IT'S MAGIC! THE INCREDIBLE INVISIBLE HOME!

"MY HOME IS NOT GETTING ANY SHOWINGS!"

Your home has been on the market for three months. Not a single visitor has come to view it. You really want to sell your home but don't really "need" to. You have given the home curb appeal. You have updated the kitchen completely with the best cabinets and granite countertops. The bathrooms have been completely modernized. The roof and a/c were just replaced the month before you placed the home the market. You put the best Brazilian Cherrywood floors throughout the home. The home is immaculate. It's better than brand new! You are convinced that the first home buyer that comes to your beautiful home will surely fall in love and make a full price offer even if your agent did suggest strongly that your home would most like bring a lower price than what you are insisting it should sell for.


The other homes in your neighborhood have not had near the updates or upgrades recently and yet you know they are getting showings - in fact, John and Jane Smith, across the street just went under contract! So you are asking yourself, "Why isn't my home getting any visitors? Is my home really invisible? Unfortunately for you, that might just be the case. So how did this happen and what are the dangers?


"BUT MY NEIGHBORS ARE GETTING SHOWINGS - AND CONTRACTS!"

With the advent of the age of technology and recent surveys done by the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) showing that 80% of the homes buyers are starting their search for their next home on the internet it must be understood how important it is, now more than ever, to start your home's pricing exactly where it should be when you begin marketing the home.

When a home buyer visits a web site, gets daily notifiers directly from an agent and the local Multiple Listing Service (MLS) the basic criteria they are searching for are the only homes that they will see during that search. For instance, if a buyer is searching for a 4 Bed, 3 Bath, 3 Car Garage home and is not willing or able to go above $350,000 on the purchase price then that is the minimum number they will search for in the home features and the maximum number on price they will search for on the price. An example is shown below as a buyer would use at Realtor.com:

Notice that in this case it is already showing how many properties are going to be available using the criteria described above. If the homes in your area, as nice, or not as nice and upgraded as your own are selling for a much lower price when they click that search button your home will not show up in the results of the 58 homes that will show up in the search example above.

Your buyers are fishing in the right pond but are only going to be looking for the fish that they can afford to catch - therefore making your home completely invisible to the home buyers and you will most likely see all your neighbor's homes sell long before yours does.

"WHAT DANGERS HAVE I CREATED BY NOT STARTING AT THE RIGHT PRICE?"

Now, your home has been on the market several months. You've seen several homes in the neighborhood sell. There is seemingly no interest in your home and you still have yet to get your first showing. Your agent has shown you the marketing that is being done and there is no doubt that your home has become invisible to any buyers that might be looking for a home in your area with the style and features that your home provides.What buyers might have been presented the home through their buyer's agent have lost all interest in the home because it has been on the market for a long period of time and to gain their interest now a drastic move may be necessary. In order to gain their interest back the price will need to be reduced. But to peak that interest and to get them to come to your home at this point you must lower the price below what the market would have bared for the home months ago and now you are forced to ask for less for the home.Below you will see in a graph the Interest Vs. Weeks on the market results scenario:

DON'T CHEAT YOURSELF LATER BY MAKING YOUR HOME INVISIBLE NOW

When you begin the marketing of your home it is important to start with an informed decision. Get advice from professionals who work in the real estate industry full-time and can help you make sure you are not only not giving your home away but that you are also not going to cause yourself, in the long run, to lose potential profits.

Some of the things you should consider strongly doing to determine the correct starting price that you are going to ask for your home are:

• Have a REALTOR® do a Comparative Market Analysis on your home
• Investigate tax records and property appraiser information for recent sales
• Investigate what the prices are at for the current homes that are on the market and how long have they been on the market
• Get an appraisal for your home prepared by a licensed appraiser

The value that this can bring can not only net you thousands of dollars but can also save you months of headaches. Don't make your home invisible. MAKE YOUR HOME INVINCIBLE - HIRE A REALTOR TO ASSIST YOU WITH MARKETING YOUR HOME PROPERLY TO GUIDE YOU THROUGH THE MAZE OF MARKETING TO GAIN YOU THE MOST $$$!

Copyright© Realty Agent Professionals Team - Scott McClain

2006 - 2007

REALTOR RIDE EXPERIENCE FOR MS. STAHL OF 60 MINUTES

Ever hear of the "Richard Petty Driving Experience"? For those of you that haven't let me explain. You can go and either ride with a pro in a NASCAR style racing car or even drive it yourself.

Well, Ms. Stahl of 60 Minutes....I would like to take you for a Realtor Ride Driving Experience. So if you read this come along for a day..even two. HAHAHAHA I'm betting you will wonder why 6% is all we charge.

