Month: January 2012

New Help-U-Mail Program from Excel Printing & Mailing

Starting Jan. 31, our friends at Excel Printing & Mailing will officially launch a new program just for us. Called Help-U-Mail, it is more cost-effective than door hangers, and the bulk of the work is done for you.

Excel will work with you to customize your 8.5” x 11” mailer and place their bulk rate postage permit on each one. You pay for the printing up-front and pay for the postage only when you mail out the flyers. You will be required to mail to at least one full carrier route each time you send the flyers, but you can choose to order as many flyers as you like ahead of time and mail them out in batches. After you take them to the post office, the flyers should be in mailboxes within two business days.

If you order 10,000, the cost will be $0.11 each for printing. If you order fewer, the cost per piece will increase. The postage per piece will be $0.142. However, Mike Paholke of Excel told us today to expect an “aggressive offer” on the launch date, so look for even lower pricing then.

John Powell of Help-U-Sell Galleria Realty and Craig Flint of Help-U-Sell Flint Realty have tested the program already. Powell is planning not to mail out half of his 10,000 order but to insert them into a local newspaper instead. You can see Flint’s flyer below. He has mailed out 9,000 so far and garnered several calls and a few likely listings.

Help-U-Sell Flint Realty mailer, side 1
One side of Help-U-Sell Flint Realty's new mailer
Help-U-Sell Flint Realty Mailer, side 2
The other side of Help-U-Sell Flint Realty's new mailer

To get started on Jan. 31, go to www.husmailnow.com.

Winter Warm-Up Contest Update

We have just six weeks left in our Winter Warm-Up Contest!

During the contest, which started Nov. 1, Help-U-Sell offices earn points for each new listing, each closed buyer side and each closed seller side. The top three offices in total points at the end of the contest win prizes in the form of admin fees, Help-U-Sell shirts and, of course, bragging rights. The top point-getter in each of the three categories (new listings, closed buyer sides and closed seller sides) will also win prizes. Note: Offices that won in the total-points category are not eligible to win in the categories. For more details, see our previous Connect post.

Because no one can win in more than one category, these would be our winners if the contest had ended Jan. 15:

Total Points:

1. Honolulu Properties

2. Heritage Real Estate

3. Detwiler Realty

New Listings:

Galleria Realty

Buyer Sides:

Select Real Estate

Seller Sides:

Select Services

But there’s still time to make your move up the leaderboards! Our standings as of Jan. 15 are as follows. We have listed the top five in each category to give a better idea of the big picture. [Note: There are a few ties.]

Total Points

  1. Honolulu Properties      251 points
  2. Heritage Real Estate       189
  3. Detwiler Realty                 139
  4. Galleria Realty                  126
  5. Select Real Estate            108

New Listings

  1. Honolulu Properties      225 points
  2. Heritage Real Estate       150
  3. Galleria Realty                  95
  4. Detwiler Realty                 90
  5. Quad Cities Realty           85

Closed Buyer Sides

  1. Select Real Estate            39 points
  2. Real Estate Specialists   30 (tied for 2nd)
  3. Triad Realty                       30 (tied for 2nd)
  4. Heritage Real Estate       21 (tied for 3rd)
  5. Galleria Realty                  21 (tied for 3rd)
  6. Detwiler Realty                 21 (tied for 3rd)
  7. Federal City Realty         18
  8. Edmond/OKC                    15 (tied for 5th)
  9. Distinctive Homes           15 (tied for 5th)
  10. Sims Realty                         15 (tied for 5th)

Closed Seller Sides

  1. Select Services                 46 points
  2. Honolulu Properties      26
  3. Central Properties          24
  4. Real Estate Specialists  18 (tied for 4th)
  5. Heritage Real Estate      18 (tied for 4th)
  6. Detwiler Realty                18 (tied for 4th)
  7. Select Real Estate            14

Good luck to everyone and keep up the great work! Remember, the contest ends on Feb. 29, and winners will officially be announced on March 7.

Broker Focus: Richard Cricchio

Richard Cricchio of Help-U-Sell Honolulu Properties
Richard Cricchio of Help-U-Sell Honolulu Properties

A Help-U-Sell Real Estate broker/owner since 1999, Richard Cricchio practically pioneered the set-fee concept in his home state of Hawaii.

When he first opened his office, Help-U-Sell Honolulu Properties, he had to educate the public on the set-fee concept. “People never wanted to pay a percentage but when offered an alternative, they thought something was wrong,” he said.

That’s something Cricchio can relate to. He visited several Help-U-Sell offices during a four-year period before deciding to purchase an office of his own. “I couldn’t believe it could work,” he said. “It’s a different mindset to understand how you could profit by not collecting a percentage.” After looking at the offices’ different business models, Cricchio said a light bulb went off.

His office’s business model capitalizes on Help-U-Sell’s set-fee concept. Because of the copycat brokerages that have popped up on the island of Oahu in recent years, Honolulu Properties doesn’t charge extra for anything. “Our fee is our fee. That has helped us stay competitive,” Cricchio said.

They have also worked to keep their name top of mind on the island, which Cricchio describes as “one big neighborhood.” He runs TV ads, does strategic print advertising and distributes mailouts, but it’s probably his weekly radio show that gets the most attention. Cricchio began doing the talk show in 2002 at the suggestion of the station’s morning show host, whom he met after sponsoring an event the station held. The show has proven so popular that listeners rallied to get it back on the air when Clear Channel ceased local programming. Cricchio said the show covers real estate trends and news and answers listeners’ questions. He keeps the attitude light and doesn’t always pitch Help-U-Sell during the show.

Cricchio’s goal for 2012 is to complete 300 transactions. “I think the market’s ready now,” he said. His office closed 91 transactions in 2011, as of Dec. 29.

He plans to drum up more business by increasing his appearances at home shows and hosting more buyer and seller seminars.For new brokers, Cricchio encourages optimism and a strategy. “You have to believe in the system,” he said. “You can’t get caught up in the day-to-day stuff. Make a plan and really stick to it. It’s still the best business you can be in.”

Top Producers for December 2011

Our top producers for December didn’t let the holidays or the cooler temperatures slow them down! The three offices had a combined total of 34 closed sides to finish out 2011.

1) Help-U-Sell Real Estate Specialists, located in Lake Havasu City, Ariz., moves up from a tie for second place in November to the top spot with 13 closed sides.

2) Oregon’s Help-U-Sell Select Real Estate also improves on ranking, going from third to second and closing 11 sides.

3) Help-U-Sell Select Services, out of Fort Myers, Fla., took third place with 10 closed sides.

Congratulations to all!

[Figures as of Jan. 3, 2012.]

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