Campaign Book by Kathryn Calhoun

NeighborhoodTour.com Campaign Book

Created by “The Cool Kids on the Block” Rachel Burns Kathryn Calhoun MiKyle Crockett Marisa Rodriguez

Presented to John Sweatman April 22, 2015

Introduction This public relations campaign was researched and created on behalf of NeighborhoodTour.com, a local real estate listing service. This campaign was created by a group of Auburn University public relations students in PRCM 4090 (Public Relations Campaigns). This capstone course requires students to research, plan and implement a public relations campaign for a local client.

Executive Summary NeighborhoodTour.com is a local real estate listing syndicator based in Auburn, Ala. NeighborhoodTour.com has been providing listing services to Realtors in the Southeast for more than two decades. The NeighborhoodTour.com website was established by CEO and founder John Sweatman in 2012 and went live in January 2013. NeighborhoodTour.com offers two unique features: the ability to search by amenities and the ability to view high-quality video tours. The first step of this campaign was to conduct a client analysis in which NeighborhoodTour.com’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats were evaluated on a political, economical, social and technological basis. Following the client analysis, a situational analysis was completed to determine the current state of NeighborhoodTour.com. Current strategies and activities were analyzed, and a survey was created to research local Realtors’ attitudes and behavior concerning NeighborhoodTour.com. After conducting the survey, we realized the problem was not a lack of awareness of NeighborhoodTour.com’s services, as we originally thought. NeighborhoodTour.com’s problem stems from the majority of Lee County Realtors being unaware of the return on investment (ROI) that NeighborhoodTour.com’s services provide. To address this problem, we set three goals for this campaign: to increase website traffic over the span of the summer 2015 semester, to increase awareness of the ROI offered by NeighborhoodTour.com’s services and to increase the social media audience by utilizing best practices. Objectives of the aforementioned goals are to create and publish posts on social media

platforms, design and publish infographics showing the ROI of using NeighborhoodTour.com and utilize best social media practices when publishing these original posts and infographics. Furthermore, specific strategies were defined to reach our goals and tangible tactics were set to aid in evaluating the success of our strategies and of the campaign as a whole. This campaign booklet was created to guide NeighborhoodTour.com throughout the campaign process. The client analysis, situation analysis, goals, objectives, strategies and tactics are discussed in further detail in later sections.

Client Analysis NeighborhoodTour.com is a website offering home-listing services to Realtors in the Southeast. This business was established by John Sweatman in 2012 and went live in January 2013. The website is an offshoot of NeighborhoodTour.com magazine. NeighborhoodTour.com is unique in that it offers users the chance to search houses by amenities and view high-quality video tours of each house online. The majority of Realtors in Lee County are not aware of Sweatmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s services; therefore, the primary audience for our campaign is Realtors in Lee County. Our secondary audience is home buyers and sellers in Lee County. This study seeks to analyze NeighborhoodTour.com based on internal and external factors using the SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis. A SWOT analysis identifies a companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in order to develop a strong business strategy.

Strengths Strengths exist internally and reflect the tangible and intangible factors of the business. One of the greatest strengths possessed by NeighborhoodTour.com is that it is a unique service for clients in Lee County, allowing Sweatman the opportunity to create strong relationships and provide tailored services to his clients. NeighborhoodTour.com has a number of strengths, which can be categorized into political, economic, social and technological categories.

Political Politically, the Multiple Listing Services (MLS) board, of which NeighborhoodTour.com has access to, makes home listing data easily accessible to real estate listing syndicators. It is easy to create hundreds of home listings using the work of individual Realtors, many of whom have not used NeighborhoodTour.com.

Economic Economically, NeighborhoodTour.com has the ability to be flexible as the market changes. As NeighborhoodTour.com is currently run by just one individual, this allows it to easily stay abreast of new and current trends, prices and business models. Additionally, the fact that NeighborhoodTour.com is not a typical brick-and-mortar business allows it to adapt to the changing market easily.

Social Socially, by using NeighborhoodTour.com, clients have more time to show homes and have more material to reference to their prospective homebuyers. With the main office for NeighborhoodTour.com being located in Lee County, it offers Sweatman a chance to build relationships within this community.

Technological Technologically, NeighborhoodTour.com is ahead of the curve. Using high-quality videos that offer each prospective client detailed virtual tours gives NeighborhoodTour.com a competitive

edge in the housing market. This, coupled with a print version, expands its audience outreach opportunities.

Weaknesses Weaknesses also exist internally and address the negative factors of a business. While NeighborhoodTour.com has a number of positive strengths, it is a new business with limited resources. NeighborhoodTour.comâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s weaknesses can be evaluated on the basis of political, economical, social and technological downfalls.

Political NeighborhoodTour.com only works with real estate agents who are members of the National Association of Realtors. The company will not accept individual homeowners as clients because it cuts Realtors out of the profit of the home sale, potentially influencing Realtors into not using NeighborhoodTour.com as retaliation. This exclusivity diminishes NeighborhoodTour.comâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pool of potential clients.

