Goodbye 2009... and good riddance!

Dear 2009,

I am writing to tell you goodbye.

It's not me, it's MOST DEFINITELY YOU! You have been very abusive to me
this last year and I want out of this relationship. None of my friends
like you and agree that the relationship needs to end.

I can't take the stress. All my money is gone, I am exhausted, and the
abuse you've doled out on me has taken its toll on my mind, body, and
soul.

Not to mention, I've met someone. His name is 2010 and he's been so
promising that I just can't pass up the possibilities that I've met my
soul mate. He's got such potential, and you've just proven to me that you
are sadistic and cruel.

So long 2009! Don't let the door hit you in the rear!

Sincerely,

Lisa

Recipes

It’s occurred to me that being a Realtor is a lot like sharing your best recipe at the holidays.

Let’s face it, when you bring a dish to a Christmas party and someone actually likes it and they ask you for the recipe, aren’t you a tad disappointed? In some ways, it’s your baby. You want to make sure you get credit for the pleasure of eating the dish.

In some ways, you feel like “if someone else tastes this dish outside of my circle of friends, I wish they would know that I am the source.”

Not unlike being a Realtor. Sometimes, when folks ask you for advice, especially as a veteran to a newbie, you might not want to share your intimate “secrets.” You might not want to give a really good piece of advice for fear that you won’t get credit for it. Or the client, for that matter.

Of course, one of the most valuable pieces of Realtor real estate (pun intended?) is your sphere of influence. Let’s face it- if you know a lot of people and they respect you, your SOI works itself. The older you are, the more folks you probably know. Young realtors may struggle with this but older realtors (even if they’ve entered the business late) may not.

Yes, I recognize that if you work things by the book and you touch expireds and you touch FSBOs and call your SOI regularly and possibly even cold call and take advantage of call time, you are likely to build your client base.

What does this have to do with bean dip and pumpkin pie? Karma.

Sharing your secrets won’t break you. And as long as you are honest and still “got game” you should have nothing to worry about. Pass it along to the next generation to carry on or possibly improve and your place in history should be secure. Don't be so egotistical that it's all about you. Whatever the market will bear, I say.

Happy Holidays everyone! I will be 38 tomorrow and still feeling like a kid. ;)

Duke Brothers: Jamestown Christmas Parade

Duke Brothers: Jamestown Christmas Parade

Jamestown Christmas Parade

Duke Brothers was in the Jamestown Christmas Parade yesterday. It was about the fastest 3 hours of my life. Even though the waiting was a bit frustrating (maybe next year we won't get there so early) the actual moving through the line was quick.

I liked being in the back of Matt’s truck where no one could see me. Next year, we might try to find different candy. I am also looking for ideas to throw things that have our logo or website on it so folks can bring them home. The conclusion I came to this year was pens but we just didn’t have the money for them.

I like participating in local activities like this. This was especially neat because I don’t recall the last time I was in a parade except in NJ when my sister entered my nephew in their local Halloween parade. I was a clown throwing candy.

Subscribe please!

I hate to say it but I am a tiny bit insulted when someone unsubscribes to my email blasts. As the recipient of many of these, I know why they unsubscribe, but many of the people who unsubscribe to them are the very people who would benefit from them.

Realtors, for example, keep unsubscribing themselves. I know, firsthand, the value of becoming familiar with as many homes on the market as possible. Most of the larger agencies have what they call “caravan” where, once a week, Realtors drive to colleagues’ listings to become familiar with those homes.

I did this at least once and then the following week had a prospect who was interested in the very listing I had just seen. I was able to speak to him about it knowledgeably and with confidence.

Not to mention networking. The power of networking is strong enough that I can confidently say that the perfect person for any job isn’t always the one who occupies it. But the person who occupies it usually knows people and he/she was top of mind when someone considered him/her for the job.Not to mention that ANYONE can benefit from networking, not just Realtors.

So when someone unsubscribes, particularly these agents, I am often surprised because they would benefit from knowing about my listings. Not to mention that if it’s a family member or friend who unsubscribes, they may not know anyone at the moment who is in the market for a listing of mine but you never know when someone will happen to tell you “we’re in the market!” and you can say “Hey, I know someone who has a house that matches the description of what you’re looking for!”