Successful Marketing VS Flash In The Pan Marketing!

Successful Marketing is a long-term strategy that inspires your target market to become raving fans and loyal referral sources.  Flash in the Pan Marketing is a short-term strategy that fails to deliver anything of value, despite a showy beginning. It ultimately disappoints because it lacks continuity. It will be remembered for “5 minutes” and not help you sustain top-of-mind status.  

A successful marketing strategy evolves from knowing that your core values are a match to the values of your ideal clients. Here is an example of a successful marketing strategy, based on the principle of continuity that has created a continuous flow of referrals from loyal clients in a metropolitan area.

At a talk we gave on Successful Marketing, we met a real estate agent mom with two young children.  In analyzing her customer base of buyers and sellers, she noticed that her marketplace was composed of families like hers.  They could easily relate to her and she to them.

She had a passion for the arts and was a docent (volunteer guide) at the local art museum.  When the museum launched a monthly children’s arts program, she invited all her sphere of influence and their friends to join her for the half-day program and bring their children.  Given her docent status, the admission fee was waived for all. 

This win-win strategy was a resounding success with the children. Many of the parents became members of the museum.  Regular monthly visits kept this agent visible, which resulted in a continuous flow of referrals.

Marketing based on the premise that people like doing business with people like themselves, is successful marketing.  When you know who you are, and know your target market well, marketing can become easy and fun.

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

ABOUT:  Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry.  They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace.

Think Outside of the Shoe Box: Switch Your Niche!

The Tony Award winner for Best Musical in 2013, Kinky Boots, was based on a terrific 2005 film by the same name. The film, which we highly recommend, was based on a triumphant true story of niche marketing.

A three generation-old, struggling British family business, selling finely crafted men’s dress shoes, ran into financial trouble because cheaper shoes were flooding the market from foreign manufacturers.  To reverse this trend of commoditization, Charlie, the young, strait-laced owner forms an unlikely partnership with Lola, a drag queen, to save the business. The plan was to totally retool the factory to produce custom footwear for drag queens.  In the process of turning around the business together, the two men discover that they are not all that different, based on their character and core values.

The moral of the story is this:  When you are faced with commoditization in your business, and your competition is blurring what makes you distinct, it may be time to switch your niche!

Stop spinning your wheels in your current niche. Stop introverting and finding fault with yourself.  There is nothing wrong with YOU. Market conditions are always changing. Instead, pick yourself up by your bootstraps, and find an underserved or uncontested niche that you can dominate.

Think Outside of the Shoe Box: Switch Your Niche!

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

ABOUT:  Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry.  They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace.

The Winning Formula: Competence Plus Responsiveness1

Whether a lead comes your way via the phone, the Internet or through a personal referral, your rapid response may determine if you get the new client or if they move on to someone more responsive. The old adage still holds true that the early bird catches the worm.

Recently, our Squarespace (SQ) web developer, with whom we have worked for seven years, moved on to a different career. And, we needed a Squarespace expert to make two immediate adjustments on our own company website that is built on that platform.  We work both with SQ and Wordpress (WP) web developers depending on the scope of our projects.

So, we sent out invitations to establish a new business relationship (plus instructions to address the 2 items that required immediate action on our site) to two SQ developers that were recommended by the company itself. Neither of them responded within 24 hours.

The following day we sent out 10 additional invitations to SQ recommended developers.  Within a few minutes we received a response from one developer who could not take on our work immediately but kindly referred to three other SQ developer friends who could.

Co-incidentally, one of her recommendations was the one who responded next, as that firm was also on our list.  We had a brief conversation with this developer, who instantly established credibility with us, and within 20 minutes they took care of our immediate needs at a reasonable price. Although, the terms of payment in their invoice stated “due within 30 days”, we paid them within the hour by credit card because we appreciated their responsiveness.

We received three other responses later that day. Two of them noticed that the changes had already been made and the other one said they would call us the following week.