Man, oh man! What I wouldn't do to have that blond hang out with me for one day as I go prospecting. I'm betting if she ran that story (using hidden cameras so the sellers, (FSBO's, Expireds, Withdrawns, etc) are not even aware that there is some filming going on and they will treat me with the same disrespect that I would normally receive from 90% of the people I attempt to talk to during that day of prospecting) then, maybe, JUST MAYBE, someone would see why 6% is SQUAT.

Factor in the amount of hours (that Remax agent failed to mention that part)The amount of gas it takes to run a Lexus ---sure wish I knew because I don't own one I own a 12 SPM (SPM = STATION per MILE) :) Jeep that I can hopefully fit Mr. & Mrs. Smith, Grandma Smith (Mom in law who has to be sure her daughter is getting the best house) Little Joey and Sarah Smith - who I have to buy candy, coke and other goodies for to keep them occupied (and then take my car to the detailers to get the "goodies" cleaned from the upholstery and carpet)

Cost of buying a new computer because I have to keep up with the online discounters and pay P2A for the wonderful hosting and features of my own website and without the new computer I can't even stay in business.

And I sure hope this day she spends with me happens on the same day that I have to pay my board dues! Yea, there goes 6% of my income! LOL

Then from the board we will drive over to the printer to have those wonderful flyers made up where she can watch me shell out $0.31 each for 1000 of them.

Then we will stop by the sign maker where I shell out another $160 for 25 open house signs because 14 of the last 25 I bought have mysteriously come up missing while I was doing that open house that I just spent $150 to advertise in the newspaper for one day (see my BLOG on the the OMG WHAT A DEAL and Homes and Land Magazine - which by the way if made a stop by to pay that bill would be a mere $700 for the month).

Then we stop by the office to stuff those flyers and stamp them which just cost us another $150 or so.

Oh crap, we forgot to get the post cards for the Just Sold cards for that listing we finally were able to get sold because it was overpriced by a stubborn seller and it took us 8 months to move but we did because of that wonderful marketing that we have spent so much on.

So we make a trip back to the printer and pick them up and then run over to the post office to drop them off, stamp and mail them which cost us how much? Another $75.00 or so?

Crap my day has just begun and I've already spent how much? Well who's counting? Certainly not the blond doing this interview and certainly not that (__) clown from REDFIN.

But now comes the fun part. It's about noon by now and we get to go out and get our daily dose of disrespect and hatred from the FSBO's and Expireds. So we head back to the gas station to load up the Jeep with gas...another $55.00. Can someone loan me a 50 spot? I'm runnin' outta money now! Oh, crap, I guess I can add it to that credit card? Can't I? Well, I guess I better. So that $55.00 just turned into that plus the interest. OH BOY this day is getting expensive.

So we go knock on that FSBO's door that we seen just before feeding the Jeep it's daily dose of my 6%. She answers the door and just as I'm starting to say my name she screams "Get the @#$%#& off my property I'm not listing with no #$%#%$ REALTOR!" to which we must smile and say "Thank you mam for your time and I'm sorry I've bothered you." while in our mind thinking "Thank you for treating me like a sub-human even though you don't even know that I'm the nicest guy in the world."

Now we get back in the Jeep and head over to that expired listing. Surely this will be better because this guy must like REALTORS, I mean, he's already listed with one before so at least I have a chance, right?

Well, I get there and I knock on the door. No one home. GRR, so I leave $10.00 worth of materials at the door and make notes to contact them or return at a later date in my day planner that costs me about $20.00 -$30.00 each time I want a new one. Maybe I should just start using those $1.79 spiral notepads that teenagers use in school? Sure would let me keep more of my 6% right?

Oh crap, I forgot, I only get 3%...I have to give that agent who brought the buyer at least 3 don't I? Oh well, do I need gas again yet? No, I'm good.

Let's head over to this other expired and PRAY he had at least somewhat of a good agent and he's not in pure hatred of all REALTORS and I haven't caught him coming back from Home Depot purchasing that For Sale By Owner sign. I'm sure I could have given him one out of the many I've acquired from the FSBOs after returning to the FSBO's house that treated me like garbage the first 6 times I visited them and they have finally realized that trying to sell on their own just wasn't going to work and they ask me to replace their FSBO sign with mine and take theirs with me because they will never use a FSBO sign again.

