Realtors Without Lockbox Keys

I posted on Face Book last week this entry: When the agent calls and says “Vince, I’m Whoever with XYZ Realty and I don’t have a lockbox key, can you open your listing for us” I IMMEDIATELY HIT THE DELETE KEY.What I got were 58 comments of varying viewpoints. Although I respect the real estate profession, I do not respect Realtors who ask the listing agent to show their buyers your listing either because they don’t have a lockbox key (a basic tool of the Realtor) or because “they are out of town.”

This is a despicable request for them to make and I immediately disqualify a buyer who would work with such an inept agent. I used to always accommodate those requests and I NEVER got an offer…… or a thank you, from the other agent.

Some agents said I was doing my seller a disservice by not showing to every possible buyer. I DISAGREE. I notice that the other agent NEVER says “I’m sending my buyer with a pre-qualification letter or proof of funds” because the other Realtor never checked. They run their business by the seat of their pants and just hope and pray I could close this buyer of theirs that they can’t close on any other deal. It is a disservice to my client not to carefully screen each potential buyer to weed out the ones that will be a problem later.

To those agents that DISAGREE, I will ask you: Have you ever had a seller load up their furniture and clean out the house and on the DAY of closing you find out the buyer can’t close? I know I have NOT because I am taking care of my sellers by screening those deadbeats out.

Agents that don’t have the basic tools or even the office support to help them show office clients available listings will not be in the business long. I can’t imagine asking another agent from another firm to show MY buyer their listing. How unprofessional to the BUYER is that? At least have another agent from your own office cover the showing for you.

Realtors sometimes get a bad rap……. and sometimes it’s our own fault.

For more information, go to: http://www.headofrealestate.com

Why Exit Realty OWNS THE NEXT DECADE

I have been with Exit Realty THREE YEARS NOW! Often you hear people in Exit talk about is the, residual income we all get from sponsoring agents into Exit. Everyone wants to bring agents into our company for the single level residual money, but as wonderful as Single Level Residuals are…….I think we lose focus on why our company as a whole is so much BETTER than the other brands.

After 18 years with ERA, I finished my last year with ERA, #1 worldwide for them. I realized then that I had spent 18 years climbing a ladder that was on the wrong building. I wanted to come to Exit so bad that I skipped the ERA Convention and did no get my award because I wanted to leave ASAP and start this new chapter in my career. Looking back, I spent close to $100,000 in franchise fees my last three years with ERA. What did I get for that? Access to a VIP tent at the ERA convention where I could get free coffee that lesser producers did not have access to. Management did not know my name despite consistently being in the top ten for them worldwide, year after year after year? I often wonder what kept me there so long? Why do agents not see the light? Why are we so loyal to people who clearly benefit from having us, but we don’t get anything in return? In Exit………. E V E R Y B O D Y WINS!

I wrote a blog in 2009 that if you go back and read it here on WordPress came 100% true (so far) for Tampa. I stated that ERA could not survive long term because the system they use is outdated, broken and will not work in this NEW realty market we are in. Well, in 2011, there are ZERO ERA franchises left in Tampa. One, ERA The Polo Group, was one of the most successful in ERA and the broker, Mario Polo is one of the finest real estate minds you will ever know. He did not fail ERA, ERA failed him by not changing with the times. Most of the major badges fail to look at the overall picture. THE AGENTS ARE THE COMPANY AND YOU BETTER TAKE CARE OF THEM.

With Exit, and this is the point of this blog, you get STATE OF THE ART MARKETING TOOLS, you get the best trainers in the industry and the level of support is so much better than I could have imagined. EXIT REALTY is the Rolls Royce of realty brands. Steve Morris is THE MIND of real estate and has been the leader of our badge since he gave birth to her over 12 years ago. With ERA, I thought CEO stood for “Career Ending Opportunity” because every time they announce a new CEO, they were gone before I could remember their name. At Exit, we have a solid foundation, solid leadership, solid marketing materials, leaders that DO HAVE A CLUE and are in front of the curve instead of always chasing it. Exit e-Listings, Exit Promo Shop are the best marketing tools in the industry bar none. Jeff Lobb is 100% on time with what is happening in the word of technology and we all know that changes hourly, Valerie Reyes can teach you how to bring in more agents and secure your and your family’s future, Bob McKinnen, Tami Bonell, Joyce, Steve Morris and on and on! Hands on management that truly cares about the brand, the agents and the image of what they are building.