The early bird caught the worm! And, we look forward to working with this company on future projects based on their responsiveness.

Do everything you can to be more responsive than your competition.  Competence alone is no longer enough to assure others that you are worthy of their referrals. COMPETENCE + RESPONSIVENESS is the WINNING FORMULA!

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

ABOUT:  Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry.  They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace.

Source More Referrals: It Is Only Coffee!

Can you think of a single luxury real estate marketing professional who does not love getting referrals? Based on the law of reciprocity, generating referrals begets receiving them. The more you give the more you get. Yet, few agents make it their business to source referrals to non-competitive business owners or service professionals.

What if you deliberately set out to generate referrals to others as a primary brand strategy for your real estate practice?  The more people you know the more matches you can source.

Eventually you would become known as a “referral hub” someone who connects others in such a way that it leads to more business for all.  If you master the art of giving referrals you would emerge as the MVP (Most Valuable Professional to know).

Engaging the law of reciprocity begins by getting into a frame of mind of abundance.  It is a shift of focus away from scarcity and looking out only for #1. This does not mean that you need to become selfless and place the needs of others above your own.  An abundant mindset means that you simultaneously consider the needs of others AND yourself.

When you have achieved this abundant mindset you do not have to keep score about receiving referrals back from the very people to whom you have given them. Leveraging the law of reciprocity will often attract referrals “out of blue” from the most unexpected sources.

A great way to begin engaging the law of reciprocity is simply to invite more people to meet you for coffee.  The more you get out and meet people face-to-face the more opportunities you have for new business and also for building long-term high-trust relationships. We say, “whoever has the most high-trust relationships WINS!” because those that do create the most opportunities for referrals.

So, next time you find that you are hiding behind your computer or stretching out the busy work that you could easily delegate to others, pick up the phone and invite someone for coffee. Reach out, get out of the office and spread the love. Show people you care about their success.  And, they will start caring about yours. It is only coffee!

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

ABOUT:  Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry.  They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace.

Going For Gold & Fun: The Competitive Advantage of Precision Teamwork

As a luxury real estate marketing professional you have a distinct competitive advantage if you operate as a team. However, the secret to winning the game is to develop PRECISION teamwork and that requires the total alignment of purpose among all team members. Those teams who win medals in the Olympics are shining examples of precision teamwork.

Whether you are a solopreneur with a support staff, a partnership, or a group of professionals each individual member of the team has his or her own purpose. It is essential that you discover the chief aim of each person, then, communicate that explicitly and openly. Only then can you clearly see how your purposes actually can align.

In selecting a partner it is wise to find someone who has the same level of ambition as you. As a husband and wife team who has worked together in several businesses, we have truly experienced the power of precision teamwork

We have a rule that everything we pursue together must be what we call a “hell yes!” If one of us disagrees we usually drop the idea, and take no action. But, this does not represent a subordination of individuality. We are both strong individuals on our own and very effective persuaders. We often laugh at each other’s clever persuasion techniques. It is fun because we trust that our overarching purposes are identical and totally aligned.

Our mutual purpose is to individually experience the certainty of our ability to make our dreams come true. This transcends the importance of any particular goal and makes our mutual endeavors more like a game that we help each to win.

Nothing is more important than maintaining our relationship of trust as a team. With that in mind, together, we are always bigger than any obstacle that can arise.

If one of us feels particularly strong about some pursuit, we support each other by encouraging the other to trust their intuition and see how it plays out in the realm of action. We trust that the stronger willed partner will either expand our horizons or jettison the idea entirely.

In a group, however, not everyone has the same level of ambition. This does not diminish the power of each individual’s contribution to the overall aim of the team. Role players can make or break a team.

When we owned a commercial real estate firm we were a small but mighty group of five. By creating a small, high-powered team we were able to more quickly dominate our niche in high-end retail development and leasing, and also corporate relocation for the entertainment industry, in Beverly Hills and the adjacent areas.

