British Consul General Talks About Houston Relocation

Through my membership in the British American Business Council (BABC), I always manage to stay well connected within the British business community in Houston.  I was recently introduced to Andrew Millar, who is the British Consul General, shortly after his relocation to Houston.  He was kind enough to agree to let me interview him about his relocation adventures and early impressions of Houston so that I could share it with the readers of my blog. 

You might be wondering to yourself, “What exactly does a British Consul General do?”  This was my first question to Mr. Millar, who explained:  “Within every country we are represented and have an Embassy.  There are 9 Consul Generals in the U.S., as well as the Embassy in Washington. I cover: Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Arkansas.”  He explained that there are 3 key areas to his role:

1. Consular – looking after the interests of British subjects in the states that he covers.

2. Commercial – promoting the UK as an investment destination and British exports to this region.

3.  Political – keeping in close contact with the political and government sectors in the region.

Now that I had a better understanding of he role, I asked Mr.Millar to share his first impressions of Houston with me.  His reaction wasn’t that surprising, as he addressed the size and weather immediately.  He said, “Good heavens, it’s so big!  It’s a huge city physically.  The first thing that hits you is the heat, and the second thing is the sheer physical size of Houston.”  As to the general feel and culture of Houston, he added, “It is open and friendly.  I have yet to experience a city where I have actually felt so welcomed everywhere I have gone.”  I told him that he wasn’t alone in this sentiment, as this is probably the most common impression that people seem to have about Houston.  It is an extremely friendly city, and we enjoy welcoming newcomers to Houston.

But, no relocation is without its challenges.  I asked Mr. Millar to tell me about the challenges faced by him and his family upon their move to Houston.  He said, “When you are uprooting a family, particularly with small children and dislocating them from their friends and networks, you know that this is a huge impact on their lives.  The way that you manage that is to make sure that they are in as welcoming an environment as possible.  Texas is a great place to do that. You also have to remember that the partner moving with you has to keep everything together.  It’s often much easier for the employee, while your partner has to parachute into all the strangeness that has to be dealt with as a family.”  This is a very important point, and often key to the success (or failure) of a family’s relocation.

There are always creature comforts from back home that people miss upon relocating to a new city.  I asked Mr. Millar to tell me what he misses most.  He said, “It would be the map of the London underground.  I am not used to driving everywhere, which you have to do here. London is a very dense and old city but with an amazingly good public transport infrastructure.”  Agreeably, Houston is not as pedestrian friendly, and you really do have to drive here!

I am always curious about the impact that social media has on the ability of people to stay connected with friends and family back home. For Mr. Millar, he said, “The beauty of social media is that it doesn’t matter where in the world you are, you can stay as connected with your group as you need to be.  Skype comes in very useful and helps with the visual stimulus for small children who get easily bored on the telephone.  It makes a difference when you are used to family being close by, and suddenly they aren’t.  You can use these tools to stay connected and in constant contact.”

Finally, I asked Mr. Millar what advice he would offer to other Expats moving to Houston? He said, “Get your banking sorted out before you come, particularly if you need to shift money to buy cars and other large purchases.  There are a lot of things that you need to think about and manage before you come over, so doing the research is really important: where to live; what car to buy; which schools to send your children to.  The Internet is a great way to do this.”

I am always interested in hearing from people who have relocated to Houston.  If you would like to share your relocation story or experiences with me, please contact me.

In Houston Relocation
Socal Media
Texas

Houston-area Homes Sales Rise…Again!

Hot off the press from the HAR (Houston Association of Realtors) Newsroom:  Houston-area home sales rise for a fourth straight month!  As I have been reporting all year, things are going very well in Houston.  The latest MLS statistics for September 2011 state that sales of single-family homes in the Houston area have increased nearly 17 percent as compared to last year this time.  And, this represents the fourth consecutive month of increased sales volume.  Our months of inventory also fell to the lowest level since May 2010.  At the same time, pending sales rose, while active listings declined.  According to the report, “All are considered signs of a healthy and balanced housing market.”

The average price of a single-family home in the Houston area for September 2011 was $213,334, which is the highest level ever for a September in Houston.  The median price was up 1.6 percent to $157,500, which is also a September high for Houston.

