David's Thoughts, Tirades, Rants & Blogs!

Commission Cutting Turns Me Upside Down!

David Eiglarsh, CRS, CDPE, Serving South Florida (United Realty Group) — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 03:21:29 -0700

I can’t believe in this market, I’m still getting calls and emails asking for a commission discount! I used to say my commission is “X”, you decide what you want to pay a co-broke. You can pay “X”, you can pay “X minus ½ a percent”, you can pay “X minus 1 percent”. This was ok in an appreciating market with no inventory!Now, with choices of what to show, agents are going to be reluctant to show the reduced commission properties! I know some readers will do the righteous thing and show everything, but I just don’t buy into that! Agents that don’t show what they want based on commission being offered is a small minority, I’m sure!Yesterday, I took a listing that had expired. The former agent was offering “X minus ½ percent” to a co-broke, for a total of “W” percent. I told them my total commission (both sides) would be “X” percent and not negotiable. They had no problem with that. I then asked them why they had discounted the commission on their prior listing? They said their prior agent didn't explain the concept behind commissions to them. Had an agent taken the time to explain this, they would have gladly paid more! LEARN YOUR SCRIPTS AND DIALOGS! IT’S THAT SIMPLE & EASY!!!

We’ve Come A Long Way Baby!

David Eiglarsh, CRS, CDPE, Serving South Florida (United Realty Group) — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 02:32:27 -0700

I was going through some old listings from 2 years ago. I would pay full price for every one of these homes! It was unbelievable how I struggled to get some of these homes sold and begged for price reductions. And only a few years have passed and they seem like bargains now!I wonder if the buyers who fought with me over the price would look back and think that they really got a bargain!

Do You Recycle?

David Eiglarsh, CRS, CDPE, Serving South Florida (United Realty Group) — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 01:47:08 -0700

When we sell a home, we leave the virtual tours on the web. We remove the asking price and the address but the tour remains. It stands as a sample of the quality of work we do, what cities we list homes in, and as a testament to the fact that we sell homes!An ancillary benefit is that we occasionally get calls from buyers asking if we have any more homes like the tour they saw. We always have something to show them. Our most recent sale was a $2.8 million dollar home that paid us $84,000. Better than recycling trash!

Partnership To Success!

David Eiglarsh, CRS, CDPE, Serving South Florida (United Realty Group) — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 01:30:12 -0700

When I started in the business (full time) 13 years ago, I joined my mother in the business. I didn’t want to be accused of riding her coat-tails so I farmed my own area. Our business was kept separate. She earned commission on her business, I earned on mine.We helped each other when needed but did our own thing. After 3 years, my production equaled my mother’s. At that point, she allowed me to become her partner. We then combined the business and at that point it doubled.As she doesn’t need to work and only does so to keep busy (loves those cruises), I’ve taken over the reins and have grown the business by hiring a business coach and consultant (Corcoran Coaching) and doubled our business 3 years in a row. We now have two full time very talented assistants that affords us both the luxury of not having to micro-manage the “office” details.The upside to having a partner is that if I don’t “click” with a client, I can have my partner take over or vice verse. In the car business it’s called a “TO” (turn over). I’m sure you’ve experienced this. Your car salesman can’t make a deal so he then calls in his “manager”, who then calls in the “finance person” who then calls in another “manager”. At some point they make the deal!

Realtor Idol

David Eiglarsh, CRS, CDPE, Serving South Florida (United Realty Group) — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 00:49:10 -0700

Who’s your Realtor Idol? When I first got active in Howard Brinton’s Star Power Systems, I met some people that were doing some outstanding levels of business! It was incomprehensible that someone could actually earn $5 million dollars in commission income in one year! Rather than be a “Simon Cowell” type of judge, I thought I’d be more of the "Paula Abdul" type! Get out of judgment and into inquiry! Those people, doing extraordinary levels of business became my “Realtor Idols”. I aspired to adopt some of their traits. I learned as much as I could from them! Who’s your Realtor Idol?

BLOG OR PORN???!!!

