Luxury Real Estate

Courtesy of Mark Moffa of Unique Homes

There’s been much talk lately about social networking and the need for agents to be present and active in the social media world. To that end, the most popular social networking site not named Facebook or Twitter just announced a significant development for Realtors.

LinkedIn’s first and only real estate app launched, allowing agents to promote listings for free on their LinkedIn profile. It’s been developed by a company called Rofo, which may be new to residential agents but is a player in the online commercial real estate world. I spoke with Rofo Co-founder Alan Bernier at Inman Real Estate Connect in San Francisco a few weeks ago about the app. He was obviously excited about the deal, and rightfully so. Unlike Facebook, LinkedIn has been highly selective with the apps it allows on its platform — Rofo is now only one of 16.

It turns out that out of LinkedIn’s 70 million members, more than 1 million are associated with real estate in some way. Bernier saw the opportunity to introduce his brand to residential agents and LinkedIn saw the chance to provide a noteworthy segment of its members with a service that can help them better utilize the site.

And that’s really the point here. Amid all the talk about the need for agents to be out there in the social media world, here’s an easy, free and concrete way to do just that. Now, of course, Rofo is looking to make money on this. The free listings are only good for 30 days — if you want your listings to stay on LinkedIn indefinitely, you will have to pay a small monthly fee. But these are the things agents need to be thinking about.

For online article click here

By Joey Pauley

Today, did you notice that your coworker got a haircut?

Did you notice the fresh scratch on the side of your car? I didn’t do it.

Did you notice the country search has Bahamas as an option in the country dropdown on the Luxury Property Search Page on LuxuryRealEstate.com? Many of our Caribbean members have brought to our attention the confusion in the Caribbean section of the site so we made a few changes to make our website more usable for the potential buyers of our members’ most luxurious homes.

Enjoy, and keep your feedback coming.


Editor’s Note:
As a Technical Account Manager with LuxuryRealEstate.com, Joey Pauley helps members with their Web and technology needs. He does a phenomenal job in all of his projects, as you can see by visiting the many websites he has helped design. Feedback like this is very helpful. We are always looking for ways to better serve our members. We sent out a survey about our conferences a little while ago and we’ve incorporated the suggestions we received into our plans for the 13^th Annual Luxury Real Estate Fall Conference in Philadelphia. We hope to see you there! The photo above is from www.flickr.com/photos/christophemallet/131222816 and it is the copyright of christophe mallet.

By Robert Lockard

I have some good news and some even better news. The good news is that RE/MAX Cayman Islands just joined LuxuryRealEstate.com, expanding our global network even further into the Caribbean. The even better news is that Kass Canada Coleman, the Broker/Owner of Beachcastles and an agent with RE/MAX Cayman Islands is No. 6 on the list of top international RE/MAX brokers, based on residential commissions paid from January through April 2008.

It’s always nice to hear good news like this. Apparently the Cayman Islands are enjoying a very healthy real-estate market right now. Check out Kass’ website www.beachcastles.com for some in-depth information about the Cayman Islands, in case you’d like to go visit.


Editor’s Note:
Robert Lockard is the Public Relations & Media Specialist with LuxuryRealEstate.com. I am Robert. I create all of Luxury Real Estate’s newsletters, write the editorials in LuxuryRealEstate.com Magazine and much more. Good job, Kass, and welcome to the network! I’d like to include the actual list to back up this claim, but I’m not sure if I’m allowed to yet. I hope you don’t mind. The above picture is from: www.beachcastles.com/home/team.php?id=0.

By Meghan Barry

Saturday, May 3, 2008 was the 22nd Annual Windermere Cup Regatta in Seattle, also called Opening Day, which is a celebration of the official opening of boating season in Seattle (Although the most-hearty have already been on the water for months!).

This prestigious event attracts the boating and rowing community, including local yacht clubs, rowing clubs, prep schools and universities, as well as many local spectators. International competitors are invited each year – this year the Polish National Team, University of Melbourne, and the U.S. Naval Academy were on the list of those invited to compete.

Windermere Real Estate sponsored the event. Like many real-estate firms, Windermere supports this event as a vehicle to get involved with the community and to market their company to a particular niche – those involved with boating and rowing in the Seattle area and beyond, which is often a fairly affluent group.

Two members of the Luxury Real Estate staff, Meghan Barry (Lake Washington Rowing Club) and Jill Chan (Pocock Rowing Center) participated in the event. See footage of their race here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FgvKv-a-Mg.


Editor’s Note:
Meghan Barry is the Executive Vice President of LuxuryRealEstate.com. She works closely with CEO/Publisher John Brian Losh to organize a variety of Luxury Real Estate programs, events and services. Spring time is great, isn’t it? While the weather was a bit rainy on Saturday, it’s still nice be able to get out and enjoy the water and wind. It was also quite smart of Windermere Real Estate to sponsor this event in order to be involved in the community and gain some excellent attention with such a high-profile event.

