Numbers Game - 12/30/07 02:16 PM
I've wondered about this for a long time.  How many brokers think that real estate is a numbers game?  If they hire ten agents and nine quit the business, they are better off because they make money from the one.  They also make money from the nine before they leave.  If they think that way, they hire everybody and anybody.  It doesn't matter if the agent has no training or skills.  The broker makes money if the agent accidently sells something.
… (5 comments)

Success or Failure - 12/29/07 02:01 AM
There are numerous blogs that suggest if you work hard you will be a success.  End of discussion.  If not, you are a failure. You didn't work hard enough and you can always work harder or smarter.  They also say that if you leave real estate, you are a failure.  I don't believe in name calling.  I don't believe  in being a workaholic.  I don't believe leaving real estate makes you a failure.  I do believe it is about choices.  You can choose to make a guaranteed salary and get benefits.  You can choose to retire.  You can choose to do whatever you … (8 comments)

Blogs that are really ads - 12/28/07 11:56 AM
I just saw an interesting blog headline.  I clicked on it.  I read it.  At the end it turned out to be just an ad for the bloggers business.  Is there someway these can be labeled as an advertisement?  If they provide information in the blog, that is ok, but if it is 100% an ad, it is very misleading. … (13 comments)

Do you know people who are leaving real estate? - 12/26/07 12:10 PM
There have been some blogs about people leaving real estate.  Since they are posted here, most of the people are still doing real estate.  So do you know people who are leaving or have left real estate?  I have a good friend, a single mom, who left after about eight years in the business.  She now has a job which gives her a weekly paycheck and health insurance.  She is not getting rich but she will survive. … (8 comments)

Are fliers and postcards a waste of time and money? - 12/25/07 10:09 AM
Back in the stone age, I was taught that you always put fliers in a flier box outside a listing and some extras inside the house.  You should print up extra fliers and passed them out to the neighbors (door knocking).  You should also mail out just listed postcards to the neighbors.  If you do an open house, you should repeat the process.  Many realtors don't do fliers and the postcards.  They consider them a waste of time and money.  I'm interested in differing opinions.  If you don't do fliers and postcards, why don't you do them and what do you do? … (7 comments)

Thank you Miss L for your ethics. - 12/24/07 05:12 PM
About a year ago, I got a lead from a seller wanting to sell some vacant land about 30 miles from town.  I called and talked with owner, a nice 70 year old lady who had moved away and wanted to sell.  She was super nice, we had a couple of hour long conversations.  I realized that I needed help, we could talk forever about her kids and grandkids.  In our office there was a 70 year old realtor, Miss L.  I explained the situation to her and we agreed to split the listing.  We split everything (even the hour long conversations), … (6 comments)

I showed an REO listing today. - 12/24/07 03:48 PM
I just showed a home today.  It is an REO.  It has been listed for six days.  There was no for sale sign on the property, no fliers.  It had been winterized.  The previous owner had left a bunch of stuff behind.  There was a mattress on the floor, there were kids games and misc furniture, there were McDonalds bags and pizza boxes, there was stuff in every room and in the garage.  The house was listed as 4 bedrooms 2.5 baths.  I counted twice just to make sure, there were 5 bedrooms, 3 baths.  … (14 comments)

Brokers and the Internet - 12/24/07 11:57 AM
I had a broker who felt that he was the expert on all things real estate.  If you asked him a question, he had an answer.  And you better do what he said.  I asked him a question about internet marketing.  He responded something like "I tried that three years ago and it didn't work."  End of discussion.  He may have been right about three years ago but things had changed in the past three years.  What do you do when you know more that your broker?  Ignore him, try to educate him, or ????
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Agents who talk too much - 12/24/07 10:10 AM
One of my pet peeves is agents who talk to much.
Me:  I'd like to make a showing appointment for your property at 123 Main St.
Them:  You would?  You are the first agent to show this property in three months.  The owners can't get divorced until the house sells.  They are very motivated.  They will take anything.  Please, please, please make an offer.  What time would you like to see it?
Don't these agents realize that we might be negotiating soon and they just cost their clients big bucks? 
… (10 comments)

What do you keep in your trunk? - 12/23/07 12:47 PM
What do you keep in your trunk?  How about a couple of flashlights, toilet paper, tape measure, rope, string, pens, paper, coloring books, games, deck of cards, toys, paper towels, trash bags, soap, knife, hammer, screwdriver (regular and phillips),  and camera.   Don't forget a snow shovel, window scraper, chains, water bottles and some snacks. … (13 comments)

