discounters: Flat-Fee must be really flat... - 08/16/08 12:25 AM
For anyone not paying attention to Inman News, or some other source, you might have escaped noticing that Help-U-Sell's franchiser filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy recently (reported Friday, August 15th, 2008).
Since 2006, their franchise offices have shrunk from 820 to about 450.
Go read the story before it drops behind … (14 comments)
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discounters: Let's debate FSBO (unrepresented sellers), Part I - 07/28/08 10:48 PM
I just finished catching up on my feed reader... and I was WAY behind. Behind enough that I am just getting to the Housing Rumble on US News & World Report. Actually, I came to it from seeing Jay Thompson's posts on his PhoenixRealEstateGuy blog.
I think Jay is a great … (7 comments)
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discounters: Vantage Point vs Competitive Edge - 05/03/08 09:53 AM
I once listed a home that was one of many for sale in the same subdivision. I quickly realized that this was a different dynamic. It's not that I hadn't encountered this scenario before, but now I realized that I had to think like a buyer, not a agent to get … (0 comments)
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discounters: DISCOUNTERS!!! ARGHHH!!! - 02/15/08 09:54 AM
OK, now I've got your attention I wanted to comment on a recent Washington Post article on a new "discount" firm in our area.
I've seen some of the comments by other agents, some nice, some REALLY mean. Honestly, there's no need for all that meanness and angst.
Here's why.
1) … (24 comments)
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discounters: You want options? I have options... - 02/09/08 02:58 PM
If you are a homeowner that wants to sell your home, I probably have an option that will work for you.
If you are comfortable handling things yourself, but want:
To be listed on both local MLSsTo be listed on a load of other sites, like Century21.com and our relocation networkTo be … (2 comments)
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discounters: Obeo... Looks like a great service - 02/08/08 09:15 PM
So, I was reading Bloodhound Blog a few days ago, and Greg Swann mentioned that he has started using Obeo for their virtual tour solutions. The virtual tours aren't the star of the show, though. The stars of the show are the interactive floor plans and the virtual decorator.
Virtual tours … (6 comments)
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discounters: I wonder how this will affect DoJ v. NAR - 12/17/07 05:59 PM
In today's REALTOR(R) Magazine Daily News, I saw that an FTC complaint against an MLS in SE MI was tossed by an administrative court judge. Here is the brief from RMDN:
An administrative law judge in Washington, D.C., has dismissed a complaint by the Federal Trade Commission against Farmington Hills, Mich.-based Realcomp … (0 comments)
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discounters: Your Value As An Agent / What You Charge - 11/28/07 09:35 AM
I have read many posts recently about discount brokers, full service brokers, wonderful marketing plans, and self-proclaimed superhuman negotiation skills of agents. I have read about the how they give greater value, I have heard how they look down their nose at agents and agencies they consider to be "less than … (0 comments)
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discounters: The New (real estate business) World Order - 10/17/07 03:18 PM
Real Estate as a business is changing all of the time and on multiple fronts. Whether one is an agent, buyer, seller, investor, or support person there have been many changes over the last several years, and there will be many more changes. For buyers, the biggest change is the greater … (0 comments)
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discounters: Dear Mr. & Mrs. Unrealistic Seller - 10/01/07 10:36 AM
I just wanted to drop you a quick note to let you know that it will be OK. I'm going to come out to give you a listing presentation in a little while. I don't want you to freak out or anything, so I am letting you know what I will … (96 comments)
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discounters: Z is for... - 09/17/07 10:20 PM
Z06 Corvette, Nissan 240Z, Z28 (1LE!), Zamboni, Zagato, Zonda, some other fabulous car beginning with Z....
No.
Zillow. I mean really, this is a real estate blog. How could I go through the alphabet and not hit Zillow for Z? If you don't know what Zillow is, go ahead and Google it... … (12 comments)
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discounters: T is for Technology - 09/11/07 12:20 PM
Talk about a can of worms...
As an agent, there are so many types of technology, and so many options within those types that it can be overwhelming. Every day, I get dozens of emails offering me the exact new technology that is going to make buyers and sellers step all over … (3 comments)
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discounters: Think Real Estate Consulting is Just a Fancy Name for Discounting? - 09/08/07 11:39 AM
Or Just "Fee-For-Service"? Think Again.
