Andy's Blog

Today I almost lost a listing because of YOUR unprofessionalism Thanks

Andy Tolbert Orlando Waterfront Homes for Sale (HD Realty) — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 08:06:20 -0800

I have a listing that due to some of the things he has in his home for his business he wants to be present for all showings, so buyers agents are instructed to call him direct for appointments. But I guess one too many "appointments" haven't shown up and he'd had enough and called to tell me they're taking the home off the market.

After a lot of questioning, soothing, and problem solving, I was able to calm him down and we've made a few changes in the showing instructions and we're going to give it a try for a few weeks and see how it goes, and I saw this as an opportunity to share some ways we can ALL be a little more professional and improve the reputation of our industry.

1) I know it's difficult, but try to narrow down your appointment to about a 30 minute window. Don't you get frustrated waiting on the cable guy "between 9am and 1pm"? Well, don't do it to sellers either! :)

2) If you are running late, call them!

3) If you are not going to make it... call them!

4) Call them as soon as you know... they may have cancelled other plans to accomodate your client and can still make them if you let them know early enough.

5) Don't call too early or late, some people work odd hours and are asleep.

6) Go back and review #2-#4

7) If you realize later that you missed an appointment, swallow your pride and call them and the agent and apologize! Hey, mistakes happen, you can either look good after one does or you can look bad, which do you choose?

8) If your first name starts with "J", you know who you are, don't bother calling my seller again, he doesn't want to set another appointment with you!

9) Simple thought... would YOU want to be treated the way you're treating sellers...

Thanks for letting me rant!

Over and out and on to more productive things!

RESOURCES:

For Real Estate Agents: Subscribe to my weekly e-zine at www.AndyTolbert.com

For Homeowners: BeforeYouShortSale.com and SeminoleCountyForeclosureBlog.com

For Investors: IRCFlorida.com

Will this be the year you finally acheive your New Year's Resolutions?

Andy Tolbert Orlando Waterfront Homes for Sale (HD Realty) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 10:35:55 -0800

Will this be the year you finally acheive your New Year's Resolutions?

When I think of "New Years Resolutions" I have to giggle a little, because they've become kind of a joke "so, did you make it past the 2^nd of January? Ha ha ha!" But if you're SERIOUS about making a positive change in your life, it can be done… last January 1^st I was in a size 20 jeans and today I'm sitting here in 10's, so it CAN be done! Here are a few tips to get there this time, whether it's weight loss, quitting smoking, getting your debt under control… whatever YOU want:

Don't set an unrealistic goal that is impossible to achieve, you'll just get frustrated and quit
Find someone that has already achieved what you want to do and follow what they did
Find a friend that has the same goals as you and buddy up to tackle it together
Tell the world what you're doing… Facebook, a blog, whatever! Then you have some accountability (see www.AndysChallenge.com)
Make sure it's something that you'll KNOW when you've achieved it, example: "I'll get in a size 10 by November" not "I'll lose weight"
Plan a reward when you hit it… I've set a goal for January 31^st and I'm not buying any clothes until I hit it! (reward doesn't have to cost money… get creative!)
"Burn your boats" as clothes got too big, I donated them so I can't put the weight back on (I wouldn't have anything to wear!)

Hope this sparks something in YOUR life this year!

RESOURCES:

For Real Estate Agents: Subscribe to my weekly e-zine at www.AndyTolbert.com

For Homeowners: BeforeYouShortSale.com and SeminoleCountyForeclosureBlog.com

For Investors: IRCFlorida.com

It Is What It Is...

Andy Tolbert Orlando Waterfront Homes for Sale (HD Realty) — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 11:09:56 -0800

It Is What It Is...

Lately I've been hearing this phrase a LOT. I don't know if people are saying it more or if I'm just more cognizant of it because I'm more aware (I even saw it in a TV show over the weekend!), but what I DO know is that every time I hear it the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and I want to hit something!

Here's the scenario: Somthing has just popped up in one of your deals, you call the other agent to try to brainstorm a solution and they say "It is what it is." They basically just told you "I don't care enough to try to change it"

Where would our world be if that was our answer to every challenge?

Problem: Caveman #1 "Caveman Starving!" Caveman #2 "ugg...Is what Is" Both Cavemen DIE!

Alternative Solution? Learn to hunt, fish, farm and gather berries!

Ancient Times Quote: "The World is Flat" Everyone's response? "It Is What It Is"

Alternative Solution: Get on a boat anyway and discover America... where I live today!

Problem: Hitler's killing everyone he doesn't like... not just the Jews. Can you imagine the world today if everyone had just said "It Is What It Is..."

YOUR ASSIGNMENT, SHOULD YOU CHOOSE TO ACCEPT IT:

The next time you hear someone say "It is what it is..." I want you to correct them and say "It is what you make it" or even "It is what you let it be"

The real estate market's bad... "It is what it is"

OH YEAH?

Then why are some people doing just fine in this market... I personally closed 24 transaction sides last year WHILE running the office AND teaching CEU classes throughout Florida... all without an assistant! So when people lay down and say "It is what it is" I GET MAD!!! And so should you!

Thanks for listening to my rant.

RESOURCES:

For Real Estate Agents: Subscribe to my weekly e-zine at www.AndyTolbert.com

For Homeowners: BeforeYouShortSale.com and SeminoleCountyForeclosureBlog.com

For Investors: IRCFlorida.com

Weirdness is Running Rampant in Our Office...

Andy Tolbert Orlando Waterfront Homes for Sale (HD Realty) — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 21:50:48 -0800

Weirdness is Running Rampant in Our Office...

Have you ever had one of those days...

I've been having one of those WEEKS in our office!

First, one of our owners (remember, we manage rental units too) has been foreclosed on. Except... OOOPS... it was supposed to be the neighbor's unit, not his! He's never missed a payment! Hmmm...

Second, my title company catches an issue on one of my short sales. Seems that back in 2008 when my seller got divorced, the paralegal she hired to handle the documents accidentally left someone elses name in one of the spots on the deed, so now we have to track down Carlos, who is now part owner of the home, and who ALSO has a judgment against him that will now need to be paid to clear title. Bad news... nobody knows who Carlos is and we can't find him. Good news... the attorney that is foreclosing also didn't know about Carlos, so the foreclosure is filed wrong and they'll have to start all over on the foreclosure! Yayyy! Delayed so I can close the short sale!

Third, one of my other files the title company found that the LAST FOUR DEED TRANSFERS have had the wrong legal description on them, so again... sale postponed, need to fix title, then close on the short sale!

