Barry's Blog

When things don’t go as planned . . .

Barry Owen (Pareto Realty) — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:53:58 -0700

Remember this:

“NOTHING of true significance has EVER happened according to plan.”

Wouldn’t life be dull if everything you planned flowed perfectly?

If this were to happen every time, we wouldn’t need Leaders . . . just efficient Planners.

Out of chaos emerges order – eventually and always.

This is the dance of life, and I believe it’s this uncertainty that keeps us engaged.

I had the perfect chaos to order day yesterday, and it was

Exhilarating

Frightening

Frustrating

Energizing

Fun

and all around EXHAUSTING!

At the end of the day, I thought back and reflected on what was accomplished.

8:15 A “Surprise Walk-Through” first thing in the morning

9:00 A successful house closing

10:00 an unsuccessful house closing (which would later in the day become successful)

12:00 A meeting with a client

1-3 A 2 hour continuing Education Class

3:15 Picked up the kids from school

4:15 Successful closing of the 10:00 unsuccessful attempt

6:00 Awards Ceremony for our Middle Schooler

When I woke up yesterday morning, my “Plan” was much simpler:

9:00 closing

10:00 Closing

1-3 CE Class

6 Awards Ceremony

All the rest of that stuff emerge as the day progressed . . . and there were emotional highs and lows throughout the day.

When it was over . . . My reflections confirmed one thing:

What happened was the only thing that could have.

So . . .

Quit being so tied to the plan, and you’ll definitely have a more adventuresome (and potentially more successful) life.

Chaos is GOOD!

Really . . . It IS!

Expect to be surprised . . . nothing else

PS . . . Yesterday was SO “Successful” that I took an impromptu 45 minute nap today – Sat down for a 5 minute break and woke up 45 minutes later

About Barry Owen

Residential Real Estate Principal Broker and Founder of Pareto Realty, LLC. Creating the quintessential real estate firm with emphasis on "Live, Work, & Play" balance . . . and a true Performance Oriented environment for Real Estate Professionals. Serving the Real estate needs of Home Buyers and Sellers in Middle Tennessee.

Barry Owen

Founder
Principal Broker
Pareto Realty
Nashville, TN

615.502.2080
www.paretorealty.co
Call me: 615-568-2123
email me: barryo@comcast.net

Twitter

Facebook

Simply & BOLDLY Living the FourFold Way in Open Space!

Quintessentially connected to the real estate industry to offer the ultimate experience for Home Buyers and Sellers in Middle Tennessee . . . Inquire within!

On Being a Good Shepherd . . .

Barry Owen (Pareto Realty) — Wed, 15 May 2013 11:37:09 -0700

When we think of shepherds, we think of:

Picturesque, Beautiful, Peaceful, lush, green rolling hills
A calm flock of sheep dotting the landscape
A quiet person with a “Shepherd’s Crook”
The occasional lamb straying
Wolves
The Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing

In many ways, I see the work of most people as being that of the shepherd, and it got me thinking . . . so I googled “Being a Shepherd” in search of a “definition” and stumbled upon this blog post with Biblical reference:

The Responsibilities Of A Good Shepherd

“It was about feeding the lambs and the sheep, bringing them to good pasture lands and water, grooming and clipping them, delivering new lambs, leading them and teaching them to stay together, going off after the wandering lost ones, and protecting the sheep in the field and in the fold.”

How much of what is written in the quote describes your work?

In your professional life as a Leader and as you work with your customers and clients?

In your personal life as a Spouse, Parent, Friend, Samaritan?

It’s as much about caring “enough” as it is about protecting them from danger.

We do these things through teaching . . . not enabling.

These “dangers” I mention come in many forms.

How do we protect our peeps from themselves as they learn through experience . . . wandering into dangerous areas away from the herd . . . ?

How do we handle the wolves?

How do we identify the wolves in sheep’s clothing (and then handle them)?

My suspicion is that you do ALL of these things well otherwise you wouldn’t be as successful as you are.

Now for the BIG QUESTION:

Do they (your peeps) know what you do for them?

Do they know how hard you work?

Do they know how fierce you can be as you protect them (and their best interests) from the wolves?

As you work your magic and pull off miraculous feats on their behalf, stop being so humble.

Brag on yourself once in a while.

They’ll appreciate you all the more.

I promise . . .

(This is “teflon” for you in the event any of your clients hint that they don’t think you’re doing enough . . . How will they know what you’re doing if you tell them?)

Just a little fodder to chew on

ROCK ON!

About Barry Owen

Barry Owen

Founder
Principal Broker
Pareto Realty
Nashville, TN

615.502.2080
www.paretorealty.co
Call me: 615-568-2123
email me: barryo@comcast.net

Twitter

Facebook

Monday Morning Coffee – A New Website for Pareto Realty

Barry Owen (Pareto Realty) — Mon, 13 May 2013 11:21:19 -0700

Good (er) Afternoon!

The past few weeks have been VERY full for us as we work with Home buyers and Sellers. The Real Estate Market in Middle Tennessee continues to ROAR.

2013 has been nothing short of phenomenal relative to the prior 5 years (combined) . . . showing near 30% increases across the board in number of houses and condos SOLD and double digit appreciation in many areas.

We at Pareto Realty have stepped up our game in a LARGE way to establish our firm as THE Resource for all things real estate in Middle Tennessee, and I’d like to invite you to tune in.

Our ALL NEW WEBSITE is LIVE: http://ParetoRealtyTN.com

Our Twitter feed - “Follow us”

Our facebook Page - “Like us”

BarryOwensBlog.com - Subscribe for Daily feed or weekly digest

http://ParetoRealtyLLC.com - our “Portal to all of the above + LRW

I hope you’ll visit, follow, Like, and Subscribe and watch us grow.

We post frequently about:

Real Estate News and trends
Wealth of information and resources to educate Home Buyers and Sellers
Community News
Community Events
Community Resources

the best part of ALL of this (IMHO) is that there are “Feedback Loops” for every one of these sites . . . If you see ANYTHING of which you would like more information, PLEASE use the contact forms (we have them embedded in virtually EVERY page) . . . Twitter Replies . . . comments on Blog posts and Facebook posts.

We’re inviting you in to a conversation about building Middle Tennessee as a vibrant (Thriving) city . . . and a community.

Will you join us?

PS: Happy Belated Mother’s Day to all you Mothers out there

About Barry Owen

Barry Owen

Founder
Principal Broker
Pareto Realty
Nashville, TN

615.502.2080
www.paretorealty.co
Call me: 615-568-2123
email me: barryo@comcast.net

Twitter

Facebook

Starting NOW!

Barry Owen (Pareto Realty) — Sun, 12 May 2013 18:26:57 -0700

I’ll bet a million bucks that YOU know EXACTLY what you should be doing to achieve a high level of success . . . and you are either partially executing or not executing at all.

Why?

Why do people who KNOW what it takes because they know who and what brung’m to the top . . . screw things up by fumbling around with myriad obscure schemes to generate leads and get rich?

When asked how they found their early success, they’ll usually answer: “with a LOT of hard work” . . .

Dig a little deeper, and it’ll almost ALWAYS boil down to the PEOPLE they invited into their world and how they treated these people and developed relationships with them.

When external spanners spoil the ride to the top and/or shiny objects distract previously focused professionals (entrepreneurial seizures) leading to a break in momentum and often a precipitous drop in income . . . the fastest route to recovery starts with memory.

START NOW!

Remember who and what brought you to the top the first time.

Remember what has worked in the past and do MORE of that and less of the other stuff.

Remember the people who MATTER the most to you (and have for years) who you may have “turned off” as you scampered after new and exciting “opportunities.”

Remember the models and systems which worked well in the past.

What were the GOOD habits?

Scheduled weekly follow-up with current clients?

Scheduled daily contact with people in the Sphere of influence?

Scheduled times for “talking to strangers?”

Real, solid Goal setting?

ACCOUNTABILITY?

These people, systems, and tools are what matters for you professional success.

These are YOUR “Vital Few.”

So . . . I’m inviting you to revisit your true passion in life.

If your life were perfect, what would you be doing?

With whom?

and why?

