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JUST ONE MORE…

01-30-12
John Mangas
By John Mangas, real estate broker with RE/MAX Preferred Toledo, Ohio
Last week I had the pleasure to be at the Ohio Association of Realtor’s 2012 inaugural in Columbus. The very talented Bob Miller was inducted as the 2012 president of OAR.
In Bob’s remarks, he spoke about “one more”. He challenged us an our industry to do one more thing each day to build our businesses.
That simple statement, ONE MORE really resonated with me. We can all create the time to do one more positive thing each day. In doing so, think what we can accomplish with…
ONE MORE:
  • Post closing follow up call
  • Contact with a past client
  • FSBO or Expired contact
  • Market update to an overpriced seller
  • Follow up with a Human Resources Manager
  • Call to your open house attendees
  • HAND WRITTEN thank you note
The list is nearly endless, as is the potential. Honest, sincere calls and follow up is part of our job. It’s not glamorous. Sometimes it’s not much fun at all, but its what successful Realtors do.
As self starters we also must be good time managers. Creating time in your schedule for regular prospecting, plus ONE MORE can only make you more successful and set you apart as a respected professional. Take the time to make the time for ONE MORE…you won’t regret it!
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Top 10 Tips for Holding Successful Open Houses

01-20-12
John Mangas
With the new year just beginning we have seen a lot of buyer activity in our market. So now would be a great time to schedule an open house.

We have several Realtors who made a good income from holding successful open houses. If you would like to shadow or chat with someone who has had success at open houses talk to Joan Rauh, Sharon Kowalski or Johnny O. They can share their techniques and strategies.

Here are our top 10 tips to holding successful open houses that we have compiled with input from our RE/MAX Preferred Realtors!

1) Check your open house attitude! Make sure it’s positive and realize you can have a successful open house if you get one buyer or seller to work with.

2) Buy a plant or gas card to use for a drawing at your open house. Use drawing entry cards instead of sign in sheet with a place for name, address, cell phone number and email address. With this information you can notify winner and deliver prize to their home or office and add them to data base to provide them with more home buying information.

3) Do research: check our appointment log on RPAAgents.com and see what price ranges are getting the most showings to determine the best price range for your open houses

4) New listings that are priced right or homes with recent price reductions are usually the best open houses.

5) Make sure the home you select is “open house ready” clean and de-cluttered interior with the exterior making a good first impression. (if not make suggestions to sellers so home is ready for open house.)

6) Put open Sunday sign rider up early in the week to attract more buyers.

7) Ask yourself where is a likely Buyer to come from: If it’s a home that may attract more first time home buyer’s than you may want to do a mailing to apartments or duplexes in the area. If the home is in a move up price range, send invitations to an adjacent neighborhood that is at a lower price point but in same area.

8) Thursday or Friday before the open drop off flyers to the neighbors inviting them to the open. Who better to sell the neighborhood than somebody who lives there. Also they may be considering selling sometime in the future. What a great way for you to start a relationship.

9) Email invitations/flyer to your sphere of influence.This serves two purposes. It keeps your name at their “Top of Mind” awareness and reminds them that you are a successful and (pro-active Realtor.

10) Use several open house signs. Most Realtors use 2-3. Try 5 or 6 and see how it increases your traffic.


Open houses can become a great source of income for you if you make them a priority when Buyer activity is high.

So please use these tips at the next open house you schedule and share your success stories with other RE/MAX agents on RPAagents.com
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Speaking of Bang for the Buck…..

01-13-12
John Mangas
By John Mangas, Real Estate Broker with RE/MAX Preferred Toledo, Ohio
Can we agree that property values in metro Toledo have fallen over the past 6 years?
Would 30% be a fair number?
Have you heard that you can obtain a 30 year fixed rate loan for around 4%?
Did you realize that the same rate would have been around 5.5 – 6% just a few years ago?
So let’s assume that a buyer bought a $150,000 home 5 years ago and did FHA financing (3% down) and that they were able to obtain a 30 year fixed interest rate of 5.75%. The monthly principal and interest payment would be about $849. per month.
In today’s market, that same $150,000 home would sell for around $110,000. Additionally, the interest rate that today’s buyer is paying is around 4%. Staying with the same FHA 30 year fixed rate (3% down) scenario, the monthly P & I payment would be around $502 per month! That represents 40% more buying power!
TALK ABOUT BANG FOR THE BUCK!
We lose site of this because the market shift happened over an extended period of time and the change was gradual. The media has talked a great deal about lower property values but has failed to point out this very important part of the equation. Today’s buyer has an opportunity to buy more home for less…PERIOD! As real estate professionals, we need to be educating the market and talking about this tremendous opportunity.
Housing affordability has not been better during the years that I have been a Realtor. We can’t depend on anyone to speak this message louder than we do! If we become ambassadors for the housing market, we become a meaningful voice and help to drive the recovery! NOW is a GREAT TIME TO BUY!
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Optimism, Realism & Real Estate…

