Sep. 24, 2007 - Is Your Home Photo Ready

• Make sure that most everything is off your counter tops. Pay special attention to clutter like letters, keys and dishes. Try to put small appliances out of sight for the shots.
• Look at bathrooms and remove makeup, toothbrushes etc. from countertops.
• Try to hide cords as much as possible. You can even temporarily unplug some things if cords are too visible.
• Make sure all children’s toys are put out of sight.
• Put your pet bowls away

• Remove ANY debris from around the house. Put all toys and bicycles out of sight.
• Wash your entryway, patio etc.
• Remove any dead plants (not dormant).
• Stage your patio furniture, how you use your living space does not necessarily translate well in a photo.
• Try to look at everything as if through a camera lens, you may even want to have a friend come over and take a look.

Sep. 17, 2007 - Can You Promote Growth and Help the Environment?

If you have worked with a real estate agent you must wonder about the amount of miles they drive per year and the amount of paper that is consumed per transaction.

 My concern has always been toward keeping a soft footprint on the environment but I do believe in growth and development. My conviction is that these two concepts are not mutually exclusive, even for a Realtor.

For instance, when it came time to purchase a new car I knew I needed something that was large enough to accommodate several people for showing appointments. I live in a rather rural area so I also needed 4 wheel drive to show property off of dirt roads and make it up hills without my clients feeling like they had just got on Mr. Toads Wild Ride.

 So this time I decided to put my money where my mouth is and purchased the Toyota Highlander Hybrid. I did this for myself but the resulting reaction from my clients has been enthusiastic appreciation. The gas mileage is terrific for a 4 wheel drive and the low emission output makes a statement about a commitment to use current available resources (like hybrid engines) to become more environmentally friendly.

 The other recently adopted practice is to reduce paper by using email and electronic signatures on forms and then place everything on a disk for the client to keep. Making use of  low cost transaction managers gives all concerned parties access to the transaction paperwork while saving time and of course trees!

 Although these are small personal commitments, realtors and the real estate community have played more of a role in environmental concerns than they are given credit for. We have helped our clients with education on mold, asbestos, lead paint and other hazards. We care deeply about making sure our clients have not only a happy experience with their home sale or purchase but a healthy one as well.

 I would love to hear what you are doing to change the way we use our resources. A few small ideas can sometimes make a large impact. Let’s see what we can come up with.

Sep. 6, 2007 - Being Authentic Pays Off

I officially started my real estate career 2 years ago this month. Prior to that I had spent most of my work life in client relationship management and consulting both in the technology and manufacturing sectors. My time in real estate has taught me a lot  more about economic cycles than I ever really wanted to know! But it has also taught me something more important, that you can be successful in any field if you apply yourself to education and if you are authentic in your approach to others.

In real estate I have found that I must be true to who I am, my capabilities and my talents in order to be successful.  In other careers you can sometimes just “blend in”  or keep your own personality out of your work as you try to adjust to a company culture or idea of who you should be. Not so in Real Estate. The level of intimacy with clients is such that they can see through you in a second, and even if you manage to project an image of something that you are not and get away with it they will be left with an uneasy feeling about you and will most likely not use or recommend you again.

So how do you display that authenticity?

Don’t try to be all things to all people.
Find your voice and know who you are and share this with your clients, for instance I am a “city” sort of girl living in a small western town. I don’t know anything about horses and I don’t pretend to but I have made it a priority to learn about ranch land, water issues and septic systems.  

 Accentuate your positive skills and passions.
 My passion is technology and communication. I always have the latest hardware, software and phone features. But because I love learning and using technology to enhance my life I take the trouble to learn every detail of these products. If you aren’t passionate about it you won’t learn it and you will come across as unauthentic.

 Learn from successful people who have been around awhile.
My decision to become an agent was based on the fact that a team of Realtors I was coaching and consulting with on how to take their business to the next level invited me to get my license and join them as a partner. My success has always been achieved by working in a team environment. This was the perfect fit for me and has proved to be a way to associate myself with people who have “been through this before” and know how to weather the hard times and be optimistic about the future.

 Use it or lose them!
I try to remind my circle of influence on a regular basis of who I am and how I can help them . Today I just finished mailing out an article entitled “how high tech is your home” and a check list for what buyers are looking for in homes to accommodate their technology. I don’t send out information that I can’t validate or seems outside my personality and I never send out template newsletters although, when it fits I do use information from them .

 The result of all this is that I am building my personal brand and driving a successful and fulfilling business forward by just being myself.