David Eiglarsh, CRS, CDPE, Serving South Florida (United Realty Group) — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 23:53:12 -0700

My wife yelled at me this morning! She called me off of my computer and had me come into the kitchen! She then said “are you on ‘that’ blog site again?” I said I’m doing a lot of things on the computer, responding to leads, paying bills, reading interesting articles and oh yeah, a bit of blogging. She said, “why can’t you keep us company in the morning instead of being on your computer?” I defended myself by telling her that I get half my day accomplished before most people get out of bed! We all have the same amount of hours in the day, I just choose to use mine in the most efficient way! She is right, though. She then left to take the kids to school. I kept turning to look out of the window as if she would come home and find me blogging! Heaven forbid! No problems with me looking at all of the great porn I get emailed to me by my friends, but blogging! Oh no! That stuff is unhealthy and takes away from family time! I’ll need to save my blogging for a time where I am alone! Now when do I get to view that other really good stuff?

Wacky? Maybe Not!

David Eiglarsh, CRS, CDPE, Serving South Florida (United Realty Group) — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 00:22:40 -0700

Scott Daniels, in a blog this morning, inspired me to relate some thoughts on the “wacky” requests of some potential clients. While at first we are inclined to respond with statements such as “what mental hospital” have you escaped from?”, share a minute of thought with me.A prospect wanted to list a home at $550,000 when their house was only worth $220,000. I said no problem and promptly filled out a listing agreement. His next question was "what's your commission amount." I said 15%. He looked shocked. He then said, "How long is your listing agreement?” I responded, “10 years. It will take that long for prices to appreciate to that amount (It really only took 5 years because of our boom!).” He laughed and politely walked me to the door. As luck or fate would have it, he didn’t list his home with anyone then. I got the call a year later and sold it at market value.Another example happens all too often when we are told they want the house sold in under 30 days. This could be because they are facing foreclosure, federal tax liens, divorce, imminent death or dementia or placement in state assisted care where the state gets your assets, prison time or legal bill to prevent prison time, unaffordable repairs, significant medical expenses or other debt. The first thing I would ask is “How much did you expect to net for your home to sell in 30 days?” as I pull out a purchase agreement rather than a listing agreement. Some of my best investment purchases come as a result of just asking!

Schools Chief Under Fire For Gag Video!

David Eiglarsh, CRS, CDPE, Serving South Florida (United Realty Group) — Mon, 02 Oct 2006 23:48:00 -0700

A Chicago school superintendent is facing termination for a gag video he made to welcome new teachers. He spliced footage of their interviews with questions that were later recorded, such as “What were the results of the last drug test that you took?” The reply: “It was positive.”This causes me to recall a blog I wrote early in my AR blogging days about Windstorm Ernesto. It was a humorous look at the “hurricane” and preparations. For those of you who remember, an anonymous blogger didn’t think it was funny. He left a scathing reply. For a fleeting moment, I considered not writing anymore, lest I offend that one imbecile!The correlation here is that Mr. Mitchell was attempting to present a humorous video to entertain his teachers. It was not seen (or intended to be seen) by the students. Someone was offended enough to turn a DVD copy over to the media. Nothing was said about whether he did his job well.I’m tired of the repressive, suppressive lack of humor in some people. Humor and on edge creativity is just plain healthy! Remember, this is the United States of America. Our constitution allows for this sort of creativity. The alternative could be much worse!

Another School Shooting!

David Eiglarsh, CRS, CDPE, Serving South Florida (United Realty Group) — Mon, 02 Oct 2006 22:37:40 -0700

I purchased a former bank building. The interior requires some renovation but the majority is all glass offices. You can see what’s going on everywhere and would know if there was a fire. The local fire department wants me to install a sprinkler system even though they aren’t required by state law. The expense and time delays are astronomical! I have no choice to abide by this requirement!My point? If the local fire department can require fire sprinklers, why can’t someone require that schools have barometric weapons detection systems tied to electronic locking doors? How about devices to notify police in an emergency? How many school shootings do we need before someone makes this a requirement?Let’s face it? The airlines spend millions to provide “security” with all of their fancy equipment, yet a terrorist can carry liquid on their body that goes undetected! They can pack devices in their luggage that can cause harm in a remotely activated fashion. Yet, schools have little or no security.3 shootings in one week! Kids and employees killed! What will it take?

