real estate: Time to Sell the Sizzle in Real Estate
- 04/08/26 02:37 PM
Years ago I read a book The Wizard of Ads: Turning Words into Magic and Dreamers into Millionaires by Roy H Williams. What I remember about this book is the goal of marketing is “To Sell the Sizzle.” The book had a lot of Ah Ha moments in each of its 100 chapters.
Williams explains the “sizzle” as “enticing the customer with a thought more interesting than the thought she’s thinking.”
I have been thinking a lot about this book given much of what I read specific to public remarks lacks the sizzle. Also, I must admit much of my past words also … (7 comments)
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real estate: Passion A Word We Think We Understand
- 04/02/26 09:28 AM
Years ago driving back in NW IN during the week of Easter, I read a sign advertising “The Passion Play.” This play was reference to Good Friday and the crucifixion of Christ.
My brain started thinking how could anyone have a passion for dying? Passion was yes an emotion and something a person fervently believed in. For me passion was an intense desire, something positive, not negative and certainly did not have relationship with suffering. Now understand I was in my 30's when I read this and a life long confirmed Lutheran. Yet until that moment, I never truly thought about this … (6 comments)
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real estate: Being Old School Fits Me to a "T"
- 03/30/26 06:19 AM
With all the emphasis on technology including automated systems, my sense is the human connection is appearing to be ignored and eventually lost. This is why I believe being old school is a competitive advantage and fits me to a T.
This past weekend I drove 40 miles to meet a potential customer. Here in Mohave County, AZ driving 40 miles is nothing. I suggested scheduling a breakfast appointment at a restaurant near him in Bullhead City, AZ. Initially, we did talk on the phone and then via email and text. This particular buyer came from a local referral source.
When we sat … (8 comments)
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real estate: Yes I Am Forever in Blue Jeans and Cowboy Boots!
- 03/28/26 01:01 PM
Driving back from an early breakfast meeting with a customer (I may now next week when I meet him at the property if I have earned him as a client), Neil Diamond’s song “Forever in Blue Jeans” came on the radio. I looked down at my blue jeans and realized how much happier I am today wearing blue jeans and my cowboy boots instead of professional tailored suits with high heeled shoes.
Then I listened to the rest of the lyrics and my husband is also in blue jeans or denim overalls and wears cowboy boots. He, too is happy, because he … (9 comments)
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real estate: Buyers for Vacant Land-Improvements Cost Both Time and Money
- 03/24/26 08:25 AM
For buyers thinking of purchasing vacant land, there are basically three options:
Option #1: Purchase unimproved vacant land meaning no improvements and no access to utilities such as on grid power.
Option #2: Purchase improved vacant land with limited improvements such as access to on grid power.
Option #3: Purchase improved vacant land with improvements such as access to power, fencing, permitted septic, power pole with meter, buried utilities, gates, grading of the vacant parcel, water availability including water meter, well, etc.
So what are the costs both in time and money for improving vacant land?
Here in Golden Valley, AZ permitted septic systems range from $8,000 … (2 comments)
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real estate: Time to Take It Easy
- 03/05/26 08:52 AM
The other day on the radio I heard the Eagles hit song “Take it Easy.” Of course I was driving down a dirt road putting up for sale vacant land real estate signs and the first line of the song “Well I’m a-running down the road trying to loosen by load” truly resonated with me.
The load was not seven women on my mind, but rather two vacant land listings and visiting another two potential vacant land listings.
Then I heard “one say she’s a friend of mine.” How often do we hear from friends who make referrals or that out of the blue … (9 comments)
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real estate: The Quality of the Tool Helps to Deliver Quality Results
- 03/05/26 07:28 AM
Many of us have heard the old Ford statement “Quality is Job One.”
In real estate, our quality begins with the many “tools” we add to our “tool box.” For me, the local MLS, WARDEX soon to be Momentum, continues to be one tool that I use every day. The quality of this tool does help to deliver quality results. And yes, vehicles are tools.
