No one can argue that the event went very smoothly. It was painful and could have been handled better. But my guess is everyone has a little trouble getting out of the gate the first time.
True enough, Richard could have hired an event planner, but I believe he is instead trying to build a production company (Trademark Productions) and this was probably that team's first project. And although it was bumpy for us, my guess is that, for them, it served its purpose. Maybe next will be better.
Diversification in business is extremely difficult and the worlds of real estate and production are quite different. I didn’t go to the event to see how great a speaker Richard was or to see how well they put on the event. I recognized that it took Richard 17 years to perfect his real estate model, and yet I was still interested enough to travel to Charleston to hear about it, along with about 2,500 others. I’ll give him some time to prove himself as the head of a production company, but that's not my current interest.
First impressions are important, but that event did not provide anyone that attended a first impression of Richard. We would not have attended if we didn’t know anything about him and Trademark Properties. Their intention was for us to see that Richard and his team were just ordinary, real people. I believe the goal was for everyone to be able to associate and picture themselves as people just like Richard and his team. Then you might recognize that if his model works for them it is likely to work for you too.
As far as the numbers are concerned, I would suggest getting them from an objective source, preferably directly from the Charleston Trident Multiple Listing Service (www.charlestonrealtors.com) and do your own math before you take stock from any other source. I work with numbers all the time as a business consultant so believe me when I tell you how numbers can be spun. I’m not claiming that Trademark’s numbers are correct, and I’m also not claiming that Prudential’s numbers are incorrect (which is the site that was referenced). Little things like being number one in residential sales can be defined in a few ways. Is that as the listing agent only or either side of the transaction? My guess is they could be two different brokers based on how you define it. Number one in Charleston has even more variables. Single family sales, single family and commercial, single family, commercial, condo and townhouse, 2-4 unit, 5+ units? My guess is that Prudential and Trademark have defined number one in two different ways.
It’s easy to be negative, pessimistic and argumentative. It takes effort to be objective, informed and knowledgeable.
It is what it is...As most things in life, it seems the meeting could be viewed as good or bad depending on your views and expectations.
For those who went to this meeting expecting more than you got and are disappointed...what was it "really" you were expecting? I suspect you wanted to find out first hand how good of a businessman Richard is and what he had to offer. Well, at the minimum he showed you how to capitalize on exposure and make $112,000+ in one day with minmal costs, didn't he? I would think that makes him a pretty good businessman and he did exactly what he's always tried to show you to do - maximize a profit with minimal capital & effort. Lesson learned...or should I say reinforced.
And for those of you that were energized by the meeting & orange juice, and assuming you have no inside information of what is to come, but understand what I explained above...just make sure to have a lawyer review all of your contracts.
Much success to all, and remember...freedom of choice is a wonderful thing.
After reading all of these comments, it is obvious that everyone had their own, very specific expectations of what they thought the July 27th event was going to be. The varying expectations seem to explain the different reactions from those who attended.
Maybe my expectations weren't as specific as those of others, but they were more than met by Richard's speech. While I didn't get the specifics of how Richard plans to roll-out Trademark, I felt like I did get something valuable - a feel for how Trademark was created, how is became successful, and how it will likely remain succesful in the future. Richard's speech could be seen as self-indulgent rambling or a blueprint/road map for the building of a successful company - just depends on how you take it.
As for the long wait to get inside and during the state-by-state photographic session - I thought it gave me a great opportunity to meet and talk with some very interesting investors from all over the U.S. and Canada - everyone from seasoned investors to complete novices. I found value in that alone.
smiles – I never claimed Trademark was number, nor did I confirm that Trademark was number one. You claim solid numbers when all you've provided are some marketing comments from competing real estate companies. I don’t consider those solid and you probably don’t either. Those numbers are no better than what Trademark has provided thus far. I don’t have any numbers yet either and you will need to inquire with the local board to get the numbers because they are not publicly available, only through board members. So the board members can spin them any way they want.
Richard has made a claim of number one in Charleston and has promised to provide the numbers that he bases that claim on. It will be sent as part of an information package to those that attended the event.
