No, I’m not talking about building an Emerald Isle sound front home or an Atlantic Beach oceanfront cottage. I’m talking about building a Crystal Coast real estate website (or a website in any other location in the country for that matter).

Have You Built an Iowa Corn-fed Website?

If you recall the premise of the 1989 movie Field of Dreams, Iowa corn farmer Ray Kinsella, played by Kevin Costner, hears a voice tell him, “If you build it, he will come.” Well it seems many real estate agents are hearing similar voices these days. Many operate under “a similar” Kinsella-like delusion that they too can build it (a website) and they (home buyers and sellers) will come. Here is the problem – they failed to follow the Kinsella “site principals” to building their “Field of Dreams” website. So why is a “Iowa corn-fed website” so “attractive” as the last scene of the movie depicts and what makes the Kinsella version so successful? Do you see the headlights coming?

It’s a Thing of Beauty!

This may sound really weird but there are few things that compare to the beauty of a manicured baseball diamond. I love the game of baseball on any level. With a ballpark, the grass is always greener, the base paths are perfectly straight and true and the batters box is precision marked with fresh chalk. There is no question where you stand or where you need to run. The infield is completely free of rocks and lumps. Bad “bounces” are all but eliminated from play. Talk about perfect symmetry! The design and the function all seem to work in harmony. The colors are soothing and appeal to all. A well designed, unique real estate website that takes into account the need for solid function offers a “Kinsella” quality to it. On the major league level, every ballpark is unique. The pros know how to design their field of dreams for “the players”, “the fans” and for “the experience!”

The Traffic to the Ballpark Stretched for Miles!

Even the old ballparks like Fenway and Wrigley Field still have great bones. They just need “updating” every now and then to stay current with the times. With Ray’s new field, it was a “throw-back” to days of old and yet it still conveyed a magical, magnetic appeal! The pristine Kinsella farm was the perfect backdrop. The corn fields seemed to “yield” a bountiful harvest and the games were played “under the lights” for all to see. The Iowa landscape was so flat the field could be seen from the distance. The traffic seemed to stretch for miles. Now we know why!

Lessons Learned From Ray Kinsella

There were some qualities about Ray Kinsella I admired. Here are a few we can learn from today.

  • Tenacious – Once Ray had the vision, he never waivered and never ever gave up despite what the naysayers said! Bankers even screamed “property foreclosure!“
  • A Risk-Taker – Ray was willing to give it all up for his field of dreams
  • A Visionary – He could see the field before it was a reality
  • Love for the Game – Ray was totally committed to the game
  • A Great Finisher – Ray understood how to start a project and how to finish successfully
  • A Strong Partner by His Side – Annie Kinsella was Ray’s “Rock” and always believed in him!

What Kinsella Qualities Did You Observe from The Movie Field of Dreams?

Leave a commit and tell us what quality you admired most about Ray, any other character or his field of dreams.

Helping You Build Your Field of Dreams!

Your Crystal Coast Blogger – Bobby