighborhoods and Realogy partner

to deliver national Internet Data Exchange (IDX) solution

IDX solution will power property search for

CENTURY 21®, Coldwell Banker® and ERA® Web sites

BOCA RATON, Fla. (Nov. 12, 2007) — eNeighborhoods, a leading compiler of real estate home and neighborhood information and a division of Dominion Enterprises, has announced a partnership with Realogy Corporation, a global provider of real estate and relocation services, to deliver a national Internet Data Exchange (IDX) solution. Realogy has signed a multi-year agreement to use eNeighborhoods’ Enterprise IDX platform to power the property search for consumers visiting the CENTURY 21®, Coldwell Banker® and ERA® real estate brand Web sites.

eNeighborhoods will power the national property search on the Realogy brand Web sites, each of which will be connected to a national network of brand-customized IDX Web sites hosted by eNeighborhoods on behalf of CENTURY 21®, Coldwell Banker® and ERA® franchisees in the United States and Canada. eNeighborhoods also will power the national property search on the future Better Homes and Gardens Real EstateSM brand Web site, Realogy’s newest brand.

“This is a unique opportunity for eNeighborhoods to work with several of the world’s leading real estate brands through our partnership with Realogy,” said Andy Woolley, eNeighborhoods vice president of enterprise services. “We’ve worked diligently over the past several years to build a powerful IDX platform capable of servicing the world’s largest real estate networks. We’re honored Realogy recognized our unique abilities and selected us as their partner to deliver this key strategic initiative.”

eNeighborhoods operates the industry’s largest network of IDX Web sites, compiling more than 3.5 million IDX listings from over 425 MLS organizations on behalf of their broker and agent customers. The turn-key solution covers every aspect of IDX necessary for large-scale deployments, from the online fulfillment of broker-MLS permission forms to data aggregation and security to listing display compliancy.

“Both brokers and consumers will benefit from our IDX solution,” said Craig Cuyar, chief information officer, Realogy Franchise Group. “All property listings will be displayed in a consistent and clear format, regardless of the listing source. Visitors to our brand Web sites will be able to find all the local market information they are looking for faster and easier. We’re excited about this new partnership, and we look forward to a highly collaborative relationship with eNeighborhoods.”

“We expect the vast majority of U.S. property listings to be searchable from the Realogy brand sites in the summer of 2008,” said Greg Robertson, eNeighborhoods vice president and general manager. “The pairing of eNeighborhoods’ advanced IDX technology with Realogy’s LeadRouter system will result in a competitive advantage for their agents and brokers, and a better property search experience for consumers.”

About eNeighborhoods

eNeighborhoods®, a division of Dominion Enterprises, is the nation’s premier compiler of real estate related home and neighborhood information, providing the real estate and marketing services industries with a comprehensive set of marketing and analytical tools. In 2002, eNeighborhoods became a partner in the National Association of REALTORS®’ REALTOR Benefits® Program. The company provides MLS data sharing and marketing tools to top MLS organizations in the United States, Canada, and Australia. The company maintains strategic alliances with major real estate franchisers, including CENTURY 21, Coldwell Banker, ERA, EXIT Realty, GMAC, Keller Williams, Prudential, Realty Executives and RE/MAX International as well as many of the major independent brokerages. eNeighborhoods is the proud founding sponsor of NAR’s Good Neighbor Awards which educates, encourages and rewards outstanding community service by real estate professionals throughout the country. For more information on the company, visit www.eneighborhoods.com.

About Dominion Enterprises

Dominion Enterprises, headquartered in Norfolk, Va., is a leading media and information services company serving real estate, automotive, employment, recreation, marine and industrial markets in the United States. The company operates a variety of technology businesses that offer Internet marketing, Web site design and hosting, lead generation, CRM, and data capture and distribution services including Advanced Access, PowerSports Network, and Dealer Specialties. The company has more than 500 paid and free magazine titles such as The Employment Guide, For Rent, Harmon Homes, Boat Trader, Cycle Trader and RV Trader with a combined weekly circulation of over 5 million, and more than 40 market-leading Web sites such as EmploymentGuide.com, ForRent.com, Homes.com, and TraderOnline.com, reaching more than 8 million unique monthly visitors. The company has more than 7,200 employees nationwide and 2006 annual revenue of more than $850 million. For more information, visit www.DominionEnterprises.com.

Job Posting – National Sales Director focused on Broker technologies

tie.jpg I got this from our friends at Clareity yesterday. I’m sure Gregg won’t mind me posting….

Dear Industry Colleague,

One of Clareity Consulting’s clients is seeking a National Sales Director focused on Broker technologies – please forward this email or nominate anyone you know that has done a great job selling Broker-focused technology and might be interested – or ask them to contact me or Kelly directly.

Clareity appreciates your assistance, and for a fun reward, the first person to nominate the person eventually selected for the position will win a $500 gift card from Macy’s, Best Buy – or any online store of your choosing.

A bit more about the position: This senior sales executive will be responsible for developing and nurturing relationships with the largest Broker and Franchise organizations to identify, evaluate, qualify, and close new business with existing and new clients. They develop ‘major account business plans’ (MABP) to achieve success and serve as ‘team leader’ to execute these plans. They will coordinate responses to RFPs and construct effective presentations. The position requires:

1) at least 10 years experience with proven sales results in closing million dollar plus transactions through consultative selling within the Broker Information Industry,
2) strong references from Brokers, Brokerage Executive and industry consultants,
3) highly developed negotiation and consultative selling skills
4) certification /professional designation from a major sales training program a plus
5) strong communication and presentation skills and the ability to present to groups of all sizes and organizational levels,
6) Bachelor degree or higher,
7) Willingness to travel up to 50% of the time.

