1) Fire a buyer

2) Establish and actually get business from a geographic farm area

3) Build a real estate website

4) Make sales from your real estate website

5) Sell a really expensive property

6) Fire a seller

7) Explain to a seller that open houses really don't sell houses and that Realtors mostly use them to pick up buyers

8) Make it clear to a buyer that you are not a tour guide

9) Be a tour a guide for someone so you know why you should avoid those prospects

10) Tell a prospect that you don't work weekends - even if you do.

11) Sell your own listing

12) Sell your own house so you know how it feels to work with yourself

13) Go on caravan - it is a good way to learn the market and get some free food and coffee

14) Write a blog post

15) Take a client to lunch

16) Update your real estate photo every so often

17) Show a property in shorts

18) Go through the short sale process with a client - preferably an agonizing one. It builds character.

19) Pitch a listing in a sales meeting

20) Give really honest feedback on a showing. For example, "your listing is WAAAAY overpriced!"

21) Come to the realization that most sellers think their home is worth more than it really is

22) Realize that the huge producing Realtor that you might envy isn't all that brilliant

23) Make it clear to those buyers who think seeing property is fun that you work on commission

24) Have a drink with a client (if you drink)

25) Have a drink with a fellow Realtor

26) Have lunch with a very successful Realtor. I have and learned a few things.

27) Write a business plan

28) Turn your cell phone off the entire time you are on a vacation (I have not done this one).

29) If you have kids take them on a showing with you (Haven't done this one yet either)

30) Reschedule a showing with a buyer just because you aren't in the mood to be social

31) Tell a seller that listing their property would be a waste of your time

32) Sell a really cheap property

33) Be the biggest producer in your office for a certain time period

34) Pass on some of your wisdom to a new Realtor

35) Contemplate opening your own brokerage

36) Realize that family comes first. My kids just woke up so I have to end the list here. Can you add a few?

Bent Tree is a neighborhood designed with nature in mind. The elaborate lake system is not only beautiful to look at but it also provides for superior drainage during Florida’s rainy season.

The preserve areas, large lakes, open golf course and mature tree canopy provide habitat for a diverse range of birds and animals. Whether you enjoy the bald eagles that return every year to raise a new brood, the mallard ducks, cardinals & blue jays, the black bottom ducks, the sand hill cranes or the deer that come out at dusk and dawn – there is something here for all nature lovers.

Bent tree is also a neighborhood that has a diverse range of homes. If you enter off Proctor Road, there is an area called the Woodlands II to your right. This is an area of some of the newer homes in Bent Tree and is fairly upscale - larger executive style homes.

If you were to go straight, you would pass by larger homes, some on the lake and some on the preserve. This stretch was known as millionaire row when it was first built in the 1980’s. Many houses off to the left look out on one of the area’s largest residential lakes.

If you continue on you’ll find a cute area of homes off to the left with smaller lots, but some still have great water views. Keep on going straight and you’ll find the villas. A variety in sizes, some over 2000 square feet, make these units great if you want to leave the maintenance to someone else.

To get to the other side of Bent Tree, you enter off Bee Ridge (unless you’re on a bicycle or golf cart). This neighborhood contains the Bent Tree Golf Course & Clubhouse. Hitting golf balls watching an eagle fly by – does it get any better than that? Unless it’s hitting golf balls while your friends up north are shoveling snow!

With it’s diversity, natural beauty and proximity to I-75, Home Depot, Wal-Mart, Chili’s and a host of other restaurants and retail stores, Bent Tree is one of my favorite neighborhoods and is an area that should be considered when looking at Sarasota houses.

Did you ever dream of enjoying luxury waterfront living with only a five minute commute to your downtown office? Well, Harbor Acres is the neighborhood for you. It's a well established neighborhood that is know for it's mature trees, diversity of houses and proximity to everything. Harbor Acres has homes to fit all tastes - some that have been torn down and built new, fully updated homes and even some that reflect the charm of old florida.

