I'm leaving Real Estate...and need some advice.

After four years in the business, and some major changes in my personal life, I will no longer be selling real estate. Since July, I have been back working 9-5(ish) and really do prefer this lifestyle. The steady paychecks (although not as big as I'd like, but that's for a different blog)...not worrying if the stranger on the other end of the phone is an ax murderer...sleeping in on weekends...a tank of gas lasting a whole month!!!

But seriously, there were many things about real estate that I loved, and I was good at it! I met and worked with some really wonderful people...agents and clients alike! And I'm confident most of my past clients would refer me, and some did use my services a 2nd time. But this career can be brutal, and I have found that I do my best work behind the scenes, making sure everything runs smoothly. And then I go home to my cats for the the rest of the evening. It's a much better fit for my personality.

Anyway, the dilemma is this: I still have my license in Active status, but need to decide before January what my next step will be. That's when my board dues need to be paid - $475. Yikes. I have three options:

1. Pay the dues & MLS fees for another year..."just in case" I change my mind. Unlikely, because I really don't miss real estate at all. But still.
2. Transfer my license to my broker's affiliated "Agent Referral" company. I'd keep my license active (CE classes), but pay no board or MLS fees...just a very small fee to the referral company. Any future business that might come my way, I'd refer to an agent of my choice and collect my percentage. The thing is, I only have about 50 past clients (not bad, but not a huge number), and what are the chances they'll refer me if I'm not regularly keeping in touch?
3. Turn my license over completely, chalk up the past 4 years to a very interesting and many times fun & exciting time of my life, work towards paying off the debt I have incurred because of this career, and move on. Most days I just want to stop thinking about real estate completely (except for working with and reading Jennifer Allan's blogs, of course!)

I know which option I should choose, and I know which option I want to choose.

Your thoughts would be most appreciated!!!

"Oh that's ok. Our agent gave us the lockbox code!"

My new sellers were so excited! We listed their house recently and they had their first showing scheduled for 11am today. At 12:10pm, Mr. Seller called: "Sue, it doesn't look like anyone was here. There isn't a card, and the lights were still on." I told him I'd give the buyer's agent a call & confirm they saw the house. I got the BA's voicemail, and then Mr. Seller called back.

"Hey Sue, there's a young couple at our front door with "Fred's" business card. They said he's out of town & he told them they could come see the house without him. So we're out on the deck and they're walking through the house."

Yikes! I didn't like THAT...having these strangers wandering through their house without an agent accompanying them. That was problem #1.

The couple was there about 15 minutes, and as they were getting ready to leave Mr. Seller asked, "By the way, what would you have done if we weren't here?"

Ready for this??? Problem #2...

"Oh that's ok. Our agent gave us the lockbox code!"

SERIOUSLY?!?!?!

Apparently this couple saw 2 other houses before ours...but those were vacant. So that made it "ok"?!?!?!

To say I was livid would be an understatement! My seller was surprisingly calm about it, but they are obviously not happy. This is not a foreclosure (which would not make it ok!!). This is a home my sellers are living in! I have since changed the code on that lockbox, and yes, I have contacted the agent's manager. That agent has been licensed since 2002, so there's no excuse.

Ready for the kicker?? I just received a call from "Fred" who proceeded to lie and tell me he was there at 11:30 with a female client. Oh really?? How then did this couple get his card? And my code?? When I laid into him expressed my displeasure, he tried to turn it around and had the nerve to demand: "Do your sellers want to sell their house or not?!?!"

Absolutely unbelievable.

I have never, ever shared a lockbox code with a client. Or even another agent! When I am given that code, it is the key to someone else's property! The Golden Rule again, folks. Do you want strangers wandering through your house whenever they want??? I don't care if it's a relative or someone "you trust". NO WAY!!! We have a Code of Ethics we must live by. Even if it weren't for the Code, what about common sense????

What would you do???

Keep working on it, until you make it work!

I think this will be my new mantra...in real estate, and in real life!

