Jim's Blog

This One Won't Last...

Jim Hirschhorn, GRI, Real Living - Orlando (Real Living Real Estate Solutions) — Thu, 21 May 2009 09:44:45 -0500

I am the first one to admit that it is hard to be creative. We all go through periods where we got it or we don't! "This One Won't Last" I have seen a great deal on listings. Even if it is true, it is still a funny thing for me to see. I suppose it is due to the agents who have never gone back and updated their listings and they have been on the market over a year and still say, (say it with me) "This One Won't Last".

If it truly isn't going to last, why not say something like, "You better see it today or..." or "I am not kidding this time, get here fast". Also if you do use this phrase, isn't still just your opinion? The beauty of a home is in the eye of the buyer, not the agent.

I walked into a 1930 Bungalo that had very little updating since then and almost gave my thoughts when my buyers said that they thought it was really cute. Just like us buying a gift for someone and picking what we like instead of what they like, your buyers are the ones who have to like it, not us. The art of silence can truly be golden!

When Agents Attack

Jim Hirschhorn, GRI, Real Living - Orlando (Real Living Real Estate Solutions) — Wed, 20 May 2009 11:45:27 -0500

What would cause an agent to leave their current Real Estate Brokerage? Usually it is one of two things. They are upset with their Broker or they are upset about their money.

It is very difficult for an agent to decide to make a change. They sometimes think that their identity is tied to the company that they are with. They often think about all of the reasons why they can't make a move. Business Cards, Advertising, Friendships are all factors that are weighed. The Reality is that there are times when a move is not only recommended...it is necessary. Necessary for the well being of that agent both emotionally, financially and even physically.

Even once a decision to leave is made, it still may take time to gather up the courage to execute it. I have found that the Real Estate Business is unlike any other industry out there. When you leave a corporation after working there for a few years, they usually throw a party for you, give you a gold watch or at least go out for happy hour. This doesn't happen in Real Estate. I had a great 4 year run with my last company and was rushed out the door and ex-communicated the minute I said I was leaving!

Take the time to analyze all of the factors that are important to you. The people you work with are important but if you are not making a good commission split and you are not supplied with tools that make you successful, the people may not make a difference. Every office has that agent that's sole responsibility is making the coffee. Don't be that agent.

Waterfront, Waterview and Watered Down

Jim Hirschhorn, GRI, Real Living - Orlando (Real Living Real Estate Solutions) — Wed, 20 May 2009 11:38:09 -0500

I remember traveling to St. Louis years ago and they had a Casino on a boat that was docked permanently. I asked how they were allowed to do this and they told me that there was a body of water 60 miles away and they ran a pipe from that body of water that trickled water in and made it ok to have a "riverboat" casino. This was before I got into Real Estate.

Today, I am struck by the creative ways agents describe how their properties are connected to water. A house on a lake...beautiful, serene, valuable...a house with a view or access to water, still can create the lifestyle some are looking for.

The ones that have a sewer running behind them or flood when it rains heavily are the ones that become tough to call waterfront. It almost becomes embarrassing for the buyers agent to arrive and see, along with ther customer, that the water that is listed in the listing is not much more than a small retention pond that doubles as a beach volleyball court in dry spells.

There has been much written about words used in listings and what they translate to but come on people. Is it water or is it not?

Recipe for Success in Real Estate

Jim Hirschhorn, GRI, Real Living - Orlando (Real Living Real Estate Solutions) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 13:55:53 -0500

Cook Time

1-15 Years

Level

Beginner to Advanced

Yield

$20,000 - $150,000 per year

Times:

Prep

2-6 Weeks

Cook Time:

Until Perfected

Recipe Tools:

Tell a Friend
Sphere of Influence
Hand out Business Cards

Ingredients

1 Real Estate License
1 Cell Phone
1 Automobile
10-12 Marketing Ideas
1 Laptop Computer
1 Pen
Business Cards

Directions

Before beginning this dish, ensure that you have your head in this recipe. If you are not ready to make it, it won't come out well.

