realtor tools: If You're Selling Real Estate, You NEED Training!
- 08/18/11 01:10 AM
Often times I encounter agents who I know need training, but they usually say they are too busy to attend. Then there are other agents who think that just because they have been selling real estate for "x" number of years, they don't need training. But here's the bottom line. It doesn't really matter how long you have been selling real estate, if you're selling real estate, you NEED training.
I'm not saying you need training because I'm a trainer. I'm saying you need training because I have to work directly with you to complete the transaction and when you don't know … (6 comments)
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realtor tools: The Appraiser is Always Right...Right?
- 08/16/11 02:27 AM
When the real estate market crashed a few years ago there was plenty of blame to pass around. Lenders, appraisers, real estate agents, consumers...fingers were pointing in every direction. Now we have lots of new rules and regulations that we all must follow to protect all of these individuals and corporations. But have we gone so far in regulating that we have lost sight of the goal?
I want to first look at the appraiser and highlight my recent interaction with one of them. On one of my recent listings, the appraiser gave a value $30,000 less than the list price. My … (5 comments)
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realtor tools: "Home" Work for Real Estate Agents
- 08/10/11 02:10 AM
As we enter the dog days of August it would be far too easy for us Realtors to take a break or basically, slack off. After all, the kids are finished with summer camp, seller's don't think it's a good time to list, buyers are unsure of the economy and lastly, it's so hot! We figure we can just pick up where we left off after Labor Day. But it's not that easy.
If you have school age children you know that when school was dismissed, they were given a summer packet to complete. At the very least, that packet probably included math … (4 comments)
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realtor tools: It's a Process AND an Event!
- 07/28/11 04:15 AM
How many times have you heard real estate professionals talk about the buying and selling of property as a "process", not an "event". But I beg to differ. For us as Realtors, the transaction is a process, but for a buyer or seller the transaction is more than a "process"...it's an "event"...and a very big event!
A huge part of our jobs is to manage expectations. When we first meet with our clients we talk about the process of buying or selling real estate. We talk about how we work, what will be expected of them, what the lender will require … (2 comments)
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realtor tools: What Does Your Resume Say About You?
- 06/07/11 02:01 AM
You probably think that just because you are in business for yourself that your days of needing a resume have passed. Not true. Whether your business is by referral or through the kindness of strangers, people want to know a little something about the person they are working with. Remember, people like working with people they like. Of course you must be competent, but on some level they want to like you.
This is where you resume comes into play. Your real estate resume is almost the same as a regular resume with one exception...no dates. The "no date" resume is a … (1 comments)
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realtor tools: Are You Becoming Functionally Obsolete?
- 06/02/11 02:26 AM
I was working on a commercial transaction and this phrase came up..."Functionally Obsolete". It got me to thinking about my normal practice of residential real estate...and more specifically, the agents I deal with on a daily basis. As I thought about the agents I have worked with in the past 12 months I discovered that many of them either are or are becoming functionally obsolete.
I'm not simply talking about technology here, although that alone would put a great many agents in the functionally obsolete category. I'm talking about the way some agents conduct business and how they keep current with … (11 comments)
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realtor tools: What's Your Excuse?
- 05/31/11 02:26 AM
I often write about real estate agents who get in the way of the transaction. But today is a little different. As a trainer I am seeing more and more agents get in the way of their own success. While at first glance you may be thinking that this statement is ridiculous...everyone wants to be successful. I would argue that while most people "say" they want to be successful, painfully few agents are willing to put in the time, energy and work to achieve that success.
Each week I ask my real estate newbies to tell me about their week. Although they can … (3 comments)
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realtor tools: "I Don't Care If You Get Paid"!
- 05/24/11 02:14 AM
I know we have all had to work with some difficult clients. Although I try my best to only work with people I like, there are times when a bad apple slips in. When we first meet with a client we generally have a pretty good idea of their personality type...if we have asked the right questions and truly listened to their responses. This particular client showed some signs of being "special" but I ignored my instincts and decided to work with him.
This client was referred to me by an agent who was moving out of the area. He had a property to sale that … (4 comments)
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realtor tools: Just Ask!
- 05/18/11 03:20 AM
Why is it that some real estate agents are seemingly afraid to present offers and counteroffers? I'm confused by this because this is what we do...we help people buy and sell property. We know that every offer won't be great, but that's just part of the job. This past week I had a case where the agent did not want to present my buyers counteroffer and truthfully I was more than a little baffled. Unless the sellers have specifically stated in writing, "Do not bring me any offers below X", it is our duty and obligation to present all offers and counteroffers, … (5 comments)
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realtor tools: Let Me Save You From Yourself
- 05/12/11 02:14 AM
I absolutely hate when people think that we Realtors are just in it for the money. Yes we can earn (and I stress the word EARN) a very nice income as a Realtor, but we aren't in it simply for the money.
How many times have you had to tell your clients that they need to walk away from a property? For me it's generally about once a year that I have to "save them from themselves". Let me give you an example.
I was working with a very lovely couple who had just had a baby and therefore needed a larger … (26 comments)
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realtor tools: A Better You
- 05/11/11 01:59 AM
This week the National Association of Realtors is holding their mid-year conference...please don't stop reading here as this is not going to be about the conference...directly. What I want to do is actually ask you this question; what are you doing to be a better you?
