Off and on in this blog, we have discussed the subject of agents and other who want to be professional (or even have a ahred of privacy) telling too much on social networks.

A week or so ago, Tiger Woods backed out of his driveway into a fire hydrant, demolishing the hydrant and a nearby tree.  His wife claimed she bashed in the window of his Escalade to free him.  There were lots of questions, but Tiger had little to say to the police who filed no serious charges.  He got four points on his license - pretty extreme  since Woods probably wrote a big check to cover the damages.  More recent revelations indication Woods might have been drinking while on medication but no sobriety test was taken at the time, so it is too late to file any charges for this.

From the start, the media was unrelenting. Of course, the charge was led by the tabloids - after all, "inquiring minds want to know."  Before long, Tiger was apologizing for "transgressions," while wanting to keep matters private.  Now, it has become apparent Tiger was not reading Golf Digest in the evening when he was on the road, but the revelations did not come from him. 

Previously, Tiger was viewed as squeaky clean and news worthy only for his athletic prowess.  He was not a braggard even about his golf.  As a result, he managed to maintain a private life under the radar for years.  Imagine if he had spent part of his evening Twittering or Facebooking his exploits?  Or posed with miscellaneous pretty blondes and tagged the pictures?

Even if Tiger was more of a techie than he apparently is, he (or anyone with any sense) may not have been so stupid as to tell his whole story but the point is if he had opened up much of his personal life on a social network, finding his secret life might have been easier.

Everyday we hear of examples of people who are not so discrete. They lose jobs and other things because employers and clients don't like the image they present.  We've said it  here before - if you want to use social networks, stay out of the woods!

Just as the shoemaker's children are often the last to get shoes and the mechanic's wife the last to get brakes, Corcoran Consulting and Coaching finally set up a business page on Facebook.  We've suggested that others get business pages, but up to now we haven't...

As you know, Facebook frowns on mixing flagrant business dealings with personal matters on its pages and has turned off some accounts, though somewhat randomly.  Just talking about business does not seem to cross the line but soliciting business does.  Smart agents put their listings on their business pages but talk about the real estate market and Joe's Fish Market and oh, by the way, did you know I'm a real estate agent? on their personal pages. 

For a coach like myself, since I am not in the habit of saying "Sign up for my $999 coaching special," I might technically be okay with just a personal page.  But think of what Facebook is supposed to do - attract friends who become part of one's sphere of influence.  I have over 4,000 friends who contribute their well wishes, their real estate tips, their family news, their invitations, their Mafia War requests, their blogs, their favorite videos.  My contributions to the conversation stand out on my profile page but only last on my wall or that of my friends for a few minutes.  If I offer a coaching tip to being a billion dollar agent, it will be quickly pushed out of view by agent Tom Tucker's quest for a platypus for his estate in Farmville or Veronika's request for a Playful Heart.

This is why I was delighted when my virtual assistant was able to direct my blogs to my business page, where they are prominently displayed along with other actual business news I choose to direct there. What's great is that my last few blog topics are still noted on my Profile page as Notes.   A Facebook business page makes my business stand out!  I can still enjoy the camaraderie of friends and share my photos of dynamic coaching sessions without fear that the messages I really want to remain available will survive the friendly noise of the wall.

Without further ado, please visit us at www.facebook.com/CorcoranCoaching and become a fan!

A recent 20/20 revealed that Deal or No Deal star, comic, and actor Howie Mandel suffers from obsessive compulsive disease (OCD.)  For years he hid his fear of touching, while managing to have a successful career.  On occasions where someone succeeded in shaking his hand or otherwise invaded his boundaries, he receded into a frenzy of hand washing to make himself feel clean. 

For most people, simple touching does not provoke such an extreme reaction, yet we all feel irritated with our boundaries are invaded.  It can be physical invasion when people stand too close or make themselves too much at home in our office, missing appointments, or wasting our time when we have made it clear we were in a hurry.  Sometimes, the boundary invasion is very clear. Other forms are subtle enough that we may not recognize them for what they are and wonder why we feel irritated when they occur, or if we even have the right to feel irritated. All of the seemingly harmless activities that are listed in the PDF document involve boundary invasion, if they happen habitually.

 For additional information and guidance on this topic we have posted an article on our website entitled "Ways That People Invade Your Boundaries" for you to review. Incidentally, you may want to use this list to check on yourself, too. Many boundary invaders are quite unaware of what they are doing.