I landed on real estate paradise when I landed on Exit. Yes, we have the residuals…………… but we have much, much more to offer than “just” residual income. I’m proud to be here! EXiT OWNS THE NEXT DECADE and beyond!

http://www.headofrealestate.com

#1 On Google? A Waste of Time of worth the Time?

OK, here we go again. Three new e-mails today with the promise to get me on the first page of Google. I saw another seminar invite with the subject the same. I know the Internet is now the #1 place most BUYERS start to search for listings……. but do they REALLY search Google looking for an AGENT? I would say 100% NO.

I understand that this Internet Google “guru” is touting numbers like “95% of buyers today start their home search on the Internet” and so fourth. But the fact is, MOST of that 95% starts on the Internet alright, but that traffic and “hit number” is driven by sites like Realtor.com and homes.com for example. The buyer finds the house and calls the agent that has the listing. Investing on the enhanced listings on Realtor.com for example and having a good amount of listings to input is MY #1 source of buyers leads.

Don’t be misled. Most of those touting this Google deal have never sold real estate before. I drive traffic to my own website with my own marketing. In 2010, in Tampa Florida, one of the worst realty markets in the USA where unemployment is around 18% and over 60% of homeowners are upside down, I had 115 sales sides. NONE of that business came from Google.

I’m not saying a good position on Google will not look good on a listing presentation, but I can easily overcome such a minor obstacle in my interview process.

To learn more, visit my website at http://www.headofrealestate.com

Why The Next Decade Belongs to Exit Realty

As a twenty year veteran of real estate, I missed the EXiT Realty boat for many years. I was hung up on the NAME of the company. Now that I’m here, the NAME is why I love the company. Exit has many meanings but the most important to Realtors is Exit, as in retirement! Where are you going now on your current path? Agents don’t move because most are sheep. They get a comfort level with the “brand” or just being in that location. But if you are an agent, consider this:

YOU HAVE NO STAKE IN THE COMPANY! YOU THINK THE BROKERAGE IS THE ASSET, BUT YOU ARE THE ASSET AND YOU ARE BEING BRAINWASHED BY THE OTHER SHEEP WHO DON’T GET IT!Agents don’t have a stake in the company and ownership and management does! It’s their job to keep you happy because you are a profit center for THEM, it’s not a profit center for YOU. At Exit, we have SINGLE LEVEL RESIDUALS! Understand it before you dismiss us! Agents DO have a stake in the company and because of Single Level Residuals, the sponsor agent will help you become more successful because they have an interest in you being more successful because they have a stake in your success! They will help you bring in others, not because they get a cut of them (remember, Exit is SINGLE LEVEL) but because those others will be the glue that keeps you here.

Understand this: In a world of 100% splits, Exit is the only brand where you can get to 200%, 300% or 400% and more! Ignore it and we will pass you by! Exit is still the fastest growing real estate franchise in the world today. We are growing! Look around, another of this badge falls, another one of those guys fails! We have the most innovative marketing tools available to us, we have the best training, we have SINGLE LEVEL RESIDUALS!No other brand makes more sense! Look at all the models and compare them to us! EVALUATE the systems and come to your own conclusion! See you over here soon!

http://www.headofrealestate.com

What I Know About Exit Realty 19 months in

It’s been 19 months now since I left my old badge and joined Exit Realty. Getting ready to leave Tampa soon for my second convention with Exit. I learned a few things since I have been here. #1, the grass IS greener on the other side sometimes and Exit is one of those exceptions. #2, what I thought was too good to be true IS true and the residual system is FOR REAL and not some “profit share” pipe dream. SINGLE LEVEL was a key word for me when I explain it to others. #3, the TOOLS and products that Exit offers are outstanding. Exit, thanks to corporate trainer Jeff Lobb is always on the forefront of the technology boom and he makes 100% certain we are not left behind! #4, Exit trainers are top notch! Jeff Lobb, Valerie Reyes, Alex Szinegh, Kevin Ahearn, Bill & Erica Nasby, Angel Tucker & Johnny Lowey are dedicated to this brand and are available to the agents. #5, you can call the president of the company, Tami Bonell and she WILL call you back! This accessability is simply unmatched. #6, CEO Steve Morris surrounds the brand with old veterans of our industry, Bob McKinnen for example, one of the key people in founding Century-21 is on our team and again, is accessible to the agents and brokers. #7, I can pick up the phone and call any agent or broker in the system and they will share whatever they are doing with me to help me expand my business. #8, if I get in a slump, I can call one of the corporate trainers and they will walk me out of it better than I was when I went into it (thank you Jeff Lobb for doing that for me this year…..TWICE, as I approach my 100th sale this year in a Tampa Bay real estate market that is one of the worst in North America).