Economic Deciding where to allocate financial resources is a challenge that NeighborhoodTour.com faces daily. NeighborhoodTour.com must make financial decisions to determine if the company should invest in the local market and stay in Lee County, Ala., or expand outside of Lee County as a franchise.

Social NeighborhoodTour.com is run entirely by Sweatman. Until the business expands, his opportunities for travel are limited due to his obligations in Lee County. He must carefully weigh the opportunity costs of attending each trade show against the opportunity cost of spending time marketing in Lee County.

Technological NeighborhoodTour.com prides itself on two unique features: allowing users to search by amenities and uploading high-quality video tours of homes. The rise of smartphones with highquality cameras allows the average individual to easily create videos. Creating video tours with smartphones is free, easy and requires no experience, making NeighborhoodTour.comâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s business model highly replicable. Copycat videos could be used on social media or real estate websites.

Opportunities While NeighborhoodTour.com has a number of weaknesses due to its infancy, a number of opportunities are available for the same reason. Opportunities exist outside the business organization, but must be recognized in order for continued growth. Once again, these opportunities can be evaluated on a political, economical, social and technological basis.

Political NeighborhoodTour.com, if successful in the Lee County area, has the opportunity to expand and grow through strategic partners. An expansion of the company could create more jobs in new areas.

Economic NeighborhoodTour.com is testing the possibility of franchising the NeighborhoodTour.com name and business model. The company has already expanded to other locations in the South and hopes to expand nationally, which would positively impact its revenue.

Social NeighborhoodTour.com is currently located in downtown Opelika at the Round House, East Alabamaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Startup Space, which is a collaborative effort for different types of small businesses to work together by sharing ideas and developing relationships for growing the businesses. This launching point gives NeighborhoodTour.com the opportunity to find strategic partners and investors.

Technological In the future, Sweatman plans to expand his business by offering customers an uploading portal. By providing training videos on how to create a quality video tour, Sweatman can maintain the quality and consistency of existing NeighborhoodTour.com videos.

Threats Threats come from outside of the business infrastructure. Threats can often not be controlled by the company, making it extremely important to stay aware of ongoing threats that could affect the business. Threats can arise in the political, economical, social and technological aspects of a business.

Political The MLS board contains real estate information compiled by Realtors, including written descriptions and photographs. That information is automatically copyrighted by the creator, regardless of formal registration. A dispute is arising between Realtor associations and real estate listing syndicators (such as Zillow, Trulia and NeighborhoodTour.com) over the use of copyrighted material. The MLS board could potentially block the sale of information based on copyright law, which would hurt the ability of NeighborhoodTour.com to list homes.

Economic A serious threat facing NeighborhoodTour.com is access to the MLS database. The MLS board could potentially stop selling home information compiled by Realtors, as the information is technically copyrighted. Without the home listing information, NeighborhoodTour.com would be unable to advertise homes from Realtors who are not clients of NeighborhoodTour.com. The loss of these advertisements would cut deeply into NeighborhoodTour.comâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s profits and potentially put it out of business.

Social With a younger generation entering the realty workforce, they may have the ability to mimic NeighborhoodTour.comâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s technological services for their own purposes, threatening the longevity of this business.

Technological A challenge facing NeighborhoodTour.com lies in the activity and practices of the current market. NeighborhoodTour.com works with individuals who are still rooted in print, thus making NeighborhoodTour.comâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s efforts to move forward online a challenge. Additionally, it is imperative for NeighborhoodTour.com to constantly be aware of technological changes and improvements, in order to not fall behind the curve.

To effectively address NeighborhoodTour.comâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s current business, the SWOT analysis provides a strong foundation to properly evaluate the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats facing NeighborhoodTour.com. This plays a key role in the development of the situational analysis and final campaign.

Situation Analysis Problem Statement NeighborhoodTour.com’s problem stems from the majority of Realtors in Lee County being unaware of the ROI that NeighborhoodTour.com’s services can provide.

Mission NeighborhoodTour.com is a unique and expanding integrated media company specializing in digital media to effectively reach and engage local Realtors.

Current Strategies/Activities NeighborhoodTour.com is currently engaging in a number of strategies and activities in hopes of addressing the aforementioned problem. These strategies include building personal relationships with new clients, maintaining personal relationships with existing clients and branding NeighborhoodTour.com.

NeighborhoodTour.com strives to build personal relationships with new clients, as opposed to direct marketing. Once NeighborhoodTour.com has obtained a new client, it uses the personal relationship as the foundation for a successful professional relationship.

As for the branding the company, NeighborhoodTour.com’s videos are published using a watermark, keeping its work consistent. NeighborhoodTour.com also produces a home and property magazine (NeighborhoodTour.com magazine) to appeal to multiple home buyers.

NeighborhoodTour.com’s current strategies and activities are working to an extent. However, these strategies and activities have room for improvement.

Stakeholders and Publics NeighborhoodTour.com, run exclusively by John Sweatman, is the stakeholder. For this study’s purposes, NeighborhoodTour.com’s primary publics include Realtors and real estate agencies in Lee County, Ala.

