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!
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Get ready for the new year - "HOPE IS NOT A STRATEGY"
Can you believe it is going to be 2011 in a few days? Seems like only yesterday everyone thought the world would end because of Y2K. Computers were going to shut down, planes were going to fall from the sky, clocks would stop and on and on and on. Well as we all know none of that happened, and now we are getting ready to begin the second decade in the 2000's.
So what is on the horizon for the new year? Well let's all hope the market will get back into gear and we will all have a much more profitable year. Even if the market lags on, with hard work and determination it will be ok. We all hope the new year brings peace and health to everyone but since in my opinion "Hope" is not a strategy, we really need to prepare for the things we know and the things we have control over. While getting our businesses ready to go into 2011 the first thing we know is that a whole bunch of our paper work is going to change.
I think these changes are all for the best, and I know I understand the new documents as well as possible having never used them in practical application. It would be a wise decision to understand the new contracts and addenda prior to Jan 1. This could be the best decision you make in kicking off the new year.
I have read all the new paper work. I have studied it and taken any and all the courses I could find about it. The mandatory update is completely about the new contract. Today I am going to take my elective which is about all the other new docs we will be using. You can not be OVER educated. I plan on being as well prepared as possible. Take note I didn't say "I hope to be", I have made it part of my PLAN.
Now is the time to plan your attack for the new year. You need to have good ideas and indeed you need to hope for some things at first. Once you have the hopes and ideas and dreams in your head it is time to turn them into a PLAN. Put a pen to paper and write it all down, then weed through all the ideas and hopes and dreams and choose the ones which can be acted upon, the ones you have control over. Turn them into your goals for the new year. Then to achieve each goal you should have specific tasks to support your effort to reach the goal. Once you have the goal and the specific tasks then you have a plan which you can act upon. You have a document that you can refer to in order to check your progress. You have a living breathing document that is piratical and is a road map to your success. You can refer to it, adjust it, edit it and focus it to keep you on course.
If you go to a bank and ask to borrow money for your business and you tell them about your ideas and dreams and hopes they are going to say "those are good ideas", now go home and write it down and come back with a business plan. If they then like what they see they may lend you some money. So running your own business should be no different.
For scuba diver there is a saying which is meant to keep you alive. You should always "plan your dive, and dive your plan". Why not run your business as if your life depended on it? Plan for your success and succeed with your plan.
So what is on the horizon for the new year? Well let's all hope the market will get back into gear and we will all have a much more profitable year. Even if the market lags on, with hard work and determination it will be ok. We all hope the new year brings peace and health to everyone but since in my opinion "Hope" is not a strategy, we really need to prepare for the things we know and the things we have control over. While getting our businesses ready to go into 2011 the first thing we know is that a whole bunch of our paper work is going to change.
I think these changes are all for the best, and I know I understand the new documents as well as possible having never used them in practical application. It would be a wise decision to understand the new contracts and addenda prior to Jan 1. This could be the best decision you make in kicking off the new year.
I have read all the new paper work. I have studied it and taken any and all the courses I could find about it. The mandatory update is completely about the new contract. Today I am going to take my elective which is about all the other new docs we will be using. You can not be OVER educated. I plan on being as well prepared as possible. Take note I didn't say "I hope to be", I have made it part of my PLAN.
Now is the time to plan your attack for the new year. You need to have good ideas and indeed you need to hope for some things at first. Once you have the hopes and ideas and dreams in your head it is time to turn them into a PLAN. Put a pen to paper and write it all down, then weed through all the ideas and hopes and dreams and choose the ones which can be acted upon, the ones you have control over. Turn them into your goals for the new year. Then to achieve each goal you should have specific tasks to support your effort to reach the goal. Once you have the goal and the specific tasks then you have a plan which you can act upon. You have a document that you can refer to in order to check your progress. You have a living breathing document that is piratical and is a road map to your success. You can refer to it, adjust it, edit it and focus it to keep you on course.
If you go to a bank and ask to borrow money for your business and you tell them about your ideas and dreams and hopes they are going to say "those are good ideas", now go home and write it down and come back with a business plan. If they then like what they see they may lend you some money. So running your own business should be no different.
