» NRT Development Advisors

Agents Procative to Make Sales Happen at NRTDA!

Leslie Williamson — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 20:44:54 +0000

It’s hard to believe, but there are only 55 days left in 2011! With November sales off to a great start, NRT Development Advisor’s sales agents are using these 55 days to maximize their sales success story for 2011 and ride into 2012 on a wave of positive momentum.

We think we are in for a different fall and winter than what the real estate market typically experiences, due to reduced levels of customer traffic and, therefore, decreased sales activity. Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said the market has been stable although at low levels, and there is plenty of room for improvement. “Affordability conditions have improved to historic highs and more creditworthy borrowers are trying to purchase homes. The volume of successful buyers is higher than a year ago and is remaining fairly stable – this speaks to an unfulfilled demand.” We are feeling this positive trend!

NRT Development Advisors’ agents are busy setting personal sales goal for the remaining 55 days of 2011, and we’re ready to enlist all necessary resources to help get them there. They are diligently:

• Revisiting their existing customer databases and setting daily outreach goals to encourage past prospects to rediscover the communities that the agents represent.

• Calling the top 20 coop agents who have sold at their communities and providing them with an update on sales, commission schedules and any new incentives, as well as inquiring about the buyers with whom they are currently working.

• Making sure that each prospect has a distinct action and follow up plan.

• Networking with fellow NRT Development Advisors and Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage colleagues and requesting that they refer prospects to your community, when appropriate.

• Reanalyzing if their community’s pricing product, and positioning are competitive within the market.

There are plenty of buyers out there looking to find a NEW home for the holidays. Our agents are staying proactive and ahead of the market, ensuring that the last 55 days of the year are the most productive yet.

Coldwell Banker NRT Development Advisors Recognizes Sales Associates for 2010 Sales and Performance

Leslie Williamson — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 15:37:50 +0000

I once heard that TEAM = Together Everyone Achieves More. At NRTDA, we have the winning team and on January 27th, we honored the following sales associates during a ceremony held at 1010 Midtown, 2010’s top-selling condominium community in Midtown Atlanta and marketed by NRTDA. These sales associates were recognized for their 2010 performance in the following categories:

Sales – Kelly Guidry (1), Shira Broder (2), Kathy Phillips (3), Sunny Williams (4), Jim Fountain (5)

Total Units – Sunny Williams (1), Kelly Guidry (2), Shira Broder (3), Jim Fountain (4), Kathy Phillips (5)

Manager of the Year – Jim Fountain

Rookie of the Year – Cindy Leach

Extra Degree Award – Liz Baska

Professionalism Award – Mike Caggiano

Outstanding Attitude Award – Lenny Rindsberg

“It is a pleasure to work with such a professional team of associates,” says Brad Horner, president of Coldwell Banker NRT Development Advisors. “NRTDA continues to be a leader in marketing and selling residential attached homes, and it is a direct result of our associates’ hard work, market knowledge and dedication to their clients.”

Congratulations to everyone!

And the winners at the 2010 Obie Awards Ceremony are…

Leslie Williamson — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 17:56:32 +0000

I had the privilege of attending the 2010 Obie Awards Ceremony at the Intercontinental Hotel last Saturday night. It was an evening of excitement as the awards were presented to recognize new home building, marketing, remodeling and personal achievement. Despite the incredibly slow pace of the recovery that began early this year, 2010 welcomed a halt to the spiralling downturn. Job losses, home prices, and inventories stabilized and improved. Land and lot values were finally re-established, and builders began buying lots and revitalizing neighborhoods that had fallen prey to the housing crisis.

The OBIE Awards began in 1980 and have grown throughout the years to now feature more than 100 building, remodeling, marketing and personal achievement categories in which to enter. The OBIE Awards, named after the obelisk shape of the actual award given, are the premier awards in the new home construction industry. Awards are given to recognize outstanding achievement in new home building, marketing, remodeling and personal achievement categories. The Sales and Marketing Council of the HBA presents the annual OBIE Awards every November. OBIE Award recipients stand out among their peers and are recognized for their oustanding achievements.

I want to specially recognize one of our team members who was an award winner Saturday night. Congratulations to Shira Broder, sales associate at 10 Terminus Place, awarded the 2010 Rookie Salesperson of the Year!

To preview the 2010 Gold and Silver Winners, click here.

What’s ‘hot” in Atlanta’s condo and single family markets!