Things To Ponder!

David Eiglarsh, CRS, CDPE, Serving South Florida (United Realty Group) — Mon, 02 Oct 2006 03:49:16 -0700

I'm pondering why if I cut and paste a blog into AR, it's converting all of my capital letters to small case letters? What's up with that? Here's some other things to ponder: why isn't phonetic spelled the way it sounds?why are there interstate highways in hawaii?why are there flotation devices under plane seats instead of parachutes?why are cigarettes sold in gas stations when smoking is prohibited there?why do fat chance and slim chance mean the same thing?if you can't drink and drive, why do you need a driver's license to buy liquor, and why do bars have parking lots?do you need a silencer if you are going to shoot a mime?have you ever imagined a world with no hypothetical situations?how does the guy who drives the snowplow get to work in the mornings?if 7-11 is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, why are there locks on the doors?if a cow laughed real hard, would milk come out her nose?if nothing ever sticks to teflon, how do they make teflon stick to the pan?if you tied buttered toast to the back of a cat and dropped it from a height, what would happen?if you're in a vehicle going the speed of light, what happens when you turn on the headlights?why do they put braille dots on the keypad of the drive-up atm?why do we drive on parkways and park on driveways?why isn't "palindrome" spelled the same way backwards as it is forwards?why is it that when you transport something by car, it's called a shipment, but when you transport something by ship, it's called cargo?if a black box in a plane is indestructible, why can't they make the whole plane out of it?why is it that when you're driving and looking for an address, you turn down the volume on the radio?why is it so hard to remember how to spell 'mnemonic'?if someone invented instant water, what would they mix it with?why is it called a tv "set" when you only get one?why does your nose run and your feet smell?why does an alarm clock "go off" when it begins ringing?if pro is the opposite of con, is progress the opposite of congress?why does "cleave" mean both split apart and stick together?why is it, whether you sit up or sit down, the result is the same?why is there an expiration date on my sour cream container?why call it a building if it's already been built?why do kamikaze pilots wear helmets?how do you know when it's time to tune your bagpipes?is it true that cannibals don't eat clowns because they taste funny?does 'virgin wool' come from sheep the shepherd hasn't caught yet?if the front of your car says 'dodge', do you really need a horn?what do sheep count when they can't get to sleep?when you choke a smurf, what color does it turn?does fuzzy logic tickle?do blind eskimos heave seeing-eye sled dogs?do they have reserved parking for non-handicap people at the special olympics?how come wrong numbers are never busy?do radioactive cats have 18 half-lives?why call it "take" a dump, when you leave something behind?what was the best thing before sliced bread?why do we call it a hot water heater if the water is already hot?if you throw a cat out a car window does it become kitty litter?if corn oil comes from corn, where does baby oil come from?if there is no god, who pops up the next kleenex in the box?how do they get a deer to cross at that yellow road sign?if it's tourist season, why can't we shoot them?is there another word for thesaurus?is the color orange called that because it's the color of the fruit of the same name, or was the fruit called orange because that's its color? which came first, the color or the fruit?after eating, do amphibians have to wait one hour before getting out of the water?how can there be self-help "groups"?if white wine goes with fish, do white grapes go with sushi?if a mute swears, does his mother make him wash his hands with soap?if someone with multiple personalities threatens to kill himself, is it considered a hostage situation?instead of talking to your plants, if you yelled at them would they still grow, but only to be troubled and insecure?is there another word for synonym?isn't it a bit unnerving that doctors call what they do "practice"?just before someone gets nervous, do they experience cocoons in their stomach?it is hard to understand how a cemetery raised its burial cost and blamed it on the cost of living.if barbie is so popular, why do you have to buy her friends?why is a pear called a pear when there is only one?what do they pack styrofoam in?why did god give men nipples?is grass really greener on the other side?do boxer shorts box?why do you wear a pair of panties and only one bra?why don't sheep shrink when it rains?why are they called apartments when they are all stuck together?why is it called a "near miss" when you don't hit something?when sign makers go on strike, is there anything written on their signs?before the light bulb was invented, what appeared over peoples heads when they had an idea?if you spin an oriental person around and around, does he become disorientated?if a vegetable goes into a coma, is it called a person?if you try to fail, and succeed, which have you done?why does the word monosyllabic contain five syllables?if you wear an antennae to a wedding, would the reception be better?why is abbreviated such a long word?if you put a chameleon in a mirrored box what color would it change to?why do people point to their wrist when they want to know the time? do i point to my crotch when i want to know where the bathroom is?why is there an 's' in lisp?if you were scared half to death twice, would you be 3/4 dead or 100% dead?if the cops arrest a mime, do they tell him he has the right to remain silent?if you ate pasta and antipasti, would you still be hungry?if one synchronized swimmer drowns, do the rest end up drowning as well?what should you do if you see an endangered animal eating an endangered plant?if a man is standing in the middle of the forest speaking and there is no woman around to hear him, is he still wrong?if you asked a librarian where the books on self help were would they tell you, or would that defeat the purpose?if atm stands for automatic teller machine, why do we call it an atm machine? and if pin stands for personal identification number, why do we call it a pin number?