For scuba diver there is a saying which is meant to keep you alive. You should always "plan your dive, and dive your plan". Why not run your business as if your life depended on it? Plan for your success and succeed with your plan.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Happy Thanksgiving
In the spirit of the season, I am choosing to write an entry about what we have to be thankful for. As Realtors, in a less than stellar market, we still have to give thanks for many things. We are able to be involved in the lives of many people and through this involvement we can help them find a great deal of happiness. One of the truly exciting things we do on a daily basis is helping clients reach their dreams. In some cases we help people sell an old home and move on to the next stage of life. In others we help people find their first DREAM home and begin the stages of their lives.
Either way, it is always one of the biggest decisions our clients ever have to make. Being the good Realtors that we are, I know we all do our very best to ensure our clients know that they have made the right decisions. I am thankful that I am able to help. I strive daily to be able to help in a manner which is as stress free and as easy and fun as possible. There really is no better feeling than one where you can be proud of the job you did and knowing you have helped someone reach their dreams.
We all should be grateful for having a job. While Realtors take a big risk as independent contractors, in most cases we do it for our own personal reasons. Even though it has been tough financially for many, we still get to come to work each day and try to reach our goals. For those of us who try hard and don't give up we find that reaching our set objectives is hard work but not impossible. It is fun to reach our goals and even exceed them. We may not have made as much money as last year but at least we get to try each and every day. As sales people we must understand that just trying is part of the job and part of the fun. We can come to work, keep our heads held high and do the things we know are right to reach our objectives. There are many many people who have no job to go to and who have lost most, if not all of their incentive. We are lucky because in our job we always have incentive. Hard work will always pay off in the end. Either in the short term or in the long term, if we do what we should do every day the deals and the clients will come. This is a perfect reason to give thanks, a thanks for being in a position to have a chance to succeed and one that is entirely left up to us.
At the end of the year my office really puts it's best foot forward when it comes to doing community service. As individuals we always have something going on we have agents who have worked to raise money in events such as the Tour to Tanglewood, the Heart Walk, who have worked with the humane society on food drives, worked with Habitat and on and on. As a team we have done many things throughout the year such as a blood drive, the Walk for Wishes, and even had a yard sale and lunch gathering just to raise money to help out some sick team members that have struggled to make ends meet. Here at the end of the year the team will join together to support the community by participating in the Festival of trees and to gather presents for everyone at Vienna Village which we will deliver to them and have a sing along of Christmas Carols. What a wonderful feeling to be able to bring a little bit of joy to those less fortunate than us. I give thanks for having such a magnificent team to be part of. I hope that in some small way I have helped them throughout the year, I know that I can not count the number of times they have helped me. They have inspired me to do my best and to support them in any way I can. I thank them all.
In closing I wish everyone a safe and Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy family and friends and come back next week ready to conquer the world each and every day.
Either way, it is always one of the biggest decisions our clients ever have to make. Being the good Realtors that we are, I know we all do our very best to ensure our clients know that they have made the right decisions. I am thankful that I am able to help. I strive daily to be able to help in a manner which is as stress free and as easy and fun as possible. There really is no better feeling than one where you can be proud of the job you did and knowing you have helped someone reach their dreams.
We all should be grateful for having a job. While Realtors take a big risk as independent contractors, in most cases we do it for our own personal reasons. Even though it has been tough financially for many, we still get to come to work each day and try to reach our goals. For those of us who try hard and don't give up we find that reaching our set objectives is hard work but not impossible. It is fun to reach our goals and even exceed them. We may not have made as much money as last year but at least we get to try each and every day. As sales people we must understand that just trying is part of the job and part of the fun. We can come to work, keep our heads held high and do the things we know are right to reach our objectives. There are many many people who have no job to go to and who have lost most, if not all of their incentive. We are lucky because in our job we always have incentive. Hard work will always pay off in the end. Either in the short term or in the long term, if we do what we should do every day the deals and the clients will come. This is a perfect reason to give thanks, a thanks for being in a position to have a chance to succeed and one that is entirely left up to us.
At the end of the year my office really puts it's best foot forward when it comes to doing community service. As individuals we always have something going on we have agents who have worked to raise money in events such as the Tour to Tanglewood, the Heart Walk, who have worked with the humane society on food drives, worked with Habitat and on and on. As a team we have done many things throughout the year such as a blood drive, the Walk for Wishes, and even had a yard sale and lunch gathering just to raise money to help out some sick team members that have struggled to make ends meet. Here at the end of the year the team will join together to support the community by participating in the Festival of trees and to gather presents for everyone at Vienna Village which we will deliver to them and have a sing along of Christmas Carols. What a wonderful feeling to be able to bring a little bit of joy to those less fortunate than us. I give thanks for having such a magnificent team to be part of. I hope that in some small way I have helped them throughout the year, I know that I can not count the number of times they have helped me. They have inspired me to do my best and to support them in any way I can. I thank them all.
