I have seen quite a few changes in the real estate business over the past 36 years. When I started my real estate career as a sales person in 1972, I had no idea I would see the changes that would take place over the span of my career. There have been some bad things I have seen and experienced and there have been many positive changes that have occurred during those years.

I remember when some Realtors and lenders openly practiced racial discrimination in housing. I have experienced it first hand. I remember when real estate agents had code words they would use when they were setting up an appointment to show homes. If the customer happened to be a racial minority, they would call the listing agent or the seller and ask if it was "ok" to show the home to an "ABC" customer. "ABC" was the code word for minority buyers in the Chicago area in those days.

In 1971, I was a 23 year old, financially qualified home buyer. My wife and I had signed a contract to buy our first home, in a "good middle class suburb". We were quickly approved for a mortgage, based on my good job history and excellent income. I was a store manager working for a large supermarket chain and was earning an above average salary.

When my wife and I went to the closing we encountered one of many signs of discrimination and conflict of interest by lenders and others. Let me explain. The closing took place at the offices of the bank that made the mortgage. In those days it was not uncommon for an officer of the bank to wear more than one "hat" at the closing. A senior V.P. at the bank also "represented" us as our attorney. We actually paid him a fee, so that he could explain the mortgage documents we were signing for the loan we obtained from his bank.

My wife and I were in the bank's conference room with the parties to the transaction (seller, seller's attorney, lenders closing officer, our attorney and our Realtor. Our Realtor recommended the lender and attorney. My wife was 22 years old and I was 23, we were inexperienced first time home buyers and unfortunately we also did not have any family members to give us advice, we relied on our Realtor.

I had to step out of the closing room and return home, because I forgot to bring the check for the closing. While in the conference room everyone is trying to carry on with some small talk conversation while they wait for me to return. I returned with the check 30 minutes later, and we successfully closed the transaction.

My wife and I leave the bank and head towards our new home. While in the car my wife said to me, "you are going to be shocked at what happened at the closing room while you were gone". Naturally, I asked "what happened?" The bank's closing officer and our attorney (the bank VP) were telling the people in the closing room about all the problems they are having trying to keep the "neighborhood stable". The bank is no longer lending to "Blacks and Puerto Ricans", because the community organizations are putting pressure on them, due to the changing make up of the neighborhood.        

The real estate industry has come a long way since the days of blockbusting, panic peddling, and red lining. Many unscrupulous real estate agents, lenders, insurers and other professionals have been driven out of this industry thanks to HUD, RESPA, DOJ, and countless community organizations and although the membership of NAR was slow to act and needed prodding, they have been an integral force to these changes.

We all know that there is still work to be done, few of these organizations initiated the changes on their own, and they were prodded by the protests of disenfranchised citizens and the support of the majority of our citizens that want equal rights and justice for all of us. When we look at the current presidential race we see a Woman, African American and a White Male who is not necessarily from a long line of entrenched family insiders. We know that we are becoming a more diverse and open society. That is huge Change in itself.

If you've been selling for a while, you've probably had at least one experience in which your prospect suddenly started giving you the "silent treatment."  When this happens, it's natural to feel anxious and confused. You may tell yourself, "It's not as if I'm the one who did anything wrong. I put everything into nurturing the relationship. And how can I rescue the sale if I can't even get them to talk to me?"

There is a pressure-free way to reestablish communication when your prospect starts giving you the "silent treatment." But first, it's important to understand why the situation has happened in the first place.

Most of us who sell get caught up in "hopeium," a comical term that means we focus our hopes and desires on making the sale. But hopeium is a trap, because it impossible for you to keep in mind your most important goal: to learn your prospect's truth.

When we fix our minds on the outcome - making the sale - we automatically begin anticipating how the process will go, and we also begin expecting that things will happen as we hope they will.  But if we're in that mindset and our prospect suddenly breaks off communication, we feel lost, anxious, frustrated, discouraged, and confused. We become preoccupied with what went wrong. We may even feel betrayed.

Is there any way to clear up the mystery?  Yes, by giving up your agenda and learning the truth about where you stand with your prospect - and being ok with whatever the truth may be. "But how can I learn the truth when they're avoiding me?" you may ask. "And why do I need to let go of the sale?"

Let's take the second question first.  If you approach your prospect while you still hope the sale will happen, you'll introduce sales pressure into the relationship. This will push your prospect away from you and destroy any trust you have developed with them. Instead, you can eliminate all sales pressure by telling them that you're okay with their decision if they've decided not to move forward.  In other words, you take a step back instead of trying to chase and follow up with calls because you're focused on getting a "yes."

The bottom line is:  When a prospect gives you the "silent treatment," it doesn't mean you've lost the sale. It just means you don't know the truth yet. What you need to do is call and learn the truth.

