Realtor Wives

Don't Read This

2007-08-24T15:31:00.000-06:00

Sucka- I knew you'd read this...

Did you know that you can convert all of your Blogger articles over to Word Press with a simple mouse click? It's ture! If you're looking for any article from this page in the past, head over to the new site where you'll find ALL articles.

I've been surprised at the continued traffic over here- Chris, why are you coming here? :) I see you guys...

Realtor Wives Has Moved

2007-07-22T19:06:00.000-06:00

I've had a couple of emails asking what happened to Realtor Wives... we've just changed to Word Press and are under a new domain...

Where Is Lani???

2007-07-09T17:29:00.000-06:00

Chick Clues- Car Detailing

2007-07-07T17:30:00.000-06:00

Today debuts what *should* be a pretty sweet addition to Realtor Wives. I have OCD. Ask anyone- I constantly push agents' chairs in, frequently clean my home's baseboards, I have a need for 90 degree angles with all papers on desks, and brake dust on rims bugs me.

Therfore, today begins "Chick Clues"- my way of sharing my OCD with you, the loyal readers! Recently, I was detailing my car. That means that I was going back over the car after it had been professionally detailed- getting the tracks clean under the seats, dusting out the glove compartment, etc. and I couldn't quite get to the little dust in the door locks or window buttons. When I marched back inside for the swiffer, I realized that the can of compressed air would do fabulously! Ah the power of compressed air- I blew out dust in little crevices that I didn't know could even collect dust!

So today's Chick Clue- use a can of compressed air to detail crevices of your car that detailers don't quite reach. Realtors, you know you live in your car and have clients in it every day... don't neglect it!

What are your car cleaning clues?

Going On A Comment Sabbaticle

2007-07-05T13:25:00.001-06:00

So I have this neighbor who just has to keep up with the Joneses. At some point, my husband and I became the target:

1. They have had their landscape redone to be a tad better than ours, but they keep mowing int he rain leaving trenches. We like to do our own because no one is as obsessive compulsive as we are.

2. They bought a new gianto SUV this summer. We bought a Jeep this spring.

3. We painted our door and trim a glossy black this spring. They painted their door and trim a glossy black this summer.

4. We threw a 2006 Celebrity Princess Party for our then 9 year old. They threw a 2007 Celebrity Emmy Party for their now 10 year old.

And the list goes on. I don't mind them playing the game, but why play? I'm not even attempting to be on the game field! So then, why would they go beyond keeping up with the Joneses and decide to actually hate the Joneses!?!? In what seems to be frustration that we don't want to play in their sandbox but we still somehow "beat" them in their minds, they have decided to hate us. Last night at fireworks, instead of coming over where we were shooting (sweet, huh?), they stood on their front porch with their arms crossed and wouldn't let their daughters (my daughter's best friends) come over because it was a "family affair." Whatever, sourpuss.

So what does this have to do with a comment sabbaticle? Well, the same thing has begun happening to me in the blogosphere. Look, I'm not a Realtor so I can't possibly compete with you. Nor am I in the mortgage industry. After a few bloggers have either pirated my comments, held on to my comments because their buddy was in the process of making a similar comment (and posting it after the fact, making me look like a repetitive idiot), actually editing my comments (wth?), or simply not publishing them. Therefore, I am tired and I will be on sabbaticle.

In the past, when I've needed backup, I've emailed a few friends (Realtor Genius, Bawld Guy and Kris Berg) asking them to jump in either here or on Bloodhound. If you need me to do the same, or you simply miss my voice, please email me directly. Otherwise, I will be drinking a Mojito as I enjoy my comment-free sabbaticle!

What's A Bawldy?

2007-07-02T17:24:00.001-06:00

So, this week, Realtor Wives achieved a highly sought after milestone- earning a Bawldy! What's a Bawldy? Well, Jeff Brown at BawldGuy.com links daily to his choice of the best Real Estate articles of the day, and "How Not To Screw Up" was named in his list of the bestest blogs. We all know that he had to name others in his daily awards show, but he'll tell you that we take the cake.

In honor of this award, we decided to give Jeff an equally impressive award- the Realtor Wives Hairy Award! Jeff, I know you've dreamt of having the Ashton Kutcher 'do, so we had a fabulous local graphic artist (also known as my dad) create a wonderful image of Bawldy with Hair. Please enjoy!

We are accepting nominations for other bald or balding Realtors that deserve hair- we can (and will) award Hair but only on a need-basis; submit your nominations today!

How Not To Screw Up...

2007-07-01T07:14:00.000-06:00

I came across an article recently about 10 dating disasters and immediately thought of what so many Realtors do incorrectly (or "do wrong" if you're here in the South). I thought I would modify the typical dating lists to read "What Not To Do Before or On The First Meeting With a Client" or in short "How Not To Screw Up..."

1. Do not have someone Photoshop your picture to smooth your skin, remove your double chin or give you hair. When your client meets you, they will be very uncomfortable because their insides will shake with laughter. If you're ugly, so what? It's a misconception that people hire Realtors based on their most recent mission to Plasticsurgeryville.

2. Do not wear a Hawaiian shirt on a first meeting, no matter how Rico Suave you are. Remember, Hawaiian shirt wearing is for the exclusive few that are (a) Hawaiian, (b) on vacation, (c) are fat and middle aged, or (d) my father.

3. When a local broadcaster or someone of local fame calls you, don't rent an ultra-luxurious car and claim yours is in the shop! If you're sportin' an Escort, just give it a bath and let your client know you intend to roll the Escort until the wheels fall off (oh and make sure it smells nice, no one likes day old catfish leftover smell).

4. Don't let your cell phone get in the way of your Realtor mojo. If you can't have a first meeting without gabbing on your phone (and everyone is SO guilty of this), turn the dang thing to silent. Have a general VM that says "I am currently meeting with a valued client, but I have a great habit of checking my voicemail the moment I get into my car, so don't worry- you'll hear from me soon!" If you appear to love your Star Trek bluetooth more than the precious time with your client, you may never hear from them again.

5. Don't be late. Period. You are not the only one who values time and if you are late to a first meeting (or well, to any) it is a great sign of disrespect. Plan on being 15 minutes early, finish phone calls in the car and approach the door of your meeting destination right on time. When you are late, you explicitly tell your client that you are the center of the universe, they should bow because you have entered a room, and you believe that their time and business is of no consequence to you (unless that's how you see it).

6. Don't over promise. This is the cardinal sin in Real Estate, especially during listing presentations. If you don't have a guarantee (see Russell Shaw's website), don't promise a home will sell in 6.34 days. Don't promise to be "available at all times" when you know you don't answer the phone when it's dark, the game is on, you're napping or you're at your "day job" (which should be #7, but I'll be nice).

7. You are not Oprah. Keep your bragging to a minimum. Bragging and presenting yourself in a factual manner are different matters. For example, "I'm Austin's best Realtor" is lame, try "In this subdivision, I sold one out of every two listings last year." At a first meeting, you are likely applying for a job with that client, so don't bog down the "interview" with inflating or stroking your own ego. Don't be bragadocious.

8. Don't badmouth the competition. Dogging on other Realtors (typically local competitors) online can get you in deep dookie here in Texas, but doing it in person is just low. When someone talks about their past Realtor (operative word being "past" aka non-threatening, so shut up), refocus the conversation casually to you or their current home situation rather than noting "yeah, he's an a-hole, he spilled a drink on me at this massive party just after admitting that he doesn't work weekends and he dresses in drag when he's alone." Muy mal.

9. Don't be inappropriate. This includes the joke about the dumb Aggie (they probably went to A&M, poor guy), the racist joke (their absent spouse is likely of that race), the Pope joke (I'm probably Catholic), or the handicap joke (their mom is probably paralyzed). It's not the time or place. Making dirty jokes, using crude language, any physically inappropriate gestures or otherwise can actually put your career at risk and there's nothing funny I can say about that. Don't be an idiot- you're probably not as funny as you think anyhow.

10. My favorite- don't be cute. This applies mostly to you guys out there aged 40-55 who are clinging to that last hope that you are as cute as you were when you were president of your frat way back when. If your kids are in their 20s, I'm begging you- don't flirt with your 25 year old female client- she's not interested. Trying to bring sexy back during a first meeting can ultimately screw things up.

Now it's your turn- start adding to the list beginning with #11...

Why Redfin Will Succeed

2007-06-28T11:38:00.000-06:00

Kevin Boer at 3 Oceans Realty poses the question, "If You Were Designing The Real Estate Industry From Scratch, Would It Look More Like Coldwell Banker Or Redfin?"

The consensus so far is that if we started from scratch, the industry would still resemble the 1.3 million contractors that make up the NAR. I made a comment that could be interpreted as harsh against the demographic that Redfin is seeking to court, but I meant what I said- we all know (or are) someone who is glued to a computer and would love to never ever leave. I have a family member (no, not my husband) who is literally addicted to the internet and would never leave his chair if he didn't have to go to the bathroom. Seriously.

Redfin would be great for him because he's scared to death of getting out of the house. He wouldn't care how Web 2.0 the Redfin site is, he would love the idea that he doesn't have to interact with a human. The problem is that before he says "I do" and marries his home, he'll want to personally (ideally without a sales person present) hold its hand and commence to a little heavy petting before committing. This is why video open houses are so important for this tiny demographic. BUT, buyers will never purchase a home sight unseen, because humans inherently rely on tangibility and emotions regarding major purchases regardless of whatever "business model" a Realtor uses. Look, I personally don't like big crowds and sales people make me nervous, but I have to see the house/car/skirt in person before I let a salesperson into my personal business. I understand.

Therefore, I maintain that Redfin is courting the hipster/WoW nerds and I believe (as my husband notes below) that they will survive (and succeed) in their niche because they've quietly found a tiny demo that was not publicly being courted, and the only reason they need a website is for PR, not necessarily sales. RealtorGenius says it better than I can in a comment at 3Oceans:

"Lani is correct that there is a very tiny fragment of the market that wants nothing to do with actually touching the house first. It does tailor to those who would prefer to sit at their computers or hide within four walls from the world. Knowing that, a great bunch of folks tried to open grocery stores online- they’ve all but failed here- horrible deaths. I can think of a few other types of markets that tried to go the online way and they crashed and burned too. I do believe Redfin will capture attention with rebates, but NOT with the idea of doing it all online- that will fail in the long run as well.

So to answer your question: The industry (being what it is) works. Regardless of how you begin, I believe the real estate industry would evolve to exactly where it is today- again and again. Why? Because it’s practical- no one can control real estate."

To Capthca or NOT To Captcha

2007-06-26T20:55:00.000-06:00

Many of us (myself included) opt to include the captcha so that the spambots can't infiltrate our beautiful blogs. I'm on Google's Blogger, and I've learned that Blogger sometimes cops an attitude and insults its users... seriously.

Check it out here and consider if you still want to feature captchas on your site...

The Realtor Wives Feed Reader Hits 100!

2007-06-25T16:22:00.000-06:00

Well, it had to come sometime- the obstacle is now here... how do I keep this feed reader under 100? As I asked this week, who should be the 100th blog to read every day?

Realtor Wives added Rebekah Herzog out of Kansas who is a budding new blogger. I encourage you all to visit her site, email her encouragement (we all need it when getting started) or suggestions and add her to your feed reader. Congrats on being #100!

Sidenote: I'm using Bloglines and I hate it- any suggestions or reviews of your own readers?

Carnival of Real Estate

2007-06-25T15:03:00.000-06:00

Altos Reasearch hosts this week's Carnival of Real Estate.

My thoughts:
(1) sweet- Greg Swann has his own blog category (although Mike had to sidenote that he was half kidding about that),
(2) Altos subcategorized RE blogging in a very concise way (that I liked) and
(3) thank God CoRE takes a dang 4th of July break next week- I really need one!

Notes:
Definition of a Blog Carnival

Benefits of submitting to Carnivals

More about getting involved at the Carnival of Real Estate (CoRE)

List of future CoRE judges
*July 4th week- no CoRE
*July 9th- ValleyMarket.com

*July 16th- Sadie's Take on Delaware

*July 23rd- Rain City Guide
*July 30th- SacramentoReal Estate Guide

JOIN IN!!!

Only Room For One More Blog!

2007-06-24T22:28:00.000-06:00

Today, I added the 99th blog to my Bloglines feed reader. When I started this whole blog thang (yeah, that's spelled with an "a"), I set several goals. My number three goal was to keep my feed reader under 100 blogs to stay on top of every day.

At the time, that number seemed so huge, but since then Bloglines has sucked up RE blogs like a Hoover. Whew! I now read 99 blogs every day, and I have room for ONE MORE!!!

Who should it be?

Top 10 DIY Mistakes

2007-06-23T13:52:00.000-06:00

Yahoo blipped this article across my screen and it embodied many things we frequently tell those clients that are preparing to begin flipping/renovating/fixing their new purchases. Maybe you'll find it helpful also! We will be printing this out for all our agents who aren't RE.net compatible!

Click the links for about each DIY mistake:

1. Not taking out the required permits.
2. Starting a job without the necessary tools and supplies.
3. Inadequate preparation of the job site.
4. Skimping on materials.
5. Using the wrong paint.
6. Improper preparation of walls for painting.
7. Unsafe job conditions.
8. Inaccuracy.
9. Working beyond your limits.
10. Failure to get a clue.

Confessions of a Lifehacker Addict

2007-06-22T22:10:00.001-06:00

Thanks a lot, Larry... as if my time wasn't monopolized with Real Estate, blogging, family and a stubborn dog, you got me hooked on the crack that is Lifehacker! If any of you aren't reading, it is a great supplement for bloggers to learn about software apps, office organizing and how to get water out of the cell phone you dropped in the pool.

My favorite articles today:
Google adds Group Chat (great for co-drafting documents)
Top 10 DIY Office Projects
Making a Room Look Bigger (great for staging or in your own home or office)
Cord Management (addressing Realtor Genius' cord crisis)

It's no Feed Bag, but now I'm like Larry, pimpin' and slingin' the addiction that is Lifehacker (see Erin, I like to say pimpin'!)!

