Real Estate Cause Marketing and Public Relations Considered - By Lance Winslow

[Lance Winslow]

By Lance Winslow

As our real estate market becomes a buyers market more and more realtors are indeed looking for ways to promote community goodwill to increase their buyer base and appease those listings, which are not selling as fast as those customers might like.

Realtors are constantly doing promotions, public relations and involving themselves in the community. They know they must give a little back to stay in the community and receive their share of the business. What innovative things can realtors do for a public relations program? Well, why not join a Neighborhood Mobile Watch Program? Here is why;

REALTORS: Realtors have a pulse on the community; they know the neighborhoods in the town. Some real estate offices grid the town by housing tracts, plus 4 zip code or census blocks and each agent is in charge of a certain area. They often canvass the area and are on a first name basis with many residences. They know the Home Owners Association directors by name. They also refer and are in contact with painters, pool service companies, landscapers, interior decorators, snow removal companies, window washers, contractors, pool companies, and other various residential companies, which can also serve as part of the volunteer neighborhood watch program. They often tour or caravan with other realtors to look at recent listings. In these weekly caravans you might have 4-5 other realtors in the car learning all about the neighborhood mobile watch program. Realtors know lots of people and are constantly involved with things around town, their jobs and success depend on it.

You see it makes a lot of sense to use the synergies of the local business community along with the citizens to keep our cities safe. What better way than to help the realtors to some good old fashion public relations in trade for such a significant win/win situation? Consider all this


By Lance Winslow

[Lance Winslow]

Thanks, I'll check it out. Additionally, not sure if you know this or not, but I have been to every city in the US and Canada over 10,000 in population. It took seven years after retirement, but I've sure seen a lot of what works and what doesn't.

[Bill Wendel]

Let's stay in touch... I have a Master of City Planning from MIT, and continue to live in Cambridge so I can see thought leaders in person at both MIT and Harvard, particularly the Berkman Center for Internet & Society. Here's a wiki evaluation of a round table discussion I facilitated there earlier this year following two real estate technology conferences. Thought leaders from around the country participated in person, by conference call, and live video / chat:
http://realestatecafe.pbworks.com/RECAP-RENY09

Bill Wendel
Real Estate Cafe

[Lance Winslow]

Thanks for the reading tip, I read a lot, since I run a think tank. This is one of the issues in America, and it is rather serious. I will check this out.

[Bill Wendel]

Thanks again for your contribution. Stands to reason that neighbors are the best way to protect neighborhoods, whether it can be quantified or not. Reminds me of the classic book, The Death and Life of Great American Cities. Google books writes, "Since its first publication in 1961, become the standard against which all endeavors in that field are measured. In prose of outstanding immediacy, Jane Jacobs writes about what makes streets safe or unsafe; about what constitutes a neighborhood, and what function it serves within the larger organism of the city; about why some neighborhoods remain impoverished while others regenerate themselves."
http://tr.im/jjacobsgreatcities

[Lance Winslow]

It's rather hard to document really, and it makes sense not to try to take credit for it, because most police departments are political animals and setting up a Mobile NWP does indeed, step on their toes a little bit. In UT, and WA there have been decreases in crime during the time that the mobile NWP were started, but no one can prove it was "DUE TO" the program, although those in the program, the volunteers speculate that the additional visibility and PR for the program has deterred crime.

In J-Ville FL there is a different program, called a business watch and they have done studies, showing a decrease in crime. Although that is a different program.

The National Sheriff's Association has stats on these kinds of things, but not specific to anything we've done personally with our program.

[Bill Wendel]

Have you, or real estate agents you've been working with, or local community policing departments, created any demonstration projects to document REDUCED crime stats because Neighborhood Mobile Watch Patrol? Since all of us as tax payers are subsidizing the cost of the foreclosure crisis, public policy makers should be keenly interested in what you are seeding.

Bill Wendel
Real Estate Cafe

[Lance Winslow]

Thanks Bill,

Indeed, I live out in California near Riverside County, one of the 3-worst real estate areas hit by the recession, mostly due to over expansion at the top of the market and during the bubble run-up. There was a recent article in the LA Times that indicated an FBI study which stated that for every 1% increase in foreclosures, there was a 2.8% increase in crime statistics.

Quite frankly, that's just plain scary!

[Bill Wendel]

Lance,

Hope you don't mind if I add a link to your book, book "How To Start a Successful Neighborhood Mobile Watch Patrol"
http://www.lancewinslow.org/nmwp.shtml

Are neighborhoods, lenders, or local governments / police departments using your approach to secure streets in communities hit hard by foreclosures?

Very impressive history of entrepreneurship and community service! Thanks for joining our discussion of best practices:
http://www.lancewinslow.org/nmwp_author.shtml

Bill Wendel
Real Estate Cafe