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Going Places
Bring business home by treating special clients to a memorable trip

Posted August 7, 2008

When Leighsa Francis and her husband, Randall, wanted to stand out in the real estate business, they went on vacation—and brought customers with them. The owners of Bend Real Estate Team Inc.  in Bend, Oregon, took a builder and his wife and daughter to Hawaii for a week of fun in the sun. When they sold a house to his cousin, they took his family, too.

"It's a great way to say thank you and build strong relationships through a personal touch," says Leighsa. "The investment you make comes back in spades." Indeed, the Francis's excursion paid off big time: The couple got four referrals from the cousin, and the builder now works with them exclusively.

In a shaky economy when everyone is competing even harder for customers' dollars, it's not just entrepreneurs in real estate who are finding that showing top clients some love can keep them loyal. Companies in all fields are turning to unique trips that wow loyal customers and provide unparalleled bonding opportunities. When football tickets just won't cut it, try one of these trips:

Treat your customers like royalty. You don't have to be a racing fan to appreciate an überluxe trip to the Monaco Grand Prix in Monte Carlo, and Roadtrips Inc. can organize one. There's nothing like hobnobbing with the who's who of European society and enjoying a private tour of Prince Albert's castle to make an impression.
Put your clients on ice—literally. AssuredEvents.com arranges glacial Super Jeep safaris in the Arctic. Be whisked from the airport in Reykjavik, Iceland, to the country's famed Blue Lagoon, renowned for its multiple hot springs, before launching a quad bike tour of the lunarlike landscape. The long weekend concludes with a champagne toast beneath the Northern Lights.
It's easy being green when you book the only Green Certified wine tour in Napa and Sonoma, California, through Wine & Dine Events. Stay in eco-friendly resorts; enjoy green spa treatments; take hands-on cooking classes with slow-food movement chefs, who emphasize quality ingredients and sustainability; and sip vintages from environmentally sensitive wineries.
If you can't swing several grand for each customer, opt for a day trip. A hundred or so each buys a memorable local excursion, like Wanderlust Tours' upscale Dinner Canoe Under the Stars in the Cascade Range in Oregon. Hors d'oeuvres and a gourmet dinner are served on the beach of a mountain lake. Guides then lead a two-hour paddle under the stars. The return includes hot beverages, a campfire and decadent desserts.
—By Andrea C. Poe

Copyright © 2008 Entrepreneur.com, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Low prices, big inventory invite home buyers to Bend, Ore.
Updated 7/28/2008 9:09 PM7/28/2008 9:09 PM | Comments15 | Recommend7    E-mail | Save | Print | Reprints & Permissions | Reprints & Permissions |

By Christine Dugas, USA TODAY
It's a great time to buy a home in Bend, Ore., a popular resort and retirement community.
The median home price peaked at $396,000 in May of 2007 and earlier this year hit a low of $270,000. Now the median price, at $315,000, is still a bargain.

Interest rates also have been fairly low and buyers have a huge selection, says Tom Greene, president of the Central Oregon Association of Realtors.

But not many home buyers have been taking advantage of the lower prices. In fact, home sales in Bend have fallen. That's mostly due to the weak economy and worries that the country might tumble into a recession, Greene says.

"Many people are fearful that they might lose their jobs," he says. And during tough times, he adds, families may hold off on buying a second home for vacations or retirement.



FIND MORE STORIES IN: Bend | Cascade Mountains | Roger Lee
Fortunately, Bend's economy is based on more than just tourism. "That's a bright spot here," Greene says.

Bend has developed a diversified economy, says Roger Lee, executive director of Economic Development for Central Oregon. Although many are small companies, local businesses include health care providers, aircraft manufacturers, alternative energy companies and microbreweries.

"For a decade, the job creation has been in the annual 4% to 5% range, which is phenomenal," Lee says. That has recently dropped to 1% to 2%. "But the fact that there are still people moving here and that we do have job creation going on, that will help us eat up the home inventory that's out there," he says.

Greene predicts that Bend will rebound, because the features that drove up home prices before the housing market collapsed haven't changed. The city is in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains and is a gateway to outdoor sports — from mountain biking and hiking to fishing and white-water rafting. Even those who aren't so energetic, Greene says, like to take scenic drives on Cascade Lakes Highway.

The most expensive


 

Porter and Kelly Burns are selling a chateau-style home built in 2006 on a cul-de-sac in a gated community with 1.2 acres and views of a championship golf course.

Price: $6 million
Bedrooms: 5
Bathrooms: 7 full baths
Size: 10,881 square feet
Features: Eight fireplaces, including a two-sided stone fireplace; basement wine cellar, den, great room, game room, media room, exercise room, large hot tub on a deck adjacent to the master suite, outside terrace with a fire pit and a fountain.

Median-price home



This house, built in 1947, is on the market.

Price: $315,000
Bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms: 1
Size: 1,108 square feet
Features: Gas log fireplace in great room, bamboo flooring, patio, detached garage.