Eileen Schreiber, ABR, EcoBroker, Flagstaff, AZ

Confession Time.

As a relatively new real estate agent, I don't know how to develop a client base through face-to-face contact.

I mean, of course I know how to talk with real people from previous life experiences. But as a Realtor, most of my client conversations originate and develop right here, sitting in bed or at my desk, special brew of Eileen's tea by my side, typing on the computer.

History.

Realtor was on my “NEVER” list. The idea of scratching and clawing for clients was as appealing as spending the rest of my life in the dentist’s chair. I had been an appraiser and at the time of the Great Decision, was one of a team of two, building high-end custom homes in Flagstaff, Arizona. No doubt, Realtor made excellent business sense. And as things go, the Realtor who had sold a few of our homes was very interested in teaming up with me. Off to school, license in hand, I'm a Realtor!

Just a few months later, my seasoned partner dumped me. The idea of our team was apparently better than the reality.

At Scratch Bottom

I was devastated, scared, overwhelmed and depressed. Truly.

The building business had bottomed, and now I was exactly where I NEVER wanted to be: a new Realtor who had to start from scratch, the word scratch my reality, coupled with the word claw, what I needed to do in order to eek out a living at a time when the market was grinding to a halt.

Hope

In my overwhelming desperation, I turned to my one good friend, the computer. We have always been great companions. I started browsing Real Estate Sites late into the night. Something started to stir. A sense of excitement... purpose... a creative spark. I CAN DO THAT! No, I don't have connections here in Flagstaff, I don't have children whose parents I can meet through our activities, I don't have any real way of building a successful client base in these slow times... but I can build a website! And I can market that!

My New Identity

With a new sense of purpose driving me, I went at it with passion. I found a wonderful web company, Cevado Technologies. I love them deeply to this day. The inspiration and ideas for mysite came from above or beyond (depending on your beliefs), but my ideas and vision were certainly from a deeper source. I had no “realtor” source within. And the ideas kept coming, all hours of the day, waking me up at 4 AM when I grabbed my laptop and clicked, designed and wrote furiously until dawn.

The essence of the site was customized IDX searches linked to pretty pictures. Everything else was built around that. This was my New Identity, one I could market and sell. The result is www.TheFlagstaffWebsite.com.

Google Ads

The site was up. Glorious day. Glorious Week. Glorious Month. And - nothing happened. Of course. Nobody knew my masterpiece existed. When I began to spend money on Google pay- per-click, the world opened up. By refining ads, my site went from 5 unique visitors per month to over 2000 and counting.

Webversations.

So back to the original point of this article. Given that today, at least 84% of Buyers start on the web, almost all of my originating conversations are webversations – faceless, voiceless emails from potential buyers searching my site.

“Could you please send me more information on this listing?” From that piece of black and white, I know the price of the home and sometimes, the originating city of my potential client. But nothing more - no subtle body language clues; no clothes divulging deeper signs of their personality, (crocks or stilettos, baggy pants or a sundress, natural or doctor designed?)… I don’t know if they are casual or formal, serious or just browsing, southern or east coast, down to earth or high falutin.

I just know that they want more information, and the Webversation has begun. Now I have a chance.

Part II – Webversations to Closing – Miracles DO Happen. (coming next!)

Saturday was a normal day for me in the life of a Realtor in Flagstaff, Arizona.

I met my new client at 9:00 AM at Little America, one of our Landmark Hotels in Flagstaff. She lives in Alabama and, faced with layoffs and life changes precipitated by the current economy, is interviewing for a job in Flagstaff.

Like many of my clients, she did her homework and research through my website, TheFlagstaffWebsite.com. She and I had emailed for weeks. She presented me a list of about 15 homes she wanted to see, ranked in order of preference.

She was organized, smart and very funny! We clicked.

Her price range was under $300,000, the closer to $200,000 the better. I don't know what you can get in your market for under $300,00, but I do know that almost every one of my out-of-town clients suffer something like sticker shock when they see our Flagstaff homes in this price range.

Flagstaff is a unique and beautiful area in Arizona. We have trees, mountains and gorgeous four seasons. We have an excellent hosptial, Universities and some industry. We are small and surrounded by Forest, meaning we have not, and will not, expand with large developments. Between our geography, land scarcity, our amenities and our services, we truly are special.

And therefore, we aint cheap.

My client showed the common signs. As we drove up to the first home, I could tell she thought I was mistaken. She furrowed her brow, looked a little nervous, and reached for her printouts - the ones with the pictures that pretty much look nothing like the listing.

I reviewed what we were about to see - built in the 70s, partially remodeled, $264,000. And waited. She looked at me, looked, down, looked around, wiped her mouth, then blurted in the way that truthtellers blurt, (in her Southern Accent) - Hell, this would be $80,000 tops where I come from!

