Inspired Real Estate For Today

RE-Thinking the Customer Service Business...

Today, while going through a very busy car wash, the attendant who is wiping off my windshield indicates that they have a' new service' They are going to check your windshield for dings & dents PRIOR to taking your car through the car wash.

I'm surprised & even a little impressed...

HOW PRO-ACTIVITY  IS BEING RE-DEFINED...

Being Pro-Active is a term under-going metamorphosis. When I started my real estate business almost 15 years ago, pro-activity meant that you quickly took care of the problem once it was brought to your attention.  It was considered ill-advised to go 'looking for trouble'!  Prior to getting in line for the wash, I was not concerned about dings and dents on my windshield.  But now that they mentioned it...

What do you think?  Would it have been wiser for car wash attendant to NOT say anything and ONLY bring the issue to my attention if they noticed a problem?  

Some additional questions come to mind.  Was the local car wash really concerned about dents to my windshield or were they simply trying to protect themselves from complaints in the future?  Had their equipment been known to damage windshields in the past?  Questions which were non-issues to me prior to the mention of their 'new service' offer.

WHY FOLKS ARE ANXIOUS...

Because unpleasant surprises are increasingly common, consumers have taken the management of expectations into their own hands.  Real estate consumer experiences are no exception.  Take a moment to view the entries on this site. How we manage the customer service experience will determine the future value of our industry.

Our Board recently introduced an Integrity Pledge.  The 3 page document details an exhaustive list of items that brokers and agents who sign it will do to serve the customer.  You can view the detailed document here.  It's a valiant effort to deal with the fact that there is an increasingly unbecoming lack of professionalism in our industry.  I've signed the pledge.  I want to raise the bar.

RAISING THE BAR:

However, questions arise: Are we inadvertently bringing attention to the fact that our minimum service levels contain elements which the average consumer assumes are a part of the package or were not concerned about prior to the reminder. After all, I wasn't concerned about my windshield until they mentioned it.  

Do consumers rightly assume that professionals will do what's right by virtue of the term? Or is it prudent to pro-actively define the level of expectation?

On the other hand...does signing a pledge better serve as an appropriate attempt to forestall the impact of negative ratings which may paint a distorted picture without presenting the other side of the story? Will it serve to effectively raise the bar by bringing into clear focus intrinsic elements of customer service?

Our Integrity pledge is aspirational in nature and enforcement rests with the managing broker. The hope is that the aspiration will serve as inspiration for our agents to do a better job of service.  

I'm curious...how is your company or board dealing with the new challenges of customer service? Are you being pro-active or hoping these consumers will loose this 'desire' to share their experiences with with the whole world?

Picture courtesy of sappymousetree on flickr

Picture of weigh lifting courtesy of jontunn

Well, 2010 is finally here. At Audu Real Estate, we were working hard until the end of 2009.  For those who predicted that the end of the year would lapse quietly into oblivion, they didn't factor in a number of hard working agents in Grand Rapids, Michigan who were busy helping buyers get homes in time for Christmas and assisting homeowners in preparing their homes for sale.  

Although, there were days that we wondered if the Christmas presents would ever make it under the tree, as time for shopping was a premium, the ultimate satisfaction came in helping our growing family of clients reach their goals. 

As we enter into 2010, we are reminded that we've been given a clean slate.  Unless we choose to carry it forward, the old baggage of last year can be dropped off at the curb.  It's time to determine what road map you're going to follow.  Best Wishes to all our clients who have helped us to practise the Art of Real Estate as an ongoing source of inspiration.  Here's to you!

Presenting: 4910 Weatherstone Lane, Kentwood, MI 49508...

Presenting: 3136 Locke Ave SW, Grandville, MI 49418

Presenting 319 Burt Ave, Wyoming, MI 49508

"If you follow the usual prescription, not only will you put yourself on a path to burnout but you'll also miss a singular opportunity to turn the issue of fear to your advantage" 

Tyler Lewke - Founder of Lewke Partners in Crystal Lake Ill.

Mr. Lewke made this arresting statement in the Commentary section of the latest issue of the Realtor magazine.  It was response to a question posed about the biggest challenge facing today's unsettled marketplace. 

How would you have answered the question?  Would you say our biggest challenge is technology, new national players in the real estate marketplace, broker profitability, inadequate training, the credit market...to name a few?

According to the author, in his opinion "Fear has become the largest obstacle in transactions.  All the skill in the world, all the prospecting, all the social media won't matter if we don't recognize the fear.  If you listen to what customers and your colleagues in the industry say between their words, you can hear the fear, and you need to address it."

Are you hearing the fear?  Are you aware of the fact that you need to listen for it?  It shows up in some many different ways.  For some, its' an inability to focus.  Time spent playing around on the computer is somehow easier than actually getting out and meeting people.  For others, it's the exact opposite...frenzied activity, chasing every 'potential solution' fearing that stopping for a second may signal the end of a career.