A Loud 10 Year Old

2007-06-21T21:43:00.000-06:00

Realtor Genius and I have a beautiful, intelligent, newly 10 year old daughter who recently took an interest in blogging. We set her up with an invitation-only Blogger site and she has blogged like a madwoman!

Tonight, she asked if she could blog on our Austin Real Estate Blog, but I told her she'd have to create a draft and have it approved with the brokerage boss (aka Daddy). He didn't sign off on it, rather sent it over to the head of Asset Management (aka me) and I saw a great RealtorWives article. So on an orange piece of paper with a purple marker, she had written the following:

"You should pick my dad he's the Best. Better than everyone."

Best blog of the year if you ask me. I think she's getting the whole Web2.0 RE.net down already! Watch out, y'all- she's just getting started!

Sidenote: photo courtesy of jynmeyer (our daughter is actually cuter...)

RE WEBLOGGING 101

2007-06-21T11:16:00.000-06:00

Realtor Genius has sniffed out a great new site by TheGreg over at Bloodhound:

Weblogging101 opened today, and to be honest there is just so much information it would take several days to plow through it all, so I’ll let you know my thoughts next week- but here are my general thoughts in advance.

First of all, bloodhoundblog.com isn’t profiting on this at all. No one is over there giving criticism of your blog to gain your business, it’s the simply how-to we all needed when we started (and I for one, still need) and for this I believe it has heart, merit, and to be honest, you can trust it. Why? Because the only thing your being sold is a better understanding of what in the heck you’re doing!

Although I'd be lying if I didn't know REWeblogging101 was coming, Realtor Genius has published a great evaluation of the new site- THANKS RG!

Learn more about RE Weblogging and how to put the REW101 logo on your site!

World's Best Photographer

2007-06-20T20:44:00.000-06:00

I don't often use this blog to promote non-Real Estate material, but I've been meaning to tell you all about Emma Smallbone of BarebonePhoto, the World's Best Photographer. Okay, so I don't think there's a particular award for that, but she is actually well established (and way underpriced if you ask me) and will travel. She has won a number of awards for her ubercreative journalistic style and constantly receives praise. She's based in Canada (but we'll forgive her for that!) but travels to weddings all over the place.

If you, your children, a client or a friend is preparing to walk the plank (aka get married), you have to look at Emma's work. Not only is she incredible, she has a blog!!! I've learned about her doggie (happy 1st Sophie!)...her family and her clients... never before have I been so impressed with any single photographer (uh... sorry to our wedding photographer). Her silly nature is reflected in her work and she never takes herself too seriously! What a dream!!! When our children get married (or we finally have our Catholic wedding), Emma will be well worth the extra few dollars to get her down here to Texas.

Let me know when she becomes your family's wedding photographer- I'll watch her blog for the best pictures of you you'll ever see!

Attention Newbies

2007-06-20T08:19:00.000-06:00

I have had several emails lately from new bloggers asking what direction to take (and I'm no specialist, but I'm always happy to share links to any of the 92 blogs on my feed reader)... there are so many great resources out there!

For those of you new to blogging, finding inspiration can be one of the most difficult tasks. No problem, RSS Pieces has the perfect solution- use one of their 225 proposed article ideas written by the supersupersassy Fairy Blogmother. If you haven't stumbled onto this site yet, it is great for new bloggers (or uh, bad ones)...

What In The World Is "Deck"?

2007-06-18T18:16:00.000-06:00

Don't know what "deck" is? You're just not hip... I'll clue you in! Liz Barkdale writes my absolute favorite article written thus far in 2007; click here to read on!

Anywhere in Austin south of the Capitol, the "Keep Austin Weird" subculture reigns. I've been debating how to use this article in the blogosphere, but it's too dang funny to not publish. For those of you who have lived in or visited Austin, you'll giggle as you read this article; for those who have not, you surely have some "deck" element in your own city.

Tell us how deck YOUR city is!

photo (from thatotherpaper.com )/ Fred Benenson

Carnival of Real Estate- Sock Puppet's Turn

2007-06-17T20:39:00.000-06:00

This week, The Sock Puppet hosts the Carnival of Real Estate aka "CoRE."

If you haven't started participating in the Carnival of Real Estate, it's a great way to find great bloggers to add to your feed reader. And if you don't have a feed reader, you need one!

Athol (aka "Sock Puppet" or "Wooly Opinionator" or "Cotton Goblin") welcomes readers to his home of Bristol, CT, "Connecticut is notable for having next to zero professional sports teams and was thus the Switzerland of Sports for ESPN to set up shop in." Nice.

Notorious B.I.G. Said "Mo Money, Mo Problems"

2007-06-15T12:26:00.001-06:00

Notorious B.I.G. said "Mo Money, Mo Problems" and I agree. In the blogosphere, the bigger you get, the more bold you become and it leads to enemies whether you like it or not. Instead of talking dollars, let's talk blogosphere "fame." Greg Swann's got a lot of that "fame" and because of his "mo fame," he's got "mo problems." Greg and I don't always agree, so I am not defending any particular viewpoint today. Rather, I wanted to share with you why Greg and I are friends.

(1) Before I was a BHB contributor, I decided to ask Greg any and all questions regarding blogging even if the questions made me look stupid. He never judged my ignorance, instead he quickly emailed me back an answer.

(2) There has been no restriction on what Greg has been willing to share with me. He's given me access to the PHP code for parts of his site that I wanted to steal, he's given me his Carnival judging algorithm, and he's endlessly given me definitions to dorky blog words that I've had to learn over the past months.

(3) Greg is not inflammatory. His articles and comments are provocative, but he never cusses at anyone, he backs his theories up with his researched facts and is willing to take the heat when his arguments anger people. Currently, Greg has brought up the licensing bar and postulates that we should abolish it. I disagree with this- abolishment is not a solution; I'm waiting on a solution. Regardless, what I like about Greg is that if I email him saying, "hey, I disagree," or "what's the solution to the licensing issue?" he will write an article about such a topic instead of hiding behind an offline conversation.

(4) BHB publishing rules don't exist. As an author, I've never been censored. I've also never used curse words or made ignorant personal attacks. Some people have been censored (and Greg emailed me the censored comments and his reasons for censoring) and I'm okay with that. Ponch (Kris and Steve's troll) and Prime Minister (my troll) pick fights online and if they get out of hand (which they haven't yet), they WILL be censored- that's my right. I disagree that Greg arbitrarily blacklists- like I said, I've seen the conversations. Whether I would make the same choice to censor is not the point.

Greg didn't ask me to (and would probably prefer that I didn't) write my Top Four Reasons I'm Friends With Greg Swann, but sometimes someone with "mo money [and] mo problems" are busy and that's when a friend should step in.

And if Athol asks me why I'm friends with him, I can make that my next article... :)

YOU'VE BEEN REDFINNED!

2007-06-13T23:18:00.000-06:00

UPDATED AND EDITED PER REQUEST:

Today, a temporarily (by request) unnamed site coins a new term- "Redfinned." MTV may have Punk'D, but the Real Estate industry has Redfinned. This word is an adjective used to describe the despair a buyer or seller feels when dealing with a non-responsive-call-center-operator (also known as a Redfin or McDiscount agent) who cannot return or make calls. This word is applicable to the feeling of tearing out hair when the salaried Redfin (or McDiscounter) agent does not feel that they make enough money to acknowledge buyers or sellers, rather they would prefer to read blogs, troll the malls or plaster bandit signs around the city.

The disdain for a lack of customer service was bound to be let out of the bag someday- well, here we are, June 13th, 2007- it's finally "someday."

I encourage you to use this new term (or the logo) on your own site in regard to agents (whether at Redfin or otherwise) that lack service. YOU'VE BEEN REDFINNED!!!

A Buyer Who Never Turned His Car Off

2007-06-13T22:38:00.001-06:00

Last week, my husband closed a beautiful new home in a new subdivision. The buyer (we'll call him JR) reads this blog (being a tech-savvy guy and a new friend of ours), so he'll get a kick out of it (hi JR)!

After months that ran into more than a year of searching for a home, JR fell in lust with a giganto home that the seller was only willing to "seller finance." JR didn't have representation so he settled. Although he loved his giant house, he wanted to save some money and with an electric bill equating to multiple car payments, he knew he had to get out of this castle.

Now, JR is working on his MBA with a prestigious program and has a spreadsheet for everything- I mean EVERYTHING! He knew the backend of financing down to the penny. He had a financial plan and needed a new direction to meet his goals. JR the Super Bachelor has two big dogs that he takes everywhere with him. Put the know-it-all and seen-it-all together and you have one tough buyer.

JR and my husband hit it off before physically meeting to shop, so it was no surprise that JR brought his dogs to see the home my husband noted was the best choice for him. We thought the selection process would be lengthy, but JR left his car running (with the dogs inside) as he stepped into the first house and soon said "I'll take it" and contracted within the hour.

Later, when asked why he didn't continue his tedious search, he said that he trusted my husband because of the lengthy phone conversations they'd had- he spoke his Web 2.0 type dorko language, he listened to his shopping desires, and he was intimately familiar with the financing JR wanted. JR said that he knew before seeing it that the house my husband picked would match everything he'd asked for- he never even had to turn his engine off.

The RE industry needs more of this- see if you can sell a home this week for a know-it-all-seen-it-all for a two week closing. Consider it your challenge!

State of the Blog Report- Unhealthy Competition

2007-06-12T11:32:00.000-06:00

Several bloggers are observing the problems with RE blogging of late, namely the abuse of the forum. People have been accused of censoring, being inappropriate and vulgar, inflammatory and the like for reasons of ratings (or prospecting or entertaining).

On a recent Realtor Wives article, some bold statements were made. Please read the article and statements here in full if you have not today. I will address my response here:

We are business bloggers. If we weren't, no one would be professing their career choice, and we would be writing about movies, jeans, kitties or concerts. There should be no "taking it personally," "personal attacks" or censoring for a self-indulgent cause (which I can't personally say has occurred or not, nor do I really care). Come on! We are here to promote our individual businesses, the concept of buying and selling real estate, to discuss the market and hopefully teach readers about what we do in hopes that the healthy Web2.0 style conversation draws people in- if not to us, at least to someone knowledgeable.

Lockwood also humorously tried to correct Realtor Wives regarding "Project Bladder" which makes light of the whole competitive issue. I still stand by my satirical look at the issue- people are engaging in personal competitiveness. Kris mentioned that she feels in the middle (and I share that sentiment due to my BHB affiliation)- no one should have to feel that way because of personal problems bloggers have with each other, nor should they be publicly aired in such nasty ways (simply aired anywhere so aggressively, not specifically on Realtor Wives).

The point: get over yourselves! Quit making it personal- this is business blogging, not Project Bladder. A slow news cycle is no excuse for arm wrestling about blogging.

Project Bladder

2007-06-10T14:57:00.000-06:00

John Lockwood has been actively commenting on Realtor Wives as of late, namely on the "Know Your Identity" article. If you haven't read it, back up and take a look before continuing... I'll wait... As you read in the comments, Lockwood created this satirical logo (and it's pretty dang good if you ask me) as the "thread's official logo."

To add to this concept, I believe that this "Project Bladder" seal should be used on any article that a blogger writes that is part of the distance competition (see "Know Your Identity" if you haven't yet). When you're calling another blogger out whether indirectly (as I normally do) or directly (as BHB and the Sock Goblin are currently doing), you should feature this logo so everyone knows that you're in it to win it!

Who's in???

Austin Realtor's Wife Around Town

2007-06-08T17:40:00.000-06:00

Two reasons to link to blogs I've commented on today:

(1) to hear more of my unsolicited opinion regarding real estate and
(2) to fend off the comment pirate(s)
(3) but mainly to be more creative in showing who's on my feed reader.

I hope others will pick up this idea of linking to sites where they've added to (or screwed up in some cases) the ongoing conversations:

Dalton's Zillow Roast
Chris' New Buds
Rory's Buffett Connection
Berg Barks at Vultures
RG Exposes Dad at the Sorority Party

These are in no particular order, rather listed arbitrarily on this here ol' blog. We're headed out for the weekend, so forgive my lack of comments/articles over the weekend. For those of you who know me (and how verbose I can be), you'll know to call the authorities if I'm not actively commenting by Tuesday...

State of The Blog Report- Know Your Identity

2007-06-07T13:32:00.000-06:00

Today, I respond to the following articles:

*Realtor Genius' Web 2. Oh No
*BawldGuy's Adios Blog
*Greg's Line in the Sand
*RSS Pieces' Style Thesis
*Athol's Neener Neener
*Lockwood's Hate/Love Affair

Because I am friends with 4 of the 5 blogs mentioned above, I will speak in generalities...

1.) I am noticing a heating up of pee contests online (so what if I've used this phrase before?!?!). Some of you know that you are agitating the pit bull that is chained up, but listen well- when the chain breaks, you won't be able to run fast enough and I predict you'll lose parts of your pants. Sure, your friends think it's funny because they don't like the pit bull and your making funny faces at it is entertaining, or they do like the pit bull and they are just bored. However, the pissing contest is one that has an eventual winner (and loser) and I for one squat, so I won't get into the urine launching arena. Just remember though, someone has to lose. I just hope that everyone calms down- we're blogging for business, not for fun. If you want a fun blog about pants and music, get off of the RE airwaves.

2.) I have also noticed a great deal of Web 2.0 observations going on and I am loving it! Lockwood does a great job of bringing this topic up, and Realtor Genius tears it a new hole (yeah, that hole). While they talk about the merit (or lack thereof) of the Web 2.0 movement, I have to pause to affirm that it is a means to connect with your clients by being more natural and by being yourself which is a great benefit to those with relatable personalities. The problem that Realtor Genius notes is that many bloggers put on a sideways hat and say "whattup dawg" to attempt to relate rather than being themselves (which he asserts is the point of Web 2.0).

3.) Jeff Brown and I had an off-line conversation about RSS Pieces' article regarding style and he made the distinct note that style and voice are not the same thing. He and I have voices that are recognizable even if we don't put our names on our articles or comments- it's inescapable. My style, however, changes with each article. My style can be the Troublemaker (see Point 1), and I can be authoritative, but my voice is usually silly and I don't take myself too seriously. I AM a 20-something non-Realtor, and I write as such. I never pretend to have a voice/style that is one of a Realtor with 20 years worth of experience (like Jeff). To complete my stream of consciousness point on the RSSPieces article, your style is not your voice (as the piece asserts) and the two should not be confused. I may have a silly style in one article and a condemning style in another, but my voice is constant because of who I am- you are always able to point me out in the blogosphere (even if I play the anonymous card).

