A real estate agent once asked me to work on the design of his flyer. He told me to come up with a creative and innovative design that stood out. He was new to the industry and had very little experience. I knew from the beginning that just a creative and innovative design isn’t going to help him attract clients - especially considering how much competition he has in a busy city like Toronto. So I decided to concentrate on ways to promote his image with the use of gimmicks and promotions. Why? Because the truth is no one is going sell with an agent who has very little experience unless he/she had something “special” to offer.

The concept of promotions in real estate is not new at all. Many agents use promotions to attract clients to sell or buy with them. Most real estate agents chose to give offers such as “low commission” or “a chance of winning something”. These offers are too common and have very little impact on the buying/selling experience. In such a situation, it is beneficial to use a differentiation strategy to set yourself apart from the competition.

Here’s a promotional tool that will get your clients all excited: renovations. When getting your flyer designed, I suggest that you add a coupon for a “free renovation worth $500″ to your flyer. This would give your clients the opportunity to renovate their existing house before selling it to the buyer. The main benefit to this is that the renovation would add value to the house, so the seller can make more money from the sale. Also, the real estate agent makes more commission because the house now sells for more. Sometimes, the seller may be in a hurry to sell the house and may not have enough time for renovating. In this case, you can offer them a renovation they can use towards their new home. Of course, since you won’t be making any commission from the renovation of a new house, you might want to lower the value of the renovation (to possibly around $400).

Why would a customer get excited from this promotion?

Firstly, it helps them make more money from the sale of the house. Think about it this way: if the sale price of a house went up by $2000 just because of a small renovation, then they get to keep most of the extra money made (a portion of it goes towards your commission). They may also get the feeling that they “saved” on commission fees by making the extra money.

Secondly, it gives the client the opportunity to be creative with the renovation of their own house. Any creative activity that lets the client chose what they want to renovate gets them excited. “Should I get granite countertops, marble flooring, or some new appliances?” This decision-making process is quite thrilling to witness or to be a part of.

Thirdly, when your client is involved in this decision-making process, they may consult you for your opinion on what you think is a worthy renovation. This “consulting” factor builds a dependable relationship between the client and you. This relationship would make them come back to you for any future purchases or sales of homes.

Lastly, a renovation is reflected by a tangible product that will get people talking. For example, after renovating someone’s house, they might throw farewell parties just before moving. The guests will notice that the house was recently renovated and may ask your client about it. Your client will mention that they got their house renovated for free by their sales agent. Hence, your image gets promoted which will lead to more sales for you.

So basically it’s the tangible result of a renovation, such as new carpeting or the construction of a deck that gets people talking about you. This word-of-mouth benefit is something that other promotional strategies such as “lower commission” or “a chance of winning something” can’t achieve very effectively.

In the end, everyone wins - your client gets more money, and you get more commission from the increased price of the house. You also end up getting more clients from a better “word-of-mouth” process. Try this tactic in your next promotion and watch your reputation grow.



Rent Back

Kathikas in my opinion is arguably the prettiest and friendliest village in the Paphos area. Since settling in Paphos it has pleased me to learn that the local people in this village and many of the smaller villages in the area are now being encouraged, by way of grant, to renovate and retain their traditional homes.

Kathikas village is approximately a 15-20 minute drive northeast of Paphos and the scenery along the way is a delight as you climb into the hills. The village is surrounded by grapevines, of which, many have been handed down through the family generations. Many of the villages work in the wine growing industry supporting the growth of the two local, family owned wineries, namely Sterna and Vasillikon.

The purpose of my trip on this particular day was to visit Kathikas and see for myself one of the village’s newly renovated traditional stone houses. What I saw and the story I was told blew me away.

This Kathiskas stone villa has been renovated to an extremely high standard without losing any of the old charm and traditional aspects of the original building. The owner has been able to enrich his family property and was justifiably proud to share with me the Kathikas village traditions and a little of his family history.

Traditionally, the old stone houses were built on one level and would have housed not only the family but their livestock as well. The property would have been sectioned off into smaller square rooms for the family and to one side they would house the family donkey and maybe a cow. Today this traditional stone house has been opened up to expose arched doorways and wooden beams.

The ceiling has been finished in bamboo, a tradition that has mainly gone beside the way. The young owner advised me that every village had a different style of finish within their houses and to make sure he retained the traditional of his village he enlisted one of the Kathikas village elders to show him the methods they used to create the bamboo finish. Having picked up the tips and tricks from this older gentleman, he then recruited volunteers from within the local school to help him put it all together. The result is astonishing.

Other than the structural renovation the stone villa has been furnished in keeping with the era. There is a replica high raised iron bed, the traditional Cypriot bread paddle, rustic furniture, and assorted pottery. The owner explains to us that his grandmother produced 11 children in this house which has been passed down through the family to him. In his grandmothers lifetime no houses had water on mains and it was therefore collected in jugs from a well near to the village church. The jugs and the storage areas are visible throughout the villa.

This Kathikas stone villa now offers all the comforts of today’s lifestyle. Standing in its own private courtyard, this Paphos holiday villa is complimented by a relaxing pool area, outdoor pergola with BBQ, fine landscaping and even a private well.

I thanked my friend for sharing some history and culture with me and it was easy to see how proud he was of this achievement, and well he should be. By giving the holiday maker the opportunity to also experience and share a little of his background, he is not only preserving the family home but creating an income for his family and ensuring the nature of the village itself does not get spoilt. By encouraging select new developments and renovations the locals themselves can contribute to improving and boosting the area based simply on its traditional character and nature.

The village itself retains a very traditional and friendly atmosphere and is an ideal location for walking, bird watching, wine tasting, meeting the locals or simply total relaxation. A visitor’s centre is available for maps and additional information on the surrounding area. The village also boasts small supermarkets, cafes and some very select tavernas and restaurants, enough to provide for residents and visitors alike.



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