We made it through a hurricane over the weekend and as far as I can see we actually fared well. We did have a lot of power outages and trees down and there was some damage to homes and businesses. In general though I know it could have been a lot worse. With all the news coverage before the storm predicting the worst hurricane in years and years, we need to be thankful it only did the damage that it did.
Now as great real estate agents we all need to get on the phone or out in the community and see what we can do for our past clients. In a lot of cases we may be the only people our clients know with connections into the business which they might need to do the repairs. Construction, insurance, yard work, fence building etc. As agents we should have many contacts that our clients will find useful, there is no better time than now to contact past clients to see how we can be of help.
As we all know prospecting and calling our sphere is one of those tedious activities which we always put off, well we have a GREAT reason to be on the phone contacting our sphere right now. Our clients need us even if they don't know it themselves. We might have clients out there who are still without power and who can not get hold of us. Go see them, contact them and see what they need. I can assure you that they need a friend, and there is no better feeling than knowing there are people out there who care.
While you are doing this as an act of kindness and caring, I can assure you it will go a long long way in the long run. Your clients will remember how you helped them when it comes time for them to make a move sometime down the road. Keeping clients for life is the name of the game in real estate. In order to do this you must show how much you care. You know what they say, " people don't care what you know until they know how much you care." Now is the time for caring on our parts.
Be there for you customers, show them you care and you will be rewarded down the line when it is time for them to show you how much they care!
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Team Work
Team work is a wonderful thing. It is funny because we work in a business that is mostly about the success of the individual, however, it seems that it always takes a strong team surrounding those who excel. As an avid bike rider and one of the only people in the world who actually watches the three week long Tour De France bike race on TV, I can tell you for sure that without a team the single individual winner would not have won. I have been watching this event ever since I was a kid and it is always the case the rider with the best supporting team will win.
This year was no exception and in fact it truly demonstrated the need for a team. The eventual winner was the guy who had team support the entire 3 weeks and 2600 miles. He was the most consistent rider, never being to overly aggressive and yet never allowing his competitors to jump to far ahead. He plugged away every day solid on his bike, allowing his team to do their jobs and ride for him and with him. Every day when the end was near the team leader was able to have the strength remaining to finish off the stage. If he did not have the support of his team for the entire stage and for each and every stage he could not have had the strength in the end to stay in contact with all the competitors. In fact he had finished second on two different occasions, both times his team was not strong enough to support his efforts and he knew it.
He is not the "best" climber or the "best" sprinter, in fact he might not even be considered the "best" rider overall, but he did have the "best" team support for the entire three weeks and thus finished in Paris on top of the podium as the winner, and in my mind as the"BEST" rider and the one who should have won and who deserved to win. While he was overwhelmed with winning, this quiet Australian could not thank his team enough. He was all smiles and proud of his own individual accomplishment of finally winning the tour after 10 years of trying, but he did not take the credit, he gave that to his TEAM. I am sure that he trained the hardest and worked the longest. He studied the course the most and knew the competition the best but even with all that he knew if it were not for the other 8 riders on his team he would not have won.
Real estate is no different. The top agents always have the top supporting cast, being a top agent is one thing but being the "Best" agent is quite another. The best agents know that without the support of many many people on their respective teams they wouldn't be the best. At the end of the year when the awards get handed out, it is interesting to see who thanks whom. It takes the truly best agents, the ones with true character to know that they have achieved such high heights only with the help of the other agents in their offices and on their teams. Being in an office which is about TEAM WORK makes all the difference int he world.
Coming to work every day and seeing my agents slap each other on the back, help each other out whenever needed, going out of the way to ensure everyone succeeds makes me proud to be part of the team. Each agent striving to reach their own individual success, yet knowing all along that without each other they can only climb so high. With each other and with the team the sky is the limit. Coldwell Banker Fountain Realty is a fabulous team, we talk about team work, we practice team work and we are good at team work. We strive to be the "BEST" team in order to have the "BEST agents.
Friday, July 15, 2011
Work should be fun
I get great pleasure from seeing the people I work with enjoy their jobs. It makes me want to come to work every day when the team around me wants to do the same. I suppose it helps that we live and work in an area where real estate is still being bought and sold daily. Regardless of the circumstances, my desire to come to work and be part of a team is enhanced by those who surround me.
It is like a breath of fresh air to have a team made up of people who are energetic and eager to learn, try new things and even try old things that they have forgotten about. It is funny because even this old dog is learning new tricks. I have found my time in Jacksonville has thus far been simply a blast. Prior to moving here I was a bit apprehensive after being in the Triad for 23 years. My apprehension has proven to be misplaced.
I am here to report it all worked out very well. Our team is made up of agents and staff from all over the United States, all age groups, new agents and seasoned ones and a great knowledge base. We seem to all learn from each other. This is a fun environment to both lead in and to be part of. I have not heard even once that someone wasn't at least going to try a new idea.
One of the best things about a real estate career is that you can learn something new each and every day. No two transactions are the same, once you think you have it figured something new pops its head up. I encourage anyone to give real estate a try. It is hard work, and it is a career which pays you totally by the amount of work you put into it. It takes self motivation, self desire, a great attitude and the ability to hold yourself accountable. If you have all those traits there is no reason you can not be a huge success.
