ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: You're Responsible For Who You Hire
- 07/06/23 11:30 AM
Real estate demands a diverse set of skills, and let's be honest, not everyone has the skills to do everything that needs to be done, or if you have the skills, you might not have the time. Either way, there's nothing wrong with hiring help so you can focus on the relationship and building aspects of your business.
That said, your hiring decisions ultimately reflect directly on YOU and not just the person your hired.
For brokers, obviously the agents you hire set the reputation of your brokerage. When I look through a blog roll, I sometimes wonder how a broker would react … (22 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: You Can Grow Your Own!
- 07/03/23 07:48 PM
On our back deck we currently have 6 tomato, 2 bell pepper and 3 jalapeno pepper plants in containers. My parents had extra starters for the tomato plants and gave me 2 each of 3 varieties. The peppers we planted from seed and they've got a lot of growing yet to provide fresh peppers, but we know they will in due time and long before the first frosts of the year.
In a box we've stored many seed packets from a heirloom seed place in Michigan (it's where our pepper seeds came from), but those seeds are being saved for our next … (24 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Nothing Is Impossible For The Peanut Gallery
- 06/27/23 12:56 PM
Nothing is impossible for the man who does not have to do it himself.
It's a saying from decades ago in my life, a little sign hanging in the office of one of my Navy department heads. While it might not be totally phrased to modern day preferences, the core concept is still true: it's easy to be the peanut gallery.
When you're in the peanut gallery you don't know what you don't know, so it's easy to make proclamations about how things are and how they should be.
Blogging doesn't work.
I've heard that one time and again during my time in the Rain, … (17 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: 10 Tips To Increase Comments
- 06/20/23 12:17 PM
It's natural to want some validation. You spent time writing your post, now you want to know that people actually read your post, and what better way to have proof than a comment???
If you're new to the community, you'll find many members fall into one of several groups:
1. The Reciprocators. You leave a comment on their post and 99.99% of the time they'll visit your post and leave a comment. Some of them even have Excel spreadsheets to make sure they don't miss anyone :)
2. Comments Disabled. Maybe literally. No comments are able to be left on their posts, or if … (29 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Chasing The Bright & Shiny
- 06/13/23 09:37 AM
Some of our cats love to chase laser dots. Shine the red dot and they can't help it, they've got to try and catch it!
In some ways, there's not a lot of difference between industry and our cats. Put something bright and shiny out there and some of us will chase it. There's a lot of wealth being transferred from agents to whoever can come up with the latest bright and shiny.
Some bright and shiny things are worthwhile, others can be fools gold.
Over the decades technology has brought some useful tools to our business. Digital photography, electronic signatures, smart phones, personal … (20 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Not Tonight, I've Got A Headache
- 06/06/23 04:37 PM
Now that I've got your attention...
Depending on your viewpoint, blogging might be a totally optional activity, or a sign of the Apocalypse if you DON'T make a post, or somewhere in between.
How much blogging is enough?
How much is too much?
How much is just right?
It's a question for Goldilocks.
The answer to that question is going to be determined by what fits your willingness and the needs of your target audience.
Blogging daily (or slightly less often) might be the thing for you, especially if you're trying to address more than one blogging audience. A few posts to audience 1, a few to audience … (23 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Get On The Consumer Choo-Choo!!!
- 05/30/23 03:33 PM
My mom is from Cass West Virginia. Never heard of it? Then you're probably not a big fan of old time railroads! Until about 60 years ago Cass was a focal point for bringing lumber down off the mountains to be processed at the local saw mill. My grandfather worked there, and while the mill is long gone (mostly) due a closing and then a later fire, my mom can still point out at the top of one of the ruined building where my grandfather used to work.
Once the sawmill was closed Cass could have just shrunk and become one of … (18 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Block and Tackle
- 05/23/23 07:12 AM
Our move to the mountaintop has been much slower than we expected. It's been two years since we purchased our land and the design process has taking a few twists and turns, but we finally have a final set of drawings and ideas for how we want to optimize the use of our land.
Finding the right builder is a key part of that process.
Recently we had reason to re-evaluate our builder selection. The local loan officer had provided us a list of local builders her clients had liked.
After some online research we called 8 of them.
Of the 8:
2 answered the … (16 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Cherry Picking
- 05/16/23 12:17 PM
If you get purchase leads chances are you might be able to designate desired location and maybe type (buyer or seller), but chances are most of the leads are going to be of the generic variety.
And the buyer that signs up saying they want to live in Area A may very well switch to Area X a good 30 miles and half the price point away.
So in short, you might gather that I'm not a huge fan of generic leads, especially generic leads you have to open up your wallet to get.
When we worked for a big box brokerage, we got … (30 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Should I Click PUBLISH?
- 05/09/23 05:31 AM
You're on fire!!!!
That blankety blank politician did something that's got you at 23 on a 10 point scale.
The freakin' moron of a co-broke agent....arrrrghhhh....lemme tell ya about it!!
You're between the 2nd glass of wine and the 3rd and keyboard is calling your name. Yes, it's time to tell everyone how you REALLY feel!
In the old days you'd have to grab a typewriter, load paper and peck away. Time would elapse and you just might have time to decide that letter to the editor or a family member would best be thrown in the trash.
Now, your thoughts can be instantaneously spread to … (25 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: The Best Leads Money Can Buy
- 05/01/23 08:18 PM
Over the years we've explored many ways of building our business.
Pay per click.
Grocery store advertising.
Direct mail.
The pay us at closing lead companies.
The leads that came from our big box brokerage.
Some worked better than others, ranging from totally being a money pit to offering a decent return on our time and/or money.
