got features: How to generate and track backlinks for your Active Rain profile - A few basic SEO tips
- 02/15/08 04:56 AM
The first comment I made on Active Rain was August 5th, 2007. Since then, I have amassed 7404 comments made over the past 182 days. That means that I am averaging 40.68 comments daily here. I could write (and have written) posts about the friendships that began as stray comments on AR, or the referrals that I have received (also covered that a few times in posts). However, I wanted to point out that the "Google juice" is a phenomenal side benefit of commenting that you may not have realized. What am I talking about? Well, it's really quite simple: The more you comment … (439 comments)
got features: Psst.....Ask for the business! What do you have to lose?
- 01/28/08 02:11 PM
I had a sign call for one of my listings in north Austin yesterday, and we set up an appointment to take a look at the home today at 3:00. He sounded like a nice young guy on the phone when we spoke, and we had a great rapport during the showing. I noticed that he was carrying a spiral notebook with notes about lots of houses (along with agent names, phone numbers, etc.). We spent awhile looking around and talking about the area and the market in general, and he was hoping his wife could make it to see the … (40 comments)
got features: "I am a People Person. Right?" - Some Red Flag Phrases
- 01/08/08 04:28 AM
Disclaimer: This post is not meant to be taken too seriously. I have noticed an odd and somewhat disturbing trend in my real estate career, both when dealing with clients and with fellow agents. If you do not agree, that is certainly your prerogative. This is not a hard and fast rule, but rather a personal observation. Here it is: If someone proclaims that they are a certain type of person, they probably aren't like that at all. What?!? What are you talking about, Crouch? Perhaps a few examples will help to flesh out this idea a bit more. Sometimes, buyer clients say … (78 comments)
got features: Time-Traveling Real Estate Broker Visits 1987!
- 12/20/07 10:03 AM
I was ready at last. Time to fire up the DeLorean. The flux capacitor is working properly and fully charged. I have to get it up to 88 miles per hour in the mall parking lot before I slam into the department store. Let’s set the dial here…DECEMBER 20, 1987I was a senior in high school that year. Wow! This will be an interesting experience. I don't look forward to seeing how young I looked back then compared to now.Here we go…let’s get this baby moving. We are at 78….80….84…86….87…..88!(BOOM!)Whoa! I forgot that the mall and the parking lot didn’t exist … (28 comments)
got features: A Couple of Tips when dealing with Difficult Personalities...
- 12/03/07 05:03 PM
Your cell phone rings. You check the caller ID. Oh, great. It's that agent you are working with trying to get that luxury home under contract. Uh oh. Although you want to get the deal done, you already don't like talking to him, since he is almost invariably rude and abrasive. YOU: Hello, this is _______. OTHER AGENT: Hi, this is Rudy McRude. I was calling to let you know that I had to use smelling salts on my client when I went to present your offer. YOU: Really? I thought it was pretty reasonable. OTHER AGENT: Well, I had … (58 comments)
got features: READ THIS & You Will Continue Blogging - Active Rain works!
- 11/08/07 07:30 AM
Last night around 10pm, I received an email via my AR account on the "My Home" page. I wanted to share it publicly in an effort to encourage anyone who happens to read this post, especially if you are new to this community. Here is the email I received (in a very slightly edited form): Well, you may have us sold. This based on your wonderful blog!Please contact me as your time may allow as we are in need of relocating to another area due to ongoing post Hurricane Katrina problems.I am from -------- and still live there part of the year and … (147 comments)
got features: Mythbusting Our Industry -"Real Estate Agents and Brokers are Greedy"
- 11/06/07 04:55 AM
One of my favorite shows for the past several years has been "Mythbusters" on the Discovery Channel, starring Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman. If you haven't seen it, I would highly recommend checking it out sometime. The premise is simple: the hosts and their crew of helpers test myths to see if they hold true or not. Some of the myths are commonly held, while others are more obscure. A recent example: They spent a day trying to test whether or not an airplane escape slide could be used as a parachute (it really can't, at least not easily). So, I … (67 comments)
got features: How to Get Sued Quickly!
- 11/04/07 02:13 PM
I thought the headline above would get your attention. Basically, the quickest way to get sued is to utterly ignore this article. I have been selling real estate full-time in the Austin area for almost 11 years now, and I am happy and thankful to report that I have yet to be involved in a lawsuit or a mediation for my transactions, or for the sales of those who work with my company (currently about 15 agents). That being said, there are a few tips that I wanted to share about how to keep yourself out of hot water in the … (53 comments)
got features: What would happen if you weren't there to help? Some food for thought
- 11/02/07 10:24 AM
"It's a Wonderful Life" with Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed is probably my favorite movie of all time. I try to watch it every Christmas season at some point. Sometimes I get around to it, and sometimes I don't. It always helps me to put things in perspective very quickly. The way that I conduct myself is important, not just to my immediate friends and family, but to others that are affected by my actions, such as my clients and even those whom I come in contact with on a daily basis in any capacity. As long as we are here, our … (45 comments)
got features: Cake in One Hand, Eating it in the Other Hand - You Must Choose!