Sometimes explosive personal and professional growth requires little more than a shift in focus from the “Trivial Many” to the “Vital Few”

PS – These are the things/questions we explore as we practice the Life Rhythm Way . . . If you’re in the Middle TN area and would like some of this, connect with me and I be sure to invite you to our next workshop series (beginning mid-June.

About Barry Owen

Barry Owen

Founder
Principal Broker
Pareto Realty
Nashville, TN

615.502.2080
www.paretorealty.co
Call me: 615-568-2123
email me: barryo@comcast.net

Twitter

Facebook

Can the AMC Appraisal Process scale up with the market?

Barry Owen (Pareto Realty) — Sat, 11 May 2013 18:08:53 -0700

The AMC AKA “Appraisal Management Company” serves as the buffer between Mortgage Loan originators and Appraisers . . . a requirement that came into effect as a by-product of the fall-out from the Economic slide.

Many “experts”had entertained themselves with a very high profile blame game during which much of the blame for the economic crash fell on the real estate industry . . . my own analysis begged to differ, but that’s a different (and much longer story for another day).

They would argue that “collusion between Mortgage Lenders and Appraisers” to drive house values up in a hyper-inflationary way, was a predominant culprit.

So . . . the resulting legislation created these AMCs which had good intentions but were hastily implemented . . . the execution and transition were tumultuous as Lenders, appraiser, and REALTORS sorted through the mountain of new regulations and scrambled to retool their operations into compliance.

This proved to be VERY expensive for everyone involved because it inserted a new layer of people in the process . . . Increased appraisal fees to the borrowers, decreased the income of appraisers, and cost EVERYONE additional time.

Now, we’re a few years into it and have found a nice rhythm. The time from start to finish for a normal loan processing is now in the 3-4 week range . . . or has been for the past 10 months or so.

Recently, something seems to be awry. Lender delays resulting in missed closing dates are now becoming common . . . and I think unnecessarily . . . so it’s beginning to feel like another shift in our process.

This time, I KNOW that many of the issues I am seeing DIRECTLY stem from the AMC issues . . . and mostly due to the fact that values are now RISING, and the volume of sales in the market is scaling UP.

That AMC process was geared for a market with less volume – with an increase of volume and pace, there’s no margin for error.

The Appraisers are coming up short on value with many deals for one of 3 reasons:

The property is in an area of which the appraiser is not familiar because the AMC’s random assignment has picked the next one on the list rather than assigning a truly local appraiser.
The Appraisers either don’t understand the appreciating market environment or are scared to push values higher because of fear of being implicated should the market slide again.
The appraiser is LAZY because the orders are now steady and is not taking any extra steps (research) to determine a real market value based on the CURRENT trend.

I’ve written other blog posts in the past few weeks about these new market trends . . . in a nutshell:

Inventory of available homes is near zero in many areas
Unemployment in TN has declined significantly
We have a steady flow of jobs relocating INTO the area
Building Material and Labor costs are increasing QUICKLY (5%/month)
MANY “Multiple Offer” scenarios

All of this to say that any Professional REALTOR or Appraiser who is playing by the same “rules of valuation” now as 6 months ago is likely undervaluing.

Because so much inventory has moved since January 1, 2013, the most pertinent sales data is within the past 30-60 days (NOT 6 months to a year as in 2012).

If the Pro who is attempting to determine valuation does not work in the market of the subject property, I believe there is NO WAY the valuation will be valid. There are simply too many nuances and local variables that wreak havoc with standard CMA analysis based on MLS closed comps.

There’s necessity for on-the-street knowledge . . . along with a measure of “gut feeling.”

I believe this current shift is going to be painful for a lot of people as I see appraisals showing up late in the game . . . and LOW thereby spoiling the brew sometimes on the week of closing.

I think everyone in the process deserves better.

Is it time to revisit this AMC process?

Should we be thinking of ways to ensure that the appraisers have knowledge of the areas they serve (Perhaps live or office within a 5 or 10 mile radius)?

What say you?

About Barry Owen

Barry Owen

Founder
Principal Broker
Pareto Realty
Nashville, TN

615.502.2080
www.paretorealty.co
Call me: 615-568-2123
email me: barryo@comcast.net

Twitter

Facebook

A Habit of 1 PDV a Day Can Change the World

Barry Owen (Pareto Realty) — Fri, 10 May 2013 16:16:31 -0700

When asked what they most would like to see on their own epitaph, most people respond with something along the lines of:

“She made a Difference in the Lives of many.”

Yep! Most of us want to make a difference . . . We want to MATTER in this world.

We strive to live out our Life Purpose and to make the best of our short life on this planet.

As I heard Gary Keller say once: “Unless you have some kind of inside deal with God, you have NO idea how long you have in this world.

So . . . How can you optimize yourself?

Gary also said: “You’d better take care of yourself . . . because if your body dies, where will you live?”

I believe that we are ALL Spiritual Beings, we ALL have the potential for making HUGE impact on this world and the people in our lives.

and I have an idea . . .

PDV – Public display of Validation

A new habit . . . Every day – as you meander/journey through all that your busy life throws at you, seek opportunities to publicly validate another person a minimum of once each day.

Here’s what that looks like:

I attended an Executive Leadership Meeting and was sitting at a table with 6 executives whom I had never met . . . My friend John showed up and went out of his way to shake my hand and (very robustly) announced to the table: “Do you folks know this guy? He’s Barry Owen, and he’s the BEST REALTOR in NASHVILLE!” . . . and he left.

I received exceptional service from my friends at A1 Appliance yesterday and gave them a “shout out” on my facebook page.

Most folks do (anonymously) good things for people all day long without validation (that’s not the reason they do the good deeds) and NEVER expect recognition or validation . . .

but when they get it?

They SHINE!

and they strive to do MORE!

So . . . If you want to make a REAL difference in this world, pledge to yourself NOW that you will adopt this habit of PDV (Public Display of Validation).

This is NOT “Mission Impossible” . . . It’s only seizing one opportunity each day to validate another person’s greatness.

It does not require ANY level of preplanning.

Just selfless, authentic validation . . .

and then sit back and watch that good energy expand.

Thank you for making a difference.

PS – First week of June, I’ll be launching LRW4 – a 6 Session Workshop with lots of good, solid work on focusing on what matters (goal setting) – Budgeting your time, energy, and money – Working IN your business – Working ON your Business – and Working ON yourself . . . Connect with me if you are interested in learning more – the cost is $75 for the entire program.

other details are here http://squidoo.com/liferhythm

About Barry Owen

Barry Owen

Founder
Principal Broker
Pareto Realty
Nashville, TN

615.502.2080
www.paretorealty.co
Call me: 615-568-2123
email me: barryo@comcast.net

Twitter

Facebook

New toys – Good for business? (or distractions?)

Barry Owen (Pareto Realty) — Thu, 09 May 2013 16:07:04 -0700

Don’t you LOVE getting new toys?

(I’m speaking of new “Productivity Toys” for the office)

The long anticipated box shows up at the front door, and like a kid on Christmas morning, you rip into the box and pull everything out and start plugging it all in so you can PLAY with it.

This eagerness can go many places . . .

It could be a smooth, pleasurable ride to the destination (Higher Productivity)

It could be a Love/Hate thing . . . a twisty-turny escapade including panicky calls to “Support” resulting in a “Let’s band-aid and duct tape this thing together so we can get to work,” (Often resulting in a toy that you never have the ability to use it to it’s full potential/capability).

It could be all HATE with NOTHING working as promised thereby consuming HOURS of agony ending in DEFEAT (Boxing the toy back up and shipping back to it’s creator).

I’m on the precipice of a flurry of new toys descending upon our office.

The first is our NEW WEBSITE which actually showed up a couple of weeks ago and we’ve been tweaking it and adding content gradually.

This one is Love/Hate but more Love than Hate as we get more accustomed to the way the thing works . . . and today was especially love as I finally got to see what seemed to be a miraculous coming together of all that we have done.

Check it out here in all of it’s magnificence:

http://ParetoRealtyTN.com

ALSO . . . Check it out on your smartphone and do some property searches . . . Pretty cool and we haven’t even tweaked that part yet

as it happened, part of the Hate side of that relationship centered around our early discovery that we could not use the URL we had already marketed to the masses . . .

So I swung into action and procured another NEW TOY!

