Striving for excellence is the art of continued and never ending improvement. Make a personal commitment to become the best at what you do with excellence.
A person with excellence is not afraid of making a mistake; because we all do. Having excellence is coming back from a setback with the passion to succeed.
Having a fear of taking action until everything is perfect with no chance of failure is a recipe for disaster.
Doing the best we can, from where we are, with what we have and to make it work with passion is the stepping stone to create person excellence.
®2009, Lou Ludwig, Sales and Management Consultant Executive Coach, Speaker, Trainer and Author
Start your Thanksgiving morning our right - Release stress with an invigorating and relaxing vinyasa class at the Kennett area YMCA at 9:30 a.m with Janice Roosevelt
No better way to rebalance those feelings you have for relatives you'd rather not spend a lot of time with (just kidding!)
We will be practicing with lots of gratitude!
Enjoy deep breathing, energizing postures, and final meditation and relaxation with an eclectic playlist of music and prizes for those who know their Thanksgiving trivia
What makes some realtors more effective than others? Professionalism? Closed transactions? Persistance? Ability to embrace and use new technology? Good Communication skills? (All of the above, and a little bit more) jroosevelt@kw.com 610-764-3062
Here is incredible value - perfect location near Rotues 52 & 1, large lovely corner lot overlooking pond, loads of upgradesand amenities from new HVAC to hardwood floors. PLUS first floor MASTER SUITE and finished lower level with walkout. Email jrosevelt@kw.com, or call 610-764-3062
Get your buyers in now and settle by the close of the year. Take advantage of the expanded home buyer credit. This is one gorgeous Chadds Ford home convenient t all majorcummuting routes in the southeastern Pennsylvania and northern Delaware areas. Quite, peaceful, surrounded by million dollar homes and open space.
I wrote a featured post recently about choosing your words carefully when it comes to an agent's tag line and how to make that better. As I was writing that post, I kept thinking to myself.....Well, what about all of these listing ads?? Why not write about them as well??
I see examples all the time of bad MLS photos. But, what is more prevelant to me is the incredible lack of decent COPY in these same listing ads.
See...One of the more routine activities of a Realtor's job is to write copy for the ads that are used to support your listings. Whether those be online, print, brochures, or flyers, the goal of these ads is create a positive explanation of the property that will increase the flow of traffic to that ad from interested buyers. And, lets face it....that is the ultimate goal in this form of advertising.
However, it is fairly easy to fall into the grey area and start to make statements that aren't necessarily true...perhaps even blatently false...and even worse, bordering on discriminatory.
Now, I know that no one actually intends to write copy that is discriminatory. But, the fact of the matter is that some of the text used can be just that depending upon who is reading the ad.
Here are some of the reminders that I have compiled both from some of the listings I have seen and a list that I found in BrokerAgentPro:
1. Describe The Features Of The Property Remember to stick to the facts about the property. Obviously, you can embellish a bit to make the language more fun, but don't blow it out of proportion. Also, don't profile your potential buyer by focusing the ad on one specific style of buyer. We all have some idea of what type of buyer will suit the need for the property, but isn't every financially qualified person a potential buyer? Here are some examples of what you should say:
Condo with exercise center and pool
Historic home with wrap-around porch
Qualified Senior Housing
Located On Cul-De-Sac
Bring your Hammer and lots of ideas!
Extensive Remodeling including windows, new floors
Bright and Sunny living room
Comfortable and Spacious
Designer colors!
Avoid phrases that focus on the buyer. Also, consider subtle little things that might be interpreted wrong by a potential buyer:
Empty Nester's Paradise (Are kids welcome??)
Great family neighborhood (Will singles be allowed??)
Hispanic Community (Uhhhh...Do I need to elaborate??)
Near Indian grocery (Is this the Indian part of town??)
Perfect for a single guy (Is it not safe for a single female????)
Bring your kids! (Uhhh....Sorry, but I dont have any....)
Totally remodeled (Really??? EVERYTHING was redone????)
New heat and AC (The entire system or just the unit itself???)
New carpet! (Well, it was new last year...)
Wonderful neighbors (Rock bands are fun neighbors!)
Kept in perfect condition (Oh yeah?? Is that what the inspection report will tell me???)
All new appliances (Does that include the water heater and the furnace?)
2. One thing that agents like to do in the ad copy is make descriptions of the neighborhood that the listing is located. This is all well and good and adds a sense of the community, as well as the home itself. Some good examples are:
Gated neighborhood
On golf course
Horses allowed
Tree-lined street
Secluded off-street location
Close to Shopping
Now, remember...its perfectly OK to talk about the neighborhood. But, it is NOT OK to talk about the neighbors! Don't use language that establishes a preference to the type of person that will fit with the local flavor. Phrases to avoid:
Exclusive area (Really....excluding whom???)
Elite neighborhood (Who qualifies for this???)
Country Club location (Are non-members allowed to buy there??)
Surrounded by young families (So...elderly need not apply.)
Mature area (So, you young people...you go somewhere else.)
3. Whatever you do, do not offer up assurances about what CAN be done with the property. Not only can adding onto the existing home be more difficult that you anticipate, but the buyer could take your statement at face value and then be very disgruntled later on. Between permits, easements, building codes, and neighborhood opposition...who knows. Anything could stop them from being able to do what YOU said could be done. So, avoid things like:
Un-obstructed view of the lake (From now til when???)
