Aaron Jones

In an hour or two I'll be headed to our regular Tuesday sales meeting @ the office. It's a time to learn what's new in home loans, title, new listings, developments in technology, & more. I'll be the first to admit, sometimes I don't place a high priority on those meetings because it seems to intrude upon my morning "to-do" list. However, I seem to always leave with a new piece of information that has the potential to further my business. That's when I arrive at the reality that my attitude and how I participate makes as much of a difference as anything, and by just showing up I gain more than I realize.

Here's a few suggestions, though, that might take things to the next level in your office. Michael Hyatt, CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishing, came up with a list of things to avoid that will make your next meeting more productive. A pastor friend of mine showed me this list, admitting he was guilty of one or two--and I'm in that group as well. Here's a list of the Top Ten Most Annoying Habits In Meetings:

1. Arriving late. This ends up wasting everyone's time. Not only do you miss out, but it often forces the group to start the meeting over just to get you up-to-speed. It also screams, "I'm disorganized. I can't manage my time." Is that really the impression you want to create?

2. Taking phone calls. This is probably the most obnoxious behavior. You might as well say, "Excuse me, but I have someone else more important trying to reach me." At the very least, have the courtesy to quietly excuse yourself and step out of the meeting. And, don't answer the phone on your way out the door. Try to be as discrete as possible.

3. Checking e-mail. This is similar to taking a phone call. It communicates that you have something more important to do than pay attention to the meeting. Just say, "no." Leave the laptop in your office unless you need it for a formal presentation. And, please, PLEASE resist the urge to pull your Blackberry or iPhone out every five minutes and check your messages. (Okay, now I am preaching to myself!)

4. Engaging in side conversations. A good meeting only has one conversation going on at a time. A side conversation is, at best, distracting. At worst, it is a challenge to the meeting leader for control of the conversation. Engage in a little self-control. If you need to follow-up with someone, write yourself a note, and do it after the meeting.

5. Not taking notes. If it is not worth taking notes, why are you there? This communicates, "Nothing going on in this meeting is worth remembering or following-up on." If you haven't done so, you might want to read a previous post I wrote called "Recovering the Lost Art of Note-Taking." You'll be surprised how much more interesting the meeting becomes when you are capturing your thoughts or what others are sharing.

6. Talking too much. There's nothing worse than the person who feels the need to comment on everything. Or worse, once they get the floor, they won't give it up. They just keep talking ... and talking ... and talking. C'mon, give the rest of us a chance!

7. Interrupting others. Okay, you have a great idea. You're smart. We've got it. But can you wait until the person currently talking is done? The worst form of this is the person who randomly changes the subject. When you make a sharp left turn, you can give everyone else in the meeting whiplash.

8. Not coming prepared. Maybe you got away with this in school. But this is real life. People notice. When you are invited to attend a meeting, people expect you to make a contribution. If you don't contribute, people assume you haven't done your homework. Maybe that's why you are getting invited to fewer meetings. Hmmm.

9. Chasing rabbits. This is one of those behaviors that makes meetings longer than they need to be. You don't need to respond to every comment with a quip. You don't have to tell some long, drawn-out story that everyone has already heard before. Stay focused. You can do it! The sooner we get through the agenda, the sooner we can get back to our offices and get some real work done.

10. Not speaking up. Every meeting seems to have them. Deadwood. How can you sit quietly for the whole meeting? Sometimes I want to pull out a mirror, hold it under your nose, and make sure you can fog it! Why do you keep coming to meetings? Worse, why do we keep inviting you? Speak up or bow out.

Want to have a better sales meeting experience? Maybe it begins with you...

This weekend in the city where I live, Stewartville, MN, we are hosting a garage sale weekend like many small towns. People from all over the region, even other states converge on Stewartville to find that bargain they've been looking for. It's a fun time--great for the city & the local economy.

Many times as a Realtor, I've attempted to host open houses on this annual weekend to see if I can capture some more traffic for my sellers. Unfortunately, I've seen the exact opposite happen. Open parking spaces are a valuable commodity, people rush from one sale to the next, but rarely do I have anyone through. I equate this to a different clientele--people focused on a certain event, but not willing to stray off of their purpose for being there. Maybe that's to their credit since time is short and key items go quickly.

What are your thoughts on open houses during busy weekends where you live? Big sporting events? Parades? Festivals? Have they worked for you? Thanks for your insight!

Happy Houses!

Aaron

This may just be more interesting than even the mad rush to reach the April 30th tax rebate deadline for buyers & sellers--the inspection contingency phase. Most home inspections will be done (if not already) in the next few days, which brings up some key negotiating points to the advantage and disadvantage of both parties. Let's take a look:

Buyers

The buyers that snuck in under the cover of 11:59 PM have to their credit a lump sum of money coming their way that's greatly to their benefit. Instant equity--whether eventually used for closing costs, home improvements, down payment, paying back mom & dad, or a buffer zone to later ease financial strain during a relocation.