We at CB Fountain don't have the largest team in town but we do have the best team in town. It is a pleasure to work here and a joy to come to work every day. If you are thinking about a move give us a call. Come talk to me about the many benefits of our team. Come think out of the box with Coldwell Banker Fountain Realty.
It is like a breath of fresh air to have a team made up of people who are energetic and eager to learn, try new things and even try old things that they have forgotten about. It is funny because even this old dog is learning new tricks. I have found my time in Jacksonville has thus far been simply a blast. Prior to moving here I was a bit apprehensive after being in the Triad for 23 years. My apprehension has proven to be misplaced.
I am here to report it all worked out very well. Our team is made up of agents and staff from all over the United States, all age groups, new agents and seasoned ones and a great knowledge base. We seem to all learn from each other. This is a fun environment to both lead in and to be part of. I have not heard even once that someone wasn't at least going to try a new idea.
One of the best things about a real estate career is that you can learn something new each and every day. No two transactions are the same, once you think you have it figured something new pops its head up. I encourage anyone to give real estate a try. It is hard work, and it is a career which pays you totally by the amount of work you put into it. It takes self motivation, self desire, a great attitude and the ability to hold yourself accountable. If you have all those traits there is no reason you can not be a huge success.
We at CB Fountain don't have the largest team in town but we do have the best team in town. It is a pleasure to work here and a joy to come to work every day. If you are thinking about a move give us a call. Come talk to me about the many benefits of our team. Come think out of the box with Coldwell Banker Fountain Realty.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Put a Smile on your face
Most of us have to go to work every day, so there are two ways to look at it. 1) "oh my god another day at work", or 2) "hey I get to go to work today". In the real estate business we deal with the public every day. In addition we deal with them in a stressful time. Moving can be both very stressful and very emotional for our clients, it seems to me that part of our job is to make the best effort we can to take the stress level down and raise the fun level in all our transactions. We need to go out of our way to have a HAPPY FACE :) :) on each and every day.
If it is fun at your office it will make our jobs much easier and certainly it will make the clients feel much more at ease with their decisions to either buy or sell a home. Work should be the place we go every morning with a big smile on our face and with an attitude to have fun and to spread the joy. It might sound a little sappy, but to me it makes perfect sense. Second only to family time we spend more time at work than any other thing we do, we might as well enjoy the time we spend there.
As Realtors we spend more time working than in most other occupations because we need to conform our schedules to those of our clients. We work evenings, weekends, holidays etc. The good news is we choose to do this so we should enjoy it. No one forced us to become Realtors, as a matter of fact we spent a great deal of time, effort and money to become agents. No one to blame but ourselves. Even with the scheduling issues we run into from time to time, our job allows us to spend time with our families that others can not. We can schedule time during the "normal work day" to spend as we choose. So make the most of the time we spend at work, be happy about your job. Be proud that we help clients through stressful times.
Come to work and have a blast. If you are having fun you will find that your clients will have more fun. More fun for them means less headaches for you. It is well worth the effort to SMILE each and every day.
If it is fun at your office it will make our jobs much easier and certainly it will make the clients feel much more at ease with their decisions to either buy or sell a home. Work should be the place we go every morning with a big smile on our face and with an attitude to have fun and to spread the joy. It might sound a little sappy, but to me it makes perfect sense. Second only to family time we spend more time at work than any other thing we do, we might as well enjoy the time we spend there.
As Realtors we spend more time working than in most other occupations because we need to conform our schedules to those of our clients. We work evenings, weekends, holidays etc. The good news is we choose to do this so we should enjoy it. No one forced us to become Realtors, as a matter of fact we spent a great deal of time, effort and money to become agents. No one to blame but ourselves. Even with the scheduling issues we run into from time to time, our job allows us to spend time with our families that others can not. We can schedule time during the "normal work day" to spend as we choose. So make the most of the time we spend at work, be happy about your job. Be proud that we help clients through stressful times.
Come to work and have a blast. If you are having fun you will find that your clients will have more fun. More fun for them means less headaches for you. It is well worth the effort to SMILE each and every day.
Friday, May 20, 2011
What a great team- Coldwell Banker Fountain Realty
Wow what a great team I am with in Jacksonville, NC. Having been here for 3 weeks now I have had the chance to meet and work with everyone for a while. I am so impressed with the level of energy, knowledge and drive. Every agent at Coldwell Banker Fountain Realty is positive, eager to learn and to do business.
We have agents who have been in the business for 20 plus years and agents who have come into the business less than a year ago, what is great is that they all are open to new ideas, as well as tweaking the old ideas. You do not always have to re-invent the wheel to get better, sometimes a simple little change or an addition to an old tried and proven idea will give it that extra little push that was needed. I am proud of the way everyone here at Fountain Realty has been open to any and all suggestions.
In the past 2 weeks we have had 2 new additions to the team who have fit right into the group and have hit the ground running. I like to see the go get em attitude, I like to see the high spirit and drive to succeed. I have talked in the past about Attitude and how important it is to be in charge of your own attitude, well it seems that every agent at Coldwell Banker Fountain is in control of their attitudes. This is sure a smiling and happy bunch. We like to have fun and like to get the job done!
