Metrowest, Massachusetts Real Estate | Metrowest, Massachusetts Homes For Sale | Metrowest, Massachusetts Real Estate Agent

Build Your Dream Home in Northborough, MA!

Mike Lefebvre (Hallmark Sotheby's International Realty) — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 16:02:19 -0500

This 6.5 acre lot at the top of a luxury cul de sac enclave awaits your imagination! Website (www.218GreenStreet.com) will be up soon....

Proud To Be Part of the World Wide Rave!

Mike Lefebvre (Hallmark Sotheby's International Realty) — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 23:23:55 -0600

Just received my copy of David Meerman Scott’s new book, “World Wide Rave” from Amazon today. It may be the first time ever that my name has appeared in a book’s index. To say I am flattered is an understatement. Call me an egomaniac (you won’t be the first), but I immediately flipped to the couple of pages about me. David did a fine job of describing how a little less than a year ago I took my struggling real estate business and attempted to turn things upside down with a video entitled “Steak Out in Franklin, MA”. I am incredibly honored to have my uncommon story go from casual conversation in a Lexington Starbuck’s directly into the pages of his new, soon-to-be best-selling, book.

If you are a fan of marketing, branding, social media or simply figuring out why things like a video of a sneezing panda can catch the imagination of the masses, check out his new book. Not for the 2-pages about me, but for the 180 some odd other pages about people doing really cool things and creating real raves through the power of social media. You know the rules of the game have changed when a rookie real estate agent entering one of the most challenging markets in recent history gets his story spread to the world by a best selling author in the pages of his new book.

Thank you David for sharing one of the most fruitful cups of coffee I’ve had in a long time.

The Uncommon Agent on Good Morning America!

Mike Lefebvre (Hallmark Sotheby's International Realty) — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 08:21:02 -0600

I got a twitter direct message from my best-dressed Realtor buddy in Ann Arbor, Todd Waller this morning. Here's what Todd said:

After following the link to the story on the Good Morning America website, they did indeed use my most recent real estate video for my listing at 9 Western Avenue in Easton, MA.

So, thanks Diane Sawyer and Company, but I would have LOVED a little plug... a website address... even just a little credit....

They even used my geeky voiceover for Cripe's sake!

Darn. I was THIS close to my 15 minutes of fame.... the story of my life I guess.

Options

Mike Lefebvre (Hallmark Sotheby's International Realty) — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 23:14:00 -0600

Hopkinton Education Foundation Raises over $40K at Winter Gala!

Mike Lefebvre (Hallmark Sotheby's International Realty) — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 23:56:22 -0600

Hopkinton Education Foundation Winter Gala 2009 from Mike Lefebvre on Vimeo.

The Hopkinton Education Foundation (HEF) hosted their annual Winter Gala this past weekend at the Lake View Pavilion in Foxborough, MA.

Over $40,000 was raised for this phenomenal organization that funds some of the most innovative and creative initiatives and programs within the Hopkinton School System.

Hallmark Sotheby's International Realty was the proud sponsor of the event's game room. A good, no GREAT, time was had by all!

We all look forward to next year's event...

Video was shot and produced by Mike Lefebvre, The Uncommon Agent.

A Sneak Peak at 9 Western Avenue, Easton, MA 02356...

Mike Lefebvre (Hallmark Sotheby's International Realty) — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 11:24:14 -0600

Thank you all for the phenomenal response I've gotten this week in regards to my new listing in Easton!

We have priced it aggressively to stimulate some immediate activity and "create a market" for this home. Many of my colleagues have been a little disappointed that there are no showings before this weekends open houses (Saturday, February 7th and Sunday, February 8th from 11:00am to 2:00pm each day). Sorry about that. We did that deliberately in order to help build the buzz a little. For those of you planning on visiting or sending your buyers through, here is a sneak peak of the inside of the home.

Please pardon the shakiness of the video, but it was just basically "raw" video with a few bells and whistles thrown on top.

Any questions, please feel free to call me at 617.828.4127 or visit 9Western.com for more details.

See you all this weekend! The weather looks awesome, so we should see some decent traffic. Oh yeah, a listing price this aggressively low doesn't hurt either...

