Webinars/Videos
Become a Member“Why aren’t all builders doing this?”
Posted by scott on July 24, 2011 · 3 Comments
How I stumbled upon the answer to the biggest problems plaguing builders today, and what this can mean for you and your business.
I guess I was about as familiar with the concept of real estate investing as the next guy. I’d seen the infomercials, and even bought the ‘No Money Down’ program several years ago on a whim…
But I had no idea how vital that industry would become – And how Builders, not investors, should be driving the industry – until I met an ‘industry insider’ who explained how everything really works, and why the profits being made are real, legitimate… and can add massive profits to your business, almost immediately!
Ron Tager
I met Ron Tager totally by chance at a marketing conference. Ron is a self-described ‘Real Estate Renegade.’ He is part of an exclusive group of investors that are making a killing buying homes that need a some work for way below the market price… Using money from private lenders (rarely their own) to fund the purchase and the remodel. Then, they hire builders or remodelers to bring the homes up to certain specs, and finally use one of about a dozen strategies up their sleeve to sell the home for a substantial profit.
And get this – Their best markets are in places like Tampa, Detroit, and Atlanta and many of other markets. The places we call ‘Builder Hell’ he calls heaven!
Ron’s system is fast, has near-zero risk, and returns huge profits in a very short time. It’ can be implemented quickly and adds value to your community as well as your bottom line.
And, it can be duplicated by nearly anyone… But is a slam-dunk for builders and remodelers.
So the question Ron asked me was, “Why aren’t all builders doing this? Why are they struggling to find new homes to build when they could be making a fortune rehabbing existing homes and reselling them?”
Why Builders aren’t doing this.
Reason #1: Misconceptions.
Like me, maybe you’ve seen the infomercials and thought that real estate investing was just another ‘get rich quick’ scam. Or, maybe you’ve watched ‘Flip this House’ and concluded that there is just too much risk involved in buying, rehabbing and selling older properties.
Well, the TV shows are all about drama, not reality. The truth is, as a builder and using the program we’ll be teaching, you’ll be able to quickly identify the most profitable homes to buy – and the fastest, easiest way to rehab and resell them.
Reason #2: “I don’t have the money to do this.”
Did I mention that Ron almost never uses his own money to buy and remodel homes? There are long lines of private lenders and other little-known sources (finding them is one of Ron’s specialties!) that will buy the homes you find and put up the money to do the rehab. Then, when the house sells, they get their money back, plus a very reasonable return, usually around 7%.
You don’t have to use your own money; all you have to do is bring the opportunity to those lenders.
Reason #3: “I don’t know where or how to get started.”
Fear not. Ron and I have spent the past three months researching, brainstorming and planning a way to bring builder-specific training to the people who need it most.
We’ve formed a new partnership, Renegade Builder Systems, and are in the process of creating a series of articles, videos and resources to help builders take advantage of – and lead – what most experts say will be the driving force in the US housing marketing for the next 3-5 years.
When we launch our course, we’ll be teaching you:
*How to find private lenders and numerous other sources – other than banks – ready and eager to fund every project you can bring them;
*Simple methods for finding the right properties at well below market value;
*Exactly what to do to bring older homes up to rental or resale spec;
*Multiple strategies for turning rehabbed homes into huge profits – Retail, wholesale, sell to investors… or hold them for your own portfolio and cash flow.
*We’re even including a ‘Done-For-You’ training program where we’ll come to you, set up your entire team and hand you a profitable, up-and-running, turn-key business!
Take Action to Get Started.
As I write this, we’re putting the final touches on a program designed specifically for builders to teach you everything you need to know to begin making huge profits from the skills and resources you already have. In the mean time, we’ll be sharing some information from a few existing sources to get you started.
In fact, on Monday, one of Ron’s most wildly successful friends will begin posting a series of free training videos explaining exactly what he’s doing to make a high 7-figure income from buying, fixing and reselling existing homes. He’s promised to let us share the link to those videos with you. Again, they’re absolutely free and no strings attached, so if you’d like to get the link, simply fill in the form below.