Combine that with a quick commute to Sarasota Memorial Hospital, Downtown Sarasota, Marina Jacks, Selby Gardens, Southside Elementary, Sarasota High School, and the Southside Shopping District and there is something here for everyone. On the weekend, park your car and ride your bike to get groceries at Morton's Market, meet friends for lunch at Sam Snead's or grab some breakfast at the Serving Spoon. And don't forget to stop by one of my favorite new places to dine, Libby's - great serving staff and food that is served with a healthy and organic twist - YUM!

If your looking for that ideal combination of mature tree, waterfront location, great homes, a real neighborhood feel and don't like to drive forever to get where you need to go then you should really consider Harbor Acres - the best of all worlds.

Looking for a waterfront home on Siesta Key? Take a look at the popular Siesta Isles waterfront community on the island. Many of the homes are on the canal providing great boat access for residents. They can hop on their boat in the back yard and be cruising in the Sarasota bay within minutes. 

The homes were primarily built in the 1960's and 1970's. However, some of the homes have been torn down to make way for newer, more modern structures. Currently asking prices in Siesta Isles range from $420,000 to $1,795,000. If you must live on the water on Siesta Key then you should look at the homes for sale in Siesta Isles.

If anyone asked me I would say that the IDX is the most important feature of my real estate website. Most visitors go to a real estate website to look for property. Hopefully, you are familiar with an IDX. If not it stands for Internet Data Exchange. IDX gives MLS Participants the ability to display eash others' listings on their websites. It is what allows me to show virtually every listing in the Sarasota MLS.

Google analytics shows that most visitors to my website are looking at property. They stay on the property pages longer and see many of them. To really compete on the internet it is crucial to have a property search. 

Advantages to having an IDX:

• Makes your website sticky
• Visitors will come back to your site if you have a good IDX
• The fresh content and constant updates appeals to consumers and search engines
• Lead capture
• Users can save searches, receive automatic updates of properties and save properties.
• Educates consumers

I have to hand it to my web guys - www.realestatewebmasters.com for building great custom IDX's. My Sarasota MLS listings search allows consumers to search for properties by subdivision, condo building, map, MLS #, city, or zip code. Searches can use the advanced search where they stipulate property type, price range, bedrooms, bathrooms, square footage, keywords, lot size and property age.

Below I added some photos of my property pages.

Above you can see multiple photos, address, price, MLS#, Realtor remarks, bedrooms, bathrooms, square footage and virtual tour link.

This is on the same page. It shows more information about the property.

Here you have the Bing overhead map with the location of the property as well as Google Streetmaps. Depending on the property location the Bing map will show up as the Birdeye image which is really cool.

I get calls from Realtors asking for advice on building a web presence. I tell them that a property search is very important. People visit a real estate site to look at property for sale. They look at other information as well but they are primarily there to see what is for sale. The competition is only going to get more stiff so if you don't have a good property search on your site you will lose visitors to those websites that do.

1) The right price - you can't sell a home in today's market if your asking price is out of whack.

2) The right price - good marketing is important to selling a home but it means nothing if your asking price is not in the right ball park.

3) The right price - a good Realtor is very valuable in a real estate transaction. However, if the seller is stubborn and unrealistic in terms of price even a good Realtor can't sell it for more than it is worth.

4) The right price - a clean home should sell faster than a dirty home but neither one of them will sell if the asking price is way too high.

Obviously, there are exceptions. I have seen a property here and there sell for more than it is worth. It does happen. However, sellers shouldn't rely on that. Most buyers are very well educated and look at several properties before making an offer. Value is very important in today's market. Be the value out there and you stand a good chance of selling.

