full-service, while clearly outlining
the numerous and complicated actions full-service Realtors
provide to navigate a transaction to closing.
However, full-service Realtors say the Critical Role
list is ammunition that helps them negotiate higher
commissions. RE/MAX Realtor Irene Stoffer writes, "This
document was created by the Orlando Regional Realtor
Organization to help the full service real estate agent
educate their potential seller clients as to the many
tasks that an agent does in a real estate transaction.
I had a little input when this document was created
and I use this document in my listing presentations."
Stoffer says it is up the agent to educate the consumers.
"This document helps," she says.
The list is useful to help full-service agents bat
away attempts by sellers to reduce commissions. But
is that an unfair use of an association's power?
Explains Kevin Fritz, spokesperson for ORRA, "All
business models are welcome. We are not for or against
any business model. These are simply the steps that
a full service broker will offer you."
The Critical Role list is on ORRA's public consumer
website, called Don't It Yourself, where the site uses
videos, slapstick, and old-fashioned ads to make the
point that some things should be left to professionals.
"The list wont' fit every state," says Fritz,
and we only have single agency -- we're a transaction
broker state, so some things wont' fit nationally."
Don't-It-Yourself.com and the Critical Role list are
part of ORRA's new consumer advertising campaign, promoting
the use of a Realtor. "It's an integrated marketing
campaign to get people to use Realtors, and understand
what they do and why they should use them, and why they
should pay them."
The campaign extends to print, billboard, radio, promotional
tie-ins, the website, don't-it-yourself.com, and the
180-plus steps in the transaction that illustrate the
critical role of the Realtor. "It's very interactive
and entertaining, it helps people udnerstand the roles
of Realtor and entertains them at the same time, it's
not just a message campaign. It tells you in tongue-in-cheek
and off-the-wall ways that there are some things you
should leave to a professional. We have cremation, lasik
surgery, we've created a print campaign that emulates
how-to books. These are things you shouldn't do at home.
We're using entertainment to show it's better to call
a professional."
ORRA doesn't put listings on it's consumer website,
figuring that's something members would prefer to do
themselves using the association's IDX solution or the
local paper or Realtor.com. "We've been doing a
consumer campaign a little differently than NAR's,"
says Fritz. "We wanted a different message -- NAR's
is a message campaign, we wanted more entertainment,
edginess and to have a Web presence."
While it's hardly Jib-Jab in nature, the campaign is
designed to generate a viral effect.
At the National Association of Realtors Mid-year conference
in Washington, D.C., ORRA presented the Don't-It-Yourself
campaign to other national communications directors
who were shown how to create their own integrated campaign.
"We have done all the legwork here," says
Fritz. "On this website, Orlando doesn't stick
out until you get to the meat of the site. We can offer
this to associations that would like to have their own
campaign."
The Critical Role list, however, is copyrighted. "We
encourage people to use this list as a PDF, but to contact
us for permission to put it on their sites. Just ask
first.
(Editor's note: For more information, visit dont-it-yourself.com.
To ask permission to use the Critical Role list, contact
Kevin Fritz at .) |