I grabbed a new template for my somewhat ugly WordPress blogsite and spent the day today working on making that site become an on-line portal to the “main Website” . . . This one was, again, mostly hate on the front end (Steep Learning curve) and lots of love now at the end. Check out my progress here:

http://ParetoRealtyLLC.com

This site ALSO looks pretty cool on a smartphone.

(Still have a wee bit of tweaking to do but it CLEARLY does what we set out for it to do – Host this blog and point people to our main site)

Just as I was leaving the office this afternoon, I noticed a BIG BOX at my door . . . YIPPEEEEE! Another TOY!

My new printer has arrived . . . and my new “All-In-One” desktop PC is to arrive tomorrow . . . Will the set-up of these 2 toys be, Love – Hate – or Love/Hate?

or perhaps the better questions to ask:

Once they’re set up and functioning properly, what will they do for productivity?
What’s the “Opportunity Cost” of the time, energy, money expended to reach operational stage?
Is the ROI calculatable (Return on Investment)
If it works for a while and then breaks, will you have a back-up plan?

so . . . The million dollar question:

Did you buy this toy because it’s new and hip (to keep up with the Joneses)? or because it fills a real gap in your operation?

I’m not going to judge ANY of your answers . . . I only want you to be clear with your purpose and intentions.

As long as YOU know WHY, all of the above is mere chatter.

There ain’t no rules . . .

it’s all ALWAYS moving.

ok – Back to creating content for the website (which is the equivalent of writing @ 10 blog posts every day thus the flippancy of this post)

I’m just venting . . . let it go . . .

and BREATHE!

Barry Owen

Founder
Principal Broker
Pareto Realty
Nashville, TN

615.502.2080
www.paretorealty.co
Call me: 615-568-2123
email me: barryo@comcast.net

Twitter

Facebook

Move-in ready Crieve Hall house for under $200,000 – REALLY (Not Kidding)

Barry Owen (Pareto Realty) — Tue, 07 May 2013 13:16:11 -0700

“Quintessential” is one of my favorite words . . . Especially when it’s descriptive of a house I’ve had the pleasure of listing for sale

518 Inwood Drive – Crieve Hall $199,900

there are SO many cool features about this house beginning with the LOCATION.

EASY access to I-65, 100 Oaks, Brentwood, Nashville . . . yet nicely tucked in the back of a quiet neighborhood on the edge of the Nashville Zoo property.

The yard is flat as a pancake with nice play space and a fully fenced back yard . . . including a cool Deck with it’s own privacy fence to separate it from the rest of the yard.

The current owner has made many improvements in the past few years

making this a very low maintenance house for the new owner. Roof, flooring, paint, water heater . . . and really cool decor with interesting tile, beautiful hardwood floors and ALL appliances will stay including Refrigerator, washer and dryer, stove, microwave, dishwasher.

This one is a “move in NOW READY” house

the listing shows 2 Bedrooms and 1 Bath, but there is a very nicely finished 1 car garage space with a closet that could easily be a 3rd bedroom. This leaves plenty of rooms for living – Formal Living Room,

Large Dining room (Could be den/TV room).

the current owner is moving soon so quick possession is possible . . . Just call 615.568.2123 to schedule and appointment to view . . . or email barry@paretorealtyllc.com

More pictures follow.

Barry Owen

Founder
Principal Broker
Pareto Realty
Nashville, TN

615.502.2080
www.paretorealty.co
Call me: 615-568-2123
email me: barryo@comcast.net

Twitter

Facebook

Before you throw the switch . . .

Barry Owen (Pareto Realty) — Mon, 06 May 2013 13:17:27 -0700

AAACK!

I just completed redesign of the Pareto Realty website and am close to being ready to LAUNCH it for everyone in the world (who wants) to see it.

I’m SO close that I got a little carried away this morning and called the site developer and said:

“Let’s go LIVE!”

So she did as instructed and pushed it live.

There it was in all it’s brand, spankin’ new magnificence . . . Life was GREAT!

until . . . I decided to write a blog post (here) and keyed in the URL for my log-in to my wordpress site and received a “Site not found” message.

hmmmm . . .

Then I decided to check out my blog roll . . . “Site not Found”

Then I checked a blog link from my Facebook page . . . “Site not Found”

YIKES!

I had thrown the switch before thinking through the fact that the URL I pointed to the new website is the very same URL that’s the domain for the blogsite.

Stupid is as Stupid does . . .

That’s when the dancing scramble commenced to unravel this bowl of spaghetti I had created.

Repointed everything back to where it was before . . . and bought a new (BETTER) URL for the office website . . .

and waited . . . an excruciating hour, 13 minutes, and 42 seconds, and

VOILA!

The Blog site returned in all of it’s original luster . . . and the new office site is now showing up as it should under the new URL (Which I’ll release as soon as we have tested the site . . . NEXT Tuesday 5/14).

Don’t EVER do this to yourself.

Don’t get so excited you throw one of those switches without a nice, long pause to consider the ramifications.

I think my near-cardiac-failure is now calmed down to a simple rapid heart-beat, so I’ll return to testing the links on the new site.

SO glad to have my blogsite back

Barry Owen

Founder
Principal Broker
Pareto Realty
Nashville, TN

615.502.2080
www.paretorealty.co
Call me: 615-568-2123
email me: barryo@comcast.net

Twitter

Facebook

Your Social Media Personality Mirrors Your True Self

Barry Owen (Pareto Realty) — Sun, 05 May 2013 15:37:24 -0700

Yesterday, I vented on Facebook about an issue I’ve been having with comcast. This was not a “Bashing rant” . . . more along the lines of a plea for empathy and/or any advice I could get moving forward.

The issue I was having was so difficult for us to resolve because we love the service Comcast provides. I knew that they offer the best, fastest, clearest Internet and TV service in the land . . . but I literally detest having to deal with their customer service department because we don’t EVER get our issue resolved with one or 2 phone calls. Instead, this issue literally required 6 (SIX) calls and twice we had to wait for 2 hours for technicians to arrive only to hear that our particular issue is one that the service technicians will not fix (even with the upgraded service policy) . . . The only real solution would require us to move the location of the TV so it could plug into a different wall outlet.

Why couldn’t they have told us that 2 months ago when we opened the issue?

Ah well . . . so in my opinion, Comcast is suffering from DID

Dissociative identity disorder

There are 2 mutually exclusive identities for this company:

1. The BLEEDING edge Technology that keeps them in front with the best product

2. The sadly complex and frustratingly dissociative Service Department

IMHO there’s NO way the same company runs both of these identities . . . They don’t communicate with each other . . . How could the one be so stellar while the other so lagging?

But . . . None of that is what this post is about, so stay tuned.

I had the MOST amazing responses from facebook friends and wrote the following posts (Have deleted names to protect the innocent)

“You folks ROCK! thank you for the comments. I think we have it figured out with the counsel of a Comcast tech who stood in the fire as we passionately explained our issues and very politely but firmly said that the issue we are having is one that Comcast techs are not trained to do nor are they allowed to do it – apparently a wire was not installed properly going from the attic hub to the wall outlet when our house was built (or a rodent chewed it) – - So – We either abandon that outlet and relocate the TV or have an electrician run a new line. We have opted to stay with Comcast and relocate the TV

Now for my appreciation post – Y’all gave such an array of great answers that even mirror who you are and your personalities, and I cannot tell you how much it means to have real, solid answers packed with technical research from an Atlanta based Awesome Musician and friend - a Coach and Consultant in Atlanta offering sage advice to be free of “capture by email address” (I do use gmail) – a Passionate Wellness advocate and friend – a World Class author and thinker relating to one of my favorite business topics – focusing on what MATTERS – a REALTOR with obvious patience and sticktoitiveness (Your Clients are lucky to have you) – and an all around great guy and radio personaility – Marketing guru for the family real estate business – Another REALTOR with good counsel – and a Speaker trainer REALTOR who knows to ASK.

Y’all should check each other out – You’re a great bunch of people, and I thank you.

I was just as amazed by the depth of thought that went into the comments from these Facebook friends as I was at the ineptitude of Comcast to deal with the issue at hand.

I literally had to get to the edge of severing my relationship with comcast before being at a place where my friends could talk me off the ledge and into reason.