In closing I wish everyone a safe and Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy family and friends and come back next week ready to conquer the world each and every day.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Three common issues or mistakes in a transaction
The third, most common and biggest error I see in transactions is caused when agent do not read and completely understanding what it says in the contract.
Read and understand the Offer to Purchase and then read and read it again!
Every time an agents comes to me about an issue with a transaction the first thing I say to them is let me see the contract. They will then tell me their issues and ask for help figuring it out. In almost every case the answer is right there in front of them in black and white. I have read and re-read the offer to purchase so many times I think I could recite it in my sleep however, when an issue comes up I read it again. I try to ensure that I understand what the contract says and how it might have been changed by what the agent has written in it for their clients.
It is our jobs as agents to understand what is written in the contract. We need to be able to explain it to our clients, both buyers and sellers. I can tell by some of the issues there are agents in our market who have never actually taken the time to read or understand the contract. It is very easy to pick out who has at least read it and who has not simply by what is written in the blanks the clients are supposed to fill in.
Some of the most common things I see are the following:
In Paragraph 8. The entire paragraph is describing what the difference is between a pending and a confirmed assessment, and who is responsible to pay such assessments. There is a blank for the agent to fill in any known special assessments. Just prior to the blank there is a statement (insert "None" or the identification of such assessments, if any). Why in the world would anyone write "None if any seller to pay"? The only answer to that question is that the agent has not read the contract, or if they have they do not understand the english language. If there are NO KNOWN assessments the only correct word to be written on that line should be "NONE". That is it, nothing else is needed and in fact the agent has been told not to write anything else.
Paragraph 7. c last sentence - this apply's only if the contract is NOT (and it is written in BOLD) subject to financing. An agents who puts a date in that slot when the contract is subject to financing per the terms on page 2, I submit, has not read or does not understand the contract.
With all that being said aren't you glad we are going to a new contract on January 1? I am so happy with the new contract I could shout YEA! At least in the new contract there are only 2 dates to worry about. I can see it now however, agents who do not read and understand the contract are going to freak out when they and their clients find out there is no financing contingency, or any number of other changes that only the agents who read and understand it will know about.
As we move towards the new year all agents should take time every week to read the new contracts. They should go to as much training as they can find about all the changes. If everyone would do this we would all be better off come January 1.
If you want to be the best agent you can be, if you want to represent your client like a true professional, if you want to have a huge advantage over the competition, I beg you to READ and UNDERSTAND AND THEN READ READ AND READ the new offer to purchase and contract again and again.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Three common issues or mistakes in a transaction
The second issue I see come up a lot is not qualifying your buyers prior to looking for a house.
In this day and time when gas can cost you anywhere from $2.50 - $3.00 per gallon, does it make sense to drive a prospective buyers around looking at homes before you know if they could qualify to buy one? Your buyer clients need to get pre-approved for a loan before they start shopping. We all know how hard it is to get buyers approved these days. Even people who in the past would have had no problem getting a loan are having more and more difficulties qualifying for financing. Get you buyers in front of a loan officer as soon as you can.
If your buyer is going to shop the loan around, as most do, they should do that as soon as they start looking for a home. After the loan officer has said they should qualify and you get them in the car to show, their next step should be to start shopping the banks; NOW. When they have picked a house they should have the banks narrowed down to 2 at most, then they simply can make a call to the banks see who's rates are the best and apply for the loan.
In January when the new offer to purchase and contract comes out it will be even more important to have your buyers pre-approved and ready to go before writing the offer. With an option or due diligence contract your buyers need to be prepared to get the process underway immediately with respect to everything they might want to do. Financing, inspections, appraisals etc. it all has to be done in the due diligence time period. In my opinion this is a very good thing for us as agents. Buyers will take less time on these things and be much more focused on completing them in a shorter time frame.
In toady's world with a buyer who is ready to decide on a loan, you can help them write a better offer than the next offer because you can put an application time within 2 or 3 days rather than the 5-7 we typically see. A day here or a day there on an offer can make all the difference in the world to a seller. The shorter time frames the better!
