Category: Realty Reality (page 4 of 16)

by Jeff Brown

Real Estate Investments Broker

Author website

Though there are a buncha things I read on this blog with which I disagree, there’s one thing for sure — there’s no shortage of reliable information. Also, expertise is freely shared by most of the contributors on what seems an almost infinite array of subjects. What this blog does best, from where I stand, is show the way to fellow pros to a more effective business.

Brian Brady, Sean Purcell, Chris Johnson and I seem to be the ones who at times address the other side of that coin — taking the ‘How To’ to the ‘Wow! This Stuff Really Does Work’ stage. Possibly the best nugget I’ve taken from BHB is Greg’s 20-something bullet point list for selling his listings. Talk about goin’ from the ‘How To’ to ‘Wow’ stage.

Brian’s a practitioner of what I call ‘Old Skool’ marketing. He’ll toss his latest marketing salad ’till it either produces or bombs. But even his bombs usually end up pointing him in the direction of enhanced success. He keeps doin’ what works, while never resting on his laurels.

Sean shows us where we may have unknowingly run outa bounds. He gently guides us back to the field of play, which is, after all, the only place any of us can ever score. He seems to have that sixth sense. You know the one — the ability to see what and why something will be effective. Or, better yet, how it can be made more so — like he did a few days ago.

Chris? Chris reminds me of Dad so much it’s freakin’ scary. If I believed in channeling I’d swear that’s what he’s been doing lately. If you read anything he writes and come away unsure about what he really thinks, you’re probably beyond hope. 🙂 He says things other people are thinkin’, but don’t dare openly express. Chris is like the guy in the locker room listening to all the guys brag about their romantic conquests. Know why he’s quiet? Those that do more than talk are rarely loud about it. They just, well, do. Chris understands Read more

by Jeff Brown

Real Estate Investments Broker

Author website

Transparency in real estate brokerage has gone from a truly noble concept to a weapon sometimes lethally wielded by the PC crowd. Most notably bullies coming forth claiming to possess Holy Script describing transparency, no doubt salvaged from what must be the third tablet lost by Moses on his way back down the mountain.

Transparency is honest dealing from a basis of rock ribbed integrity — nothing more and nothing less. The rest is self righteous dung.

I dare you to demand to know what your dentist, doctor, CPA, attorney et. al. are netting from fees they charge you for their services. What a joke — a bad joke, but a joke nonetheless. Who do these buncha Kumbaya, hand-holding yahoos think they’re kiddin’ anyway? Transparency my ass. They want information their parents/grandparents would’ve had the good manners never to seek in the first place. Why? Cuz it’s none of their damn business and they knew it. Of course that begs the question that so much of what they ask for is wholly irrelevant.

When shopping for a doctor, what’s important to you? Is it ultimately expertise, experience, cost, or how much he’s netting? Do you divide there fees by the time spent with you? When you read that, doesn’t it come off as a stoopid question on its face? Dunno about you, but when deciding upon a service provider I look first and foremost for results. (Oops, there I go again, lobbying for a business world based upon merit.) If there’s more than one provider on that short list, then we get down to a more detailed examination — comparing the aforementioned, here’s that pesky word again — RESULTS.

My favorite uncle just had successful minor (oxymoron?) heart surgery. He’s a pretty smart guy, one of the smartest I’ve ever met in person. Please tell me without stuttering or launching a personal attack, how knowing his surgeon’s profit margin, or any info like that, would’ve aided him in deciding who was gonna repair his heart? And pretty please, don’t bring me the usual weak crappola about ‘how can Read more

by Jeff Brown

Real Estate Investments Broker

Author website

The logic is so simple, and the result is usually so predictable, having a ‘Ladies Night’ at the local bar or club is a no-brainer. The more foxy ladies there are, the more guys there’ll be to buy ’em drinks etc. Why else would a local bar be packed on a Wednesday night? Gimme a break.

Listings are our foxy ladies. If worked correctly, every night is Wednesday — if you’re a lister. Look, for the record, guys go to bars on Ladies Nights ‘cuz it makes sense to hunt in a guaranteed target rich environment, right? Same with real estate buyers — they tend to congregate where the listings are.

But let’s look at this through the Ladies’ eyes.