Like a gold metal winning Olympic team, when your purposes are aligned, precision teamwork flourishes. More, importantly, from our personal perspective, you simply have more fun!

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

ABOUT:  Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry.  They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace.

Muumuu Marketing: Does One Size Fit All?

We are constantly asked about marketing strategies and advertising channels from luxury real estate marketing professional nationwide. We say, beware of muumuu** marketers who tell you that one size fits all.  Here are some of the questions:

---Should one advertise in the local paper, luxury real estate magazines, online, on social media, send postcards (how many and how big), or produce videos? 

---Should one buy a drone, a video camera, an expensive camera or leave it to the professionals? 

--What about SEO or SEM (search engine marketing) or the long tail? 

We are not being evasive, when we say no one size fits all.  It depends on the marketplace, the lifestyle, and what the target market responds to. In other words, muumuu marketing can be a colossal waste of your marketing dollars.

The best ad agencies spend time on the ground researching the marketplace. They address both the demographics and the psychographics of the target market.  These agencies understand that what works in Boston may not work in South Bend, Indiana, even if the demographics are the same in each locale.  The psychographics, i.e., mindset and values, may be vastly different.

Here in Santa Barbara, where we have well over a dozen billionaires and a healthy population of ultra high net worth consumers, there are no Rolls Royce, Bentley, Maserati, or Ferrari dealerships. Why? These automotive companies apparently did their market research.  Some Santa Barbara homeowners may own them and drive them here, but they purchased them elsewhere. Conversely, the new Tesla dealership is taking orders like hotcakes for their newest model, and we see many of their luxury sedans on the road that were purchased in Santa Barbara. 

Beware of muumuu marketers! Or, you will find yourself trolling the beach with a metal detector looking for spare change instead of raking in the big bucks! 

**(Muumuu is defined as a long loose-hanging dress worn by Hawaiian women and those wanting to hide a multitude of sins.  Origin of the word "muumuu" is expand.)

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

ABOUT:  Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry.  They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace.

A Better You: Not Just Me, Myself And "I"!

In a previous post about our Mid-Year Business Check Up, we mentioned a very important paradigm shift that is now required if you are interested in achieving market leadership in your marketplace. There seemed to be a bit of confusion about this topic, so this post is intended to make this crucial point even clearer.

The paradigm shift that we are referring to is this:  The business of residential real estate is no longer a game of marketing real estate; it is a game of marketing YOU! 

Due to public access of real estate listing information via the Internet, everyone has the exact same inventory, with the exception of pocket listings.  That makes both the information and YOU a commodity.

Here is where the clarity is needed. By YOU we mean your unique brand of doing business. We have to assume that most competent agents have knowledge of their marketplace, good negotiation skills and have integrity. Can you see that even these fine qualities become commodities? In this context what makes YOU stand out?

That is why it is so important to identify what you can do better than anyone else, express your unique promise of value is just a few words, and then BRING A BETTER YOU TO THE GAME by doing the following:

1.     GET OUT THERE AND MEET MORE PEOPLE FACE-TO-FACE THAN YOUR CLOSEST COMPETITION. BE INTERESTED, NOT INTERESTING.
2.     COMMUNICATE YOUR UNIQUE PROMISE OF VALUE TO MORE PEOPLE THAN YOUR COMPETITION
3.     BE MORE VISIBLE IN YOUR COMMUNITY THAN YOUR COMPETITION
4.     CONSISTENTLY STAY IN TOUCH WITH YOUR EVER-EXPANDING REFERRAL BASE, AND DO SO BETTER THAN YOUR COMPETITION
5.     ASK MORE PEOPLE TO INTRODUCE YOU TO MORE PEOPLE

That is what we mean by marketing YOU, a BETTER YOU, not just me, myself and I.

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

ABOUT:  Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry.  They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace.

Mid-Year Business Check UP: The Next Big Thing!