I'll reiterate my previous comment to get your own numbers if anyone plans to make a decision based on a claim of being number one. Personally that claim is not what I'm interested in. Trademark could be number 20 out of 20, but if his model works and he's willing to share it, I'm willing to listen. I don't produce $100M in sales now but if someone can lay it out, is willing to partner with me to show me how to get there, then I'm interested.
Is there anyone else on this board doing that volume and is willing to show me how? It doesn't need to be in real estate either; I'm willing to learn in any industry.
Most real estate brokerage arrangements are about the individual figuring it out on their own and competing with other agents that are trying to do the same thing. My broker is no different. Agents spend significant amounts of time and money learning different tactics and approaches to being successful in the industry. They begin hiring their own people to help them cover more sales and basically build a business within a business. Eventually some of them make enough money and branch out to start their own brokerage so they can keep more of the commissions and then they start hiring more agents, split the commissions and continue the cycle.
I'm interested in understanding a different way, and I believe that Richard has something different. My broker does about $100M with about 7 offices and about 87 agents. Richard seems to have done it with one office and about 30 agents. I'm interested in understanding the model that produces that level of efficiency. My guess is that most brokers will be very interested in seeing how it works so they can become more efficient and keep more of the money for themselves. They won’t care whether Richard is a good speaker or puts on a good show. It’s all about results and being able to produce them consistently and repeatedly.
That’s what I hope to learn from Richard. I won’t risk money if I’m not comfortable with the approach and the relationship. That might mean that I won’t be an Area Partner with Trademark. Again, I don’t have enough information yet to make that determination.
Like you, I made note of the "System" that he paid over $200,000 to develope. Web based access and by zip code for those that have it. That to me is at the core of what this is all about.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: stevetexas,
I think that your missing a major factor -That "MLS" web link you just posted is a stealth site for Prudential. If you want to talk about credibility go to a neutral site, not Trademark's #1 competitor's site. The facts Richard posted at the event was a legitimate MLS printout. I was in the 3rd row, I could see it just fine. The Prudential site you posted was #2.
I was at the event, and agree with everything that nyray had to say. I think everyone "heard Richard Ramble," but they didn't listen to what he was saying. What I liked about the event was that he was NO DIFFERENT then he was on the show - He told it like it was. I picked up a lot from this event, and look forward to working with the Team in the near future.
OK, you saw richard post or show a slide of a listing that says he's number 1. Well, that MUST be legitimate if he showed it to you (please note the sarcasm). I'm sure I could fabricate something that looked like a real MLS document to show to a crowd of people at an auditorium.
I'd put more validity in a website that stays posted for a while and can be checked out (and subject to complaint or legal action) than a slide or a poster that someone shows you for a few seconds at some speach that he was hawking his investment scheme at.
You haven't insulted me. I just think that if you're going to "investigate" you should go to a credible source. Your whole argument is: "You believe what he put up on that slide show, and you can't believe what he says just because he showed you an MLS printout." But the proof that you're showing is from Prudential's web site, how is that credible? I'm not sure how laws work in the rest of the country, but if my Real Estate office claimed to be #1, and was not, there would be some serious legal repercussions. I doubt that Trademark would "fabricate" an MLS printout to show that they're #1. If he did, and it is public information, he would be caught red handed. He hasn't been caught "fabricating" yet, so until you find a credible source, don't assume.
"You know what they say about assuming, it makes an ASS out of U and ME." -Richard C. Davis.
Very interesting smiles, that your comments seem to be the only ones "approved for posting" on this thread that's about the Trademark event that you didn't go to!? Perhaps you need to get a calculator, having a "presence" in all 50 states in one year doesn't equate to 5000% "growth" in one year. And no, I have no affiliation with Trademark other than attending the event, again, the one that you didn't go to.
