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I Got to Meet Lola Audu !!

I just returned from a 2 day mini conference in Grand Rapids, MI sponsored by RE/MAX of Michigan Sales and Marketing Council, where John Tuccillo spoke. John is one of the foremost real estate economists in the United States. Between 1987 and 1997, he was the Chief Economist for the National Association of Realtors. John now runs his own consulting firm, TJR & Associates and is a National Speaker all over the United States and Author.

John is the author of numerous real estate books, his latest being How a Second Home Can Be Your Best Investment. His biggest seller is The Eight New Rules of Real Estate. All of Johns Tuccillos books can be reviewed by clicking on the underlined text.

I always enjoy these mini conferences and pick up great information. John spoke a lot about relating to the Generation X and Generation Y buyers and how we as baby boomers think differently. The average age of Realtor in the United States is 54, but the average age of new buyers entering the market is 34.

Baby Boomers, my generation, are known by the slogan, "You Can Make a Difference". We like to drive around and "bond" with our customers. To us work is our life.

Gen X and Gen Y buyers are known by the slogan, "I work to live". Their real life is after their jobs. They like to look at a house and think, "Ok, I can live here, what's the bottom line?" They could care less about bonding.

Interesting, even though Gen X and Y consider their life after work the "real life", they do expect to have all the information available to them 24/7. I personally am not available 24/7 to my clients. So this was interesting. John, later clarified that didn't mean WE personally had to be available, but the information had to be available 24/7.

Generation X & Y like convenience and one stop shopping. So show them the lender, the title company, the inspectors, the appraisers. They don't have the time to go hunting for these professionals to make the transaction happen. Give them World Class Service, and make it convenient for them, we need to take away their stress. Generation X and Y like "regular office hours", as their weekends are for "their real life".

One thing the consumer wants regardless of when they were born is for us to show them that it is about THEM.

The most exciting time for me at the Conference was to meet Lola Audu and one of her team members, Theresa. I couldn't go to Grand Rapids without meeting another Activerain blogger and someone I so admire. So I scheduled a lunch with Lola and then snuck her into the afternoon session on The State of the Michigan Economy. (To be blogged on later) Lola Audu Grand Rapids Broker

I have met several Activerain bloggers and honestly it is and instant connection. You feel as though you have known them forever.

At the end of John speech, he spoke about the fact that not many Realtors were blogging so I sent him an invitation to join Activerain. Tee hee

There are 52,301 of us blogging here.

Lola and Theresa Lola, Missy Theresa

Posted by Missy Caulk-Ann Arbor- Realtor(R)- Ann Arbor Real Estate on 10/11/2007 08:53 PM

Comments (58)

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Post is included in group: RE/MAX Active Rain Bloggers

58 Comments on I Got to Meet Lola Audu !!

OCT

2007

Oh good for you Missy.... I love Lola's writing.... Its so fun meeting people... I met Renee Burrows at the team summit meeting in Vegas ... of course I took no photos that would have made too much sense... but it was still great to meet someone from here!! Glad ya had a good time... and hey you look good in pink sister.. glad to see you joined the club

It sounds like you had an excellent time, Missy ! Loved the pics and I think it's great that you sent John an invite..guess he'll have to eat his words.

Congrats on being one of the top 12 women bloggers !

((-:

Missy, I am feeling like a VERY average Realtor after reading your post (LOL). I do however have lots of Gen Y buyers. I love working with them; maybe having two kids that age myself.

That is great that you were able to meet Lola. I enjoy her writing.

Desiree, I was on the road when I found out about Sarah starting this, so had to wait until I got home to change the picture.

Jo-anne, thanks I just got a bounce back that he has already been invited. So hopefully he will join in all the fun.

Marchel, meeting Lola and her team member was the highlight of my trip. I enjoy the Gen X and Gen y Buyers too. But, they are different and we need to understand their needs, and desires and what is important to them. I'm glad my daughter is Gen X, I see so much of this in her.

Thanks for those easy definitions of buyers in Baby Boomers vs. Gen X and Gen Y !!

And its fun to see ARers meet up :) !! Lucky you - I met another ARer at a Broker's Open one time... it'll be fun to meet some friends at a distance :)

Kim, I know there is so much more to this gen X and y thing, so I am going to read up on it. If they are the generation buying then we really do need to stay on top of their thoughts and feelings about life.

I will have to check out John's books. I like your description of the various generations and how we can adjust to accommodate them. Thanks for the post, Missy!

It is so great to meet our active rain colleagues. I think the bottom line is that no mattter what gen A-Z, the most important thing is to find out what the client's needs are and to structure a plan to meet those needs. It really is a matter of good questioning an good listening -- and good service.

Great post, Missy! So glad you got to meet up with Lola.

Sounds like there is lots to learn about the generations. When I was at our state convention in Columbus they had a special class on Gen Xers. Very interesting theories - and most are being proven to be true.

Missy great info...Its about them, good advice.

Congrats on Inman's Sellsius' Top 12...I can say I knew her when...

That sounds like a great conference and made extra special by being able to connect with a fellow Rainer.

