Baird & Warner
Lead Generation
Baird & Warner launched a new CRM that is integrated with all its agent and listings websites. It is hooked into a Web mobile system composed of an agent’s customizable website, where it shows and tracks clicks, activity and how prospects interact with the website. The CRM also tracks prospects’ searches on mobile devices (Apple and Android products) and tracks how many times an agent’s property is found in an online search by anyone. The system also produces Google seller reports with this information, and puts them in a file in the CRM that shows how much online visibility a property is getting.
The CRM also can group clients and prospects as needed to segment an agent’s marketing tactics. For example, luxury buyers, first-time homebuyers and prospects can be divided into groups. The CRM tracks all marketing campaigns and open rates from emails, so agents can test and measure and see which marketing campaigns work.
Tracks open rate from emails, can see who to call based on who opened it
Online/Print Advertising
Baird & Warner works with print publications to get favorable rates for agents, and also works with all of its 22 offices to hand-select the channels that are most impactful for the office’s area. The company focuses on local advertising through the Chicago Tribune, Patch.com and Gazebo.com. Ads are either brand-, agent- or listing-specific. Online, the company runs island ads on ChicagoTribune.com from its “Be Curious” campaign, and will pay for agents’ ads in specific print/online publications. However, they don’t pay for any Zillow, Trulia or Realtor.com programs.
Marketing Materials
Baird & Warner offers customizable listing presentations, printed listing fliers, cost-effective photography packages with VHT and customizable brochures and signage. For all materials agents make, they can get printed, bound, and delivered, and even have the option of including a digital e-magazine version of their listing presentation, CMA, etc., in their materials. In addition, any materials that are online-only are hyperlinkable, so agents can link to their website, listing sites, social media platforms and email.
Baird & Warner also utilizes MarketQuest, which prints detailed CMAs for clients.
Splits
Baird & Warner recently changed its commission model to allow brokers to choose which of the company’s five commission plans work best for them.
Training/Education
Baird & Warner has training opportunities available for all agents, and typically, opportunities are divided by an agent’s experience level. For instance, managing brokers have regular meetings throughout the year, including a three-day managers’ retreat with outside resources and speakers. Interested parties can join the Leadership Institute that runs every other year to help develop future leaders for management positions.
Baird & Warner is a branch of IAR, providing a licensing preparations school, beneficial to all new agents. Once a new agent is licensed, they can enroll in the company’s three-week Career Institute session to learn about the business. After a broker goes through Career Institute, managing brokers continue to train these new graduates on a regular basis through the Power Track program.
Training is a component of every office’s regular sales meeting, and broker associates are given access to a library of training modules. Baird & Warner sales expert Dean Rouso conducts quarterly regional sales seminars on everything from listing presentations to pricing. Baird & Warner has an exclusive relationship with real estate expert Steve Harney, as well as a program in which managing brokers take turns conducting training in each other’s offices.
Baird & Warner also presents top industry speakers in regular company-wide seminars, providing broker associates with important business strategies. The company also takes a multifaceted approach to ensuring broker associates are highly trained and well equipped to use its suite of innovative technology tools to build their business. The company has multiple technology trainers who provide ongoing training from within the sales offices, and every sales support manager is fully prepared to assist every broker associate on technology tools, including creating their own websites, individual property websites and using the company’s new CRM system.
Baird & Warner also utilizes webinars and an in-house videographer to create training videos on a variety of topics, as well as a social media expert. Each new agent also receives a free subscription to the Matthew Ferrara Learning Network.