Every now and then you run into a situation that makes you just scratch your head. This week I had such an occasion. I picked up a client at his hotel, and we headed off to look at a few houses including one in a new build development. My client is telling me how he spent his life in sales and how he does not like salespeople at all, especially Realtors. Mr. Client was talking about how he gets annoyed when salespeople go around pointing out the obvious like they are adding value. For … [Read more...]
On the “Value Add” of a Real Estate Agent
As the kerfuffle over a San Diego real estate broker pulling their listings from syndication sites is about to enter its second week, I keep seeing something reiterated over and over. I've seen it stated in many different ways, but it all boils down to "listing data". How important, many say critical, that data is. Well, not the data itself necessarily, rather it is the control of that data (or lack thereof) that seems to get so many riled up. Here's a paraphrase of the argument: Our listing … [Read more...]
The Two Hardest Things to Tell a Client
Throughout both my real estate career and my prior-to-real-estate-life in Corporate America, I've found there are two small phrases that are at the same time both the most powerful and the most difficult words you can say to a client... "I don't know" and "No" Why are these so difficult? In real estate, or any service-based business for that matter, we feel like we should be all-knowing. The ultimate source of information. "The Man". The go-to guy. As such, it isn't easy to say, "I … [Read more...]
Thompson’s Realty Welcomes Kristin LaVanway!
You have to love it when you find a perfect combination of personality, smarts and experience. We're thrilled to announce that Kristin LaVanway has joined Thompson's Realty. Kristin, a former rocket scientist (no, I'm not kidding), brings 5 years of real estate sales experience and the exact client-oriented attitude we're looking for. Anyone that can deal with four teenage boys can handle whatever real estate throws at them. Add in a degree in Mechanical Engineering from ASU and experience in … [Read more...]
The Phoenix Real Estate Guy was started by Jay Thompson, and I have a little blogging problem... he liked to say...