Little Egg Harbor Township, NJ

I just read Liz Moras' blog titled: You Think Your House is Worth WHAT?? Pricing Your Home to Sell. It had some very good comments by various agents from all over the country. So, this is not just a Little Egg Harbor/Tuckerton area phenomenon. I posted the following comment to her blog:

My comment is from watching a house in our local area go from list to sale. You may not want to hire the agent that tells you the highest price when shopping for an agent to SELL your home.

Seller BEWARE!

Buying Real Estate is like buying a suit

I was inspired to post this blog after reading "Know your value, and tailor your business for your client's needs." with emphasis on tailor and the other blog titled "The Elusiveness of the Exclusive MLS" which begs the question; IS all real estate local? So, I retell (original author = unknown) this old story hoping to get your thoughts on what it means to service the client.

A guy walks into a haberdasher's shop and says, "I want a custom suit off the rack." The salesman tells the customer that they don't have any custom made suits on the rack. The guy walks out of the store angry and goes up town to a large retail store that sells men's clothing. There he finds a suit he likes but no one in the store can make the necessary adjustments. He buys the suit and drives back to the haberdasher's shop near his home and tells the salesman he wants the cuff hemmed, the seat let out while the waist needs to be taken in just a bit. Also, he would like the jacket sleeves to be a little longer and his shoulders to move more freely. Making note of the many adjustments with measuring tape and chalk, the salesman tells the customer to leave the suit and come back in four days for his final fitting. The customer agrees and leaves the shop happy..

Four days later, the man returns to try on the suit. It fits perfectly. The man is very happy and pays the salesman the charge in full, which is about the same amount as what he paid for the suit at the discount chain store up town. The salesman was confused and asked the customer why he bought a single breasted suit off the rack at a discount store and then willingly paid to have it customized at his store. The customer told him he stopped at their shop first and was told they don't sell custom suits off the rack. He wanted the suit that day and the discount store had what he wanted. "But", the salesman said, "that is no longer a suit off the rack and you didn't get the suit the same day. All those alterations make it a custom suit that you had to wait four days for it to be made to fit. We alter and adjust our suits for free for the same four days you waited for this suit to be made custom." To this the customer said, "Oh!"

So what does that have to do with real estate? EVERYTHING! Like the suit, a customer can buy a house off the rack from any discount chain store. Most likely, the salesperson at the chain store will provide the limited service needed to ring up the sale. However, if the customer had asked the salesperson a few of the custom service questions they most certainly would have shopped at the smaller haberdasher's shop. What are those custom questions? There are many questions that the out of area agent will not be able to answer, but here are a few for you to think about:

A). what are the schools like? Since those out of area agents don't have any children attending they can't give an opinion. They will just direct you to a web site.

B). Does this street flood? They don't live in the area and could not know which streets have frequent flooding problems.

C). what is the commute and traffic like? Well, if you think the time and distance travel of MapQuest is going to tell you correct information on rush hour traffic - go with that out of area agent.

D). is it hard to get a permit to do xyz? Well, even some local agents can't help you with that kind o f question if they don't attend any township meetings.

The day started out like any other...but the howling wind and pounding rain reminded me the Jersey Shore was still in the middle of some strange weather confluence.

Sounds like the beginning of a bad novel, but this was my morning. It didn't stop there!

I drove through flooded streets to make it to a termite inspection, only to find the copy of the key that was provided by the listing office hadn't been tested and didn't work!

I wasn't looking forward to it, but then I made the hour drive an hour to my next appointment. So, I recite affirmations and I continue on. Appointment done.

Arriving at my home office, I check my email. It's a habit. In my inbox, I read the following...

Laura,

You have really impressed me throughout this process. Thank you for looking out for the small details to make things go so smoothly.

Dawn J, Wells Fargo

This email was sent before I drove through flooded streets. The email was sent before I did what I promised today. We'll close in the next few weeks on this home, but this little note will stay with me forever!

Take the time to say good job; to another agent or to a contractor you're working with. Yea, we're doing our jobs, but we all love to know we're doing it well!

So, go ahead make my day!!!

Or more important...make someone's day. It doesn'T hurt!