Here's some language I suggest that will make prospects feel safe enough to open up and tell you the truth about their situation:  "Hi, Jim, I am calling to apologize that we ended up not being able to connect. I feel like somewhere along the way maybe I dropped the ball, or I didn't give you the information you needed. I'm not calling to move things forward because I'm assuming you've probably gone ahead with someone else, and that's perfectly okay. I'm just checking to see if you may have some feedback as to where I can improve for next time."

When you respond to the "silent treatment" this way, the results will probably surprise you. You may even learn that the prospect has legitimate reasons for not having gotten back to you. You'll also find yourself more productive and less frustrated. It'll make a world of difference in your productivity level, your stress level, your income, and how much you enjoy what you're doing.

Remember,  you haven't lost the sale. You just don't know the truth yet.

This article Used By Permission Ari Galper is the founder of Unlock The Game^TM, http://ww.UnlockTheGame.com

February 21, 2008

By Eva McKendrick, Downers Grove Sun 

Downers Grove residents have several transportation options open to them - the Metra trains, taxis and the Grove Commuter Shuttle. Now the Village Council is in the early stages of discussing a new bus service, and in the meantime, the shuttle is expected to receive some much-needed maintenance. Replacement buses have been ordered for the Grove Commuter Shuttle. Meanwhile, the village is exploring the idea of a new circulator bus system. Courtesy of the Village of Downers Grove.

Transportation systems have never been known as lucrative investments, and the shuttle - with an average daily ridership of 143 in 2005 - is no exception, village officials say. The Downers Grove Transportation Fund is expected to be $1.8 million in the red at the end of fiscal year 2008, officials say. Within the council, the debate over buses has resurfaced. On Feb. 12, the issue was brought up by Commissioner Sean Durkin, who in the past has called the shuttle system a "black hole."

"How are we going to pay this negative balance?" he asked at the Feb. 12 workshop meeting. Mayor Ron Sandack said the budget has been adjusted to offset the costs. Commissioner Geoff Neustadt said that with newer buses, which are expected to arrive in May, the maintenance and insurance costs will go down. Since 1974, the Grove Commuter Shuttle has been providing service to the Main Street and Belmont Road Metra stations.

In 2005, the Village Council decided it was time to buy new buses for the six shuttle routes. The current buses date to 1991 and 1992. The council approved the purchase of eight buses - six for the routes and two in reserve - which would be paid for by a Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality federal grant. Two years passed, and no buses arrived. In August, the council was told the eight buses they planned to buy would cost more than four times the original estimate. So officials changed the plan, deciding to buy only five buses. The money will come from a CMAQ grant of $448,000, with the village pitching in $120,260, said Doug Kozlowski, communications manager for the village.

The village will buy a sixth bus for $70,000 and keep two of its old buses for backups. The other six current buses will be sold for parts and scrap metal, Kozlowski said. In December 2006, the council voted to increase the fuel tax by 1 cent to keep the system alive. Besides the shuttle, the council also is exploring the idea of a local circulator bus system. Feb. 19, commissioners voted 6-1 to continue exploring a circulator route that would allow off-route pickups by appointment.

Durkin opposed the resolution, stating that declining ridership is proof the residents are not interested in a bus system. While all other commissioners said they have concerns about the potential costs of a program like a circulator, they said they would like to continue exploring the idea. "We're not speeding downhill," Commissioner Martin Tully said. "What we have done is we're keeping our minds open."

At this point, there has been no discussion as to how the Grove Commuter Shuttle and the circulator would work in together or how much a second bus system would cost the village. Assistant Village Manager Mike Baker said that if the council decides to go ahead with the circulator, those questions will be addressed later.

I want to congratulate Lola Audu~Grand Rapids, Michigan Real Estate
Grand Rapids, MI  on her Active Rain Blog Post: Real Estate Consumers...Are You Treating Them Like Royalty?

 Lola Audu, Broker Owner Grand Rapids, Michigan Real Estate. 

When I saw the headline I knew I wanted to read more, but I almost moved on because it looked like a lengthy article. I scrolled down to the bottom of the post and saw that you had received a considerable amount of comments, so I decided to read it. I am glad I did and want to comment on some observations I made.

"Consumers are not stupid" is the main theme which I picked up from your article. There are several other quotes and observations from NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun

Mr, Yun points out that although the public perception of Realtors is one of suspicion in general, this attitude changes dramatically when consumers are asked about THEIR SPECIFIC dealing with THEIR REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONAL.

In this case, consumers overwhelmingly indicate that they appreciate and hold dear their OWN REALTOR. One wonders how much of this "general suspicion" towards Realtors is media driven.

