I was leafing through Good Stuff Magazine recently – Good Stuff Magazine is an ad media magazine. It’s only real purpose is advertising. As I was flipping through the pages, I found these businesses:

• ScreenMobile – 925–829–3100 (no website – a whole other issue)
• California Tree Service – 925–932–1648 (another no website ad)
• Handyman Connection – www.handymanconnection.com
• Mr Handyman – 925–228–2888 (no website – maybe I should make this about websites & business!)
• Pacific Drywall – www.nopopcorn.com
• The Grout Doctor – www.groutdoctor.com
• Rock Solid – www.coatedconcrete.com

What occurred to me was that these businesses are missing the boat on one of the best places they could be advertising – the local marketing associations for Realtors. We attend the weekly Realtors Marketing Association in San Ramon and the weekly Valley Marketing Association in Pleasanton.

Realtors are always looking for services like the ones above and Realtors are great sources for referrals. The real estate business is referral driven – half of all sales come from referrals. Realtors are all about referrals. For a few hundred dollars these businesses could get up in front of a couple of hundred realtors and make themselves known.

Just this week, the listing presentations at the marketing meetings included these listings:

• 4366 Fairlands Drive, Pleasanton, CA
• 552 Old Orchard Drive, Danville, CA
• 401 Wabash Place, Danville
• 1950 Tice Valley Blvd., Walnut Creek, CA
• 200 El Dorado Avenue #8, Danville
• 290 Ludlow Place, San Ramon, CA
• 129 Coralflower Lane, San Ramon
• 1213 Nancy Lane, San Ramon
• 40 Sarah Court, Danville
• 11574 Estrella Court, Dublin, CA
• 8593 Valencia Street, Dublin
• 5664 Paseo Navarro, Pleasanton
• 864 Everglades, Lane, Livermore, CA
• 4094 Cristobal Way, Pleasanton
• 246A Canyon Woods Way, San Ramon
• 4697 Myrtle Drive, Dublin
• 5603 Highcrest Court, Moller Ranch, Pleasanton
• 7020H Stagecoach road, Dublin
• 2756 Turnstone Drive, Pleasanton
• 3843 Appian street, Pleasanton
• 1528 Frederick Michael Street, Livermore
• 4303 Clarinbridge Circle, Dublin Ranch Village
• 2191 Bently Lane, Tracey, CA

I’ll bet at least a couple of these listings could have used one of the services mentioned above.  

We are pleased to count Roy Dronkers of Alain Pinel Realtors as one of our friends and professional real estate associates. Roy is president of the Valley Marketing Association which serves the communities of Pleasanton and Dublin, CA.

Here is a photo of Roy Dronkers appropriately outfitted to lead a Friday session of the VMA. So, far there have only been flowers and kisses thrown but with Pleasanton Realtors, it’s best to be prepared!

Roy has brought new energy and perspective to the VMA with his “posse” of other real estate professionals that serve on the Valley Marketing Association board. Emphasizing education and networking, Roy and the board are revitalizing the VMA.

Roy Dronkers is a member of the following prestigious organizations:

• Certified Residential Specialist (CRS Designation) - Designation held by less than 4% of Realtors Nationwide.
• Member of the National Association of Realtors ®
• Member of the California Association of Realtors ®
• Member of the Bay East Association of Realtors ®
• MLS Committee Service - 2005 to Present
• Vice President Valley Marketing Association - 2003 - 2004
• Vice President Women´s Council of Realtors ® 
• Co-founder & President of Operation C.A.R.E Foundation - Fundraising activity in support or local military families

Roy Dronkers website roydronkers.com

Some of you may be wondering why I would be featuring Roy Dronkers on our website. Well, we like the guy and there is enough business for all of us and I am trying to educate him and the VMA about the value of blogging and taking an active interest in protecting one’s online reputation.

Friday the 13th and it felt like it at the Valley Marketing Association today at Tommy T's in Pleasanton, CA. The VMA is usually rockin' and rollin' but Stephen Bullock, our audio visual specialist was missing so all we had to spark us today was the coffee - it ain't gourmet!