- 10/19/07 06:03 AM
I have had some interesting and frustrating experiences with sellers in our market lately. It seems that clients just don't seem to "get it", sometimes. We are still in the slower winter season (at least it is slower here in Austin typically). At any rate, it seems logical that if they are buying another home locally, they can get a lot of bang for the buck, right? Well, the quick answer is probably yes. However, the part that is always fun to explain is that this principle affects their home as well.
Here is a typical exchange with someone looking to both sell and buy … (56 comments)
got features: The ER Nurse and the Convenience Store Employee - Where do you see yourself?
- 10/16/07 07:21 PM
My wife and I both had a rather long day today. I took care of our three kids and ran various errands with them, and visited a friend of mine who is in the hospital with a second bout of cancer (this will probably be a separate post of mine soon). At any rate, we wrapped up the day assisting my mother-in-law in the emergency room of the North Austin Medical Center. It is a very involved story, but suffice it to say that she was admitted in order to get a blood transfusion and she will be leaving in the … (58 comments)
got features: Are you handling your clients like a phone company handles customers?
- 09/22/07 09:52 AM
About five years ago, I was working with a buyer who was considering building in a prestigious golf course community in west Austin. My business partners and I had already taken a number of people to the community, as it is pretty unique. In fact, here is a photo of a home we recently sold in the same area -------------------> My buyer was a high-risk obstetrician looking to retire from the Omaha area after only 10 years in business. He came to look at some golf course lots and made a choice with the sales rep. We did a "hold" on the lots … (44 comments)
got features: How Much Influence Should Outsiders Have on a Real Estate Transaction?
- 09/16/07 07:58 PM
It just happens sometimes. It's nothing you've done wrong. You get the sellers to agree to a reasonable price, then their neighbor says, "Wow! That sounds really low to me. Is your agent just trying to get the house sold quickly so they won't have to work at it?" The seller calls you with questions, and there is suspicion in her voice.
Or perhaps you have worked really hard to negotiate on behalf of your buyer client, then his dad tells him that he is paying way too much. How can he possibly afford that house on his salary? He hasn't … (47 comments)
got features: Please Don't Read This Post!
- 09/10/07 06:57 PM
I was wondering how many views I would get with a title like the one above. I think it is human nature to go against the grain on things like this. "You can't tell me what to do. I will read it if I want to. What is it anyway?" I will be interested to see how many people click on the link to see what the heck this post is all about.
One other fascinating element of human behavior is the interest level that people tend to have for seeing others fail or get hurt somehow. You can see this principle in … (36 comments)
got features: Your Chance to Make a $135,000 Referral Fee!
- 09/08/07 04:17 PM
Finally, here it is. The opportunity that you have been waiting for for your entire career. Yes, it's a chance to make a gigantic commission with very little effort on your part. This is not a gimmick, but a true business proposition from me. Yes, perhaps my touch is firmly in cheek here, but, as Dave Barry often says, I am not making this up.
Currently, in the Austin MLS, the most expensive listing price is $13,500,000, which may seem to be paltry sum to those of you in the most expensive markets in the country, but here is it … (74 comments)
got features: How to Present and Use Buyer's Representation Agreements
- 09/07/07 04:39 PM
As the broker and owner of a company with almost 20 agents, I have mulled over the topic of buyer's representation agreements with fellow brokers and Realtors for years. Not to toot my own horn (well, maybe a little), but I have represented buyers in almost every area of Austin and central Texas, in every conceivable price range (from a $15,000 lot to a $4.1 million ranch property). I typically represent more buyers than sellers (probably 75% or so).
So, you are probably wondering, how does Jason present his buyer's representation contracts? I'm guessing that if you aren't wondering this, … (44 comments)
got features: How to Avoid Getting Sued - My Humble Opinion
- 09/03/07 07:41 AM
In marketing, as you have probably heard many times, perception is reality. In real estate, this is certainly no different. I have always tried to view this career as a service business, rather than strictly as a sales job. To be sure, I use my sales skills every day. I even have to use sales skills on my kids sometimes. However, if you treat your real estate clients strictly as potential sales, you will probably struggle to build a successful business. Instead, take some extra time to show your empathy. Please allow me to explain.
When I am … (45 comments)
got features: Active Rain - Where everybody knows your name (or do they?)
- 09/01/07 08:29 AM
I was thinking about this phenomenon that is Active Rain, and I have heard stories of agents getting business from consumers reading their blogs, finding their listings, etc. I have also seen successful referrals occurring, which motivates me to continue writing and "paying it forward" to help others here.
I have an idea which may help to increase the referral side of this activity for all of us.
There are a number of people that I really like within this community, and I want to remember them if I have a friend or a client who is moving to another part of the … (51 comments)
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