All of them ultimately said that it would be worthwhile to persistently continue to work with Comcast to resolve the issue rather than changing service providers.

and . . . all of them responded EXACTLY in alignment with who I know each of them to be.

When this happens, I think it says a lot about the authenticity of these folks . . .

So . . . we ALL have potential for DID moments in our personal and professional lives . . . Let’s just learn a little something from the Comcast story and focus on our own intentional and genuine /authentic behavior.

PS facebook is an amplifier of your personality . . . Use it in a deliberate and conscious way.

Barry Owen

Founder
Principal Broker
Pareto Realty
Nashville, TN

615.502.2080
www.paretorealty.co
Call me: 615-568-2123
email me: barryo@comcast.net

Twitter

Facebook

When you don’t know what to do . . .

Barry Owen (Pareto Realty) — Sat, 04 May 2013 21:19:16 -0700

There are those times when we simply don’t know what to do.

Of course the strong, burly types would never admit to needing help or counsel.

Most Men wouldn’t DARE stop and ask for directions.

Many professionals are so proud of their depth of knowledge, they wouldn’t even think of showing any sign of weakness (ineptitude) by having to call someone for advice.

Guess what?

We ALL have these moments of not knowing what to do.

IMHO the strongest amongst us are the ones who know who to call . . . and don’t hesitate doing so.

“A man’s gotta know his limitations.”

Know the boundaries of your knowledge and expertise.

Your reputation and integrity matter WAY more than your “Hero in your own mind” bravado.

Staying true to your own chosen field of expertise makes YOU the resource for other people . . . and knowing those other folks’ fields of expertise is your leverage for those times you don’t know.

So . . . when you find yourself in FEAR of allowing yourself to veer off-course from your focused path . . . beyond your specialty . . . even for as well intentioned reasons as wanting desperately to be that knight in shining armor for ALL people

Pause the game and think about what matters most.

All people deserve to be served by a specialist . . . and all they ask of you is that you be a resource to help find the right specialist.

So . . . We at Pareto Realty often say that we strive to be THE Local resource for ALL things Real Estate . . . and we do a darn fine job of doing this but it’s not solely because of the depth of our personal knowledge . . .

It’s about WHO we know

PEOPLE

THAT’S what MATTERS!

Barry Owen

Founder
Principal Broker
Pareto Realty
Nashville, TN

615.502.2080
www.paretorealty.co
Call me: 615-568-2123
email me: barryo@comcast.net

Twitter

Facebook

Blueberries for Breakfast?

Barry Owen (Pareto Realty) — Fri, 03 May 2013 19:32:28 -0700

Seth Godin wrote a blog post today Blueberry Pancakes and Battleships . . .

which goes well with the blog post I wrote yesterday Creating Space for Organizational Growth

A few quotes from Seth’s post:

“One more thing about the people on the battleship: just about everyone has a punchlist.
(The Battleship) is designed to survive with people who are merely good at what they do.
The Professional Service firm is all about blueberries working in parallel. Each blueberry can work independently, and sometimes they even work on projects that might have conflicting outcomes or views of the world. I don’t care how many people report to you. I care about how connected and how brave you are.
As the firm gets bigger, it doesn’t get thicker. You don’t make a better pancake by making a thicker one. You make a better pancake by hiring ever better blueberries.
“It’s hard to measure blueberries, but a talented and motivated one can also change the world.”
The goal is . . . to go wide and stay interesting.
Your pancake, on the other hand, gives up swing weight and firepower and instead gets flexibility and the possibility of non-fatal failure (and game-changing magic).
Both work. The problem kicks in when a successful pancake thinks its future is in the battleship business. Or when battleships are asked to dance.

By all means read Seth’s entire text at the link above.

there are components of EVERY business/organization that work better in the Battleship mentality . . . these are the components that can be done through leverage of People, Systems, and tools . . . and for ANY organization to “scale,” these “automations and punchlists” become necessary so as to Open the Space for the blueberries to exercise their power of independent thought and action.

Pareto is a blueberry pancake . . .

Really!

It IS!

When I say we are “The Vital Few” or “We are Niche Specialists,” what I’m really saying is:

“We are blueberries in the pancake of the Middle Tennessee Real Estate market.

Barry Owen

Founder
Principal Broker
Pareto Realty
Nashville, TN

615.502.2080
www.paretorealty.co
Call me: 615-568-2123
email me: barryo@comcast.net

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New Home Construction awakening from Coma – Will have a twisted path to Recovery

Barry Owen (Pareto Realty) — Fri, 03 May 2013 07:36:54 -0700

Here in Middle Tennessee, there’s a lot of new construction happening.

It seems that anywhere I go in town I see “In-fill” construction and new residential and commercial developments (large and small) popping up.

By the look of it, you’d think we’re in FULL RECOVERY.

The good news is that things are moving and improving, but don’t be too quick about assuming full recovery . . . We have some growing pains to deal with.

After an injury or illness, we humans almost always need some level of “Therapy” for recovery. We can’t hop off the operating table and swing right into full range of motion and activity. We’ve gotta be careful and allow for recovery.

No different in the building industry . . . and there are profound effects on the Real Estate sales Industry that merit noting for Home Buyers and Sellers.

At a recent Executive Leadership Breakfast, I met an executive with a National Building Products Company and commented immediately that his company must be VERY happy with all of this new construction happening all over the place. He said that they ARE very happy but that they have a long (painful) way to go before they can even use the word “recovery.”

Why?

Wouldn’t you think that lots of new construction would be a windfall for these folks?

Here are the issues:

When the economy tanked, the demand for building supplies stopped VERY suddenly . . . and they literally had to shut down a majority of their production – Which means that to meet new demand for product, they’ve gotta spool these manufacturing assets back up and that takes time . . . and because of the uncertainty of the economy, they’re hesitant to spool up too quickly lest they be burned . . . again.
While Middle Tennessee is cranking back up, not all areas of the country are cranking up . . . In fact, the cities that were the largest customers for building products pre-crash have not come on-line with much demand . . . and when they do (if it’s sudden), the suppliers will be overwhelmed and will not be able to create enough materials to keep up with the demand.
Costs are RISING QUICKLY because of this perfect storm of high demand and limited manufacturing capacity/ability.

So . . . What this means to our Home Buyers and sellers in Middle Tennessee is that new construction housing will continue to get more and more expensive . . . it’s VERY volatile . . . and the banks still aren’t all that excited about lending for “Speculative Construction.”

This is somewhat of a “Catch 22″ . . . New Home Buyer demand is strong but builders are not able to start enough houses to keep up with this demand both because they aren’t able to find sufficient bank financing and because pricing and supply of building materials is in such flux.

For re-sale Home Sellers, this is all GOOD NEWS because the new construction popping up around them is actually beginning to necessarily inflate to higher pricing per square foot and has limited availability.

This dance (saga) will continue to play out for the next year or so . . . In the meantime, I encourage ANYONE considering selling an existing house to get the process rolling.

Here in Middle Tennessee in most price ranges, we are facing a real drought of new listings . . . WE NEED MORE INVENTORY!

and until something significant happens in the building supply end of things, the builders will not be able to supply this inventory.

If you’re even contemplating selling your house, NOW is the time to meet with a REALTOR to explore your options in this market.

I and the Vital Few Real Estate Sales Specialists of Pareto Realty stand poised and ready to serve.

Barry Owen

Founder
Principal Broker
Pareto Realty
Nashville, TN

615.502.2080
www.paretorealty.co
Call me: 615-568-2123
email me: barryo@comcast.net

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Creating Space for Organizational Growth

Barry Owen (Pareto Realty) — Thu, 02 May 2013 04:13:35 -0700

Liz Wiseman - Author of Multipliers – How the Best Leaders Make Everyone Smarter was the speaker at Wednesday morning’s ELN (Executive Leadership Network) Breakfast Meeting at THE CENTER FOR EXECUTIVE EDUCATION AT BELMONT UNIVERSITY!

I learned a lot and met some fascinating, smart, successful people (who all made me feel smarter) . . . and came away from the meeting energized.

Liz talked about Leaders who “Extract people’s full capability” . . . and how “Multiplier Leaders” are “genius makers and bring out the intelligence in others.”