In a deep pot, heat up your laptop to 75 degrees F. In a small bowl, put your cell phone, car keys, laptop, pen and business cards. Place this aside by your front door.

Cut the 10-12 Marketing Ideas into smaller pieces. This makes them easier to work with. Make sure they are at room temperature. Use the marketing ideas along with your laptop computer to make a Rue. Butter up each business card so that it is easier to pass out. Use your automobile as needed in order to ensure the recipe comes out well.

Use the recipe tools above to ensure that each piece is done to perfection.

Filling the dish too full or overcooking may cause undue stress.

When ready to serve, Place finished product in a folder and share with other agents. Serve immediately, but caution very hot!

Realtors Can be Like Teenagers

Jim Hirschhorn, GRI, Real Living - Orlando (Real Living Real Estate Solutions) — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 16:57:20 -0500

Do you have the pleasure of having, knowing or being in close proximity to a teenager? We all were there once and based on our age, we all have said, when I was that age, I would never do this or that. Some are just cranky. Some have a problem with authority. Some are into things that they shouldn't be and aren't good for them. The good news is, once the "everyone is out to get me" feelings are gone, they usually grow out of it.

Realtors, now this is another story. Before we were licensed, we all said, I would never do this or that and guess what...some of us do. Some of us are cranky. Some of us have a problem with authority. Some of us are even into things we shouldn't be and simply are not good for us. The bad news is that some of us may never grow out of it.

If we see ourselves as professionals, we expect that other agents will be also. We constantly run into agents that are not available when we need them. We see listings that have a lockbox code but no lockbox on the door as we stand there with customers and we even get to speak to agents on the phone who want to yell at us while we are with our customers. What's an agent to do?

My view is that we can't change people. Hundreds if not thousands of women get married every year with the thought of changing their guys...here's a secret, it doesn't work.

Did you Brush your Teeth Today?

Jim Hirschhorn, GRI, Real Living - Orlando (Real Living Real Estate Solutions) — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 09:11:00 -0500

If you were 5 or 6 years old, this would be a good question. For adults, it does seem kind of silly. It's a given that you brushed your teeth today, right? I see blogging as a brushing your teeth for your business. I constantly talk to our agents about how important it is to have a presence on the web, yet, I sometimes am lax in "brushing my teeth". I have to admit, it is a great feeling to google Jim Hirschhorn and have page after page come up with my name on it. Of course, if your name is John Smith, it becomes a little more challenging. Now, if you really want to be good...daily flossing is even better. Websites like Propeller.com will push your blog out there to even more readers.

I am not someone who forgets things very easily. The reason is that I always have a system. If I need to bring something to work, I will write a note and attach it to my keys or wallet. That routine has worked very well. Those of us with routines have a hard time understanding those who do not have one.

Make Brushing and blogging part of your routine and you will see the results in no time!

Agent Exitus..Is it Good For Everyone?

Jim Hirschhorn, GRI, Real Living - Orlando (Real Living Real Estate Solutions) — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 11:52:42 -0500

They say that it all depends who you talk to with regards to perspective on an issue. With the down turn in the market last year, as expected, Real Estate Agents have left the profession in groves. With a little over 12,000 agents a year ago to todays 7000 in Orlando, we have seen a "thinning out" of agents and offices!

Are the reduced numbers a good thing? Those of us that have stayed standing say yes as it creates more business and our theory is that it got rid of those people that were not serious about Real Estate. Here's a devil's advocate. Was it really a good thing? How many agents did we lose that were good agents but just had circumstances that prevented them from continuing? What if they had a spouse or significant other who lost their job and they needed a more steady income to make ends meet?

How much talent was lost and will these agents come back as the market improves. Of course, from the inside looking out, it looks pretty sweet. It has coincided with the phone ringing more and with governmental actions designed to bring more buyers off the fence.

Agent Exitus..Is it Good For Everyone?

Are We Being Too Guarded?

Jim Hirschhorn, GRI, Real Living - Orlando (Real Living Real Estate Solutions) — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 17:17:43 -0600

If you are on Facebook or even if you aren't you have probably heard about the "25 things about me" exercise that is going around. In the event that you haven't, it basically asks you to randomly write 25 things about yourself, presumably that people don't know about you. Try it. It is not so easy. The 1st one I read was from a close friend and he really got deep.