Divorce Is So Ugly! Keep Me Out Of It!

David Eiglarsh, CRS, CDPE, Serving South Florida (United Realty Group) — Mon, 02 Oct 2006 03:20:49 -0700

I met a prospect at her mansion. She waived some official documents in my face and told me that the court ordered her to sell her home as part of her divorce. I took the listing and was well on my way to selling it, when I received a letter from the husband's attorney! It demanded that I un-list the property and remove my sign. It went on to further warn me that they would have me or any potential buyer arrested for entering onto the property! I did as I was instructed as I didn't need the headache and heartache! Two weeks later I was subpoenaed to appear for a deposition. It took four hours of my day. My broker at the time, provided an attorney. Ultimately, we had to stop and reschedule the balance of the deposition because of a threatening hurricane. My car was towed because it was there too long and 9-11 concerns were making my car "suspicious".I knew from the deposition where the husband's attorney was going with his line of questioning and what my involvement in their divorce would become. The husband wanted to use me to discredit the wife. I would not let this happen. To discredit the wife, the husband would have to make me look bad, in effect making her look bad! I would be prepared. When I walked into the judges chambers, my MLS printout was blown up to four feet tall and was on an easel. The remarks section where I wrote, "divorce forces sale" was highlighted in yellow. The husband's attorney asked me "Mr. Eiglarsh, don't you feel that by advertising ‘divorce forces sale' you are causing the house to lose its value". I then pulled out 270 MLS printouts that included "divorce forces sale" in the remarks. I showed that the list to sale price ratio of each of these listings was, on average, 98 percent. While the market as a whole was 89 percent. The judge said to the husband's attorney, "I guess that just sunk your battle ship! Any more questions before I allow Mr. Eiglarsh to leave?" He responded "no further questions" with a dejected look of dispare!

How Do You Perceive Your Competition?

David Eiglarsh, CRS, CDPE, Serving South Florida (United Realty Group) — Mon, 02 Oct 2006 01:45:03 -0700

For years I thought of another successful agent in my market place as a "list ‘em and leave ‘em" kind of guy. Yes, he's a listing machine, taking over 200 listings a year! There was a negative "buzz" about him amongst agents that I personally adopted and believed. He then joined my office. Turns out he was nothing like the "buzz" that I had been lead to believe. We've been friends for 7 years and learn a lot from each other! Another top producing agent team was also not well liked by most agents around them. I've become close friends with them as well. The negativity was based on them being aggressive and demanding and created resentment amongst other agents in the office, characteristics that most top producers have and need, to produce at high levels. I believe that there is a certain envy of top producers that cause others to create this negative "vibe" and misconception about them. I love when people approach me and say, "Wow, you're nothing like we expected!" Again, don't judge a book by its cover!

I'm Already Listed But You Can Sell It!!!