If you do not have your buyer handle this process upfront you may be showing homes to a person who can't even qualify to buy one. That makes no sense at all and in fact costs the agents both time and money. Spending time with buyers who can't buy or sellers who can't sell is completely counter productive. Especially in a market that is slow, any time you waste on unproductive things takes time away from doing really productive things like prospecting for actual clients.
Remember to own the process in your transactions. It is your job to lead the buyer in the right direction and to keep them focused on the ultimate outcome, a closed deal! We all remember how nice that can be.
Driving unqualified buyers around - not a productive thing to do
In this day and time when gas can cost you anywhere from $2.50 - $3.00 per gallon, does it make sense to drive a prospective buyers around looking at homes before you know if they could qualify to buy one? Your buyer clients need to get pre-approved for a loan before they start shopping. We all know how hard it is to get buyers approved these days. Even people who in the past would have had no problem getting a loan are having more and more difficulties qualifying for financing. Get you buyers in front of a loan officer as soon as you can.
If your buyer is going to shop the loan around, as most do, they should do that as soon as they start looking for a home. After the loan officer has said they should qualify and you get them in the car to show, their next step should be to start shopping the banks; NOW. When they have picked a house they should have the banks narrowed down to 2 at most, then they simply can make a call to the banks see who's rates are the best and apply for the loan.
In January when the new offer to purchase and contract comes out it will be even more important to have your buyers pre-approved and ready to go before writing the offer. With an option or due diligence contract your buyers need to be prepared to get the process underway immediately with respect to everything they might want to do. Financing, inspections, appraisals etc. it all has to be done in the due diligence time period. In my opinion this is a very good thing for us as agents. Buyers will take less time on these things and be much more focused on completing them in a shorter time frame.
In toady's world with a buyer who is ready to decide on a loan, you can help them write a better offer than the next offer because you can put an application time within 2 or 3 days rather than the 5-7 we typically see. A day here or a day there on an offer can make all the difference in the world to a seller. The shorter time frames the better!
If you do not have your buyer handle this process upfront you may be showing homes to a person who can't even qualify to buy one. That makes no sense at all and in fact costs the agents both time and money. Spending time with buyers who can't buy or sellers who can't sell is completely counter productive. Especially in a market that is slow, any time you waste on unproductive things takes time away from doing really productive things like prospecting for actual clients.
Remember to own the process in your transactions. It is your job to lead the buyer in the right direction and to keep them focused on the ultimate outcome, a closed deal! We all remember how nice that can be.
Monday, November 8, 2010
Three common issues or mistakes in a transaction
I wanted to write a piece about the three most common issues in a transaction or mistakes I see agents making. Instead of writing a long post I will break it out into three posts.
Explaining agency is a critical step in the agent sales process and is one which is required. I think we as agents owe it to the public to explain agency and ensure that it is understood. Educating prospective clients is a critical part of establishing a good, honest and trusting relationship. One of our first steps in client relationship building is the opportunity to explain agency.
It really is a perfect time to make yourself stand out of the crowed of other Realtors. If you are able to explain agency succinctly and correctly you will be one of the few agents who can. You will be the professional agent in your clients eyes.
This opportunity is ideal because you can insist that your prospective client listens and you can blame it on being required to present it. I guarantee that your clients will respect you and trust you much more once you have done your job and done it well while explaining agency.
I have heard every excuse in the book as to why the agent couldn't talk about agency or why it was done so late in the process. THERE IS NO EXCUSE, nor should any agent want one, rather agents should love the opportunity to start dialogue. I had a hard and fast rule that when I met people at a house to view it, they did not get in the front door if they refused to allow me to tell them about agency. In fact I used it to my advantage anytime I could.
I had a prospect who wanted to view one of my listings, I met them out at the house, introduced myself and told them that prior to going inside I needed to discuss agency with them. At first they looked at me like I was from mars, and told me they had seen 8 other homes with 8 other agents and none of them went over the agency disclosure. I responded that I was required to do so and in fact the perfect reason why they should do business with me rather than the other 8 was because I was the only one doing it correctly. A bit bold maybe, but true, and you all know it!
They listened to my explanation, understood it and signed the brochure. I showed them the house and they were to call me back later in the day with a decision to do business with me or not. They called me in the evening and asked me to be their realtor, they told me that I was indeed the only agent who did the job right with respect to agency and trusted that I would do everything right in a transaction! I sold them a $250,000.00 home within 2 weeks.