Large lots - Check

Waterfront homes - Check

Convenient to Siesta Key beach - Check

Spacious homes - Check

Close to shopping, downtown Sarasota and restaurants - Check

Good school districts - Check

Easy access to Field Club - Check

Looking for a great family neighborhood? Take a drive through the highly sought after and exclusive Oyster Bay Estates in Sarasota. This is a fabulous west of trail community with a diversity of homes for sale. Asking prices of homes for sale in Oyster Bay currently range from $419,000 all the way to magnificent bayfront home for $4,650,000. There are plenty of homes to choose depending on your budget. If your requirements for a home include waterfront, convenience and beauty then you will want to see some homes in Oyster Bay.

View other Sarasota properties for sale and call me at 941.812.6272 to see any of them.

Lido Key is a small barrier island off the coast of Sarasota, Florida. Lido Key and St. Armands Key is just a few minutes over the bridge from downtown Sarasota. It is the most convenient barrier island to downtown. St. Armands Circle is an exciting destination if you are looking for great food, shopping and bars.

St. Armands Towers are the two condo towers as you are just leaving St. Armands Circle. They are across the street from the beach. This is a great location if you enjoy walking places. All of the amenities of "the circle" are within walking distance as well as the beach. Condos in St. Armands Towers have fabulous views. Depending on where you are located in the building you may have views of Lido Key beach, St. Armands Circle or Sarasota bay and if high enough downtown Sarasota skyline. Currently, asking prices range from $479,000 to $775,000.

Visit St. Armands Towers condos on Lido Key to see everything for sale in the building.

Just off the coast of Sarasota, Florida sits the island oasis known as Siesta Key. This 8 mile long paradise is most famous for the beach. Siesta Key beach is white, made up of quartz and feels very refreshing on the skin. The beach was recently rated as the 2nd pretties beach in the country by Dr. Beach. It is ranked in the top 10 year after year. Visitors from all over the world flock to Siesta Key for the pretty sand, relaxed lifestyle and to take a dip in the calm, clear Gulf of Mexico.

Siesta Key Homes For Sale

Homes vary on the island. With the recent price correction it is now possible to buy a modest homes on the island for less than $300,000. We have not seen those prices for quite some time. On Siesta Key you can find a modest yet cozy home within walking distance to the beach all the way to a palatial mansion in the Sanderling Club valued in excess of $10 million. There is plenty to choose from on Siesta Key.

Sound interesting? For more information visit Siesta Key homes for sale

1) When are you looking to purchase?

Translation: When do I need to give a 100% effort and when will I make a commission? If you are looking to buy in 6 months I really only need to give you a 10% or 20% effort. I need to spend most of my energy on those who are willing to buy now.

2) Have you arranged financing yet or are you paying cash?

Translation: How serious are you about buying and am I dealing with a well heeled buyer? Getting pre-approved isn't the funnest thing in the world and I really don't want to spend any time or energy on someone who isn't that serious.

3) Are you already working with a Realtor?

Translation: How loyal is this person and am I possibly stealing this buyer from another agent? Also, do they understand how real estate works and how Realtors get paid? I could be that Realtor that has already shown them property.

4) What is a comfortable price range?

Translation: Has this person gone through the exercise of knowing what they can afford? Let's narrow down your choices to those properties you can afford.

5) Do you need to sell a home prior to buying?

Translation: Can I possibly get a listing and at what point do we start looking for home seriously? Let's not waste too much time until you are actually ready to buy.

6) Have you been to Sarasota before?

Translation: Shouldn't you really fall in love with Sarasota first before we look at a bunch of property? I really don't want to show you homes unless you know you really want to buy here.

7) Is this an exploratory trip or are you ready to buy?

Translation: Is it likely to make a sale this visit or will I have to wait until your next visit?

8) How long have you been looking for a home?

Translation: How realistic is this person and are they a career home buyer? There is no such thing as a perfect home. Those who look for years tend to be looking for that.

9) How many bedrooms and bathrooms do you need?

Translation: Does this buyer know exactly what they want or are they pretty flexible?

10) Are you looking in other cities?

Translation: How in love are you to my city? I might handle a buyer differently if they are looking in Sarasota, St. Petersburg, Tampa, Naples and Ft. Myers.