12-30-11
John Mangas

By John Mangas, Real Estate Broker with RE/MAX Preferred Toledo, Ohio

I am an optimistic person by nature and think of myself as a glass half full person.

Today is December 30, 2011 and I am forced to look at 2012 with one part optimism and one part realism. This is where it gets difficult.

Yes, 2012 is an election year which generally is good for the real estate industry. I’m not sure it matters this time around.

2010 was the year of the “short sale”. 2011 was the year of “robo-signer”. 2012 will be the year of____________________________(fill in the blank).
  • Foreclosure
  • Recovery
  • Intelligent credit policies
  • The 2nd helping of price reductions
  • Credit scoring reforms
  • New construction
  • Job creation
  • Inflation

We obviously do not know, but these and many other factors affect our ability greatly to our ability of offer our clients great advise and make a living.

What we know for sure is that a significant back log of foreclosure properties need to make their way through the system. Job growth needs to occur and our economy must expand before we begin to reach an equilibrium in the housing market.

Because of their convoluted methodology, NAR’s market forecasts have been overstated by as much as 14% in 2011. That number has made it’s way into the mainstream media which undermines the integrity of our national voice. Case Schiller cranks out great information but they use data that is 3 – 6 months old. It’s great for trending, but does it really mean much to the home owner needing to get every penny out of their home? Earlier this year I was flipping through the morning news “talking heads” and their in studio real estate experts who had contradicting opinions about the future of home values. Our clients don’t know who or what to believe.

That’s where we come. We absolutely must be the local real estate expert. We must have a pulse on the market and be able to offer our clients a realistic picture of what is happening in the LOCAL Metro Toledo real estate market. No rose colored glasses, just facts and insights based our unique abilities to read what the conditions are telling us.

In 2012, let’s be extra informed so that our clients get the best information available from the real estate source…each of us! Let’s make it our goal to keep real estate REAL in 2012!
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HOW MAY I HELP...?

12-19-11
John Mangas
By John Mangas, RE/MAX Preferred Broker/Co-Owner Toledo, Ohio
The Holidays are here!
Amid the news stories of foreclosures, government shut down, unemployment numbers, consumer spending trends, political debates etc. there was a news story that caught my attention. A small story that is huge.
It involves a man in Michigan who has gone to K-Mart and paid off the delinquent lay-a-way balances. Those families who were unable to pay off the balance due could now pick up their gifts and enjoy Christmas thanks to the generosity of this individual. The donor was anonymous which adds another layer of meaning to the story.
Across the country there are countless people helping those in need in ways most will never know. At RE/MAX Preferred we have sponsored a Christmas family that needed some assistance in the metro Toledo area every year to help them celebrate the season. This year the Toledo Seagate Food Bank asked us to help a family who was in distress. The father has a stage 4 cancer. Two of the 3 children have health issues of their own. We were asked if we could help solve the problems that occurred after a huge rain storm that resulted in their basement flooding. They needed to have a sump crock and sump pump installed and connected to an exit line. Additionally they needed the basement to be dried out. Our agents stepped up and within 24 hours work had begun. We were pleased to provide that assistance to this family.
Realtors are a giving group. Regardless of the region or company, the real estate industry steps up and helps to meet the community. RE/MAX has for years been involved with the Susan Komen for the Cure and the Children’s Miracle Network raising significant sums of money for research.
At RE/MAX Preferred, we are proud to give back and serve our fellow man and communities in meaningful ways. There is more need that we have the resources to meet, but we are pleased to contribute where we can and make a small difference, just as so many others do nationwide.
If you see a need in your community you have also seen an opportunity to get involved and make a difference. Please take a moment to look around…the real gift is the one you give yourself when you get involved
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