By Meghan Barry

After our 6th Annual Luxury Real Estate Spring Retreat, Marie Montchal, Senior Vice President of Relocation and Ancillary Services at Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty was kind enough to send us this fantastic brass whale. According to Daniel Gale legend, this whale is one of the few remaining whales cast to market the “Daniel Gale Whale” – we are lucky to have it!

Daniel Gale has always done an incredible job of marketing their company. Their marketing materials are impeccable (and, coincidentally, they were the recipient of the Best Overall Marketing Package award at our Fall Conference in 2007). Does your company have what it takes to receive an award this fall? Nominate here!


Editor’s Note:
Meghan Barry is the Executive Vice President of LuxuryRealEstate.com. She works closely with CEO/Publisher John Brian Losh to organize a variety of Luxury Real Estate programs, events and services. The 13th Annual Luxury Real Estate Fall Conference in Philadelphia is definitely going to be a great event. From October 11-14, 2008, LuxuryRealEstate.com brokers and agents will gain valuable insights and build their referral networks. You can read a news release about the award nominations here.

By Jim Walberg

From his blog: Caribbean real estate: Belize is One of THE Top Hotspots!

South Beach – Belize is perfectly positioned for the explosion happening with European investors in the Caribbean!

Article By Poyel Nelson: The headline on the International Living Magazine in December 2007 is straightforward: Belize: Buy Before the Europeans! (Remember my last posting about South Beach – Belize?) Amongst the financial crises triggered by the real-estate market woes in the United States, caution is advisable over such a bullish statement. So, what are the reasons for such a headline?

Direct flights from Europe to Belize City will be launched by late 2008. This is major news for Belize and its real estate market. Europeans, armed with their strong currency, will most likely start to travel to this English speaking country in greater numbers. Transit though the U.S. will no longer be required for European visitors. They will come for the classic Caribbean experience, the world class diving, the jungles and rainforests, the Mayan ruins, the waterfalls and rivers. And some will want to stay or retire here; hence real estate dollars are likely to follow close behind.

We could observe this effect of new flight routes on real-estate markets before. Wherever Ryanair (Ryaniar is a major European low-cost airline) has started flying, the Irish and the British have followed and real-estate markets have prospered. This is now called the “Ryanair effect.” Rumor has it that direct flights to Belize from Canada might also start soon. Real estate is all about timing and right now could be the time to focus in on this stunning country in the Caribbean. Property prices are still well below regional benchmarks. Let’s look at some of Belize’s characteristics to further elaborate whether the above proposed demand really is valid:

The Belize River flows through the middle of the country. With a Caribbean coastline, the Belize Barrier Reef and the Maya Mountains, there is a diverse countryside with plenty of outdoor recreation. The longest-living barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere, and the second-longest in the world, attracts divers from all around the world to Belize. This Central American country is a former British Colony also known as British Honduras and has adopted English as its native language. It is considered one of the most stable Caribbean governments with a Parliament as their ruling body. Retirees in Belize can apply for a special status that provides tax breaks on retirement income and extends easy import of household items and furnishings.

“Belize has the lowest population density in the Central American region, and one of the lowest in the world. There is room for many people in Belize. Adding to Belize’s attractions is the cultural and ethnic diversity. There appears to be almost no friction between the harmoniously blended cultures and races. Belize is home to a wide range of ethnicities, including Mennonites, Chinese, Mayan, Spanish, Lebanese and East Indian. Culture, economy and geography make Belize a desirable place to live. With this Caribbean country becoming more accessible through air travel, it seems to be positioned well for significant growth in its economy, in general travel and, eventually, its real-estate market.

Poyel Nelson certainly supports our interest in South Beach Belize. Remember, pre-construction prices are well below regional markets with lots starting at USD$99,950 to USD$6,913,000 for 36-unit boutique hotel/restaurants. This may be the project to act upon NOW. I will keep you posted as I continue my real-estate detective work in the Caribbean. Contact me anytime. Until next time…


Editor’s Note:
Jim Walberg and Ann Marie Nugent are the Brokers/Owners of The Bay Area Team, the most-successful team at Keller Williams Realty-Danville. They are also members of the global LuxuryRealEstate.com network. Jim is an experienced and wonderful blogger, as you can see by visiting his blog, Caribbean Islands Realty. There are many opportunities in this current market, despite the bad news we often hear. Keep your ears open for great news like this from real-estate experts like Jim. We welcome your blog entries and comments in the LuxuryRealEstate.com Blog.