Recently, I attended a day long event hosted by this local MLS with numerous sponsors. What I was surprised to learn was this small MLS using a platform (Matrix/Core Logic that is the #1 North American Multiple Listing … (10 comments)
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real estate: What Real Estate Buyers Want. Ahh, if It Was Only That Simple
- 02/24/26 06:18 AM
When meeting buyers, professional real estate agents discuss what the buyers want. This discussion appears to be simple and forthright up front, however that is not usually the case.
Currently, I have a very nice, extremely well maintained residential 3 bedroom home for sale in Bullhead City. The first potential buyers really liked the home because the home checked off all of their expressed wants.
However, the husband decided he could not park his RV vehicle because of the gate and wall construction. Yet, the seller was able to do it numerous times. For this buyer, an extra wide RV gate with plenty … (2 comments)
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real estate: Being a Rural Land Specialist I Have Unique Tools of the Trade
- 01/20/26 06:42 AM
Living and working here in the high desert of Mohave County, Golden Valley, AZ as a rural land specialist, I have my own unique tools of the trade for especially placing real estate signs on rural vacant land parcels.
During my first several years in listing vacant land properties, my go to tool was a mallet for pounding in the signs. I must admit this was difficult work given the ground here in NW AZ is close to concrete. Between the hardness of the dirt, the rocks, pounding in signs, often I was physically exhausted.
Then I saw on Facebook, a real estate … (6 comments)
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real estate: Boots on the Ground Truly Matter for This Rural Land Specialist
- 01/18/26 10:18 AM
Listing rural land from vacant parcels (also what I call dirt) to ranches does demand boots on the ground. Without physically walking the property, understanding the topography, knowing the road access, leaves the seller at a competitive disadvantage (promotion of his, her or their real estate property) and a buyer in potential harms way.
Some real estate agents market their services to rural land areas, but often fail to engage in boots on the ground. I have had agents who say they understand dirt, but don’t read the MLS directions and are intimidated by the dirt roads that are often more like … (6 comments)
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real estate: Imagine My Surprise!
- 01/16/26 09:16 AM
This week has been busy in traveling to various vacant land parcels here in Golden Valley, AZ. I am a firm believer if a seller wants me to list his or her rural real estate vacant land property, I must visit the property, take photos, determine the best road access along with the availability of utilities such as electricity and water.
This belief reinforces the REALTOR®’s Code of Ethics that being to “protect and promote.” Here not only in Golden Valley, but in Mohave County many roads show “right of ways” by the county, but have never been “cut in.” Roads that … (11 comments)
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real estate: Realizing Success in Real Estate
- 01/12/26 07:03 AM
So you check your sold stats, your bank account, your inbound sales leads, the number of your listings leads and through this reflection your real estate practice is successful. However for me, being a little older and having a different purpose, success for me is realized when a client writes a personal note expressing her happiness and gratitude about a closed real estate transaction.
Leanne, I wish you the best Christmas ever. I so appreciate your kindness an efficiency in helping me sell my property this past year. You are so appreciated for all you did and I will forever remember your … (10 comments)
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real estate: Your HOW in Real Estate Is...?
- 01/11/26 06:45 AM
Possibly, some of us we may remember the TV series “Mission Impossible.” Peter Graves (the brother to James Arness). Graves played Mr. Phelps, a leader of a covert team, MI. Phelps would received instructions via a tape recorder with a specific mission and the desired result. Of course, Phelps always had the choice not to accept the mission as well as the tape would self-destruct in 5 seconds.
The definition of mission is “a specific task with which a person or a group is charged.” (Source: Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary)
From my experience in working with small to even larger businesses, the published Mission … (4 comments)
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real estate: Your Where in Real Estate Is…?
- 01/11/26 05:09 AM
Some may remember the original Alice in Wonderland movie when Alice comes across a tree in the woods and wonders what path she should take. Here she meets the Cheshire Cat who she then asks which way should she go. The Cat responds it really doesn’t matter as Alice doesn’t know where she is going.
