|
First Episode Second Episode |
http://activerain.com/blogs/bvisotcky
You can't escape the headlines about the downturn in the real estate market. Just today on CNN Money: "Fixed Mortgage Rates Rise"; Mortgage Applications Tumble"; and "January Foreclosures up 57%". Not good news if you're trying to sell your home. In fact, according to CNN, home sales posted their sharpest drop in 18 years this week.
Meet former real estate agent turned inventor and entrepreneur, Bob Visotcky. Bob developed a product that helps home-owners and real estate brokers gain a competitive edge in today's tight market. It's called Listing Light®.
We are all looking for that competitive edge that makes us stand out in our farm. I have a multitude of tools that I use, but I am going to focus on one that I use in my listing presentations and is a must have if you are trying to capture the market share in a geographic area.
The first day I installed the light on my sign, I sold the house I had listed to my own buyer, and then listed and sold the house the buyer's owned all because they saw the lighted sign. I think I just paid for enough night lights for the rest of my lifetime!
I've found that a well lit sign does more than just provide information about how to contact me after dark. It tells other sellers that I will do everything in my power to sell their homes too. It helps me stand out in my farm area as the agent who does more. What better impression is there for a listing appointment?
Problem: Despite giving a passionate listing pitch, Visotcky learned that his FSBO prospect decided to work with another agent. While he was in the neighborhood one night, Visotcky drove by the property to peek at the For Sale rider and to find out who got the job. But his curiosity remained unquenched — he couldn’t read the sign in the dark. That’s when it hit him: For Sale signs need night lights.
Invention: The battery-powered ListingLight fastens to For Sale signs to illuminate both sides of the sign. Four light bulbs turn on automatically at dusk and can be programmed to stay on for three hours or five hours. They sell for $65 or $235 for a four-pack.
The real estate biz has a dark side: At night, you can't see which houses are for sale.
With a background as a real estate agent, Bob Visotcky of Encinitas is shedding some illumination on the problem with his ListingLight, a battery-operated light that clamps on top of a Realtor's for-sale sign.
“There are 9 million single-family homes for sale every year. Who couldn't use three to five more hours of selling and buying time?” Visotcky said.
A light went on in his mind – why aren't real estate signs illuminated?
Visotcky did some research and discovered that lights for signs had been marketed in the past, “but no one had done it well. Many were solar-powered, and just didn't provide enough light,” he said.
RealTown: 'You Light Up My Sign' Is Song Sellers Are Singing
"Larry and I are really pleased with our Listing Lights! We hadn't been impressed with the solar lights we'd seen, but when we saw the Listing Lights we knew they'd be great. We immediately installed our first one while our clients were out to dinner. When they returned home, they saw their sign as soon as they turned the corner, and they loved it! The quality of the light is crisp and clean, and they look great! They not only extend our hours of exposure, but our clients like that we're using every possibe tool to sell their home. Additionally, the Listing Lights are a powerful way to enhance your presence in a geographic farm, as well as a great addition to any listing presentation". -- Barb and Larry Grey, CRS, One Source Realty, GMAC Real Estate,San Diego, CA
North County Times: A bright idea: Inventor introduces the Listinglight to illuminate 'For Sale' signs
Since he introduced his Listinglight earlier this year, Visotcky has sold thousands of the devices. And with the end of daylight-saving time today, he expects orders to skyrocket, as sellers strive to keep their properties visible in an increasingly crowded real estate market.
It's one of those inventions that seems so obvious, you wonder why no one thought of it before.
As for competitors, there are a few, Visotcky said, but they rely on solar power.The device is akin to a night light, but it's designed to fit real estate "For Sale" signs, illuminating them for an extra three to five hours each evening.
"They don't fully illuminate the sign," he explained. "And they're not reliable in places where it snows. Once the solar panel's covered, you're out of business."
National Realty News : Listinglight Becomes 2007 Approved Vendor For Prudential and Realty Executives Agents
Bob Visotcky, President of LISTINGLIGHT™, LLC has announced the company’s acceptance into both Prudential Real Estate’s and Realty Executives International’s 2007 Approved Vendor Programs. The decisions make the company’s two innovative sales tools, the LISTINGLIGHT™ and LISTINGLOCKS™ readily available to Prudential and Realty Executives agents, just in time for the selling season.
California Real Estate Magazine: Listinglight is listed #2 under the iPhone.
 | What good is a yard sign if buyers can’t see it? LISTINGLIGHT™ solves the pesky problem of nighttime by illuminating both sides of your sign, thus putting it to work for several extra hours per day. Powered by six C-cell batteries (which will last up to eight weeks), the light installs on top of any sign (up to three-quarter-inches thick) and includes a locking mechanism to help prevent theft. It relies on a built-in timer and light sensor to turn on and off automatically, so you can set it and forget it. A single LISTINGLIGHT™ costs $65, but the better deal is the $235 pack of four. LISTINGLIGHT™ is a member of C.A.R.’s Member Advantage Program, and that entitles you to a 15 percent discount off of your order |