Fayetteville, NC Real Estate Blog

Let's be serious for a moment.  Let's talk about what your reason for being in the real estate business is and how you communicate that to the public.

Let's talk about mission statements.

First of all, do you know what a mission statement is? 

A mission statement is a way of saying this is why I do what I do, why I do the things I do for you, what motivates me, and how my service is the best for you.  Or at least to me that is what a mission statement is.

Now, do you have one?

Do you have a well thought out statement about you and your business that you can translate to your customers?

If not, why not?

I saw this as one of the most important things that I had to do when I started in the business.  I now have it on my office wall and look at it anytime I am feeling discouraged, not to mention I love to see my clients read it.

Here is my mission statement for why and what I do.

"It is my mission to ensure that every real estate transaction I represent is treated with the up-most professionalism, to protect every client's interest in said transaction and to provide my clients with the highest level of service possible."

Now maybe you are saying that is what we all do.  Yes, but when I read that it re-enforces my drive to do what I do, why I do.

So, if you don't have a mission statement, I encourage you to spend sometime thinking about what drives you.  Even though some think it is the money that is to be made, I can tell you that as I become older I am realizing that there are things out there that are way more important than money.  There has to be a feeling deep in your soul that drives you to continue to do this business day after day.  It is there, trust me, digg deep and you will discover why you do the things in life that you do.

I read a post this morning that was very well written and made some good points. 

The blog was written by:

Suzanne Sands-Somerset, MA Real Estate
Somerset, MA

The blog post title was "Get off your blog!"

I have thinking about this subject a lot lately.  Maybe we should start a "blogger-anonymous" group.

You know, it is just way too easy to sit down at our computers and just waste a day away.  The world has become so computerized that we have almost made our world into a "hermit" type, meaning we can get on our computers and spend the day being in touch with the whole world around us but having no personal contact.  Losing that personal contact has caused this world we live in to become callous and cold to one another.

Now don't get me wrong.  I am not against computers in any way.  I think the advances of technology over the past few years has just been amazing.  We are now able to do things at the click of a mouse that never would have been possible before the advent of the computer world we live in.

Over the past few days I have written some blogs on the things that it seems like no one ever does anymore and what doing those things could do to your business.  Things like sending thank you cards, etc.  Getting out there and having the personal touch, so to speak. 

There is no better time of year than right now to get out there and deliver your "personal touch".  Around the Christmas holidays people are generally more receptive towards others and not so quick to judge the intentions of your actions.  After all haven't you noticed that more people greet each other and do nice things for each other around this time of year?

Becoming a "hermit agent" (hey I think I just coined a new phrase!) can really have drastic results on your business.  You simply must get out there and, as we say in the south, get 'amongst 'em.  Sitting in the office and waiting for the phone to ring or waiting for that Internet lead that is usually six months out before they are ready simply is not going to get you to where you want to be in your career.  PERIOD.

In my office we have many newer agents.  I have been slated with the task of teaching our Keller Williams Camp 4:4:3 class, Open houses and FSBO's, and not only has then been a great experience for both I and my students it has showed me that the newer agents have yet to "hermitize" themselves and are still at the point in their career where they have not learned that they cannot do something.  It is amazing, one of the agents that I taught is out there knocking on FSBO door's everyday this week.  I know agents that are way more seasoned than her who have NEVER done this.  Do you think there will be some success from this?  YOU BET!  Why?  It's the personal touch that I am talking about, getting out there and getting 'amongst 'em.

So  I encourage you to take some time today and get out there and meet a few people, shake a few hands and maybe even better your business.  So I am saying, get out there and go buy your Santa hat (See my other blog) and as Suzanne Sands said..."GET OFF YOUR BLOG!"

Well, ok, just for a little while....

I was just in our local MLS system and looking at the homes on the market for today.  What I saw amazed me.  I don't know why...it has been like this for a few months now.

In today's stats there were 69 homes that had a price drop.  One of those homes had a drop of almost $40,000!  Yes you read that right.