One of our biggest breakthroughs in 2016 was identifying the need for a complete paradigm shift in the field of luxury real estate marketing. At mid-year we are now in the process of creating and test marketing a very exciting new service and business model, based on this fresh perspective.

The paradigm shift that we are referring to is this:  The business of residential real estate is no longer a game of marketing real estate; it is a game of marketing YOU!  If you are intent on gaining or sustaining market leadership, failing to make this shift could mean the biggest missed opportunity of your entire career! It is far, far more important than the advent of social media marketing. It is the NEXT BIG THING!

Due to public access of real estate listing information via the Internet, everyone has the exact same inventory, with the exception of pocket listings.  That makes both the information and YOU a commodity, unless you can provide an extraordinary value proposition, i.e., create added genuine value above and beyond commodities.

Some agents are better than other at cultivating referrals.  But, few are doing what it takes to exponentially expand their referral base.  That means making it your business to consistently and continuously meet more people. 

Like most small business owners, real estate agents spend more time working “In” their business, as “transaction engineers” in this case, rather than working “On” their business as marketing experts. And, in this context, we are talking about the business of marketing YOU.

There are way too many excuses, for staying in your comfy chairs in your office instead of getting out and meeting more people.  In the new paradigm you must delegate or outsource everything that you absolutely do not have to do yourself. This will help free you up to get out there! After all, the game of marketing YOU is a people sport.

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

ABOUT:  Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry.  They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace.

UPV: We Will Show You Ours, If You Show Us Yours!

What is the primary secret behind the success of market leading luxury real estate professionals?  They attract clients like a magnet because they have tuned their thoughts to EXPECT SUCCESS.  But, the real secret is that many market leaders have no special talents beyond persistence and consistency. They achieved their top ranking by default because their competition has not recognized their own Unique Promise of Value (UPV).

Do you know your UPV? Can you state it in just a few words? We will show you ours if you show us yours! Here is ours:

We empower people and companies to recognize and articulate their Unique Promise of Value, and then consistently communicate it in their marketplace.

Knowing what makes you or your company unique creates the most powerful magnet of all. Clearly articulating your UPV with precision accelerates the speed of attraction because your IDEAL CLIENTS can rapidly perceive that you are the answer to their most pressing needs. And, it makes it easy for others to refer YOU.

But, once you know and clearly articulate your UPV the key is to consistently get the word out to your target market.  What most would-be challengers are reluctant to do is continuously expand their pool of referral sources by meeting new people on a regular basis and consistently communicating their UPV.

Now, we have shown you ours. Let’s see yours!

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

ABOUT:  Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry.  They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace.

The Decision: Who Is Going To Sell My Home?

When making a choice as to what agent or agency to hire to sell their homes, the majority of luxury real estate sellers ask for a recommendation from trusted friends. If their friends don’t have one, then they will look for a brand they recognize and trust.

This applies to choices we all make in general, whether it is a professional service or a product we are looking for. Here is an example:

We had heard that Chilean wines were making a name for themselves in Europe and in the United States for their excellent wines. We went to our local wine store to educate ourselves on the latest and greatest Chilean wines.

As we were looking over the Cabernet Sauvignon shelves, we noticed a stack of cases made of wood nearby. Within these wooden cases, bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon were displayed on their sides instead of upright.

Usually only the most expensive wines are packed that way. The wine label identified it as a Chilean wine from Chateau Lafite Rothschild. is a storied wine brand known for its excellence and quality wines. When we saw the care in packing and the brand name, it was a no brainer to try this wine. The price was very reasonable at $13.95. We knew we could count on the brand, the wine was outstanding, and we promptly bought more.

The moral of this story is that a brand is a trust mark more so than a trademark. Build a reputation of trust, and let your packaging tell the story of the quality your potential clients can expect when they work with YOU!

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

ABOUT:  Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry.  They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace.

Are You A Worrier Or A Warrior?