Remote office or home-based office is acceptable. This is a large company with many new products to sell. The job offers a base salary of $75-$100K based upon experience and substantial commission opportunities because of the size of the sales.

Please let me know if you have someone in mind – and please put them in touch with me. You could also win the prize!

Thank you!

Gregg Larson, CEO (or Kelly McCormack, executive assistant at x200) Clareity Consulting Scottsdale, AZ 480-368-8100 x201 www.callclareity.com gregg.larson@callclareity.com

Inman Connect Recap….finally

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First off, kudos to Brad for putting together another great show. Yeah, I know Connect can be full of fringe companies and topics but you gotta love the amount of respect Brad gives these entrepreneurs. Coming from a guy who started his business in a garage I can appreciate it.

You also gotta love the city of San Francisco. The restaurants, the bars, the bums, the people, the everything. I grew up in the Mission District on 21st Street and it always feels like coming home when I drive in to the city.

The Palace Hotel, decent. The ballroom has a great vibe but the service wasn’t the greatest. The lobby bar, with its picture of the “The Pied Piper”, has a great vibe too, it was a shame someone reserved half the bar seats one night- the place is small enough already! Rooms were small but nice. Wish they had more private meeting space just too sit down. It was hard to sit down with someone without being in the open and everyone saying hi or waving.

But all the heavies were there. I caught Errol Samuelson, President of Realtor.com, and Move’s skunk works developer Curt Beardsley and the House of Shields one night. (Gotta love House of Shields, a vendor’s dream, a bar within stumbling distance when the lobby bar closes) Alan Dalton was nowhere to be seen and assumed to be in his basement with his soldering gun building the new super secret weapon for MOVE.

The Clareity boys were in full force. Someone told me that they all got black matching tailored suits from a clothing story next door to The Palace- So my nickname for Gregg (Mr. Brown), Troy (Mr. White) and Kevin (Mr. Pink) is going to be The New Reservoir Dogs.

I did see Marty Frame and John Hensley from FRNRES, along with Larry “fingers” Ross, but oddly nobody from FNRES’ MLS group. Word is that management scheduled a sales training session the same days as the conference. Must be contagious for MLS vendors because Wurzer from FBS was busy “…working on stuff our clients need”. Way to go Mike!

Jim Secord from MostHome showed up, hope he didn’t use his personal credit card to get there. And of course all the heavies from Dominion Enterprises, Andy Woolley (eN), Bob Morse (eN), Michael Hayes (eN), Jamie Clymer (Homes.com) and Dave Meyer (eN). What a bar bill!

Speaking of bar bills, for those of you who made it to the eNeighborhoods Inman After Party at Black Magic Voodoo Lounge you know what I mean when I say “OFFFF DA HOOOK!” Michael was slinging drinks like Tom Cruise in Cocktails, only without the spinning bottles and weird grin. Later even Andy “Elephant Hunter” Woolley got it to the act, mixing one of the best Tanqueray and Tonics in the city. Way to grab the right bottle Andy!

The bar was even graced by Inman’s very own Alice Myerhoff. Alice is the Sales Director for Inman News and sells advertising and conference sponsorships. Even more lovely ladies showed up as the RE/MAX International’s very own Fatima and Amy came and showed us all how RE/MAX rolls.

Plus I gotta give a big shout out to Brad Tertell from MLSNI, he loaded the jukebox with serious coin and picked out an awesome mix of tunes for the evening- Brad you might have a career as DJ if this MLSNI thing doesn’t work out!

Most of the other stories I can’t mention or don’t remember.

Even with all this we did manage to get some work done, that’s the great thing about Inman Connect, just mix and stir.

Only 2 trade shows left….

benstein.jpgAs Century 21 conference kicks off in Vegas this week we only have Prudential’s trade show in San Diego next week then we’re pretty much done with all franchise shows. All shows reported attendance was way down from previous years. Now the question is; “Where am I going to make up all the sales that I expected from the trade shows?”

Anybody got any ideas? Anyone…Anyone……Anyone?

LIVE! RE/MAX Annual Convention Atlanta, GA

remax.jpgGreetings from HOT-LANTA! Actually it was below 50 degrees and windy when we arrived, but hey, lets give it up for the A-T-L! The folks at RE/MAX International moved their annual convention from New Orleans to Atlanta this year. With all the news coming from New Orleans these days it proved to be a good move. However, attendance was waaaaaay down this year. Not sure if it was good breakout sessions, the market, the city or what, but many vendors and suppliers in the convention hall were complaining about “booth traffic”.
Hard to fault anyone at RE/MAX International, they put on a quality show and treat their “Approved Suppliers” with respect. But if you can’t sell your stuff at a RE/MAX Convention, then where can you???? Our advice, scale down. Leave a few guys at home for your next convention. No need to have 7 guys standing in your booth.

On The Road Again…

Busy couple of months coming up ahead.  The Keller Williams show is next week,  followed by RE/MAX and then Realogy (CB, ERA, C21).  AEI is somewhere in between. 
Join the fray and tell us if attendence is up down or maybe something interesting. web speed site subdomains . Switonperkerbti

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