The One You've Been Waiting For In Easton, MA!

Mike Lefebvre (Hallmark Sotheby's International Realty) — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 23:05:43 -0600

First Showings at Open Houses this weekend:

Saturday 2/7 and Sunday 2/8 from 11am-2pm each day.

3-4 bedroom expanded Cape Cod home in a very desirable North Easton family neighborhood. Just a stone's throw away from ALL the schools and Frothingham Park. Abundance of refinished hardwood floors throughout. Updated kitchen. Replacement windows throughout. First floor office has a closet and could easily serve as the 4th bedroom. Basement Technologies system with lifetime warranty that transfers to new owner. The location can simple NOT be beat! Stop by this weekend for your chance at this phenomenal opportunity in North Easton.

This is a potential short sale transaction. Contracted sales price and Realtor commission are subject to bank approval. Property is sold 'as-is'. Title 5 compliance is buyer's responsibility.

Please visit 9Western.com for more details on the phenomenal opportunity is this desirable North Easton neighborhood.

Thank you and see you this weekend!

Be The Third Real Estate Agent First

Mike Lefebvre (Hallmark Sotheby's International Realty) — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 18:24:10 -0600

It was overheard in our sales meeting this week, that it’s best to be “the first girlfriend, the second wife and the third real estate agent.” The theory being supposedly that at those certain points in time, you get the best of the other person involved. First girlfriends are doted over, second wives get a guy who learned from his mistakes and third real estate agents get sellers who have finally come to see the light of the reality of the market and are willing to listen to their agent’s professional advice.

My thinking is be the third real estate agent first, or don’t be the agent at all. Why waste valuable months of time on the market (not to mention marketing dollars) with a home seller that simply thinks they want to “see what they can get” or “dip their toes in the market”. Wrong place, wrong time, wrong market.

And sellers, save yourself some time and money and hire your third real estate agent first. A little industry (not-so-much) secret: Agents will “buy” your listing by promising you a pie-in-the-sky listing price in the hopes of convincing you that your house will sell for more money if you list with them. It won’t. You will eventually reduce your price and most likely fire that agent and go with the agent who suggested a more realistic price three months ago. Oh, and in that time the market dipped again. The new price might be a little lower. Lost time, lost money.

You all will have to work out your own girlfriend and spouse issues on your own. But for real estate, don’t waste the time and money on going through two agents before you get to the one you need to hire first.

FIRST OPEN HOUSES: Saturday November 29th and Sunday November 30th 11am-2pm

Mike Lefebvre (Hallmark Sotheby's International Realty) — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 16:34:22 -0600

FIRST OPEN HOUSES: Saturday November 29th and Sunday November 30th 11am-2pm both days.

Please visit 8HunterAve.com for more details.

Opportunity Knocks in Norfolk, MA

Mike Lefebvre (Hallmark Sotheby's International Realty) — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 13:04:14 -0600

Priced to sell. Owner motivated. Bring all offers. Seller's attorney to hold all deposits. Seller has loss mitigation firm in place. Just show and make a realistic offer. Copy of buyer's pre-approval for mortgage or proof of funds for cash/hard money buyers to accompany all offers. Property being sold in "as is" condition. Hands down and undeniably the very best deal currently available in Norfolk. Call for details. Single lien holder.

Sometimes, You Just Nail It...

Mike Lefebvre (Hallmark Sotheby's International Realty) — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 04:41:08 -0600

As both an appraiser and a real estate agent, I can safely say that appraisers often get a bad rap among the real estate community. Heck, on my really bad days, I've even been known to rip myself apart a little (sounds like someone needs a little more quality time on the couch, Doc...). But once in a while there is a magic moment when the planets align and the Real Estate Gods smiling upon the appraiser. Today was such a day. Can I get an "Amen" people?

I was recently hired by a couple in Waltham, MA who were selling their condo in a lovely old converted 2-family home. They were selling the property by themselves and were a little discouraged at the lack of activity and offers after just a couple weeks. At the suggestion of their lender, a close friend and client of mine, Seth Cohen of Heritage Home Funding, they hired me to perform an appraisal to try and help determine the most likely current market value. Just to check their pricing.