They’re the magnets and they know it goin’ in. From bank owned Barb to rehabbed Richelle to young and perky Pamela, they congregate together, knowing there will no doubt be more than enough guys to go around. There’s usually all kinds of gals for all kinds of guys. But make no mistake — no gals? No guys.

Buyer’s markets are what I often describe as a ‘get while the gettin’s good’ situation. Sellers, if possible, tend to stay home when they realize for every buyer there could literally be dozens of houses from which to choose. This is why you won’t find bars lasting long with an extreme undersupply of ladies. Though guys are surely an integral part of the equation, women are in the driver’s seat with rare exception.

This is even true when the gals out number guys on a given night. You know I’m right. See the trio of lovely young ladies over in the corner? They’re all pretty nice, but geez-a-lou, look at the one in the middle. Absolute perfection — a vision of everything that is feminine pulchritude. You think she’ll have a tough time meeting a cool gentleman even though the ladies out number the men 5-1? Yeah, me neither.

This is all my very roundabout way of pointin’ out the obvious. Buyers are a huge part of my business, no doubt about that. But Read more

by Brad Coy

Realtor, Urban Jedi

Author website

Mark’s post as well as Sean’s got me thinking. It’s certainly not unusual these days to ‘friend someone up’ on a social platform such as Facebook these days and learn just a little bit more than you wanted to know, but how would you deal with the situation of finding out a bit TOO much.

Then came along this hot story could be a guide in how to help with property management. Even with heavy handed tenants rights keeping a choke hold on you as a property owner, at least you might know what to do next about a bad tenant.

Tenants evicted after “Skins-style parties” at her home on Facebook

Carolyn Lorimer couldn’t resist a quick look at the latest snaps on Facebook of her old friend enjoying a party.

It seemed like quite a bash. Revelers rolled about clutching bottles of beer amid scenes of ripped wallpaper and smashed TVs.

There was even a picture of three girls wiggling their thonged bottoms as they danced on a table.

Not a very wise thing to do, trashing your flat and then having friends blow it up on Facebook with pics to prove how you throw a serious rager.

How about just pissing off your neighbors?

New media civil war on Rotten Neighbor.com

Drug addicts. They fight outside in the middle of the night over drugs, kick in people’s cars, and cant afford to clothe their children. Pretty much the scum of the earth. They like to leave garbage all over the place, spray-painted “#### Pigs” on their house, set fire to their own shed for fun

Wow! Looking out for your investment is getting easier, no? As a landlord or a property manager I wouldn’t waste too much time monitoring this, but I could think of a few easy ways to keep my ear to the ground. 🙂

image courtesy of magerleagues on Flickr

by Jeff Brown

Real Estate Investments Broker

Author website

I’ve not only been a broker since January of 1977, but the designated broker since then too. For those not familiar with the term, a designated broker is the one with the dotted line drawn on their neck. The buck stops with the DB. Though not all DB’s are office/company managers, my guess is most are. Ironically, in my first decade as a DB the only thing I was allowed to be in charge of was the coffee room, as Dad pretty much called the shots back then — as he should’ve. Besides, who puts a 25 year old in charge of a real estate investment firm? I generally rated solid reviews as Executive Vice President of coffee room operations.

When Dad finally rode into the real estate sunset, making golf the only line on his daily to-do list, it fell to me to be the DB more than just on paper. Calling Brown and Brown a small firm is the working definition of redundant, as the most folks we’ve ever had working, including me, is four — counting the secretary. However, shortly after Dad’s handicap began it’s downward descent, I was headhunted by a local C/21 owner to create and run a separate and unattached commercial division. I was 35, and ready for a challenge. Creating something from scratch appealed to me.

This post’s title is how Dad used to greet me as I walked into the room, when I was asked to join his cadre of old merciless bastards at the 19th hole. This happened about three times a week, and was literally a graduate course in real estate, management, business in general and performing under pressure. I learned pretty quickly my job was to share my fries, speak when I was spoken to, and most of all, listen. There were about 16 of ’em. They were affectionately known at the club as The Bandits, as they regularly schooled the assistant pros, often leaving the poor guys poorer.

In this group were three former real estate board presidents, land, income property, and leasing specialists — all but one who’d been DB’s Read more