A few examples are..."22. I saved my son's life once. That's still an incredible thing for me to fathom." and "8. My Grandpop Sam died in 1973. I think about him at least once every single day."

This is deep stuff. Clearly a revealing and moving exercise. I'm not kidding. Try it. Try to write down 25 things about you. Why do I bring this up? Well there is always a flip side. I have read a handful of these writings and have also seen people who have taken the exercise to mean something completely different.

I won't put examples down of the others as i don't intend to embarrass anyone but when all of the 25 items are about work and self promotion, clearly the point was missed!

Are we being too guarded in life? Careful is one thing and we have heard our parents and grandparents remind us never to give any information over the phone or carry your social security card with you but with today's technology, there are many safeguards.

If we are able to reveal a little peek into ourselves, our lives and our personality, don't you think that we are able to reach an even greater number of people? If we all just stay in our houses and order pizza, how will the world know how much we have to offer?

Is Short Sale Just a Marketing Ploy?

Jim Hirschhorn, GRI, Real Living - Orlando (Real Living Real Estate Solutions) — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 12:09:38 -0600

I was struck by a sign that I saw that said, "If you are having trouble paying your mortgage, Call me for information on how to short sell it!" I thought about this and wondered if some agents are using our current economic crisis as an excuse to prey on struggling homeowners. A short sale should not be taken lightly.

In previous markets, a small number of people would have life changing circumstances such as medical disability, Loss of Job or Bankruptcy where they simply could not meet their mortgage obligations. In our current economy, a short sale has almost been a buzz word for getting out of your predicament and getting to walk away. Don't misunderstand me. There are plenty of people that were duped into believeing that what they were doing was the right thing. There are also plently of investors and people who knew that they couldn't afford the home they were buying who had a "what the heck" attitude.

The challenge is that it is difficult, if not impossible to separate these two groups. Agents have to make a decision if they want to take on the short sale customer. It involves hours and hours of paperwork, phone calls and frustrating dead ends. I have to laugh at all of the "Short Sale Specialists" that have popped up within the last year. Could we see some credentials please? Does 1 short sale under your belt make you a specialist?

Short sales have always been around and will continue to be. It is the sheer volume of them that we are seeing now that have made bank representatives increase their valium prescriptions.

Are you Really Ready for Social Networking?

Jim Hirschhorn, GRI, Real Living - Orlando (Real Living Real Estate Solutions) — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 19:44:52 -0600

One can't be a little pregnant. You can't jump off a 12 foot board and not get your head wet. AND You can't get into social networking if you are not truly ready to do so. I recently had a connection send me an email which basically stated that he and his wife were knew to social networking. His email said...

"She has mentioned to me more than once that people are posting pictures of her that she would not post herself resulting in many comments from people that she could do without."

It concluded by asking me to refrain from posting any pictures of her and thanked me for my understanding. At first, I thought, ok, no problem. The more i thought about it, the more I thought, Why would someone be on a social networking site if they didn't want to be social?

This woman was and is very attractive. The pictures were very vanilla. She and her husband were sitting in a chair at a party and smiling at the camera. There also was another one with a group of 10 people sitting on steps following a senior prom. I couldn't imagine what comments people would make about these.

Again, if people aren't ready for sharing out there, then they shouldn't step into it until they are. you would never get on stage at a karaoke bar and read poetry...or would you?

A Tree Grows in Orlando...

Jim Hirschhorn, GRI, Real Living - Orlando (Real Living Real Estate Solutions) — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 13:45:21 -0600

We have a neighbor. Since I know that she doesn't blog, I can use her real name..Gladys Kravitz. You may have a Gladys also. Gladys decided to have a tree company come out to clean up her trees. She saw that our trees were hanging into her yard and had her tree company "trim" our trees as well. How nice of her. Instead of just clipping them, she has one looking like an Auschwitz victim and the other is nice and full on one side and lopped off on the other. Would love to get your thoughts on our rights, her rights and if we should take her off our Christmas card list!