I was just wondering, if you think that you and your company is not at some point responsible for the downward spiral of the housing market. You guys take a house and try to make a killing. You are not happy with a 10 or 20% profit, you slap an overwhelming price after you get the house done... a profit is one thing but a killing is another. i wonder if you guys are still selling many houses. The experts say that you and others like you in this business has driven the housing market in a hole. I hope your business goes in a hole. People like you that want to make such a profit, make me sick. I also hope they cancel your show, but at least people that watch now, know that you will stick to anyone that buys your property.....! Thanks for helping to crash the us economy, with your greedy ideas of business. ...
This message has been edited. Last edited by: kim g,
Dear Ms. Pruitt, Thank you for your enlightenment. Could you please explain, so we all understand, the exact difference between making a profit and making a killing? Please use economic theory and SAP (Standard Accounting Principles) in you response to form your argument as I would like to use your position for my dissertation on why many people, such as yourself, are overpaid and should have your salaries reduced accordingly in order not to overburden our fragile economic situation. Thank you for your time. I await your response with high anticipation. Sincerely, mr_low_country
Are you kidding me here??? Richard actually expects people to apply for a partnership via youtube? This has gone to a new level of ridiculous. Maybe "at the end of the day" this is cutting edge and I just missed the train, but this sounds absurd. If I wasn’t convinced before, I am now; TMP is not for me.
I dunno... after watching his video and the previous postings/emails, it kinda sounds like he's shooting from the hip on this one. He doesn't really have anything firmed up as to how he's going to do this. I guess I'll just do a speach and say "give me your money and your time and I'll figure out later how it's going to benefit the both of us". You would have to be a real "rube" to spend any effort at all trying to convince TMP to take you on as a partner without more details/expectations (in writing, I might add.. not via a video on youtube). I know if I were to charge $45 per person for a presentation, I would damn well have my mind made up as to exactly how this partnership would work for both parties (AND, I would put it in writing). I think too many people are blinded by the promise of huge profits and not being prudent here (I know, he didn't promise that, but those of you who are taking this seriously ARE thinking that... aren't you???)
Before anyone commits too much here, I'd suggest you do a google search on Al Parish (another well respected businessman here in Charleston). It may be a foreshadowing of things to come for you.
I was in Charleston on the 27. I have a few questions I would like somebody to answer. (1) Was there ever a book? (2) Where is the information packet? That was supposed to be out the first week. Two emails state that. (3) Do Others feel that Richard does everything seat of the pants? (4) If his bussiness model is so great. Why won't he show it to anybody. (5) Are you still thinking about spending money for a Trademark franchise,area partner?
Even during his youtube advertisement he had to ask Ginger how they were sending it out. "Are we using youtube Giner?" or something to that effect can clearly be heard on the video.
Even during his youtube advertisement he had to ask Ginger how they were sending it out. "Are we using youtube Giner?" or something to that effect can clearly be heard on the video.
quote:
Even during his youtube advertisement he had to ask Ginger how they were sending it out. "Are we using youtube Giner?" or something to that effect can clearly be heard on the video.
Throw up a video of YOURSELF on You Tube. Talk about whatever interests you, post the link here, and we'll critique it for you.
Richard got the "message" out which was the whole idea. It's a new medium. My You Tube back was far from perfect but again, that's not the point. You're getting lost in the weeds here, and so it goes ; )
I think Donald Trump is noted for saying the best, biggest, and etc. I don't think he can back up everything he saids. As far as Richard and company. They make money get things done and move on. Not a bad way to live a life.
Ok wobegon, I'll try to accept you were not alleging fraud, just telling "the buyer to beware" but the reference to Al Parish "in both your posts now" does not seem to back that up. Al Parish ran a pyramid scheme with himself on top - forever - and paid early investors a promised profit with later investors money. We've seen it hundreds of times before and yes, people still fall for the Canadian Lottery from time to time.
I don't know what Trademark is going to roll out, but I don't think Area Partners will relinquish money for a "guaranteed" return ...like the Al Parish' scheme. Area Partners may pay for the use of the Trademark name, with it's now national recognition, or a similar franchise fee - but the ROI will be based on the Area Partner's work ethic not a promised return from Richard. Two completely different scenarios - I'm not sure how you could link them.