The sale of all property types in Houston were up 15.9 percent from last September, and there were 5,469 total property sales.  As for the total dollar volume in September, that figure was also up 16 percent at $1.1 billion.  Click here to read the September MLS Press Release

Being extremely knowledgeable about the state of our current Houston real estate market is an important facet to our relocation business.  As we work with transferees and relocation companies to market and sell properties, a key factor is always pricing a property correctly to sell within a very short time frame.  This is not the time to price a property at a high price and ask for price reduction after price reduction.  We are expected to evaluate a property, devise an aggressive marketing strategy, and price it to sell at the onset.  This is also an important element to the relocation training that I provide to our agents.  Our next relocation training and certification class is tomorrow on Worldwide ERC’s BMA (Broker Market Analysis).  I have found this to be one of the single most important and beneficial relocation training classes that I teach.  (Feel free to reach out to me for more information about our Relocation Training and Certification Program).

We have been very fortunate in Houston to have a much more stable real estate market as compared to other parts of the country.  From a relocation standpoint, we have been equally as fortunate as mobility to the Houston area continues at a rapid pace.  Transferees are often surprised by real estate prices in Houston, and the fact that they can often get quite a bit of home for their money.

We certainly have an active real estate market in Houston, and it’s great to be able to report that our home sales are consistently on the rise.  As a company, John Daugherty, Realtors has been exceeding our sales goals nearly every month so far this year.  Our relocation business has also enjoyed a huge increase this year as compared to 2010, and I expect it to continue to rise through the end of the year and deep into 2012.

It’s hard to believe that we are already in the fourth quarter of the year, but thankfully this has been a very fast a furious year, and Houston is still the place to be!

In Agent Training
Houston Real Estate Market
Houston Relocation
Relocation Training
Worldwide ERC

Houston Dynamo – New Stadium, New Excitement

I have been a member of the British American Business Council Houston (BABC) now for a couple of years, and I always really enjoy their events.  Most recently, I attended the BABC International Business Awards Finalists Reception.  The success of the Houston Chapter of the BABC can greatly be attributed to the organization’s Executive Director, Becci Himes.  She provides tremendous support and leadership to the organization, and is always making introductions between members. 

One of the people that I had an opportunity to meet at this recent gathering was Steve Powell, Senior Vice President of Business Development for the Houston Dynamo.   He graciously agreed to chat with me by phone, as I interviewed him for my Houston Relocation Blog.  He told me that he has been in the U.S. off and on for about 30 years now, and he shared with me some of the excitement surrounding the Houston Dynamo and the building of the new stadium, which is due for completion in May 2012.

Here are some of the highlights from our conversation…

While I was meant to be the one doing the interviewing, Steve started by asking me a very poignant question:  “So Michelle, who are the readers of your blog?”  “Great question,” said I!  I shared with him that my blog is currently bringing in about 3,500+ hits every month, with a growing number of readers and followers every week.  I told him that my audience tends to be quite diverse, including people who are involved in the global relocation industry and real estate throughout the Houston area, as well as around Texas, nationally and some international followers.  That includes many transferees, relocation management companies, various corporations and organizations, HR professionals, real estate professionals, my competitors, and pretty much anybody in between.

I told Steve that one of the main purposes of my Houston Relocation Blog is to continually build a buzz around things that make Houston such an exciting city to live in, and what better than to discuss the excitement surrounding the Houston Dynamo and the building of the new stadium.

Like so many of the wonderful people who I have met through the BABC, Steve hales from London, England, but has planted roots here in Houston.  Soccer, of course, is HUGE in the U.K.

While soccer is a newer sport to me than my beloved football (the kind with the helmets and pads), I have always admired its worldwide popularity, and have wondered why it has such a comparatively slower appeal to the masses here in the U.S.  I asked Steve what he thought the biggest difference is between soccer in the U.S. and in Houston, versus soccer in Europe.  He responded, “I put a lot of it down to history.  In the U.K., it’s the sport.”  He said that the league itself is a lot older…130 or 140 years old.  He added, “Soccer has put some significant anchors down in south Texas.  There are more boys and girls playing soccer right now than any other sport.”  He said that it’s much more educated now, with a lot of people having grown up with soccer, who are now watching their kids play soccer.

