Raleigh, NC Real Estate Agent: Not a "Writer" But Desire to Blog? Well, Let's Get to It! - 03/29/08 08:14 PM
Written by:Darleen McCullen, REALTOR®, BrokerKeller Williams RealtyPhone: 919.454.8864Email: darleen@darleenmc.com 
I love ActiveRain and what it has done for my business so much - that I want to tell everyone about it, including real estate agents who work for competitors.
Why? Well...
We should live by the Abundance Mentality - rather than from a place of Scarcity. I believe there are more than enough Buyers and Sellers for everyone, even in a perceived down market. So, why not share the wealth with everyone?
(This reminds me of that song, "Magic Penny" that we learned in the first grade. It says, “Love is something if you … (17 comments)

Trying to Impress Your Clients? At Least Get Their Names Right! - 03/24/08 09:08 PM
Written by:Darleen McCullen, REALTOR®, BrokerKeller Williams RealtyPhone: 919.454.8864Email: darleen@darleenmc.com
As REALTORS®, do we pay as much attention to detail as we should? I venture to say that many of us do NOT.
For instance...some of us misspell our clients' names in communications with them - and even within contracts. (No one is perfect, of course - and typos can happen, but is there ever an excuse for not getting someone's name right, especially when we are representing them to buy or sell a property?)
Of course, a person's name is one of the most important things to them. It's always a good sign … (37 comments)

Raleigh, NC Buyers: Buying New Construction? Call a REALTOR® FIRST! - 03/21/08 11:11 PM
Written by:Darleen McCullen, REALTOR®, BrokerKeller Williams RealtyPhone: 919.454.8864Email: darleen@darleenmc.com

Did You Know... As a Buyer, often, without paying one dime out of pocket, you can have access to the knowledge, skills, and expertise of a REALTOR®? So...why leave the largest purchase of your life to "chance"?
Just One Catch...
Consider contacting a REALTOR® BEFORE you step foot into a property. Otherwise, what happened to someone I know could easily happen to any Buyer, no matter how savvy.
Allow me to share...
Recently, I received an interesting phone call from someone I've known for years who entered into a contract to purchase … (7 comments)

Keep Away from People Who Try to Belittle Your Ambitions... - 03/20/08 09:55 PM
Written by:Darleen McCullen, REALTOR®, BrokerKeller Williams RealtyPhone: 919.454.8864Email: darleen@darleenmc.com
"Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great." ~ Mark Twain Unfortunately, there will always be those people who will try to tell you what you CAN'T do! Don't listen to them. Be like the Little Engine that Could.
"The Market is slow - so you can't be successful in real estate right now."  Does that sound familiar?
What some people don't realize is that even in a "down" market, there will always be … (16 comments)

Hidden Gem - Gail Clements, REALTOR® - 03/20/08 11:37 AM
Written by:Darleen McCullen, REALTOR®, BrokerKeller Williams RealtyPhone: 919.454.8864Email: darleen@darleenmc.com
Gail Clements - REALTOR®, AppraiserIt is my belief that honoring others and making their lives better is what life should be all about.
Today, I would like to honor Gail Clements, a REALTOR® in the Keller Williams North Raleigh office. Gail and I met last year, and she has been such a blessing to my life.
There have been days when I was having a less than perfect day (yes, even I have those days!) - and my phone would ring. It would be Gail - calling to say that she thinks I'm wonderful - and to … (10 comments)

Raleigh, NC: Keep Thieves Out and Insurance Premiums Down... - 03/16/08 09:58 PM
Written by:Darleen McCullen, REALTOR®, BrokerKeller Williams RealtyPhone: 919.454.8864Email: darleen@darleenmc.com
 
As I was flipping through the channels on television the other day, I discovered a show called It Takes a Thief - which features former burglers who actually break into a home. (The show's producers have obtained the home owners' permission - but the catch is - the owners don't know when the burglary will occur.) It's quite surprising at how unsecure we leave our homes.
The burglars were able to break into two cops' home - and "steal" items such as a gun safe, valuable jewelry, and a motorcycle, to name a … (3 comments)

