agent advice: Can You Solve This 5th Grade Math Challenge? - 04/24/08 10:00 PM
The Washington Post has a feature called PAGE THREE / Homework Headaches. Readers submit homework assignments they were unable to help their children complete.
I'd like to share today's column with you - a "puzzling encounter with 5th grade math" - because there's a moral here for us in the real estate business.
The instructions were … (30 comments)
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agent advice: Knowing WHO and WHEN are just as important as knowing HOW - 08/30/07 07:03 AM
Just a little food for thought: FOLLOW THE MONEY!
In a Seller's Market, listing is the name of the game. In a Buyer's Market, selling is the name of the game. It's as simple as that.
A Buyer's Market, like we're experiencing today, is a good time for agents to target renters, investors, relocation... for … (25 comments)
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agent advice: Agent Open House Tutorial - 08/25/07 07:54 AM
ADVICE FOR NEW AGENTS:
In my market area, we have a formula that works very well for everyone involved in an Agent Open House Tours - listing agents, open house guests and our home seller clients, not to mention the eventual buyers who are the real target of our efforts.
Jessica Pineda inspired this post … (31 comments)
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agent advice: How do you organize YOUR ActiveRain? - 08/20/07 09:11 AM
Okay, I've been doing this ActiveRain thing for several months, now, and I've developed some routines. Let's share, because I could probably learn from YOUR ideas, and somebody might like mine. What do you think? Wanna play? I'll start with Associates and My Home:
Associates - I organized my Associates into Realtors, Lenders, … (49 comments)
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agent advice: M-O-S-T Marketing to Increase Your Effectiveness - 08/17/07 07:23 PM
REAL ESTATE ADVICE TO AGENTS:
If you are a real estate agent who does anything without thinking about the M-O-S-T, please stop now!
I'm talking about online and print advertising, door knocking, open houses... Those are tactics, and implementing any "T" without the M, O, and S that should come first is a little like target-shooting without … (42 comments)
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agent advice: Legacy of an "old pro" - passing it on to another generation of real estate rookies - 07/25/07 07:01 AM
Those "old pros" - I know they get to you sometimes!
When I was a rookie, a lifetime ago, I had a love-hate relationship with them. In my mind, most of them were old-fashioned, overweight, arrogant - and clients seemed to fall effortlessly into their laps from nowhere. Yet, over the years I have … (65 comments)
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agent advice: Curb Appeal Counts More Today Than Ever Before - 07/24/07 09:48 AM
Crofton real estate is alive and well, if the activity I've experienced in recent weeks is any indication. But the inventory of available properties is much higher than we've seen in recent years, so buyers have several homes to consider. Showing so many homes in the same price range has reminded … (8 comments)
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agent advice: If Dracula's castle was YOUR listing... - 07/03/07 05:38 PM
Crofton real estate is pretty tame - nothing like this property, currently on the market for sale:
One of literature's most famous vampires must be turning over in his grave because his favorite haunt (pun intended) is on the market for sale.
MarketWatch.com, RIS Media and the Associated Press, among others, are reporting that Bran … (19 comments)
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agent advice: Agent feedback... Candid or sugar-coated? - 07/03/07 09:42 AM
Are home owners and their agents hungry for feedback from prospective buyers and their agents who visit your listings? I always caution my clients up front to be careful what they wish for, because they may not always like the feedback they receive. In fact, some buyers and agents may sound critical … (29 comments)
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agent advice: The experts are saying... - 06/25/07 01:02 PM
Are home sellers in denial? Now that is a very good question, and everyone has an opinion. I'll bet you've already framed an answer in your own mind, and now you're waiting to hear what I have to say.
