In addition to questioning certain real estate agents as to just what they do that justifies the commission that they charge, we also have wondered aloud if the real estate market is in the state that it is because there are “no buyers”or is the real estate market in the state that it’s in because most real estate agents don’t know how to work in this market.
How many Realtors are properly trained to respond to the challenges that are readily found in today’s real estate climate? How many Realtors simply have thrown in the proverbial towel and are merely hanging out in the barber shop telling war stories of the good old days?
This market requires specialized training and even more…it requires a lot of enthusiastic ambition. If you are content to self-prophecize about there being no buyers, then there will be no buyers. What are you truly doing to generate revenue on a daily basis? If the fish aren’t buying then you have basically one or two problems, and only one of two problems.
First, you may be using the wrong bait, second you are not fishing where the hungry fish are. That’s it. Really simple, now you’re problems are solved.
Active Rain, with it’s 80,000+ members seems to be more the barbershop than the bastion of capitalism that it could be. We assumed, that with such a high contingent of Realtors hanging out in one locale that it would be simple to get in touch with some Realtors who have property to sell.
One would think that by reading some of the posts that most of the agents there actually had listings and that the purpose of those listings was to actually seek buyers for them. Shame on me for assuming.
We made a post on Active Rain declaring in the fashion of Billy Ray Valentine and Louis Winthorpe that we are actually buying.
In addition to that, we have a growing network of buyers across the USA that are aggressively looking to buy. You would have thought that the bell would be sounded on the trading floor and it would have been a veritable selling frenzy.
Alas, it was business as usual on Active Rain. “Great Post”, “good job”, “spot on”, “you tell it like it is”, “I will flag this for feature”…and on and on and on throughout the comment jungle upon post after post about nothing having to do with actually making any money or selling any real estate.
I’m sorry, I did not realize the market has gotten that bad. I did not realize that not only are most agents not selling, it appears most agents ignore buyers. Great business model!
Okay, I understand, our post was one probably just one among the thousands(?) of posts that must be uploaded daily to Active Rain, so it is highly possible that many, many, many of it’s members did not see it. However isn’t that a problem in and of itself?
Should there not be a way to cut through the clutter of stories about knitting mittens and cake baking to actually deliver news to the members that there are buyers looking to purchase property.
Seriously, even in donut shops the cops carry a radio. I subscribe to various blogs and when there is something to say there is an RSS feed that one can subscribe to on a categorical basis.
Wouldn’t you think there would be some kind of “Bat-Signal” that gets beamed out when there is an open call to buy properties?
Like a membership press release? How about a membership-wide form that Buyers can fill out to alert the Realtors who actually want to do something that there is a Buyer looking for a property.What could possibly be easier than finding property for cash buyers who tell you what you are looking for? Is there an easier way to make 3-6%? Is order taking too hard? It must be.
Fortunately there are Realtors out there that want to do more than try out the Flip Video Camera or the Mixpo editing program and be lemmings for a veiled product placement marketing campaign…oh, you didn’t even realize you were being marketed to did you?
Thankfully, there are agents who actually respond to a call to action. They just aren’t on Active Rain. They must be too busy actually selling!
Take Denny Grimes in Cape Coral, here’s an agent who has not gotten the memo that it’s a down market and there aren’t any buyers. He missed it because he was out there selling 100 houses last week.
You won’t find Kurt Kinsey, a real estate agent in Oceanside, California making inane comments about the market being down, he listed a home and priced it right and received 31 offers on that one listing. he’s got buyers galore.
Greg Swann from Bloodhound Realty sold a house in under a week from listing to close. and had responses from readers who had done the same, some in less time.
With 80,000 plus members, where are the agents who actually have something to sell and want to actively and aggressively want to put deals together?
Fortunes are made in real estate markets such as that which we are in. However you have to hustle. You have to differentiate yourself from the pack. Why is it that so many agents resist the challenge of working with investors?
We’re buying, we have a growing network of cash buyers and I am sure that there are many like us in your own respective communities.It does not make any sense that real estate agents are not courting buyers.
I read posts from agents on Active Rain about their listings that won’t move. Their listings that expire. I even read about a tactic to withdraw before expiration so it does not show as an expired listing on the agent’s history.
