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George Martin, Jr. – Real Experience, Marketing and Results

December 3, 2011 By George Martin, Jr. Leave a Comment

At the beginning of 2012 George joined Hallmark Idaho Properties, Hailey – Sun Valley as the Marketing Director and Associate Broker. George participated in the alliance of Hallmark Idaho Properties with Cabela’s Trophy Properties creating a unique global marketing opportunity for seller’s we represent.

The move also allows George to dedicate more time to his passions of online marketing, professional photography and consulting those that need marketing help. George started his real estate career in 1975 in the Seattle area. In 1977 he received an award for his 1st “Million Dollar Month” when homes averaged apx $40,000. He is a Graduate of the Realtor Institute.

George has been in top 1% in nation for sales the majority of his career. The major focus while working in the Pacific Northwest was marketing and representing major building companies. George was associated with Windermere Real Estate in the Pacific Northwest starting in 1989 and moved to Wood River Valley in 2001.

Specialties:

George is a natural leader in the world of marketing. Having worked with various advertising agencies helping design effective marketing campaigns for new home communities to being self taught on designing and building websites for various Windermere offices and major builders, George understands what it takes to get maximum exposure in today’s worldwide market place. He also worked with leading Northwest Interior Designers to target specific buyer profiles when setting up model homes in new home communities he marketed.

George’s unique online marketing approach exposes properties to the vast market throughout the United States and beyond. Because a large percentage of local real estate sales are too people that live outside the immediate area, promotional programs are geared to very specific markets including California, Washington, Oregon and East Coast Markets.

Certifications & Awards:

A Graduate of the Realtor Institute George obtained his brokers license in 1977 and has received numerous top achievements, sales and marketing type awards. George has also been recognized as an award winning professional photographer, skills he uses on a daily basis marketing homes and products online. George studied photography with the New York Institute of Photography.

Interests:

Photography, computers, marketing trends, financing and economics, building and design, consumer behavior and self-improvement

Skills and Experience

Top Real Estate Broker, Trainer, Sales Manager and Marketing Agent for 35 Years

Successful Negotiator, Proven Track Record

Sold and Closed over 2,500 Home, Condominium, Farm and Land Transactions

Top 1% of Realtors in Nation for Majority of his Real Estate Career for Number of Homes Sold and Closed Each Year

Built and Sold A Variety of Spec. and Custom Homes (In partnership with his wife Lesley)

Creative Marketer:

Designed and Implemented Major Marketing Programs for Various Corporate Builders and Real Estate Companies in Greater Northwest

Fee Hired Consultant (design, marketing and strategies) including 2 Homebuilders listed on the New York Stock Exchange

Professional Photographer and Internet Website Designer

Computer Geek Since Late 70′s With Focus On Effectively Selling Online

Past Technical Adviser for Sun Valley Multiple Listing Service, Northwest Multiple Listing Service and the Windermere Corporation

Active Online Marketing Consultant for Various Associations, Networks, Groups and Real Estate Blogs

Group Leader on Various Online Marketing and Networking Groups

It’s A Changing World – Constantly Striving To Stay Ahead of Competition Through Continuing Education

Visit our company website: HallmarkIdahoProperties.com

Filed Under: Advertising, Areas, Bellevue, Biography, Buying, Consumer Behavior, Elkhorn, Hailey, Internet, Ketchum, Marketing, News, Photography, REOs, Selling, Short Sales, Sun Valley Tagged With: Agency, Broker, Experience, Hailey, Marketing, national association of realtors, Online Marketing, Photography, Real Estate, real results, Realtor, Representation, Sun Valley, Windermere

Eighty-five percent of home buyers find photos very useful on websites

May 18, 2011 By George Martin, Jr. Leave a Comment

According to the “2010 Home Buyer and Seller Profile” visuals of properties for sale are increasingly useful to buyers as more buyers use the Internet in their search process. Eighty-five percent of home buyers found photos very useful on websites. In addition, eighty-three percent of buyers found detailed information about the property very useful when searching for a home.

Nearly sixty percent of home buyers used multiple listing service (MLS) websites, the most frequently used online resource. [pullquote_right]Eighty-five percent of home buyers found photos very useful on websites. All properties we represent feature extensive professional photos promoted on various real estate websites at no additional charge to sellers.[/pullquote_right]MLS is the most used website among first-time and repeat buyers and also amongst all age categories of buyers. REALTOR.com was the second most used site among repeat buyers and buyers of every age category. First-time buyers used real estate company websites and real estate agent websites more often than repeat buyers.

The most difficult part of the search process is finding the right property for the buyer. It is a process that increased in the length of the search from 2008 to 2009 and remains longer in 2010. The typical buyer searches for 12 weeks and views 12 homes during the process.