I know some of these people. I think EVERYONE knows some of these leaders, and we are ALL attracted to these leaders because being with them makes us feel SMART.

I believe most large organizations with real staying power do so because there are “Multiplier Leaders” at the helm . . . and the REAL challenge for many is what happens as growth happens.

When the organizational culture focuses on “being the BEST” (a Multiplier mentality), growth is more organic as Multiplier Leaders attract employees and other leaders just like themselves.

BUT – What happens when the focus at the top shifts towards being the LARGEST? This shift often happens because of a change of leader at the helm or market conditions that provide sudden potential for hyper-growth.

My experience is that this shift has a very high potential for shifting focus towards a “Diminisher Leader” approach as the organization loses grip on the organic nature of the culture and becomes more structured and CONTROLLING.

We see the appearance of “Scripts and dialogues” at every level as the entire culture moves towards a mentality that if other people don’t see it their way, they can convert them.

The importance of individuality wanes . . . and the leaders stop asking questions (soliciting feedback and acting on it) and begin “Issuing Directives.”

Independent thought of employees is no longer an asset because it has potential to interfere with the momentum of the growth.

I’ve witnessed this happen . . . and as Liz Wiseman was speaking, I saw many Corporate Leaders in the room nodding their heads and grimacing and smiling nervously . . . The reactions were poignant.

I suspect; though, Liz was “Preaching to the choir” because most “Diminisher Leaders” think too much of themselves to take the time to attend such a meeting . . . They’re too busy controlling their operation.

Thank you for the perspective Liz.

BTW!

Much of what Liz talked about aligns with the principles of Open Space Technology . . . Multiplier Leaders are natural space creators.

Barry Owen

Founder
Principal Broker
Pareto Realty
Nashville, TN

615.502.2080
www.paretorealty.co
Call me: 615-568-2123
email me: barryo@comcast.net

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Seller Participation Double Entendre

Barry Owen (Pareto Realty) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 19:26:59 -0700

When a Home Seller agrees to pay costs on behalf of the Buyer, we call this “Seller Participation.”

This type of “Seller Participation” is an ACTIVE decision which the Seller can calculate and deduct from the proceeds thereby knowing the “net proceeds.”

A relatively high percentage of real estate transactions include this “Active Seller Participation” most commonly as a “convenience” for the Buyer to preserve cash (reduce the amount of cash required at closing) so as to be able do something more useful with it. In essence, it’s a trade off for a Higher Purchase Price . . . the Buyer is effectively rolling those costs into their loan with this Seller Participation.

The above definition clarifies the truth that this kind of Seller Participation is ACTIVE and QUANTIFIABLE – All parties know how much it is and agree to it as a term of the deal.

There’s another form of Seller Participation . . . a PASSIVE form which is WAY more expensive for the Seller and nearly impossible to quantify.

This Passive Seller Participation can literally bleed out any amount of equity the Seller thinks is there . . . It results in more (unnecessary) days on the market . . . and can neutralize any level of marketing and pricing finesse the Listing REALTOR orchestrates.

This Passive Seller Participation is a veritable plague for the subject property.

What is it?

Simply put . . . this is LACK of Seller Participation in the things that matter to bring top dollar and best terms for the sale.

If you, the Seller, are guilty of any of the following, you’re sabotaging your own (and your REALTOR’s) efforts to sell your house:

Failing to maintain good curb appeal (nicely trimmed lawn and bushes)
Failing to keep the interior clean and free of debris (Dirty dishes and clothes)
Declining showings (for any reason other than illness)
Failing to present a CLEAN looking and smelling house (Cleaning EVERYTHING including WINDOWS.
and this list continues.

The scope and effect of the above “infractions” is immeasurable . . . and for sure, it is detrimental to every component of the home sale

Home Sellers must participate ACTIVELY in the sale of their homes in order to be able to attract an enthusiastic Buyer and to have enough equity remaining to be able to actively participate in Buyer costs.

The sad part here is that most home sellers don’t get the fact that none of the items on my list actually cost MONEY . . . they only require a measure of effort, yet they PAY BIG BUCKS in the end.

Even the best REALTOR on the planet can’t sell a house for best price and terms if the Seller’s not participating.

I’m disheartened any time I show a house which is a clear victim of Passive Seller Participation . . . especially as I hear the prospective buyer discounting the value of the house WAY more than reality.

Step up . . . and you’ll WIN!

Barry Owen

Founder
Principal Broker
Pareto Realty
Nashville, TN

615.502.2080
www.paretorealty.co
Call me: 615-568-2123
email me: barryo@comcast.net

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Monday Morning Coffee – Bluff Teflon

Barry Owen (Pareto Realty) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 07:23:54 -0700

Good Monday Morning!

The past several weeks in the Middle Tennessee Residential Real Estate Market have been nothing but exciting.

Things got off to an early start in 2013 with “record Numbers of sales” beginning in January after years of “Doldrums.”

While there have moments of pause, the pace has not tapered as the inventory of available homes in many areas and price ranges is all but GONE!

What this has created for some Home Buyers is akin to stepping into a stream full of piranhas . . . It’s a veritable feeding frenzy for many Buyers.

There are good and not so good consequences when the market swings this direction. On the good side, Values increase (Recouping equity lost in the down times) and many home sellers are now able to make that move they couldn’t in previous years due to financial constraints . . . Fewer “Up-side down sellers” is releasing these “pent up” buyers into the marketplace.

The bad news is that Buyers are flowing into the market faster then inventory, so we are seeing multiple potential Buyers showing up within minutes of any new listing appearing.

Here comes the bluff part. Not EVERY house that hits the market gets multiple offers, but many Sellers and/or listing agents may bluff Buyer prospects into believing that if they don’t buy THIS house NOW, they’ll lose their chance because “There are multiple offers coming.”

Sometimes this is true . . . sometimes it’s a bluff.

Many Buyers don’t want to play this multiple offer game, but they DO want to buy a house . . . so where’s this teflon?

How can we call the Seller’s Bluff (Find out if the Seller is Bluffing)?

My advice:

Have your ducks in a row before starting to look at houses – Financing in place, ability and willingness to move SOON or later (Be flexible with timing to accommodate the Seller’s needs), and be prepared to submit an offer the MINUTE you believe this house is a good one for you.
Know your own tolerance for game playing. If you enjoy the thrill of a multiple offer competition (For some folks, this is like going to Vegas to play the tables) and you aren’t 100% committed to any particular house, then enter the fray without emotional attachment.
Use reverse psychology . . . Identify multiple houses of interest to you – Rank them in order of preference and move quickly – Submit an offer on the first (favorite) house and give it 48 hours to gain traction . . . If it bogs down in a swirl of multiple offers, move on to house #2 . . . Don’t stop looking until you’ve got something under contract
When Seller tells you they think they’ve got multiple offers coming, make your first offer your BEST offer, so when they call for “Highest Best” you can relax and respond that they already have yours.

Don’t let’m see you sweat, and don’t allow their manufactured urgency compel you to do something you’ll regret later.

This is NOT a market for Buyers who are feint of heart. If you’re going to dive in, do so with PASSION and FULL Commitment and PATIENCE . . . and be prepared . . . I am certain you can meet with success.

Oh! If you have a house to sell . . . NOW is the time to connect with the Real Estate Sale Professional Specialist in your area (Start with a call to me )

Preparation + Patience + Persistence = Bluff Teflon

With love from YOUR resource for all things real estate in Middle Tennessee and beyond.

Barry Owen

Founder
Principal Broker
Pareto Realty
Nashville, TN

615.502.2080
www.paretorealty.co
Call me: 615-568-2123
email me: barryo@comcast.net

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Who Ya Gonna Call?

Barry Owen (Pareto Realty) — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 08:47:01 -0700

Seth Godin wrote a provocative little blog post this morning entitled The Hard Parts in which he says:

“Today, though, it’s the difficult work that’s worth doing. It’s worth doing because difficult work allows you to stand out, create value and become the one worth choosing.

Seek out the difficult, because you can. Because it’s worth it.”

I agree with this premise that if everything is easy (there are no hard parts), odds are not great that the project will ultimately have significant impact/value.

It’s often said: “If success were so easy, EVERYONE would have it at a high level.”