However, not all is joyful in the land of potential home ownership. Some home inspections may be coming back with a laundry list of items that weren't carefully recognized as they dashed from house to house. There's the roof with the cracking & curling shingles, the windows w/ broken seals, a water heater on its last legs, a fireplace w/ a crumbling chimney. The seller knows that if you back out now and write a different purchase agreement, you wave "bye bye" to government stimulus dollars. What to do? Bite the bullet and proceed on a house you're now unsure of? Or do you back out & rationalize it saying the sellers of the home I really want may reduce their price even more in this post-tax rebate era?

Sellers

Congratulate yourself sellers--you have an accepted purchase agreement in a spring market when prices will most likely be the highest all year! This has now freed many of you to pocket $6500 and become that all important purchaser, and you see the merits of your investments clearly. However, the buyer has now requested a laundry list of things to be done on your home, and or has asked for the price to be reduced based upon inspection. You could just call their bluff, especially since they locked in for the 8k as a 1st time buyer--"no house, no money." In many ways, you might just be in the driver seat holding them randsom to their own sense of urgency brought about by many factors.

And yet, let's just say they decide this wasn't the best decision overall and could be willing to back out. Where does that place you? If you are one of those $6500 recipients, you're losing cash as well if your sale falls through. And if you go back on the market, you do so in uncharted waters as spring turns into summer which turns into fall & winter. Price adjustments, market time, the inability to move on with life. Are you willing to risk all of that for a simple punch list and a relatively smaller sum of cash?

Some thoughts to consider as sellers, buyers, and real estate professionals as we all work through some interesting days....thoughts?

Happy Houses!

Aaron

I'll admit it, I struggle with giving feedback after I've shown a property. Especially when I've shown 12 to the same client. Remembering is one thing, what to provide is something entirely different. Here's some suggestions both for listing agents and buyer's agents alike:

Listing Agents

1. Be brief in your request. I've used simple one line sentences on an email or a quick call to a cell phone & had good success. Anything beyond that makes me as a buyer's agent not want to go through the hassle.

2. Give some info that will jog the memory. Sometimes it's a picture that can do it, sometimes a verbal description. Obviously you don't want to "incriminate" your own listing. "You know, the aqua green house w/ the Brady Bunch wallpaper & the deck that's falling off..." Be tactful, but also helpful.

3. Don't get defensive. Sometimes when agents & buyers rip apart your listing, you're inclined to agree--sometimes not. Some agents take it as a personal affront when remarks about price, cleanliness, location, etc. are not the way they see it. Arguing probably won't get you an offer, and it may just alienate that agent from showing another one of your listings.

Buyer's Agents

1. Just do it. Take those few moments out of your day to help your fellow agents out. What goes around comes around--which is important to remember when you're on the list side. Agents may not remember every detail of every transaction over the past 10 years, but they do know who's notorious in certain situations, feedback included. You'll look better to your fellow realtors, and the seller, which helps more than you know down the road.

2. Substance sells. Provide something of substance either from you or the buyer, because it helps the industry look better. The generic, "It's our first time out, we're just getting a feel for the market", doesn't help anyone. What would improve the listing--price, condition, staging? Offer a tip or two.

3. Don't sucker punch. There's always positives & growth areas on every property. Share that the yard is large, living areas spacious, but they were looking for 3 bedrooms on the main. Killing an agent on price or staging is not in anyone's best interest, and if your client is even remotely interested can slow eventual negotiations when you make an offer.

Also, one for both sides--be careful what you disclose! Like Miranda, anything you say may just be used against you. So disclosing something like, "Just bring an offer", "They need to be in by....", or any other piece of info. your clients may question you sharing in their absence would be worth avoiding.

Happy Houses!

Aaron

"You can't sell the house if you don't have the listing," says one of my co-workers. True. But how far do we go? There's 2 different ways to "buy" a listing--a seller's price and our price. Either way, neither really works in the end.

When we buy a listing based upon the sellers price and beat them up down the road, we take a chance of losing the listing anyway because it's overpriced. In this market--not a good idea. In any market, it streams dollars away from your pocket because the longer you advertise, the more you lose.

When we buy a listing based on our price, our motivation with the listing is in question. Not only that, but we also short-change the other sellers who are paying "full-price" just because they have the money to do so. In the interest of full disclosure, I have negotiated my commission farther than I wanted and every time (even when the house sells) it leaves a bad taste. I understand that sticking to your guns doesn't necessarily feed the family, but by short-changing yourself you may be doing even more damage to your self-confidence and future sales in the long run.

I just came out of a listing appointment where the seller wanted to sell at $15,000 above market value, and cut my commission by a percent. Given the fact it was also in a relatively unfavorable location, it wasn't as hard to walk away, but it still stings. Yet walking away is not the worst thing. Chances are, another Realtor may take a crack at it, lose, and they'll remember you when you call them after it's expired anyway.

So here's to holding the line--you have value! Make sure others know it as well!