the lones group: What Clients See Before They Call
- 04/08/26 11:23 AM
What Clients See Before They Call There's a moment in every client relationship that most agents never witness. It happens quietly, long before the first call, text, or DM. Someone hears your name - maybe from a friend, maybe from a sign, maybe from an open house - and before they do anything else, they look you up.
And they don't start with your website.
They start with your social media.
Recent industry research shows that 76% of consumers found their real estate agent through social media before reaching out. [Worldmetrics, 2026] That means your social media profiles aren't just part of … (3 comments)
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the lones group: If You Don’t Know Who Your 2026 Buyer Is, You’re Already Behind
- 03/06/26 12:26 PM
If You Don’t Know Who Your 2026 Buyer Is, You’re Already Behind The median age of a first time homebuyer has reached 40 years old, according to NAR's 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers. That single data point represents one of the most significant demographic shifts we've seen in decades. It tells us that the traditional picture of a young adult stepping into homeownership early in their career is no longer the reality - and if you're still building your business around that assumption, you're already out of alignment with the market you'll be serving in 2026.
Younger adults aren't … (6 comments)
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the lones group: Your Online Presence Matters
- 02/13/26 11:15 AM
Your Online Presence Matters Today I want to talk about something that most agents neglect. I understand why most agents neglect it; we have so many things to do already as real estate professionals. The last thing we often think about is how people find us, where they go looking to find us, and how we can up our business by doing something in addition to what we are already doing.
The bottom line is, buyers and sellers are online and if you can't be found or if your presence isn't up-to-date, that is going to cause lost opportunities.
When I … (3 comments)
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the lones group: A Time for Rest
- 12/19/25 10:51 AM
A Time for Rest Happy holidays! I am getting into the holiday spirit here in Canada at my sister's home. My sister, I swear, is Santa's little elf. Everything here is decorated and I have never seen more Christmas anywhere. Every window that she has is decorated.
My message to you this week is this: It doesn't matter what you do over the holidays, but it should be something that makes you happy. In real estate we work hard and we all need a break and some time off.
Over the holidays, what we do at The Lones Group is we … (5 comments)
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the lones group: Is Your Brand Ready for MS Publisher’s End?
- 11/07/25 09:57 AM
Is Your Brand Ready for MS Publisher’s End? Microsoft has announced that in October 2026, support for its Publisher software will come to an end and it will no longer be included in Office 365 or Office suites. If you use Publisher to manage your business collateral and, like many, have switched to Office 365 subscriptions, you will be left high-and-dry without a way to easily update listing flyers, presentation materials, or open house tools (to name just a few). You’ll lose the ability to open or edit Publisher files, unless you have prepared beforehand.
Thinking ahead and converting your materials … (4 comments)
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the lones group: Lessons Learned from Giants
- 10/24/25 10:51 AM
Lessons Learned from Giants I have been very fortunate in my life to have been able to benefit from the wisdom of others' greatness. When I first started selling real estate, I was young and naïve. I didn't know much about the housing market or even marketing. I had to rely on watching other agent's success to try and find clues that I could learn from.
Early on in my career, my first mentor was my trainer, Garth, who taught me early on that good old-fashioned hard work would be my key to thriving and surviving in the real estate industry. … (13 comments)
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the lones group: The 55+ Power Buyer
- 08/29/25 11:34 AM
The 55+ Power Buyer The 55+ power buyer demographic is reshaping parts of the market. This is a demographic that is wealthy; they have just experienced the largest passing of wealth in the history of our country. They are a demographic that knows what they want and they are extremely discerning.
They aren't just downsizing - they are right-sizing. They are trading in larger yards and larger homes for better location, more manageable yards, and better design. They have had years of experience with home ownership and home maintenance. Their decisions are also shaped by the things that they love to … (2 comments)
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the lones group: Stop Assuming Silence from Your Leads Means "No"
- 08/26/25 09:05 AM
Stop Assuming Silence from Your Leads Means "No" How many times have you nurtured a lead only to be met with silence? Or tried to stay in contact with a past client only to be ignored for months?
Now think about this - how many times have you been surprised when a lead DID reach back out and indicate they were ready RIGHT NOW after months of silence and feeling like your communication was going into a black hole? OR how many times have you learned that someone you had discounted as a lead actually DID move forward, but with someone … (12 comments)
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the lones group: 10 Things You Need to Know About Middle Housing
- 08/08/25 09:00 AM
10 Things You Need to Know About Middle Housing Middle Housing is going to radically change real estate as we know it. Here in Washington State and in more and more places across our nation, many residential sales are no longer just traditional residential sales. We will be seeing more Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), more sales that are influenced by the potential for an ADU, and more kinds of middle housing like duplexes, four-plexes, townhomes, cottages, and more. We are going to see the influence of middle housing change the way that we value, market, and assess a property's buyer pool … (2 comments)
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the lones group: August Is the Time to Connect!
- 08/01/25 10:43 AM
August Is the Time to Connect! We are coming into August and today I want to discuss selling and time-of-year. A lot of times, agents think that August is not a great time to be out there working with clients, but I could not disagree more!
If you go back in time and look at the last ten years of September sales in many markets, they are really comparable housing markets to those April-May months of sales. The reason is simple: people are away during the summer and then in September they come back, the kids are back in school, … (1 comments)
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the lones group: 5 Pitfalls to Watch for When Researching Niche Markets
- 07/17/25 08:05 PM
5 Pitfalls to Watch for When Researching Niche Markets If you haven't taken a dive into your MLS stats and tried out its powerful market data tools, you're really missing out on an incredible opportunity to identify niche markets for growing your business, trends that will help your buyers and sellers, and so much more. Plus, it just gets better from there as you become more familiar with your market.
