From the early 1970′s until around 2006-2007, it was common wisdom to encourage buyers to buy as much house as they possibly could afford. With home prices on a multi-year trend upwards, it turned out to be sound advice. Most buyers back then based their decisions on the amount of the monthly payment rather than the price of the property.

The world was turned on its head when the financial meltdown occurred. Most of us who have been in the business a while had experienced short recessions but never anything like what we have all gone through. The question now is, did we learn anything from all of this? Read the rest of this entry »

Today’s homeowner moves on average every 5-7 years depending on age group.We are constantly being coached to stay in touch with our clients through various means.There are dozens of different contact management software systems but most of them are developed as a one size fits all approach.

We have all received mail addressed to ourselves where it is obvious the sender had no clue who they were sending to. I love the impersonalized ones that start out, “Dear Resident”. Or, another favorite of mine is when they try to imply familiarity with me in the body of the letter but have addressed the envelope to Dennis Curtis. Read the rest of this entry »

Anyone who has been around awhile knows the old saying in the real estate business, “Listers  Last”.  Listings are our stock in trade. The true pros in this business understand the compounding affect that numerous listings have on one’s portfolio and income stream.

I realize these past few years it has been extremely tough carrying large inventories of listings on the books. The toll of having disgruntled property owners calling you constantly as their values continued to go down has been very difficult to handle. Many of you have even said you didn’t want anything to do with anymore listings. Read the rest of this entry »

I am a big believer in storytelling. People relate to people who can describe the world through words. It is true in real estate sales as well. The great agents are the ones who can relate to a wide range of clients. From the newlyweds purchasing their first home to the retired couple downsizing in their golden years, each circumstance involves an understanding of where those folks are in life. Each situation also involves a story.

While we all inherently know that the majority of one’s business comes from just a few sources, I am often amazed to see once good real estate producers struggle with their production because they wander away from some of the very “basics” that worked earlier in their career. Read the rest of this entry »

One of the unintended consequences of the 24/7 world we live in today is unrealistic expectations. Here is what I mean.

Let’s assume we have a fantastic experience with a new vendor or service provider. What unconsciously happens next is we immediately set the bar at that level for all future interactions we might have going forward. This can blindside someone who has been providing you a service only to realize you now expect even more from them going forward. Read the rest of this entry »

Have you ever noticed a certain phenomenon in life that occurs over and over again?

It goes something like this.

You decide it’s time you need a new car. For the next week, all you see on TV are car ads.

You deliberate and debate between your needs and your wants, your wants win out, and you opt for the little red convertible. Up until then, you rarely thought of or saw any little red convertibles on the road. That is until you drive yours off the car lot!

Mysteriously, it appears the whole neighborhood has done the same thing, red convertibles of all makes and models start appearing everywhere. How could this be? Read the rest of this entry »

1. What are you going to do?
2. With whom?
3. And Where?

Write out your life/career history in 300 words and it will be an enlightening exercise.

It will let you see if your dreams line up with your current reality.  If there is a difference between your dreams and your reality, that tension can bring attention to the gap and help divert resources to making the dreams closer to reality. Read the rest of this entry »

I recently was reflecting on one of life’s most interesting aspects -Learning.

Being an avid book reader, I am constantly reminded of how much I really don’t know. There are so many subjects and topics of interest that I wish I knew more about but have never taken the time to really dig into and explore.

This got me to thinking about what I really “do know”.  The one thing that jumped out at me is that having spent time in one field or subject helps you see a roadmap clearer than if you just entered the business. For example, I am always getting pitched to get involved in some sort of business deal that I have no real knowledge about.  I usually listen to the presenter, smile and politely decline the offer. Read the rest of this entry »

The world we live in today is spinning faster and faster, not literally, but certainly when it comes to staying up on all the new technological advances we face in our everyday lives. New smart phones and tablets seem to be coming out every few months, faster and more capable than the last one.

I don’t know about you, but I have barely learned how to use what I have, when a new application or device makes what I have nearly obsolete. Read the rest of this entry »

I trust you had a restful Holiday and are geared up for a productive 2013. I have always found the beginning of a new year affords me the opportunity for reflection on the past while planning for the future all the while, focusing on the present.

As we all know, the present is where all the action is.

Recently I had the excitement to experience a new and unique culture, one that made me look at the world through a different set of eyes. Read the rest of this entry »