We’ll also send you periodic updates as to our progress, along with additional resources that you’ll find invaluable. As a bonus, we’ll start by sending you a copy of a Special Report on the ‘3 Big Issues Facing All Builders… And how to make money in spite of them!’
We’d love to find out what your major questions or concerns are. So please let us know your what you’re thinking by leaving a comment below.
Increase New Home Sales Through Realtor Partnerships
Posted by scott on July 11, 2011 · Leave a Comment
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
We speak with Steve Hoffacker, Hoffacker Associates.
“Should I open my doors to work with Realtors, or not?”
Most builders have asked that question, and many have found good reason to build working relationships with the real estate community. Sales and marketing consultant, Steve Hoffacker, tells us why:
“For Realtors, selling new homes is easier, is more beneficial in terms of time usage, and pays well. But a lot of Realtors are not familiar with the process,” begins Hoffacker.
“Builders on the other hand have been reluctant to use Realtors,” believing that they’ll lose control of the sales process or that the Realtor will come in with their own agenda.
Since you can’t trust what you don’t know, Hoffacker advises that both builders and Realtors make it a point to learn from each other’s perspective and develop a keen working relationship that can be highly beneficial for both parties.
Since times are tough and buyers are few, builders need all the help they can get to find new buyers. So developing relationships with Realtors who can find and steer more buyers your way is important. Why, though, should Realtors give serious attention to selling new homes? One reason is to save time.
When a Realtor brings a qualified buyer to a builder’s sales center, the builder’s sales agent will do the majority of the work of discovery, demonstration, selection and closing. They don’t have to complete any paperwork worry about collecting the deposit or even arranging financing since the builder typically has that in place. This is all time saved that the Realtor can use servicing other clients.
Another benefit is that builders can be a source of new listings for Realtors. How often is a builder presented with a sales contract contingent on the sale of the buyer’s existing home? That’s when builders benefit from their relationship with Realtors, and the Realtor gets another home to list.
It’s not uncommon for builders to visit real estate offices and make presentations at sales meetings. Your competitors are doing it, too. So Hoffacker recommends going a step further to nurture relationships on an individual level. Taking the extra step, such as giving agents a copy of Steve’s book to follow as a manual for your working relations, helps build rapport and trust, explains in detail how you will work with agents and their customers, and assures them that they will be well compensated for their time and effort.
We’re not talking about replacing the builder’s in-house sales team with outside Realtors. Rather, Hoffacker is teaching builders how to use Realtors to generate more leads into your office to be serviced by sales professionals trained and educated on your specific product. That might be an outside firm that you’ve hired, but even then, that firm will far more equipped to represent your homes or communities than a general real estate agent.
Realtors not only bring you more buyers, their commissions are also offset by the marketing they do in your behalf – money that you’re not spending from your own marketing budget. It’s the broker’s marketing that finds the buyers they bring to you, making the cost of working with a Realtor even more appealing.
The Realtors you cultivate relations with can also act as de facto marketing advisors. They know what’s selling in the marketplace, where the most activity is and what buyers are continuing to ask for and respond to. Their knowledge can help you make sure your bringing the right plans, features and amenities to market to ensure high buyer approval. After all, the better your product is positioned for the current market, the more attractive it will be to Realtors as well as buyers.
Choosing Realtors to work with.
“I like the idea of aggressive up-and-comers,” say Hoffacker. “The top producers already have their way of doing things, so you’re looking for aggressive newer agents that will subscribe to your way of doing business and that will be loyal to you over time.
“Talk to the broker or office manager and tell them what you’re looking for – someone new who is looking to develop a good business, who has a good work ethic and is an aggressive marketer. Then, talk to that person. Tell them that their broker identified them as the person to talk to in that office and that you’d like to make an appointment to speak with them because you feel that you can help them make a lot of money.”