Raleigh, NC: Want to Learn About Social Media? Read on... - 03/16/08 01:43 PM
Written by:Darleen McCullen, REALTOR®, BrokerKeller Williams RealtyPhone: 919.454.8864Email: darleen@darleenmc.com
Do you know everything you'd like to know about social networking? No? Well, Raleigh, help is on the way...
Last week, at a networking event, I met Lisa Bledsoe, director at Calvert Creative in Cary, North Carolina. Lisa's company helps organizations understand and implement the use of social media (like blogging, Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, Twitter, etc.) into their businesses.
Calvert Creative offers a FREE one-hour seminar: "How Social Media Can Move Your Business."
Darleen McCullen, REALTOR®, BrokerKeller Williams RealtyPhone: 919.454.8864Email: darleen@darleenmc.com
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed by those who are part of the ActiveRain community, including those providing comments … (0 comments)

"Life is short, and it's up to you to make it sweet" - 03/15/08 10:10 PM
Written by:Darleen McCullen, REALTOR®, BrokerKeller Williams RealtyPhone: 919.454.8864Email: darleen@darleenmc.com
"Life is short, and it's up to you to make it sweet." ~ Sarah Louise "Sadie" Delany
As I was conducting research for a previous post, I ran across this quote that made me think about really how short life really is. Often, we complain about how this didn't go as planned - or how that didn't go as planned. What a waste of time! It's up to us how sweet we make our lives.
What's the saying - When life serves up lemons, make lemonade!
Darleen McCullen, REALTOR®, BrokerKeller Williams RealtyPhone: 919.454.8864Email: darleen@darleenmc.com
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed … (18 comments)

Raleigh, NC: Who says there’s nothing to do in the Triangle? - 03/15/08 09:13 PM
Written by:Darleen McCullen, REALTOR®, BrokerKeller Williams RealtyPhone: 919.454.8864Email: darleen@darleenmc.com
  
I love living in the Triangle because there's something for everyone! Like what, you ask? Well...
If you like theatre, no need to travel to Broadway - you can catch really good shows right here at home.  Looking for something fun for the youngsters to do? We've got plenty of that, too! Check it out...
Let’s begin with a few of the FREEBIES…
Artspace: 201 E. Davie Street, Raleigh. Phone: 919-821-2787.
Big Boss Brewing Company. 249-A Wicker Drive, Raleigh. Tours available at 2 p.m. the second Saturday of the month. Phone: 919-834-0045.
Crowder District Park. 33-acre park features … (0 comments)

50 Free Newsletters - 03/14/08 08:26 PM
Written by:Darleen McCullen, REALTOR®, BrokerKeller Williams RealtyPhone: 919.454.8864Email: darleen@darleenmc.com
50 Free Newsletters
My friend Penny Robinson - who is always sharing with everyone - sent me this information today. And I wanted to Pay It Forward!
It's for 50 free newsletters from Market Connections. To receive your freebie, visit www.50freenewsletters.com You can go to the Website and fill out your information (including a picture) to have the company mail the marketing pieces to you within 2-4 weeks.
Happy Marketing!
UPDATE: The prices range from $1.40 each (75 - 99 newsletters) down to $1.10 (500+ newsletters.) 

Darleen McCullen, REALTOR®, BrokerKeller Williams RealtyPhone: 919.454.8864Email: darleen@darleenmc.com
Disclaimer: Opinions … (43 comments)

Meet Penny Robinson, A Bright Spot in the Rain - 03/14/08 01:26 PM
Written by:Darleen McCullen, REALTOR®, BrokerKeller Williams RealtyPhone: 919.454.8864Email: darleen@darleenmc.com
Penny Robinson - "Penny Is Your Agent"When I joined Keller Williams (KW), I had the pleasure of meeting Penny Robinson, an outstanding real estate agent with KW North Raleigh (North Carolina). She and I became fast friends.
Have you ever met someone - and felt as if you've known them your entire life? Penny is one of those people!
She's always so upbeat, positive, and offers a kind word - no matter what has gone on within her day. And Penny always shares whatever resources she has at her disposal. If Penny knows something great going on in the … (10 comments)