And the list goes on... a seller that wants me to pre-approve a buyer THEN they'll list with me. (not sure how I find a buyer if I haven't listed the property yet... Hmmm...)

Some days I love my job... others I think about moving to a log cabin in the woods (actually, a beach cabana on a private island! :)

What craziness have YOU seen lately?

By the way... this just goes to show that consumers HAVE to have an experienced professional on their team in today's crazy market...

RESOURCES:

For Real Estate Agents: Subscribe to my weekly e-zine at www.AndyTolbert.com

For Homeowners: BeforeYouShortSale.com and SeminoleCountyForeclosureBlog.com

For Investors: IRCFlorida.com

Another Loan Mod bites the dust! My New Listing (again!)

Andy Tolbert Orlando Waterfront Homes for Sale (HD Realty) — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 09:47:51 -0800

Another Loan Mod bites the dust! My New Listing (again!)

Back in the summer of 2010 I listed a home. It was a HAFA short sale deal where the bank had already given us the price and approved the seller, I just had to find the buyer.

We got a buyer within the first week, but before the seller could even sign the contract, an attorney contacted her and told her that he would be able to do a loan modification for her and let her keep her house at a payment she could afford. (remember she had already been turned down for a HAMP mod, that's why we were in the HAFA program!).

Well, guess what? Friday I got a call from her, and Monday evening I re-listed her home. Want to know what the attorney was able to get for her?

Her old mortgage payment was $1,650 per month. The Mod that the attorney negotiated? If she sends the bank $3,200 down, they will lower her payment to $1,634. Yes, you read that right. She gives them $3,200 and they will lower her payment by $16 per month. Wow, that's really a help to her budget I bet!

Don't get me wrong... I think that GOOD modifications are a great solution to what we're experiencing in our market, but some of these attorneys are feeding a line of crud to home owners and giving them false hope. How much did this false hope cost her in this case? $2,500 to the attorney!!! They take people's money and tell them "we'll try" and then when they get no results they say "we tried"

Use this example when you're talking to clients and share with them the success rates that you've personally seen clients have with modifications.

Please share with us what success you've seen in people getting loan mods, also, do you know of ANY non-owner occupied homes getting loan mods?

RESOURCES:

For Real Estate Agents: Subscribe to my weekly e-zine at www.AndyTolbert.com

For Homeowners: BeforeYouShortSale.com and SeminoleCountyForeclosureBlog.com

For Investors: IRCFlorida.com

How Are You Doing On Your Goals So Far?

Andy Tolbert Orlando Waterfront Homes for Sale (HD Realty) — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 12:50:46 -0800

How Are You Doing On Your Goals So Far?

Here Are Some Tools To Help You Out!

OK. It's 2 weeks into the new year. Most people's resolutions (if they even bothered this year) are long-forgotten pipe-dreams already. They're up to their neck in "life" and can't focus on improvement. Sound familiar? Hit too close to home for you? Here are some tools you might find useful to stay on track:

2011 Realtor Power Planner by Andy This is a goal setting planner that I developed over 10 years ago and I've been using and sharing it ever since. It takes a thorough look back at the last year's accomplishments in your real estate business and guides you into setting acheivable goals in the new year. Make copies and share it around your office. (click on the "2011 Realtor" link for the download)

SWOT Assessment for your business This is a simple planner that you'll want to spend some serious thought-energy on completing. SWOT stands for Strenghts, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. If you're in the Orange/Seminole/W. Volusia area, I'm offering you a NO COST 30 minute SWOT assessment appointment. Together we'll pull up your data on transactions from 2009 and 2010 and take a good hard look at the SWOT in your business and help formulate a plan for 2011 and beyond. This might be an eye-opener for you and the benefit of having an outside neutral party look at your business is priceless!

100 Day Challenge Program. It's not too late to get started! I'm currently using this program as well as my husband and several other agents here in our office. Whatever goal you've set for yourself... financial, educational, fitness, business etc. this program is a tool to help you get there! Use the code group97 to save $50 off the regular price of $147. CLICK HERE for more info!

Between these 3 tools there is absolutely no reason why you shouldn't be able to reach your goals in 2011 and beyond.

I've heard people say "make this your best year ever" but that's too limiting, I like to say "make this your best year SO FAR!"

Andy

RESOURCES:

For Real Estate Agents: Subscribe to my weekly e-zine at www.AndyTolbert.com

For Homeowners: BeforeYouShortSale.com and SeminoleCountyForeclosureBlog.com

For Investors: IRCFlorida.com

Are You Too Fat For Real Estate?

Andy Tolbert Orlando Waterfront Homes for Sale (HD Realty) — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 13:05:57 -0800

Are You Too Fat For Real Estate?

This is something I've been thinking about a lot lately. Maybe it's because I'm getting up there in years and there's a zero at the end of my age now... or maybe it's because the business side of this is finally sinking in... either way, it's something I'm no longer willing to settle for in my life!

Think back to the last time you went to a networking event. There's 30 people in the room that you don't know but are all potential clients. You see 2 different people standing alone. One is overweight, the other is not. Who are you most likely to see as a viable business associate?

You can't judge a book by it's cover!

But we do every day! When you walk into Books-A-Million to find a book on a subject, you go to that section and there are probably hundreds of books available to choose from. How do you pick one? Based on the title and the cover design... yes, by it's cover. The best book in the world might be sitting there on the shelf, but if it's plain, un-interesting, disheveled and torn, you're not even going to look, are you?

Same thing with business. When we first meet with a potential client, vendor, employee or employer, some kind of opinion is formed on them in the first few seconds.

(let me now make a big disclaimer: this article is NOT intended to hurt anyone's feelings... I am trying to let it sink in... and I'm coming from a place of realizing that I need to work on this as well)

A while back I was interviewing for a managerial/supervisory job opening. On paper the person was perfect. When the person actually came in for a chat though, they were extremely overweight. The first thing that crossed my mind was "will other people respect and follow this person?"

What does it take to lose weight?

We all know the answer... eat less, move more! So if you KNOW what to do, why don't you do it? So maybe our clients are thinking "they may KNOW how to do short sales but maybe they don't do it or do it well!" These are subconscious thoughts that go through their head the minute they meet you and then you are in a hole you have to immediately dig out of with your brilliance and knowledge. Wouldn't it just be easier to start NOT in a hole?

If all else was equal between you and another agent the client is considering working with, they will pick the not overweight choice each time because they are perceived as more professional and more disciplined.

