I mean that in a really nice way. I am just trying to help. Just like Barry is just trying to help Realtors by pointing out various things that are wrong with Realtors,
I am trying to help Barry. I mean no insult. None. And should Barry get even a little bit defensive that would be wrong. He shouldn’t get defensive, I am just talking about Barry MOST of the time since he arrived on BloodhoundBlog. Naturally, I think Barry is wrong about everything he believes and that he charges people way too much money for the mindless, stupid and completely unnecessary things he does for them. He isn’t really a professional, the way he acts. All of his customers could all do a much better job than he does and don’t need him at all and they most certainly don’t need to pay him the outrageous fees he charges. No insult intended. Barry’s business won’t even exist in a few short years, he will fail and go broke. I say this to help Barry. We should be able to discuss this idea like adults. Openly looking at and discussing the idea: is Barry Cunningham completely passive-aggressive towards real estate agents or does Barry Cunningham sincerely believe the half-baked gibberish he writes. Again, no insult intended. None, really. I just feel it is vital to bring this up so we can all join in the discussion.
jmac says:
Now, now, let’s not be too hard on Barry. He means well, bless his heart. I read a lot of what he has to say. I suppose that I have a passion for “case study” reading. Then again, it could be a carry over from my studies on the application of “The art of war”. I do recall there was a directive to know your enemy.
Then, I don’t consider Barry and enemy. He does try so hard to make use of the english language in a delightfully condescending fashion. I imagine that he could have been successful as a real estate agent if he had the courage of his convictions.
Is it just me, or does anyone else hear parallel echoes from Larry Craig, denouncing a certain lifestyle while apparently privately seeking that lifestyle. To quote the bard of Avon “methinks, he doth protest too much.”
I don’t even mind giving him the free publicity and juice that might be the after effect of this comment. He does try to be fair and always makes a point of referring to at least one good agent.
Is it possible, he is our personal diogenes, only seeking the best in our profession? More likely, he is the re-tooled version of P.T. Barnum, proving that he can pack them in because the birth rate of suckers continues at the one a minute pace.
Barry is a wonderful mix of Rush Limbaugh, Micheal Moore, the JDL and Rev. Wright. He is a real estate investors version of Matthew Lesko trying to package himself in the trappings of Bruce Williams.
He appears to fashion himself as the proverbial “junk yard dog” in a world where reality keeps saying “that dog won’t hunt”, bless his heart.
April 11, 2008 — 4:07 am
Ann Cummings says:
LOVE that graphic!!
“I just feel it is vital to bring this up so we can all join in the discussion.” How refreshing that statement is…..
April 11, 2008 — 4:17 am
The Lovely Wife.. says:
Park and Follow Zone.
ROAR 🙂
April 11, 2008 — 5:31 am
Kris Berg says:
I really do miss you, Russell. 🙂
April 11, 2008 — 6:45 am
ines says:
Here’s my take – Barry has every right to his business model which fits his needs and works for him, but for him to come to the conclusion that the real estate consumer will not need Realtors is an absurd comment IMHO.
The other thing he does not get is the fact that there are plenty of blood-sucking investors out there (not that he is one) that use very similar tactics than he does. Just looking at the marketing perspective, if he wants to set himself apart from those typical blood-sucking investors, then he needs to make his marketing different, if not……people will assume he belongs in the same group.
I personally think he has made a few important points like the fact that only 2% of Realtors use web2.0 – why are the other 98% not reacting? – I do wish Barry well though, he does have a great laugh. 😉
April 11, 2008 — 6:48 am
Barry Cunningham says:
Oh I love this…Russell…you are absolutely brilliant!!! Now this is Web 2.0 baby!
Greg I think you had better call your webhost and get more server space!! This will be the post of the year…Russell I am flattered.
I would like to thank you all for the Celebrity Roast. I can see the AR members text messaging each other right now. Setting the fires across the land like they did in the Lord of the Rings.
Oh this is going to be good and thanks for the Long Tail search recognition. Additionally, hats off for the great graphic.
Russell..UNCHAINED is going to be a lot of fun..can’t wait to meet you. We gotta have a Jane Curtain v. Dan Ackroyd type of debate..I’ll even wear the skirt so you can say the infamous line!
Kudos my friend! Great Post you made here and as they say…let the games begin.
But..as Bill Oreilly always says..please keep it pithy and I look to you to police this comment section closely…you know how the usual suspects at AR have a hard time of staying on point.
April 11, 2008 — 6:51 am
Michael Cook says:
This is pretty funny. Perhaps if we just replace Barry with NAR we would really be getting somewhere, but sadly that was the point, wasnt it? Barry is quickly becoming my new hero.
April 11, 2008 — 7:07 am
Barry Cunningham says:
Ines, as a fellow South Floridian and a apostolic follower of Mother Mary, I will be gracious.
In speaking much more reserved, I must point out an error in your comment. A point of debate if you will.
You wrote that I concluded that the world will not need Realtors and said that such a conclusion was absurd. It’s not.
