PROView - June 2008 - (Page 13)

Planting a Seed for Future Success in a Niche Market by Mathias Bergendahl, Director of Marketing & Communications Going Green Are you looking for a way to stand out in the marketplace? Are you passionate about the environment and efforts to preserve it? Wish there was a way to combine the two into your business model? Good news! There’s a niche for you waiting around the corner. It’s green. The need to stand out among your peers has perhaps never been greater. Yet while your visibility certainly is essential, the message you communicate is even more important. Customers seek your guidance in what probably will be the largest transaction of their lives, and they look for someone they will trust. Furthermore, customers look for someone they can relate to, someone who shares their values. What you say about yourself should be a compelling message as to what you have in common with your potential customers. Sharing the same passion for our environment and what each of us can do to preserve it could become the foundation of how you reach out to your audience. Here’s what a local REALTOR® did to build her business on green initiatives while helping to preserve our environment and limited natural resources: she earned a green designation as EcoBroker® Gabriela Raimander of Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate, Inc. in St. Pete Beach says that what inspired her to earn a “green” designation was the opportunity to transform her passion and commitment to the environment into her business as REALTOR®. Now, she says, she incorporates her green niche into her marketing and business initiatives and introduces suggestions and ideas to those customers she perceives as open to environmentallyfriendly living or who specifically request such recommendations. Typical conversations with home sellers may focus on what they can do to make their homes more environmentally friendly, and safe for those considering a purchase. “Sellers may consider repainting an area of a home to make it ready for a sale – and using the right paint can prove to be a great selling point.” Raimander advises her clients not to use products with Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC). She pointed out that VOC-rich paints will release chemicals into the air through evaporation for years after application. The same goes for cabinets and even carpets. “By educating your consumers about making a home greener prior to a sale may in fact have a great impact on the likelihood of that home selling.” Raimander said that when she makes presentations to sellers she may include tips on what they can do to make their homes more attractive to buyers, specifically as when it comes to features that will help them save money. “Sellers want to know what they can do to make their properties more sellable and I typically go over a checklist of small changes they can make.” Stating her business motto, “Going Green Saves Green,” she told me that a very important aspect of what she offers her customers are tips on small things that will have a huge impact. “Some buyers may want to know the dollar-saving impact of preserving water while others are interested in the advantages of using bamboo flooring, alternatives to granite counter tops, and no or low-VOC paints.” Raimander mentioned how she often points out alternatives to the often-common pesticides that may cause health issues. Going through the training for a green designation, she says, has given her the knowledge needed to educate customers on what they can do to, as her promotional tagline says, “Build, Buy and Save Green.” Speaking with Raimander, it became very clear how passionate she is about our environment. She described how she tries to live her life by taking small steps each day to make an impact, including recycling and selecting products less harmful to the environment. From a business perspective, incorporating her passion into her career has also enabled her to better serve her clients by guiding them to homes which not only are environmentally friendly but also energy-efficient and money-saving. Interested in earning a “green” designation? There are a couple of options available to you. Visit www.ecobroker. com and www.greenrealestateeducation.com and learn how you can start building your new niche today. PINELLAS REALTOR® ORGANIZATION June 2008 13 http://www.ecobroker.com http://www.ecobroker.com http://www.greenrealestateeducation.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of PROView - June 2008

PROView - June 2008 Contents Chairman’s Notes Sustainable Lifestyles Greening the Not-So-New House Green Renovation Checklist Green Building Tips Going Green PROActive You Have 30 Seconds to Prove Your Value Marketplace Analysis Home Sales Report PRO Biz Calendar of Events & Programs New Members and Affiliates

PROView - June 2008

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