It’s those folks who take the time to identify the hard parts and deal with them who ultimately succeed.

Unless I’m mis-interpretting Seth’s slant, I read that he is cajoling us to push through these hard parts . . . to ID them and FOCUS on them and Master them . . . and again, I agree . . . with a twist.

Yes, every project has a “Dip” (Hard Parts).

I would add another question to Seth’s question of: “which part of your project is hard?”

How ’bout the question of: “HOW?”

You might think me splitting hairs with this . . . I think not.

Here’s why.

If you’re the Entrepreneur, you’re the “Project Manager” and quite often the Planner and Doer . . . If a difficulty shows up, it’s YOU who must deal with it.

Be careful, though!

Don’t let your focus on the Hard Parts demoralize you . . . or distract you from the larger purpose of the project. You, the Project Manager, must stay on task with respect to moving the PROJECT THROUGH these hard parts and forward.

It’s what the Project Manager does when she doesn’t know HOW, that separates the ultra-high-achievers from the others,

If pushing through means stopping forward motion of the project so as to pause long enough to learn a new discipline, you may kill your momentum and ultimately fail.

Example: I’m in-process revamping the entire web presence for Pareto Realty – Brand new website, New Integration of Social Media, and a strong focus on SEO.

I know what I know and I know what I don’t know.

I know the Map/Plan and I KNOW the Content that’ll drive success.

I DON’T know the “Mechanics” of website construction (Writing code, creating structure, Orchestrating SEO, etc).

I KNOW my business as a real estate sales professional and Principal Broker/Owner of a growing firm.

In short . . . I know what I want/need . . . I don’t know HOW!

My choices are:

Pause my life (and the project) and LEARN about all of the stuff I don’t know (The Hard parts for me) . . . and do them myself.

Ask another question:

“Who Ya Gonna Call?”

Ghostbusters were specialists at capturing Ghosts . . . Their customers knew NOTHING about catching ghosts . . . They only knew that the Ghosts were there, and they didn’t want to co-exist with them . . . and they didn’t have the know-how and equipment to do it themselves.

So . . . When you hit a “Hard Part” in your project, simply do a quick assessment as to whether you personally have the know-how, equipment, time, energy, and resources to do it yourself . . . and if not . . . Find yourself a professional specialist to help you over, under, around, or through it.

BTW – This applies DIRECTLY to my primary profession as I work with Home Buyers & Sellers and Coach & train other REALTORS as they serve Home Buyers and Sellers . . . Anyone considering a move (Buying and/or selling a house) DOES have choices:

DIY (Do It Yourself) – FSBO (For Sale By Owner)
Quit – Decide not to move
Hire a Real Estate Sales Professional Specialist

You don’t necessarily have to slog through “The Hard Parts” all by yourself.

Barry Owen

Founder
Principal Broker
Pareto Realty
Nashville, TN

615.502.2080
www.paretorealty.co
Call me: 615-568-2123
email me: barryo@comcast.net

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Because it’s our POLICY!

Barry Owen (Pareto Realty) — Sat, 27 Apr 2013 07:32:47 -0700

I witnessed a phenomenal, enigmatic, problem-solving attempt that ultimately failed miserably because of “Policy.”

Without going into boring details, this “training organization” is facing a shift in the demand of the services/classes they offer and were trying to “fix” this problem . . . their customers weren’t showing up anymore.

30 minutes into the meeting, I realized that 100% of the proposed “solutions” had to do with the goal of changing the behavior of the customers through more creative marketing . . . an attempt to cajole the customers to accept the very services they were abandoning. A hammer looking to drive a nail.

“Let’s convince these customers that the alternatives ways they are using to fulfill their needs (Satisfy their Professional requirement for Continuing Education) aren’t as good as our way.”

So we asked: “What ARE these alternative ways, and why are they stealing our customers?”

On-line classes are less expensive and more convenient because the busy professional can take them ANY time from ANYWHERE.

FREE options were popping up all around the marketplace as local vendors realized that they could capture an audience of these professionals simply by sponsoring (paying the instructors, room rents, and providing lunch) and these professionals would show up because they need the approved CE hours.

Me: “So . . . Should we offer on-line options?”

Committee Chair: “We already do offer some of these, but they’re not very effective and we cannot compete with the other on-line providers on cost . . . and our POLICY is that many of our courses MUST be taken in our facility classroom.”

Me: “OK . . . Cost seems to be coming up as an issue both for the customers and your organization . . . Could we defray some if not all of the cost by seeking vendor sponsorships?”

Committee Chair: “OH! WE can’t do that! It’s ALWAYS been our POLICY not to allow vendors any access to our class attendees because we think that will detract from the quality of the classroom experience here.”

Me: “That doesn’t seem to be a problem with classes I offer at Pareto realty with Vendor Sponsors because we only allow vendor presentations at the END of the session. Could we rent our space to the vendors who are offering these classes free so as to gain some income?”

Committee Chair: “OH! NO! Our POLICY prohibits any but our own chosen instructors in our facility for continuing education classes.”

Me: “Why? All CE instructors have to be certified to teach approved courses.”

Committee Chair: “Because we would not then have CONTROL over the quality of the classroom experience for the attendees?”

Me: “oh!”

Another Person: “Could we offer classes at more flexible days/times? Nights? Weekends?”

Committee Chair (Looking very unsettled): “Well . . . No!”

Everyone: “Why?”

Committee Chair: “Because I like only working Monday through Friday and go home at 5.” (A Personal POLICY)

Me: “We all know the definition of insanity is doing the same things and expecting different results . . . and it seems to me that POLICY may be the problem we need to face – I believe that a change in POLICY is what this organization likely needs to bring our wayward customers back.”

You could have heard a pin drop in that room for @ 2 minutes

Committee Chair (squirming): “Um . . . Well! If y’all want to make a proposal, our board Liaison can take it to the Board meeting this month”

and so it happened . . .

How strong is this POLICY?

My past experience with this organization tells me that adherence to POLICY and resistance to change POLICY is sacred . . . and that POLICY CHANGE has virtually ZERO possibility of happening . . . and that this loyalty to POLICY might even be strong enough to be the death of the organization’s validity/existence.

People and organizations create POLICY for good reason. It’s the holder of the standard . . . It’s what defines consistency and quality so the organization’s customers can know what to expect in the way of service EVERY time. In this way, policy is our friend.

When market demands shift, policy can be a killer for even the strongest organizations.

THIS can be the differentiating factor that allows small, upstart organizations to seize large chunks of market share from the dinosaurs.

For an organization to consistently perform over time, the policy must ALSO perform consistently over time.

Especially when it defines that same thing we’re doing while expecting different results.

So . . . Is your Policy your friend . . . or your albatross?

Barry Owen

Founder
Principal Broker
Pareto Realty
Nashville, TN

615.502.2080
www.paretorealty.co
Call me: 615-568-2123
email me: barryo@comcast.net

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When we Open Space for Self-organization to Flourish

Barry Owen (Pareto Realty) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 14:06:07 -0700

It’s all Open Space!

Forever stuck in my mind is my Father’s (Harrison Owen) comment something along the lines that “Everything is Self-Organizing . . . always has been and always will be!”

I find this to be true!

As I began imagining the launch of my new Real Estate Sales firm Pareto Realty in mid 2010, the one thing I KNEW for certain was that I wanted this business model to align with this funadmental of Self-organization . . . and more specifically the principles of Open Space Technology.

Having “Lived in Open Space” for several years, I could imagine that doing so as an organization wouldn’t be rocket science as long as we stayed in tune with the core mantra of self-organization.

I began with some questions about “What Matters!”

What qualities and services MATTER to Real Estate Sales Professionals with respect to their Office environment?

What are other firms doing right . . . or wrong?

How can we best walk our talk of contributing value to our local community . . . value beyond the “given” of serving Home Buyers and Sellers impeccably?

When I think of things that MATTER, I think of the 20% – The Vital Few of the Pareto Principle (Thus the name of our new firm), and I understand that as we focus on things that matter most (The Vital Few) . . . The trivial many (80%) fade away.

Through the years, I’ve noticed that when we focus on the 20%, we are not doing much more than follow our Heart/Passion . . . and that it’s never been “enough” to simply follow passion, we must also take responsibility.