But overall, there was one key drawback to all those approaches: we were presented as "generic" agents.
When you are just one of many agents sending the same message, how do you prove your value to a home buyer or seller? How do you give them a reason to select you, and … (15 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Too Bzzy To Blog?
- 04/25/23 09:48 AM
I wear more than a few hats. so staying bzzzzy isn't an issue.
Engineer. Real Estate Agent. Zookeeper. Beekeeper. Homeowner.
So you may wonder how I get it all done?
The short answer, I don't, at least not every day.
Every day is a matter of prioritizing what MUST get done today and what doesn't.
Certain tasks are non-negotiable, some have a little wiggle room, others are "as time allows".
Evening feeding for the zoo (current count 17 cats and 9 Chihuahuas) is about an hour every evening, and those little furries are not going to let us forget!.
Church service isn't negotiable.
Beekeeping is seasonal, there are … (17 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Be Specific Or Get Lost!
- 04/12/23 01:02 PM
Centerville property for sale!
How many Centervilles do you think there are in the U.S.? Per geotargit.com, 43.
Tri-state Homes For Sale!
How many tri-state areas are there? While locally that refers to the area where Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio are adjacent, I'd bet we don't have the monopoly on the term tri-state!
Lakefront property for sale!
Did you know (depending on reporting source) over 125,000 lakes in the Lower 48 states, and many, many more if you consider Alaska!
Commercial property for sale on Main Street!
There are in excess of 11,000 Main Streets in the US.
Golf Course homes for sale!
There are more golf courses than Main … (17 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Door Busting Sales!
- 04/11/23 11:46 AM
One of the things I enjoy about traveling is experiencing the amazing artistry of years past.
Now a door is a door, right? Some hinges, a slab of materials, a handle and latch boil it down to its basics, but HOW those items are executed is the difference in being just another big box store blah door or something truly exceptional.
The exceptional draws your eye and beckons, come take a look, explore, maybe check out what's inside!
And whether you realize it or not, when you blog, you're in a competition.
Against other bloggers.
Against other information sources.
Against your direct competition for business.
Against the real … (14 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Reputation Vs. Reality
- 04/04/23 04:08 PM
Both our cars are paid for, and have been for years.
We THOUGHT the luxury SUV that we bought would be great. German engineering and all that jazz. And while the SUV has been comfortable, the reality has been that the reliability has been less than desirable, and when it's needed repairs, the cost have been on the high side.
On the other hand, the "hamster mobile" I bought for my every day running around, picking up bales of hay, hardware store trips and delivering yard signs, while not sporting the luxury reputation has been more than adequate for my needs. And even … (15 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Same Old Same Old Or New & Improved?
- 03/27/23 08:24 PM
Apparently there's a kitty communication network that points them our way when they need help. Last year two more cats started showing up at our doorstep. A female that had been previously trapped and spayed (ear is slightly tipped as is the practice for Trap Neuter Release) and a male with a full set of "kittenmakers". They show up on our front porch one at a time (she's a a bit skittish and afraid of him, he'd walk in our front door if we let him), so we feed them and put a heating pad in a doghouse on the front … (14 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: You Only Get One Chance For First Impressions
- 03/20/23 07:01 PM
Last week I had our Tuesday Ask An Ambassador post ready to go. Fully written, picture attached, tags and groups assigned, everything but clicking SUBMIT.
But I never clicked SUBMIT. Instead, I wrote an entirely different post to publish.
Why?
Because when all was said and done, I wasn't satisfied with the outcome. I think the topic was valid. We'd had a less than positive experience at a local restaurant and the theme Bait & Switch seemed worth exploring. Easy enough to relate it to real estate blogging and our overall business.
But..
Any post can be your FIRST impression, be it a consumer or another … (15 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: How Do I Get Help Around This Place?
- 03/07/23 08:34 AM
Whether you're experienced or a newbie in the Rain, sometimes you need some help.
In years past we might have tagged someone from ActiveRain management and chances are they'd appear to help. That's not going to work in the site's present staffing situation. There's no Bob and no Kerrie to call for help, so you have to pick from other options.
1. Ask a friend in the Rain. Sometimes it's something routine like "hey, I don't remember how to edit my blog signature" and the other Rainer will know.
2. Find an ACTIVE Ambassador and ask them. The Ambassador list is slimmer than it … (24 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Dead Wood Falls Down
- 03/05/23 09:13 AM
Our home is on heavily wooded land. We love the privacy when everything is green, and since most of our woods are not evergreen trees, we get some great color changes during Fall. But thanks to emerald ash borers, our ash trees have taken a beating. Many have died thanks to this invasive pest, so we have to continually assess which dead trees are a threat to our home, because sooner or later dead wood falls. Wind storms make life interesting and when we hear the CRRRRAAAACCCKK of a tree falling from inside the home, we have to wonder which direction? … (12 comments)
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ask an ambassador: Ask An Ambassador: Getting The Consumer Out Of The Shadows
- 02/27/23 05:05 PM
Today we received a jumbo postcard in the mail about a recent sale in our area. Glossy, a good picture of the home, a JUST SOLD banner, but it was intentionally missing the sold price. If you wanted that information, you had to go to a website and enter a long code to get that key piece of info, and if you wanted to give up more information, a valuation for your home.
For me, the surest way to get me to head the opposite direction is to attempt to manipulate me. I recognize in this world there's not much private any … (23 comments)
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Real estate demands a diverse set of skills, and let's be honest, not everyone has the skills to do everything that needs to be done, or if you have the skills, you might not have the time. Either way, there's nothing wrong with hiring help so you can focus on the relationship and building aspects of your business.
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