Survey Design In order to better understand the perceptions that NeighborhoodTour.com’s publics have toward the brand, it is imperative to look at the way the survey was designed. The survey was designed after multiple discussions with Sweatman, and was created with NeighborhoodTour.com’s needs in mind. The survey was administered electronically through Qualtrics from Friday, Feb. 27 to Sunday, March 8. It was distributed via email to 74 Realtors in Lee County, Ala. (see Appendix A for realtor distribution list).

The survey was designed for two separate groups: those who have used NeighborhoodTour.com before, and those who have not. While the screener, introductory and demographic questions were the same, the survey separated into two distinct tracks based on the respondent’s relationship with NeighborhoodTour.com (customer or noncustomer) (see Appendix B for survey questions).

The survey gathered a combination of quantitative and qualitative data. The survey tracks consisted of 16 or 18 questions of different types, including Likert-type, open-ended, yes/no and multiple choice. Both tracks included two screener questions, seven introductory questions and three demographic questions. The screener questions ensured that the respondent was a Realtor in Lee County (NeighborhoodTour.com’s primary target audience), while the introductory questions determined the respondent’s advertising sources, social media usage and knowledge of NeighborhoodTour.com. The demographic questions were implemented to draw conclusions from different respondent segments.

Research Results The survey received 46 responses from Lee County Realtors. A 90 percent confidence rating was achieved with this survey - meaning, we are 90 percent confident that these results are not due to chance. A full list of survey responses can be found in Appendix C.

Through extensive research, the analysis of NeighborhoodTour.com’s problem statement was refocused and further defined. NeighborhoodTour.com’s original problem was projected to be that the majority of Realtors in Lee County were unaware of the services NeighborhoodTour.com provides. After collecting the proper data, NeighborhoodTour.com’s actual problem stems from the majority of Realtors in Lee County being unaware of the ROI NeighborhoodTour.com’s services provide.

In this survey, 50 percent of respondents said their biggest challenge in selling homes is reaching their target audiences. We found that 63 percent of Realtors who use NeighborhoodTour.com

feel the websiteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s services reach their target audience, and 69 percent found the service to be convenient. This correlation shows NeighborhoodTour.com is efficient in providing the client with services to help sell homes in this competitive market.

Additionally, 26 percent of respondents said their second biggest challenge in selling homes lies in too much competition in the real estate business from other Realtors. NeighborhoodTour.comâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s services provide Realtors with a competitive edge no other service in Lee County can provide. NeighborhoodTour.com provides Realtors the opportunity to get their listing professionally videoed, allowing home buyers the opportunity to see any listing, regardless of location. Furthermore, NeighborhoodTour.com allows home buyers to easily search listings online by amenities, which is an uncommon feature. Lastly, NeighborhoodTour.com has roots in print media, providing options to individuals searching for listings both online and traditionally.

Competition Current national real estate listing syndicators, like Zillow and Trulia, provide NeighborhoodTour.com with challenges regarding expansion beyond Lee County. These websites provide Realtors with the opportunity to post listings and reach millions of people for free. Going directly through the MLS board for information also cuts out local real estate agents, providing direct competition for NeighborhoodTour.com. In addition to other marketing sites, NeighborhoodTour.com also has to compete with the possibility of other realtors doing video tours independently and posting to these listing sites.

Other Publics Secondary publics for NeighborhoodTour.com include home buyers and sellers. While NeighborhoodTour.com does not work directly with home buyers and sellers, it recognizes the value in brand awareness to home buyers and sellers who could suggest the NeighborhoodTour.com service to their Realtors.

Conclusion This situation analysis works hand-in-hand with the client analysis to guide our public relations campaign for NeighborhoodTour.com. The problems outlined in this report will direct NeighborhoodTour.comâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s goals, objectives and strategies moving forward.

Goals, Objectives, Strategies and Tactics GOAL #1: Increase website traffic over the span of the summer 2015 semester. OBJECTIVE #1: To create and run three boosted Facebook posts by the end of June 2015. STRATEGY: To increase awareness and drive traffic to the NeighborhoodTour.com website. TACTIC: To review NeighborhoodTour.com’s Facebook analytics to determine target audience by the end of May 2015. TACTIC: To create three original Facebook boosted posts using Canva.com. OBJECTIVE #2: To be present on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest and share original content at least three times a week. STRATEGY: To increase social media audience and foster relations with target audience. TACTIC: To invite 20 Lee County Realtors to like the NeighborhoodTour.com Facebook page by the end of June 2015. STRATEGY: To better SEO and increase NeighborhoodTour.com’s visibility. TACTIC: Updating social media platforms with relevant content at least once per day to increase page likes. OBJECTIVE #3: To build and maintain local relationships and increase NeighborhoodTour.com’s visibility across the local real estate market. STRATEGY: To connect and engage with Lee County realtors on social media platforms. TACTIC: To share non-promotional content and make social connections with a Lee County Realtor at least once a week. GOAL #2: Increase awareness of the ROI on NeighborhoodTour.com’s services. OBJECTIVE #1: To create and run four social media infographics about NeighborhoodTour.com’s ROI by the end of June 2015. STRATEGY: To raise awareness of the ROI NeighborhoodTour.com can offer through an easy-to-understand and simple graphic. TACTIC: Create four separate social media infographics using Canva.com by the end of June 2015 that showcase survey results that demonstrate NeighborhoodTour.com’s ROI (see Appendix D for sample infographic).