Picking the "Right Tenant" when it comes to renting

Jim Hirschhorn, GRI, Real Living - Orlando (Real Living Real Estate Solutions) — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 11:09:44 -0600

I am not alone with getting into the Property Management game. As Real Estate Sales started declining, owners naturally think about renting their homes that they are unable to sell. It is always amusing to speak with someone for the first time and the education process that has to occur with a prospective owner about renting their home.

I clearly have not seen it all but have had numerous experiences of homeowners who want a perfect tenant and want the ability to hand pick them from the sea of possibilities. As Realtors, we have had exposure to the Fair Housing Laws and know when something doesn't sound right. Our owners however have not have the chance to bone up on the laws. Our job is to teach them what they can and can't do.

The other factor that comes into play is when people hear "horror stories" from their friends where tenants came into a home and trashed the place. I have found that owners who have lived in the home and then moved out are much more cautious than owners who bought a property as an investment and don't have the emotional attachment that comes along with years of memories, pets, kids growing up, etc.

Picking the "right" tenant is very easy. If their credit, background check and references check out, they are right at this moment...until they screw it all up!

Business at the Holidays

Jim Hirschhorn, GRI, Real Living - Orlando (Real Living Real Estate Solutions) — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 08:32:48 -0600

Christmas and New Years are mid week this year. Working up to Christmas, there are many last minute things to do. Gift shopping, food shopping, house cleaning, yard work, Lights. When Christmas comes and goes and all the guests leave, then it is time to ramp up for New Years. Not just Realtors are affected. It seems as if the world slows down and the days surrounding both holidays are filled with parties for some, movies for others and a hope that the coming year will be better than the last one.

It is akin to starting a new diet. "Come Monday, I am going to start!" We announce it to everyone and when a pizza shows up on Tuesday, we never mention it again. "Come the New Year, things are going to be better!" We are all hoping for better times ahead. Consumer confidence, the right decisions by our government leaders and an effort from all of us to save when needed and also spend when we can.

Gas prices are at the lowest level in about 15 years yet the holiday traffic was down 18% from last year. We can make 2009 a better year but it will take all of us to make that happen.

Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire?

Jim Hirschhorn, GRI, Real Living - Orlando (Real Living Real Estate Solutions) — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 14:33:39 -0600

During this holiday season, you have many choices of homes. Based on what part of the country you live in, a home with a fireplace may be something you want to consider. Being from Philadelphia originally, a fireplace was a must during those cold winter days and nights. In fact, many homes had more than 1. If they were creative, they would design homes to share a chimney but many had multiple chimneys.

Some things to consider when looking at homes with fireplaces are what type of fireplace does the home have compared with what your preferences are. Here are a few choices.

A Wood Burning Fireplace: The classic choice since the discovery of fire. It can get to be painful when you have to run outside to get more wood. You also have to chop down a tree yourself or buy it by the cord. Storing the wood can be tricky, especially in the South where infestations can leave your logs hollow!

A Wood Burning Stove: I have seen these in living/family rooms up North and not only do they heat the room but you can also cook on top of them. A very cool retro feel from olden days!

A Gas Fireplace: This option comes with the choice of natural gas being pumped in from the city or an outside tank which needs refilled a few times per year, based on use. The logs rarely need replacing and the heat is real! Some even have blowers that will blow hot air into the room. Clean up is a snap...as easy as turning a light switch!

A Fire Video or DVD: This is for the person who loves the look of a fire but wants none of the space requirements needed. The only hazard here is if you wear the DVD out from watching it too much and reruns are welcomed!

Stay warm this winter!

AOT = IP + ATP

Jim Hirschhorn, GRI, Real Living - Orlando (Real Living Real Estate Solutions) — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 13:33:54 -0600

AOT = IP + ATP

Does The Amount Of Time equal an Interested Party and the Ability To Pay?

I had a showing the other day where the buyers took about 45 minutes going through the house and then going over it again. Lots of discussion, talking about furniture, pointing out minute features of the home.

The question is, does the amount of time in the home relate to their interest level?

