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 …
NAR So Far: Four Running Themes in Anaheim
By Michelle Flaherty Now that we’re on to day two of the REALTORS® Conference & Expo, and my mind and body are beginning to adjust to west coast time, the pieces of information that I will bring back home with me are becoming much more clear. First, it is becoming abundantly clear that I need an iPad. Every class I’ve …
No Tax Credit? No Problem!
By Michelle Flaherty Has the incentive for first-time home buyers to break into the market just gone away? My non-scientific market research has shown me that it has not. My buyer clients are still excited about the house hunting process, low interest rates, and attractive offerings at low prices – and I’m hearing the same from my peers. In fact, …
The Way They Do It, You CAN’T Do It
By Michelle Flaherty Having grown up in a family real estate business, I have seen my parents conduct themselves in certain ways. Now that I’m a REALTOR(R), I try to model their behavior as much as possible. In almost every instance, this has been invaluable to me – I’ve been able to use them as resources for uncharted situations and …
Midyear: How to Prep for a Visit to The Hill
By Michelle Flaherty Philbrook This is my fourth year taking an active role in one of the most exciting aspects of the NAR Midyear meetings – personally meeting with our congressional delegation on Capitol Hill to discuss issues important to the real estate industry and homeownership. Each year, a group of 20 or so REALTORS(R) from the Maine Association come along, …
Safety, Salesmanship, and the Anonymous Internet Lead
By Michelle Flaherty A couple weeks ago, I received an e-mail from a person I didn’t know. The person was inquiring on a property that another broker in my office had listed, and they wanted to set up an appointment to view it. So I did a few things I almost always do before I meet a new prospective client. …
Life After the First-Time Home Buyer Craze
By Michelle Flaherty Does anyone else miss working with people who want to buy AND sell? In a market marked by bank sales, short sales, and first-time home buyers, it’s easy to lose sight of what lies beyond this year’s surplus of single-sided clients. The year 2009 was without a doubt the year of the first-time home buyer. Already, …
Why is it so Hard for REALTORS® to Go On Vacation?
By Michelle Flaherty This week, I went on a quick trip with my fiancé to visit the site of our upcoming wedding in Marco Island, Florida. With my work week reduced to Monday and Tuesday, I went into action mode, arranged coverage for the week, and packed my laptop so I could take care of business from the beach. Of …