Final point, I think Richard built the "flip" side of Trademark with a local investor pool. If I'm right, I think any fraud would have surfaced sometme in the last 15 years.
Like I originally posted - as long as everyone has their attorney check their contracts (as any good business person should)then its a matter of choice as far as what they think the value of the Trademark name is worth and whether they want to pay Richard's asking price. Freedom of choice, Baby!
Never did I even hint that this was a fraud, nor would I ever hint such a thing. TMP has not done anything (in my opinion) that would indicate this. I did however, hint at what a joke this area partnership has turned out to be. I believe the majority of people that invested any sort of time or money to attend the speech are overwhelmingly disappointed with how this has turned out. Just my .02
Well now nitt - you're starting to make some sense. I would suggest that TMP has a very captive audience looking for Area Partnerships.
The "implication" to many in that audience was that coming to Charleston would enlighten them with all the details - instead there was a questionaire. The audience then got a bit smaller.
Now there is a You Tube video to be made to move forward - again the audience gets a bit smaller.
As time goes by - the audience will get smaller.
Maybe Richard wants to narrow down the AP's to people that will explicitly follow his direction, maybe all AP's will have to be employee's of TMP, maybe he's a bit skittish over AP control due to the A&E lawsuit issues, maybe he's not sure of what he wants to do yet and he buying time, maybe he needs to delay the role out for some reason only known to him, maybe all of the above. Who knows?
I would agree that most business savvy persons considering an AP are scratching their heads at this point to say the least. I'm also pretty sure Richard understands this but either doesn't care or something else is directing his actions at this time and he can't really care.
Only time will tell. I hope for the best on the rollout and will let Richard's own words be the judge. As he says "You can put lipstick on a pig...", but then again it could be "Winner, winner..."
My opinion is that anyone who moves forward with this area rollout deserves what they get. If it all works out, then those with the stones to see it through deserve the profits they see. If it turns into a flop as it appears to be now, then those that didn’t have enough common sense to get out deserve to lose what they invested. I am no exception, I chose to make the trip to Charleston for the speech, felt it was a waste of money and time, so I cut ties. No one made me come to Charleston, and the money I spend to learn something did in fact produce some knowledge. Sometimes however, what we want to learn and what we actually learn are two different things. This was the case here; I wanted to learn how to become an area partner, instead I learned I was not interested in being a party to TMP.
Call me crazy but they just sent out their 1st communicaiton since the Charleston Speech on what the next step in the process was on Thursday. How could they have chosen 10 already 2 business days later?
Cartercg and Southernbelle418, where are you getting your info?
Has anyone every received anything in the mail/email promised by Richard about TMP?? When we registered on the website we were promised to be sent full information. The 7/27 meeting was without anything (even his book). At the meeting he promised to send us an email with full info (including the chart we couldn't read). Ginger's follow-up email promised to send us lots of information.
I, for one, have not received anything that was promised to be able to make any reasonable analysis, let alone a decision to pursue a business relationship. Did I just fall out of the information loop, or has no one gotten anything of substance?
At the end of the day, this Area Partner thing has become a joke. The "speech" or rambling was a joke, the format was a joke, the youtube video request is a joke, there has been no book as promised (another joke), there have been write-ups from local news stations about him charging between $50,000 and $150,000 to become a partner (another joke), Ginger has promised us all kinds of information in the mail (another joke), and Richard think his software is the answer to all woes in real estate (another joke).
So really, at the end of the day, if you think Richard knows anything more than how to flip a house, the joke is on you. He's damn good at what he does, but he's bitten off more than he can chew and his credibility towards this whole area partnership thing is a joke. He better quit while he's a ahead or TLC is going to have no choice but to drop him from their line-up. If any of you think that this isn't about the money like he wants us to believe, then there's another joke. Do you think he wants to keep busting his butt when he can franchise his name/business model to people who don't know any better for millions of dollars and retire? Who is just going to give away what he's worked so hard for the past 18 years or whatever and not try to get as much money out of it as he can? Richard is not stupid, but those of you buying into what he's saying/doing, are. Unless you have at least $100,000 laying around to purchase the Trademark name, stop wasting your time. Trust me.