We also talked a lot about the Dynamo and the appeal for Houston’s international community.  Houston is very much a melting pot, and has become residence to many international transferees who have moved to Houston by way of their employers.  Steve said that there are also a lot of international people who have moved to Houston who have brought the love of soccer with them.  When they find out about the teams available through the schools and extracurricular activities, as well as the Dynamo, it becomes very exciting and important to them. Houston is very diverse city, with a large international population, and a growing number of people living here in Houston who support and are fans of soccer.

I asked Steve how the season ticket sales were coming along.  He said with great enthusiasm that they are “selling seats like crazy.”  He said, “We have 33 suites, and more than 50 percent of those have already sold.   Additionally, we have already sold out of our club seats.  We did a lot of research to price it correctly.”  He said that the Dynamo games offer great client entertainment.  They have a lot of oil and gas companies that have bought season tickets and that he wants to encourage companies to consider season ticket purchases as a great way to develop business relationships for both the U.S. based and overseas clients.

With regards to the upcoming season, Steve says that they are revving up the excitement and selling season tickets.   “We are only going to have one time to do this right and maximize the enthusiasm and excitement of a new venue, and this is that time. You’ve got to make that great first impression,” he said.

With only less than 50 percent of their suites available, Steve says that he wants to be in a position to be able to invite as many companies as possible to take advantage of these opportunities before they are gone.  Once they are gone, they are gone for 3 years.  They are also looking at companies that might end up getting the naming rights for the stadium.  They plan to have 40-50 events per year at this venue, and they are looking for the right company for those naming rights.

I asked Steve to share with me his experiences with the BABC Houston, the benefits he has enjoyed, and his involvement.  He quickly stated, “Becci Himes is a friend.  We have involvement in many chambers, but BABC has been especially fruitful in making us the right introductions.  It has provided us with great opportunities to meet and connect with other great people (such as yourself), and businesses that understand what we are about and have similar goals.”  I couldn’t agree more!  The BABC Houston is one of the most important Houston organizations that I belong to as well.  And I agree, a big shout out to Becci Himes is in order!  She gets it!

Steve and I ended our discussion with the excitement surrounding the Dynamo season finale game on October 23^rd.  Why is this such an exciting way to end the season, you ask?  Well, the game is against the L.A. Galaxy, which boasts of a player named David Beckham.  You may have heard of him!  Steve also mentioned that this game represents the team’s last regular season game in Robertson’s Stadium, which is a finale in itself.

As for me, I am very excited about the Houston Dynamo and hope that you will be too!  I hope to see you at a future game.  If you are new to the Houston area, this is the perfect way to get fired up about our new love of soccer.

For season ticket information, please call 713.276.GOAL (4625) or visit www.houstondynamo.com.

In Houston
Houston Relocation
Houston Sports

Social Media in Real Estate and Relocation

As you know, I am very active on social media sites.  Actually, “active” is probably a bit of an understatement.  I would call myself more of a social media junkie!  That’s right, I am addicted.  But, with good reason…the best reason…it has brought me increased business opportunities.  As a direct result of my Houston Relocation Blog, and the vast amount of time that I spend on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, I have attracted valuable followers and developed meaningful personal and business relationships.

While there are many people out there in real estate and relocation circles who share my passion, I was recently reminded of the many things that real estate agents could and should be doing to promote themselves, their listings and our company in a similar way. 

Last week, we brought national social media speaker, James Goddard, to Houston to speak at our company’s sales meeting about the impact of social media in real estate.  Goddard provided our agents with many tips regarding what they should be doing and some goals to set for themselves.  For instance, he said that all agents should be on Facebook and LinkedIn and establishing their on-line SOI (Sphere Of Influence).  He also pointed out that these sites offer agents the ability to market themselves to a wide array of friends and followers…for free!

Goddard also urged everyone to set a goal for themselves of getting 1000+ friends on Facebook.  This may sound like a lofty goal, but you would be surprised at how quickly your friend list can increase if you really put yourself out there. 

Of course, everyone has their own comfort level when it comes to using social media.  While my personal approach is one of transparency and high frequency of posting, not everyone wants to use it in the same way, and some may choose to abstain from its use all together.  It’s definitely a personal choice. 

As for the impact of social media on real estate, I would say that in general, it is often underutilized by real estate companies and their agents.  Like any marketing strategy, you have to have a plan for how you are going to use it, and be committed to executing your strategy on a daily basis.  

As for me, and my focus on Houston Relocation, the impact of social media has been significant.  There continues to be a direct correlation between my über on-line activities and new business opportunities. 