I love these kind of assignments for a couple reasons. (1) There is no preconception of the "number to hit". As much as regulations have been installed to decrease pressure on appraisers to come in at "the" value, when someone simply asks you just to "tell me your professional opinion of the most likely market value" it is a refreshingly welcoming request. And, (2) I always get to wear my real estate agent hat in the background and attempt to be the ultimate "go-to guy" for FSBOs should they decide they eventually want to list their property with a licensed agent. Give, give, give and if they become a statistic and eventually list with an agent, guess who gets the call?

Their condo was on the market for $358,800. A beautiful 2-bedroom, 1.5-bath garden style conversion unit with fantastic river views and nice period detail inside. Based on the most recent market data, my appraisal indicated the most likely market value was more like $345,000. I always cringe a little when I deliver this kind of news to homeowners. "Yeah, great place you got here, real nice, but it's probably worth about $15K less than you think it is..."

Well, the homeowners were very thankful and printed out copies of the appraisal report for the open house that Sunday. I have historically found success in using the appraisal report as a very un-sexy marketing tool. It shows potential buyers why the price is what it is. Again, none of the bells and whistles of a flashy embedded video, but it gets down to the quick 'n dirty of the pricing of the property.

Long story short, their condo went under agreement that Sunday night. Not saying the appraisal was 100% responsible for the pending status, but it had to help! When buyers see, in black and white, an unbiased analytical breakdown of the market value based on comparable sales it gives a real legitimacy to the list price. It helps eliminate some of the BS posturing and negotiating crap that tends to go on.

So where's is the sale pending you might ask? How about less than 1% different from the value I gave them at $342,000. Boo-ya! Sometimes, you just nail it. And when you do, you are the hero and they will have a hard time forgetting you. No, I didn't get the listing. They were in the minority of FSBOs who get to a closed transaction and never pay a commission.

I'm OK with that. Absolutely OK with that. I got a little business out of it. I got a $300 appraisal order. Yeah, the $8,000+ listing side commission would have paid a few more bills, but I am convinced this story is not over yet. Because most importantly I won the respect and favor of a couple of very educated homeowners who have lots of friends and know tons of other homeowners. This one will be a longer harvest. And I'm OK with that.

For now, the fruit of my labor is the satisfaction that after a careful, in-depth analysis of market data, I, as a certified residential appraiser, predicted a market value that was pretty much exactly what the market said it was. So to all the haters out there (Love you J.A., you know that, right!?!?), don't dis... don't front... and above all don't discount the value of the professional opinion of an appraiser when determining true market value!

20th Annual Chamber Golf Tournament (Sutton, MA)

Mike Lefebvre (Hallmark Sotheby's International Realty) — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 10:46:28 -0600

20th Annual Chamber Golf Tournament from Mike Lefebvre on Vimeo.

Erika Paul, owner/broker of Hallmark Sotheby's International Realty in Hopkinton, MA and two office Realtors, Suzanne Hart and Mary Ellen Wasielewsi teed off in the Chamber of Commerce's charity golf tournament at Pleasant Valley Country Club in Sutton, MA. Luckily they all make their living in real estate, not golf! FORE! All for a good cause... For more on this awesome day on the links, check out Erika's Active Rain blog as well....

Please Come Take a Peak at 68 Woodbine Street in Attleboro, MA...

Mike Lefebvre (Hallmark Sotheby's International Realty) — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 12:46:25 -0500

Welcome to 68 Woodbine Street in Attleboro, Massachusetts, a meticulously maintained and picture perfect home with all the major updates already done for you!

The large, level fenced-in yard is irrigated and provides the perfect setting for your backyard oasis and you can tell the kids that, yes, the swing set IS included with the home! A generous storage shed holds all the tools and toys, and the expansive newer rear deck creates additional living area to entertain and enjoy an outdoor lifestyle.

The inviting living room features a gorgeous bay window overlooking the front yard and polished hardwood floors. The living room opens to the cozy formal dining area and the hardwood floors carry through the entire main level into the cabinet-packed recently updated modern kitchen, which is truly the heart of this wonderful home. The updated modern full bath is done in a charming beach theme and features ceramic tile flooring and wainscoting.