So we start over to the next expired, which just happens to be going right by my Car Insurance Company which is due for the yearly beating I must take from them and I ask "Ms Stahl, do you mind if we make a quick stop here so I can sign up for my new insurance policy that is due?" So we go inside where my friendly insurance agent reminds me that even though I have a perfect driving record, the requirements that my broker states (not too mention the law ) for the amount of insurance I must have on my gas pig that my payments are going to be $250/Mth with a huge down payment as well. Man, I sure hope this next expired that I am about to visit is going to turn into a paycheck!

Ok, I won't take you other agents through the rest of this day in detail but it went something like this. I got to the next expired who also wasn't home and two more who decided they were going to stay put and not sell and I finally got to one that is willing to speak to me about listing their home and made the appointment.

So, Ms. Stahl and I drop by the local Office Depot where I needed to go to get those new drums and ink cartridges for my color laser printer that cost just over $1000 when I bought it and I would be lucky if I could off it on Ebay for $200 if I decided to quit this business and get a job at Waterhead-Mart as a door greeter.

So we spend another grand here at Office Depot but thank God for that Office Depot reward card where I will get a whopping 5% back on that grand that I just spent in Office Depot. That sure keeps a bit more of that 3% in my pocket.

We are headed back to the office when I get a call from my vendor of my 800 number stating they just tried to bill my credit card for my monthly bill and my card was declined. I assure them that if they do it again tomorrow --but make sure and do it early- they will be able to place the charge as I've reached my daily limit on that card and they just tried to bill me too late. To which they reply, "Do you have a different card we can bill?"...blah, blah blah...
...well, you know what I'm getting at.

By the end of this day that blond would be in tears. She would go on live TV and apologize for ever suggesting that we don't earn our keep and she show the world the math that most of us are probably making just around minimum wage and are just so smart that we have figured out how to use our money so wisely that we appear to be well to do. Wouldn't she?

Man, just "WRITING" this blog entry has made me depressed and tired...but I got an imaginary listing appointment so I think I will rest easy and get back to work with researching thoroughly how this home should be priced, look over my notes on the tour of the home to see what suggestions I need to make to stage it properly, post a blog here to get suggestions from you wonderful people on how I might deal with this unique situation I'm about to encounter and then prepare the paperwork for the listing along with my presentation and then print up it up right after I drop those $1000 worth of drums and ink cartridges into my printer.

It's midnight by now and I think I should check my email, respond to all those leads I got and maybe catch some ZZZZs before I have to get back up at 6:00 a.m.. The early bird gets the worm right?

Good day Ms. Stahl. I hope this Realtor Ride Experience has done you at least some good and you and the other media monkey's will get the $%##@ off our backs!

Sincerly,

Scott McClain
Realty Agent Professionals Team
http://www.realtyagentpro.com/

Homes and Land Magaziine advertising! OMG! WHAT A DEAL!

I spent the last week trying to decide if I wanted to begin a marketing campaign in one or any of the hardcopy priint magazines. So I began looking them up online and contacting the necessary representatives to obtain the advertising costs.

After about ten calls to all the of the most popular magazines and getting all the pricing and other perks and bennies that came with them all I had made a decision on which one I was going to go with - HOMES AND LAND!

Now, the rep had told me the pricing and one of the many benefits that she "assured" me of was that of the approximately 150 leads per month that I would receive that they were thoroughly screened unlike any other lead generating systems.

Now, I had all but committed myself to Homes and Land Magazine at this point and I wanted to get some ideas on how to format my ad so I went to HomesandLand.com and placed an order for the magazine just as any other buyer or seller might do. Now, I really wasn't thinking about it at the time I simply wanted a copy of the magazine and did not want to take the time go and locate one in any of the in-store racks but later something would become blatantly apparent regarding the lead generation.

The system will not allow someone that is ordering the magazine to opt out of being contacted and, in fact, would also force you to decide if you are a buyer or seller. There is no option for I am an agent wanting a copy of the magazine, I am not serious about buying or selling, i.e. "none of the above". So I chose my options to force the system to mail me the magazine.

Well, I discovered after this that if I wanted to make the deadline I would not have time to wait for the magazine to be mailed to me so I went on my trek to locate a copy myself.

I first went to the closest Publix to me and found many other magazines on the rack but no Homes and Land. I went to Albertson's next...no Homes and Land. Wal-Mart...no Homes and Land Magazine here either. So I was not going to give up and I kept on my search and went to four other locations before I finally located a copy. And mind you, it wasn't because the ads were all taken. The racks were all marked for what magazine goes in the rack's slots. None of the stores I went to had a slot for Homes and Land Magazine...until the 7th store which was completely full of the Homes and Land Magazines.