I could write a book about EXIT. 20 years in this business and what I learned MOST and is the MOST important is that EXIT is not a job for the owners, agents and brokers, it is a FAMILY. I would not be doing justice if I did not mention the Forbes Family the regional owners of Florida. They ARE my family, EXIT is my family!

Can’t wait to BLAST OFF FOR DALLAS and spend time with all my brothers and sisters in Exit. Certainly I will come back to Tampa a better Realtor than when I left!

If you are an agent looking to make a change, check out your local EXIT affiliate. It is a life changing experience! Feel free to visit my website at http://www.HeadOfRealEstate.com and watch my video at the upper right hand corner titled “Why Exit” and I promise, you will be glad you did.

Short Sale “Flip” Realtors

Here we go again! Now before you decide to crucify me, read the entire blog. for my point. It seems that in every Bull or Bear Market in real estate, you can always count on a few things. In a Bear Market, you can always see the late-night infomercial’s of “get rich quick buying foreclosures” programs. In the 1980’s and 1990’s, it was Dave Del Dato, today, take your pick. Consumer: those guys get wealthy selling you DVD’s not buying foreclosures! Want to make money in real estate? Hire a reputable Realtor who knows the renovation game and who is experienced themself in that process. If 2005-2007 taught you anything, it should be that in real estate and the stock market speculation business, there are risks.

Now, here is what else you can depend on: Shady Realtors slithering out from their holes to “help you” get in front of the market. In 2005, how many Realtors did I see buying houses for $500,000 and then the lender giving them $200,000 on top of that to “renovate” the home (that never seemed to get renovated). They were driving new Ferrari’s and Lambo’s and when the market went belly up, they gave the houses back to the bank, but kept the cash. Sooner or later, when this market clears up, I’m certain jail will be in order for some of them.

Now the Short Sale scam artists. They show up with “I’ll negotiate the short sale for you” plan. You list your home with this Agent and a third party negotiates your sale. Say you owe $250,000 and this “negotiator” you hired gets an approval for a sale at $150,000 (and assume the market fell 50% to 60% in your area). Then, that Realtor puts in MLS that they have an approval for $175,000. Then Realtor B from 123 Realty brings an offer for $175,000. Well, the Realtor and his buddy just put $25,000 in their pocket EXTRA without trying to disclose too much to anyone about what is going on.

Nobody got hurt right? WRONG! First of all, in my opinion, it is unethical for a Realtor to be involved with this practice. For one thing, knowing you can sell for more and selling this lower offer to the bank while KNOWING you are going to flip this house for extra money is flat out misleading the banks. I don’t care what your personal opinion is about the banks and how they screw Realtors and cut our fees at the table and that government bailed them out. What is WRONG is WRONG and two or three wrongs by the bank does not give us the right to STEAL MONEY from anyone. The people getting SCREWED are the SELLERS who hired those agents under the pretense that they were being helped. The fact is, most Sellers will have a judgement put against them for the deficiency of the sale. So instead of the seller in this example getting $75,000 judgement against them, they will now have a $100,000 judgement against them. THEY HAVE TO PAY THAT MONEY BACK THAT THE REALTOR JUST STOLE FROM THE BANK.Sooner or later, the house of cards will come down again and close all the loopholes. But for now, those Realtors who participate in this type of sale should be ashamed of themself. Before you cry “Sour Grapes” because I am not making that money, I have closed 94 sides in 2010 and will close well over 100 transactions this year. I have been selling real estate for twenty years now and the REASON I have lasted this long is because I refuse to deal from the bottom of the deck and I refuse to screw the Sellers who hire me to get them out of the scenario that they are in. If that means I take a haircut at the closing table, I’ll take it. What I refuse to do is feed my greed at the expense of others while hiding under the “it’s legal” defense. It is NOT MORALLY correct and if those Agents would get off their lazy asses, they would be able to make a nice living as a Realtor ………………….. while genuinely helping people. There are no short cuts in real estate.

http://www.headofrealestat.com

Reporter in New York

Wrong

WOW! I can’t believe the attention this case is getting! Here is the bottom line. This girl did not deserve the harsh criticism she has been getting for reporting New York Jets players that made inappropriate comments to her. Some say she dressed too provocatively, that her jeans were too tight, shirts were too low cut. WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES THAT MAKE? That is like saying a woman deserved to get raped because she was not wearing a bra!