We pick the cutest puppy out of the litter at the pet store, we pick the healthiest looking lobster out of the aquarium at the seafood restaurant, we pick the most attractive person at a speed dating event, and we pick the "in shape" person to do business with over the "out of shape" person every single time!

How seriously will YOU be taken?

Some of you will read this and say "I don't care what people think" and that's ok. Over the years I've had many friends in many different industries see their income go up as the lose weight. Is it a real phenomenon? Is it all in their head? I don't care either way... but I've made the conscious decision to change this one part of my life that I have complete control over.

If you're ready to make a change too, check out www.fitwithtim.myvi.net

If you're in the Central Florida area... email me about our walking, weight loss and fitness groups we've started. Accountability leads to success!

RESOURCES:

For Real Estate Agents: Subscribe to my weekly e-zine at www.AndyTolbert.com

For Homeowners: BeforeYouShortSale.com and SeminoleCountyForeclosureBlog.com

For Investors: IRCFlorida.com

Why Should a Real Estate Professional Write a Book?

Andy Tolbert Orlando Waterfront Homes for Sale (HD Realty) — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 09:54:48 -0700

Why Should a Real Estate Professional Write a Book?

I'm getting ready to write a book and maybe you can be a part of it! I've been thinking about it for a while and it's time. I know it will make a huge boost in my business in more ways than one:

Huge boost in "expert" credibility. If you've written a best selling book the public perceives you as THE expert (imagine THAT as a closing tool at your next listing presentation!)
More referrals from professionals like attorneys and CPA's
Interviews with local and national media outlets AS a best selling author on the topic
The coolest "business card" in the world
And way more!

Join Nick Nanton with Celebrity Press Publishing on November 4th as he tells us how to be a best selling author in the FASTEST, EASIEST, CHEAPEST way possible (if you can't make the live webinar put in your name/email anyway and ther may be a recorded replay)

go to http:www.celebritypresspublishing.com/andy_webinar.html to register and get more details.

The book will be aimed at consumers (read that: CLIENTS) with tips on how to successfully sell their home in this market. Great listing tool!

RESOURCES:

For Real Estate Agents: Subscribe to my weekly e-zine at www.AndyTolbert.com

For Homeowners: BeforeYouShortSale.com and SeminoleCountyForeclosureBlog.com

For Investors: IRCFlorida.com

Andy's Foreclosure Interview Reunites a Family After Years & Years!

Andy Tolbert Orlando Waterfront Homes for Sale (HD Realty) — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 12:43:13 -0700

Andy's Foreclosure Interview Reunites a Family After Years & Years!

Wow, this is a story you probably don't hear every day. Yesterday I was contacted by email by someone stating she was a relative of someone I had interviewed about losing her house. Through some back searching I found the article she was referring to, and it wasn't me that had interviewed the lady, I just happened to be interviewed in the same article. I never met her relative. In several emails back and forth though, I explained that I had never met her, but did a quick Google search and sent her a link with some local contact info including an email address and place of employment (all public records here... not disclosing any secret info!).

Well, today I just got this email:

"Andy

You have just been used by God to help two sisters fine each other and to discover that there are two more sisters My daughter and her sister are so happy right now it is unbelievable. They are both Managers and have two children thanks thanks and more thanks

My The Lord bless your life and family

Pastor Nissi"

Isn't that unbelievable?

Out of the tragedy of this young lady losing her home, a single mom and her 2 kids are now reunited with their family because of the story that was written about her.

And I had the honor of bringing them all back together.

Wow.

That's all I can say right now. Wow.

RESOURCES:

For Real Estate Agents: Subscribe to my weekly e-zine at www.AndyTolbert.com

For Homeowners: BeforeYouShortSale.com and SeminoleCountyForeclosureBlog.com

For Investors: IRCFlorida.com

Is it safe to buy a foreclosed home in Orange or Seminole County?

Andy Tolbert Orlando Waterfront Homes for Sale (HD Realty) — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 20:45:58 -0700

Is it safe to buy a foreclosed home?

Right now that is what's on most of America's minds... Is it safe to buy a foreclosure home? Several of the large lenders have frozen foreclosure proceedings because of possible mis-steps in the filing of the foreclosure case file. Some people argue that the entire foreclosure might be invalid, even on some homes that have already been resold to a new homeowner!

Last week I was interviewed by the New York Times for an article on this very topic! Writer Ron Lieber asked me what were some of the things that someone thinking of buying a home needs to be aware of when buying a bank owned home. Here's some things to watch out for:

Right now in Central Florida there are about 400 homes that were recently pulled and coded as "temporarily off the market" in our MLS system. I can't say they were all a part of the freeze, but it's probably a good guess! If the home you're interested in was NOT pulled off the market, it's most likely not one that is affected.
There is often a lot of damage to the homes, both from neglect and being vacant for so long and from vandalism and even sabotage. Some people take their anger out on the house and you might be buying the result of their anger. Make sure you hire a good home inspector to check the property out thoroughly before closing.
If you are getting a mortgage to buy a home, a bank owned home may have challenges in the condition of the house. If it needs repairs it may not be financeable by a traditional loan and you may need an FHA 203K rehab loan that allows for the repair money to be included.
The seller, in this case the bank, has the right to dictate the terms under which they will sell you their house. The banks are taking this to the extreme and will put numerous restrictions on you such as:
- You can't resell or refinance YOUR house within a certain time frame
- They won't pay certain closing costs that a seller normally pays. This means you will pay more to buy the house
- If you don't close on time they will charge you $50-100/day for an extension
- If you don't close they can keep your deposit (which by the way THEIR attorney will be holding)
- They won't even give you a written contract... you will need to start your inspections and other costs based on a verbal acceptance... the written will follow in a week or two.
- With your written acceptance, they will send you the "bank addendum" which changes all of the terms of the original offer. These can be a few pages to over 20 pages long. You must review this very carefully before signing. Once you've signed it you've accepted it.
Often the properties are priced very low to drive competition and after you put in an offer you'll be told that there are "multiple offers" and they are asking you to come back with your "highest and best" offer. Often these properties will sell at or above the asking price, sometimes even 20-30% OVER asking price!
Make sure you buy title insurance to cover any possible mistakes in the title.

I don't want these things to scare you from buying a foreclosed home. Many of my clients AND myself have bought foreclosed homes and have had no problems with them. It is intended to just make you aware of some of the things to watch out for before buying a bank owned home.

As you can see it is very important to have a Realtor® working for you that knows the ins and outs of buying a foreclosure home. Ask them how many buyers they've worked with and how many years they've been buying foreclosures.

