It’s a bad idea.  Here’s why.  It comes down to “cost per lead”.  I’ll show you.  Let’s take a typical market where the average sale price is $206,500 and the average commission side is 2.6%.  That means that... read article »

Should I list homes or work with buyers?  I say you should do whichever one suits you best.  I know, for years the “experts” have said, “You’ve got to list to last.”  But I say that just isn’t true!  Do... read article »

I’m often asked, “Matt, what do you think of SEO?”. The short answer is not very much!  I’ll explain.  First, most of what is known as SEO (or Search Engine Optimization) is really a misnomer.  When companies call you to... read article »

It’s a great supplement to your regular marketing so long as it’s free.  As a stand-alone marketing technique, it is destined to fail, and if executed perfectly will yield you maybe a deal a month.  Statistically, it can never make you... read article »

As the President of a company who specializes in helping agents capture customers online, one of the things that troubles me is hearing agents say, “Internet leads are ‘bad leads’.”  In fact, it bothered me so much that we... read article »

I think advertising in home magazines can be a good investment, or it can be a total waste of money.  If done properly, home magazine ads can be a very affordable source of new business while making your listing clients happy at the same time. ... read article »

I think it’s a total waste of money!  As bad as it gets!  Even with a call capture hotline, the price paid for the few leads captured makes it a poor investment.  Here’s why it’s such a bad investment. The newspaper industry has... read article »

One of my pet peeves is the notion of “bad listings”.  I’ve heard agents talk about certain properties being bad listings, either because the home was not pristine, or because they assumed it was over-priced.  I believe that the... read article »

I’m often asked what I think of open houses. Well, I think it’s as good a way to waste a Saturday afternoon as any. My advice is to just take a long nap and catch up on your sleep instead. It will advance your real estate practice a lot... read article »

Lately, it seems you can’t read anything about real estate and not see somebody selling their unique short-sale technique, their book or system on how you can become the “short-sale king” in your area, or their coaching on how to... read article »

In answering this question, I realize that many of you who read it will likely never read another thing I write.  Nevertheless, I think it’s important that somebody tell the emperor about his new clothes, and I guess I will have to be... read article »

Let’s face it.  As a broker, your number one job is recruiting agents.  Anyone who says otherwise doesn’t understand this business.  Our industry has an agent churn of 40%.  In other words, 40% of your agents will change brokerages... read article »

It sucks! It’s right up there with root canal.  OK.  So it beats a jab in the eye with a sharp stick, but not by much.  It’s horrible!  Let me explain why. As a real estate professional, your revenue is limited only by your time. ... read article »

I’m often asked what I think about REO business.  Here’s what I think: It beats no business at all… barely.  Now that I have your attention, let me take a minute to explain why. First, for the uninitiated, let me explain the term... read article »

I think direct-mail marketing for real estate agents is insane!  It’s probably the single dumbest idea agents waste their time and money on!  I’ll show you exactly why. First, you need to understand that I’ve personally done... read article »