OBJECTIVE #2: To publish a NeighborhoodTour.com ROI fact sheet on NeighborhoodTour.com and social media accounts by the end of June 2015. STRATEGY: To make it easy for potential clients to discover the benefits that NeighboorhoodTour.com offers, and to answer potential client questions. TACTIC: Create a bulleted fact sheet, to publish on the NeighborhoodTour.com website and social media platforms, using Microsoft Word (see Appendix E for sample fact sheet). OBJECTIVE #3: To create and distribute an email blast about NeighborhoodTour.com ROI to current and former customers by the end of June 2015. STRATEGY: To increase customer satisfaction by showing the benefits of using NeighborhoodTour.com, and to ensure repeat customers. TACTIC: Write an email blast that informs a curated list of current and former customers of the ROI from NeighborhoodTour.comâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s services (see Appendix F for sample email blast outline). GOAL #3: Increase social media audience by utilizing best practices. OBJECTIVE #1: To have a completely filled-out business profile on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest by the end of June 2015. STRATEGY: To increase SEO and build visibility. TACTIC: To create a Pinterest account for NeighborhoodTour.com by the end of May 2015. TACTIC: To ensure all sections of Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest are filled out with necessary information by the end of June 2015. OBJECTIVE #2: To share content from industry leaders and local Realtors three times a week. STRATEGY: To build relationships with both the local and national community. TACTIC: Follow industry news websites and social media accounts to find interesting news and trends for NeighborhoodTour.comâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s audience. OBJECTIVE #3: To determine best posting times for all social media accounts by the end of June 2015. STRATEGY: To determine the optimum time for views and for user interaction. TACTIC: To review Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest analytics by the end of June 2015.

Evaluation Goal 1 Objective 1: To create and run three boosted Facebook posts by the end of June 2015. Evaluation: To evaluate this objective, ensure that three Facebook posts were created and boosted by the end of June 2015. Additionally, review analytics provided after the course of the boosted post.

Objective 2: To be present on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest and share original content at least three times a week. Evaluation: To evaluate this objective, ensure that original content was posted to social media platforms at least three times a week. Additionally, determine if any new likes, follows, etc. were gained over the time frame as a direct result of posting original content.

Objective 3: To build and maintain five local relationships and increase NeighborhoodTour.comâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s visibility across the local real estate market. Evaluation: To evaluate this objective, ensure that NeighborhoodTour.com has cultivated at least three local relationships (Realtors, brokers, etc.) per month via in-person communication, email communication or social media networking.

Goal 2 Objective 1: To create and run four social media infographics about NeighborhoodTour.comâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ROI by the end of June 2015.

Evaluation: To evaluate this objective, ensure that NeighborhoodTour.com has created and run four social media infographics about NeighborhoodTour.comâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ROI by the end of June 2015. Additionally, review analytics on these infographics to determine if infographics evoked more audience engagement.

Objective 2: To publish a NeighborhoodTour.com ROI fact sheet on NeighborhoodTour.com and social media accounts by the end of June 2015. Evaluation: To evaluate this objective, ensure that NeighborhoodTour.com has published the ROI fact sheet on the NeighborhoodTour.com website and social media accounts. Additionally, review Google Analytics to see if website traffic has increased.

Objective 3: To create and distribute an email blast about NeighborhoodTour.comâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ROI to current and former customers by the end of June 2015. Evaluation: To evaluate this objective, review open and bounce rate of email distributed containing ROI information using services such as Bananatag.

Goal 3 Objective 1: To have a completely filled-out business profile on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest by the end of June 2015. Evaluation: To evaluate this objective, review and ensure that all social media platform profiles have been filled out by the end of June 2015.

Objective 2: To share content from industry leaders and local Realtors three times a week.

Evaluation: To evaluate this objective, ensure content from industry leaders and local Realtors was shared on the NeighborhoodTour.com social media platforms.

Objective 3: To determine best posting times for all social media accounts by the end of June 2015. Evaluation: To evaluate this objective, ensure that the best posting times for all social media accounts were determined by reviewing the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Insightsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; tab on Facebook business page. Test best posting times by posting on different days and at different times throughout the week to determine which posting time best evokes the most audience engagement.

