You may want to try writing about something else. People go to the internet to find things, places, or events in their community. These are the same things, places or events that you already go to or have found.

• Where can you get take out Chinese?
• Where can I find a cheap used car?
• Where can I find a clothing donation drop off box?

Those are 3 examples that showed at the top of my Google search when I typed in; “Where can I find Kissimmee”. It just so happens I know where there is good Chinese take out in the area, I know a couple of honest reliable used car salesmen in the area and I can point you to 2 or 3 different drop off locations for your donations.

With this local information, I can write a short, informative blog post that others will find useful. I’ll provide directions, perhaps post a picture or two, offer a review and anything else that matters to me, because there is a good chance it will matter to the reader of my post as well.

“Helping people find things” blog posts are a good way to brand you as a real estate agent who knows the local community. Over time people who visit your blog will see you as a great source of information, not only about where to find things, but about the community in general, including the real estate market. The next time you are stuck on what to write, give this a try. I think you will find that sharing of this type of information is much easier to put on paper.

Bull.

A bad name in this industry does not come from following the rules or insisting that others do so. A bad name comes from thinking you are somehow exempt from following the same rules as everyone else. In our area, an offer that goes to contract must be reported as pending. Some agents try and spin it another way to self-serve their interests of keeping the property active. Shame on those agents choosing to not follow rules and then trying and intimidate those who do.

09.  I’m a little short this week, will you spring for gas?

08.  At least my real estate license is not suspended.

07.  If we get pulled over I will need you to jump over to the driver side.

06.  Sorry I was late meeting you, the shots were flowing freely at lunch today.

05.  I showed these same houses to a buyer last week so I made sure to bring bug spray today.

04.  I need to be done by 4 in order to make it to my restaurant job on time.

03. Yeah the muffler fell off but you get used to the noise after awhile.

02. When we turn right I am going to need you to stick your arm out the window and signal.

And the number 1 thing you should never say while your client is in the car with you…

1. The smeller is the feller.

1. Telling me how long they have been in the business, especially when the length of time they have been an agent has no bearing on what we are discussing.
2. The real estate market is unbelievable.  Whoever came up with that as a response when asked about the market during tough times should never have anything they say believed again.
3. You need to get your buyer/seller under control.  What would you like me to do, spank them or make then go sit in a corner?
4. Buyers are liars.  No, you are just terrible at qualifying.
5. List to last.  We just experienced record breaking inventory levels and a lot of Realtors did not last.
6. How low will your seller go?  I hope you are asking about their limbo skills.
7. It is ok, we do this all the time.  Uh huh, that makes me feel better.
8. This home won’t last.  I usually read this in MLS comments of a home that has been on the market for 1500 days.

Photo credit by Barely Fitz Patrick Fitzgerald

HUD is offering training for real estate agents interested in learning the ins and outs of selling a HUD home.

Florida agents have an opportunity to attend a free seminar in Pensacola on March 19th.  More information

Ohio real estate agents can attend a a training session and earn CE credit on March 24th. More information

· Successful agents have websites and blogs but would not be found with their eyes fixed on their computer screen morning, noon and night. They know that Internet marketing is another tool they can take advantage of to increase their business but should not be considered the only tool.
· Successful agents are not spending hours in the office day in and day out researching the market or a farm area, making big plans and even bigger plans. They understand that implementing the plan is extremely more important that making one and spend their time accordingly.
· Successful agents are not spending time trying to build a better mousetrap because they understand that it makes more sense to use their efforts to increase the amount of mice traffic visiting their existing tried and true mousetrap.

Don’t let the work get in the way of you selling houses. If you are not spending the majority of your time in front of a buyer or a seller, you are going about this business the wrong way. Re-examine your systems and get rid of the work that accomplishes absolutely nothing.

Communication is an important ingredient of making sure a home sells within a reasonable time period and for a fair price. There are several reasons an agent would need to contact and communicate with their seller weekly.

A weekly call to the seller if just to say hello can be reassuring to a homeowner especially in today’s market, knowing the you still have them and their home in mind will help ease the stress associated with such a huge undertaking.

Within the first 1-3 weeks you will want to let the seller know what advertisement and marketing has been started. A seller needs to feel comfortable that your marketing plan is getting into full swing in order to attract a buyer.

Feedback from past viewings of the seller’s home is critical and should be immediately delivered to any homeowner serious about selling their home.

• What did the potential buyer and/or visiting agents think were the good points of the home?
• What were the bad points?
• What did the potential buyer and real estate agent think of the price?
• Why did the potential buyer not make an offer on the home?

As the listing agent you will want to discuss all feedback, good and bad, with the seller to make sure the seller is aware of how their home is viewed as to pricing and condition by potential buyers.

Open and constant communication between a real estate agent and their customer should be a given.  Developing a plan that keeps open communication between your seller and you will lead to your success.

Those agents who have an ability to generate leads and lots of them, are not fairing as badly as their counterparts in the business.  The ability to consistently generate leads is a skill set most sales people never learn.   So what is their secret?  These top producing real estate agents understand that to have more leads they need to do more lead generating activities.

• More open houses
• More center of influence contacts
• More calling of expired and FSBO
• More price reductions
• More internet marketing
• More door knocking
• More money making prospecting and marketing efforts, period

The agents who are making the sales today understand that in this real estate market they need to have lots of irons in the fire.  “Being there” is more important than ever before.   Open houses may not always produce contacts and leads but NOT holding a home open guarantees that you will never pick up a buyer or seller lead.  This same principle applies to each and every marketing/prospecting avenue available to real estate agents.

Do what it takes to generate leads and you will excel, even when others fail.

There are some agents, however, that do not believe that the wearing of a name badge is fitting of our profession.  They are quick to direct you to the fact that we are professionals and well, other professionals such as doctors and lawyers do not wear name badges, so we shouldn’t either.

That seem to be a valid reason, we do want to put on the best professional image we can, right?  If the professional doctor or lawyer believes wearing a name badge is “unprofessional”, who are we not to follow suit.

Right?

We-e-e-l-l-l-l-l-l, there is a bit of a difference between a doctor/lawyer and a real estate professional.  What is the difference?  WE ARE SALES PEOPLE!  They are not.  At the end of the day, we get paid for selling a product, the product being the home or property. 

Sure we provide consultation services, we act as a trusted advisor, yes, we provide information that allows the customer to make their own informed decision but when all is said and done they pay us because of a house or property we sell.

If you need help in seeing the value of wearing a name badge you might want to think of them in this regard.  Think of your name tag as nothing more than running adwords online.  The customer comes across your site (in this case, you in the flesh) and catches a glimpse of your adword (the badge), if  they are in the market they may do the real-time version of clicking on the ad which is approaching you and engaging you in a conversation.  Isn’t that what we want them to do?

Your name tag acts like an adword.  Wearing it when out an about on errands or shopping will put you in front of eyes that might never have met you otherwise.  If it results in one more deal a year, wasn’t it worth wearing?  Slap it on and wear it proudly.  If you are too embarrassed to wear a name badge you are probably in the wrong profession.