Missy - I've enjoyed listening to John many times and reading his books. How neat that you got to meet Lola. I enjoy reading both of your blogs.

Missy - How fun for you! I can't wait to meet some of the people here on AR! We really do get to know each other!

I hope you like Grand Rapids Missy and I hope next time I will be able to meet you as well.

Sounds like a great learning experience as well as networking and catching up with an old friend!! Thanks for sharing your pics!

Missy, John Tucillo always knows what he is talking about! This was a great post; thanks so much for sharing. As for Lola, I just found her blog a couple of days ago, so I have some reading and catching up to do!

MIssy,

it is always good to learn more on seminar and conferences :) long time to not visit your blogs, :P , nice to see you.

Ray Saenz

OCT

2007

Missy: I've been saying for ages that buyers don't want three mortgage company biz cards from their Realtor...they want to know the ONE person you trust. What I never understood was that this was a cultural thing for my gen (X). All the resistance, btw, was from Boomer Realtors. Thanks for shedding light on this.

By the way, I and many like me (and younger) will sign almost anything as long as we 'feel' good about the person we're working with. That's good and bad, but I'd rather pay my Realtor 6% and feel good about it than save money with some doofus. I suspect my peers feel the same.

Missy - glad you had the opportunity to meet fellow bloggers - hear some great stuff - and become a Blogging diva all in a weeks time - you rock

Missy, "I have met several Activerain bloggers and honestly it is and instant connection. You feel as though you have known them forever. " I had the same experiences...and it is so true..... I enjoyed reading this...interesting to see what others are learning, keeps me on my toes :) thank you.....and looking forward to the MI Post :) :)

It looks like all of you had a wonderful time! I also read Lolas works here on AR, and look forward to each and every article from her.

Generation X and Y like "regular office hours", as their weekends are for "their real life". This is SO true! 3 of my last buyer clients had their weekends filled with "Fun" things to do or places to be, looking for homes was not on the list.

Loved the pics Missy - nice job! High 5 on this post, so informative and timely and also shows the "human" side of blogging.

Very interesting concepts these X and Y generation. I know I am NOT available to my clients 24/7 either even though in the very beginning I made that mistake.

I love the pictures of you with Lola and Theresa!! How fun to meet another part of our melting pot on Active Rain!! Sounds like fun!!

Courtney, I'm going to buy the one that is his best seller The Eight New Rules of Real Estate.

Joan, I agree that listening and implementing what is best for them is most important.

Carol, John made it so clear on how they really like to do business and I really only touched the surface.

Bob, thanks for stopping by. Yes you knew me when I needed that subscribe to my blog button and was just learning Facebook.

Monika, I so enjoyed hearing John and getting me meet Lola and Theresa was icing on the cake. :)

Sharon, John is so down to earth. At first I thought having someone speak on economics was going to be boring, but it was anything but......he really gets it and has such an historical perspective.

Linda, appreciate your comment.

Steve, are you going to Lola's blogging event on the 7th ? I hope to get back up there then.

Ginger, Yes well worth the time to make the trip on all accounts.

Joanne, Lola is a prolific writer and I know you will enjoy her posts. Very elequent.

Ray, thanks for stopping by. Good to have you back. I learn so much from you.

Joey, what a perfect example. That's exactly what John said. They don't want a list of 3 people to call, they just want us to tell them who we work with, so they can move on. As a baby bummer that so goes against how I want to feel unbiased. Interesting, John said that person doesn't have to be the one sitting in your office but the one who trust.

Thesa, you're so funny.

Kathy, I think it will help my expectations for working with buyers who just think differently.

Kris, I see this as a plus don't you ? Do you know my phone rings less on the weekends ? My emails are less too. I never really understood why but I think this might be part of it...........they are out living their life. Of course, I could have just looked at my daughter who works hard all week and then enjoys her weekends and MIchigan football.

Susie, I think we all do at first. Then when the market turned, I started being more available. But, it is not really necessary as long as they can get the information they need online. Right ? Do you use any transaction management software ? That's probably my next step.

Sounds like you had a great "get away" Missy. I like going to these things to. I often do my best business planning when I get away.

Joe, it's always so hard to get away. Usually I'm glad I did, this time it was hard to be away from activerain. I missed tons of posts and got to comment less. But, it was definately worth while. So you do your business planning, huh ? How, Remax agents party too much for me to do that. LOL

Missy - Sounds like you had a fun time and lots of information. It is always great to meet other bloggers.

I have been reading a lot lately about the Gen X and Gen Y. I have closed two transactions recently with these young buyers and your description is right on. They do want info, they want it now and they are not interested in a relationship. (for the most part) They do however, appreciate excellent service and like knowing someone is taking care of the details.

Good morning Missy,
It is good to get away from business occasionally and sit back, listen and learn. I know I belong to the Gen X, Y group but I do not fit the profile. Some dormant genes must have popped up!