(To follow social media junkie Michelle Sandlin, please click here: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter)

 

In Houston Relocation
Socal Media

Luxury Portfolio’s Stephanie Pfeffer Visits John Daugherty, Realtors

Stephanie Pfeffer, Vice President of Marketing for Luxury Portfolio, recently visited John Daugherty, Realtors to present new tools and features and remind us of the many benefits afforded to our agents and company through our membership in Leading Real Estate Companies of the World, and it’s luxury arm, Luxury Portfolio.

I had the opportunity to join Stephanie for dinner the night before and got an inside look at the many new features headed our way and the innovations coming soon from Luxury Portfolio.  Stephanie shares my enthusiasm about social media and web marketing.  It is always fascinating to visit with her and discuss all the cool things that are coming down the pipe for Luxury Portfolio members.

Our membership in Leading Real Estate Companies of the World gives John Daugherty, Realtors access to the largest global network of independently owned real estate companies.  There are 550 members, with 5,000 offices and 150,000 sales associates globally.   In 2010 all of the companies that make up LeadingRE collectively had more sales volume than any other brand.  This is a valuable distinction in the luxury real estate marketplace.

One of the greatest benefits of membership to us as a company is the ability to strengthen our credibility.   It also allows us to establish our global brand, receive targeted property exposure, stay on the leading edge of luxury, and benefit from tangible marketing results.

Stephanie reminded us that LuxuryPortfolio.com has the most global market share and the most U.S. market share over competing brands, including SothebysRealty.com, ChristiesGreatEstates.com and ColdwellBankerPreviews.com.

Stephanie said, “We are truly a luxury website.  Globally, 83% of Luxury Portfolio listings are priced at $1 million  and above.”  In contrast, Sotheby’s, has 59% of their listings priced below $1 million.

Here are some other cool statistics that she shared with us about Luxury Portfolio’s members:

• Total listing inventory is $40 Billion
•  Average property is $2,535,000
• 13,325 listings are $1M+
• 1,283 listings are $5M+
• 390 listings are $10M+
• Many renowned and celebrity homes
• Frequently the top listings globally

As members, our listings are featured prominently throughout their site.  Any listing that we have that is $750,000 or above is automatically included on the Luxury Portfolio web site.  This allows us to maximize the international exposure that we can provide to our luxury listings, which gives us a competitive edge in the Houston real estate market.

Members are driving traffic to each other’s listings and each other’s web sites as a result of the marketing exposure provided throughout the network.

Stephanie also talked about the importance of establishing our global brand through our membership in the network.  She stated, “We make you as powerful globally as you are locally by delivering the very best search engine optimization in the luxury real estate space, linking you to Luxury Portfolio brokerages across the globe, and giving you access to all of the Leading Real Estate Companies of the World.”

Stephanie added that in the global market, Luxury Portfolio reaches 200 countries every month, so there is an unbelievable international audience coming to look at our listings on the LuxuryPortfolio.com.  She said that they are seeing a huge international audience coming to the web site, and visitors are interested in the luxury lifestyle, not just real estate.  Their advertising program reaches over 47 million targeted luxury consumers each year.

Luxury Portfolio is also leveraging social media and has become big in the social media space through Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube.

Stephanie said that it tends to be a very highly affluent group of people who visit their web site in search of luxury real estate throughout the U.S and Internationally.  Therefore, she pointed out the importance of great photography, which is something that is also very important to us as a company and for the marketing of each of our listings.

Stephanie concluded with some key take-aways from a white paper that was released last week.  It is based on research that Luxury Portfolio did with luxury consumers who are American Express cardholders representing the top 10% of consumers in the U.S.  She said that, ”None of this is shocking, but it is validating.”  What came out of this research were 5 key findings in regards to the things that are important to luxury consumers:

1. Reputation is paramount
2. Elegant websites are important, but equally important is:
• Web site popularity
• The number of luxury properties represented
• Proven on-line presence and tracking statistics
3. Top priority is market knowledge and experience AND global reach
4. Elegant printed advertising is vital
5. Magazine advertising is desired as is a designated agency magazine where affluent expect to find real estate tips and home design trends

In Houston Real Estate Market
Houston Relocation
John Daugherty, Realtors
Leading Real Estate Companies of the World
Luxury Portfolio
Luxury Real Estate