Selecting & Buying your first Professional Office: The Story of Two Buyers

Buyer A thinks he has a bargain. He just bought a house located on a side street at a 20% discount. He’s opening his professional office there, and is smartly eliminating his rent payments. He’s now going to reap the benefits of owning his own office and paying himself rent.

Buyer B has a similar situation. However, Buyer B thinks differently than Buyer A. He sought out a location with a high volume of traffic so that he could capture the attention of thousands of people passing by each day. He understands how the right signage could attract numerous new customers to his professional practice. He knows he needs a high traffic location to benefit from the use of signage.

If Buyer A wanted the same exposure, he would have to purchase advertising space on a billboard in a high traffic area, which will often cost as much as a mortgage payment each month, and the billboard might not be available in the area.

Buyer B benefits from free advertising to thousands of people every week. The right message on Buyer B’s sign will drive significant business to his office. He has the potential to pay his mortgage and fuel further growth solely from the new business from free advertising.

Buyer B is essentially getting his office for free.

Fast forward 20 years and you’re likely going to see Buyer B with a large business and land appreciation worth significantly more than Buyer A's gains.

Don't be Buyer A!

If you have any questions, call Scott: 813-324-1005 Ext 701 We're selling a great property that fits the business strategy covered by this article. The address is (removed - sold).  Other business people pay thousands a month for signs to generate new business. As the owner of this property, your sign is Free! Thousands of potential new customers will see your sign daily!

Location, Location, Location! Come see how great this opportunity can be for you!

Website: www.Polisar.net

Compare this opportunity to buying an office on a side street. There is no comparison.The side street office has to pay significant money for advertising just to match the exposure you’re getting for free.

The exposure you can achieve with this location can attract enough new business to pay your mortgage and fuel your additional growth.

Call Scott and come see this property for yourself.
Phone: 813-324-1005 Ext 701

Property Price: Removed

If you're looking for a professional office, don't miss this opportunity. Schedule an appointment NOW!

REAL ESTATE AGENTS WELCOME
Interested parties without agents are also welcome:

CALL SCOTT FOR SHOWING: 813-324-1005 Ext 701
Broker/Owner:
Hunt Realty Group
Al Carapella - Broker
CALL SCOTT TO SEE THIS PROPERTY: 813-324-1005 Ext 701
SOLD

16 MILLION MORE HOUSEHOLDS BY 2024 MEANS OPPORTUNITY!

The Mortgage Bankers Association estimate that up to 16 million more households will be formed by 2024. The driving force behind the prediction is population growth (the report also breaks this down by race), and stages of life (age based.)

A link to the short version of the report can be found here: https://goo.gl/GwcRqk

A link to the full report can be found here: https://goo.gl/GwcRqk

How MLS Leadership can improve the industry

Amazing how local MLS has made aggregators the leaders in the real estate industry. 

It's two years later and the MLS that I belong to has come out with a great website which should help take back authority from aggregators. See: State27Homes.com

From my perspective the leadership of all the participating MLS "services", (basically all of them) are not putting their members first. They should be providing local search in a more user friendly way and be the main and only source for buyers. By doing so, they would be justifying the fees they charge members and the information would be timely for buyers. Everyone wins. Instead the management of the local MLS office makes the aggregators the authority in the industry. 

Many brokers do well with the aggregators so they may say this is wrong, but if so, why do most sellers and buyers reference Zillow or the like as the authority? It's bad business. Doesn't effect me personally, but those that run the local MLS office in your area and elsewhere should consider the benefit of being the authority source for buyers. 

http://realtormag.realtor.org/daily-news/2015/02/20/listhub-cuts-trulia#.VOfB7wz9FF4.twitter

5 WAYS TO INCREASE RESTAURANT PROFITS - A 4 PART SERIES (part 2)

Part 2 of a 4 part series   www.SnagABiz.com  Part 1

REPEAT BUSINESS - THE KEY TO GROWING WEALTH!

Increase customer visits to your restaurant:

    Once you gain those new customers, keep them and your existing 

customers coming back. This might seem obvious, but what are you doing to make this happen?

A great experience is expected if you want repeat patronage, but you can also influence return visits.

If you create specials, they should be the most profitable items on your menu
(on a % basis), and should be changed regularly. Some specialty winners can become part of your regular menu. If you change your specials weekly or
bi-weekly, create a quality handout to hand out to your customers with their dining check letting them know the schedule of your specials. Handouts should also be given for special holiday dishes or events, and for limited-time plates.

Collect e-mail address for the same purpose of the handouts and create an e-mail campaign schedule around your specials. By the way, specials don’t mean discounts. It means something different from your normal menu.

I’m not a believer in coupons or “two for one” specials unless you’re a fast food joint. If you want to buy a customer a drink or give the table something extra AFTER they’ve come back, that’s great.  In my opinion, if you offer a coupon, you’re devaluing your menu and you’re training many people to wait for the next coupon before they will return again. Improve your customer’s experience and coupons won’t be necessary.