Thinking of Switching Careers? You Need a Plan! - 03/13/08 10:19 PM
Written by:Darleen McCullen, REALTOR®, BrokerKeller Williams RealtyPhone: 919.454.8864Email: darleen@darleenmc.com
Do you love real estate - and dream about one day leaving your 9 to 5 job to make it a full-time career? Are  you trying to figure out exactly how to make it happen financially? Here are a few tips to help propel you forward towards your goal.
Save, Save, Save, Save...and SAVE!
Did I mention S-A-V-E? You know how squirrels put away food for the winter? The same principle can be applied to humans (hence the term "squirreling".) It's wise to put away money - and lots of it, because in real estate, one never … (10 comments)

Your Potential Clients Are Checking You Out... - 03/11/08 09:07 PM
Written by:Darleen McCullen, REALTOR®, BrokerKeller Williams RealtyPhone: 919.454.8864Email: darleen@darleenmc.com
Does your blog make your potential clients fall in - or out - of love with you?
Our blog posts have A LOT of power.They can either make people fall in love with us - before they even make contact. Or our blogs can make potential clients "pass" on us - and keep moving on to another agent. (You know agents are a dime a dozen!)
As we're blogging, we should be conscious that our potential clients and agents referring business into our areas are checking out our posts. (I know IGoogle everyone with whom I … (13 comments)

Suspect Mortgage Fraud? Would You Do Anything About It? - 03/10/08 10:31 PM
Written by:Darleen McCullen, REALTOR®, BrokerKeller Williams RealtyPhone: 919.454.8864Email: darleen@darleenmc.com
If you suspected a mortgage loan officer of fraud, what would you do about it?
 
With all the talk about mortgage fraud today, here's a true story that happened to to me some years ago - before the mortgage meltdown.
The Seller was offering closing costs - all of which I was planning to use. I banked with a credit union, and part of the attraction was that I wouldn't be charged a loan origination fee. The credit union didn't have their own mortgage folks on staff so they contracted the work out to a … (28 comments)

How Persistent Are You? - 03/08/08 11:46 PM
Written by:Darleen McCullen, REALTOR®, BrokerKeller Williams RealtyPhone: 919.454.8864Email: darleen@darleenmc.com
I love quotes - especially this one, as it speaks to being persistent. One can have all the talent, genius, and education in the world, but it does not necessarily equal success.
"Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race. No … (7 comments)

Have You Said Your Affirmations Today? - 03/08/08 10:54 PM
Written by:Darleen McCullen, REALTOR®, BrokerKeller Williams RealtyPhone: 919.454.8864Email: darleen@darleenmc.com
When I was at the Keller Williams Family Reunion last month, I heard Diana Kokoska, VP MAPS Coaching and Masterminds, say that she begins her day by writing out her affirmations. It started me to thinking about the role of affirmations in my life so I thought I would share.
I know that many people say affirmations, and thought I would share some of the most powerful ones that have changed my life - adapted from Catherine Ponder's "The Dynamic Laws of Prosperity" Of course, the word "prosperity" isn't just about money - but also can … (11 comments)

"That's Ms. Darleen, President of the United States" - 03/07/08 10:56 PM
Written by:Darleen McCullen, REALTOR®, BrokerKeller Williams RealtyPhone: 919.454.8864Email: darleen@darleenmc.com
This is so funny - that I had to share.
Yesterday, I drove down to see my parents, who live about 1.5 hours away. I hadn't seen them in about a month because of my hectic schedule.
During the visit, I had the chance to see my 2 year-old nephew. As he was getting out of the car at my parents' home, my sister asked him who I was. (Children sometimes forget who people are if they haven't seen them in awhile. But not my smart nephew!)
He said, "That's Ms. Darleen, President of the United … (5 comments)

Home Inspections: Should They Be Required by the Lender? - 03/07/08 09:51 PM
Written by:Darleen McCullen, REALTOR®, BrokerKeller Williams RealtyPhone: 919.454.8864Email: darleen@darleenmc.com
The Big Question of the Day: Do you think Home Inspections should be required by lenders - just as hazard insurance is?
This particular question popped in my head today as I was out driving around in the rain.
I tend to solve quite a few of the world's issues - and think of lots of questions while I'm having what I refer to as Windshield Time (i.e. spending lots of time in the car.) For me, Windshield Time gives me time to think and mediate on things relating to my business, as well as my life … (36 comments)

 

Darleen McCullen, Broker-Raleigh, NC Real Estate

Raleigh, NC

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Your "REALTOR® on a Mission...NOT Just Seeking a Commission™!"

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