Paula, excellent summary. At first I thought it was interesting that they want their weekends free and then they want the information NOW, but John explanined they are happy to get it on their time, even at 3:00 in the morning. Cynthia, LOL

Sounds like you had a great trip. I love those. I totally understand about X's & Y's. They want what they want when they want. Sometimes for me it's a little frustrating.

Missy, Meeting another blogger is like meeting a long lost relative. I love meeting my AR friends.

Yeah, but have you ever served on a committee with Lola???? Na-na-nana-na. I have!! I met Lola for the first time years back while we both served on a Grand Rapids Association committee. I thought, "What a classy lady!" and I have held that belief ever since. She happened to be standing at my front office reception desk a couple months back and we were talking about web site marketing and blogging and she told me about Active Rain. Well, better late than never, I joined AR. Sorry I didn't get to say "Howdy" to you as well af the Fall Sales Rally; did you make it over to Mojo's? Don Phelan, RE/MAX of Grand Rapids, Inc.

Maria, I usually have my daughter work with them, they hit it off and have a great time as she is "one of them"

Mana, me too........I think I'll set a goal this year to meet more. Now, let's see how many ?

Don, Lola's the best, yes I went to Mojo's but wasn't there too late. Next time, I definately want to meet you, I really didn't know anyone else at Remax in Michigan blogged. See you soon !

Missy, it sounds like you had a great time at the conference...and learned a lot too! I'm looking forward to your Michigan economy blog...

Missy,

What a LUCKY woman you are! I think it will be great to meet you both when the chance comes up. I also think that the event sounds very interesting too! Thank you for the information!

Missy, it was so good to see you yesterday and to meet the members of your team. You are so fun to be around...kinda like your blog. :) Thanks so much for taking time out of your schedule to meet with Therese and I. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and learned something at the seminar too. :)

Hi Missy,

Good information, thanks for sharing. I met John T. years ago at a NAR convention in Hawaii. I was impressed with him then and still today. Contrats on your top 12!

OCT

2007

Excellent Missy! Lola's one of the best writers I've read here and you are up there as well, would have loved to been a fly on the wall for that conversation.

Shane, I hope to meet you someday too. I love meeting people here, such a connection

Lola, Ditto Lola, we will do it again, I promise, we're too close not to.

Lynda, How are you ? Hope Katie is progressing. John was an excellent speaker.

Jason, I wish you had been there. We laughed alot, shared stories......not all about blogging. She is a remarkable woman, whom I have the most respect for.

Missy- Lola is such a fantastic writer! I am glad you were to meet her, that is like meeting a celebrity! Thank you for the great generation x and y info. In Florida it is still the baby boomers that are buying second homes, retiring homes and vacation homes here. Connecting with my generation of baby boomers will keep me busy enough for years to come! Katerina

Missy, Congratulations for making the Sellius Top 12 List. For those who missed it here is the link to the Sellius post

How on earth do you do it all -- five kids, successful real estate business, and world-class blogger?

Missy, It was such a pleasure to meet you the other day along with your daughter and team members, it was truly great fun. Thank you for including us in on the seminar of The State Of The Michigan Economy, I found it to be both informative and thought provoking. I also have a son who is a Gen X and it still amazes me at how quickly and easily he can research something and gather the information he is in need of. It is all right at their fingertips and the Gen X kids know this and take advantage of it.

Did you have any luck shopping??

Katrina, it was fun, and you have all those baby boomers buying 2nd homes.

Gail, thanks so much, errrrrrrrrr I take speed. Just kidding

Therese, I had so much fun with you too, just not long enough. Yes, I bought a red suade coat just like your pink one !!!!

Sounds like an informative conference. It is important to know which generation you are working with or else you could get frustrated.

Lola is certainly an AR member I would love to meet.

OCT

2007

Missy,

Sounds like a great conference. I haven't met any AR folks in person yet - I bet that is fun.

OCT

2007

Missy - want to come to Princeton? This Wednesday I am going to the seminar given by Otteau group -experts on NJ housing market and trends. It was very interesting to read the description of the generational differences, especially as it relates to our business. I had a few younger clients, unfortunately housing here is expensive for the 1st time buyers. Great post.

Jennifer, it was fun to see how they think, lots more stuff to read about them, even though I live with them.

Rita, it was fun, and I am on a mission to meet more in 2008.

Faina, Thank you. Have fun and let us know what you learned. I always learn something at a conference, but not as much as here.

OCT

2007

Missy-That is awesome...I would love to meet Lola... I love her writing. I am the MTV generation but for some reason I act like an X and Y. My weekends....I love them. I feel I earned them. My real life does start after work. I want convenience and would pay more to have it...

Midori, it was so much fun, she is so sweet. Interesting I would never picture you as the MTV generation. Hope we meet some day.

OCT

2007

Hi Missy! I understand your excitement (one can FEEL it) of meeting an Active Rainer in person! We had the honor of having a member visit us (Dave Cheatham) in one of our weekly meetings, after instantly connecting over the phone. It was just as natural in person as it was over the phone.

Lola must have been just as honored as you.... most of us here have a very high regard for you BOTH! Theresa is a gem too! Glad you shared!