Your thoughts?

Wait a Minute...You are Mad at Me?

Jim Hirschhorn, GRI, Real Living - Orlando (Real Living Real Estate Solutions) — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 10:41:48 -0600

Let me set the scene for you. You get a call from someone who is interested in buying a house. Excitement sets in as you put together showings according to their criteria. You are set to meet on Saturday and you have all of the showings in a logical order. You meet the buyer and start out on your trek. Along the way, you get to know the buyer and as you pull up to the 1st house, the buyer says that he hates the look of the house from the outside and he wants to skip this one and go on to the next one. Being a good realtor, you call the agent to cancel the showing and he blasts you. In fact, he is so loud that your customer hears it and when you hang up after apologizing, asks if all Realtors in your town are this rude?

Wait a Minute...You are Mad at Me? What did I do? I was just doing what my customer wanted me to do. Another scenario includes when a customer cancels altogether and you have to cancel all of the appointments that you have made.

Is it right for the Listing Agent to be mad at me?

Fuel Surcharges...You Don't Say

Jim Hirschhorn, GRI, Real Living - Orlando (Real Living Real Estate Solutions) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 10:11:55 -0600

I have had a water cooler in my house for the past 2 years. It is convenient to have cold and hot water on hand. Sure, you pay a bit more but we like it. I get a letter from the water company and it starts out by saying, "Back in February when we added a fuel surcharge, it was due to the high cost of fuel..." In my mind I am thinking that the next line will be that the surcharge is going away as the fuel at the pumps has dropped almost $2.00 per gallon in our area. No such luck. "Since the cost of doing business is still high, our fuel surcharge will now be charged on a rotating scale (located on the back of the form)"

What? Some genius at the company decided that they will change the surcharge amount on a monthly basis with the help of a handy dandy chart that is provided for me. How thoughtful! I called and promptly cancelled the water cooler over $2.32 per month.

There was a report on fuel surcharges this morning on the radio and you had a representative from the airline industry justifying that due to the billions of dollars in losses when fuel prices soared, they are playing catch up. Catch up? With our money? I wonder if I can play catch up with people I do business with....hmmm

Due to the slow down in the Real Estate industry, all commissions will now be billed at a rate of 10% until such time that I have repayed my accounts for monies lost due to the financial crisis.

When I have my car repaired, I will be billing back an hourly fee of $30.00 for each hour I have to wait for my car to be completed. This will also be extended to doctors and dental appointments.

Every product purchased that doesn't perform as advertised will be returned and charged an inconvenience fee of $50.

You get the idea...

Screening Tenants is Like Vegas Baby!

Jim Hirschhorn, GRI, Real Living - Orlando (Real Living Real Estate Solutions) — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 12:36:02 -0600

Let's set the scene...You get a property to list for rent. You advertise it and suddenly, out of nowhere, you get a call that Tenants want to see it. The roller coaster begins. You show it, they love it, Yada, Yada, Yada..."We'll take it!" One small thing. The dreaded background and credit check. Ok, If you are honest, running credit and background checks maybe takes all of 5 minutes (10 if you are not computer literate) yet the fees range from $35 per person to $100 per person. The higher ones will justify their fees by saying that not only do we have to run the screening, but then we have to write their names on a manilla folder! The results are in...It's like a present at Christmas...will they be a 520 or 800 credit score? Have they missed any payments at Macy's? Please don't be a criminal. Please be the one.

The anticipation of what you will see is always a nail biter. The best part is that the decision is up to the owner. I am just a link to the information for them.

So if you are working with a renter or you are working with a landlord, close your eyes and hope for the best once that button is pushed!

Is Some Money Better than No Money?

Jim Hirschhorn, GRI, Real Living - Orlando (Real Living Real Estate Solutions) — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 14:03:40 -0500

When I worked at The Ritz-Carlton in Philadelphia, the hotel business was a great place to be. For Luxury Hotels, the Hotel side and Rooms Division was looking for a 70% profitability while the Food and beverage was profitable at about 18 or 19%. The food and beverage was necessary to bring the people in to the rooms. H"eads on Beds" was the catch phrase. Once a night has passed, if the room wasn't occupied, you could never recoup that revenue. so...The Sales Staff got busy and reduced rates for groups all the way down to $99.00 per night. We had a full hotel but the groups that came in really put the hotel through its paces with regards to wear and tear. They sold the hotel too cheaply.