Why all the games? Why not just hit the pavement and start selling! After all that’s why you got into the business isn’t it? Are you a blogger or a real estate agent?
I would think that your seller clients think you are actually selling don’t they? I doubt they care that you received 50 comments on your post on Active Rain or that your point total is increasing. They expect you to be “SELLING“!.
Do they know that as far as you are concerned once you had the listing you were done?
Here’s a hint, a real simple hint. A three step process any agent can do to make money in today’s real estate market right away, if not immediately. Ready?
1. Find a buyer
2. Give them what they want
3. Close
4. EARN your commission
5. Repeat as often as necessary
Whew..that’s tough. Must be, otherwise more would be actually doing it. This is not brain surgery folks. Consumer products have been using this as the staple for doing business for what seems like forever. I know it’s a novel concept in real estate but actually giving the customer what they want actually does work. If you’re selling something nobody wants why not simply begin selling things (houses) that people do want?
Otherwise why don’t we see if they can change the name of the website to “Inactive Rain”.
(the opinions expressed in this post do not necessarily represent that of Blood Hound Realty, The Bloodhound Blog or any of it’s contributors and the parody of the Active Rain logo was indeed just that…a parody)
Greg Swann says:
To be fair, the property Cathleen sold in a week was priced at $60,000, where our local median is around $200,000. A $600,000 property might have lasted a little longer.
But I think your main point is valid. We track a market basket of suburban tract homes as a means of taking the pulse of the marketplace. Right now, there are 1,031 of those homes for sale, and 134 of them sold in March. That’s a lot — up from 92 in February.
Taken together, those numbers imply an absorption rate of 7.7 months, which is not awful. But what they also suggest is that, if I want my particular listing to sell next month, I have to be a better value than the homes I’m competing against — better priced, better maintained, better marketed. If I put that kind of effort into my listings, my homes will sell in 30 days or fewer where the worst of the bunch will take 300 days or more.
That’s not even really marketing. It’s just merchandising.
April 8, 2008 — 10:07 am
Barry Cunningham says:
Makes it easy doesn’t it. How many REO properties are there in your area. We find those are deals ready for the taking!
We’re finding in many markets, that there are more REO’s that investors want to buy than retail deals homeowners want to move into. I read Russle Shaw’s listing post the other day but I often wonder why more agents are not catering to buyers! If done correctly…it’s like the old days. Check out the articles. 100 properties in a week..buyers lined up to buy..buyers taking down properties in bulk…seems to make a lot of sense right now.
Cathleen did a great job. How much money can one make if they sell 5 properties like that instead of waiting 90 days for a full market price deal to be purchased?
Right now quantity may trump (no pun intended) quality. Sell the foreclosures, make some cash, wait for the market to catch up.
April 8, 2008 — 10:14 am
Rod Rebello says:
My client just bid on an REO in Queen Creek, AZ that received 19 offers after 3 days on the market. They are pricing aggressively and getting the buyers to flock to their listings, bidding the price up. There was an almost constant stream of agents & buyers going through the house this weekend.
April 8, 2008 — 12:59 pm
Bob Wilson says:
1. Find a buyer
2. Give them what they want
3. Close
4. EARN your commission
5. Repeat as often as necessary
I can make it easier. I’ll eliminate Step 1 – “Find a Buyer”. I’m in San Diego. I’m up to my eyeballs in buyers looking for someone to show them property. I need a couple of agents willing to take my leads and work. Any takers?
April 8, 2008 — 1:14 pm
Glenn says:
What has always amazed me about Active Rain is the amount of time spent blogging there and have wondered how they have so much time to blog.
There is a lax attitude today or poor mind set out there with some real estate agents. Picked up a buyer this weekend just because when he called the listing agent on a listing, he did not get a return call! How can a home be sold when the listing agent does not return calls from prospects. Gee I sure hope there are more agents like that listing agent out there.
Please excuse me for teeing off here.
April 8, 2008 — 1:33 pm
Barry Cunningham says:
Look Ma..real successful agents reside here! So very refreshing! Love to hear it Glenn, Rob and Bob! Yes the business is out there!