However, when it comes to new market segments like middle housing, you'll find that while MLSs have incredible tools you need, but reality is going to create challenges that you should … (10 comments)
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the lones group: 5 Reform Issues Faced by Housing
- 07/11/25 09:00 AM
5 Reform Issues Faced by Housing I am back from Spokane where I attended our state legislative meeting for Building Industry Association of Washington (BIAW) and I am here to give you an update on what we have been focusing on and what you can expect over the next year.
Everything I'm going to talk about today affects housing and today we are talking about the top five issues that we are going to be facing in the next few years. This is so important because we are all at such a disadvantage when it comes to housing inventory. Don't let … (3 comments)
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the lones group: Get Plugged-In to Your Local Housing Movement
- 06/06/25 09:55 AM
Get Plugged-In to Your Local Housing Movement If you are not plugged-in to your local, regional, or national housing information centers, you need to be! In other words, where do you get your information to give to your clients about what is happening in real estate, nationally and regionally?
For example, here in Washington State, we recently passed legislation that increased access for building more middle housing. This is creating a big shift in our housing markets. It matters because our market here has become overpriced - our kids can't afford to buy homes because home prices are so ridiculous - … (5 comments)
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the lones group: Have You Boarded the Middle Housing Train?
- 05/14/25 10:30 AM
Have You Boarded the Middle Housing Train? I know it sounds like I have been harping on middle housing, and you know, I am! Here's why. Today I am in California and what am I doing? I am researching middle housing everywhere in California just like I have in Nevada, in Oregon, and Washington State.
If you are not up-to-date on middle housing, you need to start building your knowledge of what is going on. If not, you are going to be left behind.
You can no longer go to a home and do a traditional comprehensive market analysis. You need … (0 comments)
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the lones group: Stressed About Tariffs? Time to Fix Your Focus
- 04/11/25 10:11 AM
Stressed About Tariffs? Time to Fix Your Focus I cannot let this week go by without addressing what everybody is seeing in the news and that is tariffs. Although tariffs on Canadian lumber have not increased further at this time, the reality is that the impact of expansive, across-the-board tariffs is starting to be felt both in our economy and on the housing market.
Now tariffs aren't anything new, but the aggressive push for tariffs and the widespread application of them has greatly increased global awareness of them into overdrive and freaked-out some of our financial institutions like the stock market. … (9 comments)
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the lones group: Sure, the Empire State Building Can Fit on That Property
- 04/10/25 02:29 PM
Sellers Who Think They Can Build the Empire State Building on their Property Sellers usually have an inflated idea of the potential of their property, especially when it comes to price. Couple that with zoning changes brought on by comprehensive plan updates and middle housing initiatives introduced by Washington State House Bill 1110 and what we have are thousands of homeowners who have no idea what their property is worth now, what it may be worth when these changes are implemented locally, but they are sure that the new highest and best use of their property means they can retire and … (1 comments)
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the lones group: The Many Sides of Middle Housing Innovation
- 03/13/25 04:34 PM
The Many Sides of Middle Housing Innovation When it comes to middle housing, I am excited about everything that is happening here in Washington State and around the country! I just came back from the International Builder Show in Las Vegas and my goodness, middle housing on everybody’s top list of things to talk and learn about! Any type of exhibit that had anything to do with alternative housing, smaller housing, and affordable housing included some middle housing education. These areas were busy-busy on the showroom floor.
So, we know that middle housing is here to stay and this this week … (0 comments)
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the lones group: Tariffs, Real Estate, and You
- 02/14/25 01:47 PM
Tariffs, Real Estate, and You Tariffs are back in the public consciousness in a big way since our newly elected President Trump has begun using them to drive policy. For my longtime viewers, you know I am not for the left- politician or the right- politician. I am for smart government decision making. However, today I am leaving politics off the table and I just want to focus on tariffs, how they affect the housing market, and a timeline for how quickly they may impact homebuyers.
So, I first want to explain why we should be concerned about tariffs in the … (5 comments)
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the lones group: A Conversation with John Wilson, King County Assessor
- 01/31/25 09:54 AM
A Conversation with John Wilson, King County Assessor This week, instead of my usual Zebra Report, I'd like to share with you an important interview that I recently held with Washington State King County Assessor, and long-time friend, John Wilson. John and I go back many, many years and I've had the honor of getting to know him and witnessing the work that he has done.
Here in the State of Washington right now we are experiencing a crisis in housing. We have never before seen the challenges that we are seeing today. Homelessness has been on the rise, safety in … (1 comments)
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the lones group: You Need an Edge
- 01/17/25 10:41 AM
You Need an Edge I get asked this same question every year, "Denise, why are you so passionate about doing an entire analysis of everything: real estate, housing legislation, new construction, jobs, transportation, migration, infrastructure, and more?"
The answer is simple. When you know more, you are able to share more. When you are educated about things related to our occupation - and real estate affects and is affected by nearly everything - you have an edge. That's why I do it.
I do it so you and my clients can have an edge over the competition and serve your clients … (3 comments)
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What Clients See Before They Call There's a moment in every client relationship that most agents never witness. It happens quietly, long before the first call, text, or DM. Someone hears your name - maybe from a friend, maybe from a sign, maybe from an open house - and before they do anything else, they look you up.
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