A few months ago, an unknown dowdy Scottish woman named Susan Boyle was received with a lot of eye rolling on the United Kingdom's Britain's Got Talent until she opened her mouth.  Her beautiful rendition of "I Dreamed A Dream," stunned the judges and audience, and though she did not win the competition, she got a record deal.

It is easy to jump on this part of the Susan Boyle story to lead into a pep talk about how appearances are deceiving or about how it's never too late to pursue a dream.  Either of those tangents would be true.  She went from a life of obscurity taking care of her ailing mother to a chart-topping album in the UK that has also topped Amazon.com's list of pre-orders.

Along her rise to fame, Susan Boyle has been continuously scrutinized as if people are looking for proof that a person who is not a raving beauty is "unstable" and maybe even "retarded."  The public may love her as the record sales attest, but the press is quick to apply labels every time she gets emotional after a performance.  She is reportedly getting annoyed by the press but when asked about the past six months, her response "Bloody fantastic!"

There are a few obvious parallels to real estate here.  Regardless of how the market has fared over the past couple years, certain segments of it could emerge "bloody fantastic" due to the dynamic combination of lower housing prices, low interest rates, and the tax credit.

Every year, real estate falls off when kids go back to school.  Families prefer to keep their children in the same school all year.  With the onset of the holidays, people get busy.  When it gets colder and then snowier in some parts of the country, people prefer not to move until it gets warmer.  The majority of people who move in the fall and winter are those who are transferred or have some financial or other pressure to brave the elements or the upset involved with having the kids change schools mid year. 

This year, things are different, as the tax credit is expected to liven things up and keep sales brisk and Realtors® busy.  Since the credit will last till spring, when sales traditionally pick up, this means that agents may have a more constant flow of business than usual.  To take advantage of a credit up to $8,000 for first time homeowners or $6,500 for repeaters, people will brave the elements and decide their kids will live if they change schools.

A month after the tax credit extension was announced, it has been written about continuously, to the extent you may be sick of hearing about it.  It's true that the credit will not be a gift to current or future generations of taxpayers who will pick up an approximate $11 billion from the extension. For many agents, however, this is a wonderful gift after a couple lean years that will benefit many agents.  Let's hope it helps many agents get stable as it help many Americans either realize their dream of  homeownership or come closer to their dream homes.

Recently, a Canadian woman who was on disability due to depression lost her disability payment when an insurance adjuster noticed pictures of her on vacation and out with friends on Facebook.  He noticed she looked so happy that he cut off her check.  She protested that the pictures did not reflect her usual state of mind and is suing the company, but not before she lost her house.

This story points out the need to be careful about you post or say on social networks, a familiar warning that many people ignore.  Facebook posts or Tweets may quickly move out of view from the wall but they can be found in a search.  Photos on the wall stay there until they are removed.

In the Canadian case, the insurance company said they wouldn't make a decision based just on Facebook, but the case brings up an interesting question for agents who post their personal and business news on one page.   Will clients note when you're on Facebook and then wonder if you are working hard enough for them?

One way to protect yourself is by setting up a business page separate from your personal page.  Think twice about play the games some people find addictive - the Mafia Wars, the Farmvilles, etc.  If you do play, don't bug your business associates for animals!  If you are serious about developing your business clientele, restrain the impulse to share every passing thought. 

It's not right that people make judgments based on a photo or an offhand comment, but it can happen.  If Facebook  and other social networks are part of your strategic plan, treat them like you would any other type of promotional material and make sure they show off your best side.

A recent NAR survey indicated only 6% of first time homebuyers took the plunge because of the credit, but claimed that interest rates and falling home prices were what made them buy.  Analyst Keith Gumbinger of HSH.com poo-pooed the credit indicating that we are rewarding people for doing what it take issue with they have done anyway. 

I take issue with this reaction.  Owning a home is an important part of fulfilling the American Dream for many people.  It's just a matter of time for those who see this in the best interest of themselves and their families. So, of course, they would have eventually bought!

Only a fool would buy a home he was not prepared to buy just to get $8,000.  This amount would mean little if home prices and interest rates were sky high.  A combination of factors whetted buyers' interested; I'm betting that the credit was the cherry on the icing on the cake that encouraged those who were waiting to become homebuyers.  That made them think of buying now and probably pushed up their time table.  The credit was not the sole reason they bought but when packaged together with the other things was too good to pass up.