Reporters, men and women, interview NAKED players every game (notice you only get the head shots on the news). What if a woman was interviewing an NFL player in the locker room and grabbed his butt and used the excuse “well, he was NAKED and was standing right in front of me”?

Come on guys! This is 100% wrong. This Reporter may have been a swimsuit model or a nude model. It make no difference. She should be treated with respect. The players need to respect those reporters as well and equally to the men. They are supposed to be role models for our youth and set examples, not acting like teenage boys without parental supervision.

http://www.headofrealestate.com

A Word to My Friends in The Print Media

Here it comes! The doom and gloom! Sales this September, October and November are going to be WAY down from the same time period as last year! Before you report that the market is CRASHING and that real estate is getting worse, PLEASE consider the following!

The ORIGINAL end to the first time home buyer tax credit (that was also being used by non-first time buyers, thank you Mr. President) was originally supposed to end on November 30th, 2009. Needless to say, everyone was in the hunt to get the “free money” our government has been giving away to people who don’t really need it the past two years.

The bottom line is this. THE TOTAL NUMBER OF HOUSES SELLING IS ALMOST EXACTLY ON PAR WITH 2009. The volume of sales was just spread out more evenly as opposed to peaking every time the government established another extension of the tax credit. Further, prices, at least in Tampa, have remained very steady over the past year and I only see the luxury market poised to take another hit in values at some point in the future if the economy does not get any legs to her SOON.

To report a bottoming out real estate market, even though the wires will be full of such information, it will pay to do the homework and look at the entire number of sales, YEAR TO DATE from 2009 when making such comparisons. Although I love stories on real estate, sometimes all that negative press scares away the buyers and that has a huge impact on our economy nationwide.

Why should the investors make a killing while the average Joe is apprehensive to buy those great deals. I have not seen so many investors buying up real estate since the early 90’s. THEY are not impacted by the national media and are making a killing. Realtors that represent those investors are also along for the ride. But the average American needs to know, that over the course of history, buying a home is one of the best investments you can make!

A house in Tampa that was built in the 1970’s for $20,000 in now worth over $200,000 (and was worth $400,000 in 2005). A person RENTING that home paid almost the same payment except the buyer has long since paid this home off and received a great tax break while he had a mortgage. The rate was fixed for 30 years (so the payment never changed) while the renter got price hikes at every renewal. Look at that house value over time. Even with today’s value, that homeowner would tell you that buying a home in the 1970 was one of the smartest financial moves he made in his life. The SAME THING that buyers who bought in 2009 and 2010 are going to be saying in the future.

Will somebody PLEASE run a story on the long term value of real estate and the trends in has run over the last 100 years? THAT would be a great story, a feel good story that would actually HELP the situation out. After all, the media was certainly fanning the flames in 2004, 2005 and 2006 giving consumers the confidence to all walk off that cliff together. Now we need that type of reporting going the other way to ease concerns of those who bought and got burned.

To those investors who bought in 2005 for example and own a home in a community worth 50% less than what you paid for yours…… go buy two or three more of the same model NOW at 50% off and put your renters in their. Those values will rise in the future and the huge profit you make will more than offset the loss on the one you bought. Just like the stock market! You bought stock in a company you have confidence in too early and it is down 50%……. if you believe in the product, go buy more at the discount to offset your loss. THAT make perfect sense to me………..

What say you?

http://www.headofrealestate.com

Listing Agent Must Accompany?

The dumbest thing I see in MLS today is “Listing Agent Must Accompany Showings” in MLS. If you are a Seller, here is a message from Vincent Arcuri: I will NOT be showing your house to my potential Buyers.