April 8, 2008 — 3:57 pm
Teresa Boardman says:
That would be why I put my local content on my local blog. I don’t see active rain as a very good place for consumers and don’t like the idea of competing against my own blog in the search engines. As for buyers coming in through Active Rain I guess I’ll pass. I have only seen the worst kinds of leads come from active rain and other sites like it. In general the people who have contacted me through Active Rain creep me out. Go use active rain to sell real estate. I like to think of it as a kind of my space for real estate professionals and a place where the vendors who sell us merchandise can mix and mingle and sell.
As for buyers and sellers I have more than I can handle. The market is slow here and it takes them longer to buy and it is harder to sell so we do work very hard. Market statistics gathered from the MLS show that the market has changed as do several other indicators.
Have I ever left a comment this long on BHB before? LOL
April 8, 2008 — 4:09 pm
Missy Caulk says:
Gee, 3 comments on the AR post your are referring to. And none said, “good post”. Why generalize? One commenter came there from BHB.
Call me up anytime to buy my listings !
Some people have to trash other networks to make themselves feel better.
April 8, 2008 — 4:15 pm
Barry Cunningham says:
Theresa…thanks for the comment…you as usual are hitting the nail on the head.
April 8, 2008 — 5:05 pm
Teresa Boardman says:
wow Barry! Do your clients know that you treat other agents with such disrespect? No way to talk to Missy.
April 8, 2008 — 5:09 pm
Barry Cunningham says:
Missy…thanks for the comment but please scurry back…I am not trashing the AR platform. They created a platform that had and continues to be of value. It’s the members who have not utilized the platform for its intended purpose.
Call you to buy your listings???? Now that’s being a proactive salesperson. I am sure your sellers would appreciate your enthusiasm and drive.
I have no “need” to trash AR..I like the premise, I like the guys from AR…I am so over most of the usual suspects that have nothing much to offer.
By the way..Great Post, nice job, you’re the best, way to go…sound familiar? Wanted to make you feel at home!
April 8, 2008 — 5:12 pm
Barry Cunningham says:
C’mon Theresa….I am not a doormat and if someone wants to engage then they need to understand that they are met with that which they exhibit.
Missy is welcome to he opinion but fals accusations are not accepted.
By the way..what exactly was disrespectful? Did I miss something?
Am I to kow-tow to adverse opinions as a matter of process?
My clients understand that we are trying to elevate the game and anyone can see what she wrote…still don’t see how you say I disrespected her?
April 8, 2008 — 5:17 pm
Mariana says:
(too busy to comment.)
April 8, 2008 — 5:22 pm
Teresa Boardman says:
You don’t come off like a doormat, but more like an arrogant A__s, I am sure that it is unintentional and that deep down inside you are a kind and charming person.
April 8, 2008 — 5:31 pm
Greg Swann says:
Ideas, not people, please. No need to delete anything, but please debate the other person’s arguments, not his or her character or motives.
April 8, 2008 — 5:36 pm
Teresa Boardman says:
Greg I was explaining how Barry sounds to some of us reading this. i did not call him an arrogant A__s, I am sure he is not, he just sounds like one.
April 8, 2008 — 5:38 pm
Greg Swann says:
I understand. I wasn’t reacting to you, just to the direction we’re heading in.
April 8, 2008 — 5:41 pm
Teresa Boardman says:
Understood.
April 8, 2008 — 5:42 pm
Teresa Boardman says:
No “h” in Teresa
April 8, 2008 — 5:43 pm
Caleb Mardini says:
I’ve checked it out and the post you’re basing your little experiment on looks like a misplaced ad that I would have immediately skipped over in browsing.
The ad strikes me of a very low quality not likely to generate much interest. On the contrary I bet most who saw it, like me, felt compelled to avoid it.
You’re right about filtering of content. It is a challenging issue. I think it’s a difficult problem for any similar company though.
I do know that there are many options for view and filtering content on AR however. Including this page http://activerain.com/blogs.
I love the “Bat Signal” graphic, poignant and funny.
Barry, your statement “please scurry back…”is pretty awful and discredits you.
April 8, 2008 — 5:46 pm
Barry Cunningham says:
Theresa..you mistake confidence for arrogance. I’m a big boy.
You see when people don’t have anything to substantiate their thoughts they make iananity their chosen course.
Missy made an erroneous statement, she got called on it and now I am asking you a question that was not answered.
