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The Price is…Wrong?

If your listing isn’t selling and the days-on-market numbers are ticking upward, you need to look beyond your CMA to find out the cause. While most agents rely strongly on their CMA, it often doesn’t give a big picture account of what is currently happening in the market. Recently I had two clients ask me […]

Getting Comfortable with the Truth

Real estate is a people business and can therefore be very unpredictable at times. Clients don’t always do what you think they will do and often they change their minds at a moment’s notice. Real estate requires strong communication skills and the ability to deliver the truth in a factual and practical manner. Most agents […]

This November: Are You Winding-Down When You Should Be Winding-Up?

Every year in mid-November I hear the same comment from agents: “Denise, the market is slowing down. I think I’ll just wind things down, assume nothing else is going to happen, and then wind up next year.” Think again! If you aren’t ready to close your books on your business for the year, it is […]

Lead Generation: Does it Cost You Time? Money? Or Time AND Money?

Many of you know the story of my importing 10,000 teddy bears after I went on a trip to Seoul Korea with a flight attendant friend of mine. This was many years ago prior to me starting my real estate career and what I learned from this experience changed me for the better forever. I […]

Recessions and Real Estate, What’s the Big Worry all About?

Have you ever wondered how previous recessions have affected real estate prices?  This is a common question I get asked by agents and consumers anytime the word recession is brought up.  The term, “recession” can scare anyone who has been through one and were caused financial strain as a result.  Therefore, the word recession often […]

Lead Generation: Does it Cost You Time? Money? Or Time AND Money?

Posted by Denise Lones on October 24th, 2019

Many of you know the story of my importing 10,000 teddy bears after I went on a trip to Seoul Korea with a flight attendant friend of mine. This was many years ago prior to me starting my real estate career and what I learned from this experience changed me for the better forever.

I imported the bears from Korea because I got an amazing deal on them. However, they arrived without proper tagging, I was unable to sell them to retailers, and essentially was stuck with a stock of teddy bears that I had no idea what I was going to do with. I had also borrowed the money to buy these bears and I was freaking out about how I would ever sell the bears, pay back the money I had borrowed and get out of this horrible mess I had created. Read more »

Branding Spotlight: Sara Fish

Posted by Denise Lones on October 24th, 2019

The starting point: Sara wanted her Semi-Custom Pro brand to reflect her positive outlook and her tagline, “ Motivate – Positive – Change.”  She was drawn to a striking red and charcoal palette, and wanted to incorporate her existing logo that showcased her last name, Fish.

The target audience: As the managing broker of her office, Sara has both knowledge and experience in her toolkit. She wanted her brand to appeal to her diverse clientele and her referral-based business. Read more »

Ask Denise: Holiday Gift Ideas

Posted by Denise Lones on October 24th, 2019

Q: “Denise, I want to do something special for my past clients this year for the holidays. I already do an annual property report in January and don’t want to do a client appreciation event. I am thinking of something like a gift. What ideas do you have for a great client gift?”

A: That is a good question! You didn’t name a budget but I am assuming you don’t mean that you intend to fly everyone to Paris for the holidays. Below are some suggestions for several different client gift ideas in multiple categories and for varying budgets: Read more »

October’s Client Mailer Content is Here!

Posted by Denise Lones on October 18th, 2019
monthly mailer content from club zebra

October, leaves are falling and, depending on where you are this year, you may even have snow already. One thing’s for sure though, you do have this month’s new content for mailing out to your clients – completely attribution free. This month we have an article for anyone on home improvements, how they differ from maintenance and which ones yield better listing prices. Next, for your buyers, we have an article about pre-approval factors. Your buyers already know that employment, income and finances impact their opportunity to buy, here we pull back the curtain on what else is considered. Finally, we have an article for your prospective sellers on the benefits of a fall home sale. Find all three under Client Content.

Not a member yet? Try a month out for just $9.95.

Recessions and Real Estate, What’s the Big Worry all About?

Posted by Denise Lones on October 17th, 2019

Have you ever wondered how previous recessions have affected real estate prices?  This is a common question I get asked by agents and consumers anytime the word recession is brought up.  The term, “recession” can scare anyone who has been through one and were caused financial strain as a result.  Therefore, the word recession often brings up fear rather than the true and accurate picture of what happens during a recession. The reality of what happens to real estate prices during a recession is a great example of that.

Read more »

Branding Spotlight: Sarah Reed

Posted by Denise Lones on October 17th, 2019

The starting point: Sarah has been working with us since 2007. So, when she decided she was ready for an up-to-date logo package, we went all in.  Her former branding incorporated her love of wine, using bold vineyard imagery, and a name treatment made of parchment and grapes. This time around, she wanted more understated branding that more subtly tied in her love of wine.

The target audience: Having been in the biz for nearly 20 years, Sarah has a rich and diverse referral business. She needed a brand that bridged her professionalism with this personal connection she has with her client base. Read more »

#AskDenise: A Good Monthly Mailer

Posted by Denise Lones on October 17th, 2019

Q: “Denise, I want to drum up some business in my farm area before the end of the year. I have been sending a regular monthly update via mail, but want to have a good call-to-action to get people to do something. What do you suggest?”

Read more »

Don’t Let Barriers Drain Your Pool of Buyers

Posted by Denise Lones on October 10th, 2019

There are many barriers to selling a home in today’s competitive selling environment.   The challenge for many agents is how to discuss those barriers without offending the client.  Perhaps the home you are evaluating has a very strong cat urine odor or the seller has just told you that they expect you to be at every single showing. There are plenty of other barriers I am sure you have come across in your time as an agent. Read more »

Ask Denise: Necessary Disclosures

Posted by Denise Lones on October 10th, 2019

Q: “Denise, I have a past client buyer who is very unhappy. When we were house-hunting, she had said she wanted a property that was only about 20 minutes from where she works. At the time, GoogleMaps indicated the average travel time was about 20 minutes during her commute. However, she says that it has only one time been 20 minutes or less – most of the time it is closer to half an hour. She says that I misrepresented the property. Is she right? What should I do?” Read more »

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