communications: How to Help Me, Help You with Your Real Estate Transaction
- 01/31/17 08:19 AM
This morning I was thinking about the fact that I had not heard back from someone that I had left a message for yesterday afternoon. It occurred to me that there are people who are still able to work business hours and respond to calls during those hours. It has been over 20 years since I had that kind of job; Real Estate is certainly not a 9-5 job. If we are working together to buy or sell a house, you should plan to make yourself available. Here in Virginia, we have a paragraph called "Time is of the essence." It says that … (2 comments)
communications: I Could Be a Great Referral Partner--But I Won't Be
- 03/28/13 12:24 AM
In my years in the Real Estate Business I have had the pleasure to work with many talented folks in the trades around Buying and Selling a home. I have found great lenders through both my buyers and sellers, I have found great home inspectors, I have found great landscapers and cleaning folks. Every transaction is a great opportunity to interact with a set of new people--and possibly find some good referrals for my clients. So it is always very surprising to me when a lender, settlement company, or other party to a transaction ignores me. I usually will send out emails, … (67 comments)
communications: Why You Should Be On Facebook
- 08/03/11 03:32 AM
The paradigm for communications in our culture has changed. Facebook, or some derivative, is here to stay. Reaching in for information versus reaching out to provide it is the way many of us will communicate going forward. Remember when there used to be people who refused to get email? Our kids were heavily involved in sports and scouting back then and there used to be two lists for communications; the people who you could email and those you had to call. I am pretty sure there are people on the call list who missed things (didn't check voicemail--or didn't even have … (6 comments)
communications: Have you heard of 'ST&D?'
- 07/14/11 02:01 AM
Have you heard of 'ST&D?' And no, it is not some sort of unmentionable condtion... I read today that New York has passed a new anti-texting law called 'ST&D' (Stop Texting and Drive). It is now considered a primary offense to be texting and driving, and if an officer suspects you doing it, you will be stopped and ticketed. No other violation has to occur; suspicion of texting and driving can get you pulled over and ticketed. You can find a brief overview of the new legislation in, New York ban on texting and driving gets tougher with new law. Texting … (6 comments)
communications: If You Aren't Texting, You Are Missing Out!
- 05/09/11 12:09 AM
Texting used to be for teenagers. Slowly, parents of teenagers got into the mix. Eventually, even the grandparents of teengers realized the difference in response to a text versus a voice message (most teenagers never answer phones or check voicemail). Today, text messaging is a legitimate communications tool and an important business tool. If you aren't using text messaging in your business, it is time to reeavaluate. Much like email 20 years ago, cell phones 15 years ago and Facebook 5 years ago, if you choose not to participate in texting, the world has moved passed you. Texting is now completely … (59 comments)
communications: Back when we could actually get away...
- 02/01/11 01:47 AM
Once upon a time, we used to leave the office and leave our work behind.Yes, there were occasional late-night phone calls, and the occasional assignment that required a beeper, but for the most part, we were either at home, or at work. If you haven't already seen this clip from The Today Show, it is worth watching. In 1994, there was still wide-spread confusion about the internet. Fast forward 17 years, and we cannot go to the grocery store without our email--and everyone we know--coming along on our Smartphones. Only yesterday, I took my son skiing and we were very … (6 comments)
communications: Silence is NOT Golden in Real Estate
- 04/23/10 06:31 AM
There are times when we all wish for a silent phone or quiet house. I find my desire for silence usually follows very chaotic family events or holidays. In a real estate transaction, however, there is nothing more stressful than silence. Last week I wrote a post that looked at this issue a little bit differently, Are You Doing Your Job? about the importance of returning calls. As the comments came in, Doug Rogers made the observation that, 'Silence in this industry makes people nervous.' I think Doug hit the nail on the head. When I am working on a transaction … (1 comments)
communications: Playing Favorites is a Tricky Business Decision!
- 01/14/10 01:37 AM
My husband and I once went in to a car dealership to buy a new SUV. The new car was intended for me. The entire time we were there, the salesperson spoke only to my husband--despite the fact that we made it very clear that this was to be my car. We walked out of that dealership and bought a different car from a different salesperson. Last week when we drove by the dealer my husband turned to me and said, 'we'll never buy a car there.' What makes that significant is that it has been 15 years since this happened. … (7 comments)
This morning I was thinking about the fact that I had not heard back from someone that I had left a message for yesterday afternoon. It occurred to me that there are people who are still able to work business hours and respond to calls during those hours. It has been over 20 years since I had that kind of job; Real Estate is certainly not a 9-5 job. If we are working together to buy or sell a house, you should plan to make yourself available. Here in Virginia, we have a paragraph called "Time is of the essence." It says that … (2 comments)
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