Part 3 of 4 will appear next week: 3. Increase the average bill per table.  End Part 2

                  

YouTube Video of the Riverview Restaurant:

Riverview Restaurant Video 

5 WAYS TO INCREASE RESTAURANT PROFITS - A 4 PART SERIES

Part 1 of a 4 part series   www.SnagABiz.com

The reason so many people (just like you) are in the restaurant business is because of the great wealth and lifestyle it offers a successful restaurateur.

Every business has a 10-to-20% ability to improve profits and efficiency. When you buy your restaurant, you will have the opportunity to make your footprint toward increasing profits. If you already own a restaurant, choose some or all of the methods listed below to help you increase your profits.

Increase New Customer Traffic:

Attracting new customers is how you fuel growth.

How do you attract new customers?
Marketing, marketing, and more marketing!

Marketing covers many areas of customer acquisition. It’s like an umbrella with sub-activities underneath. Branding and advertising are examples of two functions that fall under the marketing umbrella.

If you already advertise using older traditional methods, cut away
10-to-20% of your budget for online methods which should include Facebook for local targeting, Google, and Youtube. If your budget allows it, several other social media sites should be tested.

Best Method: Hire a marketing pro who uses current media methods. A pro can set-up an actual program –vs- simply running ads. If you want to do it yourself, create your own program and experiment with different online ads until you find what works best for your restaurant.

Branding is also important. Branding isn’t advertising. Without writing in detail, the simplest way to explain branding is that your brand is what people think of your company. You create the brand message (fine dining with xyz atmosphere /family friendly pizza restaurant, etc.). Your customers’ opinions and relationship with your operation forms your brand.

Numerous marketing methods exist depending on whom you’re targeting. Mobile applications are becoming easily available. They may be right for your operation. It’s worth looking into.

A social media business page presence for each channel, along with an easy to use website which includes your menu and directions to your location, will help to draw new customers into your restaurant.

In today’s world, your website should be responsive. It means that if someone is viewing your site on a mobile phone or other device, the user doesn’t need to pinch the screen in or out to read your content. Instead, your page should adjust your content to fit comfortably into the device displayed (cell phone, tablet etc.), so that the user’s experience flows.

Customers won’t notice a good functioning site, but a
non-responsive site may frustrate them. They may go to your competitor’s website, which may then lead some of your customers to dine elsewhere.

Online reviews are important. They can help create new customer traffic or keep diners away. Part of your marketing effort can include encouraging customers to go online and give you a great review. Methods exist to help this along. Feel free to call us to discuss what you can do in this area.

In the beginning of a customer review program, unless you are 100% confident that the vast majority of your customers enjoy your restaurant, you should only ask for a review from people with whom you are familiar and friendly. I don’t mean that they’re just satisfied. I mean that they really enjoy dining at your restaurant!

If you ask for a review, also ask if there is any reason why they can’t give you a 5 star review. If they can’t, discourage them from giving any review because it can make a negative effect in how you are viewed by someone who hasn’t been to your restaurant.

When you get a positive review, on the reviewer’s next visit, thank him/her with an appetizer for the table or whatever you’re comfortable offering.

If you’re 100% sure that your restaurant is viewed really great by diners, you can create a program to encourage reviews which will:

A) get the 5 star requirement clear in their minds, and

B) thank them for doing so, even if you don’t know them personally. 

    Feel free to call us for information about that type of program.

Part 2 of 4 will appear next week:2. Increase customer visits to your restaurant:
End Part 1 

YouTube Video of the Riverview Restaurant:

Riverview Restaurant Video

The Bob Hope Real Estate Empire Story – the short version

An interview that I saw between Howard Stern and Bob Hope years ago stuck in my mind because of what Hope said about his extraordinary wealth. His brother was the brains behind his real estate empire. With the power of the internet, today I searched for that episode. As it turns out, it was only 40 seconds of the interview in which  Hope explains that it was his brother that got him to be the owner of significant amounts of land. Hope was reported to be one of the top 10 richest men from his Hollywood era crowd (1940s & 50’s).

Here’s the clip:

In 1983, Bob Hope disputed Forbes estimate of his wealth:
After Hope refuted the wealth claim, a reporter named Richard Behar did what appears to be a thorough job in estimating Hope’s wealth at that time. The research was in response to Forbes estimate that Bob Hope’s net worth was $200 million plus, which put Hope on the Forbe’s 400 list. The reporter’s conclusion was that Hope’s wealth was probably closer to $115 million, of which $85 million was in real estate holdings.

A possible flaw in the research:
Many high net worth individuals buy real estate through corporations they own and or put holdings in the names of others.  A link to the Forbes article written by Peter Newcomb appears at the bottom of this article. He uses Behar’s research in the article.

At the time of Hope’s death, the La Times estimated Hopes wealth to be $500,000,000. (Before his death, Hope said: They say I’m worth $500 million. If I was worth that much, I wouldn’t have visited Vietnam, I’d have sent for it.)

74% of Hope’s wealth was in Real Estate:
It’s somewhat less important as to whether Hope’s wealth was $115 or $500 million. Even if Hope’s wealth was $115 million, it was documented that 74% of that number was real estate holdings. Many of Hope’s friends who also had significant earnings from the entertainment field, didn’t invest as aggressively in real estate as Hope did, and most never came close to the accumulation of wealth that Hope achieved. 