The Bell Tolls for thee

In my recent post, The Death of a Weblog, I received a great number of responses. The post was meant to be a kind of warning to somebody. A warning to whoever would listen, that all this talk of POLITICS and blame of the country's economy on the other party could result in a mass exodus of our most talented contributors here at Active Rain (no, I do not consider myself to be one of those talents). And, when I wrote the piece, I was not even sure whom I intended the warning to be directed at, or, what I expected them to do about it. So, when I hit the post button and went off to sleep, I never expected such a collection of heartfelt communication from both sides of the political fence. Unfortunately, I was unable to respond to each and every one who left a comment.

First, I want to thank everyone for their contributions to, what I felt was, a very real issue of the day here at Active Rain. And, while it was a bit of a cynical view of what blogging has become here at Active Rain, it was not about the death of blogging here. I was however referring to another site where (trust me) the exchange of meaningful ideas has all but ceased to exist. It was once a great place to stop by to get good industry related information that would increase your business. It was kind of what Active Rain is today. It was there, where I had learned about Active Rain and other blogging web sites. But, that Web Blog is by all measurements - dead.

Second, here at Active Rain, I can assure you, the blogging community is alive and well. Just look at all the response I got from my original post. Heck, one Rainmaker even called me direct instead of leaving a comment. I am sorry we did not get to talk much since I was in the car in the middle of the Jersey Pine Barrens. All of the comments were thoughtful communications of what life on the internet looks like, or, should look like, to them. Thankfully, most want to leave the dialog open regarding POLITICS and RELIGION and acknowledged the fact that we, as both society and real estate professionals, work and live in a very complex world. Yet, many agreed that when the topics are injected with POLITICS, they would just as soon move on.

That was my fear and the reason behind my post. The fear that if we continue to draw a line in the sand over who is responsible for what went wrong, or, who is taking us all to hell in a hand basket. Then the talent I see here with all the great advice freely given, will just walk away. I don't wish to point out the out weblog to you, but the talent has moved on. And, then, like the weblog I am referring to, this Weblog will also die. So, my plea to you is that you be kind. Watch what you write. And try to offer a solution without placing blame. Or, at least, refrain from name calling.

For as in the poet, John Donne, asks, "for whom the bell tolls?" It tolls for all of us. Thanks for reading.

Why I didn't call YOU!

Yes, I'm still selling real estate. Yes, I know your house is on the market. Yes, of course, if I have a buyer looking for a house like yours I will bring them over. And, that's the way our brief conversation went the other day. We both smiled, but we could see each others' uneasiness.

We both know you knew I was still in the real estate business, but what difference does it make. I don't hold you to use my services. There are hundreds of agents floating around our neighborhood and I am sure you are friends with many of them. Why would you pick me to sell your home? You may have even been one of the many I provided a Comparative Marketing Analysis telling you what your house was worth in today's market. It may have even been I who sold you the home, worked in your best interest to get you the best price and provided you the knowledge of things to watch out for during the selection, negotiation, and inspections.

In the past, you have asked me for names of contractors for the new roof, the electrical work and the masonry work you have had done making the many improvement to the home. I have always given you honest straight forward answers and returned your calls promptly. I even sent you Christmas cards and you sent them to me. But, that doesn't mean we are locked into a lifelong relationship of service provider and client. I understand. The other agent told you they would get you much more for the home than what I said I could do. Heck, I've even been wrong once or twice.

You think I don't want to be the listing agent, the one with the marketing plan? Of course I do. I have a wife and kid and a mortgage of my own. I need all the business I can get my hands on. I'm working all the time. I know what your house is worth. I am sorry the market does not agree with your assessment.

I watched when your house went on the market. I even did a preview of it on agent caravan along with several other homes. I noticed when you reduced your price - twice before you got to the amount I had told you to start. I watched your home "expire" and come back on the market with a "new" agent and company. But, now your price is six full months behind the selling curve. You are now officially "chasing the market". I felt bad when the house had not sold in over a year, but I didn't call.

Now you are with your third real estate agent. We meet by chance because I do not pursue you. I think more of you than you realize. I see your pain in attempting to sell your home. It's hard to sell a home even in a good market. We smile, give small talk but we both know I can offer no other information - it wouldn't be fair to your real estate agent. You are almost there. Yes, you have wasted a year. You would have been out of that house eight months ago if you had priced it right. You would have made more money then than what you are now asking for the home had you only listened to me. But, you were not going to "give it away". And, that's why I didn't call.