Being a warrior in the game of luxury real estate marketing requires that you develop a deep, rock-solid trust in yourself. Worrying erodes the very foundation of self-trust and is the ultimate cause of failure.  Are you a worrier or a warrior?

Warriors may have an initial reaction to sudden, dismal external conditions, but they quickly regain their balance and adjust their approach. LeBron James made basketball history, winning the NBA Championship by coming back from a 3-1 deficit.  He said that he looked within and adjusted his “blue-print” for success.

And, that is exactly what luxury real estate marketing professionals need to do when they encounter volatility in global markets like Brexit.  Worriers cannot see the opportunities that a condition may cause, because they are too busy assessing the negatives.  Warriors look for the opportunities and adjust their inner blue prints.

On the real estate front, Knight Frank, global residential and commercial real estate consultants are focused on the silver lining. They view is that the housing market will not be seriously impacted. The UK has 60 million wealthy individuals, and a highly skilled labor force.  High skilled labor is always in demand.

British second home buying in Europe and in the US may slow down.  Real estate will continue to be viewed as a long-term stable investment.  Some of the ultra high end may languish on the market. 

It is worth noting that Starbucks is going to continue its expansion plans in the United Kingdom.  Since the United Kingdom is one of the largest consumers of French Champagne, Taitttinger called its UK distributors to assure them that they will make up the losses caused by the devaluation of the Pound Sterling.  The legal profession is no doubt rejoicing based on all the work generated by the Brexit vote. 

If you are concerned about market conditions, readjust your inner blueprint for success.  Are you going to worry or be a warrior? 

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

ABOUT:  Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry.  They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace.

Don’t Shoot Yourself In The Foot: Use Communication Bridges

As a luxury real estate marketing professional you can stand out from your competition simply by having superior communication skills.  Being a good listener is the most important communication skill, however, the communication bridge can be your strongest differentiator. 

Recently we received two referrals (potential clients) for our strategic brand consulting practice.  The first person expressed great interest in working with us and asked us to call him back the following day at a specific time.  When we followed through, he was not there.  We left a voice message, and the following day, we sent a text message. We still have not heard a reply.

When we called the second referral, we left a voice mail, and received a text message from her indicating a time when she would be available.  That is an example of a communication bridge.  It gave us certainty and an immediate appreciation of this individual, because she respected our time.

When we called the second person back at the specific time, she was not available.  We left a voice message, and within a matter of hours, we received a text message that her father had passed away.  Regardless of whether or not we work with this second person on developing her brand strategy, we would not hesitate to recommend her based on her outstanding ability to bridge communication.

Although, we are always willing to give the benefit of the doubt, the first person could have left a much stronger impression simply by saying, I decided this is something I don’t want to pursue. Given the ease of all the communication channels we have at our disposal, there is no excuse for the lack of a communication bridge.  If you are too busy to handle the volume of communication, you need an assistant to help you. 

The difference between engendering doubt or certainty can mean the difference between getting, and not getting the listing, referral, or an opportunity to compete for the listing.  There is just no excuse for leaving someone in doubt.  It reflects poorly on that person and their communication skills.

What poor communicators do not realize is that good communicators will give negative feedback to those who referred them in the first place. In one gesture, this person shot himself in the foot losing two potential sources of referral.

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

ABOUT:  Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry.  They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace.

How To Get More Listings And Have A Great Time!

Several of our luxury real estate clients are natural athletes. Their strategies to get more listings involve sports. One of them was a ski instructor, and it was an ideal way to meet new people. Many of the students had season passes, which often meant they already had a second home in the area. It was not usual for them to want to up-size as their families grew. This was also an opportunity to sell them the larger home. This client now has an annual ski event to which all clients are invited.

Another client is involved in competitive skiing events such as slalom and mogul races. This individual also participates in bicycle races that are part of the lifestyle in their community.

Playing tennis and belonging to the tennis club in the community where our client is the market leader is an effective strategy. The membership dues are negligible, because the return on investment is substantial.   Another one of our clients surfs, and enters bicycle races.