Real Estate has always been a numbers game like most sales based professions, but lately playing the numbers game is likely to be a recipe for the disaster.  I'll never forget a real estate team that I encountered during my early years in the business.  They were so focused on the numbers game that they asked the broker to literally take away their desks and chairs and install only a counter to facilitate the hundreds of cold calls they were making every single day!

Cold calling definitely has it's place as a viable form of prospecting, but in an era in which a negotiation for a short sales can take months, Mr. Lewkes points out that this type of 'militaristic approach to prospecting is a path to burnout and will also cause us to loose sight of some unique opportunities to address the issue of fear in ourselves and our clients effectively.

Dealing with Fear starts with awareness.  Fear drains huge amounts of energy.  When we're locked in it's grip, it's hard to think clearly and even harder to respond proactively.  Awareness of the fact that our thoughts and actions are being influenced by fear has a way of dispelling the shadows.  Fear drives with ruthless cruelty when it is shrouded in darkness.  When we admit our reservations and our fears to ourselves and others, we often find that we are NOT alone and there may be far more support than we could have ever envisioned.

Facing the Fear within ourselves also allows us to listen to what our clients are really saying in between the lines and to address real issues rather than phantom ones.  Facing the Fear enables us to invest energy into creative solutions and can facilitate the patience to persevere in spite of the odds. 

Courage is not about the absence of fear, it's the ability to walk through the vice-grip and face Fear head on.  Experience proves that Fear will always blink first when faced with the power of Courage.  Recognizing, admitting and dealing with our fears greatly aids our ability to counsel others who are facing the same issue. And in today's world, the field of the afflicted is crowded.

Courage transforms into compassion when it links arms and walks another through the trouble to the other side.  It is this sort of action which has the ability to transform our lives and our profession because it presents an incredible opportunity to support those we serve and provides an intrinsic value which goes far beyond the dollars and cents!

picture courtesy of flickr photostream of Mr. Kris ~ creative commons' license.

Click here to read Mr. Lewke's inspiring article on Putting Fear Behind Us in it's entirety.

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The world of real estate has always held a fascination for folks like me.  But things have a way of getting really strange when people who don't spend their waking, working moments around the mayhem and milieu of the brokerage world start telling astounding tales about their recent 'encounters' in real estate country.

Over the past month, I've had several conversations which would have been considered 'beyond bizzare' just a few short years ago.  Folks talking about people they know walking out the door of their homes and just giving the home back to the bank as casually as they might refer to a decision to perhaps purchase a car.

I know you might be thinking at a cursory reading that this reckless attitude is just symptomatic of the chaos that has been the hallmark of so much recent madness, but often during these exchanges, I actually sensed something else.  As I listen intently, the story involves so much more than initially stated. There's an underlying, increasingly recognizable sad thread.

The bundle of trial includes years of struggle, trying to find jobs, being laid off, piling up debt to survive, ravaging investment accounts, pulling home equity out to last just a little longer, and then the straw that breaks the camel's back occurs...one more thing that could not be anticipated which tips the scales. 

Absolute & total weariness...and with resources strained beyond measure, it seems that the only thing to do is ...WALK AWAY.  But before you do...

STOP.

Before your feet set in motion a chain of events which will potentially impact your life for the NEXT DECADE, please consider ALL your options.  TALK to someone.  I'm astounded by the number of people who go through the ENTIRE Foreclosure process without talking to ANYONE about their options.

That's right...

You do have OPTIONS.  Before making a decision to simply stop attending to your obligations, ASK someone for help.  Speak to an Attorney, contact a Real Estate Broker or your Mortgage Lender.  Preferably, engage with all three sources or more...  Information is power when it comes to a decision which can handicap not just your ability to get a new home, but your ability to have a measure of control over your financial life for the foreseeable future.

Just for Starters, Ask about the following:

Will your bank accept a Deed in Lieu of Foreclosure AND forgive your debt in it's entirety?

Can you pursue a Short Sale?

What are your options for Loan Modification?

What are your legal options and obligations?

An old African Proverb reminds us that "No Condition is Permanent in this world."  Remember this truth...especially when things are tough.  This too shall pass...eventually.

picture courtesy of hoyasmeg on flickr

I'm one of those people who checks things out online BEFORE I go.  Why not?  I figure there is more to be gained from taking advantage of the benefit of other people's experiences before spending the gas, time and money to discover the truth myself.  Apparently, there are a lot of folks like me.

Did you know that the according to Wikepedia, the first ratings site was created by Michael Hussey and called 'RateMyFace.com.  I was intrigued to discover that ratings sites started out as dating sites for the most part and evolved over time to include all sorts of other services, including sites rating professionals such as lawyers, doctors and teachers.  

It was also interesting to learn from this book about the founding of Facebook that this popular site also had a ratings component behind it's inspiration. It's founders envisioned it as tool to enhance their social/dating scene during the college experience at an Ivy league school.

Today, the concept of consumers determining the Value of a product or service through ratings is quickly developing a huge cache in terms of credibility.  People trust what other people have to say about something, even more than the owner or creator of the product.