Coldwell Banker is a great brand, it is nationally known. So when you add a team like ours at Coldwell Banker Fountain Realty the consumer really can not go wrong, and additionally any agent who joins our team can't go wrong either. Our management team cares about our team. We support them in every way that we can. We realize that keeping our agents happy is also keeping them productive. Come on over and check us out. I am happy to talk with any agent who is considering a change.
We have agents who have been in the business for 20 plus years and agents who have come into the business less than a year ago, what is great is that they all are open to new ideas, as well as tweaking the old ideas. You do not always have to re-invent the wheel to get better, sometimes a simple little change or an addition to an old tried and proven idea will give it that extra little push that was needed. I am proud of the way everyone here at Fountain Realty has been open to any and all suggestions.
In the past 2 weeks we have had 2 new additions to the team who have fit right into the group and have hit the ground running. I like to see the go get em attitude, I like to see the high spirit and drive to succeed. I have talked in the past about Attitude and how important it is to be in charge of your own attitude, well it seems that every agent at Coldwell Banker Fountain is in control of their attitudes. This is sure a smiling and happy bunch. We like to have fun and like to get the job done!
Coldwell Banker is a great brand, it is nationally known. So when you add a team like ours at Coldwell Banker Fountain Realty the consumer really can not go wrong, and additionally any agent who joins our team can't go wrong either. Our management team cares about our team. We support them in every way that we can. We realize that keeping our agents happy is also keeping them productive. Come on over and check us out. I am happy to talk with any agent who is considering a change.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
The new step
Well it has been a while since I posted last. I have made a big move from the Triad of NC to the coast of NC. I am now the sales manager with Coldwell Banker Fountain Realty in Jacksonville, NC. It was a tough decision to leave the Winston-Salem/Kernersville area after almost 24 years, but the time was right the opportunity was right and I jumped to take advantage of it.
I have been here for a week now and have been meeting the Team at Coldwell Banker Fountain. What a great team it is, we have 17 agents all of whom are productive, eager and ready to serve the community. It is refreshing to meet such great people with great attitudes and a desire to get the job done. Business in Jacksonville is hot. New construction everywhere, resales are selling and rentals are flying. I couldn't be happier to be part of the team.
It is essential for any team to have a go get em attitude. We at Fountain Realty want to help our clients find the perfect home. With the inventory of homes on the market we are able to find that perfect fit for any client. I had the pleasure of working with two of our agents prior to my move. I was able to find the perfect home for myself. The job got done and got done quickly. I was able to find a home and close in less than 20 days. This might not be the norm but it is possible. Thanks to the team of Realtors, mortgage advisers, insurance people, builders etc. for making the move as easy as possible.
As I move into my new position I will be working with the agents on training, problem solving, new technology and out of the box thinking. I want to help enhance the already great job the agents at Coldwell Banker Fountain do. Anything that can be done to make the agents job easier will in turn make the buyers and sellers experience a better one.
Follow me on my blog and learn what is new and exciting in the Jacksonville real estate market. I will try to post thoughts and ideas which can help agents do their jobs more easily and more effectively. Feel free to comment and have discussions on anything real estate related.
In closing today, I want to thank all my friends at Coldwell Banker Triad Realtors for the many great years I had there, and thanks for the wonderful training you gave me. I will take everything I have learned over the years and put it to use as I venture into this new phase. I also want to say how happy I am to be part of my new Coldwell Banker Fountain Realty team in Jacksonville. The SKY is the LIMIT.
I have been here for a week now and have been meeting the Team at Coldwell Banker Fountain. What a great team it is, we have 17 agents all of whom are productive, eager and ready to serve the community. It is refreshing to meet such great people with great attitudes and a desire to get the job done. Business in Jacksonville is hot. New construction everywhere, resales are selling and rentals are flying. I couldn't be happier to be part of the team.
It is essential for any team to have a go get em attitude. We at Fountain Realty want to help our clients find the perfect home. With the inventory of homes on the market we are able to find that perfect fit for any client. I had the pleasure of working with two of our agents prior to my move. I was able to find the perfect home for myself. The job got done and got done quickly. I was able to find a home and close in less than 20 days. This might not be the norm but it is possible. Thanks to the team of Realtors, mortgage advisers, insurance people, builders etc. for making the move as easy as possible.
As I move into my new position I will be working with the agents on training, problem solving, new technology and out of the box thinking. I want to help enhance the already great job the agents at Coldwell Banker Fountain do. Anything that can be done to make the agents job easier will in turn make the buyers and sellers experience a better one.
Follow me on my blog and learn what is new and exciting in the Jacksonville real estate market. I will try to post thoughts and ideas which can help agents do their jobs more easily and more effectively. Feel free to comment and have discussions on anything real estate related.
In closing today, I want to thank all my friends at Coldwell Banker Triad Realtors for the many great years I had there, and thanks for the wonderful training you gave me. I will take everything I have learned over the years and put it to use as I venture into this new phase. I also want to say how happy I am to be part of my new Coldwell Banker Fountain Realty team in Jacksonville. The SKY is the LIMIT.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Let's get it going
Well this past weekend was the Home sweet home weekend in Kernersville. It is an open house event which is put on by the Chamber of Commerce in Kernersville. We had over 100 homes open for viewing from 2-5 pm on Sunday. Not sure of the count yet but in past years we have had over 1500 people come through. I had 3 very interested buyers come into the home I was in and have heard reports of homes which had up to 70 visitors. I wish I was in the house with 70! Either way I think realtor participation was high as was the participation from the buyers.
