Bob Arnold

Realty Executives Integrity

Agent is tweeting, posting to sell homes

By Robert Warde      Posted: Oct. 8, 2011

Bob Arnold is a believer in using social media and the Internet to sell homes. Since becoming a real estate agent about nine years ago, he has steadily increased his marketing tools to help him make sales in a tough market. A former businessman, Arnold is self-described workaholic who says hard work and custom marketing are the keys to his success, as are 12-hour days. He talks about those marketing tools and selling real estate in this edited interview.

Tell us about your digital marketing efforts.
My specialty is Internet marketing and I’ve really excelled with that in the real estate industry. That aspect of my business has grown to the point that I’ve added a social media/graphic art director. What we’ve done is really increase our exposure in social media with Twitter and Facebook and linking all of our listed properties to those and getting them out to the public. I’ve also created a video that is now on You Tube.

Why did you start using social media to market properties?
Technology is so important in any business and especially with real estate. If it comes to being on Twitter or being on Facebook, you need to move to the next level. To me, the Internet is like another employee or like my best friend.

Do you use a template for your digital marketing?
This market is very challenging and using creativity and thinking outside the box are critical. Finding new and different ways of marketing a property are very important. There is no one way of creating a Web site. In fact, all my properties have their own Web site for maximum exposure.

So there is a great deal of creativity involved?
We’ve focused on a new cartoon-based theme, which is my artist’s specialty, and we tied a postcard campaign with the video. I was actually asked to speak at the Realty Executives Integrity convention about the video as the best new idea. In the nine years I’ve been involved in real estate, I’ve always used the Internet, but today, I’ve taken it to a new level.

What’s been the result?
The results have been very good, both in selling homes and picking up buyers.

It sounds as though there are a lot of moving parts in your approach. How do you do it all?
I have a team that consists of a licensed assistant, my social media director and me. We gather a lot of statistics on the market in terms of number of sales, number of foreclosures and the like. I pick up a couple of new clients each time we publish that information. My son, who is working on getting licensed, has been working on lower-end estate sales. I sell the property and he advises on the rest of estate property.

Who is buying homes today?
The Generation Y buyer is very different than other buyers in that they have a different way of doing things. They are going to be our next biggest market. In the next few years, they’re going to be ready for the American dream and taking advantage of market conditions.

Are buyers finding that mortgages are available?
I’ve not had a buyer turned down. I’ve got good lending sources and some buyers may be limited by income, but I have had only one buyer who wanted to wait to work on his credit score but he still qualified.

Some of what you’re doing sounds very unique. How is that received by the company?
That’s one of the nice things about Realty Executives is that they allow us a lot of freedom to run our businesses under their umbrella.

What do you do for recreation or to relax?
I enjoy gourmet cooking, French cuisine and sauces. I throw dinner parties and have people over because it’s fun cooking for people. I also like to play golf and recreational sports like hunting and fishing.
 

Bob Arnold

Realty Executives Integrity

Agent cooks up high-tech service

Taken from JS Northshore Now section April 2010 Written By Laurie Arendt  Freelance Writer

Whether working with buyers or sellers, Bob Arnold, a veteran agent with Realty Executives Integrity, brings a deep toolbox to every home. It’s not filled with hammers or screwdrivers or wrenches but rather with tools that help him get homes bought and sold in the metro Milwaukee market.

“Real estate is a business,” says Arnold. “With my business and marketing background, it’s about numbers and statistical analysis. Not all real estate agents do the research. When you know what a home is worth, and the value it offers, the numbers don’t lie.”

That knowledge is particularly helpful in the current real estate marketplace, where buyers and sellers are both facing challenges.

“Financing remains the biggest challenge,” says Arnold. “I believe it’s going to get more difficult in the near future.”

He offers a suggestion to buyers thinking about or currently seeking financing.

“Right now, I am suggesting that people look at local lenders rather than national lenders,” he says. “Local lenders understand the local market and are not relying on national statistics. Our area has been – and continues to be – in much better shape than the national market, and that can make a difference in a lending package.”

For sellers, Arnold likes to emphasize a broader view when looking at the marketplace.

“Most sellers are also buyers,” he notes. “But many are in a situation where they know the value of their house hasn’t risen in about the past three years. So they have to deal with the issue of perhaps losing 10 percent of the value that their home should have. That’s not always easy.”

There is, however, a silver lining.     “With most sellers out looking, there are some incredible deals out there,” he says. “They’re not the only seller in the same boat. Most buyers can get a lot more home than they could have three years ago.”

He does think the local market is getting stronger, particularly as the traditionally stronger spring market begins to heat up. “There’s been a built up during the past two to three years, and eventually that has to move,” he says. “People are starting to seriously look and there is more movement in the job market. People are transferring and taking new jobs, and they’re feeling better about making the commitment to a new home.”

With his business background and thorough understanding of the local marketplace, Arnold says that clients are pleased with his ability to deal with all the different elements involved in a real estate transaction.

“When buying or selling a house, you really do want to select an agent who is comfortable and experience in dealing with lenders, accountants, attorneys and other critical people involved in the process,” he says. “Sometimes it can become a very stressful situation; the ability to stay cool and deal with people is a valuable resource. Plus, our current market has been made even more complex with short sales and foreclosures.”

Building that relationship is important to Arnold.      “I treat every relationship as a long-term relationship, because many buyers become sellers within a five-year span,” he says. “Homes are a commodity and I’m a commodity trader. It’s always my hope that when I work with a new client that they will rely on me in the future when the time comes for them to move on.”

Arnold’s depth of knowledge continues with the successful use of online marketing and social networking to increase the exposure of his clients’ properties helps his listings stand apart. Experience has taught Arnold what works and what doesn’t.

“I will never, ever put up a new listing without photos,” he says. “Buyers are very visual people and they do make decisions based on what they see online. We definitely know online traffic has increased and it will continue to increase.

Online photos are just the beginning -- virtually every client property listed by Arnold also has its own private Web page.

“It’s not just about getting the property online,” he stresses. “It’s about understanding how people view and use that information to make their real estate decisions. The first four photos of a property are critical and have the most impact – people don’t have the patience to flip through 20 photos to get to the end and see the best shot of a property. Good photos that show off a property’s best assets and features are what lead to showings … and showings are what lead to a sale.”

And finally, it’s about being accessible. Arnold prides himself on his accessibility – he’s maintained a personal policy of returning all messages and emails within an hour since starting his career eight years ago – and now he’s incorporated both Facebook and Twitter into his marketing strategy. Follow him on twitter at Move2Milwaukee.