Budget Expenses EXPENSES

COST

QUANTITY

BUSINESS

CONTACT NAME

CONTACT INFO

Auburn University

Ric Smith

smithrw@ auburn.edu

Office Max

334-8872061

Staffing John Sweatman

Intern

Materials/ Equipment None

Media Traditional Media Kit

$30

Media kit with folder (6)

Media Nontradition al Facebook

$20

Twitter

YouTube

Website

Email Blast

Total projected expense =

$50

Boosted posts (4)

Income/Sponsorship INCOME

COST

QUANTITY

BUSINESS

Infographics (4) and social media posts (3)

Canva

CONTACT NAME

CONTACT INFO

Monetary None

Nonmonetary (trade) Graphic Design

Google Analytics

Total projected income =

Timetable April 2015

Deadline

Task

Person responsible

Resources

April 5

Create three boosted posts for Facebook

Cool Kids on the Block/ John Sweatman

Canva.com/Adobe Illustrator

April 12

Create four social media graphics

Cool Kids on the Block/ John Sweatman

Canva.com/Adobe Illustrator

April 27

Print six media kits

John Sweatman

Office Max

April Weekly Checklist

Week of ________ 20_____

___ Print six media kits

May 2015

Deadline

Task

Person responsible

Resources

May 1

Update all areas of Facebook account

John Sweatman

Facebook

May 5

● Post John Sweatman infographic on social media ● Boost Facebook post

Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn and Twitter

May 8

Update all areas of Twitter account

John Sweatman

Twitter

May 15

Update all areas of YouTube account

John Sweatman

YouTube

May 19

May 22

● Post John Sweatman infographic on social media ● Boost Facebook post Create and fill out Pinterest account

John Sweatman

May Weekly Checklist

Facebook, Pinterest, LinkedIn and Twitter

Week of ________ 20_____

___ Boost Facebook post ___ Run infographic on Facebook ___ Update necessary social media outlets ___ Engage with industry leaders via social media ___ Research best posting times for YouTube via analytics ___ Research best posting times for Facebook via analytics ___ Research best posting times for Twitter via analytics

June 2015 Deadline

Task

June 2

● Post infographic on social media ● Boost Facebook post

Person responsible Resources John Sweatman

Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter

June 5

Invite 20 Lee County Realtors to like Facebook page

John Sweatman

Facebook

June 12

Send out e-mail blast

John Sweatman

Appropriate mailing service

June 16

● Post infographic on social media ● Boost Facebook post

John Sweatman

Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter

June 19

● Research best John Sweatman posting times for Pinterest ● Update necessary social media outlets

Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter

June 26

Publish ROI fact sheet on website and social media websites

June Weekly Checklist

John Sweatman

NeighborhoodTour. com, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter

Week of ________ 20_____

___ Share infographic on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest ___ Boost infographic post on Facebook ___ Research best posting times for Pinterest ___ Invite 20 Lee County Realtors to like the Facebook page ___ Send out e-mail blast to maintain communication with current or prospective customers ___ Share additional infographic on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest ___ Boost infographic post on Facebook ___ Update necessary social media outlets 26

Conclusion The findings in this campaign booklet will aid NeighborhoodTour.com in running a successful social media campaign to increase awareness of the real estate listing websiteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ROI for Lee County Realtors interested in using the service. In addition to the contents included in the campaign booklet, a few more recommendations for NeighborhoodTour.com emerged during our research. Through our work with NeighborhoodTour.com, our team has found that the company would benefit from hiring an intern. Internships benefit both NeighborhoodTour.com and the student. The student gains valuable, hands-on experience, while NeighborhoodTour.com gains an additional worker. Intern duties may include, but are not limited to, updating social media platforms, updating online home listings, creating and distributing promotional materials (such as press releases), planning events and communicating with clients. To hire interns, NeighborhoodTour.com must send an email to Ric Smith (smithrw@auburn.edu) with a short description of duties, necessary qualifications and any additional details. Ric Smith will then email the listing out to all current communication/ public relations/ media students. Interested students will contact NeighborhoodTour.com via email. Lastly, our work with NeighborhoodTour.com has led us to discover that continued use of Google Analytics would be beneficial. To get started with Google Analytics, our team recommends reading how Google Analytics displays data. Vertical Response has published a helpful guide for Google Analytics users, which can be found at http://www.verticalresponse.com/blog/a-beginners-guide-to-google-analytics/.

References A Beginnerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Guide to Analytics. (June 12, 2013). Retrieved April 13, 2015, from http://www.verticalresponse.com/blog/a-beginners-guide-to-google-analytics/ Lee County Association of Realtors. (n.d.). Retrieved April 8, 2015, from http://www.leecorealtors.org/default.asp?content=custom&menu_id=196904 Your Move in Motion. (n.d.). Retrieved April 8, 2015, from http://neighborhoodtour.com/

Appendix A Lee County Realtors as of March 2015 (retrieved from http://www.leecorealtors.org). Contact