What is this kind of information saying about my local market?  Buyers are being picky?  No, I think it is agents that are not pricing the homes correctly.  This is causing our local paper to have a media buzz with the market situation around here.

Why is it so hard for a listing agent, old or new, to look a seller in the eye and explain to them the FACTS that they need to hear?

I am sure it is fear of loss of the listing.  But honestly the fear of having to approach the seller later and tell them that it is time to drop the price is a bigger fear in my eyes.  It means I have let them down, not done what I plainly told them I could when I got them to trust me with quite possibly the biggest investment of their lives and their families future.

I urge you to take a look at what you do in your business practice.  To learn to read the market correctly and last of all to be honest with your sellers...and quit making the market worse than it has to be.  I can promise you if you build your business on honesty and integrity that it will grow faster and go farther than if you "buy" listings by overpricing them.

The Air Force Reserve's 53rd Aerial Port Squadron has joined the 440th Airlift Wing at Pope Air Force Base. The "red hats" had been the only Air Force Reserve units on base until the arrival of the 440th Airlift Wing from Milwaukee under the 2005 BRAC law.

Amidst all the changes concering Pope Air Force Base it is nice to know that we still will have some Air Force personel in the area.  This area benefits from both our US Army members and our Air Force personel.

Welcome to the "Redhats" we hope you enjoy your stay!

For incoming soldiers and soldiers who need renewals of driver's license's, going into Fayetteville will become a necessity. 

The N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles driver's license office at Knox and Randolph streets closed permanently Tuesday.

The building will be demolished to make way for the future headquarters of Forces Command and U.S. Army Reserve Command. Staff members from the Fort Bragg location will move to other driver's license offices in the area, said Andrew Sawyer, a spokesman for the N.C. Department of Transportation. Other area offices are:

• South Fayetteville, 2439 Gillespie St., 486-1353
• West Fayetteville, 841-A Elm St., Eutaw Village at Bragg Boulevard, 484-6249

The 7th Special Forces Group will hold the 29th annual Jingle Bell Jog on Friday on Fort Bragg.  This is a long time tradition of the Fort Bragg army community.

The 10-kilometer race begins at 9 a.m. Organizers expect as many as 1,000 runners.

The race is geared toward runners, but some participants will push children in strollers and lead dogs on leashes in the five-kilometer fun walk.  Running is not required, we try to include all of the family members by offering a walk as well.

The event is open to everyone. It begins and ends at the John F. Kennedy Plaza on Ardennes Street.

Proceeds will go to the 7th Group Association, a fund that provides financial assistance to needy soldiers in the group.

Please come out and support this worthy cause and show our soldiers that we here at home are in support of them.

Our local baseball heroes, the Fayetteville Swampdogs, are trying their hand at playing Santa's helpers this year.

The Fayetteville Swamdogs will be collecting toys to benefit the Toys for Tots program in our area and to provide a Christmas to those children who might not recieve anything on that joyful morning.

The Fayetteville Swampdogs will have a collection site set up at the J.P. Riddle stadium, their home field, this week.  Toys may be dropped off from 9am-4pm MOnday through Friday.  The toys will be delivered to the Salvation Army for distribution the the children.

As a way to create interest in donating, the Fayetteville Swampdogs will be offering each person who donates two general admission tickets to a home game in the upcoming season.

Toys do not have to be wrapped and if they are used should be clean and in working condition.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact 426-5900.

I have come to find out that there are good agents in this business and then there are the not-so-good agents. 

There are the ones who will give up their commissions without so much as even a effort to make sure that they are paid what they are worth...or then again maybe they are paid what they are worth.  Then there are the agents that overprice a listing just to get their sign in the yard in this market.

I think the second, overpricing a listing, is worse than the first.