Originally posted by southernbelle418: Tust me when I tell you it's not joke. Yes the 10 people or crews I should say was chosen before the speech because they are filming. The season will be starting soon.
Richard has been up front with everyone with what being a partner means. He said he want's people who is willing to put their own money in. If you are not willing to put your money then no he don't want you nor would any other investor.
You can sit back and talk smack but he already has partners, he is hand picking them. And yes the people he has chosen have been contacted and not just by emails.
To question is not to talk smack. I've read Richard likes people to qestion him on issues.
Here is my question: In the emails we received leading up to the speech in Charleston we were told the first 10 AP's would be selected from the attendees of the meeting....if they were already selected prior to the speech & had deals worked out prior to the speech...then wern't those emails disinginuous at best?
I'll wait for the written specifics on Trademark's AP relationship before deciding to get out the checkbook (or not) and make the next step. All this is fluff until you have it in writing.
If what you say is true and 10 AP's are already picked, primed, and producing - these are Richard's test babies and it may be a while before the AP contracts are ready for national distribution and review.
Here is a statement from the letter that went to everyone that would be attending the meeting in Charleston.
"But I can assure you, and read this very slowly, that the first 10 area partners that I choose in the history of the planet WILL BE PICKED FROM THOSE WHO ATTEND THIS EVENT."
Originally posted by mbrown2626: Here is a statement from the letter that went to everyone that would be attending the meeting in Charleston.
"But I can assure you, and read this very slowly, that the first 10 area partners that I choose in the history of the planet WILL BE PICKED FROM THOSE WHO ATTEND THIS EVENT."
Will be picked, not already have been picked.
If, in fact, Richard had already selected the first 10 partners before the 7/27 meeting, that'd be another example of broken commitments to us. That'd add to the broken commitments to send and email us written material about the program.
Anyone saying that the 10 had already been picked has yet to come up with any sort of back up to that claim. I will take Richards word since he put it in writing and signed his name to it. I have seen nothing to make me believe otherwise.
For those of you waiting on copies of the slides, give me a break. Trademark is a Real Estate company, not Kinko's. If it's that important for you to validate the numbers look them up yourselves. If you take it as a sign of not keeping a promise, don't you think filtering out all the applicants info is more important or would you prefer that be held up over some meaning less MLS numbers?
Being a businessman.. one thing I think is pretty dumb on Davis' part is committing to picking 10 people from the speach audience for his first "partners" or "teams" or tv shows.. whatever (cuz that seems to be up in the air). What if all of the people that showed up are total schmucks and losers? Is he still obligated to pick the 10 "least damaging" for his purposes? No way I would commit to that if my business and reputation were on the line (which his is).
If your a business man, you must learn how to spell speech. S-P-E-E-C-H. You lose a lot of credibility when you can't spell words correctly.
Richard's not committed himself to anything, nor is he obligated to pick anyone that attended, or sent a video. I won't get specific on any one video that I saw, but if I was Richard, I would've thrown out about 85% of the videos that I saw on Youtube.
Also, don't forget how inundated they are will BS emails, and phone calls from people: "When are you going to pick people?!" They still have a real estate business to run, and are trying to get their ducks in a row with "the rollout." I don't think that people bombarding them with crap is helping the process.
mbrown2626, my post has nothing to do with receiving a slide copy or a book order form -- those are trivial. This has everything to do with not receiving the PROMISED substantive information about a business venture serious people are interested in.
I wasn't joking about integrity, and I guess we may have to agree to disagree on what integrity entails.
To me, one important element of someone with integrity is that they consistently uphold their commitments to others. In TMP's case it's clear they always haven't, at least with regard to the promises made regarding providing interested persons with information about TMP.