The highlight of the meeting for me was the presentation by the Valley Humane Society. The VHS has a lot happening and they are changing their entire look and branding. Their also raising money for a new building. Hopefully, I'll get more details on this for a future post.

Today's listings included:

4121 Stanley Boulevard, Pleasanton

7116 Cross Creek #D, Dublin

3231 Vineyard Avenue #120, Pleasanton

7821 Oxbowl Lane, Dublin

2629 Fountainhead Drive, Danville

2131 Vineyard Avenue #136, Pleasanton

2588 Wilde Avenue, Pleasanton

3231 Vineyard Avenue #120, Pleasanton

139 Winward Common #1, Livermore

4303 Clarinbridge Circle, Dublin

5105 Watkings Way, Antioch

2951 Penny Lane, Brentwood

2112 Portside Court, Discovery Bay

1050 Amanda Circle, Brentwood

The Harper Team can assist you with the purchase of these or any other properties in the East Bay area. We offer a Buyer's Guarantee and a Client Satisfaction Guarantee. We keep our clients informed as we work to move transactions forward while reducing the hassle-factor and stress for our clients.

Valley Marketing Association meeting today at Tommy T's in Pleasanton, CA. The association is comprised of Realtors, real estate agents, and other professionals associated with the real estate industry.

Today's meeting went smoothly except for someone spilling the beans abut my birthday and me having to stand on stage while a hundred people sang. If you know who ratted me out, let me know and I'll buy lunch!

As with the RMA meeting yesterday in San Ramon, this group from Pleasanton and Dublin, were much relieved to here that sexual offender, Daniel Duran, is behind bars. The bad news is that his bail is said to be around $6K so he may not be there long.

If you looked at our weekly MLS stats today, you know that the Danville market is heating up more than San Ramon, Dublin and Pleasanton. Studying the stats helps to emphasize that there are major differences in community real estate market trends.

Todays new listings included:

• 1089 Wesley Court #6, Walnut Creek
• 7776 Topaz Circle, Dublin
• 40530 Chapel Way, Freemont
• 23031 Kingsford Way, Hayward
• 1599 Oslo Court, Livermore
• 4348 Central Parkway, Dublin
• 1356 Downie Point Drive, Brentwood
• 1636 Holly Circle, Pleasanton
• 4099 Oak Manor Court, Hayward
• 7292 Bedford Way, Dublin
• 7528 Oxford Circle, Dublin

String's Italian Cafe in Livermore, CA is for sale. Located in the Las Positas Center with high traffic exposure on Livermore Avenue and Las Positas. I think Dean Guadani should buy this one.

A special thanks to this month's sponsor: Diversified Capital.

Another beautiful Friday, another high impact Valley Marketing Association meeting in Pleasanton at Tommy T's. Roy and Stephen had the stereo pumping up the volume again today. 

Roy nabbed me at the last minute to sit on a panel to discuss agent etiquette. It seems the number of complaints and or comments we are hearing from around the country about real estate agents' lack of courtesy and etiquette is on the rise. Roy scheduled this panel to bring more awareness to the situation locally as the professionals represented by this association want to raise the bar way above the national or state level.

Just yesterday, I wrote a post over on my Active Rain blog addressing this very thing and the last issue of the Contra Costa Association of Realtors newsletter had a front page article on the topic as well. I slipped Roy $10 for putting me on the panel to encourage him to put me in similar surroundings more often. The ten spot is going into the charity fund.

Today's new listings include:

• 7448 Quartz Circle, Dublin
• 5836 Turnberry Drive, Dublin
• 19873 John Drive, Castro Valley
• 3240-122 Maguire Way, Dublin
• 7036 York Drive, Dublin
• 8133 Arroyo Drive #1, Pleasanton
• 4168 Wells Street, Pleasanton
• 4330 First Street, Pleasanton

 I think everyone present would agree that the highlight of the meetig was Dick Vesperman's listing presentation. Dick brought in a drummer and a pianist and did a great take-off on New York, New York to present his York Drive listing. If real estate doesn't work out for Dick, there is always Las Vegas.