Well, it had a good run. Ron Sparks consistently gave us great updates for the local real estate markets we serve and filled us with interesting statistics and informative news to analyze. But alas, all good things come to an end.
This was a great source of statistics for those closely following the local real estate market as well as a great marketing tool for Coldwell Banker Bain agents. While it was a bit difficult to follow for the novice, with terms like “real-time demand” and “active-to-pending ratios” being bantered about, it was a great quick and easy way to hear about recent local market activity and trends.
Move Over for the Real Estate Minute Video
As part of a minor website update, the Bain Marketing Department has decided to dump the local version for a more regional approach. This is all part of the integrating the Portland-Vancouver offices of Barbara Sue Seal, something I doubt any clients care about. The new version is called The Real Estate Minute and gives a more macro view of the whole Pacific Northwest region. While this gives broad market conditions in the areas that CB Bain and CB Barbara Sue Seal has offices in, it doesn't create much value for the consumer.
I've never had a client who is looking to buy or sell a home here in the Seattle area ask me or be interested in the Portland or Boise markets, nor should they be. The phrase “All real estate is local” has been around for a while for a reason. It's true. Bain would better serve it's clients and it's agents if it would create videos that do the opposite of give a macro regional view. In other words, create separate videos that drill down and give neighborhood specific information. Something tells me the marketing department thinks that would be too much work and they are trying to find an easy low-cost solution.
Missing too, is the timely “Industry News” that gave a local spin to recent national news. This was informative and often shed light on news that was hard to decipher from a Seattle perspective. My guess is that now that the video is regional, there isn't time to squeeze it into “one minute”.
In all fairness, Bain has raised the quality of production and tried to make the video more consumer-novice-friendly by using terms and generalities that everyone can understand. Still, that level of general information is everywhere. It's the juicy details that are harder to come by. Since this is just the inaugural edition perhaps the marketing department will rethink their strategy and go back to what clients want to hear about, and not just what Bain Marketing wants to talk about.
Since there is not much value we've removed this video from our site. We are working to find a replacement that offers timely local Seattle real estate information that our clients are eager for and we will post it when we do.