By Paul Everett The first indication from many home owners that they are seriously considering selling their home is often through a free listing on Zillow, Trulia, Craigslist, StreetEasy, or other regional and national For Sale By Owner sites. With the expansion of FSBO advice companies as well as online listing tools—particularly Zillow and Trulia—an increasing number of home owners …
Prescreening for Business: How to Handle a Customer Who Grills You
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 …
Gen Y Agents and Boomer Clients: Getting Beyond ‘You Look So Young!’
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 …
Smart Marketing: Makes All the Difference
By Dave Robison The Average Marketing Scenario A couple years ago a loan officer asked me a brilliant question that they should have asked themselves before they spent $30,000 on a failed marketing campaign. “Dave, I have had a billboard for the past year on I-15 and I don’t get any calls off of it. What is going on?” I …
To That One Person, You’re Pineapple
By Melissa Krchnak For everyone who laughs at a joke a comedian makes, there’s that one person that doesn’t get it. And yet the comedian doesn’t change his joke. For every person who appreciates you being on top of it with your follow-up, there’ll be that one person who thinks you’re too aggressive. Don’t stop your pursuit of success. I …
No Cookies For You
By Melissa Krchnak Jim Rohn asks, “What does the word ‘no’ mean to a child? Almost nothing.” He’s so right, too. I have two nieces under the age of 6 that I just spent last week with and they couldn’t understand “no” any less. No candy. No soda. No dessert until after dinner. No playing with your Happy Meal toy …
The Three Ps of Real Estate
By Jason O’Neil I was going through our listing system the other day and became amazed at the amount of things we do to list a home. The list seems to get longer and more comprehensive as the years pass. One of these days, I may consolidate it and eliminate things, but for now it works and works well. This …
Happy Birthday, Generation Y!
By Marianne Guenther Bornhoft 1982 was a year like no other. It created the Y generation. What’s so special about this group of people? A lot. Its members aren’t afraid to tell you why. The name Generation Y first appeared in an August 1993 Ad Age editorial to describe people born 1982-2001 to Baby Boomers and early Generation Xers. Neil …
A Crisis of Confidence
By Jason O’Neil I believe that we as a country, a world, and a species are suffering a crisis of confidence. I know, that’s a bold statement. But the magnitude in which our world has changed over the past 25 years is nothing short of overwhelming. Confidence used to be something that was a part of our fiber, woven into …
‘I Don’t Pay You to Think.’
By Jason O’Neil I blame FedEx, but there are many culprits contributing to the new mentality of instant access. Instant access has become normal. Companies and individuals provide instant access for a few simple reasons: 1.) They can; 2.) If they don’t, someone else will; 3.) Customers demand it. So where does that leave us? There’s an old cartoon of …