The entire home features replacement windows throughout and all three bedrooms offer ample closet space, beautiful hardwood floors and functional layouts and the enclosed side porch serves as the perfect mud room entrance. Central air conditioning and a partially finished lower level complete the package.

Located in a family friendly neighborhood and tucked away on a picturesque New England street, 68 Woodbine Street could easily be just the home you’ve been looking for. Attleboro is just over 40 miles south of Boston, and the South Attleboro commuter rail station, which by the way is less than 2 miles from the home, will get you into Boston’s Back Bay station in under an hour. Attleboro is also just a 15 minute drive to Providence, Rhode Island which offers some fantastic cosmopolitan appeal including world-class shopping and a thriving arts and cultural scene.

Thank you for viewing this video and please contact me directly if you’d like to set-up a private tour of this special property.

Mike Lefebvre
The Uncommon Agent
617.828.4127 cell / text

Way Cuter Than a Button and Much Neater Than a Pin in Attleboro, MA

Mike Lefebvre (Hallmark Sotheby's International Realty) — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 06:38:46 -0500

OPEN HOUSE: Sunday October 26th, 1-4pm

OPEN HOUSE: Sunday, October 26th, 1:00pm-4:00pm
If you've been waiting for the perfect combination of favorable interest rates and a meticulously maintained, move-in ready home, your wait it over! Way cuter than a button and much neater than a pin! All the major updates have been done in this well-loved, move-in ready home. Owners' pride shows in the newer windows, modern kitchen and bath, extended rear deck, central air, irrigation, new furnace, lighting and shed. Hardwood and ceramic floors throughout! Plus: additional square footage in the finished playroom and office areas downstairs. Easy access to Boston and just 15 minutes to Providence. Feels much bigger, and shows like a dream. Your wait is over! See you at the open house or call/text Mike at 617-828-4127 to schedule a private showing!

Is Fall in New England a Good Time to Sell Your Home?

Mike Lefebvre (Hallmark Sotheby's International Realty) — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 16:05:41 -0500

Fall is certainly a gorgeous time of the year here in New England, but a question I get from a ton of my clients is:

Is Fall a good time to try and sell my home?

My answer is enthusiastically, YES! And before you discount that response as typical Realtor-speak (as in, "It's ALWAYS a good time to sell your home!") let me explain why I feel this way.

1. Less Competition
A good portion of my colleagues seems to coast from now through the end of the year. It's almost like they assume it's the "slow" time of the year and they kind of turn on their auto pilot settings. They relay, whether consciously or unconsciously, this belief to the clients, and therefore it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy and less homes get listed on the market. Less homes = less competition. Would you rather have your buyer presented with 20+ similar properties to choose from along with yours, or just a couple others? Your home will stand out to buyers purely because there are less homes to look at.

2. Serious Buyers
Let's face it, the Fall and ensuing holidays are a busy time for everybody. Anybody who is out looking at homes between now and the end of the year tend to be serious buyers who HAVE to buy something. There's usually a strong motivation for these buyers. This time of the year tire kickers and looky-loos spend time at the mall, not at open houses and showings. So although the QUANTITY of showings may decrease over the next few months, the QUALITY should be primo!

3. Fall Homes Show Well
Nothing is more attractive to buyers than a walkway scattered with a few vibrant leaves, leading to a beautifully decorated New England home with a gentle fire crackling in the fireplace. There's usually a pile of apples in a bowl on the kitchen table and maybe a pumpkin or two. Fall in New England is the perfect backdrop for staging a fantastic home for sale. The sights, sounds and smells of Fall in New England paint a wonderful picture in the buyers minds. And buyers make purchasing decisions based on those pictures in their minds.

So the next time someone tells me, "We're thinking about waiting for the Spring market to list", I remind them that (1) you will be up against a lot more competition as far as other listings, (2) you will have a harder time identifying the truly serious buyers and (3) that Christmas tree and warm pumpkin pie in the oven will not have the same effect come April.

IMHO, from now until New Years truly is the most wonderful time of the year! Enjoy.