This morning I was updating a CMA for an upcoming listing. I researched and tweaked...adding this...taking out that...until I came up with numbers that made sense to me. And that I'm pretty sure will make sense to my sellers tomorrow evening! This is a very cool house (watch my blog for photos later in the week), and I am SO EXCITED about listing it!!

Just then, one of my cats jumped up on my lap. I looked down at Jasmine and said, "Keep working on it, until you make it work!"

She looked up at me, blinked, purred her approval, and made herself comfy. She totally understood, because she'd been trying to climb on my lap all morning and I kept scooting her off. 

Persistence...it's what we need in life. And what we need in this business. Not to the extent that we're annoying our family, friends, clients and strangers. But until we've realized that all options have been considered, all the bases covered...and in the case of my cat, all warm laps jumped on.

Only then can we step back and say we did our very best...no matter what the outcome!

Talk about timing!

I was visiting my Dad the other day, and needed an aspirin. "They're in the medicine cabinet, Susan. Help yourself." Wow...my Dad's medicine cabinet was like a drug store shelf. The only problem was, many of those drugs were terribly outdated! So we started taking inventory, and talking about how to dispose of old medicines.

And what's in the Sun News this morning?! "Operation Medicine Cabinet"!

On Saturday April 30th from 10am-2pm, most community police stations will be collecting your unwanted or expired medications and disposing of them safely. Just remember to remove the prescription labels that have your name on them!

Here's a link with more info, at least in Ohio:

OPERATION MEDICINE CABINET

I surpassed the 75,000 point mark this morning with a comment on Lots of Leads...But At What Price by Paula Swayne. And since her subject was one that is near and dear to my heart, that makes this milestone all the more meaningful!

Happy Sunday everyone!!!!

Sometimes I wonder who the marketing genius was that came up with those instructions. Obviously the intention is to entice the consumer to quickly go through their product...then run out and buy some more.

However, anyone who has naturally curly hair knows lathering more than once tends to dry out our unruly lovely locks.

Being a Hair Product Addict (my bathroom and linen closet are crammed full of every kind of shampoo, conditioner, mouse, gel, etc), I just HAVE to try everything. But due to skin allergies, it's very important that I not use anything with harsh chemicals or excessive perfumes.

My latest discovery? Trader Joe's Refresh Citrus Shampoo with Vitamin C. Yes, my hair will never catch another cold! lol

Anyway, besides my hair absolutely LOVING it, I was impressed with the instructions for its use.

THERE WEREN'T ANY!

Imagine that. A company that doesn't insult my intelligence. That doesn't entice me to use more of the product so I can come back and buy more! And they don't have to...because the product's results have already sold me.

Now you may be saying to yourself, "That's great Sue, but what does this have to do with selling real estate?"

Good question!

I am a firm believer in NOT asking for referrals. For not putting my clients and friends on the spot by begging them to lather, rinse, repeat "use me more often" and NOT insulting their intelligence with slick scripts.

If I do a great job, and provide a great product (me!), they'll come back for more. And they'll tell two friends. And so on, and so on, and so on...

*Yes, you have to be of a certain age to know where that line comes from!*

We hear it all the time...there is no "I" in Team.

I'd like to add there is no "I" in Award, either.

When the Oscar winners gave their acceptance speeches the other night, they thanked the people behind the scenes who contributed to their success.

And recently, I was awarded a plaque from my company for achievements in 2010. To say I was surprised would be an understatement (seriously...I didn't see that coming at all!), and the first thing I did was personally thank each of my clients from last year. 

Because without those wonderful folks putting their faith & trust in me, there IS no award!

Also, I would like to acknowledge and thank these "behind the scenes" contributors:

• My Broker
• My Admin team
• The agents & brokers on the other side of the transactions
• The buyers & sellers on the other side of the transactions
• The lenders
• The home inspectors
• The appraisers
• The underwriters
• The title & escrow reps
  

And last but certainly not least, THANK YOU to my FAMILY! The past few years have been challenging at times. But you have hung in there with your constant love, support...and very strong shoulders!

I couldn't have done this without you!!