Buyers find visuals on the Internet particularly useful . . . pictures of the property, detailed information about the property for sale, and virtual tours all aid buyers. Overall, 91 percent of buyers were very satisfied or somewhat satisfied with their home buying process.

Filed Under: Advertising, Consumer Behavior, Internet, Marketing, Photography, Profiles and Surveys, Selling Tagged With: Advertising, Buyer Survey, Buyers, Creative Marketing, Marketing, NAR, national association of realtors, Online Tours, Photography, Professional Photos, Real Estate Marketing, real results, Realtor.com, selling, virtual tours, website

Listing Expired – House still unsold? Part 2: What it takes to sell in todays market

March 13, 2011 By George Martin, Jr. Leave a Comment

Pricing is a critical element in offering a home for sale, and unfortunately it’s often done wrong. Sometimes that’s the agent’s fault, and sometimes it’s the homeowner’s.

We’ll start with the agent. The sad truth is that some agents try to “buy listings” by promising homeowners unrealistic prices. They say they can get a higher price than anyone else can… which is nonsense. The market determines the price.

The only way to price a home correctly is to first compare it honestly with recent sales of homes that are very similar in size, location, amenities, and condition. Then, because the market is constantly changing, it needs to be compared to homes currently for sale. In other words, compare it to the competition.

Over pricing a home can create a greater loss for a homeowner than under-pricing it, for several reasons:

Buyers who can afford a home in your proper price range never see it, because MLS searches won’t show it. (Buyers looking in the $250,000 to $300,000 range never see homes listed at $309,000!)

[pullquote_left]It doesn’t matter what the agent or seller thinks or believes, “The Market Always Determines The Price”[/pullquote_left]Buyers who can afford homes at your price will reject it

The house becomes “stale on the market” and savvy buyers who ask how long a home as been for sale may reject it without ever viewing, believing that “something must be wrong with it.”

The result: The home stays on the market too long, forcing the sellers to continue making payments while their future plans are delayed. Often, in order to sell a “stale” listing, the price must be dropped below its proper price.

Agents aren’t always the only ones at fault. Sometimes homeowners insist on listing at the wrong price, and inexperienced or insecure agents will agree. A really top agent will not, because he or she will know that an over priced listing will cost both time and marketing dollars – and won’t result in a sale.

The online MLS market analysis tool is a great starting point. But a true market analysis must be done by an agent who has seen your home – knows the local market and the homes he or she will use for comparison.

If you’d like to know what your home is really worth in today’s market, give me a call at 208.720.6888. I’ll be happy to prepare a true market analysis for you.

Filed Under: Advertising, Expired Listings, Internet, Marketing, Photography, Selling Tagged With: Advertising, Home, Housing, information, internet, Marketing Plan, Online Marketing, Prices, Real Estate, Real Estate Marketing, Real Marketing, Representation, Sun Valley, Survey, Windermere

Listing Expired – House still unsold? Part 1: What it takes to sell in todays market

March 7, 2011 By George Martin, Jr.

Selling a home in today’s market is far different from selling a home just a few years ago. When things were booming and buyers were snapping up homes at ever-increasing prices, agents didn’t have to work very hard to bring you a buyer, and sellers didn’t have to work very hard to prepare their property to sell.

All that has changed.

As you’ll read in my special reports, the three elements of pricing, presentation, and marketing carry equal weight. A successful sale hinges on all three being done correctly, and that means both you and your agent must make a greater effort today than in years past.

Proper pricing has become crucial as homeowners compete with banks selling their lender-owned homes. Your agent must stay on top of current sales in order to recommend the correct price for current market conditions.

Then, your agent must work aggressively to make your home listing stand out from the crowd. Because the vast majority of buyers that purchase in the Wood River Valley begin their search on the Internet, your home’s “Internet Presence” and online exposure is critical.

It also means marketing directly to buyer agents, and then being the kind of cooperative agent that other agents want to work with.

Having been fortunate enough to represent some of the largest home builders in the Pacific Northwest, I worked directly with some of the best advertising agencies, architectural photographers, interior designers, website gurus, national sales and marketing strategists, etc., and as a result developed a unique set of marketing skills. I also had tremendous success selling properties in previous recessionary type markets (remember when the prime rate hit 21%).

Because real estate agents have to work both harder and smarter, it’s more important than ever to choose an agent wisely. And – it’s more important than ever for homeowners to work cooperatively with their agents to present their homes in the best possible light.

Give me a call at 208.720.6888 – I’ll be glad to sit down with you and explain how we can work together to give your home a “Real Marketing Advantage” over your competition. Of course, there’s no obligation.

Filed Under: Advertising, Expired Listings, Internet, Marketing, Photography, Selling Tagged With: Advertising, Buyers from out of area, Marketing, Marketing Advantage, Online Exposure, Real Estate Marketing, Selling Agent, Sun Valley Board of Realtors, Windermere