I met with an agent this week who I could sense was great at keeping in touch with his past clients. In fact, he shared that he genuinely became friends with many of them and was very connected to his “A-group”. Like many of us though, his database had been quiet on the home-buying and home-selling front this year. Many of his clients were sitting comfortably in low-interest-rate loans and had already moved up during the pandemic.

I think a lot of agents can relate to this.

The NAR lawsuit settlement and the resulting changes may be the most significant disruption our industry has seen in our careers. Much of the media speculation and commentary on our profession feels unwarranted and contradictory. Moving forward, we need to focus on education, higher standards, greater skills, and an elevated approach to how we operate.

Information is everywhere. Property listings are available on countless websites. So when we share property information via text, on social media or via email, our focus should be on delivering exceptional service. That means providing ALL relevant details upfront. Failing to do so only frustrates rather than engages your audience.

Handling offers, especially multiple offers, can be tricky. As listing agents, we are responsible for helping sellers achieve the highest price and most favorable terms while adhering to a Code of Ethics that mandates honesty to all parties. Striking this balance can indeed be challenging.

Obviosuly, great communication between agents is essential, and fostering strong relationships within the broker community is invaluable. However, it's important to remember that our primary fiduciary duty is to our clients. While the NAR Code of Ethics requires us to be honest with all parties, it doesn't mean we should discuss every detail with everyone involved!

They can both make your day-to-day work life much easier! Anyone who knows me knows I am a bit of a control freak about a “few” things, but I'm not talking about that kind of control! I'm talking about using keyboard shortcuts— CONTROL on a PC and COMMAND on a Mac. Try all of the shortcuts 👇,and let me know which is your favorite.

What are you talking to your buyers about these days? I'm still hearing a bit of trepidation from some. I get it! Interest rates, the NAR settlement, Buyer Broker Agreements. Lots of change in a buyer's mind. Below is something that I love to share with buyers when they're trying to decide if buying makes sense right now. Grab it all and make it your own.

Quick reminder- when sharing links to listings on social media or sending text messages, email marketing pieces, etc. you want to keep a user engaged with you. Sending a Redfin link puts the user one click away from scheduling a showing with a Redfin agent (no offense intended to any of my Redfin agent friends). Always best to use links from your own website, NOT a company or brokerage website, even if you have a page on that broker website because it is likely just a page, and that too puts a user one or two clicks away from scheduling a showing with another agent.

Have you ever felt like your seller has no idea what you are doing to help sell their home other than putting a sign in the front yard and loading their listing to the MLS? Or perhaps your seller is trying to lead the way or is questioning everything you do. As harsh as this may sound- if this is the case, it’s all on you!

How can we cultivate confidence in our clients beyond merely sharing our opinions and experiences? How can we assist our clients in making the most informed decisions? We need to back our experience with facts.

When it comes to profitability, many agents struggle to identify whether it has increased or decreased based on the number of transactions they've completed. Recently, I have been paying significant attention to this factor and wish someone had emphasized its importance earlier in my career. Time is another essential factor. It's a finite resource, and in real estate, we need to weigh it against profitability.

Many agents believe that non-stop hustle, unlimited time investment, and relentless grind translate into quality service and eventual success. This isn't the case. In my view, such an approach often results in stress, burnout, and a drop in profitability.

We Take a Partnership Approach- The real estate process involves a significant investment of time and resources for both clients and agents. We interview potential clients as much as they interview us.

Real estate is such an interesting business model. I know you’ve all heard me say this before, but the more I lean into this sentiment, the crazier I realize it is. Real estate is a speculative sport. It is unlike almost any other professional service-based business. Why? Because we work for absolutely no compensation up front and without any guarantee of reimbursement for our time and money spent.  

So busy, you can't keep up? Thinking it might be time to hire? Maybe you already have someone you are working with. TRUTH: Hiring is NOT a shortcut to efficiency. In fact, it can be a recipe for disaster if you don’t have structure in place first. Why? Because you are the coach, and your selected players need your direction.

The fear of making a mistake or, worse, failing often paralyzes people into inaction. Great things don't happen by chance, they happen by change and often a heck of a lot of work! I've been stretching myself in so many ways this year. Have I made mistakes, absolutely! Have I had a ton of fun exploring new ways to show up better for my family and clients? More than I could have ever imagined. Stagnation is a terrible place to be.

In 2023 we opened plenty of doors but access to homes is not where our value lies. Recent changes in our industry will not change how we advocate for our buyers. In fact, buyers will seek out better representation as they develop a better understanding of what to look for in an agent.

If we could net you fair market value for your home, would paying a finders fee to an agent that brought us a qualified buyer willing to pay your price and meet your terms make sense? If so, I suggest offering a portion of the total commission to that agent. Being open to this does not mean that every offer presented to you will include the payment of the BAC. This will simply be a term that we negotiate in the offer just as we negotiate price and repairs.

Let's talk about commissions and how we present the topic to our clients. The internet and social media have been buzzing about all of the recent settlements. First, we knew it was coming, so let's lean into it. The media will sensationalize anything they can. It is our job to explain our value, services and market to our clients.