One does it all and does it all well. This client’s athletic abilities are legendary.  Golf, surfing, paddle boarding, triathlons, and yoga are on the daily to do list.

Sports are a great way to meet people, connect and have a common interest. If you are a good sportsman or sportswoman you can really develop your "list to last" practice, and have a great time.

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

ABOUT:  Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry.  They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace.

Are You Marketing You With A Cookie Cutter Approach?

In marketing luxury real estate, a cookie cutter approach, in describing your extraordinary promise of value, will not cut it!  An emphasis on the emotional reasons to engage your services vs. logical ones will make the difference.

Luxury consumers use logical reasons to justify their emotional reasons and not the other way around.  Therefore, it is best to engage luxury consumers with an emotional/experiential story about YOU and/or your company. 

Take a lesson from luxury car ad companies.  When they are selling a Porsche, they talk about the “driving pleasure--experiencing the thrills of the road.”  Mercedes’ recent tag line is “the best or nothing!” 

The same type thinking has to be part of your messaging when promoting your services.  Your audience thinks in terms of the unique value experience and appreciates the inherent value of service. 

One of the top producers we have worked with tells her story simply.  She was a single mother working at a wig factory gluing hair at $8.00 an hour.  Within three years in real estate, she earned a high six-figure income and her son was going to private school.  Would you not want to work with someone of this caliber?

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Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

ABOUT:  Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry.  They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace.

Making More DOUGH With Passion And A Well-Bread Strategy

Are you passionate about the luxury real estate niche you have chosen? If not, find a niche that you can become passionate about, because passion is what it takes to follow your dreams to fruition.

You may have heard the expression, “If you build it they will come”, from the movie, Field of Dreams. That is exactly what Bob Oswaks, marketing executive-turned baker did. He discovered his passion and calling to open a high quality, artisan bakery/restaurant and he had the guts to change careers and follow his bliss.

We recently drove north of Santa Barbara to the tiny, remote, Wine Country town of Los Alamos just to have breakfast at Bob’s Well Bread because the buzz was irresistible. We had heard exuberant, unsolicited recommendations from two friends on separate occasions; both were practically drooling when they described Bob’s hand-made, old-world style breads, croissants and other baked goods. And, the place was packed when we arrived!

Was it worth the one-hour drive?  Absolutely!  Bob’s almond croissant was spectacular; it had the perfect balance of crispy-crunchy crust on the outside and tender elasticity on the inside, and it also had just the right amount of sweetness. Our only disappointment was that we did not have room for the chocolate almond croissant. But, alas, this bakery is etched in our memory and a return trip is inevitable [i.e., soon].

Although it is best to eat your bread at the peak of freshness, according to Bob,  “From our natural fermentation, to our high-hydration doughs, Bob’s Well Bread is artisan bread that will last for many days (if you don’t eat it all!).”

Our hats are off to Bob for building his dream bakery, for changing careers and pursuing an uncontested market niche in California’s Central Coast Wine Country. The moral of Bob’s story: If you want to make more “dough", find a luxury real estate market niche that you can be passionate about!

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

ABOUT:  Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry.  They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace.

The Playboy Mansion Sale Versus The Lipstick Index!

In talking to various agents in the luxury market, we are hearing that some of the higher priced properties, above $3million, are not moving quickly. However, Wall Street Journal reported that Hugh Hefner’s $200 million Playboy mansion is in escrow.  As an aside, Hugh Hefner gets to live there until his death.

We checked our sources in the luxury goods industry and discovered that there has been a slowdown in expensive retail items as well. Louis Vuitton, a conglomerate of luxury companies, reported that consumers are no longer as eager to buy the larger luxury goods such as handbags.  However they are spending on personal care items, such as skincare, hair products, makeup and perfume. The beauty sector sale numbers noticeably increased.