Leslie Williamson — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 18:46:36 +0000

We have collected and analyzed mid-year Atlanta 2010 residential real estate data, and it has become very clear what is ‘hot’ in today’s condo and single-family markets. Below is a sampling of the data, which is from Smart Numbers through mid-year 2010 (unless otherwise noted).

NEW CONSTRUCTION CONDO MARKET

80% of closings in the overall market were priced under $300,000; closing analysis from FMLS continues this trend through 3Q10.
464 closed units through mid-year 2010, which is down 22% from the mid-year 2009 figure of 597.
Smart Numbers reported 464 closings through mid-year 2010. FMLS listed 131 closings for Q3 alone.
The 2010 mid-year average sales price was $272,264, which is down 5.7% from the mid-year 2009 average of $288,934. The 3Q10 average closed price in FMLS was $252,120.
According to the Mid-Year 2010 Haddow report, the number of unsold units reached its lowest level since year-end 2003. With little to no new construction activity bringing new condominiums to the market, this number will continue to decline.
Half of the top 10 selling sites are marketed by Coldwell Banker NRT Development Advisors, more than any other company.
Nearly 60% of all new construction condo sales activity took place in the Buckhead and Midtown sub-markets.

NEW CONSTRUCTION CONDO SUB-MARKETS

Buckhead

The market had a slightly higher average sales price ($464,468), which could be attributed to absorption of higher-priced homes at 10 Terminus Place, as well as closings at Sovereign and St. Regis. The 3Q10 average in FMLS is $509,384.
49% of closings were priced under $300,000; 86% of the market is priced under $550,000. Closing analysis from FMLS continues this trend through 3Q10.
10 Terminus Place accounts for almost 40% of activity in the sub-market (10 Terminus Place and Gallery Residences, combined, account for 60% of the Buckhead market). Closing analysis from FMLS continues this trend through 3Q10.
There has been slow absorption in the $1M+ price range; 2 of the 3 closings at St. Regis were pre-sale contracts (the 3rd was written in December 2009 and closed in January 2010), and there were 2 closings at Sovereign.
Buckhead typically offers aggressive pricing and developer incentives.

Midtown

Midtown has nearly double the volume of Buckhead (172 homes closed through mid-year and there were 28 closings listed in FMLS in 3Q10).
The market has lower price points than Buckhead (77% of closings were priced under $300,000, compared to 50% in Buckhead); closing analysis from FMLS continues this trend through 3Q10.
Viewpoint lead the market, followed by Twelve Centennial (which is technically a Downtown property), 1010 Midtown and White Provision.

Downtown

Downtown had much lower price points than other sub-markets (97% of the market is priced under $300,000 and 74% is priced under $200,000). Closing analysis from FMLS continues this trend through 3Q10.
Castleberry Point lead the market, followed by Central City, Oakland Park and Stacks Lofts.

Vinings

Average price points were in line with other sub-markets (88% of the market is priced under $300,000); closing analysis from FMLS continues this trend through 3Q10.
Aberdeen recently began closings (2 homes closed in 2010 at $1.9M and $2.0M).

RESALE

There were 480 resale condominium closings in all metro-Atlanta during 3Q10, according to FMLS.
Buckhead: 65 closed, average sales price of $211,573, accounted for 14% market share
Midtown: 114 closed, average sales price of $132,670, accounted for 24% of market share
Downtown: 41 closed, average sales price of $95,245, accounted for 9% of market share
All other markets account for 54% of total resale market in 3Q
There were aggressive pricing and incentives offered by new construction sites in Buckhead, Midtown and Downtown, which could be taking market share away from resale.

BUILDING PERMITS (data from DEC International)

As of 9/27/10 for the 27-county metro area, 3,358 single family building permits were pulled for the fist 10 months of this year, compared to 5,577 in the preceding 12 months.
The top builder was DR Horton with 303 permits (compared to 624 last year), followed by Ryland and Pulte. To be in the top 20, a builder would need a minimum of 33 permits.
The average valuation for these permits was $157,123. Assuming builders undervalue or at least value their property at cost, we could assume the retail price of these homes will be under $250,000 on average. 74% of all new home sales in a 15-county area are under $350,000; 61% are under $275,000.
At this pace, the 2010 total permit number will likely be fewer than 6,000 (probably close to 5,500, which will be slightly more than the 2009 number of 4,800).

Here we grow again!

