Malisa Spivey & Damon Crelia

I have been thinking all day about my best Active Rain Memory and I finally thought of it. Although it may not be memorable to everyone, it is quite memorable to me. It is my very first AR post. I remember how hard it was for me to come up with something to write about and on top of that find my voice. Well I have found my voice and sometimes it speaks volumes, and I am learning how to be more rounded in my voice, but time will cure that. I tell everyone that asks about AR blogging that it is not easy, but just keep writting and you Will find your voice. So here is my first memory

http://activerain.com/blogsview/165408/McLennan-County-Statistics

Thank you active rain for your patience, support and training. Have a blessed week.

I was flipping through the MLS today looking for some property for a client, and I ran across a home that had no pictures loaded. First of all this is one of my biggest soap box issues. If you are going to take a listing, please do your clients, other agents and potential buyers a favor, at the very least, make sure you have pictures to load of your listing.

I started wondering.....how many listings in our MLS have 2 or fewer pictures. A MA ZING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As of today 9/16/2009 - strictly numbers based on residential listings only, we have 1370 active and temp active listings.

1370 - Active & Temp Active

189 - 14% have less than 2 pictures

75 - are $100,000 plus listings

23 - are $200K plus listings

I wonder how many people have passed up these listings. Well I then decided to see what the average days on market were for these listing with no pictures, surprisingly it was only 144 days.

When are we going to raise the bar and have atleast a minimum standard for uploading information in the MLS that is loaded to Realtor.com within 24 hours? Are we really doing the best we can to sell these homes?

What does raising the bar in Real Estate Mean to YOU?

We know that consumers are educating themselves about the market and actually they enjoy the non-intrusive internet hunt for a home. In fact 87% of homebuyers start their search on the internet so that tells you that only 13% are still doing business the old way.

Raising the bar in our industry means uping our standards and customer service to consumers. How do you do that? First and foremost, Education, for ourselves and to the general public about what they can and should expect of a Realtor is key, along with the process for buying or selling a home. Courtesy & Respect, treating other Realtors and clients with the respect that we ourselves desire, example....If you show a house call the other Realtor and give the feedback as soon as you can so that their Seller can have this information as soon as possible. Be the source of information, stop all of the gimmick advertising, they can see how much the house is online at Realtor.com, and remember 87% of them start their search on the internet. Use the internet tools available to you, to your advantage. Show clients how you work or what they can expect of you by raising the bar, example, take quality pictures and take as many as possible, tell potential buyers unique and useful information about the house, be a giver of information not a master of holding back. Be confident in the fact that someone is going to call you based on your knowledge, ethics and ability to share information freely. If your represent the sellers, let clients know that and because of your integrity and ethics refer them to another agent who will represent their interests. The days of a Realtor holding the almighty Key to homeownership are over, there are too many options available for consumers. Does this mean our days are limited? Not at all. This just means that the consumers are expecting more of us and we ourselves should also. The internet is a plethera of information for everyone, don't consider it harmful to your business, embrase it and use it to your advantage to help consumers find the products they want and need. Be the source of information and a leader in the industry.

Last but not least and this may upset the apple cart, but I firmly believe that we need to have a huge change in our industry for the requirements to become a Realtor. It is crazy to think that you would have to have more training to become a

than a Realtor

REAL ESTATE SALES LICENSE: 210 hours education, 18 years of age.

After you get your license all you have to do is find a Broker who is willing to take you on. Well that is not hard, think about it, how many did you interview with that turned you down? I think Brokers should think about more than their pocket book. Why not a true apprenticeship program? Make it a requirement that new licensees work a minimum number of hours or transactions with an experienced agent or broker. Yes, the "we've always done it this way" attitude of compensation may have to be revised. Or would it? Not many new agents start out of the box with too many sales. Most go months before their first transaction. If they WORKED in those months, REALLY worked, then they could probably complete an apprenticeship in that time period.

So, back to rasing the bar.....Innovative Realty Group at The Executive Real Estate Center is raising the bar with their marketing, service & innovation - the old ‘used car' sales persona is well and truly on it's way out the door and it is time a new breed of Real Estate agents who work in line with the vendor and purchaser to achieve the best possible result, through the most efficient and effective means possible emerge.

Join us in this paradigm shift.

First time home buyer...how exciting yet it can be very scary. You have decided to stop renting and own your piece of the American Dream. Where do you start, what questions should you ask?

First step is to analyze how much you can afford to pay each month. A good start is your monthly rent. You have obviously been comfortable paying that each month. A mortgage lender can tell you exactly how much you can afford each month taking into consideration your income and debt ratio. It is important to know your spending capability early on so you do not waste time and emotional energy looking at homes you cannot afford.

The next and most important decision is choosing a Realtor. Getting a referral from a family member, friend or co-worker is always a good idea, but do your own research as well, google them and check their credentials. Your Realtor can refer you to a good mortgage company. You will be working closely with both of these people so make sure it is a good match for you and you are comfortable with them.

Here are some questions to ask a Realtor:

1. How long have you been in business?
2. Is this your only job?
3. How many homes do you sell a year?
4. Do you sell in this area (the area of the city you are interested in)?
5. Do you use email or text (or however you want to communicate)?
6. How will you help us determine what price to offer for a home?
7. Do you have a list of vendors you refer such as plumbers, heat and air companies, contractors etc.?
8. Do you have a 1^st time home buyers packet?
9. How long are you willing to work with us?
10. Do you have online resources where I can look for homes?

Your Realtor should not only be able to walk you through the process but also anticipate and help solve any pitfalls that may arise. Our phone line is always open as is our email (254) 638-0898. We love hearing from our clients. It is very frustrating to deal with the lack of response from companies in this world (ie, customer support) and we refuse to watch that happen to people as they're trying to buy or sell a home. Communication can prevent many of the difficulties we see in real estate.

This is supposed to be fun and exciting. Our job is to anticipate your questions and give you the answers. Our goal is to be your Realtor for life, not just for your first house or your first sell, and we strive to be your first thought for referrals to friends and family.

www.MoveWithIRG.com

Damon Crelia & Malisa Spivey

I have been working with a client for 2 years. This client was very serious about buying a house but she was also very smart with her money and wasn't going to purchase just any house. She had been renting the same house for 8 years so moving and buying would take her out of her comfort zone, but still soemthing she wanted to do. We had made a couple of offers but to no avail, just recently I found a home that I thought she might be interested in, and she was, so we put an offer in. Mind you, this was a HUD home and ........we won the bid. This HUD home was in prime condition and needed very minor repairs and to top it off was a great price in an awesome location. For my client this was perfect timing, because of the house, the deal, and the $8,000 TAX credit. I heard many of times from people that she wasn't serious, but I knew she was and it would just take her some time to find the right house. It makes me feel so good to know that she stuck with me and trusted me to find her the right house.

I think if we all realize that this business is about building relationships and truly doing what is best for our clients, we will see our friendships blossom, and our selfworth rise. Clients who stick with you and you stick with them turn out to be a rich and wonderful blessing.

Thank you to all of our clients who put their trust in us.