What does a billion dollars in donations look like?
Those who have studied Hope’s financials conclude that he gave away about $1,000,000,000.00 (one billion) in donations and charity during his lifetime. See the imdb biography link at the bottom of this article.

One of Hope’s larget donations came from several acres of prime real estate in Rancho Mirage, CA, which was originally bought to build a racetrack. He later decided a medical center was needed in the area instead, so he donated the land to build the Eisenhower Medical Center, which is rated among the top 100 hospitals in America today.

If you google the wealth of current era entertainers, you will find that the top entertainers hover between $200 & $400 million in net worth. Bob Hopes was estimated at around $150 million about 65 years ago. The creation of wealth through real estate is proven throughout history.

You can find example after example of people who created great wealth from their earnings by learning about and investing in real estate.  As any millionaire janitor can tell you, it’s not how much you make, it’s how much you keep and compound!

Forbes Article (after page loads, click continue to site upper right corner): http://www.forbes.com/2003/08/04/cz_pn_0804hopeedit.html

IMBD - Easy Read Biography Link: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001362/bio

If you have any questions about this post or marketing strategies, send me an e-mail using my gmail account set-up for this blog as follows: 813marketing@gmail.com 

Feel free to contact me. I’m available to consult with sellers and agents who are in need of advanced marketing strategies. I have interests in Tampa and Sarasota Florida as well as Staten Island and Brooklyn New York.

#ScottREpFL #realestate #sellingahome #Riverview-fl #brandon-fl #northportfl #portcharlottefl #florida #valricofl #lithiafl #fishhawkfl 

real-estate-and-marketing.blogspot.com

Buyer's Agent or Order Taker, and why does it matter?

Buyer's Agent or Order Taker?

As a buyer, it may seem great to have someone show you 40 homes, but the 40^th home will probably be marginally similar to the 7^th, 12^th or 18^th home you saw 3 or 4 weeks earlier. Wouldn’t it be better to have a knowledgeable agent keep you on track toward buying your home now, before the next price or interest rate increase? We are in an uptrend market!

What’s an order taker?
Generally, it’s when a buyer says I want the xyz widget and the salesperson writes-up an order for the xyz widget.  A professional salesperson will sometimes be an order taker. There’s nothing wrong with that. Most of the time, they’re truly consultants.

The Process:
After an initial consultation and visiting homes on the market with you (the buyer), a pro will key into what you really want. Sometimes, what buyers say they want in the initial consultation doesn’t match what they light-up about when visiting homes on the market. If the agent gets it right, “looking” for a new home won’t be a never ending endeavor.

The Difference:
A man selling electronics in a retail store may be 100 times more proficient at the profession of sales than a person selling multi million dollars homes. The electronics guy, the rare one who’s an actual pro, zeroes in on your true hot buttons (the small percentage of features that you most desire and/or need). Before you know it, you’re the proud owner of a product that you might have otherwise waited to buy (even if it’s a bit over your budget). However, you’ll be happier for a longer period of time because he helped you get the product that gives you the WOW factor. In this case, you are fortunate to have met a professional salesperson!

An agent may show you multiple properties, some of which would work great for you, but often, an offer won’t be made because the agent wasn’t skilled at helping you to see the value or the WOW factor.

Let’s say that a home fits your wants and needs, but one of the bedrooms is small. You’re sending out rejection signals and you’re using the small bedroom as the focal point. As an agent, if the house is a good fit for the buyer, what do you say to help the buyer make the right decision which will result in the buyer putting in an offer?


An order taker will accept the rejection signals as a direction to find another house to view. This isn’t good for anyone. It’s certainly not good for you, the buyer, and it’s not good for the seller.


A professional salesperson will separate your objection (the small bedroom), and verify if you have additional objections (neighborhood, house features, etc.). He’ll get to the root of the real reason for your rejection.  If the issue is truly the small bedroom, or other similar minor details, the pro will help you see the value of the overall purchase and overcome the minor issues so the deal can move forward. Everyone wins – no procrastination!


As a buyer, a salesperson isn’t going to convince you to do anything. If you select a buyer’s agent properly, you will end out having confidence and trust in the agent. If you don’t have trust, you probably made a mistake in the agent selection.


The agent should be part of your inner circle, but instead of giving you his/her personal opinions, the agent should be able to help you logically decide if the purchase is correct based on the directions you gave the agent. It’s still your decision!


If all you want is an order taker, then none of this matters. If you want to increase your odds of making a good decision, a professional salesperson is who you want on your team.

If you have any questions about this post or marketing strategies, send me an e-mail using my gmail account set-up for this blog as follows: 813marketing@gmail.com 

Feel free to contact me. I’m available to consult with sellers and agents who are in need of advanced marketing strategies. I have interests in Tampa and Sarasota Florida.

#ScottREpFL #realestate #sellingahome #Riverview-fl #brandon-fl #northportfl #portcharlottefl #florida #valricofl #lithiafl #fishhawkfl 

real-estate-and-marketing.blogspot.com

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