This past week was an adventure...the cost-a-fortune-college-trip adventure!  We just got back from a long trip up the east coastline to visit a few universities with our son.  Just prior to the trip, a scary Northeaster storm rammed the areas where we were headed.  Then on the way into New Haven, CT, news of the Virginia Tech massacre was filtering in on the airways.  With so much going on, including flooding reports in many areas, we were actually grateful that our final destination was simply blustery cold rain & moderate winds. 

We passed several areas which still remained covered by standing pools of ground water, the result of excess amounts of rain in a short period of time.  As I buried deeper into my winter coat to protect myself from the elements, the coldness of the rain was just one more element to plow through.  This rain was not refreshing...it was simply cold & dreary. 

We met all sorts of individuals on this trip.  There were the parents of fellow students, who like us were accompanying sons & daughters on a new phase of their life journey.  It was refreshing to talk to them; sharing stories about our children's dreams & accomplishments.  The students we met were also amazing.  Talking to young men & women who had optimism, hope and a desire to excel, was like refreshing rain that wipes away the soot & grime that dirties up life's lens.  In the wake of the sad news about Virginia Tech that we now began to understand in more detail, these promising young scholars nourished hope  in my soul and bathed away the cynicism & fear that shrouds the ability to see the sun through the clouds.

The term rainmaker has become a much tossed about term in business.  In ancient folklore, a rainmaker was one who was believed to have magical charms to produce rain in the community.  Today, the term describes someone who becomes known for achieving excellent results in a profession or field such as business or politics.  It's interesting to see how this term has evolved in modern usage.  Rainmaking today is not a function of luck or charm, it's the beneficial result of diligent, disciplined hard work.  The key is understanding that not all forms of rain merit consideration as being helpful or beneficial.

Storm clouds that dump excess amounts of rain in quantities which can not be adequately or properly absorbed do more harm than good.  In my zeal to accomplish things quickly, I have sometimes resembled a storm cloud in my approach.  I've come to recognize that feelings of irritation, anxiety, anger & impatience are not precursors to the highest good in my life, no matter how well intentioned my goals.  When decisions...personal or professional...have been made with the laden energy of storm clouds, the deluge has not yielded the best results.  Like the storms clouds which dump massive quantities of rain with unimpeded fury; decisions with negative energy can result in massive devastation ...and derail a promising transaction.

Refreshing rain has some distinct qualities.  First, it falls in the amount necessary at the time & it does no harm.  A little pitter, patter of rain on sun scorched earth is not tremendously helpful for a region ravaged by drought, and my lawn almost always looks better after a little thunder & lightening has increased the nitrogen content of the soil.  So, effective rainmaking is not about being comfortable or nice, it's about doing what is best for the right reasons.  When I run ads in a medium which I know yields limited results just to pacify a seller, I am making not practicing effective rainmaking...I am succumbing to the process of creating waste.  When I hope that a home will sell although the seller is unrealistic in pricing & presentation, I risk creating the makings of storm clouds which will eventually burst with a fury that can be destructive. Yes, truth be told, I've been guilty of both of these types of destructive tendencies.

Effective rainmaking requires the discipline of being grounded.  It's a curious combination of light & dark, soft & hard.  Sometimes difficult decisions have felt akin to being hit by a bolt of lightning.  Coming to the realization that changes in my company or location were necessary were not easy, but the aftermath has been much greater freedom & confidence in the path that I have chosen.  Effective rainmaking also strives to leave in its aftermath, a better situation than what preceded its arrival.  Sometimes, this is the only reliable indicator.  Peering through the rain does not allow for accurate judgements in most instances, but if you are able to evaluate the results, it becomes quite clear what sort of results, a rainmaking effort has achieved.  In financial business sectors, effective rainmakers succeed by bringing in new business on a largely consistent basis & are well rewarded financially & professionally for their successfull efforts.

At Audu Real Estate, every client is given the opportunity to grade our services and to receive a gift certificate for their honest evaluation.  We know that we cannot respond appropriately to what we do not know.  While most of the comments are very positive, I have found it is equally important to fully explore situations which were perceived to be less than what was expected.  By choosing to harness constructive criticism to improve, we strive to become better rainmakers and refreshe and readjust areas of our lives & business that could use the cleansing power of a good downpour!  This method & system of continual evaluation also protects against the reactive and often disasterous consequences of responding blindly in the midst of a storm

© 2007 Audu Real Estate  All Rights Reserved

Real Estate Blogging Seminar in Grand Rapids, Michigan...A Great Success!

Notos Old World Style Italian Restaurant was the setting for the 1st Ever Blogging Seminar for Real Estate Professionals.  The event, was well attended inspite of a severe winter storm that surprised everyone in the middle of April! The seminar sparked a lot of interest and discussion about the implications of this revolutionary new technology for marketing and networking.  Most attendees had little or no prior experience with blogging. 

