Darryl Green is a broker associate with Carrington Real Estate Services working in Houston.

Every week, we ask a Houston real estate professional for their thoughts on the top three stories from the week before. This week, we spoke with Darryl Green, broker associate with Carrington Real Estate Services.

Houston Agent (HA): Digital marketing has overtaken the industry, but a recent article discusses the ways in which direct mail can still be effective. Do you include direct mail in your marketing campaigns, why or why not?

Darryl Green (DG): Digital marketing has its place in real estate, but direct mail is still highly effective in the industry. There are pros and cons to both methods (i.e. cost effectiveness and return on investment). At first glance, digital marketing seems the obvious choice but when you drill down to the cost and creation of the content, the lines come closer. Many real estate consumers still prefer to get direct mail. I feel that a combination approach is optimum.

HA: A report from the Houston Association of Realtors showed that sales activity in the area was on the rise, but inventory remains low at a 2.8-months supply. Do you expect inventory to remain at these levels, and if so, how will that affect your business?

DG: I think the scenario described above lends itself to a more stable market based on the laws of supply and demand. With the rise in foreclosures, the expectation is a rise in inventory levels. Our platform is so diversified I see no affect in business.

HA: What are some misconceptions buyers and sellers have about real estate agents that you’ve had to deal with in the past?

DG: The biggest misconception about real estate agents is that with the rise in technology, real estate agents are becoming obsolete. Actually, the level of professionalism and education has led to better transaction results for both seller’s and buyer’s.