These are all a good signs to me that the market is getting a bit stronger. Over the past few years we have seen a decrease of over 30% in home values, and have had a huge inventory of homes on the market with days on the market averages between 13 and 36 months depending on the price category. From what I am seeing in the local market over the past month or so is that things may just be turning a bit as buyers are back on the street.
The Triad is still struggling with unemployment over 10% so as the market does strengthen it will be a gradual improvement. That being said, I will take it. Any push in a positive direction is a good push for me. A large part of any improvement in the market will be based on peoples perception of the market so on a daily basis I try to find the good things to focus on rather than the doom and gloom. I am sure we are about to turn things around.
Over the past 3 months I have visited many properties which are for sale, I can tell you that there are plenty of homes out there which are priced right and in really really good condition. As I have said before in prior post, NOW IS THE TIME TO BUY! Low interest rates, lots of inventory to select from, prices as good as they can get. Buyers need to know all about it and it is our job to let them know.
Spend some time connecting with your sphere of influence. Call that client who bought a home 5 to 10 years ago. Who knows, tell them it's time to buy, drum up some business. It will have a ripple effect on everything. If you get a new client to buy a home and maybe sell one as well, you have helped the market improve. Maybe they have a friend to refer to you as well. Every little bit counts, let's all get out there and make the connections today and get this thing back on track. We are almost there I will try to do my part in kick starting it again, will you do the same?
These are all a good signs to me that the market is getting a bit stronger. Over the past few years we have seen a decrease of over 30% in home values, and have had a huge inventory of homes on the market with days on the market averages between 13 and 36 months depending on the price category. From what I am seeing in the local market over the past month or so is that things may just be turning a bit as buyers are back on the street.
The Triad is still struggling with unemployment over 10% so as the market does strengthen it will be a gradual improvement. That being said, I will take it. Any push in a positive direction is a good push for me. A large part of any improvement in the market will be based on peoples perception of the market so on a daily basis I try to find the good things to focus on rather than the doom and gloom. I am sure we are about to turn things around.
Over the past 3 months I have visited many properties which are for sale, I can tell you that there are plenty of homes out there which are priced right and in really really good condition. As I have said before in prior post, NOW IS THE TIME TO BUY! Low interest rates, lots of inventory to select from, prices as good as they can get. Buyers need to know all about it and it is our job to let them know.
Spend some time connecting with your sphere of influence. Call that client who bought a home 5 to 10 years ago. Who knows, tell them it's time to buy, drum up some business. It will have a ripple effect on everything. If you get a new client to buy a home and maybe sell one as well, you have helped the market improve. Maybe they have a friend to refer to you as well. Every little bit counts, let's all get out there and make the connections today and get this thing back on track. We are almost there I will try to do my part in kick starting it again, will you do the same?
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Gas is high find out the real needs of your clients
It has been a while since I have posted anything so I figured it was time. February is gone and it is starting to get nice out. People are back looking for homes, interest rates are still low as are housing prices. The time is right for buyers to make a move. In fact I am showing houses to two people coming from New York tomorrow. Being the transplanted New Yorker (24 Years) that I am, I will put on my best ex New York face and accent and get out there and show them around. It is always fun to show houses here to people from up north because they seem amazed at what they can buy as compared to in NY.
My fingers are crossed and my thinking cap is on as I look for appropriate homes to show them. I just love all the tools we have which make the process of finding homes to show simple. Listing book is a great tool but I find a lot of agents use it as a crutch rather than a tool to help find the right house. You can not just tell someone to use listing book and find some houses to see. If you do that you will end up with a list a mile long with houses stretched out over miles and miles of roads. With gas at $3.40 a gallon that does not make any sense. We agents need to dig deep to find out the needs of our clients and then lead the search for homes. Now more than ever we need to have serious conversations with clients to find the true needs of our clients and the true benefits that they are looking for in a house. Remembering all the time that features do not equal benefits. Once we have done a good job in discovery we can come up with a handful of homes to show the buyers. If we have done a good job up front we should be able to narrow the search quite a bit.
If everything works according to plan there will be at least one offer written by Monday afternoon. With zipforms on line and docusign I will be able to write the offer and have it signed electronically even with my clients back in NY. Wow technology is great.
On another note I wanted to let everyone know about an event in Kernersville on March 20th. The Kernersville Chamber is sponsoring the Home Sweet Homes for all real estate companies on 3/20. This is a huge open house event where there will be well over 100 homes being held open. Last year we had more than 1500 buyers come through and look at houses and this year the event is even bigger. I am sure we will have a lot of our listing go under contract. Please let your buyers know about it and send them out to look in the Kernersville area on the 20th. All of the Coldwell Banker listings will be in the Winston Paper that day and there will be a map and list of all the open houses in the Kernersville paper the week of the event. I hope to see you out and about on the 20th.