The 2 hour presentation included a wonderful meal served with excellence by the staff of Notos.  Tony Noto, the owner was personally on hand to ensure that no detail was missed. This beautiful, newly renovated world class facility has the capacity to cater to groups of up to 700 but can also provide small intimate arch coved gathering rooms for groups as small as 2-4!  It was a superbly fitting setting for this historic event!

Lola Audu was introduced by Ethan Dozeman of Platinum Realty Group who also shared the incredible success he has experienced in 30 days of blogging on Active Rain.  A multi-media presentation which linked to the Internet for participants to see "real time" search enging results demonstrated to attendees the power of Blogging to increase search engine optimization & significantly expand the results of marketing efforts. 

Lola's presentation provided seminar participants with easy to follow steps to get started on blogging and precise information about Blogging Do's & Don'ts.  The Seminar was Sponsored by First American Title Company, America's Preferred Home Warranty Company &First Horizons Home Loans.  One lucky winner won the GPS Global Navigational System...an appropriate prize for an event which is providing Michigan Real Estate Agents & other Related Professionals associated with the Housing industy with Positive New Innovative Options to Navigate & Succeed in a challenging market. 

Seminar participants filled out detailed surveys of their impressions of the event.  The response was overwhelmingly positive with many indicating a desire for a follow-up.  Here are some of the responses received from today's seminar.  All quotes are used with permission.

Margaret Kass- Real Estate Agent: " This gave me a good taste of the future.  Although this seminar pushed my tech limits, it is a good start!"

Bill Pearl - Real Estate Broker:  "All very good & clear.  This demystifies websites and Blogging.  I had no idea that Bloggin could be used for business.  I thought it was just social."

Scot Kellogg - Real Estate Agent/Builder:  When asked if he would recommend this seminar to a friend, " Yes, this is Very Relevant."

Renee Rothenthaler- Real Estate Agent remarked:  " Blogging is the New Information Pipeline for customers & ourselves."

Donna Batdorff - Real Estate Agent & Current President of Grand Rapids Chapter of Women's Council of Realtors:  "Absolutely Excellent Presentation!  Material was great but I think the presentation of it was very effective."

Jay Spencer - Real Estate Broker:  " This was very well laid out & thought out.  Everyone can take something from this!"

Penny Nowakowski - Interior Designer & Stager:  "I'm grateful to know ways to market myself that are effective with today's prospects!"

Tracy Greenman - Current Member of Active Rain Community Network: "If utilized, this will take your business to the next level!"

Kathy Thayer - Mortgage Loan Originator:  " Yes, this was very informative & interesting!  I had NO idea about blogging for marketing.  Lola did a great job!

Sarah Baar - Mortgage loan Officer:  "This helped me with the first step."

All Seminar participants who indicated a desire to do so will be invited to join Real Town Blogs and/or Active Rain!  We are very excited about the launch of this program and the impact it will have within the real estate professional community!  To View a Show Featuring Highlights of the Seminar, Click on any of the Pictures or here.

This is Why...

A Rendezvous is A Gathering Place where people meet to Celebrate, Learn, Exchange Ideas, Share and Relax

                                   ********* 

That being said, we pause this good Friday to focus on the Sacred.  During this Easter weekend, Christians around the world will focus on the suffering of Christ & the power of the Message in his resurrection. 

Tonight, I paused with my son to watch a film about some African children.  Invisible Children,  trapped in the nightmare of a forgotten war.  As my son watched the video...transfixed, forgetting that he had not eaten his supper, I was reminded of the words of a song I learned as a little child.  Perhaps you learned it too. 

• "Jesus died for all the children, All the children of the world, Red & Yellow, Black & White, All are Precious in his sight, Jesus died for All the Children of the World." 
  
• This Good Friday I urge you to remember that it was for THIS & ALL the pain, suffering & sin that has tormented the world that Jesus died.  This is why this film can resonate with vital hope amidst so much suffering. This is Why we Celebrate the Newness of Life possible through the Resurrection.  Have a Blessed Easter Remembrance.  Click on the picture to watch this powerful film about the Invisible Children

Assembly Line Real Estate....No Special Skills Required!

Choice!  This word has irrevocably changed the real estate landscape in Grand Rapids, Michagan & every community in this country.  Never  in  history have there been so many options available to real estate consumers and agents who work with them.  This virtual potpourri of offerings has created a peculiar challenge...How does one properly discern important differences and accurately evaluate the value propositions offered by very different paradigms of service in a real estate transaction?

