NAR Related Post of the Week
Athol Kay writes: NAR is Spinister
It is a must read…
Spin + Sinister = Spinister
Spinister: A presented research thesis so chock full of knowingly misleading information presented as fact to support a outcome desired by the person or group funding the research. Also it’s probably evil.
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RottenLyingSleazyRealtors.com
Nothing really NAR related here (other than the blog in the title violates the oft-touted, rarely enforced rule of not using “realtor” in a domain name — with limited exceptions of course)
RottenLyingSleazyRealtors.com is a new blog out there.
Someone has clearly had a not-so-nice experience with a Realtor…
Why do I post this here?
It’s just one shining example of at least one member of society that has…. let’s just say a “less than ideal” opinion of Realtors.
Virtually everybody in America has been taken to the cleaners by a realtor (or two, three, four or more) at one time or another. With all of the realtors running around looking for someone to screw over something or another, it’s only a matter of time before your ticket is pulled and you get your opportunity to meet a realtor up close and way too personal. When you do, chances are very good that you’ll get fleeced by the realtor. Sooner or later, it happens to the best and worst of us.
Well, at long last, somebody has put together a platform for you to get that beef you hold against your low life realtor off of your chest once and for all. That somebody is us and that platform is Rotten Lying Sleazy Realtors. Regardless of whether any type of no good for nothing rat skunk of a realtor has screwed you, you now finally have a chance to even the score
Will it gain any traction? Beats me.
Will the NAR send a cease and desist letter due to the improper use of Realtor in the domain name? Beats me. I’m going out on a limb here and saying the blogger is not a member of the NAR. But it is still a trademark violation (if I understand that correctly). Can (or will ) the NAR send the trademark police after this site?
It’s a sad testament, regardless of what happens with it.
We Need a New Poll: Readers Choice!
We need a new NAR Wisdom poll.
Any suggestions?
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Last Chance! Realtor Magazine is Looking for Your “Most Clever Giveaway”
From my email:
Last Chance! What’s Your Most Clever Giveaway? REALTOR® magazine online is on the hunt for the most effective and promotional giveaways that you use to get clients to remember you. The best ideas will be featured in an upcoming interactive article. To be considered, send a description of your giveaway and why it’s so successful to Associate Editor Melissa Tracey, mtracey@realtors.org. Then, send one of your promotional giveaways in the mail to: Melissa Tracey / Best Giveaways; 430 N. Michigan Avenue, 9th Floor; Chicago, IL 60611. Submissions must be in by Wed., Jan. 30, to be considered. Read more…
Sounds like poor Melissa is going to be buried in cute magnets, calendars and God knows what.
Maybe it’s just me, but I’ve always found it difficult to bribe someone into becoming a client by giving them some material object. And it seems to me that what people truly remember is superior service. That just seems to last longer than some trinket.
Now I just have to figure out how to put superior customer service in an envelope so I can ship it to Melissa…
And Yet Another New NAR Blog: Speaking of Real Estate
OK, so this makes three new NAR blogs in the last month…
This one is “Speaking of Real Estate“. From the blog:
Welcome to Speaking of Real Estate, your opportunity to talk about real estate with the editors of REALTOR® magazine. Every week, we share stories as they’re developing and give you the opportunity to provide input.Feel free to comment not just on upcoming stories but also on what’s happening in your market that you believe will interest other readers.
By taking an active role in the blog, you’ll help shape the content of REALTOR® magazine and strengthen the magazine’s community of readers.
Again, time to wait and watch…
NAR Blogs Again: Launches Voices of Real Estate Blog
The NAR has launched another blog (following the “YPN Lounge“). This time it’s the “Voices of Real Estate” blog.
From the blog:
Hear directly from your 2008 Leadership Team and share your own positive stories. Every Tuesday, Dick Gaylord will blog about his experiences as NAR President, with supplemental posts from other members of the 2008 Leadership Team every Thursday. Join the blog and tell us how Realtors® in your communities are making a difference! We will post the most compelling responses right here.
Already panned on Bloodhound, I’ll take more of a “wait and see” approach.
AgentGenius has a good list of things the NAR leadership should openly discuss..
My gut tells me they won’t tackle these subjects. I sincerely hope I’m wrong. Time will tell how this thing develops.
Here is what one commenter left on the new blog:
This is fantastic, a blog. It’s what all those hip young kids are doing, so why not the Realtor Leadership?
Guess that makes me a “hip young kid”.
Get Your Banner Ads While They’re Hot
“Rates are Low, Inventory is High. Now is a Great Time to Buy” had a really cool rhyme and everything but wasn’t quite what I was looking for.
I think this sums things up a little bit better:
Do Not Try This At Home
As I drove to Starbucks this morning, I head the first radio add for the NAR’s latest “Public Awareness Campaign” (chronicled somewhat here last week).
In the ad, they mention the new website, Housing Market Facts.
I went there last week, and promptly clicked off when the young lady walked out onto my screen and began rambling.
That is SO incredibly annoying.
Get Ready - Here Comes the NAR 2008 Public Awareness Campaign
From my email in-box:
I am pleased to announce the 2008 Public Awareness Campaign. This year’s campaign aims to give consumers the facts about the long-term value of real estate and current market conditions to balance the sometimes incomplete and sensational information presented in the national media.
The campaign launches nationally on January 14. The TV and radio ads will air more than 10,000 times on national TV and radio outlets from January through November, continuing the campaign’s on-air presence for 11 months of the year.
In addition to the advertising placed by NAR and various local and state REALTOR® associations, the campaign includes Web banners, presentation materials, and other resources that you can use to enhance your business.
For a special preview of the 2008 campaign materials and media schedule CLICK HERE.
Thank you again for your continued support of the Public Awareness Campaign.
Sincerely,
Dick Gaylord
2008 NAR President
“Thank you again for your continued support of the Public Awareness Campaign”?
Did I have a choice?
I’m preparing to head off to New York City for the Inman Real Estate Connect conference, so I don’t have time to digest all that the campaign includes (print, TV and radio sports are all accessible from the link). I’ll focus on “enhancing my business” when I return.
Would love to hear anyone’s thoughts….
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NAR Launches a New Blog
Welcome to “YPN Lounge“.
“YPN” is the acronym for “Young Professionals Network” and the YPN Lounge is touted as the “online meeting place for Realtor Magazine’s Young Professional Network”. What is the “YPN”? From the “about” page:
YPN was created by REALTOR® Magazine as a forum for young, rising real estate professionals to network and stay up-to-date on the latest business tools and strategies. As home buyers get younger and the real estate industry constantly evolves, YPN sets out to ensure young professionals’ voices and ideas are heard within the industry.
Seems to mesh in with Realtor Magazine’s annual “30 under 30″ campaign. Any youngsters that want to contribute to the YPN Lounge Blog see this:
If you would like to be considered as a YPN blogger, or if you have any questions about this blog, please contact the blog administrator:
Melissa Dittmann Tracey
Young Professionals Network
REALTOR® Magazine Online
430 N. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60611-4087
mtracey@realtors.org
Hey folks at the NAR (and according to the IP addresses of visitors, I know some at NAR are reading here) — how about a “OPN” (Old Professionals Network) and a “40 over 40″ thing? After all, us old folks are people too. Don’t we deserve to have our voices and ideas heard within the industry?
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