Suddenly Every Real Estate Agent is a Relocation Expert
So, as you can imagine, the announcement of the Hertz Corporation relocation to southwest Florida was big news and immediately imaginary cash registers started ringing in a lot of people’s heads. Naturally, real estate agents with the image of seven hundred employees stampeding to Bonita Springs and Estero sent their hearts all atwitter. The emails have been bouncing around with questions about “how to get in” the Hertz circle, etc. Articles are on both local and national news sources about Hertz and the local businesses that have been catering and advertising to future Hertz relocatees.
The whole thing gives me a fluttery belly … that weird feeling like there is something wrong, like smarmy wrong. There is this panhandler effect that the whole announcement has inspired and I’m really not caring for. Watching the Hertz story unfold is like walking off a cruise ship and hearing a crowd of the locals shouting “lady, braid your hair?”
Here’s my theory about Hertz and all of the local businesses who are trying to braid the employees hair when their ship lands in Bonita Springs – Estero Florida:
The Hertz employees are no different than any other Bonitian or southwest Florida resident who currently lives here and deserves great service, loyalty and to be appreciated for patronage. There, I said it. If you’re a local business owner or work in the service industry, read that last sentence again.
Instead of these businesses farming the crops they currently have they’re more worried about a crop coming sometime in the next year or so. Here’s an idea, even though the announcement that Hertz is moving to the Bonita Springs – Estero Florida area was made and there is business coming, why not hoe the row your in.
It’s summer and the tourists are gone. WE ARE HERE! The “WE” is your bread and butter. WE are here and we can finally get into the restaurants we weren’t able to dine in all winter. WE are finally able to find a parking space at Coconut Point Mall so we can go shopping. WE might be needing local goods and services. WE might want our hair braided, too! Well, not really but you know what I mean.
Let me go out on a limb and suggest that a business worth doing business with will be found by Hertz employees because it’s a good, honest, reputable business, involved in local civic organizations, service organizations and the chamber of commerce. They’ll also have a great social media and have a web presence so the Hertz employees can find them while they’re late night investigating on their iPads.
As far as real estate goes, scrambling and trying to poach employees of Hertz who are likely locked tight in relocation contracts and employer relocation incentives stinks of desperation. Go hoe your row real estate agents. Your crops are going to wither while you’re distracted by Hertz.
And there you have it. My $.02 whether you like it or not.