Do You Have the Referrals to Move Up to Luxury Home Sales?
If you want to do real estate right, then you need to consider every client a "high-touch" client. Of course, that's easier read on a blog than done, isn't it? Well, if your goal is to work in the luxury home market, treating every client that way isn't a choice—it's an expectation. The leap from selling traditional homes to luxury properties isn't one many agents land on the first try. The big homes are often few and far between, and the people that own them tend to know each other. That means you need to become comfortable with referral marketing, know where to network, and understand an entirely new set of expectations. And all that means taking a new approach to your business.

5 Tips for Getting Started in Luxury Homes
At 19, Jim Remley listed over 150 properties in a 12-month period and was listed in the top 1 percent of REALTORS® nationwide. Today, he is author of three books, the Principal Broker/Sales Manager at his agency, and an accredited Luxury Home Specialist. In a recent webinar, "Marketing Luxury Homes," Remley shared five tips for finding luxury buyers and marketing luxury homes. 1. Social Marketing It can be tough to locate qualified buyers in the luxury home market. "The affluent folks live in circles. They all know each other," and as such, "they often go to their friends, their neighbors, people they trust to find what to purchase, where to go, and where to live," says Remley. In fact, 38 percent of luxury home specialists agree that the best way to find an affluent buyer is through social marketing. That's why it's important to use your network, your colleagues, even your competitors to find affluent buyers. 2. Growing Your Network A good way to start or expand your network of luxury buyers and sellers is to buy local databases and mailing lists. The country club, yacht club, and local title companies are a great place to start. Remley mentions that you can often get a basic list from these companies for free, but can get more data points to better target luxury clients with a paid list.

Do Luxury Clients Prefer iPhones?
I'm captivated by this map of iPhone users in New York City. It shows where Android and iOS users are concentrated geographically. And, surprise (or not?), the lines appear to be drawn along economic lines. iPhones users (in red) coat affluent Manhattan, while Android dominates the poorer outer boroughs. The trend stays true in other locales, as well--San Francisco, Los Angeles, and London all map out according to the same income pattern. Does this mean that luxury clients prefer premium-priced iPhones over lower cost Androids? The data seem to suggest that. If you serve the luxury market, consider switching to an iPhone to better reflect the values of your client base. And be sure that your website looks good and functions properly on the platform. Similarly, any apps you offer to clients (like branded search apps, eSign, etc.) need to work flawlessly on iOS.

How to Use LinkedIn to Attract Luxury Clients
We're continuing a holiday tradition of revisiting our best articles of the past year. This post was originally published in February on our Broker channel. The drum of how to use social media in real estate marketing keeps a steady, if repetitive, beat. Facebook has become such a shark tank for self promoting marketers that consumers are beginning to get aggravated. Facebook was never really intended for business, but it is what it is – a place for personal sharing and business sharing. However, on the other side of the fence is LinkedIn – a website that is totally dedicated to business. Sales professionals that do not take advantage of the latest tools for business development will stagnate today. Winning professionals maximize every opportunity to find new customers. LinkedIn is a great spot to connect with other professionals. Here are a few suggestions that you may want to keep in mind: 1. Advanced Search LinkedIn has a great search tool. You can search for people by job title in your area – like all CEOs, Chief Marketing Officers, Vice Presidents, etc. You can also search by Lawyer, Doctor, and more to target those in upper income brackets. You can even search by company to see everyone that works for your area's largest businesses. Tip: LinkedIn often offers free trials of their Premium subscriptions. Consider signing up for the trial to see the profiles of and gain the ability to contact those outside of your immediate network.