My fingers are crossed and my thinking cap is on as I look for appropriate homes to show them. I just love all the tools we have which make the process of finding homes to show simple. Listing book is a great tool but I find a lot of agents use it as a crutch rather than a tool to help find the right house. You can not just tell someone to use listing book and find some houses to see. If you do that you will end up with a list a mile long with houses stretched out over miles and miles of roads. With gas at $3.40 a gallon that does not make any sense. We agents need to dig deep to find out the needs of our clients and then lead the search for homes. Now more than ever we need to have serious conversations with clients to find the true needs of our clients and the true benefits that they are looking for in a house. Remembering all the time that features do not equal benefits. Once we have done a good job in discovery we can come up with a handful of homes to show the buyers. If we have done a good job up front we should be able to narrow the search quite a bit.
If everything works according to plan there will be at least one offer written by Monday afternoon. With zipforms on line and docusign I will be able to write the offer and have it signed electronically even with my clients back in NY. Wow technology is great.
On another note I wanted to let everyone know about an event in Kernersville on March 20th. The Kernersville Chamber is sponsoring the Home Sweet Homes for all real estate companies on 3/20. This is a huge open house event where there will be well over 100 homes being held open. Last year we had more than 1500 buyers come through and look at houses and this year the event is even bigger. I am sure we will have a lot of our listing go under contract. Please let your buyers know about it and send them out to look in the Kernersville area on the 20th. All of the Coldwell Banker listings will be in the Winston Paper that day and there will be a map and list of all the open houses in the Kernersville paper the week of the event. I hope to see you out and about on the 20th.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Is Spring in the air? Is Spring in the market?
I don't know about any of you but I am tired of cold and snow. It is time to get back outside and show some homes. Time for buyers to be out buying and sellers to be out selling. With good southern weather just around the corner, it is also time for we realtors to get back in shape and get on the ball. I was out showing houses yesterday and it really made me want spring to arrive SOON! I know we are still in for some more winter, but the spring feeling is in the air.
The upcoming weekend is filled with a Saturday of showings and a Sunday of holding a neighborhood open at Weatherstone in Kernersville. Come on out and take a look around, or just come by to say hello. I will be there Sunday from 1-5. My fingers are crossed for sunshine and great traffic.
With interest rates still LOW LOW LOW and the sun shining I am sure something will sell. When talking to other agents I am constantly getting feedback that things are picking up! This is the exact opposite from a year ago and is good news to my ears and I am sure it is to yours as well. If you are an agent and you have not been doing opportunity time, open houses, cold calling and everything else you can do to dig up leads, now is the time to dust off the rust and get back into the game. The best way to turn the economy around is hard work, great advertising and a conscious effort to be up beat.
When a prospective buyer or seller asks about the market tell them the good news. I am a believer in makings ones own fate. Know the statistics and know the market. In 2010 while there still was a decrease in units sold, the decrease over 2009 was only down 5.1% as compared to an 18.4% decrease 2009 over 2008. Michael Clapp sees this as a possible indicator that the decline in the sales volume could be bottoming out. The number of new listings increased 4.1% so homes will be on the market for a longer than average amount of time but that adds up to better deals for the buyers. Average sales price for 2010 was up .8% to $158,389 which could indicate sales prices might be about to stabilize. While The Clapp report tells us that there is no clear trend as of yet, some of these indicators are heading in the right direction.
This all adds up to something positive to tell your clients. If you can get both your buyers and sellers to think positively it will help everyone. It all starts at the source, we agents need to be prepared with facts and be able to present them in the best light we can. If we have a wintery tone in our voices it will be passed on to the consumers. Just like I said in my last post, wake up in the morning with a smile on your face and greet the world with a good attitude. You will be amazed how far that will go to turn everything around.
The upcoming weekend is filled with a Saturday of showings and a Sunday of holding a neighborhood open at Weatherstone in Kernersville. Come on out and take a look around, or just come by to say hello. I will be there Sunday from 1-5. My fingers are crossed for sunshine and great traffic.
With interest rates still LOW LOW LOW and the sun shining I am sure something will sell. When talking to other agents I am constantly getting feedback that things are picking up! This is the exact opposite from a year ago and is good news to my ears and I am sure it is to yours as well. If you are an agent and you have not been doing opportunity time, open houses, cold calling and everything else you can do to dig up leads, now is the time to dust off the rust and get back into the game. The best way to turn the economy around is hard work, great advertising and a conscious effort to be up beat.
When a prospective buyer or seller asks about the market tell them the good news. I am a believer in makings ones own fate. Know the statistics and know the market. In 2010 while there still was a decrease in units sold, the decrease over 2009 was only down 5.1% as compared to an 18.4% decrease 2009 over 2008. Michael Clapp sees this as a possible indicator that the decline in the sales volume could be bottoming out. The number of new listings increased 4.1% so homes will be on the market for a longer than average amount of time but that adds up to better deals for the buyers. Average sales price for 2010 was up .8% to $158,389 which could indicate sales prices might be about to stabilize. While The Clapp report tells us that there is no clear trend as of yet, some of these indicators are heading in the right direction.
This all adds up to something positive to tell your clients. If you can get both your buyers and sellers to think positively it will help everyone. It all starts at the source, we agents need to be prepared with facts and be able to present them in the best light we can. If we have a wintery tone in our voices it will be passed on to the consumers. Just like I said in my last post, wake up in the morning with a smile on your face and greet the world with a good attitude. You will be amazed how far that will go to turn everything around.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
What's it all about? "ATTITUDE"
Today I woke up, jumped out of bed, walked the dog and tried to wake my son up to go to school. He got up but was dragging as I suppose most seniors in high school do. It struck me that he needs to get an attitude adjustment. Not the kinds I can provide, or in his eyes (YELL at him), but rather one that only he can do for himself.