Once you’ve identified Realtors to work with, some basic orientation on your product will help them find and qualify appropriate buyers and to better promote your company. Specialized training is also available through NAHB’s Institute of Residential Marketing, which offers Certified New Home Sales Professional (CSP) and Master of Institute of Residential Marketing (MIRM) courses and designations.
You don’t have to be a large builder to cultivate relationships with Realtors. In fact, small builders without an in-house sales team can particularly benefit by using a Realtor as part of their marketing and sales force.
Should you be working with Realtors to marketing your property? We think, yes!
Contact Steve Hoffacker at http://www.stevehoffacker.com
Order Steve’s new book, Selling With Builders – How Realtors Can Profit From Selling Builders’ New Homes here.
It’s not the Product; It’s the Experience.
Posted by scott on May 26, 2011 · Leave a Comment
By Scott Stroud
[Originally published in The Journal of the Manufactured Housing Institute; May 2011]
It’s not that I’m pessimistic, but I rarely expect an exceptional experience as a customer.
I travel a fair amount, mostly in the service of clients who hire me to speak at their company or group meetings or to consult on their sales or marketing processes. In order to be as frugal as possible with my client’s expense account, I usually shop out airline tickets, rental cars and motels online and choose the best deals available.
My experience has been that most of these service providers are basically the same. I’ve come to expect that I’ll get to the rental car agency, wait in line while an impersonal agent shuffles through waiting customers until it’s my turn, then endure the hard sell as they try to get me to buy their extras – insurance, pre-paid fuel, etc. That’s true of just about all of the name brand rental shops.
However, on a recent trip to Chicago I had a different experience. My ‘best deal’ from Hotwire.com brought me to Enterprise Rent-A-Car for the first time in a long while. Here’s what happened:
I stepped off of the shuttle to be greeted by a well-dressed young man who opened the door for me and welcomed me with a warm smile. Although it was fairly busy, an available agent, again in business dress and with a compelling smile, beckoned me right in. Another agent approached me with a bottle of water, commenting that I must be thirsty after my flight. My reservation was quickly located (an economy car with no frills) and the paperwork was started. I sipped my water and relaxed, just a bit.
At this point, I typically go into ‘no’ mode: No to their expensive insurance; no to the pre-paid gas; no to every add-on or extra. But, something was different here. They didn’t try to scare me into buying their insurance coverage. They did, though, offer to let me upgrade to a beautiful new SUV (I’d been dying to test drive!) for just $5.00 per day. I heard myself saying ‘yes.’ Then, they proposed that I probably wouldn’t want to go through the hassle of stopping in downtown Chicago on the way back to to buy gas, when I could relax and let them handle it by prepaying the gas. Another ‘yes.’ And, instead of stopping to pay tolls every 10 miles, it was explained that I could cruise right past them at 65 mph if I purchased their Easy Pass unit. YES!
In the end, not only did I spend an extra $120 (out of my own pocket, not expensed), I came away feeling good about the company, the entire transaction, and myself! They had crafted for me an experience that dissolved my defenses and allowed me to open up and be more receptive to options I really did want, but didn’t want to be pressured into buying!
That experience was so different from what I expected – from what their competitors are offering – that I was stunned. They profited nicely by getting me out of ‘no’ mode into saying ‘yes.’ More than that, they earned all my future business, at least until the point where their service falls below my new expectations. Barring that, I’m a customer for life.
Now, what did it cost them to deliver an exceptional experience to me? Add it up:
- Employees who were friendly and dressed in business attire: $0
- Smiles all around: $0
- A bottle of water: $0.30
Yet, giving attention to me as a customer – understanding what I might be feeling and experiencing as I walked into their office as opposed to how I wanted to feel – earned them a substantial reward, my loyalty and additional purchases. And none of this had to do with what might be construed as their product – the car. In reality, it had everything to do with their real value-add, customer attention and service.
What will it take to make impress your customers with an exceptional customer experience? What will it be worth to you if you do?
Ask yourself these questions:
- Who are my customers, and what are they feeling when they enter my office or visit my website?