Does the same go for Real Estate? If you discount your commissions lower and lower, with customers still expecting the same level of service, can you sell yourself too cheaply? We hate to lose a customer and as customers have been more scarce lately, we want to hold on tight. Once you reduce, can you go back up in your commissions again? If you value your own service level highly, shouldn't others follow that guideline?

We have agents in our company and marketplace that only work a single zip code, a certain price range or even a certain group of people that have commonality. Where do you see yourself?

Will Customer Service be the Ticket?

Jim Hirschhorn, GRI, Real Living - Orlando (Real Living Real Estate Solutions) — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 13:35:14 -0500

I know I have blogged about Customer Service before but everytime you turn around, you are having either a great or not so great experience! I recently had the pleasure (?) of driving a rental truck from Philadelphia to Orlando with my girlfriend of 9 years. We thought it would be a good test of our relationship! (we passed with flying colors). The trip was not bad at all. Took 2 days and although it was 1000 miles (I drove 955 of it), we looked back and thought...not too bad.

We stayed at a Hampton Inn in North Carolina, about 25 miles from South of the Border. There was a man asking about the rates in front of me and when he asked about other motels on the same strip, the desk clerk said, I have no idea, the Night Audit does the call arounds. WRONG ANSWER...Wouldn't it have been nice for him to say, "if you give me a minute, I would be happy to call a few places for you." The customer may have said, oh it's just a motel.

Do we sometimes get caught in this as Realtors? Oh, it's just a $50,000 piece of land, it's just a foreclosure, etc..

If we practice customer service at all times, we can take care of every customer...even if we don't want to take their $20,000 listing.

The big picture and exxperience has told me that the owner of the $20,000 piece of land also lives in a $300,000 house. He has friends and family and maybe a business. Don't sell yourself or your business short. Also, don't be afraid to refer someone. If handled well, you might even get a referral!

Call Before Midnight Tonight!

Jim Hirschhorn, GRI, Real Living - Orlando (Real Living Real Estate Solutions) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 13:59:19 -0500

Immediate Possession! Limited Time Offer! Best Deal in Town!

Wow. Powerful, huh? We see these and more all over town. Marketing tag lines that have been used and overused for many years. Ron Popeil became a millionaire touting everything from the Ginsu Knife to the Vegematic. "Lose one, we'll replace it...and that's not all!"

Do these tag lines really work? If I see "Location, Location, Location" in print one more time, I will scream.

I did see a funny one the other day that was a sign rider that said, "Honey, stop the car."

Do we still fall for gas prices at $3.799? Come on.

I had many new agents that were putting out flyers with their contact information on them. It said;

"Sue Smith, Your Neighborhood Real Estate Expert"

After seeing the 5th new agent with this tag line, I asked them where they got it and they said it was on the flyer template that they used and thought it was a good one.

Creativity is the key. I saw a Real Estate campaign from the early 70's in a magazine that had 2 pages of black and the agent's name in white letters. That was it. Just the agent's name! It was powerful.

Take the time to brainstorm. Use your friends and family. Have some wine at a dinner party and write down or record all of the marketing ideas. You will be surprised how many good ones you come up with. It will make you stand out in the crowd. Hurry up though, Offer expires at midnight tonight!

Down Boy, Down!

Jim Hirschhorn, GRI, Real Living - Orlando (Real Living Real Estate Solutions) — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 13:50:46 -0500

I recently saw another mother with her child on a leash. A leash. How out of control are we as a society that we now have our kids on leashes?Ok, time for a confession, my mom, had my brothers on leashes..ok, the proper term is anti runaway harnesses, but to you and me, leashes! Where do we go from here? Do the leashes have the locking and retractable cord on them. When Little Johnny goes too far, we lock the cord and yank back swiftly (to let him know who is in charge?) or should we just jump to the choke collar? What about no leash at all but we just electrify the fence and have a collar around the kids neck. If they decide to make a run for it...zap!