Joe's Barber Shop | Norfolk, MA

Mike Lefebvre (Hallmark Sotheby's International Realty) — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 08:31:41 -0500

Joe's Barber Shop is located at the intersection of Routes 1A and 115 (Pond Street) in Norfolk, MA, just behind the Horse 'N Carriage Restaraunt.

Joe gives a good haircut and nearly guarantees you won't lose an ear in the process. He also talks a little about one of his old clients who used to stop in before he became The Tom Brady.

508-385-5030
Sun-Mon: Closed
Tues-Fri: 7:30am-5:30pm
Thurs: Until 7:30pm
Sat: 7:30am-3:00pm

Bring cash or hit the ATM across the street.

Haircuts $14, Seniors $11, Beardtrim/Outline $5

Frankly Unacceptable

Mike Lefebvre (Hallmark Sotheby's International Realty) — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 07:58:22 -0500

Snow in September?

Today is September 15th. We haven’t seen snow in these parts since…maybe early May (part of our ridiculous New England weather patterns). Yet, this photo came up as the main MLS photo for a currently active listing. This is not a listing for some cozy Breckenridge, CO ski house, this is a local Massachusetts home. There is only one reason for snow in photos for active listings in September. L-A-Z-Y. One of the industry’s most dreaded four letter dirty words. C’mon people! You can’t be bothered to update your exterior photos to reflect the change in seasons? Sure, keep the snow one in there if you want, (it does look pretty), but don’t keep it as your very first, main photo. It tells me two things.

You’ve had the listing for a long, long time
You’re too damn lazy to do the minimum required for your job.

The price tag on this one tells me there is a sizable commission check at the end of the rainbow if the agent can actually get this one sold. What? Isn’t that paycheck enough motivation for you to get off your butt, take the trip over to your listing and snap a photo? Are gas prices really too high for you?

Poorly taken MLS photos are bad enough. But at least they tried! Sometimes the skillset just isn’t there. But I saw the other photos for this listing. The agent can take a fairly decent photo. They’re just too lazy to keep the photos current. There is only one thing worse than a seasonally outdated MLS photo in my opinion…

This one trumps a snow photo in September!

One of the "Most Prettiest" Streets in Medfield, MA - Causeway Street

Mike Lefebvre (Hallmark Sotheby's International Realty) — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 20:47:19 -0500

Causeway Street, Medfield, MA 02052 from Mike Lefebvre on Vimeo.

Causeway Street runs southwest from Main Street (Route 109) to Orchard Street. If you're traveling west down Main Street towards Millis, take your first left after crossing Route 27 and you will be on Causeway Street. The video doesn't do the scenery justice and I think you'll agree with me if you take the drive in person, Causeway Street truly is one of Medfield's "most prettiest" streets.

"Summer in the Valley" Photo Contest

Mike Lefebvre (Hallmark Sotheby's International Realty) — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 20:34:00 -0500

: Photo by Greg Randolph

The Trustees of Reservations wrap up their Summer in the Valley photo contest this month (contest ends September 21st). Categories for entries include: Plantlife, Wlidlife, Family and Friends, Scenics, From the Past and New Discoveries. Quoting from the official rules:

From June 21 – September 21, visit any of The Trustees properties in the Charles River Valley and submit your best photos in six categories. Prizes will be awarded to winners in each category. A Best in Show winner will receive a grand prize. For more information, ask a ranger at a nearby Trustees reservation for the contest rules and entry form, or click here to download the entry form (pdf).

The Best in Show winner will receive a Trustees membership, plus a winter share of locally grown produce from Powisset Farm. Category winners will receive Trustees gear. Contest open to Trustees members and nonmembers.

Winning photographs will be selected in each of the categories below, plus a Best in Show winner will be chosen.Winning photographs will be displayed online at www.thetrustees.org and at the Rocky Woods Visitor Center in Medfield, September 27 and 28 before being displayed at the Medfield Library for the month of October and the Dover Public Library in November. The Best in Show winner will receive a Trustees membership and a winter share of produce at Powisset Farm. All category winners will receive prizes, while all contestants will share in the fun of exploring some of the most beautiful areas in the Charles River Valley.

For complete details on "getting your camera on" and entering this contest, please visit the official Trustees of Reservations rules page. Good luck!