***********************
I am the first to stand up for myself and others, but I think we should all get back to what we were doing- blogging about real estate (usually for the consumer). Some of you can pee further than me (and others can't), but who cares? I don't blog to clients- my niche is more for Realtors (and the occasional spouse), so I remind those who ARE blogging to clients to relax and get your eyes back on the ball. Please. I mean, now. :)

CSI Factor: Episode 2

2007-06-01T22:25:00.000-06:00

Once upon a time, I vowed to write about my various customer service experiences under the guise of the "CSI Factor" and relate them to the Real Estate industry. We frequently migrate to my husband's homeland (Oklahoma; boomer!) to see family. This weekend, we are in Oklahoma and I've had two experiences with Marriott:

Experience One:

I called some time back to make a reservation at Marriott because the website wasn't working properly. I am typically anti-phone (much to my husband's irritation) and prefer to do things in person unless it's a hotel or car which I'll do online. During this call, the very friendly older male operator was answering all of my questions thoroughly and found a great deal on a suite for us. He reiterated all of the preferences I had described to him and gave me my confirmation number three times. I was already in a hurry (just my personality) and was fine with this thoroughness because I was multi-tasking and missed half of what he said (but I caught the witty remark about the spelling of my name).

I did become annoyed when he moved from natural booking conversation to scripted offers- "will you be flying or driving?" and then "would you like me to suggest an airline or connect you with our preferred airline?" NO. "Would you like to know about entertainment in the area you will be staying?" NO THANKS. "Lastly, would you like to be a Marriott member." NO THANKS. "You can earn great savings and if you use the card X amount of times you can earn free nights." NO THANKS. "You can start with this weekend's stay and go from there, how does that sound?" NO THANKS. "Okay then, your confirmation number again is..." I finally had to step out of my friendly zone and say "you've been very helpful, thank you and goodbye" CLICK.

This call was great until he became unnatural in his tone. The Marriott chain obviously has him offer me a series of pop up ads which frankly pisses me off. I can disable them on my computer without being rude- please pick up on my tone of voice and figure out that I'm tired of being on the phone- let me go!

Experience Two:
I anticipated a call to the hotel to be one of an extremely professional tone as my first call, but when I called the day before check-in to see what time check-in was and to request an earlier check-in, the younger man said "we're all booked." Uh... no crap? I have a reservation- again, here's my confirmation number, can I get an early check-in please? "We're all booked."

Sometimes I want to reach through the phone and thump someone in the head!!! He was extremely rude and irritated that I would dream of asking for an early check-in when they are booked. After his third "we're all booked" and my "I understand that but can you at least tell me what time check-in is so I can see if it will work for me?" I finally lost it. "I hear you telling me you are booked and you are not telling me what time I can check in. Your booking situation is not my problem, nor is your attitude. Transfer me to a manager or simply tell me what time I can check in." "Oh, check-in is at 3:00, call tomorrow morning for availability on new rooms."

How hard was that? My second experience was drastically different, yet the two people I spoke with work for the same company at the same location!

**********

So, how does this all relate to the Real Estate industry? If I had based the entire hotel chain on either one of these phone experiences, I would be blogging about how much Marriott sucks, but I am realistic and know that I just had bad luck on the phone. Maybe the first person was new and knew he was being recorded and maybe the second person had a lobby full of people waiting angrily to check in while his manager yelled at him from the back office. I'm forgiving despite my irritability and sensitivities.

The truth is, Realtors must mind that not ALL clients are as forgiving as I tend to be- EVERY call, EVERY email, EVERY meeting should be as if you are representing an entire industry, because the sad truth is that Realtors do have to represent an industry under fire with every point of contact they make. Be mindful and follow the golden rule- don't oversell and don't EVER, under ANY circumstance act annoyed that someone is asking you to do your job.

Carnival of Real Estate

2007-05-29T21:22:00.000-06:00

The Carnival of Real Estate (CoRE) is over at the North Fulton County Real Estate Blog this week!!! If you want to read the best and brightest RE bloggers' work, head on over! You'll see bloggers such as Kris Berg on this week's list of what I like to call the "Most Awesome Blogs!"

In five short months, Realtorwives.com will be host of our first CoRE... yippee!

The Zilence was Zapped!

2007-05-26T14:24:00.000-06:00

Thanks, David G (Zillow) for stepping up to bat! Whether or not we (or other Realtor Genius readers) agree, we thank you for answering the call!

David, I know you don't read Realtor Wives, so you can untag me now if you'd like :) HA HA!

VIVA el BLOGOSPHERE!

Making Memories

2007-05-25T19:11:00.000-06:00

Today, the kiddos had their last day of school and Memorial Day Weekend begins- hooray! Realtor Wives will be "closed" this weekend (as if there is such a thing in the blogosphere). Don't be fooled if you see me on your Blog Log, I can't help myself.

However, tomorrow we will be going (1) swimming, (2) to the library and (3) beginning a family scrapbook. That's just tomorrow, so thank you for understanding the need to MAKE MEMORIES this weekend.

Be safe and remember those who have given their lives for us. Celebrate this weekend and make your OWN memories!

Smell Staging

2007-05-24T10:28:00.000-06:00

Any professional stager or an experienced Realtor can guide sellers how to set up their home to maximize the visual worth. Endless blogs discuss how to anchor furniture, what colors promote which feelings, how to perform minor repairs, who to hire to fix major issues and even how to make your bed to invite buyer's to make an offer. These particular blogs are interesting to me and I eat them up! They are so useful to sellers, but staging must occur to please ALL senses, and often SMELL is forgotten.

Sure, I read the "bake cookies on open house day" and "scrub and paint walls if smoking occurred in the home," but I think there MUST be a list that covers other faux pax that are sure to offend the nose.

If a homeowner has already signed a listing agreement, the following must be minded:

1. From the moment anyone even THINKS they might sell their home, they must stop cooking any of the following foods: curry, fried foods (chicken, steak, fries, anything in oil which permeates the air and lingers), any seafood products, any microwaveable tofu products, and menudo. You get the idea- anything that you can smell after the table has been cleared and the dishes done must be avoided until you are in your new home. This is a great time to eat out, diet or stick to the less fragrant meals.

2. Smoking smell can be repaired before opening a home to touring, but continuing smoking (cigarettes, drugs or pipe tobacco) is ludacris! Smoking MUST be done outside, no matter how hot, cold or rainy- do not smoke in any part of the home. This should be common sense, but people sneak into the garage or a guest bathroom- there is no hiding smoke, it infiltrates the entire home.

3. Pets. This could be an entire article, but I will summarize. If you have a cat (or cats), regardless of previous habits, you must clean the litter box in the morning and the evening. If your animal has soiled the carpets or floors, there are remedies, but the goal of this article is to discuss how to avoid stinky problems from the moment a listing agreement is signed. If Fido or Fluffy Cat has somewhere else it can go until you sell your home, that is great (Grandma or a kennel might do). Talk to your Realtor about options. IF no option presents itself, keep pee pee animals outside or corralled in a single room until the movers get to your house. I can tell you that cat urine has caused deals to fall through here, it can happen to you!

4. Everyone loves their personal products, but if you shower in Old Spice instead of water, or you use White Diamonds instead of hairspray, you should take it down a notch for the duration of your home's sale. Proper etiquette is one small spritz on the wrist and one on the neck (despite what my 16 year old says). People are often allergic to perfumes/colognes, so don't give people allergy attacks just for peeking inside your home!

5. Not running the fans or the air conditioning/heater will cause the home to be still. If you don't use your AC, at least keep the air moving with fans or the "fan on" feature of your centralized system. Still homes don't exactly stink, they're just stuffy and smells are magnified in this environment. Use Glade plug-ins (Lennar, DR Horton and I use the hawaiian smell) in 2-3 locations on each floor.

6. If you have septic tank issues or any backup of sewage, you really should get this repaired. If something backs up while a tour is in progress, the deal will die faster than a mosquito in a bug light. If you know of this issue, don't hide it from your Realtor- talk to them about it so that everything is disclosed.

7. Garbage should be removed from the kitchen daily if any food is deposited in the waste. Softer foods should be disposed of in the sink's disposal and it should be run after every use. Limes/lemons chopped up and ice thrown into the disposal together can help with the more putrid smells. Dishwashers can be a source of stink also- run an empty cycle with a 1/4 cup of bleach after cleaning the dispose-all. No one likes that "eww, 2 day old ground beef" smell.

These should be common sense, but some of these items are missed. Glade, cookies and carpet powder are great remedies and others are readily found online. Remember- if a home doesn't smell great, dollars are literally flushed down the drain; offers will suffer. Don't forget to stage your furniture AND perform smell staging!

What's the worst smell YOU'VE experienced in a home for sale?

What's Up With The Zilence?

2007-05-23T20:45:00.000-06:00

David G. at Zillow gave a great speech defending his product (which was not named in Realtor Genius' article) via a comment, but has become silent at the simple question "is your model in the end a national consumer driven listing service?"

We at Realtor Wives think he should answer so others don't do it for him...

Check out the conversation here and encourage David to follow up!

Going Green

2007-05-23T08:53:00.001-06:00

In honor of Mother Earth and the "Keep Austin Weird" slogan, I have decided to make our home a little more environmentally friendly. As resident OCD wife/mother, it is my mission to keep our home model-clean at all times, but in honor of hugging trees, I will do the following and hope you will do the same:

1. Save electricity by using the powerful Ubervac less frequently- it really sucks up the watts!

2. Save water by doing less dishes. For example, I should drain pasta through my fingers instead of dirtying a dish- who needs finger skin? It'll be good for the planet!

3. I will dust less frequently because Dust Bunnies are creatures of the Earth and it is cruel to murder them and not allow their repopulation.

4. The lawn will no longer be mowed, weeded and edged twice a week because of the use of gasoline and power. Honey, I'm sure you're sad about this one...

5. No laundry will be tossed in the dryer- it will be hung to dry and I will use one of those 1890's flat iron insted of my Super Steamer Iron. Plus, the wrinkled look is in, so now we'll be super chic.

This all may sound lazy but it really is for Mother Earth. In all seriousness, Yahoo has launched a "Be A Better Planet Campaign," Check it out here, don't forget to point your clients toward energy saving methods, and DO NOT take Austin Realtor's Wife's advice listed above!

Blogs Overlooked

2007-05-22T05:37:00.001-06:00

The following blogs have not had nearly the amount of comments I believe they deserve; check them out and get the ball rolling:

Realtor genius parodies the term "business model"- hilarous read!!!

REAgent asks some philisophical questions about horizontal vs. vertical agency

Regarding retirement, Bawld Guy asks if you're up for a "magnificently abundant retirement OR a life sentence." He calls it Grandpa Economics.

These are my top three for this week- my comments don't count, so HEAD OVER and make sure the conversation doesn't die, these are great articles!!!

The Bloodhound Blog Runs With a French Bulldog!

2007-05-21T12:37:00.000-06:00

Not that I like French stuff, but I relate to French Bulldogs. I'm little and silly, but I'm great at learning new tricks! Odysseus seemed to need some company over at the ol' BHB, so I've been invited to be a contributor.

I have to admit on this site that I was terrified when Greg approached me. I feel like I'm about to go into the review on my senior thesis again. Now, I'll have to learn Latin, remember Spanish, and most importantly, remember how to speak (uh, write) English properly. How can I possibly run with the big dogs? I'm a two month old French bulldog- in the blogosphere, I weigh only 3.21 lbs.

After my initial shock, I became elated- what an awesome opportunity! I am not selling anything, so my voice is different than most people in our blogworld... I opine because I want to, not because I need to. Being buddies with Odysseus will be a blast! I CAN run with the big dogs- I'm fit, I have great stamina, and I can bite an Achille's heel better than anyone at this vantage point! So watch out world, this little pup is up for the work out!!!

There's a New Genius in Town

2007-05-19T22:39:00.000-06:00

Since Crayolas are not a sufficient blogging tool, Realtor Genius was born!

The kickoff article is a blast, check it out and jump in on the conversation!!

RealtorGenius.com is a MUST for your feedreader! Your reviews are welcome either there or here... feedback is good for growing the brain!

Blogging with Crayolas

2007-05-19T09:48:00.000-06:00

Imagine this article in the voice of Stewie Griffin (and imagine Rusty Lindquist is Peter "turning a blind eye" to the issues)- I think he is the most suitable narrator for this article.

Last week, Jay wrote about a la mode's Rusty Lindquist's comments about a la mode's vision of blogging, noting the sole function is to capture leads. Ol' Rusty opines that if you blog for any reason other than lead generation, you must suck. Well my mature response is "no, Rusty- you and a la mode suck," and here's why:

I have first hand experience with a la mode; my husband's firm uses a la mode for their website. They are normally quite innovative and their back end is incomparable, but they released this blog tool (like a year or two late) and their philosophy of lead generation is disgustingly obvious. Although you can subscribe to the blog, the tools are so lacking it makes you question if it is even an actual blog tool. On a la mode's blog platform, the following is missing:

There are:
*no trackbacks,

*no RSS feed,

*no ability to have live content (maps, live rate charts, buttons such as Blogflux),

*no ability to add a blogroll,
*you can't add contributors or have multiple authors (it all goes under one single name),

*thus no contributor archiving ability,

*no tagging (SERIOUSLY),

*no word verification option which forces moderation,
*and no blog linking ability (well, unless you are linking to another a la mode site).

My husband noted on Jay's site that the a la mode tool is the equivalent of being "in timeout blogging with Crayolas so [he] can “capture leads” per Lindquist’s envisioned blogosphere." The transparent Real Estate practices that we all work so hard to promote are squashed by a la mode's premature release of their blog platform.