- What are their pains, fears, uncertainties, or doubts?
- What will they experience from my competitors?
- What are their hopes versus their expectations?
- How can I demonstrate an interest in them above and before an interest in their business?
- How can I create an experience that makes people want to do business with me?
It’s not about your product; it’s about your concern for your customer first. Enterprise strategically crafted an experience that made me feel good as a person first. By doing that, they earned a customer for life.
About the author:
Scott Stroud helps housing businesses find the hidden value in the their products and services to attract more buyers and profits, even in challenging housing markets. He coaches small businesses through The Selling More Homes Academy, an online MasterMind group for housing professionals, and is host of the weekly Selling More Homes Podcast at http://BuilderRadio.com/blog. Email Scott at sstroud@builderradio.com, or call 606-677-0447.
In memory of Jerry Rouleau – July 26, 1948 – March 15, 2011
Posted by scott on March 15, 2011 · 191 Comments
Jerry Rouleau
As many of you know Jerry Rouleau has been battling cancer for the past two years. On Tuesday morning, March 15, 2011, at 5:30 am EST Jerry’s struggle ended. He died surrounded by his family at St. Francis Hospital. Jerry is survived by his wife, Valerie; his sons, Jason and Scott and Scott’s wife, Amber; his daughter, Kerry, three sisters and numerous grandchildren, cousins, nieces and nephews.
Few people I’ve known have had the opportunity to touch as many lives in such a gracious and endearing way as Jerry Rouleau. Whether in business or in other aspects of his life, Jerry had a way of inspiring everyone around him. You never left Jerry’s presence without feeling better about yourself, and that is a truly remarkable characteristic, one worth emulating.
Those of you who met Jerry through this program know him as the founder of BuilderRadio and The Selling More Homes Podcast, which he co-hosted with me for over three years.
Before BuilderRadio, though, Jerry had been involved in the housing industry for over 25 years as President of J. Rouleau & Associates, offering public relations, sales and marketing resources and consulting to builders, housing companies and building product suppliers.
During his career, Jerry has spoken personally to over 8,000 industry professionals who have attended his seminars & workshops. He’s shared the stage with most of the industry’s best-known speakers and trainers, and even had the honor of appearing with Earl Nightingale. In addition, he is the author of Selling New Homes: Sales & Marketing Workbook for Million-Dollar Producers, Selling More Homes the Easy Way, The Insider’s Guide to Selling More Homes, and the eBook, Selling More Homes the Easy Way, Part 2.
Jerry was an active member of the National Association of Home Builders and was a regular speaker at the NAHB’s International Builder Show for the past several years. He was also active in the Building Systems Councils and was a recipient of the coveted S.A. Walters Chairman’s Award. This past January, the National Sales and Marketing Council’s Institute of Residential Marketing awarded Jerry with the Friends of the Institute award for his years of support and contributions.
After having lost his wife, Jan, to cancer 10 years ago, Jerry created Jan’s House of Hope, a fund raising project which involved building a 3,100 sq. ft. home on a barge – complete with 3 car garage, car in the driveway and fenced in landscaped yard –which toured seven cities on the east coast. The tour generated over $15 million of publicity for cancer awareness in a two-month period.
For those of us with whom Jerry shared his vision for BuilderRadio and Selling More Homes Media, our task is to continue to build on the foundation he laid for us. It’s with profound gratitude to Jerry – and a deep sense of loss – that we’ll continue this program in his honor.
In honoring Jerry’s wishes, there will be no funeral services. His family will hold a “Celebration of His Life” in the near future. It was Jerry’s wish that memorial donations be made to St. Francis Hospital, 8th Floor Oncology/Hospice Floor, c/o Nurse Manager Cindy Climer, RN, MS, OCN, 114 Woodland Street, Hartford, CT 06105, so current and future patients and their families may be helped, as he had been helped.
Jerry touched a lot of lives in a very positive way. How did he touch yours? Please leave a comment below and share your experience working with Jerry that we can, in turn, share with his family.
