Aman Daro, vice president of integrated marketing for McGuire Real Estate, based in the San Francisco area, is coming to Real Estate Connect, which runs from Aug. 5-7.
Daro has a background in consumer marketing, is a "self-professed foodie and is obsessed with all forms of technology," according to an online profile. Hear him speak during a "killer Web sites" session at the conference.
He responded to a set of questions posed by Inman News:
What do you see happening in the real estate market in 2009?
In San Francisco, we expect sales to be down about 20 percent year over year, with prices down about 25 percent. In other parts of the Bay Area that have been in a declining market for several years — like Oakland — we expect a bottoming out, with prices down about 50 percent but sales up about 100 percent.
What advice do you have to help real estate agents and brokers get through this market?
Learn where the activity is and follow it. If there are more sales in a particular neighborhood, try to pick up more business there. If the action is in "low end" properties (which is below $750,000 in our region), learn how to get those deals done.
Or what made you join your current company?
McGuire has been around for 90 years, so I can’t claim I started the company. I joined McGuire when it merged with the company I used to work for, Urban Bay Properties, in 2008.
I worked in marketing and advertising for over a decade, and in 2001 I got my real estate license, thinking anyone could make a quick buck in the business. I realized I was a horrible salesperson but a good marketer. I’ve learned my lesson and stuck with marketing ever since.
What’s been your biggest challenge in running the business?
It’s probably the same for most of us: dealing with the economy. We must keep ourselves lean but continue to deliver a high level of support.
Can you share any future plans, goals?
The nice thing about working for McGuire is that while it’s an older company, the management has forward-thinking views. I can’t get too specific, but I can say that we are taking advantage of the "great recession" by finding ways to grow our share, and are prepared for the eventual upswing. And while the market is challenged, we continue to invest in digital marketing initiatives that are impressively cutting-edge.
What lesson did you learn in the last year?
Just when you think you’ve got it all figured out, everything changes.
What would your second career choice be and why?
Architect. I’ve always been impressed with its real-world application of sculptural form and livable function.
What is the biggest problem in the real estate market today, and how would you fix it?
The relationship between the brokerage and agent is essentially broken. While we are all working towards the same goal, there is too much conflict in day-to-day relations (I think @properties has figured this out). If a greater level of trust could be established, both sides would end up with better services, greater collaboration, and ultimately more revenue.
What do you most enjoy about working in the real estate industry?
You’re always learning something new, and no day is like the one before.
Tell us something we don’t already know about you …
I’d rather be wearing jeans and a T-shirt.
See Aman Daro at the Inman News Real Estate Connect conference in San Francisco, which runs from Aug. 5-7.
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