This entry is not about my son nor is it about the overwhelming hardships of being an 18 year old (I say in jest). This entry is about attitude. If there is one thing in life that a sales person should own it's his or her own attitude. Actually we all do own our attitudes but not many of us understand that we control it as well. I try every day to have a good attitude about things. I wake up and am in a good mood, I am optimistic, some even say over optimistic, I am smiling and ready to go. I see each day as a new challenge and one which I want to be in control of the situations which are ahead of me.
My mother told me once that I was her only child who always woke up in a good mood. While I don't really remember that it was a nice thing to hear. After reading the book "FISH" by Stephen C. Lundin about 10-12 years ago I have made a conscious effort to own my attitude and face the challenges of the day with a smile on my face. It is so much easier to work through issues when you are in a good mood. When you realize that you can only control certain things, and as such only try to control those things, the rest of the marbles will fall as they may.
In sales it is so important to try to stay even keeled. Look at each step as an opportunity to excel rather than a problem to fix. Attitude is a state of mind and once you start to think with a "smile on your face" you will find that you are indeed in control of your own attitude. I had a talk with an agent in my office this morning and she wanted some advice on setting goals and how to reach her objectives. What struck me was that she really had good intentions and good ideas however, I thought that she needed to change her entire attitude about it.
When telling me her goals and objectives she kept using words like "I want to", I think", "I might be able to" and so on. She did have some goals in mind but what she needed to do was change the entire way she talked about them. Instead of "I want to" how about "I Will" or "I am going to," change one word and change the entire meaning. Her initial thoughts were by no means negative, in fact she was quite positive about her ideas, but instead of committing to them she was hedging on them by saying and THINKING she only just wanted them or might be able to attain them.
Thinking like that is not owning your attitude, it is setting yourself up for a nice easy landing should you fail to reach your objective. It is ok in my opinion to fall short on a goal as long as you did everything you could do in order to succeed, and as long as you own it and can accept it was your own fault that you failed. Once you accept its your own fault you can actually do something about it to achieve the next time around. Goals need to be set high, in fact setting a goal at a bar low enough that you know you will succeed is not setting a goal at all. It is simply stating the obvious and takes no initiative what so ever. Set those goals high and strive to reach them. Own the issues, and own the successes, and you will own your ATTITUDE. Use words like "I WILL" and "I AM" rather than "I want to", you will be very proud of yourself in the end when you have accomplished what you have set out to do.
So let's bring it all back to the beginning. MY SON NEEDS TO OWN HIS ATTITUDE! Hey I am working on it. He is 18 and knows much more than I. Might take some time but it will sink in one day. Probably when he is as old as I am.
This entry is not about my son nor is it about the overwhelming hardships of being an 18 year old (I say in jest). This entry is about attitude. If there is one thing in life that a sales person should own it's his or her own attitude. Actually we all do own our attitudes but not many of us understand that we control it as well. I try every day to have a good attitude about things. I wake up and am in a good mood, I am optimistic, some even say over optimistic, I am smiling and ready to go. I see each day as a new challenge and one which I want to be in control of the situations which are ahead of me.
My mother told me once that I was her only child who always woke up in a good mood. While I don't really remember that it was a nice thing to hear. After reading the book "FISH" by Stephen C. Lundin about 10-12 years ago I have made a conscious effort to own my attitude and face the challenges of the day with a smile on my face. It is so much easier to work through issues when you are in a good mood. When you realize that you can only control certain things, and as such only try to control those things, the rest of the marbles will fall as they may.
In sales it is so important to try to stay even keeled. Look at each step as an opportunity to excel rather than a problem to fix. Attitude is a state of mind and once you start to think with a "smile on your face" you will find that you are indeed in control of your own attitude. I had a talk with an agent in my office this morning and she wanted some advice on setting goals and how to reach her objectives. What struck me was that she really had good intentions and good ideas however, I thought that she needed to change her entire attitude about it.
When telling me her goals and objectives she kept using words like "I want to", I think", "I might be able to" and so on. She did have some goals in mind but what she needed to do was change the entire way she talked about them. Instead of "I want to" how about "I Will" or "I am going to," change one word and change the entire meaning. Her initial thoughts were by no means negative, in fact she was quite positive about her ideas, but instead of committing to them she was hedging on them by saying and THINKING she only just wanted them or might be able to attain them.
Thinking like that is not owning your attitude, it is setting yourself up for a nice easy landing should you fail to reach your objective. It is ok in my opinion to fall short on a goal as long as you did everything you could do in order to succeed, and as long as you own it and can accept it was your own fault that you failed. Once you accept its your own fault you can actually do something about it to achieve the next time around. Goals need to be set high, in fact setting a goal at a bar low enough that you know you will succeed is not setting a goal at all. It is simply stating the obvious and takes no initiative what so ever. Set those goals high and strive to reach them. Own the issues, and own the successes, and you will own your ATTITUDE. Use words like "I WILL" and "I AM" rather than "I want to", you will be very proud of yourself in the end when you have accomplished what you have set out to do.