David Eiglarsh, CRS, CDPE, Serving South Florida (United Realty Group) — Mon, 02 Oct 2006 01:10:19 -0700

I'm sure we've all had the experience where someone calls and says, "My house is listed with Agent Jane Dodo (usually a family friend or relative), but feel free to show and sell it! Here's a perfect example that I received last night via email: Dear David, Due to the reason, that I am currently residing in Europe, Mrs. Carol of Coldwell Banker in Hollywood, Florida has an access to my condo in Hallandale, for the purpose of showing it to the prospective buyers. However, if you should be interested going into this sell jointly, what I would like very much, please contact Mrs. Carol at cell 954 494... or office 954 874... an additional fee will be add-up to your commission, if you should succeed as a selling agent. Sincerely, Michal.Here are the obvious responses:•1) Thanks but no thanks.•2) Ok, I'll keep it in mind.•3) I'll run right out and preview it so that I can sell it because you asked so nicely.•4) It would not be fair to the clients that had enough faith in me to list their home with me. I have a duty to sell their home before I even consider anyone else's. Rarely do I need to go outside of my "pool" of listed properties to find another, but should I need one, I'll keep yours in mind. If things don't work out for you, please keep me in mind so that you too can join the list of my successful sellers!What's your response?

Quit Your Wining!

David Eiglarsh, CRS, CDPE, Serving South Florida (United Realty Group) — Sun, 01 Oct 2006 03:12:49 -0700

Last week, I sent an email to the AR guys. Not because I care about my rankings here on AR, but because I felt that I was unfairly criticized. (points removed). I provided a list of the items that are in my operations guide. It took me years to refine and revise the guide to where it is the bible for running my business. McDonalds, one of the world’s largest corporations, is run by pimply faced teenagers! How, because they have systems in place that are easily taught to these kids. I’ve taken that and made my own guide. The AR guys didn’t feel it was valuable information and reduced my points (despite the positive comments). Then you get something like this to put it all in perspective:

Daddy, Are You Ahead of that Girl?

David Eiglarsh, CRS, CDPE, Serving South Florida (United Realty Group) — Sun, 01 Oct 2006 02:02:54 -0700

I gave up blogging for points after the first two weeks on AR. The pressure was just too great! I find that I write and contribute better when I’m doing it to provide substance of value to my fellow readers! Today, my 6 year old son Charlie was looking at the site and asked me who “that girl was” whose picture was just above mine. It was a picture of another AR blogger. I told him it’s someone that participates in the website. He asked me why her picture was on top of mine. I told him it was because she had more points then me. He asked me why I didn’t have more points then her. I didn’t really have an answer. He then said “Daddy, I want you to have 180 million points!” I asked him if he would give them to me? He said yes because "Daddy, you are nice, you’re the best daddy, your kind and you’ll do anything for me!” Looks like I’ve done well!

Want Some Candy Little Kid!??!!

David Eiglarsh, CRS, CDPE, Serving South Florida (United Realty Group) — Sun, 01 Oct 2006 01:22:02 -0700

What’s with all of these sickos? Congressman Foley is all over the news, having just resigned his seat after sending sexually explicit internet messages to young boys! His response, “I am deeply sorry.” Listen you twisted fuck, Keep your sick, perverse, illness in your filthy mind or seek help! Once you act out your obscene fantasies, you’ve crossed too far over the line for apologies! I had blogged about what I would do if I was God. Here’s one for all to consider: I would feed you feet first into a tree chipper, nice and slow while I was poring alcohol over your body. Some may consider the alcohol painful and inhumane, others would argue that it would keep your wounds sterile for the few seconds it would take for you to die! No mercy for these types!

Processing Fees?

David Eiglarsh, CRS, CDPE, Serving South Florida (United Realty Group) — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 10:07:45 -0700

I don’t recall seeing processing fees discussed here. My company charges one. I know many companies do. With my company, if you have your own transaction coordinator (assistant) my company refunds the processing fee to the agent. I charge $395 per transaction side. That accounts for an additional income to me of about $75,000. Many agents in my office are charging $495! I’ve heard of an agent in Michigan charging $1000 per transaction side! I recall that these fees were challenged in court (I believe it was Prudential or Arvida and I think it was in the Tampa area). The company was successful. I rarely have anyone object. Especially when I explain what its for. It’s all about knowing your scripts and dialogs and being able to justify it.