Admittedly, a la mode is normally responsive and offers great customer service- that is unless your call has anything to do with their blog tool where suggestions seem to evaporate. Let's say you're like my husband and you want to take action... each time you note a missing tool (or if you notice you don't even have tools inside your shiny red toolbox), you call a la mode and make a request. First of all, it's ridiculous that ANYONE should have to call a tech company to make a freakin' tech suggestion. The response is always that they will pass your suggestion along to the tech department. "Can I speak directly with the tech department?" No, they'll pass your suggestion along. To date, no suggestion has been taken seriously- he's still blogging with Crayolas. When asked how long it will take, they provide a canned response quoting policy about promising dates- so you don't know if/when you can load a simple RSS feed, but you'll pass it along? I imagine a 19 year old call center operator reading from a script, writing down a message for the boss and handing it to him with a pile, noting "this one isn't important."

So if you've wondered why you don't have my husband on your feed reader, it's because a la mode believes a blog is exclusively for lead generating- you're just out of luck if you don't want to subscribe to an email drip. If a la mode can't produce results in a timely manner, Wordpress is becoming a sexy alternative. For the amount of money a la mode asks users to blow, they shouldn't force Realtors to have an off-site blog simply because their beliefs are antiquated (and ignorant, stupid and selfish). All Ol' Rusty has to do is (1) give the tools to his clients and let them decide which THEY need so that any philosophy regarding lead generation can be used (for or against), or (2) simply affirm clients that the tools are being developed OR that they are not and will not be developed- "I'll pass it along" never comforts a client.

Everyone will know when the site is not a-la-mode-suckey or when it's been put on Wordpress- I promise, there will be a parade, a press release and we're working on talking Goldblum into putting it into soundbite form for us. For now, a la mode blows- they are ignorant, they play dumb and they aren't listening to their clients... they are in danger of losing some of their biggest clients. For how excellent SOME of their functions are, it would be sad to watch them crumble.

From SHARK to Perch in 60 Minutes

2007-05-17T20:24:00.000-06:00

What a dud. After all the spin and after all the hype, the phones still rang this week in the office. There was hustle and bustle, people in and out, and it was business as usual. I watched the traffic in and out, listened intently for signs of blow back, and still, nothing. There were happy conversations with buyers and sellers eager about their business of buying and selling and agents facilitating. What a great week it has been. Even online there were 10 or 15 blogs on the subject of the huge dump CBS took on your living room floor and a whole lot of commenting, but honestly, it was not the doom and gloom I think some had hoped for.

It got me to thinking about some of the things I had written about earlier in the week- my main point was that NAR is not a business model as some would like to portray. It is still 1.3 million agents all around the country that all do business in thousands of ways. Some would like to think that the idea of a discount is a new thing, but alas, the reality is still true- Realtors invented the discount brokerage over 20 years ago. Some practice it, others do not, but the truth to those who want to hear it is still loud and clear- real estate as we know it will adapt day in and day out (you thought I was going to say something else) as it always has, and so will the 1.3 million agents who practice it.

When the phone was invented, did the world as we knew it stop? Did the candle business cease at the advent of electricity? Did Bell keel over when cell phones were born? Did the desktop or laptop computer get pushed out the window to the awesome technology of the PDA? No. Most even suspected the end of American Airlines when Southwest Airlines popped onto the scene, but it just did not happen. Those businesses adapted and pushed forward, and so will we.

I personally am not worried about the fin I see in the water, I have come to the conclusion that Most in the Know have come to, and that is when you throw everything in the air- the hype, spin, blame, accusations, ill comments and everything else possible you see this cloud of smoke and haze, and beneath it all, you see a client and their Realtor. It will be on the ground, face to face with our clients that the air will be cleared. All the spin in the world cannot stop the one-on-one relationship a client has with his agent. Think about it… from their desk with their dual monitors and snappy headsets, it is hard to relate to the buyer or seller the way we do. On the phone, a client can hang up if he or she gets annoyed, but the service agent has the advantage of being there. That is where Real Estate is practiced- on the ground, face to face. That is precisely our advantage- the ability to do whatever it takes to make a buyer or seller happy. You just can’t do that from a call center. In time, even at a discount, the discounters will be held up to light about their commissions due to this inadequacy. What’s next? In order to become more profitable, the online discounter ships the jobs overseas to India? “Press one for English”

By no means do I advocate ignoring the issue- you should debate it in your office, in your mirror, or even with your clients as I have this week. Sharpen yourself and your business, and keep your eye on the ball. Negativity breeds negativity and that is their game.

Turns out it’s just a perch after all.

-T.R.E.G.

Be Careful What You Ask For- the Flip Side of the Redfin Argument

2007-05-14T10:33:00.000-06:00

GUEST ARTICLE by That Real Estate Guy

It should be noted and stated loudly that the same folks who would bring down the NAR or redefine the industry as they put it are the same people who hate and want to bring down Wal-Mart. Not sure what I mean? I’ll explain…

WAL-MART

Before Wal-Mart, the streets were lined with mom and pop shops- from the corner drugstore to the large department stores that had been family owned and operated for years in their communities. When Wal-Mart came along, the nation rejoiced and flocked to the big discount store to buy many of the same products they were getting at the stores I just described, but they were obviously lower quality, lower quantity; you name it, it was lower than just the price. Little by little, the old mom and pops fell off one by one. This phenomenon has been noted on popular shows and your local news. You’ve seen it for yourself when you visit your old hometown only to see the old fashioned drug store sitting vacant on the corner. The reality was explained away on major news networks as capitalism at its best, and the way of the world much the way CBS has done.

NAR is much the same as the mom and pops as the National Association of Realtors is made up of 1.3 million independent contractors (every day average people, mostly sole-proprietors) who already work to the advantage of their individual clients. Realtors assess the situations of all clients and are generally reasonable with them in their listing or buyer commissions. Realtors negotiate their price and sometimes settle with a reduced commission to build a stronger trust with the client because the clients’ needs were put first.

Mom and pops of yesteryear were much the same way. They knew their clients personally and by name most of the time, and knew when the O’Brians needed a helping hand and let them pick up a few essentials on credit until next month. The O’Brians would be grateful and would remain customers for life.

Somehow today, the same folks that would redefine our industry are the same folks who hate what Wal-Mart has done to the landscape of downtown main street- they’ve basically rendered them useless as the independent owner could not compete at volume discount pricing. The Anti-Wal-Mart lobby jeers at the idea of “one more Wal-Mart” while the Capitalists applaud. Slowly over time, the competition has faded away and we really aren’t sure if we’re getting every day low prices at the Wal-Mart because we really have nothing to compare it to. We simply have to pay for quality.

But again, the Anti-Wal-Mart Klan would have you believe that tearing down the network of 1.3 million independent contractors of the Real Estate Industry would fix what may or may not be wrong with it. I would argue that the industry is fine. There is room for argument about real estate practices (such as the argument of dual agency), but fundamentally, the industry could not be more diverse in its current state. Another example of this phenomenon is the oil industry. I remember when independent gas stations were competitive and abundant, creating the kind of competition that kept prices in line. Today, we have roughly five major suppliers around our cities basically deciding what we pay. Let’s face it, tearing down the independents of our country is fast becoming the way of the land; and to be honest, it is scary. Last I checked, there are no discount gas stations opening up, nor an outrage over the fact that real gouging is taking place on a daily basis. Are we going to continue this vicious cycle? I pray not.

THE MEDIA SPIN

I would say to online vendors such as Redfin, pay your dues- your Realtor dues. Be a member of the Board and agree to the CODE OF ETHICS and we’ll work with and trust you; join the list of the already competitive 1.3 MILLION independents in the industry. Work within the guidelines that have already proven to work countless times a day when Buyers and Sellers shop their list of local professionals and make their choice based on their needs. The bottom line of what this is all about is that companies like Redfin want to practice real estate without paying to be a Realtor and following the Code of Ethics. I noticed this was omitted.

The title of the 60 Minutes Story says it all about the spin that the media has already begun to spew- (“Chipping Away at The Realtors’ 6%”). The last time I checked, I only charge 3% of the transaction, and the buyer’s side (the other Realtor) charges 3%. So you aren’t chipping away at 6%, you’re simply chipping away at my little old 3% that I earned by being married to my client for 30, 45, 60, or 120 days or more. You’re chipping away at my ability to earn the trust of my individual clients (the O’Brians) by giving them back what I see is needed to make a sale work. When bringing a buyer to the table, many listing agents already discount the buyer’s side anyway, so the Redfin argument is moot on the so-called 6%.

CBS was also bias in the fact that it brought one couple from the discount side, versus clients from the 1.3 Million agents around the country to say exactly the same, only at least 1.3 millions times over. Another telling moment of the interview was: "Redfin very proudly says that they returned in rebates $3 million last year to its buyers," Stahl remarks. "You can't boast of anything like that." "Absolutely not," Arends acknowledges. "I don't know how to answer that one." I have the answer to this question- ONE POINT THREE MILLION INDEPENDENT AGENTS can boast a hell of a lot more than 3 Million dollars saved- we save it in equity at purchase, we save it in profit at sale, and you know what? We save it in rebates too. I’ll need a bigger calculator for that one….

Redfin is a tic tac in scale to 1.3 million Realtors in the United States, who are all independent voices and advocates for their clients- and Redfin aims to “redefine” 1.3 Million small businesses, 1.3 Million opinions, 1.3 Million consumer advocates that proudly stand up for their clients daily! Are you kidding me? We don’t need to defend ourselves. The DOJ needs to buck up and get the fact that 1.3 Million voters/agents/human beings make up NAR and those 1.3 Million voices know a little more about “the O’Brians” than a faceless machine that is designed to spend even less focus on consumer advocacy- the small fraction of those complaining or having problems with Realtors are guarded by the local Boards and Real Estate Commissions, we are already held to a higher standard than those that are not members of the Board and believe me, we are held to account!

Commission levels of 3% (standard in Texas) per agent were set to protect consumers from gouging. In the past, that number has remained the standard regardless of the market or home prices. With the home prices spiking, protecting the seller’s equity has become even trickier and even more needed. Realtors have never been MORE needed, yet all we hear is how they need to reduce agent income. If your profit margin on your home is $80 grand, then why are we debating over $2,400- how is that a price gouge? If I had $80k to net on my home, the last thing I would be doing is attempting to go it Wal-Mart style.

REFORM: Redfins needs reform to be able to compete with 1.3 Million agents that make up NAR

Redfin does not scare me nearly as much as this so-called reform many say this industry needs. Why does it need to be reformed? The reality is, the MLS is a product of NAR- not an open source code for any and all to access, much like Zillow’s product offered. Let them build and develop their product the way NAR has done.

Imagine a world with five different NARs and you have the world as envisioned by Redfin. Are you telling me that Redfin is going to allow the other four Redfin-type companies to list on their version of the MLS? Consumers are not best served by this business model that forces home buyers to search four, five, maybe six online listing systems. It’s like the BCS- the MLS may not be the best system in the entire world, but it does work!

CLOSING

NAR represents 1.3 million diverse independent contractors that practice real estate under one code of ethics and one common application of fair Real Estate practices that safe guards consumers. The alternative is to “redefine” ourselves into a corner where we go back to having numerous Listing Services, a lack of industry standards and an overall discord in Real Estate. The alternative is not even viable.

I would suggest that all Realtors throw away the talking points and simply say that all 1.3 Million of us already guard your interest, less than 100 say otherwise.

NAR is not something you just change without affecting the 1.3 Million Mom and Pop voices (who only average $47,700 per year) within it; you don’t just do that because a tic tac says so.

Be careful what you ask for!
That Austin Real Estate Guy

The Skyhook Theory

2007-05-12T08:52:00.000-06:00

Larry wrote about the Skyhook Theory this week and for those of you who don't regularly read his articles, you really should add him to your feeder! The Skyhook Theory is simply the belief in something bigger (than you, your career, or your commission)... something bigger (the sky) that grounds you (the hook). Larry writes that he learned about it from a professor and asserts that it could have been a religious belief, but he maintains that the Skyhook transcends any religion.

Although I had previously been calling it believing in God (I'm not licensed so I can talk about religion if I want), the Skyhook Theory is precisely why I believe my husband has done well for himself. Many times over the years, someone needed a rebate or they needed that extra time spent discussing their loan at 10pm instead of us spending time watching CSI. All too often, clients are seen as "leads," "pieces of traffic," or "closings," and the industry tends to forget that underneath those jargon terms are people who are asking you to guide them through the biggest purchase they will make.

As a Catholic, I believe that it's not my money anyhow (thus I believe in something bigger than me or money... thus I believe in the Skyhook Theory) and since that's my "hook," it makes it easier to give up. "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love" -1Corinthians 13. That is MY hook that makes each person more human, easier to serve, easier to sacrifice for and be generous with. I love the "skyhook" term because as a Christian, I am called to be a fisher of men- how perfect!

I believe that our industry needs more faith in each of our personal Skyhooks. What is YOUR hook?

555- fake phone number or a new tattoo sign?

2007-05-10T15:39:00.000-06:00

Just kidding- 555 is neither. 5 just seems to be pertinent of late. The Bible mentions 3 and 7, but here at Realtor Wives, 5 rules the day!

After three separate emails suggesting I do so, I have entered yesterday's blog into ProBlogger's Group Writing Project. 5 is pertinent because after I wrote this article, I took the time to catch up on my feed reader and read Greg's article on the "Top 5 List" Project- how convenient, I had just completed a "Top 5" of my own!

OH, and I got 5 green lights on the way into the office (out of 7- that ain't bad), stood in line behind 5 people at Starbuck's today (normally it's 2, but so what), missed 5 calls while inside Starbuck's and I now have 5 fingers crossed that I win the lottery (or at least the Group Writing Contest)!

555 ooooh!

The Rule of The FIVE

2007-05-09T15:24:00.000-06:00

My husband bases his entire Real Estate philosophy on the advice given to him from a busy, sophisticated mother of six- “I never give my kids more than two options for dinner.” No buyer should be equated to a toddler, but the advice still rings true- never overwhelm your client. If your kids opt for chicken, God forbid you serve trout- confusion will abound, dishes will break, and tears will fall.