Today consumers in need of real estate services can list on the MLS only for a Flat Fee, hire a Discount Broker, Advertise their own listing on-line through Craigslist, Trulia or Zillow.com, Find a Home from any one of a Million Websites, go through the Traditional Brokerage Model, or simply decide to forgo any representation by planting a sign in their yard declaring their desire to be the Unrepresented Seller.

Yes, we've got Options galore.  However in spite of this, I find that although clients arrive at my office armed with listing and  mortgage detail sheets, many are only nominally prepared in advance of our meeting to understand important elements of the real estate process.   Many confess to being overwhelmed by the vast volumes of information they have spent weeks and months pouring over.

The current situation in the real estate industry reminds me of the innumerable options that present themselves whenever we decide to venture out for a meal.  The restaurant section in the Grand Rapids, Michigan phone book has one of the largest number of offerings... pages & pages of restaurant locations...choices galore.  While, its' nice to have so many options, I can tell you this... if I received a call from a friend just as I was about to head out for a meal inviting me to her home for dinner, I'd change my dinner reservations at just about any restaurant in a heart beat!

Recently, my husband & I were talking about what makes home cooked food so special.  So much so, that many family style restaurants actually advertise that their food is "like home cooked."  Now, I'm talking about good home cooking...as I know some disasters in the kitchen can make even fast food seem like a great dining experience.   

We came to the conclusion that perhaps it's because the person cooking is doing so with clear & loving intention. A home cooked meal literally erupts with mouth watering flavor when the ingredients used in its' preparation are locally produced, fresh and lovingly prepared. When there is a desire to bring wholesome goodness, creativity, & proper nutrition to loved ones & friends...it's almost as thought the food itself responds differently.  I suspect that some of the most imaginative chefs and cooks in well loved restaurants cook with this type of joie de vivre when they create menu items for their guests.

Successful Real Estate Transactions are also impacted by some of these same principles as they also incorporate local flavor & regional distinctions.  In recent years we have witnessed numerous attempts to make the real estate process a function of simply processing information & disseminating information. It is like taking the burst of flavor out of the transaction by trying to provide a one style fits all method of conducting business.   It is becoming increasingly apparent that far more than information peddling is involved to create a truly successful sale.  Simply rolling out an assembly line of pre-packaged entrees in the hope that the consumer's attention will be grabbed by some canned content written by Mr. Anonymous to Ms. Everyone is boring & easily recognized for what it is...Assembly Line Real Estate...No Real Skills Required!

Initiating a search on-line for the the term real estate for any major community or city in the country easily yields hundreds of thousands of selections.  The sponsored links (paid advertisements) are often owned by large affiliate real estate conglomerates who have the money & resources to buy position.  Fiercely desiring the first dibs to the consumer's eyeballs, these types of sites provide mega million bytes of information.  But is this really ALL that consumers want?  In the age of Abundance... Differentiation becomes the King!  The rise of Blogging is a direct response to the need by consumers & service providers to handle the underlying need for differentiation.  On-line consumers are indicating:  I don't just want to know what you know...I want to know why you think it's important & how your superior level of knowledge & training can be of benefit to me in my particular situation.

Recently, Active Rain, in recognition of this profound shift introduced a site called Localism.  The implications of this site are gargantuan.  Localism, now in Beta Testing is designed to provide consumers with information about their neighborhood and communities from the professionals who live and work there.  On Localism, we meet real people, documenting life as it happens in a particular community everyday.  Now, you can't beat that for a real estate version of home cooked goodness!

The truth is that when everyone has access to every listing, the value of information alone diminishes. Consumers are finding it more difficult to sift through this deluge of information to synthesize a more elusive, and far more valuable quality called Relevance.  Relevance is what provides meaning to my life & choices.  Relevance is what informs me about the viability of a particular home or neighborhood in relation to my life circumstance.  Relevance is what ensures that the transaction I am entering into does not disintegrate into a nightmare because I had just facts without the benefit of applied wisdom.

Wisdom is the ability to translate knowledge into meaning thereby creating Relevance.  Real  estate practitioners who understand that their role is to provide Meaning in the transaction will see their Value Soar.  Real estate agents who provide Meaning in a context that honors and responds to the expressed desires of their clients with sensitivity & integrity will be continue to be Relevant. Real estate agents who create Relevance within the context of the transaction will find their services to be irreplaceable. Like a home cooked goodness which beats a restaurant experience for daily service time after time, these agents will be sought after because what they provide is uncommon service in an increasingly cluttered field of Irrelevant links.  This is so unlike the assembly line offerings that bombard potential real estate consumers everyday, but fall short when it comes to Relevance, Relationship & First Hand Community Knowledge.

© 2007 Audu Real Estate All Rights Reserved