Life’s Memories Preserved

David Eiglarsh, CRS, CDPE, Serving South Florida (United Realty Group) — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 09:52:59 -0700

I remember years ago, listening to a cassette tape (for those of you who don’t know what a cassette tape is, it’s the predecessor to the CD J). It was of my Grandmother whom I never met. She died before I was born. Although I saw the occasional black and white photo of her, I really didn’t know much about her. Our generation has allowed us priceless opportunities to capture so much of people by using a video camera. I record at every family function and input the footage to my computer. I then edit it down (making it somewhat tolerable to watch) and burn it to DVD. I make two copies, one that we watch, and the second as an archive incase the first one gets scratched. I then load all of these DVDs into a Sony 400 disc player. It is really amazing to go back and watch video of my twins being born and then watch a video of them 6 years later, all in the same hour. I also have lots of footage of my parents and my wife’s parents that my kids will be able to watch, long after they are gone. They’ll get to know their grandparents in a way I never had the opportunity. Also, for those of you who have VCR tapes, keep in mind that they have a life of between 10 and 20 years. My wedding video started to deteriorate just about the time I converted it to DVD.

How Tax Organized Are You?

David Eiglarsh, CRS, CDPE, Serving South Florida (United Realty Group) — Sat, 30 Sep 2006 09:22:25 -0700

Our profession allows us a lot of opportunities for tax deductions. While I’m not a CPA, I avail myself of good professional help. The most important thing to do is have a good software program. Usually Quicken or MS Money is the best bet. If you are capable, QuickBooks is preferred by CPAs because it downloads easily into their system without being converted first. Next, input your data often. It’s much easier when you input your data on a daily or weekly basis. Have good categories. Examples would be: client entertainment, client gifts, auto repair, medical expense, gas, insurance, etc. When you input a dining expense, use the memo field to list the name of the client you entertained. Remember that a dining expense is only deductible for 50% while client entertainment is 100% deductible (like having a party for publicity for your business). Donate to charity (not just money but clothes). Keep records here as well. What did you donate and how much was it worth. Make sure your CPA is aggressive as you feel comfortable with. You could save thousands!

A Realtor’s Brush With Fame!

David Eiglarsh, CRS, CDPE, Serving South Florida (United Realty Group) — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 10:45:29 -0700

I was waiting for a new buyer client at the front of a hotel. We had never met each other. I was on the mobile talking to a Realtor friend when I looked up and saw a short man standing in front of a stretch limo, doing the George Jefferson Shuffle! I immediately hung up and ran to meet this guy! (not my client) As I approached him I said, “Oh My God it’s George Jefferson! Nice to meet you Mr. Hemsley.” As he shook my hand, he looked me straight in the eyes and said, “Oh My God, It’s David Eiglarsh, the finest Realtor in the whole wide world!” I was dumbfounded as I hadn’t shared my name with him! He saw my bewilderment and then pointed down to my name badge! The one day in my entire career that I wore a name badge! Sherman Hemsley ever the joking comedian entertainer, and what an exciting brush with fame for me!

PERSONALITY PROFILING-KEY TO SUCCESS!

David Eiglarsh, CRS, CDPE, Serving South Florida (United Realty Group) — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 08:53:13 -0700

Once you understand how to personality profile, you hold the key to successful selling. This is not something to learn if it comes naturally to you. If it does come naturally, keep doing what you are doing. If not, then learn all you can about profiling so that you can achieve a higher level of successful selling. Regarding profiling, if you’ve ever just not liked the “vibe” you felt from someone, it’s probably because you personality profile was clashing with someone elses! The most common personality profile is the Mohler DISC. This is broken down into four distinct personalities. D, I, S and C. “D” stands for dominance, whose intent is to overcome or conquer, “I” for influence, whose intent is to persuade (sell), “S” for steadiness, whose intent is to be supportive (predictable) and “C” for compliance, whose intent is to avoid trouble (cautious)! Some educators spend several days teaching personality profiling. If you get the opportunity to learn this, I would encourage you. I’ve given hundreds of these tests and all but one scored the person exactly as they were. (the one scored un-reliable results was given to a habitual liar and she probably tried to cheat the test)!