If you're in the Central Florida area, I'd love to answer any questions you have about buying a bank owned home, either as a home to live in or as an investment property. Call me at 407-260-8800 ext. 107 right now!

RESOURCES:

For Real Estate Agents: Subscribe to my weekly e-zine at www.AndyTolbert.com

For Homeowners: BeforeYouShortSale.com and SeminoleCountyForeclosureBlog.com

For Investors: IRCFlorida.com

Bank of America's new Agent Short Sale Resource Site... a review.

Andy Tolbert Orlando Waterfront Homes for Sale (HD Realty) — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 16:24:29 -0700

About a week ago I stumbled across the new site, www.BankofAmerica.com/realestateagent and wanted to share it with you. Today, I got an "official" email announcement from Equator.

On it they have:

videos
webcasts (both future and replays)
education guides
reference guides
links to other sites (like equator and your local BofA loan officer)
HAFA guidelines
and more

They also talk about the new "Bank of America Cooperative Short Sale Pilot" (although this kind of sounds like they admit their old process was un-cooperative! :)

Hey, any help they can give both experienced AND inexperienced agents crawl through their process a little easier and quicker is ok with me... I just hope it's real not just propaganda to make the media and borrowers THINK they're working towards a solution.

Are any of you in the "Cooperative Pilot"?

RESOURCES:

For Real Estate Agents: Subscribe to my weekly e-zine at www.AndyTolbert.com

For Homeowners: BeforeYouShortSale.com and SeminoleCountyForeclosureBlog.com

For Investors: IRCFlorida.com

Can One Player Really Blow the Whole Game? Short Sales Broken Down!

Andy Tolbert Orlando Waterfront Homes for Sale (HD Realty) — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 10:33:18 -0700

Can One Player Really Blow the Whole Game? Short Sales Broken Down!

This past Saturday I watched the Florida Gators play Mississippi State. It was painful to watch, all the way to the very end where we had a few seconds left and a field goal would have tied the game and given us a chance at redemption. Kicker Chas Henry steps up and... MISSES!!! Game over. Gators Lose. Cameras focus in on the defeated face of Henry and you can see in his grimace that he knows he just lost the game.

Or did he?

You see, he's actually not a field goal kicker at all! He's a punter (and a really good one at that!) who's filling in for the regular kicker who's out with a back injury! Besides... could he single-handedly have lost the game? NO WAY! He missed the chance to pull it out, but the whole team together lost the game.

What does this have to do with a short sale?

Sometimes we as Realtors feel like that replacement kicker being brought in at the last minute to try to save the day. When you're brought into the game just a little too late and a client is hoping that you'll be able to pull some miracle out of a hat, is it YOUR fault if the property goes to foreclosure? (well, maybe, but that's another story! J) Did YOU stop paying your mortgage a year ago and wait until the very end to get help?

When an agent that understands short sales is brought into the "game" early enough, and a good "coaching strategy" of pricing, marketing, file submission and follow up is used, the closing rate of short sales is actually quite high.

If an agent doesn't understand this strategy and prices the property too low or too high, doesn't market the home aggressively to get a reasonable offer early in the process, submits a shoddy financial package and doesn't follow up with the lender regularly and escalate when needed... then it doesn't matter how early they're brought into the game... they're most likely going to lose anyway.

However if the property already has had a hearing and an auction date has been set, no matter HOW great you are at your job... that last second field goal attempt is going to miss most of the time.

Don't take it personally. Don't dwell on the failure. Focus on the families that DID come to you early enough that you WERE able to help. Focus on next week and the new family you'll meet that needs you. You're not a last minute kicker... you're an important part of their team that needs to be in on the coaching decisions BEFORE the game even starts!

The cameras should have focused on the whole team and then Coach Urban Meyer. They lost the game as a team.

p.s. If you're a HOMEOWNER in the Central Florida area and would like to talk about having me on your team, call me right now at 407-842-7700.

RESOURCES:

For Real Estate Agents: Subscribe to my weekly e-zine at www.AndyTolbert.com

For Homeowners: BeforeYouShortSale.com and SeminoleCountyForeclosureBlog.com

For Investors: IRCFlorida.com

Is Your Marketing YUMMY enough to eat?

Andy Tolbert Orlando Waterfront Homes for Sale (HD Realty) — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 10:43:58 -0700

Is Your Marketing YUMMY enough to eat?

Fast food restaurants spend thousands of dollars just taking one picture of their new burger to make it look SOOOoooo yummy that you want to drop everything and get in the drive thru line and try one. How much time are you spending to make YOUR marketing get prospects' attention? Probably not enough! One area you might need to focus on more is Copywriting. Simply put, it is writing what you'll say in your ads, flyers, MLS listings, etc. So today I present:

Top 5 Tips to Amp Up Your Real Estate (and any other) Marketing...

and Turn Your Phone Into a Money-Spewing ATM Machine!

#1 Tip: Know Your Audience!!! Spend a big chunk of your time narrowing down WHO is your most likely client IN THIS MARKETING CAMPAIGN. Women? Families? Business Owners? Golfers? Once you know who you're writing FOR, pretend they're sitting across the table from you and you're TALKING to them about your listing or service... what would you say? Great! Write that down! If you can actually go after more than one niche, make it 2 different ads!

#2 Tip: Sell the Sizzle, not the Steak! Features vs. Benefits. A feature is a FACT about your product or service. A Benefit is what they'll get from that feature. Remember this for benefits: WIIFM (What's In It For ME?). Here's some tips for headlines that will get your prospects attention:

•· Ask a burning question: "How Many Termites is Too Many?"

•· Tell "How To": "How To Never Get a Tenant Call At 3 a.m. Again!"

•· Use Catchy Words Like new, improved, more, better: "Get 25% more net income when you buy new construction duplexes for rentals"

•· Use a Number: "Top 5 Things you Must Know Before Buying a Foreclosure" (odd numbers are better, except Top 10 list)

•· Make a Statement or Exclamation: "Lowest Closing Cost. Guaranteed!"

•· Use a produce, service, or business name - or create a new word or catch phrase: Think Google, Zillow, and other "made up names" some are even iconic. When I say "it's scrumpdillyicious" what do you think of? Dairy Queen!

Tip #3: Keep a SWIPE File of other ads, flyers, etc that catch your attention. The next time you are writing an ad, turn to them for inspiration. I've gotten inspiration from everything from Car Dealer ads to Kentucky Fried Chicken (which now by the way is officially KFC). The great "No B.S." Marketer, Dan Kennedy, calls it S&D, Swipe & Deploy!

Wow, this list got longer than I thought it would be... I'm going to break it up into 2 parts... watch next week for Part II!