Now, at this point I was becoming very concerned if I was making a good choice or not on which magazine I might use. If I can't find a copy how many potential buyers would find one? And this was near the end of the cycle for that month and the ONE store I located that had them in the slot was FULL indicating that even though they claimed to have a large of magazines in racks with a large number of circulation (40,000 county wide supposedly) that no one was taking the magazine, or at least not from the one store that actually stocks them.

So I called the rep the next morning to discuss this issue. She claimed that they were all taken by users of the magazine. But I explained that the racks were all clearly marked in the slots and the stores that did not have any copies had no slots marked for Homes and Land Magazine either. To which I was told that they are only in "select" locations that are high traffic. So I told her that once I finally found one that the slot on this rack was completely full to which, of course, she had an answer to that as well. That particular location is just not moving the magazines as well as others.

Now, I had written the prices down but I asked again what the cost of a full page ad was going to be. Funny, the price went up from $439/mth to $695/mth for a glossy print full page add. I did not say a thing to her about this just to see if she was going to be willing to negotiate the price (keep in mind they are franchised). I asked that for one month the price be at $500 (still an increase over the price I was quoted the day before!) and she would not budge.
So I told her that I was going to think it over but would most likely choose a competitor and thanked her for her time.

Now, when I registered for the magazine to be sent to me I registered with my email address from my Point2Agent domain which is realtyagentpro.com. Clearly anyone in their right mind would see that I am an agent that would be "screening" them. No one from Homes and Land Magazine had attempted to contact me to screen me in any way, shape or form and I began getting emails from both REALTORs and mortgage brokers.

I went to my mailbox yesterday to find a letter from a brokers office that I used to work at. I open it and find two copies of the same Buyer's Agent brochure. So I called the agent that sent them to discover that he had mailed me these items because he had received the lead from Homes and Land Magazine.

Now, as I stated above, the rep from Homes and Land Magazine assured me that the leads were scrubbed thoroughly before being sent to the agents. Which by the way are sent to "all" the local agents at the same time that are advertising in the area not just one. But also, since I had given my email address the agent did not catch from my email that I am a REALTOR and sent me a copy of their marketing brochure. I thank them for that because now I have some more good material to utilize! LOL

Well, needless to say, these events did encourage me.And I know now that my decision in the past not to utilize the print advertising has been a good decision. It's encouraged me to find a different marketing avenue to spend my money on!

I don't appreciate being lied to and/or having someone attempt to take advantage of me. This is just another great example as to why we as REALTORs need to take a concertive approach amongst ourselves to force these companies to change their behaviour and their super exorbitant pricing.

Yea, yea I know. If 99.9% of us boycott them there will be that one agent that will take advantage of it and jump off the bandwagon to be the "ONLY" agent utilizing that method of advertising to gain advantage over her competition.

Wow, what a deal! Or NOT!

Thanks Homes and Land Magazine for refeshing my memory. I'm sure glad I didn't give you my money!

I think I will take a nice little weekend away instead.

Best of luck to you!

Scott McClain
http://www.realtyagentpro.com/

BUYER'S AGENT - WHY EVERY HOME BUYER NEEDS ONE

"Why Do I Need A Buyer's Agent?"

Buying a home is probably the most important purchase you'll ever make. Do you want to go it alone?
Until a few years ago, home buyers had no choice. They decided up a home to buy and negotiated the contract without representation.
Traditionally, all residential real estate agents represented the home seller. That was the true meaning of the "listing agent" who put the home up for sale, as well as the agent who found the buyer. That agent - who helped the buyer find the right home- actually worked for the seller. Under that traditional system, all agents were legally bound to represent the seller and the buyer had no representation.

Now Buyers Have A Choice

Buyers no longer need to represent themselves during the home search and purchase while all agents represent the seller. Smart home buyers today can receive undivided confidential representation by choosing a "buyer's agent."
In fact, 71% of home buyers surveyed in a recent Gallup poll for the National Association of Realtors said they would use a buyer's agent next time they purchased.
At last, you don't have to buy a home alone. Now you, like the seller, can have someone on your side looking after your best interests.

"How Can A Buyer's Agent Help Me?"