BIG HOLDOUT NETS BIGGER PAYDAY!

David Eiglarsh, CRS, CDPE, Serving South Florida (United Realty Group) — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 08:25:58 -0700

I had a nice closing today! We took a call on an internet lead. I gave it to one of my buyer specialists. She made the appointments to show property and turned it over to me. I found a house that worked. We negotiated a $2.9 million purchase price. The appraisal came in at $2.9 million. My buyer wanted to purchase for under appraised value so he withdrew his offer. We went back and forth and finally agreed at $2.8 million. Once it was agreed upon, the final contract came back cutting my commission by .5%. I refused to accept the cut. The seller eventually gave in! (How’s that for standing firm?!!??!!! Risking a potential $70k commission for an additional $14,000 holdout!) It all worked out! The buyer is well connected and suggested that Britney Spears may be interested in staying in the house. I offered to pay his first mortgage payment if he gets me a weekend in the house with Britney! (she’s on the marital exception list!)

MANDATORY OFFICE CHECK LIST!

David Eiglarsh, CRS, CDPE, Serving South Florida (United Realty Group) — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 06:27:40 -0700

If you don’t have an office manual, operations guide or systems in place, you need one! Our guide has detailed instructions on how every facet of our business is done! Any assistant who works for me and is planning on leaving must update the operations guide satisfactorly before they receive their final paycheck. Some key elements of our guide include:1) Office Assistant Duties2) Office Systems (Agent Office training instructions, MLS training, etc)3) Facts to know (how long we’ve been in business, the areas we service, etc)4) Things to Do (musts for the beginning, middle & end of day activities)5) How we expect our phones to be answered6) Checking voicemail7) Preparing CMAs8) Preparing contracts9) Setting showing appointments10) Placing ads in each newspaper11) Mailing postcards to farm, sphere, etc.12) Preparing file for new listing13) Pending sale processing14) Closing preparation15) Post Closing follow-up16) Supplies maintenance17) Important Scripts & dialogs18) Working an ideal day, week, month

Multi-Function vs. Many Devices?

David Eiglarsh, CRS, CDPE, Serving South Florida (United Realty Group) — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 01:20:36 -0700

I’m sure most of you have been involved in the multi-function vs individual device debate, whether with others or in your shopping mind! The question becomes, Do you get a multi-device to consolidate or do you buy individual devices! The big rage now is to get a Palm style phone that has both your address book and planner and phone all-in-one! Brother makes a great multi-purpose machine that scans, prints, copies and faxes. Computers double as DVD players! I prefer to have everything separate. This way, if one item breaks, I still have the rest of the devices working. Redundancy is always a good thing!

IF I RULED THE PLANET!

David Eiglarsh, CRS, CDPE, Serving South Florida (United Realty Group) — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 00:42:53 -0700

If I was God or King for a day, I would make a series of changes to “clean up our industry”! First, I would raise the state licensing fees for real estate agents to $1000 or more! This would be the first step towards getting the people that aren't qualified to be in this profession out of the business! While I'm playing ruler, how about raising NAR's dues as well! How about requiring that a new agent spend 3 years in the profession and pass an aptitude and ethics test before becoming a "Realtor"! (for those of you who didn’t know, not all agents are Realtors. Realtor is a designation whereby you agree to abide by a code of ethics) I would then require that every agent have 40 hours minimum of continuing education every year, not at license renewal! This could consist of board classes (how to open a lockbox 101) or attending one of the great educators or brands conventions. How about requiring new agents to apprentice with an existing agent for 6 months or a year! (I’m deliberately not using a question mark on these statements as they are statements, not questions!) This way, the agent learns from someone (presumably) qualified and working in the field, not from an office manager who is overseeing 50 agents and trying to be profitable and manage the office budget…. I’m done ranting now! I’m going to have breakfast and enjoy my morning!