This is not a new phenomenon. Chairman of Estée Lauder Companies, Leonard Lauder, coined the term “Lipstick Index”, in 2001.  His mother, Estée Lauder, had noticed that lipsticks were her best sellers when she was selling her beauty products door-to-door during the Great Depression.

During a sluggish economy, for those who specialize in ultra-luxury real estate marketing, it may be wise to diversify your listing activity as a hedge for your own cash flow purposes. Think, Lipstick Index vs. The Playboy Mansion.

Focus, Focus, Focus! Valuable Lessons Learned!

Focus, Focus, Focus! That was the most important lesson we learned as commercial real estate broker/owners in Beverly Hills and the adjacent areas. Our firm was small but mighty because we focused on doing just a few things really well, better than most anyone else in the marketplace at the time. High-end retail was one of our niches.

In assessing opportunities in our marketplace we spotted an important trend. Some of the cool, avant-garde retailers were seeking lower rents than the extremely high rental rates in the Beverly Hills Triangle that encompass Rodeo Drive.

When we received a call from Koala Blue (Olivia Newton John) who was interested in opening her famous Aussie blue jean store on Melrose Avenue, we knew there was a trend about to explode on this quirky retail street just east of Beverly Hills. Then, John Travolta was referred to us (they were working on a second movie together) and he wanted to open a workout studio there, too.

You can imagine the swarms of fans that stopped him for autographs as we were showing him properties.

Armed with the inside scoop (it often takes several months to build out a retail store) we approached investors and developers who were looking for new opportunities in L.A. and could close deals with all cash in 30 days.  Then, we launched a highly focused canvassing program, through which we contacted all of the Melrose Avenue property owners and started writing offers and closing sales. 

The international P.R. that Olivia Newton John received for the store also became P.R. for Melrose Avenue itself. This was indeed the tipping point for the popularity of Melrose and that accelerated our sales momentum.

We typically got the exclusive leasing listings on the buildings that we sold to our clients once they took ownership or developed the properties.  Some of the buildings were later listed with us for resale once the new value was added to the properties (renovations and increased income).

In some cases we offered to leave our initial commission in the deal in exchange for partial ownership of the property so we could participate in the upside potential of the investment. The rental rates on Melrose when we started this were $1.00 per square foot per month.  They quickly jumped exponentially to $4.00/sq. ft. as the trend took off.  We repeated the same formula on Montana Avenue in Santa Monica, west of Beverly Hills

The bottom line here, literally, is focus your time energy and resources on an uncontested or under served niche that you can dominate in your marketplace.   This is the most valuable lesson we learned and is the primary advice that we offer our strategic branding clients in the luxury real estate arena.

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

ABOUT:  Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry.  They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace.

Focus & An Extraordinary Brand Story Are the Keys to Niche Marketing – Part 1

Niche marketing in luxury real estate is easy to understand if you think in terms of restaurants.  If you are in the mood for BBQ you “auto-sort” the entire list of restaurants in town. Thus, you narrow your search down to just one category.  Focus is the key to niche marketing.

When you need a recommendation, you ask someone which BBQ restaurant is best in class in your town within your budget.  The BBQ restaurant that comes to their mind first enjoys what we call “top-of-mind” status.  Whoever achieves top-of-mind status gets the lion’s share of BBQ business.  It is that simple!

But, to keep people coming back, you need to deliver the goods. And, you need a compelling value proposition that differentiates you from the pack. You need an extraordinary promise of value (EVP). 

Recently, we were referred to the best new BBQ restaurant in Santa Barbara: Wildwood Kitchen. We ordered the BBQ Sampler, which included Trip Tip, Pork Ribs and a homemade sweet Italian sausage. Everything was outstanding including the Cole slaw and pickles.

Our waiter kindly let us sample their homemade vegan chili that featured fresh beans from our local Santa Barbara farmer’s market. Absolutely delicious! We were compelled to take home two orders and feast on the chili for dinner.