Realty Company

E-mail

Shane Dunn

Prestige Properties

shane@shaneMichaelDunn.com

Tanya Swenson

Heritage Realty

info@heritagerealtyllc.com

Linda Penrod Brandt

Prestige Properties

lindapenrodbrandt@charter.net

Annie Williams

Auburn Realty

annierankinwilliams@gmail.com

Carole Jones Harrison

Auburn Realty

carolejharrison@gmail.com

Sylvia Mancha Paul

Prestige Properties

sylviampaul@gmail.com

Ashley Durham

Prestige Properties

Ashley@ashleydurham.com

Natalie Bass

First Realty

natalieauburnrealtor@gmail.com

Ashley Miller

Remax

ashleymiller@remax.net

Katherine Lipscomb Smith

First Realty

Katherineauburn@yahoo.com

Jay Knorr

Prudential Preferred Rjknorr3@gmail.com Real Estate

Tori Beth Thompson

John Rice Realty

Duffy Stewart

Prudential Preferred duffystewartrealtor@gmail.com Real Estate

Monte Atkins

First Realty

Ryan Roberts

Prudential Preferred c.ryan.roberts@gmail.com Real Estate

Karol Kirby

First Realty

toribeth@topproducer.com

monteatkins@gmail.com

aukarol@yahoo.com

Wendy Fuller

Porter Properties

Wendyfuller.yourrealtor@hotmail.com

Haley Fuller

Porter Properties

haleyfuller@outlook.com

Cathy Fincher

Porter Properties

cfincher@portercompanies.com

Alma Craft

Weichert Realtors

almalacy@gmail.com

John Cope

Weichert Realtors

Jcope.pp@gmail.com

Richard Coffin

Weichert Realtors

Richard.coffin@charter.net

Blake Cleveland

Weichert Realtors

blakecleveland@gmail.com

Jenny Clary

Weichert Realtors

Jennyclary@hotmail.com

Jeff Clary

Weichert Realtors

claryje@gmail.com

Sherry Adcock

Weichert Realtors

sherry@sherryadcock.com

Matthew Wallace

Wallace & Moody Realty

Matthew.wallace9@gmail.com

James Moody

Wallace & Moody Realty

Jmoody310@yahoo.com

Joey Crampton

Harris Realty

Jlchomes4sales@yahoo.com

Ken Riley

Riley Real Estate

kennyriley@bellsouth.net

Anna Parham

Overton Real Estate

annaparham@aol.com

Wade Lloyd

First Realty

jwlrealtor@charter.net

Missy Harris

Overton Real Estate

missy@overtonrealestate.com

Forrest Hamrick

Overton Real Estate

forrest@overtonrealestate.com

Yvonne Eason

Overton Real Estate

Yourrealtors1@yahoo.com

Aaron Stephens

Northcutt Realty

aaron@northcuttrealty.com

Trey Rankin

Northcutt Realty

trey@northcuttrealty.com

Chris Northcutt

Northcutt Realty

chris@northcuttrealty.com

Neil Wilder

Magnolia Realty

neilwilder@gmail.com

Rob Slocumb

Magnolia Realty

robslocumb@gmail.com

Linda Lee

Magnolia Realty

lindawhitelee@yahoo.com

Bobbie Huey

Magnolia Realty

bobbiehuey@ymail.com

Ellen Faurot

Magnolia Realty

efaurot@charter.net

Benjamin Boyd

Magnolia Realty

Benjamin.boyd29@gmail.com

Kevin Self

Coldwell Banker

Kevin.self@coldwellbanker.com

Nelly Romero

Coldwell Banker

Nelly.romero@coldwellbanker.com

Jack Ramey

Coldwell Banker

Jack.ramey@coldwellbanker.com

Catherine Ramey

Coldwell Banker

Cathy.ramey@coldwellbanker.com

Jeannie McFarland

Coldwell Banker

Jeannie.mcfarland@coldwellbanker.com

Joseph Liddy

Coldwell Banker

Joe.liddy@coldwellbanker.com

Corrie Kent

Coldwell Banker

Corrie.kent@coldwellbanker.com

Penny Johnson

Coldwell Banker

Penny.johnson2@coldwellbanker.com

Lee Harris

Coldwell Banker

Lee.harris@coldwellbanker.com

Latarsha Hare

Coldwell Banker

Latarsha.hare@coldwellbanker.com

Diane Chavis

Coldwell Banker

Dianechavis128@gmail.com

Haskel Patterson

Blake Realty

handlappraisal@charter.net

Nim Lipscomb

Blake Realty

Nlipscomb3@charter.net

Michael Hybart

Blake Realty

mhybart@realtyagent.com

Celeste Reid

Auburn Realty

celeste@auburnrealty.com

Sharon Colley

Auburn Realty

Sharon@auburnrealty.com

Michelle Batchelor

Auburn Realty

michelle@auburnrealty.com

Chuck Stewart

Area Realty

Chuckstewart1957@gmail.com

Teresa Mussel White

Area Realty

terasakm@ymail.com

Rex Howell

Area Realty

rexahowell@gmail.com

Ronnie Giles

Area Realty

rnngil@aol.com

William Davenport Jr.