Leslie Williamson — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 20:38:53 +0000

Here we grow again! Coldwell Banker NRT Development Advisors was selected by Jim Chapman Communities as the sales and marketing firm to represent Concord Mill. For this Cobb County community, NRT Development Advisors will provide services including project feasibility studies, comparative analysis, pricing structure, product positioning, marketing, sales management and more.

“Jim Chapman Communities continues to turn to Coldwell Banker NRT Development Advisors for our communities’ sales and marketing needs because of the company’s solid history in providing an expert sales team that understands the market and the target demographics,” said Kelly Dempsey, VP of Sales and Marketing for Jim Chapman Communities.

“NRT Development Advisors is pleased to build upon our strong relationship with Jim Chapman Communities by representing Concord Mill, for which we have assembled a tailored sales and marketing team that complements the groups’ expertise and experience with the community’s features,” said Brad Horner, president of Coldwell Banker NRT Development Advisors.

Don’t Let Market Data Deter Your Customers from A Great Homebuying Opportunity

Collin Ellingson — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 22:07:03 +0000

By: Collin Ellingson

The data released this week from the National Realtors Association didn’t exactly paint a positive picture of the current market. National sales for existing homes in July dropped to a 15 year low. July sales fell by over 27 percent compared to June, and sales decreased 25 percent from July 2009.¹

So, your prospects and customers come armed with this information when they enter your sales center, open house, or new listing. What to do?

Listen – Your customer/client needs to know that you are a consultative ally in their home purchasing process.
Acknowledge – In order to establish trust and credibility, you must acknowledge your customer’s concerns and fears.
Question – Ask direct questions to uncover the true mental obstacles to a purchasing decision.
Present a Solution – Turn each objection into a positive opportunity.

Sure, July sales fell, but that is partly due to the wealth of closing activity which occurred in June as a result of the homebuyer tax credit. Summer seasonality is another factor. So, one could argue that the drop in sales was expected.

In addition, most of the favorable “buyer’s market” conditions which existed in the spring are still in place now:

Historically low interest rates:

Historically low interest rates: As of 8/25, 4.5% on average for a 30-yr fixed, and 3.5% for a 5/1 ARM
Housing affordability is still at all-time highs
Sellers are willing to negotiate price and conessions
Desirable inventory = choice

Most of the new-home communities we represent at CBNRTDA possess readily available financing options, including FHA and conventional project approvals.

Also, in contrast to much of the competition, many CBNRTDA communities have surpassed 30%, 50%, or even 70% sold-out status.

Show your clients why and how your listing and/or community is bucking the market trend.

Use this information to sell from a position of STRENGTH, STABILITY, and SECURITY, and you will often see buyer hesitancy disappear.

¹“Atlanta Housing Market Suffers Big Setback”. The Atlanta Journal and Constitution. August 25, 2010.

NRT Development Advisors’ Florida footprint continues to grow!

Leslie Williamson — Tue, 24 Aug 2010 22:22:46 +0000

NRT Development Advisors’ Florida footprint continues to grow. We are now the exclusive marketing and sales team for three new Florida communities:

Reserve at James Island located in Jacksonville. The one-, two- and three-bedroom condominiums start at $110,900. Call 904-742-0847 for more information.
Cobblestone at Eagle Harbor located in Orange Park. The one-, two- and three-bedroom condominiums start at $79,900. Call 904-215-1665 for more information.
Boca Palms located in historic Kissimmee. The two- and three-bedroom townhomes start at $110,000. Call 321-277-4797 for more information.

For these communities, NRT Development Advisors provides innovative marketing strategies and veteran sales professionals skilled in the sale of condominiums and townhomes.

Energy creates sales!

Collin Ellingson — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 16:15:57 +0000

By: Collin Ellingson

In the heat of a long summer, just when energy may be the most difficult to muster, Coldwell Banker NRT Development Advisors encourages sales teams to project positive energy. This is probably the most critical component of one’s sales success, and a element one can use to truly differentiate themselves, both professionally and personally.

energy

n pl -gies

1. intensity or vitality of action or expression; forcefulness

2. capacity or tendency for intense activity; vigour

3. vigorous or intense action; exertion

4. (Physics / General Physics) Physics

a. the capacity of a body or system to do work

b. a measure of this capacity, expressed as the work that it does in changing to some specified reference state. It is measured in joules (SI units). Symbol E See also kinetic energy, potential

Energy creates movement and change….Energy creates SALES.

“Without energy, nothing would ever change, nothing would ever happen. You might say energy is the ultimate agent of change, the mother of all change agents.” ¹

Scientist Dave Watson describes energy as “the ability to make something happen”. ²

Thinking of energy as it relates to your selling style and process, this critical (though abstract) component cannot be overemphasized.