Here’s why. And maybe I am giving makind way too much credit, but a Realtor feeling that one is NEEDED implies that the Consumer can not do the job on their own. This is quite pompous and erroneous.
Maybe my next post, and maybe I should ask a wordsmith such as GS to join in, would be to really delve into the extreme difference between NEED and DESIRE.
I don’t ever want to do business where I have to convince a client, advertiser etc..that they NEED me. I would be foolish to think that. I want to make a client DESIRE me. From the perspective of being DESIRED you become MUCH more valuable.
Think this is a falsehood, look at the car you are driving. You don’t need that car. You could have bought ANY car. You DESIRED it and more than likely given your success you paid MUCH more for it than if you simply bought something you thought you NEEDED.
Value and a higher profit to the dealer, was based upon putting you, the Consumer in a whole different mindset.
Get it?
You also wrote that :”there are plenty of blood-sucking investors out there … that use very similar tactics than he does”
You speak as if that is wrong? Why is it ok to charge someone 6% for the job you do but then frown upon the investor for maximizing their profit? When did capitalism become wrong?
Why is the investor who maximizes profit utilizing a myriad of strategis, often beyond the scope of MOST realtors looked upon as blood suckers?
Last time I checked it was Realtors on the bottom of the food chain on the Harris Interactive study and other simialr studies. Perhaps you are speaking from that perspective that realtors view investors because they often can not go toe-to-toe with us in transactions.
“if not……people will assume he belongs in the same group”
I can tell you for sure, it’s not the consumer who views as bloodsuckers. We’re the ones who have to come in and often clean up the mess when Realtors drop the ball.
Everyone is clamoring for leads, we get them in VOLUME…you would be SHOCKED at the number of QUALIFIED leads that we receive from our capture forms from across the Country.
Casse in point…we issue no mandatory one sided listing agreements, we don’t waste time with open houses, we don’t take 6 months to get a deal done…bottomline..we present a solution becasue we have something at stake in a deal.
We submit an offer, the Seller can clearly take it or leave it, and it is totally their choice to accept it or not.
Am I going to get the best deal possible..ABSOLUTELY.
Do you have any idea how many properties we purchase AFTER a listing has expired or how many realtors call us when their listing is about to expire?
Blood suckers..hardly…transfusionists more likely!
April 11, 2008 — 7:59 am
Mariana says:
I can’t even begin to wrap my mind around all the facets of this post, Russell. I applaud you (again) for your brilliance.
April 11, 2008 — 8:20 am
ines says:
Barry – I thank you for responding and since we are using analogies here’s one I am very familiar with regards to “needs” and “desires”.
As an architect (bachelors from The University of Miami) I can tell you that a lot of people choose not to hire an architect to save on the cost when doing an addition or remodeling and decide to go straight to their contractor or even buy a cheap on-line drafting program and do it themselves. I can tell you also that most of the time these additions will be absolutely atrocious and we see them all over Miami.
Was the consumer able to do it themselves? absolutely!!
Is the outcome a good one? Not even close!
Do many of them regret not having hired someone that knows what they are doing? You bet!
The same thing goes with real estate – there are plenty of business models and many are very capable of doing it themselves.
Now as for what you do to achieve your goals – you talk from a buyer’s perspective to try to get the best deal possible – I agree with you when you say, “why not?”. But our job with sellers is to try to get them the most money possible. Many Realtors can’t achieve that and because of time constraints or desperations, they end up turning to investors like you to help them out of the hole…..nothing wrong with that either.
But my point was not to knock you for trying to make a great deal – my point was for you not to assume that all sellers are looking for an easy way out or for an investor lo low ball them.
(btw – Ann Cummings is also an apostolic follower of Mother Mary)
April 11, 2008 — 8:33 am
Broker Bryant says:
Damn I just can’t help myself 🙂
Barry I absolutely 100% agree with this statement:
“I don’t ever want to do business where I have to convince a client, advertiser etc..that they NEED me. I would be foolish to think that. I want to make a client DESIRE me. From the perspective of being DESIRED you become MUCH more valuable”
Which is exactly why I don’t need to justify my commission. Kudos for putting in print what I was unable to convey.
April 11, 2008 — 8:58 am
Barry Cunningham says:
Ines,
Have you read the papers or seen the stats…foreclosures and reo’s rule the land.
Low ball offers??? That’s not even a professional term.
Investors place honest offers that allow them to make a profit. All of our offers ensure profit. That’s not a low ball offer..you should understand that being in the Miami market.
April 11, 2008 — 9:22 am
Glenn says:
Barry’s article does have merit – bottom line is that change is inevitable and there will be impact both on the real estate profession and the industry as a whole.
April 11, 2008 — 9:42 am
ines says:
Barry – oh no, I don’t read papers or see stats, I live in a box with the rest of the meritless real estate agents that call themselves professionals.
I work with a lot of investor clients btw – some properties are great for investors some others are not. Let’s not get into a discussion about what constitutes a good offer or doesn’t. FYI – I don’t work REO’s and don’t do foreclosures either.