When someone calls looking to buy, a good Realtor should be able to listen and understand the complicated nuances of subjective wants vs. needs. While discussing a buyer’s future home, the Realtor should already have 5 MLS numbers in mind and be checking availability from his laptop (with a Sprint wireless card if he’s not in the office). By the end of the conversation, the Realtor should know the area the buyer desires (probing questions may reveal that they said they wanted North but they didn’t know the Tollway opened, so now they are open to the more affordable options in the West), have 5 homes in mind to tour, know 5 things the buyer wants in those homes by asking questions regarding subjects even THEY haven’t thought of (you have a baby coming? Perhaps you could use a study instead of an additional bedroom- that will open up some options. You want red brick? You’ll love this red brick with limestone accents featured by a prominent local builder. You say you want to landscape? Oh, you mean you want a 2’x4’ space for your hydrangeas!). After all, knowing 5 things they want is good because, as my husband says, “you can’t argue with your own data.”

If you (as a buyer OR Realtor) find yourself in home number six and are getting closer to a selection, the Realtor should discuss with the buyers their original 5 wants/needs and address how these have changed. Regrouping is pertinent at this point because buyers CAN change their minds midstream. If the Realtor isn't even close to the mark, the connection might not have been made and the relationship should be optional beyond that point.

Too many Realtors simply have fun playing around in vacant houses and forget that the buyer’s time is precious too! Everyone loves dreaming about replacing floors and what color the valances will be, but shopping should be the easiest, smoothest, and often the shortest part of the home buying transaction. After the home is selected, most Realtors consider their job done and suddenly stop answering calls. This is pathetic- the best Realtors know to hold a buyer’s hand through the lending process, to follow up with title, to go to all inspections, help coordinate insurance and warranty, be at the closing table and be there to open the front door with the buyers. This is an incubation period which is often neglected in the Real Estate industry, but is CRUCIAL to the buying process. No wonder builders are experiencing so many cancellations!

Look, my husband has a 99% closing ratio because his background in PR and marketing has given him the unique advantage of being able to listen effectively and narrow down people’s comments into 5 desires or needs (and being able to distinguish the difference between the two), and in most cases being able to show buyers the home they will buy in the first shot (but will show 2, 3, or 4 more to ease the “what if” questions buyers may have). He tells buyers up front that they will look at up to 5 homes, they will not be stalked (and can walk away if it is not a good fit), and they will have someone on their side watching over the entire process. Most times, they will take their chosen home off the market the same day he shows them. He loathes the long term buyer’s agreement and doesn’t feel the need to subject a client to 120 days of his “service”- if a Realtor hasn’t gotten close within the first 5 homes, maybe they just don’t get it and all parties should part. After all, he wants to be at the house warming party and he will be the Realtor to sell that same house in the future!

To summarize- when your buyer calls and is prequalified, you need to

(1) ask questions, listen, and assess their wants versus their needs into 5 specific targets

(2) don't beat around the bush, show them the house they described first (often this can rule out your other four homes, but show them the next best thing anyhow).

(3) If you've realized that you missed the mark, don't waste their time- reschedule and research with new current data in hand.

(4) For home number three, with your new data, show them the home most closely matching their new description- since this is post-reassessment, you should be spot-on. And here you are at home number 3 or 4 as opposed to 33 or 34.
(5) Now that you've saved time shopping, you can spend more time with the closing process and should be able to give more (aka better) service to the buyer!

I see this work every day- it should be the norm in the industry, not the exception to the rule!

Not Everyone Has Bragging Rights

2007-05-08T10:29:00.000-06:00

My husband and I traveled to Oklahoma City this weekend for my future sister-in-law's bridal shower. We drove all around the city to a few select areas that used to be nice- SoCo type places to live, and my husband was trying to explain to the children that this ghost town feel on the north side was disappointing and upsetting. He could point out where they used to hang out, where fancy homes used to be, and where upscale furniture boutiques were- but alas, they were no more. We felt called to redevelop areas of the city that used to be the "it places"- if only I had an extra few million sitting around (that's the 10 year plan). Perhaps just a few houses and buildings at a time...

My husband explained to the kids that the closing of GM, AOL jumping ship, and a future potential for Tinker AFB's closing was detrimental to Oklahoma, while in Austin it would barely be a blip the news. We have become so used to being in a thriving area that it is saddening to spend time in an area that isn't flourishing quite like ours. We have become spoiled by new tollways opening, constant commercial developments breaking ground, and it seems like a new home subdivision opens every week! We have become spoiled ROTTEN by being in a city that attracts Barney's NY, Louis Vuitton, Saks, Tiffany's and the like. We love our Starbuck's on every corner living happily across the street from the ecclectic local coffee bars- both thriving equally. It reminded us that we have several friends across the country in the Real Estate Industry that are surely struggling, and we tip our hats to them.

We are spoiled and we know it, but we take pause today to pray for those in our field who don't have the same annoying bragging rights that we do.

Pirate Tactic

2007-05-06T17:40:00.000-06:00

In the pee contest that is blogging about Zillow, I learned a new blogging tactic... Pay close attention; you should try this out:

If someone posts a well written thesis on a topic you have addressed (especially a comment complimentary to the material in your article), you should definitely moderate that comment (and by moderate, I mean opt not to publish it at any point in time) because it is such a gold mine of a comment.

THEN, you should write a blog that very same day that mirrors what I had noted on your site just hours before. Oh, and never go back and post that comment because you could look like a pirate. And by pirate I mean idiot. An idiot pirate (the picture notes how I feel about the "Comment Pirate").

Remember, when people comment on your site, you should pirate that material as your own. And to the originator of this "Pirate Tactic," I know you read this blog, and I thank you for pioneering a new idea- getting your material from great comments that you opt not to publish. IT'S PURE GENIUS!

Please feel free to talk about the "Comment Pirate," founder of the "Pirate Tactic" on your own blog!

POSH'D

2007-05-03T13:16:00.000-06:00

Posh'D is the internet's Miss America for Real Estate Websites! I went to nominate my husband's site, but it was already there- SWEET!

I love the POSH'D website- it is a fresh concept that I hope catches on. Out of the millions of crappy Real Estate websites, Shaun has taken the time out to promote the very few elite sites that deserve showcasing. Good job, Shaun!

Today's Reading

2007-05-02T14:53:00.000-06:00

Today, I ~~command~~ suggest the following articles, they are TOTALLY awesome:

Why McDiscounts are NOT EVER a good idea!

How to relate ANYTHING to baseball (or you could call this one, "Sound Investment Truths")

Why ~~Jesus died on the cross so you could put up an Open House sign~~you should feel lucky to freely put up an Open House sign...

Why NOT to buy a home today!

If you take a bad MLS shot, it WILL be on Athol's page!

How to stage your desk to look organized AND busy!

If you're not on the list, go ahead and send your hate mail to my personal email. HAVE FUN!

Congress Pressured to Allow Non-Employer Groups to Offer Health Insurance

2007-05-01T12:48:00.000-06:00

Kudos to NAR for urging Congress to allow non-Employer Groups (aka the Self Employed) to offer Health Insurance. If we could get a bulk rate for our optional insurance (just as Dell, Archstone-Smith, Best Buy, and thousands of other companies) through NAR, there wouldn't be such a disparity between the Realtors that are insured and those who are not. Moreover, with 1.3 MILLION "employees," NAR represents a gigantic work force. I hope they continue to squeeze Congress on this issue- WE DESERVE IT!

The problem with the current spectacle made of Health Insurance Coverage for the self employed (ahem... that would be the entire Real Estate Industry) is basically a State's Right to Govern vs. Fedral Goverment's Right to Govern (forgive all of the caps, I just feel like using them).

So, Mr. State A says, "insurance carriers must provide X, Y, & Z for all those insured, and they may not cover X, Y & Z." Then Mr. State B says, "insurance carriers must provice A, B, & C for all those insured, and they may not cover A, B, C." Already, you see the problem. If State A and State B can't play nicely with each other in the sandbox, they go to separate corners of the sandbox and play alone. Imagine what would happen if State A and State B tried to find common ground- what giant, beautiful sandcastles they could build together instead of their little dumpy independent sandcastles.

Listen, I am NOT a proponent for more governmental control of ANYTHING- in fact I think insurance should have nothing at all to do with what W or Kay Bailey Hutchison (huge fan of theirs, by the way) find necessary to legislate, and I think they would agree that it should be a non-governmental issue. While hospitals are being overrun by people with paper cuts that need bandages that have no intention of paying their bill, the nation is left to pay.

So, how does this apply to Real Estate, crazy ranting Realtor Wife? When too many cooks are in the kitchen, you will inevitably end up with crappy, burnt food. The real issue should be health care REFORM, not who can be insured. I believe that we should be financially responsible for our own insurance costs, but I should not be penalized because I no longer work for a Fortune 500 company. If paper cut victims remain responsible for their health care, there would be no reason for health care providers to be nervous to the point of gouging prices for others. If State A and State B could get together and unify their regulations, Insurance Providers would be able to offer a nationally recognized plan that is available for all (despite what price they choose to charge... I DO believe in capitalism), but as it stands, Insurance for the Self Employed is needlessly, RIDICULOUSLY HIGH!!!

Many Realtors have to rely on their spouse working somewhere for insurance coverage, but that is a terrible reason for selecting your workplace! NAR, please please please continue using Realtor fees for these types of GOOD causes!!!

Trust The Ted, Baby!

2007-04-30T18:51:00.000-06:00

This has to be the most engaging site I have EVER been to...

Ted is the Virginia Association of Realtor's way of showing how NOT to be the smarmy Realtor featured in comedy films...

Note how he counts with his fingers...

If you don't use these tools, you're a TOOL!

2007-04-30T16:02:00.000-06:00

Since Realtor Wives began, I've picked up some tools along the way that I would assume everyone knows and loves, but just in case you aren't using these tools, here are my picks:

1. JOTT- this is a great tool that transcribes your voice into an email (or text if you're smart). I use it mostly in place of memory skills by "Jotting" myself notes that end up in my Inbox- awesome!

2. Treo Phone- if you are still sportin' a flip phone, get over it! The Treo allows unprecedented internet capabilities- you can take decent photos (but don't break Rule #2...), get mortgage calculators, open MLS lockboxes, sync your Outlook calendar (although it already has GoodLink), and play "I'm Bringin' Sexy Back" via the mp3 player while you show buyers new homes...

3. Humor- which as any good wife would, I credit my husband for encouraging and cultivating this vital blogging tool. Okay, so i was really just trying to see if you were paying attention... but seriously, most of you could take a page from Kris Berg!

4. Commentful or co.mments.com- which you will soon see on Realtor Wives. Comments are a crucial part of the blogging process and it is hard to remember where you commented and what you said (especially when someone like, uhh... my husband... asks you to recall what you said in a post- my brain needs a boost- refer to #1).

5. Bloglines- this is the RSS feeder that Jay Thompson recommended. You can also allow others to see what is on YOUR feeder (you can see my slooowly growing list here and can yell at me later if you're not on it...).

The tools are endless, but my husband and I are always on the look out for the bigger and better tools and technologies; these are just the top 5 on my mind!

Realtor Wife Interview

2007-04-27T16:46:00.000-06:00

We are still learning about Contributor Jen Kay of Bristol, CT, Athol Kay's Right Hand Man (or, uhh Lady). She is a really funny writer- you will be reading complete articles from her soon, so watch out!!!

1. What time is involved in Athol's blog and how does this effect you personally?
There is a lot of time involved in blogging, but it's very well-spent time. He probably spends more time reading other people's real estate blogs and commenting than he does on writing his own posts. Writing comes very easily and quickly to Athol most of the time. Blogging is usually the evening activity for at least an hour, usually several. Computer games used to be the evening activity so I'm not really complaining. All in all blogging is as much fun but more productive than game playing! :) He also does keep up with reading new posts through Google Reader during the day when he has a chance. Athol has recently introduced me to Google Reader, which has made keeping up with all of the blogs that I read much easier. (Okay, so he badgered me into trying it and I ended up liking it. Story of my life.) Blogging and reading does take up at least a few hours a day, but it is time well spent.& nbsp; I usually need some time to wind down with a book in the evening, so while he's writing I'm reading and everyone is happy!

2. What connections has your husband made through blogging? Has blogging created any business leads for Athol? How has it effected his business?
Athol has made a bunch of connections through blogging...most of them out-of-state connections. He has developed a lot of friendships through blogging and met a lot of intelligent people with a lot of interesting ideas. Blogging has thus far not created a lot of business for Athol but has been a forum for him to show his clients what he is all about and get them more involved in the whole buying/selling process. Blogging has also helped him to become more involved in "The World of Real Estate" in a way that is very immediate and intellectually stimulating...lots of back and forth with people who have lots of good ideas, and being able to contribute to other people's lives. Athol has also learned a lot through blogging and has become convinced that in order to give his clients the best effort he can, he has to use all of the online tools that are available to him (thus putting his listing presentation on the blog, among other things). He has pointed out to many people in his office that if they are not utilizing the internet to its fullest potential, clients are going to start passing them by.

3. Do your daughters know about blogging?
Do the girls know about blogging...heck yeah. Our nine year old is definitely the reader and writer of the two girls, so she picked up on it pretty quickly. She does have her own blog, which she writes on sporadically. It's pretty insane how quickly she picked up how to work Blogger and how to do things like post a picture or a video clip. Too smart for her own good.

Let Jen know your thoughts- do you relate? Any anecdotes of your own regarding your husband's blogging habits? As always, Realtor Wives will blog for comments!

Hug a REALTOR

2007-04-22T18:00:00.000-06:00

Once upon a time, I thought Realtors had it easy- they could nap, golf or eat whenever and wherever they wanted. At one time, I believed they simply collected commissions for attending closings. But that was when I was really stupid (and I wasn't married to a Realtor). We hear it all the time- our spouses are among the "get rich quick schemers" in America... but anyone who says that is a moron, and here's why:

Full time Realtors are just that- full time as in ALL THE TIME. Realtors are more than simple transaction hosts- they market your home, host open houses, attend Realtor tours, continually educate themselves through classes and seminars, many of them blog (endlessly), network in person and online at any given chance, protect your interests prior to a contract by negotiating terms to most closely match your wants and needs, participate in inspections, home stage, open homes for vendors when a seller/buyer is at work, often do their own accounting, follow up on any tour of your home, commit to endless thank you notes, involve themselves in committees for local Boards or NAR, explain closing terms prior to closing in case any questions come up, are on call 24-7 for calls from other agents about your home, tour homes with buyers often with only minutes of notice, thus providing years of experience, knowledge and expertise on their given area of specialization, but most importantly- they advise their clients (sorry y'all for the tasks I omitted).