A buyer's agent usually owes certain duties to their home buyer, such as are, confidentiality, full disclosure and accurate accounting. These responsibilities are defined by state laws, the REALTORS® Code of Ethics, general principles of agency and court decisions.
That's the legal definition. But what does a buyer's agent actually do for the home buyer? Like other agents, a buyer's agent will show the buyer available homes, point out the property's features, provide financing information and submit the offer to purchase the property.
But that's not all. As your representative, a buyer's agent will share valuable and essential information with you if the agent knows it, such as:

• Whether the seller would accept a lower price
  
• The seller's reason for selling and timetable
  
• How long the home has been on the market
  
• Strengths and weaknesses of the property
  
• Past sales information (when available)

Most important for many buyers, you can ask a buyer's agent for advice and assistance in setting your offering price and structuring the other terms of your offer. What's more, you'll have peace of mind knowing an advocate is working on your behalf to help you buy at the best possible terms. A buyer's agent's goal is to help you buy the home you want - and at the right price.



"Who Needs A Buyer's Agent?"

If you want to make sure you buy smart, you need a buyer's agent. If you're a first-time buyer, if you're relocating or unfamiliar with the local real estate market, if you're buying for investment and want negotiating assistance, or if you need to purchase anonymously, you'll be best served by a buyer's agent who puts your interests first.
Also, if the real estate professional helping you find a home is a relative, close friend, or business associate or you previously were the agent's home-selling client, chances are you'd expect the agent to represent your interests and should establish a buyer agency relationship. Or, if you just want to get the best value in a property and an agent, you owe it to yourself to be the most knowledgeable buyer you can be.



"What Can A Seller's Agent Do To Help Me Buy?"

Without a buyer's agent, you're really on your own. Keep in mind, the seller's agent is actually working for the seller and is the seller's legal representative. Yes, the seller's agent can offer buyers some services, including a diligent search to find the right home, an explanation of available financing, calculation of monthly payments, estimation of settlement costs, presentation of your offer to buy.
What a seller's agent cannot disclose information not in the best interest of the seller such as an opinion of the home's real value or what price and terms the seller would accept.
By law, the seller's agent must negotiate on behalf of the seller and may not withhold from the seller information that could strengthen their bargaining position. That means you, as the buyer, should be careful not to disclose to the seller's agent any financial or personal information that could be used against you.



"What Will A Buyer's Agent Cost Me?"

Perhaps the right question is, "What will it cost me if I don't use a buyer's agent?" Purchasing a home without representation is possibly the biggest financial mistake you can make.
A buyer's agent can guide you each step of the way to prevent costly errors. Failure to find out about defects in the property or the actual value to if the property can, of course, be an expensive mistake. And failure to negotiate a contract that works for you can cost you plenty. With a buyer's agent, you can ask for and receive advice and assistance in selecting the best property and determining an offer price.
"Who Pays The Buyer's Agent's Fee?"
That depends. Surveys show in most instances buyer's agents are paid like seller's agents; that is, buyer's agents generally receive a share of the sales commission built into the list price. Many listing agreements between home seller and seller's agent indicate whether the sales commission will be split between the seller's agent and a buyer's agent. That's because most sellers are prepared to pay a commission simply to get their home sold. They aren't concerned whether its a s seller's agent or a buyer's agent that shares the commission.
There are, however, other ways buyer's agents may be paid. Be sure you understand from the start - before you commit to a relationship with a buyer's agent - how the buyer's agent will be paid.
Remember, the question you really need to ask yourself is: "Can I afford to buy a home without a buyer's agent?" For most home buyers today, the answer is "NO!"



"What Is An 'In-Company' Situation?"

Sometimes the home a buyer wants to purchase is listed by the same agent who is representing the buyer or by another agent from the buyer's agent's real estate company. That case, the buyer's agent's ability to fully represent either the buyer or the seller may be limited. The resulting relationship goes by different names in different parts of the country- for instance, "designated representative," "transaction broker," "facilitator," or "disclosed dual agent," State statutes and common law determine how an "in-company situation" is handled.
If an "in-company situation" occurs, it must be properly disclosed to both buyer and seller who then give written informed consent to modify the agency relationship. Each state may vary in what is specifically required of the agents.
In some states, an "in-company situation" can exist where different sales associates of the same brokerage firm each fully represents exclusively the interests of their own client- the buyer or the seller-in an in-house buyer-agent transaction.
Be sure to ask how your buyer's agent handles in-house listings. An "exclusive buyer's agent" has no listings and thus avoid the limitations of an "in-company situation."



The Bottom Line

If you want an agent to fully represent your best interests, if you want help evaluating a property, if you want someone to negotiate to get you the best price and the best terms, if you want to purchase a home in what's becoming the most popular way to buy, you'll want to enlist the aid of a buyer's agent.

Note: The laws of agency relationship differ from state to state and are continually evolving. Your real estate professional can explain local agency rulings. Be sure you understand and are comfortable with the choices involved when you engage the services of an agent.