The purest form of taking responsibility is the INVITATION!

By taking the time and energy to define this passion, we gain clarity of purpose and therefore the “Language” to invite others to journey with us.

So we invite . . . and invite . . . . and invite.

When we invite, we know that the 5 Principles of Open Space Technology apply:

Whoever comes is the right people
Whenever it starts is the right time
Whatever happens is the only thing that could have
Wherever it happens is the right place
When it’s over it’s over

and we live by The Law of 2 Feet – If at any time you find yourself in a place where you feel you are neither contributing nor receiving anything of value, it is YOUR responsibility to use your 2 feet to take yourself to a place where you CAN contribute and/or receive value . . . Be Useful . . . Always!

This is our dance.

I’ve been asked what all of this looks like WRT to the Pareto Realty business model, and my answer (not surprisingly) centers around frequent and many invitations, patience, being open to outcomes that differ from our expectations, and acknowledging when “it” is over to keep us in forward motion (useful).

I am consistently inviting performance oriented Real Estate Sales Professional SPECIALISTS to join our “conversation” which happens by way of a rhythm of weekly Mastermind and Learning sessions.

We don’t actively recruit new members . . . We invite EVERYONE knowing that the right people will decide to stay when the time is right.

In much the same way, we invite our community by including local businesses and professionals in most of our functions as Sponsors AND full participants.

We are 3 years into this “experiment” and gaining more traction every day.

Today, we reached the “complete enough to publish” stage of our new website which will go live late next week . . . The content of that website will grow as we grow . . . a virtual CRC (Community resource Center)

Our next move will be creation of a physical CRC in the form of a retail storefront Open Space Office.

Barry Owen

Founder
Principal Broker
Pareto Realty
Nashville, TN

615.502.2080
www.paretorealty.co
Call me: 615-568-2123
email me: barryo@comcast.net

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Be kind (To Yourself)

Barry Owen (Pareto Realty) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 14:02:37 -0700

Yep!

Once in while, we all drop a ball (or 2).

Sometimes we forget to return a call (or 2).

Maybe we get “too busy” and miss an appointment (or 2).

Perhaps we make a few promises and fail to deliver a time (or 2).

When’s the last time you set a goal (or 2) and didn’t reach it?

How bout those times when we’re cruising along and suddenly have that gut-wrenching, blinding flash of the obvious truth that we’ve COMPLETELY over-committed and can’t POSSIBLY get it done on time (or at all)?

Things are going along exactly as planned, and one of the essential tools BREAKS?

The Internet goes down . . .

The cell phone battery dies or loses signal . . .

Hey!

Don’t beat yourself up (or anyone else)!

Stand UP!

Brush yourself off!

and

Decide to start anew!

IGBOK (It’s gonna be OK)

Now!

Consider this!

How can you avoid such foibles in the future?

I’ve an idea . . . engage an accountability partner on whom you can rely to keep YOU on track and REAL.

Of course, this works better if the accountability goes both ways.

When you commit to things that MATTER, let her know what when where.

If you’re not sure if “it” matters, I’m betting she’ll have an opinion and may be instrumental in saving disgrace by reminding you of your true goal (and the truth that this particular “it” doesn’t help . . . that “it” is a distraction and very probably will cause some dropped balls on things that MATTER).

Be kind to yourself first by doing whatever it takes to keep you on the track of being FOCUSED on the things that MATTER most to YOU . . . even if “Keeping on track” means succumbing to some leaning on someone else once in a while.

I swear . . .

This works magically well!

Barry Owen

Founder
Principal Broker
Pareto Realty
Nashville, TN

615.502.2080
www.paretorealty.co
Call me: 615-568-2123
email me: barryo@comcast.net

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One Paradigm Shift After Another

Barry Owen (Pareto Realty) — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 15:48:22 -0700

The only thing that is certain is change.

We are ALWAYS in transformation.

Everything is moving . . . always.

and it seems that the shifts are moving FASTER and FASTER . . .

and the faster we go, we behinder we get.

So . . . How do we keep up?

Clearly, some folks “get it” sooner than others . . . The innovators and early adapters are riding on the wave – the bleeding edge . . . seeming (to everyone else) to be relatively (and irresponsibly) unattached, carefree, and reckless in their lifelong quest for NEW.

They don’t always get it right. Sometimes, they catch a bad wave, but that’s OK because they’re not attached and can always catch the next wave.

The Paradigm for these people is one of high energy, high play, and higher and higher levels of performance . . . These are the XTREME wave riders.

Most people (80%) develop steady paradigms over time. They invest heavily in ONE platform and go DEEP with it.

These folks resist change . . . and even when change happens, they hold on for dear life to their beloved paradigm even as it withers into oblivion.

Traditional CRM (Customer Relationship Management) programs
Resident email management platforms (Outlook)
Fax
Text
Voice Mail
Land Line Telephones
Internet Explorer
Windows
Microsoft Office
Facebook
Twitter
Marketing
Cassette Tapes
8 Tracks
VHS Tapes
Vinyl Records
CD and DVD
Dial up Internet
Analog TV signals
This list continues ad-infinitum

For each of the above, there are LARGE, invested groups of people CLINGING to THAT technology . . . and declaring that they’ll NEVER change and that the new way is just a fad and cannot possibly replace the old way.

they are ALL wrong!

I remember (1995ish) MANY “Old School REALTORS” who very passionately professed that they would NEVER make the shift to the internet for their business . . . a couple years later, the MLS folks stopped printing the listing books . . . The shift HAPPENED, and these REALTORS had a choice . . . adapt or die.

Today, I’m shopping for a new computer and feeling very adventuresome as I dabble in the realm of the “All-In-One Cordless Touchscreen, Desktop Computers” . . . and I realize that even as I have prided myself in my own technological agility and adaptability . . . I myself have not shifted MY paradigm thinking “enough” to be ready to make an intelligent buying decision.

The entire vocabulary of computer hardware and software has changed dramatically since my last CPU purchase (5 years ago). Processor speeds and capacity are radically different . . . and most of the software options I had 5 years ago are no longer offered even as add-ons (like Microsoft Office).

Most of the useful software “out there” is REALLY “out there” in the CLOUD.

Here’s where I’m going with this . . .

I’m already operating in the cloud. I use gmail as my primary email, contact manager . . . and Google drive for most all of my documents, spreadsheets, drawings, presentation . . .

My social media is a relatively smooth ensemble of Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare, Linkedin, YouTube, and this blogsite . . .

BUT . . . my PARADIGM still had me looking for Microsoft Office, Quicken, and using old technical parameters to decide which machine to purchase.

My frustration turned to elation as I realized that I no longer NEEDED to buy those add-ons because I was already fully functional WITHOUT them.

So . . . How does any of this apply to YOU?

Some people are stuck in old paradigms as they maneuver new markets . . . I see some REALTORS out there beating home sellers DOWN on pricing when the market is commanding HIGHER pricing (Resulting in ridiculous multiple offer bidding wars leaving only ONE Buyer happy).

I see other Sales Professionals spending large sums of money on expensive CRM programs . . . and passe marketing strategies . . . and wondering why people aren’t coming (because they built it)

Open your eyes!

Consider YOUR current paradigm and how it compares what’s REALLY happening out there.

I found my new computer . . . and I didn’t buy the Microsoft Office to go with it . . . and my new website is going to ROCK in ALL of its new paradigmness.

Let’s be pioneers together, eh?

(this stuff energizes me)

Barry Owen

Founder
Principal Broker
Pareto Realty
Nashville, TN

615.502.2080
www.paretorealty.co
Call me: 615-568-2123
email me: barryo@comcast.net

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ONE Implementable Idea

Barry Owen (Pareto Realty) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 16:36:53 -0700

Today was the day for the world’s BEST REBarCamp in Nashville.

750ish Top Notch REALTORS (From all over the country) were expected to show up at Rocketown throughout the day.

My strategy for events like this is to accomplish 2 things:

See the “Right People”
Seize ONE Implementable Idea

I always show up EARLY . . . an hour before the event starts . . . because catching people on the front end as they walk in is best. The energy is always high with anticipation at that stage of it . . . and there’re fewer distractions before the whole thing is launched.

