By Toby Boyce The sun rose over the eastern sky as my alarm went off on what was quite the unusual March morning. Well beyond the fact that it was nearly 50 degrees, I decided to take my wife’s advice and go to the neurologist and chiropractor after six days of constant migraines. As I sat in the chiropractor’s office, …
Be Careful of Real Estate ‘Blah, Blah, Blah’
By Toby Boyce The question on my local NPR station was simple enough: “Why do symphonies sound different when they are made up of the same parts?” The response was very eloquent and educated — I assume. It made as much sense as Pig Latin to me. “Well each one focuses on different things…” I’m sure that musicians in the …
Get Involved: Think Nationally, Act Locally
By Toby Boyce I’ve had the fortune of serving on committees for the Delaware County Board of REALTORS®, Ohio Association of REALTORS®, and National Association of REALTORS®. By far, whenever the topic comes up around agent and non-agent friends alike, the focus is shifted towards NAR and how “cool” that is. Sure, I’m a big fan of the work NAR’s …
Mid-REALTOR® Crisis: That Ain’t My Sign in Her Yard
By Toby Boyce She’d been courting both of us, and promised that she’d let us know tonight who she chose. I waited patiently by the phone, but finally drove by her house. That ain’t my sign in her yard. I thought she was the “one” and that we’d be together forever – well at least the next six months – …
Mid-REALTOR® Crisis: The Axe Effect
By Toby Boyce We’ve all seen the advertisements on television. The more Axe bodywash you use, the more female attention you are going to get. Well, I recently conducted a not-at-all scientific experiment and wore Axe body wash to the library. A couple of girls and guys smiled at me, but I was really disappointed as I expected there to …
Mid-REALTOR® Crisis: Momma Said There’d Be Days Like This
By Toby Boyce It was a hot summer day in late July 2006 as I slipped down U.S. 23 to the Ohio Division of Real Estate testing center. I had made the jump into real estate without a safety net – quitting my job in higher education public relations and knowing that if I failed this test it would be …
Leave the Used Car Salesperson Persona Behind
By Toby Boyce Sitting in the classroom taking licensure classes to become a licensed real estate agent in the state of Ohio, suddenly it becomes very obvious: They want to make sure you know people don’t like you. “You are spoken in the same breath as used car salesmen,” a local real estate attorney is fond of stating. (Of course …
What’s the Message? Ask Yourself ‘Why’
By Toby Boyce “What do you think Heather Jones* does?” my mother-in-law inquired as we followed a heavily decorated mini-van through the streets of a north-central Ohio community. “Well, I think it would be real estate,” I replied. “You can just make out a ‘just listed’ and ‘sold’ in the paintwork beside the license plate.” “How in the hell was …
Stop, Drop, and Roll … Or Something Like That
By Toby Boyce I rolled up on the house like I always do, peering at addresses to verify the location with where the GPS was placing the destination. However, this time I missed the house. And that’s where this story took a possibly tragic detour. With four years of experience processing broker price opinions I’ve developed a safety routine that …
Know Your Role as a REALTOR®
By Toby Boyce The couple slid through the front door, their faces painted with obvious pain and anguish over having to go through this all over again – and after talking to them, it became very obvious why. This was the first time I’d met the couple, but I was far from their first real estate agent who they’d viewed …