RESOURCES:

For Real Estate Agents: Subscribe to my weekly e-zine at www.AndyTolbert.com

For Homeowners: BeforeYouShortSale.com and SeminoleCountyForeclosureBlog.com

For Investors: IRCFlorida.com

What if we used our skills for evil instead of good?

Andy Tolbert Orlando Waterfront Homes for Sale (HD Realty) — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 16:50:34 -0700

Hmmmm..... many of us come to AR to learn the lates tips, tricks & techniques for improving our real estate businesses, especially in the field of marketing and now "social" marketing...

Can you imagine if someone used those same skills for EVIL? Like taking over the world?

What if they used those skills for GOOD, like helping their community?

Well, a few of my friends have gotten together and that's exactly what they've done! (for good, not evil :)

I know I usually write blogs full of content on how to build your business and how to live a great life, but today
we're turning the tables a bit.

I want you to join me in helping others live a great life, specifically, kids with special needs and in my typical fashion
of always wanting to bring you the most value possible, in return there are some very powerful bonuses
that you will receive as well.

A few of my friends put together this amazing, short, 7 minute film about a little boy named Jacob, who is 4 years old,
plays baseball, and has Down syndrome.

I think you'll find his story very inspiring and you'll want to share it with your friends.

https://marketersforgood.infusionsoft.com/go/home/g8rpit

All of this has come about because we as marketers, feel we have been blessed and have come together to rally around this project and raise support for Jacob and the 2.8 million kids who live with special needs
every day, in the U.S. alone.

To add some extra motivation to you for helping support Jacob and this cause, we've all put together some very powerful gifts and prizes to get you to support the cause too.

In other words, we've got thousands of dollars worth of bonuses donated by some of the best
known Marketers in the business, just for you and others willing to donate any amount at all

(even just $1. Literally, every dollar will help these kids!).

And they are all yours if you make a donation and most importantly, take a few minutes to check
out this very inspirational story that will make your day better in many ways, I think you'll be
glad that you did and when your friends see it they will too!

Go watch it now!

https://marketersforgood.infusionsoft.com/go/home/g8rpit

Gratefully,

Andy Tolbert

P.S. The bonuses will only be available for
a short time.

Please help out kids with special needs right now.

https://marketersforgood.infusionsoft.com/go/home/g8rpit

RESOURCES:

For Real Estate Agents: Subscribe to my weekly e-zine at www.AndyTolbert.com

For Homeowners: BeforeYouShortSale.com and SeminoleCountyForeclosureBlog.com

For Investors: IRCFlorida.com

I was arrested for being a Realtor... will they have any evidence?

Andy Tolbert Orlando Waterfront Homes for Sale (HD Realty) — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 15:14:43 -0700

I was arrested for being a Realtor... will they have any evidence?

Picture this FICTIONAL situation... You've been arrested (gasp!) for the unconscionable crime of being a Realtor. The prosecutor is putting together their case against you... will it all be heresay or will there be any cold, hard evidence?

This is one case where you WANT there to be a ton of evidence! Stuff like:

Satisfied clients that have given you a written, or even stronger, VIDEO testimonials!
A mac-daddy website with tons of traffic and comments from your adoring "victims"
An awesome presence on ActiveRain and other industry sites
Certifications that show you were TRAINED as a real-estate ninja assassin
Facebook pages, Twitter followers and Linkd-inners that rave about you
Signs, riders, business cards, direct mail pieces and more... PROVING that you are guilty of the crimes you have been charged with!

I hope you realize by now that the "crimes" are tongue-in-cheek! :) What I'm trying to get accross in this fictional situation is very simple...

DOES ANYONE KNOW YOU'RE IN THE REAL ESTATE BUSINESS?

You can be the best Realtor in the world with all the best training and experience, but if nobody knows you exist, you're probably broke! A mediocre agent who is AMAZING at marketing will be retired years before you.

What can you do? Become the absolute best marketer of real estate services that you possibly can! Get educated, read books, take classes, and absorb what you can. Then go IMPLEMENT some of what you learned. The agents in my office are starting a 9-week SEO/Internet Marketing class tonight. (SEO means search engine optimization). Every Monday from 7-9 we're sitting down in the conference room to watch a series of training webinars to make us even better at letting people know what we do and how we can help them... what's YOUR plan to get more clients? 80% of all buyers start on the internet, so that's where we decided we want to spend a little more time and learn more about.

RESOURCES:

For Real Estate Agents: Subscribe to my weekly e-zine at www.AndyTolbert.com

For Homeowners: BeforeYouShortSale.com and SeminoleCountyForeclosureBlog.com

For Investors: IRCFlorida.com

HELP! I need 5 listings by the end of the month!

Andy Tolbert Orlando Waterfront Homes for Sale (HD Realty) — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 13:49:57 -0700

HELP! I need 5 listings by the end of the month!

That's what one of the newer agents here in the office said to me the other day. He's set himself a goal of 5 new listings this month and asked me for some ideas on how to get them. Sometimes the strangest things get me going on a tangent, and I've really been thinking about this a lot... not only because as his broker I feel it's MY job to help him be successful, but also because I love seeing people succeed and I really want to be a part of helping him reach his goals!

So for starters, I am reaching out to YOU to share some of your tips, ideas & strategies for me to share with him. Comment on this post and I'll make sure he reads it! In the mean time, here's some of what I thought of:

First: Look back through your leads from the last few months. Everyone you've talked to. Contact them all again and see what they decided to do and it they would like to meet again. (check MLS first to see if they listed with someone else). If they WERE thinking about listing and didn't, maybe they just need more information or a little nudging to get them off the fence. I would explain that with interest rates so low, it is a good time to sell as there are lots of buyers in the market. As long as their home is in good condition and priced right they should be able to sell in a reasonable timeframe.

Second: Put together an info packet on you, your company, and your marketing services. Send or drop it off to any FSBO's that you see. Studies have shown that most FSBO's list with an agent after a very short time of trying it on their own.

Third: Share on your Facebook, Twitter, whatever you've got friends & followers. Ask for their help in reaching your goal. People love to help their friends when they can, but only if you ask. In a separate post, you can also mention the different ways you can help a seller, such as short sale, staging, etc. In marketing, there's a station we call WIIFM? (What's in it for Me?). Don't make everything about YOU, make it about how you can help THEM!

Fourth: If you are a short sale specialist, tell the other agents in your office that you'll share any of their listings that they want to have you work on the tedious details. This is a win-win because if they are too busy or inexperienced to handle the short sale and might have just passed on the listing, you now have brought a solution to them.

