Just because you can do something does not mean you should do it.
Someone please explain that to the braintrust of Re/Max of New England. Seriously.
They are planning on opening up 17 offices in Stop & Shop grocery stores. Again, my reaction is seriously?
The idea of going to a grocery store to buy a house just degrades the brand. There is no alignment there. Eggs, milk, and Re/Max just does not do the brand justice.
If I was a Re/Max agent in New England I would be screaming at management. Imagine having to do desk duty next to the register? And if they do not listen, time to get new Keller Williams business cards.
Would you like Paper or Plastic?
Jay Hummer, executive vice president at Re/Max of New England, said the Natick company signed an agreement with Quincy-based Stop & Shop Supermarket Co. late last year to open as many as 17 real estate offices in Stop & Shop supermarkets within the next year. Most of the potential locations are in Southeastern Massachusetts.
Hummer said Re/Max franchisees were told about the opportunity to open offices in the stores last week.
“It’s something we’ve been working on for a year now,” Hummer said. “It’s a great way for our broker-owners and agents to be able to connect with the consumer … in a very convenient location.” via Enterprise News
Update:
It gets worse, I found this prototype of the office at the Boston Globe. Imagine going over your mortgage information and other personal information in the middle of a supermarket? Or stressing over an offer and a kid rolls a shopping cart into you? The office is open air…
Check it out.
Maybe the brokers and agents can put on little vests and greet people at the door!
"Hi, welcome to Stop & Shop. Would you like to buy or sell a home today?"
Apparently I'm clueless about real estate because I just don't get, at all, how having an office in a grocery store is a good idea.
While shopping for milk and bread other brokers can now recruit Re/Max agents. Great strategy.
Are RE kiosks in shopping malls still being done? I sat that one out in the 90's (?) because I remembered floor duty at the Sears store when I was with Coldwell Banker in the 1980s. In Sears we were tucked back discreetly behind the boys clothes department. We had a "computer" and we did have people occasionally stop by to ask about real estate… wait that was because there was no internet.
I know of a couple of other companies that tried to set up shop in local malls. Fell flat and don't see this being a successful strategy either.
There is a similar trend here in the Phoenix area inside 3 Walmarts. The offices are run by a small local broker instead of a major franchise. The location near me is pretty new so it is to early to say if it is viable or not.
I have seen this type of thing at a Mall where a real estate company leased a kiosk. They were basically grouped in with the cellular cariers and the Hair Extension people. Talk about degrading the industry. Thank God that experiment failed miserably.
I don't have the same automatic reaction others do here. That may be that there are banks in some of the stores here in Oregon. I have to assume we aren't the only state. There is plenty of personal information talked about in banks.
I think it would need to be a satellite office so agents could go somewhere else with clients to get away from the probable noise.
Offices are opened in strip malls to get the same walk-by traffic; why is this so different? Though after seeing the pictures at http://peopleofwalmart.com, I don't see opening one in there.
My guess is that the only reason they would do this is to gain visibility. Thinking that most people have to get a gallon of milk and other groceries. Not sure it will have a great effect, especially when most people start searching via internet.
Are they for real? It may work well in hot markets when agents are just taking orders like the store clerks, but I don't think many consumers or agents would be receptive to this idea.
It puts new meaning on the old adage: "Meet prospective clients where they are."
Thanks for the update!!! Wow, that is going to look real strange in the middle of the market. More power to them if they can do some business. I always thing of the grocery store as a quick stop, "I'm gonna run to the store, I'll be right back." Buying a house there would seriously prolong this activity. They better put it before the freezer section, because this would ruin a tub of ice cream!
I can't believe this one, yeah, I also had the same reaction. Are they serious about this? They sure are degrading the real estate agents and brokers. This is sure wierd, but I have no right to question them, its their business venture after-all, I am just so surprised.