I don't believe the media drives that perception. I think we need to look at ourselves and take some responsibility for some of that perception. Lola, I agree with your statement, "The vast majority of my clients and the real estate agents I know are repeat and referral clients. Hardly,an indication of deep loathing for the profession".

When you drive into neighborhoods in Grand Rapids that are in the higher price ranges, you see very few For Sale By Owner Signs. Why is this? According to Mr. Yun, this is because:

"Time is evidently money, and many well-to-do people prefer not wasting their valuable time trying to sell a home - even though some may actually have the skills to do so."  With due respect to Mr. Yun, I don't agree with that statement, ...... the value of time is of equal value to all homeowners, no matter where they stand on the economic ladder.

Lola, You very eloquently point out that most consumers hire real estate professionals and are satisfied with the amount of money they pay for their services. Consumers want Protection,Trust and Loyalty which in turn makes the consumer feel like Royalty.

I want to add that, (approx 87%) of consumers indicate that they would probably use their Realtor again, but (Approx.15%) actually do. You are among the minority of agents that get repeat business and referrals from their past clients. The biggest mistake an agent makes in their career is that they fail to build a lasting relationship with their customers. That is what sets YOU apart from the competition.  

See Lola's post: http://activerain.com/blogsview/395118/Real-Estate-Consumers-Are

I remember way back when, I was a young man in High school. The Lovin Spoonful released the song entitled "What a Day for a Day Dream". It was a fairly big hit which is impressive especially when you had to compete with the likes of the British Invasion Groups such as the Beatles and Rolling Stones.

        Photo taken from Marc Davison's Article.

I was impressed by that song, because I was at an age when young people are starting to think about their future. They are wondering about what they want to accomplish and how they can attain their ambitions. One of my ambitions was to become a professional basebal player. If you knew me then, you would say that it was highly unrealistic, after all I was only 5' 5" tall and weighed about 120 lbs. and was skinny as a rail. In fact, some people would tell me to be careful when entering an elevator, because I might fall down the elevator shaft if I made a misstep walking across the elevator threshold. 

I was a pretty good fielding third baseman, I could move well to my left and my right, but I just did not have the strong arm needed to throw out a fast base runner. Thank God I realized that a career as a professional baseball player was not a realistic goal.

Marc Davison of 1000 Watt Consulting posted a blog that made me quite nostalgic. He said, "Life has a way of bringing you just what you need when you need it". I will post a link to his story in this blog.

I will be 60 years old in just a couple of months, and I must tell you that although I have not accomplished all of the goals I had when I was in high school, I am still like the kid whose picture you see at the top of this page.

I am still trying to find new ways of staying ahead of the competition, and letting my customers know that although I am an "old dog", I am still dreaming about the future and willing to learn new tricks to help me compete with a new generation of Realtor. As Marc said, "Life has a way of bringing you just what you need when you need it", but I want to add that, "It is brought to those that are willing to seek."

This is the link to Marc's Story: http://www.1000wattblog.com/2008/02/what-isnt-and-w.html

Stories about rebates are all over the Internet. Here is a story about rebates that actually may wind up in our pocket book. This one is from Ilyce Glink's Blog.

President Bush just signed the stimulus package that authorizes the U.S. Internal Revenue Service to send every taxpayer $600 to $1200 (couples). To get a rebate all you have to do is file your 2007 taxes. There are no special forms required.

This one is from Ilyce Glink's Blog. Read Ilyce's full story here: http://www.thinkglink.com/2008/02/how-do-i-get-my-rebate.html

 

Rep. Robert Molaro     Rep. Angelo 'Skip' Saviano

The following is an excerpt of a big story that appeared on Inman News today 2.20.08:

House Bill 4313, proposed by Illinois state Rep. Robert S. Molaro, D-Chicago, seeks to amend the state's Real Estate License Law Act of 2000 to state that "no licensee shall give or pay cash rebates, cash gifts or cash prizes to an unlicensed person who is a party to a contract to buy or sell real estate." The legislation would allow licensees to offer compensation "including prizes, merchandise, services, rebates, discounts or other consideration to an unlicensed person who is a party to the lease of real estate," as long as that offer complies with other provision of the existing act, according to the bill text.

I notice that the leasing of real estate would be exempt from this legislation. Why?, Leasing of real estate is part of the Real Estate License Law in Illinois.  

Did these two State Reps. try to get any input from the real estate profession before introducing this legislation?  This bill will hurt the profession, but more importantly it will hurt real estate consumers.

The Illinois Association of Realtors is opposing state legislation that seeks to restrict cash rebates and other rewards offered by real estate professionals to unlicensed persons who engage in real estate transactions.

