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ERA REAL ESTATE EXPANDS LEAD-GENERATING PROGRAM FOR BROKERAGE AFFILIATES
'Get Up & Go with ERA®' program enhanced with new travel options PARSIPPANY, NJ, January 22, 2003 – To help their affiliated brokers and sales associates manage referral and repeat business, ERA Real Estate launched a program last spring that enables its affiliates to contact and follow-up with customers with certificates for complimentary hotel accommodations at Fairfield Resorts nationwide. A joint effort of the two Cendant subsidiaries, the "Get Up & Go with ERA" program provides low-cost travel certificates to sales associates and brokers, for use as prospecting and follow-up tools. These certificates are valid for a complimentary three-day, two-night hotel accommodation in several vacation destinations, including Orlando, Lake Tahoe, Sedona and Myrtle Beach. Since the launch of Get Up & Go with ERA in May of 2002, nearly 8,000 certificates have been purchased by ERA affiliates nationwide. Sales associates have used them as a distinctive, cost-efficient gift to present to prospective clients, or to current clients. This year, new travel destinations have been added to the program: Honolulu, New Orleans and St. Thomas. ERA sales associates say the certificates are an effective follow-up tool, especially for clients who appreciate being remembered after the close. "Arguably, the most important trait [in real estate sales] is the skill of keeping in touch with customers," said Sarah Spencer, an associate of ERA American Realty & Investments in Inverness, FL. "That's important to me, because almost 100 percent of my business is generated from referrals." In the real estate business only two years, Spencer says she was looking for a follow-up tool that was unique and affordable. "Most of my customers have not received something like this," she explained. "They appreciate that I am giving them a vacation away from the stress of homebuying and selling." Spencer said she uses the certificates for three general purposes: First, she markets them to seniors and retirees who may have more free time to take advantage of the vacation offers. Second, she uses them to award co-brokers and customers on the other side of a transaction as a 'thank-you' gift for making the transaction easy and expeditious. Finally, she includes the certificates in mailings she sends to For Sale By Owner sellers with the tagline, "The stress of selling is tough. Take a vacation on us." Jackie and Bob Davis, a husband-and-wife selling team from the same Inverness ERA office also give high marks to the Get Up & Go program. "We were looking for an original gift idea – something we hadn't seen," said Jackie Davis. "The certificates are easy and inexpensive to purchase." The Davis team uses the certificates as part of a "closing gift package," which also includes a "survival kit" of cleaning supplies and two-for-one dining discount coupons. The couple also uses the vouchers as thank-you gifts for referrals. "This is such a stressful time for our buyers," said Davis. "For many of them, a vacation is the last thing on their minds. That's why they are thrilled to receive the vacation vouchers. It shows them that we care about them during and after the transaction." ERA affiliates can purchase the Get Up & Go certificates by visiting the Select Services section of TeamERA.com, the Intranet site of ERA Real Estate.
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