The art of selling ultimately comes down to a transfer (and sharing) of energy between salesperson and customer. You are creating an environment for CHANGE. So, it stands to reason that the more positive energy you put into your customer or client’s sales experience, the greater the positive energy transfer to that person.

Sure, the critical path to sales, market knowledge, product knowledge, broker relationships, etc., are all critical elements of the sales process, but we would like to offer that altering ones energy level may be the single most effective (and simplest) change one can make in order to increase sales. Why? Because so many sales professionals give off LOW energy! This is an easy way to one-up your competition!

Ask yourself these questions:

Am I giving off positive energy throughout the sales experience?

Am I smiling?
Do I feel rested?
Am I relaxed? (Preparation is a key ingredient here).
Are my customers/clients smiling, appearing engaged, and even laughing? (you have more control over this than you may think)

If you answer “no” to any of these questions, evaluate what you can do in order to change your energy levels. It may be as simple as adopting a regular morning exercise schedule, ensuring adequate “me” time every day, engaging with your friends and/or coworkers more often, or providing some recommendations to your seller in order to improve the positioning of your property.

Energy is powerful…and contagious. Use it to your advantage! We promise you will see a difference.

¹http://www.ftexploring.com/energy/definition.html

²http://www.ftexploring.com/energy/definition.html

Sales and Marketing Leader Partners with Stonecrest Homes!

Leslie Williamson — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 19:20:28 +0000

COLDWELL BANKER NRT DEVELOPMENT ADVISORS SIGNS THREE METRO-ATLANTA COMMUNITIES

Sales and marketing leader partners with Stonecrest Homes on its new construction developments
ATLANTA (July 22, 2010) – Coldwell Banker NRT Development Advisors was selected by Stonecrest Homes as the sales and marketing firm to represent three of its new home communities: Harmony on the Lakes – Palisades, Eagle View and Harmony on the Lakes – South Village. For these three communities, NRT Development Advisors will provide services including project feasibility studies, comparative analysis, pricing structure, architectural input, product positioning, marketing, sales management and more.

“We describe Stonecrest Homes as ‘a thoughtful and purposeful collaboration’ of some of metro-Atlanta’s real estate development leaders, and we follow that same collaborative approach when selecting our extended team, including our sales and marketing partner,” said Stonecrest Homes’ chief financial officer Jim Chapman. “Stonecrest Homes tapped Coldwell Banker NRT Development Advisors to represent our three new home communities because of the stellar marketing and sales strategy and execution that NRT Development Advisors is known for, as well as the unprecedented industry and consumer insight that they can provide throughout the development process.”

“NRT Development Advisors is pleased to add Harmony on the Lakes – Palisades, Eagle View and Harmony on the Lakes – South Village to our diverse portfolio, as these unique properties deliver distinctively designed homes at affordable prices,” said Brad Horner, president of Coldwell Banker NRT Development Advisors. “As we do with all of the communities we represent, Coldwell Banker NRT Development Advisors has assembled a tailored sales and marketing team for each community that complements the groups’ expertise and experience with the communities’ features.”

About Stonecrest Homes

Stonecrest Homes delivers maximum homeowner value by focusing on production efficiency and proven best practices. The company was created by long-time homebuilders Charles Heiser, Jr. and Jim Chapman to meet the needs of today’s value conscious, upwardly mobile family buyer. Learn more at www.StonecrestHomesGA.com or by calling 678-426-5300.

Real Estate Strategies that Work!

Leslie Williamson — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 20:54:07 +0000

By: Leslie Williamson

I just finished reading in the Sales + Marketing Ideas magazine the article “What’s Working” by Scott Stroud. The article was right on target! The article basically describes the tactics and strategies that the builders and developers are using to buck the current market and actually make sales and grow their businesses.

The described strategies are exactly the tactics that NRTDA is using to increase sales momentum at our communities.

1) Know your competition. It is important to know who you are selling against. Pricing, incentives and marketing tactics are changing daily and you need to be ready to adjust.

2) Consumer Peace of Mind. People want to have confidence in the builder and or developer. They want to know the owner is stable as well as if a condominium community understand the stability of the HOA.

3) Communicate the Value Message. Yes, price is very important to the home buyer but other factors impact the value message as well. Location and lifestyle are crucial to the value proposition.

Grab hold of the above strategies and you can increase your sales velocity!