You still did not answer me..what was disrespectful? After you answer that re-read Missy’s post and let me know who it was that was disrespectful.
Here’s the deal, I expected that reaction from the usual suspects from AR. When one writes a thought out post one must project how some will react.
It seems you agreed but then have a problem with how I responded to Missy. That’s got nothing to do with the post. Her reaction was expected.
April 8, 2008 — 5:52 pm
Sarah Cooper says:
Seriously, Barry. No H in Teresa.
April 8, 2008 — 5:55 pm
Barry Cunningham says:
Teresa..see what I mean??? Same old expected AR usual suspect response…there will undoubtedly be more.
By the way Caleb..to whom does the “scurry back” reference discredit me to? AR members?
By the way…in every incident OTHER than AR, we are receiving tons of leads from both buyers and sellers. It wasn’t a “little experiment” but rather a marketing campaign that will allow us to actually close between 4-10 properties across the Country in the next 30 days.
Guess it works. Like I said, not an experiment, just business!
April 8, 2008 — 5:59 pm
Caleb Mardini says:
Me. Discredits to me.
April 8, 2008 — 6:01 pm
Teresa Boardman says:
I agree with some of what you said about active rain, and I don’t use it for marketing real estate. I absolutly do not want buyers contacting me through Active Rain If they do because of one of my own listings I will respond immediatly becasue it is my job.
I am going to explain to you what it is about your comments to Missy that have set me off. I find it unlikely that you will respond with anything other than an argument but this is important to me.
Telling Missy to scurry back sounds disrespectful.
“Call you to buy your listings???? Now that’s being a proactive salesperson. I am sure your sellers would appreciate your enthusiasm and drive.” sounds like you are making fun of an excellent sales person.
“By the way..Great Post, nice job, you’re the best, way to go…sound familiar? Wanted to make you feel at home!” sounds like you are taunting her, kind of like a bully I had trouble with when I was in the third grade. Your voice sounds just like his did and it struck a nerve.
“I like the guys from AR…I am so over most of the usual suspects that have nothing much to offer.”
That came off sounding arrogant.
The remarks also sound a bit too personal.
April 8, 2008 — 6:07 pm
iamutahrealestate-Marty says:
I love the Bat signal Barry!!! I’ve been Marketing and selling Real Estate for 6 years but new to this blogging stuff… like it so far.
I looked at the AR website, it did not interest me at all! I read through some posts, I did not find one that had any good useful content! 80,000 members I don’t get what they see… can someone explain that to me?
If I understand how to be an effective, efficient blogger. (Piggy back on Teresa’s comment) Don’t I want to post on my Blog, talk about my market, my niche if you will? That is the best SEO for bringing people and clients to my door.
Obviously I still need to WORK prospecting for new clients, until my blogging and posting start bringing in clients. Am I off base? I don’t see why I would join a group of 80,000 people talking jiberish. Focus on my area and my niche. Weber County Utah by the way, Ogden area, a great place to buy property.
One reason there is so much inventory out there, is the R.E. Agents. How hard is it? When you go on a listing presentation, show and tell the owners what their home will sell for! If the sellers HAVE to sell, price it right, if the sellers are not realistic DON’T TAKE THE LISTING! If Agents with over priced inventory would have an honest conversation with the sellers, Most over priced homes would come off the market. The past few years you did not need much skill to sell a home. Now most agents are in shock, they actually have to work.
April 8, 2008 — 6:13 pm
Barry Cunningham says:
Sorry you had a tough third grade. If it sounded insulting, then I apologize to you and she and caleb.
I guess that’s more than one could expect from she or some of the others at AR. Incidentally you did not comment on what she wrote. I guess saying I was trashing AR to make myself feel better was’nt anything..I guess people see what they want to see…but that’s fine.
Enough of this, it’s beginning to sound like an AR thread and that does not benefit any of us.
April 8, 2008 — 6:17 pm
Barry Cunningham says:
Marty..my sentiments exactly! Congrats on the new blog. The guys here are a wealth of information and they know what they are doing. Don’t always expect agreeing opinions, but they will most assuredly give you substantiated and well founded opinions.
