iHOUSE Website Customer Close-Up
The Cincinnati real estate industry was not something Dennis King saw himself entering into back in the early 1980’s, while working as a meat cutter. After college, King began exploring various options for a career path utilizing his education in business and marketing. Job opportunities came from the likes of Proctor and Gamble and Campbell’s Soup Company, but nothing felt quite right, so he decided to stay with his current job and enjoy the benefits of seniority for the time being.
After 17 years with Kroger, he was looking for a change and decided to give real estate a try in 1982, shortly after buying his first home. “I had never known any real estate agents, I was hesitant,” he says of deciding to shift careers, “giving up healthcare and insurance and a salary, it was a risk. So, I decided to try for just a year.” The risk paid off; Dennis, was part of the Million Dollar Club by 1984. While the shift to real estate kept him busier than he’d imagined, Dennis welcomed the new flexibility that allowed him to attend his daughters’ school functions, sports games, and spend holidays with his family and friends.
Twenty-five years later, Denis King’s business is strong, despite what the media says. The Cincinnati area has seen steady 2-5% appreciation year over year since the mid 1980’s. These steady home values were a main factor in over 20,000 real estate transactions closing last year, despite the opposite trend elsewhere in the US.
One real asset to the Cincinnati area has been steady appreciation and realistic housing values. “The (interest) rates are great right now, there is inventory, and it has been a nice shift to a buyer’s market” King touts Cincinnati’s community feel as a big reason people come to the area and stay. Good schools and a diverse job market make Cincinnati a family friendly area and helps to maintain the value of homes over time.
Over the years, the Internet has transformed his real estate business. Dennis no longer utilizes print marketing. Knowledgeable about the current homebuyer statistics, he has put his education and experience in business and marketing to good use, focusing on his online presence. He uses the iHOUSE® tools to gauge how well the site is performing. “I love being able to go on my site, it’s so intuitive, I can customize my iHOUSE site and see the number of hits its received, and where the hits came from, its great!” A RE/MAX® Platinum Club Member since 1994, Dennis still finds himself incredibly busy every week, because he is dedicated to his clients, his business, and his community.
Since King has strategically focused his marketing efforts online, his business has become much more efficient. Dennis King is able to continue to learn and adapt his business as well as share his knowledge and experience with fellow agents who have a desire to improve their online presence through his activities within the local real estate community.
All this first-hand experience makes him an excellent resource as Chairman of the Business Technology Committee for the Cincinnati Board of REALTORS®. King is able to share his knowledge and strongly recommend that an agent needs his/her own website. “People always talk about this site or that site, but I know I’ve got the best one. I’ve got the easiest site, where people can go and do what they want, search for houses… Having my site makes it much easier to find me. People don’t have to wade through thousands of other agents from a big company site or REALTOR.com®.” He relies on his iHOUSE website to include all the information an interested buyer needs including his listings, access to search the MLS, a newsletter, and a plethora of vital local information, but prefers to not require registration. Dennis speaks confidently that a savvy agent freely and willingly provides what buyers want. “If you do a good job (providing the right information), then they’ll call you when their ready.” Including the URL on all of his marketing materials, including yard signs and business cards has been a key of his online success.
Dennis King approaches today’s market with 25 years of real estate experience under his belt and knows that you have to understand your client first before you can succeed. For that reason, he has found success honing his style of professionalism and local expertise with an optimistic yet realistic view of the future. “It’s one of the best times to buy in 20 years, and it’s all cyclical… Everyone loves real estate, it is still one of the best long term investments.”