We signed up on their website (and gave them confidential information about our personal financial resources) relying on the site's commitment to promptly send us information on the rights to our area. Never happened. During Richard's speech he repeatedly said he would send us detailed information in the next few days. Never happened. Ginger's follow-up email promised us detailed info that week, and further promised we'd get "lots of follow-up and info". Never happened.
Now, maybe in your book such broken commitments are not indicative of some sense of diminished integrity, and you feel just fine about working with people and/or having friends who don't uphold their commitments to you, even though you're upholding your side of things. But, not me.
You're obviously taking this failure to provide us with promised information much less seriously than I, particularly when you equate it to someone not returning an email. I never return spam email, but if I've promised a business associate, neighbor, etc. that I'll reply to his email within a certain time, I'll do it. You see, the difference here is that commitments were made, but not kept.
I hope this is all growing pains for Richard and TMP and that they can soon keep their prior promises to us. I, for one, can forgive them for being (or appearing to be) somewhat over their heads right now. But, my patience is getting pretty thin.
To give TMP and Richard the benefit of the doubt, this guy MAY have filed for the corporation himself, and it may have nothing to do with Richard/TMP. So, this may not mean this guy is an area partner. It just may mean he's trying to show Richard how aggessive he is in attempting to become an area partner by locking up the name.
Google the website for the lawyers (spiegel & utrera). At least based on their website (establishing a Florida corp on line for $100.00), that may not be the type of firm Richard would be engaging for his national roll-out of a substantive national real estate company.
As much as I would like to debunk Richard, and I got to admit that I found Dissapointedap’s post quite juicy, I have to agree with tmpinterested. All George Lambro had to do was pay $99 to set up an LLC. (For all those posters who say I don’t do my homework and especially those that personally attacked me, Ah but I do – everytime. And I stand by my assessment that Richard is not completely honest. So to those posters, you know who you are, go ahead and attack me on this one.)
Trademark Properties is a common name for many corporations. I did a search based on the states that Richard wanted to get into in 2005 based on this article:
The database for Florida is offline until Monday so further details cannot be found on that site until then. I was unable to find public records for the other states in the article: New Jersey, Vermont, Virginia, and Wyoming.
Granted, a lot of these formed within the last couple of years, but they may have watched FTH or Real Estate Pros and wanted to profit off the name. It doesn't show any relationship with Richard. It doesn’t look like Richard has the name trademarked in all 50 states. And how is he going to use his name in states where others have it trademarked, who knows?
Unfortunately, this juicy tidbit turns out to be exactly what we get from Richard, a bunch of hot air.
It doesn’t look like Richard has the name trademarked in all 50 states. And how is he going to use his name in states where others have it trademarked, who knows?
- Yes "Trademark" is a very common business name across the US. Most likely cannot trademark "Trademark".
- Would be an interesting email response to read...if Ginger replies. Whether they already picked the 10 or not is ok with me - I'm still waiting for the partnership details. It may be that we have to wait until we're called - one by one - to get the info. I hope not as it sure would be nice to have it, read it, and digest it in order to make an informed decision.
Has anyone seen anything in writing yet or received any new emails, had their phone calls returned, etc. etc.?
Haven't received anything. I (as have a couple friends) have made repeated email requests to Richard and/or Ginger to send the promised information. We got not even the courtesy of a response, let alone the promised information. As Ginger's blanket email said soliciting the Youtube films, they apparently (for whatever reason) don't want to trust the written word!! Maybe they just don't have their act together yet. Maybe they don't even know how they'll structure this. Maybe they don't even know what prerequisites they seek in potential area partners. If not, at least they could fess up and tell us that. At least that's something we can potentially have some understanding for. But, at this point, their total silence is just suspicious. What a joke.
What is it with Richard and his fears of the written word? If only he had gotten a written contract with A&E (instead of an alledged oral one) he probably wouldn't be going through an expensive time-consuming law suit with them (at least according to the legal documents posted on flipthislawsuit.com) and would still have a great popular A&E show.
What sort of responsible business person would enter into something as significant as a TV show production deal based only on oral conversations without a written contract? You think he would have learned from that expensive mistake.