Dear Mr. & Mrs. Seller: You are asking why your Realtor attending the showings is not a good idea? I can give you a truck load of reasons why they SHOULD NOT be there but I will keep it short. #1) Nobody in real estate is ever on time. Either I will be running late because the buyer took longer than expected to look at each house or the agent meeting us there is running late so all the showings get pushed back. #2) Your Realtor wants to tell my buyer about every little detail of the house “here is the master bedroom” and “look at that chair rail” and drags what should be a regular showing into this 45 minute DRAMA of an agent trying to show off their real estate knowledge. #3) NOTE TO THOSE REALTORS: Buyers are emotional. They will not buy a house over another because yours is better built and the trusses are commercial grade. They like the pool, they like the location, they think this is the coolest house for the money? SOLD. You being there is not making one ounce of difference in the sale price or if my buyer is going to purchase the house or not. #4) When my buyer is late and you throw attitude around, it further puts your listing in the doghouse.

Locboxes today are safe, effective can be set for showings during certain hours and have the security needed to protect sellers. I set mine from 9:00AM to 8:00PM and deactivate the box at night. After each Agent that opens the box, I will get all the data on-line from MLS. I leave as much information as possible about the home IN THE HOME for any interested buyers to take with them. My listings are EASY to SHOW. That makes them SHOW MORE and the chances of a higher sales price and a faster time to sell are much better.

EGO should be left out of the process and that is what some agents are trying to do when showing up for every showing. Some top producers not have their assistants show up for them! AS IF! Who do WE as AGENTS make the home selling process so difficult on each other! We talk about the banks and how horrible they handle the short sales and REO’s and we do no better as a group.

Making listing difficult to show is a mistake and is not the best representation for your seller or buyers in the marketplace. We can do better.

http://www.headofrealestate.com

A Case For Real Estate / The Great Depression

This is not the first real estate bubble we have had “burst” and it will not be the last. It is my opinion that the government got us all into this mess and it is their obligation to get us out….NOW.

The government is constantly meddling in the real estate business. “First time home buyer tax credit” of this year was just one in a long history of our political “leaders” trying to drum up business for the real estate industry.

In 1919 The National Association of Real Estate Boards (Now NAR or National Association of Realtors) was promoting real estate via the “Own Your Own Home” campaign. This was a industry based program run by Realtors. Herbert Hoover (the then secretary of commerce) encourage the United States government to take over this program to increase home ownership. And the cycle of real estate was forever altered. Since then, it seems like the government has had a hand in real estate, trying to make it more and more affordable so “every American” can live the dream and own a home. This of course so the banking industry could stretch loans out over 30 years and rake in insane revenue on those 30 year loans!

After our country went into the “Great Depression” in the 20’s, how did the country get out of that mess? 25% of Americans were out of work and most of those jobs were construction related! Reigniting the real estate market back then was a great way to create jobs and get the economy rolling again! Talk about a “Stimulus Package” on steroids!!!

So what does America do in 2008 and 2009? We repeat what history taught us and get the real estate industry back on track, getting value back up, getting those construction workers, surveyors, roofers, plumbers, electricians, lawn service companies, painters, Realtors, lenders and everyone related to our field! WOW, what a TRILLION DOLLAR BAILOUT could do for the economy………….. except Obama flushed that toilet when he blew the trillion on HIS ego driven Stimulus package that has clearly and unequivocally FAILED the American people.

The government dug the hole. Now the CAN’T get out of the real estate game…. can they? I say YES they can…… eventually. If they eliminate the capital gains tax on real estate across the board, no matter how short of a time a person has owned the property, we would clear out of this mess sooner rather than later. Further, property taxes like we have in Florida are BULL _ _ _ _!!! Every state that has property taxes could raise the sales tax .02 per dollar and the revenue created would more than offset the income generated by the loss of property taxes. Now (in Florida for example) the tourists can pay some of that money to rebuild our roads, etc. (since they help destroy and use those roads now) This will reduce the overall cost of home ownership (total payment) by 1/3 in many cases. Buyers who can’t afford to buy, now will be able to and as they buy those starter homes, everyone can move back up the food chain!

After the market gets healthy again, we can only hope that the government can stay out of the business of trying to get every American to own a home. (How did that work out for you President Clinton?). The TRUTH IS, some people will NEVER own a home and will be lifetime renters. America, there is nothing wrong with that! Everyone does not need to buy or own a home for America to be great! We just need responsible leadership that understands economics and how the system works. 2012 seems really far off to me, but November 2010 is just a few weeks away! I can FEEL the market recovering now!

http://www.headofrealestate.com