Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been categorized as “Commitment to Excellence”
By Lynn Minnick When I was a new agent back in 2000, I took a rental call. It was a young couple, around my age, looking for a rental in town. Once we started talking, they told me they could spend $1,400 per month. That was higher than my mortgage payment at the time, so I asked them if they’d …
By Brooke Wolford In the past year since I started my real estate marketing company Organamx, I’ve noticed one growing trend: Many people have the notion that you can pay to somehow prove that you’re successful. While you can pay for an amazing website, for placement on Google, and even for leads, spending money will never prove that you have …
By Scott Newman So you just found out your buddy got a big promotion and is now ready to buy a sexy luxury condo in downtown Chicago. He’s your boy–you’ve known him since grade school–of course he’s going to give you first crack at the business, and you’ve already started spending the commission check. But before you blindly agree to …
By Dave Robison In the midst of the government shutdown, we are still working with our clients to get their deals closed. Yes, the FHA is still committed to getting loans processed, but other government entities are closed, including the IRS. Lenders require a 4506-T form, but the IRS is now unable to fulfill requests. So what does this mean? …
By Sammer Mudawar Buying and selling residential real estate is one of the most emotional transactions consumers conduct. Understanding client psychology, managing expectations, and using effective communication are the three most valuable skills that a real estate professional needs to develop for a successful career with less stress. Client Psychology Understand the psyche of your client and your chances of …
By Scott Newman Many agents forget that barriers to getting deals to the closing table exist in both good and bad markets. We are seeing a lot of appraisal issues in the Chicagoland area as over-regulation and timidness on the part of appraisers to push values — despite undeniable appreciation — has resulted in many deals dying at the financing …
By Jason O’Neil Last week, I received an unusual call from a seller. As a REALTOR®, getting a call from a seller is not out of the ordinary. However, when this particular seller explains that he has developed a list of questions to use for a “prescreening” of potential REALTORS®, I really perk up. Despite what some may think, the …
By Michelle Flaherty Philbrook A while back, I got a call on a condo listing of mine. The potential buyers were a retirement-age couple looking for a new place just large enough for their kids to stop by for a visit, but just small enough that their fledglings couldn’t fully return to the nest. I showed the condo, and when …
By Anand Patel The word “role model” gets a lot of lip service. We live in a society that loves to point fingers at our teachers, musicians, athletes, and actors when our kids behave badly. Personally, I never deeply considered the importance of being a role model until recently. As you may know, I reference my 3 1/2-year-old daughter every …
By Jason O’Neil Referrals, referrals, referrals. We all get them and we all want more. We want referrals from our lenders, our title reps, our barbers, our past clients, and we especially want them from other agents. We love referrals because they are easy leads. They are not faceless Internet leads or the sometimes abrupt sign calls; they are real …