A few years back when I was teaching "Introduction to Real Estate Consulting" at boards and associations, it was common for agents, brokers, and managers who didn't understand consulting to dismiss it as "discounting". This type of comment was always amusing to me because in fact, I … (29 comments)
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discounters: How Much Would You Pay A Customer to Use You? Commission Auction Site - 08/29/07 04:05 PM
That's what one site is proposing.
I got an e-mail today notifying me that I was losing my bid for someone's purchase. Usually I am not duped into clicking but it looked pretty legit. So what did I do, I clicked.
To my dismay, there was this site where Realtors out"BID" or … (10 comments)
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discounters: Is NAR's "non-poaching" ethic actually bad for clients? - 08/19/07 11:53 AM
I was reading Scott Daniels' blog, "It's Saturday, we can't run around for a key!". It got me thinking about something... Always a dangerous proposition.
For those of us that are REALTORS(R), we are prevented from directly marketing to other REALTORS'(R) clients. I understand the why of this policy. But, it … (12 comments)
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discounters: STOP WHINING and Give Them a REASON to Call YOU!! - 07/29/07 09:12 PM
reposted.. Its all good now!
I Have put quite alot of thought into this before writing this post. I have absolutely raved about this site since stumbling across it last week. What great way to network, share ideas and have very "colorful" commentary. Let me first say, I am writing this to set the … (11 comments)
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discounters: Do you have a Unique Selling Proposition? - 07/26/07 09:52 AM
I touched on this in another thread, but I think a lot of people thought it was actually about cars, so I am going to go into a little more depth, and be a little less cryptic. But, the main point of the thread was...
They are saying that they specialize … (5 comments)
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discounters: The Dirty Little Secret that the FSBO Companies won't tell you. - 07/24/07 08:56 AM
I keep seeing and hearing about "dirty little secrets" that real estate agents won't tell their clients. Most of them turn out to be pretty stupid points. However, today while going through my morning routine (dead-heading, so my brain needed something to do) I thought of the dirty little secret that … (24 comments)
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discounters: Customer dis-service Pt. I - 07/18/07 04:49 PM
There are a few things that have my shorts in a bunch... so, here they are. Careful. They've been brewing for a little while.
There is a house in my subdivision that has been under contract since February... that's right, February. It will six months if it closes on time. This house … (0 comments)
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discounters: But Wal-Mart does - 07/15/07 10:32 AM
I promised a continuation of my last blog, and here it is. In the last entry, I talked a bit about limited service and discount brokerage. This time, it will be more about eliminating agents from the picture.
OK, here is the shocking statement to start off with. Buyers and sellers … (3 comments)
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discounters: Mercedes-Benz doesn't discount - 07/15/07 10:00 AM
The world has changed. The question is, "What are we going to do about it?"
Wal-Mart, Target, Harbor Freight Tools, and scores of other discounters are thriving. But, is that the model that we should pursue? Is that what our customers really want? Are we headed for extinction? With all of the … (4 comments)
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discounters: The death of the traditional real estate brokerage (run for your lives!). - 06/13/07 04:40 AM
Zillow. Redfin. Google. Trulia. Do these names sound familiar to you lately? It seems like every other real estate article that's written lately includes one of these companies. Oh my gosh, the discounters are going to ruin our business! Google's going to get into the real estate business! Watch out for … (0 comments)
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discounters: Reality check for 60 Minutes- Not all real estate agents are the same - 05/24/07 10:56 PM
… (3 comments)
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discounters: More on 60 Minutes - My Two Cents - 05/14/07 01:41 AM
The Real Estate blogosphere is busy buzzing about the 60 Minutes piece on the 6% commission and Redfin's assault on the commission's of Realtors.
I was unable to catch the full piece, but saw the 13 minute clip up on 60 Minutes' web site. Here are my thoughts on the piece:
Realtors, for the most … (5 comments)
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discounters: "Online Real Estate" Still Getting Big Publicity - 03/11/07 02:22 PM
In an article at BellevilleNewsDemocrat.com, Seattle-based Redfin is feted again. Especially as a journalist, I am very surprised at how much publicity they have been able to generate for themselves. They call themselves the first online real estate company - Realtors like to call the "Discounters".
I'm curious to hear what other … (0 comments)
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