To the brave souls who gave their lives. - 11/29/09 09:05 PM
As a Realtor I would like everyone to think of the Tacoma area as a great place to live.
There are countless army (Ft. Lewis) and air force personnel (McChord AFB) that live in this part of Washington.
Today's events puts a cloud on that thinking.  Hopefully justice will prevail.
 
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What are your goals for 2010? - 11/27/09 11:11 AM
With the Holidays having officially started, I like to take this time of year to plan my strategies for the coming year.
I don't mean "New Year's Resolutions", I mean business and personal planning.
I like to break the upcoming year into quarters, and set goals accordingly.  I've found that despite my best effort(s) that I need to allow myself periods to "adjust" my thinking in case unforeseen events make my goals unattainable.
Some people like to share there goals with others - while some prefer not to share.
I find some value in sharing my goals with important people in … (5 comments)

Marketing to top producers. - 11/23/09 09:36 AM
One question that seller's often ask an agent during a listing interview is "how are you going to market our property?"
Of course the standard response is flyer's, Internet, virtual tours and the like.
One thing I throw into the mix is that I target top producers and good agents that I've done business with in the past.
I want the seller's to understand that I rely on other agents in my market to bring their buyers to my listing, and I want to ensure that they're aware of what I have on the market.
I have saved in my email … (9 comments)

Be careful who you give real estate advice to. - 11/19/09 07:48 PM
On occasion I've been approached by an agent seeking advice as how to best handle a scenario involving either a buyer or seller that is not one of our own transactions.
The scene plays out something like this,  (sic) "I have a friend who just bought a home and the seller's being unreasonable with regards to letting the home inspector enter the property" ... or a myriad of other situations like this.
My first response is usually along the lines of  "why did your friend buy their home without using you?"
Sometimes agents get caught up in their desire to show just … (3 comments)

Wordless Wednesday in the Pacific Northwest - 11/18/09 01:37 PM

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Spontaneous Open House. - 11/08/09 11:55 AM
If you have a property that has decent exposure (i.e. off a major road) and a seller who is flexible - or even better a home that is vacant; try doing a spontaneous open.
Instead of planing ahead, running an ad that may or may not get results, and counting on the weather to cooperate, I find that choosing a 2-3 hour time-slot on almost any decent weather day can generate about as much traffic as a pre-planned open.
It beats sitting at home doing nothing and increases your chances of getting a buyer.
 
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Our listings are on Youtube. - 11/06/09 02:58 PM
We're excited to announce that our companies listings are available for you and your clients to view on Youtube.
What's different about our "system" is that we have our own page on Youtube that is automatically uploaded every 24 hours or so. The ""system" converts still photo's into a virtual tour and a computer generated voice does the dialog.  Our agents don't need to do any thing other than put their listing into the MLS.
To take a look, type in Crescent Realty in the search bar.  You will get a thumb nail photo and description of our listings on the left-hand side … (6 comments)

Capitialism works when you leave it alone. - 11/03/09 09:57 AM
Capitalists around the world should rejoice over the news that the Ford Motor Company is making head-way in emerging from a three-year makeover.
According to the Associated Press, Ford is looking for things to improve over the next couple of years.
I applaud their decision to not fall into the trap of stimulus money.
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