As I have said many times, a responsible agent would not encourage an unqualified person to buy a home just because of the credit; in fact, I bet many agents have told those with credit problems, for example, to wait.  On the other hand, if the people were prepared to buy, a smart agent would stress the value of the credit and give a nudge where appropriate!

I recently got a survey from a cookie company that sells some delicious cookies and brownies by mail.  They are each individually wrapped so they are nice for business giving, plus are great portion controlled snacks that stay fresh.  I have been buying them regularly over the last couple years but in the last six months, I have noticed that the prices have gone up, the number of cookies in the assortments have decreased, and the number of items with free shipping have decreased too - a triple assault on my pocketbook.  This makes the cookies more expensive and has made me think twice if they are a good value except for occasional gifts.

The survey I got asked questions that made it sound like the company is trying to position itself as a more upscale gourmet food company.  There were no questions that asked about perceived value or whether recent changes might influence any future purchases.  In this economy, their survey was irrelevant.

As a matter of fact, I was annoyed that they didn't ask these questions, which to me where like elephants in cyberspace.  The company doesn't think a regular customer would notice a 25-35% increase?  Even if they want to reposition their company, wouldn't it be smart to ask if their company base would follow their new direction?

There‘s a lesson for everyone here.  We need to be in tune with our clients and what they want and need.  If we attempt to measure client perceptions of our service, we must measure the right things and ask the right things.  We can make changes to the niceties of our business, but if we don't satisfy what customers want, we are kidding ourselves about the outcome.

We can move to a new building, put in a new phone system, or send calendars at Christmas, but none of that will phase the client if we don't return calls or make him feel like we are his zealous advocate.  We can reinvent ourselves as "consultants" or develop new specialties, but if the client has concerns about us, our service, or the value we offer, our attempts to reinvent ourselves won't necessarily overcome these reservations.

If I don't order many more cookies, the cookie company won't crumble.  If many customers feel the same though, and start assessing whether they are a good value, there could be trouble ahead.  For those of us in business, the dynamics are the same.

Commitment:  I will examine my service approach to my clients.

Deadline:  _________________

The recent survey by move.com revealed some interesting results about how Americans view what's happening in housing.  As noted in a previous blog, Survey Says: Only 1 in 20 Respondents Say They Will Buy Next Year, at a time when the unemployment rate is over 10% nationwide, potential home buyers are concerned about the economy. 

•·   48% felt the government wasn't doing enough to help troubled homeowners avoid foreclosure, while 42% thought there was enough government action

•·   45% worry that they or someone they know will face foreclosure in the next year.

•·   38% had contacted their lender within the past year to reduce their payments.

•·   25% of those who refinanced used the freed-up money for living expenses or debt reduction

•·   9% are putting the savings towards investments or retirement

The survey group was comprised of 2/3 homeowners and 1/3 renters.  Will the credit be enough to stir up the market and encourage people to by their first home or their move-up home? The new housing credit will undoubtedly awaken interest in some potential buyers who were not qualified to use the last credit.    

Many people like to consider themselves real estate consultants these days. Our job as agents is to help good candidates look past economic news and buy affordable homes if it makes sense. The next few months, we can expect to be busy with sales that close and with consultants with clients who need an assessment of their readiness, and if they're ready - a tiny push.  

Before the home buyers tax credit was extended through April, 2010 and expanded to include more buyers, a survey by move.com indicated that only 1 in 20 people surveyed said they would buy a house next year.  Why?  The top reason was that they felt that home prices had hit bottom.  This was more important than bargain priced foreclosures, concerns about interest rates, and the pool of available homes.

This revelation feeds into our ongoing discussion of glass half empty/glass half full approach to real estate.  Of course, the number of people who might say they are planning to buy might increase in view of the credit, the responses indicate people are concerned about economic stability in our recession-prone world.  It remains our challenge to seek out qualified buyers who might be in a position to buy in the right circumstances. 

Some people with credit problems might be interested but will not qualify for the best rates.  We can increase our sales among this group by encouraging them to clean up their credit report, directing them to an affordable home, and directing them to a lender who can help them.

Some of us focus more on the credit-stable buyer who can afford a pricey house, but millions of solid Americans with "issues" need our services too.

Commitment:  I will look for ways to beat the 1 in 20 statistic and increase my business.

Deadline: _________________