As real estate agents, we never know where our next client will come from. I know I may be over-simplifying here, but these methods of securring business just don't make me want to hop out of bed in the morning:

~ Capturing the lead

~ Converting the FSBO

~ Going after the Expired listing

~ Begging Asking for referrals

I'm especially uneasy with the last one. I refuse to beg/pester/annoy anyone for referrals. If I do my job well, then I feel confident my family, friends and past clients will remember me if they know someone who has a real estate need.

And here's where the Golden Rule comes in...at least for me:

If someone I have worked with in the past has done a superb job, and they were likable enough, I have no problem referring them to someone else looking for that same kind of service. But if said-superb-service provider contacted me every month...whether to say "hi" or send me "something of value", and ended each such contact with a gentle reminder to send business his way...well, frankly, I'd be annoyed. I don't need my dentist or insurance salesman or car dealer or handyman contacting me 12+ times a year to remind me they're in the business...and would LOVE my referrals.

As a matter of fact, DON'T YOU DARE contact me that much.

I'm an intelligent woman, and I have a pretty good memory. I know exactly who my insurance agent is, even though I haven't spoken to him in over a year. My handyman and my dentist are wonderful...and I've referred others to them many times. Before I became a Realtor, I remembered who my real estate agent was. She did a great job and I used her services several times over the years and recommended her to others, even though I only heard from her on my birthday and at Christmas.

Of course this is just me, and the way I choose to run my business. I'm sure those methods work for other agents.

But this is my business. And it sure is a wonderful thing that I get to decide how to manage it! 

When I started my real estate career several years back, the first stop after getting my license was the bank. I decided that each commission check would be divvied up amongst 4 different accounts (yes, my previous career was in Accounting):

1. Checking - Household
2. Checking - Real Estate
3. Savings - Taxes (for those pesky quarterly tax estimates we self-employed folks need to pay)
4. Savings - Rainy Day account (for those pesky months when no commission is coming in)

Then today as I was reconciling all of them (isn't online banking the best?!), I realized that "Save for a rainy day" is so negative. As you know, folks buy houses whether it's raining, snowing, sunny or cloudy. Real estate may have it's typical "seasons"...depending on what part of the country you live in...but I've shown houses wearing boots & mittens and fought with frozen lockboxes, juggled umbrellas and watched as the ink on my listing sheets ran down the page.

My point is, I'd much rather save for a SUNNY day! To have enough in that bank account so I can take a vacation to Florida to visit friends, or sit on the beach at Huntington right here on Lake Erie. I have a Vision Board on the wall in my dining room/office. There are three pictures of my "will have someday":

1. A house on the lake (even a little tiny lake would do)
2. A house with a huge covered front porch to sit & watch the world go by
3. A house with a deck off the back of the house where I can gaze adoringly at previously-mentioned lake.

In all three pictures, the sun is shining brightly!

Remember, focus on what you DO want, not what you do not want!

My Dear Buyers, Showing You Houses Is NOT Wasting My Time!

I met a wonderful couple last year, and will be listing their house in the next couple of months. They are ready to start looking for their next house, but aren't exactly sure where they want to buy.

"Sue, we don't know if we want to be in Cuyahoga County, or Summit County, or Medina County, or Geauga County, or Lake County. Should we go see the houses with the listing agent, and then when we find one we like, buy it through you? What is the real estate protocol? We don't want to make you waste your time driving all over Northeast Ohio showing us houses!"

Bless her heart!

I assured her that helping buyers discover their dream home is the funnest (yes, it is an official Scrabble word) part of my job! The "looking at houses" phase was the main reason I decided to pursue a career in real estate. I LOVED it when I was buying my own houses over the years. Comparing each house. Checking out the neighborhoods. That feeling you get when you have found THE ONE! Indescribable. And probably why HGTV's "Property Virgins" and "House Hunters" are my 2 favorite shows!

And of course there's also the "business end" of our business...who shows the house first, etc. A lot less complicated if I'm with my buyers from start to finish!

So we're off on tour #1 tomorrow afternoon (baring another Lake Erie blizzard, of course),

and I'm probably as excited as they are!