Being able to establish trust is critical to your success, engaging in important and meaningful conversation with your prospective clients is without a doubt the best way to kick the relationship off on the right foot. Use the agency discussion to set yourself apart from the other Realtors. Don't be afraid to discuss it and remember you can talk about agency too late in the process but you can never do it to early.
AGENCY DISCUSSIONS
It really is a perfect time to make yourself stand out of the crowed of other Realtors. If you are able to explain agency succinctly and correctly you will be one of the few agents who can. You will be the professional agent in your clients eyes.
This opportunity is ideal because you can insist that your prospective client listens and you can blame it on being required to present it. I guarantee that your clients will respect you and trust you much more once you have done your job and done it well while explaining agency.
I have heard every excuse in the book as to why the agent couldn't talk about agency or why it was done so late in the process. THERE IS NO EXCUSE, nor should any agent want one, rather agents should love the opportunity to start dialogue. I had a hard and fast rule that when I met people at a house to view it, they did not get in the front door if they refused to allow me to tell them about agency. In fact I used it to my advantage anytime I could.
I had a prospect who wanted to view one of my listings, I met them out at the house, introduced myself and told them that prior to going inside I needed to discuss agency with them. At first they looked at me like I was from mars, and told me they had seen 8 other homes with 8 other agents and none of them went over the agency disclosure. I responded that I was required to do so and in fact the perfect reason why they should do business with me rather than the other 8 was because I was the only one doing it correctly. A bit bold maybe, but true, and you all know it!
They listened to my explanation, understood it and signed the brochure. I showed them the house and they were to call me back later in the day with a decision to do business with me or not. They called me in the evening and asked me to be their realtor, they told me that I was indeed the only agent who did the job right with respect to agency and trusted that I would do everything right in a transaction! I sold them a $250,000.00 home within 2 weeks.
Being able to establish trust is critical to your success, engaging in important and meaningful conversation with your prospective clients is without a doubt the best way to kick the relationship off on the right foot. Use the agency discussion to set yourself apart from the other Realtors. Don't be afraid to discuss it and remember you can talk about agency too late in the process but you can never do it to early.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Video is the waive of the future- STAND OUT IN A CROWD
One of the most important yet hardest things to do in real estate is to make yourself STAND OUT IN A CROWD of Realtors. Your choice in company to work for is the first step, when making that decision you need to evaluate what tools the company brings to enhance your business. Once you have chosen a company then it is your job to use all the tools, technology and support of the company to market yourself as the agent of choice. A large part of a Realtors job is to market themselves to the public. This effort is where the public, potential buyers and sellers, gets their first impression of you!
You know what they say "the first impressions are the most important". Since most companies and real estate agents are already on the internet, the individual agent needs to do something more to get their message out. The public is getting more and more into looking at videos. I think all agents need to have a personal video on the internet to allow prospective clients to learn more about them.
The video need not be expensive to do and does not need to be a professionally produced video. It does however need to be well done, tasteful, humorous and informative. You can have an agent web site but clients can only see your picture and read about you. With a video done correctly the prospects can really get to know you and your personality.
It is not easy, but with practice you can talk about yourself in front of a video camera. I recommend writing yourself a script and practice prior to shooting the video. You want to make yourself as likable as you can, a smile goes a long way. Use some humor about yourself and introduce yourself to the camera as if you were at a party introducing yourself to a potential client.
Pick a few bullet points about yourself and make them come to life. It is impossible to tell everything there is to tell about yourself so again pick some specific points which you think make you STAND OUT IN A CROWD! What do you think the potential client needs to know about you in order to select you as their agent. You might even consider a testimonial from a past client or two to help introduce you. I have watched a lot of agent videos on line and the ones that are upbeat, happy and fun are the ones that keep my interest. The agents who simply say how much they have sold and that they are a million dollar performer make me want to move on to the next one. I want to get to know the people, not hear a bunch of stats about them.
Your agent video should be short and sweet, if it goes much more than 3 minutes the prospects wont watch it all. So be specific and on point. Be imaginative and fun. Be interesting, professional and captivating but most of all be short. If you can get the point across that you are above and beyond the other agents in the market in 2 and a half to 3 minutes, you will be the agent they would want to work with. You leave them with the impression that you are personable, fun and imaginative as well as focused. I like agents who can focus on the task, get clients to see the right houses, keep the process on track and get transactions closed in an easy and enjoyable way.