Your active rain picture - 12/22/07 11:02 AM
OK, time to fess up.  How many of you have posted your high school picture to active rain?  I'll be the first.  My picture is from 2001 but I look the same.  Yes the hair is a little grayer now and I've gained a few pounds.  But I look the same :)  If you met me, you would recognized me.  If I met you, would I recognize you from your picture? … (9 comments)

Let's stop the name calling. - 12/20/07 11:00 AM
I changed brokerages about six months ago.  Two years ago, my previous broker had an office that held about 100 people and there was 150 agents.  We were the fastest growing agency in the area.  He built a brand new office in a different part of town.  This new office opened this year, it is great, brand new, modern, latest technology.  It will hold about 300 agents.  The market changed,  This new office is not making enough money to pay the rent, pay a broker, receptionist, office manager, etc..   I think my previous broker made a business decision that didn't work out.  The people on … (2 comments)

Is hanging in there the right thing to do? - 12/20/07 09:02 AM
This is a question everyone has to answer for themselves.  There is no way anyone else's judgement matters but your own.  I keep on seeing blogs insulting people who are not sticking it out.  If you are making a lot of money, it is an easy decision.  If you are making no money, it is an easy decision.  If you are doing sort of ok, it is a tough decision.   Can I make more money doing another job?  Is the market going to come back?  What is the best solution for me and my family?      … (7 comments)

Duplicates blogs in ActiveRain. - 12/19/07 09:41 AM
I'm noticing a lot of duplicate blogs,  I just posted a comment.  I swear I only clicked once but it was there twice.  I went back and deleted it.   What is going on?  When I signed on to post this, the first three blogs were the same.  I guess it is a good way to rack up points but it is very distracting. … (4 comments)

Who did you send Christmas cards to? - 12/18/07 09:28 PM
Who did you send Christmas cards to?  Friends, family, old clients, current clients, social farm, geographic farm, other realtors, lenders, physical inspectors, pest inspectors, title companies, escrow officers, notaries, appraisers, handyman, locksmiths, etc.  I assume you hand addressed each envelope and wrote a personal message too.  Can any of these people give you referrals?  … (4 comments)

When do you stop? - 12/17/07 07:04 PM
Many people write about being organized and finishing your tasks and everything is wonderful.  My question is when do you stop?  If one open house is good is two better?  Why not do two every weekend?  Is mailing once a month enough?  Everytime I get "caught up" I can think of something else to do.  Call expired listings, call FSBOs, blog, make more phone calls, there are always 100 things to do.  So, when do you stop? … (2 comments)

What are your priorities and what actions do you take to achieve them? - 12/17/07 03:36 PM
If you ask someone what their priorities are, they will usually say that their family is their first priority.  But what does that mean?  Do you work overtime trying to make more money for your family or do you leave work early to see you children play soccer?  Same priority, completely opposite action.  What are your priorities and what actions do you take to achieve them?  … (3 comments)

Pricing your listing and internet search engines. - 12/14/07 06:47 PM
If you go to an internet search engine, it asks for the price of the home you are looking for.  People enter in from $300,000 to $350,000.  You should consider this when pricing a home.  If your listing is priced at $299,999 it will not show up in the above search.  If you price your listing at $300,000 it will show up in the above search and in the $250,000 to $300,000 search.  That $1 costs you 50% of your exposure on the internet. … (2 comments)

Illegal to do BPOs in Nevada without an appraisers license. - 12/03/07 09:04 PM
There was a law written about five years ago in Nevada which stated that in order to give an opinion of value you must be either an agent trying to get a listing (CMA) or an appraiser.  They have decided to enforce this law regarding BPOs.  A real estate agent cannot do a BPO unless he gets the listing.  It is considered an appraisal.  A real estate agent cannot do appraisals.  There is a $5,000 fine. … (34 comments)

Having an opinion vs having an informed opinion - 12/02/07 11:49 AM
Everybody has an opinion.  Having an informed opinion is completely different.  There are many blogs here where the writer starts out with "I don't do this" and then writes 1000 words about the topic.  If you don't do this, you might be right, you might be wrong, you don't know, you don't do it. 
Sometime common sense is different from reality.  I know people who run tests.  They try doing something  the common sense way.  They try doing it another way.  Then they try doing it a third way.  Sometimes the common sense way finishes third.   Sometimes it doesn't matter.   Experience is more important … (2 comments)

 
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Matt Kofsky

Reno, NV

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Transaction Realty 500 Reno, Nv.

Address: 6121 Lakeside Dr, Suite 101, Reno, Nv, 89521

Cell Phone: (775) 240-4663

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