Todd Pierceall

Just sent out my May newsletter. As much trouble as it is, I have found that clients truly enjoy getting the newsletter. I send it out to almost 400 people on a monthly basis and about 85% get opened every month. It is so much easier than traditional mailing and it is great exposure as often it will be forwarded to a friend.

If you don't do a newsletter, I strongly encourage you to look into it. It is a tremendous marketing tool that only requires a few hours a month.

Tell me about your newsletter, we can share ideas and maybe get some good new ones in the process.

Thanks

Todd Pierceall
Prestige Properties

One of my clients called me and asked to have a meeting. They are truly dream clients and so of course I made myself available at their request. Their listing was coming up for renewal so I mentioned this and they told me to bring the paperwork with me and of course they wanted to relist.

Turns out the meeting was about just that, relisitng. They wanted to assure me they thought I was doing a wonderful job and were happy with the numerous showings they have had thus far. They have a very difficult property to sell and they are very realistic about this fact and are not under a false assumption that it will sell quickly.

They called me because they received a solicitation from another agent and they wanted me to see it. This was not just a random solicitation that just happened to end up in their mailbox. It was a letter addressed to them and it went on to state how many days their home had been on the market and that this particular agent could do a better job and if they had used him it would have already been sold. They were furious. They were more insulted than I was. I explained that while this was not a very ethical thing to do on the part of the their agent it was not the first time I have seen it and it wouldn't be the last.

I thanked them for showing it to me and then proceeded to direct their attention to their property and our next course of action. I was quick to get the conversation away from the other agent and act like it was nothing. Of course as an agent, you know the truth. I was boiling inside. How dare this agent behave this way and basically insult me to my own clients!!

My next course of action was to contact that agents BIC, which is a company that I used to work for and I know the BIC on a personal level. The BIC explained it was probably just a mass mailing and there was no harm meant. I corrected him pointing out the fact that he had listed their address and the exact number of days their home had been on the market. This was not a mass mailing, this was a very deliberate effort to solicit my listing! I ended the conversation by thanking the BIC for taking my call and then explained I was very disappointed that his firm had resorted to such low level tactics in a down market. I lost all respect for the company.

I write this today to get a message out. If we ever want to gain the respect of our communities we must ALL act with integrity. This other agent angered my clients and gave his company a bad name. I also realizer however my clients now thingk that real estate agents are cut throat and will do anything to get a sale. In the end this reflects poorly on me as well.

TO ALL AGENTS! ACT ETHICALLY AND RESPONSIBLY OR GET OUT OF THE BUSINESS!! WE DON"T WANT YOU!

Wow! Some really powerful thunderstorms in our area of the last several days. We definitely needed rain but what a show of nature's power. Thankfully we did not see the flooding that some other areas have seen.

Nature is a lot like real estate. It can be hot or cold. There are definitely different seasons to selling, and you never know when all hell will break loose. As I was thinking about the analogy, I also thought that we tune in to the weather everyday to prepare for it. Shouldn't we be doing the same thing for real estate. Each morning shouldn't' we be checking the current status of the market in our area and prepare for it. I realize the real estate does not change quite as quickly as the weather can but it can be just as volatile and we need to be prepared. Make checking the real estate weather a part of your everyday routine and don't get caught in a storm with no protection!

Todd Pierceall
Prestige Properties
www.prestigeproperties4u.com

Another closing today! YEAH!! Things have been really picking up in this area. A small company like mine and we are rolling along! Hope everyone else is doing good as we roll intothe heavy selling season. Not to knock the larger franchise companies ( I have worked for some and they were great companies) but I have found that a lot of people like a smaller more local company. Not that a local franchise is not local staffed with local people, but it is a feeling the client gets. It is definitely a niche but there was a need and I am glad we were able to fill it! Happy selling to all!!

Todd Pierceall
Prestige Properties
www.prestigeproperties4u.com

I guess I am getting a taste of what some of my clients call me about. I am currently fighting the city I live in about a storm drain. They have put a storm drain in on the street behind me but it is a drain and nothing else. The storm water goes right down the side of my neighbors yard and comes flooding into mine. When it rains it is literally a small river. I have already lost some landscaping from the erosion.

Of course it took two weeks for the city to even come look at it and now they want me to appear before a nine member panel to plead my case. At best they will install some pipes but I have to pay for the pipes. What morons these city leaders must be. Another reason to get the local Realtor chapter involved with electing officials that actually care about the e quality of life.

Has naybody else fought their city? Win or lose tell me what happened and especially if you won, give me some pointers.

Todd Pierceall
Prestige Properties