Realtor Has an App for That—But Secret Weapon is His Marketing Aide

As a Realtor in the new millennium, John Goodell has thoroughly embraced technology. Like other agents, his listings come standard with pictures and videos, but he went a step further and branded his own cellphone app.

“People are using their phones more and more for everything,” Goodell said of the free app compatible with iPhone, Blackberry and Android systems. “We wanted people to be able to be driving around in their cars and have something with very up-to-date information.”

A La Mesa resident for 30 years, he works at on Fuerte Drive and says he doesn’t believe in cutting costs when it comes to representing his clients. He estimates he spends as much as 25 percent of his income on marketing.

“If we make a postcard, we want it to be a little bit nicer than our competitors,” said Goodell, a Patch advertiser.

He’s also the first to admit he gets lots of help from marketing manager Drea Rose, who also designed the cellphone app’s cheerful-looking logo.

“She’s my secret weapon,” he said. “Nobody else has a Drea.”