Blog contributions are provided exclusively from Luxury Real Estate members throughout the world.

Lifetime Achievement Award
Patricia Choi – Choi International
The list of nominees are….
Best Brand Integration
Gulf Coast International Properties
Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty
Best Industry Networking
Diane Turton – Diane Turton, Realtors
Ann Chiasson - Sea to Sky Premier Properties
Bob Nathan – Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty
Jim Walberg – Keller Williams Danville
Tim Murray – Alain Pinel Realtors
Bonnie Smith – Exclusive Mountain Retreats Real Estate
Liane (Li) Read – Sea to Sky Premier Properties (Salt Spring)
Rollie Jordan – Kentwood Company
Antonio & Jose Ribes – Rimontgo
Karen Bigos – Towne Realty Group, LLC
Best New Community
Devonshire House
One Hanson Place
Best Overall Marketing Package
Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty
Slifer, Smith & Frampton Real Estate
Hammond Residential Real Estate, LLC
Best Print Marketing
Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty
Shawn Elliott Luxury Homes & Estates
Hammond Residential Real Estate, LLC
Best Website Design
Hammond Residential Real Estate, LLC
Best Website Innovation
Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty
Billionaire’s Club
Elizabeth Stribling - Stribling & Associates
Vicki & Bill Mitchell - Carmel Realty
Glennis Beacham - Beacham & Company, REALTORS
Patricia Choi - Choi International
Extraordinary Philanthropist
Jack Cotton – Sotheby’s International Realty
Travis Reed – Harry Norman, Realtors
Jim Walberg – Keller Williams Danville
Saul Cohen – Hammond Residential Real Estate, LLC
Most Impressive Listing
Diane Turton – Diane Turton, Realtors
Dixi Applegate - Slifer, Smith & Frampton Real Estate
Manyee Lui - Macdonald Realty Group Inc.
Elizabeth Stribling - Stribling & Associates
Brian Hazen - Mason Morse Real Estate
Kelly Drum – Drum Realty
Peter Butler – Carmel Realty Company
Lynn Brown Knoop – Carmel Realty Company
Most Innovative Marketing Technique
Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty
Jack Cotton – Sotheby’s International Realty
Shawn Elliott Luxury Homes & Estate
Luxury Real Estate New Zealand
Outstanding Rookie
Courtney Jones – Carmel Realty Company
Outstanding Social Media Savvy
26
Damianos Sotheby's International Realty Brand Web Site Offers Language Translation Capability
By Janine Carey of Damianos Sotheby's International Realty
NASSAU, Bahamas (Feb 19, 2009)—Damianos Sotheby’s International Realty, a luxury real estate firm based in Nassau, today announced that its brand Web site, www.sothebysrealty.com, soon will be multi-lingual with the addition of seven new languages.

All functional and static information on the Web site were translated into Spanish and Portuguese this month. It also will be translated into French, Italian, German, Russian and traditional Chinese within the next few weeks. Translations will be done by professional translators based in each respective country, not by machine translation methods.
The brand added a currency conversion to the Web site earlier this year.
“The translations will be done by professional translators in each respective country, not by machine translation methods, and the Web site will be search engine optimized for each language,” said George Damianos, President of Damianos Sotheby’s International Realty. “Our customers around the globe will be able to search our inventory of Bahamian properties in their native language with just the click of a button.”
Damianos Sotheby’s International Realty, serves the entire Bahamas and is headquartered in downtown Nassau with offices in Lyford Cay; Governor's Harbour and Spanish Wells Eleuthera; Marsh Harbour, Hope Town and Elbow Cay, Abaco; with associates in Treasure Cay, Abaco; Indigo Island, Exuma, and Freeport. The Bahamas, offers exclusive Sotheby’s International Realty marketing, advertising and referral services designed to attract well-qualified buyers to the firm’s property listings. In addition, the firm and its clients benefit from an association with the Sotheby’s auction house, which promotes real estate referral opportunities with auction house clientele.
By Jean-Yves Piton
The classic marketing mix, with its 4 Ps (Product, Price, Promotion and Place), is evolving to meet current global business needs. It now includes 3 more Ps: Positioning, Packaging and People.
Keep in mind that Positioning should not be confused with Promotion. Although advertising efforts are inherently part of both Promotion and Positioning, the latter P mainly focuses on your competitive position within the marketplace and image amongst consumers.
Are you and your firm positioned as “the luxury real estate expert” in the marketplace? You must ask yourself this question to better compete in the global struggle for differentiated products, services and brands.
How are you and your firm’s products and services perceived by your prospects and clients? In essence, your positioning strategy should assist you with your brand recognition in the marketplace.
Your advertising efforts support your positioning strategy, which, in turn, builds your brand equity.
For instance, BMW has used the slogan “Ultimate Driving Machine” for over three decades now, positioning this tagline as the ultimate one in the automotive industry. BMW clearly advertises its passion and talent for top innovation and engineering, which positions its brand as one of the finest amongst luxury consumers.
In fact, Jack Pitney, Vice President of Marketing, BMW North America clearly articulated that: “BMW has carved out a unique niche in the industry by placing a premium on constant innovation and inspiration and this campaign will reveal the company behind The Ultimate Driving Machine.”
To that effect, while crafting your marketing plan you should carefully select your advertising initiatives to reach and appeal to your targeted audience. Your advertisements should unmistakably position you and your firm not just as “a luxury real estate expert” (one amongst many others), but as “the luxury real estate expert” (the best).
Editor’s Note:
Jean-Yves Piton is the Global Services Membership Manager for LuxuryRealEstate.com. He assists Bente Madtsen, the Director of Global Services, in expanding the LuxuryRealEstate.com brand into even more countries around the world. What a great discussion. It’s definitely important to position yourself, through word and deed, as a standout performer. The photo of the blog apartment building is from www.flickr.com/photos/paytonc/925383449 and it is the copyright of Payton Chung.
By Brian Langhorst
The luxury real estate market place is filled with various companies with very strong branding messages for the corporation. What are you as an agent doing to stand out from the other competing agents in your own company?

Editor’s Note:
Brian Langhorst is LuxuryRealEstate.com’s Membership Manager. He meets members’ unique needs through the dynamic services LuxuryRealEstate.com provides. Short and sweet – just the way I like blog entries! LuxuryRealEstate.com can help you stand out with print and online advertisements in The Wall Street Journal, LuxuryRealEstate.com Magazine and more. The above picture is from www.flickr.com/photos/vieuxbandit/499540173 and is the copyright of vieux bandit.
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