Luxury Real Estate Marketing – Know Your Luxury Brands – Get the Competitive Edge

April 27th, 2013

As a luxury real estate marketing professionals you can benefit greatly by knowing your luxury brands. Continuously sharpening your focus on luxury industries beyond real estate gives you a broader perspective on the mindset of the buyers and sellers that you represent in your practice.

Knowing your luxury brands also gives you a tremendous competitive edge. For example, out-shine your competition by following the latest in high fashion so you can better connect with those clients who are fashion conscious. You can get tremendous insight into the luxury mindset in general by doing so. Christian Louboutin, a shoe designer in Paris has a wonderful take on what luxury means:

“Luxury is the possibility to stay close to your customers, and do things that you know they will love. It’s about subtlety and details. It’s about service. I cannot accept a place where people are badly received. I can’t imagine spending several thousand dollars on something and the salesclerk gets annoyed because you took fifteen minutes to look. Luxury is not consumerism. It is educating the eyes to see that special quality.”

Another luxury arena worthy of your focus as a luxury real estate marketing professional is high-end kitchen designers. You may be in the position to advise your clients to remodel or upgrade their kitchen in order to get the maximum value for their home, prior to putting it on the market

Here is the latest in kitchen design that is created expressly for men. Are you representing a buyer, seller or developer for an ultra luxurious bachelor pad? Porsche designers teamed up with Poggenpohl, the avant garde German luxury kitchen designer, to create a kitchen called the P7340. In this $75,000 macho kitchen they have thought of everything. Special features include:

o Cabinets that open with a light push. An electronic sensor activates a motorized system that pulls the doors shut.
o Essential appliances: convection, microwave, steam ovens, glass-top stove, automatic coffee and espresso machines
o State of the art TV, LCD-based multimedia center with a video display that can be integrated into the back splash area.

Since all this engineering is on the cutting edge, Poggenpohl will send out an engineer to make sure every aspect of the kitchen is installed perfectly. Now, that is a luxury brand worth knowing about!

The Effects of Baby Boomers on the Real Estate Market

April 24th, 2013

The real estate market today is working on a huge transition as baby boomers start to look for houses that they can buy. There are experts who are saying that baby boomers will improve the status of the market and will surely help in improving the flagging housing market. Boomers are those who were born by the end of the World War II. They are said to be the most capable people to buy real estate properties, and this time is the best time for them to get a property. But what are the effects of baby boomers in this industry, and what are the things that we can expect from it? Read on to learn more about how these people can rock the real estate industry and force it to either go up or down.

We all know that the law of supply and demand is very much applicable in the industry. The more houses there are for sale, the lower the prices will be. So if baby boomers are to buy their properties today – since they are more capable of it – we can expect that the prices of properties will start to increase and will bring life back to the industry. The only thing that we need to do is to help baby boomers to realize that they are really capable of buying real estate properties, and that they can get a lot of advantages from getting their own real estate properties.

However, the problem lies after the baby boomers got their properties. The next generations – called Generation X – are those who will have problems in getting their properties. Since it is getting harder and harder for someone to get a property, these people will experience a lot of problems in getting their properties. In most cases, they are the ones who will have problems in getting their investments, and even if they got a chance to buy a real estate, it will still be more expensive, due to the increase of prices brought by the baby boomers. However, there are still a lot of things that could happen, which can trigger another transition in this industry or another turn in how real estate works.

Regardless of what is and will happen in the real estate market, the best thing that you can do is to get a professional who can provide you with tips and advices on how you can get better returns for your investment. Since they are aware of what’s happening in the market, you can expect that they will provide you with all the information that you need to know. This will ensure that you will be able to make the right decision and that you will never go wrong when investing your money in the industry. This is the reason why you always need to have a real estate agent who can help you find the best property that suits your needs and the budget that you currently have.

Majorca – More Than Just a Party Island

April 16th, 2013

So you’ve decided to book one of the many luxury villas in Majorca but you’re unsure about the touristy nature of the island? Well the great news is although Majorca has a reputation as an 18-30 party island it’s also got another older and more traditional side. If you head away from the tourist heavy south of the island and explore a little you can discover the real Majorca, hilltop villages, olive groves, hidden beaches and a rich culture.

Escaping to the north of the island will give you access to many fantastic towns, one of these is Puerto Pollensa. It’s a real escape from the rush of the south, with its marina full of luxury yachts and brightly painted fishing boats there’s a real sense of glamour to the town. Puerto Pollensa has been a tourist destination since the 1920′s and because of this the town has maintained much of Majorca’s traditional architecture, you won’t find many towering concrete hotels here just the more traditional Family villas. Scenery wise the town is nestled at the bottom of the pine grove covered mountain range that runs along the north of the island and is only a short walk from several fantastic beaches. There are several fantastic short walks that head up into the mountains over the town too, which afford you some breathtaking views back over the bay.

If you want a little more history than a 1920′s tourist town then just along the coast from Puerto Pollensa is the beautiful Alcudia. The old town of Alcudia is set a couple of miles inland and is well worth a visit for anyone interested in the history of the island. Alcudia has buildings dating back as far as the 1300′s but the history of the town goes back even further. The town was originally a Roman settlement, named as the capital of the island in the 2nd century.