Yes, I think that's true. I've talked to a number of sellers, and … (7 comments)
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agent advice: ActiveRain vs. Blogger - 06/16/07 07:08 AM
Several months ago, I received an email from Carolyn Nelson, offering to help me get started with blogging. Her timing was perfect, following within days the warnings from my son, Steve, that I would be left in the real estate dust if I didn't start blogging. (Moment of motherly pride here: … (17 comments)
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agent advice: One short blog - 06/14/07 06:59 AM
Just my opinion: I'm not impressed, or even interested, when I see a one-sentence blog such as "I've been a real estate agent in (name of city) for over 10 years, so please call me if you'd like to buy a home here." Or even a one-paragraph blog with no information or opinion … (10 comments)
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agent advice: Trying to find a "lost" blog... - 06/12/07 01:48 PM
Hello, ActiveRainers -
Apparently I failed to bookmark a blog that appeared about a week ago, posted by a lender, with info about a loan program with grants for downpayments. The link he provided, began with FHA... but again, I failed to bookmark the link on my computer. Now, of course, … (5 comments)
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agent advice: Agents are supposed to provide solutions, not obstacles - 06/12/07 07:37 AM
I've run into several agents lately who clearly do not have any idea how to function in a Buyer's Market and who are downright arrogant - they demonstrate no interest in learning; no willingness to adjust to today's marketplace; and, frankly, they are contributing to the high inventory because they provide obstacles, not … (8 comments)
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agent advice: Crofton MD - Market Report for May 2007 - 06/10/07 12:16 PM
CROFTON MD 21114
Each month, when new sales statistics are published by the Metropolitan Regional Information Systems, Inc. (MRIS) - the multiple listing service for Crofton (21114) - the first thing I look at is the Total New Listings (76) and the Total New Contracts (41). If these numbers are not close, … (0 comments)
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agent advice: College Park MD - Market Report for April 2007 - 06/02/07 10:59 AM
COLLEGE PARK MD
April sales statistics from Metropolitan Regional Information Systems (MRIS) are now available for College Park, MD. Following is a report comparing this year with the same month in 2006:
As you can see, the volume of sale is down about the same amount as the number of sales - almost … (0 comments)
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agent advice: Bowie MD - Market Statistics for April 2007 - 06/01/07 10:47 PM
BOWIE MD 20715, 20716, 20720
As you consider whether to buy or sell a home in the Bowie area, you might want to take a look at recent sales statistics so that you will have realistic expectations. These figures were published by the Metropolitan Regional Information Systems, Inc., the multiple listing service … (0 comments)
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agent advice: Moving - Nuisance or Nightmare? - 05/31/07 03:33 PM
Most real estate transactions involve a move for our clients, and it is easy for real estate agents to forget that fact as we check off all the details we track from contract to closing. It is fair to say that most agents think of closing as an ending, whereas it is just one of many many … (1 comments)
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agent advice: Throw those canned follow-ups into the can! - 05/22/07 08:28 AM
If you want to find out whether your canned follow-up programs are effective, register to receive them yourself.
I recently registered on another agent's website to gain access to listings for my daughter, who is relocating to that area. Since then, I have been getting canned email follow-ups every few days.
They … (17 comments)
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agent advice: Davidsonville MD - Market Report for April 2007 - 05/22/07 07:08 AM
DAVIDSONVILLE MD 21035
Sales comparisons between April 2006 and 2007 don't mean much for Davidsonville, MD, when there was only one sale during April 2006. That seems crazy, but it's the information reported by Metropolitan Regional Information Systems, Inc., the regional multiple lsting service that includes Davidsonville.
I think we need to focus … (0 comments)
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agent advice: Home buyers, this is no time to beware! - 05/20/07 07:45 AM
After spending a few hours online to post local sales statistics today, I can't believe the market isn't FLOODED with home buyers! We real estate agents must not be communicating to buyers exactly how great a time it is to get out there and buy a home.
Interest rates are still very … (4 comments)
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agent advice: Don't shoot the messenger! - 04/21/07 10:18 AM
Are you worried that your prospective seller won't like the truth, and it could cost you the listing? In other words, if they don't like the message, they might "shoot the messenger" -
How do you handle it when you walk into a prospective seller's home and your reaction is something to the effect of...
Whew, … (41 comments)
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