As if all of these tasks combined don't take up 100 hours a week, Realtors are often therapists. People move cross country, because of new children, divorce, house fire, empty nest, etc. and usually need a counselor because of what they are going through ADDED to the stress of home buying/selling.

Take for example, a client of my husband's, we'll call him Spike (I like that name). Spike is a rough NY/Italian guy we had known for a while who struggled through a messy custody battle and divorce. He was such a sweet guy and he was ready to provide a stable home for his teenaged daughter- he wanted to move out of his apartment. We knew he was excited when he called three times the morning my husband was preparing to show him homes. But hey- everyone likes enthusiastic buyers, right? YAY!

In typical Single Pointe Realty fashion, the Austin market had nothing on my husband- Spike contracted that very afternoon on the second house he looked at (the one my husband told him he would love the most, by the way). The terms that were negotiated were awesome, and it was a gorgeous, brand new house- one he never dreamed he would have been able to afford (and he SO could).

That same night, he called twice- once to vent about his psycho ex, and another to vent about his daughter's attitude problem- neither of which had to do with the house. But, as a good Realtor, my husband listened and consoled, knowing that he just needed a shoulder to lean on during this process.

The phone calls to my husband's cell and to our home became increasingly frequent, and my husband was very patient. Because of the stress of buying a house post-divorce, he needed someone to constantly coddle him by telling him how to express issues to underwriters, how to hire a mover, where to put his furniture, what to do about the cable in a new subdivision (tricky), and the list goes on. After closing, the time spent on the phone with Spike equated to a part time job.
But, my husband was so patient and understanding with this overly demanding (sometimes inappropriately so) client. Spike moved into the house, painted accent walls and has since referred a number of people to my husband (nice benefit of being the counselor). Many Realtors ignore these calls, and in any other profession the calls would most certainly be ignored.

BUT THAT IS WHAT REALTORS ARE FOR! Advising the buyer or seller in the transaction process, and to hold their hand- even if that means spending countless hours consoling them through their life changes. So, for those who don't think Realtors deserve their commissions for the business reasons above, they most certainly earn them in numerous other ways.

So if you haven't yet, HUG a REALTOR today!!!!

How to Becalm a Milun-err...

2007-04-21T09:49:00.000-06:00

Oldie but goodie- you KNOW you have two minutes for Tommy Vu... don't accept "discudgement frum friends and stranger [sic] who ah loosah," say "git ayway, loossah!"

The CSI: Factor, Episode 1

2007-04-19T15:20:00.000-06:00

Today marks the first of a series entitled "CSI: Factor." Every day every one of us experiences the "CSI Factor" and it is up to us to take lessons from our surroundings and improve on our very own "CSI Factor"! Now, CSI Factor (despite the heading) is not a new television show nor is it a digital YouTube short... the "CSI Factor" is the "Custom Service Index Factor"- Realtor Wives' newest feature, outlining case studies in daily interactions with those who are (whether they know it or not) in the Customer Service industry. Realtors recieve a "how to" every day through various interactions and should learn how to utilize each lesson they recieve. I have always been a stickler for customer service and have become quite demanding over time.

For example, I went to my favorite restaurant with a girlfriend today. I stood in line with the Senior Discounters, pointed out which southern food I wanted and carried my tray to my table to enjoy all of its splendor. The only problem was that my fried fish lady didn't offer tartar sauce and I couldn't get her attention after she had already moved on. No big deal, right? YOU try eating a LuAnn platter with no tartar sauce :( The solution was within reach- the cashier called down for a side of sauce; no harm no foul.

The CSI Factor here is a 3 on a scale of 10- muy mal! I got the fish I ordered, but I couldn't get my favorite part- the sauce! But in the Real Estate industry, it is important to attend to all of your clients' needs before moving on to the next. You may not realize that tartar sauce is one of my top three reasons for going or that as a seller I really wanted your advice in staging my home. As a Realtor, listening to verbal and nonverbal clues is crucial- when a client feels that you have checked them off some theoretical list and moved on prior to close- you'll never get referrals, and that's the name of the game!

***

So that I'm not a ranter, I will share another CSI story... At Starbuck's recently, I was in a rather pissy mood, but the barista took it upon herself to make my normal drink and ask cheerfully if I wanted sprinkles. I grunted and said "no thanks." "Sprinkles always make your day better, I'll add them for you and you'll have to let me know if your day goes better!"

Aww sprinkles... The CSI Factor here is a 9 on a scale of 10- awesome! She gave me the stupid sprinkles that I hadn't desired since my thumb-sucking days, but guess what? My day DID get better- she really chirped me up! She gave me that something extra that clients deserve out of their Realtors. So if your clients are frustrated (which is so common), find a way to give them sprinkles- it is silly, but guess what? She's my favorite barista and she always cheers me up! Try it!!!

Will Blog For Comments...

2007-04-18T20:50:00.000-06:00

I promise I have a REAL blog coming soon, but for now, I had to share a funny thought... I was in the car with my husband today and the following ensued:

I said "I should make a sign that says 'will blog for food.' No, that would be stupid because my blog doesn't make any money." My husband humored me, "it's a funny idea though!"

I said, "I could stand on the side of the road with a handmade sign that says 'why lie? I want money for blogging!'" My husband said, "yeah," with the half laugh (omg that rhymes) and kept driving. Note that in typical fashion my humor merely entertains ME and ONLY ME, but I continue to put it out there.

"WAIT, I know what I'm going to do- I'm going to make a sign for Realtor Wives that says "will blog for comments," since that's what soooo many blogs seem to do!" Silence... then "YES, that would be awesome!" my husband said with a real laugh!

So here we are with a funny sign "will blog for comments." Seriously though, how much lip service is out in the blogosphere? If not campy, canned material, many bloggers have resorted to controversial/inflamatory material to solicit your comments- and it works! But to what end?

Take for example, Theoretical Joe John (college football must be on my mind... a nickle for anyone who doesn't have to Google "Joe John"...) writes a blog about customer service. He COULD write from an analytical point of view and apply his experience to his own industry. However, he goes out and says "Restaurant X sucks! I hate the pimple-faced morons there and it smells like rotten mozarella. I will never go back there and I warn anyone who goes there to watch out for food poisoning. My waitress was so stupid, she didn't even ask how I wanted my meat cooked, stupid poo head." End blog.

So, Restaurant X, its supporters (and everyone else that thinks this guy is an idiot) read his blog and leave angry comments. Good job, Joe John- you have validated yourself by racking up comments. Don't they say all press is good press? What a crock- this guy could have talked objectively about a bad customer service experience he had and how he would do it differently (and most crucially, how this applies to his industry).

So, although I don't blog for comments (hence, moderation and a proven track record of limited comments), it does FEEL nice when you know you have a readership (thanks you five regular readers!). That is not the point of a blog- it is not a popularity contest, we are not here to bash anyone for our own amusement or ego stroking. And if I have to outline what the point of a blog is, you're in the wrong place!

Feel free to comment, ha ha...

Top 20 Cures for Office Boredom

2007-04-16T10:49:00.000-06:00

Since most bloggers use their time when not with clients or marketing to blog, you won’t relate, but SOME Realtors/Mortgage folk have down time in the office… however, these are awesome cures for potential boredom:

1. Remove the jug from the water cooler and drink from it periodically, bragging that you 'got the last one.'

2. Photocopy things around the office, such as lamps, potted plants, staplers, etc. If someone asks about it, just say 'You never can be too careful.'

3. Hide around corners, jump out to scare people as they pass and try not to get a black eye (I actually like doing this one around Single Pointe Realty in Austin)!

4. Pretend to be hypnotized by someone's screen saver.

5. Go into someone's office, grab a book from their shelves, and begin reading it aloud to them. If they interrupt, give them an evil look.

6. Give your assistant a copy of Hamlet and ask them to proofread it.

7. Use a hole punch to punch holes in all your outgoing mail. Explain that the holes 'make it more aerodynamic'.

8. Bring a lawnmower into the office and pretend to mow the carpet.

9. Bring a TV remote control to the office and try to 'change the channel' on people's computers. When it doesn't work, mumble something about 'cheap Japanese crap.'

10. Pull a chair up to your window and pretend to be working at a drive-through.

11. Stand at the washroom door carrying a baseball bat and ask everyone in a low voice if they washed their hands.

12. Gnaw on your mouse, make cat noises, and lick your hands from time to time.

13. Walk into people's offices, taking a careful look around. Talk into your shirt, saying 'No sign of him yet, Chief.'

14. When the phone rings, answer by saying 'KBBL, you're on the air.'

15. Proudly show everyone your calculator and hand out cigars. Tell them your computer just had a baby.

16. Paint your face blue and start searching around in people's desk drawers. Ask them if they've seen your pills.

17. Turn your radio up full blast and sing along loudly with the song. Invite others to join you.

18. Build a fire pit out of cinder blocks in the staff room. Place a stack of firewood in the corner, along with matches, lighter fluid, hot dogs, and marshmallows.

19. Place a row of liquor bottles on your desk, and a sign on your door which reads 'NO COVER!' Announce loudly that it's happy hour.

20. Get in the elevator and pretend to hold the door open for invisible people.

(partially adapted from humor.com and the odd imagination of Austin Realtor’s Wife)

Why Aprons are Important

2007-04-14T09:39:00.000-06:00

What? A wife wearing an apron? Relax, I'm not setting the Women's Lib movement back any amount of time... I am not pregnant, barefoot in the kitchen, nor am I the only person that cleans around here. But sometimes when I am in cleaning mode, it is difficult for the rest of the family to tell because I am always picking something up or wiping something down (OCD). At my request, my husband bought a beautiful Williams and Sonoma apron that I wear only when I plan on cooking or cleaning for more than 30 minutes.

When I am set out to blog, I sit on my end of the couch with my new laptop (yipee) and by positioning myself here, I make it clear to my family that I am reading/writing/blogging and may be there for a while.

When I plan on going out and NOT cleaning (and NOT blogging), I put on extra makeup and poof my hair. There is usually an evening purse invovled so if there is any question what my intentions are, I can answer non-verbally.

The point is that we all wear many hats in life and it can be difficult for those around us to be able to tell what we are doing. I am not easy to interrupt (and I get irritated sometimes), so it is only fair to make it extremely clear what I am doing. For those of you who blog endlessly (umm, I'm not sure how some of you have time to practice real estate...), make sure that if you do this from home to have a specific signal set up for your family- sitting in a particular spot, wearing an apron, carrying a beaded purse (or wallet for the menfolk). No one likes to be interrupted mid-thought, so be fair to those around you and wear your figurative apron!

This Is Why I'm Hot

2007-04-12T18:56:00.000-06:00

I'm not going to lie, I love rap (for you fogies out there, that's music)... especially the repetitive songs that drive my husband crazy (like Mims' "This Is Why I'm Hot")! This song is simply a dude shouting out why he is hot and why you're not- it lacks creativity and lustre, but he makes his point well (over and over (my husband suggested I add another "over") again). Well, that is Austin's adopted theme song right now as reports show that currently, Austin is the best place for Real Estate in the country! Leading economist Mark Dotzour noted to the Austin Business Journal that "national attention is being focused on Texas as markets decline elsewhere around the United States. Austin is further ahead of other Texas cities, with a very modest 3.2 months inventory of unsold homes, making it one of the tightest markets in the country."

Again, besides Hula Hut, Barton Springs, Leander's new X Park, HEB (sorry you guys up North who don't have HEB!!!), Hut's, music, SXSW, flip flops at work and UT FOOTBALL, Austin's Real Estate Market really is HOT.

SO, this is why I'm hot... (ok, not me, but at least my husband AND the Austin Real Estate market)!

Barking about a Blogosphere Code of Conduct

2007-04-11T22:06:00.000-06:00

Recently, the BBC reported on a call for an official Code of Conduct on blogs. After literal death threats to Kathy Sierra on her blog and other accounts of cyberbullying, it begs the question- what ARE the standards in blogging? Should there really be a 1984 style censor? Should we create a tattle committee? What would be the consequences of violating the Blog Charter? Who would be in charge of the WORLD WIDE WEB? Would you be able to sue if someone in Peru said something that was inflammatory on your site?

If only there was a way we could “moderate” comments or contributions to blogs. I think I’m on to something- what if we could delete comments made that were offensive or inappropriate? If we could moderate, this blogosphere would be a much better place- full of rainbows and Care Bears.

I say this facetiously, but I am being serious. It is a hassle, but I do moderate my comments. Strangely enough, I have had this topic on my mind all week, and I had an offline conversation with Athol about this very thing. For now, my site is small enough that moderating makes sense- I usually check email frequently and it’s not hard to push “publish” or to simply ignore it. Athol noted (similarly to my husband) that perhaps females blogging are up against a bigger challenge simply because the validity of their very voice is sometimes questioned. Surprisingly, I have already had several attempts of non-Realtors (and possibly Realtors) anonymously posting articles bashing the industry or using offensive language.

This being said, I would love to NOT moderate. Besides the offensive material or inappropriate comments that do not parallel my goals for the Realtor Wives blog (promoting the industry, discussing tools of the trade, etc), there are other comments that I am avoiding, like the dork from high school who found the site and wants to say “hey, girl!” OR the BIG FAT JERK who parks in our paid-for-parking-spot every day and laughs from his office as I growl and wonder if his mortgage customer service is anything like this daily disturbance in my life.

Moderation aside, I don’t think this “Code of Conduct” will change anything those of us in the Real Estate world are doing, namely because there is the little thing called the “Code of Ethics” that all Realtors are subject to which is an incredibly high standard that is above most major corporations’ code of conduct. So, there’s no need to worry about this potential “Code of Conduct” that could upset the blogs about Phish, celebrities or personal lives because the NAR Code of Ethics supercedes all actions online by most people who read this blog. Seriously, even if the “code” was enforced and a “red light, yellow light, green light” censor button was put on every blog indicating its censorship level, no magical candy colored button is going to stop someone who feels compelled to comment on why I’m an idiot for blogging about… say… magical candy colored buttons. So let’s all just moderate and relax :)

Partner Profile #1, Jen Kay

2007-04-09T10:38:00.000-06:00

Jen Kay is the FIRST in our Partner Profiles! She and I dialogued over email and I learned quite a bit! Look out for Jen in the future- you just might see her articles on Realtor Wives soon!