Fifth: Pick up any floor-time that you can! I don't know about your office, but we've had a bunch of walk-ins lately. Yesterday we had a walk in and within 60 minutes she had shown us the property and signed the listing agreement (it's right up the street). Yes, it happens!

Sixth: Get to some networking groups, pronto! They're all over the place, and many are free. The more people you can share your message with the more will be sending you referrals!

Seventh: Ask some of the busier agents in your office if there are any leads that they haven't had time to follow up on and offer to work them if you can share the listing. Dead leads don't benefit anybody, they'd probably rather have 1/2 of a listing than zero because they waited too long to contact the lead.

There's just a few that I thought of off the top of my head. What ideas would YOU share with an agent that wants to get 5 listings in the next 20 days? By the way... if you take a minute to do this exercise, you'll be surprised at the ideas you'll get for YOURSELF to jumpstart YOUR biz!

RESOURCES:

For Real Estate Agents: Subscribe to my weekly e-zine at www.AndyTolbert.com

For Homeowners: BeforeYouShortSale.com and SeminoleCountyForeclosureBlog.com

For Investors: IRCFlorida.com

Do you have your DREAM business?

Andy Tolbert Orlando Waterfront Homes for Sale (HD Realty) — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 10:03:44 -0700

Do you have your DREAM business?

I had the wonderful pleasure of hearing Wendy Kurtz speak at a meeting I was at this week. Wendy consults with some of the top speakers and authors in the country on building their brand and selling more books. Since I've been tossing around the idea of writing a book, I figured I'd hear what she had to say... and boy am I glad I did! (find out more at www.WendyKurtz.com)

One of the things she shared right at the end was her "DREAM Principle" which is an easy to follow 5-step process for business success... and even though she was talking about authors, my mind kept applying them to my real estate business, so I figured I'd share them with you today.

DREAM is an acronym which stands for:

Define your business. Develop your core business because it's the foundation of your success. What can you help your clients with. If you try to be everything to everyone you'll end up with nothing.

Recognize your strengths - establish a competitive advantage based on your unique skill (why should they pick you instead of agent B?)

Evaluate your opportunities - don't take every gig you get offered, make sure it lines up with your goals (this is a lesson I've RE-learned lately... if you don't get a great feeling from a potential client... don't work with them! We have choices and don't have to work with everyone that walks through the door!)

Assess your feedback. And remember that feedback does NOT EQUAL criticism... it's a business building tool. If a client has complained about something... don't get defensive immediately... slow down and look and see if there is some truth in what they're saying and see if you need to remodel your office policies & practices to ensure it doesn't happen again.

Manage your reputation/brand - it strengthens your brand and unlocks your full business potential (her example was an author who researched an organization thoroughly before agreeing to take them on as a sponsor)

I hope this hits you like it did me... I've been so busy working IN my business that I've not taken the time I should to work ON it... time to refocus!

RESOURCES:

For Real Estate Agents: Subscribe to my weekly e-zine at www.AndyTolbert.com

For Homeowners: BeforeYouShortSale.com and SeminoleCountyForeclosureBlog.com

For Investors: IRCFlorida.com

Fannie Mae launches a new consumer-education website on foreclosure options

Andy Tolbert Orlando Waterfront Homes for Sale (HD Realty) — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 16:38:09 -0700

Today Fannie Mae launched a new consumer education website on foreclosure options.

The way I found out about it was when I received a call from the Orlando CBS affiliate, Channel 6 News asking if they could interview me about the new site... www.KnowYourOptions.com

So while he was asking me questions about the ramifications of a foreclosure on your life (credit, jugdments, etc.) I pulled the site up quickly to take a peek! It's actually a pretty good site!

A lot of the information they are sharing is similar to the info I put on MY info site, www.BeforeYouShortSale.com which is for Orlando Short Sale Homeowners info.

They cover the options for when you want to keep your home, including something they call "Deed-for-Lease" which is where you deed your home to the lender (called a deed-in-lieu of foreclosure or dil) and then they will rent it back to you for a specific period of time for current market rent value. The other options when you want to stay in your home are: refinance, repayment plan, forebearance, and modification and on the site they explain what each of these are and the benefits. But remember... if you want to stay in the home you will need to be able to qualify for the payment, so if you are without income you will most likely not qualify to keep your home.

They also cover the options for when you can't or don't want to keep your home. These include Deed-in-Lieu and Short Sale and cover the what's, how's, and benefits of these options for your family.

Within an hour of my "phone interview", the reporter from Channel 6 was here in my office with his camera guy to do an interview and find out more about what options a homeowner has in Orlando if they are facing a challenge with their mortgage or facing short sale or pre-foreclosure. The spot will run tonight on Channel 6 between 6-7pm and I'm figuring will be re-run on their website www.clickorlando.com

If you are a homeowner facing trouble with your mortgage, check out the site: www.KnowYourOptions.com it has some really good information that might make your decision easier. And if you are in Seminole County or the Orlando area... give me a call!

If you are an agent, check out the site and consider using it as a tool to share with your clients. It will answer most of their questions and the info is coming from a 3rd party credible site.

RESOURCES:

For Real Estate Agents: Subscribe to my weekly e-zine at www.AndyTolbert.com

For Homeowners: BeforeYouShortSale.com and SeminoleCountyForeclosureBlog.com

For Investors: IRCFlorida.com

Time for your real estate agent 6 month performance review...

Andy Tolbert Orlando Waterfront Homes for Sale (HD Realty) — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 09:47:45 -0700

Time for your real estate agent 6 month performance review...

Here we are... halfway through the year. Time to take a look back at the last 6 months and see where you've been and what your results were. Set aside at least a half hour to complete this...

1. Look at your closed transactions so far this year: How many? Average transaction size? Average gross commission? How many buyers vs. sellers vs. both? How many short sales vs. REO's vs. "regular"? This will give you an idea of what "niche" you've been working whether you realize it or not!

2. Look at your marketing: How often did you send out a mail piece? What were the results? Did you send a newsletter? Where did most of your closed transactions come from? Did you Blog? If you see a trend for where your business is coming from, step it up! Do More! It obviously worked!

3. Look at your personal self: How many hours did you work? Did you eat right? Did you excercise? Did you take a vacation (even a weekend?)? Did you partake in your favorite hobbies? It's important to balance work and home!