Now, are there children out there who are in 3 places at once and run at the drop of a dime...yes. Are their kids that suffer from ADHD? Yes...Is there a happy medium when it comes to using a restraining device for a child. probably. If the child could cause harm to themselves, then is it OK?

Should we be putting our buyers on a leash? Show them who's the boss? Take Control? Have a locking device in the car and then keep them inside until we want to let them out (at our listing).

How out of control are our buyers that they don't want to buy a home from us? After all, we have done everything for them, right? What have they done for us lately?

Is Anyone Even Listening?

Jim Hirschhorn, GRI, Real Living - Orlando (Real Living Real Estate Solutions) — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 11:28:57 -0500

I had the pleasure of flying to Philadelphia to assist in cleaning up 60 years of junk from my mother's house. She is moving and we all know that we and everyone we know have the tendancy to be pack rats. But this is not the subject of this blog. I usually fly on Southwest Airlines. Their company philosophy and energy is contagious. There are Flight Attendants that are alive! Sure, you always have the chance of getting someone on a bad day but as a whole, they are a great airline. This time, however, I flew USAir. In days gone by, I remember USAir as being a pretty good airline. Oh, how things have changed. The seats are much closer together now. When you first get boarded and the Flight Attendants seem annoyed for you being there, you know that you are in trouble.

The beverage service sure has changed. Everything can be had, for a fee. The Attendant walked down the aisle and stopped at each person asking if they wanted something to drink. A man next to me said that he would like water and the Attendant said, "That costs $2.00" as if he was expecting him to gasp and throw a fit. When he said ok, the Attendant reluctantly had to retrieve the lone bottle of water.

The thing that struck me as the strangest of all was when we were preparing to land. One Attendant got on the PA system and did the entire speech..."Seat backs and tray tables must be in the upright and locked position during take off and landing. All carry-on luggage must be stowed in an over head compartment or under the seat in front of you." When he finished, it wasn't 10 seconds later that a female Attendant got on the PA and did the exact same speech again.

This is when you look around and wonder, are we all morons? Maybe they get mad when we don't look at the while they are fastening their fake seatbelt or pretending to blow air into their flotation device.

The bottom line is...are we even listening? Not just to airline people but to our customers. Do we hear what they are saying? I have had customers who have come to me and said that their last agent did not listen to them. Heck, I sometimes even get that at home! One of the best things I remember from a seminar I took years ago was that we should work on having a dialogue with others, not a duelalogue. If we are constantly thinking about what we will say as a response, we can't be listening to what the other person is saying. Did you hear me?

How Far is Too Far?

Jim Hirschhorn, GRI, Real Living - Orlando (Real Living Real Estate Solutions) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:43:15 -0500

As seen on a rental property listing!

What if Warner Brothers gave you a better deal?

Doom and Gloom can become a self-fulfilling prophecy

Jim Hirschhorn, GRI, Real Living - Orlando (Real Living Real Estate Solutions) — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 09:04:43 -0500

My morning started out very well. After having few effects from a tropical storm and spending quality time with family, it started to get gloomier. I got a call from an old co-worker who told the tale of her having her house go on the market as a short sale. I got to the office and a man was waiting for me to ask about selling his home as it was headed for foreclosure. It was down right depressing!

Even if you have the most positive of attitude, it doesn't take long for the weight of the housing market, economy, and overall mood of the country to pull you down. Having worked in human Resources in my past, we used to talk about employees who were a "Cancer" to the organization. People that were so negative about things that their negativity spread to others quickly and served to bring down a successful operation. This is a similar situation. I have heard people say that they only surround themselves with positive people and this is a good idea until the reality of life's unfairness hits you close to home.

Working with those around you on positive steps and possible solutions will help turn things around. The alternative is to roll over and either play dead or ignore the facts, especially when it comes to factors that may be beyond your control..at least for the present.

Making a positive stab at correcting situations or helping to brainstorm solutions will not only make you feel better, it will also help those around you.