The point I was trying to make, and one to help your marketing, is that your ads are not setting you apart from those investors that sellers avoid at all cost.
You may have a great program (which I have not researched and don’t know), but you are doint nothing to set yourself apart from the loud and obnoxious investor that pays .25 cents on the dollar. [constructive criticism from someone that enjoys marketing]
April 11, 2008 — 10:17 am
Jeanne Breault says:
And the winner is…all of us!
Blatantly honest dialogue like this (with an appropriate touch of snarkiness) probably does more for transparency than anything else.
Everything said here is true…that’s what’s so great! Being able to see situations through different prisms is the key to our education and improves our value to our clients.
Personally I think Barry is a better solution than a government bailout of the…make no mistake…LENDERS!!
Ines, you say, “Now as for what you do to achieve your goals – you talk from a buyer’s perspective to try to get the best deal possible – I agree with you when you say, “why not?”. But our job with sellers is to try to get them the most money possible.”
Sometimes I think getting any money is the best we can do for the seller these days. Right now “the most money possible” may take a back seat to a fast close, or a minimized risk of falling through. If no money is going in the seller’s pocket, but a short sale has been approved without a deficiency judgement, then that really is “the most money possible.”
And I’m not even going to get into what happens to looking at the “best possible deal” for the seller when I’m a transaction broker and I have (or another agent in my office has) the buyer for my listing…that’s a whole discussion for another day!
I’ve come to the conclusion that if all parties are treated honestly and fairly (read:transparency), then Barry’s business model is okay. (Now I can’t speak for his demeanor – hopefully he’s not as condescending to sellers as he is to their REALTORS.) Hopefully the seller trusts that his/her REALTOR will protect them from the business models (read: scams) out there these days that aren’t okay!
I’ll have to convince sellers that no matter how “dirty” this game might feel, it really is an okay game with some smart, liquid investors running up the scoreboard. And it’s possibly the only game they’ve got right now.
I think a “Barry” is a much better solution than a government bailout of the…make no mistake…LENDERS AND THEIR INVESTORS!
April 11, 2008 — 10:25 am
Norm Fisher says:
There is no end to the excellent points that Barry makes about weaknesses in organized real estate and the changes which are coming. That said, let’s be clear that his constant poking at the industry is not about helping agents or consumers. A world without agents is Barry’s heaven on earth. He’d like nothing more than to use the knowledge and experience he has gained through “hundreds” of closed transactions to go “toe to toe” with sellers and buyers who have just learned how to represent themselves reading articles online. Who can blame him? Like fish in a barrel.
April 11, 2008 — 11:10 am
Dave Phillips says:
Brilliant Blogging, I say! Thanks for a great laugh on a Friday afternoon. By the way, we are all full of crap. Your post will just make Barry feel special if you don’t give the rest of us the same credit. Good God his head is already big enough!
April 11, 2008 — 1:05 pm
louis@homegain.com says:
What do the restaurant owners, doctors, lawyers and teachers think about all this?
They could use our help too.
April 11, 2008 — 4:31 pm
Barry Cunningham says:
Ines
you wrote: “The point I was trying to make, and one to help your marketing, is that your ads are not setting you apart from those investors that sellers avoid at all cost”,,,,,,
Really, would never have thought hat with the volume of leads we are receiving. I wasn’t aware that I said our marketing needed any help. However not one to deny advce, I appreciate what you have said here but it’s working real well.
you also wrote: You may have a great program (which I have not researched and don’t know), but you are doint nothing to set yourself apart from the loud and obnoxious investor that pays .25 cents on the dollar. [constructive criticism from someone that enjoys marketing]”
Ines…what’s wrong with buying properties at 25 cens on the dollar? Is there a problem with that? Listen, IMHO, more agents need to understand what kind of market we are in. Anyone see what JPMorgan Chase pulled of with Bear Stearns? Anyone see what Denny Grimes did in Cape Coral..anyone see what’s going on with the bulk buying of properties? My question is this..with the volume of foreclosures and REO’s…why aren’t you working that market?
Of course I understand if you are too busy and doing well enough ..just that I find buying and selling properties at substantial discount, often as low as 25 cents on the dollar to be quite fulfilling and quite financially rewarding. Must be something to it, now the government is going to give us tax credits for doing so..what a Country!
April 11, 2008 — 4:55 pm
ines says:
Barry – Are you softening up with me? I’m starting to get a warm and fuzzy all over! 😉
Bottom line is that we are busy and not just doing well enough…we’re doing great. Tons of hits on our site, lots of closed sales as well – growing business, hiring buyer’s agent…..no complaints.
We have no interest in doing foreclosures nor REO’s (but there’s a couple of people in our office that do and if we ever get our hands on that type of business, we refer it out).
The reason I touched on your marketing (even if you did not ask for help) is because you questioned agents not responding well to it – my reasons are well stated above.
As long as you know who your audience is as well as your target market and you are doing well, continue what you are doing and good luck, but please know that in a platform like this, you’ll get a lot of beef from Realtors.
Have a great weekend!
April 11, 2008 — 7:12 pm