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Help Clients Be Strategic
The article “A Vision of Home” (January/February 2016) connected with all the things I’ve been considering for a new office. I’ve been telling other brokers we should be marketing offices, not real estate brokerages. Traditional real estate companies will continue to experience increasing turnover by agents because consumers have far more information today. I owned a travel agency years ago, and I see many of the same changes happening in the real estate business. You have to change your model to adapt to the times. Real estate professionals need to be consultants, rather than just agents, so they can effectively help clients develop strategies and navigate the buying and selling process. —Ted Mello, Luxury Property Services Group, Jacksonville, Fla.
Pet Peeve
Regarding “The Power of Pets” (January/February 2016), with all due respect, I would greatly disagree [with the advantages] for sellers. Pet odors and litter boxes, just like smoke, can be an immediate deal-breaker the moment a buyer walks in to preview the home. I have always owned dogs, but many people do not care for affectionate, love-seeking animals. —Randy Schweitzer, RE/MAX Alliance Group, Sarasota, Fla.
BLOG POSTS
The ‘Facebook Moment’ Is Over
FROM "SPEAKING OF REAL ESTATE" We’ve moved past the point where practitioners can cite Facebook and Twitter as proof of staying on top of technology. Before adopting more ambitious tech goals, delve deeper into what you use now to understand how well it’s actually working for you.
The “moment” is over? Don’t tell most agents in my market—they are still clueless as to how to use Facebook effectively. For now, Facebook is the quickest and easiest way to promote yourself and listings. I don’t see that changing any time soon. —Quay Throgmorton, GRI, Hunt County Real Estate, Commerce, Texas
Facebook and Twitter gained their acceptance over time, much like any other medium. Laser discs were the wave of the future—until they weren’t. People used to ask, “What in the world would you do if you had a telephone with you all the time?” But that seemed to catch on pretty well. —Walter Johnson, Sellstate Next Generation Realty, Ocala, Fla.
The Rise of Black Stainless
FROM "STYLED, STAGED AND SOLD" At last, a challenge to the long popularity of stainless steel. Black stainless is less reflective, slightly darker, and more smudge-resistant. But will it catch on?
Black stainless steel will catch on. With all-white kitchens coming back into vogue, there needs to be an alternative, for sure! —Melinda Potcher, MAP Consultants LLC, Albuquerque, N.M.
Send a letter to narpubs@realtors.org or join a conversation at one of the blogs. Note: Letters and blog posts are edited for space and clarity. Publication of a letter doesn’t constitute an endorsement of the writer’s views by the National Association of REALTORS® or REALTOR® Magazine. Submission of a letter constitutes permission to publish it in any form or medium.