The viral nature of social media has accelerated the trend. In Grand Rapids, the concept of ratings by a community took a giant leap forward through the launching of Art Prize this fall. Artists from all over the world will be displaying their work from September 23 through October 10, 2009 in venues throughout the city.  The winner of the Art Prize ($250,000) will be decided on by...you guessed it, members of the public who register to vote!

This is why I find it especially intriguing that a Google search for the term 'Rating Services for Realtors' with a hit total of approximately 2 Million, does not highlight a single comprehensive ratings database for real estate professionals or their services on the first 2 pages!  A perplexed consumer asks the question on Ask.com... wondering WHY one can find information on a number of other professions, but not a comprehensive database for Realtors?

There are a few associations which are exploring the utilization of a Ratings Service such as the Houston Association of Realtors®, but these are few and far between.  It might also interest you to know that the Google search results for Rate your Realtor number 13,000,000!  Some of the sites on the first page are powered by consumer generated content and data exchanges.  This is something consumers want, are searching for...and may ultimately successfully create for themselves.

And it won't just be about Realtors®. Can you foresee a time in the near future in which community ratings will play a bigger part of defining the value of any particular area?  Today, Walkability scores for neighborhoods are increasingly a part of the data supplied to prospective new home owners on some aggregate databases.  

The list of options which consumers might be interested in about a community is potentially endless...think school ratings, environmental awareness, diversity, employment opportunities, medical services.  From a consumer perspective, it would be helpful to be able to download a comprehensive profile of a community, then select the issues that were most important and see what others are saying or not saying in one place. What do you think?  Are Realtors® missing the boat by their lack of proactivity in this area?

Picture courtesy of Wolfgang Staudts' photostream on flickr

Watching oyster boats on the Chesapeake Bay puts one relaxed vacationer (my hubby) to sleep.

I've wondered about this sign.  This picture was taken while visiting Harbor Springs, Michigan; a delightful resort style community.  Michigan is sometimes referred to as the land of a thousand lakes. During the summer, large bodies of water are almost irresistible as the weather warms up.  

Along the pier, there were many, many boats anchored to the docks; almost as far as the eyes could see.  I had to wonder where their owners were.  On such a gorgeous day, isn't it the right of any seaworthy craft to be on the water where boats belong?  But, perhaps these lucky individuals were busy making the money to pay to anchor the boats along the pier. After all, the last I checked, money doesn't grow on trees does it?  

But there is an irony to such things.  Kinda like the no diving, no swimming sign perhaps...  Such is life.

Copyright 2009  Audu Real Estate  All Rights Reserved

A few years ago, I received an unusual housewarming gift.  It was wrapped within a tastefully crafted large gift bag. Inside, the bag was filled with solid, dark mahogany stained wood hangers.  They were beautiful, but I was a tad perplexed. I had plenty of hangers...all sorts; wire rimmed hangers, clear plastic hangers from clothes bought at the store, padded hangers, solid plastic hangers, paper covered hangers from the dry cleaners & even some wooden hangers...

My friend politely explained her gift.  She said, "Lola, you have moved into such a beautiful home.  Everything in your home seems to match your gracious decor.  Except, when you took our coats to hang them, I noticed that the hangers in your closet didn't match your house.  So, I bought you some new hangers."

I really hadn't paid much attention to my hangers; after all, they were hidden in my closet and glimpsed only for a few moments when I took one out to hang a coat.  But, the principle behind the gift got me to thinking...how many mis-matched items were still hanging around in my life even as I had moved on? 

In fact, most of the hangers in my closet were simply items that I had randomly collected from a variety of sources. As long as they hung clothes, who cared what they looked like. But upon reflection, I had to admit, some of them did a much better job of preserving my clothes than others.  In fact, some of the hangers actually ended up mis-shaping garments that were placed on them.

I'm thinking about how this relates to life.  How often do we continue to 'carry around' all sorts of things and people contacts which are no longer active or vibrant in our lives?  To what extent are we filling the closets of our lives with issues that no longer resonate with the direction in which we desire to move? 

Hanger picture is courtesy of aldrin muya's photostream on flickr.

Copyright 2009  Audu Real Estate  All Rights Reserved

Grand Rapids, MI agents don't have to wait for the yearly announcement of the 'Good Neighbor Award' to support and celebrate one of our own local Realtors®.  It's wonderful to live in a community in which so many individuals give of their time and talents to serve our local community.  

And then, there are some agents like Sue Prins, a real estate agent with Five Star Real Estate, who stretch arms of compassion across the globe to touch the lives of those who are less fortunate.

I recently completed a transaction with Sue; one which took about 3 months to negotiate. It was really refreshing to work with a professional.  One of the unanticipated results of our 'extended deal' was that I became aware of Sue's interest in helping people in an impoverished area of South Africa become self-sustaining by starting a business.  The initiative is Vox Threads.

Here's a few excerpts from Sue's letter about the project: