Charlotte Stilwell

Our company does a lot of Mike Ferry stuff. I like some of it, I hate other parts of it (ie: prospecting). I've gone to a Brian Buffini seminar before and loved him and his methods.

Things I've learned over the years:
Run your business like a business. I'm not a dr and therefore am not on call 24/7.
There is no such thing as a real estate emergency.
If you have 5 clients and one of them is a "jacka$$", you will spend more time with that one jacka$$ and neglect the other 4 perfectly lovely clients whom you would prefer to work for and gain referrals from. Let the jacka$$es go. That one's Brian Buffini.
Prequalify 100% of the buyers/sellers, 100% of the time. - mike ferry - Wed May 14 2008, 19:55

I am laughing so hard! A broker friend of mine and I have been complaining about that since day 1! Realtor. I want to scream - just read it the way it's spelled and we'll all be ok!! Realty. Realtor. Not REALITY or REALATOR!!!!!

Too funny and I'm glad it's not just me it bugs! - Wed May 14 2008, 19:49

I was a buyer rep for a Relo team for 4+ years and I did not wait for them to get to town to bring it up. At the first phone conversation, I would let them know we would meet first to get some of the legal stuff out of the way. Start with the IBS. Then the buyer rep agreement. I offered to email it to them in advance as well so they could come prepared with their questions. When presenting the IBS, I always skipped to the special provisions page first and I put, "the buyer or agent may cancel this agreement at any time with 24 hours written notice" and I explained that if they didn't want to work with me or if I didn't want to work with them, it was truly best to just part ways (the protection period stays in place so anything you've shown them is still covered). The other thing that helped was for the really hard sells was to do ONE freebie. I would take a buyer in my car ONCE without a buyer rep. After that, they either sign or move on. It becomes a numbers/time game and I learned early on that wasting my time was not the way to do this business. Also, the more open and up front you are in explaining how the real estate business works, the more likely they are to commit to you. I make sure they know who pays the commission, what my job is, how I work and when - totally set the expectations up front so there are no questions.
Hope that helps! I'm always available to help if you have questions. Being a buyer rep for so long taught me a ton!! - Wed May 14 2008, 19:45

There are areas in the Woodlands that are over 55 communities where the yard is maintained (included in dues). If you aren't finding what he's looking for he needs to either expand his area or raise his price. Check the MLS for the Woodlands under patio homes and see what you find there. - Wed May 14 2008, 19:29

Just like anywhere else, it is what you make of it. I live in Magnolia with my husband and son and we love all the wide open spaces, trees, and country living. And yet, we are close enough to enjoy what a large city has to offer...sports, museums, the zoo, etc. There is a great book by Megan F. Salch called 100+ Activities for Houston Kids that you should check out. It's a great resource. I've linked the Amazon listing for the book for you. - Wed May 14 2008, 19:22