I just did this exercise myself and it was kind of shocking! So far year to date I already have 1 more closing than ALL of last year!!! Yayyy!!! Except the Gross Commission Income is almost exactly HALF of last years! Booo!!! So I can honestly say I'm working twice as hard for half the pay! Why is that? Because my average transaction size is so much smaller. Those $20,000 condos really take your average down! (but take the same amount of work!)

Based on this information, I'm going to tweak my marketing for the next 6 months. And that's what we're going to talk about next week... what to do with this info and make positive profitable changes for the rest of the year!

RESOURCES:

For Real Estate Agents: Subscribe to my weekly e-zine at www.AndyTolbert.com

For Homeowners: BeforeYouShortSale.com and SeminoleCountyForeclosureBlog.com

For Investors: IRCFlorida.com

"Positive Thinking" and "Law of Attraction" are Malarky! Here's why...

Andy Tolbert Orlando Waterfront Homes for Sale (HD Realty) — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 09:31:08 -0700

"Positive Thinking" and "Law of Attraction" are Malarky! Here's why...

I think some of the "Positive Thinking" and "law of attraction" ideas have been taken a little too far. Don't get me wrong... I completely understand AND implement the concepts, but IT DOESN'T WORK if you're sitting on the sofa watching TV at the time!

"Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity" Seneca

Some people have said that I'm "just lucky". I don't agree with that statement. My "luck" would not exist if I didn't spend so much time at networking groups, learning new skills, and implementing new ideas in my business. I attribute my success in this crazy market to several things: good marketing, good thinking, and yes, a dose of good luck.

"I'm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have" Thomas Jefferson

I know many agents are struggling right now and many more have left the business. But for those of you that are left, it's your DUTY to your clients to be the best you can be and to serve them well. You can't do that if you're worried and stressed and full of "Stinkin Thinkin". If you think everything's going to go wrong in a transaction...guess what? It will!!! Then when something does pop up on a deal you are going to make it a bigger problem than it really is.

I think that's one of the strengths in myself, my husband, Tim (the mortgage guy) and my brokerage partner, Jeff. When one of our agents comes to us with a problem on a deal-we just find a way to solve it! Every deal is closeable-it's sometimes just a matter of looking at it 3 different ways before you see the solution-but you'll only see it if your eyes are open and looking for it!

"PATIENCE AND PERSEVERANCE have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish" John Quincy Adams

SO YES I want you to think positive. But I also want you to ACT positive! Surround yourself with people that are doing and thinking good things-and you'll find yourself doing great!

One last thought...

"Opportunity is missed by most because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work." Thomas Edison

RESOURCES:

For Real Estate Agents: Subscribe to my weekly e-zine at www.AndyTolbert.com

For Homeowners: BeforeYouShortSale.com and SeminoleCountyForeclosureBlog.com

For Investors: IRCFlorida.com

How "Bad Andy" has made me a better agent

Andy Tolbert Orlando Waterfront Homes for Sale (HD Realty) — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 16:45:36 -0700

How "Bad Andy" has made me a better agent

When you play the Nintendo Wii video game, you start by setting up a "Mii" which is your character you'll use to play many of the games. I first set mine up as a cute blonde with blue eyes... "Andy". The problem with "Andy" was she kept losing to "Tim" at all the sports games! So I went back in and set up a new Mii... "Bad Andy". Black hair, black clothes and cat's eye glasses-she's a gothic alter ego to "Andy" and she's waaayyy better at sports! Something about stepping into a different persona makes you think, feel, and act differently.

This phenomenon can also allow a shy person to be outgoing, a scared person to face their fears or an aggressive person to tone down when talking to a client. It's really a lot like acting. Actors have to step into their roles each time and make us believe the character - even though it might be 180 degrees different then the last role we saw them in.

W.W.B.A.D? What would "Bad Andy" do?

Any time I'm facing a challenge on a deal or with a client I take a deep breath and think about the situation and how it might be handled. I once heard a trainer say that if you're in a situation that you don't know what to do about, ask yourself "If I DID know what to do...what would it be?" Sometimes just asking the question a different way will show you the answer!

One way I've been using theses techniques lately is in my new role as partner at my brokerage firm. I'm being faced with lots of new tasks and challenges that I've never had before, such as now being involved in the property management side of the business and the hiring of new agents. Anytime I go into a new situation I just ask myself; "what would an experienced property manager do in this situation?" and usually the answer becomes clear.

Try this technique the next time you're in a pickle and let me know if it helps!

P.S. "Bad Andy" will take you on at Wii anytime...but "Andy" will beat you at Trivial Pursuit!

RESOURCES:

For Real Estate Agents: Subscribe to my weekly e-zine at www.AndyTolbert.com

For Homeowners: BeforeYouShortSale.com and SeminoleCountyForeclosureBlog.com

For Investors: IRCFlorida.com

How to take back control of your time... in meetings and other interactions!

Andy Tolbert Orlando Waterfront Homes for Sale (HD Realty) — Wed, 26 May 2010 12:21:15 -0700

How to take back control of your time... in meetings and other interactions!

This morning I made a BIG change in our property management meetings here at the office. On the big plasma TV we have in the conference room to show listings on... I set up a 15 minute countdown timer (just google it). When everyone came in for the meeting I said "we're trying something new today, from now on our meetings will last 15 minutes" everyone laughed, but guess what... we were in and out quicker than we've EVER been (we took about 20 minutes, but that's because we decided to revamp our filing system so that took a few minutes longer).

When people know they have a deadline or a time frame, they say their piece very concisely and cut out all the fluff! Here's what I like about this: meetings suck! Everyone hates coming to meetings. But they're also important! We all need to know which properties are gone, what's new, rent price changes, legal updates, etc. I want our meetings to be a HELP to our business bottom line, not a distraction from what you should be doing! I foresee that this change will do several things:

They'll get to the meetings on time because they know they'll be short
They'll be prepared with the updates they need to give because they know they'll only have a short time
They'll advise us in advance of any major thing they need to go over in case they need more time
They'll LOVE the meetings because they know they'll get in and out quickly and get the info they need to go make money

How can you use that in YOUR business or day to day life? I can see a few ways for you to take control of your time...

How about that customer/friend/co-worker that tends to turn what should be a 2 minute call into a 30 minute blah-blah-blah and on and on... (go ahead, laugh, I know you've got one or two of those people in your life!). The next time they call you can START the conversation with "I'm glad you called, but I've got a (conference call, client meeting, webinar, etc.) that starts in 5 minutes so we'll have to make it a quick conversation". This sets the rules for the call right up front so if they DO talk on and on it won't appear rude when you say "oh, it's 2 minutes until my webinar and I've still got to log in!"