JEN KAY is married to Athol Kay who blogs and practices Real Estate in Bristol, CT. When asked how Athol got involved in Real Estate, Jen said, “Athol was a nurse for ten years and enjoyed the "helping people" aspect of it but was frustrated with the company he worked for. During the ‘I need to change careers...but what do I want to do?!’ phase, we were outgrowing our current house and decided to move. Not only did we find a wonderful real estate agent but Athol also did his homework so we could be an active part of the buying and selling process. We had a fabulous and very new real estate agent (give the new guy, or in this case woman, a chance!) who was also excited about the whole process.

The further we got into exploring what our needs and wants were, the more we saw how much a new home would affect our life and how we live it, and the more Athol saw that this was a career path that excited him. A way to help people, to better their lives, to make your own schedule, and make a living at it...hmmm... So he took the plunge and enrolled in the real estate course, and the ball started rolling! It was admittedly a bit nerve wracking to start a new career (okay a lot...see my gray hair?), but thanks to our own good real estate investment, we were able to put aside the "until the new agent starts bringing in the dough" nest egg and off we went!”

Jen noted that Athol is “a popular guy at the office because he's the one who will say ‘yes, I'll help you out with that open house! Floor time...sure!’ With clients, his perspective is not ‘How much money will this client make me?’ but ‘How can I help this person achieve his or her goals?’”

What makes Jen’s husband different is that “he doesn't just work as a real estate agent, he reads a gazillion real estate blogs, writes one himself, talks to other realtors, refines and redevelops his own materials...real estate oozes from his pores. He is also much more in tune with the industry as a whole than the "average" realtor might be.”

As any Realtor Wife knows, every good man needs a strong woman beside him! “The most important thing that I did [for Athol] at first was to give him permission...permission to take a chance on a new career...permission to explore something that he had a passion for. This was going to be something that would rock our family's world, but I trusted that he could make it happen! Just saying, ‘Yes! Go for it!’ meant a lot, and now ongoing support and positive reinforcement still means a lot. Also, being an avid, interested reader of his blog is important, and being someone to bounce ideas off of.”

We all know that a particular difficulty in the industry is balancing work, family, etc. “The evenings are an exercise in scheduling. For my job, I have to work about two evenings a week, so we are often comparing schedules to see who needs to escape to an appointment. We are both home for the girls' bedtime 99% of the time or there is much indignation. The first time Athol missed bedtime because he was writing up an offer with a client; our daughters were rather ticked at him. I carefully explained to them that daddy was out making money at his new job and they were appeased. Our younger daughter may only be eight, but she understands about money...she was especially sympathetic.”

Like most Realtor Wives, Jen is more than just a pretty face in a stylish suit- she’s a woman on the go like her husband! “I work for a non-profit foster care and adoption agency. I recruit people to be foster parents for special needs kids (medically fragile kids, kids with PTSD, abused and neglected, autistic, behavioral and emotional issues etc.; kids who are hard to place because of their special needs). I then guide the potential foster families through the licensing process of paperwork and training, and do home visits with each family to make sure their homes are safe and see how the family members interact with each other. I have been working for the same company since I graduated college in 1994 and loving what I do.”

From down here in Texas, Bristol, CT seems like a world away, but Jen and Athol’s story of landing in Bristol is relatable. “It’s a great town with one of everything you could possibly need, close to major highways, but small enough for the small town feel. Athol takes full credit for choosing Bristol as a place to put down roots in 1995 when we were looking for our first apartment together. He took out a map, perused it for a minute, and said, we're going to live in Bristol. Close to highways, half way between both of our offices, good population, and far enough away from family to not be living in each other's laps.’ I was newly married and willing to do anything my God of a husband said...but secretly somewhat skeptical. (He's reading over my shoulder at the moment and says, "Can I quote you on the God part?!") Turns out he was absolutely correct. We've been in Bristol ever since.”

Who lives in Bristol with the Kay Family? “Our two daughters, ages eight and nine-and-a-half (the half is very important at that age) and they are keeping us hopping now more than ever, but really couldn't ask for better kids. I'm a Connecticut native, and he's a New Zealander (a "Kiwi" to the initiated). Yes, the two most geographically distant points if you pull out your globe. Funny how those things work out. We have two cats...no dogs...ever. That was practically in our marriage vows- the no dogs part. The girls know about the no dogs thing, but that doesn't stop them from periodically mentioning how much fun it would be to have a dog. The little one would rather have a horse, truth be told, but she knows we're not zoned for that around here.”

When reading Realtor Wives, it is great to meet other women (or Realtor Husbands) and learn their stories! Jen is amazingly supportive to Athol as he quickly impresses the Real Estate world from allllll the way up in Bristol, CT. With their quick wit and combined intelligence, I anticipate that you will get a chance to know both of them better through Realtor Wives and RE Agent in CT. Look out for Jen- if I can convince her, she’ll be writing for Realtor Wives soon!

Celebrating Easter as a Business Model

2007-04-08T09:21:00.000-06:00

Many people think that because of the commercialism of it all, Christmas is the holiest time of the year for Christians. That is not the truth- Easter is the most holy day of the year. I would suggest that by understanding Lent from a Catholic viewpoint lends to a great way to practice Real Estate. Whether or not you celebrate Easter, the list below illustrates Lent as it applies to Real Estate.

At the beginning of Lent, three practices begin: prayer (justice to God), fasting (justice toward Self), and tithing (justice toward Neighbor).

JUSTICE TO GOD (or your business): So, I set a goal to pray frequently… translate that into a Real Estate practice of being analytical of your practices, your business plans, and your goal. This aim of justice to a cause bigger than you is good for business.

JUSTICE TOWARD SELF: I also fast- this is not necessarily depriving myself of food, rather fasting from something that makes you conscious of your difficult choice (ex: I could give up Starbuck’s since I go there daily; this would create a yearning for it because I would miss it and it is a choice I make to not buy coffee) and allows you to focus on God and a relationship with Him rather than the trappings of this life. As a business practice, a Realtor should to not give in to guilty pleasures that take their focus off of their business. For example, fasting from internet gaming in downtime or from excessive vacationing will allow you to focus on the bottom line of your business.

JUSTICE TOWARD NEIGHBOR: Lastly, tithing is NOT exclusive to Catholics. As a Realtor, you should be involved in the community even if it’s not financially- Habitat for Humanity, Caritas, mentoring, Adopting a Highway stretch, or any other means to better your neighbor (and not just for the “free” publicity)- that is tithing. The focus for Catholics is in becoming better individually and as a community, and to become closer to God. The focus for Realtors is becoming better agents and to become closer to clientele.

It’s a pretty simple concept if you ask me. :) Happy Easter everyone!

I LOVE AUSTIN, Y'ALL! (caps on purpose)

2007-04-07T08:03:00.000-06:00

This is why everyone should live in Austin (for readers in Cali or Phx, you really should come visit- I'll hook you up with #2)!

1. THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS!!!!!!! UT Football reigns here and UT has to be the coolest campus with the tastiest little hole-in-the-wall dives around its perimeter. Hook ‘Em! (how can you resist this picture?)

2. We not only have the best Tex-Mex food on the planet, we have a restaurant chain that originated here that literally says “no crybabies” on the door.

3. Austin is the Live Music Capital of the world. Bored? Go online and find a band on ANY night of the week!

4. Most of us have gills growing on our necks from how much time we spend in the extensive lake systems. Lake Travis’ Devil’s Cove is crazy in the summer where 100+ boats link together and people freely walk onto each other’s boats, swap beer, stories, food, and friendship (lame point, but true).

5. Austin has to be the most diverse city anywhere- hippies, conservatives, tree huggers, commercial developers, and any other extremes all live happily under the same clean-air-sky.

6. Austin is America’s #1 Top Dating City- have a cosmo at any of the swanky downtown bars, cruise to 5th street for the hoity toity bars or 6th street for the more Girls Gone Wild type bars.

7. The Capitol grounds are amazing- the pink limestone building was actually built by Texas inmates! Try bumping into Rick Perry, John Cornyn or any other famous Texan politician!

8. Leslie. If you haven’t met Leslie, it’s a must- he (she?) is a houseless (that’s the PC word for homeless) man dressed in a mini skirt with a scraggly beard and Bluetooth piece in his ear. He has run for mayor several times (and actually gotten votes) and is beloved in Austin. Despite his chosen housing situation, he is incredibly intelligent and exceptionally funny!

9. Austin is Hollywood Squared. Filming is common here and numerous celebrities have flocked to the shores of Lake Austin or the high rise condos downtown, and cops LOVE busting famous people here, making great gossip news.

10. I don’t care what any hippy says about the Toll Roads, they make North Austin connect to downtown in a way never seen before in Austin. Opening new corridors of development and cutting travel time by 150%, I would date the Toll Road if I could, even if it costs $2.50 to get to work!

I LOVE AUSTIN and I will NEVER EVER LEAVE!

No One Asked Me, But Here's Why I Hate Some Realtor Blogs:

2007-04-05T21:00:00.000-06:00

1. Charts. Barring one or two local blogs, most of what I can find is NAR released charts that are already outdated, or graphs from local papers. This doesn’t do much to capture readers (especially me). If I want stats, I will go to NAR, ABOR, TREC or any other resources available to me.

2. News Recaps. Another guilty indulgence of bloggers with nothing to say. If someone has nothing of value to say, they will simply copy and paste a local news story. This is not to say that news is not interesting. In fact, it’s crucial. Do you know what cows do? They eat grass, urp on the ground, lick up and swallow said urp as gourmet. More than 50% of the blogs I have found simply blog like cows, regurgitating local news headlines. Listen, news IS critical, but translating that and giving it a real world application is the job of a blogger; leave the unbiased (hahahah, laughing at cnn) reporting to journalists, and make that news make sense to your reader.

3. Listings. If a blog is a list of homes available through the blog’s author, it should not be called a blog. I LOVE looking at listings (in fact, about 10% of my day is devoted to doing this), especially across the nation, but the same goes for listings blogs as does the news recap blogs- give content to the listing. For example, “3 beds, 2 baths on pretty street,” is SO played out… if you do listings on a BLOG, at least note “the front beds have been professionally landscaped and feature a rare rose hybrid not usually found in the South, a new Italiano’s restaurant is opening up the street- go say hello to Giovanni, the best chef this side of town. The neighborhood layout is in a grid pattern, so it’s easy for your visitors to find you, and the pool has recently been redone with a modern arbor- the perfect backdrop for your Easter photos!” Don’t be a boring list of listings, pretty please.

4. Shamelessness. All business blogs have a purpose, a reason, a mission. Capturing readers (like me) is much more successfully done when an author gives context to whatever they are talking about with stories, anectdotes, etc. When someone comes out every day and says “I’m Austin’s best Realtor because I know Real Estate,” then the next day “Austin’s Real Estate Market survives because I am awesome,” then “I am the best salesperson this side of the Mississippi,” then… well, you get it. If you’re applying for a job of being a reader’s Realtor, FINE- do it. But please don’t hide or beat around the bush with wild claims you can’t back up or with canned bull with nothing more than self ego stroking.

5. No Pictures. This one is easy- I like pictures and shiny things. Give me graphics or I probably won’t read your site. This one might just be my gripe…

**********

There are “big dogs” in the Real Estate Blogging world (and you know who you are) that are excellent at blogging and serve as an example to others. Due to Texas Association of Realtor ethics, I cannot call out the TERRIBLE bloggers (and you know who you are, too), but please be sure to visit my favorites: Phoenix Real Estate Guy, Bloodhound Blog, That Realtor Guy, Bawld Guy Talking, RE Agent in CT, and San Diego Homes.

I Would Be Dumb Not To...

2007-04-05T10:42:00.000-06:00

I started this blog to opine and learn about Real Estate, but as a wife, I would be a fool to not talk about my husband. I am about to launch “Partner Profiles,” a series of profiles about America ’s Realtor Wives (and husbands if I can find them). Most of the questions revolve around what makes each person’s husband/wife different and better than other Realtors around them. Some will have a clear answer and others may sound canned, but here’s MY response…

My husband remains unnamed because I am avoiding shameless plugs (although I’ll send you to his website any chance it is appropriate)! But why NOT showcase him? I think he’s so great that I married him, right? That’s the ultimate voucher right there! My husband is not only an incredible person, he behaved the same way even before he was licensed- kindness and selflessness is so natural for him. What attracted me to him was this very quality- always opening doors for strangers, helping old ladies cross the street, etc.

This conveyed perfectly into a career in residential Real Estate because he sincerely cares about people around him (what an amazingly fresh concept in the world of Real Estate). I have seen him list homes pro bono so a homeowner that was upside down could get out of the nightmare they were in, not just because when they are back on their feet in a year or two they have pre-selected their fantastic Realtor, but because he sincerely wants to help people. My husband has counseled more than one client through divorce when they call at midnight freaked out by the overwhelming process of selling or buying because of separation. On top of doing the occasional good deed of pro bono short sale to avoid foreclosure AND being just short of a therapist, my husband spends time trying to selflessly promote the entire INDUSTRY as a caring, helpful industry rather than an industry of blood sucking hyenas (yeah, hyenas suck blood). Even more, on his own blog he doesn't plug himself, rather promotes the industry! He doesn't even ask for referrals, rather he just gives good common sense advice. In a world centered around commmissions, his goal is to simply talk about how to find the value in a realtor or market- raising the standard.

My husband spends extra time in the community volunteering his time, is dead serious about not missing mass, and devotes endless time to our children teaching them about the good in this world. I could start getting mushy here, but I’ll refrain. Simply put, if I’m going to ask other spouses to talk about how amazing their husbands are, it would be laughable if I avoided doing the same. So, if my husband was running for President, I would say “vote for him” here, but instead, I’ll ask that you visit his website or blog and find out why he is Austin’s leading Realtor- he’s an honest, likeable guy that makes anyone around him comfortable because he’s watching out for them NO MATTER WHAT!