So let's bring it all back to the beginning. MY SON NEEDS TO OWN HIS ATTITUDE! Hey I am working on it. He is 18 and knows much more than I. Might take some time but it will sink in one day. Probably when he is as old as I am.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Who are GOOD Clients?
So who is a good client? That is a good question and times have changed on deciding the answer to that question. In the past, 3 or more years ago, a client who was buying a home could be considered a valid prospect if they were going to purchase in the next 6 months or so. A good listing client was one who wanted to list with you. With little consideration for the pricing of the home, basically if it was priced close to right and competed fairly well with the competition the property was going to sell.
Ahhh the good old days! Not true any more in both cases. Lets look at each type of client individually. First of all let's take a look at the buyer.
In my opinion a true prospect on the buyer side is anyone who is considering a move to your area within the next 12-24 months, and in some cases even longer. If the client has been preapproved for a loan, and is willing to allow you to help them via the internet I think they are well worth the time and effort to cultivate them into a real life buyer! It takes a lot more work, time and effort to do that now than it did 3 or 4 years ago.
To do the job effectively and efficiently you need to communicate using many different technologies. The internet is critical as most buyers start out the process via the internet. Set the client up on some sort of electronic media so they can look at listings in the area, preferably one which enables you, as the realtor to track what they are viewing. You can't just leave them alone online, you need to track what they are looking at and communicate about the properties via the media they are using.
Next you would need to set them up with some type of email correspondence at least bi weekly. A focused email with pertinent information every 2 weeks will go a long way to show that you are in control of the process and available for any question, concerns or needs the client may have. Be the "right hand man" for your clients. Ask questions and give answers as needed.
Put your buyer clients on an email marketing campaign as well. Find out what interests them and develop a marketing campaign specific to their needs. Monthly would be appropriate for this type of communication. Keep your clients informed at all times.
Last but certainly not least, you need to talk to your clients at least once a month. Pick up the phone and actually talk to them, update yourself on their needs and update them on the market they are interested in.
You must have detailed conversations to move the process along. Ask them what is working for them and what is not, make changes and plan for the future. Do not be caught unaware of issues you need to know about NOW.
In short, you need to stay in contact with your buyer clients or they will forget about you and find someone who will communicate.
Now on to the sellers. Once upon a time all you needed was a house to list. Not anymore, you need sellers who will be reasonable about what is needed in order to have their house in the market not just on the market.
The first thing needed is a good, accurate and realistic CMA on the clients home. It doesn't really matter what they think it should list for. What matters is what the house should list for and what it should sell for according to the CMA. In the long run if it wont appraise it wont sell! No matter how high the home owner thinks the house should sell for it must be listed at a range well within the range the CMA says. If the seller wont agree to this then it is a waste of time to have your sign in front of it. As the listing agent it can do you more harm than good to overprice a house.
Second, the seller must be aware of changes, upgrades and fixes that need to be done. They should be willing to make the house as marketable as possible prior to putting it on the market. If the home will not compete well with the competition you are again wasting your time. You will only help sell the competitions home rather than your own listing.
You will need to have a scheduled meeting with your sellers every 3-4 weeks to go over any changes in the market conditions. A new CMA should be done to reinforce what the pricing should be especially if it needs to be lowered. At the listing meeting you should arrange this with the client. Let them know that you expect them to sit down and discuss changes in price, and or condition of the home and that you will also bring them up to speed on any changes in the market. An informed seller is certainly a good seller.
If you can convince your sellers to have pre-inspections, appraisals and offer a home warranty you have gone a long way in making your listing outshine the competition. Remember tell your sellers to "BE IN THE MARKET, NOT JUST ON THE MARKET."
It is a lot more work these days to be the best realtor in your market. You really have to be on top of any and all situations. If you are able to really qualify both your buyers and your sellers upfront you will be way ahead of the game. Your close ratio's will go up if you choose your clients correctly. Even in the case of a buyer who is 2 years away, they can be your best prospect if you know what you need to know about them and if you do a good job on educating and communicating with them.
To me the process may be longer and harder but really it is much more fun. It allows you as the agent to really prove your worth. In sales being able to be worthy of a clients trust for whatever amount of time is the name of the game. You will build yourself a great reputation and referral base. You will be the expert in the eyes of your clients and they will tell everyone they know about you!
Ahhh the good old days! Not true any more in both cases. Lets look at each type of client individually. First of all let's take a look at the buyer.
In my opinion a true prospect on the buyer side is anyone who is considering a move to your area within the next 12-24 months, and in some cases even longer. If the client has been preapproved for a loan, and is willing to allow you to help them via the internet I think they are well worth the time and effort to cultivate them into a real life buyer! It takes a lot more work, time and effort to do that now than it did 3 or 4 years ago.
To do the job effectively and efficiently you need to communicate using many different technologies. The internet is critical as most buyers start out the process via the internet. Set the client up on some sort of electronic media so they can look at listings in the area, preferably one which enables you, as the realtor to track what they are viewing. You can't just leave them alone online, you need to track what they are looking at and communicate about the properties via the media they are using.
Next you would need to set them up with some type of email correspondence at least bi weekly. A focused email with pertinent information every 2 weeks will go a long way to show that you are in control of the process and available for any question, concerns or needs the client may have. Be the "right hand man" for your clients. Ask questions and give answers as needed.
