Davidson Realty, Inc.

10 Things I learned at Lift: The Social Commerce Summit

September 30, 2010

 | 
Posted by in News

Last week, Alayna Oram and I journeyed to Atlanta to attend Lift: the Social Commerce Summit in hopes of bringing home all kinds of great new social media and marketing ideas for Davidson Realty and our Jacksonville Realtors. Not only did we come home with staggering statistics about the use of social media AND got some awesome new ideas, we even had a little time to enjoy dinner at a Top Chef’s restaurant (Woodfire Grill and IT’S AMAZING)! All and all this trip was a success!

We had a full day of learning from an impressive statistician from Wharton Interactive Media Initiative to one of the nation’s leading innovators in digital advertising and optimization. There was a lot of interaction, learning, and fun going on all day long. I’d like to share some cool things we learned:

• We all know that people buy across multiple channels. For example, consumers use catalogs, the internet, and will walk into your store to shop and purchase your product. But, did you know the channel in which you acquire your customer shows you the quality of your customer?
• 88% of people use social media to make business decisions
• Customers want how tos, to connect with someone like them, and to save money!
• One of the biggest mistakes you can make in social media is assuming that activity = progress. You can’t measure your success on Facebook just by seeing how many “fans” or “likes” you have. You need to look at content. Are people interacting on your page about your product or not? 
• If Facebook were a country it would be the world’s 3rd largest.
• US Dept of Education study revealed that online students out performed those receiving face to face instruction
• Every minute 24 hours of video is uploaded to YouTube
• 25% of search results for the world’s top 20 largest brands are links to user-generated content
• 78% of consumers trust peer recommendations. Only 14% trust ads.
• Facebook tops Google for weekly traffic in the US

Obviously, I’m not going to give away everything! We did have a great time though and would love to keep attending these types of events to push Davidson Realty, Inc. and Relay Marketing, Inc. forward!

Comments currently closed.

Jacksonville, Florida Real Estate Trends in August 2010

September 29, 2010

 | 
Posted by in Northeast Florida Market Trends

So, last month my marketing team was picking on me about being bitter and a “negative Nancy” when I wrote my market statistics. And, I tell them you try to make the worst month in real estate (as proclaimed by the media) sound good! With that being said, I must admit I would have needed a lot of champagne to put a positive spin on the numbers for August, too. I really am an optimistic person and I do truly believe this market will turn, but I can’t find a positive way to tell you that 51.4% of all closings in the Northeast Florida Association of Realtors (NEFAR) market area for August 2010 are lender mediated sales which is a foreclosure or a short sale. However, I can share some more information, some good and some bad, about Jacksonville FL real estate in August.

“Real optimism is aware of problems but recognizes solutions; knows about difficulties but believes they can be overcome; sees the negatives, but accentuates the positives; is exposed to the worst but expects the best; has reason to complain, but chooses to smile.” William Arthur Ward

We all need to read this quote a couple times a day!

Pending sales are 16.6% higher in August 2010 than in August 2009. The current trend is also positive. June 2010 pending sales were 1,455, July was 1,560 and August is 1,632.  Read more

Comments currently closed.

SHORT SALE SUCCESS: A TRUE STORY

September 27, 2010

 | 
Posted by in Distressed Properties, Short Sales

A homeowner facing a huge increase in her mortgage payment.

Short sold a home in World Golf Village.

Never missed a mortgage payment.

Process took about 30 days.

Seller bought a new, more affordable home just 6 months later.

No tall tale here. This is a true story of how a well-executed short sale can have a happy ending. Della Myers, a Real Estate Agent herself, saw the writing on the wall. Her 2004 purchase of a World Golf Village home was at the height of the market. The lender assured her that she could simply refinance (buoyed by all the equity she would gain from the robust market) before her low monthly “teaser” rate adjusted dramatically higher.

But the market changed. Della tried to get out in front of things. She knew her rate adjustment was coming and she would not be able to afford it. She put her home on the market but to no avail. She lowered the price and re-listed it. Again no bites. She couldn’t refinance because her home’s value was plummeting and would eventually end up appraised for about 50% less than she paid. Della knew a Short Sale, when the lender/bank agrees to take less for the home than the original loan value in order to avoid foreclosure, was her only hope. Read more

Comments currently closed.

Mirtha Barzaga: Our Informative, Relentless, Driven Pistol!

September 21, 2010

 | 
Posted by in Agent Feature

Mirtha BarzagaHere we are again! Time to celebrate another one of our fabulous St. Augustine realtors. This month we are spotlighting Mirtha Barzaga and if you’ve ever read one of our Top Agents Blogs you probably know a thing or two about her success. What you might not know is how highly her coworkers speak of her, which is what I found out when I asked them to use one word to describe Mirtha.

“Informative”, “Relentless”, “Driven”, “A Pistol”, “Helpful”, “Fantastic”, “Giver”, “Focused”, “Selfless”, “Original”, “Dances-to-the-beat-of-her-own-Drummer”. These are only a few of the many responses I got back. And because real estate agents are not known to follow the rules, I even accepted some lengthier descriptions:

“Always available and accessible! One of the hardest workers in our business”

“Mirtha is one of the most dedicated and hardworking agents I know. She is someone who works 7 days a week, takes care of her husband and three young grandchildren and even brings in dessert for our monthly cookouts! I am astounded as to how she does it all and keeps those balls in the air. She always has time for you and she does it with a smile.”

“Mirtha is very friendly. She always has hellos and hugs for everyone. She is never too busy to answer a question.”

The real truth of it is Mirtha Barzaga is one in a million. She was born in Cuba and came to the U.S. when she was only eight years old. She lived in New Jersey, ran a construction company, then switched gears and ran an event company. When she moved to south Florida to be closer to her children she worked in sales and marketing for one of the largest importers of fresh cut flowers. Her move to be closer to her grandchildren in St. Augustine is what led her into her real estate career. So, as you can see she has done it all!

Mirtha is so special to us here at Davidson and we love her dearly. Thank you, Mirtha for being a part of our team!

Comments currently closed.

Learn 10 Quirky Things About Kathy Mrkvicka

September 16, 2010

 | 
Posted by in Staff

DRI Blog - Kathy PicDavidson Realty has an incredible team of Realtors – and support staff! In fact, the staff is one of the things that really sets Davidson apart in the Jacksonville, FL real estate community. From marketing professionals, landscaping experts and financial gurus, Davidson Realtors have access to a brilliant team that can make buying or selling your home a wonderful experience. We will be introducing you to this team by asking them a series of quirky questions and sharing them on this blog over the next several months – or maybe years since it is a rather large team!We will start with the glue that holds Davidson together – the all important office manager. Meet Kathy Mrkvicka…

1. What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Waking up in my own comfy bed with my husband and the dogs to sunshine, open windows with a warm breeze, the birds singing and our butler, Mr. French, bringing us waffles with ice cream for breakfast.

2. what is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

Shyness.

3. What is the trait you most deplore in others?

Indecisiveness.

4. What do you dislike the most about your appearance?

My nose.

Read more

Comments currently closed.
Older Posts »

Davidson Realty