Is YOUR home fit to sell?

The residential housing market is more and more competitive, therefore more and more homeowners are investing time, effort and finances before even listing their homes on the market.

Condition is one of the top 3 factors in the sale of a home, after location and price.

To determine if your home is ready for this market, you can visit the RE/MAX, fit to sell, or contact me for a copy of the video.

Insider Secrets Part 2 - Poker Face and the Moment of Truth

Ever looked a salesperson in the eye just before you were about to say yes or no to the item? Ever play poker? Sometimes it can be hard to hide your emotions - or understand someones motivation.

The simple fact remains that sales people get paid upon a sale; no sale, no pay.

My profession is similar, but the stakes are much higher. We are not dealing with TVs and shoes. We are dealing with a 1/2 million dollars or more, plus investments. At that critical moment when you look at your agent and ask, "what do you think?", have you ever asked yourself, from what place does the answer come from?

What type of advice am I getting from my Realtor? Do they need a sale? When did they last make a sale? Real Estate is an expensive profession... I wonder, is this really the best decision for me? If I screw up, how do I screw up? What other choices do I have? Does this person care about me or do they just want a sale? Do I know everything that I need to know in order to make an informed decision?

I call this stage in the buying process, the Moment of Truth. When a buyer chooses to move forward with an offer, many factors must be satisfied before pen is put to paper. Research, due diligence, financing, comparables, needs, wants and desires must all come together to push the buyer to write an offer in a positive manner.

I believe that as Realtors, we owe a duty of care to be free of all personal motives at the Moment of Truth.  I have created a business plan and method to ensure that my personal needs do not interfere with my advice.
1. Due Diligence: Prior to writing an offer, I produce a thorough information package on the subject property. This includes Solds, expireds, active listings, similar property in other locations, tax information, what the current owner paid for the property and more. This is what I give to every client before we put pen to paper.

2. Coaching - not sales. Throughout my time with clients, I use a technique called the "soft close". When looking at the features of different properties,  I will ask "how do these features compare to what you need". I also ask, "on a scale of 1-10, how does this property score?". I write down my clients answers for future reference so prior to writing an offer, we can once again visit some of the finer features of the property and how needs are being met.

3. Solid as a Rock. My business is solid and I am a consummate planner. I have 3 to 6 months of known expenses in my business account. At any given time, I am not worried about income or commissions. I believe that income will be produced through good advice and solid relationships. My business plan is based on three pillars - Client Care, Professional Conduct, Skill and Ethics and a Healthy Family. To this end, I am never pressured by a personal need to "make a deal" but rather to dispense fair and solid advice to people who need my expertise.

4. A long life. Lastly, before each and every contract is written or accepted, I ask this simple question, "So, once we have a deal based on these conditions, what's your plan in the next 5 to 10 years?". My plan is to be there. My plan is to take responsibility to help you buy and sell in the future. As such, it is in my interest to help make it a great contract because tiny mistakes today can create bigger ones tomorrow.

So, next time you are thinking of buying and selling anything important and costly, think of these four moment of truth items. We are all motivated by something and understanding where it comes from will benefit you tremendously.

Regards,
Dean

Insider Secrets of a Top Producer in Real Estate

The most common question I get is, "how is the market". I guess this is similar to asking a friend about the weather. Perhaps an answer is not needed or perhaps the person asking really wants to know. In any event, I always respond in the same polite way. "That depends on where you live and what your plans are. What are your plans?"

Let's pull apart this answer.

"That depends on where you live" - Yes, location and style of house are always the most important factors when considering the condition of the "market". During our recent down turn, there were a number of category of homes and locations that sold very well while adjacent neighbourhoods and home styles suffered. To illustrate, the Central Okanagan contains 28 unique sub-areas such as Dilworth, Lower Mission and Black Mountain etc. Multiply this by 13 distinct home styles such as bi-level, rancher, two story etc and the combination affect creates a factor of 364. With 364 combination's to choose from, buyers will flounder quickly. Part of being a good Realtor is helping buyers quickly vet style and location choices. In this regard, an effective and knowledgeable Realtor can save buyers and sellers hundreds of hours. No one likes cleaning their house and buyers don't like viewing properties that "don't fit" their needs.

"What are your plans" - Real estate sells when markets are high and low. What creates the difference is the needs, plans and desires of the buyers and sellers. Interestingly enough, some of the best decisions to buy and sell occur when markets are in "flux". It takes guts to buy when everyone else is sitting on the sidelines and often history will confirm this to be the bottom of the market. Likewise, it takes tremendous strength to sell when others are not and lately it takes guts to lower your asking price to secure an offer. However, sellers today who actually sell are rewarded with a lot of choice on the buying side.

Realtors who can truly understand your plans and goals are better able to help you make choices. There are no good or bad choices. Just actions. And, when you make choices based on good market information and with the support of a Realtor who truly understand your concerns, your chances of success increase dramatically.

Stay tuned for insider secrets part 2.
Regards, Dean

49 accepted, 39 firm contracts, 25 months and counting...

New Real Estate Agents can struggle with credibility. For many, this struggle is warranted. Many new agents turn to real estate with little or no practical experience in sales, marketing or business. Licensing requirements to become an agent can weed out some but passing the test and paying your dues does not truly qualify a person for a successful career.

I was hesitant to enter the profession. The skill, experience and habits needed to become an outstanding agent cannot be taught in the classroom and they are not learned over the Internet. I have learned that prior business experience (and success) must be combined with a good mentor(s), excellent daily habits and consistently applying fundamentals (good service habits).

25 months into my Real Estate business and I am happy to report 49 negotiated deals, 39 firm contracts (happy clients) and counting.

The average Realtor of my board produced just over 10 "deals" in 2009.

In my first full calendar year as a Realtor, I achieved REMAX's 100% club.

What strikes me hard about the "numbers" of my profession is two fold.

1. My success is based on helping very good clients make life changing choices and;

2. "just over 10 deals" a year is tremendously slow in my opinion because I believe that I have a lot more time to help out more great people! What are most of my colleagues doing?

So, I can now say that I am "better than the average Realtor" in sales production-close to twice as productive. However, my goal and plan has never been to compare myself with an average. Average does not cut it.

When you are buying or selling your most important financial asset, "better than average" is not good enough.

The ability to connect people and put deals together is the only hallmark of success in my profession. Simply put, my sales record ensures that you will receive the best possible service because;

1. I view hundreds of homes each month with real buyers.
2. I write and address contracts on a weekly basis.
3. I understand the unique ebb and flow of the market because I am also surrounded by the top Realtors at RE/MAX.
4. Because I am busy and my income regular, my advice to clients is based on their needs, not my need to secure a commission cheque.
5. I have spent millions on marketing-so you don't have to.
6. My business plan allows me to give more time to my clients, so they will notice better service and availability.

Overall, I generally deplore bragging and boasting about my success because I believe that my only job is to serve my clients. Service is not a sale, it's a daily habit. However, I am also aware that there are no excuses when homes don't sell and deals fail to come together. I believe that my clients deserve the best.

Today, I believe that I do offer the best service. My promise is to continue improving my service. I will stay busy but I will never be too busy to help you or the people you care about.
D

Remax recognized

I recently received an article which I found inspiring, as it made me feel proud to be a part of the Remax Kelowna Team.

"Remax recognized as the most trusted Real Estate Brand in Canada" as voted by readers of Readers Digest magazine.

As many of you know me, I strive to be the best Real Estate Agent that I can for my clients, and I want to ensure that I am your realtor for life. It is nice to know that the majority of Canadians trust our brand.