in this issue…
Putting a Face on Real Estate since 1995™
• WCAoR Installation Gala • CRS Austin Installation Luncheon • AMBA Installation & Holiday Party • Platinum Top 50 REALTORS Awards Ceremony • and much, much more!
Associates in Progress
Cover Your Assets
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JANUARY 2013 • VOLUME 17 • ISSUE 9
Attracting and working with relocation buyers By Stacy Hale
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Visit us online 24/7 at www.myRealtyLine.com
P. O. Box 81366, Austin, Texas 78708
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austin
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Putting a Face on Real Estate since 1995
rate relocation company. It isn’t as simple as paid advertising (although advertising in city guides and chambers does yield some success), but in this age of information, neither is any sound marketing strategy. Keep in mind: a relationship with the relocating homebuyer has a longer ramp-up time than other sales cycles. Offering valuable and helpful information at every stage of this stressed buyer’s search is a good idea, and a multi-channel approach is best. According to NAR, 88 percent of buyers start their search online. This has got to be especially true for relocation buyers, who don’t always have the luxury of frequent travel and driving the
ABoR names Paul E. Hilgers as president
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ustin is a top destination for migrating corporate talent. In fact, the tax environment, culture, and low cost of living are so favorable that according to the Census Bureau, Austin ranked first among the 50 largest U.S. metropolitan cities based on net migration as a percentage of population in 2011. According to Forbes, 116 of the 1,000 largest public and private companies in the U.S. are based in Texas, including Dell, ExxonMobil and AT&T. You can see a list of these top companies and the corporate jobs they’ve created at AustinCham-
ber.com, under the “economic development” tab, where you’ll find lots of other stats—such as the percent change in population over the last few decades. And although Austin is a definite corporate and technology hub, the surrounding suburbs are seeing massive growth. From 2000-2010, for example, Williamson County’s population grew 69.1 percent, compared to Travis County’s 26.1 percent. Obviously, you’ll want to meet these enterprising new residents-to-be, and they’ll need places to live. Attracting relocation buyers takes some marketing strategy, if you’re not one of the few relocation specialists working with a corpo-
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he Austin Board of REALTORS has selected Paul E. Hilgers to become president of the nearly 8,700-member professional organization that serves 18 Central Texas counties. The appointment came Jan. 4 in a unanimous vote during a special called meeting of the group’s board of directors. Hilgers previously served nearly 10 years managing federal and local housing and community development programs in Austin, including expansion of the Austin Housing Finance Corporation, which issues housing bonds and tax credits. More recently he served three years as deputy general manager of the reorganized Pedernales Electric Cooperative to help bring major changes to that organization. “Paul Hilgers brings leadership and relationship qualities along with an energy and vision that we know will assist the Austin Board of REALTORS in building its own future as well
as playing an important role in the future of the community,” says board chairman Cathy Coneway. Hilgers called his new post “the job of my dreams” and thanked the board for its choice and the organization’s staff for its solid work during an interim period when a national search was conducted for a new leader. An Austin native, Hilgers is a graduate of Whittier College and holds a masters degree from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at Austin. In addition to the City of Austin and the PEC, he has worked for former Governor Mark White, as a long-time district director for former Congressman Jake Pickle, and as a federal and community relations manager for the Lower Colorado River Authority. Hilgers will assume his new office on Friday, Feb. 1, 2013. RL
neighborhoods. So your online presence should be strong. You won’t get the rankings on Google or social sites that large national brands will garner, but it’s arguable that you won’t have to. You’re working with buyers moving into one of the most desirable areas in the nation, and you’ve got the data they need and the knowledge and tools to put them at ease. If you already have a content marketing strategy in place, with a blog, videos, e-mail marketing and social media ready to share “insider” information on neighborhoods and fun and interesting ways to thrive in Austin, you’re on
Front Page: Continued on page 14
Upcoming Events Wednesday, January 23 ABoR Water Forum 2013 Capitol Extension Auditorium - 2 to 4 p.m. Thursday, January 24 NAHREP Honors 2012 Industry Award Winners Cool River Cafe - 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, January 30 CCIM Central Texas Symposium Renaissance Hotel - 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Wednesday, January 30 CCIM Central Texas Symposium Renaissance Austin Hotel 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Wednesday, February 6 ABoR Matrix Forum ABoR Office - 2 to 4 p.m. Thursday, February 7 WCAoR Super Bowl of Builders WCAoR Office - Time TBD as of press time. More at www.myRealtyLine.com