Using the Web and social media to sell real estate

Today I have begun my running routine under the training one of the best running coaches in Italy. I have been running with my kids and it has been a double pleasure. We skirted around a gold course that is near my house in Florida and we also watched some of the players: really a great time.

My coach is coaching me from a distance, via e-mail, and the sole fact that I have a routine to follow for actually keeping myself healthy is a wonderful thing. I have purchased the right shoes. I didn’t realize there are different types of running shoes for any type of foot. I have gone to a local sport apparel shop and I have found a very competent young man who got me walking and swinging and standing still, and who by the sole observation of my gait was able to determine what was needed for me.

This is the kind of professional service one expects from any type of business. The competence must be so high that by only looking or listening to your costumer you should be able to know right then what is good for her. And as a matter of fact the shop where I went to buy my running shoes is always busy, despite it being relatively small, kind of hidden inside a secondary mall.
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“Somebody else can do it for less” is the statement that can kill any business if not properly addressed and anticipated. When the confrontation gets down to price only, then you know you are definitely on the wrong track. You must be realistic with what you charge, but at the same time this type of comment clearly indicates that you haven’t defined your true value in the mind of your customer. She doesn’t know what she is really getting from you. You haven’t assigned a proper value to yourself, your knowledge and your work ethics.
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It is the clear signal that you need to do immediately something otherwise other people will give you the value they think you have without actually knowing what you can do. You will get into more and more explanations and you will eventually lose money by providing services or products maybe priced lower than you can afford.
I know this because it has happened to me a few times and in the last ten days I had to prevent it twice, that is why I am bringing it up to you. My business model is based on something unique: I have created a safe conduit, a bridge, for European investors that want to come to the US and invest in real estate or in any other future business that would make sense.
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This is the key message that I got out of the presentation that I listened to live from Gary Vaynerchuk three days ago. It has resonated with me since. Many people say it, but when you find somebody actually living this statement, then you get the confirmation that it is not only possible but it can also bring you to success in the economy of today.

There are a lot of implications connected to this statement. First of all, being yourself you will not be able to satisfy everybody. Some people won’t like you and some people will love you, and that is the way it is always going to be. By the time you try to please everybody you will eventually displease all, including yourself.

I get almost every day comments on my Twitter accounts from people who don’t like what I do and what I say, but also I get many more that simply love it. So I know I am on the right track. I have enough difference in me to elicit the complaints of some and the praises of others.

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It is amazing how many things have changed and grown in the last six months. I have completed the startup of my real estate company that offers a conduit investment opportunities for people in Europe who want to deal in North American properties and my friend Chris Krimitsos has completed the startup of the Dream Factory, the operation, production and creation center of the Wealth Building Annex in Tampa, probably the most advanced mastermind organization in the US that Chris has founded himself.

Daniele Bogiatto, Chris Krimitsos and Miranda Sorgente at the Dream Factory of the Wealth Building Annex.

So it was natural for us to bring the two things together and yesterday we organized a meeting with Chris at the Dream Factory with two key figures in corporate coaching and training in Europe: my partner Daniele Bogiatto and Miranda Sorgente. Just the day before the TWBA staff had been fully absorbed in the delivery of a spectacular event to the members of the mastermind: a presentation by Gary Vaynechuck on the future of the web and  social media.

So the atmosphere was relaxed but still full of the energy generated by the event. So the meeting flowed very well and it lasted much longer then expected. I believe we have set the stage for my company to become the conduit also for American speakers and trainers wanting to expand their action to the European market.

The right relationships are already there and I enjoy the idea of bringing over some highly powerful personality like Gary.

We are still at the early stages, but all the ingredients are already present, so we just need to move now. My original idea to spend most of my effort and time into establishing few strong relationships is paying back big time because now they start to work for me and in line with the natural evolution of the business I have created from scratch. Once again it is not important what you know, but rather who knows you.

Roberto Mazzoni

I have been working on real estate in the US now for over a year and I have developed a network of investors in Europe together with my business associate Daniele Bogiatto. They have been financing my project and following all my steps that I documented every day in the last six months, after the network became operational.

The visiting team from Italy (Vittorio, Miranda and Alessandro) with my business associate Daniele (to the far right) ready to tackle our first lunch together in Florida.

Two days ago, for the first time, a representative team from the investor network landed in Florida and today we had our first informal meeting and a tour of the most recent projects. The connection that so far has been carried through the Web and the legal papers backing up the fundings now has become a real one and these investors were able to touch the very properties they have been contributing to and this will bring about a major leap in the development of the network itself.

Time to open a personal bank account!

There were many special moments, from the initial lunch in the same restaurant where me and Daniele had our first “board meeting” in June of this year to the opening of individual bank accounts in the USA, to the actual tour of the properties.

The two proud and happy owners of the house we have rehabbed and just sold.

But the most remarkable moment for me has been when we arrived to one of the properties that has just been sold and the new owners where moving in right that minute. It was a very intense emotional moment since they showed an enthusiastic gratitude for the quality of the house they had just bough and how it felt “perfect” for them.

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