Also, when I meet with Central Florida real estate buyers or sellers they will often say "how long will it take to do the papers?" and my answer is "that depends on you and how many questions you ask and if you want to chit chat or just get down to business! I've got some clients that have bought lots of houses before and they don't want me to go through every single document, those take about 15 minutes, other clients want me to read every single line to them and that can take an hour or more... how long should we allow for your appointment because I'm OK either way?" Their answer will give you a good idea of what type of client you're dealing with. (Note, when I meet with a short sale seller in Central Florida, I don't need any extra time because I've already answered their short sale questions before we even meet through my marketing pieces!)

Lastly, If YOU run a meeting... ANY kind of meeting at all, respect the start and end time. In my women's networking group that meets once a month, everyone gets 30 seconds to stand up and do their "info-mercial" and we have a timer that beeps at 30 seconds, but many of the ladies were ignoring it and would continue talking even after it beeped. If you say something during or after the presentations, then it looks like you're pointing a finger at someone in particular and may create hard feelings. I've started now telling them the "rules" of the 30 seconds BEFORE anyone takes their turn and it goes something like this: "Please keep your introduction to 30 seconds... each lady will get the same amount of time. Just to let you know up front... if you keep talking after the beeper goes off, nobody even hears what you say because they now are just wondering if you didn't HEAR the beep or if you are just that disrespectful of their time" It's amazing how EVERY SINGLE intro stays under the 30 seconds when we do it that way! And nobody is embarrassed because you didn't mention it AFTER they took too long! (yes, it's very firm, but when you RUN a meeting, you are expected to keep the meeting on track. That's your JOB!)

Next week I'm going to implement the time clock in both my Sales Meeting AND my career night presentation! Can't wait! It's going to free me up so much more time to be productive! (or just some more ME time to work out, grab some sushi with friends, or maybe play some Wii!)

RESOURCES:

For Real Estate Agents: Subscribe to my weekly e-zine at www.AndyTolbert.com

For Homeowners: BeforeYouShortSale.com and SeminoleCountyForeclosureBlog.com

For Investors: IRCFlorida.com

Today there are 729 homes for sale in Seminole County that are Bank Owned or Short Sale

Andy Tolbert Orlando Waterfront Homes for Sale (HD Realty) — Thu, 06 May 2010 11:47:17 -0700

I like to report what's going on in the Seminole County foreclosure market (which includes short sales and bank owned). Whether you're considering selling your home or you're looking to buy a home (first homes AND investment properties) The knowledge our office has of the Seminole County market can help you meet YOUR goals!!!

In the first quarter of 2010, there have been 1,210 sales, of those, 282 were short sales (23%), 445 were bank owned (37%), and 483 were "regular" sales (39%). Also, median home prices are broken down the same way: Median Home price in Orlando Area was $110,000, short sales were $115,000, bank owned was $74,000 and "regular" was $166,500.

Ready to see for yourself? Here's the link to see the 729 homes: Click Here

RESOURCES:

For Real Estate Agents: Subscribe to my weekly e-zine at www.AndyTolbert.com

For Homeowners: BeforeYouShortSale.com and SeminoleCountyForeclosureBlog.com

For Investors: IRCFlorida.com

What's Homeownership REALLY Worth in Central Florida

Andy Tolbert Orlando Waterfront Homes for Sale (HD Realty) — Thu, 06 May 2010 10:42:45 -0700

What's Homeownership REALLY Worth in Central Florida

Homeowners have seen a decline in their homes value in the last few years. That's a fact. If you bought your home in 2004-2008, it's probably worth less than you paid. However how is homeownership in the LONG RUN?

The National Association of Realtors has just released statistics that go back and show you how your net worth has been impacted by home prices if you had bought your house 5, 10, 15, and 20 years ago. It's kind of interesting! Here's the links:

Orlando Area Report

Link to see other area reports

If you're in the market to purchase a home, whether it's your first home or you're adding an investment property... call me for a no-obligation appointment to see if we can work together! 407-260-8800

RESOURCES:

For Real Estate Agents: Subscribe to my weekly e-zine at www.AndyTolbert.com

For Homeowners: BeforeYouShortSale.com and SeminoleCountyForeclosureBlog.com

For Investors: IRCFlorida.com

How's YOUR follow up system? Mine Sucks compared to THIS guy!

Andy Tolbert Orlando Waterfront Homes for Sale (HD Realty) — Tue, 04 May 2010 12:07:38 -0700

How's YOUR follow up system?

We've all heard it for years, the key is in the follow up... most sales are made after the umpteenth follow up... follow up is critical... got the picture?

Well, I agree 110%. But I practice only about 50%. I know that is the weakest part of my business and I am working on improving that part. We get busy and all of a sudden that post-it note on our desk is 2 weeks old and we wonder whether it's too late to even bother calling...

Yesterday I saw first hand an EXCELLENT example of great follow up... and it's probably going to result in a sale!

Yesterday my husband, Tim, forwarded me an email with 6 quotes for car insurance from AAA. One quote was from AAA company and the other 5 were from other companies they represent. They ranged anywhere from $1200 per year to over $2,000 per year. (we're paying about $1,800 right now). I called him and said "I didn't know you were shopping for car insurance" and he said "I thought YOU did it!"

So here we are, we have no clue why we're looking at this price quote, but it looks GOOD!

Then when I got home last night there was a message on the machine from the agent at AAA. He said that last year about this time we had requested a quote so he knew we were coming up for renewal and he just wanted to provide us with some updated quotes and to call him if we have any questions.

HE KNEW WE HAD REQUESTED A QUOTE A YEAR AGO AND HE KNEW WE WERE COMING UP FOR RENEWAL AGAIN!!!!

That's follow up! The only thing that would have been better would be to put that story in the email that he sent so we knew WHY we were getting the email.

What type of follow up do YOU have? If one of your potential buyers decides to rent for a year instead... are you following up with them about 9 months later to see if they're ready? Are you following up with listings you DIDN'T get and contacting them again when they expire?

I know, it's a lot of work, but GETTING the leads is the hardest part in most businesses. If someone has stepped forward and even HINTED that they're interested in buying or selling, stay in touch with them until they DO! (or they call the cops on you... that's a good time to take them out of your tickler file!)

p.s. the $1,200 a year quote is for the SAME coverage we have and it's with a very reputable company... I think we may be switching!

RESOURCES:

For Real Estate Agents: Subscribe to my weekly e-zine at www.AndyTolbert.com

For Homeowners: BeforeYouShortSale.com and SeminoleCountyForeclosureBlog.com

For Investors: IRCFlorida.com