As a Realtor we have an obligation to our clients, let alone ourselves to continue to learn and grow so that we can give the best representation possible. It doesn't matter to me how long you have been in the business. Longevity alone does not make you a good Realtor. Yet time and time again I'll hear … (2 comments)
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realtor tools: Why Bother?
- 04/21/11 01:30 AM
I know you have seen them...the houses that some real estate professionals think they have "staged" to get them sold faster. They only make me laugh and feel a little embarrassed for our profession. Here are just a couple of things I have seen...
An outdoor lounge chair with a bedspread thrown over it posing as a "bed" A 6" vase with plastic flowers on the kitchen counter A card table and two folding chairs posing as a dining room set A chair placed in the corner of the living room posing as...I couldn't tell you! A plastic plant in a … (3 comments)
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realtor tools: "That Won't Work for My People"
- 04/01/11 01:42 AM
Just as I was wondering what to blog about, one of the agents I train utters the words, "that won't work for my people". I was dumbstruck! You see, we had just finished discussing the importance of a buyer presentation and the elements of the presentation:
A piece about yourself and why a buyer should work with you and how you work Agency representation How you get paid What the lender will require Getting pre-approved The home buying process Ratification to settlement These are just some of the main topics I like to go over with a new buyer to make sure that we … (4 comments)
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realtor tools: Back to Basics...Again!
- 03/24/11 03:19 AM
I can't believe I'm writing this post and it's only March. How on earth could I have fallen off the wagon so early in the year? So here I am confessing that I have to get back on the wagon and get back to basics...yet again!
Fresh from the Brian Buffini Turning Point retreat in Richmond, Virginia I am ready to rock 'n roll. I am thankful that this event occurred so early in the year; otherwise I could have been so much further behind. As successful real estate professionals we all know what we should be doing...calling past clients, as well … (5 comments)
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realtor tools: Don't Be a Bully
- 03/17/11 02:23 AM
You hear a lot of talk these days about children being bullied on their way to school, at school, and on their way home from school. Parents are told to watch their child's behavior and ask about their child's day to see if there are any signs that their child is being bullied.
I am sad to report that bullying doesn't just stop in the schools. I have found throughout my years in real estate that there are agents who I would categorize as bullies. I'm sure you have similar stories.
My second year in the business I was helpinga very … (7 comments)
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realtor tools: What Would You Do?
- 03/08/11 12:54 AM
I can't count the number of times I am asked this question during a real estate transaction. At virtually every turn buyers are asking me "What would you do?" I know they are looking to me for guidance but the bottom line is I'm not the one buying a house or even looking to buy a house. I also know that they are extremely anxious because this is a huge purchase, but I truly cannot tell them what to do.
The first time I hear this question is when they find a house that they really like. After weeks of searching … (36 comments)
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realtor tools: Be Your Best You!
- 03/01/11 01:20 AM
As we prepared to celebrate the birthday of Dr. Seuss...that's right, Dr. Seuss. Known for his amazing children's books like, The Cat in the Hat, Go Dog Go, Green Eggs and Ham...you know, Dr. Seuss. Although he was best known for his children's books, there is one book of his that I think most adults should read and personally, it is one of my favorite books..."Oh, the Places You'll Go!"
I often give this book to college graduates because I believe it helps, or should help to show them that they can control their own destiny through thoughts, words and actions. As … (2 comments)
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realtor tools: Picture This...
- 02/24/11 12:55 AM
Whenever I hear this phrase I think of Sophia from the Golden Girls! But trust me, this post is about real estate. I have two pet peeves. The first... listing agents who don't feel the need to upload pictures of their listings. Are you really that busy that you don't have the time to take some pictures of the house you are trying to get sold? Didn't you educate your seller so they know that most home searches begin on the Internet and buyers want to see pictures? Weren't pictures part of your marketing plan? I know this sounds pretty basic … (6 comments)
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realtor tools: It's Never Been Cleaner!
- 02/17/11 05:08 AM
The sales contract in my jurisdiction statesthat prior to settlement, the property must have all of the contents removed and it should be left in "broom clean" condition. What's fascinating to me is how many times I have to define what "broom clean" means.
Yes, Mr. Seller you have to empty out that hard to reach storage space in the attic.
Yes, Ms. Seller you have to take those old bookcases out of the garage. You can't leave them just because you don't want them any more.
Yes, please clean out ALL of the cabinets, no one wants any of your old spices.
So I explain … (3 comments)
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realtor tools: Change is Good!
- 02/15/11 01:01 AM
When my daughter was four years old, her beloved kindergarten teacher was reassigned to another school due to budget cutbacks. That evening her teacher called to see how my daughter was doing. I told the teacher that I thought she was doing fine because she hadn't mentioned it. So after getting off the phone I asked my daughter how she felt about having to move to a new class. Her response was short and sweet, and something I will never forget. She looked up at me with a puzzled look and said, "Mom, change is good". Wow, out the mouths of … (8 comments)
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Often times I encounter agents who I know need training, but they usually say they are too busy to attend. Then there are other agents who think that just because they have been selling real estate for "x" number of years, they don't need training. But here's the bottom line. It doesn't really matter how long you have been selling real estate, if you're selling real estate, you NEED training. 
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