MyTechOpinion.com Vlogging Contest

Mike Lefebvre (Hallmark Sotheby's International Realty) — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 10:23:30 -0500

The folks over at MyTechOpinion.com has asked the RE.net to talk about what technology has had the biggest impact on their real estate business. They have poised the question in the form of a little contest over at their site and I would strongly encourage everyone to jump over there and see some of the really, really cool things that others are doing with technology in the real estate industry.

The video above is my little story of how technology has given me a little boost in my first year in the real estate business (first year selling real etate, I've been appraising real estate for the last 6+ years).

And I would be remiss if I didn't give mad props to my peeps at ActiveRain for being the first ones to officially encourage this kind of behavior from me. It was ActiveRain who sent me to NYC to hang with Seth Godin for the day. A day I will never forget. Thanks ActiveRain!

So please check out some of the tools and tricks our colleagues are incorporating into their real estate business, and above all TRY SOMETHING NEW! I had no idea how to make a video when I got my Mac in January of this year. Trial and (lots and lots and lots of) error, folks! Good luck and please share with me any cool gadgets, sites and tools you come across. If you haven't figured it out yet, I'm a sucker for this technology stuff....

It's All About the Net!

Mike Lefebvre (Hallmark Sotheby's International Realty) — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 17:21:18 -0500

I have a soft spot for FSBO's. Before I was selling real estate, and I was simply appraising it, my wife and I sold our very first home all by ourselves in West Roxbury, MA. The buyer who ended up purchasing the home told us she had an agent representing her. But considering she found out about the open house from an ad in the Boston Globe, she came to the open house unaccompanied, and her "phantom" agent never so much as contacted us, we told her we were not willing to pay her "agent" a commission. She agreed. Bought the house and we saved $21,250 in commissions. See why I have a soft spot for FSBO's?

But once in awhile I come across a FSBO who just doesn't get it. Like this thread I commented on over at Trulia Voices earlier today. This seller in Cambridge was asking why there might not be much activity on his seemingly decent-sounding listing. A few of us chimed in with some ideas, and then along came "Kevin", a home seller in Needham. His advice for the Cambridge home seller was this:

Well, I did a little research, found out the specific home that "Kevin" so triumphantly listed and sold all by his lonesome and saved so much money on. I couldn't help but reply with my findings:

Like I said, I DO have a soft spot for FSBO's and I'm ALL ABOUT people saving money. What I don't have much tolerance for is stupidity and arrogance. This guy was proudly waving his FSBO flag, trying to show us all how smart he was, when in fact the market stats tell us that he would have most likely pocketed close to $7,000 more if he listed with a real estate professional. I know from personal experience that this isn't always the case, but isn't it ironic that the FSBO who most likely left a good chuck of change on the table is the first one to spout off? That's why I couldn't resist with my rebuttal.

So sellers, whether you're FSBOing or listing with an agent, remember this simple fact when selling your house.

It's all about the net.

A Week Without Twitter

Mike Lefebvre (Hallmark Sotheby's International Realty) — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 12:42:55 -0500

Last night (this morning) at 1:44am I got an e-mail from the fine folks at Twitter, telling me that they had manually reset my password and I could now log back into my account. My last previous tweet was July 24th, just over one full week ago.

On July 24th my account was mysteriously deleted with no warning or advance notice. Just completely gone. After a few strategically directed tweets from fellow twitterers on my behalf the account was restored within a couple of days. All my followers were there, all my tweets were there, all my followings were there, just one small problem....

I could not login to my account. I forgot what e-mail I registered with (further evidence that I have too many e-mail addresses). Entered my user name (RealtorLefebvre) and Twitter told me it didn't recognize me. Ouch!

While I tried to get online help from Get Satisfaction, I continued to enter any and all e-mail addresses I might have registered with. Finally I got a message saying that instructions to reset my password had been sent to the e-mail address I entered! Ureka! I was in luck....

Unfortunately, during my Twitter outage I had also switched brokerages and the e-mail address I registered with was from my OLD brokerage, an e-mail account I no longer had access to!