I also get the chance to HELP the organizers with final prepping of the space . . . I do this because it immerses me in the event at a Deeper level (mentally) than just showing up as a participant . . .

This morning, I saw and spoke with most of the folks I hoped to see BEFORE the event even started . . . and I got my ONE Implementable Idea in the first 45 minute session.

I could have left the event at 9:30 and been tickled pink with my “day” at REBarCamp . . . But I didn’t because I wanted to see my friend Greg Cooley’s session about his cool new “BuyersBucket” program.

I left the event at 11:30 feeling satisfied with the return on my “investment.”

Of course, I could have stayed for the whole thing and probably would have learned a LOT more . . . but . . . would it have been “implementable stuff?”

If I had walked out of there with 10 great ideas, would I have done what I always seem to do after conferences . . . relegate the majority of the ideas to the “ToDo Someday” List never to surface again?

Probably yes . . . and so I decided to cut out the chattel . . . and take myself to be useful elsewhere (Final Walkthrough and 3 closings) . . .

PS – Where I fell short on this event is that I did not “Teach” today. In the BarCamp Meeting format, the participants are also the “Teachers,” and I had full intentions of teaching some Life Rhythm components . . . but those darn closings spoiled the brew

So . . . What’s YOUR strategy when you attend conferences?

Barry Owen

Founder
Principal Broker
Pareto Realty
Nashville, TN

615.502.2080
www.paretorealty.co
Call me: 615-568-2123
email me: barryo@comcast.net

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Wholemeal C2C

Barry Owen (Pareto Realty) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 20:06:37 -0700

“Wholemeal” (Done in WHOLE) + “C2C” (Contract to Close) =

“Done in WHOLE Contract to Close”

Which means (In Barry-speak) that it’s not

“Piecemeal” (Done in Random Parts) + “C2C” (Contract to close) =

“Recipe for disaster”

The Contract to Close phase of every real estate transaction can make or break the dreams and aspirations of all parties involved.

Why would ANYONE take this part of the process with anything but utmost gravity?

It’s beyond me why there wouldn’t be FULL attention every step of the way because this IS where the rubber hits the road . . . and it ain’t going to do this all by itself.

“Piecemeal” approaches create one panic after another. Inattention to details creates drama every time a deadline approaches.

Why not adopt a “Wholoemeal” approach and wrap things up in nice bundles comfortably ahead of the deadline?

So . . . Instead of dispatching an inspection report one day . . . Termite report next day . . . Radon report 2 days later . . . with the Inspection contingency lagging along a few days later.

This drags what could be a 3 day process into a 7 day drama infused circus.

Why not have the presence of mind to have all of the inspections done at the same time, gather the reports, and submit ALL of it in one nice presentation along with the release.

There’s no such thing as “Too Busy” to do this right.

I think this can be taught.

I’m not a believer that some people don’t care . . . or that they are lazy.

Just a wee bit of effective training, and PRESTO!

Wholemeal . . .

Thursday the 25th, I’m going to reserve a conference room and open some space for any real estate sales professional who has a passion for learning a wholemeal way of C2C . . . We’ll start @ 10 and end when it’s over, and I’ll make sure there’s something yummy to eat.

Let me know if you’re coming, so we can be prepared.

Best,

Barry Owen

Founder
Principal Broker
Pareto Realty
Nashville, TN

615.502.2080
www.paretorealty.co
Call me: 615-568-2123
email me: barryo@comcast.net

Twitter

Facebook

8 Unique Scores – the Mark of a Great Team

Barry Owen (Pareto Realty) — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 17:28:53 -0700

Success leaves clues.

In the game of soccer, the score at the end of the game seldom reflects what REALLY happened on the field.

Many games end with very few (if any) points on the board even though one team may have played astronomically better than the other.

A term often spoken is simply: “Unlucky!”

A team may successfully keep the play in the opponent’s end of the field with MULTIPLE opportunities and attempts to score, yet “Unlucky!” happens every time. Of course, a good defense on the other team’s part contributes to this “Unlucky!” . . . or a great goalie . . . or maybe just a bad day for the strikers.

Sometimes, the teams are so evenly matched that the play is a veritable ping-pong match with the players masterfully working the ball from one end to the other . . . back and forth and back and forth . . . with no scoring.

and then there are the BLOWOUTS.

These are the ones that end up with a 5 or more point spread and generally happen because the winning team is either much more prepared (skilled) . . . or because the winning team gains an early mental advantage.

Early success in the game of soccer (and the game of life) goes a LONG way towards a smoother goal achievement . . . and can come about with a single, mind-numbing corner kick, header GOAL.

Some teams have good, talented players . . . and 1 or 2 SUPERSTARS who have the potential to pick apart any defense with their brilliant maneuvers. These superstars (once they have the mental advantage) can literally dance their way to multiple goals seemingly single-handedly . . . While all players on both teams serve little more observable function than as spectators.

This is great when it works, but when one (or both) of the Superstars are taken out of the game (with double or triple teaming) or accidental injury, the jig is up . . . no depth.

These wins are bittersweet for most of the players on the winning team.

How ’bout the game that ends with a 9-0 WIN . . . with 8 Unique Scores (8 different players score).

THIS defines a team with balance and DEPTH.

This winning team has the ability to “play keep-away” with the ball from the opposing team and then “feeds the ball” to a specific player to score.

This team tends to play a slower and more deliberate game.

This team understands the importance of “Creating space” on the field by spreading the field out with good passing and ball control.

The underlying theme is one of being “On Purpose” . . . INTENTIONAL about every touch of the ball and every person’s placement on the field.

This is how we find flow in our lives.

On purpose living helps us create the space we need to do great things.

oh yes . . . and surrounding ourselves with DEPTH (A great TEAM).

Does this shoe fit?

Best,

Barry Owen

Founder
Principal Broker
Pareto Realty
Nashville, TN

615.502.2080
www.paretorealty.co
Call me: 615-568-2123
email me: barryo@comcast.net

Twitter

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Map it first!

Barry Owen (Pareto Realty) — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 08:02:22 -0700

Before the days of GPS (Back in the day), I remember our vacations and all of the preparation my parents did leading up to the trip.

It didn’t always make sense to me, but everything they did was for good reason.

The house had to be SPOTLESSLY clean so that when we return (tired) we wouldn’t have to do much more than carry our luggage in and fall into clean beds
the refrigerator had to be empty of perishable food so it wouldn’t spoil while we were gone
there were lists of everything we would need to bring – Clothes, toiletries, Snacks for the road
MAPS – We always had AAA “Trip-Tics” and maps which were carefully assembled and studied
The car was serviced, fueled, and packed very deliberately making sure that the cartop carrier had the stuff we wouldn’t need while driving (and EVERYTHING we would need when we got there) and the stuff we would need while driving was where it needed to be.

All of this was done the day BEFORE departure, so we could load the 6 of us in the car EARLY in the morning so as to arrive at our destination for the day before dark.

Even with the Maps and Lists, there were surprises along the way. Forgotten items would be remembered 200 miles down the road (Too late to go back) and missed exits or road construction would invariably lead to moments of being “Lost” resulting in tension and conflict.

These trips were microcosms of everything we do in life.

When we mapped things out first, our odds of getting “there” with all of the stuff we would need increased exponentially. We kids thought our parents were non-spontaneous BORES because of their obsessive compulsive need to micro-manage this vacation preparation.

We acknowledge now the true method of their madness.

It was all about being prepared so we could all enjoy more of what matters during our trip (Togetherness, sightseeing, etc) without the distraction of stuff that doesn’t matter (chasing forgotten details and items).

Bring this real and present . . .

In everything we do . . .

a Simple formula . . .

Define the destination (goal, vision)
Map it
Create Checklist
Prepare
LAUNCH

Some ways I see this formula “working” in MY day-to-day life

Building my Website
Structuring each day, week, month, year, decade, life
Working with Home Buyers and Sellers
Cooking
Entertaining
Aw Shucks . . .

EVERYTHING that MATTERS that you want to do deserves this level of engagement so as to increase your odds of success.

Thank you Mom and Dad for the great model

Barry Owen

Founder
Principal Broker
Pareto Realty
Nashville, TN

615.502.2080
www.paretorealty.co
Call me: 615-568-2123
email me: barryo@comcast.net

Twitter

Facebook