| If you haven't noticed, people like free stuff, a lot. | | | | into. |
| The larger hotel chains, like Marriott and Hilton, among | | | | People get excited when they hear the word "free." |
| others, understand this. They provide "points" for | | | | I know I do. Whether it's buying gas, shopping for |
| free stays through their agreements with the credit | | | | groceries, buying an airline ticket, or traveling out of |
| card companies, the airlines, and other hotel chains. | | | | town; the points earned bring me and millions of |
| It's pretty hard to justify paying for a vacation rental | | | | people like me back for more of the same again and |
| in Hawaii, when you can stay nearby for nothing, | | | | again. |
| even if you have to forgo the vaulted ceilings. | | | | Almost everyone has a credit card of some sort. |
| Business alliances are a powerful tool. The market | | | | Should that be the angle? A part of it needs to be. |
| capitalization and market share of these chains have | | | | The expenses that go into buying just one piece of |
| grown considerably as a result. Since the benefits are | | | | real estate would take months or even years to |
| obvious, then why haven't these alliances been | | | | match by shopping and filling up a car. Why can't |
| fostered amongst the larger realty chains and | | | | someone earn free stays somewhere with their |
| Lenders? | | | | lender or card company, if they just spent $17,000 |
| From a collaboration standpoint, and even with social | | | | on closing costs alone? I don't need to tell you where |
| networking, they're still stuck back in the 1970s' | | | | people tend to go with "free" as an incentive. |
| offering the same things now as they did back then. | | | | The realty companies and lenders need to explore |
| That needs to change. | | | | what incentives like these could mean to their |
| "But," some might argue, The business models of | | | | bottom line. Instead of competing amongst others in |
| these companies are just too different." Maybe, but | | | | their industry, they need to find that niche that brings |
| with credit as the primary medium; it's worth looking | | | | their businesses to the next level too. |