In addition to Wildwood Kitchen’s fabulous food the restaurant has a wonderful brand story that makes it extraordinary. Restaurateur Justin West, wanted to pay homage to his father’s successful BBQ restaurant in Oregon.  The original recipes are the cornerstones of his offerings. But, Justin has focused on including as much local produce and other local ingredients as possible, which was not readily available year-round in Oregon.

Wildwood’s next-door neighbors are Potek Winery and Three Window Brewery. They share a common courtyard area in the back with seating that makes for a synergistic, convivial atmosphere.  Together, their theme is sourcing the finest local Santa Barbara ingredients and building a sense of community.

In Part 2 of this article series we will cover the extraordinary brand story of Potek Winery. It is extremely challenging to stand out in the wine industry.  That is why this winery’s brand story provides a great example for luxury real estate marketing professionals who need to distinguish themselves in a crowded market.

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

ABOUT:  Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry.  They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace.

Discover The Sand Between The Marbles!

If you have followed our blog, you know that we are proponents of niche marketing.   Our mantra for challengers of market leaders and rising stars has been, discover and dominate an under served market niche. It is one of the first items we address, when we start working with our clients. 

No one person or company can do it all and do it well, regardless of his or her claims.  In looking over agent and company profiles, we are always surprised to find how many specialties they list for themselves from REO to commercial and industrial real estate.  And, the worst statement is when someone says, “I will sell anything that can be sold!’’

A niche is specialized market segment or a particular market “space”.  An example of a niche in luxury real estate would be historic homes. When we were in commercial real estate in Beverly Hills we specialized in high-end retail and the entertainment industry.  One of our jobs was to find potential tenants for retail stores and shopping centers that we represented exclusively in the Beverly Hills Golden Triangle, or surrounding areas.

We found an excellent analogy for niches by Ray Wert on his Jalopnik.com blog.  He referred to niches “the spaces between the marbles in a Mason jar that is full of marbles”.  The Mason jar represents the overall real estate market.  The marbles represents the dominant players. If you were to pour sand in the jar it would fill those spaces and there would be a surprising amount of room for the sand. The niches exist in those spaces between the marbles that the sand fills.

To be successful in luxury real estate, you must first identify an uncontested market “space”.  The next step is to insure that the niche is financially viable and fits your interests and strengths.  Here is an example.

One of our friends loved historical homes.  She had bought a historical home and rehabbed it from top to bottom restoring to its original splendor, and then bought and sold several more.  This was her passion.  She promoted herself legitimately as a historical expert with a proven track record of sold properties.  Anyone in her area who was interested in buying or selling historical homes knew whom to call. She had found the sand between the marbles, and dominated the historical niche in her marketplace. 

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

ABOUT:  Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry.  They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace.

Anecdotal Evidence VS Truth In Advertising!

When you make claims relating to your expertise or your results in terms of your real estate marketing prowess, be sure you adhere to the “truth in advertising laws,” as set by the Federal Trade Commission. Consumers are getting more and more skeptical of real estate anecdotes-scanty evidence that is questionable.

Anecdotal Marketing is claiming that results based on what one person did, (sold in one day) could work for others. How do you feel when you see an ad claiming that you can lose 10lbs in one week? Or, how do you feel when you read claims by a lead generating firm that by following their system you can get 17 leads per day, like one of their clients achieved? This is known as “cherry-picking” evidence.

Those who adhere to the laws of truth in advertising will add a disclaimer that “these results are not typical or the norm”. Usually this is in fine print.

Think of your website as an advertising media about YOU. If you claim to be a expert in marketing land, for example, having ample proof of your results in the form of your sold portfolio on your website will give you added credibility and truth in advertising.

Written by Ron & Alexandra Seigel-

ABOUT:  Napa Consultants, International is the leader in brand strategy for the luxury real estate industry.  They work exclusively with professionals who are passionate about gaining or sustaining market leadership. With an expertise in personal branding, company branding, luxury real estate website design and social media marketing they help their clients become the breakaway brand in their marketplace.