Area Realty

Wdpde2sh@aol.com

Corey Welch

Access Realty

coreydwelch@yahoo.com

Zandra Davis

Access Realty

daviszr@bellsouth.net

Robert Sinclair

100% Real Estate Inc.

robertsinclair@100reo.com

Iris Hendrix

Area Realty

irishhendrix@mindspring.com

Norman Schlemmer

Alfa Realty

normanschlemmer@alfarealty.com

Tia Glenn

Alfa Realty

tiaglenn@msn.com

Sabrina Wright

Alfa Realty

Tswright67@bellsouth.net

Appendix B NeighborhoodTour.com Survey - Track #1 (for those who have used NeighborhoodTour.com before) Introduction Thank you for participating in this study, which is being conducted by a group of PRCM 4090 students at Auburn University. This study is being conducted on behalf of NeighborhoodTour.com to determine how Lee County Realtors market homes. It will take less than five minutes of your time to complete. All responses are completely confidential. Questions and concerns can be emailed to Rachel Burns at reb0013@auburn.edu. Screener questions (#1) Are you currently a member of the National Association of Realtors? (If no, the survey is complete) ● Yes ● No (#2) Do you currently practice real estate in Lee County, Ala.? (If no, the survey is complete) ● Yes ● No Questions on both tracks (#3) What are your biggest challenges in selling homes? Select all that apply. ● Too much competition in real estate business from other Realtors ● Too much competition in real estate business from websites (example Trulia, Realtor.com, Zillow) ● Reaching target clients ● The cost of advertising homes ● The time it takes to advertise homes ● Other time constraints (such as not having enough time to show homes, etc) ● Other (fill in the blank) (#4) How do you advertise your real estate business? Select all that apply. ● Print advertisements (newspapers and magazines) ● Online advertisements

● ● ● ● ● ●

Website Social media accounts (if no, skip to question #6) Social media advertisements Posters/fliers Billboards Other (fill in the blank)

(#5) What social media sites do you use to advertise your real estate business? Select all that apply. ● Facebook ● Twitter ● YouTube ● Instagram ● Pinterest ● Other (fill in the blank) (#6) How much do you spend on real estate advertising per year? ● under $2,500 ● $2,500-$4,999 ● $5,000-$7,499 ● $7,500-$9,999 ● more than $10,000 (#7) Have you heard of NeighborhoodTour.com? ● Yes ● No (skip to question 8 on track #2) (#8) How did you hear about NeighborhoodTour.com? Select all that apply. ● word of mouth ● social media sites (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc) ● websites (not including social media sites) ● social media advertisements ● online advertisements (not including social media advertisements) ● NeighborhoodTour.com website (#9) Do you use NeighborhoodTour.com? ● Yes (go to track #1) ● No (go to track #2)

Questions on this track only (#10) What made you decide to use NeighborhoodTour.com’s service? Select all that apply. ● Low cost ● Saves time ● High-quality services ● Reaches target audience ● Convenience factor ● Other (fill in the blank) (#11) What could NeighborhoodTour.com do to better its service? (short answer)

(#12) On a scale of 1 (very unsatisfied) to 5 (very satisfied), how satisfied are you with the timeliness of NeighborhoodTour.com in editing and publishing videos of your listings? ● 1 (very unsatisfied) ● 2 (somewhat unsatisfied) ● 3 (neutral) ● 4 (somewhat satisfied) ● 5 (very satisfied) (#13) On a scale of 1 (very unsatisfied) to 5 (very satisfied), how satisfied are you with NeighborhoodTour.com’s services overall? ● 1 (very unsatisfied) ● 2 (somewhat unsatisfied) ● 3 (neutral) ● 4 (somewhat satisfied) ● 5 (very satisfied) (#14) Based on your experience, would you recommend NeighborhoodTour.com’s service to other Realtors? ● Yes (skip to question #16) ● No (#15) Why would you not recommend NeighborhoodTour.com to other Realtors? (short answer)

Demographic Questions (on both tracks) (#16) What is your age? ● 17 and under ● 18-24 ● 25-30 ● 31-40 ● 41 and above ● Would prefer not to respond (#17) What is your sex? ● Male ● Female ● Would prefer not to respond (#18) What is your annual income from your real estate business? ● $25,000 and under ● $25,000-$49,999 ● $50,000-$74,999 ● $75,000-$99,999 ● $100,000 and above ● Would prefer not to respond Closing Thank you for your input. We appreciate your time. Please visit NeighborhoodTour.com for more information about our services.