Back to Get Satisfaction with details of my new dilema. That was yesterday afternoon. This morning I was back in Twitter business!

This issue probably could have been solved in less than a week if I had been more adamant about my pursuit for a solution. The truth of the matter is after the initial shock wore off that my account was deleted, and I saw it had been restored, I didn't worry too much about it. Occasionally I would see what some of my favorite followers were saying, but it honestly didn't matter much to me. I was too busy with other important things.

And that's the point. After a full week of no Twitter I looked back to try and gague what I had missed and the answer for me was not much! Nothing actually. For me, Twitter is a fun social networking tool and part of the overall reason I was recruited to my new brokerage, but speaking after a full Twitter-less week, I can honestly say that I don't feel I missed a beat.

A big "thank you" has to go out to @gregoryng, @paulocepek and @ericawallace who all tweeted on my behalf to try and help get a remedy to my situation. Hard to say what kind of direct effect they had (@ev <twitter founder> actually responded early to @gregoryng which was cool), but it's the thought that counts. Thanks! All good people. Quality tweets. Well worthy of a follow.

So today I am back on the wagon. I now know where my friends are grabbing coffee, I've been tipped off to a few great posts online and I've been ridiculed for the Sox trading Manny Ramirez (which was a GREAT trade, BTW!). But I also have specific confirmation of a fact that I've always held true. There is most certainly life without Twitter.

And truth be told, it's a pretty damn productive life without Twitter as well!

Are Agents Showing Your FSBO?

Mike Lefebvre (Hallmark Sotheby's International Realty) — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 15:04:06 -0500

I was involved in an intereting thread over on Trulia Voices last week concerning FSBOs. I was the first to respond (at the bottom), but the discussion got very lively soon there after.

The basis of the thread turned out to be, "Do agents avoid showing their buyer clients FSBOs?"

Two very different opinions came out. One, from a colleague of mine Marla Mullen, co-founder of Territory Real Estate, an exclusive buyers agency offering rebates to their clients here in Boston. And the other from a couple of local agents who admitted they are less likely to show FSBOs offering a "low" commission.

My approach is show my buyers any home that matches the criteria they are looking for, regardless of the amount of money I will potentially make on the deal. Obviously, not everyone agrees with me on this one.

I also believe as technology pushes us forward. we'll see more home sellers trying to FSBO. It's not for everyone, but before I was in real estate sales (back when I was just an appraiser), my wife and I sold our West Roxbury home ourselves to a buyer with no agent. Couldn't have gone smoother and the $22,000 savings was HUGE to say the least.

This anti-FSBO sentiment that seems to run rampant through the RE industry is based purely on fear. As the industry becomes more transparent (with the help of companies like TerritoryRE) opportunities for web-savvy sellers up for the task to successfully FSBO will only increase.

So my approach has always been to be a resource for FSBOs rather than try and belittle, berate and scare them into listing with me.

Well, in this case it seems the scare tactics of a couple of commission-chasers did the trick. I was connecting with the sellers outside of Trulia and learned that they have decided to lower their price and list with a local agent next week. Keep in mind they had been getting lots of activity, just no offers.

In my opinion, based on looking at their listing on MLS and looking at the property with my appraiser hat on, the price reduction alone might have been enough to get the house sold. Going FSBO is definitely not for all home sellers. There is a lot of work involved. I know. I did it.

But I hate to think that based on some borderline unethical tactics and opinions of a couple greedy agents, that homeowners think that ALL agents avoid showing their clients FSBO properties.

I am most definitely in business to make money and take care of my family, but my first priority is to best serve my clients.

In this case we were talking about a difference in commission of about $1,800 (2.0% vs. 2.5%). Personally, I am not nearly willing to sacrifice my reputation and ethics over a couple thousand dollars.

So how about it fellow agents? Does a FSBO situation or a "slightly lower than typical" commission (in these parts a 2.5% co-broke is the norm) influence your decision on whether to show a buyer a property or not?

I'd love to know if I'm the "kooky" one, as one of the Trulia respondents on this thread so eloquently put it.