Why I Love Starbucks

2007-04-04T15:17:00.000-06:00

The first reason I love Starbucks is because their Peppermint Mocha is to DIE FOR! The baristas know us at multiple locations and they amaze people in line by starting our drinks without our saying a word (people wonder if we’re famous- we’re not).

The second reason is that it seems to be a meeting spot for any person in any industry. Millions of dollars worth of transactions originate in Starbuck’s each year (I dare to blog about this as a commentary to why I personally love Starbucks, rather than a suggestion of where to fish for business- no one likes fishers). The vibe at Starbuck’s is very friendly and people let their guards down when drinking out of that trademark white cup. Here in Texas, it’s normal to butt into people’s conversations regarding ANYTHING, but at Starbucks, there is a comfortable vibe that even foreigners (that’s what we call people from out of state) enjoy.

Here are two case studies of Realtors in Starbucks about lessons learned when ears are perked:

SCENE ONE: Single Pointe Realty (SPR) agent is minding his own business drinking his Latte when he overhears a couple talking about how frustrated they were at home shopping. The SPR agent standing next to them asked who their Realtor was and they said they didn’t have one. A casual conversation began about why no Realtor was involved (thought they could do it on their own and save a buck) and where all they’d looked (of course nowhere economical for their investment). SPR agent gives him their card and briefly explained how he could save them money and to call if they need guidance. The soft sale led them to catch him on his way out and hire him on the spot. They also contracted that day after seeing the home of their dreams (he nailed it after 15 minutes of conversation).

SCENE TWO: (regurgitated from my comment on Bawldguy.com) Waiting for coffee, I see a greased-back hairdo with a full black suit on (not traditional for Austin’s residential market) holding a knock off Mont Blanc and brown shoes with a black belt (leave it to a Wife to notice). In the smarmiest voice ever, he leans over and says, “what if I told you that you could save $50 a month on your home when you use my services? Huh? Huh? Sounds good doesn’t it? Bet you can’t resist…” Seriously? This guy reeks of used-car-salesmanship… This is the phony (insert epithet for “crap” here) that comes out of agents' mouths that ruins it for the more genuine intellectual Realtors (like my husband of course). Despite this looking like a planned meeting (laptop open, couple not drinking coffee), the clients left that high pressure smarmy agent sitting at the table alone but kindly thanked him for his time. I wish I had a printout of PhoenixRealEstateGuy’s Karma report to hand that Realtor.

The two scenes offer very different tales of how keeping your ears perked at different locations can teach you (1) to hear what people are talking about and kindly offer your services without pressure (as if anyone needs more smarmy in this world) and (2) how NOT to practice Real Estate (greasy hair and high pressure tactics). The bottom line is, I love Starbucks for the coffee and accidental networking opportunities. ALL Realtors should have their ears open at ALL times- you never know when the next coffee drinker may be your next client!

The Nordstrom's Theory

2007-04-03T13:59:00.000-06:00

There are some things that you can be trained to do and others that are ingrained into your DNA. Take for example last summer when I shopped online for over a month for the perfect pair of bronze/brown sandals (or flip flops here in Austin- yes, it’s common to wear these to the office here). I wanted them to be sparkly and elegant and didn’t want to pay over $50 for them. I went to Nordstroms.com and found the best pair of flip flops ever- they called out to my soul and I knew then that the only thing that would complete me was that specific pair of flip flops and I had to have them TODAY.

So I call Nordstroms in Austin and they inform me that they do not carry that line locally but could I hold one moment? Hold? What for? I’ll just order them online and be angry that I cannot have the instant gratification I sought by going and picking them up in person (I hate online shopping, the wait is excruciating). After 90 seconds, a perky male voice said that he was the manager of the shoe department (oh great, here comes the “you can order them online” speech) who was very quick on his feet (get it? get it?) and told me that there was a young lady from Austin training that day in Dallas where they carried that shoe and he would be glad to have her personally bring down a variety of sizes for me to try on when they open in the morning… What? Are you serious? Someone would literally carry boxes of shoes in their little BMW 323 just so I could try them on and maybe buy them? He kindly said “if they aren’t the right fit for you, I’m sure the perfect pair is in the store, I’d love to show you any shoe you’d like. I’ll have these shoes on hold for you and I’ll see you tomorrow!”

I was floored. I have told this story a million times and have explained to people that I now buy shoes from Nordstroms because of this incredible customer service experience. Even if I don’t need shoes, I feel obligated when I walk through to pick up at least a little somethin’ somethin’. Now this service was not something that was in the training manual- this man truly wanted to make me happy, even for a measly $35 pair of flip flops.

Imagine if the Real Estate industry behaved in such a way where part of your continuing education was a test of your service skills. I watch my husband bend over backwards for every client, even when there is no need (ex: going to all inspections, running paperwork across town so a courier can’t screw it up, etc). I also see that because our market in Austin is doing so well, a lot of green agents take clientele for granted- not returning calls, acting irritated at a referral because they’re busy, and so on and so forth. Can you imagine if Nordstrom’s had acted irritated with me for wanting a service that THEY SHOULD provide? I would be screaming about it to this day.

Remember, I could still be ranting about a bad experience at Nordstrom’s, but instead I continually project to the world a story of the most amazing service ever. So, take a tip from Nordstrom’s AND by emulating their model, maybe someday, someone will blog/brag about the amazing service YOU have provided.

So What? I'm a Grammar Nerd...

2007-04-02T08:30:00.000-06:00

So this is just a rant about my “Grammar Feelings.” I have an English Degree from the University of Texas, and I often hear things that grate on my every last nerve (even when I go back and read my own mindless writing).

Mistakes that I hate and demand cease in the online community at once:

*Bad: “I did good on that tour.” Good: “I did well on that tour.”
This is the most flagrant offense in the book- I command thee to use adverbs appropriately (bonus points for anyone who can point out the adverb in this sentence).

*Bad: “The sign was put on it’s side.” Good: “The sign was put on its side.”
When the apostrophe is present, it is used as a substitute for a letter, therefore “it’s” exclusively means “it is.”

*Bad: “Its obvious that I can’t.” Good: “It’s obvious that I can’t.”

*Bad: “I always loose my keys.” Good: “I always lose my keys.”
I LOVE reading this one- loose is reserved for a street walker or a big blouse.

*Bad: “I moved over their.” Good: “I moved over there.”
“There” refers to a location, “their” refers to something belonging to another group of people.

*Bad: “It’s you’re fault we are late.” Good: “It’s your fault we are late.”
This is a repetitive lesson- apostrophes are used as substitutes for letters, so “you’re” ALWAYS means “you are.”

*Bad: “I could of finished.” Good: “I could have finished.” I blame this on the buck-toothed goons that have butchered the language. If you need an explanation on this, please go back to third grade, rinse and repeat.

I could go on forever! I was 15 when I corrected my then-stepmother when she said to my little brother “oh, you did so good on that!” I had never spoken back to my parents but I couldn’t take it any more- I said, “you mean ‘you did well on that.’” She was furious and I told her that I was embarrassed and didn’t want people to hear her and think I come from an ignorant family. When she begged my father (who has the same grammar sensitivities) to intervene, he simply supported me by saying, “she’s right.”

The problem is that we are living in a virtual E-World with its own rules and regulations, all of which have become acceptable (see my UT transcript featuring a course on “Internet Ethics and the Online Evolution”- oh yeah, it’s really a class). So, Internet Users, I’ll agree to conform by occasionally typing “sup? I miss you guys ‘cuz u rock!,” as long as you all take a five minute grammar lesson, stop saying “I did good,” and STOP hurting my Grammar Feelings.

Oh, and I’ll head you off at the pass and ask that comments be based on (1) all grammar mistakes made in this blog and (2) any new lessons you’ve learned. L8r, yo!

Real Estate Market Bubble

2007-03-31T14:36:00.000-06:00

When I was little, despite missing two Easters in a row (chicken pox twice- seriously), I still believed in the Easter bunny. I also spent many years of my life preparing cookies for Santa, Lego houses for the Tooth Fairy (don’t ask), being scared of Alligators under my bed (again, don’t ask), avoiding cracks in the sidewalk, and even watching the skies for any saucer shaped object watching for a possible streak of light to follow!

All of those mythical things I spent time worrying about were all for nothing, and as each legend dematerialized before my eyes (regardless of what he says- dad told me he shot the Easter bunny, Santa got stuck in the chimney, the Tooth Fairy was broke and that aliens only existed if you did drugs), I became disillusioned. I was irritated that people around me went to such great lengths to scare me (Alligators under the bed so I would stay put) or prepare me for events that benefited them (watching dopey kids hunt for dairy products in the yard every spring- what a laugh)! I learned from those things and came into adulthood, slightly jaded and overly analytical.

Like Santa, the “Austin Real Estate Bubble” we hear about “bursting” from poorly dressed local anchors is all smoke and mirrors. Perhaps markets like Schulenburg, Texas or Clovis, New Mexico suffer stagnant markets while the east side of Atlanta, Georgia and Hollywood, Florida simply fail so miserably. All four cities are examples of markets irrelevant to Austin yet, they are taken into account when the national news anchors rant endlessly about the “bubble burst.” Austin isn’t a bursting bubble, it doesn’t pay children for rotting teeth, nor does it break your mother’s back when stepped on. Austin’s market is doing better than ever- look at any Austin Real Estate blog which will bore you with nothing more than charts about said successful market statistics (or “stats” if you’re cool). So please- stop worrying about the “bubble” in Austin- it isn’t in the near future, but if it gets close to becoming a reality (think believing in saucer shaped objects in the sky), we will most certainly let you know!

The Carpet Angel Phenomena

2007-03-31T14:26:00.000-06:00

When my husband and I were dating and he was a new Real Estate Agent practicing apartment locating, we loved “previewing” apartments around town. This involved picking the fanciest, most expensive apartments that had just been built and going on tours so we could get to know the products we intended to promote.

We lived in far North Austin in a gorgeous apartment we had no intention of moving out of, but for “business sake,” we drove all the way to Southwest Austin to see a new property. When we walked into the elaborate lobby, I anticipated the glittery blonde in a suit to offer us champagne. Well, we didn’t get champagne, but we were taken via stretch golf cart (oooh la la) to an apartment that would suit our “clients.”

We strolled up the steep stairs which immediately turned me off, but when we entered the 900 square foot apartment, we were in love! Centered around the kitchen, the bedrooms flowed together and angels sung as we immediately pictured how our new sofa would look in the living room with the view and what walls we would paint and oh, where would our 6” mirror go? Obviously, we broke character and my boyfriend (now husband, keep up!) literally threw himself down on the floor with a face-stretching grin in the master bedroom and did a carpet angel where the bed would be placed. The bubbly blonde figured out that we too would consider living there and wouldn’t it be great to show clients a stylish, furnished apartment?

I call this the “Carpet Angel Phenomenon.” I am a researcher through and through and when apartment hunting would drive even the most patient person crazy by my desire to see EVERY apartment on the market. But, had I not assumed I could find a suitable home on my own (and seen that apartment first with a skilled professional), the “Carpet Angel Phenomenon” would most certainly have taken place, removing any need for future shopping. So, if you’ve asked your REALTOR to show you “just one more,” you either haven’t found your Carpet Angel moment, you are overly analyzing and self-doubting, or your REALTOR has not listened to what you want. I hope that soon, the “Carpet Angel Phenomenon” gets you!

My Two Cents,
Austin Realtor's Wife

And yes, that is a picture of our very own dog!

Why Austin is SO COOL

2007-03-31T11:44:00.000-06:00

What is so cool about the Austin Real Estate market is that it’s like an appetizer sampler plate. If you can’t decide between spicy Miami, cool ranch Kansas City, or relaxing margarita Del Mar, Austin is a great choice. When you don’t want any one particular flavor but an infusion of ALL tastes at once, spend 20 minutes driving around Austin and you’ll know what I mean! Down South is the SoCo district with their hot new condominiums sprouting from the ground like iris bulbs. Drive central to the revitalized 6th and 5th streets with live music and sexy Austin lofts. Getting north of town brings you to huge oak trees and patio dining at the Arboretum.

What else is cool about Austin? The real estate market bubble is non-existent… while news anchors nationwide bark about a bubble bursting, Austin sits back and has another mojito. A bubble burst is as foreign a concept as putting a 7-11 hot dog on your awesome sampler plate (although I will confess to loving gas station hot dogs, they just don’t go with the wildly amazing flavors already on the plate)!

This morning I read on the Single Pointe Realty blog about pricing in Austin and where we stand. Pricing is creeping up to where it should have been in the first place, into the range of the market’s true worth. We aren’t headed for an astronomical surge in pricing, but they are inching higher and higher. The good news is that this strengthens our market even MORE while other markets (Detroit’s market ringing any bells….?) slip into a weaker position.

That Real Estate Guy gives great advice to people in the market to get OFF that wobbly fence and go for it! Prices aren’t going to go back down and people shouldn’t procrastinate their way out of a house. As for me and my sampler plate, I’ll happily take more salsa and a mojito- cheers!

That's my Two Cents,
Austin Realtor’s Wife

*****SO, what is YOUR market like? Spicy, Tangy, Mojito-ish? :)

REALTOR Wives has finally launched!!!!

2007-03-29T19:36:00.000-06:00

Attention all spouses of REALTORS!!!! After years of talking about it, it's finally here! This is OUR place to talk about all things Real Estate. Anyone married to a REALTOR knows that despite not being licensed, we are 50% REALTORS ourselves- going on tours, assisting with closings, coordinating architects, surveyors, lawyers, other agents, etc as needed.

Sometimes our job as a spouse looks easy, but just try telling a non-REALTOR-spouse (NRS) what an evening is like- blackberries, treos, instant messaging, texting, emails and endless phone calls cloud the air, but WE are a tough bunch- we smile and jot down any helpful information, right?

So, tell us about yourself-

1. Where do you live?

2. How many years have you been a REALTOR Wife?
3. What is your background (interesting facts about you)?

We are seeking contributors! If you'd like to be a regular writer on RealtorWives, tell us today!

WELCOME ALL!!!!