For some real estate agents, they are much like Alice. They don’t know where they are truly going.
For business owners, from the micro to the macro knowing the WHERE is the Vision, the vanishing point on the horizon. This vanishing point is different for each individual and … (6 comments)
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real estate: Your WHAT In Real Estate Is…?
- 01/10/26 08:28 AM
Outside of your WHY in Real Estate Is, Your WHAT for me is the most important question to be answered. I believe if more real estate agents would commit their “WHAT” to writing, the general public would have higher confidence in working with real estate agents.
Now you may be asking yourself, what is the WHAT in real estate. Simply speaking, your WHAT is your Values, your moral code, your ethics, call it what you will. Your behaviors are a direct results of your values.
For professional real estate agents who are also REALTORS®, there exists a Code of Ethics. In the first … (5 comments)
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real estate: Go With the Flow!
- 12/23/25 07:12 AM
Life is full of changes. Often ,we attempt to fight those changes. This fighting creates internal stress and essentially an unhappy person.
Being in sales for more years than I care to count, I have always been a process person. Yet after 8 years in this industry, the processes continue to change to adapt with the constant changes.
Today, bright and early a client text me and cancelled a showing because he was sick. This was the second cancellation as he initially shared the incorrect date for me. The tour of this home in Meadview, AZ is his second and the home is … (5 comments)
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real estate: Signed, Sealed and Delivered I’m Yours, Hmm?
- 12/07/25 07:45 AM
The other day on the radio I heard this oldies from the 70’s, Signed, Sealed and Delivered I’m Yours and my very literal brain immediately made the jump to some of the social media real estate groups regarding Buyer Employment Agreements. Here in AZ we have a document entitled “Buyer Broker Exclusive Employment Agreement" or BBEEA for short.
What I have read is agents signing similar worded agreements and then the buyer purchases a house using another real estate agent. The real estate agent with the signed document is beside himself or herself. Then asks this question:
What can I do to secure … (4 comments)
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real estate: Whose Business Card Do My Real Estate Clients Have?
- 11/14/25 10:31 AM
Being in sales for over five decades, I always thought it was cumbersome when some salespeople would hand off their transaction to another person within the organization. In my corporate years, I was an “inside salesperson” who was responsible for the customer’s purchase including ordering any out of stock or specialty items. The outside salesperson made the contacts, brought the material bids in and returned the completed bids. This was before faxes and the Internet.
In today's world, these outside salespeople would be considered dinosaurs. They often had limited knowledge about the products, but could wine and dine with the best of … (11 comments)
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real estate: This Small Transaction Touched My Heart
- 08/01/25 10:12 AM
This very recent real estate transaction that touched my heart began with a referral from Steffy Hristova who was part of a four (4) person referral chain that stretched from CA to AZ. The referral was an opportunity to sell a small vacant lot, .14 acres, in a subdivision in Fort Mohave, AZ nearly 90 minutes away. My belief is I personally handled all sales referrals if I can. Also I love selling dirt! ❤️
Sixty minutes after I placed the sign at 12 Noon on a Thursday, I received three (3) offers on this property. One was a low ball; another … (14 comments)
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real estate: Change Is Much Like Playing Cards
- 07/27/25 12:01 PM
This blog posting is my third entry to the July 2025 challenge hosted by Patricia Feager and Lew Corcoran of “How Have You Changed?” My response in this blog posting to this challenge be somewhat unique.
The song for the Gambler recently played and it reminded me how change is often like card playing. Everyone is dealt a very large hand of cards. How those cards are played over the years are echoed by these words of “know to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em, know when to walk away and know when to run.”
One example is all the card dealing … (7 comments)
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Years ago I read a book The Wizard of Ads: Turning Words into Magic and Dreamers into Millionaires by Roy H Williams. What I remember about this book is the goal of marketing is “To Sell the Sizzle.” The book had a lot of Ah Ha moments in each of its 100 chapters.
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