Why...why...why...would you do that?  Why, when you have the numbers so readily available would you knowingly inflate a listing price just to get your sign in the yard?  I personally will walk away from a listing if I know that the seller just will not listen to what the market is saying and insists on overpricing the house.  BUT, I can then continue to conduct my business with the integrity and high standards I always try to commit to.

Do these agents NOT understand that they are doing several injustices by doing this?

They are first and foremost doing a injustice to the seller.  They are basically saying to the seller that I am not good enough to tell you the truth...but I will lie to you in a second just to get my sign in your yard.  Think that is the only thing I will lie about?  Think again...

Secondly, they are doing a HUGE injustice to themselves.  I KNOW that I am a good enough agent to analyze the numbers and interpret them CORRECTLY for my sellers.  I KNOW that my services are worth every bit of the commission I charge.  I KNOW I owe it to myself and to my family to conduct my business in a truthful manner.  And lastly, but not least...I KNOW that my business will grow further and be stronger for conducting my business by those beliefs.

Third...they are doing a HUGE injustice to the market.  Overpricing a listing makes that listing sit on the market LONGER and that's where the bad news of the market not moving is being generated.  I always feel for those agents that are so inept in thier business that they must do this and then they have a listing that has been on the market forever.  Apparently their training is really lacking or they just don't care about what the reputation they are building for themselves is.  I take pride in telling my sellers my average DOM, I just wonder if those agents who are knowingly overpricing the listings share their DOM with the sellers or if they just paint a beautiful picture for them.

I have had two listings in the past month...NEITHER made it to the 30 day mark before having a FULL OFFER and accepted contract.  I am proud of that and my sellers love me.  I tell my sellers upfront at the listing appointment that I am not going to tell them lies, that I may say something they do not want to hear but they need to hear.  I tell them the truth.

I never want to be in the shoes of the overpriced listing agent.  I NEVER want to have to admit to my seller that I was way wrong on my numbers and now they must reduce the house (losing money that they were already looking forward to) just to make it competitive.  I cannot think it would be pleasant to have to answer the bombardment of questions from the seller and to deal with them being upset because I failed to do my job.

I wrote all this as a result of my local MLS.  Everyday I check the newest listings on the market.  EVERYDAY there are several that are way overpriced.  Everyday I see agents stooping to the level of letting the home seller set the price no matter what the market is saying.

I say this must be brought under control, NOW!  The agents that are doing this practice are the ones who are feeding the media the news that the market is so bad.  I don't know about your area, but houses are still moving in my area...but if these agents continue to overprice that will soon stop.

On November 17, 2007 Keller Williams Realtor, JT Prevatte and State Farm Insurance Agent, Ann McLeod came together once again to host the "Fill the Trailer and Feed the Hungry" food drive benefiting the Fayetteville Urban Ministry.

Along with the help of State Farm employees, Jaime Prevatte and Robyn Owens this event was a huge sucess!  This event surely would not be possible without the help of the caring employees of State Farm Insurance.

While it was a cool morning, the energy level was at an all time high.  Much planning and preperation had been invested into this event by everyone involved and we even had a special appearance by the the State Farm Insurance "Good Neigh-BEAR" who made sure the little ones who came out had a good time.

JT Prevatte was quoted as saying..."Real Estate and Insurance go hand in hand so what better alliance to come together and collect food for the less fortunate of our area.  It is always important to give back to a community that has given so much to us."

State Farm Agent Ann McLeod, recently recovering from a surgical procedure made sure that she was there.  Quite a commitment to the community.

"Fill the Trailer and Feed the Hungry" is a food drive that was started in 2006 and will continue for as long as possible.

Here are a few of the pictures...

It's that time of year again!  Time for the second annual "Fill the Trailer and Feed the Hungry" Food Drive.  The food drive is sponsored by Keller Williams Reator JT Prevatte and State Farm Insurance Agent Ann McLeod.

All donations benefit the Fayetteville Urban Ministries Food Pantry to assist the less fortunate of our area.

If you are in the area and would like to contribute please come out and support this worthy cause!