Perfect for a bed and breakfast
Add a second story and see all of downtown
Ready for a new master bathroom
Plenty of room for a pool (Of course, we have to move your sewer line and the underground gas line and the......)
4. Lastly, in the attempt to remain perfectly accurate, dont use brand names in generic ways...
Jacuzzi tub (Umm, its says Whirlyride on the drain...)
JennAire grill (Umm, the lid says Coleman...)
When it comes to marketing a home, the goal of the ad copy is to describe the features of the home and to attract quality buyers. It is increasingly important to use accurate language. But, more than that, it is vitally important that you do not violate anything within the COE or the Fair Housing laws. NEVER refer to the sex, racial origin, family status, or age of ANY potential buyers or current residents of a particular area. And remember, if you direct your advertising to target a specific type of buyer, you are discriminating against other buyers that may be just as capable perhaps even more capable of buying the same property. And even more importantly, if you submit an offer from a potential buyer, and the offer is rejected, the buyer could feel that the rejection is a result of some form of bias against them based on the descriptions put in the ad.
One of the best lines that I was able to find when it came to writing ad copy -- "Ignore the ambiguous meanings...Remember that YOUR REPUTATION IS AT STAKE!"
"As a leader, you have to take responsibility for your own failures as well as successes. That's the only way you'll learn. If you keep learning, you'll improve. If you improve, your leadership will get better. And in time, you will earn the right to lead on the level you deserve."
~John Maxwell The Right to Lead
If we take the right actions after a mistake we have learned!!!
Putting things in order before you start creates an organized effort in achieving your desired results. You will maximize the use of your time with a focused effort.
In organizing our time we will able to focus our efforts and concentrate on the most important tasks at hand.
Getting organized creates a better use of our time and will keep us on purpose.
®2009, Lou Ludwig, Sales and Management Consultant Executive Coach, Speaker, Trainer and Author
I could not resist sharing these photos sent by my friend and pet groomer Suzanne Kauer. No wonder we love other creatures on this planet so much. Enjoy!
Receive a tax credit for up to 10% of the purchase price of your principal residence - not to exceed $8,000.
Tax credit does not need to be repaid (if you continue to own the home for a minimum of three years).
Single taxpayers with up to $125,000 modified adjusted gross income and joint filers with up to $225,000 qualify for the full credit.
Single or head-of-household taxpayers with income between $125,000-145,000 and joint filers between $225,000-245,000 qualify for reduced credits.
New or resale homes eligible.
Available for purchase or principal homes costing $800,000 or less.
Purchase agreements must be signed by April 30, 2010. Closing by June 30, 2010.
Special military deadline: Deadline extended until June 30, 2011, for members of the military who have served outside U.S. for at least 90 days between 1/1/2009-5/1/2010.
NEW REPEAT HOME BUYERS
Tax credit of up to $6,500 for repeat buyers who have owned their current home for at least 5 of the 8 previous years.
Receive a tax credit of up to 10% of the purchase price of your principal residence - not to exceed $6,500.
Tax credit does not need to be repaid (if you continue to own the home for a minimum of 3 years).
Single taxpayers with up to $125,000 modified adjusted gross income and joint filers with up to $225,000 qualify for the full credit.
Single or head-of-household taxpayers with income between $125,000-145,000 and joint filers between $225,000-245,000 qualify for reduced credits.
New or resale homes eligible.
Available for purchase or principal homes costing $800,000 or less.
Date of first occupancy must be after 11/6/2009.
Purchase agreements must be signed by April 30, 2010. Closing by June 30, 2010.
Special military deadline: Deadline extended until June 30, 2011, for members of the military who have served outside U.S. for at least 90 days between 1/1/2009-5/1/2010.
Looking to buy or sell?
Janice Roosevelt, Matt FetickReal Estate Team, Keller Williams - PA & DE 235 Whitehorse Lane Suite 100, Kennett Squre, PA 19348
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Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
See...One of the more routine activities of a Realtor's job is to write copy for the ads that are used to support your listings. Whether those be online, print, brochures, or flyers, the goal of these ads is create a positive explanation of the property that will increase the flow of traffic to that ad from interested buyers. And, lets face it....that is the ultimate goal in this form of advertising. 
2. One thing that agents like to do in the ad copy is make descriptions of the neighborhood that the listing is located. This is all well and good and adds a sense of the community, as well as the home itself. Some good examples are:
When it comes to marketing a home, the goal of the ad copy is to describe the features of the home and to attract quality buyers. It is increasingly important to use accurate language. But, more than that, it is vitally important that you do not violate anything within the COE or the Fair Housing laws. NEVER refer to the sex, racial origin, family status, or age of ANY potential buyers or current residents of a particular area. And remember, if you direct your advertising to target a specific type of buyer, you are discriminating against other buyers that may be just as capable perhaps even more capable of buying the same property. And even more importantly, if you submit an offer from a potential buyer, and the offer is rejected, the buyer could feel that the rejection is a result of some form of bias against them based on the descriptions put in the ad. 
;)
;)
