Brand Recognition, "Honey, I'm home," and other musings from the road...

...after slouching in the front door yesterday afternoon, raking through the email and finding the laundry room, I passed out on the sofa. This is what I dreamed of:

...of course, nothing is scarier to a real estate-consulting-marketing-guy like me than a room not full of Realtors.

But that wasn't the case Thursday as we stopped in the Wisconsin Dells at the Kalahari Resort, waterpark and convention center. (Us and the 45+ RE/MAX Realtors were the only people wearing long pants at this venue, I think.)

The folks in this central-northwestern part of the state have some awesome lakefront and vacation properties to sell, and RE/MAX is all over it to help them find the right buyer.

In fact, the RE/MAX name is so recognized, as I was standing in the hallway checking voice mails, a gentleman stopped by the table full of RE/MAX literature and started talking to me about the 300+ acres he had in the area and further north and he wanted to sell some land, develop some land, etc.-and was I a RE/MAX agent and could I help him?

(This is one of several times in my life I wished I were a Realtor.)

I told him while I was not working for RE/MAX (well, I guess right then I may have been),

I knew where I could find a RE/MAX agent or two.

I ducked into the conference room and tapped Peter on the shoulder:

(Peter is pretty high up in the RE/MAX ranks-as his uniform shows.) I told him there was someone in the hall asking for a RE/MAX agent. He nodded his head and, and stealthed his way to where Ann Baker of RE/MAX FIRST was in the room:

(Here we see Ann talking to Tia Peterson with RE/MAX Preferred in Madison.)

Needless to say Ann and the rest of the that RE/MAX agency will be working with that man on al of his real estate needs.

This little story points out: MARKETING and BRANDING equals ACHIEVEMENT. ...'nuff said.

The morning flew by and wrapped up pretty quick , but not without:

...Mary LaPanta helping out folks with a few points on LeadStreet.

Thank you, Mary!

Other Musings:

-Why was there a blizzrd in April?

-I really don't like ketchup in those little packets...

How does Mark Bartikoski find the BEST coffee wherever he goes?

-Can anyone explain why a pizza, a cheeseburger and two eggs for breakfast are each always $10.00 at any hotel?

-Are we doing this again next year? -

(By the way...the RE/MAX crew is getting ready for the Minnesota shows as we read this-safe travels, good sales and tall tales, gang!)

If we are, count me in - if you can stand to be around me for that long.

Steve

steven.stearns@obeo.com