NeighborhoodTour.com survey - track #2 (for those who have not used NeighborhoodTour.com before) Introduction Thank you for participating in this study, which is being conducted by a group of PRCM 4090 students at Auburn University. This study is being conducted on behalf of NeighborhoodTour.com to determine how Lee County Realtors market homes. It will take less than five minutes of your time to complete. All responses are completely confidential. Questions and concerns can be emailed to Rachel Burns at reb0013@auburn.edu. Screener questions (#1) Are you currently a member of the National Association of Realtors? (If no, the survey is complete) ● Yes ● No (#2) Do you currently practice real estate in Lee County, Ala.? (If no, the survey is complete) ● Yes ● No Questions on both tracks (#3) What are your biggest challenges in selling homes? Select all that apply. ● Too much competition in real estate business from other Realtors ● Too much competition in real estate business from websites (example Trulia, Realtor.com, Zillow) ● Reaching target clients ● The cost of advertising homes ● The time it takes to advertise homes ● Other time constraints (such as not having enough time to show homes, etc) ● Other (fill in the blank) (#4) How do you advertise your real estate business? Select all that apply. ● Print advertisements (newspapers and magazines) ● Online advertisements ● Website ● Social media accounts (if no, skip to question #6)

● ● ● ●

Social media advertisements Posters/fliers Billboards Other (fill in the blank)

(#5) What social media sites do you use to advertise your real estate business? Select all that apply. ● Facebook ● Twitter ● YouTube ● Instagram ● Pinterest ● Other (fill in the blank) (#6) How much do you spend on real estate advertising per year? ● under $2,500 ● $2,500-$4,999 ● $5,000-$7,499 ● $7,500-$9,999 ● more than $10,000 (#7) Have you heard of NeighborhoodTour.com? ● Yes ● No (skip to question #10 on track #2) (#8) How did you hear about NeighborhoodTour.com? Select all that apply. ● word of mouth ● social media sites (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, etc) ● websites (not including social media sites) ● social media advertisements ● online advertisements (not including social media advertisements) ● NeighborhoodTour.com website (#9) Do you use NeighborhoodTour.com? ● Yes (go to track #1) ● No (go to track #2)

Questions on this track only (#10) Do you photograph or video your house listings? ● Yes ● No (skip to question #12) (#11) How long does it take you to photograph or video each house? ● 0-30 minutes ● 30 minutes-1 hour ● 1-2 hours ● More than 2 hours (#12) How much time does it take you to create each house listing? ● 0-30 minutes ● 30 minutes-1 hour ● 1-2 hours ● More than 2 hours (#13) What are your biggest issues with creating and advertising home listings? Select all that apply. ● Costs too much money ● Takes too much time to create ads ● Takes too much time to create listings ● Takes too much time to visit homes and photograph or video ● Difficult to target your primary audience ● Finding home listing information ● Other (fill in the blank)

Demographic Questions (on both tracks) (#14) What is your age? ● 17 and under ● 18-24 ● 25-30 ● 31-40 ● 41 and above ● Would prefer not to respond

(#15) What is your sex? ● Male ● Female ● Would prefer not to respond (#16) What is your annual income from your real estate business? ● $25,000 and under ● $25,000-$49,999 ● $50,000-$74,999 ● $75,000-$99,999 ● $100,000 and above ● Would prefer not to respond Closing Thank you for your input. We appreciate your time. Please visit NeighborhoodTour.com for more information about our services.

Appendix C Initial Report Last Modified: 03/08/2015 1. Are you currently a member of the National Association of Realtors? #

Answer

Response

Yes

96%

Total

100%

Statistic

Value

Min Value

Max Value

Mean

1.04

Variance

0.04

Standard Deviation

0.21

Total Responses

2. Do you currently practice real estate in Lee County, Ala.? #

Answer

Response

Yes

95%

Total

100%

Statistic

Value

Min Value

Max Value

Mean

1.05

Variance

0.04

Standard Deviation

0.21

Total Responses

3. What are your biggest challenges in selling homes? Select all that apply. #

Answer

Response

Too much competition in real estate business from other Realtors

26%

Too much competition in real estate business from websites (example Trulia, Realtor.com, Zillow)

13%

Reaching target clients

50%

The cost of advertising homes

16%

The time it takes to advertise homes

Other time constraints (such as not having enough time to show homes, etc)

11%

Other

18%

Other Buyers not being qualified to buy. Just began in Lee County. Belong also to MAAR Most sellers are underwater in their loans. Lack of knowledge in other realtors Realistic planning Inventory Sellers waiting on the price. of their home to get better and buyers thinking it is a buyers market. Statistic

Value

Min Value

Max Value

Total Responses

4. How do you advertise your real estate business? Select all that apply. #

Answer

Response

Print advertisements (newspapers and magazines)

61%

Online

61%

Advertisements 3

Website

79%

Posters/ Fliers

45%

Billboards

Other

11%

Other mailings Mailouts every other month to 100 Referrals from past clients Statistic

Value

Min Value

Max Value

Total Responses

5. Do you use social media accounts for your business? #

Answer

Response

Yes

68%

32%

Total Statistic

Value

Min Value

Max Value

Mean

1.32

Variance

0.22

Standard Deviation

0.47

Total Responses

100%

6. Do you buy ads through social media outlets for promotion? #

Answer

Response

Yes

20%

80%

Total

100%

Statistic

Value

Min Value

Max Value

Mean

1.80

Variance

0.17

Standard Deviation

0.41

Total Responses

7. What social media sites do you use to advertise your real estate business? Select all that apply.

Answer

Response

Facebook

92%

Twitter

40%

YouTube

36%

Instagram

20%

Other