If the small tourist population in these towns still isn’t escape enough then the north also has a number of fantastic beaches that are even further off the beaten track. One of these, Es Trenc, could be considered to be one of the most unspoilt beaches on the island and makes for a fantastic escape.

So if you’re unsure of Majorca, try and escape the preconceptions of a party island. Majorca has so much more to offer than the southern tourist resorts and makes for a fantastic holiday destination for all.

The Taos, NM Real Estate Market – Unique As a Resort Community

April 13th, 2013

Taos real estate, homes and land, has enjoyed steady appreciation over the last 15 years, without the ups and downs of many markets nationally. As a ski resort community, Taos draws winter visitors who return every year for the fine skiing. Many decide to purchase Taos real estate in the form of a condominium or single family home. There is also a lively land sale market, with construction of new homes always busy.

Whether a home, vacant land or a condominium, there are some special characteristics of the Taos real estate market of which buyers should be aware. Issues of access, road easements, septic systems, and stringent subdivision regulations all play a part in buying Taos real estate. Even more so than in more urban markets, buying Taos real estate will go a lot better if you look for help from a professional Taos real estate broker. And all brokers are not created equal.

As a Taos real estate broker for the past eight years, and a Texas real estate broker prior, I have been in the business for quite a while. But time in business should not be an important selection criteria when looking for a Taos real estate broker. Experience in Taos in particular is important, but it’s more a dedication to gaining the expertise and knowledge in subjects such as water rights, septic system regulations, easements and title issues. They are complex and important issues, and a buyer doesn’t want surprises after they’ve purchased their dream home or land parcel.

The permits required and the process for drilling wells for residential water have also become more stringent for Taos real estate. While other brokers are taking classes on building their client base, I’m busy learning more about all these issues. In fact, my other career is as a freelance writer. One assignment was to write an article for a major online magazine about New Mexico water rights.

I am the only Taos real estate broker currently carrying the Quality Service Certified designation, and the only Taos real estate broker with the ACRE, Accredited Consultant in Real Estate designation. I offer real estate services a-la-carte and on a fee for service basis, as well as the traditional commission at closing business model. I am also the Real Estate Business Guide writer for the New York Times website at About.com, and blog extensively on Taos real estate topics at Gallery Realty of Taos.

The Greek Island of Kefalonia

April 8th, 2013

Kefalonia is the largest island of the Ionians and is regarded as one of the most beautiful. This scenic Greek island has an impressive rugged landscape with lush green valleys, beautiful beaches, bays and inlets. The island is popular with families and couples looking for the ideal destination for their package holidays to the Greek islands. The deserted beaches, mountains, sweet smelling pine-clad forests and quaint fishing villages add to the islands charm. The book Captain Corelli’s Mandolin was set on Kefalonia. Kefalonia plays host to many festivals, religious and cultural events during the year including the Feasts of the Virgin Mary and Agios Gerassimos, the Robola Wine Festival and many musical and theatrical events.

A holiday on Kefalonia can be as restful or as energetic as you wish. You can laze on the long sandy beaches or spend your days exploring the islands traditional villages, archaeological ruins, Venetian castles, orthodox churches and visiting Kefalonia’s atmospheric capital.

Surrounded by vertical rock cliffs, Myrtos is the island’s most popular beach with glorious golden sands and crystal clear blue waters. Surrounded by crystal clear blue water, Kefalonia offers excellent scuba diving facilities for both beginners and experienced divers. The island also offers snorkelling and great sailing opportunities around Kefalonia and the other Ionian Islands. Wakeboarding, parasailing, water-skiing, jet-skiing, banana boats and ringos are among the activities offered at the larger resorts on the island.

Walkers and hikers are attracted to Kefalonia for its amazing scenery. Wander around the island following the ancient footpaths found criss-crossing the landscape which will give you an insight into the history of Kefalonia. Cycling is also very popular on the island with many quiet roads, back roads and tracks for you to follow. Enjoy a scenic ride through the beautiful unspoilt countryside or speed through the forest-clad mountainous terrain. Stop off on your ride for some relaxation and a refreshing swim at the deserted beaches along the way. Another way to discover the wonders of this beautiful island is on horseback. There are many trails that will lead riders through the olive groves, hills and countryside to the beautiful beaches where both horse and rider can enjoy a relaxing ride. A great way to explore the coastline is by sea-kayak. Discover remote beaches and amazing caves and rock formations as you glide through the crystal-clear blue waters of the Kefalonia coastline.

Not to be missed is a visit to Kefalonia’s National Park for the protection of the islands flora and fauna. Other places to visit on your cheap holidays to Kefalonia include the harbour town of Sami where the film Captain Corelli’s Mandolin was filmed, picturesque Fiskado, the caves at Melissani and Drogorati and the island of Ithaca.

With a typically Mediterranean climate, Kefalonia enjoys long hot sunny summers and mild wet winters. Summers are virtually rain free with up to 12 hours of sunshine a day and temperatures often reaching 30C. Winters see plenty of rain with temperatures reaching lows of 9C.

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