THE JOURNEY CONTINUES FOR THE ROSES
As many of you know Lynne and I are getting ready for the next chapter in our lives starting with a move to Arizona. I like to recognize good service so today I am taking the time to send out kudos for a job well done. In three communities, Tucson, Casa Grande, and Yuma Long Realty has Sherry Ulasien, SherryUlasien@longrealty.com, Kindar Ashford, kashford@longrealty.com, and Elizabeth Carpenter, ECarpenter@LongRealty.com have treated us to a world class tour of their respective communities. During our week long trip these three ladies bent over backwards to show us homes in our price range with the amenities we requested disregarding their own personal gain. As we know real estate can be very competitive. The collaborative professionalism demonstrated by the team at Long Realty was exceptional.
We are getting ready to sell our current home in Oceanside so I did some research. Over the years I have become a big fan of Gary Keller of Keller Williams reading and frequently referring to his book The Millionaire Real Estate Agent. Often when reading his work I feel validation for this is how I like to think I treat my clients and friends. As I did my research I found this on the Keller Williams website:
Why Sell with Keller Williams?
Your needs always come first. At Keller Williams, we provide the service we agree to, in the ways that work for you, whether once a week, once a day, by phone, email or text message. That’s how we’ll do it. You’ll always be kept in the loop.
When You Work With Us, You Get:
> An experienced real estate agent with an expertise in the selling process from listing to close
> Marketing savvy and tools to get your home top-tier exposure
> An allied partner looking out for you and your home throughout the selling process
> Expertise in listing, pricing, staging and selling your home to the right buyer quickly
We Commit to Helping You Sell Your Home By:
> Smoothing the way for your listing and sale with guaranteed satisfaction
> Providing knowledgeable pricing and staging to make sure your home puts its best foot forward
> Using our unique marketing systems to maximize your property’s exposure
> Guaranteeing satisfaction – our relationship is dependent on meeting and exceeding your needs
From working with Sherry, Kindar, and Elizabeth I learned that others in real estate can also live by the work ethic described above from the Keller Williams website.
As this is a journey, I continue to learn form the experience. Being conscious in the messages shared along the way is important. As such, I have found the need to hone my negotiating skills. It is important to know what you want, have clearly defined amounts you will spend for your purchase, and clearly define how much you want to receive in compensation for what you are selling. Maybe more important is to find ways to control your emotions in purchasing and selling large ticket items like homes and cars. In one case along this journey someone made it very clear that they would do anything to acquire a piece of property. That is much like playing poker and knowingly giving your opponent all four aces. The person selling the property can maximize their gain while avoiding the need to negotiate to a lower price with the buyer even when the appraisal comes in low.
It is also important to do all you can in advance to make what you are selling as desirable as possible. It is much like how we package our products and services to our target markets. If you have the best packaged product in your target market you will have an advantage over your competitors more often than not having leverage for getting the sale. We have found this to be true with the 13 homes we have bought and sold as well as my car selling hobby.
The message for me on this continued journey is that I am still stimulated to learn and grow. The messages are clear when you look at them as opportunities to expand your knowledge base to support your continued journey. As example a realtor recently suggested I speak to a real estate attorney. Great advice as I had a wonderful exchange with Tim Binder http://tbinderlaw.com/. Conflicts can be resolved so easily when you consult a professional. Their expertise makes the journey more pleasurable.
Wanting your journey to be smooth with continued growth and development can be the difference between living and death. I can see my 70th year in the near future. I also see my friends who are senior to me. Some are doing the typical downsizing while others continue to stimulate their bodies and minds. Guess which ones have the greatest potential to live longer lives, survive illness, and have more joy in their lives. Thus my message in this article today is surround yourself with people, activities, and organizations that will stimulate your mind continuing to expand the volume of your sphere of influence. Join Lynne and I on our journey.