First Week at Hallmark Sotheby's International Realty in Hopkinton, MA

Mike Lefebvre (Hallmark Sotheby's International Realty) — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 15:42:16 -0500

Mike's interview on Real Estate Radio USA (7/24/08)

Hallmark Sotheby's International Realty website

Today marked the end of my first week at Hallmark Sotheby's International Realty in Hopkinton, MA. It's been a fantastic experience being part of an already well-establish brand in the area and watching the exciting transformation and re-launching as a Sotheby's franchise.

Stay tuned for future developments as the company grows and continues to gain market share in the high-end segment of the Metrowest, MA market.

I feel extremely lucky to be part of this evolution of a brand. If it sounds like I'm simply being a "company man", my apologies because I am truly pumped-up to show up to work everyday and very optimistic about what the future holds!

Real Estate Recruiting in a 2.0 World

Mike Lefebvre (Hallmark Sotheby's International Realty) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 23:01:14 -0500

I recently got a promotion that started on Twitter.

Most of you who know me, know I am still fairly new on the sales side of the business (my background is in real estate appraisal). In fact, on June 4th, 2008 I wasn't even one full year into the business when an anonymous tweet came through.

I didn't follow this person, didn't even recognize her. Loved your video on ActiveRain! Opening a new office nearby. Want to chat? was her tweet...

She is a big ActiveRain fan. She found my winning video there. She hit up my profile and thankfully disregarded my absolutely pathetic excuse for "points".

My ActiveRain profile links to my LinkedIn profile, my AIM account and practically every single way humanly possible to reach me online! She read my blogs.

We communicated on and off for 12 days with out speaking a word "live" to each other. We were obviously both very comfortable and adept at these social media methods so through IM, twitter, text, etc...we learned a lot about each other. I Googled her and her broker/owner. She did the same to me (and STILL wanted me to come in to interview! Imagine that?) Her office had a "secret announcement" coming up that she was extremely excited about but couldn't tell me just yet.

Nearly two weeks later I was sitting with the owner/broker of the office discussing an opportunity that was being presented to me based on my pioneering, progressive, Web 2.0 ways. Keep in mind, as a rookie REALTOR struggling to survive his first year in the biz, I had no "Top Producer" status, no big book of business and no money coming in the door with me on Day 1.

My resume was online. It was my social media presence. My "impressive" connections to industry "heavy weights". It was the creativity shown in the property videos and websites I had created. It was a digital map of my past, present and in her mind, my future.

My local twitter pal Aaron Strout wrote an awesome post about a similar non-real estate experience he had recently in the hiring process.

If I was a broker, hiring a staff of agents, I would:

Google their name, alone, in quotes, with "real estate" on the end...try a bunch of combination.
Read their blog. Don't have one? Next! (that's just me...but if less than 5% of agents are actually blogging, there are certainly some success stories in the other 95%)
Check their LinkedIn page. Any recommendation on there?
Follow them on Twitter.
Set up a google alert for them and see how often they are showing up online.
Send them an e-mail that needs a response "ASAP"..see you quickly they respond. If not quickly, why?
Send them a text message seeking a passive reply. How quickly do they text back?

I'm not saying that social media is changing the way all HR departments operate and hiring processes run, but for certain types of industries, there is definitely a new twist in the recruiting game.

So if you are in one of those industries that might be effected by the evolution of social media (um...in case you were wondering, YES, real estate is one of them), get yourself out there. I was pretty impressed on a recent Google search I did for Mike Lefebvre Real Estate.

Just by getting my name out there, making some connections within my industry, engaging in the conversations going on and adding a healthy dose of shameless self-promotion, I was in a position someone with my limited production should not have been in.

I got the job. Started officially today. And I'm very optimistic about where this turn will take me.

At the end of the day, real estate is still going to be about the time you are spending face-to-face with qualified buyers and sellers. But if a little social networking/blogging ultimately gives me the opportunity for a promotion that will get me more face-to-face time with these qualified buyers and sellers, I'd be crazy not to, right?

Oh, I'm also meeting with a local couple I connected with on Trulia Voices later this week to discuss helping them buy their first home. Haven't spoken "live" yet, but we sure know a whole lot about each other.

If this is what Web 2.0 is delivering for REALTORS willing to put in the time, sign me up! PS- Connect with me here!