I nodded my head, said "I know", and escorted her gingerly to the front porch.

And so it went.

Nurturing my out of town clients through sticker shock is an art. I have to let them see, feel and absorb. I have to let them calculate in their head how much it would be back home. I nod my head, compassionately understand, and slowly and honestly explain that here in Flagstaff, Arizona, we pay for the privilige of being in Flagstaff.

And it is a privilege. Yes, you can find less expensive homes in other areas of Arizona. You can. But then, well, you see.......you have to live in those other areas. It's hotter in the Summer, or smaller, or lacking amenities. There are less trees, no hospital or no universities. If it's a second home, it's a longer drive and not as fun. As the day wears on and the out-of-towner considers these other options, she slowly understands. She relaxes. Starts to smile. She might not get the house she imagined, but yes, living here can be a privilege deeply enjoyed.

At the end of our day we saw two homes she liked. Of course they were about $150,000 more than she thought they were worth, but two possibilites are better than none! I have not yet heard how her interview went and hope she got the job. That would be one VERY important reason to move here, and after she does, I know she and her family will discover why Flagstaff is worth it!

For all Flagstaff Homes for Sale. For Flagstaff Golf Homes. For Affordable Flagstaff.

For those of you who would like to see how our market for Single Family Home Sales is unfolding on a daily basis, please bookmark the Flagstaff Daily Market Report. Every day I will update it with new stats. If I miss a day, I promise I will back date.

The data is taken from the Northern Arizona MLS and is only as reliable as the data input into the service. The regions chosen include Flagstaff and Surrounding Areas. This report follows single family home sales, and includes condos and townhomes.

If you would like to see all Flagstaff Homes for Sale, by price, neighborhood, golf community or by searching the Flagstaff MLS, please see the Flagstaff Website.com.

Happy Sunday!

One reason Flagstaff is so loveable to me is that we are so close to Sedona. When I've enjoyed the blue skies, sun and white snowy scenery of Flagstaff, but am ready to warm my bones, it's jump in the car and go!

The drive to Sedona is part of the pleasure. Oak Creek Canyon is a world destination. Starting out at 7000 feet in the pines, you enter a twisty turny journey through magical peaks, valleys, streams, and stunning, multicolored rock formations.

You can stop and fill your bottles with the BEST water in the world. It flows endlessly from spouts built into a little rock wall next to the creek. You can stop and hike in the canyon, letting the forest and babbling water from Oak Creek envelop you, forgetting about Sedona below. Or, a half hour to forty five minutes later, you can emerge from this fantasy land into uptown Sedona, a culture so different from Flagstaff it's sometimes hard to remember how close we really are.

On cold Flagstaff days, my favorite things to do in Sedona are hike or play tennis. Brins Mesa is my personal favorite for a short but gorgeous and physical hike. It is an uphill walk starting at a trailhead at the end of Jordan Road that is breathtaking in two ways: the scenery, and if you do it fast enough, it really takes your breath away! Although Brins is my personal fave, there are countless possibilities for hiking, walking, enjoying.

Playing tennis at the Enchantment Resort is so extraordinary, it almost defies description. The Enchantment Resort is also an internationally renowned resort, with the number ONE spa in the world Mi Amo. Built in the heart of some of Sedona's most majestic rock formations at Boynton Canyon, it is an almost secret enclave dominated by natural beauty, and refined by human luxury. The courts are suprisingly open. For a minimal charge, I can stare at the red rocks and blue skies from the courts, allow the positive energy to envelop me, and whack it out with a friend or one of the pros. Even if I lose 6-0 6-0, I've had an incredible day.

So, if you are someone who loves to be spoiled by variety and don't mind the drive (that's a joke), Sedona is Flagstaff's solution to chilled bones or a simple love of adventure.

If you are interested in living in Flagstaff, please visit my site. For Flagstaff Properties, Golf Properties, Affordable Properitesand Luxury Properties, click!

Yes, it's already mid January. 

Happy January to all of you interested in following weekly Flagstaff Arizona Single Family Home Market Stats!  While I realize this is neither humorous nor engaging, market-watching is a favorite pastime for those of us with a vested interest.

I hope these reports inspire head nodding (not shaking), eyebrow raising, smiles and eventually, glorious YAHOOOS!

I closed a sale last week. (YAHOO).  I was happy to begin my new year with the news that my clients, who struggled along for three months, had loaded up the furniture and were on their way.  I was happier still to know later they had water and heat, and the dogs were extremely pleased in the snow.

So,  the market stats for Flagstaff Single Family Homes in the week of Jan 5-11!

(please click on the picture)

TheFlagstaffWebsite, For all Flagstaff Properties