There are many choice in camera on the market today. The price range is from about $100.00 and up. I recommend investigating on the internet first, talk to others who have used the different cameras. Decide your budget and buy one soon. There is no reason to spend hundreds upon hundreds of dollars on a camera, nor is there reason to pay a professional videographer to do it for you. Find a decent camera, write your script and have some fun. Get your video on the internet today. The public is waiting to see you. If a picture speaks a thousand words then a video speaks a million.
You know what they say "the first impressions are the most important". Since most companies and real estate agents are already on the internet, the individual agent needs to do something more to get their message out. The public is getting more and more into looking at videos. I think all agents need to have a personal video on the internet to allow prospective clients to learn more about them.
The video need not be expensive to do and does not need to be a professionally produced video. It does however need to be well done, tasteful, humorous and informative. You can have an agent web site but clients can only see your picture and read about you. With a video done correctly the prospects can really get to know you and your personality.
It is not easy, but with practice you can talk about yourself in front of a video camera. I recommend writing yourself a script and practice prior to shooting the video. You want to make yourself as likable as you can, a smile goes a long way. Use some humor about yourself and introduce yourself to the camera as if you were at a party introducing yourself to a potential client.
Pick a few bullet points about yourself and make them come to life. It is impossible to tell everything there is to tell about yourself so again pick some specific points which you think make you STAND OUT IN A CROWD! What do you think the potential client needs to know about you in order to select you as their agent. You might even consider a testimonial from a past client or two to help introduce you. I have watched a lot of agent videos on line and the ones that are upbeat, happy and fun are the ones that keep my interest. The agents who simply say how much they have sold and that they are a million dollar performer make me want to move on to the next one. I want to get to know the people, not hear a bunch of stats about them.
Your agent video should be short and sweet, if it goes much more than 3 minutes the prospects wont watch it all. So be specific and on point. Be imaginative and fun. Be interesting, professional and captivating but most of all be short. If you can get the point across that you are above and beyond the other agents in the market in 2 and a half to 3 minutes, you will be the agent they would want to work with. You leave them with the impression that you are personable, fun and imaginative as well as focused. I like agents who can focus on the task, get clients to see the right houses, keep the process on track and get transactions closed in an easy and enjoyable way.
There are many choice in camera on the market today. The price range is from about $100.00 and up. I recommend investigating on the internet first, talk to others who have used the different cameras. Decide your budget and buy one soon. There is no reason to spend hundreds upon hundreds of dollars on a camera, nor is there reason to pay a professional videographer to do it for you. Find a decent camera, write your script and have some fun. Get your video on the internet today. The public is waiting to see you. If a picture speaks a thousand words then a video speaks a million.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Smart phones
The days of the flip phone are gone. To be the best agent you can be, if you haven't done so already, it is time to upgrade that cute little phone to a smart phone. In the age of being mobile you need a device which will allow you to get your email, text, make calls, and access the internet as quickly as you would if you were sitting in front of your computer.
Instant information and communications are what the clients are looking for. Today's top agents are the ones who can provide this instant gratification to their clients. With the clients having access to the same type of information you have via their phones what will set you apart? The speed at which you get back to them. The first one to make contact usually will get the client.
I happen to have an HTC Droid, but that doesn't really matter, there are many different choices when it comes to smart phone technology. Iphone, Droid, Blackberry the brand name makes no difference as long as you are able to get and respond to your email instantly, access the internet instantly, download apps which can access programs you need to do your business, text, make phone calls, sync with your calendar and open and read documents and spreadsheets. In addition please take the time to learn the phones features and functions so you are an expert while using it.
Of course your smart phone comes with some sort of monthly or annual plan with a cell provider, again the name brand is not as important as the quality of service. Ask around and find out which provider has the best service in your area, then find a plan which will give you the most access at the best price. So this is going to be a monthly expense you need to budget for, but it is a monthly expense you can't do without.
In conjunction with the technologies we have already spoken about, your smart phone will make you stand out in front of your competition. With Zipforms, docusign, documanager and smart phones you will be a truly mobile agent. Mobility and instant access is the name of the game. Go out today and start your search for the right smart phone with the right monthly plan today.
Instant information and communications are what the clients are looking for. Today's top agents are the ones who can provide this instant gratification to their clients. With the clients having access to the same type of information you have via their phones what will set you apart? The speed at which you get back to them. The first one to make contact usually will get the client.