The U.S. Department of Justice has taken legal action in other states to undo similar restrictions that prevent real estate agents and brokers from rebating a portion of the money they receive in a home sale to consumers, and the department is aware of the proposed Illinois legislation, a spokeswoman said Tuesday.

It is interesting to note that these two State Reps have been friends of the real estate community. The Illinois Association of Realtors have been past contributors of funds to these two reps including the year 2006. some Realtors must be wondering if IAR forgot to make a contribution to these friends of our industry in 2007?

The Real Estate License Law Act of 2000 was created to protect the public. I don't know how this legislation protects anyone or from what? 

If you live in Illinois, let your representative know how you feel about this proposed legislation:

Contact Rep. Molaro:  http://www.ilga.gov/house/Rep.asp?MemberID=1032  

Contact Rep. Saviano: http://www.ilga.gov/house/Rep.asp?GA=95&MemberID=1192

The following is an excerpt from an article written by Marc Davison at 1000 Watt Consultng:

Technology sure is great. When used correctly it enhances, expands and engages the experience. But it's not everything. Sometimes technology can distance us from what we do best. Like the human touch. Like friendship. There's no technological substitute for doing that. For doing the right thing. For going that extra mile. To me, this is part of Web 2.0 is about. Back to core basics. People connecting with people.

Read the entire story http://www.1000wattblog.com/2008/02/little-do-they.html#comments 

I have been teaching my agents for years, that before a real estate transaction can happen, the agent must first make a friend of their customer or client.

I was in my "home office" yesterday morning enjoying my first cup of coffee of the day. I am a lucky guy I get to live in Scottsdale, Arizona during the winter months away from my wintery Chicago home.  

As I am checking my e-mail I noticed that my son in Chicago has sent me a message with an attachment, but there is no text just the attachment. It is a picture of my grand daughter enjoying a morning "sprinkle cake" one of our favorite things when she and I are together.

It is just his subtle way of saying "wish you were here", We miss you!

 We sometimes sacrifice our precious family for our own comforts in life, but I will never take for granted the love a family shares

Teen who slugged burglar gets his 15 minutes of fame, but Hillerich and Bradsby Co. of Louisville, Ky gets millions worth of free publicity. This story appeared in news media outlets all over the world.

Yeserday a follow up to the story appeared on local Phoenix, Arizona and network TV stations. The young man was awarded a custom Louisville Slugger baseball bat as well as other merchandise, including a plaque honoring him.

I had to smile when a reporter asked him, " Why didn't you stay in the closet when the burglar came into your room?"  He replied, "there was no closet door".

Maybe Home Depot will replace the door free of charge and get themselves some good publicity. 

See Story Below: 

(Credit)

Jim Walsh
The Arizona Republic
Feb. 13, 2008 12:00 AM

A 14-year-old Mesa boy who made a national splash last month after he slugged a burglary suspect with a bat in his home was awarded a custom Louisville Slugger on Tuesday, inscribed with the words "brave, courageous, heroic.""It meant a lot. It has my name on it," Michael Six said, after receiving the bat from the Hillerich and Bradsby Co. of Louisville, Ky. "I'll probably frame it. I just feel famous."But Michael, a ninth-grader at Kino Junior High School in Mesa, said he'd handle the situation differently if it were to happen again. "I'd jump out the window first. I just wouldn't want to have myself in that position," he said.Michael's act of self-defense Jan. 15 swept the nation. He appeared on the Today Show and CNN."I just thought it would make the newspapers. I didn't think it would be so big," he said. "It was a little more than a home run."

Michael's actions were recorded on a police 911 call. Hillerich and Bradsby listened to the tape and decided to honor Michael, who was hiding in a closet inside a bedroom while talking to a dispatcher.

The burglar was armed with a screwdriver and was rummaging through Michael's backpack when the boy sprung from the closet and hit him with an aluminum Louisville Slugger in the lower back and on his left shoulder. The burglar could be heard cursing at Michael on the tape and grabbed the bat away.

"Sorry, man," Michael yelled back

Police later arrested Thomas Gonzales Garza, 30, of Chandler, who has been charged with burglary, aggravated assault on a minor and three misdemeanor counts of criminal trespass.When asked what he'd say to Garza if he saw him again, Michael said, "Thank you for not killing me."Hillerich and Bradsby representative Jim Snyder also presented Michael with a batting helmet, some clothing with the company's logo on it, and framed letter from John A. Hillerich IV, the company's chief executive officer.

"Michael, you are truly a hero and we are honored to have our Louisville Slugger name associated with yours," the letter said.

Mesa police are planning to present him with a citizen's meritorious service award, said Chris Arvayo, a police spokesman.

Michael said he'd like to be a Highway Patrol officer someday. "I would sit there, eat donuts and watch for speeders," Michael said.