April 8, 2008 — 6:20 pm
Teresa Boardman says:
OK I am done. I didn’t see Missy’s comment as being out of line. But if you did I understand. it is in the eye of the reader. You don’t see me posting much on AR. I am not one of them or one of you either. I am more of a loner doing my own thing. Occasionally going out and reading re blogs. Not a usual suspect but a dam good blogger and a business woman who can make my own rain outside of the rain. Good night.
April 8, 2008 — 6:29 pm
Barry Cunningham says:
Teresa..in closing I like your blog and find it to be very good. Love your pictures. Remember when we interviewed you I hailed that which you do..clearly not one of the usual suspects as described.
I think you misunderstood me.
April 8, 2008 — 8:03 pm
Louis Cammarosano says:
Great post Barry!!!!!!!
Collect 10,000 points
Louis
P.S. don’t use lead generation companies.
April 8, 2008 — 8:37 pm
Laurie Manny says:
Still smarting Louis?
April 8, 2008 — 11:40 pm
Glenn says:
Louis – LOL, I think AR gives points. Have admit the ego factor of being number one in an area is great. The guys at AR really hit the nail on the head for that one. Shear brilliance.
April 9, 2008 — 4:56 am
Louis Cammarosano says:
Laurie I am a convert
My new friends are Brian Brady, Jay Thompson, Mary McKnight, Mike Farmer, Pat Kitano, Dustin Luther and many others from the RE.net.
We joined the bloggering classes back in March and our products will soon reflect that even more.
http://blog.homegain.com/real-estate-2point0-homegain
We are you now…. An attack on us is an attack on us all…
April 9, 2008 — 6:11 am
Greg Swann says:
> We are you now…. An attack on us is an attack on us all…
That’s a good one, Louis. You aren’t the first to try that tactic.
April 9, 2008 — 6:17 am
Louis Cammarosano says:
Morning Greg!
Originality is not my strong suit. Persistence is.
April 9, 2008 — 6:19 am
Louis Cammarosano says:
Greg I know you are big on the Greeks, Yeats, Tennyson, Keats, Shakespeare, Dylan Thomas and other pillars of Western civilization, but how about the Bible?
Vanity of vanities, says the Teacher,
vanity of vanities! All is vanity.
………………………….
What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done;there is nothing new under the sun.
Is there a thing of which it is said, “See, this is new”? It has already been,in the ages before us.
Ecclesiastes
April 9, 2008 — 6:25 am
Scott Hurst says:
–
This market requires specialized training and even more…it requires a lot of enthusiastic ambition.
–
I deal with new agents learning the business on a daily basis; understanding all the nuinces of being a realtor and knowing your responsibilities seem to be out the door for so many of the young agents.
For the agent that does his due-dilligence, maintains his fudiciary responsibility to his client, and handles all the transactions in a well thought-out and coordinated manner, I think the commission is warranted. When you get agents that have no idea what they are doing, fill out bad contracts, do not research for their clients, and put a bad taste in the mouth of the public — theirin lies your problem — and why the subject of high commission comes into play
April 9, 2008 — 8:55 am
Ann Cummings says:
So Barry, you take seem to take great delight in talking about how bad REALTORS are, how we don’t know how to market and sell properties, etc.
Well, I decided to give your buying properties offer in your post on AR a whirl. I talked to one of my sellers about your (Brett’s) post on AR, and got his permission to submit his property and his contact info for your consideration. Within minutes, we did get an auto-responder reply. That basically said because you had such overwhelming response to your offer, it could be as much as 24 hours before my seller would hear from you.
We got that autoresponder on the 8th, at 2:40pm EST. Well, it’s now the 10th, at 9:20pm EST, and guess what? No response yet, and that looks to me to be about 55 hours or so. Nope, no offer, no response, not even a ‘thanks but no thanks’ courtesy reply.
So, what’s up with that? Was this post just another way for you to blast REALTORS again? Because we surely didn’t hear a word from you regarding an offer.
I even waited a little longer to comment here, just in case you really were so totally inundated with ofers that you just were unable to keep your advertised promise of an offer in 24 hours or less. Still not one word to my seller on his property that was submitted.
Sorry to say, I guess I’m not really totally surprised at that. Wish I was, but I’m not…
And just so you know, I was one of the ones on Greg Swan’s post that got it done in 7 days or less, so yes, I do know how to get things done.
April 10, 2008 — 6:26 pm