I happen to have an HTC Droid, but that doesn't really matter, there are many different choices when it comes to smart phone technology. Iphone, Droid, Blackberry the brand name makes no difference as long as you are able to get and respond to your email instantly, access the internet instantly, download apps which can access programs you need to do your business, text, make phone calls, sync with your calendar and open and read documents and spreadsheets. In addition please take the time to learn the phones features and functions so you are an expert while using it.
Of course your smart phone comes with some sort of monthly or annual plan with a cell provider, again the name brand is not as important as the quality of service. Ask around and find out which provider has the best service in your area, then find a plan which will give you the most access at the best price. So this is going to be a monthly expense you need to budget for, but it is a monthly expense you can't do without.
In conjunction with the technologies we have already spoken about, your smart phone will make you stand out in front of your competition. With Zipforms, docusign, documanager and smart phones you will be a truly mobile agent. Mobility and instant access is the name of the game. Go out today and start your search for the right smart phone with the right monthly plan today.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Documanager - access to your business from anywhere at anytime
Hasn't using zipforms in conjunction with docusign really helped you out in your business? It is such a nice feeling to be able to conduct business on the fly from anywhere. Now wouldn't it be nice to have the capability to have each and every one of your client folders with you at all times. How many times has a client called you on the weekend to ask a question, or another agent needs to get some disclosure from you to write an offer, and you have to drive to the office to get the file so you can help them? It happens all the time!
Information at your fingertips is the name of the game. So add Documanager to your bag of tricks. Documanager is a technology which allows you to store all your files on line. You have access to anything you have in your file bin from anywhere at anytime. The process is simple as well, you can either email your docs to documanager or you can scan them in. Once you have the document in the system it is there forever. In addition you can add updated docs at any time and you will have a record of the old and the new.
You can allow access on certain documents to buyers, sellers, attorney's or whomever may need to have access to them. When an agents calls you for a disclosure document on one of your listings and you happen to be at the beach, you can go online go to your file cabinet and select the document you need and email it to them. It is fast, easy and fun.
If you utilize the three technologies we have spoken about over the past week, Zipforms, Docusing and Documanager you will have all the technology you need to have instant access to all documents whenever you need them. You can have signed sealed and delivered documents in a matter of minutes rather than the hours or days it takes today when you still have to track people down. You will be so much father ahead of your competition that clients will certainly choose you to do business with rather than the competition. As you gain more clients the need for all these technologies increases and you will be able to stay ahead of the demand.
Just think how a listing presentation would go if you were able to get online and demonstrate how proficient you are with the latest and greatest technology which will enhance the service you can give to your clients. Agents in my office have been using these services for a long time and have found they really can do business from anywhere and at anytime! It is critical to the agents success, no matter how much you may want to fight it, technology is the name of the game. Stay ahead of the curve, embrace technology and use it to move your business to the next level, and the next level beyond that.
Come back on Monday when we will discuss other devices you need to make real estate fun and easy!
Information at your fingertips is the name of the game. So add Documanager to your bag of tricks. Documanager is a technology which allows you to store all your files on line. You have access to anything you have in your file bin from anywhere at anytime. The process is simple as well, you can either email your docs to documanager or you can scan them in. Once you have the document in the system it is there forever. In addition you can add updated docs at any time and you will have a record of the old and the new.
You can allow access on certain documents to buyers, sellers, attorney's or whomever may need to have access to them. When an agents calls you for a disclosure document on one of your listings and you happen to be at the beach, you can go online go to your file cabinet and select the document you need and email it to them. It is fast, easy and fun.
If you utilize the three technologies we have spoken about over the past week, Zipforms, Docusing and Documanager you will have all the technology you need to have instant access to all documents whenever you need them. You can have signed sealed and delivered documents in a matter of minutes rather than the hours or days it takes today when you still have to track people down. You will be so much father ahead of your competition that clients will certainly choose you to do business with rather than the competition. As you gain more clients the need for all these technologies increases and you will be able to stay ahead of the demand.
Just think how a listing presentation would go if you were able to get online and demonstrate how proficient you are with the latest and greatest technology which will enhance the service you can give to your clients. Agents in my office have been using these services for a long time and have found they really can do business from anywhere and at anytime! It is critical to the agents success, no matter how much you may want to fight it, technology is the name of the game. Stay ahead of the curve, embrace technology and use it to move your business to the next level, and the next level beyond that.
Come back on Monday when we will discuss other devices you need to make real estate fun and easy!
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