Put your buyer clients on an email marketing campaign as well. Find out what interests them and develop a marketing campaign specific to their needs. Monthly would be appropriate for this type of communication. Keep your clients informed at all times.
Last but certainly not least, you need to talk to your clients at least once a month. Pick up the phone and actually talk to them, update yourself on their needs and update them on the market they are interested in.
You must have detailed conversations to move the process along. Ask them what is working for them and what is not, make changes and plan for the future. Do not be caught unaware of issues you need to know about NOW.
In short, you need to stay in contact with your buyer clients or they will forget about you and find someone who will communicate.
Now on to the sellers. Once upon a time all you needed was a house to list. Not anymore, you need sellers who will be reasonable about what is needed in order to have their house in the market not just on the market.
The first thing needed is a good, accurate and realistic CMA on the clients home. It doesn't really matter what they think it should list for. What matters is what the house should list for and what it should sell for according to the CMA. In the long run if it wont appraise it wont sell! No matter how high the home owner thinks the house should sell for it must be listed at a range well within the range the CMA says. If the seller wont agree to this then it is a waste of time to have your sign in front of it. As the listing agent it can do you more harm than good to overprice a house.
Second, the seller must be aware of changes, upgrades and fixes that need to be done. They should be willing to make the house as marketable as possible prior to putting it on the market. If the home will not compete well with the competition you are again wasting your time. You will only help sell the competitions home rather than your own listing.
You will need to have a scheduled meeting with your sellers every 3-4 weeks to go over any changes in the market conditions. A new CMA should be done to reinforce what the pricing should be especially if it needs to be lowered. At the listing meeting you should arrange this with the client. Let them know that you expect them to sit down and discuss changes in price, and or condition of the home and that you will also bring them up to speed on any changes in the market. An informed seller is certainly a good seller.
If you can convince your sellers to have pre-inspections, appraisals and offer a home warranty you have gone a long way in making your listing outshine the competition. Remember tell your sellers to "BE IN THE MARKET, NOT JUST ON THE MARKET."
It is a lot more work these days to be the best realtor in your market. You really have to be on top of any and all situations. If you are able to really qualify both your buyers and your sellers upfront you will be way ahead of the game. Your close ratio's will go up if you choose your clients correctly. Even in the case of a buyer who is 2 years away, they can be your best prospect if you know what you need to know about them and if you do a good job on educating and communicating with them.
To me the process may be longer and harder but really it is much more fun. It allows you as the agent to really prove your worth. In sales being able to be worthy of a clients trust for whatever amount of time is the name of the game. You will build yourself a great reputation and referral base. You will be the expert in the eyes of your clients and they will tell everyone they know about you!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Wow what a time to buy a home
In the national news we always seem to hear the bad things. They tell us how the real estate industry is just falling apart. While I will admit there have certainly been better times in real estate, I try to take a different approach than most. This is quite possibly the best time EVER to purchase a home. Buyers need to take advantage of the market conditions as they exist today.
Interest rates are at an historical low, tons of inventory on the market, foreclosures on the market with new ones coming every day, listings have been sitting on the market for a long time. Add that all up and we have potentially the best buyers market you could think of. This could be the "perfect storm" for buyers. If you are a buyer and have been sitting on the fence now is the time to hop off the fence and get some business done.
As a buyer you can command some respect these days. You are likely to get a far better deal today than you ever would. Deals can come in the form of lower prices, more upgrades, more flexible terms in the contracts, more house for the money, more incentives from the sellers. All you need is a bit of time to look around and get a great agent to help with the process. (A little plug for myself) I am available to help you today!
As an agent this is a fun time to help buyers. It is always fun to have a bit of an upper hand with negotiations. Who knows, what you ask for today you might never have gotten yesterday. The way to find out is to ASK. Remember buyers agents have A fiduciary responsibility to work on your behalf to get you the best deal we can. Don't be afraid to get your agent to do just that. I love the negotiation stage of the deal, in my opinion, that is where we agents earn our commissions.
So all you buyers out there, it is time to get off the fence and start looking for your dream house today. If not your dream house how about some investment properties. Whatever the case may be NOW IS THE TIME TO BUY!
Interest rates are at an historical low, tons of inventory on the market, foreclosures on the market with new ones coming every day, listings have been sitting on the market for a long time. Add that all up and we have potentially the best buyers market you could think of. This could be the "perfect storm" for buyers. If you are a buyer and have been sitting on the fence now is the time to hop off the fence and get some business done.
As a buyer you can command some respect these days. You are likely to get a far better deal today than you ever would. Deals can come in the form of lower prices, more upgrades, more flexible terms in the contracts, more house for the money, more incentives from the sellers. All you need is a bit of time to look around and get a great agent to help with the process. (A little plug for myself) I am available to help you today!
As an agent this is a fun time to help buyers. It is always fun to have a bit of an upper hand with negotiations. Who knows, what you ask for today you might never have gotten yesterday. The way to find out is to ASK. Remember buyers agents have A fiduciary responsibility to work on your behalf to get you the best deal we can. Don't be afraid to get your agent to do just that. I love the negotiation stage of the deal, in my opinion, that is where we agents earn our commissions.
So all you buyers out there, it is time to get off the fence and start looking for your dream house today. If not your dream house how about some investment properties. Whatever the case may be NOW IS THE TIME TO BUY!
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